The Ning family of Beiliu Town, Yangcheng, Zezhou, has been established for 270 years since their ancestor dug out the first piece of coal from the hills of Beiliu Town.
More than a hundred years ago, the Ning family was already not only extremely wealthy, but after the foundation was established, the head of the Ning family spent his family fortune to establish a clan school and hired famous teachers and great scholars. The clan members lived up to the high expectations. In the following hundred years, forty tribute students, twenty honorary scholars, nine Jinshi scholars, and six Hanlin scholars were born, enjoying the reputation of "nine Jinshi scholars in one family of virtue and six Hanlin scholars in three generations of grace and honor." [Note 1] Over the past hundred years, more than forty clan members have served as officials, spreading the Ning family's reputation to all parts of the country. According to the family tree, more than a dozen ancestral halls were built in various places for Ning family officials when they left office.
Today, the old patriarch’s second son, Ning Yan, is the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.
For such a century-old family, it is unbelievable and absolutely intolerable that someone would dare to stir up trouble like this.
Mrs. Ning Si was also very angry.
"What do you think of our Ning family? Anyone who wants to hang himself can do so!" She stood up. "Sister-in-law, it's inconvenient for you to see her. I'll go see her and explain everything to her."
After saying that, he turned around and left.
"Fourth brother's sister-in-law." Madam Ning hurriedly called out and tried to stand up.
Madam Ning San held her down.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry about it, let us go," she said.
Madam Ning looked at them helplessly as they turned and walked out.
"Talk to her nicely. She's so pitiful. Don't scare her." She said uneasily, "Besides, we have to give face to the Fang family."
"Fang family's face? If the Fang family doesn't give us face, why should we give them face?"
It would have been fine if the Fang family had not been mentioned, but Mrs. Ning San became even angrier when she mentioned it. Without waiting for the first lady to say anything, she took the maids and servants and walked out.
The room returned to silence. Madam Ning no longer had the uneasiness on her face. She glanced calmly at the three girls standing beside her.
"How did Miss Jun come up with the idea of threatening our family by committing suicide?" she suddenly asked.
The three girls looked at each other with sparkling eyes.
"Who knows? He must have gotten so excited when he heard that Tenth Brother was getting engaged to Miss Yang." said a girl.
"Yes, yes, ever since she met Brother Ten at the Mid-Autumn Festival, she has become even more shameless and fussy. Fortunately, Brother Ten is not often at home, so she goes around telling the young ladies in the city that she is our future sister-in-law." Another girl said bitterly, "Suddenly she heard that Brother Ten was going to get engaged, and she went crazy."
Madam Ning's gaze fell on Ning Yunyan, who was silent.
"Yanyan, it was you who told her about Miss Yang's matter," she said.
Ning Yunyan's lips flattened.
"I didn't. I usually avoid talking to her." She said, and then laughed again, "I only told Lin Jiner, but I told her not to tell anyone else."
This was definitely not the thing he was reminding me about. It should be something else, probably something related to Miss Jun's suicide by hanging.
Teenage girls can act naively or ignorantly.
Madam Ning frowned slightly.
"This matter has its own arrangements at home. You sisters are not allowed to get involved, so as to avoid being affected by her reputation." She said.
But he didn't ask any further questions about the matter, nor did he reprimand him.
The three girls responded happily.
"I knew there was no need to worry." Ning Yunyan held her mother's arm and said with a smile, "If she wants to die, it's her own decision. Why should we be afraid of her?"
"Besides, she's not dead," said another girl, her eyes full of mockery. "She doesn't even dare to die, so why is she threatening our family with this? Who does she think she is?"
Madam Ning smiled but said nothing.
"Mom, I've finished writing."
"Aunt, I've finished writing too."
The girls changed the subject in their sweet chattering voices.
"Okay, let me take a look. If it's not well written, you will be punished." Mrs. Ning said.
The girls immediately surrounded Madam Ning and walked to the east room, chatting and laughing in a lively and warm atmosphere.
That young lady from the Jun family doesn't need to be taken seriously at all.
…
Hearing the call of "Madam" coming from outside, the little girl who was reaching out to pick up the snacks on the table stood up straight.
The curtain was opened and the footsteps stopped inside the room.
Miss Jun, who had been keeping her eyes down all the time, raised her eyes and looked at the two ladies.
"Hey? Who among you is Madam Ning?" the little girl asked with wide eyes.
The last time they came, they couldn’t even get in through the second gate, let alone meet Madam Ning. This time, they were finally able to get in, and the madam came to see them.
But both women were dressed elegantly, so which one was the eldest lady?
For every master, there are every servant. How rude and disrespectful.
The two ladies of the Ning family had a flash of disdain in their eyes.
"If you have anything to say, please tell us." said Mrs. Ning San.
The little girl was about to say something, but Miss Jun raised her hand to stop her.
"Okay." She stood up and saluted, while reaching out to touch the white silk on the table.
Madam Ning San and Madam Ning Si frowned.
It's threatening.
"Miss Jun, the matter of this marriage has been made very clear. Your maternal family is also very clear about it. You don't want to listen to what we say as outsiders. Go ask them. They are your relatives." Madam Ning Si spoke first.
"I understand everything you said. No need to ask any more questions." Miss Jun said, shaking off the white silk on the table. It turned out that there was a piece of paper underneath. "Now that everything has been explained clearly, let's talk about how to solve this matter."
She handed over the paper.
What is this?
Madam Ning San and Madam Ning Si looked at the thin piece of paper handed to them, and were shocked when they saw the words on it clearly.
Marriage certificate!
Madam Ning San reached out and grabbed it, looking at it in disbelief.
It was a marriage certificate, clearly stating the names of three generations of the couple, and the fact that the couple had inherited the family property and official positions.
It is impossible that Madam Ning was just speaking casually when she wrote such a marriage certificate.
Old Lady Ning really did write the marriage certificate and was serious about marrying the two families. At least she was sincere at the time. As for why she regretted her decision later and never mentioned it, Old Lady Ning is no longer with us, so no one knows.
Why didn’t you take out the marriage certificate before?
Without the marriage certificate, no matter whether the Fang family or Miss Jun is alive or dead, any trouble can be suppressed. But if there is a marriage certificate in hand, if Miss Jun really commits suicide, their Ning family will be in trouble.
This was indeed a threat. Madam Ning San and Madam Ning Si looked at each other.
"Miss Jun, it's not that we don't recognize your marriage certificate." Madam Ning Si said in a deep voice, "It's just that our old man has never taken out this marriage certificate, and has never mentioned this marriage in the past ten years."
"You don't know whether you have seen it or not. This is your business and has nothing to do with me." Miss Jun looked at her and said, her voice still soft, without a trace of excitement, just like her expression.
This is not like the unruly and arrogant Miss Jun that Ning Yunyan just described.
After coming to Yangcheng for half a year, instead of directly taking out the marriage certificate, he just kept flaunting it and made everyone know about it. If he takes out the marriage certificate now, it will not be so easy for the Ning family to cover up and resolve the matter.
She must have planned to do this.
Madam Ning Si was about to say something else, but Madam Ning San stopped her, glanced at Miss Jun and smiled slightly.
"Miss Jun, do you know what marriage means? Marriage is marriage, not enmity." She said, "Sometimes you can use some means to get things done, but sometimes you can't use means, otherwise even if you can get what you want temporarily, you will be sad for the rest of your life."
She tried every possible means to marry into the Ning family, but her husband was displeased and her parents-in-law hated her. Even if she got the status of a legitimate wife, her life would not be much better. What's more, there are many ways to make a legitimate wife give up her position.
Madam Ning San was born in Cangzhou. Her ancestors started out as escorts. Like the Ning family, they are no longer just a merchant family. Most of their children study to become officials, but the escort agency has also been run. Madam Ning San's father was in charge of the escort agency, so the children in the family not only studied and learned calligraphy, but also practiced martial arts to some extent.
Although Mrs. Ning San did not learn much, her temperament was different from that of ordinary ladies in the imperial court, and she was a bit domineering.
If you can get into our house, we can make your life a living hell.
This is undoubtedly a naked threat.
"Miss Jun, you know your own worth. You are not suitable to be the daughter-in-law of our Ning family." Mrs. Ning, who came from a scholarly family, said it straightforwardly without any threats.
The girl in front of him, who had lost her parents and had to come to live with her grandparents, was neither angry nor afraid. Instead, she smiled.
"In that case, how do you plan to get the marriage certificate back and make me cancel this marriage?" she asked.
Note 1: The family background setting is taken from the Chen family of the prime minister's mansion in the imperial city of Shanxi. Only the family background and geographical location are borrowed. It is not intended to slander the Chen family members, nor is it plagiarism. Please forgive me.