Chapter 3 "Why would I care about the little bit of money you spent on it..."
Over the years, Liang Shao's friends had all gotten married. Whenever they went out for banquets, those playboys would make excuses to return early, saying they had beautiful wives at home and dared not neglect them. Only Liang Shao, though he was the first to marry, was always the last to arrive at the banquets, only returning to the Liang residence when it was absolutely necessary to wait any longer. At first, he refused to return, not wanting to be close to Shanhe; later, he watched as the wives of the other families sent people to call their husbands home, but Shanhe never paid any attention to him or asked about him. He harbored resentment and waited for Shanhe. But every time, after everyone had left, Shanhe still ignored him, and he had no choice but to ride back dejectedly.
Shanhe knew that Liang Shao had some feelings for her, so she couldn't treat him the way a maid used to treat her master, especially since she now needed his help to have a child. Shanhe thought of how Liang Shao had been spoiled by his elders since childhood and was the type who needed to be pampered, sometimes even more spoiled than his mother. So she stretched out her slender fingers, hooking the tips of Liang Shao's belt, and pouted, saying, "What can I do? I've always been disrespectful to Second Master. If I really went to Pingkang Lane with a knife, wouldn't Second Master be even more angry with me?"
Upon hearing this, Liang Shao maintained his composure, but couldn't help but smile: "When did I get angry with you?"
Shanhe realized that it was not easy for him to save money these days, so he decided to take some money from Liang Shao to prepare for running away later.
She casually tugged at Liang Shao's belt: "Next month is my birthday. Has Second Master prepared a birthday gift? I spent two whole months embroidering a jacket for Second Master's birthday."
Liang Shao laughed: "So that's what it was for. There are still quite a few days until next month, right? You'll find out then." He was completely unprepared, and he couldn't even remember Shanhe's birthday clearly.
"Hmph!" Shanhe raised her beautiful eyes, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "I knew it." Shanhe pointed a fingertip heavily at his chest, then turned away from him. "What next month? I was just teasing you, and you confessed. My birthday is two months away! And you still say you're not angry with me!"
Shanhe cursed inwardly: "How despicable! You were the one who wanted a divorce on our wedding night, and now you're the one making me jealous of Master Song. If you want me to be jealous, you can't even remember my birthday. I'd be a fool to believe you!"
"Shanshan." Liang Shao grabbed her shoulder from behind and said urgently, "I was in a panic and got confused."
Shanhe broke free from his grasp and decided to add fuel to the fire. As she walked towards the dressing table, she said, "I know, it's okay if you mix me up. But if you mistake Song Hangshou's name for her, she might not let you in!"
Upon hearing this, Liang Shao's brows indeed relaxed, and he followed with a smile: "There's nothing between her and me, except that I occasionally borrow her place for drinks and banquets. She plays the pipa very well; I'll take you to listen next time, okay?"
Shanhe sat on the embroidered stool in front of the dressing table, tilting her head to look at him: "So what are you planning to give me?"
"What do you want? How about a set of jade jewelry? Or—" Liang Shao suddenly noticed the new wooden box on the dressing table, next to which was a wooden tray with twenty taels of silver neatly arranged on it. "What's this?"
Shanhe didn't want to teach him about pawning her jewelry, so she opened the box for him to see: "This was a gift from my elder brother, thanking me for helping him take care of his grandfather."
Liang Shao didn't think much of it. In his heart, his elder brother was like a father, and besides, Liang Ye was always upright and proper, so he didn't have much to worry about. However, Shan He's last words reminded him that Liang Ye had scolded him for neglecting his grandfather that afternoon, and thinking about it still made his cheeks burn. Afraid that Shan He would notice, he changed the subject, pointing to the twenty taels of silver and saying, "What about this?"
He asked casually, but Shanhe became nervous. She didn't want Liang Shao to know that she was secretly making plans for her future after the divorce.
Seeing that Shanhe looked a little nervous, Liang Shao took a closer look at the twenty taels of silver. Just now, his elder brother had raised Shanhe's monthly salary, and now there were brand-new silver ingots sealed on Shanhe's dressing table. Shanhe rarely went out, and her clothes and jewelry were always the same old ones. What did she need so much money for? Liang Shao immediately thought of divorce.
The mere mention of "divorce" sent a chill down Liang Shao's spine. He quickly recalled what Shanhe had said the night before: whether the child stayed with the Liang family or went with her, it was up to him. Yes, she must be planning to take the child with her, which was why she needed so much money!
Liang Shao felt a pang of sadness. They had already done that, and they were even planning to have a child. How could they possibly get a divorce?
"Are you leaving?" Liang Shao blurted out.
Shanhe looked up abruptly and saw that Liang Shao's eyes were red and filled with anxiety. Her original intention of telling him about her future plans in a smooth way completely vanished. Seeing his current state, she knew that if she really told him, who knew what kind of trouble he would cause.
"That's not true." Shanhe turned her face away and walked towards the bathhouse. "I'm going to take a bath first."
Liang Shao grabbed Shan He's wrist and bit his lip, saying, "You're leaving, aren't you?"
"You're afraid you won't have money to live without the Liang family, aren't you?"
Shanhe really wanted to say: What else? The divorce papers were signed a long time ago. Once my grandfather is gone, what face do I have to beg and plead to stay here?
But she didn't say that. Instead, she pushed away the hand that was holding her wrist and said with pursed lips, "No, I just pawned those hairpins."
What are you going to do with it?
“I don’t wear it, it’ll just gather dust in the makeup box.”
"Then let it gather dust. What do you need this money for?"
Shanhe tilted her head and looked at him: "With the money in my hand, I feel at ease."
Liang Shao stared at her face, clearly disbelieving. His lips moved, he hesitated for a long time, then suddenly lowered his head and sighed, "Go take a bath."
Shanhe felt a little reluctant, and was also afraid that he would never speak to her again, so she said, "Ah Shao."
Liang Shao didn't turn around, but continued to move towards the bed.
“Ah Shao,” Shanhe gritted her teeth, determined to tell a small, white lie to appease Liang Shao, “I remember you wanted to go to Beichuan to train under the Zhenbei Marquis. Swords have no eyes on the battlefield, and I… I’m scared… So, I want to save some money to buy you a top-quality soft armor. When you go to Beichuan, it will protect you, and I’ll feel more at ease.”
Liang Shao stopped in his tracks, his whole body stiffening. He never imagined that Shan He had saved the money for him, out of concern for his safety. All the unspeakable sorrow he had felt earlier vanished in an instant, and Liang Shao wished he could transform into a spring breeze and caress every spring flower.
Seeing that he didn't move, Shanhe thought her trick had failed and was about to think of a way to coax him when Liang Shao turned around. His lips were clearly upturned, but he tried his best to suppress it. He raised his nose at Shanhe and scoffed, "Do you think I care about the things you bought with your little bit of money?"
Shanhe knew that she had been appeased. She relaxed and said, "Okay, Second Master doesn't care, so we won't buy it."
Seeing that she was about to drop the matter, Liang Shao became anxious: "Hey, you..." He couldn't bring himself to admit defeat, but he felt a tightness in his chest that he couldn't shake off.
Shanhe ignored him and went to the bathhouse to take a bath. When she returned, Liang Shao had already tidied up the quilt and was leaning against the bamboo couch reading a book.
Upon seeing Shanhe enter the room, Liang Shao tossed aside his book and said, "Wait for me to come back."
Shanhe was stunned: "Huh?"
Liang Shao smiled and said, "You go to bed first and wait for me to come back."
Shanhe finally understood what he meant, and her face flushed red. They had agreed last night not to sleep on the footstool again, and now the two embroidered pillows were neatly arranged side by side, truly resembling a harmonious and loving couple. Shanhe touched the embroidery on the pillows and let out a long sigh.
She could tell that Liang Shao liked her somewhat. If she tried harder, perhaps they wouldn't have to divorce. But how could she, the daughter of a disgraced official, be his legal wife for life? She didn't care about Liang Shao's feelings, but Old Master Liang treated her well, and Liang Ye treated her well too. As long as she shamelessly clung to the title of Second Madam Liang, the Liang brothers' careers would be difficult. This was repaying Old Master Liang's kindness with enmity, something Shanhe couldn't and didn't want to do. From the moment the imperial edict confiscating her property flew out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Shanhe was no longer the Jinling Miss Xue who only knew how to embroider and paint. Shanhe sadly clutched her face, a few tears slipping through her fingers.
She was going to leave; she had to leave. Not only for the divorce papers, but also for the future of the Liang family.
Shanhe lay on the bed, her hand behind her head, her thoughts gradually becoming hazy. A short while later, a corner of the quilt was slightly lifted. Soon, the mattress sank in, and Liang Shao, lying behind Shanhe, softly called, "Shanshan."
Shanhe didn't respond; instead, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Liang Shao leaned closer, pressing his body against hers, his skin warm. He whispered in her ear, "Shanshan?"
Shanhe could no longer pretend, so he could only mumble a "hmm".
Liang Shao smiled and stuffed a bulging purse into her arms. Shanhe felt something was sticky in her arms, so she looked down and pulled open the drawstring. Inside, it was full of gold and silver ingots.
"Shanshan, it's all for you. Everything I have, and everything I've saved up, is for you."
Shanhe turned around and looked straight into his eyes: "Why?"
Liang Shao buried his head in Shan He's shoulder, kissing her again and again: "Do you want the soft nails Shan Shan bought for me? Do you want anything else? Shan Shan will buy it all for me, okay?"
Shanhe said with a hint of resentment, "You have everything..."
He had money, an official position, relatives, a respectable status... he had everything. But she had nothing.
Liang Shao chuckled sullenly, "Hmm... I want more. Shan Shan should give it all to me." As he finished speaking, he lowered his head and kissed Shan He's lips, his hand pinching the back of her neck, his fingertips stroking her slender, fair neck again and again.
As the candlelight flickered, he watched with delight as Shanhe's clear eyes gradually welled up with tears, his voice seeming to overflow from her throat.
Liang Shao smiled and pressed close to her, his warm breath brushing against Shanhe's earlobe: "Shanshan, I want the soft nail polish you bought. How about it, hmm?"
Shanhe nodded blankly. Liang Shao kissed her earlobe as he said, "Shanshan, you can have anything you want, okay?"
"From now on, Shanshan will manage all your monthly salary, okay?"
Shanhe gave a vague reply.
Liang Shao suddenly pressed his forehead against hers and said out of the blue, "Let's not go, okay?"
Shanhe paused for a moment, then her eyes cleared instantly. So this guy's entire act was for that one sentence. Shanhe couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why?"
Hearing Shanhe's words, Liang Shao slowly lifted his head from her neck and said in a hoarse voice, "So...you really want to leave?"
Shanhe hooked her arms around his neck, gazing at the stray hairs falling beside his face, her heart sinking lower and lower. Should she tell him? Logically speaking, they had already signed the divorce papers, and leaving was only a matter of time; she could simply tell him directly. With this thought, Shanhe looked back at Liang Shao, only to see his cold, tense face, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, staring intently at her.
"Where do I go?" Shanhe sighed deeply. She hadn't expected to make the decision to lie to him so easily. It seemed that once a person tells the first lie, they would keep lying to cover it up.
Liang Shao, however, thought that Shanhe's sigh was about the question, "Where to go?" He bit his lip and said, "Naturally, your hometown of Jinling."
The last four words made Shanhe's eyes darken. She smiled bitterly, "Everyone's dead, and our house has been ransacked. If I go back all alone, where will I stay? What will I eat?"
"So you need to save money."
Shanhe stared at him, looking directly into his eyes. When Liang Shao frowned, a look of unease appearing in his eyes, Shanhe feigned anger, pretending to push his hand away but not with much force: "Fine, since you're so considerate of me, even planning where I'll go, then please step aside, Second Master, and give me some more silver. I'll return to Jinling immediately!"
Liang Shao immediately grabbed Shan He's shoulders and hurriedly protested, "No! When did I plan anything for you? I was clearly... clearly guessing what you meant!"
Shanhe didn't argue. She just lay on the bed, squinting at his flushed and anxious face, and said softly, "You already knew what I meant. Saving money was to buy you soft armor, it was all for you." She held Liang Shao's wrist.
There was a moment of silence in the room, and then Liang Shao suddenly pounced on Shanhe, pinning her down and kissing her.
Before I knew it, rain had started to patter against the window. The rainwater had carved a small pit under the peach tree in the courtyard of Shuyu Pavilion, and raindrops were dripping into it.
Shanhe leaned against Liang Shao's arm, their breaths mingling. Liang Shao ran his fingertips through her hair and said abruptly, "I want to see your paintings." With that, he suddenly lifted her up, supporting her back. Losing her balance, Shanhe almost fell backward. In a panic, she wrapped her arms around Liang Shao's neck, not even having time to say a word.
Liang Shao walked to the octagonal table and placed Shanhe on the painting she had just painted. In her drowsy state, Shanhe suddenly felt the paper rustling under her buttocks. Looking down, she saw that the misty rain painting she had painted that afternoon was already wrinkled and curled at the edges.
She gazed regretfully at the painting, pondering how to repair it. Meanwhile, Liang Shao's eyes were fixed on Shan He, silently recalling what had happened after his bath—
After bathing, Liang Shao went to his study and did only two things. First, he took out all the gold and silver ingots he had and gave them to Shanhe; second, he burned the divorce papers.
Shanhe is definitely not leaving. Liang Shao thought so.
A note from the author:
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The arrogant puppy: Do you think I care about something you bought with that little bit of money? [eye roll]
Actually: Ahhhhhh, my wife bought me something!!! [Starry eyes]
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