Chapter 17 He felt he was no different from Xue Shanhe…
Upon hearing the word "gratitude," Liang Shao immediately trembled with rage, his teeth chattering. Gratitude! Gratitude! Gratitude! So she never loved him at all! She never loved him! Perhaps not even a shred of affection. All her kind words, her tender gestures, her initiative in kissing and hugging him—all the good she did for him—were nothing but gratitude! He was merely an object for Xue Shanhe to repay her debt of gratitude! To Xue Shanhe, Liang Shao was nothing more than a plaything. When Xue Shanhe was about to give birth, she would beckon him; once she had repaid her debt, she would immediately kick him aside. He was no different from Xue Shanhe's dog!
A surge of resentment welled up in Liang Shao's heart. He suddenly grabbed Shanhe's wrist, his eyes flashing like lightning, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Xue Shanhe, do you even have a heart! Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude! Why is everything about gratitude, every single thing about gratitude! You married me out of gratitude, you remained silent after marriage out of gratitude, you took care of your grandfather out of gratitude, you had children out of gratitude, and you were even forced to stay here out of gratitude?! Is gratitude all you've ever felt in your life? Why can't you love me! Why can't you love me!" With that, Liang Shao pulled Shanhe close and shoved her into his arms.
In an instant, Shanhe felt the world spin, her vision blurred, and she was suddenly lifted up by Liang Shao and thrown onto the bed. Even the softest mattress would hurt if thrown like that. Shanhe felt a sharp pain in her back and curled up, trying to get up, but Liang Shao had already moved closer and pressed her down on the bed. His eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched, and he loosened his belt to bind Shanhe's hands while simultaneously putting on his black boots and kneeling on her lower abdomen.
He almost shouted, "Continue to repay the debt of gratitude!"
Shanhe trembled as she resisted, only to find Liang Shao kneeling on top of her, her hands tightly bound. Utter humiliation instantly overwhelmed her. She struggled desperately, her toes leaving deep marks on the brocade mattress, but only resulting in deeper restraint. Shanhe raised both fists and pounded them heavily on Liang Shao's chest: "I'm not a courtesan from Pingkangfang! If you want to rape me, go somewhere else!"
After being punched by her, Liang Shaosheng coldly laughed, "Fine. Pingkangfang is so far away, nothing compares to the cheapness of Shuyu Pavilion. From today onwards, you are Xue, the prostitute I keep at Shuyu Pavilion!"
*
Inside the Lantai Pavilion.
Liang Ye sat in his armchair, using his fingers as a pillow, and looked with annoyance at the pair of courtesans who had been sent from Pingkang Lane, kneeling on the ground and trembling. He let out a long sigh.
Last night, at the governor's banquet, he drank a few too many cups of wine. In his hazy, dazed state, he glanced at the two beautiful sisters a few more times. They were just ordinary women, but their eyes and brows were... strikingly similar to hers.
The younger one, in particular, shrank back, with only two plain hairpins in her hair, her eyes gentle, not daring to look at anyone, just like when he first met her. Perhaps it was the alcohol that transformed her into her, for Liang Ye couldn't help but raise his hand to stroke the woman's slender neck that was exposed.
But then the woman spoke, her voice sweet and clingy, holding a wine cup to Liang Ye's lips: "Please drink, sir." He was suddenly jolted awake; when had Shan He ever been so intimate with him? Opening his eyes again, he saw someone else. That sweet voice reached his ears again, and Liang Ye sighed inwardly, a look of melancholy on his face. His thoughts returned, and he reluctantly withdrew his hand, wiping it repeatedly with a handkerchief until the irritating scent of perfume was gone.
Everyone knew that Liang Ye was cold-hearted and aloof, never surrounded by women, and even his maids were few and far between. They assumed he was engrossed in his studies, but unexpectedly, last night, after drinking, Liang Ye's gaze was unfocused, fixed intently on the two beautiful sisters. Although he later left the two beauties behind, everyone assumed it was due to his self-control and self-preservation.
Liang Ye is now twenty-one years old, unmarried and without concubines. These busybodies, seeing Liang Ye traveling alone, were quite concerned for him and urged the governor to find the two women from the previous night. They rented a small sedan chair and sent them to Liang Ye's residence, truly showing their good intentions for the sake of the Liang family's lineage.
Liang Ye sighed and said in a deep voice, "Send it back." He had already made up his mind about the matter of marriage.
Cheng Min agreed to help them leave, but the older one knelt on the ground and burst into tears, kowtowing repeatedly: "We can't go back! If we're sent back like this, we'll die! Please, sir, save us, have pity on us! I can do anything, even sweeping and cleaning!"
The younger sister was stunned for a moment. Seeing her older sister weeping uncontrollably, she also felt sorrowful. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she prostrated herself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
Liang Ye's pupils contracted sharply. Those two watery eyes held pleading, pity, and fear. He suddenly remembered that night outside the study of Shuyu Pavilion, she was hanging on Ah Shao, completely naked, her beautiful eyes darting around, her demeanor languid, her eyes covered with a thin layer of post-coital moisture. Then she suddenly saw him behind the tree, her eyes also filled with the same pleading, pity, and fear.
He slowly gripped the wooden armrest of the round-backed chair with his fingertips.
Seeing that Liang Yehan was ignoring the two women's crying, Cheng Min assumed that his mind had not changed, so she immediately summoned two strong maids to drag the two women away.
The two women cried and wailed, kowtowing incessantly until blood seeped from their foreheads.
Liang Ye rubbed his temples impatiently: "Never mind."
The two women on the ground, Cheng Min, and the two maids were all startled.
When he looked up again, Liang Ye had a different plan in mind. He said to Cheng Min, "You two can go down first."
Once Liang Ye and the two sisters were alone in the room, he focused his gaze and carefully observed the two faces that resembled Shanhe. Their eyebrows were thin and level, with only a slight arch, like willow leaves on a treetop. Their almond-shaped eyes were round and bright, like shimmering autumn waves. Further down, however, the resemblance changed. Both sisters had straight noses, lacking flesh; Shanhe's was softer, with a rounded and delicate tip, suggesting good fortune. The elder sister had thin lips, a beautiful face, but her thin lips seemed to carry a hint of bitterness. The younger sister's lips were full, but wider than Shanhe's, as if a slight smile would immediately reveal two rows of perfectly white teeth, lacking Shanhe's gentle grace.
Liang Ye said coldly, "What are you calling me?"
The elder sister hurriedly kowtowed: "This servant's name is Fan Niang."
The younger sister imitated her older sister, timidly saying, "This servant...this servant's name is Zhenniang."
Which character is "蘩"? Which character is "蓁"?
The two sisters exchanged glances. Fan Niang said apologetically, "We servants have never been to school and don't know many characters." "Don't know many" meant she simply didn't recognize them. Fan Niang had a certain amount of pride; standing before Liang Ye, she felt as if she were under the blazing sun, everything about her, good and bad, laid bare, leaving her nowhere to hide. She was afraid of being utterly looked down upon by him, which was why she said "don't know many characters."
Liang Ye could see through her thoughts, but he was too lazy to expose them. After a moment of silence, he got up and went to his desk, his tone calm: "Well, let's go back. Lantai Pavilion is short two cleaning maids. Let Chengmin show you around."
Fan and Zhen exchanged a glance, knelt respectfully on the ground, kowtowed to Liang Ye to express their gratitude, and were about to leave when they suddenly heard a voice from in front: "Wait." Fan immediately raised her eyes and looked at Liang Ye hopefully.
Liang Ye twisted his wrist, picked up a brush, and wrote the characters "Fan Niang" and "Zhen Niang" on two pieces of paper, then said, "From now on, these will be your names."
Fan Niang hurriedly stepped forward, took the Yun Jian with both hands, and led Zhen Niang out.
Liang Ye looked at the two women, then suddenly said, "Wait." Fan Niang and Zhen Niang had no choice but to stop again, looking at him expectantly. Liang Ye silently observed Zhen Niang's face, then picked up his brush again to write, lowering his brows and saying, "'Zhen' is not a good character; it violates the taboo of your grandmother's name. From now on, you will be called—"
"He Niang".
The character "荷" (lotus) was written with vigor and strength. Liang Ye noticed that He Niang's blinking eyes looked exactly like Shan He's. He suddenly smiled and explained, "It's the '荷' (lotus) in '荷花' (lotus flower)."
He Niang thanked the man for his kindness and took her leave with Fan Niang. Just as they stood down in the corridor, Cheng Min came over carrying two sets of maid's clothes: "Come with me." Fan Niang hurriedly stepped forward to take the wooden tray with the clothes, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your trouble, young master."
Cheng Min led the way, slightly lifting his eyelids: "Just call me Cheng Min." After walking a few steps, he slowly began to explain the rules of the Liang family. Fan and He both responded politely. Seeing that they were sensible, Cheng Min guessed that Liang Ye wanted to keep them here, so he spoke indifferently: "Now, within the Liang family, Shuyu Pavilion is the most prestigious. The Second Master... and the Second Mistress are both cherished by the First Master. In the future, remember to prioritize Shuyu Pavilion first. Lantai Pavilion is secondary, that's fine."
Upon hearing this, Fan and He were astonished that while there were always brothers fighting among themselves in other households, the Liang family was so harmonious and respectful to each other. They secretly praised Liang Ye's character.
As they spoke, they arrived at the side room where the maids lived, which was originally a three-section red brick house behind Lantai Pavilion. Cheng Min called over two other maids who served in the main room and said, "This is Fan Niang, and this is Zhen Niang. They will both serve the master from now on."
He Niang, who was usually quiet, finally spoke up, her voice soft and timid: "Brother Cheng Min, the master said my name was taboo and has changed it for me."
"What's your name?"
“He Niang,” He Niang added, “the He as in lotus flower.”
Cheng Min paused for a moment, then nodded: "Oh, He." He smiled and then made proper arrangements for Fan and He without mentioning it.
Enough of the small talk. After Fan and He left, Liang Ye sat alone behind his desk, his eyes lowered as he looked at the name cards of noble ladies from the capital placed on the desk. He rubbed the pen with his fingertips, biting his lip and remaining silent.
After passing the imperial examination and becoming a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), Liang Ye, carrying his patriarch's visiting card, went to study under the esteemed scholar Ouyang Wensheng, a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel. Among all the candidates in this year's examinations, Ouyang was most pleased with Liang Ye. Firstly, Liang Ye possessed exceptional talent compared to his peers and was diligent in his studies, making him a shoo-in for the top scholar position. Secondly, Liang Ye came from a distinguished family. Although the Liang family had declined by his father's generation, the reputation of his grandfather as a Grand Secretary and the story of his parents' martyrdom in fighting the epidemic were still occasionally praised among the people. Thirdly, although Liang Ye was gentle and polite, he was actually a precocious and shrewd individual, possessing a keen understanding of human nature and the ways of the world even at a young age. Fourthly, Liang Ye's parents were both deceased, his grandfather was old and had long been out of the political arena, and he only had a younger brother who had bought his way into an official position. By becoming Ouyang's student, Liang Ye was essentially adopting a son from a different family. Based on these four points, Mr. Ouyang concluded that Liang Ye was no ordinary man, and that not only would his official career be smooth, but he might even become a high-ranking official. Therefore, when Mr. Ouyang learned that Liang Ye had never married or taken a concubine, he immediately praised him, saying, "Mr. Liang truly has foresight."
Along with the good news of Liang Ye's passing the imperial examination, a list of unmarried noblewomen from the capital, sent by Mr. Ouyang, was also sent to Mizhou. The women listed were all from distinguished families, some wealthy and powerful, others of virtuous character. This list was reportedly originally intended for the Ouyang family's sons to use in their marriages; Mr. Ouyang's entrustment of it to Liang Ye, instructing him to choose a suitable wife, demonstrates the high regard Mr. Ouyang held for Liang Ye.
The matter of finding a bride was a major concern for Liang Ye. When his grandfather was alive, he had arranged a marriage for Liang Ye with a daughter from a noble family in the capital. But now that his grandfather had passed away, Liang Ye was alone, and the brides he proposed to were not quite up to par. Ah Shao, needless to say, could only remain in Mizhou. Thus, the Liang family line was thin; in this generation, only Liang Ye had gone to the capital to pursue his career. If he wanted to marry into the family, he would have to become an adopted son-in-law. Liang Ye thought wistfully that now he could only cling to the vine of Mr. Ouyang and choose from among them. Fortunately, all the daughters of the Ouyang family in this generation were already married or engaged, so Liang Ye didn't have to marry an Ouyang girl, and therefore wouldn't be completely tied to the Ouyang family.
Thinking of this, Liang Ye exhaled a breath of stale air.
Just as he was feeling lost, the door opened slightly. It was Cheng Min who came to report that Fan and He had been settled in. Liang Ye lowered his head and hummed in agreement, focusing on writing and not taking it to heart. Cheng Min stood by the door, hesitating whether to tell Liang Ye about the recent turmoil at Shuyu Pavilion.
Before he could speak, Liang Ye raised an eyebrow: "What are you standing there for? You have something to say?"
Cheng Min quickly shook her head: "It's nothing."
Liang Ye glanced at Cheng Min with a deep look in his eyes. His face still held a gentle smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Cheng Min sighed inwardly and said respectfully, "This afternoon, Second Master invited Old Master Wang, who specializes in gynecology, over. Now that the old master has left, Shuyu Pavilion is making a lot of noise." He lifted his eyelids to steal a glance at Liang Ye's expression, carefully choosing his words, "I heard from the maidservants of the Second Branch that Second Master and Second Mistress have been arguing these past few days, and even Qingyue has been kicked out."
A drop of ink fell onto the letter, blurring the character "照" into a black mess. The last sentence, "Miss Xi Zhao, the eldest daughter of Minister Su, is of refined manners and possesses a gentle and virtuous heart. I admire her greatly and humbly request that my esteemed teacher temporarily assume the role of matchmaker," was only half-written when Liang Ye put down his pen, frowning as he asked, "Still arguing?"
Cheng Min laughed and said, "It seems so."
Liang Ye let out a long "Oh," then slowly narrowed his eyes, lifted his robe, and stood up, saying solemnly, "If the zither and lute are not in tune, the household affairs will be in disharmony. As the elder brother, I cannot stand idly by."
*Cheap (pronounced like "bian"): convenient.
*Iceman: Matchmaker.
A note from the author:
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Next chapter: "The elder brother's feigned concern causes discord between the young couple."
It feels like Shan Shan and Liang Shao used every hurtful thing they could think of.
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