Chapter 93 Qi-Liang Boundary (Part 5) Taking Jiu Li Back to the Countryside! ...
In the afternoon, Yu Qi still hired a carriage to send someone back to the Qi family. He originally wanted to ask Feng Qiao to take the money, but he couldn't leave the shop for the time being. He thought that Xiu Zhi was thirty years old after all and usually spoke and acted properly, so he sent Xiu Zhi instead.
The carriage hadn't gone far when Du Zhong caught up, stopped it, lifted his robe, climbed into the carriage, sat down with a grin, and tossed his robe down, saying, "I'll go with you, so the Qi family won't make things difficult for you."
Xiuzhi looked at him and asked, "Did your family know you were out?"
“I left through the ceremonial gate; they didn’t know that.”
She glared at him, "I'm just a servant. What would the Qi family do to me? You're just worrying unnecessarily."
Du Zhong stepped on her leg. "That's hard to say. The Qi family is in a bad mood right now. How could they possibly give our family a friendly look? Master, you should have sent Aunt Qing to handle this. Who would dare to bully her?" As he spoke, he cupped Xiu Zhi's face in his hands and looked at her closely with a smile. "You look so gentle. You're easy to bully."
Xiuzhi turned her face away, for some reason she had to be strong, and sneered at him softly, "That's because you misjudged me. If I were really that easy to bully, as an orphan and a widow, I would have been bullied to death long ago."
Du Zhong put his arm around her shoulder and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, you are amazing. You can punch a lion and kick a tiger. You are as meticulous as Zhang Fei threading a needle."
"Is that a compliment?!"
Xiuzhi glanced at her shoulder and took his hand away. He put his hand back on her again, and she took it away again. He put his hand back on her again, and so on. She had no choice but to give up. Although she smiled helplessly, she felt a long-lost sweetness in her heart, as if they were still newlyweds, and everything they did was interesting.
Upon arriving at the Qi family's residence, Du Zhong handed the items to the doorman. The doorman went in to report, and Si Rou, who had been sitting on the couch chanting scriptures, opened her eyes and sneered, "Look, we just left, and they're already returning our things. What does this mean? Are they afraid they owe us something? As the saying goes, even if a deal falls through, goodwill remains. Isn't this clearly telling us that they don't want to have anything to do with us?"
It was infuriating to think that even a broken ship has three thousand nails. Although the Qi family had fallen from grace, they were still important officials of several dynasties and had once served in the cabinet, enjoying unparalleled prestige. Now, they were being looked down upon by a medicine seller!
This is all Xu Bai's own doing. Are all the girls in the world dead? Why does he have to take a fancy to a girl from the Yu family! She glanced at Xu Bai as she thought, "They clearly don't take us seriously. We come from a scholarly family, yet we're here groveling and wasting our time. Where is our dignity?"
Xu Bai's face was already dejected, and after hearing these words, he felt even more ashamed. Enoki had no right to speak at this time, but she could only glance at him and feel sorry for him in secret.
Xu Yun, however, felt that his mother's words were somewhat excessive, so he advised from the seat, "Marriage is a matter of fate; if it comes together, it's fate; if it doesn't, it's simply not meant to be. There's no question of being subservient. Mr. Yu is merely a bit straightforward in his words and actions; he didn't mean to look down on our family. Why should Mother make a fuss over nothing and insist on interpreting things that don't even exist, thus damaging the harmony between us? Besides, since ancient times, marriage should be initiated by the man. Xu Bai is a grown man; does he expect to stay at home waiting for a young lady to come and propose?"
Si Rou glared at him, speechless, and could only dismiss the servant, "Just bring the things in and do what you're supposed to do, so people won't say that our Qi family is angry and doesn't even care about the etiquette of entertaining guests."
The servant took the order and went out to receive the gifts. He then invited Du Zhong to come in for tea, as was customary. Du Zhong politely declined. Just as he was about to leave, Xu Bai arrived at the door and said he had something to ask him. So Xu Bai left Xiu Zhi in a servants' quarters for tea and invited Du Zhong to his outer study.
Xu Bai glanced at the tea and said, "I am not surprised that Mr. Yu declined this matter today. I know that you have never liked me. But what exactly does Yu'er mean?"
Du Zhong could only feign ignorance, "What do you think she means? When you two usually interact, haven't you asked her beforehand?"
Xu Bai smiled with his head down, "The two ladies came back and said that Yu'er wasn't home today. Did Mr. Yu intentionally send her to the Wei family? Was he afraid that she would cause a scene with him in front of him?"
Du Zhong found it amusing. Did he mean that Yu'er and he had already fallen in love? He had really misunderstood her. Little did he know that Yu'er could sit and chat intimately with the group of people building houses in the countryside.
At first, Du Zhong also thought that Jiu Li would like Qi Xubai, but later he gradually realized that, given Jiu Li's personality, she would get what she liked immediately. Why would she drag things out with him for so long? If she really started to act shamelessly, Yu Qi would have no chance against her.
He could only chuckle and say, "Why are you so fixated on Yu'er? There are plenty of good girls in the world. As a fellow man, I'm telling you honestly, Yu'er is simply not cut out to be a lady or grandmother in a family like yours. She's always running around, doesn't respect her elders, and knows none of the traditional virtues of obedience, submission, and virtue. She's never even read the 'Admonitions for Women' or the 'Inner Teachings.' If she were to marry into a family like yours, it would be a disgrace to your family's reputation as a scholarly household."
“I don’t mind her personality.”
"It doesn't matter if you don't mind, Master won't allow it."
Xu Bai smiled and tilted his body slightly. "Do you know why Mr. Yu won't agree?"
There are many reasons, but Du Zhong shook his head indifferently.
Xu Bai smiled again, "You might as well ask Yu'er quietly. Perhaps Mr. Yu's feelings for her are not just the care of an elder for a younger person—she is a woman and also the person involved, she must have noticed something."
Du Zhong was well aware of this, but it was something that couldn't be said by outsiders. How could outsiders possibly understand their family affairs? What did they know? His cryptic smile immediately made Du Zhong's face turn red, and he jumped up and threw a punch at him, "How dare you slander my master!"
Xu Bai wiped a little blood from the corner of his mouth, but still smiled at him, "You are Yu'er's brother, I won't fight you."
Just as Du Zhong was about to throw a punch, two servants rushed in, grabbed him, and dragged him out.
Xu Bai wiped the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief. There was also a cut inside his mouth, and the blood tasted bitter. He was right. His previous speculation was not just speculation. There was indeed an ambiguous relationship between Yu Qi and Jiu Li, and their relationship was simply unbreakable. What could he possibly use to compete with Yu Qi?
He paused in his chair, then stood up and walked to the door, clasping his hands behind his back, saying, "Be polite, and see Young Master Du out properly."
Xiuzhi was still waiting in the duty room, listening to the Qi family's servants talking. It turned out that the Qi family had fallen on hard times and was gradually becoming unable to make ends meet. However, they tried their best to maintain their former dignity. When the servants returned from the capital, half of them were laid off. Now, the remaining servants were all born into the family, and their monthly wages were reduced by half compared to before.
It's hard for people to go from luxury to frugality. Having been used to a good life, these people complain when things get a little tough. Naturally, they can't help but resort to petty theft and other underhanded tactics.
At this moment, a man in his thirties with a mustache walked in with a smile, carrying two jars of wine and a braised goose. He waved his hand and said it was for everyone to eat.
The three maids thanked them with smiles, then teased, "Chen Zifang, where did you get so rich again? You've actually treated us to a meal like this before! If your wife finds out, she won't say you invited us yourself, but will instead claim we tricked you into eating here and demand we return the favor. We can't afford that!"
Chen Zifang put the food on the table, reached out and lifted the chin of the woman next to him, saying, "Why should I care about that woman? I invited you to eat here of my own free will. If she wants you to reciprocate, tell her to come find me."
After saying this, he walked out with a smile. The wives sat down and started discussing how the sun had risen in the west today, since he, such a stingy man, was actually willing to treat everyone to wine.
Several women invited Xiuzhi to eat, and just as Xiuzhi was about to politely decline, someone came to tell her that Du Zhong was leaving. Xiuzhi rushed to the door and saw that Du Zhong looked quite angry. She quickly asked him what had happened, but he only said that he had beaten up Qi Xubai and wouldn't say anything more. Xiuzhi assumed that Xubai had taken his anger out on her because of being rejected in marriage, and that the two of them had gotten into a fight inside, so she didn't ask any further questions.
With the Qi family matter settled, the old lady secretly pondered: Yu Qi had rejected the Qi family, so could it be the Wei family? He couldn't very well prevent Jiu Li from marrying off for life; that wouldn't make sense. But who knew? She feared he might be insane. If he wasn't, how could he have seduced Jiu Li? A few days later, the Wei family sent someone over, and he spoke just as bluntly and harshly. Wouldn't she be even more caught in the middle?
Thinking of this, the old lady hadn't slept well for the past two days, considering whether to test Yu Qi's words first. Unexpectedly, before she could get the chance, the Wei family sent a servant to invite her over the next day.
They thought they were there to discuss marriage proposals, but when they arrived at the Wei family home and entered Old Madam Wei's room, they saw a pile of familiar things on the table. It turned out to be the gifts she had brought when she came that day, with everything except food.
What does it mean that Old Mrs. Wei has arranged those things there now? As the old lady came in, she secretly observed Old Mrs. Wei's expression. She saw that Old Mrs. Wei was not smiling, and was not as warm as before. She did not get up to greet her, but simply waved her hand to the side, inviting her to sit down.
The old lady felt uneasy and unconsciously revealed a humble attitude of a countrywoman. She forced a smile and asked, "Old sister, what's wrong today? Why did you suddenly call me here? Is there something important?"
The more she acted this way, the more arrogant Old Madam Wei became. She glanced at her and sneered, "What important matter could possibly trouble you, sister? What kind of status does your Yu family have? We are famous doctors and clerks. Even the officials in the yamen have to give face to your Mr. Yu and ask him to help them with things. What would I dare to trouble you with? If Mr. Yu hadn't come yesterday and said those words, I would have thought that since we were going to settle things, it would be difficult for us to take your things back. That's why I asked you to come and take those things back."
No wonder, so Yu Qi came by yesterday. I wonder what he said that offended anyone again. The old lady could only smile apologetically, "My son just doesn't know how to speak properly. If he has said anything that offended you, please forgive him—"
Before she could finish speaking, Old Mrs. Wei chuckled again, "I think Mr. Yu is quite the smooth talker. He's sitting here praising our Hong'er so much. Our Hong'er isn't as good as he makes him out to be. If he were, why wouldn't he be a good match for your daughter? Let's not talk about it anymore, sister. Let's pretend we never discussed the past, and let's pretend we never knew each other. From now on, you go your way, and we'll go ours. No matter how bad Hong'er is, there are plenty of families eager to marry their daughters to him. We're not afraid of not finding wives."
Having been told to leave, the old lady had no right to stay any longer. Carrying her pile of belongings, she followed the servants out, picking up what she had dropped along the way. The old woman stood by, hands in her pockets, watching her struggle to gather the things without offering any help, leaving the old lady in a very awkward situation. She felt increasingly aggrieved.
Finally, they hired a sedan chair on the street. Arriving at the door, they carried the things out of the chair, scattering them all over the ground. Yuqing hurried out to pick them up, and seeing the old woman's ashen face, she quietly asked, "What did the Wei family want you to do?"
"What are you saying? Humph! I gave birth to a fine son, and now I've been subjected to this humiliating treatment for no reason!"
The old lady had lived a poor life in the countryside for half her life. Even after she lived a better life, she still felt like a poor person. She always felt inferior to those rich and powerful people. So when she was ridiculed, she could only smile apologetically to their faces and could not say a harsh word. Besides, it was originally her Yu family who was in the wrong.
Feeling wronged and angry, she mustered up the courage to confront Yu Qi. Not finding him in the shop, she went straight to the east wing and saw Yu Qi standing behind his desk, methodically searching for books. She was furious. "I'm asking you, did you go to the Wei family yesterday?"
Yu Qi only learned yesterday when he went to the Wei family that the old lady and they had reached an agreement. So, holding a book, he stood sideways behind the desk and asked without looking up, "You discussed the marriage proposal with the Wei family last time, why didn't you tell me?"
He blamed her instead, and she felt a lump in her throat, "What am I talking to you about? Didn't you agree to the marriage proposal with the Wei family before?"
“It’s just a matter of discussing marriage, but it doesn’t mean it will definitely work out.” Yu Qi found the old prescription in the book, then calmly closed the book and put it back on the shelf.
This nonchalant attitude stirred up the old lady's resentment over the years between mother and son. Ever since he brought Jiuli home, it seemed that he had not returned willingly. If he hadn't been worried that he, as a man, couldn't take care of Jiuli well, he probably would never have come back.
When he returned, he treated her with a cold and indifferent attitude. Apart from treating her well and providing her with good food and drink, he never really treated her like a mother. On the contrary, she had lived with him in fear for more than ten years, afraid that she might say something wrong and offend him. She had suffered a lot as his mother.
Today, I was so angry that I wasn't afraid of offending him. I decided to confront him directly and have a show of force. "Of course you're hoping the negotiations will fall through. Do you think I don't know what you're up to? You came from my womb, do you think I don't know what you're plotting?"
Yu Qi's heart skipped a beat. He turned around and saw her mocking face, so he went to close the door.
The old woman turned around with him, her voice, though not loud, was as sharp as a needle, "Hmph, you're afraid people will hear you too, you know it's not something to be proud of, you always teach them to be responsible for their actions, why don't you dare admit it now? So you feel ashamed too!"
He stood slumped behind the door for a moment, his face turning deathly pale. He glanced at her and saw her gaze filled with utter mockery, as if she were looking at a wicked and evil person. If even his own mother was like this, then outsiders were even more likely to say the same thing, their eyes filled with even more contempt.
Although he walked back towards her, he dared not look her in the eye. "What did I do?"
"Do I really have to spell it out for you? You're literate, and you always teach them a lot of principles. If I spell it out for you, how can you save face? I advise you to turn back from your ways. Although our Yu family isn't exactly a family of scholars and ambitious people, we've always been honest and hardworking farmers. If you continue to do those shameless things, you won't be able to face your father and brother when you die!"
Yu Qi stood before the table, feeling as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. He hesitated for a moment, then turned around and stared coldly at her. "Don't mention your elder brother. He died long ago. If you want him to take care of you, you'll have to wait until the next life. In this life, no matter how unwilling you are, you can only eat my food and spend my money. As long as you don't die, you'll have to be at odds with me."
The old woman, provoked by him, pulled the jade hairpin from her hair and threw it on the desk. "Fine, fine, I shouldn't have eaten your food and spent your money. From now on, I won't dare to take advantage of you in the slightest. I'll go back to my countryside and farm! I'll be a poor old woman again!"
The delicate hairpin didn't land properly and bounced off the desk to the floor, shattering into three pieces with a clang. Yu Qi suddenly felt as if his heart was breaking along with it. He grabbed her arm and whispered angrily, "What did I do wrong that you've disliked me since I was little?!"
Jiuli stood outside the window and heard his voice, which sounded like a broken drum, extremely deep and muffled, yet it shook her heart.
Later, the old lady suggested taking her back to her hometown. She pressed her ear against the window for a long time, but still didn't hear Yu Qi's reply.
After a while, the old lady opened the door first, and she quickly hid behind a pillar. Only after watching her enter the main room did she slip out and go into Yu Qi's room, intending to tell him that he should never go back to the countryside with the old lady.
But when she looked, she saw Yu Qi sitting behind his desk with red eyes. When he saw her come in, he blinked sharply and smiled gently at her, "What's wrong?"
She suddenly found herself unable to say it.
-----------------------
Author's note: Thank you for reading.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com