Madam Ma is now nearly forty years old. She gave birth to Sun Yunshi six years after marrying into the Sun family. These years in the Sun family have not been smooth sailing. Just as Madam Sun the Second thought, because she could not give birth to a son, and because she gave birth to Sun Yunshi many years after marrying into the Sun family, she had no status, dared not fight, and her personality became weak and timid.
Her features were extremely delicate, possessing the gentle grace of a typical southern woman. Sun Yun inherited that gentleness, but Sun Yun was too aloof, making her appear much colder, and that gentleness was almost completely diluted by her indifferent expression.
"Yun'er, I'm so sorry." She took Sun Yun's hand and said, her voice choked with sobs.
"Mother has not wronged her daughter; it is they who have wronged her. But please rest assured, Mother, I will not let them get away with it." Sun Yun stopped her mother from taking the blame upon herself. She knew very well that Madam Ma had a habit of taking the blame upon herself whenever something happened. Sometimes, even when it was clearly none of her business, if someone pointed a few words at her, she would start to feel that it was her fault.
Madam Ma smiled with relief and emotion, but as she smiled, tears welled up in her eyes. That tearful smile stung Sun Yun's eyes. She would rather her mother be a shrew than see her in this submissive and humiliating state.
Even if things are bitter before they are sweet, it cannot make up for the bitter years that followed.
"This servant greets Fourth Master." A half-sounded voice came from outside the door. She spoke very loudly, intending to remind Sun Yun.
"Where is Madam?" Sun Binhuai's voice was slightly hoarse, but even in its hoarseness, one could tell that his tone was unfriendly.
These days he has locked himself in his room, refusing to see anyone, and sometimes even refusing to eat. He feels ashamed, as if he has let down his brothers and ancestors, for raising a daughter who is a traitor in the family. Now that he has heard that Madam Ma has returned, he has come to question her.
Sun Yun's eyes turned cold, and she was about to leave to make him go away, but Madam Ma grabbed her hand. Sun Yun looked at Madam Ma, whose eyes, which were always filled with sorrow, were now full of hope. She wanted to see her husband.
"I have something to say to your father, let him in." After saying this, Madam Ma released Sun Yun's hand and turned her head away, not wanting to hear Sun Yun's refusal.
Sun Yun felt that her mother had lived a whole life and suffered so many grievances, yet she hadn't grown up yet. If a man loved you, why would he give you attitude at this time?
"Yun'er," Madam Ma called again, reminding Sun Yun that her words could not be disobeyed.
“Okay.” Sun Yun said stiffly. Sun Binhuai had once doted on her, and her father and mother had once supported each other through thick and thin. But as time went by, things slowly changed.
One is her father, the other her mother; what should she do? She slowly walked out of the house, opened the door, and curtsied, saying, "Mother invites you in."
Sun Binhuai didn't even glance at Sun Yun, stormed inside, slammed the door shut, and without asking about Madam Ma's condition, said, "I have a colleague who is well-off. I've seen his son, and he's an upright child. Yun'er has been corrupted by vulgar people these past few years. I plan to marry her off on a chosen day. I'm not discussing this with you, but just informing you."
Madam Ma turned to look at Sun Binhuai. Seeing his pale face, haggard appearance, and listless state, she felt a pang of heartache. Forgetting all the past troubles, she forced herself to sit up and asked, "Are you sick? Have you seen a doctor?"
Sun Binhuai felt a pang of sadness, turned his head away from Madam Ma's face, and said dryly, "I have already sent out the tokens, and tomorrow a matchmaker will probably come to the door. Mother is sick in bed because of that rebellious daughter, and my sister-in-law is in the Buddhist hall now. You should be on your best to deal with the matchmaker."
"Which one is it?" Ma finally asked.
“This family is not known for their ostentatious behavior or fame. You probably don’t know them. They are just a scholarly family. Yun’er will not be mistreated if she marries into their family.” Sun Binhuai still did not look into Madam Ma’s eyes, speaking as if he had memorized the words beforehand.
Madam Ma had no doubts; on the contrary, she said with great relief, "I'm at ease knowing you chose me." She was always like this, wholeheartedly trusting the person beside her, often forgetting the pain once the wound had healed.
“There has never been a custom of preparing a dowry for oneself. Now that Yun’er is being naughty, you, as her mother, must teach her a lesson and make her stop her misbehaving. She should return the household management to her sister-in-law as soon as possible so that the elders can prepare a dowry for her. She is an unmarried girl and doesn’t know anything about these things. As her mother, you must not let her ruin her reputation or upset her husband’s family.”
Sun Binhuai's words were piercing, and his impatience was evident in his tone. He vented all his anger on Madam Ma. If Sun Yun hadn't been so assertive, he wouldn't have been able to speak so politely to Madam Ma here. Moreover, Madam Ma had left the mansion without permission, and he, as her husband, had to find out from someone else. How could he bear this!
"Yun'er has a strong temper. Why don't we discuss it with her before making a decision?" Madam Ma thought for a moment and said.
Upon hearing this, Sun Binhuai immediately raised his voice, saying angrily, "Marriage is a major event, decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. It is a loving mother like you who has raised such a good-for-nothing child. Look at the kind of person you have raised! A traitor to the family! This matter is not worth discussing anymore. I have already sent the tokens." He emphasized again.
At this moment, Madam Ma finally understood that her husband had come to force her to hand over the power to manage the household!
Her expression slowly turned cold. "My daughter is mine. How could you give her away to someone else without even consulting me? Do you have any conscience?!"
This matter has nothing to do with conscience. Sun Binhuai snorted coldly, “A married daughter should not be in charge of the household affairs. Mother said that for the sake of blood ties, that rebellious daughter should hand over the power to manage the household. When she gets married, her brothers will see her off. If she doesn’t hand it over… you know Mother’s temper.”
Madam Ma looked at him with heartache. His cold face and disgusted eyes were so unfamiliar. She suddenly remembered why she had left the capital, and her heart ached so much that she felt like she could suffocate.
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