She tried to push the door open but couldn't, only to realize that Zhenshu had actually sheathed the door earlier.
The mother and her daughters looked at each other in bewilderment. Suddenly, Zhenxiu twisted her waist and stomped her foot, saying, "Mother, look at Zhenshu's bad temper! She broke all my things. I want you to compensate me."
Madam Su knocked lightly on the door and called out, "Zhenshu!"
After knocking a few times and receiving no response, he put his arm around Zhenyuan and Zhenyi and said, "She resents me for abandoning her halfway, and she hates me right now. Let's slowly coax her back tonight."
Madam Su returned to the main room, sat on the armchair, and after a long while said, "You all know that I did nothing wrong."
Seeing that Zhenyi and Zhenyuan remained silent, she continued, "If I go back to save her, how can you few with your small feet possibly escape?"
Zhenxiu came in and chimed in, "Isn't that right? We can't predict the future and know those people weren't robbers. Besides, she's back safe and sound, so we should talk to her politely. Is she trying to show off her achievements to someone?"
Zhenyuan glared at Zhenxiu, got up and went to the kitchen. She and Cai Ma made a bowl of soup noodles and cut half a watermelon. They carried it to the door of the small west room and called softly, "Zhenshu, at least get up and eat something."
Zhenshu got up, opened the door, and let Zhenyuan in. She then locked the door again before picking up her bowl and starting to eat. Zhenyuan saw that she was eating slowly and that her eyes were swollen like peaches. She knew that Zhenyuan had just been crying and comforted her, saying, "Have some watermelon to moisten your mouth. It's hot today."
Zhenshu glanced at the watermelon, tears welling up again. She finished her meal while sniffling, then handed the bowl to Zhenyuan and said, "Go out and tell them not to bother me. I'm going to sleep for three days straight."
She slept in a daze for a day and a night. By the afternoon of the next day, Madam Su was very worried and asked Zhenyi to climb in through the window and open the door. She dismissed Zhenyuan and the others and came in alone. She sat down by Zhenshu's bed, touched Zhenshu's forehead and shed two tears, saying, "My poor daughter."
Zhenshu turned her head away and said, "Mother, you can go out."
She slept for a long time, and her voice became hoarse.
Seeing that she was willing to speak, Madam Su burst into tears and said, "I was in a difficult position that day. All the women in the carriage had bound feet and could not walk. I had no choice but to protect them."
Zhen's head was throbbing from sleep, and she also found Su's noise too loud, so she nodded perfunctorily and said, "I understand, I don't blame you, it's just that I haven't been eating or sleeping well outside, and I'm too tired. You should go out now."
When Madam Su heard her say she was outside, she quickly grabbed Zhenshu's sleeve and asked, "Tell your mother the truth, were you insulted by that thief?"
Zhenshu pulled her hand away, sat up, pushed the blanket away, and said, "Mother, what nonsense are you thinking? Nothing."
Madam Su still refused to believe it: "All men in the world are the same. You are so beautiful and still a virgin. What man wouldn't be tempted by you? I am your closest relative and would never harm you. Tell me quietly and I will think of a way to help you."
Zhen Shu sneered, "Do you mean I have to lie and say I have something just to please you?"
Unable to detect the sarcasm in Zhenshu's words, Madam Su covered her mouth with her handkerchief and said, "Good child, if it's true, I will keep it a secret for you. But when men and women have that kind of thing, the man just pulls up his pants and it's over. But if a woman gets pregnant and her belly gets big, she will never be able to turn her life around. If you really are pregnant, tell me as soon as possible, and I will take care of you. If you really are pregnant, you will have to find a doctor to find abortifacients to take."
Zhenshu hadn't even considered that this wasn't the first time they'd done this; if she were truly pregnant, it would be a disaster. Although Zhenshu thought this to herself, she didn't show it on her face, and pushed Su Shi away, saying, "I said no, so you're out."
Su was pushed to her feet and stood on the ground, saying, "I heard that the thief is a long-term worker in Liu Zhang's mansion in Hanjiahe. He's skilled in martial arts and has excellent agility. Dozens of people couldn't catch him. How could someone like that let you go? You've told me the truth..."
Zhenshu found these words extremely offensive and sneered again, "If you insist on saying what he did to me, that's your choice. Now get out."
Su put his hands in his pockets and said, "This is terrible! I have to go to the county town to find that barefoot doctor at the east end of the street to get some abortion medicine. Of course, I can't say that I'm pregnant. I heard from Aunt Cheng that as long as I tell that doctor I need to abort a sow, he'll prescribe abortion medicine for humans..."
Chapter 30 Reputation
Zhen Shu angrily pulled the comb from under her pillow, threw it on the ground and smashed it to pieces, and said fiercely, "I'll say it again, no, absolutely not."
Suddenly a cold laugh came from outside the door. Zhenxiu leaned against the window and said, "No one would believe you didn't. Look at your bulging breasts. They weren't this big before. They've obviously been fondled by men."
Zhenshu had taken off her clothes to sleep, and was only wearing an undergarment. Hearing this, she was filled with rage, the hatred from Zhenxiu kicking her out of the carriage that day resurfacing. She jumped out of bed, threw on her jacket, and ran out barefoot. Zhenxiu knew she was no match for Zhenshu in a fight, and tried to escape by twisting her small feet, but Zhenshu grabbed her by the back of her head, pinned her to the ground, and gave her a good beating.
Zhenxiu screamed in pain and cried out to Su Shi, "Mother, Zhenshu has gone mad! Come and save me!"
As Su pulled Zhenshu away, she complained to Zhenxiu, "You have such a sharp tongue. Why did you have to provoke her again?"
After Zhenshu had hit him enough, she picked herself up and kicked Zhenxiu twice more before saying, "Why don't you hit me? You kicked me out of the car that day with a lot of force. Let me see you kick me again."
Madam Su quickly came over to protect Zhenxiu, saying, "They're all sisters, why do you always hit her like that?"
Zhenshu said, "If she hadn't kicked me, how would I have fallen off the carriage? We're sisters, and it's one thing if she can't help me in a crisis, but to kick me instead, is this what sisterly love is?"
That day, Madam Su was so frightened that she didn't see clearly that Zhenxiu had kicked Zhenshu. Besides, she didn't believe that Zhenxiu would do something so malicious to Zhenshu. She still defended Zhenxiu, saying, "I think she didn't mean it. It's my bad luck that you fell off the carriage. If you have any complaints, just take them out on me. She still has to embroider a big piece for me. If she kicks her hand, it will delay her for many days."
Zhenshu gave a cold laugh, then turned her hair up and went inside.
She washed her face and got dressed, feeling her strength returning. She then took a cup of tea to the outer courtyard to find Song Anrong. Song Anrong was still practicing calligraphy in his study. Seeing Zhenshu arrive, he quickly took the tea tray and said, "You should rest properly in your room. Why did you have to come out?"
Zhenshu sat in a chair that Song Anrong often sat in and said, "The inner courtyard is too noisy, I've come here to find some peace and quiet."
Song Anrong empathized with her and pulled up a chair to sit opposite her. After a while, he advised her again: "No matter what, she is still your mother. She will take care of everything for you. If you have anything that is difficult to say to me, you can still tell her and ask her to cover for you and make arrangements."
Song Anrong also didn't believe that his daughter had escaped Lin Dayu's clutches unscathed, but as her father, there were some questions he found difficult to ask.
Zhenshu countered, "Does Father think Mother is someone capable of handling important matters?"
Song Anrong was speechless for a long time, then shook his head and said, "No. She has too narrow a vision and panics when things happen. She is not someone who can handle important matters."
Zhenshu shrugged and said, "That's right."
Song Anrong added, "But she's not a bad person. She's suffered a bit following me in this poor, remote place, so you don't need to be too harsh on her."
Zhen Shu said, "I was born and raised here and I don't feel any hardship here. As for the prosperity of the capital, I have seen it before and I don't feel any attachment to it. It's enough to live a decent life. Why chase after unattainable vanity? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"
Song Anrong felt that Zhenshu's words made sense, but unfortunately Su was stubborn and inflexible, and could not listen to these words.
The father and daughter sat facing each other for a while before Zhenshu went back into the inner courtyard. Just as she was about to lift the curtain and enter the small west room, she heard Su Shi from the large west room ask Zhenyuan, "Did you see Zhenxiu go there just now?"
Zhenyuan said, "Wasn't I embroidering something for you on your kang (heated brick bed)?"
Madam Su clapped her hands and said, "Oh no! She said she was going to get a thread here, and she ran out as soon as she was out of sight. I wonder if she's already gone to the outer room to gossip."
Zhenyuan said, "If you ask me, Mother, you should discipline her. Although she is good at embroidery, she is too rude. When she was little, you always spoiled her because she was good at foot binding and embroidery. Now she has developed a disrespectful and arrogant personality."
Madam Su sighed and said, "She's still young. She'll understand when she's older."
Zhenshu sneered, lifted the curtain, and went inside.
Inside the Great West Room, Madam Su held Zhenyuan's hand and said, "Your father is becoming more and more out of control. Yesterday, he came back and said that Liu Zhang's son from Hanjiahe wants to marry you. He is very willing and asked for my opinion. Isn't this humiliating to you and me?"
Zhenyuan said, "The Liu family is a wealthy family within a hundred miles. I'm afraid we can't afford to associate with them."
Madam Su snorted coldly and said, "You nouveau riche, you think you can dream of marrying the daughter of the Gong family just because you have a few stinking coins? Isn't that an insult to you? With your beautiful face, I must help you go to the capital and marry you off to a good family, so that my life will not have been in vain."
Zhenyuan said sullenly, "If that's the case, you don't need to tell me all these things, making me worry for nothing."
Madam Su sighed and said, "I haven't looked closely at Zhenshu these past few years. Although I see her every day, I can't see any changes in her. Just now, Zhenxiu said that her breasts are swollen and bulging, which looks a bit strange. You're often with her, have you noticed any changes?"
Jung-won turned away and withdrew her hand, saying, "No, I think Jung-seo is perfectly fine. You guys are just stirring up trouble."
Madam Su nodded and said, "I hope so, I hope so."
Having lost her child, she now felt somewhat subservient to her daughters, hoping to gain their forgiveness. But upon reflection, she realized she hadn't done anything wrong, and with a sigh, she returned to her room.
A few days later, Zhenshu was filled with anxiety, fearing that if she were truly pregnant, her affair would be exposed. So she packed her things and prepared to go to Huixian County to find the barefoot doctor and get an abortion pill to keep on hand, just in case. She usually went out alone, since Caijia Temple was only a few miles from the county town, and she often walked there alone. So she didn't inform Su Shi and the others, asked Song Anrong for a few coins and some copper coins, and set off for the county town.
It is now June, and the weather is very hot. The locust trees are all providing shade. Along the Wei River, farmers are busy working in the millet fields. It is now the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), and people who have been working in the fields since early morning are sitting in groups of three or five in the shade of the locust trees along the Wei River to enjoy a cool breakfast.
As Zhenshu walked along, she saw three or five women whispering and pointing. She paid no attention and continued walking. Suddenly, she heard a farmer in front of her say loudly, "What kind of world is this? Song Gongzheng is such an honest and upright man, and now his granddaughter has been defiled by a thief. It is clear that God is unjust."
The other waved his hand and said, "Where did you hear this news? I heard from Hanjiahe that the young lady was unharmed and was not violated by the thief. On the contrary, the thief was injured by a tiger and his body is now unknown."
Another woman in her thirties chimed in, "My information is the most accurate. I heard it from her third daughter herself. She said that the second daughter of the Song family was indeed assaulted by thieves, and now she's in dire straits..."
She gestured with her hands, and she and another woman burst into shrill laughter. Many other peasant women nearby also roared with laughter, one of them jeering, "I heard you can tell if someone is a virgin just by looking at their walk. If you really want to know, just go wait in front of Master Song's house, watch for Miss Song the Second to come out, and follow her around to see what happens!"
As they were talking, Zhenshu walked past them. The group immediately stopped talking and watched her walk away in silence.
Before Zhenshu had gone far, the peasant woman hurriedly asked someone nearby, "Did you see anything on her buttocks?"
Another nodded and said, "I can see that. It's definitely different. Now, Miss Song even knows how to tuck her buttocks when she walks."
After saying this, the group burst into laughter.
All the way to Huixian County, wherever they went, everyone was talking about it, all talking about Zhenshu's breasts and buttocks. Zhenshu's trip was a huge stunt, giving these people, whose passions had been dulled by the years and farm work, a real treat for their eyes and a moment of pleasure.
The situation was even worse in Huixian County. In the small market town, which was only a mile or two long, vendors and passersby alike were all talking about the incident in which Miss Song Er was violated by thieves. People said that the rumors were spreading throughout the town, and that was probably no more true than this.
Since that was the case, Zhenshu could no longer sell abortion pills under everyone's noses. She went around in circles and returned to Caijia Temple, but this time she didn't take the main road. Instead, she went around to the back mountain and circled far away to avoid people before returning home.
Before she even entered the house, she saw Zhenxiu whispering to several girls from the village, around fourteen or fifteen years old. Among them was Axiang, whose feet were newly bound and who was unsteady on her feet, leaning on a cane. They were all craning their necks and listening with furrowed brows.
Zhenshu snorted from afar, and Zhenxiu, as if a mouse had heard a cat meow, quickly pulled away from the other girls and ran home. She had barely entered the courtyard when her father, Song Anrong, called out, "Zhenxiu, come here."
Zhenxiu pointed to the inner courtyard and said, "Father, Mother is waiting for me to embroider something."
Song Anrong said, "Come here."
Helpless, Zhenxiu had no choice but to follow Song Anrong into the main room.
Song Anrong sat down behind his desk and after a long while asked, "How many times did you go out today?"
Zhenxiu rubbed her head and said, "But this time, you caught me."
Song Anrong shook his head: "I was sitting in this room and saw you go in and out at least four or five times."
Zhenxiu replied, "I just went out to borrow a needle and thread."
Song Anrong slammed his hand on the table and said, "Your mother has practically bought up all the embroidery shops in the capital. Even after losing her daughter, she didn't lose her needlework and embroidery. Is that still not enough for you?"
Zhenxiu cried, "It's not my fault! I'm just a weak woman with bound feet, why is everyone blaming me?"
Song Anrong tapped the table and said, "But you shouldn't tarnish Zhenshu's reputation outside."
Zhenxiu cried, "Which ear of yours heard me ruining her reputation? She slept with a farmhand for four or five nights. If her reputation is ruined, it's her own fault. What does it have to do with me?"
Song Anrong stood up angrily, about to slap Zhenxiu, but he held back and said, "Enough, enough. It was my fault for neglecting to teach you properly, which is why you have become such a wicked person."
Seeing that her father couldn't bear to hit her, Zhenxiu felt a little relieved and looked for an opportunity to slip away. Song Anrong took a letter from the table: "Zhenyu from the capital has sent you a letter."
Chapter 31: Accumulated Karma
Zhenxiu was overjoyed upon hearing this and hurriedly tiptoed to snatch the letter, shouting, "Good father, please read it to me quickly!"
Song Anrong put the letter away and said, "I have some advice for you today. Listen carefully before I read the letter to you, okay?"
Zhenxiu nodded vigorously with delight. Song Anrong said, "The pre-Qin philosopher Mozi said in 'Against Aggression,' 'A gentleman does not mirror himself in water but in people. Mirroring oneself in water reveals one's appearance; mirroring oneself in people reveals good fortune and misfortune.' Do you understand the meaning of his words?"
Zhenxiu shook her head and said, "A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent. I am illiterate, how could I understand such things?"
Song Anrong shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "How can one be virtuous without talent? I have never been diligent in my daughter's education, and the way you are now is God's retribution for me."
Zhenxiu wouldn't listen to him and kept standing on tiptoe to look at the letter.
Song Anrong spoke earnestly, “To us, others should be a mirror. We see our own shortcomings in others and then correct them, which is how we grow. Zhenxiu, you yourself are like a mirror. You can easily find the faults of others, but you never reflect on your own. Moreover, you like to be someone else too much. On the one hand, you think Zhenyuan and Zhenshu are not good, but on the other hand, you always try to imitate them to embellish yourself. Little do you know that God gives each person something unique, and you certainly have that too. If you can discover your own unique temperament and demeanor, you won't be much worse than Zhenyuan and Zhenshu. You just haven't discovered it yet.”
After Zhenxiu heard him finish speaking without saying anything, she asked, "Father, are you finished?"