<h4>Chapter 49: Happiness Derives from Comparison (2)</h4>


    Trantor: Iris


    Proofread by DragonRider


    Seeing the hairpin that already in her hand was taken back, Yun hit the roof, cursing, “Is there anything to do with you while I’m talking to Minn? What a mean thing you are! Be careful no one dares to marry you!” Then she turned around and smiled to Minn, “You don’t know this. Rich men in a county like ours don’t have good staff to buy even with money. I just want to borrow for a few days. Sister, I don’t think you’ll be that mean, right?”


    Pin was about to talk back when she was pulled to stop by Minn who cast aforting nce at Pin and then turned to smile at Yun, saying seriously, “Sorry. I’m a mean girl, and I don’t want to lend it to you.”


    Upon finishing, she immediately pulled Pin to walk away, leaving Yun standing where she was, stunned. Pin helped Minn wear the hairpin and walked to Old Madam, joking andughing. Yun didn’t dare to follow up to try further, so she could only stamp her feet hard. Yun was used to taking things from others, so her n had been to sit back in the middle of the hall once the hairpin was in her hand. She mistook Minn, who had been quiet, as an obedient pushover that would never im the event to others in order not to lose face and the event would get over after she went back home. To her surprise, ...


    Yun went back to Third Madam’s side when she just knew that the opera on the open stage was about to begin. Most of thedies and madams already followed Li shi to outdoors, so Yun hurriedly followed up with third madam. Sheng Yun and the two old madams had intended to watch the opera but were pestered by Sun’s mother. Zhu shi stayed to listen to their talks while Minn and Pin chatted with each other after finding a pair of benches to sit down on.


    Sun’s mother was gushing volubly about how great her son was to an extreme extent, “...The county magistrate insisted to drink with my son, hoping my son could write the official que for him. He was so passionate that my son had no choice but to approve. In my opinion, what a blessing that he can have a que written by my son...”


    Pin couldn’t stand the words and leaned to Minn, whispering to her, “The truth is that her son, our brother-inw, was drunk and insisted to give county magistrate a que. Besides, that dinner was held by my father to discuss issues with county magistrate, but our brother-inw came without invitation and began to drink a lot and talk nonsense, making my father keep apologizing to county magistrate!”


    Minn was shocked. What a reporter Sun’s mother was! She could apply for a position in CNN.


    Sun’s mother was so intoxicated in praising her son that only after quite long did she finally think of Old Madam Sheng, “I heard that your grandson is also a Xiucai. I’m wondering when he made it?” This was Sun’s mother’s favorite topic which she never got tired of. Even if others ranked the first in the imperial exam but just at an elder age than her son, she would take the opportunity to brag about it.


    Old Madam Sheng smiled a bit, “Fifteen years old.” Sun’s mother was satisfied, “Wow, my son made it earlier, but yours is still a talented youth.” Old Madam Sheng understated with modesty, “Not too talented, but that year in Deng Prefecture, several twelve-year-old students made it to Xiucai.”


    Sun’s mother forced a fakeugh, “That’s no big deal. Probably in that year the exam was easy. Not all schrs are necessarily talented.”


    This sentence annoyed Zhu shi who sat next to her and couldn’t help but satirize back, “Speaking of that, your son made it to Xiucai at twelve. I suppose he has attended provincial exams several times. Why isn’t he a Juren yet?”


    [T/N: Juren “举人” a sessful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level in the Ming and Qing dynasties.]


    Sun’s mother struggled to hold her rage back, “Many tried decades of years. A few years is only normal.”


    Zhu shi grinned behind her hand, “Yes, you’re right. Many tried decades of years.”


    Sun’s mother red up and found that Sheng family’s females wouldn’t help her; so, with the rage nowhere to vent out, she scolded her daughter-inw sitting beside her, “Why didn’t you serve tea for me? What an inconsiderate and useless thing you are!” Shn’s embarrassment from being cursed in public sprawled from face to ears as she ordered a girl servant to serve tea. Pin felt sad for her sister but it would be improper to speak up for Shn in the presence of all elders, so she squeezed hard her fists. Minn at once whispered to her, “Don’t act reckless. Calm down. Your grandmother knows how to deal with the woman.”


    Old Madam Sheng remained calm and continued to watch tea leaves spinning on water. First Old Madam began to feel irritated but, without anything disyed on her face, still listened quietly.


    Sun’s mother watched Shn walk away, dissatisfied, and pouted her mouth, saying, “Old Madam, my inw, I’m not bragging but a man with such character and appearance like my son is so rare. It’s really a blessing that your granddaughter married to our family! She had moved in for many years but never bore a child. For any other families, such daughter-inw would have been divorced long ago.”


    Sheng Yun was most protective toward her families. She tried really hard to withhold her anger but failed, “There are wives who give birth to children a decade after getting married. During these four to five years, how many concubines my niece allowed her husband to take?”


    Zhu shi helped, “That’s right. Whether your family can have descendants depends on heaven. Having taken a full house of concubines, what else do you expect?”


    Sun’s mother sneered, “If she is really a good wife, she should have allowed the concubine to live in our house instead of putting her outside to make us beughed at by others.”


    First Old Madam said in a low voice, “How can you let a woman of dirty origin move into your house? Your son is after all a schr. Don’t you fear to bring shame to your ancestors for making this kind of speech!”


    Sun’s mother didn’t yield, “Who can you me for your daughters’ inability? Does she want to forbid her husband to take concubines and cut the bloodline of our family?”


    Pin couldn’t bear to listen to her anymore, turned away and left at once. Minn hurriedly chased after her. With good physical strength and bad temper, Pin ran away for eight hundred miles in one breath and Minn almost ran her legs off in order to catch up with her under a willow tree. She held Pin’s arms, determined not to let her go anymore, and kept inhaling.


    Pin couldn’t stop kicking at the tree and cursed out of anger, “Damn it! Why should a person as nice as my sister have such a fate? Why? Why?”


    Minn caressed chest and gasped for breath, waiting for Pin to use up all energy from kicking the tree. Then she pulled Pin under a position well-covered by artificial mountain and picked a clean stone for them to sit down. Encountered with such a thing, Minn didn’t knew how tofort Pin. If she was still a secretary of modern times, she would definitely heroically announce, “Divorce!” However, here... The two sisters sat silently for a long time when suddenly sounds of hurrying steps and conversations rose up behind the artificial mountain.


    “Sis don’t leave; wait and let me finish!”


    “I’m going to watch opera. Stop your speech; I won’t listen.”


    –It was Xin and Hun! Pin and Minn quickly exchanged a nce.


    As an experienced eavesdropper, Minn’s first reaction was to cover Pin’s mouth. To her surprise, Pin moved quicker than her and covered Minn’s mouth first. Then they sat still, focused on listening to the conversation taking ce from the other side of the hill. Pin’s proficient reaction made Minn wonder: Did they share the same hobby?


    Xin over there said, “Marriage for us women is like an opportunity for rebirth. Never make a reckless choice about it! I heard about the young lord of that family. Though he is rich, he crazily lusts for women and has lots of girls in his teens.”


    “Do I have other options? Aunt treats me like I am a thief. I can barely meet cousin Taisheng. Now I’m at marriageable age, so I have to find another way out,” Hun said with resentment.


    “Taisheng? Don’t ever think of it. There are things you don’t know. In that year, aunt wanted to marry her husband, yet our grandfather tried hard to force big uncle to marry aunt to another family and almost beat aunt’s husband to death. I heardter, it was second old madam who saved them as the match-maker. Even if aunt didn’t bear a grudge, she won’t treat us nicely.” Mncholy was discernible in Xin’s tone.


    Pin and Minn looked at each other, wondering if such thing ever happened. Excitement oozed out from Pin’s eyes while Minn also turned gossipy—It turned out aunt and her husband got married of their own will.


    Thumping sounds rose up. It seemed to be them stamping their feet. Hun’s voice was heard again from the other side of the hill, “... Sis. Did you see the ostentation and extravagance of their family? Did you see Minn and Pin’s jewelries and clothes? Name one and it is worth all I have! I don’t want to live a poor life anymore. I must marry a rich guy!”


    “Don’t be stupid, money isn’t everything in a marriage. Though my husband’s family is poor, but he treats me with love and sincerity and my mother-inw cares about me. Now with a pair of children, I feel happier than enjoying best rare food! Don’t envy Yun for marrying a rich family. Her husband is a rogue, visiting brothel every day and beating wife out of no reason. The concubines with children all look down upon her. Do you wish to lead such a life? You’d better beg big aunt-inw; she will help you,” Xin persuaded Hun patiently.


    Hun seemed to sneer, “How lucky you are! You and Shn got married at the same time. How about Shn? She also married to a poor schr who, however, is not a bit simr to your husband! Using his wife’s dowry and bossing her around all day. Shn, a useless woman, has no one to me! Hem. Stop it. It’s more secure to marry a rich guy...”


    The speech finished, followed by sounds of footsteps. It seemed that Hun left and Xin rushed to catch up with her. The sound faded off.


    Pin slowly released Minn’s mouth and said calmly with a smile shimmering on her face, “Minn. Suddenly, I’m not angry because no matter what, my sister has never been beaten up.”