When He Shi returned home, she immediately told Song Yuemei to go with her to work in the fields. However, Song Yuemei claimed she felt unwell in her stomach and refused to go. He Shi had nowhere to vent her fury; this daughter-in-law was a jinx to their family even before setting foot inside, and now that she was married in, she was practically driving her to death. If she didn't discipline her properly today, she wouldn't quell the anger in her heart.

He Shi stormed into Song Yuemei's room and said hatefully, "Daughter-in-law, you feel unwell in your stomach? Where exactly does it hurt? Shall I call for a physician to take a look?"

Song Yuemei lay there, "I don't know what’s wrong, perhaps I caught a chill, but Mother, I’ll be fine after a rest; there’s no need to call a physician."

He Shi was convinced Song Yuemei was feigning sickness and refusing to get out of bed, so her tone grew even harsher. "If you won't see a physician, how will you know what's actually wrong with your stomach? Either come with me to see the physician and take medicine if you’re sick, or get out of bed and come work with me if you’re not."

Song Yuemei didn't lose her temper, replying with a hint of weakness in her voice, "Calling a physician costs quite a bit of money. By the time the doctor comes and the money is spent, Mother will have also lost valuable time in the fields."

These few days since Song Yuemei arrived, He Shi felt utterly useless having married such a daughter-in-law. Besides cooking a few meals, she did none of the other housework. She only washed her own clothes, not even bothering with Qingshan’s, let alone helping anyone else in the family. Her attitude towards them was anything but warm, yet her own son doted on her to the heavens.

Seeing Song Yuemei like this, He Shi was certain she was just being lazy, but she couldn't force her into the fields. So, she devised a plan: she packed some food and took Yu'er to the fields, setting Yu'er up to do embroidery by the edge of the field, while she locked up all the rooms in the house except for Song Yuemei's.

I’ll see what you eat for lunch, she thought. If you refuse to work with me, you still expect to eat and drink well at home? I’ll starve you. I've locked all the doors properly, and with that, she left with Yu'er.

He Shi went to the fields with Yu'er. Song Yuemei heard the sound of her mother-in-law locking the doors but remained unperturbed. She still had several packets of snacks hidden in her trunk and wasn't afraid of going hungry. However, He Shi’s actions were simply too much; she would put on a good show for them when Qingshan returned.

As for Song Yuemei, her father and brothers came from honest stock, possessing nothing but brute strength; thus, the entire family farmed a few acres of land, and life was quite poor. Her mother usually managed household affairs; she was a typical shrewd little woman, so she made the decisions on minor daily matters.

Song Yuemei was the youngest daughter and was greatly spoiled by her mother. She rarely did housework; her sister-in-law handled it. She certainly wasn't expected to work in the fields; at most, during busy harvest seasons, her sister-in-law would work the land while she handled chores at home. Most of the time, she spent hours doing embroidery.

Song Yuemei’s embroidery skills were quite good; she had been doing it since childhood, working quickly and skillfully. She could finish more than one piece a day, earning about seven or eight wen. If someone hired her to make clothing, she could earn even more. Her family saw that the money she earned from embroidery was substantial, so they were happy to let her continue.

Meeting Qingshan was truly a coincidence. That day, she was taking clothes to the riverbank to wash when she saw Qingshan dressed in silk attire, looking like a scholar. Although somewhat slender, he was far better looking than the average farmhand. Moreover, Qingshan had spent time around the young dandies in town, carrying a slight air of roguish charm.

The farthest Song Yuemei had ever traveled was the market town, and she would return immediately after selling her embroidery. To encounter someone in the village like Qingshan, someone distinct from the usual farm laborers, instantly stirred her heart. Whether intentionally or not, she began passing by that route every day. Song Yuemei herself was quite attractive, and when she looked at Qingshan, her charm was fully displayed. Qingshan, too, became intrigued, and bit by bit, the two fell for each other.

Not long after, the two engaged in illicit relations. Both Qingshan and Song Yuemei were new to such things, and once started, they couldn't stop. Whenever they had a moment, they would sneak off together. During these times, Qingshan heaped extravagant promises upon Song Yuemei, boasting about how wealthy his family was and how rich his second uncle’s family was.

Song Yuemei was a country girl who had seen little of the world, so she believed everything Qingshan said. Furthermore, she had indeed seen Qingshan's second uncle’s family making quite a stir in Linjia Village recently; the house built with blue bricks alone was worth several dozen liang of silver.

When their affair was finally exposed, Song Yuemei showed no panic. She knew Qingshan would marry her; she was very confident in her own allure. Moreover, the Qingshan family’s conditions were undeniably better than her own, so she married into the family full of hopeful anticipation.

But after a few days married, she realized the Qingshan household wasn't as grand as she had imagined. Although the daily food was decent, money was not plentiful, and her mother-in-law, He Shi, pestered her constantly. She grew resentful and complained tearfully to Qingshan every night. Qingshan felt guilty for the boasts he had made, which he realized he couldn't fulfill, so he became even more fond of Song Yuemei, obeying her every wish.

Although He Shi was difficult to deal with, Song Yuemei’s mother had warned her before the wedding that this mother-in-law was notoriously fierce and abrasive throughout Linjia Village, and she had even taught her how to handle her. Thus, no matter how savage He Shi was, Song Yuemei wasn't afraid.

To be locked in her room and denied food today—she certainly planned to have a stern word with him about this when Qingshan returned, and then they would see who was in the wrong.

Turning to Lin He's household: although they generally did not provide room and board for hired day laborers, Lin He still prepared some snacks and tea to be delivered by Dabao around noon.

The day rate for the hired laborers was thirty wen for a fixed amount of work; if they finished early, they could go home sooner. At noon, the laborers were eating the corn cakes they brought from home for lunch. Seeing that the master's household sent over snacks and tea, they worked even harder.

Conversely, Da Jiang and Qingshan, having done very little farming in recent years, were significantly slower than the others. The laborers had each been assigned a specific area, and most had completed half of their assigned section, while the father and son pair hadn't even finished one-third.

Da Jiang was fine; feeling he was working too slowly, he refused to rest even when everyone else was having snacks, staying put in the field. Qingshan, however, saw Dabao arriving with tea and walked over, taking the snacks and tea to drink.

Dabao looked at his uncle working alone in the field, brought him some snacks and tea, and told him not to rush, just to take his time.