Stick With The Cold Female lead

Chapter 17

In the courtyard, everyone spoke at once to introduce themselves, and Su Yi only then understood why so many people had gathered at her grandmother's house all of a sudden.

It turned out that her grandmother had a total of eight daughters and two sons, and they had all come to celebrate her grandmother's birthday.

Except for the eldest daughter, all the others, including Su Yi's mother, came from out of town and had no place to stay, so they all stayed together in this place.

Upon hearing this, Su Yi couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. It was clear that there were reasons behind the establishment of a matriarchal country. Women in this society didn't face any risks in childbirth. The more daughters they had, the stronger their families became. It was difficult for people not to desire having more daughters.

When Su Yi first crossed over to this world, she was curious about why some families could have more than ten children. After all, women were in charge here. Did these women not fear complications and death during childbirth?

It was only after asking Yan Shen that she learned the truth. In this Yan Xue country, women were highly respected and had access to advanced medical technologies related to women's health. Women here didn't even experience menstrual pain, and of course, there were ways to minimize the risks and pain of childbirth. According to experienced midwives, giving birth for the women here was as easy as being bitten by an ant and the baby would quickly be born.

However, the child, like a parasite, would continuously absorb the mother's nutrients while in the womb. which couldn't be entirely harmless. To eliminate the harm and replenish the nutrients, the female emperor who established the country, for reasons unknown, implemented a mystical method. During pregnancy, the women would take in nutrients provided by their husbands, and all the nutrients absorbed by the fetus were extracted from the husband's body. Symptoms of pregnancy, such as nausea, dizziness, and discomfort, were transferred to the husband.

Thus, apart from childbirth, the mother didn't experience any hardships during pregnancy and wouldn't personally raise the child. Instead, they would leave the child to their fathers. Due to the torments the men suffered during their wives' pregnancy, they grew particularly fond of the children when they were born. They loved their children even more than women in the country Su Yi was from before crossing over.

Therefore, women in this country were selective when choosing husbands. Women like Su Yi's mother, who chose a weak and fragile husband, had unfortunate consequences. Her husband drowned, leaving her to bear the hardships of pregnancy alone and raise their daughter by herself. Such cases were rare, and when the other Su family members heard about the experience of Su Yi's mother, they secretly looked down on her.

Although the Su family had a thriving population, the house was simply too small. With dozens of people crowded together, the air was stagnant, making it uncomfortable for Su Yi.

Covering her nose with a handkerchief, Su Yi couldn't help but cough repeatedly.

Ji Qingchi hurried over to fan her and asked, "My wife, are you okay?"

Licorice, not having much tact, quickly interjected, "Master, our Miss cannot endure being in crowded places like this."

Upon hearing that, a man with drooping eyebrows sneered, "Oh, it's really inconvenient for us since the cost of land in the capital is sky-high. We can only afford such a small house. It's a pity that our niece has to suffer. I heard that the sixth sister's family has an exceptionally large house. They could probably afford several houses the size of ours. Little niece is so pampered it's no wonder she's not in good health."

The one speaking was the head of the Su family's eldest daughter's husband. When they split from the main family, although the eldest daughter received some property in the capital city, considering the high cost of living there, it was just a small portion. Su Yi's mother was the luckiest to be assigned to the Wind City. Although it was relatively desolate, the land was cheap, so they acquired more property.

Because of this, he had always felt dissatisfied, and he had gotten into multiple conflicts with Su Yi's mother, both openly and behind closed doors.

Hearing her husband speak like this, Su's big aunt knew he was going to create trouble again and scolded, "What does a man like you understand? Go away."

The husband immediately became resentful, hiding behind the crowd and lowering his head, saying, "Why are we not allowed to say anything? Sixth sister has been allocated the most land. Why are we not allowed to take advantage of it and can't say a few word?!''

"That Wind City is so desolate and remote. Sixth Sister has suffered for so many years. What if she has more land?" Su's big aunt scolded him and then looked apologetically at Su Yi's mother. "He is a man, not very knowledgeable. Sixth sister, don't take it to heart."

Su Yi's mother waved her hand repeatedly. "It's okay, it's okay."

Su Jie had just gone into the house to get something. When she came out and heard the commotion, she immediately became somewhat annoyed. "What's all this noise about? There's not much stuff to begin with, yet you're fighting over these trivial matters. It's embarrassing!"

Su's eldest husband immediately became cowardly, hiding behind the crowd and lowering his head. "Mother's teaching is right."

"Alright, enough. Men, take the children and go back to your rooms. I have something to discuss''

The men obediently took their young children and left. Su Yi, who was still under 18 years old and considered a child, tried to leave as well. However, before she could go far, her fourth aunt called her, "Why are you leaving, niece?"

"I..."

Before Su Yi could answer, the tall and enthusiastic woman dragged her to the front and pushed her forward, saying, "Come on, niece, you're not a child anymore. You should attend the family meeting too."

Su Yi, feeling like a helpless little chick, was immediately lifted forward in the wheelchair. She held tightly onto the wheelchair's armrests, afraid she would fall off. At the same time, she was bewildered and called out to the heavens, 'Why is life so unfair? Why are these women in the Yan Xue country so strong, except for me?

Ji Qingchi, observing Su Yi looking scared but refusing to speak out, couldn't help but smile slightly.

The men and children had all left, so she, being the "man" of the household, naturally couldn't stay any longer. She respectfully greeted the other elder women one by one, then covered her lips as she whispered to Su Yi, "My dear wife, you've worked hard. I will take my leave now."

"Very well," Su Yi forced herself to cheer up, putting on a loving and devoted wife appearance to her husband. She called for Yan Shen, "Go and tidy up the room for the master. Let him rest well."

Yan Shen nodded and went down with Ji Qingchi, leaving only the women of the Su family in the courtyard.

Su Jie, as the head of the family, sat at the forefront, cleared her throat, and began her lecture.

She essentially talked about how their mother, Lady Pingyang Marquis, was getting old, so the children must make an effort to please her on her birthday, in order to receive more favors from her. They should ensure that their family wouldn't fall into poverty for generations to come. Otherwise, when their mother passed away someday, their aunt, the current Lady Pingyang Marquis, would take over, and they would receive no benefits.

After all, they were blood sisters and should be clear about their accounts. Besides, Su's eldest daughter, being their senior, had no obligation to support her nieces and grandnieces.

This speech was a repetitive one, and the women of the Su family had grown accustomed to it. Su Ming and her generation could still pretend to care, but Su Yi's cousins lacked the acting skills of these cunning old foxes. Although they were physically present in the courtyard, their eyes were vacant, and their souls seemed to have flown elsewhere.

After Su Jie finished her long speech, her throat was sore. She drank some water and looked at the courtyard, preparing to speak, but as she saw these unfilial granddaughters, her anger surged.

She had devoted so much effort, fearing that they would end up begging on the streets in the future, yet these ungrateful girls didn't take it seriously at all!

As she was about to scold them, her gaze shifted and she saw Su Yi sitting upright in front of her, with bright and energetic eyes. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, realizing that this sickly child from the sixth family was actually quite impressive.

Unaware that she had already earned the approval of her grandmother, Su Yi, who hadn't slept well that morning, sat in her wheelchair, struggling to stay awake. She wanted to sleep, but with a crowd around, she didn't want to seem impolite. So, she forced herself to keep her eyes wide open.

To others, her appearance seemed as if she was genuinely attentive, with a gleam in her eyes. So, with satisfaction, her grandmother said, "Let Su Yi be the one to deliver the final congratulatory speech at this birthday celebration."

According to the government regulations, officials of Marquis rank and above were allowed to celebrate their birthdays without restraint. As the Marquis of Pingyang celebrated her birthday, the extravagance was expected. The celebration was divided into four parts: initial tribute, secondary tribute, tertiary tribute, and final tribute.

Su Jie and her daughters along with her granddaughters, were all considered part of the family and were included in the tertiary tribute, where they would offer their congratulations.

After everyone had presented their gifts, a representative from the family would come forward, delivering some ceremonial words or showcasing a talent before offering it to the elderly. Since the order of tributes had reached the tertiary level, it was naturally regarded as less significant. Even if they put in more effort, the Marquis of Pingyang had never paid attention to their family's celebrations before. After each birthday, they would only receive the carriage and horse expenses for their back and forth travel.

The rest of the people had already settled their minds and had no thoughts or concerns. But Su Jie, on the other hand, was persistent. When she divided the family's assets at the time of separation, she received less, and as a result, her daughters and granddaughters were suffering as well.

She couldn't bear to see them suffer and was determined to plan more for them during her remaining years. That's why she gave these annual instructions.

Su Yi was confused, but Su Ming reacted quickly. "Family head, isn't this inappropriate? In previous years, it was always eldest sister who spoke. Besides, Yi'er is only in her teens; it might not be suitable for her."

Su Jie waved her hand dismissively and said, "It's been like this every year. Elder sister may be tired of it. Let's try something new this year. It might bring a fresh perspective. Alright, that's it. Everyone can go now."

Su Yi was puzzled, and the others dispersed. Su Ming, feeling concerned, went to apologize to her eldest sister. After all, Su Yi had taken her place, being the eldest daughter.

"It's alright, don't think too much, Sixth sister," Big Su's family aunt was quite magnanimous. She patted Su Yi's head warmly, "The niece is frail. Let her experience it a bit. Besides, as I said, we didn't get much in the split; it's a small matter, not worth fighting over."

After saying that, she handed a small red envelope to Su Yi, containing some silver. "Niece, since you're new here, take this."

Su Ming thanked her elder sister, and after she left, she looked at her daughter, still looking unwell. Feeling sorry for her, she spoke gently, "Yi'er, did you not understand what your grandmother said just now?"

Su Yi nodded honestly, "I didn't understand."

Su Ming hurriedly explained, "It's okay. Mom will tell you the reasons and explain later."