El paisaje es como una pintura

Capítulo 30

Cheng Fu, being the quick-witted man he was, immediately interjected, "What do you mean by 'painted'? I came back with the young master. How come I didn't see him with any of these?"

Xiao Yuan smiled and nodded: "Monkey. If A-Zhu tries to hit you again, I'll stop him for you."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Fu actually knelt down and kowtowed, thanking Xiao Yuan for saving his life. Only then did he retreat, causing everyone in the room to burst into laughter.

The old woman guarding the corner gate hurried in. Just like last time, she laid out five or six copper coins. The crowd, who had just stopped laughing, burst into laughter again: "Young mistress, it must be Qian Shisan Niang who has arrived."

The gatekeeper said, "Young mistress, should I send her back?" Xiao Yuan shook her head and said, "She is a guest after all. Please come in and talk."

Qian Shisan Niang was extremely anxious. Upon hearing the invitation, she rushed in, much to Xiao Yuan's surprise that she, with her bound feet, could walk so quickly. Qian Shisan Niang, preoccupied with her concerns, cut to the chase: "Sister-in-law, does my cousin intend to take Ji Liu Niang as his concubine?"

Xiao Yuan lowered her head and fiddled with the lid of the teacup, looking very aggrieved: "I dare not refuse Madam's kindness."

Qian Shisan Niang glanced resentfully towards the second courtyard: "Sister-in-law, Ji Liu Niang has already been cuckolded before she even entered the house, aren't you afraid?"

Xiao Yuan was just trying to find out why Ji Liu Niang had chosen to become a concubine. Hearing this, she was secretly delighted, but said aloud, "She is a lady from a respectable family, and the matchmaker was personally recommended by the madam. How could there be any problems?"

Qian Shisan Niang hesitated for a moment, then said, "If I tell you about Ji Liu Niang's secret, could you replace the person in the room with me?"

"Shameless!" Ayun was furious. Before Xiaoyuan could say anything, she rushed to the big pine tree in the courtyard, broke off a thick branch, and started hitting Qian Shisan Niang on the head and face.

Qian Shisan Niang, with her delicate skin, couldn't withstand those few blows. She cried out a few times and fell to the ground, unable to get up. Xiao Yuan had intended to coax her into revealing Ji Liu Niang's secret, but A Yun, eager to protect her mistress, ruined the plan. So, she made up a story: "Shisan Niang, your cousin knows quite a few young masters whose wives are vacant. I'll find one for you, so you can become a respectable wife. Wouldn't that be better than being someone's concubine?"

Two old women helped Qian Shisan Niang up from the ground, groaning in pain: "Being a wife isn't so easy. My sister-in-law and I are good at providing dowry."

"You ungrateful vixen." Before Ah Yun could put down the pine branch, she went up and struck it a few more times upon hearing this.

Xiao Yuan was also furious with her at this moment, so she didn't stop A Yun, but continued to coax her, saying, "It's just a matter of a few coins, your sister-in-law will pay for it."

Qian Shisan Niang was overjoyed, feeling that those dozen or so pine branch blows were truly worthwhile. She immediately shook off the two old women, crawled down, and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, sister-in-law, for preparing my dowry. Now I'll tell you about Ji Liu Niang. She and her brother-in-law have a rather ambiguous relationship; it's all over Quanzhou. She couldn't stay there any longer, so she came to Lin'an." Xiao Yuan laughed, "Sister-in-law, now that you have this good news from me, are you afraid my aunt will try to force her on you?"

She was eager to hear Xiaoyuan express her gratitude, but Xiaoyuan looked disappointed: "With news like this, you have the nerve to ask me for my dowry? If you bring this up in front of the madam without any evidence, I'll just get scolded."

Seeing her prize about to slip away, Qian Shisan Niang, ignoring the pain, stood up and said, "Sister-in-law, your ship goes to Quanzhou every day. Why don't you send someone to Quanzhou to find witnesses?" Xiao Yuan said, "The witnesses are far away in Quanzhou. Your aunt is sitting at home. By the time they travel all that way, Ji Liu Niang will probably already be inside." After saying that, she looked her over carefully and said, "Aren't you the perfect witness? Why don't you go to your aunt and tell her the truth yourself?"

Qian Shisan Niang was startled. Let alone testifying in person, if Madam Qian found out that she had come to inform on the matter today, she would be in deep trouble.

When A-Yun saw that Qian Shisan Niang started to stammer when Xiao Yuan mentioned Madam Qian, she dropped the pine branch and went to pull her, insisting on going with her to the front courtyard to talk to Madam Qian. When Qian Shisan Niang saw this scene, she dared not ask for the dowry money anymore. She struggled to break free from A-Yun's hand and scrambled to the side gate.

Seeing that she was covered in injuries and had bound feet, making it difficult for her to run, the old woman guarding the gate kindly offered to help, gently patting her back. Qian Shisan Niang, already unsteady on her feet, tumbled down the steps with a thud. The old woman threw the few copper coins she had left at her, clapping her hands and laughing, "Young lady Qian, we're all kind-hearted people; we'll help you even without taking your money."

A-Yun clapped her hands and laughed heartily, then told the maids to carefully gather the pine branches, so that if any such guests came again, they could be treated the same way. Cai-Lian scolded her, saying, "She's a guest, and also a relative of the Madam. You beat her like this; be careful you don't get punished by the Madam." A-Yun laughed, "She's even more afraid of the Madam finding out than I am; how could she dare to complain? She's shameless; she deserves to be beaten by me today, and it's all for nothing."

Xiao Yuan had no interest in Qian Shisan Niang's misfortune. She hurriedly sent someone to the dock to have a ship heading to Quanzhou bring back a few people who knew Ji Liu Niang's background. The maids then realized that what the young mistress had said earlier was just an excuse to get rid of Qian Shisan Niang. A Yun was very impressed and laughed, "The young mistress is truly resourceful. Otherwise, with my pine branch, how could I possibly drive her away?"

Xiao Yuan sighed heavily: "She doesn't have a good backer, so she's not a big deal. But the matter of Ji Liu Niang is very troublesome. We need to spend some time and effort to delay it for a few more days so that the people from Quanzhou can return."

Ayun asked, "We insist that Shi Dai and the picture album don't belong to the young master. What can they do?" Xiaoyuan shook her head and said, "The reason I asked you to say that was just to prove our innocence. As the saying goes, 'Many voices can destroy a person,' and besides, the master has his eye on her good dowry. Even if everyone knows that this is a lie, we still can't deny it."

She sighed deeply after speaking, saying that the most tragic thing is not being kept in the dark, but knowing everything yet still having no choice but to submit helplessly.

She was absolutely right. When Cheng Mutian returned and heard about the matter, he was furious. He didn't care about being a filial son and rushed to the front hall. In front of Master Cheng and Madam Qian, he denied the matter of the Shi Dai painting album. But Madam Qian said, "Sixth Sister's reputation has been ruined by you. You have to accept it whether you want to or not."

Master Cheng also said, "Such a good dowry, it would be foolish not to accept it. It's rare to have an excuse not to accept it. Even if you don't like her, you still have to bring her in and put her here."

Cheng Mutian was furious. He didn't dare to argue with his father and stepmother in person. He went back to his room and ordered his luggage to be packed, saying that he was going to take his wife and son up the mountain to escape the cold. It was rare for such a filial son as him to be able to face his parents directly about taking a concubine. Xiao Yuan was pleased with her husband's firm stance, but she also sighed that he thought too simply about his parents: "I would like to go up the mountain with you, but I'm afraid that when we come down the mountain, there will already be a concubine in the room."

Although Cheng Mutian was unwilling to admit it, he knew in his heart that the two people in his family were indeed capable of such things. He slumped into a chair, feeling quite desperate: "Is it not good to do this or that? Do they have to force me to my death before they're done?"

Xiao Yuan quickly covered his mouth: "What nonsense are you talking about? My son and I are counting on you. It's just taking a concubine, you're not losing anything. At worst, you can just bring her in and ignore her."

Cheng Mutian grabbed her hand: "I won't take her in, I'd rather die than take her in. I can't let you follow in my mother's footsteps. If she dares to step into our house, I'll beat her to death first."

Xiao Yuan nestled against his chest and chuckled softly, "Let's not even talk about the consequences of killing someone. We don't need to risk being labeled unfilial for the sake of an outsider. Nobody will even bother with business if you're not respectful to your parents. Erlang, go away and hide for a few days. I'll come back after I've sorted this out."

Cheng Mutian didn't understand her meaning and asked, "What good ideas do you have? If you want to be the bad guy, I'll do it. A woman's reputation for being unvirtuous is worse than that of being unfilial."

Xiao Yuan patted his hand and teased him deliberately: "My idea is great. I'll go tell Father first thing tomorrow morning that I want to take a concubine for you. Isn't that virtuous?"

Chapter 87 Struggle and Grab (Part 1)

Cheng Mutian knew she wouldn't actually bring a concubine into the house, otherwise she wouldn't have told him to hide out first. Early the next morning, he went to Master Cheng and pointed out some business opportunity, then took Cheng Fu by boat to Quanzhou.

At this crucial moment of taking a concubine, the key person was absent, which displeased Master Cheng. He scolded Xiao Yuan, who had come to pay her respects. Seeing that Madam Qian was not there, Xiao Yuan thought it was a golden opportunity and didn't care about her father-in-law's attitude. Instead, she comforted him, saying, "Father, it will take some time for Ji Liu Niang's dowry to be transported from Quanzhou. Perhaps by the time the dowry arrives, Er Lang will have finished his business and returned."

Master Cheng remembered that Cheng Mutian had also gone to Quanzhou, and said happily, "That makes sense. The ship that Erlang sent the message departed around the same time. Perhaps he will return with the dowry ship."

Xiao Yuan took a few steps forward and lowered her voice, saying, "Dad, do you know that because of Ji Liu Niang's generous dowry, the eldest son of my second uncle's family also wants to marry her? When I went to his house for the New Year's feast, his wife, Fang Shiniang, mentioned this to me."

Master Cheng didn't take it seriously: "Your mother-in-law won't give her to him." Xiao Yuan said: "Of course, Madam would keep the good stuff in the family, but who can guarantee that Ji Liu Niang will stay? Anyway, she's just a concubine, so it doesn't matter which family she goes to. The eldest son of Second Uncle's family is also a handsome man."

Master Cheng was somewhat tempted, so he asked Xiao Yuan if she had a reliable method. Xiao Yuan replied, "Actually, it's very simple. Just have her write a contract of sale." Master Cheng shook his head repeatedly, "She's your mother-in-law's relative after all, and she's supposed to be a proper second wife. Why would she be willing to write this?" Xiao Yuan laughed, "It's not like we won't give it back to her. Once Erlang comes back and we've consummated our marriage, we can burn the contract." Master Cheng stroked his beard and praised, "Excellent! Once we've consummated our marriage, we won't be afraid she'll run away. While Erlang is away, we still need a contract to keep her in check."

Xiao Yuan waited until he hurriedly sent someone to Ji Liu Niang's place to find Madam Qian before she returned to her room with light steps. Not long after, a contract of sale was delivered from the front. It was a contract that Master Cheng had half-forced and half-persuaded Madam Qian to write, and then had Ji Liu Niang put her fingerprint on it. He then brought it to thank his daughter-in-law for her good idea.

Xiao Yuan's mood immediately improved. She ordered someone to find a box of medicine for the sores and send it to Qian Shisan Niang. However, the maid who was delivering the medicine had just stepped out when she bumped into the boisterous Sister Cheng. Without hesitation, Sister Cheng slapped her and started cursing loudly in the courtyard. Xiao Yuan quickly rushed out, told the maid to go and apply the medicine, and then asked Sister Cheng, "This maid has offended her mistress and should be punished, but who are you yelling at by standing in my courtyard like this?"

Sister Cheng's eyebrows shot up: "Why would I scold you? Tell me, am I closer to you, or is Fang Shiniang closer to you?" Xiao Yuan feigned ignorance: "Of course, I'm closer to you." Sister Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. Pointing to the fourth courtyard, she said: "Since you're closer to me, why did you only give that young lady to Fang Shiniang and not to me?"

Xiao Yuan laughed: "There's still one left. I accidentally fell and hurt myself yesterday. That little girl was the one who brought me medicine. Instead of going along to check on her, you hit her."

When Sister Cheng heard there was another one, she became embarrassed and asked, "Aren't you going to leave one for Erlang?" Xiao Yuan didn't mention Ji Liu Niang at all. She only said, "To tell you the truth, although this Qian Shisan Niang is from my stepmother's family, she doesn't meet my stepmother's standards. She's determined to get rid of her. If you're willing to take her home, it will relieve my stepmother of a worry."

Sister Cheng was overjoyed upon hearing this. She rushed off like a whirlwind to Qian Shisan Niang's room with the maid who delivered the medicine. But she returned just as quickly, looking for Xiao Yuan: "Her face has been scratched several times. By the time she heals, my husband will be buying another entertainer. Why don't you swap this one with the one you promised to Fang Shi Niang?"

Xiao Yuan was already annoyed that she could turn on her so easily, hitting her own maid and even cursing in the courtyard. She had only been considerate of others by not telling her about the disreputable Ji Liu Niang. Now, seeing her insistence on her own way, she said, "I didn't promise Fang Shiniang anything. You must have misunderstood. My stepmother's relative—is she someone I can just give away? But that Ji Liu Niang just wrote a contract of indenture. If you can persuade my stepmother, I'll give her to you."

Sister Cheng said happily, "The indenture is already written, so I'm yours. I'll go talk to my stepmother right now, and if she's not willing, I'll go to my father." She was never afraid of anything, so she rushed straight to Madam Qian's main house.

Madam Qian was currently in a state of great anxiety over the indenture. Ji Liu Niang comforted her, saying, "Aunt, Erlang must have feelings for me. When he comes back, he can return the indenture to me. Don't be too anxious." Madam Qian scolded, "What else can you do besides seducing men? Do you think Erlang's wife would just sit back and not make a fuss over the indenture?"

She was in the middle of a tirade when suddenly Sister Cheng rushed in, demanding to see who it was before she even bowed.

Madam Qian was startled by the gust of wind she stirred up and fell back into her chair. After regaining her composure, she said, "I don't have any concubines here that you want, but there is one living next door to Third Sister. If you like her, then go ahead."

Sister Cheng knew she was referring to Qian Shisan Niang and scoffed, "Stepmother, that woman from your family has her face painted like a cat's. My husband would never look at her." Ji Liu Niang was delighted to hear her describe Qian Shisan Niang like that and laughed out loud. Only then did Sister Cheng notice her, scrutinizing her closely for a few moments before praising, "What beautiful peach blossom eyes! My husband will definitely like them. Stepmother, I want this one."

Mrs. Qian was annoyed by her constant use of the term "stepmother," but as a married daughter, she couldn't be scolded at will like a daughter-in-law. She could only suppress her anger and ask, "Do you know who she is? How dare she ask for anything like that?"

"I know." Sister Cheng found a chair and sat down, then called the maid to quickly serve tea. "We only have two young ladies in our family. I have already seen Qian Shisan Niang. This unfamiliar face must be Ji Liu Niang, who just sold herself to my family."

Madam Qian knew that Xiao Yuan wouldn't let it go, but she didn't expect that it would be Sister Cheng who would step forward. She couldn't refute the words "selling herself", so she pointed out the mistake in her words: "Your family is the Jin family, not the Cheng family. Even if she sells herself, it has nothing to do with your family."

Only then did Sister Cheng realize that not everyone was as easy to talk to as Xiao Yuan. She was speechless because of her stepmother's words, so she could only glare at her and Ji Liu Niang before rushing into Master Cheng's study like a gust of wind.

Master Cheng was holding a purple clay teapot and flipping through his private account books when he saw his beloved eldest sister, Cheng, arrive. He greeted her with a smile, "You haven't come to see your father for quite some time, and you only made a perfunctory visit during the New Year." Cheng's eldest sister snorted, "How could I dare to come again? My stepmother thinks I'm not a member of the Cheng family." Master Cheng was in a good mood and coaxed her, "She is, after all, an elder. Just go along with her. Your father will love you."

Sister Cheng stepped forward, flipped through his account book, and casually tossed it aside: "Father's secret stash of money keeps increasing every month, what's there to see?" Master Cheng loved hearing this, and even though the account book was thrown away, he wasn't angry. He smiled and ordered someone to bring her some fruit. Sister Cheng patted his desk and said, "Father, I don't want your money, I just want you. My stepmother is too stingy."

Master Cheng hurriedly asked her which one she wanted, and Sister Cheng replied, "The one who just signed the indenture of Ji Liu Niang, or Qian Shisan Niang. If her face is better, I can have her too." Master Cheng hesitated, pointing to the calligraphy and paintings on the wall and asking her if they were well-written. Sister Cheng became impatient and used the family's tradition of smashing things, grabbing the purple clay teapot in front of him and smashing it. Seeing her throwing a tantrum, Master Cheng also became angry and grabbed an inkstone to smash as well. Both father and daughter were furious and fought over things to smash until there was nothing left to smash. Then they each let go, and Master Cheng called for someone to clean up. Sister Cheng went to find Xiao Yuan for advice.

When Xiao Yuan heard that Sister Cheng had first disrespected her stepmother and then made a scene in Master Cheng's study because of Ji Liu Niang, she exclaimed in surprise, "That Ji Liu Niang doesn't have a good reputation. Do you really want her?" Sister Cheng didn't care and said, "She's just a concubine. What's the point of having such a good reputation? It's precisely because I have her weakness that I can manipulate her."

Xiao Yuan was speechless. She hadn't expected that Sister Cheng, usually so careless, would be so adept at dealing with concubines. Seeing her silence, Sister Cheng pressed her, asking why Master Cheng was being so stingy this time, refusing to give her even one person. Xiao Yuan knew, of course, that Master Cheng wasn't reluctant to part with the person, but rather with the money, so she asked Sister Cheng, "Sister, if Ji Liu Niang doesn't have a good dowry, do you still want her?"

Sister Cheng asked in surprise, "She even has a dowry? My concubines not only don't have that, but we have to spend money to buy it." Seeing that she didn't care about the money, Xiao Yuan gave her a suggestion: "Go and tell your father that you only want the person and not the dowry, and he'll definitely agree to it."

Having been Master Cheng's daughter for so many years, Sister Cheng naturally knew her father's temperament. She immediately stood up with a smile and went to Master Cheng, saying, "Father, I just damaged your study. When Sister Ji's dowry arrives, use her money to repair it." Master Cheng's anger vanished, and he thought to himself that this daughter truly understood him. He smiled and said, "There's no need for so much. When the boat arrives, Father will give you some pocket money." Sister Cheng shook her head, "I don't want that money. It's all Father's. Just give me the person."

After a moment's thought, Master Cheng realized that since he only wanted the dowry, giving the woman to Sister Cheng would please both his daughter and his daughter-in-law—a win-win-win situation. Why not agree to her request? Seeing the smile on his face, Sister Cheng knew that the matter was approved. Overjoyed, she grabbed her father and shook him repeatedly before running to Madam Qian's room, saying triumphantly, "Father is the best after all; he approved it right away."

Madam Qian was taken aback and hurriedly asked for details, but Sister Cheng was in a hurry to go to Xiao Yuan to tell her the good news and wouldn't pay any attention to her. She only said, "Take good care of that concubine for me, and don't let her end up like Qian Shisan Niang."

She left Madam Qian behind and returned to the small round room, only to find Fang Shiniang sitting on a chair, sobbing and crying: "Sister-in-law, you clearly promised to give me Miss Ji."

Sister Cheng loved to see others shed tears, so she clapped her hands and laughed, "You're too late, my father has already betrothed Ji Liu Niang to my family."

Chapter Eighty-Eight: A Battle of Wits (Part Two)

Fang Shiniang knew that although Sister Cheng was muddle-headed, she wouldn't lie. If she said that Master Cheng had given Ji Liuniang to her family, then it really meant it. She understood that there was still a gap between herself and Master Cheng. The more she tried to take Sister Cheng from him, the more pitiful her cries became.

Xiao Yuan's head ached from her crying, so she pointed at Sister Cheng and said, "If you want someone, go talk to me. What's the use of crying here?" Sister Cheng was already the victor, and she knew that Master Cheng would not favor his nephew's wife, so she didn't take her seriously at all. She just made a few sarcastic remarks and turned to leave.

Seeing that Sister Cheng had left, Fang Shiniang cried to Xiaoyuan, "Sister-in-law, look at her." Xiaoyuan used her skills in comforting Wu Ge to console her, saying, "That's just her personality. Don't take it to heart. Why don't you go and talk to our madam?" Fang Shiniang was terrified of her mother-in-law, and by extension, of other people's mothers. She was timid and hesitant to move, clinging to Xiaoyuan and begging her to go and talk to Madam Qian.

Xiao Yuan found it amusing: "You're afraid of my mother-in-law, but don't you think I'm not?" Fang Shiniang grabbed her arm and cried: "We have a lot of brothers in our family, and my mother-in-law only cares about the youngest son. Our eldest son's family is about to run out of food. We're waiting for Miss Ji's dowry to come back and buy rice."

I've seen people complain about being poor before, but I've never seen anyone complain like this. Xiao Yuan was a little overwhelmed and hurriedly pulled her arm away, choosing a chair furthest away from her to sit down. She then said, "You know how much our eldest sister is favored by the master. Who can get back what she takes? But we also have a young lady named Qian. I can make the decision for her. If you like her, you can take her home today."

Fang Shiniang pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her face: "How much is her dowry?" Xiao Yuan pretended to be confused: "I don't know. She is from the same family as the lady. Why don't you ask her?" Fang Shiniang became happy, curtsied to thank her matchmaker, wiped her tears, and went forward.

In the study, Master Cheng and Madam Qian were arguing, and the things that had just been tidied up were smashed all over the floor again. Ji Liu Niang stood far away by the door, looking indignant. Fang Shiniang didn't have the confidence of Sister Cheng and didn't dare to barge in. She tiptoed up to Ji Liu Niang and asked cautiously, "Young lady, why are my uncle and aunt arguing?"

During the days that Ji Liuniang had been staying at the Cheng family's house, even the rough maids had never given her a kind look. Suddenly seeing such a gentle and considerate daughter-in-law, she was very happy. Without even asking who she was, she answered truthfully: "Look at my cousin, she keeps saying she's thinking of things for me, but she's not thinking of me at all, she's only thinking of herself. That Jin Jiu Shao is not only perfectly healthy, but his wife also came to our door to ask for him herself. Why should I stay with this cripple?"

When Fang Shiniang heard her address Madam Qian as her cousin, she knew that she was Ji Liuniang. She quickly chimed in, "Young Lady Ji is indeed insightful. But you only know one side of the story. Jin Jiushao's wife, Sister Cheng, is the most prone to beating and scolding servants. You won't have a good life if you go to her house."

Ji Liu Niang thought to herself, "As long as I can please my man, he will protect me. No matter how powerful the First Wife is, she won't dare to touch me."

Seeing that she remained silent, Fang Shiniang assumed she was tempted. She hurriedly added fuel to the fire, saying, "I'm the kind of person who cherishes people the most. My concubines are all plump and fair-skinned. My eldest son is even more handsome than my second son. Why don't you leave the Jin family and come to my house?"

She was just unlucky. These words fell right into the ears of Madam Qian, who had just lost the argument.

Madam Qian had already suffered a humiliation at Sister Cheng's place. Then, she lost an argument with Master Cheng. She was burning with anger when she suddenly heard these words. Enraged, she lost her composure and cursed a few times. Only after she finished cursing and looked up did she realize that the speaker was her relative's daughter-in-law. Fearing that her reputation for insulting her relative would spread, she quickly suppressed her anger and politely asked Fang Shiniang what business she had come with.

Fang Shiniang was used to being scolded by her mother-in-law. She was very good at reading people's expressions. Seeing that the situation was not right, she dared not mention Ji Liuniang anymore. She only thought that she had come to ask for Qian Shisanniang's hand in marriage.

Madam Qian was just worried that her niece was hard to beat, but upon hearing this, she was overjoyed and no longer cared about what the niece had said earlier. She invited her to the main room to serve tea.

Fang Shiniang was very careful in front of her elders. She only dared to sit on one side of the chair and did not dare to drink the tea beside her. Madam Qian deeply regretted that she did not have such a respectful daughter-in-law. She sighed again and again: "Second Aunt is really blessed to have such a filial daughter-in-law as you. Moreover, you are virtuous and know to take the initiative to help your husband take a concubine."

Fang Shiniang, flattered by the praise, stood up and said a few words of modesty. Madam Qian grew even more fond of her and ordered someone to invite Qian Shisan Niang to come and pay her respects to the first wife. She added, "It's just taking a concubine, there's no need for any formalities. Have a blue cloth sedan chair carried over tomorrow." Fang Shiniang was taken aback: "She is, after all, a lady from a prominent family. It will take a few days to prepare. Besides, the dowry from Quanzhou won't arrive that quickly."

Madam Qian laughed and said, "She's just a concubine, what dowry could she possibly have? I'll just have to spend a few coins to prepare a few chests for her."

It turned out that this was a poor man. Fang Shiniang was filled with regret. She shouldn't have lost her composure after being scolded by Madam Qian and asked for her hand in marriage without even asking about the dowry. She didn't dare to refuse Madam Qian directly and was so anxious that she couldn't sit still.

The young lady was helped in by a maid. Following Madam Qian's instructions, she went to greet Fang Shishi. Seeing several scratches on her face, she seemed to grasp at a straw and quickly stopped her from bowing, saying, "Young lady, the wounds on your face have not yet healed. Let's wait until they are healed before we talk." After saying this, fearing that Madam Qian would call her back, she hurriedly bowed and ran away in a flash.

Her behavior was so drastic that it took Madam Qian a while to recover. She then vented her anger on Qian Shisan Niang: "No one in Lin'an wants you. Go back to Quanzhou." Qian Shisan Niang burst into tears, which stung the wounds on her face. She trembled as she said, "Even Sister Cheng has taken Ji Liu Niang. Aunt, you still won't use me?"

Before Madam Qian could speak, Ji Liuniang interrupted, "Aunt, why don't you just use Thirteen and give me to Young Master Jin?" Madam Qian nearly crushed the lid of her teacup, angrily saying, "Do you really think a man can be fooled forever? Without me backing you up, you wouldn't last a day in the Jin family." Hearing her mention "backing up," Ji Liuniang became even more convinced that she was plotting against her, and stomped her foot to leave, saying, "What kind of skill is it to just talk? Whether I can stay or not, why not send me over to see? Anyway, my indenture isn't in your hands. I'm just waiting for my dowry from Quanzhou and the Jin family's sedan chair to arrive."

As Madam Qian watched her strut out the door with her head held high, she suddenly felt dizzy and slumped off the chair. Qian Shisan Niang rushed to support her and called for a maid to fetch a doctor. Madam Qian waved her hand and said, "It's already become a joke. Don't make a fuss about it anymore. You should go back. It's not that your aunt doesn't want to help you, but nowadays, people only care about wealth when choosing a wife. Without a good dowry, no one will want you."

Qian Shisan Niang bit her lip and asked, "I don't even have a way out if I just want to be a concubine?"

Madam Qian deeply resented that her parents wanted to adopt their son to Old Master Qian. She was fine with it when someone came to ask for him back, but they were unwilling to take the initiative to find a suitable family for him. They just pretended to be dizzy, holding their foreheads and refusing to talk to her.

Filled with resentment, Qian Shisan Niang left. Back in her room, she opened the small box she had brought from home and rummaged through it. Inside, there were only about a hundred coins, a few glass hairpins, and a pair of silver bracelets. Leaning against the side of the box, she shed a few tears. She pulled out a long handkerchief from underneath and sat against the box until dark. Under cover of night, she went to Madam Qian's room and hung herself from a tree branch by the door.

Fortunately, she was spared death; before any marks appeared on her neck, she was rescued by the old woman on night duty. When Xiao Yuan heard that she had tried to commit suicide, she was shocked and rushed over to comfort her, asking why she was so upset. Qian Shisan Niang held her hand and cried, "She's driving me to my death, so I'll make sure she faces legal trouble."

Xiao Yuan knew she was referring to Madam Qian, so she didn't know how to respond. She turned and told A Cai to fetch water and A Yun to fetch a doctor. Seeing that only her maids were busy in the room, Qian Shisan Niang said angrily, "Look, look, I'm about to die, and she doesn't even show her face." Xiao Yuan advised, "Perhaps Madam hasn't woken up yet."

Qian Shisan Niang covered her face and sobbed, "Do they think I'm a fool? Don't think I don't know. It's just because my parents want to adopt their son to another family that they hate me." Xiao Yuan pretended not to hear, personally wrung out a towel for her to wipe her face, and then told the kitchen to turn on the stove and stew ginseng soup for her. Seeing her busying herself, Qian Shisan Niang felt even more that she was a good person.