Awakening
After exchanging those profound words with Bao Nian, Cui Jianchun left without delay, heading home. On the long, misty street, women stood, carrying bamboo baskets and umbrellas. Bao Nian didn't understand the meaning of Cui Jianchun's words, and even less did she understand the connection between her and Liu Yugeng.
She just felt that her right eyelid had been feeling restless recently...
-
It was as quiet as usual in front of the Bo's mansion.
Cui Jianchun crossed the threshold with a melancholy look on his face and walked into the mansion with a nervous mood.
The quietness of the Second House led Cui Jianchun to believe that Chu Fanghua hadn't returned home. But when she closed her umbrella and entered the boudoir, she was startled to see the maid, pinned down by the old woman, kneeling in the corridor. She looked up and saw Chu Fanghua sitting proudly in the corridor, awaiting her arrival.
Mother, you're back so soon...
Chu Fanghua looked at her daughter, who had arrived late from the courtyard, and feigned indifference, questioning her, "Where has my daughter been running off to when she wasn't staying in her boudoir during the day? I've noticed that ever since the eldest son's unruly wife, Zhijun, married in, all the women in the uncle's mansion have become wild. They say the daughter of the old uncle is nothing but a wild girl to me—it wasn't enough that she's messing around with the wives of the eldest wife, but now even you're getting intimate with her?"
"Chun'er. Did you follow her to that shabby noodle shop the day before yesterday?"
When Chu Fanghua mentioned Tai Shi Zheng, Cui Jianchun suddenly put away his umbrella and stared silently at the selfish mother in front of him.
Cui Jianchun could distinguish between black and white, and between good and evil.
No matter how much Chu Fanghua slandered the people from the first wife's family, Cui Jianchun felt that being with them was more like being at home. A light drizzle dampened Cui Jianchun's hair as she turned to Chu Fanghua, "Mother, are you sending someone to monitor me?"
Chu Fanghua suddenly glanced at the maidservant kneeling beside her with her eyes lowered, and said with disdain, "What's wrong, my son? You are only allowed to follow me to Yuxiao Temple, but I am not allowed to know your whereabouts? But I can also blame you, the maidservant, for your talk. You are too easy to pry."
"My dear, I..."
The maid knelt down and begged for mercy, but Cui Jianchun did not move.
Chu Fanghua stood up and slowly walked towards Cui Jianchun. When she got close to Cui Jianchun, she said in a deep voice, "What are you doing at Yuxiao Temple?"
"Daughter, I didn't... went." Cui Jianchun denied it.
Chu Fanghua suddenly roared, "You're lying—our family only has three of these imperial oil umbrellas, gifts from the Empress Dowager. I have one, your overbearing sister-in-law has one, and the remaining one is in your hands. Danyun saw you leave Yuxiao Temple with her own eyes. You still refuse to admit it? Cui Jianchun, I really don't know when you became so bold. Tell me, what were you doing at Yuxiao Temple?"
Chu Fanghua was very careful about this matter.
Probably because he felt guilty, he even became suspicious of his own daughter.
Cui Jianchun clenched her umbrella tightly, unwilling to pretend any longer. She felt that this was meaningless, so she refuted Chu Fanghua's words, "What am I doing? Why am I going to Yuxiao Temple? Doesn't my mother know it herself?"
"You, when did you know that?" Chu Fanghua showed anger.
Cui Jianchun still had a little hope for Chu Fanghua, that was a child's hope for her mother. She hoped that her mother would love her and turn back for her.
So, Cui Jianchun grabbed Chu Fanghua's sleeve, just like he had done in childhood, and pleaded for the last time, "Mother, please stop. Don't make the same mistake again. You've hurt not only me, but also those innocent people. You're unfaithful, unfilial, and ungrateful. Are you really willing to marry me to someone like that?"
Chu Fanghua, however, pushed Cui Jianchun away. The look in her eyes, filled with false love, was "Enough. Disloyalty, unfilial behavior, and ingratitude? My son, are you humiliating me? Do you know that I'm doing this for your own good? For the good of this family—why don't you understand my painstaking efforts? My son, one day you will thank me for the decision I made for you today."
Chu Fanghua spoke in a high-sounding manner, but she knew the truth better than anyone else.
But she wanted to use family ties as a bond to force Cui Jianchun to surrender.
Cui Jianchun stared at her arm that was shaken away by her mother with loss. She listened to Chu Fanghua's words and felt abandoned by her.
Cui Jianchun replied, "For my own good? How can I call something good if I don't think it's good? Is this your painstaking effort or your ambition? Don't you understand? When you insisted on your own way and threatened death to force my elder brother to marry the county lady, what did you get in return? Fame and profit are all vain. Mother, stop deceiving yourself."
Every word Cui Jianchun said was heart-wrenching, but Chu Fanghua had already been bewitched and refused to listen to Cui Jianchun's advice.
Seeing her eyes suddenly become fierce, "Cui Jianchun, it's because I indulged you too much in the past that you dare to speak to me like this now. In this case, I will tell you today that marriage is not something you can control. It's the parents' order and the matchmaker's words. You have to marry this person whether you want to or not."
The last extravagant hope was shattered.
Seeing that the person before him showed no remorse, Cui Jianchun said in despair, "I won't marry."
Chu Fanghua narrowed her eyes at this response and decided to punish her. She opened her mouth and instructed the old woman in the corridor: "Okay, Cui Jianchun, you have the guts to disobey your elders, then reflect on your mistakes. Danyun, from today on, Chunjieer will be confined to her room. No one can release her without my order. Anyone who disobeys will be sold. When she comes to her senses, she can be released."
Chu Fanghua said this and left. Cui Jianchun stood under the tender green banana trees, her red lips trembling slightly. She looked back at her mother's departing back, choking with sobs and unable to utter a single word.
At that moment, the old lady came over, stood beside her and said, "Young lady, please come in."
Cui Jianchun withdrew his gaze, feeling the raindrops falling on his cheeks, and asked softly: "Mammy, was I disobedient this time, or..."
"Is the mother wrong?"
The old lady, however, stood there with her eyes downcast, keeping silent.
The old lady knew that the young lady was not wrong, and the mistress was also wrong from the beginning to the end...
But there was nothing she could do.
-
In the evening, it rained all day in Bianjing.
Bao Nian finished her work, carrying Xiao Bao in her arms, and slowly returned home, greeted by the greetings of the neighbors in Fuyuanfang. She seemed to have forgotten Cui Jianchun's instructions from the day before; life without any ups and downs can only make people dull. But just as Bao Nian opened the door and placed Xiao Bao in the cradle in the room, the door suddenly opened behind her, and a familiar face burst into her sight, stirring up a forgotten memory.
"Erlang?" Bao Nian looked at the person who came in surprise.
After not seeing each other for many days, when I saw Liu Yugeng again, he was wearing his official uniform, and his back, which had once been hunched, had become straight.
His heavy brows were filled with arrogance.
Bao Nian felt that Liu Yugeng was a completely different person. But she hadn't changed at all. She still lived in this humble room, still toiling away. Liu Yugeng's glory seemed to have nothing to do with her. The coldness he gave her when he looked at her seemed to be rejecting her, not wanting her to participate in his life.
Although he noticed something and felt a little disappointed, Bao Nian still chose to endure it as much as possible.
But she endured it all, not because she didn't feel any pain, but because her grandmother and her mother were both living the same life. No one had ever taught her that she could express dissatisfaction or ask questions. So, Bao Nian could only timidly ask, "Where have you been all these days? Didn't you say you were going home that day?"
However, Liu Yugeng looked at the person who had borne his children and was not even as tolerant as a stranger.
Liu Yugeng didn't answer Bao Nian's question. Instead, he walked over to the only wooden box in the house. Without any hesitation or greeting, he began to eagerly pack Bao Nian's luggage. He made an excuse, "Do you remember the prince of the Fu family who often came to Bianjing to deliver goods? He found the letter from the Imperial College this morning and said that his mother was ill and asked us to hurry home. I have some things to take care of here. You should take the child home first. I will meet up with you after I finish my business here."
After hearing these words, Bao Nian stood there in shock.
Cui Jianchun's words had truly come true, much to Bao Nian's disbelief. She hadn't believed it at first, but now that she had seen it with her own eyes, she began to wonder at Liu Yugeng's abnormality. She didn't understand what secret he had, and...
"Prince Fu... do you believe it?" Bao Nian asked.
Liu Yugeng nodded without any hesitation.
Bao Nian suddenly stepped back, hiding herself in front of the cradle, and said in fear: "But the Fu family's elder brother had an accident when he came to Beijing to deliver goods three years ago. He has long been bedridden. How could he deliver a letter to you, Erlang?"
Liu Yugeng had not returned home for a long time, and had not communicated with Bao Nian.
The last time he went home was when his mother forced him to go home to give birth. Liu Yugeng was always in a hurry to come and go, so he didn't know much about the things happening in his hometown.
The moment the lie was exposed, Liu Yugeng's hand, which was packing up his things, stopped on the wooden box.
He turned his head indifferently, his calm eyes turning cunning. Liu Yugeng tried to smooth things over, "So something serious happened to the Prince of the Fu family... I probably remembered it wrongly. Anyway, that person brought the message to the Imperial College himself. I only heard it from others and didn't meet anyone who believed it. So I mistakenly thought it was the Prince of the Fu family. After all, he used to travel to the capital frequently. Okay, okay, none of this matters. Just go home and check on her. If Mother is okay, we can rest assured. I've booked a carriage for you. You can hurry home tonight."
Liu Yugeng had many flaws, but he still insisted that she go home.
Cui Jianchun had pointed out everything the man in front of her had done. Bao Nian looked into those eyes that sent chills down her spine and completely believed what she said. Bao Nian subconsciously thought that she couldn't go back to Xingren Mansion with him.
Liu Yugeng cannot be trusted.
Bao Nian was wary of Liu Yugeng. She silently placed her hand in the cradle, ready to wake Xiao Bao at any moment. "Is this... so urgent? What is mother's illness? Did that person tell me? If so, why don't I go to Baohefang tomorrow to ask a doctor for a prescription and take some medicine back? It won't be too late. The doctors in Bianjing are definitely much better than ours."
Seeing Bao Nian's delay, Liu Yugeng said impatiently, "Baonian, as a daughter-in-law, when you heard that your mother-in-law was ill, you were so anxious that you rushed home. How can you refuse like this? Tell me today, are you going back to Xingren Mansion or not?"
The wicked are the first to file a complaint and seize the moral high ground. Liu Yugeng is accustomed to putting the blame on Bao Nian.
Bao Nian didn't dare to rashly anger the person in front of him, so he continued to negotiate, "Erlang, I didn't say I wouldn't come back. I just thought if I could come two days later. I have some things to do at the noodle shop, and it wouldn't be nice for me to leave suddenly without saying goodbye."
Hearing this, Liu Yugeng already understood Bao Nian's attitude, and he also noticed her abnormality.
Seeing that this road was blocked, Liu Yugeng turned his eyes to Xiaobao. Liu Yugeng was despicable. He planned to use the child as a threat to force Bao Nian to return to Xingren Mansion. "Since you don't want to, then give the child to me and I will take the child back."
Fortunately, Bao Nian was well prepared. She quickly picked up the little baby in the cradle and rushed out when Liu Yugeng was not paying attention.
Liu Yugeng was surprised by her reaction. The woman who used to be so timid and submissive, who only cared about her husband's orders, was no longer there. Ever since Bao Nian mustered the courage to leave her hometown, she gradually broke away from the Liu family and even Liu Yugeng's control.
Holding the child back, Bao Nian finally warned Liu Yugeng, "Liu Erlang, there's something wrong with you. It's been wrong since you disappeared without a trace after high school. I don't know what your intention is, but you insist on taking me back to Xingren Mansion. But I'm telling you, I won't go back with you, and I won't let you take Xiaobao with you. Even if mother-in-law is really ill, so what? We have uncles and others to serve us at home. They took so much of our land, so it's only right for them to serve mother. I've served them in the Liu family for so many years, and I feel I've done my best. I don't owe you anything."
"It's unreasonable. I didn't know you were such a rebellious woman - give me the child." Liu Yugeng was furious. She couldn't let the woman in front of her ruin her good fortune.
But Baonian resolutely turned around and ran out the door.
There was dead silence in front of the courtyard, but the entrance of the alley was bustling with people. The noisy voices and bright lights illuminated the road behind Bao Nian.
She took a few steps forward, then turned to confront Liu Yugeng. "Don't come any closer. If I retreat a few steps and shout, the neighbors in Fuyuanfang will hear it, and they won't sit idly by. Do you want everyone to see you like this?"
Liu Yugeng smiled disdainfully.
He was as arrogant as Chu Fanghua, they underestimated or even belittled the power of these women. They were sure that they were kind and cowardly and would not dare to resist.
Little did they know that this was just the beginning...
-
The evening breeze gently blew his crimson official robe. Liu Yugeng stared at Bao Nian, who was shrouded in the light. He thought that although she might have won this round, she could never defeat the Chu family, so he decided to let her go for now. He approached her step by step, and Bao Nian hurriedly retreated.
Just when the two were about to face each other, Aunt Qu came back from the alley. Seeing Bao Nian's back, she asked casually, "Hey, Bao Nian, what are you doing standing here so late?"
Aunt Qu broke the tense atmosphere.
At this moment, she was like a god coming to the rescue.
Liu Yugeng lowered his eyes and stood still. He looked at Bao Nian, gritted his teeth and said, "Just wait for me. Xingren Mansion is where you should stay." Then he turned away.
Aunt Qu turned her head and saw the official in official uniform passing by her, but she couldn't make out his features. Feeling strange, she hurried forward. Unexpectedly, just as she reached Bao Nian, he collapsed into her arms.
Aunt Qu was at a loss as she held Bao Nian up. Bao Nian trembled and asked her, "Aunt Qu, could you please help me send Xiao Bao to the neighborhood head to be taken care of for two days..."
-
That night, after all this happened, the first person Bao Nian thought of asking for help was Tai Shi Zheng. She walked through the long streets, against the bustling crowds, heading towards the Bo Mansion alone.
But it was already late, and Bao Nian didn't dare to disturb him easily, so he sat alone on the stone bench by the Jinliang Bridge until dawn. Later, Tai Shi Zheng got up early and took Cuo Cuo with her. On a whim, she and Fu Yuanzi went out to look for a morning food stall, and they first encountered the person sitting by the bridge.
The two were very surprised when they saw Bao Nian.
But when Bao Nian told them what happened yesterday, they no longer had the heart to stroll around. After temporarily arranging for Bao Nian to stay in an inn near the Bo Mansion, they dragged Cuo Cuo back to the mansion, filled with righteous indignation.
The two sisters felt that they needed to understand the matter clearly first before making a long-term plan.
Who would have thought that Zheng and Fu Yuanzi had just casually strolled past Cui Jianchun's boudoir, murmuring that they wanted to go in and see her, but the maid at the door politely refused them entry, saying that the young lady was ill. Zheng said nothing more, and the maid silently closed the door.
Sick? Didn’t you send Bao Nian a letter yesterday? How can you say you are sick now?
Unexplained, the master and servant stood outside the tightly closed door, their eyes locked, each thinking, "This isn't normal; there must be something fishy going on." They turned and headed back to the Yinzhu Yatang, their feet shuffling so fast their feet were practically leaving a trail of sparks on the ground.
-
Go back to the east room and close the door quietly.
Zheng and Fu Yuanzi discussed it, "Yuanzi, it looks like we need to contact Chun'er first. I still can't figure out how Liu Yugeng could be related to Chun'er, but she probably knows something about this. And looking at the hesitant maids in her courtyard, it seems like Chun'er isn't sick, she seems under house arrest."
Fu Yuanzi nodded, indicating that he agreed with Zheng's guess.
Zheng was in a dilemma. "But, the Second House is so strict, how can we see Chun'er..."
Although Fu Yuanzi usually idled around, enjoying himself with food, drink and fun, she was always concerned about every move in the Bo Mansion. She suddenly said, "My wife, wait for me," and turned to leave the east room.
But when he returned, Fu Yuanzi came in with a hand-drawn drawing on straw paper.
When the blueprint was spread out before her eyes, Zheng shouted, "Yuanzi, how did you get the layout of the Bo Mansion? What are you planning to do?"
Fu Yuanzi quickly covered Zheng's mouth and said, "My lady, keep your voice down. I lost this to the gatehouse guys when we were playing mahjong during the Chinese New Year. I was wondering what use it was and almost threw it away. Now, it's just like what the master said. Things should be stored and not thrown away. You never know when they might come in handy."
Zheng was relieved after hearing this, and the two of them hurriedly studied the "patrol map" used by the gatekeeper.
Fu Yuanzi pointed to a spot on the blueprint and said, "Madam, look, this is Miss Chun'er's yard. Her yard faces the small garden, and her bedroom is right behind a wall. Outside the wall is a small forest. If we take advantage of the night when there are few people around, avoid being noticed, sneak in quietly from the forest, climb up the wall, and then jump behind the bedroom, wouldn't we be able to meet Miss Chun'er?"
"Yuanzi, that's brilliant. Your idea is feasible—" Zheng looked at Fu Yuanzi. She wondered when he had finally become so clever. Fu Yuanzi scratched his head, feeling embarrassed by Zheng's praise. "Hey, I'm glad I could help you. However, there's still one problem I'm having trouble solving..."
Zheng asked, "What's the problem?"
Fu Yuanzi replied, "If we want to climb the wall, we must use a ladder. But if we bring a ladder, won't our movements be conspicuous? If we are conspicuous, won't we be exposed? But if we don't bring a ladder, we can't climb the wall, so it would be a waste of time. My lady, what should we do?"
Zheng smiled when she heard that, and an idea suddenly flashed through her mind, "That's it? Why can't this be solved? If we can't bring a ladder, why don't we just use something else?"
"Madam, is there any solution? What can replace the ladder?" Fu Yuanzi was confused.
Zheng was about to speak when Cui Zhijun came in from the west room. Seeing him push open the door and look at the master and servant acting furtively inside, he asked in confusion, "Xiao Zheng, didn't you go to Liangmen to visit the Xiao Market? Why are you back so soon?"
Zheng stared at Cui Zhijun and suddenly waved her hands, blurting out, "Alas, the ladder—no, husband, you've come just in time. I have something important to discuss with you!"
Cui Zhiyun closed the door and remained silent.
ladder?
Is this some new...nickname his wife gave him?
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