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Last time on Grafting Life: The You Sisters continue to cause trouble.
Chapter 62 – Red Chamber (62)
When Qiu Tong went to Mother Jia’s courtyard, no one greeted her. The servants of the Jia Family were like this. They were polite to the important servant girls, but to the concubines, they did not even give any face. It could be seen from the situation of Concubine Zhao in the Jia Family. While Concubine Zhao did not act respectfully, when comparing Qiu Tong and Concubine Zhao, it was hard to say who was more crude. Both were not respectful people.
Entering the yard, Qiu Tong had to smile and begged a younger servant girl to report to Yuan Yang. She said that Bao Yu had been given a fright by Third Sister You in the Pear Fragrance Park. She feared something would happen and came to report. She was not willing to tell the other servant girl the details. Otherwise, the young harlot would take the credit.
In the Jia Family, if the matter concerned Bao Yu regardless of whether it was true or not, major or not, it would be treated as a major matter.
So while the young servant girl did not greatly believe Qiu Tong’s words, she did not dare to neglect her. She directly reported to Yuan Yang. Yuan Yang knew that the You sisters were the most wanton. If they truly pulled Bao Yu to do shameless things, then it would be very serious. Adding on that Bao Yu was very considerate of the servants and had kindness for women, even if he suffered a loss, he would help and hide it, and would not tell anyone to embarrass the women.
Yuan Yang cursed and hurriedly went in. She whispered in Mother Jia’s ears. Mother Jia immediately lost her smile and said, “Call her in, I will ask her.”
Madam Wang, Madam Xing and Aunt Xue immediately stopped, puzzled.
Qiu Tong came in, kowtowed and said, “Old Mistress, please send someone to quickly find Second Master Bao. I fear that he is frightened.”
Madam Wang was stunned and said, “What is with Bao Yu, tell us.”
Qiu Tong hurriedly said, “Today, Concubine Ping told me to move to Pear Fragrance Park, and serve the pregnant Second Miss You. Just as I entered, before even putting my possessions away, the mistress of the You Family came in the corner door to the courtyard with the third You Miss. The other disdained us for not serving well. That third miss caught me and beat me.” Saying this, she showed everyone the sleeve that she had secretly torn along the way here. Then she said, “That third miss said that Second Missus and Concubine Ping are evil, and that people like us who come to serve want to torment her sister. She said that Second Master Lian is being controlled by his evil wife, and then talked about fathers-in-law and daughters-in-law, sons and the concubines of fathers, things I cannot understand……”
Everyone heard this and their expressions changed. They wanted to hide such immoral things, how could such things be said, especially in front of Aunt Xue. Would this not embarrass the Jia Family?
Mother Jia immediately shouted, “I just ask you about Bao Yu, do not talk about these trivial matters. Who will think that such shameless things are true?”
Qiu Tong hurriedly said, “Second Master Bao was passing on the street outside, and heard her words, so he came in to stop her. The third miss did not curse him, but wrapped around Second Master Bao. You did not see it, but she exposed her chest and hung onto Second Master Bao, telling him to eat the rouge from her lips. She said that Second Master’s older brothers and nephews have already eaten. Seeing that Bao Yu is so handsome, she would reward him as well. She just pulled Bao Yu towards the room, wanting to do that thing in the daytime. Our Second Master Bao has always respected women, and has never seen such a person who laughs at men. He was frightened and called for help. Many people heard this. If Second Master Bao’s friend did not hear this and came in to rescue Second Master Bao, that third miss may have dragged Bao Yu into the room……”
Before she finished, Wang-shi was furious.
Mother Jia was so angry she could only pant. She said, “Send someone to find Bao Yu quickly.” She said to Madam Wang, “You wanted her to stay, it was kind. But they have become worse. Kick them out, kick them out, immediately.”
Qiu Tong said, “No need for Old Mistress to say so, I will do so immediately. I fear that she is mourning in her rooms right now, wanting me and Missus to die so she can live her days with Second Master.”
Madam Wang heard her words were worse and worse, her actions like that of Concubine Zhao. She suddenly felt very depressed and said, “Just send the people to search first. No need for you to talk here.”
Qiu Tong choked, but still reluctantly left.
Mother You stood at the doorway to Second Sister You’s room. She watched her second daughter lie in bed and cry. Her third daughter just stood in the courtyard, tears coming down her face as she stared at the door. She felt suffocated. “How did I birth you two failures?”
Mother and daughters were mourning when Qiu Tong came in fiercely with several grannies. She said, “Old Mistress orders to kick out these shameless people immediately, and do not dirty our place.”
Someone asked, “Including their possessions?”
“Possessions, what possessions?” Qiu Tong said in disdain. “She came in naked, every needle and thread is from our residence.”
Mother You was pushed by a granny and grew furious. She said, “My daughter has the child of the Jia Family. You dare to not recognize it, I will go to the government offices and report your family for taking the wife and children of other people.”
Qiu Tong sneered. “It is the child of the Jia Family, but it may not be the child of our second master. You can find who you think it is, do not be an eyesore here.”
Second Sister You heard this. So Jia Lian was not willing to recognize the child in her belly. She felt even more hurt. She felt that it would have been better to die cleanly, rather than feel so sad now. A granny came to pull at her. Adding on that the fierce Third Sister You was like a walking corpse, Qiu Tong and the grannies were able to successfully drive them out.
Seeing the door to the Rong Ducal Establishment closed tightly, Mother You did not care about the whispers and pointing from the surroundings and headed for the Ning Ducal Establishment. You-shi had received the report from the servant girl with Second Sister You, and knew that the three had been kicked out. Right now, in the Ning Ducal Establishment, Jia Zhen and Jia Rong were still unconscious. You-shi did not fear the father and son making decisions for the three of them. She ordered people to pack their things and threw them out, not willing to open the door.
Mother You cursed Jia Zhen, You-shi, Jia Rong, and Jia Lian, saying that they took the bodies of virgin girls, and now kicked them out. She said a lot of explicit things, and the people watching had a lot of fun. You-shi heard clearly on the inside. In any case, the reputation had been gone a long time before. She did not care. She would live her days as the mistress in charge of the household as long as she could. Who cared about anything else?
No matter the cursing, the gates did not open. There were people with bad intentions who had evil lights in their eyes. Such a pair of beauties.
Mother You could only hire a sedan and take her two daughters back to their small courtyard in the capital.
The courtyard was not in a good location, and the public order was not good. There was frequent knocking on the door at night. If not for the few old servants in the home, Mother You would not dare to sleep at night. She thought she could not keep on living like this. She knew that the Jia Family would not recognize the child in Second Sister You’s belly, and she looked at her daughter with a scary look.
Second Sister You wanted to birth the child. It was a child, and then she would have hope in her life.
Mother You said, “Since the Jia Family will not work, we have to think of a way to marry you. If you have a child dragged along, you will not have good days in the future.”
Second Sister You shook her head and said, “I cannot do such wanton things. Today’s calamity is retribution. I just want to stay with this child and live, that’s all.”
Mother You looked at Second Sister You and knew nothing she said would be of use. She said, “If so, I will have people grab some fetus settling medicine for you to drink.”
Second Sister You thought Mother you had changed her mind and agreed. After dinner and a bowl of medicine, Second Sister You’s stomach started to hurt like something was dropping down. Only in the second half of the night did her body suddenly loosen and she felt better. Even if she was stupid, she knew that her mother had given her abortion medicine.
“Second Sister, this mother will not harm you,” Mother You said. “In this situation, you cannot return to the Jia Family, even if you do, the men of the Jia Family have no feelings towards you. In these years, we managed to accumulate a lot of wealth. You just find that Zhang Hua. Even at worst, it is an engagement made in childhood. You take the silver and live well with him. You do not have to pursue anything but peace. Otherwise, you alone, so beautiful, and with a soft personality, how can you raise the child by yourself? Listen to Mother, you will have children in the future.”
Second Sister You closed her eyes, not wanting to hear a word or see again.
Mother You saw her like this and said, “Rest first, thinking about it, you will understand.”
Second Sister You felt full of despair. Even this family would not have her. She slowly stood, cleaned up her body, dressed up and pinned up her hair. She took the gold lump from her make-up box, shoved it into her mouth, and swallowed.
Second Sister You laid on the bed, the pain causing her face to twist in pain. She heard the door to her room open. She saw her third sister walk in like a soulless puppet. She dazedly heard the other say, “Sister, do not go too fast. Wait for me, we can keep each other company.” Not waiting for her to understand what had happened, she slowly lost consciousness.
The next morning, when Liu Xiang Lian’s steward opened the gate, what appeared in front of him was a fine pair of women’s feet. The Mandarin ducks playing in the water embroidered on the bright red shoes were very eye-catching.
The old steward had never seen something like this, shouted in shock, and then fainted in fright.
Liu Xiang Lian came out to look and his face turned black. This woman who had hung herself was that third miss of the You Family who cried and said she wanted to marry him.
He hurriedly called for his neighbors, saying that some woman had hung herself in front of his gates, and asking them to help and report to the officials.
People looked oddly at Liu Xiang Lian. Who would not find a tree somewhere to hang themselves but they have to hang themselves in front of your gates? Was there nothing else here?
Liu Xiang Lian just felt that he and the capital were at odds, and he would keep on getting in trouble.
After the bailiffs came and left with the corpse, soon, the matter was understood. The dead person was Miss You, who had so many rumors about her just a while ago. So they released Liu Xiang Lian. It had nothing to do with him. Mother You thought of Second Sister You who was dead on the bed, and now, seeing her youngest daughter had become a cold corpse. She felt some regret. Thinking of Third Sister You before her death, she cried, “My daughter was in love with you, and has died outside your home. If she is to be a ghost, she will have to enter your family. You just take her back and bury her, to fulfill her wish.”
Everyone stilled at the words. Such a request was absurd. Liu Xian Lian snorted coldly, and left with a sweep of his sleeve. Who had he offended that he always encountered such unlucky matters? That day, he sold the courtyard and the few properties the family had in the capital, leaving to go to his paternal aunt. Later, he supposedly married the niece of his aunt’s family. The two did not have great wealth and honors, but they lived peacefully.
Because the You sisters counted as famous people, after this occurred, many more people talked about them. Wen Tian Fang heard the report from his subordinate, and learned what Lin Yu Tong meant by extreme. If such a person died in front of his home without any reason, he would not be able to explain even if he had ten mouths.
Lin Yu Tong heard this from Lin Yu Yang. She could not help but sigh. A person who was so extreme and self-centered was terrifying. She wanted to ask about the shadow cast over Liu Xiang Lian’s heart.
The only mistake that Liu Xiang Lian made was to let Third Sister You see him. Just this one look caused so much trouble.
Because the You mother and daughters had been kicked out, and then the two sisters passed away, the disdain people felt towards them slowly turned to sympathy. They started to target the Jia Family, and mention the mistakes of the Jia Family and the helplessness of the You Sisters. Regardless of the thoughts of the crowd, the world was like this. It became the Jia Family men bully women, widowed mothers and orphaned daughters. The Jia Family women were harsh and jealous, with malicious intent. If they had not kicked the sisters out, the sisters would not have died.
Regardless of whether it was that they had sympathy for the weak or that they hated the wealthy, the Jia Family had to take the blame for the deaths of the You Sisters.
Ping’er was very angry about this and complained to Wang Xi Feng, “She really benefited. Such a person who everyone can sleep with dragged us down after her death. So hateful.”
Wang Xi Feng smiled and said, “Who cares? If they are dead, it is done. No need to be angry with a dead person.”
When Jia Lian learned of this, he secretly took some silver, had Wang’er buy some offerings, death money and incense. “Burn them to her, we counted as husband and wife.”
Jia Zhen and Jia Rong felt that they had walked by death’s door. They did not care if the You Sisters were dead or not. You-shi was even happier, insincerely having someone go to arrange the funeral. She gave Mother You fifty silver, and then let go.
Mother You did not lack for silver. She had married twice and had a lot of money. The money that her two daughters had gotten from Jia Zhen over the years were all in her hands. She could no longer stay in the capital. Taking her loyal servants, she went back to her old home. There were an effective few from her paternal family still there. She just lived with her nephew, and usually gave a bit of money, coaxing him so that when she died, someone would bury her.
However, supposedly, the nephew was one who liked to gamble. He was in his twenties and still had not married. In less than two years, he lost all of Mother You’s money. Mother You did not want to give him more, but he would steal. No matter how well she hid, it was useless. This was an animal without any morals. He would punch her, and only stop when she gave him the money. Because of the fact that Mother You had remarried, it had ruined the reputations of the girls in her paternal family. Everyone in the paternal family looked down on her. The neighbors just called this karma. No one came to help.
Her nephew used up all her money, and sold all her servants. She never thought her nephew would sell her to an old widower in his fifties. Back when young, Mother You had been very beautiful. From the fact that she had remarried better, even taking along two daughters, one would know how beautiful she was. Look at Second and Third Sister You, and you would know how stunning their mother had been. She had lived well in these years, kept herself well, and while she was in her forties, she looked very young. For the men in the countryside, she was much better than the old women with rough hands and yellow teeth. But even if the old widower liked her, she did not know how to work, so she got beaten regardless. When she could not give birth, she was beaten. Fearing that she would cheat with another man once again, if she left the home and talked to other people, she would be beaten. In the end, she could not endure such days and threw herself into a well to die.
Because the Jia Family had a series of calamities, they lived in peace in the residence.
However, a major matter suddenly occurred in court that caused the Jia Family to be even more afraid.
The old consort in the palace just died, and now it suddenly was known that the Zhen Family in the capital had been all arrested, and their properties confiscated.
Lin Yu Tong sighed and thought, starting from the confiscation of the Zhen Family, the calamities will keep on coming. She could not say if she was sad or relieved. Knowing the ending, she still did not feel well. The Jia Family should fall, but when the nest fell, many of the innocent eggs could not escape the claws of fate. But who could change any of this?
The Zhen Family sent servants to give two boxes to the Jia Family for safekeeping. These things could become their last hope.
Madam Wang did not hesitate to accept them. Wang Xi Feng got the news and felt cold from head to toe. Seeing the Zhen Family was like seeing the Jia Family’s tomorrow. She ordered Xiao Hong in a whisper, “Right now, slowly start to bring things in our room outside, put them in the secret room in the countryside.”
Xiao Hong nodded and said, “Do not worry, a vegetable cellar has been built in the compound. There is a secret room within. My parents and Master Yun personally set this up. Missus, do not worry.”
“I got people to cancel your contracts. The calamity of the Jia Family will not affect you,” Wang Xi Feng sighed. “Right now, this is all I can do. I want to cancel the contracts of the servant girls in the family, but it will attract too much attention. I will think of a way in the future.”
“Each person has their own fate. Missus, you have a good heart, and want to avoid them being sold. But you know, the servants here are used to being servants, and are not suited to living outside. To them, if they change families, they can still live. Otherwise, they will find Missus sooner or later. Missus, you are not able to support all these forebearers. At that time, their gratefulness may become hate. Why do that?” Xiao Hong comforted her.
“This is true. I thought wrong. Husband and wife are birds of the same forest, but when the calamity comes, they fly off on their own,” Wang Xi Feng smiled scornfully at herself and did not mention this again.
- Grafting Life Chapter 61 – Red Chamber (61)
- Grafting Life Chapter 63 – Red Chamber (63)
- Grafting Life Chapter 64 – Red Chamber (64)
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