Chapter 65
This winter is exceptionally cold, with snow falling one after another. In many places in the capital, the snow is as thick as a palm. Every household has to get up early to sweep the snow. Only the young and ignorant children are happily making snowmen and having snowball fights, leaving behind strings of silver bell-like laughter.
Chu Huan yawned and struggled to get up. She couldn't help but feel lucky that all her courses were now full and she didn't have to go to court in front of her brother. Otherwise, she would have to get up at three in the morning every day in the snowy winter, and her legs would have been frozen.
She nestled in a warm room with several charcoal basins lit, drinking the bird's nest porridge prepared early by the servants, and felt that life was very comfortable.
Qingzhu picked up a crispy fried dumpling and said, "Miss, try this."
The fried dumplings are crispy and fragrant, and the filling inside is hot and greasy. Just one bite will whet your appetite.
Chu Huan felt the food was burning in her mouth and she exhaled repeatedly, "One more."
Qingzhu picked up another one and said, "Miss, Madam asked you to go to the main courtyard after breakfast to discuss something."
Chu Huan paused while drinking her porridge. "What happened at home?"
Qingzhu shook his head: "I haven't heard of it."
Given Chu Huan's current importance to the court, if something serious were to happen that would affect her life and property, the emperor and the officials would definitely be more anxious than she was.
If it was a small matter, the Jinyiwei who were squatting in her house and were almost bored would have solved it easily.
In short: nothing much.
After having a warm breakfast, Chu Huan strolled to the main courtyard to find her mother, holding a hand warmer.
When she went out, she saw the fifth prince practicing boxing in the yard next door. She didn't know how long he had been practicing since early morning, but he was sweating all over his forehead in the heavy snow.
"It's really hard." Chu Huan gave him a sympathetic look and left without any reluctance.
The Fifth Prince: “…”
The friendship we promised to have with classmates is actually more fragile than snow.
When Chu Huan arrived at the main courtyard, Wen was checking the accounts.
In the past, Wen always pushed the account book to her daughter. Now her daughter is very busy with classes every day, so she does many things by herself. After getting used to it, she can do it very quickly.
Seeing that Wen was busy, Chu Huan didn't call her and sat aside to peel melon seeds.
"Huan'er is here." After finishing the calculation, Wen put the account book aside and sat next to Chu Huan.
Knowing that her daughter would be going to school soon and would have little free time, Wen simply cut to the chase and got straight to the point: "It's almost Chinese New Year, we have to bring the old lady and Chu Shu back."
Modern interpersonal relationships are cold, relatives calculate against each other, and only focus on the little piece of land in front of them. They are worse than strangers. However, the family and clan relationships in ancient times were very solid.
The aristocratic families are prosperous and like to marry into the family. If they are hit by a brick, all they will be relatives in a roundabout way. They may even have some connection with the emperor in some roundabout way, so they generally will not be offended easily.
On weekdays, the Wen family takes care of social events such as festivals, birthdays, weddings, and funerals. Old Madam Chu, of her generation, does not have to show up for many things. But during the Chinese New Year, these people will come to the Chu family to visit Old Madam Chu, and she cannot stay at the farm.
Chu Shu is a concubine's daughter, so it is normal that she has a bad relationship with Chu Huan. After all, the old lady is Chu Huan's grandmother. If the word "filial piety" is put on her, the younger generation will definitely suffer.
It doesn’t matter how you get along in private, but you have to get along in public.
Chu Huan was stunned for a moment. She had forgotten that these two people would not cause trouble when they were not at home.
"Mom will handle these things."
Chu Huan would not give people anything to talk about in this regard - no matter how much she disliked Old Madam Chu, Aunt Liu and the others, she would just move to a more remote courtyard, out of sight, out of mind, and never embarrass anyone in public.
Wen also informed her daughter in advance, so that if Old Lady Chu and Chu Shu suddenly came back one day, Chu Huan, who was unaware of the situation, would not be caught off guard.
"The snow stopped last night, so we'll send someone to the farm today. Calculating the time, Chu Qi should be back from the academy soon."
Chu Ping treated his children fairly. Chu Qin went to Songshan Academy, and Chu Qi also went there.
The only difference is probably: Chu Huan opened the grocery store at the foot of Songshan Academy on purpose, so Chu Qin can eat and take whatever he wants there, but Chu Qi cannot.
Chu Huan recalled the time when Chu Qi and her classmates went to the grocery store, took things without paying, and pretended to be members of the Chu family, but the shopkeeper still chased her for money. After being humiliated, the shopkeeper wrote a letter to scold her and even instigated Old Madam Chu to punish and scold her. She immediately peeled a handful of more melon seeds.
Is that little idiot Chu Qi coming back?
Then why don't you tease him a few more times just to have fun?
Wen Shi continued, "After the New Year, Chu Shu will come to see me."
Chu Shu is one year older than Chu Huan. She will be fifteen after the Chinese New Year and will be coming of age next year.
Generally, girls can get married after they reach the age of 15, so it is actually a bit late to get married at the age of fifteen.
But before that, Liu Yue and the old lady were worried that Wen would interfere with Chu Shu's marriage and let Chu Shu marry a family that looked sweet on the outside but was actually miserable, so they were responsible for it themselves and Wen did not get involved.
When the news of Liu Yue having sex with many people and contracting syphilis came to light, the old lady became very angry and not in good health. She also felt that her niece had brought shame upon her, and she also had some dissatisfaction with Chu Shu, so she had no time to find a suitable husband for Chu Shu.
The six months that should have been a time for them to slowly get to know each other passed without any progress, so the matter returned to the hands of Wen, the mistress of the house.
Chu Huan felt tired for her mother.
She wanted to say, "Mom, the person you find will definitely not be as good as Chu Shuyi, so it's best not to get involved in this matter!" But according to the education that Wen received since childhood and the current environment, the mistress of a family is responsible for the marriage of illegitimate sons and daughters.
Not only does the legal wife have to be responsible for the daily lives of the mistress and the children born to the mistress, she also has to find partners for them, get them married, and prepare betrothal gifts and gifts. What a hell of an era!
Chu Hua: [A little trick to overcome fear of marriage and childbearing every day.]
The system was eating melons. When it heard Chu Huan talking to it, it quickly looked up: [What's going on?]
Chu Hua: [How good is life before a girl gets married? Once married, you have to respect your parents-in-law, serve your husband, raise children, and even take care of your husband's concubines and their children, haha.]
The system sighed: [The general environment in ancient times is like this. There is nothing we can do about it no matter how much we dislike it.]
Everyone: ???
Isn't this normal? They don't understand why Chu Huan and the system are so disgusted and resistant.
Chu Hua: [Mistresses are legal, illegitimate children are legal, and the legal wife must also guarantee the rights and interests of the mistress and illegitimate children, hehe.]
System: [Let's be honest, don't modern times also protect the rights of illegitimate children?]
Chu Hua: [That's why many sisters don't look for men or get married.]
The system sensed the host's resentment and gave up the idea of adding fuel to the fire: [You're right!]
Everyone: ???
Not looking for a man, not getting married? Is that what they meant?
Wen's eyes flickered slightly. Is this okay?
"That's all I have to say. Do you want to go back and get ready for class?"
Chu Huan turned her head to look at the sky: "Almost, then I'm going back."
Wen: "Go ahead."
Chu Hua walked while calling the system: [Tong'er, give me Chu Shu's melon.]
System: [What aspect?]
Chu Hua: [Marriage.]
Based on her understanding of this half-sister, she had been behaving well-behaved in the manor for half a year, and she must have been doing something behind the scenes.
The system flipped over: [Ah——]
Chu Hua: [What's going on?]
Everyone pricked up their ears quietly, and some even followed Chu Huan as she moved in order to get a closer look.
Even the freezing cold and snowy weather couldn’t dampen their enthusiasm for eating melons!
Even the Wen family put aside their account books for the time being and moved to a place closer to Chu Huan.
There was no other way. She was just about to help Chu Shuxiang find someone, so she had to get some information to know what kind of person Chu Shuxiang liked. Should she solve the problem quickly?
System: [Sister Huan, you are a very two-faced concubine. You appear gentle and soft on the surface, but you are really aggressive behind the scenes.]
Her original plan was to go hunting with you, meet a few outstanding young men, investigate their family backgrounds and personal abilities, and then choose a good one to marry. However, your mother rejected her, so this path didn't work out.
[At that time, she cursed you and your mother every day in the farm, saying that the old man was unreliable and that your mother didn't want her to marry a good husband at all, lest the concubine's daughter marry better than the legitimate daughter and then suppress you.]
She also took this opportunity to say a lot of bad things about you in front of the old lady, saying that your mother had a problem with her and wouldn't take her to the autumn hunt. Now that she's motherless, she can only beg the old lady for protection. She made herself sound as pitiful as an orphan whose parents have both died.
Everyone: “…”
There's no need to use vicious curses, and when you do, be gentle and considerate. Isn't that a bit too utilitarian?
These are all family members.
Let’s not talk about Wen and Chu Huan for now. Old Madam Chu has been protecting and pampering Chu Shu since she was a child, fearing that she would suffer any injustice. She has never been bad to her. Why is she cursing her to be immortal?
They all felt disappointed for Old Madam Chu after hearing this.
Chu Huan had expected this and wasn't surprised at all: [Liu Yue and the old lady are both examples of selfishness, and the people they raise will naturally be like them.]
When they were short on money and wanted something from my mother, they would greet me with a smile and call me sister-in-law affectionately. But after getting the things, they would curse my mother behind her back for being so stupid and plot how to get it back next time. Chu Shu had been around them since she was a child, so it would be strange if she didn't become corrupted by them.
System: [That's right, Chu Shu and Liu Yue are very similar in appearance and personality.]
She believes that both your grandmother and your mother are unreliable. Since her own mother was taken away by the Imperial Guards and there has been no news of her since, she feels that relying on others is not as good as relying on herself, and that she must decide on her own marriage.
Chu Huan nodded silently. If nothing else, she agreed with the last sentence.
It is very difficult to have a free love relationship these days. Ninety-nine percent of marriages are arranged, and you have to screen the man yourself. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong after marriage, you will blame your parents, which will ruin your relationship with your family.
System: [Originally, Chu Shu had a few close friends who she interacted with regularly. However, because her mother's affair became known to most of the officials and officials in the capital, her reputation was ruined, and her close friends stopped associating with her.]
Chu Shu wanted to find one on her own, but as an unmarried girl, with no elders or close friends to introduce her, how many gentlemen could she possibly meet? Or a gentleman who didn't care about her mother's reputation or the suspicion and gossip she might face in the future?
It is difficult for others to understand the character and moral qualities of an unmarried girl. Generally, people look at the reputation and upbringing of her parents and family. They believe that if the elders are good, the younger ones will also be good.
On the other hand, if the reputation of the elders is rotten, it will be difficult for others to believe that the younger generations will remain untainted.
System: [You let her stay at the farm and didn't tell her not to go out, but she goes to this temple today and that teahouse tomorrow, and even sends her maids everywhere to inquire about suitable young men of marriageable age.]
After finding out about a man with a respectable family background, she dressed up and went to meet him, hoping to get to know him better. Of course, she was quite clever, using her words and actions to entice him without letting him take advantage.
Chu Hua: [The legendary fishing beauty?]
The system said matter-of-factly: [Her face is at best pretty, but it's definitely not a beauty, is it?]
[Sister Huan, you can't just call any decent-looking girl a beauty just because you have low standards for your fellow women!]
[Sister Huan, you can't consciously lower your aesthetic standards just because you don't see many beautiful women in real life. This is disrespectful to beautiful women!]
[Look at your mother, the Empress, the Second Prince's wife, and Concubine Wu. Which one isn't pretty? And then there's the exquisite beauty Shanglu. Where's Shanglu's respect?!]
Each word is heavier than the last, and each sentence is more angry than the last.
Chu Hua covered her face: [Stop scolding me, stop scolding me. I'm reflecting on myself.]
The system hummed twice in triumph and continued to reveal: [When you walk by a river, you're bound to fall over.]
[The extremely picky Chu Shu met the scumbag Jing Shuai. Jing Shuai had been observing Chu Shu for quite some time and had seen her encounter with other men. Once was an accident, twice was coincidence, and three times meant there was an ulterior motive.]
Jing Shuai had a decent face and decent sex skills, and used these two to seduce many widows. Dasheng encouraged widows to remarry, and while some widows were already married, others were wealthy and unwilling to enter the pit of marriage again. Jing Shuai specialized in seducing these types of women.
[Serving widows well can satisfy one's own desires and earn money from them, so why not? Jing Shuai has good skills and has expanded his business through referrals between widows, making a pretty good living.]
Everyone: “…”
Is this possible? It's really a small knife pulling the butt, I'm really open-minded.
System: [Over time, the widow Jing Shuai followed either remarried or found someone else. He also grew tired of this unstable life and wanted to find a rich woman to live on for the rest of his life.]
[While he was scouting for potential partners, he discovered Chu Shu was also looking for an unmarried man. Isn't that a coincidence? Jing Shu followed Chu Shu and investigated, and found out that she was your father's concubine's daughter.]
"A fifth-rank doctor in the Ministry of Justice isn't a high-ranking position, but your mother is wealthy and would definitely not let Chu Shu marry in poverty. Furthermore, Liu Yue's situation has become so turbulent, and Jing Shuai has heard from the widows he serves that Chu Shu has a bad reputation, and neither does he. Aren't they a match made in heaven?"
Jing Shuai saw that the man Chu Shu had met by chance came from a well-off family, while he was just an ordinary man. Therefore, he did not rush to confront Chu Shu. Instead, he carefully planned and passed by a place that Chu Shu must pass by, which led to their chance encounter.
Chu Huan was so excited after hearing this: [And then?]
Everyone was also very excited, and then what?
System: [Jing Shuai had specially groomed himself. Chu Shu saw that his attire, accessories, speech, and demeanor were all those of a young master from an aristocratic family. He was well-versed in the various aristocratic families in the capital and thought she had found a rich son-in-law.]
Jing Shu intentionally misunderstood Chu Shu. When Chu Shu asked him about it, he just smiled and said nothing. After two unsuccessful attempts, Chu Shu didn't dare to ask directly. She asked her maid to find out who the young master was, but when she couldn't find out who he was, she thought Jing Shu was using a false name and that he might have some influence behind him. For a moment, she was undecided.
During their time together, Jing Shuai frequently changed his clothes and accessories, all of which looked precious and had a rich history. The gifts he occasionally gave Chu Shu were also fine items. Coming from the service industry, Jing Shu was a skilled talker, and with just a few words, he charmed Chu Shu.
Jing Shu took Chu Shu in a carriage and told her where he lived. Chu Shu's maid quietly followed him and saw him enter. The area was full of official residences, so she naturally assumed he was the son of an official family. The two of them immediately became intimate.
The more Chu Huan listened, the more familiar it sounded: [Isn't this the same modern plot of renting luxury cars and mansions to scam girls?]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
