Chapter 14: So I’m Actually a Rich Girl

　　After Qianli Xun walked out, Kuqiao was already waiting outside, holding a lantern in her hand. Seeing her miss come out, she hurried over. “I thought we’d have to wait a while longer. Didn’t expect you to come out so soon, Miss.”

　　Qianli Xun didn’t respond. She strode straight ahead. After leaving the main courtyard, she had no idea where to go and had to stop.

　　Kuqiao could tell her miss was upset. She didn’t dare ask too many questions and just followed. Seeing her miss stop, she knew she couldn’t find the way back and quickly stepped ahead. “Just follow me, Miss.”

　　Another round of weaving through the paths.

　　Qianli Xun was in no mood to pay attention to the secluded night paths of the Zhu residence. Her mind was fully occupied with what to do next. Her father refused to step forward, which meant no one in the Zhu family could speak for her. Was the mutual divorce going to end in failure? Did she really have to live with Lin Jue now that she’d transmigrated into Zhu Shuzhen’s life?

　　Zhu Shuzhen had left very little information for later generations. Based on what little remained, she and Lin Jue never divorced but lived apart for years. Later, she met someone she loved and had an affair during her marriage, but they were separated again due to war. In the end, she died of depression at just over forty.

　　Was she, Qianli Xun, also destined to live her life this way? Absolutely not! She would definitely change things! It had to start with ending this marriage.

　　As she thought, they arrived at the garden where Zhu Shuzhen lived. The paths in the Zhu residence were truly strange. When you paid attention to them, it felt like you’d never reach your destination. When you didn’t pay attention, you got there much faster.

　　Kuqiao pushed open the garden gate and held the lantern ahead to light the way. Not a single lantern hung in the courtyard—it was pitch black. Thinking of the brightly lit main courtyard where Zhu Xiyan lived, Qianli Xun said, “The courtyard is too dark. We should hang more lanterns.”

　　Lutao heard the noise from inside the room and came out to welcome her. “Miss is back. I’ve already made the bed. You can rest whenever you like.”

　　Qianli Xun asked, “Lutao, have you always been in charge of the courtyard?”

　　“Yes, Miss.”

　　“Tomorrow, find a few maids and hang more lanterns in the courtyard, following the example of my father’s main courtyard. Light them at night so it’s brighter.”

　　Lutao was puzzled. “Lanterns used to hang in the courtyard before, but you didn’t like them, Miss. You told me to order the servants to take them all down. Are you… sure you want to hang them back up?”

　　“Positive! And absolutely certain!” Qianli Xun said as she headed into the room.

　　Kuqiao handed the lantern to Lutao. “Sister, please arrange it according to Miss’s instructions.”

　　Lutao took the lantern and muttered softly as she headed out. “I’ve heard the maids talking about how Miss is very different from before. It’s true. Whatever. Whatever the Miss says, goes. I’ll order someone to hang the lanterns in a few days.”

　　Under Kuqiao’s care, Qianli Xun lay down on the bed and continued to plan. Judging from the current situation, in all likelihood, no one in the Zhu family could be counted on. She was afraid her brother and sister-in-law would also have to listen to their father. She had come that day full of hope, and in an instant, all her hopes were shattered by her expressionless father.

　　Even though she had things on her mind, Qianli Xun had always been the type who could fall fast asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. So she slept soundly through the night.

　　…

　　When the first rooster crow of the morning sounded, she opened her eyes. This was the first time in her life she’d been woken up by a rooster. It was quite novel.

　　Qianli Xun got up, lifted the bed curtain, slipped out of bed, and casually put on her outer robe. She opened the window, and a burst of fresh air hit her face. She took a deep breath. “Smells so good. There’s the fragrance of plants.”

　　She saw a rooster standing on the courtyard wall. Its red comb was bright and eye-catching, its neck thick and powerful. Its feathers were black with a hint of red. It stretched its neck and let out another series of crisp crows. “Cock-a-doodle-doo…”

　　Kuqiao was also woken up by the noise. She stepped out of the maids’ quarters, grabbed a stone from the ground, and threw it at the rooster. “Stop making noise here!” The rooster was startled and flew over the courtyard wall with a flutter of wings.

　　“Miss, I’ve chased it away. Go back to sleep for a while.”

　　“I can’t sleep. Might as well get up.”

　　Kuqiao went into the room and began dressing her miss.

　　Qianli Xun wondered, “Why is there a rooster in the Zhu residence?”

　　“It might belong to one of the servants, or it could be from the Buddhist shrine.”

　　“The Buddhist shrine?” Qianli Xun was confused.

　　As she tidied her miss’s clothes, Kuqiao said, “The Zhu residence has a Buddhist shrine. I’ve heard the Old Ancestor lives inside, over a hundred years old. But neither you nor I have ever seen her. The main reason is that the Old Ancestor stays in the shrine and never comes out.”

　　“My father hasn’t seen her either?”

　　“I don’t know. At least I’ve never seen the master go to the shrine.”

　　“The Zhu residence is truly unfathomable. But what makes you think the rooster might be from the shrine?”

　　“In the Zhu residence, everyone has formed a habit. When they see something rare, they always say it might be from the shrine. I got used to it and just said it out of habit.”

　　“I see.”

　　Qianli Xun was in no mood to dwell on the Buddhist shrine. After Kuqiao finished tidying her appearance, she instructed, “Kuqiao, no need to make tea for me later. Just get me something to drink. I want to go see my brother and sister-in-law early to ask if they can still speak for me.”

　　Kuqiao asked worriedly, “Did the master refuse to speak for you and the young master during the mutual divorce last night?”

　　Qianli Xun nodded.

　　“Miss, you’d better not ask. The eldest young master and the young mistress definitely won’t speak for you.”

　　“Does it have something to do with my father?” Even though Qianli Xun knew this was the reason, she couldn’t help but ask.

　　Kuqiao nodded. “It’s always been this way in the Zhu residence. As long as the master doesn’t agree, no one else dares to go against him. They can only worry helplessly.”

　　“Why?” Qianli Xun really wanted to know the reason.

　　“The Zhu family rules are very strict. You could say the master is the family law.”

　　“Hmph! What family law! I think he’s a fascist!”

　　Kuqiao didn’t understand what “fascist” meant. Miss had changed—she’d always say things Kuqiao couldn’t make sense of.

　　Qianli Xun pressed on, “I wonder if the Zhu family has any clansmen like the Lin family?”

　　“Yes, five or six of them live in Lin’an City. They’re all your uncles.”

　　Qianli Xun immediately cheered up. “When one door closes, another opens. Today I’ll go visit these uncles. I don’t believe I can’t persuade at least one of them.”

　　Qianli Xun felt that going empty-handed would seem insincere. To persuade someone to speak for her, she needed to bring some valuable gifts, preferably just giving them silver. She patted herself—completely empty. She had just transmigrated and hadn’t encountered a situation where she needed to spend money yet. When she left the Lin residence, she forgot to ask for silver.

　　“Kuqiao, how about you go back to the Lin residence and ask Lin Jue for some silver? He promised to give me money to spend.”

　　“If Miss needs silver, I can go back to the Lin residence to get it. But there’s no need to ask the young master.”

　　“What do you mean? If we don’t ask Lin Jue, who do we ask?”

　　“When Miss married the young master, you brought a lot of dowry, including farmland and shops. The rent collected every year is more than you could spend. The young master isn’t as rich as you, Miss.”

　　“What!” Qianli Xun stood up. “I’m this rich! Then what do I have to be afraid of! The saying goes that when you marry a man, you rely on him for clothes and food. But I don’t rely on Lin Jue for clothes and food. Why should I still live with him? This marriage must end. And when we divorce, I need to take all my dowry with me! I was so stupid. When I made the three-point agreement with him at the Lin residence and asked him to give me silver to spend, he actually agreed with a smile. He’s a two-faced, scheming hypocrite! Kuqiao, after breakfast, go to the Lin residence to get the silver. The more the better.”

　　“Got it.”

　　The two were talking when Lutao brought people to set up breakfast. Kuqiao accompanied her miss through breakfast, then tidied the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk. She was about to head back to the Lin residence when Yinxing’s voice came from outside. “The madam has come to see the miss.”

　　Qianli Xun said to Kuqiao, “Don’t rush back to the Lin residence yet. Let’s see what my mother has come to say before making a decision.”

　　Madam Xiang walked in. Seeing her daughter standing in the room to welcome her, she reached her and took her daughter’s hand. “Shuzhen, I didn’t sleep well all night. Even though you’re different from before, you’re still my own daughter. I hope you don’t blame your father.”

　　Qianli Xun said, “If you, brother, and sister-in-law can speak for me during the mutual divorce, I won’t blame father.”

　　Madam Xiang let go of her daughter’s hand, looking very troubled. “As long as your father doesn’t agree, no one in the family dares to speak for you.”

　　“Since that’s the case, mother, don’t blame me for blaming him. My father is a cold-blooded creature. He doesn’t care at all about his daughter’s happiness in life. He only values his so-called reputation. I really don’t understand how much my mutual divorce from Lin Jue could affect his reputation.”

　　Madam Xiang took a seat. “Sit down. Let me explain.”

　　Qianli Xun obediently settled in. “What do you want to tell me, mother?”

　　Madam Xiang first instructed Kuqiao. “Go make two cups of tea for the two of us.”

　　Kuqiao agreed and went to the tea table to prepare tea. Yinxing was fascinated by the art and followed along to watch.

　　Madam Xiang sighed. “You were very clever from a young age, loved reading, and were self-taught. By ten, you could write poems and ci. Your father said you inherited his talent, so he let you appear frequently at poetry banquets. The title of female ci poet gradually spread throughout Jiangnan. Back then, our family was close to the Xu family. You and Young Master Xu were childhood sweethearts, innocently devoted, and secretly developed feelings for each other. The adults saw it in their eyes and rejoiced in their hearts, wanting to form a marital alliance…”

　　Qianli Xun wasn’t interested in Zhu Shuzhen’s past romantic experiences and didn’t want to listen. “Why are you telling me this, mother? It has nothing to do with the mutual divorce.”

　　“If you still acknowledge you’re Shuzhen, then hear me out.”

　　Qianli Xun had to patiently listen.

　　Madam Xiang continued. “Then one day, the Xu family announced they were moving north. The reason was that business wasn’t good in the south, and all family businesses would move north. As for your marriage with Young Master Xu, the Xu family didn’t say a word. After the Xu family moved, your father and I lied to you, saying the Xu family had fallen into decline and had to move the whole family. Later, when I attended a gathering of officials’ families in Lin’an, I accidentally heard people talking. They said the reason the Xu family moved was that they didn’t want their son to marry you. It was said that a feng shui master had read the Xu family’s feng shui and told them that if their son married a talented woman, the family would surely decline and no business would succeed…”

　　“Nonsense!” Qianli Xun couldn’t help but speak up for Zhu Shuzhen.

　　Kuqiao had finished making the tea and, together with Yinxing, placed the tea bowls in front of the madam and miss.

　　Qianli Xun was in no mood to taste the tea. She grabbed the tea bowl and drained it in one gulp, then set it down. “Mother, you and father should feel fortunate that you didn’t marry me to the Xu family. In my opinion, the Xu family is shallow-minded and not worth forming a marital alliance with at all.”

　　Madam Xiang lifted her tea bowl and took a small sip. “Your father is the prefect of Lin’an, a considerable official position. The Xu family couldn’t afford to offend him, so they found a reason to move. Actually, the Xu family still has businesses in Lin’an. They just moved the whole family to live in the north. Later, Young Master Xu also got married. Poor daughter, you waited for five or six years.” Madam Xiang started wiping tears again.

　　Qianli Xun pressed, “Why didn’t you and father tell me the truth?”

　　After stabilizing her emotions, Madam Xiang continued. “Isn’t it because we were afraid you’d be hurt hearing it? Your father seems cold to you, but he actually cares about you. He regretted letting you be exposed to poetry and letting you attend poetry banquets, but he couldn’t stop it. Your reputation had already spread throughout Jiangnan. You had like-minded friends around you, including many talented young men. Your father would often hear various rumors, even dirty ones. Only then did he understand what it means that a woman’s virtue is having no talent.”

　　“Just then, the Lin family came to propose marriage. After consideration, your father thought Lin Jue was very different from you. Marrying him would make you truly understand that as a woman, you should help your husband and educate your children to do justice to your talent. Besides, you weren’t young anymore. Not marrying would only delay you.”

　　Qianli Xun couldn’t help but say, “Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! This is pure nonsense! Now you can see, mother. Zhu Shuzhen only has pain after marrying Lin Jue. Even I want to divorce him.”

　　Qianli Xun’s words made Madam Xiang sad again. “You… you don’t think you’re Shuzhen?”

　　Qianli Xun immediately realized she was too excited and forgot she was Zhu Shuzhen. “Mother, of course I’m your daughter.”

　　Madam Xiang got up and went to her daughter. “Let mother have a good look. Yes, you are Shuzhen. My Shuzhen is still alive.”

　　Qianli Xun was moved and also stood up. “No matter what I become, you are my mother.”

　　“Mother knows.” Madam Xiang raised her hand and smoothed her daughter’s hair at the temples. “Mother has said so much to make you understand that your father also has good intentions. Don’t blame him. Mother has an idea for you. Since your father is unwilling to step forward, you can look for the Zhu family clansmen. There are six uncles in the clan, all living in Lin’an City. I’ve sent someone to tell your brother to accompany you on visits today. Your brother is already waiting outside the residence.”

　　Qianli Xun was overjoyed and hugged Madam Xiang. “Mother, you’re the best mother in the world!”

　　Madam Xiang patted her daughter’s back. “You’re about to get an mutual divorce, yet you’re still so happy.”

　　Qianli Xun let go of Madam Xiang. “Mother, should I send money or gifts to the uncles?”

　　Madam Xiang smiled and shook her head. “We’re all family. Sending money and gifts would be too formal.”

　　Qianli Xun couldn’t wait any longer. “Mother, I’m going to find my brother now. Kuqiao, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and set off with your miss!”

　　Madam Xiang watched her daughter’s back, both familiar and strange, and sighed. “I hope your uncles don’t simply defer to your father’s wishes.”