Chapter 105 You are First and foremost Yourself
Confucianism is very inclusive; Confucius once consulted Lao Tzu. They won't accept your views, but they won't be confrontational either, except in matters of life and death, or matters of great right and wrong. This is why Jiang Yu dared to say what she just said.
Tang Huai-ren had a pretty good understanding of Jiang Yu, and asked a few more questions, which Jiang Yu answered very well. Only then did he nod in satisfaction, and then asked the eldest son of the Tang family to take Jiang Yu to the Tang family's library.
Young Master Tang, in his early thirties, was very composed. As they walked, he introduced some of the scenery along the way to Jiang Yu. However, when they reached the entrance of the library, he stopped, looked at Jiang Yu, and bowed, saying, "I have some presumptuous questions for you, cousin. I wonder if you could answer them?"
Jiang Yu paused for a moment, then returned the greeting, "Cousin, please speak."
Young Master Tang pursed his lips, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, but in the end he still asked, "What were you thinking when my cousin decided to divorce me?"
Asking a woman such a private question made Young Master Tang feel a little awkward, but he still looked at Jiang Yu seriously, waiting for her answer.
Jiang Yu didn't think it was a question that couldn't be asked. She said, "My adoptive parents run a general store. I also have some business acumen. Over the years, I've opened some shops. Although they can't make my adoptive parents and me rich, they are enough to ensure that we have enough to eat and wear."
My grandfather had already found me, and with the Duke of Chu's mansion as my backing, I was even less afraid. I had a livelihood to support myself and my parents, and with the Duke of Chu's mansion as my support, there was no need for me to suffer that humiliation.
"Weren't you afraid back then that your divorced status would prevent you from being accepted back into the Duke of Chu's mansion?" Young Master Tang asked again.
Jiang Yu: "If I'm not accepted, I'll just continue living a comfortable life. Anyway, I won't put up with being humiliated."
After hearing this, Young Master Tang bowed to Jiang Yu again, then turned to the side and said, "Did you hear that?"
Jiang Yu was taken aback, and then a woman in her early twenties, thin and with a worried expression, walked out. Upon approaching, the woman bowed to Jiang Yu and said, "Cousin."
Jiang Yu quickly returned the greeting, "Cousin."
The other person called her "cousin," so it's probably correct for her to call her "older cousin."
Just then, Young Master Tang introduced her, saying, "This is my younger sister, her given name is Yu Chuan."
Jiang Yu smiled and called out "Cousin," and Tang Yuchuan nodded to Jiang Yu, "Cousin."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three entered the library and sat down at the tea table. Young Master Tang poured a cup of tea for Jiang Yu and Tang Yuchuan, then said:
“Yu Chuan has met the wrong person. My father and I both want her to get a divorce, but she and my mother are hesitant. So, I wanted my cousin to talk to her today.”
Jiang Yu nodded, and the young master Tang then recounted Tang Yuchuan's story. The story was somewhat cliché: her husband was a student of her grandfather, Tang Huai Ren, and the two met by chance and fell in love at first sight. Tang Huai Ren thought the student was good enough, so he arranged their marriage.
However, after the marriage, she discovered that her husband had been engaged before, and that their meeting was intentional. His affection for her was mostly for his own purposes. Within six months of their marriage, he took the woman he had been engaged to as a concubine and became very cold towards her.
She had made a scene many times. A few days ago, she had a fight with her husband, and he hit her, leaving her covered in bruises. If it weren't for the maids and servants stopping her, she might have been beaten to death.
The Tang family was naturally unwilling to accept this, and her husband knelt down in front of Tang Huai Ren to apologize. He is still kneeling in Tang Huai Ren's courtyard.
After hearing this, Jiang Yu looked at Tang Yuchuan and asked, "Why is my cousin unwilling to get a divorce?"
Tang Yuchuan lowered his head and remained silent for a while before saying, "If we get divorced, what will people say about me? If I get divorced and remarry, I might not be as good as him."
After listening, Jiang Yu frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "Why must one remarry after a divorce?"
These words shocked Tang Yuchuan. "If...if I don't get married, how will I live?"
Jiang Yu looked at Young Master Tang and asked, "If she gets a divorce, won't she be allowed to go home?"
"How could that be?" Young Master Tang looked at Tang Yuchuan and said, "My father and I advocated that you get a divorce, and we will naturally not abandon you in the future."
Tang Yuchuan, however, said, "I can continue to live in the Tang family, but how will I live?"
Young Master Tang wanted to say, "You have food and clothing, and maids and servants to wait on you, how can you not live comfortably?" But then he heard Jiang Yu say:
"If you like reading, then read; if you like sleeping, then sleep; if you like riding horses, then ride horses. If you think it's meaningless, you can do anything you think is meaningful. Anyway, after the divorce, you won't have to serve your in-laws, your husband, or those people who make you angry just by looking at them."
Tang Yuchuan was shocked again, "Can I?"
“Why not? It’s just a divorce, you haven’t broken any laws. Cousin,” Jiang Yu said earnestly, “you are first and foremost yourself, then your parents’ daughter, your brothers’ sister, and your husband’s wife. So, first understand what you want, then strive for it and live the life you want.”
Other people's preferences and words are merely their opinions and feelings. Only you truly understand yourself and know best how to live a good and meaningful life.
Tang Yuchuan's hand trembled slightly under the tea table. After a while, she stood up and bowed deeply to Jiang Yu. "Thank you, cousin. I need to think about it carefully."
After saying that, she walked out. After leaving the library, she turned back and looked at Jiang Yu, saying, "Cousin, you are very good. That top scholar is not good enough for you."
Jiang Yu smiled, "I think so too."
Tang Yuchuan was once again surprised by Jiang Yu's response. She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'll go visit my cousin when I have time."
Jiang Yu nodded, "Okay."
Tang Yuchuan walked away quickly; she needed to go back and think about her future. Inside the library, the eldest son of the Tang family bowed to Jiang Yu again, saying, "Thank you, cousin."
“It’s only right for family members to help each other,” Jiang Yu said. “However, my cousin and uncle are enlightened people for advocating for my cousin to get a divorce.”
Young Master Tang blushed slightly. "My father and I were also inspired by my cousin."
Jiang Yu smiled again, "Then I am honored."
If her divorce can help women in unhappy marriages break free from the shackles of marriage, she doesn't mind being brought up again and again.
Young Master Tang was very grateful to Jiang Yu and introduced the books in the library to her very seriously. Jiang Yu picked out more than twenty books to take home.
........
After Jiang Yu and the others left, the Duke of Chu went to Tang Huai Ren's study. There, he found Duan Shao Hui, Tang Yu Chuan's husband, still kneeling on the ground.
"Go back," Tang Huai-ren said calmly, then led the Duke of Chu into the study. After sitting down, he sighed, recounted Tang Yu-chuan's affair, and then said:
"Her father and brother both want her to divorce and return home, and after thinking it over, I think it's not impossible. But right now, Yu Rong can't make up her mind."
At this point, he thought of Jiang Yu and added, "Jiang Yu is a good kid, with a strong will."
It was Jiang Yu's divorce that made them make up their minds. Parents and relatives who truly love their children won't care about gossip; their child's life is more important than anything else.
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