Zhu Jiayu smiled. She hadn't originally planned to say anything, but after hearing the girl speak like that, she couldn't help but say:
"I just don't think that makes sense. Thinking further ahead, those young men on the bridge just now, if nothing unexpected happens, will all be potential marriage partners for you young ladies in the future."
"If they can compare you to those brothel girls today, they might do something like bringing brothel girls back to their homes in the future, making them your sisters, or even putting you on equal footing."
She stood ramrod straight amidst the garden's vibrant blossoms, her eyes slightly cool, yet exuding an air of composure, much like the most beautiful peony of the season, elegant and noble, captivating all who beheld her, inspiring no sense of disrespect.
She continued, “But you have received orthodox education in etiquette since childhood, and your virtues, speech, appearance and work are all outstanding. Why are you being treated so badly by your husbands? Today I had some unpleasantness with Miss Xue and Miss Xu, but apart from that, I am also a woman.”
"No one says that women can only scheme and deceive each other, right? Even the rabbit grieves when it dies, and I also know the principle of kinship."
After she finished speaking, she nodded to everyone, then looked at Qiu Lingyan, who was still standing there in a daze, and raised an eyebrow: "Aren't you leaving?"
Qiu Lingyan realized what was happening and, while pulling her two younger sisters, said, "Let's go, Miss Wei, we'll take our leave now."
Wei Wuniang was still in a daze because of Zhu Jiayu's words, and she didn't bother to pay attention to Qiu Lingyan. She just nodded subconsciously.
The rabbit dies and the fox grieves; creatures grieve for their own kind.
No one had ever said such things to her before. In the Wei family, all she had ever seen since childhood was her mother and several concubines fighting over her husband, racking their brains every day to figure out how to please her father and get him to look at them more.
In her mind, women's natural enemy is always other women. In order to live a better life, they have to compare, compete, and scheme from a young age. But now someone suddenly tells her that since she is a woman, she should naturally speak up for women.
This was a huge shock to her.
Even though the remaining young ladies didn't seem to want to leave, Wei Wuniang felt she couldn't continue the flower banquet. She needed to calm down and think about what she had done all these years and what it was all for.
"There are many rare and precious flowers in the garden, please feel free to make yourselves at home. I suddenly feel a little unwell, so I will go back first. Please forgive me for my rudeness today." After she finished speaking, she returned to her courtyard with her maid before anyone could react.
None of the noble ladies present had ever seen such a scene before: halfway through the banquet, the host abandoned them and left on his own.
But what happened today was so shocking that they naturally understood Wei Wu Niang's actions.
Wei Wuniang wasn't the only one whose mind was distracted by Zhu Jiayu's words.
After Wei Wuniang left, everyone tacitly left the garden with their own maids.
Song Jiangmei was the only one who left with the others, but at this moment, her expression was subtle.
After she and Fuyao boarded the carriage, Fuyao finally couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about, Miss? You've seemed a little restless all the way here?"
Fuyao was very worried about her young mistress. She was already frail, and had suffered a great fright a few days ago. If she were to worry about something more now, wouldn't she fall ill again? It would really be a case of more harm than good.
She knew that her young mistress hadn't had an easy time these past few years, and it was understandable that she was more calculating and scheming than others, but right now they weren't doing badly in the Song household... She thought for a moment and then advised:
"Before we came, Madam said that Miss should not act too hastily. In my opinion, you have been too tired these days. Why don't we take advantage of the fine weather today and go for a walk together?"
Song Jiangmei shook her head: "I have my own plans, you don't need to worry about me."
After a while, she couldn't help but turn to ask, "Fuyao, you are also a woman. What do you think of Zhu Jiayu's words?"
Fu Yao thought for a while before remembering what Zhu Jiayu had said earlier that day. She pondered for a moment, then said:
"This servant feels that Miss Zhu... is speaking in a rather high-sounding manner. According to her, women should help each other, but that's just her opinion; has she ever actually done it?"
“Even if she did it, it doesn’t mean others can. I’m not well-educated, but I know that the right way to conduct oneself is to repay kindness with kindness. If someone keeps trying to harm you, and you turn around and help them, isn’t that repaying evil with kindness? But if you repay evil with kindness, how will you repay kindness?”
Song Jiangmei nodded: "That's exactly the point. In the end, he's just the same kind of person as me. It's just that what she did was to win over the noble lady of Heling to speak for her, while I focused my attention on men."
"Only fools like Wei Wuniang and Qiu Lingyan would think she said these things from the bottom of her heart." She smiled slightly, feeling absurd that she had almost been moved by Zhu Jiayu's words just now.
If Zhu Jiayu truly believed that women should stand on the side of other women, she wouldn't have helped Qiu Lingyan deal with her and warn her.
He's nothing but a hypocrite, a sanctimonious charlatan.
“Let’s go back to the Song residence. My cousin will be back at the end of the month, and I want to take advantage of these few days to sew him a new pair of knee pads,” Song Jiangmei said.
Fu Yao sighed inwardly.
These things could clearly be left to servants, but her young mistress always prefers to do them herself.
After sighing, she couldn't help but resent her madam and second young lady who were far away in the capital. If her madam had cared more about her young lady, and if the second young lady hadn't been so aggressive, her young lady wouldn't have taken her all the way to Heling to seek refuge with her uncle and aunt.
After returning to the Qiu residence with the three Qiu family girls, Zhu Jiayu declined Qiu Lingyan's invitation to dine at Yanxi Restaurant and went back to Chunshan Residence to read Qiu Songdao's manuscript.
She has five days left.
...
As evening fell and the lanterns were lit in the Prince's residence, Gu Zhongyi leaned against the railing and said impatiently, "There's still no news from Suiping City?"
After leaving the Wei residence today, he sent someone on horseback to Suiping City to inquire about Zhu Jiayu's whereabouts. Logically speaking, Suiping and Heling are not far apart, and it's already dark, so why is there still no news?
Upon hearing this, the attendant standing beside him, holding his sword, said, "I will go and urge them immediately."
Gu Zhongyi waved his hand, signaling him to hurry up, but before he could turn around, a servant rushed up to the second floor with a message in his hand, panting, "Young Master, two fast horses have died from exhaustion! The news from Suiping City has finally arrived!"
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