Chapter 339
It was a rare occasion for Lao Yi to go home, and no one came to play cards that day, so today Mrs. Liang brought her concubine. Mrs. Liang usually never brought her concubine with her, but I don't know why she brought her here this time.
It's actually quite strange that in their circle, men can chat openly with other men's wives, but they inevitably avoid concubines. Perhaps this is a bit of an ancient tradition, where concubines are a bit like maids, more materialistic, used to entertain guests or given as gifts. A wife is someone others shouldn't have any inappropriate thoughts about. While it's a new era now, where wives aren't necessarily forbidden from seeing other men, concubines haven't shown much of a sense of liberation. A glance is considered inappropriate. This new ideology, this new liberation, seems to be based on a hierarchy of high and low, favoring the noble first.
Old Yi just said hello and was about to leave, but Mrs. Yi stopped him and said with a smile: "Mrs. Liang said that this year is a bad omen, and my husband wants to buy her a gold bracelet to remedy it."
He laughed and said, "I wonder if these stories are made up by those who sell things to attract business. They always say that if something goes wrong this year, the mother-in-law will buy her daughter-in-law gold; if something goes wrong next year, the mother will buy her daughter a handkerchief. Now this story is popular again."
Mrs. Yi said, "It's better to believe something exists than not to believe it exists. Old Liang has bought it for Mrs. Liang. If you are not afraid of your wife dying, then it's up to you."
Mrs. Liang was indeed wearing a very heavy gold bracelet on her hand, which was certainly not suitable for the concubine.
Mrs. Liang smiled and said, "Mr. Yi, if you don't buy it, you don't want a wife anymore."
Everyone else laughed, but Mrs. Yi's smile was stiff. She felt that if possible, Old Yi might really not want her anymore.
Lao Yi said, "You've already bought so many stones, and you still can't afford a gold bracelet? Just go buy it."
Mrs. Liang smiled and said, "That's different. When Mrs. Yi buys it, the money comes out of her pocket, so it's her own purchase. But if it comes out of Mr. Yi's pocket, then it's her husband who bought it."
Lao Yi laughed and said, "Didn't the money in her pocket come from my pocket? Tell me when you're done buying it, and I'll have someone deliver the money."
Mrs. Yi finally managed to save some face. She'd said she was buying a gold bracelet, but in the end, it turned out to be buying gemstones. Mrs. Yi's bracelet was a bit of a scam: a gold bracelet inlaid with two rubies, two sapphires, and two emeralds.
Mrs. Yi called and asked Wang Jiazhi to go to her house to play cards. The day she went there, it was Mrs. Liang and Mrs. Ma.
As soon as she entered the living room, she felt that dark clouds were gathering over the city, and a bloody storm was about to break out. But strangely, the card game that day was normal, and nothing unusual happened.
When the fight was late, Mrs. Ma asked, "Why are you all wearing gold bracelets?"
This sentence was the one that absolutely should not have been said, as it completely broke the apparent calm.
Even more unexpectedly, my mother came in and said with a smile, "It's against the law this year. The husband wants to buy a gold bracelet for his wife."
Wang Jiazhi finally understood why he had suddenly given her this bracelet. Chinese New Year was approaching, but she had already bought all her jewelry for the year. And he had been worried she wouldn't like what he'd chosen, so he'd given her a heads-up beforehand, asking her to go to the store and choose it herself.
When she saw Mrs. Yi's gem-studded bracelet, she thought it must be a new one she bought.
She suddenly understood why they had originally wanted to attack her, but when they sat at the card table, they behaved strangely and never launched an attack.
It turned out that he had bought the gold and gemstone bracelet for Mrs. Yi, and Mrs. Yi had worn it to show her off, but seeing that she was also wearing one, she had to give up.
It's said that when a husband buys a gold bracelet for his wife, he's referring to his legal wife. If she buys it, she's the legal wife; if she doesn't, she's in danger of dying, and she's still the legal wife, but she's not a concubine. This kind of dignity is reserved for the legal wife.
Judging from Mrs. Ma's tone, she probably didn't know about their plan. Only Mrs. Liang and Mrs. Yi looked a little off. It was probably the same as before, with Mrs. Liang taking the lead and the other two joining in the attack. But seeing that she was also wearing a gold bracelet, she couldn't ask any more questions. If she did, she would probably say that her husband bought it for her, that he bought jewelry for his concubine that should have been bought for his wife. Wouldn't that be even more embarrassing for Mrs. Yi?
It's like how Ximen Qing doted on Li Ping'er in the Jin Ping Mei story, and no matter how much he and his wife, Wu Yueniang, seemed to be at odds, there was still a difference of status. For New Year's, the concubines would make the same outfit, but Wu Yueniang would make several more. During festivals, Wu Yueniang would wear bright red, while the concubines could only wear silver.
No wonder he called her several times in the past few days and insisted that she come. She knew that there must be something going on again because of his deliberate actions.
Just as she'd imagined, Mrs. Yi and Mrs. Liang were planning to play double duty against Wang Jiazhi. But once Wang Jiazhi took off her coat and sat down, the engraved gold bracelet on her wrist was a complete lie. The gold bracelet merely served as a display for the gems, while Wang Jiazhi's bracelet was studded with rubies, one next to the other, forming a full circle, and the edges were studded with small white diamonds. Mrs. Yi was furious.
But she was the only one at the poker table angry. Her best friend, Mrs. Liang, seemed to be gloating over her misfortune. Mrs. Liang and her husband had a close relationship. He had heard about the incident and bought her a gold bracelet as a small, flattering gesture. She had intended it as a show of affection, but the other ladies only saw the gold bracelet. In their circle, competition was incredibly strong, and wearing just one gold bracelet was out of the question. Mrs. Yi first showed off a gem-encrusted bracelet, another with a halo of large pearls and white diamonds filling the gaps, and yet another with green and purple jadeite. This made Mrs. Liang's simple, pure gold bracelet for a disaster-repellent look shabby. She was too embarrassed to exchange it for one with the same gemstones as the others, as it would seem like she was trying to compete for attention.
In their circle, whether one is favored or not is judged by the number of clothes, jewelry and concubines in the family.
Having lots of clothes and jewelry is a plus, while having a concubine is a minus. If your husband dotes on you, he'll definitely be willing to spend money on you. Everyone's financial situation is similar. No matter how much your husband dotes on you and loves you, if your jewelry isn't as good as others, others will see him as unloving and unfavorable. No matter how much your husband dotes on you and loves you, having a concubine doesn't mean he loves you as much. What woman would be comfortable with a concubine? No matter how docile and sensible a concubine is, no wife wouldn't resent her. If your husband keeps someone who makes you uncomfortable and angry at home day and night, others will see him as unloving and unfavorable.
Many wives often complain to their husbands, and some even burst into tears, but in the end they sincerely and somewhat gratefully say, "He didn't bring it into the house, but he..."
No matter how good Mrs. Liang's relationship with her husband is, or how sensible the concubine in the family is, as long as she is brought into the house, she will be a huge minus point.
There is a concubine in the family. Everyone else wears gold bracelets inlaid with gems, but she only wears a pure gold bracelet, as if she is from a poor family who cannot afford gems. It is obvious that her husband's pampering of her is all a show, and he just wants people to listen to him, but he does not make any real contribution at all.
Mrs. Liang was also very jealous of Mrs. Yi in this matter. If she hadn't insisted on wearing such a gorgeous jewel bracelet, how could she be looked down upon like this.
Mrs. Ma seemed to understand and couldn't help laughing. Mrs. Yi found it particularly irritating.
Seeing that the atmosphere had become awkward, Mrs. Liang felt that no matter what, this best friend would still be with Mrs. Yi in the future, so she took on the responsibility of smoothing things over. She smiled and said, "Mrs. Xiao's daughter came back from abroad a few days ago and sent some gifts. I believe Mrs. Mai hasn't seen them."
Wang Jiazhi was stunned for a moment before answering, "Oh."
Now she felt a little unfamiliar with the title Mrs. Mai.
In Hong Kong, she acted like a child wearing adult clothes, clumsy, and simply found the role fresh and fun. In Shanghai, things were completely different. Wang Jiazhi's world was a purgatory that only got worse. She loved being in Mrs. Mai's world. At least there was him, a moment of love and joy.
But things were different now. Wang Jiazhi's world was happier than Mrs. Mai's. She became Wang Jiazhi again.
When she was willing to be Mrs. Mai, the other ladies didn't understand why Old Yi liked her so much. In their opinion, there were many ladies who were more beautiful and noble than her. She could have a short-lived fling, but how could she be worthy of the special affection she had for him and the chance to start a family?
She acted like Wang Jiazhi again, and the ladies began to figure out the reason.
Back then, she'd assumed he liked mature women, and she was too young and too student-like. She'd deliberately dressed in old-fashioned colors like dark green, dark blue, and black, permed her hair, and put on heavy makeup to appear more mature. Now she could be herself, her hair wasn't permed as often, and she wore more bright colors like pale pink, pale purple, lake green, and ivory white. Now she looked more like a young girl than a wife. And Wang Jiazhi wasn't some completely inexperienced virgin. Her innocence and coldness radiated a certain allure. She was like the peony he'd given her, with its layers of white petals and a hint of red at the center.
Although the ladies were slow, they also realized something. Old Yi was tired of those mature and charming women and wanted to change her taste to something simple and cool. In this respect, the other ladies were really not as good as her.
Mrs. Xiao's daughter had traveled around the world and brought back some foreign things, among which was a sphinx clock, though it was a bit abstract.
Wang Jiazhi looked at the clock and muttered, "This is a musical note."
The ladies, who had been talking, suddenly fell silent, their expressions becoming extremely strange. Wang Jiazhi, noticing the change in the atmosphere, wondered if she had said something wrong again.
Behind the clock was a lion's tail, swaying back and forth with the clock's ticking. The tail's head was a fuller oval, and its shape resembled an elongated inverted "S," somewhat resembling a musical note. Although the ladies didn't necessarily know what a sphinx was, upon hearing the name "lion," they all recognized the swaying tail. Everyone has probably experienced one or two embarrassing moments where others recognize it but you don't, like the tail of this clock.
The ladies were surprised because Wang Jiazhi wasn't the first to mistake the tail for a musical note. A few days ago, when Old Yi came home and Mrs. Yi asked him to buy a bracelet, she happened to be showing Mrs. Liang something Mrs. Xiao's daughter had given her, and she wanted Old Yi to take a look, too.
Lao Yi saw the clock and said, "Is there a musical note on the back?"
Mrs. Yi laughed and said, "I can tell it's the tail."
Later, several other ladies came to play cards and showed it to them. Mrs. Yi deliberately asked them what was behind the clock, and the ladies all said it was a tail.
"I told you, everyone can see that it's a tail. You don't know that Old Yi said it was a musical note. It's really a joke." Mrs. Yi laughed.
Today, Wang Jiazhi also seriously talked about musical notes. Grandma thought to herself, "No wonder he only likes her. There's something a little weird about these two."
Regarding the fact that the two of them are very similar, we have to say that Old Wu was the first one to realize it clearly. No one else realized it as deeply after that, not even the two of them themselves.
The person who knows you best is always your enemy. Of course, Old Wu wasn't considered an enemy. Like that small group, he was feigning ignorance while knowing the truth. He initially considered Wang Jiazhi a possible match because her personality was so similar to his. In a previous life, even my mother noticed it; they hadn't been together long, but they were already beginning to resemble a married couple. In this life, they'd been together for even longer, and now even the wives had noticed; their resemblance was becoming increasingly obvious.
Mrs. Yi was frustrated. She wanted to ask others if they had it, but how could she bring herself to ask? Even if she shamelessly asked, would they dare to say they didn't look like it? If they didn't look like it, they would have to say they looked like it. She and he had been married for over twenty years, so how could it be compared to this fleeting encounter?
In fact, if there is affection, it's like in "Waterloo Bridge," where two people meet for the first time, don't even know each other's names, and yet they impulsively get married. If there isn't, after a hundred years, there might be kinship and gratitude, but there won't be love.
Mrs. Yi loved him because, among so many men in the world, he was her husband. As long as he didn't hit or scold her, provided for the family, and gave her wealth and prosperity, she should love him. Wang Jiazhi loved him, too. This love had been a long journey, a journey that spanned past lives, past struggles, past escapes and self-deprecation, past infatuation and obsession. She fiercely reminded herself that it was only a fleeting mirage, a temporary comfort in displacement, or perhaps just the pleasure of lust. It wasn't love, and the more she vehemently avoided it, the more her feelings rebelled. Having experienced death once before, she realized that her drastic escape had only fueled her rebellious nature. Now, she could think calmly and rationally, and when she calmed down, her feelings flowed gently again, silently flowing through the days, never to be seen again, wanting her to know that he had never left, and she had never let go. What's valuable is that Wang Jiazhi is very brave. No matter how unorthodox or painful the situation is, as long as she knows her heart, she will never run away, even if it makes her feel painful and desperate. And this recognition makes her feel relaxed and intoxicated. She thinks that if she can even admit that she has ruined her virginity, why can't she admit that she has her own love.
Of course, this was each person's comeback, and neither could interfere with the other's thoughts. Whether it was the excruciating pain he felt for her feelings for him in a previous life, the self-blame and pity he felt for her, and the tragic death she endured when he loved her most, the lingering aftermath that left him with a deep and unforgettable memory. Or whether it was the fact that she had let go of so many heavy burdens in this life, and from the beginning, she was just a warm and clingy little cat, and the two of them felt much more relaxed. But love is love, no matter how it happens, and the end is the same.
This wasn't the first time this had happened. When Wang Jiazhi first arrived, she went out to dinner with the other ladies. She went out for a bit, and when she returned, everyone had been served a bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. The others had already started eating, but she sat back and took a sip. Mrs. Ma exclaimed, "Huh?" The others noticed, too. Mrs. Liang asked, "Why didn't Mrs. Mai add vinegar?"
Only then did she notice that there was a small fish-shaped porcelain bottle in front of her, the size of two fingers. It was filled with vinegar. In this Buddha Jumps Over the Wall restaurant, customers had to add vinegar according to their taste.
Because she had never seen the world, when she ate, she would just observe how others used their chopsticks and then eat. But this time, they had already started eating and she didn't see them adding vinegar.
Mrs. Yi asked, "Wouldn't it feel greasy without vinegar?"
Wang Jiazhi just smiled faintly and didn't respond. They later brought this up at the poker table, and even behind her back, saying she was a country bumpkin who wouldn't even eat Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. But after all, her family was in business, so how could she be so unworldly? Then there was another person who hadn't even been to Shuyu.
But not long afterward, someone in their circle was hosting a dinner, and all the wives, along with their husbands, went. They chose the same restaurant, and someone ordered the same dish. When it was served, a colleague next to Lao Yi said, "Why don't you add vinegar? You're never tired of eating this!"
He said nonchalantly, "Should vinegar be added to this? I don't know."
Later, the ladies never dared to talk about this again in public or in private. If they did, wouldn’t he be considered a bumpkin who had never seen the world?
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