Chapter 303
Mrs. Yi called again to ask Wang Jiazhi to play cards, but A-Ma didn't tell her at all, simply saying she wasn't home and had been busy. Sure enough, Mrs. Yi stopped calling after that. It was his idea, too, to tell them that if they had any social engagements, they didn't need to tell her and could just decline directly.
But on this day, it was Mrs. Liao's daughter who called. The last time they met, the ladies had criticized each other together, and they hadn't said much. This time, she was invited to a banquet at home. Wang Jiazhi wasn't sure if Mrs. Liao's daughter knew that her mother and Lao Yi were in a relationship. If she knew, it would be even more inconvenient for her to associate with her. But even if she didn't know, she was sure that she was with Lao Yi now, so of course she had to avoid people, and it was impossible for her to be close to her. Just to chat, specifically asking her out, even if she agreed, would seem too deliberate and awkward. It would be better to take advantage of the banquet at home to ask her out, which would be more natural. Even if she refused, it wouldn't embarrass her.
Wang Jiazhi certainly didn't believe she possessed the demeanor of those exiled immortals in ancient books, who, after just one encounter, were eager to become close friends. While still in school, she did go to Zhou Minlin's club to help out, and a girl struck up a conversation with her. She felt they were simply willing to talk, not like close friends. She figured maybe she was just good at socializing, but then, a while later, at a play, the girl deliberately sat down next to her. As expected, she realized she was a school celebrity, and that getting close to her might be useful in the future.
She felt that Mrs. Liao's daughter wasn't interested in her friendship, but rather in her confidante. It was probably because she simply had no one to confide in. The last time they met, in the corridor of the Yi family's residence, they had a brief chat, and she started talking about how most of her classmates and friends were married. When she told the few unmarried ones about her current situation, they sympathized, but ultimately didn't understand, and their sympathy wasn't focused on the point. When she talked to the married ones, they offered superficial sympathy, often gloating or calling her hypocritical. They'd constantly say, "Everyone's life is like this, just bear with it." Or, "You're lucky. If you were in my situation, who knows?" Hearing that made her even more furious.
Wang Jiazhi was obviously the perfect person to vent her grievances to. She wasn't in the same social circle as Wang Jiazhi, so she wasn't afraid of her publicizing her suffering. She also probably understood her pain. After all, if her marriage was happy, she wouldn't have abandoned her family to take a mistress.
Even for this reason, Wang Jiazhi felt it would be inappropriate not to go. After all, compared to those ladies who always looked down on her, Mrs. Liao's daughter, since she was willing to make friends with her, must have respected her. If she didn't go, it would be really wrong. But she had to ask him first; she couldn't show her face in public.
He didn't come back that day, and the next day, she couldn't wait any longer because the date was the next day. She called him, and he said she could call him, but she seldom did, fearing trouble.
After I explained the situation, I didn't expect him to say, "Okay, go ahead. It's good to go out and see the world. Don't be stuck at home all the time."
"Really? But I've never been to that kind of place. They must be all rich and powerful. It would be embarrassing to embarrass myself."
"You'll know when you go and see it. It's nothing special. Most of them are very vulgar people." He laughed.
She was holding the child and talking on the phone. The kitten heard them talking and started babbling. He also heard the girl's voice on the other side and heard her say, "Do you want to call Daddy?"
Then she put the receiver to the child's ear. When he heard the girl's voice, he was so upset and angry that he wanted to kill someone just now, but now he calmed down instantly.
She took the receiver and said, "Then I really went."
"Okay, go ahead. There are a few bottles of wine in the drawer under the wine cabinet in the living room. Just pick one as a gift."
"good."
After hanging up the phone, she asked her mother to find a bottle of wine and give it as a gift tomorrow.
Mrs. Liao's daughter's in-laws were quite large. Her father-in-law had three concubines besides his wife. He said his wife had two sons and a daughter, and her husband was the youngest. It's unknown how many children the concubines had. Their house wasn't very large. Although her father-in-law had studied abroad early in life and lived in Western ways, he also believed in Chinese feng shui, believing that a large house would dissipate vital energy, and that a more crowded home was best.
Wang Jiazhi deliberately arrived late, avoiding the awkwardness of arriving early. The moment she entered, she was greeted by a bustling crowd. A massive inverted pagoda-shaped chandelier burned brightly in the daylight, and bonsai of the Three Friends of Winter were placed on tables on either side. Compared to the banquet at Jin Qiaochu's house, the space and grandeur were similar, but the aura was worlds apart. Jin Qiaochu's banquet reeked of money. This place, however, reeked of power. Power far surpasses wealth.
Today was the sixtieth birthday of the father-in-law of Mrs. Liao's daughter. The ladies had heard that he was quite a prominent figure. The talk among the visitors was not about romance, but about officialdom.
A male servant came over, and she smiled and said that he was a friend of their second young mistress. The little girl came with her and gave the wine box to the man. The male servant led them to the second floor to find Mrs. Liao's daughter.
Wang Jiazhi saw that she was still wearing her homely clothes today. Just now, downstairs, she noticed that several women in the family were wearing festive colors such as bright red, royal blue, and apricot yellow. A few young women, who were difficult to distinguish between concubines and daughters-in-law, were in the front to receive relatives and friends. It was indeed very bold for her to stay in the room like this.
She was very excited to see Wang Jiazhi coming. She asked the little girl to bring tea and snacks, and pulled her to sit by the bed to chat. This room was about the same size as her room at the Yi family. It was too small for one person to live in, and it would be even smaller for Mrs. Liao's daughter and her husband.
In fact, after Wang Jiazhi died in his previous life, his thoughts became more and more extreme. One of them was that the house was too small and he was worried about her life. She thought that she had a few good days before her death, and he thought that she had not had a good day before her death.
Let's put these aside for the moment. As expected, Mrs. Liao's daughter really started to complain. Her husband hadn't been around for days, and of course she was eager not to see him. He had three concubines outside, one boy and two girls, not to mention his mistresses. When he came home, he would find fault with her and lose his temper. Her parents-in-law didn't take her side. Instead, they said that their son was a very well-behaved child before he married her, but why did he become like this after marrying her? With more wives in the house, he simply didn't want to go home. The first time she went back to her parents' home out of spite, her parents not only forced her to go back, but also came to the house in person, saying that they had not raised their daughter well.
At this point, Mrs. Liao's daughter couldn't help but shed tears.
Wang Jiazhi said, "Most mothers-in-law are like this. They always say the same thing: if the son is bad, it's the daughter-in-law's fault. If there was a good person, it wouldn't be so bad. It's like the daughter-in-law is a female teacher, responsible for teaching and educating people. Parents can't teach their own sons well, so they marry a daughter-in-law to teach them. Hey!"
Although it was just a few words of comfort, Mrs. Liao's daughter felt very happy after hearing them. No longer were those words like "Everyone's family is like this, you have your own good points, you should always think positively" that made her even more angry.
In fact, there are people in her circle of friends who sympathize with her, but because of the influence of her in-laws, everyone is afraid that saying something wrong will reach the ears of her in-laws, which would only bring trouble to themselves.
Wang Jiazhi wasn't that foolish, but she was an unrelated person, and she wasn't afraid of what Mrs. Liao's in-laws would do to her. More importantly, he had told her that although Mrs. Liao's daughter's father-in-law was highly respected, he currently held a figurehead position without real power, so she didn't need to be afraid of them.
After a while, the maid came in and said that the banquet was about to start outside and asked Mrs. Liao's daughter to go out. Mrs. Liao's daughter refused, saying that she had a headache and couldn't get up.
Wang Jiazhi also advised: "For such a big event, you can't not go."
The little girl also advised that although Mrs. Liao's daughter was already going crazy at her husband's house, a day like today was more important than the New Year, and she couldn't dare not go out. She changed into bright clothes and packed up to go out.
Wang Jiazhi knew it would be difficult for her to return, so their conversation ended there. She had originally wanted to leave, but the little girl said, "Since you're here, why not listen to the opera first?"
The little girl stayed in the house with her all day, rarely getting a chance to go out and play, so Wang Jiazhi went out to see what was going on downstairs. She was deliberately avoiding people. Mrs. Liao was definitely going to come to her in-laws' birthday party, and she didn't know if Mrs. Yi would come. Then, he might come too. After thinking about it, she decided to go.
When Wang Jiazhi arrived downstairs, the feast had already begun. She noticed the man beside Mrs. Liao's daughter, presumably Mrs. Liao's son-in-law. He had a rather... square face. Old Yi had said that with Mrs. Liao's family, it was out of reach for her, but there were some issues with this second son. He was certainly either a fool, or simply stupid and restless. No one of equal status would marry their daughter to him.
At this moment, several guests stepped aside, revealing the silhouette of a man standing next to Mrs. Liao's daughter's father-in-law. Sure enough, he had come today, too. The two were smiling and talking. He seemed to sense something, too, and turned around just in time to see her.
Oddly enough, the two of them really had that tacit understanding. Just one look from him and you knew what he meant. Besides smiling and saying hello to her, she took it as a reminder that it was time to pump.
She chose the right moment to go over and say goodbye to Mrs. Liao's daughter, and heard the father-in-law of Mrs. Liao's daughter say to him with a smile: "We specially invited Bai Yufang here today." The tone of his voice could not be more obvious.
Wang Jiazhi clenched her fists. The little girl smiled and said, "Why don't we listen to the opera first?"
Wang Jiazhi also thought it would be better to listen to the opera before leaving!
She had never heard much of Peking opera, didn't like it, and couldn't understand it. She also didn't understand the meaning of many of the props on the stage. She just wanted to see who Bai Yufang was.
Today, Bai Yufang was performing in a production of "The Legend of the White Snake." She was dressed in all white, and while she looked stunning, Wang Jiazhi didn't find it stunning. The difference between her stage appearance and her makeup-free look was stark, and she figured she wouldn't be able to see Bai Yufang without it today. But she did have a gentle, graceful aura; no wonder he liked her. She felt even sadder. She might have to toast him after the stage, but she figured it was best to leave; out of sight, out of mind. It was just a social occasion, anyway.
She looked around but didn't see Mrs. Yi. Instead, she saw Mrs. Liao. Fortunately, Mrs. Yi didn't come, otherwise it would be too embarrassing.
The man celebrating his birthday had worked with Old Yi in the past, and the two of them had a decent personal relationship, so he had deliberately invited Bai Yufang to play up to his preferences. He had originally wanted her to come out and see, but his old colleague had been too flattering, and now he was feeling rather uncomfortable. He thought his cat at home was probably furious by now. He wanted to look over, but she was sitting too far away, so he couldn't tell if she was angry or not.
After Wang Jiazhi left, he socialized for a while and then said he had something urgent to do and needed to leave. That was the good thing about his job: he could leave whenever he wanted, and no one would dare to force him to stay, nor would they think he was being rude.
As soon as he entered the house, she was milking. The child was sleeping in the crib after feeding, and the kitten also came in and lay down at her feet, snoring.
He was the only man in the house, so she wasn't scared when she heard the door open. She turned around and asked, "Why are you back so soon?"
He didn't seem angry, and I felt relieved.
He didn't think she didn't care about him, she had her own way of being jealous, but she definitely wouldn't be like many people who were unreasonable and unreasonable, or like a shrew who made trouble out of nothing, without knowing the truth.
She was wearing a white nightgown with wide ruffles at the cuffs and hem. Now she had lifted one side of her dress, revealing her round breasts and her waist. At this moment, her body was even more deadly.
He couldn't help but clean up for her again.
She nestled in his arms and said, "Then how do people know that you like her?"
"They were the ones who started the trouble. It's just spread around and that's how it is."
"What you said sounds like an excuse you often see in novels. It's not that you wanted her, it's just your friends' instigation. If you don't marry her, it would be irresponsible."
"Which book is this from?"
"Several books. Anyway, they were all written by men, so they must be correct."
Wang Jiazhi, however, only slightly piqued her jealousy, and didn't bring it up again. But he'd tell everyone before any social events that he wasn't to call her Bai Yufang anymore. Word gradually spread outside: Minister Yi's second wife was incredibly powerful, frightening even the actresses he loved. Who could control this philandering demon? Who could possibly be so formidable, so capable of controlling the hearts of wolves and tigers? Those who hadn't met her were filled with unbelievable fantasies, and those who knew her were only further dissatisfied.
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