Chapter 28 I've been so good to her.
The Liu family provided money, manpower, and effort, and Yao Yong's funeral was both grand and meticulous. By the time the funeral procession returned from the fields, the table was already set with wine and dishes. People from the Liu family moved among the crowd, warmly inviting people to sit down and offering various greetings.
The aroma of fine wine and delicious food diluted the somber atmosphere of the funeral. Men, women, and children all sat down to eat and drink heartily. Some of the wine lovers even started drinking games. The children even got into a fight over meat, which then led to a quarrel between their mothers. In short, it was a very lively affair.
Originally, when a person dies, they are buried in the ground, and that's the end of it. As for the living, they should live their lives as they are. Of course, it's a happy thing to have meat to eat, especially since they have all contributed their efforts and should be treated well.
But Shanlai still found their laughter too grating. How could they laugh? A person died, and instead of weeping for him, they laughed in front of his family, laughing so happily. At that moment, Shanlai hated them, hated them so much that he trembled all over.
Liu Min understood her thoughts and tried to comfort her: "Your father is just your father, not their father. Do you expect them all to be like you? Even among biological fathers, people like you are rare. Of course, I'm praising you. You are a filial daughter, grateful and conscientious..."
Shanlai, of course, wouldn't listen. Because he was trying to exonerate them, she even started to hate him, her eyes wide open as she glared at him angrily.
"That's going too far!" she said, tapping her chopsticks on the table.
Shanlai still glared at him.
Liu Min also had a temper. He hit her on the head with a chopstick, which hurt her and also woke her up.
"That's enough. Stop giving me that look. Do you really think everyone owes you something?"
After saying that, he pushed a bowl over and placed a pair of clean chopsticks on it.
A bowl of clear broth noodles, topped with thin strips of pork and bright green scallions.
"What you're eating is different from what they eat; it's not what's served at the banquet."
Shanlai didn't move; she didn't want to eat, or rather, she felt she shouldn't eat.
Her father was dead, and she still had the appetite to eat. How was she any different from a beast? She didn't intend to starve herself, but she just felt that she shouldn't eat. She even felt that she shouldn't do anything except mourn her father. If she did, it would mean she wasn't sad enough and that she was letting her father down.
Liu Min meant well for her, but since she wasn't cooperating, he couldn't blame her.
Ta-da!
Knuckles tapped on the table.
“You sold yourself to my family? Remember? I bought you with my money, you’re mine, you have to do whatever I tell you to do. Do you want to starve yourself and make me lose a lot of money? Let me tell you, give up now! Hurry up and eat this, I’m still waiting for you to serve me! I can’t waste my money! It’s still that much money.”
How awful.
Shan Lai thought bitterly, "In the eyes of the rich, servants are not even human beings. She actually thought he was a good person before. She was really blind!"
"Still glaring!"
Liu Min also glared, but his glare was even bigger and more intense than hers.
Shanlai wasn't afraid. She was doing it for her father, and she was perfectly justified in doing so. That's why she was so brave and fearless.
The two of them just stared at each other.
Liu Min was the first to give up, turning his head away. Firstly, his eyes hurt from staring, and secondly, he thought, "What am I doing? How stupid! If people find out, they'll laugh their heads off, and my reputation will be ruined."
Thinking about this, Liu Min was really tired. He stopped putting on airs and started talking to her frankly.
“I think you know I’m doing this for your own good. I understand your current state, but I only have one question for you: are you going to die? No, right? Since you still intend to live, stop doing these things that make things difficult for yourself. It’s useless. You might as well live a better life. If you have the strength, you can do anything. Your father raised you to be a decent person, and he did right by you. Don’t let him down. Also, people’s kindness is limited. Being good to you isn’t a given. Don’t take other people’s good intentions for granted. It’s too hurtful. If I were you, I would eat this bowl of noodles, then go out, find the person who brought you back, and thank her…”
These words, full of deep affection, reminded Shan Lai of the things he had said to her in Yang Sheng Xuan.
He is actually a really good person.
It's her fault.
He's absolutely right.
Shanlai realized his mistake and a sense of fear welled up in his heart.
As if atonement, she picked up her chopsticks, took a strand of noodles, and slowly brought it to her mouth.
The moment the aroma wafted into her nose, she felt hungry. The craving for food overwhelmed her, and primal instincts instantly took control, causing her to briefly lose her senses. She buried her face almost in the bowl and devoured the entire bowl of noodles in no time.
"Slow down! Don't choke! Nobody's going to take it from you!"
Although he spoke with a hint of disapproval and blame, he was smiling as he spoke, clearly indicating that he was very happy.
Shanlai ate three bowls of noodles, but couldn't eat anymore. She pushed the bowl away, stood up, thanked Liu Min first, and then went out to find Granny Wang, just as Liu Min had told her.
Faced with Shan Lai's thanks, Liu Min nodded proudly to show that he understood, and then watched Shan Lai leave until he could no longer see her before turning back to eat the noodles in his bowl.
The noodles had been soaking for a long time, soggy and tasteless, like chewing wax. Normally, he would have spat them out after just one bite and never tried a second. But today, perhaps because he was in a good mood, he was able to eat the noodles and even enjoyed them.
Liu Min actually knew the reason in his heart, so he couldn't help but think, "I've been too good to her."
Although Granny Wang was sitting at the table, she didn't eat much. Instead, she wiped away her tears and talked to the people around her about the little things she knew about Yao Yong and Shan Lai.
"There was only a father and daughter to begin with, no one else, all alone. Now there's only one left. How are they going to get by?"
Someone laughed and said, "Shanlai is a person with great fortune. You can tell from the way she's doing today. I've never seen her like this before! She's doing very well, so why do you need to worry about her?"
After thinking for a moment, Aunt Wang said, "You're right, I wasn't worrying for nothing."
The story of Shanlai's situation at the Liu residence had already spread throughout the village; how could they not know? They had never seen such fine planks in their lives—so thick, with such beautiful grain, and even a fragrance. Some said it was camphor wood, others said cedar, and still others said catalpa. Opinions were divided, and they almost came to blows. It was a servant from the Liu residence who, seeing the commotion, ran over to inquire. After understanding the situation, he said, "None of them are right. Those planks are cypress wood, and they cost two hundred taels!"
Two hundred taels! An unheard-of price! How can anyone afford to use a stone like that!
The servant said, "Our old lady gave us the money! Any amount is possible."
Why would the old lady of the Liu family spend so much money to buy slabs for Shi Tou?
Of course, it's for Miss Yao. When we bought Miss Yao, the old lady gave her even more. Everyone in the mansion knows that Miss Yao will be our young master's concubine in the future.
Being a concubine is great! It's so much better than going to Widow Huang's house. It's like becoming a phoenix!
Aunt Wang sighed, "Shanlai is so lucky. Even if Uncle Yao is gone, it won't matter. I've always said that a girl with Shanlai's looks would be wasted if she were to marry just anyone. She has to marry into a wealthy family like the Liu family. Even if she were to be a concubine, it wouldn't be a bad thing."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Is that really the case?
Shanlai didn't realize it.
Admittedly, both Old Madam Qin and Liu Min were good people, but Yao Yong was right when he said it: even if one marries a peasant, one should be his legal wife. A concubine is merely a servant, a plaything, not a person. Her life and death are at the mercy of her master's word. If it weren't for her father's life, she would never have agreed. Now, she has gained nothing but empty promises.
Shanlai had come to thank Granny Wang, but after hearing what Granny Wang said, she felt very uncomfortable, so she gave up and went back inside.
Liu Min had finished eating her noodles and was feeling bored when she saw Shan come in. She asked Shan, "Is everything alright?"
Shan Lai paused for a moment, then shook his head. One thing at a time; if gratitude is due, then gratitude should be expressed—it's impolite to be impolite.
Seeing her shake her head, Liu Min frowned slightly and said, "It's just a matter of a few words, why are you dragging it out?"
Shanlai didn't argue, he just sat down on the stool, head down, without saying a word.
Seeing this, Liu Min dared not say anything.
But this can't go on forever.
Liu Min coughed twice, cleared his throat, and said solemnly, "After you finish what needs to be done, come back with me."
He was only doing this for her own good. How could she stay here? She was so heartbroken. If she stayed here and looked at these old things, it might bring back some painful memories. If she did something foolish, she wouldn't even have time to regret it.
Shanlai shook his head, "This is my home, I'm not going anywhere else."
She said that not that she hadn't thought of it; there were plenty of ways to deal with her, as long as he was willing to play the villain.
"Your word doesn't count. If I want you to leave, you have to come with me. You've sold yourself to me, so you're mine. You have to listen to whatever I say. Do you dare disobey?"
He has truly done everything he could to interfere in her affairs.
Shanlai wasn't ungrateful, but she had her reasons.
"I can't leave. What if Dad comes back and can't find me?"
Liu Min also had a response to this.
"Do you know that humans and ghosts are on different paths? He's dead and has become a ghost. You're no longer on the same path. Even if you meet again, what difference will it make? He's a ghost now, and he's a huge hindrance to the living. He treated you so well, how could he possibly come back? You're just waiting in vain! And I advise you to let go. If you keep pestering him like this, he won't be able to enter the cycle of reincarnation or be reborn in the Pure Land... Do you really want him to be like that?"
He was right. Shanlai was persuaded, and Liu Min even promised her that he would send her back every seven days and would never delay her business.
So after finishing what needed to be done, Shanlai got into the carriage and followed Liu Min back to the Liu residence.
Because Shanlai was in mourning and had just come from a funeral, he was afraid it wouldn't be appropriate for him to go into Fuze Hall to pay his respects to Old Madam Qin. Instead, he kowtowed outside Fuze Hall to express his gratitude.
Yao Yong is dead, and all her efforts have been in vain. But the kindness that Old Madam Qin showed her is real. Since she received it, even if she didn't get a good result, she still has to repay this kindness, even if it means going through fire and water or being torn to pieces.
After paying his respects at Fuzetang and asking around, Shanlai headed straight for Chunyan.
The swallows haven't left yet.
She refused to leave. When people came to take her away, she cried and told them not to take her away yet, that her good sister Shanlai would surely find a way to keep her. She said that if they let her go, she would repay them in the future.
Everyone in the Liu household knew that the old lady had spent several hundred taels of silver to hold Yao Yong's funeral, so the old women felt that since the old lady valued Shanlai so much, it was nothing for a little girl, so they were happy to do her a favor.
So Chunyan stayed for the time being.
Shanlai was, of course, her only lifeline, and once she grasped it, she would never let go, even at the cost of her life.
"Good sister, go and beg the old lady! With your influence, she'll definitely let me stay!"
She cried so hard that her face was covered in tears and snot.
However, Shanlai remained unmoved.
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