Chapter 55 Suicide by Hanging
"The young ladies are back—" the maid's voice was loud and clear as she lifted the curtain.
Inside the main room, the First Madam, who had been somewhat absent-minded, was brought back to her senses and suddenly looked up.
Their eyes met.
She couldn't find a trace of herself in this child, and a sense of sadness washed over her.
"Mother, Zhizhi is back, but you don't even recognize her, do you?" Guan Nannan noticed her coldness and quickly tried to smooth things over.
"It's good that you're back." The First Madam's expression was not good, and she only said one sentence.
Lord Guan looked his daughter up and down and asked, "I heard you're practicing Taoism? Which Taoist master are you following?"
"I am the Daoist Wuyou from the Poyun Temple in the capital." Guan Zhiwei paused, then added, "My Daoist name is Zhiwei."
"Oh, Zhizhi."
"..."
Lord Guan pondered for a moment and said, "Now that you're back, you shouldn't continue your Taoist practice. I'll find you some teachers so you can learn poetry and literature. Have you ever been to school?"
"I've read a little bit," Guan Zhiwei said hesitantly.
Not just a little, but a lot. There's a system where a woman disguises herself as a man and takes the imperial examinations, requiring her to pass all three levels of the examinations.
He achieved first place in the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination, becoming the top scholar in each of these three categories, thus attaining the highest honor that every scholar dreams of.
Sounds glamorous, right?
But just like a college student who has finished high school, their peak IQ has passed.
Guan Zhiwei didn't put a single skill point into intelligence; skills like photographic memory and exceptional intelligence were all gone.
Right now, she's just a simple, ordinary, unlucky girl with top-notch fighting skills and dark side.
Lord Guan noticed her hesitation and sighed inwardly. After wandering for so many years, it still wasn't working.
The couple were clearly not satisfied with their newly adopted daughter, which made Guan Nannan feel awkward. She quickly added, "Zhizhi is so beautiful! Congratulations, Mother, on having such a lovely daughter. Please take a closer look."
She pulled Guan Zhiwei in front of the First Madam. Just as the First Madam was about to raise her eyes to take a closer look, a maidservant rushed in to report:
"Madam, something terrible has happened! The Second Miss... the Second Miss has hanged herself!"
The First Madam immediately became anxious, jumped up and rushed out, not even caring about her manners.
Guan Zhiwei: Wow, they're using underhanded tactics.
"Perfect, you should go and meet her too." Lord Guan thought to himself that this would be a good opportunity to put some pressure on his new daughter and encourage her to be more ambitious, as the clan could not tolerate a good-for-nothing.
Although the courtyard is small, it is cleverly laid out. Flowers and green bamboos adorn the scenery, and a few koi fish swim in the small pond, creating ripples. A swing is tied among the trees, and the whole courtyard is paved with pebbles, clean and tidy. A plaque is hung at the entrance of the courtyard, which reads "Lychee Garden".
Unlike the fresh and elegant atmosphere outside, the room was filled with a sorrowful atmosphere. The maids serving the young lady were all wiping away tears. The young lady who had attempted suicide by hanging had been rescued.
How is Liu Liu?
"Father, Mother, your child is unfilial and has caused you grief."
Guan Liuliu had a red mark on her neck, her face was pale, her eyes were red, and she was crying so hard that she could hardly breathe. She looked miserable and pitiful, as if she could die at any moment.
"I am but a lowly daughter, yet I have been raised and nurtured by my father and mother for many years without ever abandoning me. I have failed to repay their kindness and have only caused them grief. I only wish to repay their kindness with my life. But I have no skills, and everything I have is a gift from my parents. The only thing I can give back to you is my life..."
The First Madam wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, "You wretched child, you're trying to kill me! You're the child I raised with my own hands."
She had one son and two daughters. Only her youngest daughter was born on the road, and since there was no wet nurse available, she breastfed her herself until she was a year and a half old, and their bond was especially deep.
Guan Liuliu closed her eyes in anguish, tears streaming down her face: "My daughter has been raised with so much hardship by her mother, yet she is not her own child. What a terrible sin that is!"
“Liu Liu, this is not your fault. You are just a child. In my heart, you are my own child. Now that Zhizhi has been found, you two can both be my own children.”
The First Madam suddenly remembered that she had a child. She turned her head and looked at Guan Zhiwei with sobs, "Zhizhi, don't worry, I will treat them all the same."
It's quite interesting that a biological child is promised the same treatment as an adopted daughter.
Guan Zhiwei pondered, somewhat puzzled. If the name of the newborn was decided before birth, then why was the substitute named Liu Liu?
She was curious, so she asked, "This is Lychee Garden, why is Liu Liu the one who lives here? Shouldn't you be called Zhi Zhi?"
The topic jumped quite a bit, and the First Madam was taken aback. She subconsciously explained, "Liu Liu fell seriously ill, and we invited a fortune teller to come and see her. He said that the character 'Liu' would bring her good fortune, so we named her Liu Liu." Then she seemed to realize something and pursed her lips.
Lord Guan thought to himself, "He's already vying for the courtyard as soon as he gets back. Not bad. People with energy and blood will inevitably have a competitive spirit. I'm not afraid of ambition, I'm only afraid of fools."
Guan Liuliu's swollen, red eyes were filled with sorrow. Suddenly, she stood up and then knelt on the ground with a thud, as weak as a snowflake about to melt on the ground.
“Sister, it is my fault that you have been away from home for so many years and have not received our parents’ love. I have taken over your place and I feel guilty. I dare not ask for your forgiveness. I will only do what I should do. I will move out of this garden now. Lychee Garden was originally built by Mother for her own daughter. You should live here.”
In the past, Guan Liuliu was naturally playful and prone to anger and playfulness, and she loved to act coquettishly and foolishly. Her mother and elder sister all doted on her.
Unlike now, she was trembling with fear, like a branch in the wind shaking off its leaves.
"Second sister, it's cold on the ground." Guan Nannan sighed. She felt sorry for everyone, let alone her mother.
The First Madam was heartbroken and choked out, "Liu Liu, get up. This isn't your fault."
“Mother, although I am not the child I switched, I have still taken over your nest and enjoyed your care for so many years. My sister’s years of wandering and hardship should be made up for by me. Make me kneel, make me atone for my sins. Even if you take everything from me and peel off my skin, it will not be enough to atone for my sins.”
The First Madam, overwhelmed with grief and unable to vent her anger, said sadly to Guan Zhiwei, "Zhizhi, you have a father, a mother, a sister, and a brother from now on. There's no need to fight over a courtyard. I'll get you another nice courtyard. Just let Liuliu have her way; she has nothing left."
"Mother, I am not worthy." Guan Liuliu sobbed uncontrollably, her posture extremely humble, so humble that she was practically in the dust.
Before Guan Zhiwei could even say anything after entering, the drama had already begun.
She scratched her head: "It can't be that bad, can it? We're both women. They have several sons, and their huge family business has nothing to do with us. No matter how nice the house is, we'll be getting married in less than two years. We're not considered married-out daughters. This family wouldn't give me a dowry but not you. Fighting and threatening to kill yourself is really scary to watch. What are you doing?"
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