Chapter 7: Taking a Look
Since Grandmother Li Ciying was sleeping peacefully beside her, Bailian didn’t dare to enter her dimensional space. However, she channeled her consciousness and mental energy into the dimensional space to communicate with Li Shu.
“Have you found the old lady’s treasure chest?”
“Yes, I found it when I saw that the old woman kept furtively glancing at something under her bed. Turns out there is a secret compartment under her bed!”
“Why didn’t you snatch it from her?”
“Huh? Didn’t the Master just want me to take a look?”
“Sigh…just sleep then…”
……
In a certain Zhang household
“Mother, that engagement with the Li Family’s Fifth Young Miss was made when Father was still alive. If I request to annul the engagement now, others will only gossip and slander me, saying that now I have obtained success, I have decided to abandon them.”
A young man dressed in dark blue respectfully spoke to the restless Madam Zhang.
“Hmph! How can that shameless wench be worthy of you! If it wasn’t for that Third Master Li saving your Father a long time ago, this engagement wouldn have never happened!”
Widow Zhang huffily ranted at her son, a face full of indignation and resentment for her son. Remembering what happened at the banquet, she regretted that she hadn’t annulled the engagement earlier!
My son is a top-scoring scholar, his future is going to be limitless and boundless, I’m afraid that even a great noble family’s daughter will not be worthy of him, hmph!
Thinking of that Li Third Branch, it was common knowledge in the Wuming Village that they came from lowly birth. This Li Family was really disgraceful, they actually thought that they could just marry her son this easily!
“This won’t do! Tomorrow, I’m going to personally annul the engagement. Nothing can block off your future, you will be laughed at if you end up marrying that concubine-born wench!”
Widow Zhang kept getting up and sitting back down, restlessly wringing her hands in impatience. After this discussion with her son, her dislike for Bailian grew even more!
“But, this is an engagement promised by Father, does Mother not want to…”
Zhang Youen’s word trailed off mid sentence. Thinking back to the commotion at the banquet earlier today, he also felt disdain towards Bailian’s disgraceful actions.
“Want what? You still want this marriage?” Widow Zhang slapped her hand harshly on the table, getting visibly upset at the thought of her precious son marrying Bailian.
Of course, he didn’t want this marriage.
Ever since his father had passed away, he knew that many of the villagers scorned them, shunning him and his widowed mother. They disdained that the head of the family was a woman. It was only through relying on the Zhang tofu business that he and his mother could make ends meet to this day.
Despite being ignored by almost everyone and toiling every day, his mother had still gritted her teeth to run the shop and support her son’s studies at the same time. Her efforts weren’t for nothing, as Zhang Youen had paid her back by placing first on the county imperial exam. If he married a good for nothing wife like Li Bailian in the future, he would definitely be mocked at by others.
“Mother…this matter should still be handled differently!”
Zhang Youen inexplicably thought of the pitying sight of Bailian being carried out in her Father’s arms and for some reason, his heart softened.
“No! This engagement must be annulled! If you can’t put down your pride, then I’ll go do it.Your Mother can’t stand to see you ruined by this marriage! I’m going tomorrow!”
If it wasn’t that it was already dark outside, Widow Zhang would have impatiently sprinted to the Li Family residence already.
“But, this is Father’s…” Zhang Youen frowned, feeling a little perplexed in his heart.
“If your father had known that you were studying to become a Scholar, he definitely would not ruin your bright future. Yes, the Li Third Master saved your Father, but you should know how much we have helped the Third Branch over these years!”
When Widow Zhang saw her son’s hesitant expression, she earnestly persuaded and urged Zhang Youen to think carefully.
“Mother, maybe Father didn’t think this far! If we don’t carefully think of a plan and hurriedly cancel it, the villagers will gossip! There will always be other changes right?”
Zhang Youen currently did not know what he wanted, but his gut told him that he shouldn’t so quickly annul this engagement.
He despised and looked down on Bailian’s poor family background. If it wasn’t for his late father’s intentions, he would never agree to this marriage.
However, after the engagement had been set, he had once fantasized about Bailian being his wife. He would protect and adore this weak and frail wife.
In the end, though, all men wanted to maintain their reputation.
He felt contempt for Third Master Li’s lowly background, but seeing Bailian throwing herself into the arms of that old bachelor had been particularly mortifying.
“You! You’re too softhearted! Don’t worry son, just leave this matter to mother. This marriage will be annulled!”
“But…”
Zhang Youen had been hesitantly pondering over the matter but was suddenly reminded of the scene where his Mother’s hair had slowly turned a silvery-pepper gray. After his father had passed away, it was his mother that labored day and night to sustain the family, so that he had never been without pen, ink, paper and an inkstone to study.
At this moment, he fell into silence. He couldn’t just be so selfish, he had to become a high-ranking official and bring honor to his ancestors.
At the same time, he also wished that he could leave Wuming Village by studying hard enough so he could get out of poverty and live the rest of his life comfortably with his mother.
“Go to study! You needn’t involve yourself in this matter anymore!” Widow Zhang hurriedly pushed her son back into his room.
“Son will make sure to live up to Mother’s teachings!” Zhang Youen said firmly.
“Alright, alright, mother will wait patiently for that day!” Widow Zhang smiled gently, the reason she worked so hard was all for her precious son.
In his room, Zhang Youen slowly sat on his bed. There were only a few objects in his room, a bed, and a desk, but they were actually the best furniture in the entire Zhang household. It was only the things in his room that could be considered decent.
How could he disappoint and fail his mother?
Maybe he just wasn’t destined to be with Bailian!
Thinking of that skinny and weak body, Zhang Youen couldn’t tell just what his heart was feeling right now.
If there was a chance in the future, he would make sure to compensate her!
The night was silent and all sounds were hushed as the moon crept into the night sky.
Zhang Youen swiftly lit the lantern on his desk, picked up a book, and began to read it seriously.
This scholar’s fame was only just beginning! He wanted the world to forever remember him and have his mother receive the most honorable official lady title possible.
He was not just a simple peasant, but one of the most remarkable and talented officials in the country in the future.
Bailian had slept very soundly that night and had no idea that her fiance’s family had been discussing annulment. If she had known, she would have cheered on the mother and son!
Under the luminous moonlight, a shadow slowly crept out of the Li Family’s residence, closed the door gently, and seemed to get swallowed into the shadows.
“Why did you just come?”
“If it wasn’t for my Eldest Brother suddenly becoming placing in the top ranks of the county examination and becoming a scholar, I would have long been out, but my family slept late due to celebrating.”
“Ha, you are quite lucky, if your elder brother hits the jackpot in the future, don’t forget about me!”
“Er Gouzi, don’t worry!” The Fourth Master patted a vulgar-looking man, “I’m going to be the family member of a high government official in the future. Let’s go! Today, I’m going to gamble with silver taels!”
“Ah, then let me borrow some of your good luck!” Er Gouzi boorishly smiled, “It’s just no fun gambling at night! If it wasn’t for that never-dying old codger, no one in the family would dare tell me otherwise.”
“Ha! There’s no other way, I have to avoid my pesky old man!” The Fourth Master smugly bragged, “If my elder brother becomes a high ranking official, I’m afraid I’ll just have to open up a casino. At that time, we can gamble to the high heavens!”
“Hehe! Then this brother will follow you until the end!” Er Gouzi’s voice was full of fawning towards the Fourth Master.
“Last time, I lost too much. Today I’ll borrow some taels from Brother Qiang, I’ll definitely be able to make a profit!”
Under the soft moonlight, a dashing young man and vulgar-looking man trodded down the path towards town. The dashing, handsome man was the Fourth Eldest Young Master of the Li Family.
Twin Dragons Translations 