Madam Qi closed her eyes and said, "I am sorry to Cuilan. At that time, I was distracted because of my daughter. When Cuilan's family came to pick her up, I asked her and they were indeed her parents. She was willing to go with them, so I gave her some money and gave her the dowry in advance, and then returned the indenture to her."
Yan Shujin had heard Cuilan mention her parents before, and it seemed that they sold her because they couldn't make ends meet. Actually, she was somewhat grateful to her parents, at least she wasn't sold to a filthy place like the other girls in her village. Cuilan also sent some money to her family, so when Cuilan's family came to pick her up, Cuilan was definitely willing to go with them.
Madam Qi said, "After my divorce, I went to pick up my grandson. When I came back, I found out that because of my divorce and departure, Cuilan's parents thought she had no support and married her off to an old man as his second wife."
“That old man died a few days later.” Madam Qi said through gritted teeth, “Cuilan is gone too. The family said that Cuilan committed suicide to remain chaste, but I don’t believe it. Cuilan clearly knew that I would come back and that I would go to save her if I knew these things, so I sent someone to investigate and found out that she was buried alive with the dead and was strangled to death.”
Madam Qi thought of the cheerful girl who was good at embroidery, and her heart ached: "It's no use reporting it to the authorities. There are no witnesses or evidence, and... quite a few people think she did a good job and should remain chaste."
Yan Shujin remained silent, unsure of what to say. Cuilan's death... deeply saddened her and made her realize that a woman's life often depends on whether her parents or husband have a conscience.
Cuilan died because of her parents' greed, her own weakness, and also because of helplessness and despair.
Marriage arranged by parents and matchmaker.
Many women don't even know who they're marrying until they get married.
Even though Madam Qi's daughter's husband was carefully chosen by Madam Qi, what was the result?
Yan Shujin held the teacup with both hands, not drinking but just looking at the water inside. Of course, there are also those who marry well and live happily ever after, but...
"Aunt Qi, what do you think..."
Yan Shujin suddenly couldn't say what she felt, because she didn't know what she wanted to ask.
Madam Qi waited quietly for Yan Shujin's question.
Yan Shujin took a deep breath and asked, "Aunt Qi, what do you think a woman needs to choose divorce?"
Madam Qi paused for a moment before saying, "I don't know about others, but I... I was too disappointed and too tired. I also had a powerful backer and money in my hands, so I chose to divorce. However, I was also very uneasy when I first got divorced. If I hadn't been in a hurry to see my grandson, I probably wouldn't have chosen to divorce."
“Many times, hesitation leads to compromise.” Madam Qi felt that if she hadn’t been so disappointed and anxious about her grandson’s situation at the time, and hadn’t happened to meet Bao Jie’s father’s people, she wouldn’t have been able to make up her mind: “Bao Jie, it’s hard for a divorced woman to live, even if she has money in her hands.”
Yan Shujin pursed her lips. Even someone like Aunt Qi found divorce so difficult, so what about other women?
Madam Qi sighed and said, "Baojie, it's not just a lack of courage, but also a lack of options. Some families are willing to accept women after a divorce, but many feel ashamed and don't want them to come home at all."
"And those whose families are willing to accept them will be arranged to remarry quickly." Madam Qi looked at Yan Shujin and said, "What kind of men do you think they can remarry into?"
Yan Shujin couldn't answer.
Madam Qi said gently, "Baojie, it's hard for any woman to live."
Yan Shujin remained silent for a long time before saying, "Actually, after thinking about it, it still has something to do with money. After all, when a woman is at home, she is supported by her family, and her dowry also needs to be prepared by her family. After marriage, many of them rely on their husbands to earn money to support the family."
“Of course, there are some women who can earn money to support their families, but they are a minority. And the people around them keep telling them to listen to their fathers and husbands…” Yan Shujin said, “Maybe it’s because my father wasn’t around when I was young, so I don’t feel like I need to rely on them to live. Although it’s a bit harder for me to live without them, it’s still okay.”
Madam Qi did not interrupt Yan Shujin. In fact, she felt that some of what Yan Shujin said was very scattered, as if she was thinking and speaking at the same time, and had not yet sorted out her thoughts.
Yan Shujin put down her cup and said, "It's also because we met kind people like Aunt Qi. If there were a place that specifically helps women, a place where they could earn money safely without gossip, wouldn't divorce be much easier?"
Madam Qi was unaware of this, because neither of them had ever seen such a place.
Yan Shujin sighed: "Actually, men often work very hard to earn money, but women also work very hard. For example, Aunt Qi doesn't do business to earn money, but she has to manage the household affairs, take care of Master Wang's concubines, and help Master Wang deliver gifts. I've been learning how to deliver gifts from the palace maids recently, and I'm already having a headache."
Sometimes, giving the wrong gift can actually make enemies.
“Aunt Qi, since you helped me back then, I also want to help other people in need.”
"At least we won't have another Cuilan-like incident," Yan Shujin said in a deep voice. "We'll give them a place to shelter from the wind and rain when they want to escape."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
