Chapter 381
Mrs. Liang stepped forward, said, "Huh?" and said, "You're here too."
"Ah." Wang Jiazhi said.
Mrs. Liang finally noticed who was next to Wang Jiazhi. This was incredibly awkward. Although their relationship had been no secret for a long time, this was the first time she'd seen them hand in hand.
Mrs. Liang could only bite the bullet and greet him. He smiled and nodded, his expression unchanged. In fact, he was even a little proud. After all, if you don't return to your hometown when you are rich and powerful, it's like walking in the night in fine clothes. He always felt extremely regretful that such a good person like Wang Jiazhi could not be taken out openly.
Entering the private room, she said dejectedly, "How did she bump into me?"
He smiled and said, "What does it matter? They all know it anyway."
She took a few beige carnations from the vase on the table and randomly stuffed them into his suit pockets. Then she put her arms around one of his arms, leaned her head on his shoulder and moaned.
Wang Jiazhi also felt very sorry. She rarely got to go out with him, and when she did, she had to avoid people.
Recently she heard a sentence from a popular novel, which went something like: You are just her husband, but my name will be with her forever.
Wang Jiazhi felt so sad. What’s the point of having the same name? She is not the other person’s husband.
Although some things are formalism, she really cares about them.
Thinking of this, he sighed inwardly, took out all the flowers that had been put into his pocket, and put them back into the vase.
Several fake imperial eunuchs came to dinner today, so of course Mrs. Liang had to report what she had just seen and heard.
Mrs. Liao said, "The second wife has also come to the fore. They say a woman's heart is as deep as the sea, but I think a man's heart is deeper. I don't know what he's thinking, but he just likes her."
Mrs. Ma smiled and said, "That's right. This is a good person. My husband doesn't love me, but he likes to love those who are not presentable."
Mrs. Liao knew that she was mocking her loss of favor in front of both her husband and her lover, and her face turned very ugly.
Mrs. Xiao smiled and said, "Old Yi has really changed his ways. He sent his wife to the countryside and is now living with her."
Mrs. Liang said, "I heard that her family is the best at using those supernatural things. Maybe Mr. Yi has been entangled by something from her family. That thing is very powerful."
Mrs. Xiao said, "I think she's quite good. She's well-mannered, well-educated, and doesn't gossip. She's much better than the previous one."
Mrs. Ma snorted and said dissatisfiedly, "Who can't read a single word? There are a lot of people like her. I don't know why Mr. Yi praised her so highly. She's just lucky and has the help of noble people. If she can do it, who can't?"
Mrs. Xiao smiled and said, "That's right, you just have bad luck. Otherwise, even the king of heaven would marry you as his queen."
Mrs. Ma was also filled with rage at this time, having been severely injured by Mrs. Xiao, but she couldn't afford to offend Mrs. Xiao. Moreover, Mrs. Xiao was particularly adept at this tactic, her expression and tone of voice conveying a straightforward and harmless attitude, making it difficult for her to lash out, as if she were petty. In this respect, she was much more powerful than Mrs. Yi.
Mrs. Xiao laughed again and said, "It's also Lao Yi's fault that at his age, he doesn't have anyone who understands him around. He would rather go out and fool around every day than go home. This little girl is really capable. She is quiet and has a strong will behind her. I heard that Lao Yi has reduced all his social activities except for going to the government office and is devoted to her. I think he is more energetic than before. Or maybe it's said that a virtuous wife brings prosperity to the family. If he really married the wrong person, it would be fine if he didn't share any blessings. Maybe he is a troublemaker.
The family is in turmoil, with bad things happening one after another. What's the difference between a good and bad marriage? If you marry someone who is good, and then swap them for someone who ruins the family, people will say you're stupid. If the person is good, and you give up your bad marriage for her, people will say it's what you should do.
Mrs. Ma snorted and slammed a crab claw on the table.
Mrs. Xiao smiled and said, “Be careful not to break your nails.”
Mrs. Xiao also had a good relationship with Lao Yi, but the two of them parted ways amicably, each getting what they wanted. Mrs. Xiao was cheerful and generous, and she didn't have the competitive, jealous vigilance of the other girls.
A few days later, Mrs. Liang called Wang Jiazhi again to invite her to play cards. She had initially assumed that Mrs. Yi had gone to the countryside and had practically cut off contact with that circle, but she hadn't expected the calls inviting her to play cards or have dinner tonight to increase.
Wang Jiazhi probably realized that none of the other women in that circle held positions as high as Old Yi, and to maintain relationships, the women couldn't stop interacting with each other. With Mrs. Yi no longer around, she became the hub for connecting with people. So, Mrs. Yi's circle of friends was forcibly transferred to her.
She had long since disliked being around these fake imperial edicts. Initially, because she was a poor girl, new to such a circle of high-ranking officials, she had assumed the people there were so impressive and felt completely inferior in front of them. But now, after spending so much time together, she had lost her fascination with them.
Of course, there were some tough characters among the ladies that she admired, but in most people, she only saw shamelessness, bullying and getting something for nothing.
Wang Jiazhi has always believed that husbands and wives should be equal. While her husband's glory is certainly a source of pride, it shouldn't be a source of arrogance. Relying on her husband's wealth and glory and then doing nothing but being a parasite is shameful. Although she herself is also in a state of disgrace.
Old Yi shared the same view as her, but he didn't think Wang Jiazhi was a parasite. He felt that Wang Jiazhi had ideas and talent, and was completely different from those vain and hypocritical eunuchs.
He told her that he didn't like her joining that circle either, and that she could refuse them and draw a clear line between them. But Wang Jiazhi felt it was better not to be too rude, as she couldn't completely offend anyone. This time, Mrs. Liang invited her to play cards again, so she had no choice but to go.
Several ladies played cards, all dressed up lavishly, wearing earrings, brooches, necklaces, bracelets, diamond rings, and everything they could possibly wear, even choosing the most expensive ones. Otherwise, how could they stand out among the other females?
In the past, Wang Jiazhi had to wear her most valuable clothes and jewelry to avoid being looked down upon by others, even though her jewelry could not compare with theirs.
But things were different now. She had experienced many ups and downs, and her perspective had broadened. The peacocks' beauty contests now seemed cheap and ridiculous to her. She no longer cared about their looks. She dressed however she wanted, wearing jewelry when she wanted and not when she didn't.
For example, today, when I went to play cards at Mrs. Liang's house, she was wearing only a light pink, light green, sky blue, and lemon yellow plaid cheongsam. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, and she wore only a jasmine flower, and no jewelry at all. Compared to the three wives who were heavily made up and adorned with jewels, she seemed even more detached and elegant.
Today, it was Mrs. Liang, Mrs. Xiao, and Ms. Qiao. Mrs. Liang knew that Wang Jiazhi and Mrs. Ma and Mrs. Liao didn't get along, so she deliberately didn't invite them. Wang Jiazhi thought about how she had fawned over Mrs. Yi back then, and how she had now completely forgotten about her and was treating her like this. Sure enough, human nature was just like that.
The three wives reported to her some recent news that she didn't know about. First, they told her that Mrs. Ma's husband had committed a crime and was demoted.
Mrs. Xiao said, "Before Old Ma divorced his previous wife, things were very good. His career was also smooth, and he kept rising in the official ranks."
Wang Jiazhi only discovered this later. At the time, she'd often heard her colleagues' daughters call him "Uncle Yi," but she hadn't realized it yet. It turned out he was younger than most of his colleagues. Because of his high-ranking position, she assumed he was older than those around him who held lower positions. That wasn't the case at all.
Mrs. Ma was only four or five years older than him, and Old Ma's official position was much lower than his. She had always thought that Old Ma was only in his thirties. It turned out that Mrs. Ma was not his original wife, and Old Ma was two years older than him.
Ms. Qiao didn't know the details of their circle and was now trying hard to catch up on the gossip, so she asked the reason.
Mrs. Liang spoke first, "Old Ma married his first wife when he was still relatively young. She was quite knowledgeable and intelligent, and helped him a lot. She was truly blessed with good fortune. During the years Old Ma and her were together, his career rose steadily."
Mrs. Xiao said, "Ever since I got divorced and married this guy, it's like seeing a ghost. I just can't get promoted. Every time I'm so sure of it, it always goes wrong and ruins everything."
Wang Jiazhi did believe in the idea of a good husband, and she didn't mean to disparage women. She thought the same could be said for men and women. She believed some people had special magnetic energies that could make those around them prosperous or destitute.
One family I know well is this one: when the mother was young, she schemed to marry a wealthy man, but soon after, the family fell into ruin. Then, when the two daughters grew up, they also schemed and used whatever means necessary to marry wealthy men, regardless of their likes and dislikes. Their family was indeed very resourceful and willing to resort to unscrupulous means, but man proposes, God disposes.
The eldest daughter married a wealthy man, but soon after, the family went bankrupt. The second daughter married another wealthy man, but everything she did ended up losing money, and she was often robbed and robbed. Within a few years, she too went bankrupt.
Some things are just impossible not to believe. It was many years ago, when her mother was still alive, that she last heard anyone mention that family. It seemed that the older granddaughters were already fifteen or sixteen years old and were already planning to marry rich men.
Wang Jiazhi never knew about the terrible things that happened to her father after he went bankrupt in his previous life.
Wang Jiazhi's mother was also considered lucky in her husband's life. When she married, she brought a substantial dowry. Her father was intelligent and hardworking, and their family improved greatly after their marriage. They didn't follow others' investment practices. While many around them lost money in speculative businesses, their family remained unaffected. Her parents also lived frugally, and their family managed to accumulate a considerable fortune. While Wang Jiazhi's family wasn't fabulously wealthy when she was little, they were relatively well-off.
As soon as her mother died, the war broke out. Her father took the family property and her mother's dowry and left the country. The house was said to be left to her just to make it sound good. Her father tried to sell it, but because of the chaos and the war, he couldn't get rid of it, and he was in a hurry to escape, so he had to keep it. After they went abroad, her father thought that even if he sold it, she wouldn't be stupid enough to send the money. In fact, if Wang Jiazhi was so simple-minded, if her father asked her to sell the house and send the money, she would definitely do it.
Because her aunt bought a house, her father stopped sending money, thinking that since he had already given her the house, why would she ask for more money? But during the turmoil of war, the house really couldn't be sold for much, especially since her aunt controlled the bulk of the money and had to give her some money for school.
Old Yi despised her father, feeling he was worse than a beast to her, and yet he had the nerve to ask for money after his downfall. In fact, with the exception of her spoiled younger brother, all three members of Wang Jiazhi's family were very stubborn and status-conscious. Her father was desperate at the time, not caring about starving himself, and for his son, who had no education and refused to work, he had no choice but to risk everything and be shameless.
Ever since remarrying abroad, Wang Jiazhi's father's life has been on a downward spiral. Wang Jiazhi's mother was devoted only to her children and husband, living frugally, even to the point of self-sacrifice. Her father, however, took it for granted and didn't really appreciate it. The second wife was the exact opposite of Wang Jiazhi's mother. She prioritized herself over everything else, lived an extravagant life, and even sowed discord between her father and her brother. Her father had never invested before, but the second wife insisted he invest money. Her father, such an honest man, was forced into a large sum. He ended up losing money on everything he invested in. While others had made fortunes before him, he lost everything as soon as he got involved. It's like a gambler's mentality: because the losses are so large, to justify them, they keep gambling, and then continue to lose.
When Lao Yi wrote to ask for the photos, he had just lost a lot of money, so he accepted the money. Wang Jiazhi's mother had taken away all the jewelry she had left her. The money was far more than the price of any single piece of jewelry, but he only sent the photos and was reluctant to return even a piece of jewelry left by his mother.
The large dowry her grandmother's family had given her was wasted, and later the box of jewelry, which contained the pink tourmaline and crabapple bracelet, was pawned. Imagine Wang Jiazhi's mother, still in heaven, seeing her belongings and the money she'd saved through her frugal living, gone just like that. Her daughter didn't enjoy any of it, and now she's starving and freezing. Even if she were to become a ghost, she'd still be hell-bent on vengeance against her father.
Just as the family's investments were mired in debt, her father lost his job. His stepmother took the children and the remaining family fortune and left. Her father, now left with only her brother as his son, doted on him once again. He blamed her brother for his lack of ambition, refusing to study properly. He desperately dropped out of school and then refused to work, simply enjoying life as a parasite. Wang Jiazhi read her brother's letter and lamented, "How could our family, with all our means, afford to support such a playboy?"
Wang Jiazhi summed up the experience from the experiences of her mother and stepmother, and then told it to others with confidence and wrote it in her novel. She said that women should not be too infatuated, otherwise they will not be cherished, and men may even lose interest in them because they are too docile.
Of course, in such matters, the onlookers see more clearly than the participants. She had followed in her mother's footsteps without realizing it. Fortunately, Lao Yi was not her father's kind.
Mrs. Xiao said, "This second Mrs. Ma is very good at talking. She says different things to different people."
Wang Jiazhi smiled and said, "Hmm?"
Mrs. Xiao laughed and said, "Don't think she dares to act like this now. In front of important people, she will fawn over them very much. That fawning look is so good, hey! She doesn't even feel embarrassed. Once she has a little support, her tail will be lifted up to the sky for you."
Wang Jiazhi knew what Mrs. Xiao meant. Mrs. Ma had been very flattering to Mrs. Yi at first, but since she hooked up with Old Yi and received more favor than others, she became arrogant and her ugly side was exposed.
Mrs. Liang laughed and said, "They're just attracted to each other. Old Ma is still fooled by her tricks. There were many people in the past who didn't say they wanted a divorce. She really has the means to make Old Ma divorce her and make her his legal wife."
Mrs. Xiao smiled and said, "That's right, otherwise I wouldn't have been so unlucky since I married her. If you don't believe me, divorce her and get the previous one back, you'll see, the good fortune of being a prosperous husband will definitely return, and everything will go smoothly."
Ms. Qiao said, "But I heard that Lao Ma and her don't get along well."
Mrs. Xiao said, "It's true that things were good in the past, and it's also true that they're not good now. Old Ma and the first one were also in a free love relationship at the beginning, and they were together for even longer than hers, so what happened in the end?"
Mrs. Liang said, "Ever since Mrs. Yi returned to the countryside, I've noticed that Mr. Yi looks much better and younger."
Mrs. Xiao also laughed and said, "But, Lao Xiao also said that his colleagues all said that Lao Yi is in a better mood and no one is as depressed as before."
It took Wang Jiazhi a while to realize that they were trying to please her.
She had always liked Mrs. Xiao, so she didn't mind what she said. Mrs. Liang, such an honest woman, was being too two-faced.
Apart from work, Lao Yi now pushes back on all social engagements and spends his free time at home. Today, Wang Jiazhi went out to play mahjong, and he was also caught drinking.
"It's harder than climbing to the sky to get you out now. You're not a prostitute, and your wife is watching you closely. You can only see her once every few days. But now you have a beautiful woman in your golden house, and you can see her whenever you want. You don't have to worry about her getting bored."
"Don't talk nonsense."
"No wonder Mr. * has valued you since you were young. Not only are your handwriting and writing styles similar, but now your family lives are similar too."
Another said, "Mr. * needs a few more drinks. Old Yi doesn't even drink much."
He said helplessly: "I smoke."
His colleagues always teased him about his sudden change of temperament and the fact that he no longer attracted many women. However, he did not mind and did not think it was shameful. Instead, he enjoyed being teased.
Ever since Mrs. Yi returned to the countryside, Wang Jiazhi had been incredibly nervous, feeling like everyone was watching her closely. She was actually overly worried. This kind of thing was incredibly common. Even the most sincere friends rarely wanted you to live better than them, let alone a group of pseudo-besties.
Wang Jiazhi had always had a filter for Mrs. Yi. She assumed that since Old Yi was so capable, Mrs. Yi must also be as versatile and meticulous as him. In fact, that was not the case at all. Mrs. Yi's reputation was not very good, whether among Old Yi's friends or among the fake edicts.
Now that she is older and more mature, some of the things she did when she was young have gradually been forgotten, and her reputation has improved a lot.
Coming from the countryside to the city, he was initially a country bumpkin, ignorant, but once he understood, he felt superior. Mrs. Yi was quite flamboyant in her youth, speaking and acting without thinking, often giving rise to criticism. But Old Yi didn't take it too seriously. In the eyes of others, husband and wife are one, and if she's embarrassed, you're embarrassed. Old Yi never considered himself and Mrs. Yi one; he was himself, and she was herself. Therefore, he didn't care about her younger words and actions, as long as she didn't cause any major trouble.
After decades of stabilization, Mrs. Yi had become more stable, developing the demeanor of a high-ranking official's wife. But her unbridled temper, often spurred by success, remained. Old Yi was already a high-ranking official, and this path brought him even greater power and influence. Naturally, she became even more arrogant, often speaking with a certain inconsiderateness. The other wives she played with didn't come from families as high-ranking as Old Yi, so they all scrambled to curry favor with her, though none of them didn't resent her.
She had let the cat into the house because she was used to being flattered. Even before she hooked up with Old Yi, Mrs. Ma had been very fawning. But once she was in his good graces, she'd changed her ways. If she'd just been a little more patient, Old Yi's temper would have worn off once the novelty wore off. But she just couldn't get over it.
The fake imperial edict circle breathed a sigh of relief when she was banished to the cold palace. Although everyone was jealous of Wang Jiazhi, she was very humble and had never been like Madam Ma, a petty villain, nor like Madam Yi, who was arrogant and conceited. Therefore, she rarely received praise from the circle.
"It's no wonder Mr. Yi sent her back to the countryside. She's been that wild since she was young. She doesn't even know her last name. If she's not spending money, she's playing mahjong all day long. When she comes home tired after a day, she finds the house full of people making noise. What man can stand that?"
"It's not unreasonable to say that I like this. At least I keep to myself and know my own limitations. I never play cards or entertain guests at home. My house is quiet and peaceful, and I can live peacefully there."
"That woman is such a spendthrift. She only buys imported fabrics for her clothes and won't even consider diamonds that are not over three carats. She's so rich, and she doesn't have children to worry about. But when she buys things for Mr. Yi, she constantly checks to see if there are any discounts. She even cares about such a small amount. What kind of wife is that?"
"Poor Mr. Yi worked hard all his life, but ended up with someone like this. No wonder he doesn't come home all day and has to look for someone outside."
"A good man has no good wife. She comes from the country and doesn't even have a child. It's already fair enough for her not to bring someone into the family. What else does she want? If she hadn't made such a fuss, she wouldn't have been sent back to the country."
In short, similar remarks often echoed in the circle of those who were seeking imperial edicts. Of course, this did not mean that they wished Wang Jiazhi well. They also hoped that Wang Jiazhi would be banished to the cold palace one day.
As for Lao Yi's circle, it's almost the same.
"Poor old Yi works himself to death, but when he comes home, he can't even have a peaceful day. What decent woman in his family plays mahjong all day? Who would want to go home? And they blame him for having someone else outside."
"Old Yi has been so strong all his life, but he can't hold his head up high in this area of his backyard."
"Old Yi is really something. He married a country girl and took her everywhere he went for the rest of his life. He didn't even have a child. It really made him suffer."
"A good man has no good wife."
"Old Yi was such a decent man when he was young. If there was a good person, why would he go out and look for him like this? He must be feeling miserable."
"When I went to his house for dinner, I didn't see any of the dishes he liked."
“It’s not easy for Lao Yi!”
In short, these men's words all boil down to one thing: arranged marriages kill people. They claim to be speaking up for Lao Yi, but in reality, they're just making excuses for themselves.
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