"Are you going to rebel? This is Grandma's decision."
The old lady's authority was challenged once again by An Yuan'er, and her expression could no longer be described simply as ugly.
An Yuan'er knew that her grandmother did not like her, and An Yuan'er did not want to please someone who did not like her, so she simply decided to be more comfortable and speak her mind.
“Yuan’er would naturally not dare to rebel. But even Grandmother cannot disobey the ancestors’ words, can she?”
What do you mean?
“The An family has a rule that if there is a dispute over the selection of the head of the family, the decision will be made through a fair competition by opening a shop together. Since Grandmother and all the sisters favor An Piao’er, I have no choice but to take this approach,” An Yuan’er stated her purpose.
Although this method has always been included in the An family precepts, no one has ever actually used it. An Yuan'er is the first person to apply for this method.
The sisters looked at An Yuan'er, surprised that she had such courage. An Piao'er had been learning to manage the household from her grandmother for many years and had received her grandmother's personal instruction. It wouldn't be easy for her to beat An Yuan'er.
The old lady disliked An Yuan'er from the start, and she was unwilling to give An Yuan'er such an opportunity. However, the old lady had great confidence in An Piao'er, whom she had personally taught, and believed that Piao'er would not lose.
"An Yuan'er, do you really want to compete? If you humiliate yourself, it won't look good."
An Yuan'er said decisively, "Of course we should compete. What do I have to fear?"
"Arrogant." The old lady didn't think highly of the arrogant person.
The old lady turned to An Piao'er: "Piao'er, would you like to compete with Yuan'er?"
An Piao'er nodded: "I am honored to have the support of my grandmother and sisters. In order to prove that the support of my grandmother and sisters is not wrong, I must fight. However, my sister Yuan'er is always at odds with me and has repeatedly provoked me. As the older sister, I did not want to argue with her, but she has gone too far. I am willing to fight, but my sister Yuan'er should also pay some price."
"Don't beat around the bush, An Piao'er. Just tell me what you really want, and I'll bet with you."
Since we're going to have a competition, there should be some stakes involved.
“I heard that when Yuan’er returned, she received a lot of precious jewelry, ornaments and clothes from the Sixth Prince. Unlike Yuan’er, Piao’er will not keep such good things to herself, but will share them with her sisters. So, if Piao’er wins, she should take those boxes of things.”
An Piao'er had a discerning eye; she had coveted An Yuan'er's ruby hairpin when she was young, and even now, she still longed for An Yuan'er's possessions. The main branch of the family wasn't wealthy, and she couldn't afford such fine things. At gatherings with her sisters in Shengjing, she always felt somewhat ashamed; with these items, she could truly hold her head high.
An Yuan'er readily agreed: "Okay!"
"If I lose, those boxes are yours. Do with them as you please. If I win, I want you, An Piao'er, to loudly proclaim in front of all the women of the An family that I, An Piao'er, am inferior to An Yuan'er, and to say it three times. Do you dare?"
An Piao'er confidently replied, "Of course I dare."
The old lady took out the land deeds and placed them in the hands of the two men respectively: "Since we are going to compete, let's set a three-month timeframe. Here are the land deeds for two streets in An Prefecture. After three months, whoever's street earns the most silver will gain the right to manage the household. Any objections?"
"No," they both said in unison.
An Yuan'er opened the land deed and her expression changed. It was the land deed for the An family's property on Beicheng Street, a place where the poor gathered and was the least prosperous.
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