Chapter 51: Are you willing to redeem yourself?
As night deepened, the lion dance troupe and the suona band left, and the neighbors who had come to watch the excitement dispersed, leaving the courtyard once again quiet and deserted.
The only person staying here was Aunt Li from next door. She knew that Ming didn't know how to handle funeral arrangements, so she busied herself helping out. Her husband even led his brothers and son to build a stove overnight.
Li Yue'er and Teng Huang knelt on prayer mats in the main hall, burning paper money over a brazier to keep the flames burning while also sewing mourning caps.
Li Xing'er was young, and after the initial excitement wore off, she began to feel drowsy. In the middle of the night, she fell asleep on Li Yue'er's lap.
Teng Huang brought over a quilt and draped it over Li Xing'er, wrapping herself in it as well. She sat on the other side of Li Yue'er, smiling as she rested her head on Li Yue'er's shoulder. "I'll sleep for an hour, then it's your turn to sleep."
Li Yue'er tucked the blankets around the two of them, casually burned some valuables, and used the light from the brazier to quickly make mourning clothes.
Only neighbors came today; Li Juren's friends and students will come tomorrow, and he will be buried the day after tomorrow.
Li Yue'er had intended to let Teng Huang sleep a little longer, but Teng Huang had a sudden, almost involuntary, sound in her head. Just an hour later, she sat up without even opening her eyes.
Li Yue'er, "...!"
That's a bit scary.
Teng Huang rubbed his eyes, gently patted his face, yawned, and smiled to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. When Dan Sha and I were learning accounting from our master, we would do this at the end of the year, sleeping for an hour and waking up on time. I'm used to it."
She urged Li Yue'er to go to sleep quickly, as she needed to be alert tomorrow to discuss matters with the headmaster of the academy.
Li Yue'er didn't know when her mother and Aunt Li went to rest. When she woke up after sleeping for more than an hour, the earthen stoves in the yard had been built, and even the aunts had come over to wash the dishes and start boiling water to make hot soup.
Ming and Aunt Li brought in two bowls of ginger soup and handed them to Li Yue'er and Teng Huang respectively.
Ming said with a smile, "Thanks to your Aunt Li for helping me make arrangements, otherwise my daughter and I really wouldn't have been able to manage on our own."
Li Yue'er quickly stood up and curtsied to Aunt Li.
Aunt Li waved her hand, "No, no, get up and drink your soup. Sister, you're being too polite by talking to me like this. Isn't this how we neighbors help each other out?"
In Chang Le Lane, whenever there is a happy occasion or a funeral, everyone is called upon to help. "I'll help you out today, and I'll definitely need your help in the future." Everyone is willing to do so without expecting anything in return, only thinking about working together to get things done properly.
Because everyone lent a hand, the people who came to pay their respects and burn paper money after dawn were not treated coldly.
Whether their feelings were genuine or feigned, those who came to burn paper money for the funeral wore mourning caps on their heads or tied hemp ropes around their waists, all raising their hands to wipe away tears. At the same time, they comforted the Ming mother and daughter, saying that if they ever had any trouble in the future, they could just come to them.
Ming Shi didn't take these words to heart, and neither did Li Yue'er. It wasn't until near noon that the headmaster and his wife came over.
The headmaster of the academy was an old man nearing fifty, with gray hair but good legs and feet, sharp eyes, and a straight back, still able to carry off his long robes with ease. His wife possessed a gentle and refined demeanor, retaining her charm even in her later years.
The couple came over hand in hand, first offering incense to the coffin for Li, the scholar, and then burning paper money.
The headmaster remained expressionless and unwilling throughout the process. Only after his wife pinched his waist twice did he reluctantly pinch his nose and complete the formalities.
When they arrived at the family's side to offer condolences, the lady saw Ming and tears immediately welled up in her eyes. She touched Ming's face with heartache and choked out, "I told you I wanted to come see you, but you refused. After your elder sister passed away, you still have me as your aunt. Why are you so stubborn?"
Ming burst into tears, "How...how can I face you?"
She personally handed over the land deed for the Ming family's ancestral home, and the house is still in the hands of outsiders. The good reputation her father had built up during his lifetime was ruined by her husband. She felt ashamed before her parents and had no face to see her elders.
"You're just too concerned about saving face!" The headmaster glared at her, puffing out his beard. "You've become so pedantic from all your studying that you've ended up living like this."
As soon as he opened his mouth, Madam Ming lowered her head even further when she raised her hand to wipe away her tears. The headmaster's wife was so angry that she clenched her fist and punched his arm, pushing him out without any mercy. "Get out, get out! If you can't speak properly, then shut up. You're just annoying people by talking for no reason."
Upon hearing this, Teng Huang subconsciously looked at Li Yue'er, his eyes full of expectation.
The Qu family also has someone who speaks rudely, just like the headmaster.
Li Yue'er, "..."
Fujiwara really overestimated her. Does she look like someone who would dare to punch the mistress's arm with her little fists?
Seeing the headmaster storm off with his hands behind his back, Madam Ming quickly grabbed his wife's hand, "Don't be angry, don't be angry over something like this."
The lady wiped away her tears and muttered, "Ignore him. He's the one who cares about you the most, he's the one who urged you to come, and he's the one who won't speak properly when he arrives. Just ignore him and let him reflect on his actions."
Li Yue'er walked over and bowed to the lady.
The lady was delighted to see her, saying, "Little Yue'er has grown so much! She's become more and more beautiful."
She had watched Li Yue'er grow up. Later, when they learned that Li Juren had sold her to the Qu family, the couple really considered redeeming her.
But at that time, Li Juren was still alive, and he was used to putting on airs in front of others. If the couple redeemed Li Yue'er and took her home, they would be harassed by Li Juren as soon as they turned around.
Although they felt sorry for the family, they couldn't really interfere in other people's family affairs.
Let alone family matters, they couldn't even manage to expel Li, the scholar, from the academy.
The academy is nominally owned by the Zou family, but affairs within the academy are not solely decided by the headmaster. Hiring or dismissing teachers must be justified to gain public approval.
Li, the scholar, was morally corrupt, but his knowledge remained. Moreover, the other teachers believed that having more scholars in the academy was a good thing and did not support expelling him. This was also the reason why the headmaster disliked Li but had no choice but to dismiss him.
Speaking of this, the lady sighed, saying that everyone has their own limitations.
The couple came here not only to pay their respects, but also to inquire about the future plans of the Ming family mother and daughter, hoping to offer some assistance so that they could have something to show for it when they meet their elder brother and sister in the future.
Madam Ming didn't understand what the lady meant, but Li Yue'er did. She helped her mother up and let her talk to the lady properly, while she went outside, saying, "I'm going to see Grandpa Zou and talk to him."
The lady liked Li Yue'er's cleverness and quickly said, "Go, go, I'll stay here and keep your mother company."
Although it's a cloudy day today, the snow has stopped.
Zou Shanzhang stood in the courtyard watching the chefs cook.
Outside the courtyard, there was a cacophony of voices, drums, and suona horns.
This is also why he had a stern face; he felt that Zheng Er was really going too far!
Li Yue'er walked over, curtsied to him, and greeted him with a smile, "Grandpa Zou."
Headmaster Zou turned to look at her and asked in a cold voice, "Is your mother still crying?"
Li Yue'er, "I've stopped crying."
Headmaster Zou said, "She's always been like this since she was little. If she had been a little more assertive and domineering, she wouldn't have ended up like this, and you and your two daughters wouldn't be in this situation today. If scolding her a couple of times can wake her up, then that's a blessing for her."
Li Yue'er instinctively defended her mother, saying, "My mother protected us very well; otherwise, my sister and I wouldn't have survived to this day."
Mother has already done her best; any further demands would be unreasonable. Instead of blaming her, we should blame Li Juren for being a scoundrel. He's a father too; does his poor character excuse him from his responsibilities as a father?
Although Li Yue'er knew that the headmaster was both annoyed and angry with her mother, and that the root cause of his disappointment was that he felt sorry for her, she didn't want him to speak ill of her mother.
Despite being retorted by her, the headmaster was quite pleased. "You're quite quick-witted. If she were like you, I wouldn't have to worry so much."
The headmaster recounted, "I sent her money, but she refused. I sent her food and clothes, but she still refused. Even when we came to visit her, she hid behind the door and wouldn't open it. She just throws a tantrum at us; she's so stubborn."
The more he talked, the angrier he became. He put his hands behind his back again. "I can't be bothered with her, and I don't want to pamper her. I came to see you and Xiaoxing'er, not to see her."
Li Yue'er smiled and stood in front of the headmaster. "Then please take a good look at me. Do I look healthy and have a rosy complexion?"
She understood from a young age that the reason her maternal grandparents loved her so much was essentially because she was her mother's child; they were simply projecting their affection for their daughter onto her.
Zou Shanzhang was like another father to his mother. He said he wanted to see the two sisters, but in reality, he came for his mother's sake.
The headmaster looked her up and down, then sighed heavily, "You were meant to be this beautiful."
Those hard times in the past should never have happened.
Li Yue'er walked back to the headmaster's side and watched with him the smoke rising from the chef's cooking. "I've grown up to be so beautiful, and I hope that Xiao Xing'er can grow up safely, so I have something I'd like to ask the headmaster for help with."
That's what she called people when she was a child.
Headmaster Zou looked at her, "For the lion dance outside?"
Li Yue'er, "to avoid the trouble behind lion dancing."
She exaggerated the matter to the headmaster, saying, "Who knows when Master Zheng will get angry again and take it out on my mother and me. My mother is weak and my younger sister is young, and I can't come over often, so I really can't rest easy."
The headmaster sighed softly, "Then let them live in the academy. Your headmaster and I came here this time for this very reason, but you know your mother's temper..."
Seeing that he had relented, Li Yue'er immediately chimed in, "Don't worry, I'll talk to her!"
Headmaster, "That would be perfect. She can help your Headmaster Grandma as a teaching assistant at the academy and receive a monthly stipend. Little Xing'er can also learn to read and write with her. I can't guarantee how good her life will be, but it certainly won't be worse than it is now."
That's exactly what Li Yue'er thought!
Things went so smoothly that she was all smiles.
After discussing the Ming family's affairs, the headmaster suddenly turned to look at her, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Are you willing to redeem yourself and stay in the academy with your mother and sister? Even if you never marry, your grandmother and I can support you and your mother for the rest of your lives."
Li Yue'er was completely taken aback when the headmaster said this to her, and was stunned for a moment. "I hadn't thought about these things."
"Did you never think about being able to redeem yourself, or did you never think about leaving the Qu family?" The headmaster looked at Li Yue'er's evasive eyes and became angry. "You have been studying since you were a child and are well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics. Even if you don't marry a scholar in the future, you can't be content to be a concubine in a merchant's house."
Li Yue'er thought to herself that her mother was probably afraid of being scolded by the headmaster because she didn't want to contact him.
Seeing that Li Yue'er was lost in thought, the headmaster's beard bristled. "Have you thought about your future? Have you thought about your children's future? Merchants are born inferior!"
The daughters of merchants all strive to marry out of the merchant class and escape their status, hoping to pave a bright future for themselves and their children. No innocent woman is as determined as Li Yue'er.
If the headmaster were to talk about anything else, Li Yue'er might have to think about it, but when it came to children, Li Yue'er wasn't worried at all.
She and the mistress could never have children; there was no future for them to have children.
Li Yue'er's eyes darted around. "I just need to live my life well. I don't want to think about anything else."
The headmaster was so angry he was about to poke her forehead. "Are you blinded by greed, or have you fallen into the trap of money?"
It's no wonder the headmaster thinks that way. It's not surprising that a girl like Li Yue'er, who enjoyed a life of luxury in her childhood but suffered hardship in her adulthood, would become immersed in a life of extravagance and debauchery once she suddenly enters a money pit.
Li Yue'er quoted Dr. Fu, saying, "He said I have a cold constitution and it will probably be difficult for me to get pregnant in this lifetime."
Headmaster, "Then you absolutely must redeem yourself and be released!"
Li Yue'er, "..."
Headmaster, "Don't be so stubborn."
Li Yue'er, "..."
Who's really so stubborn?
Headmaster, “I know the old lady of the Qu family. I can talk to her and get you released. Tell me, how long can you enjoy a life of luxury in the Qu family by relying on your beauty if you don’t have any children? Beauty fades and love wanes, I don’t need to explain that to you.”
Li Yue'er was so frightened that she touched her face with both hands again.
Headmaster, "Merchants are cunning and adept at sweet talk; don't be fooled into losing your heart and your life!"
In the eyes of merchants, concubines are just decorative objects; they are used when needed and easily disposed of when not. If they are unlucky, they may even be passed around among other people.
The moment Qu Rong stepped into the courtyard with cinnabar in her hand, that was the sentence she heard.
She stood there, quietly looking at Li Yue'er.
Dan Sha's gaze slowly shifted from Yue'er to the mistress. It seemed the mistress was more concerned with how Li Yue'er would respond than with the headmaster.
Li Yue'er lowered her head, the mourning cap almost completely covering her face. "I really don't understand the scheming and calculations of merchants, nor do I understand their profit-seeking, but I do understand people."
The headmaster looked at her.
Li Yue'er slowly raised her face, "I understand the person who is good to me. She is not the kind of merchant you described."
Headmaster, "You—"
Li Yue'er didn't back down at all, "We can't condemn an entire group of people just because of a few. There are many scholars like my father in the world, but not every scholar is like him. You are very good."
Headmaster, "..."
The headmaster flicked his sleeve and gave a heavy snort, "His kind is the minority."
Li Yue'er laughed, "Well, she's not one of the minority."
Scholars have always held prejudices against merchants, and the contempt and disdain the headmaster expressed when mentioning merchants stemmed from a deep-seated disdain for their social status.
Li Yue'er wouldn't try to change the headmaster's opinion, nor would she glorify the merchants, but she didn't want to categorize the mistress as the kind of person the headmaster described.
“Merchants may be of low social status, but their character and heart are not,” Li Yue’er said softly to the headmaster. “Like my mother, who married a high-ranking scholar, she ended up like this today.”
Even those who passed the imperial examinations weren't much better off; the problem wasn't their status, but the people they were.
The headmaster saw through her sweet talk; she was determined to stay in the Qu family and speak up for that person in the Qu family. "You're just as stubborn as your mother; you're both like donkeys."
He turned and left.
Li Yue'er stuck out her tongue and hummed two soft "donkey" sounds with a nasal tone.
Qu Rong stood at the door, turning her face away to reveal a smile.
Qu Rong, "She is adept at using sweet words to coax people."
Cinnabar: "So, do you like listening to this?"
Qu Rong: "I don't like it."
She wasn't being coaxed by him alone, so naturally she didn't like it.
cinnabar,"……"
Dansha called out to Yue'er, gesturing for her to look beside her.
The mistress has come again.
————————
Ming: Again?
Mistress: ...
Yue'er isn't love-struck; she has her own plans.
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