Chapter 8 To repay a debt of gratitude, one must have the right attitude…
Cui Tingyue was such a beautiful girl, but in the end, she was driven out of the manor by Jiang Wei and died tragically. It's such a pity.
But if she marries into another family and gets rid of her villainous supporting character identity, will she have a good ending?
With this idea in mind, Zhao Xian waited for Jiang Wei.
When it was time for him to return after his shift, he was nowhere to be found. Upon asking, he learned that he had gone to Zhuqin Garden to check on Cui Tingyue.
"Go and fetch the eldest young master." After a pause, Zhao Xian added, "Please also invite Miss Cui to come along."
Some things are better said face to face.
After a cup of tea was finished, a servant announced, "The young master and Miss Cui have arrived."
Jiang Wei and Cui Tingyue entered the door one after the other.
Upon seeing their attire, Zhao Xian gasped in shock.
Jiang Wei was wearing a moon-white brocade robe with silver threads embroidered with bamboo leaves at the collar, the luster of which flickered as he moved. At his waist was a jade belt buckle inlaid with gold, from which hung a jade pendant with auspicious cloud patterns.
Cui Tingyue's clothes were plain white, but she wore a moon-white gauze over them. Her slender waist was tied with an elegant bow by a light blue soft gauze. Her dark hair was simply decorated with a jade hairpin and a plain white silk flower.
This perfectly matched couple's outfit would be amazing if it appeared in front of Li Lianniang!
Is he perhaps aiming to drive his wife to her death?
The way these two acted while reading books and scripts was infuriating.
Now that she's experiencing it firsthand, her blood pressure is soaring.
The two greeted Zhao Xian at the same time, and standing together, they looked like a perfect match.
"Ha." Zhao Xian laughed in exasperation.
Taking a deep breath and a sip of tea to calm herself, Zhao Xian looked at Cui Tingyue and said:
“Miss Cui, I have already instructed Granny He to open the storeroom and take out a few porcelain vases, which are placed in the tea room. Didn’t the cat break one of the porcelain vases in your room? Go and pick out one or two to take back and put on display.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Granny He.
The latter understood and said, "Please follow this old servant, young lady."
Granny He led Cui Tingyue to the tea room.
Only the mother and son remained inside.
"Kneel down, your mother has something to ask you."
Jiang Wei paused in his act of lifting his robe to sit down, and looked at his mother in surprise.
Zhao Xian sighed, realizing she had blurted out her true feelings, and changed her words, saying, "Sit down."
I never wanted Jiang Wei to sit there; he's not even worthy of it. Look at all the stupid things he's done.
Jiang Wei took his seat.
Although Jiang Wei was handsome, Zhao Xian seemed to always view him through the lens of a scumbag male lead in a tragic novel, and therefore could not be tolerant of him. "Do you want to take Miss Cui into your own household?"
Jiang Wei was still young and lacked the composure to maintain his composure as he was in the later part of the book. He jumped up from the stool with a start.
“Mother, Tingyue is the daughter of my benefactor. How can I take her as a concubine? Isn’t that repaying kindness with enmity? Besides, Tingyue is still in mourning. What you’re saying is really disrespectful.”
Zhao Xian frowned slightly, displeased with Jiang Wei's loud and boisterous manner.
"How much longer is her mourning period?"
Jiang Wei realized he had lost his composure, so he pretended to straighten his clothes and sat down again, replying, "Two and a half years."
"How old will Tingyue be in two and a half years? Almost twenty, right?" Zhao Xian answered for him, and then asked, "Other girls start looking for partners when they are twelve or thirteen, and they should get married when they are fifteen or sixteen. The girls who are loved by their families are kept for two more years until they are seventeen or eighteen before they get married."
Jiang Wei was stunned upon hearing this.
Zhao Xian continued:
“Tingyue will be almost twenty when she finishes her mourning period. What kind of family should we find for her then? Someone younger than her, whose family would agree? And how many men older than her are getting married for the first time? The rest are all widowers who have lost their wives… That’s fine too, even if she doesn’t have children.”
“That won’t do.” Jiang Wei frowned, clearly disapproving.
Zhao Xian laughed: "This won't do, that won't do, what do you want to do? Your way of repaying a debt of gratitude is to give someone a meal, and then leave them unmarried until they're in their mid-twenties and you don't care about them anymore? Or do you want to take pity on them and bring them into your household later?"
Jiang Wei's already cold face darkened further, and he said stiffly, "My son is not that kind of person."
Zhao Xian looked at him without saying a word.
He says he's not that kind of person, but his actions have led to many misunderstandings, just look at the perfectly matched clothes the two of them wore today.
Zhao Xian didn't want to guess whose intentions it was. For some reason, she couldn't treat these people as mere fictional characters. The tragic heroine appeared before her with flesh and blood, and Cui Tingyue, the supporting female character, stood obediently in front of her.
She couldn't ignore it, nor could she let the tragic plot unfold unchecked.
Jiang Wei opened his mouth several times, but no words came out.
Zhao Xian pressed him further: "How do you think this matter should be resolved?"
We can't all pretend we don't see it, and then wait until her mourning period is over, only to find ourselves at a loss and clinging to Jiang Wei as our only hope.
The tragic plot continues, and in the end, Li Lianniang, fed up with Jiang Wei's attentiveness and favoritism towards her benefactor's daughter, divorces him, taking her daughter with her.
Only after the divorce did the scumbag realize his mistake and swiftly kicked his benefactor's daughter out of the house, heading straight for the "wife crematorium."
What, did the phrase "daughter of a benefactor" have some kind of magic for the past few years? That's why Jiang Wei was so easily swayed by biased opinions?
Once you're divorced, does that seal on those four words disappear? Or does it become ineffective?
What displeased Zhao Xian was that Jiang Shuxiu, who sacrificed himself in this desperate attempt to win back his wife, was only fourteen years old.
These days, she also kept a close eye on Cui Tingyue and found that she rarely went to see Jiang Wei and stayed in Zhuqin Garden every day.
She is usually a quiet and well-behaved girl.
-The tea room next door-
Granny He, supporting the bottom of the vase, reminded her, "Miss, be careful."
Cui Tingyue gave an awkward smile, but her heart was pounding. The voices from next door rose and fell, and she could hear them in fits and starts, but she could piece together what they were saying.
She hadn't thought that much before, only focusing on praying for her father and brothers. But after hearing what her neighbor said, she was shocked to realize what she should do after the mourning period ended.
Her father and brothers died saving the eldest son, and the Jiang family owed her a debt of gratitude, but the debt of gratitude would eventually run out, and she could not stay in the Jiang family forever.
Unless, she becomes the eldest son's concubine.
Cui Tingyue lost interest in choosing a porcelain vase, and unconsciously twisted her handkerchief in her hands.
Granny He didn't urge them, but stepped aside and waited quietly.
Separated by a wall.
Jiang Wei's expression was grave: "Then what does Mother think we should do?"
He passed the question on to Zhao Xian.
Jiang Wei had no ulterior motives towards Cui Tingyue. Because her father and brother died to save him, he felt guilty and wanted to make amends to Cui Tingyue.
But after listening to his mother's words, his attempt to make amends might actually become a burden for Cui Tingyue in the future.
“Since it’s about repaying a debt of gratitude, we can’t do something like repaying kindness with enmity by making her a concubine, or ignoring her and not making any plans for her.” Zhao Xian paused, then continued, “Tell me, if I take her in as my goddaughter, will Miss Cui agree? Then you can fill the position of her brother.”
Zhao Xian had been observing Jiang Wei's expression and found that he did not seem to be acting strangely. She continued, "Once she becomes the adopted daughter of our Jiang family, I will be able to go out and find a husband for her as her adoptive mother. Look at these invitations; there are probably many outstanding men from various families among them. If you miss this opportunity, you may not be able to find one again."
Zhao Xian pointed to the pile of invitations for flower banquets and tea banquets on the table.
“Now that we’ve become mother and daughter, I can arrange a marriage for her. If there’s a suitable match, we can discuss waiting until Tingyue finishes her mourning period before she gets married. As the only adopted daughter of the Jiang family, the household will prepare a dowry for her when she gets married. As her elder brother, and since her family has been kind to you, you should also prepare a larger dowry for her so that she can stand tall in her husband’s family and not be bullied.”
After saying so much, her mouth was dry. As she picked up her teacup, Zhao Xian glanced in the direction of the tea room.
She made the stakes clear: whether she would become the adopted daughter of the Jiang family and marry out as the main wife, or stay in the mansion as a concubine, was up to Cui Tingyue herself.
In the past few days, she hadn't seen any signs that Cui Tingyue was deeply in love with Jiang Wei, and hoped that the girl was clear-headed.
Jiang Wei pondered for a moment, neither agreeing nor objecting immediately. Instead, he said, "This matter must be reported to Father. Since she has been adopted as a goddaughter, she needs to be included in the family genealogy, and Father's approval is also required."
Zhao Xian couldn't wait to be added to the family genealogy, then they would be a legitimate family. If the two of them dared to have any intimate behavior, it would be considered a crime and they would be beaten to death.
"Don't rush things with your father yet; we need to ask Tingyue what she thinks first."
-The tea room next door-
Cui Tingyue twisted the handkerchief between her fingers, biting her lower lip tightly, as she weighed her options.
If she is included in the Jiang family genealogy, will she need to change her surname?
With her father and brother both deceased, she was the only one left in the Cui family. She originally planned to have one of her children adopted by her brother to continue the Cui family line.
If this matter is brought up openly, will the Jiang family help her?
Before long, a maid came to invite Cui Tingyue.
"Miss Cui, please sit down. We have something to discuss with you." Zhao Xian glanced at Jiang Wei: "Wei'er, you speak."
The tea room is right next door, and the walls are mostly made of wood, so they're not very soundproof, but the proper procedures still need to be followed.
Zhao Xian simply didn't want to waste any more words.
After Jiang Wei finished relaying the information, he asked, "Tingyue, what do you think?"
Cui Tingyue slowly knelt down before Zhao Xian. "Madam, Tingyue is willing to become your goddaughter. This is Tingyue's blessing. However, Tingyue has a request. May I not change my surname?"
"Don't worry, that's absolutely impossible."
If repaying a debt of gratitude involves making someone change their surname, then it's considered revenge.
Zhao Xian turned to Jiang Wei and said, "Send a letter to your father explaining this matter. When he returns, he should write Tingyue's name in the family genealogy and register it under my name."
Cui Tingyue's hands clenched for a moment. Once registered under the madam's name, she would undoubtedly be considered a legitimate daughter.
The Jiang family has no daughters, so as long as the lady of the house does not intend to humiliate her marriage, the men who want to marry her will not be of low status.
Cui Tingyue's voice trembled slightly: "Thank you, Madam."
"Don't call me Madam. From now on, you'll have to call me Mother, just like them." Zhao Xian bent down and helped the person up.
After glancing at the bracelets on her own wrists, Zhao Xian took them off and put them on Cui Tingyue's wrist.
"From now on, we're family." As Zhao Xian said this, she felt a sense of kindness and compassion, like that of an elder.
“Even though the master is not in the manor now, the fact that I took you in as my goddaughter will still be passed down. From now on, you will no longer be a guest in the manor. When the master returns, we will hold a grand and glorious family reunion banquet.”
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