"Yes. Madam said that Second Master said that the things that must be bought can be bought, and she said that Second Master agreed."
Must-buy items? Does the zither count? Long Er's forehead twitched; he had a headache.
The accountant continued, "But that zither is too valuable, and I dare not make a decision on my own, so I came here to report to the Second Master."
Too expensive? Ryuji's headache worsened. He decided to pour himself a cup of tea to calm himself. After drinking the tea, he asked, "How much?"
"Eighty-eight thousand taels..."
"What!" Before the accountant could finish speaking, Long Er jumped to his feet. "Eighty-eight thousand taels? What kind of broken zither is worth eighty-eight thousand taels of silver! Is it made of gold?"
"No, no." The accountant was genuinely sweating this time. "It's gold."
"Is it really made of gold?" Long Er raised his voice, incredulous. A zither made of gold? So vulgar! Would his Mu'er like it? When did her tastes become so different?
"No, it's not a zither made of gold. It costs 88,000 taels of gold."
With a loud crash, the cup in Long Er's hand fell to the ground and shattered in two.
Eighty-eight thousand taels of gold!
"Very good, very good." Long Er gritted his teeth, his anger rising. This spendthrift wife of hers, she really has some nerve.
Where is she?
"Ah, the shopkeeper is waiting in the accounting office."
"I'm asking about the lady."
"This subordinate is unaware of."
Long Er, his face dark, waved his hand and said, "Send that shopkeeper away. I'm not buying this zither." With that, he strode out and went back to his courtyard to settle accounts with his spendthrift wife.
Ju Mu'er was indeed in the courtyard, excitedly telling the maids about the "legendary zither," mentioning things like "dragon and phoenix in harmony" and "the sound of a thousand years"...
Long Er stormed in and dragged her into the house.
"When I wasn't around, you were just trying to test me with those little tricks, weren't you?" Long Er paced back and forth in the room, his hands behind his back. "I can tolerate your spending like that, but you went after this 88,000 tael gold thing, didn't you?"
Ju Mu'er lowered her head and remained silent.
"You said you wanted to buy a piano before, and you were happy about it, but it was all a test, wasn't it?" Long Er became angrier as he spoke.
Ju Mu'er lowered her head and said softly, "That's a fine zither. A masterpiece, there's no other one like it in the world. The shopkeeper wouldn't sell it; it was his family's prized possession. I had to go through a lot of trouble, outwitting him with my zither, to win it back. The price of 88,000 is already very worthwhile."
Long Er stared wide-eyed. She really dared to say that. Eighty-eight thousand taels of gold! Did she think it was a handful of sand? Even his biggest expenditure didn't amount to more than half that. And she actually said it was worth it! Did she have no concept of money at all?!
Long Er pointed at Ju Mu'er, speechless. Ju Mu'er continued, "Husband, this zither holds its value and will only increase in worth over time. If you buy it, you certainly won't lose money."
"It gets more valuable the longer it's stored?" Long Er almost spat out blood. "You think everyone's going to be a sucker like you, spending gold to buy a piece of rotten wood?"
Long Er paced back and forth in the room, finally managing to squeeze out a question: "Is my husband more important, or that broken zither?"
"My husband is already mine, but the zither is not."
Long Er choked. "Good, very good, you're quite the sharp-tongued one. 'With a husband, there's no zither; give up on that idea.'"
Ju Mu'er lowered her head, tears streaming down her face.
Long Er was even more furious and shouted, "Stop crying. This is settled. From now on, you'll have to ask me before spending any money."
Ju Mu'er cried even harder and started sobbing.
Long Er glared at her: "What are you crying for? Eighty-eight thousand taels of gold, and you still have the nerve to talk back?"
Ju Mu'er shook her head, then suddenly walked over and hugged Long Er, burying her head in his shoulder and crying loudly. "Husband, husband, I really love you, husband, there's no one else like you in the world. You're the only one, and I love you so much."
Long Er hardened his heart: "There are many unique things in the world. Just because you like something doesn't mean you can have it."
"My husband is right," Ju Mu'er cried loudly.
"You should reflect on your actions." Long Er deliberately ignored her tears.
Before he could finish speaking, Ju Mu'er shouted, "I want to go back to my parents' home!"
These words enraged Long Er even more: "Go back if you want, but you can stay at your mother's house and reflect on your mistakes. If I don't allow it, you're not allowed to come back." With that, he left the sobbing Ju Mu'er behind and turned to have the maid pack her luggage.
Ju Mu'er really went back to her parents' home. Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ping were trembling with fear. The Second Master, with a dark face, ordered them to pack Madam's luggage, but also instructed them not to let Madam go hungry, not to let Madam get too hot, and not to let Madam see other men. She was only allowed to stay at her parents' home and reflect on her mistakes.
Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ping didn't fully understand what had happened, only knowing that Madam had once again squandered money and upset Second Master. But since Madam was crying like this, they couldn't ask, so they could only bite the bullet and silently accompany Ju Mu'er to the Ju Family Wine Shop.
Nothing was said that day. The next day, Long Er's anger hadn't subsided. The lack of a wife to hold and sleep with all night made him even more irritable. But something even more infuriating happened: Ju Mu'er had written a letter and had Xiao Zhu deliver it. The letter was illegible, clearly written by her. It said that the couple had different interests and found it difficult to get along, and hoped her husband would study the zither to cultivate his character; otherwise, divorce would be the only option.
Enraged, Long Er tore the letter to shreds on the spot. This blind woman was getting bolder and bolder, daring to tease him about divorcing her husband. Was she implying he was being rejected because she wanted him to practice the zither and cultivate his character?
Yes, she's always looked down on him; from the very beginning, she found him uncouth. Who is her kindred spirit, someone like Chen Liangze?
Long Er was furious and ordered someone to prepare pen and ink. She could scare people, and so could he. She could write a warning of divorce, and so could he write a letter of divorce, and he could write it better than she could.
Long Er wrote meticulously, crumpling page after page, determined to produce a divorce letter with elegant handwriting, rich content, clear organization, and logical reasoning to frighten her. He listed all the accusations he could think of: laziness, childlessness, lack of thrift, disrespect towards her husband, jealousy, gossip, troublemaking, attracting slander in the marketplace, damaging the reputation of her husband's family, and so on.
Upon closer inspection, he found over twenty accusations against her, each enough to warrant a divorce. As Long Er counted them, he suddenly realized that men really weren't all that great. This woman was clearly so wicked, so why did he still love her so much? Although he was angry with her now, he knew in his heart that he loved her, just as she loved that zither.
There is none like it in the world; it is unique.
Thinking this, Long Er sealed the letter and had Xiao Zhu deliver it to Ju Mu'er. He also instructed her, "When you get back, read it to her carefully and make her memorize it. If she breaks any of these rules again, I will definitely punish her severely."
Xiao Zhu nodded repeatedly in fright, took the letter, and left. Just as she stepped out the door, Long Er called her back. "You all must serve Madam well and coax her back as soon as possible. If she returns home within three days, you will be rewarded. Otherwise, you will be severely punished!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhu immediately ran to the Jujiu Wine Shop, eager to tie up Ju Mu'er and bring her back right away.
Long Er leaned back in his chair, looking at the pile of torn paper on the floor. He snorted inwardly, "You're throwing a tantrum. I'll teach you a lesson when you get back."
Long Er waited patiently for two days, but Ju Mu'er showed no sign of returning. Too embarrassed to go see her himself, Long Er sent Li Ke instead. Li Ke went to check, but Ju Mu'er sent him back. He then went to Su Qing to inquire, but Su Qing was also clueless, unsure of Ju Mu'er's plans.
The answer was revealed on the third day.
The official in charge of the household registration office in Kyoto requested an audience with Long Er, intending to curry favor. He claimed that he had arranged for Long Er to divorce his wife and had removed Ju Mu'er from the Long household register. The official seal was affixed, and the matter was settled; he had come specifically to deliver the stamped divorce papers.
Upon hearing this, Long Er was thunderstruck.
The official was still rambling on, saying that Ju Mu'er's scandalous affair was known to everyone, and he felt indignant on behalf of Master Long. But that woman was indeed cunning; she had come to inquire earlier about the conditions under which a husband could not divorce his wife, and he had taken note of that then, feeling that Ju Mu'er would definitely cause trouble.
As expected, Ju Mu'er came to inquire again today, her words evasive and hesitant, asking whether the letter of divorce would be invalid if it were missing or destroyed. The official found her suspicious and asked a few more questions, but she panicked and turned to flee. Unexpectedly, a piece of paper fell from her sleeve—the very letter of divorce written by Master Long. Seeing that her plan had failed, Ju Mu'er pleaded desperately, saying she didn't want to be divorced, so she hid the letter, intending to find out more before making further plans.
The official put everything together. The fact that the woman had been driven back to her parents' home by Master Long had already caused a great stir in the city, and the divorce was a certainty. Now, she dared to hide the divorce papers and destroy the divorce agreement. He was determined not to let her succeed. So the official detained Ju Mu'er, took Master Long's divorce papers, and quickly prepared the official documents. To avoid Master Long worrying about the divorce not going smoothly, he even personally delivered them to her.
Long Er's face turned ashen. So that's how it is.
Her target was never him, but that fool Ji Bosi. Her outburst when he went on his journey was for the public spectacle, for Ji Bosi's benefit. Then she threatened him with the 88,000 taels of gold, feigning pitifulness as she returned to her parents' home—that was also for Ji Bosi's benefit. Next, she used the threat of divorce to provoke and provoke him; she knew he always reciprocated with gifts, and he would surely return the same.
Then she staged another act, removing herself from the Long family register.
She actually went to such lengths to use him to divorce her.
Long Er was so angry he couldn't speak. Very good, excellent. She's truly clever, each step carefully planned and meticulous. Not only did she save him face, but she also achieved the result she wanted.
Very well, she really is something. Calm and collected, she got what she wanted with ease. That brain of hers would be so much better used for making money and doing business, but she's used it to scheme against him!
Long Er walked step by step toward the official, suddenly grabbed him by the collar, and asked in a voice so soft it was almost imperceptible, "Did you see the words 'letter of divorce' on that letter?"
The official gaped, racking his brains to recall. The reasons for divorcing his wife were clearly written on the letter of divorce, but he hadn't noticed if the words "divorce letter" were at the top. At the time, he was so overwhelmed by the joy of currying favor with Master Long and the reward he could gain for doing things for him that he completely forgot about the words "divorce letter" on it. It was clearly a letter of divorce.
Long Er stared into the man's eyes and asked again, "Is there my fingerprint on it?"
The official was able to answer, "There are indeed fingerprints on it."
Is it mine?
The official opened his mouth wide; even if he was stupid, he knew that Master Long was furious at this moment.
"Write her back down, write her back down in the Long family register, she is my second wife!" Long Er's eyes were blazing with anger, he wished he could tear this fool in front of him to pieces.
The official stammered, "But, but, the official seal is already affixed. If we want it rewritten, we'll need...we'll need the marriage contract..."
Long Er grabbed his neck and choked him until his face turned blue and he couldn't speak.
Marriage contract? When he crossed out the names of people, why did he insist on other things instead of this one? But when he rewrote them, he was so verbose and rambling.
Long Er flung the official out the door. He stared at the official and said coldly, "You'd better wait until you lose your official hat."
And that wretched woman, he now knew why she wanted to leave him. She just forgot, he was the renowned Second Master Long. Whatever her reason, she dared to abandon him? She was dreaming!
If he doesn't make her cry and beg him to let her marry him again, he'll write his name backwards!
Author's Note: Okay, okay, it's finally over. I hope everyone is satisfied with this divorce. I wrote this all in one go today to make up for the amount I wrote in the past few days.
However, I still need to work on the later parts; I need to think about it carefully.
72. Settling scores through interrogation: Second Master forces a confession
Long Er was consumed by anger and frustration, but he didn't immediately rush to confront Ju Mu'er. Instead, he locked himself in the study and carefully considered everything.
Just as he was pondering something, a servant came to report that Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ping had returned. Long Er frowned and quickly walked out of the study. Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ping knelt in front of the building, wiping away tears. Dao Ju Mu'er said that she was no longer the Madam of the Long family and had sent them back.
"You'll just leave if I tell you to?" Long Er was furious. "Why aren't you usually so obedient?"
Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ping were too frightened to utter a sound. Long Er shouted again, "Go back and keep a close eye on her."
"But the lady is chasing us away."
"You won't just stay here even if we kick you out?" Long Er looked up at the sky. "It's this late, if you come back, who will cook for Mu'er?"
The two little girls looked at each other, then got up from the ground. "We'll go back now."
Before they could go far, Long Er called them back. The two girls were confused and stood there waiting for instructions. Long Er thought for a while and said, "We can't spoil her. Let her go hungry and ignore her."
"Shall we go back?" The two girls dared not ask.
Long Er ignored them and turned to go back into the library. Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ping looked at each other, unsure of what to do, when Long Er suddenly came out again: "What was she doing when she chased you away?"
"I didn't do anything. I just kept crying," Xiao Ping replied.
Xiao Zhu quickly added, "Madam must be heartbroken that Second Master divorced her; she cried so bitterly." Both maids liked this easy-going Madam and wanted to say something nice for her. Judging from her appearance, Second Master wasn't too heartless towards Madam; perhaps he would soften his heart and bring her back.
Hearing Ju Mu'er crying so bitterly, Ke Long Er sneered. "Very well, let her cry." After saying that, he turned around and was about to go back into the building, but after taking a few steps, he turned back and shouted, "What are you standing here for? Go back to your own courtyards and do your work."
The two girls were startled by the drink and ran away as fast as they could.
Long Er sat in the library for a while, then summoned Li Ke and instructed him to send two clever guards to the Ju Family Wine Shop to secretly watch over Ju Mu'er and prevent her from discovering him. He also instructed them to keep an eye on whether anyone else was tailing Ju Mu'er, and if so, not to alert them, but to keep a close watch and report back.
Li Ke accepted the order and left. Long Er sat for a while longer before instructing the kitchen to prepare dinner.
He barely ate a couple of bites before losing his appetite, staring blankly at the table full of food. Mealtimes were usually the liveliest, because the blind woman was such a handful. They had to serve her food, pick out boneless and thornless cuts, and the bowls, chopsticks, and spoons had to be placed in fixed positions. She didn't eat much; eating too much or cold food would give her a stomachache. She also wouldn't eat anything with shells, partly because it was inconvenient, and partly because he thought she was lazy.
She's not only lazy, she also loves to act cute. She'll happily eat chestnuts if he peels them for her; she even had a stomachache from eating chestnuts once because of this.
She not only acted coquettishly, but she also did it in a roundabout way. She was awkward and cunning, always managing to make him laugh. In the six months since she married him, he felt he had laughed heartily more often than in the previous ten years.