"Don't stop me! No one, no one, don't stop me, you damn girl, get out!"
Jiang Yushan's hair was disheveled, her face distorted. She stumbled back a few steps, waving a pair of scissors in her right hand to drive the maid away. Her left hand, resting on the table, came across the dressing box and grabbed it, throwing it at the maid, shouting, "Get out!"
"Miss——" Several maids dodged in panic, not daring to "get out" nor to grab the scissors rashly, and they persisted in trying to dissuade her.
"Combing my hair? What's there to comb? Oh, why would I comb it?" Jiang Yushan leaned back against the table, randomly grabbing a handful of hair with her left hand and scissors in her right. "Snap!" she said, gritting her teeth as she cut her hair. "I might as well cut it off. Cut it all off. I'll shave my head and become a nun!"
The maids watched helplessly as their hair continued to fall, their faces pale with fear. Some knelt down, while others tried to grab the scissors and pleaded in panic, "Miss, don't cut it!"
"What are you doing?"
"Please, can you give me the scissors?"
…
As the scene was in chaos, the Jiang family's mistress, Xu, heard the news and rushed over. She stepped into her daughter's boudoir anxiously. She was horrified when she saw it. Without thinking, she quickly approached, grabbed her daughter's wrist and tried to snatch the scissors. She tried to persuade her with distress:
"Shan'er!"
"Are you crazy? Stop it, put down the scissors!" The mistress of the house took the lead, and the maids and servants dared to rush forward and quickly snatch the scissors away.
Jiang Yushan burst into tears and struggled in her mother's arms, saying in pain, "Mother, why are you still controlling me? Our family has no room for a daughter anymore. Just let me shave my head and become a nun."
"Nonsense! The Jiang Mansion is your home, how could it not accommodate you?"
Jiang Yushan cried, "My father is becoming increasingly disgusted with me. Yesterday evening, I was just arguing with my brother, and he scolded me without giving me any explanation."
"I think it was unintentional. We are a family, so don't be petty." Mrs. Xu tried her best to control her daughter, and several people worked together to force her to sit on the embroidered cushion.
Then, Madam Xu straightened up and, without a word, slapped the head maid hard across the face. She angrily demanded, "You unworthy creature! How on earth did you serve the young lady? And why did you all let the young lady cut her hair? Fortunately, I arrived in time, otherwise, this would have been too much to handle!"
"Madam, please calm down." The maids were full of grievances and knelt down to beg for mercy and explain:
"Please forgive me."
"I was dressing the girl, and she suddenly took out a pair of scissors and insisted on cutting her hair—"
Mrs. Xu's face darkened, and she raised her hand and slapped her daughter again, scolding her irritably: "Idiots! You shouldn't have just watched her cut her hair. If you had stopped her at the beginning, why would it have turned out like this?" She glanced at the mess on the floor, sighed, and stroked her daughter's messy hair, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
The maids kowtowed and begged for mercy, secretly complaining.
Xu waved her hand in disgust and ordered, "You bunch of rubbish! You made a mistake and still dare to quibble. Get out of here and accept your punishment!"
"Yes." The maid had no place to complain about her grievances, so she held back her tears and said goodbye, going to find the housekeeper to receive punishment.
Jiang Yushan sat on an embroidered cushion, slumped over the table, and wept bitterly, her voice vexed and vexed. "I'm too ashamed to face anyone," she said angrily. "Mother, please don't stop me. Just let me become a nun. I can spend the rest of my life eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures. It's better than being humiliated."
The maid brought a chair over, and Xu sat next to her daughter. She asked in surprise, "Humiliated? Who humiliated you?"
Jiang Yushan wept and trembled, collapsing in her mother's arms. She choked up and told him, "During the Flower Festival, I was too lazy to go out, but my mother insisted I go to my grandparents' house. And then, yesterday during our outing, my fourth and seventh cousins deliberately inquired about my marriage in public, beating around the bush, mocking and ridiculing me. I was so angry that I immediately returned home."
"What?"
"Is that really the case? Mother's original intention was to give you some peace of mind so you wouldn't get bored." Mrs. Xu hugged her daughter and asked lovingly, "Why are you telling me about what happened yesterday now?"
Jiang Yushan was a bright child, doted on by her parents. Her family's smooth sailing led to a proud and arrogant personality. In recent years, she has suffered from a difficult marriage, feeling devastated and frustrated. "Who would dare to publicize such an embarrassing incident?" she asked.
Xu sighed and consoled her, "Those two girls were really mean to each other, cousins. Mother has made a note of this. When we meet again, I'll definitely seek justice for you! Shan'er, don't be sad. Don't get angry with them. It's not worth it."
"I can't help but be sad." Jiang Yushan couldn't stop sobbing and murmured anxiously, "Most of my sisters from relatives' families who are of the same age as me have already married, and there are only two who are in mourning. Even my seventh cousin who was born lame is married, but I have no place to go. I am the only one who still has no place to go and has become a laughing stock." After she finished speaking, she covered her face and cried, feeling deeply frustrated.
According to the customs of the Gan Dynasty, unless there are unexpected events, an eighteen-year-old girl will be engaged even if she is not married. If she is over twenty, she will become an old maid.
Her daughter was anxious, and Xu was even more anxious. A trusted maid squatted on the floor, cleaning up the mess and placing the dressing box back on the table. Xu picked up a comb and carefully combed her daughter's hair, comforting her, "Silly girl, who said you were unsettled? At the end of last year, the Pei family made the decision. They were just waiting for Wen Feng to come back from Xicang to visit his family, and then they would hold the wedding. Then—"
"The Pei guy is simply not a human being!"
Jiang Yushan's eyebrows shot up, filled with resentment, and she cursed loudly: "He clearly doesn't want this marriage. He's been staying in Xicang all this time, avoiding it, using the excuse of being busy with official duties. I hate him so much! If he didn't want it, why didn't he stop the engagement? You despicable villain, you've delayed me forever!"
At this moment, Jiang Shisen, who was on leave at home, arrived. He had learned that his second daughter was throwing a tantrum again and was initially impatient to intervene, but his daughter actually shouted "I want to shave my head and become a nun." He could no longer sit still and came to visit. From a distance, he heard the scolding coming from the house and immediately became angry. He shouted in a stern voice:
"What's going on?"
"How can a girl be so loud and shouting? Where have you learned any manners or etiquette?"
Inside the room, the mother and daughter were stunned. Xu quickly stood up and ordered, "Hurry up and wash the girl! Shan'er, be quiet and don't make any noise. I'll go and persuade your father to leave."
"Yes." Several maids lowered their heads and bent down to comb the second girl's hair.
Jiang Yushan sneered, "Hmph." She was obviously dissatisfied with her father.
Xu roughly tidied her appearance, hurried out the door, and walked down the stairs. She smiled and said, "Did I alarm you? It's nothing, it's okay now."
The child had grown up, and Jiang Shisen never entered his daughter's bedroom unless absolutely necessary. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, hands behind his back, face drawn, and asked bluntly, "I heard that Yushan is clamoring to 'shave her head and become a nun'?"
"What? That's not true!" The couple faced each other, and Xu said casually, "The servants are exaggerating. Don't listen to them, my lord."
Jiang Shisen raised his head and said angrily, "There's no smoke without fire! Yushan isn't messing around? Could it be that the servants are making this up?"
"Don't worry, it's really okay." Mrs. Xu tried her best to defend her daughter and interrupted, "Have you had breakfast, sir? Why not—"
Jiang Shisen interrupted unhappily, "Rest assured? How can you expect me to be at ease? 'The body and hair are given by parents, and I dare not damage them. This is the beginning of filial piety.' Doesn't Yu Shan understand this truth? That child is becoming more and more troublesome and ignorant!" He shook his head in disappointment and sighed:
"Alas, no wonder Wen Feng is dissatisfied with her."
Xu's face changed, but before she could refute, Jiang Yushan suddenly ran out of the room, as if she had suffered a great humiliation. She blurted out angrily: "Pei is not satisfied with me, and I am even more dissatisfied with him! What's so great about him? If he has the ability, he can stay in Xicang for the rest of his life and never come back. If he has the ability, he can just break off the engagement-"
"presumptuous!"
Jiang Shisen flew into a rage and sternly rebuked, "Who are you talking to? You have no rules and are so unruly and willful. Your elders' love for you is in vain!"
Xu was startled and grabbed her daughter tightly. "Shan'er, quickly admit your mistake and apologize to your father. It's so early in the morning. If you have anything to discuss, sit down and talk. A harmonious family brings prosperity."
"It's all the Pei family's fault. They've been so insincere and procrastinating, making me a laughing stock. Now even my father dislikes him." Jiang Yushan burst into tears, unable to hold back. She had just had a haphazard haircut, and her long and short hair hung in a mess, staining her tear-soaked face, looking disheveled.
Jiang Shisen was furious. He pointed at his second daughter and glared at his step-wife, demanding, "Look, look at this good daughter you raised. She doesn't even take her 'father' seriously!"
"Calm down, Shan'er is still young——"
Jiang Shisen was very annoyed. "Still young? An eighteen-year-old girl. In two years, she'll be an old maid. She's still so ignorant. It's really disappointing."
Big girl? Old girl?
old?
Jiang Yushan's face turned pale, as if her lungs were punctured. She pushed her mother away with all her might, ashamed, angry, and aggrieved, hysterical, crying and shouting, "If my daughter becomes a spinster, it's all my fault! You knew Pei Wenfeng didn't want to, but you forced him to marry you! He's unwilling, and even if we force the marriage, how will my daughter live the rest of her life? If he keeps hiding in the frontier under the pretext of 'busy official duties' and delays it for three to five years, what will happen to my daughter?"
Jiang Shisen's face turned pale. He took a few big steps, raised his right palm high, and slapped his second daughter's left cheek with a "slap".
"Ah——" Jiang Yushan was caught off guard and fell to the ground. She sat up with a thud, covering her face in disbelief. She was stunned for a moment and then burst into tears.
"What are you doing?" Mrs. Xu was half a step too late to stop him. She squatted down to protect her daughter and glared at her husband. "Let's talk it over nicely! What if our daughter's face gets hurt, scarred, or disfigured?"
Among his children, Jiang Shisen is a strict father to his son and always favors his sweet-talking second daughter. He beat the child in anger and felt bad when he calmed down.
He lowered his hands and said wearily, "I've already explained this. At the end of last year, the soldiers of Xicang fought several battles with the Beijiao tribe and ultimately successfully recaptured Yongzhou. Because of the war, the border officials dared not relax at all, and they worked non-stop during the holidays. Wenfeng was indeed busy with official duties, and this is not the 'excuse' you think."
Jiang Yushan was a spoiled child. This was the first time she was beaten. She felt extremely aggrieved. She covered her face with her hands, crying breathlessly and unable to speak.
"No matter how busy he is, a man should always make time to get married, right?" Madam Xu suppressed her anger and took the opportunity to persuade her, "Shan'er is already eighteen. If you delay any longer, she'll really become an old maid. I beg you to at least consider your own daughter. It's just an engagement anyway. If it's been delayed until now, it's obvious that both children are unhappy. If we force a marriage, I'm afraid there will be endless trouble in the future."
Jiang Shisen knew it all. "In the end, it's nothing more than a request to cancel the engagement." After years of arguing, he was exhausted. He looked down at his second daughter, whose cheeks were red and swollen, and with a long sigh, he finally gave in and compromised. "Forget it, cancel the engagement. I'll write a letter to the Pei family right away. As long as Yushan's marriage doesn't bring shame to the Jiang family, I don't care."
When these words were spoken, Xu's mother and daughter were stunned, and then they were ecstatic.
Jiang Shisen continued to stare at his second daughter, sighing in disappointment, "You're nowhere near as obedient as your sister. Back then, Yushu was also reluctant, but she was filial, never like you, disrespecting your elders, making a scene, and losing all manners."
When talking about that past event, Xu felt guilty after all. Jiang Yushan tried to defend herself, but was quietly strangled by her mother.
While Jiang Shisen was disappointed, he praised his eldest daughter highly. "I saw from the beginning that Honglei was a good person. Yushu listened to my advice and followed me to Xicang. She really turned hard times into good times. Now, she and her husband, one a civil servant and the other a military officer, have both been granted official positions and are well-known in the capital. I am deeply pleased!"
Growing up, her elder sister's mother died young, and her maternal grandparents were far away in Jiangnan, completely unable to control her younger sister. Jiang Yushan was extremely dissatisfied, regretful, and jealous, with mixed feelings in her heart. She said stiffly, "My sister is only a ninth-rank official, a small official, and it's obvious that she is relying on the help of the second son of Guo. How can she be an official on her own?"
Jiang Shisen, hands behind his back, was filled with disappointment and warned sternly, "What do you mean by 'Second Young Master Guo'? He's your brother-in-law!"
"You are too ignorant. From ancient times to the present, there have been only a handful of female officials in the court. Regardless of their rank, they will be recorded in history. Your sister can bring honor to the family, but you only cause trouble to your elders. You are such an unfilial daughter-" Jiang Shisen paused, snorted helplessly, and left.
Only after watching the head of the family walk away did the maid dare to come forward to support him.
"What's so great about a minor official?" Jiang Yushan scoffed, looking down on her. She angrily said, "Everyone in the family knows my sister's character. What 'talent' does she have? She only got the position thanks to Second Young Master Guo! Humph, if I hadn't offered it to her, she wouldn't have had the chance—"
Xu hurriedly covered her daughter's mouth and pushed her into the room. "Little Ancestor, please be quiet! Your father has finally agreed to cancel the engagement. It's best to do so as soon as possible to avoid any further complications."
There was a big commotion, which lasted until noon.
Xicang. Heqin
"Mother, go slower, be careful of the slippery road." Guo Hongzhe and Guo Hongxuan supported Wang on the left and right as she walked out of the back hall.
Wang Qiaozhen followed closely behind. When she wasn't paying attention, her son, who was at a mischievous age, ran away. She hurriedly shouted, "Don't run! Come back immediately!"
The nurse immediately chased after him, "Little Master, don't run."
“Hahahaha~”
"Moving, moving!" Guo Yu was overjoyed, jumping and skipping, running back to Jiang Yushu and her group, standing on tiptoe and asking, "Is my brother awake?"
Nanny Qiu said kindly, "He just fell asleep not long ago. He usually wakes up when he's hungry."
"Ah." Guo Yu quickly cheered up and leaned closer and said, "Auntie, can I help you?"
Guo Honglei supported his wife on the right side, and Jiang Yushu happily extended her left hand, "Okay."
"Hehehe." Guo Yu smiled and held Second Aunt's thickly gloved fingers. "Aunt, go slowly. Be careful of the slippery road."
Jiang Yushu praised: "Yu'er is really sensible. You should be careful too."
Guo Honglei smiled and said, "After a while, you will start to learn to read and practice calligraphy. If you do well, your uncle will reward you."
"What reward?" Guo Yu's eyes lit up and he looked up and asked, "What is the reward?"
Guo Honglei replied sternly, "In short, it's a good thing. First, study hard and memorize the Hundred Family Names and the Thousand Character Classic, then ask for the reward."
"Oh, this, this... OK!" Guo Yu hesitated for a moment, then rubbed his hands together, "I will definitely work hard. Uncle, don't forget to prepare the reward."
Jiang Yushu couldn't help laughing. Guo Honglei raised an eyebrow and replied, "The gift is ready. It depends on whether you have the ability to take it away."
Chatting and laughing, the group walked to the carriage. Guo Honglei arranged for his wife and children who were in confinement to get on the carriage, while his third and fourth brothers took care of their mother.
The Gong family's wet nurse was in a separate car, holding the sick Baozhu.
While they were busy, several constables suddenly appeared on horseback, accompanying a carriage and returning to the county government office.
The captain recognized Guo Honglei from afar and hurriedly rode closer. He jumped off his horse and galloped over, panting:
"Mr. Guo!"
"May I have a moment to speak? I have something urgent to report to you."
The author has something to say:
Pei Wenfeng: Thank God, thank God...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
