Last time on Grafting Life: Jia Lian has second thoughts.
This chapter has been brought to you by me, and Smash10101.
Chapter 57 – Red Chamber (57)
Second Sister You knew that few people would not care about her past. She finally managed to encounter Jia Lian who was relatively respectful of her and did not even ask about her past. Of course she wanted to live well with him. She was not willing to tangle with Jia Rong. Her mother called Rong-ge’er in to talk, but she only sat in the outer room, not listening to what was going on inside. Rong-ge’er would not respect people. Adding on that Mother You did not mind, he just climbed on the bed and touched her. She was not someone who dared to resist. Fearing that Jia Rong would make sounds and other people would hear, she just tried to dodge.
“Quick, get off, if your uncle learns of this, he will tear off your hide,” Second Sister You said. However, her voice was sensual and could not frighten people. It was not effective at all, and even added some “forbidden” fun.
Jia Rong said, “Right now, you are my second maternal aunt, and also my younger paternal aunt. We can be even closer.”
“Do not be like this, I will call for someone.” Second Sister You pushed Jia Rong.
“Just shout, your mother took a lot of my silver. She will not care about our matter. With her keeping watch, she will report if Uncle comes. What are you afraid of?” Just as Jia Rong finished, Jia Lian’s voice came from outside the window. “Very good. So you want me to be the cuckold.”
Jia Rong jumped in fright and jumped off the bed. He looked around. He did not know where to flee. Second Sister You’s face paled, and her tears came down.
Mother You went out the door. “Son-in-law, how can you say this? I called Rong-ge’er in to talk with me. My second daughter is his elder, and has been proper all this time. Son-in-law, do not misunderstand.”
Jia Lian pushed aside Mother You. “The mamas of the brothels use the daughters they buy to sell their flesh. You bear to use your own daughter to sell, very good.”
Mother You’s face immediately changed. Such words were too unpleasant.
Jia Rong came from inside and smiled guiltily, “Uncle, you misunderstand this nephew.”
Jia Lian looked at Jia Rong for a moment and suddenly smiled. He said, “You want Second Sister, just take her, why sneak around? If you agree to a request of Second Uncle, you can do what you wish with Second Sister.”
Second Sister You’s face drained of blood. She heard Mother You say, “What condition? Son-in-law, just speak.”
“Tonight, have Third Sister come serve, and this matter will be written off, how about it?” Jia Lian glanced towards the eastern room. There was no sound. She must be listening to the words here.
Mother Jia was about to agree when Third Sister You came out in her under clothes, showing off her white arms and chest. Jia Lian immediately could not look away.
Third Sister You saw Jia Lian like this and spat, “Never! You dare to scorn my sister, why don’t you look and compare who is cleaner?”
Jia Zhen guiltily came out and said, “We are brothers, just seeking pleasure, do not mind anything else.” He pulled Jia Lian into the room and ordered Mother You, “Get wine, call Second Sister and Third Sister together, we will have some fun.”
Jia Lian wanted Third Sister, and did not refuse, having a lot of fun.
Wang Xi Feng learned what had happened over there and immediately changed ideas. Since Second Sister You and Jia Lian had a conflict between them, it was better to welcome her into the residence to disgust Jia Lian. Second Sister You kept on wanting to change and live properly. She would not miss such a chance.
She called Ping’er into her room, frowned and said in a low voice, annoyed, “Originally, I did not want to interfere in the matter of Second Sister You, but right now, the rumors are too ugly. While Second Master Lian has not married someone else, he has set up his lover openly outside during state mourning and family mourning. Even if we close an eye to it, and do not make trouble, it will not stand up to other people looking. I think, how about getting her properly into the residence. It is better than having her ruin the family’s reputation outside.”
Ping’er had also heard the gossip and was conflicted. She had not expected Wang Xi Feng to say such a thing.
“Second Master Lian is shameless, but our Gui-ge’er wants face. If the conduct of the second master spreads, Gui-ge’er‘s marriage will be a problem,” Wang Xi Feng explained. She indicated that she would be in charge of this matter, not because she was jealous. She said, “You prepare the bridal gift. I will go to the eastern residence, and officially propose marriage to You-shi. You go to the residence outside, bring her here, and put her in Pear Fragrance Park.”
Ping’er stilled and then nodded. Them having fun in the residence was better than ruining the family’s reputation outside.
Wang Xi Feng had been in her confinement all this time, and gained a bit of weight. She looked less fierce, and more kind. She dressed well, and looked at everyone with a smile. On the way, when she met the steward wives, the others would see that the people behind her were carrying many things and ask the cause.
Wang Xi Feng said with a virtuous expression, “I just birthed Gui-ge’er, and my body is not better. I have a child to take care of, and cannot care for Second Master. You all know Ping’er. She has to manage the matters of the household. I want to find a good person to take care of him. The sister of Eldest Missus Zhen is a very good person, and also a relative of ours, better than other people. I will go ask first if she is engaged. If not, we can marry her as a proper second wife. I will get a helper, and the marriage can take place right after the mourning period passes.”
These people all knew the matter between Jia Lian and Second Sister You. But facing Wang Xi Feng, they could not say such a thing. Many people felt that Second Missus’ cleverness had disappeared. This was clearly Second Sister You not willing to stay outside, and got someone to persuade Second Missus to propose marriage to her. Bah! She qualifies!
So, before Wang Xi Feng even reached the Ning Ducal Establishment, the entire residence knew that she was sincerely proposing marriage for Second Sister You. People who inquired felt that the other was very sincere, having cleaned up Pear Fragrance Park for her already, clearly for a newlywed to live. The little wife did not live with the big wife, wasn’t it clear that this was giving face to the new person?
The news moved faster than Wang Xi Feng’s feet. You-shi learned Wang Xi Feng’s intentions a step ahead and guiltily welcomed her. “What are you doing?” She did not believe that Wang Xi Feng was such a virtuous person.
Wang Xi Feng smiled and waved a hand for the people serving to leave. “I have important things to say to your missus. Do not listen here, leave.”
The people in the room exchanged a look and then left with smiles. They thought that Wang Xi Feng was going to propose marriage. Everyone knew this already, and had no interest in eavesdropping. They all left and went to gossip.
You-shi looked at Wang Xi Feng, frowning and wanting to speak. But in a blink, the smiling Wang Xi Feng changed expression, her face cold, her eyes vicious. She raised a hand and slapped You-shi on the face. You-shi covered her face. Before she could react, Wang Xi Feng started to cry, “We are sisters-in-law, when have I treated you unfairly that you treat me like this and dig out my heart?”
The servants outside heard that the sound was not right but no one went in, just listened to the noises.
“You want to find a good place for your sister, eat gold and drink silver, I do not blame you. You, the sister-in-law, are shameless enough to interfere in the rooms of your younger brother-in-law, I have endured it. You bear this for your sister, I do not care. But you should not have told him to put her outside at this time. I am not an unvirtuous person. If you tell me, won’t I get the matchmakers and the bridal gifts and properly welcome her into the home? Why do such shameful things? I know that your sister is engaged. You want to break the engagement, but you cannot use our second master as the excuse, and have him take on the reputation of stealing someone’s wife. Right now, it is the state mourning period, and we are also in family mourning. The rumors are moving outside. If we are unlucky, our second master will be punished. You will inherit a title, you do not care, but it depends on the emperor whether or not my master will inherit. With such a great crime, the title is gone. How did we offend you that you harm me like this? Maybe you have plotted with someone else, taking their silver, and making sure that my master will not be able to inherit. But Gui-ge’er is just a baby, who can he rely on in the future? People have to do kind deeds in order to get good fortune. You do such evil things, you do not fear going to hell after you die?” Wang Xi Feng cried and complained.
The people heard this and broke into cold sweats. This was not a minor matter. No wonder Second Missus was so angry.
“Heaven, I do not dare to have such thoughts.” You-shi heard Wang Xi Feng suspect that her family was harming Jia Lian and did not dare to take on the crime. She even forgot the fact that she had been slapped.
“You just say things. Right now, I will take her and set her up in the Pear Fragrance Park to avoid people outside saying ugly things. You know the Pear Fragrance Park. Aunt Xue’s family lived there before, it is fine. You think of a way to break the engagement of your sister. I do not care. Right now, I bring her in, I will treat her like a relative of the family. After the mourning period passes, we will talk of other things. What do you think?” Wang Xi Feng put away her expression and asked.
“All right! Up to you.” She hurriedly agreed.
Wang Xi Feng sneered and said, “You send people to serve your sister. If anything happens, do not blame me for neglecting her. I will not take on such a reputation. You know what kind of person your sister is, I will say it now, I cannot tolerate dirty things. Do not have her appear in front of me and dirty my eyes. Even if she joins the family, I do not need her morning greetings or for her to serve me. It is best if we do not meet at all. She can live her own days, and I will live mine. She does not need to worry that I will harm her, I do not want her to dirty my place.”
The words were ugly to hear. Before You-shi answered, Wang Xi Feng first opened the door and then turned to say, “Just now, I was very angry, do not keep it on your mind. Now, I am not angry. Do not hit yourself in the future. Look at that, your face is red, I feel for you.”
You-shi stilled and then touched her burning face that Wang Xi Feng had slapped. Before she could speak, she saw the servants crowd over. She immediately did not have a way to explain. Hitting herself was better than Wang Xi Feng having hit her in the face. If someone else said once more that Wang Xi Feng had become a different person, she would want to spit at the other. Had she really changed?
In reality, Wang Xi Feng was still Wang Xi Feng, just more devious and cunning.
Over on Ping’er’s side, she sat in a sedan, and went with servant girls and grannies to the Little Flower Alley. This time, she was even clever and took along Zhou Rui’s wife.
Zhou Rui’s wife originally wanted to see Feng-jie’er, and was not willing. Ping’er thought that more people should see the actions of the You mother and sisters. Then, they would be able to talk for her and Missus in front of the old mistress and the mistresses, and knowing that they had not said false things.
Today, there were no random people in the residence. Zhou Rui’s wife called for people to report and then held Ping’er’s hand. “Be more dignified, do not be weak.”
Neither of them were a proper missus. When the old met the new, they naturally were a bit weaker as the old were not favored. Zhou Rui’s wife showed goodwill to Ping’er and she smiled and accepted it.
Mother You came out to welcome them. Seeing it was Ping’er, she saw the other was a beauty. She wore a silver-red dress, embroidered with golden peonies. From the flashing light, she knew that these were sewn with gold. She had phoenix hair pins, with a ruby the size of a pigeon’s egg in the phoenix’s mouth. When she lifted her hand, she had three green bangles on her wrist. When she took a step, the golden threads on her dress would flow with light, showing off embroidered shoes that were inlaid with pearls the size of knuckles.
Dear, what was wealth? This was wealth.
Mother You felt some fear, and invited them inside to sit before calling Second and Third Sister to greet them.
“Greetings, Second Missus.” The sisters saw Ping’er and became timid first.
Ping’er frowned in displeasure and Zhou Rui’s wife complained, “This is not Second Missus, this is Concubine Ping. How noble is Second Missus? How can she come to such a place?”
Second Sister You flushed red. Third Sister You immediately had a furious expression.
The Jia Family had all kinds of servants, and Ping’er truly looked down on people like Second and Third Sister You. Other than a tempting appearance, their heads were not clear. You do shameful things, but act like virtuous women, why? Such a person, if they entered the Jia Family, would be destroyed by the servants in two months.
Her heart immediately settled. She said, “I am just a servant girl of the missus. Sister-in-law Zhou is right. Missus is not someone who will come to a place like this. Missus told me to come here today. Right now, Missus has gone to the eastern residence, to formally propose marriage. She told me to come because there are many rumors about our second master here, and they are very ugly to hear. For the sake of the reputation, we come to ask your second daughter if she is willing to move to the residence. There is a courtyard for her alone, with a corner door to the street outside. If the door is closed, it is separate from the residence. In the past, relatives lived there. Now, a miss from a relative’s home can live there. After the mourning period passes, we can report to the family and make more plans. You can decide whether to go or not.”
Third Sister You was about to speak when Mother You glared at her. She looked furiously at Ping’er. Ping’er copied Wang Xi Feng’s usual air, and did not even look at her out of the corner of her eye.
Mother You originally thought this was Wang Xi Feng and had been intimidated by the air. Now that she knew this was just a concubine, she was tempted by the wealth that Ping’er showed.
Just from the attire, it was worth more than the silver that Jia Zhen, his son, and Jia Lian had spent on them.
Ping’er was a concubine. If her daughter went, she was also a concubine. In order to not lose reputation, she would likely be treated the same. She stood by Second Sister You’s side and said, “You want to live proper days? Enter the residence, you can live wealthy and proper days.”
Second Sister You had lost a lot of weight recently. She originally wanted to live properly with Jia Lian and had not expected the situation to be even worse than before. She had become a plaything for the brothers, the father and son, the uncle and nephew. With such a chance here, she would not let go. Even if she did not have favor when she was in the residence, she would accept it if she could live properly.
She looked at Ping’er with a blushing face and said, “I will come with Older Sister.”
Ping’er was disgusted by her call of “sister.” She nodded and said, “Then let’s go. The residence has everything, you do not need to pack up. The sedan is just outside.” She stood up and said to Zhou Rui’s wife. “I will trouble Sister-in-law Zhou to sell the residence. No one lives here, and you can also send away the people who watch this place.”
This meant that they were not going to let Mother You and Third Sister You keep on living here. Zhou Rui’s wife almost laughed. This Ping’er was more and more skilled.
She had someone help Second Sister You walk. As to Mother You and Third Sister You, who cared?
Originally, they could go in through the corner door of Pear Fragrance Park, but Ping’er seemed to think differently and went around half of the Jia Family with Second Sister You before reaching Pear Fragrance Park. On the way, people pointed at Second Sister You, and she felt like she was stripped naked in public with the gossip around her. She had nowhere to hide, and so she could not help but appear timid and uneasy.
Pear Fragrance Park already had the servant girls that You-shi had sent. Ping’er explained the matters of the clothing, jewelry, and monthly stipend in front of them before leaving.
Second Sister You sighed in relief. And called for servant girls to help her wash.
The servant girl had been sent by You-shi, but did You-shi not hate Second Sister You? You-shi likely wanted to eat mother and sisters alive. They were not blood sisters. This was a shameless stepmother with two sisters from a previous marriage who had stolen the places of her and her mother at home, and stolen her father’s attention. She finally managed to marry away, and they came to steal her husband, and destroyed the reputations of her and the You Family. Animals. What was the relationship between the mother and the sisters with the You Family? Not long after Mother You married into the You Family, they caused her father to die. Taking her daughters, they took the You Family’s wealth. If they did not have the protection of her husband, she would have strangled them to death.
Also, because of them, she had been scolded by Wang Xi Feng, and slapped in the face. She could not accept this.
Wang Xi Feng told her to send servant girls. She would not miss such a good chance.
It could be imagined what kind of servant girls these were.
“Getting water? What kind of place do you think this is?” The servant girl sneered. “You want people to get water for you without anything backing it up? It is a joke. This residence is not the same as the eastern residence.”
This servant girl was the daughter of one of You-shi‘s dowry servants. Her root was the You Family. She felt hate towards the mother and the two sisters who had ruined the You Family’s reputation.
Second Sister You pointed at the silver that Ping’er had just given and said, “You take it and use it. If it runs out, you can find my elder sister, or the second missus. Would there be a lack of silver to use?”
“I urge you to settle. You treat our eldest missus as your blood sister. Why do you not look and see if you have the You Family bloodline in your veins? Do not think to stain the You Family’s reputation and also the bloodline as well,” the servant girl sneered.
Second Sister You pointed at her, lips trembling but unable to speak. The other spoke the truth. She was not of the You Family bloodline but used the other’s name to act. How could people not hate her?
“Also, the second missus. She found our missus today, and talked already. Do not appear in front of her, and dirty her eyes.”
Second Sister You immediately started to cry. This was not like what she had imagined. She was not good, but she had wanted to change.
The servant girl did not look at her, and left with a basin, saying as she walked, “Wash, you wash when you want to wash. But some people, even if they wash, even if they wash a layer of skin off, they are still dirty. Can they wash themselves clean? It is like putting charcoal in clear water, the more you wash, the more dirty it gets.”
Second Sister You fell on the bed, and felt it was so hard to live.
Ping’er came back to change, and then went on to do her duties. She did not say anything to Wang Xi Feng. Wang Xi Feng did not ask. The two were in tacit agreement, and felt it was dirty.
When Jia Lian came back to the courtyard with Wang’er, he saw the door sealed. His heart skipped a beat. He had Wang’er inquire and learned that Ping’er had brought her into the residence.
Jia Lian thought, this is not good. Wang Xi Feng definitely knew.
His terror of Wang Xi Feng was engraved into his bones. No matter how gentle Wang Xi Feng was, his impression never changed. The two knew each other as children, they knew each other’s personalities.
Also, he was just playing around, he did not intend to bring Second Sister You into the home. It was Ping’er’s fault.
Wang’er whispered, “Right now, there are a lot of rumors about Second Master. It is not strange that Second Missus heard something.”
Jia Lian realized. Yes, if he did not return home, the family would ask about him. If they asked, the matter would be exposed. But right now, he did not dare to go back home. “Go ask around some more about what happened. When you figure it out, it will not be too late to return.”
Translator Ramblings: Is Mother You and her two daughters living in her stepdaughter’s husband’s household worse than Mother Xue and Xue Baochai going to her sister’s husband’s home? One thing I don’t think ever gets talked about is where a wife is buried if she re-marries afterwards. For a man, he usually gets buried with his first wife, and then his second wife occupies a “lesser” position, but what about a widow? Does she get buried with her first husband, but she already married into another family, or the last husband, but maybe he already had a previous wife who occupies the same grave.
- Grafting Life Chapter 56 – Red Chamber (56)
- Grafting Life Chapter 58 – Red Chamber (58)
- Grafting Life Chapter 59 – Red Chamber (59)
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