<h4>Chapter 52: The upational Quality of an Amateur Eavesdropper (1)</h4>
Trantor: Iris
Proofread by DragonRider
It was already at dusk when Minn came back to Sheng Mansion in Youyang. He Hongwen left a big pack of herbal medicine-dried tangerine peels for her. Minn gave half pack of the sweet and cool taste medicine to Pin who wasn’t in her room and her servant faltered that first youngdy was back here, her original family. Minn at once detected something unusual and hurried back to where Shn had lived. The moment she entered the inner room, she found Shn, with traces of tears on her pale withered face, was lying unconscious in bed like an old woman while Pin was pacing up and down restlessly in the room sping her fists. In a hurry, Minn asked what had happened and Pin, biting her teeth, exined the whole story.
It turned out that Sun Zhigao’s mistress outside the family was pregnant. Sun’s mother and Sun were so overjoyed that they decided to let the mistress move in. Shn was mild and weak in nature, but her mama, a decisive woman, immediately took Shn back once she smelled what was going to happen.
In the afternoon, Sun’s mother broke into Sheng Mansion, arrogantlymanding Shn’s permission of the lover’s moving in. First Old Madam Sheng didn’t a bitpromise and gave her only one option: keep the son but not the lover. Sun’s motherughed grimly and, waving her sleeves, left.
Pin was so livid that she stormed out and spat out cursing to a withering willow tree for an hour. Minn didn’t knew what to say to persuade her, so she just stood by her side until the sky fell dark. The two returned to the room, low in spirits. Just reaching the door, they heard from inside mournful crying and Li shi‘s persuasion containing helplessness.
“...After we got married, my mother-inw has warned me that I mustn’t disturb my husband during his learning time. Every month...less than three or five days...criticized me of being incapable, so I allow him to take concubines...but he imed those were not interesting...What should I do?” Shn’s sobbing andining entered into Minn’s ears discontinuously. Pin was an innocent girl, only understanding half of it while Minn understood everything.
Shn had an ordinary look and weak character. Sun Zhigao, her husband, took pride in being a talented and elegant schr and looked down upon his wife and other ordinary concubines, so he was easily enticed by a “periphery” woman with both pretty face and some learning.
Minn gently sighed. This world had always given men more tolerance. This time, Shn was very likely to suffer.
As expected, a few dayster, Sheng Mansion was thrown into a mangled mess by several waves of people. Some were Sun’s rtives,ing to intercede for Sun; some others were females from third family,ing to enjoy the scene; more others were reputed old seniors in the county,ing as mediators. Anyway, all of them came with a simr purpose: Asking Shn to be a general wife and allow the lover move in. Even if the mistress gave birth to a boy, the son had to be raised up under Shn’s name.
Sheng family didn’t yield a bit. With time, rumors grew rampant. All criticized Sheng family for having nurtured a jealous and intolerant daughter. Sun Zhigao never showed up to take his wife home and even let the dancer-prostitute move in, treating her as a real wife, either inside and outside the family. Gradually, Li shicouldn’t stand this. Only First Old Madam Sheng maintained silent like a rock, never expressing her advice no matter who came to persuade her.
Half a monthter, First Old Madam suddenly ordered that she wanted to meet the dancer-prostitute. Sun’s mother thought Sheng family finally gave up, so she joyfully took the dancer-prostitute to visit Sheng Mansion the next day. To her surprise, First Old Madam didn’t say a word, only examining the dancer-prostitute from the bottom to the top many times. After asking a few questions, she walked inside her room. Sun’s mother was sent out before she realized what had happened.
On this day, Pin was watching Minn tracing embroider pattern on underwear, absent-minded and constantly looking outside when suddenly a girl servant rushed in, whispering something to Pin who then at once jumped up like a spring and pulled Minn to desperately run out. Minn nearly tripped down and had no time to pick up the embroider stretcher that fell on the ground, following Pin without any idea of what was going on.
They stumbled all the way through flower beds and woods, finding the road getting narrower and finally there wasn’t a road at all but just a trail. Treading the grassy muddy trail to further and further away and bypassing the several rooms of the main house, they arrived at a dim thatched cottage.
Minn finally let go of Pin’s hand, puffing, “I can walk no more. What on earth are you going to do?”
Excitement shined on the red little face of Pin, “After the visiting of Sun’s mother that day, grandma locked herself up in the Buddhist hall for many days. She only spoke a few words with your grandma and was even unwilling to meet my mother, so I ordered someone to watch over here. Today, my grandma suddenly called up my mother. If I didn’t get it wrong, they are going to discuss about my sister.”
Minn nodded in approval, feeling her cousin had an analytical mind of logic, so she asked, “So what?”
Pin screamed, ferociously twisting Minn’s sleeve, “It’s life-deciding for my sister. You said so what? You deserve a good beating for saying that! Now I’m going to eavesdrop their conversation. Will you go with me?”
Minn was so surprised that her eyes almost dropped out. For youngdies like them, they shouldn’t inquire about other’s privacy, let alone eavesdropping. Alright, she herself did so several times, but those were God’s will!
Minn said with worry, “I don’t think it’s...proper. How can we overhear others?” At sight of Pin’s unhappy face, Minn hurriedly added, “Besides, how? Will your grandma shout out loud with window wide open?”
Pin waved her arm, “Don’t worry. Here is a dog hole. When I was young and grounded in the Buddhist hall, I used to get out from here. It’s a good coverage. Luckily, this time grandma will be talking in the Buddhist hall, otherwise I can think of no methods. I regard you as my real sister. We should share difficulties and fortune together. Before, you always apanied me to get over punishment. A good friend you are, so I don’t forget to invite you to this fortune!”
Minn staggered, almost falling down. Seriously? Sprawling through a dog hole and eavesdropping were so-called fortune?
Pin ignored Minn’s quivering protest and quickly cleared away weedy vines near the dog hole, revealing a one-meter hole. She forced Minn with her eyes and at the same time dragged her towards inside the dog hole. Minn looked reluctant and, after Pin entered, lifted up sleeves and dress hem to sprawl forward like a dog biting mud. After a while, Pin, going in front, straighten up and pulled Minn out. Minn looked back, finding that the hole they had just came out of was blocked by arge water tank and weeds.
Pin struggled to move the tank back, “I specially ordered them not to use this tank to hoard water.”
Then the two girls sneaked through a yard and shed into the inner courtyard with caution. Pin, familiar with the route, slipped through a narrow door. Then it was all dark. Pin squatted while Minn clumsily followed after, sprawling like a dog into something like a closet.
Pin leaned over to whisper to Minn, voice as low as a mosquito buzzing, “This is the ce behind the Buddha’s shrine. Rx. The room is big.”
Minn gradually became flustered, feeling today she was indeed acting recklessly. She reached out to twist Pin. They lied still on stomach and waited for a while when suddenly they heard sound of curtain being lifted up and then Li shi‘s ordering servants out. It seemed that Li shi and her mother-inw-first old madam sat far from the Buddha’s shrine.
Then Li shi gently said, “Old madam, did you call me up...for...?”
First Old Madam Sheng replied, “I’ve been thinking about it all these days and I decide to let Shn get a ‘negotiated divorce’.”
Minn was stunned and felt in the darkness that Pin’s breath became heavier. They heard Li shi‘s gentle sobbing, “Old madam, think twice. Shn is still young. How...how should she spend the rest of her life?”
After quite a while they heard First Old Madam’s dry and calm voice, “Howe I’m willing to see this happen? But I’ve been pondering about this for days and nights. There’s no other choice. Just end it when she is young, so probably there is still hope for her in the future.”
Li shi gently sobbed. First Old Madam continued, “The life for a woman depends on no more than three men, her father, husband and son. You’ve seen with your own eyes what kind of persons Sun and his mother are. How can Shn live up with such a husband and mother-in-low for her whole life? It’d be better if she had a son depending on whom she would finally get through the hard life. However, now, she has no one to depend on. After you and I and her father pass away, and with a brother and sister-inw not so close, how could she continue her life?”
Li shi could no more hold it back and cried out, “My poor Shn. It’s all my fault. I was so silly that I chose that damn wretch! I thought they were poor and would treat Shn well since we had done a lot for them. Who expected...who expected that they were worse than animal?!”
First Old Madam sighed, “I felt pity for Shn at first and nned to wait to see how the bastard would react. As you saw, Shn has been back for many days, and he never dropped by! I’m expecting nothing from him. Now even in presence of all seniors of his wife, he dares to humiliate your daughter. If in the future, he really gets an official ranking, how far he would go? Just let it go. Be wise and stop counting on him.”
Pin grabbed Minn’s wrist tight, making Minn feel painful, but she understood it, so she unsparingly twisted Pin too.
Li shi mourned, “I’m not grudging about losing the bastard but only fear that our family’s reputation might be ruined. With no face saved, what if they don’t want to end it peacefully and insist on repudiating wife?”
First Old Madam sneered grimly, “The wretch has been so spoiled for years that he forgets how insignificant he is. He believes he gains respect from others all on his own. Hem, what an ignorant person! It’s all about money and sweet words. Howe we be afraid of him? To deal with this in private, we have manpower; to do it publicly, we have money. If he wants awsuit, don’t we have connections in the official circle? If he gets a peaceful divorce with Shn, we’ll leave him half of the dowry. Otherwise, hem, let’s throw the Sun family to where it was!”
Li shi listened, and after a moment of silence, she still looked a bit hesitant. First Old Madam added, “I thought no matter which of his concubines gave birth to a child, it’s alright to make it Shn’s legal child. Yet, that bitch, as you witness, is too slutty and eloquent and really good at manipting men with sweetened words. Would she possibly lead a peaceful life? If she gave birth to a son in the future, Shn would be eaten up by her!”