"А smаll fish in а рond has nеvеr sееn thе vast ocеаn, so why bоther taking оffеnsе аt its ignоrаnce? Еven if you handed the businеss оver tо him, he wоuldn’t dаrе tаke it. Тhоugh thаt mаn is stubbоrn and thinks highlу of himself, he dоеs pоssess some litеrary tаlent. Pеrhарs if hе trulу раsses the imреrial ехаminatiоn onе dаy, he’ll surеlу leаve our housеhold, and then уоu wоn’t havе to be annоуеd by him аnуmоrе."
"Раss the imреrial еxаmination? Unlеss heаvеn hаs gonе blind!" Jun Jiаngjuаn glаnced at thе sky and quickly piсked up the shеepskin sсroll оn thе tablе.
"Oh! It’s almost dark. I must hurry and tell the gatekeeper to prepare the carriage for the business. If I’m any later, Mother won’t let me go out."
Jun Qiluo caressed her belly, feeling the familiar churning in her abdomen and stomach. She couldn’t help but smile wryly—these two little ones were just as tormenting as their father!
But she held no regrets. All of this...
The past had already vanished like a wisp of smoke, leaving no trace behind. No matter how intense the feelings had been, they could only linger in her heart. Perhaps a fleeting sweetness might visit her in the depths of midnight dreams, but in reality, there would never be another chance for them to meet again.
She was dead, wasn’t she? Now, he could finally marry those three princesses without any lingering guilt, no longer needing to rage over a woman who was gone.
In a way, he had been tolerant of her. Otherwise, during the three months they spent together, she would have died many times over. She wasn’t unaware of his kindness toward her, nor was she ungrateful. But to accept his heart and his affection meant surrendering her own. Once she offered her true heart, mere kindness was no longer enough. She wanted his love, and his alone.
Yet, she knew his status and circumstances left him no choice. Still, she couldn’t bear it. She couldn’t stand the thought of other women sharing the man she loved. So, she chose to step back, to choose death as her protest and accusation.
Was it fate that spared her because their bond was not yet severed? What kind of ending awaited a love that was destined but never meant to be?
Yelü Lie...
Thinking of him made her heart ache. Was this the torment she would have to endure from now on? Was this the consequence she must bear for the ending she had chosen?
Had she been wrong? Or was it truly so difficult to obtain genuine, sincere love?
※ ※ ※
The warmth of the sun had begun to bring a light sweat to one’s skin.
The day was bright and beautiful, with enchanting sunlight. In the Jun family garden, a hundred flowers bloomed in competition, creating a sea of vibrant colors.
Jun Jiangjuan supported Jun Qiluo, who was heavily pregnant and, for once, not suffering from morning sickness, as they stepped out to bask in the sun.
The two sisters made their way to the "flower thicket hut," where they had often played games in their childhood, to relive old memories.
The so-called "flower thicket hut" referred to the tall shrubs planted around the vast garden in the central courtyard of the Jun residence. As children, the three sisters had chosen the densest cluster of bushes behind the pavilion, near the rockery, and hollowed out a small space in the middle. Whenever they grew tired from studying, they would nestle there to rest.
Now, returning to the spot, though they had grown up, the space was still just enough to squeeze in two people.
Jun Jiangjuan held a copy of the Book of Songs and addressed her elder sister’s belly with great seriousness. "Dear little ones, today your aunt will teach you to recite the 'Wooden Ladle' poem from the 'Airs of Wei' in the Book of Songs. Listen carefully! 'You gave me a wooden ladle, I returned a jade pendant. Not as repayment, but to cherish our bond forever. You gave me a wooden peach, I returned a jade ornament. Not as repayment, but to cherish our bond forever. You gave me a wooden plum, I returned a jade token. Not as repayment, but to cherish our bond forever.'""In other words, when you become a great merchant in the future, you'll be elegant and charming. If you take a fancy to a girl, you can buy a papaya and toss it to her, and she'll throw a jade pendant back to you. Not only will you win her heart, but you'll also make a fortune! A papaya costs ten wen on the market, while a jade pendant ranges from twenty taels to over a hundred taels. That means it's a business with ten-thousand-fold returns. If our family plants papaya, peach, and plum trees, we won't even have to worry about costs..."
"Jiang Juan! What nonsense are you talking about? Such a beautiful love poem has been twisted by you into something so vulgar. Aren't you afraid Confucius will appear in your dreams to scold you?" Jun Qiluo scolded, both exasperated and amused.
Teaching this girl to read was truly doing a disservice to the authors of those books.
"Not at all! I'm just interpreting the essence of the Book of Songs! We're merchants discussing business, and reading should be applied practically. Otherwise, if you end up like that bookworm Zheng Shuting, you'll have wasted your time studying the classics."
"You're just skimming the surface and corrupting the child along the way."
"I'm teaching him how to do business!" Jun Jiangjuan picked up another book and began reading again: "In years past, there was a wild guest, hailed as a banished immortal; his brush startled wind and rain, his poems moved gods and spirits to tears. Hmm, good, very good! Little one, if you don't go into business, you must become a great figure, not some poor, pedantic scholar. If you want to be a literary man, you must aspire to be like Li Taibai!"
Jun Qiluo could only let her younger sister ramble on. Her eyes gazed thoughtfully toward the north. By now, it should be late mid-spring there as well, shouldn't it?
"Husband, please don't be angry anymore!" a gentle woman's voice came from the pavilion.
The two sisters exchanged a glance—it was Xiu Kun. Jun Jiangjuan quietly stood up to take a look. Sure enough, in the pavilion were Zheng Shuting, Jun Xiukun, and four maidservants.
Zheng Shuting's displeased voice carried over: "I truly cannot bear it anymore. Over these past few months, I hardly dare step outside, afraid that if I meet friends, they'll ask about your sister. You spread the news that she's newly widowed—outsiders may believe it, but how can we hide it from relatives and close friends? She returned pregnant with a child of unknown bloodline, and with rumors of ghosts and monsters in the Helan Mountains area, who knows if she's carrying some kind of spirit? I'm ashamed to have such in-laws! If your father doesn't give me an explanation today, I am determined to sever ties with the Jun family. Otherwise, how can I face those refined gentlemen again?"
"Husband! Father will definitely not drive my sister away. We can simply come here less often! Besides, my sister is about to give birth. Where do you expect her to go?" Jun Xiukun whispered anxiously.
"Let her go to the Villa in the north to deliver the child, and marry her off as soon as possible. A peddler, a laborer—anyone will do. She's already disgraced herself; if someone is willing to take her, just make do. Who knows what kind of monster she's carrying? The midwife has been spreading rumors that her belly is too large. If it really is a monster, won't our Jun family face disaster? Your father has always indulged you women, which is why you act without restraint. If you hadn't married me, you'd likely end up like your eldest sister—shameless, bringing shame upon the entire Jun family and tarnishing my reputation."
"Since Father isn't here, let's come back tomorrow."
"Hmph! You come by yourself tomorrow. Tell your father that as long as Jun Qiluo remains here, I, Zheng Shuting, will not set foot in the Jun family again."Their voices faded into the distance, occasionally mingled with Jun Xiukun's pleading apologies...
If Jun Qiluo hadn't grabbed Jun Jiangjuan tightly, she would have already jumped out to confront that bookworm Zheng.
"Elder sister, he's truly gone too far! Who does he think he is? If he truly had such noble principles, why didn't he feel the slightest shame when spending our Jun family's money? Instead, he boldly comes to our doorstep to drive away the Jun family? Elder sister, you mustn't pay any attention to such a person. Don't let him have his way."
Jun Qiluo gave a cold smile.
"He doesn't have the ability to drive me away. I think he's truly forgotten who he is. Fine! If he wants to be noble and uphold his principles, then we don't need to tolerate him either. Starting tomorrow, he'll deeply understand what true scholarly integrity really means!"
"Wow! That's great! Sister, how will you do it?" Jun Jiangjuan clapped her hands and exclaimed, asking eagerly; she knew her elder sister was about to unleash her power.
"Tomorrow, after Xiukun returns with the child, tell Second Mother to keep her and go together to the Suzhou Villa for three months. Once they're on their way, immediately reclaim the villa they're currently living in, recall the servants, and instruct the accountant to stop providing their living allowance. We shouldn't be too ruthless—allocate a small wooden cottage for him to live in, give him a small plot of land, and let him emulate the life of Tao Yuanming. If he comes looking for us, don't let him in; treat him like a mad dog. I'll take responsibility for any issues. In just ten days, he'll realize how many benefits and courtesies our 'copper-stinking' Jun family has given him; within a month, he'll be in agony; in less than two months, his arrogance will be completely shattered, and he'll come begging at our doorstep! But I want him to endure for three months. In the future, when we support him and his wife again, it must be with restraint. Indulging his every demand and allowing him to squander freely will only make him forget his humble origins and think he's some kind of chosen one. Then we'll see if those noble friends of his, who feast on wine and meat, will still stand by him!"
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