El paisaje es como una pintura

Capítulo 63

This meant he agreed. Xiao Yuan was overjoyed and grabbed his hand that was fastening his belt, saying, "Why are you in such a hurry? Your stepmother still needs to observe a year of mourning for Madam Xin."

"No rush." Cheng Mutian gently pushed her hand away and said, "I heard the Qian family is in chaos. I'm going to take a look. I can't let people gossip about me." Xiao Yuan understood and quickly helped him straighten his clothes, saying, "Sign your name on the straw sticker on the way. If word gets out, no one will gossip."

Cheng Mutian nodded and took Cheng Fu to the Qian family's house. There, a group of Qian family relatives were gathered, noisily demanding the adoption. Upon inquiring with the steward, they learned that apart from a nanmu coffin, nothing else had been prepared for the funeral. Cheng Fu, hands in his sleeves, sighed, "Compared to the Qian family, our family is truly peaceful." Cheng Mutian glared at him and then gestured with his chin towards the Qian family relatives. Cheng Fu understood, stepped forward, and shouted, "Gentlemen, listen to me! Madam Xin has passed away; it's only natural for this branch of the family to adopt a son." He was an outsider, and the Qian family relatives initially wanted to drive him away, but his words swayed them, so they quieted down to listen.

Cheng Fu continued, "Lawfully and logically, one can only adopt one son, not multiple ones, right? With all this arguing, who do you want to adopt? In my opinion, why don't you go to the backyard and decide whether to nominate, draw lots, or choose by lot? Wouldn't that be more convenient?" The Qian family relatives all thought this made sense, and a group of them pushed and shoved each other as they rushed to the backyard.

The mourning hall finally quieted down. Cheng Mutian told Cheng Fu to stay and oversee things, while he took the Qian family steward with him to the paper horse shop to buy supplies. The Qian family steward kept thanking him, saying, "Thanks to Young Master Cheng's arrival, our family didn't even have anyone in charge." Cheng Mutian asked, "Isn't my stepmother here?" The steward smiled bitterly, "She's never been in charge before, how would she know these things? When our old master passed away, wasn't it your young mistress who helped with the arrangements?" These words reminded Cheng Mutian of past grievances, and he snorted coldly, no longer speaking.

He led his steward to a paper horse shop to buy some paper money, as well as paper servants, houses, carriages, and other items; he also sent him to a temple to invite a group of monks to chant sutras in preparation for a Buddhist and Taoist ritual.

After a busy day, Madam Xin's funeral was finally taking shape. Madam Qian, supported by Xiao Tongqian, was weeping uncontrollably before the coffin. Cheng Mutian, extremely disapproving of her incompetent behavior and only knowing how to cry, ordered Xiao Tongqian to help her up and asked, "Where's the funeral plaque? Bring it here so I can sign it and take it home." Madam Qian's hand, which was wiping away tears, paused, as if she couldn't believe it: "You, you agree?" Cheng Mutian impatiently reached out his hand: "Before I regret it."

Madam Qian took out a note from her bosom and handed it to him, nagging a bit: "Although that family isn't on Imperial Street, they're not far from your residence. I can visit Zhonglang often. I'll take my dowry with me, but at my age, I certainly can't have any more children. All of this will belong to Zhonglang in the future. Zhonglang is your own brother; you must treat him well and find him a good marriage in the future..."

Cheng Mutian threw the signed note at her and shouted angrily, "Shut up."

He turned to leave, but Cheng Fu approached and asked, "Young Master, what about those Qian family relatives behind you?" Although Cheng Mutian had signed the draft agreement, he was in a very bad mood. He glanced at Madam Qian and said, "Now that you know you're getting old, you should be more sensible. With your naive and clueless attitude, you'll never be able to manage a household no matter where you marry." With that, he flicked his sleeves and left.

As soon as he and Cheng Fu left, Madam Qian panicked. The group of relatives who followed were like wolves and tigers, and she couldn't handle them at all. Helpless, she had no choice but to seek help from the government. Fortunately, in this situation, the government could get a share of the property of an abandoned family, so they were happy to help. Several officials went around among the Qian family relatives, picked the one who had bribed the most, and adopted him into the name of an elder in the Qian clan. Then they divided the property left by Old Master Qian and Madam Xin into three parts: one part went to the adopted son, one part went to Madam Qian, and the other part went to the government.

When the news reached the Cheng family, Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "Stepmother has made progress." Cheng Mutian, who was helping Rui Niang learn to walk, said, "She was forced to do that."

Xiao Yuan watched for a while and said worriedly, "This child started speaking earlier than Wu Ge and Chen Ge, but she walks later than them. Should we ask a doctor to take a look?" Sister-in-law Yu smiled and said, "Girls are all like this. I think Ruiniang is almost there. She will definitely learn in another month or so."

Sister-in-law Yu was right. A month later, Rui Niang was able to walk without anyone's help. A few months later, the little girl was running much faster than Cheng Si Niang, whose feet were bound.

Chapter 192 Heavenly Gift Festival

Time flies, and three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

That day, four-year-old Rui Niang dragged a peacock feather on the ground, teasing her lion cat to jump around following it, having a great time. Cheng Si Niang, supporting a little girl, walked over shakily and asked with a smile, "Rui Niang, does your cat have a name?" Rui Niang hugged the lion cat, stepped forward to bow, and said sweetly, "Its name is Fu Gui Niangzi (Wealthy Lady)." Cheng Si Niang stroked Fu Gui Niangzi's round head and smiled, "Little auntie will embroider a brocade banner for you to tease it, shall we?"

Hearing the commotion from inside, Xiao Yuan laughed, "Don't spoil her; your brother has already spoiled her rotten." Cheng Si Niang took the little maid's hand again and went in, smiling, "Rui Niang is very sensible; sister-in-law is too modest." She bowed, sat down beside Xiao Yuan, took out several embroidered pieces, and handed them over, asking, "Sister-in-law, what do you think of my skills?" Xiao Yuan took them and looked at them. The first piece was an embroidered portrait of a wealthy lady chasing a ball; it was not only lifelike, but the cat's fur looked as if you could count the individual hairs. She sincerely praised, "At such a young age, your needlework is so skillful; you're not much worse than the ladies in the sewing room."

Cheng Si Niang said a few modest words, then asked, "Sister-in-law, do you think I can sell these needlework pieces for money?" Xiao Yuan thought for a moment, remembering that she had just received her allowance for the month, and asked curiously, "Are you short of money?" Cheng Si Niang quickly shook her head and said, "I just want to see how much my craftsmanship is worth." Xiao Yuan remembered when she was a child, she would draw up blueprints for an airplane overnight and then eagerly ask someone to take them to inquire about the price, so she smiled and said, "The sixth day of the sixth lunar month is the Tiankuang Festival. Eldest sister and Third Sister will be going back to their parents' home. How about I organize a flea market for you then?" Cheng Si Niang was overjoyed and said she would hurry up and embroider a few more pieces before rushing back to her room.

On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, every household was drying red and green clothes. The maids and servants were busy opening chests and taking out clothes hidden at the bottom to air them out, lest they get moldy. Xiao Yuan stood in the kitchen, watching the cooks mix flour with sugar and oil to make cake crumbs, while keeping an eye out for Chen Ge sneaking a bite.

On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, cats and dogs bathed together. Rui Niang squatted in front of a large copper basin, wanting to use soapy water with added fragrance to scrub Fu Gui Niangzi's fur. However, Fu Gui Niangzi was very afraid of water and meowed, refusing to come closer.

She looked up and saw Cheng Dajia's myna bird standing beside her, and hurriedly called out, "Brother Ba, come help me catch the cat."

The myna bird was very obedient. It helped her hold the cat, saying, "Cats are afraid of water, just a little bit is enough." Rui Niang hummed in agreement, also feeling sorry for the cat. She lightly wet the cat and then picked it up, wrapped it in a dry towel, and gently comforted it while feeding it cat food. The cat was plump, and the myna bird was afraid that she would get tired carrying it, so it took the cat from her and squatted down to make it easier for the little girl to feed it.

Standing at the window, Cheng San Niang watched and smiled at Cheng Da Jie, "These cousins are such innocent little friends." Cheng Da Jie, not wanting her eighth brother to get too close to Rui Niang, quickly nudged Xin Ge, urging him to play with Rui Niang. Watching Xin Ge leave, she glanced out the window and said, "Your Qian Qian and Chen Ge are playing well too." Cheng San Niang said sadly, "My sister-in-law doesn't think much of our Qian Qian; she won't allow Chen Ge to play with her." Sure enough, a little while later, Xiao Yuan came out of the kitchen, pulled Chen Ge back inside, and kept a close watch on him. Cheng Da Jie asked, puzzled, "Cousins getting married is such a good thing. Does she look down on your family because you're poor?" Cheng San Niang shook her head, pretending not to know, but she seemed uncomfortable inside, and sat silently by the window.

Observing the situation, Cheng Si Niang noticed that the atmosphere was getting cold. She quickly ordered someone to set out the items for the auction and brought out her embroidery for them to see, saying, "Sisters, let's have a auction!" Cheng Da Jie and Cheng San Niang, feeling sorry for her, were willing to give her some money, so they pretended to be happy and started throwing coins and darts. After a while, the children also came to join in the fun, laughing and making a ruckus.

When Xiao Yuan brought in the cake crumbs, the atmosphere in the room was already lively. She distributed the crumbs to the children and joked, "So it turns out I'm the only one who's busy. You've all been having fun here?" Sister Cheng and Third Sister Cheng laughed and said, "We're going back to our parents' home on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month to relax."

They washed their hands and came to eat the cake crumbs. When the children saw that the divination sticks and darts were empty, they rushed over. Xiao Yuan hurriedly said to her two sons, "Go and take out the toys you don't play with anymore and put them up for sale. It's so much fun." Wu Ge and Chen Ge cheered and rushed out the door. Rui Niang was not to be outdone, so she ran back to her room to search for her dolls.

Seeing the envy in Cheng Si Niang's eyes, Xiao Yuan said to her, "What about the things you used to play with when you were little? They're just sitting idle anyway, why don't you take them and sell them?" Cheng Si Niang had long had this idea, but she didn't dare to. Hearing this, she was overjoyed and hurriedly helped the little maid to search for them.

Upon seeing her, Cheng San Niang recalled her own wedding day and asked Xiao Yuan, "Your stepmother has remarried all these years, and Aunt Ding still lives alone in the other courtyard?" Xiao Yuan, fed up with Cheng San Niang's incomplete way of speaking, simply nodded without replying. Cheng San Niang, feeling awkward, had to speak again, "Why not return her indenture?" Before Xiao Yuan could answer, Cheng Da Jie retorted, "She's not a good person, why return it? I think selling her would be more appropriate." Xiao Yuan laughed, "She's not young anymore, who would she be sold to?" Cheng Da Jie said, "No one would want her as a concubine, but she could always be a maid."

Just as Xiao Yuan was about to reply, Cheng Si Niang entered and stopped her, smiling as she asked what good things she had found. Cheng Si Niang took a bundle from the maid, opened it to show them, and said with a smile, "They are all things sent by my sister-in-law, and they are all good."

Xiao Yuan leaned over to peek. There were several worn-out rag dolls, a small pillow, two pairs of cotton slippers, and a small carved lacquer box. She took the box and opened it. Inside was a silver comb and a gold hairpin. Why were they selling jewelry? She wondered. She couldn't help but glance at Cheng Si Niang a few more times. The latter seemed to sense her questioning gaze, keeping her head down, but she didn't seem to want to take the jewelry back.

In front of the guests, Xiao Yuan couldn't ask her questions or embarrass her, so she could only watch helplessly as she sold the two pieces of jewelry for a pittance. She kept comforting herself, "They're all family, after all. We shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders."

She sighed and looked into the hall. Wu Ge was a shrewd man and knew he couldn't ask his relatives for high prices, so he only brought out a few worthless trinkets, with Zhong Lang helping him to promote them. Chen Ge was a bookworm and brought out a few books, but no one paid any attention. Rui Niang was a little tyrant, and although she was about to bring out a few valuable items, she set a very high starting price.

Xin Ge was envious and cried and begged to play too. Sister Cheng loved him, so she took a hairpin from her hair and gave it to him to play with. Although Cheng San Niang's family had been living comfortably for the past few years, they were not as well-off as the Cheng and Jin families. Qian Qian held onto a few coins, looked at them again and again, and finally only tried to sell them to Chen Ge a few times. Seeing that she had not gotten anything, she gave up.

For the past few years, Ba Ge has been coming to the Cheng family's house for meals while he's in school. He spends about 300 out of 365 days a year there. Xiao Yuan has long regarded him as half a son. Seeing him standing alone to the side, she got up and went over to him, secretly slipped him some money, and told him to go and play with the other children.

Cheng San Niang, always observant, took in this scene. A pang of jealousy shot through her. They were both cousins, so why did she only love Ba Ge and not Qian Qian? The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She took Qian Qian's hand and took her leave early. When Chen Ge saw Qian Qian was about to leave, he tried to stop her, but was intimidated by a sharp look from Xiao Yuan and quickly lowered his hands, standing still.

When Sister Cheng saw that Third Sister Cheng had left, she felt bored being left alone, so she took her leave after sitting for a short while.

After the auction ended, Cheng Si Niang, who had probably made some money, was all smiles. She excused herself and went back to her room to count her money.

Zhonglang received the "wages" that Wu Ge had given him, and he shouted with joy as he rushed out the door to find the porter.

Xiao Yuan sat in a chair drinking tea, watching the stationmasters tidy up the things in the hall. The three children sat around a small table, comparing who had earned the most money. After counting and counting, it turned out that Rui Niang had come out on top. Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "Brother Wu, how come you, as the eldest brother, fell behind?" Brother Wu was busy coaxing Rui Niang, asking her to share half of the money with him. His words were sweeter than honey: "Our Rui Niang is pretty and kind. Everyone who sees her loves her. Naturally, they all come here to sell their wares and give her money."

Xiao Yuan laughed and scolded, "You praise your sister like a flower, what are you up to?" Seeing that Rui Niang had already stuffed a handful of money into Wu Ge's hand, she asked again, "Why are you asking your sister for money? Isn't your allowance enough for you?" Wu Ge didn't answer and got up to slip away. Xiao Yuan wasn't a woman with bound feet, and she caught up with him in a few steps, grabbing him and asking, "Where are you going? You're not allowed to leave until you get in." Wu Ge glanced at her a few times and, seeing that she wasn't joking, had no choice but to tell the truth: "My aunt asked me to borrow money. I don't even have enough allowance for myself, where would I get the extra? Anyway, Rui Niang is young, and she has nowhere to spend her money, so I can give it to her to help my aunt."

Xiao Yuan let go of her hand and asked, "Do you know why your aunt borrowed money?" Wu Ge shook his head, pretending not to know, and said, "She's borrowed from all three of us. She repeatedly told us not to tell you and Dad. You must pretend you don't know." Xiao Yuan muttered to herself, "What does she need so much money for? Isn't she using enough cosmetics?" Wu Ge took advantage of her distraction and ran away.

Xiao Yuan sat for a while, but still couldn't shake her worries. She went to chat with Cheng Si Niang in her room and took the opportunity to look at her dressing table. She saw that the rouge box was still full, and the face cream was still more than half full. In the courtyard outside, clothes were drying, complete with clothes for all four seasons. Cheng Si Niang didn't seem to be lacking food or clothing, so why was she going around trying to raise money? Xiao Yuan became increasingly puzzled.

That evening, she told Cheng Mutian about her question. Cheng Mutian was impatient with his sister's chores and scolded her, "My study has been drying books all day. It's fine if you don't help, but you keep worrying about these trivial matters. Fourth Sister is just a girl. In two or three years, I will help her find a husband and send her off. That will be the end of my mission. Why bother with these trivial matters?"

Chapter 193 Punishment (Part 1)

Although Cheng Mutian forbade Xiaoyuan from interfering in Cheng Siniang's affairs, Xiaoyuan, having managed the household for many years, was unaccustomed to things being out of her control. So she opened the jewelry box, took out one of her gold hairpins, and went to Cheng Siniang's room to give it to her. Cheng Siniang accepted the hairpin with delight, saying, "It's not a holiday, and you're giving me this, sister-in-law?" Xiaoyuan, seeing the expression on her face, smiled and said, "I noticed the one you usually wear was sold yesterday. From now on, wear this one when you receive guests."

Cheng Si Niang blushed and slowly lowered her head, turning the gold hairpin over and over again. Xiao Yuan was very patient, sipping her tea little by little, but Cheng Si Niang didn't say anything until the tea cooled down. She could only sigh inwardly and was about to get up and go back to her room when Cheng Si Niang suddenly asked, "Sister-in-law, I heard that many young ladies are secretly embroidering and selling their embroidery at the night market."

Xiao Yuan glanced at her a few times and said, "That's true. Some families are poor, so they embroider and have their servants sell the embroidery to supplement their income." Cheng Si Niang said shyly, "Sister-in-law, do you think the things I embroidered can be sold?" Xiao Yuan asked curiously, "Weren't they all sold out yesterday?" Cheng Si Niang got up and opened a box by her bedside, which was full of embroidery. She said, "I have bound feet and can't go out. I spend all day embroidering in my room. Those few pieces yesterday were just to test the waters."

Xiao Yuan didn't quite understand her thoughts, and deliberately said, "Our family can still support you. There's no need for you to sell embroidery to earn money. It would sound bad if word got out." Cheng Si Niang's face turned red again, and she said, "Sister-in-law, don't misunderstand. I didn't mean that. I just think these embroideries are just sitting there and getting moldy. It would be more practical to exchange them for some money." Xiao Yuan wanted to find out what she was up to, so she agreed and called A Xiu in, asking her to send someone to sell the embroidery at the night market.

Ah Xiu called two maids to carry the box of embroidered items to the doorway. They happened to run into Cheng Fu, so she asked him to sell them. Cheng Fu opened the box and rummaged through it, saying, "Only the top few pieces are decent; the rest aren't even as good as yours." Ah Xiu replied, "Fourth Miss has collected all the embroidery she's done over the years. The earliest piece was embroidered when she first picked up a needle, so naturally the quality isn't very good." Cheng Fu asked curiously, "Then why are you taking it out to sell?" Ah Xiu smiled and said, "It must be the young mistress trying to make her happy. Just take it anywhere, get some money to pay your errand." Cheng Fu agreed, dragged the box to the night market, and sold it for a pittance, earning about a hundred coins in total. He then returned and gave it to Ah Xiu.

Ah Xiu took the money to Xiao Yuan and asked, "Young Madam, we only sold it for less than a hundred coins. Should we add some more and send it to Fourth Sister to make her happy?" Xiao Yuan shook her head and said, "Just send thirty coins and say that embroidery is not worth much now and can only be sold for this price. See how she reacts."

Following her instructions, A-Xiu went to Cheng Si-Niang's room. Cheng Si-Niang couldn't hide her disappointment, clutching the money and muttering to herself, "I can't get a good price? What am I going to do?" A-Xiu asked, "Si-Niang, do you need the money? Why don't you tell the young mistress?" Cheng Si-Niang said sadly, "I rely on my brother and sister-in-law's kindness. How can I bother them with other people's problems? Besides, my sister-in-law has a grudge against her and will definitely not help me. Even if I save up enough money, it's not certain whether she will agree..." A-Xiu couldn't understand what she was saying, so she simply relayed it to Xiao-Yuan verbatim.

Xiao Yuan thought for a moment and guessed it must be about Aunt Ding's indenture. She sighed, "She's a smart child, how come she can't understand this?" Sister-in-law Yu asked, "Is it about Aunt Ding? Fourth Miss mentioned it a few times, but I thought she was joking, so I didn't tell the young mistress. I really didn't expect her to be serious." Xiao Yuan smiled bitterly, "She is filial, but she doesn't use it in the right place. She didn't even ask Aunt Ding if she wanted to leave the Cheng family. Well, I'll enlighten her." With that, she asked a maid to invite Fourth Miss Cheng over.

Cheng Si Niang sat upright in her chair, staring at her toes without speaking. Xiao Yuan, unwilling to beat around the bush, cut to the chase: "Si Niang, are you short of money, or do you think our monthly allowances aren't enough? Why did you even sell the embroidery you've saved up for years?" Cheng Si Niang glanced at her in surprise, hurriedly stood up, and lowered her head, saying, "Sister-in-law, I didn't mean that..."

"What does that mean?" Xiaoyuan pressed.

Cheng Si Niang glanced at her furtively and, seeing her intense gaze, knew she couldn't hide it any longer. She said haltingly, "I want to... redeem my aunt from her servitude... but I don't have enough money..."

Xiao Yuan was slightly relieved to see that she had revealed the truth so quickly. She asked her to sit down again and said, "Your monthly salary is indeed not enough."

Cheng Si Niang was secretly delighted to hear that she did not object, and said, "That's right. I thought I could save enough money by selling a few embroideries, but I didn't expect that I couldn't get a good price."

Xiao Yuan feigned difficulty: "What should we do?"

Seeing that she was thinking of her, Cheng Si Niang mustered up her courage and asked, "Sister-in-law, have you and my brother prepared a dowry for me?"

Xiao Yuan's heart sank slightly. Forcing herself not to change her expression, she smiled and replied, "I promised you many years ago, so of course I won't go back on my word." After thinking it over again and again, Cheng Si Niang finally spoke up, "Sister-in-law, I don't want those dowry items. Can you exchange them for money to redeem my aunt's indenture, please?"

Xiao Yuan only expected that she wanted to redeem Aunt Ding, but she didn't expect that she would have such a thought. Suddenly, she felt a tightness in her chest and involuntarily closed her eyes, not wanting to answer.

Sister-in-law Yu couldn't stand it anymore and said to Fourth Sister Cheng, "Fourth Sister, it's true that you're filial, but what kind of skill is it to take your brother and sister-in-law's money and spend it on others?"

Ah Cai also said, "You think that dowry is yours anyway, so it doesn't matter who spends it? It's for appearances, you know. If there aren't any trunks to carry it to your husband's house, do you want people to gossip about the young master and young mistress behind their backs?"

Cheng Si Niang burst into tears and, refusing any help, rushed out alone. Xiao Yuan couldn't bear it and told Sister-in-law Yu to chase after her, "She has bound feet and can't walk steadily. Be careful she doesn't fall." Sister-in-law Yu, however, didn't move, saying, "Young Madam spoils her too much. This Si Niang is good in every way, except she can't forget her mother. If you continue to pamper her like this, more trouble will follow." Xiao Yuan smiled bitterly, "I'm also unhappy. What can I say about her? Filial piety isn't a fault. I still remember when Er Lang redeemed my aunt, I felt as if a shackle had been removed from my body."

Cheng Mutian returned from outside, lifted the curtain and asked, "What's wrong with Fourth Miss? She was wiping away tears and wanted to go out the door, but I scolded her a few times. All she did was cry. I found it annoying, so I simply sent her a sedan chair so she could go wherever she wanted." Xiao Yuan said, "Where else could she go? She must be looking for her birth mother."

She was absolutely right. Cheng Si Niang was in Aunt Ding's room at the moment, but in order not to make her worry, she had already wiped away her tears and stuffed a small package into Aunt Ding's hand, saying, "Aunt, I've saved up a few dozen coins. You can keep them for yourself." Aunt Ding pushed the money back and said, "Your monthly allowance isn't much either. Keep them for yourself. I don't have any expenses."

Cheng Si Niang refused the money, smiling, "Auntie, actually this is money I earned selling embroidery. You haven't spent any of my own money yet." Aunt Ding's face didn't smile; she hugged her and tears streamed down her face, "My child, life as a dependent is hard, isn't it? Just bear with it a little longer. Once you get married, you can be in charge of your own household." Cheng Si Niang wiped away her tears, and as she wiped, she herself began to cry, "My sister-in-law treats me like her own daughter. I'm only grateful, but she'd rather spend ten times more money on me than share a single penny with you, Auntie. All those grudges between you and her are in the past, so many years have passed, why can't you let go?"

Aunt Ding smiled bitterly, "What's this talk of holidays? It's all because I'm just a concubine. Look at your stepmother, she made things difficult for her even more than I did, but she still remarried with her dowry and is living a very comfortable life now." Seeing her distress, Cheng Si Niang forced herself to cheer up and comforted her, "I heard that your stepmother has a mother-in-law who loves to make things difficult for people, so she's not having a very good life. On the other hand, you live in this separate courtyard and are all the rage. I think you're doing much better than her."

Aunt Ding pointed to her room and said, "What's so good about it? A concubine can't even live in a bright main room. She can only sleep in a side room, eat a set meal, wear coarse clothes, and can't go anywhere." Cheng Si Niang thought of her own luxurious life while her birth mother was suffering, and her heart couldn't help but clench. She said, "Today I asked my sister-in-law for my dowry, hoping to exchange it for money to redeem Aunt Ding, but my sister-in-law refused."

Aunt Ding was shocked and exclaimed, "Foolish! How could you do such a thing? Without your dowry, how will you find a good family? I have been so patient all these years, just so that you could have a good support. If you say this, you will definitely offend the young mistress. How will you face her in the future?"

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. She grabbed Cheng Si Niang and was about to go find Xiao Yuan to apologize. Cheng Si Niang stopped her and asked, "Auntie, don't you want to be free?" Aunt Ding was both amused and exasperated: "Silly child, I can eat and stay warm in the Cheng family. What use is freedom to me?"

Cheng Si Niang was utterly astonished. She had always heard Aunt Ding complaining about this and that, and had assumed that her only wish was to leave the Cheng family and regain her freedom, but it turned out that wasn't the case. From the age of seven to eleven, she had been secretly working towards this goal, but it had been shattered in an instant. Her eyes inevitably became empty, and her face was filled with blankness.

Seeing that her expression was not right, Aunt Ding quickly nudged her and called out, "Fourth Sister, Fourth Sister, come with me quickly to apologize to your sister-in-law. It might still work." Reminded by this, Cheng Si Niang came to her senses. Cold sweat involuntarily beaded on her forehead, and her small feet, which had been standing for a long time, were also in unbearable pain. She stammered, "I'm afraid, I'm afraid I can't go back."

Yes, there's no going back. Cheng Mutian was furious when he heard the news: "Filial piety? Aunt Ding is just a concubine, she has no right to raise a child. Her filial piety is misplaced!" He paced around the room a few times and instructed Xiao Yuan: "Since she is redeeming Aunt Ding, then grant her wish. Have someone drive her and Aunt Ding out of the house."

Xiao Yuan's fingernails slowly traced circles on the table, and she remained silent for a long time. Cheng Mutian knew she was upset, so he hugged her and comforted her, saying, "You didn't do anything wrong. People are always like this; once they get one point, they want two." Xiao Yuan's hands didn't stop, and she whispered, "Actually, I can understand her, but my chest feels so tight." Cheng Mutian gently patted her back, about to say a few more words of comfort, when a maid came to report that Aunt Ding had brought Cheng Si Niang, whose face was covered in tears, to apologize.

Cheng Mutian angrily said, "You still have the nerve to come here? Throw me out." Xiao Yuan stopped him and instructed the maid, "Bring her in. I want to hear what Fourth Mistress is thinking."

Aunt Ding truly came today with the intention of apologizing. As soon as she entered the door, she knelt down with a thud and said, "Fourth Miss is young and ignorant, she spoke without thinking..."

Xiao Yuan interrupted her, saying, "Let her say it herself."

Seeing the cold expression on her face for the first time, Cheng Si Niang was taken aback and whispered, "I always thought my aunt wanted to be free... I was wrong..."

Xiao Yuan said, "So you think so badly of your sister-in-law? If she didn't have to leave the Cheng family to survive, why wouldn't I grant her wish?"

Cheng Mutian sneered, "Do you think I'd be happy to keep your aunt around? It's not expensive to support her, is it?"

Cheng Si Niang, tears streaming down her face, knelt on the ground and cried, "I was wrong, please forgive me, brother and sister-in-law..."

Cheng Mutian snorted, "Now you realize you're wrong? Too late."

He immediately summoned Sister-in-law Yu and ordered her to take Cheng Si Niang back to her room to pack her clothes, intending to drive her and Aunt Ding out of the Cheng family.

Xiao Yuan couldn't bear it, so she closed her eyes for a long time. However, she also wanted to teach Cheng Si Niang a lesson, so she didn't say anything and let Cheng Mu Tian make the arrangements.

Aunt Ding tried to persuade her for a long time to no avail, so she simply burst into tears and sat on the ground to throw a tantrum. Xiao Yuan said coldly, "Don't think we're afraid of you just because you look like this. The Song Dynasty has always favored sons over daughters. If we don't raise Zhonglang, people will complain. If we don't raise Si Niangzi, you can go and see if anyone is gossiping. If you continue to be so unruly, you'll get a beating and be sold."

Cheng Si Niang was terrified and let the maid pull her up and help her out the door. Aunt Ding leaned against the wall of the Cheng family's side house and cried for a long time. Finally realizing the situation was irreversible, she asked Cheng Si Niang blankly, "Girl, where are we going?" Cheng Si Niang had no idea what was going on and, looking at the bundle in her arms, murmured, "I don't know… Aunt, it's all my fault…"

Aunt Ding sighed heavily and said, "It's already like this, what's the use of talking about this now? Give me the bundle and see if there's anything valuable in it. We can pawn it and get some money to rent a house."

Cheng Si Niang handed her the bundle. She first squeezed it through the wrapping and found something hard inside. Opening it, she saw it was Cheng Si Niang's jewelry box. Cheng Si Niang lifted the carved and lacquered lid, and there it was—the gold hairpin Xiao Yuan had given her. She couldn't help but cry. Holding the box, she walked back to the Cheng family's gate and begged the servant to let her in: "My sister-in-law still loves me. If I apologize again, she will forgive me."

Chapter 194 Punishment (Part 2)

The servant, unaware of what had happened, said, "Fourth Miss, please, it must be because you think our young mistress is too kind-hearted that you keep finding fault with things. But since you've made a mistake, you should take responsibility and not drag us down with you anymore." Another servant nodded repeatedly, "That's right, it's easy for us to let you in, but who knows if you'll lose your job? We all have elderly and young people in our families to support."

Feeling hopeless, Cheng Si Niang stared blankly at the two tightly closed doors, unwilling to leave for a long time. Ding Yiniang, unable to bear the scorching sun, held up her bundle to shield herself from the sun and pulled Cheng Si Niang to stand under the shade of a tree. She then hired a small sedan chair, and the two of them squeezed into it, arriving at the poor area with its rows of high-rise buildings.

Cheng Si Niang looked at the three buildings enclosed by the courtyard and vaguely remembered them. She said, "This is where we stayed." Aunt Ding nodded and said, "It's clean here, and there's even a latrine. Let's go ask about the price." They went into the courtyard and found a soy sauce shop on the first floor to inquire about the landlord. The shopkeeper pointed them out and said, "The landlord doesn't come often. Only Old Man Cui is in charge of collecting rent. The outermost floor of this building is empty and hasn't been rented out yet. He'll probably be here soon."

It was scorching hot outside. Cheng Si Niang, with her bound feet, couldn't stand for long. Aunt Ding, seeing that Old Man Cui was nowhere to be seen, asked the shopkeeper to borrow a stool to sit on. The shopkeeper kindly told them the news, but didn't even hear a thank you. His lips drooped, and he put away all the stools, saying, "I still have business to do here. What am I going to do with you blocking the door?"

Aunt Ding thought he was bullying her, and with her hands on her hips, she scolded, "We're just borrowing a stool to sit in the shade of the tree, how is that bothering you in your business?" The shop owners from the neighboring shops all came over to watch, pointing and whispering. One kind-hearted person advised Aunt Ding, "This madam, people in your line of work are supposed to be the best at reading people, how come you can't even understand this simple thing? If you buy him a bottle of soy sauce, he'll lend you the stool, won't he?"

Cheng Si Niang, a sheltered young lady raised in the inner chambers, didn't understand the deeper meaning. She tugged at Aunt Ding's sleeve and whispered, "We need soy sauce to make a living, why don't we buy a bottle?" Aunt Ding, however, had no time to respond. She lunged forward, grabbed the shopkeeper who called her "madam," and raised her hand to strike her. Everyone was shocked and quickly pulled her away, saying, "You unreasonable madam! We were kindly giving you advice, and instead of being grateful, you hit us! There's no law at all!"

Aunt Ding stamped her feet in frustration, "Which eye of yours saw that I'm a madam?" The shopkeeper, who had been slapped, picked up a stone and threw it at her feet, pointing at Cheng Si Niang and cursing, "If you're not a prostitute, why are your feet bound? You're leading her around; what else could you be but a madam?" Cheng Si Niang didn't understand the meaning of "madam," but she understood the word "prostitute." Her face flushed red, and she retorted, "We come from a prominent family; my father was an official..."

The crowd burst into laughter, pointing at her and saying, "A young lady from a wealthy family coming here to play? You're kidding us." The soy sauce shop owner suddenly remembered that they had come to rent an apartment and asked, "Since you're a madam and a prostitute, you're not planning to open a 'private brothel' here, are you?" Upon hearing this, the crowd panicked. Although they didn't mind visiting "private brothels," their relatives and children lived in the apartment. If they were to establish themselves nearby, the consequences would be dire. The more they thought about it, the more frightened they became. Some picked up stones, others grabbed benches, and they all rushed forward, driving Aunt Ding and Fourth Sister Cheng out of the courtyard.

Aunt Ding shielded Cheng Si Niang, taking several blows to her arm and wincing in pain. Cheng Si Niang rubbed her arm, her face blank; she still didn't quite understand what was happening. Seeing her confusion, Aunt Ding said, "Poor people don't bind their feet. They're just jealous of you." Cheng Si Niang sobbed, "If I'd known I'd be kicked out one day, I wouldn't have bound my feet. Otherwise, I'd be mistaken for a prostitute." Aunt Ding hugged her and patted her, comforting her, "It's your brother and sister-in-law who are too cruel. It has nothing to do with you. There are plenty of apartments; if we can't rent here, we'll find another one."