Chapter 11 Wishful Thinking
For the three generations of the You family, whose careers depend on marriage, marrying into a close relative is a life-or-death battle. More than a decade ago, their daughter suffered a crushing defeat. More than a decade later, facing this battle, they must be extremely cautious. Aunt Qian tapped the table with her left index finger, tapping out a crisp "thump, thump, thump" sound as she spoke slowly, "I've heard of Ji Mingxiu. He's very rich and well-connected. First of all, Pei Lan, as a mother, you must not cause trouble in front of him no matter what. Since Yanru has already followed him, let's keep it together. It won't be a loss for Yanru if he becomes our son-in-law."
Pei Lan spat, "Bah! That old scoundrel is about my age. Who would want him as a son-in-law? I wish I could tear that old bastard apart and vent my anger!"
Aunt Qian poked Pei Lan's head fiercely: "Fool, why did I give birth to such a fool like you! Putting aside other things, outsiders still don't know whether Yanru is just a reference for his painting or she is really having an affair with him. If he makes a big fuss, everyone will know about it, and the only one who will suffer is our good girl. He is rich and well-connected, and he likes Yanru so much. If he becomes our son-in-law, we can ask Yanru to ask him for some money in the future to open an embroidery studio or a shop for you. It's easy! He is also a painter. When the time comes, let him draw a pattern for you, and you embroider it and sell it under his name. Will our family still have to worry about not having a good life? So what if he has a family? Every man has three wives and four concubines. What's the point of having no status now? Isn't it just bowing to your parents? You have been through three matchmakers and six betrothals and have been married through connections. You know who you are marrying."
Her mother's words hit the nail on the head for Pei Lan, and she had to admit, "Mom, you're right."
Having convinced her daughter with just a few words, Aunt Qian was very pleased with her eloquence and turned to her granddaughter: "Yanru, did Ji Mingxiu tell you about his first wife?"
Yanru was honest and told him everything: "He said his wife is the daughter of a general, fierce and aggressive, a Hedong lion, who doesn't understand him as well as I do. He doesn't love that fierce woman. They have no children! The old woman was ill a few years ago and is not in good health. He promised me that when she can no longer hold on, he will welcome me into his family!"
How despicable! His wife isn't dead yet, but he's already found a replacement? Aunt Qian cursed inwardly, but when she heard Yanru mention that they had no children, her indignation disappeared in an instant: "That's even easier. His wife is fierce, so you must be extremely gentle, docile, understanding, and go along with him - look at the classmate you mentioned, didn't she talk back to a man and missed a man with excellent conditions. Since Ji Mingxiu likes you, you should hold him tightly, give him a child if necessary, and let him marry you quickly. Yanru, you are very famous in Jinling City now. Anyone with a little knowledge knows that you are a knowledgeable and beautiful lady. Don't listen to the gossip of some people outside. They are just jealous that you can find such a good husband. What's wrong with being old? You will die quickly when you are old, and then all the family property will be yours. Believe in grandma, grandma won't harm you."
Receiving the affirmation of her most venerable grandmother, Yanru's confidence soared, and her gaze towards her mother became frank and fearless. Pei Lan pondered for a moment, took a sip of tea, and said, "Alright, let's just pretend nothing happened for now. I won't bother them. Yanru, you continue to talk to him. Find an opportunity to ask for more things from him. Don't be such a loser that you let others take advantage of you. But there's one thing we can't afford to lose."
"What?" asked Aunt Qian.
"Mother, we spent a fortune sending Yanru here to study. I don't care whether she learns or not, but the teacher at this academy hasn't taken good care of the child. I've suffered such a great loss. I can't stand this." Pei Lan sneered, "I have to make this academy pay me back Yanru's tuition and promise that Yanbao can come here directly to study in the future. Otherwise, I will report this to the authorities and say that this place is a school in name only, but a brothel in name only, that they don't teach the Four Books and Five Classics, that it's full of thieves and prostitutes, that they're forcing a virgin girl into adultery and harming my daughter. Scholars are very proud, not to mention that this teacher has two sons in the imperial court, and he's most afraid of having a bad reputation. They dare not refuse."
Years of unhappy marriage, needlework, and shrewd business calculations had gradually eroded Pei Lan's gentleness. As she aged, she grew more haggard and more ruthless. Her face was now drooping, the corners of her mouth twitched with excitement, her eyes sharp, and she looked like someone ready to take any chance she could. Aunt Qian was delighted that her silly daughter had become as wise as herself. Having made up her mind, she went out and summoned the maid waiting at the gate to deliver a message: she wanted to speak with the Master and his wife.
"Bullshit!" Lu Tianwen raged. The maid in the side room relayed the overheard words to the master and his wife with unwavering fidelity. Upon hearing this, Lu Tianwen's object flew toward the window frame, breaking in two and falling to the ground. Mrs. Lu was helpless and could only offer some persuasion: "This official kiln hollow-bodied, white-filled covered bowl was carefully selected by Erlang. The master loves it so much, why ruin it for someone like this?"
Lu Tianwen's ears turned red, and he gritted his teeth: "I've never encountered such a villain in the court before! What kind of person is this? And he threatens me! Don't push me too far——"
Madam Lu gave a look, and the clever little maid quickly brought out a new tea set, quickly cleared the broken pieces, and left. Madam Lu knew her husband's temper well, so she let him sulk for a while while she poured the tea and started the tea. After shaking a cup, her husband calmed down and offered the tea to him. "Drink some tea to moisten your throat. You're not afraid of a sore throat from yelling so loudly. Her family is a merchant family, they value profit, so it's normal for them to be calculating. They don't need this little money."
"Money is shit! Does our Lu family need this little bit of money?" Lu Tianwen rolled his eyes while panting. "What the hell? Your own daughter was taken advantage of, and instead of questioning that scoundrel, you threaten me?! This is really our family's fault. Why did her daughter get cheated? The other children are all fine!"
"Master, we were indeed at fault," Madam Lu sighed. "At the time, we were only worried that something might happen to Miss Zheng, so we warned her repeatedly. Who could have imagined that Ji Mingxiu would go after Miss You this time?"
"You Yanru, normally so silly, I used to think she was a clueless child, but how could she be so... so bold? Ah, in the middle of the night, ah, in a teacher's room... Tsk, it's unlucky to even talk about it. And a young girl, going to those banquets, drinking and chatting with old men and prostitutes, and people even knew she was my student! Pah! Qiushui Academy was doing well, but now, how come, day after day, it's being manipulated by others?"
"Forget it, Master. Just a few scoldings will do the trick. As the saying goes, beware of gentlemen, not villains. They even allow their daughter to have an improper mistress. They are shameless and have no sense of propriety. If we don't agree, who knows what they will do. Don't let a scene start. If their nonsense is overheard and they report us to the emperor, what will we do? Dalang and Erlang's official careers are at stake."
Lu Tianwen took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, "Alright, then let's fulfill their wish first. But tomorrow, I have to make Ji Mingxiu move out. It's important to keep the academy and the Lu family clean. As for the second daughter—she might be a problem too, so I'll find a reason to get rid of her when the time comes!"
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