"Hmph!" Ling Tian snorted coldly, staring at An Xin with a gloomy face, and said, "The matter is beyond redemption. You only need to kowtow and admit your sins on behalf of your unfilial daughter, and I will no longer hold it against you!"
An Youwei's expression suddenly changed.
The ancients said one should only kneel to Heaven, Earth, and the Emperor. How could he possibly kneel before the Emperor?!
Xu Ruolan trembled slightly.
An Xin's gaze darkened slightly; she was about to inflict humiliation on An Youwei!
Although An Youwei is not her biological father, he is the biological father of this body. An Xin will definitely not let him suffer this humiliation. However, seeing that the Ling family is making a big fuss and will not give up until they get what they want, she is afraid that things will not be resolved so easily.
An Xin stepped forward and said, "I'm the one who's divorcing my husband, so say whatever you want to me!"
---Aside---
Did anyone guess right? Love you all~ Keep this bookmarked, believe me, it'll get even more exciting from here on out~
☆, Chapter Seven: We'll see
An Xin stepped forward and said, "I'm the one who's divorcing my husband, so say whatever you want to me!"
Madam Ling sneered, "Who do you think you are!"
An Xin sneered: "If I'm no good, then isn't your son, whom I divorced, even worse?!"
Madam Ling's expression suddenly changed, and she shouted angrily, "How dare you!"
An Xin glanced indifferently at Madam Ling. Everyone is selfish. She divorced Ling Xiyao, and the Ling family mobilized a huge force to demand an explanation. What if Ling Xiyao divorced her? Besides, Ling Xiyao has absolutely no feelings for this body. Why waste her best years in front of an iceberg?
An Xin had no patience to develop feelings for him over time!
"Two people who dislike each other will only cause trouble if they stay together. I refuse to apologize, and I refuse to kneel! My parents have no chance with me either! I have no feelings for Ling Xiyao and I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore. If the Ling family insists on getting entangled with me, they will only humiliate themselves and have no one else to blame but themselves!" An Xin's voice was cold, but her words were more and more chilling than the last. She stood in the hall with her back straight, fearless and undaunted, which suddenly stirred something else in Ling Xiyao's heart. It was fleeting, but enough to make him shudder.
An Youwei's eyes widened in surprise. Was this really his daughter? The daughter who had been so happy to hear she was going to marry Ling Xiyao, why was she so heartless and cold-blooded towards him?!
Has my daughter been unhappy all these years?
Has Ling Xiyao treated her no well at all these years?
Xu Ruolan trembled slightly, her eyes brimming with tears, but she managed to hold them back and stood up, saying, "Madam Ling, we are all mothers, and what we want most is for our children to live well. But all these years, Xiyao has treated Xin'er with cold indifference. Three years after we got married, he still… Although my family is poor, my daughter is the best in my heart, and I cannot tolerate anyone treating her coldly. You cannot bear the humiliation of divorcing your husband, so how can I bear to see my daughter suffer?!"
An Xin felt a pang of tenderness. After all, a daughter is the apple of her mother's eye. Although this mother was weak, when it came to her child, her radiance was no less than that of any other mother.
An Youwei also said in a low voice, "Since Xiyao doesn't like Xin'er, we don't want to bear the reputation of currying favor with the powerful. It's better to have no connection with her from now on."
Ling Tian's forehead veins throbbed; what he cared about most was his reputation being trampled on by An Xin!
A high-ranking official was divorced by a commoner woman; he could never swallow this insult!
Ling Xiyao finally spoke, "Father, Mother, let's leave it at that."
"No!" Madam Ling roared. "If the An family doesn't give us an explanation, this matter is not over!"
An Xin lowered her gaze, and Xu Ruolan trembled before finally saying, "I will atone for my daughter's sins!"
Xu Ruolan slowly knelt down. An Xin suddenly opened her eyes wide and stepped forward to pull her up, but was stopped by An Youwei.
An Xin watched helplessly as Xu Ruolan knelt down, the light in her eyes gradually turning cold.
Ling Xiyao was somewhat startled by her cold gaze, but in the end, he closed his eyes. Being divorced was a disgrace to the Ling family. Now the whole court was laughing at them. What was wrong with his parents not being able to swallow this insult?
In the end, he was wrong. Perhaps he shouldn't have agreed to the marriage in the first place!
“Let’s go…” An Youwei sighed, then helped Xu Ruolan up. After taking a few steps, he saw An Xin standing motionless, staring coldly at Ling Xiyao. Startled, he hurriedly pulled her out.
As An Xin left, she glanced at Ling Xiyao and spoke softly, as if to say, "We'll see!"
****
The carriage sped along the forest road. An Xin casually lifted the curtain and looked out the window. It was already completely dark. At this speed, they wouldn't reach Wuhua Village until dawn.
An Xin was not sleepy and stared out the car window in a daze.
An Youwei forced a smile and said, "Xin'er, Wuhua Village is called Wuhua Village because it is composed of five villages."
An Xin never liked to remember useless things, but everything here was unfamiliar, so she had no choice but to listen.
"Five villages?"
“Yes, they are Huadong Village, Huaxi Village, Huanan Village, Huabei Village, and Huazhong Village, collectively known as the Five Hua Villages. Our family is from Huanan Village, which has mountains and rivers, and beautiful scenery. It is the most beautiful place among the five villages.” An Youwei’s eyes shone as he talked about the village.
An Xin's lips twitched slightly; these village names were indeed familiar to her.
“…Every year, the village holds a martial arts competition. I participated once, and your thirteenth uncle beat me so badly that my head was bleeding. Haha, luckily your mother took care of me back then.” As An Youwei said this, his gaze towards Xu Ruolan was warm and affectionate. Xu Ruolan’s pale cheeks flushed slightly, and she scolded, “It’s been so many years, and you still remember!”
An Xin couldn't help but smile slightly; her mother's blushing face was also beautiful.
Dewdrop blinked and asked, "Master, did Uncle Thirteen win in the end?"
An Youwei laughed and said, "Yes, in the end, the thirteenth brother won the final victory. The village chief rewarded him with a huge string of copper coins, which made us extremely envious. But later, the thirteenth brother accidentally broke his leg and never participated in the martial arts tournament again. His personality also became strange and irritable."
When a person becomes physically disabled, their personality often becomes somewhat eccentric.
An Xin rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and said, "Father, tell me about this dynasty."
An Youwei was taken aback, then remembered that An Xin had probably lost her memory, and couldn't help but feel guilty, saying, "Your father is useless, and I've made you suffer. It is now the hundredth year of the Tianqi era, the hundredth anniversary of the founding of Dayi, and the emperor has been on the throne for a little over a year. Most important matters of the court are handled jointly by the left and right prime ministers, but the emperor trusts the right prime minister more, and he also entrusts most of the affairs of the court to the right prime minister. The right prime minister holds great power and can be said to have an absolute hand in the court!"
An Xin was secretly alarmed when she recalled how the Right Chancellor had frequently issued orders on behalf of the Emperor at the Lan Yue Palace. She suspected that An Youwei's near-beheading was also due to his behind-the-scenes interference. It seemed that the Right Chancellor was not a good person. On the other hand, the Left Chancellor had a gentle voice and spoke politely without any overstepping his bounds, which made him more likable.
"Father's official rank is low, and he has never seen the real person, but he has heard that both the Left and Right Chancellors are dragons among men, with unparalleled looks and elegance. There is a saying in the capital, 'Lotus in the clouds, flower on the roadside.' The lotus in the clouds refers to the Left Chancellor, and the flower on the roadside refers to the Right Chancellor. However, the Right Chancellor has a clear sense of likes and dislikes. If he is good to you, he will treat you well even if you are utterly wicked. If he dislikes you, he will not change his mind even if everyone in the world likes you. All the memorials submitted by the court officials are reviewed by the Right Chancellor. Father has heard that the Right Chancellor only reads the first paragraph of a memorial. If the first paragraph is not well written, it will be discarded. Later, the discarded memorials in the palace piled up like mountains. The Right Chancellor then summoned all the officials to the palace, slaughtered cattle and sheep, and roasted meat to eat. The paper for starting the fire... of course, was never lacking."
An Xin's lips twitched. Could this be the legendary treacherous minister?!
Using memorials to start a fire and roast meat, what an idea...
"As for the Left Prime Minister, he lives a secluded life and rarely appears in public, but there are countless rumors about him. When the Left Prime Minister was ten years old, all the talented people in the world gathered in the capital. The Left Prime Minister competed against the heroes and won in all aspects of music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Later, Master Fan Hua from the Western Regions came to the capital to discuss the Dharma and scriptures, but he was also defeated. Since then, the Left Prime Minister has become famous throughout the world and is respected by the world."
An Xin thought that even ancient people had idol effects. This Left Prime Minister was probably also deified by rumors. Everyone said he was like a god. One person told ten, ten told a hundred, and it became true. No matter how good the rumors were, he was still just a pretty face.
"As for the second half of the line 'Lotus in the Clouds, Flowers on the Roadside,' 'The moon rises over the southern border, the sunset glows over the western region,' these two lines have a profound meaning. Father only knows that there is the Holy Moon Sect in the southern border and the Fan God Sect in the western region. These two lines must be related to these two sects."
The moon rises over the southern border, and the sunset glows over the western regions.
An Xin had also encountered these two places in books, especially in martial arts novels. The terminology was somewhat vague, making it difficult to pinpoint their specific locations. If given the opportunity, she would definitely want to visit them. She had a peculiar longing for either the Western Regions or the Southern Frontier.
Just as I was pondering this, I suddenly heard Dewdrop say happily, "Master, Miss, we've arrived!"
---Aside---
Please save this if you like it. Love you all! O(∩_∩)O
Chapter 8: The Things That Happened in the Village
What comes into view is a continuous landscape painting, as if painted with ink, poetic and picturesque, extremely beautiful and wonderful.
Looking at the beautiful scenery before her, An Xin smiled and said, "It has the gentleness of Jiangnan and the ruggedness of Jiangbei, which are cleverly combined. It's so beautiful!"
Houses dot the lush greenery, with fields stretching out in the distance, the green of the grass blending seamlessly with the blue of the sky. After a fresh rain in the empty mountains, a clear spring flows over the rocks—what a picturesque pastoral scene!
"Look, isn't that An Youwei, the one who bought his official position and was demoted? He's got no knowledge, yet he wanted to be an official? Now the emperor found out, and he almost got beheaded!"
"He has no ancestral roots, yet he dares to dream of being a just and upright official. I heard he even wrongly judged a murder case. When someone like that becomes an official, it's us commoners who suffer!"
"Tsk tsk, that second daughter ran away, and the eldest daughter married the Grand Master of Ceremonies but is still not well-liked. She might be divorced any day. A chicken trying to become a phoenix, what a disgrace!"
...
The disdainful mockery and sarcasm disrupted the scenery before him, but to the dejected An Youwei, it felt like a sharp piercing to the heart, making his thin body appear even more frail.
Xu Ruolan's face turned bright red with embarrassment, and her body trembled slightly.
An Xin stared indifferently at the villagers watching. Back then, An Youwei unearthed an antique and became an official overnight, which aroused the envy and jealousy of countless people. Now that he was down on his luck, everyone was naturally sarcastic and snobbish, feeling very pleased.
"These people have gone too far!" Dewdrop said indignantly.
An Xin said calmly, "It's just human nature. There will never be a shortage of people who will kick you when you're down. We can't change others, we can only change ourselves. Only by standing at a height that others can't reach can we earn respect and admiration!"
Dewdrop bit her lower lip, feeling that what the young lady was saying was very profound.
"Oh~ who do we have here to return home in glory?! It's his uncle! He's only been an official for a year and he's already retired and returned home?" A sarcastic voice came from the crowd, and a woman wearing a bright red jacket and a long blue cloth skirt walked out. Her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head, with two silver hairpins inserted diagonally. She held a handkerchief and walked over with a swaying gait.
Xu Ruolan suddenly stepped forward and said, "Sister-in-law, it's been a long time..." As she spoke, she hurriedly took out a fine jade hairpin from her bag and stuffed it into the woman's hand. The woman's eyes lit up, but she put it away nonchalantly. Then she curled her lip and said, "As expected of an official's wife, you're so generous. You've come to our Huanan Village to ask for lodging?"
An Youwei's face turned dark red. He knew that Liu Yuemei was deliberately dodging the issue and never mentioning the land, simply because she wanted to take it for herself.
But now that the land was in her hands, he had no choice but to swallow his anger and say, "It's not just a temporary stay, it's a long-term stay. There are a few houses and a few plots of land at home, which is enough for me to support the mother and daughter!"
Liu Yuemei immediately shrieked, "How many houses and how much land? Are you daydreaming in broad daylight?"
An Xin's special environment in her previous life allowed her to come into contact with mostly people of high quality. She rarely came into contact with ordinary people like this. She only knew that the villagers in the books were simple, honest and kind. Where had she ever seen such a shrew?
An Xin frowned slightly and said calmly, "Dewdrop, is the land deed still in Father's hands?"
Dewdrop said, "I heard Madam mention that this land was only given to my eldest uncle to cultivate back then, but the land deed was never given to him, and the house deed is still in Master's hands."
An Xin paused for a moment and said, "Father, the land deeds and house deeds are in our hands. The Prefect will surely stand up for us. There's no point in saying more."
Liu Yuemei said in a shrill voice, "Oh, isn't this the Lady of the Chamberlain? After drinking ink for a few years, you already know what a land deed or house deed is?"
An Xin was too lazy to pay attention to such people. She smiled slightly and said, "Fellow villagers, my father has returned to his hometown. I am sure he will be bothering you all a lot in the future. Tonight, my father is hosting a dinner party for you all. I hope you can come and enjoy the wine and conversation and the joy of being together."
The villagers rarely get to eat meat and wine, so such an invitation would surely include both. Naturally, they readily accepted, and their attitudes changed somewhat as a result. Someone laughed and said, "We're all fellow villagers, young lady, you're too polite."
An Xin glanced at the person who spoke, a sallow-faced woman whose clothes were very clean and whose hair was neatly styled. She seemed to have some education. An Xin stepped forward, took off the jade bracelet from her wrist, and put it in the woman's hand, smiling, "Auntie, your needlework is excellent, isn't it?"
Someone on the side exclaimed in surprise, "How did you know? Weaver is the best needleworker in our village!"
An Xin smiled slightly and took her hand, saying, "There are two fine indentations on your index finger and thumb. You wouldn't have such clear marks unless you were holding a needle and thread for a long time. Also, there are tiny needle marks on all ten of your fingers. You must have accidentally pricked your fingers while doing needlework, and they haven't healed yet. Your fingers are slender and well-maintained. You take special care of them because you need to keep your palms clean when doing needlework. It seems that you are very attentive to needlework."
The weaver stared in astonishment, her eyes wide, and said, "What you said is absolutely right..."
An Xin thought that the most important thing in reasoning was to observe details, and this was a very simple thing for her.
An Xin then looked at another middle-aged man and smiled slightly, saying, "Uncle, are you the doctor in this village?"
Weaver Girl asked in surprise, "Uncle Wang is indeed the village doctor, how did you know?"