Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Using Classics

It is common for people to make mistakes in their expressions when they are nervous.

This new Young Madam is also young. If she blushed and admitted her mistake or shed tears, the matter would be over.

Everyone would just laugh and have some fun, and wouldn’t really hold on to it.

No one expected that she would directly admit that she was indeed happy.

For a moment, everyone suspected that they had heard wrong.

“This elder sister pities me for losing my parents,” Zhuang Li continued, looking at the woman. “However, I wonder if elder sister has read the text about Lao Dan burying his mother?”

The woman’s expression stiffened slightly. She was literate, but she hadn’t read many books. Reading was really boring, but in front of so many people, she hesitated to answer.

Zhuang Li didn’t insist on her answering, and looked at the others, continuing.

“After his mother passed away, Lao Dan was so grief-stricken that he refused to eat or sleep. Suddenly, he had an epiphany and his sorrow dissipated. He ate a hearty meal, went to sleep, and was carefree.”

“His family and servants were all surprised and asked him the reason. Lao Dan said that his mother gave birth to him and her kindness was as heavy as a mountain. Now that his mother had left him, his feelings were hard to sever. It is human nature that feelings are hard to sever. If they are hard to sever and not controlled by wisdom, then chaos will ensue. Therefore, he was sad and did not want to live. Now, Dan sat upright and pondered, and suddenly wisdom came. With wisdom controlling emotions, emotions can be controlled and things can be managed.”

If the woman had been hesitant when asked before, now everyone in the room was stunned. Some were bewildered, some were puzzled, and some sat up straight with surprised expressions.

The Madam of Dongyang looked at Zhuang Li, forgetting to speak.

For a while, only Zhuang Li’s voice was heard in the room.

“Human life all comes from nothing and goes to something. From nothing to something, it must go from something back to nothing.”

“Isn’t it the same before human emotions exist and after they return to nothing? If there is no difference, but one is immersed in emotions and does not want to live because of sadness, isn’t that foolish?”

“Therefore, the feelings between family members are hard to sever. Everyone is like this, which is in line with emotions. If it is hard to sever and not controlled, then it goes against the natural principles. Going against the natural principles is foolish.”

Hearing her say this, Old Madam Xue, whose eyes were fixed, couldn’t help but ask the person next to her, “What does she mean?”

The young woman next to her understood this time, and murmured, “She’s saying that we’re foolish.”

These words made many people’s expressions strange. Indeed, just now they despised her for not being sad about her parents’ death, and now she recited a bunch of things saying that it was the people who were immersed in sadness who were foolish.

Old Madam Xue was astonished and angry. “How dare you say that?”

The Madam of Dongyang came back to her senses with a start and hurriedly wanted to speak.

Zhuang Li spoke first again, and said to Old Madam Xue, “Old Madam, these are not my words, but Lao Dan’s. I am quoting from the classics.”

“Who is Lao Dan?” Old Madam Xue asked angrily.

The young woman hurriedly said, “It’s Laozi, the Holy Ancestor.” She pulled Old Madam Xue’s arm and said urgently, “Old Madam, please don’t ask anymore.”

Speaking of the Holy Ancestor, even if Old Madam Xue had never read a book, she knew.

After Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, he commemorated his ancestors and honored Li Dan of the Zhou Dynasty as the Holy Ancestor, and even built Taoist temples dedicated to the Holy Ancestor in various places.

Although she was not interested in Lao Dan’s teachings, in her eyes, building temples and offering sacrifices meant that he was a deity.

So it was said by an old deity?

Old Madam Xue opened her mouth, but she didn’t dare to utter the words of reprimand. Offending a deity and offending the Emperor, even with her status as an imperial relative, she couldn’t bear it.

She only felt her mind was muddled. How did it involve the Holy Ancestor? Weren’t they laughing at this little wife for not knowing etiquette?

The whispers around them also stopped, and their gazes no longer dared to point and stare. They avoided Zhuang Li, their eyes darting around.

Old Madam Xue could only frown and suppress her temper, saying euphemistically, “You are young, so don’t talk about this casually. This is a major matter of life and death of parents, a matter of human relations.”

The Madam of Dongyang was also stunned before, and now she came back to her senses and hurriedly wanted to speak, “She…”

“Yes, the life and death of parents is a major matter of human relations. If others hadn’t mentioned it, this junior wouldn’t have revealed her own pain.” Zhuang Li spoke first again, and curtsied to Old Madam Xue. “I have read myself into foolishness, and only know how to quote from the classics. Thank you, Old Madam, for your guidance.”

So it was they who first disregarded the major matter of human relations and asked about her background and parents.

✿✿✿

The young woman raised her hand to cover her entire face with a fan and turned her head away.

Old Madam Xue was afraid that this woman would say something she didn’t understand again, so she didn’t dare to ask any more questions for the time being.

The Madam of Dongyang finally had a chance to speak.

“She is young and ignorant, and she spoke rashly in front of Old Madam,” she said, carefully scrutinizing Old Madam Xue, and asked with concern, “How is your health?” After saying that, she took a step forward and held Old Madam Xue’s hand, her voice choked with sobs. “Elder Sister sent a letter, and I rushed over in a hurry. When I entered the door and saw so many people, I was almost scared to death.”

After saying that, she glanced around.

The people around them had complicated expressions. Many of them suddenly realized that they didn’t know the reason. They were only invited by Old Madam Xue, who said that the Madam of Dongyang would also come, and bring her new daughter-in-law.

The new daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence had already spread throughout the capital, but she was hidden at home and didn’t see anyone. This time, they had the opportunity to see her, so of course they didn’t want to miss the excitement.

But they didn’t expect that Old Madam Xue was using the excuse of being ill to trick people into coming.

Although they loved to watch the excitement, this kind of excitement was also quite awkward.

Moreover, they didn’t see the excitement, but were instead lectured by this young new daughter-in-law with a bunch of classics and scolded as foolish.

At this moment, they didn’t want to say another word.

The others didn’t speak, but Old Madam Xue, relying on her seniority and her status as an imperial relative, coughed lightly. “I’m just a little uncomfortable. It’s your elder sister who is making a fuss.”

Madam Xue bowed her head and murmured an apology beside her. “I was in a panic and scared Younger Sister.”

The Madam of Dongyang looked at her elder sister’s thinner figure, gritted her teeth, and pretended to be angry. “Elder Sister, really, you’re already a grandmother, yet you’re still so careless.”

These words were also a veiled criticism.

Old Madam Xue was immediately enraged again. She hadn’t even asked anything yet, but she had been scolded by both of them, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law!

But now she could only pretend to be stupid. Anyway, she had seen the person today and satisfied her curiosity.

“Jingyun used to come to my house often, and I treated him like my own grandson,” Old Madam Xue said. “Now that he finally has a new wife, I can only rest assured after seeing her.”

After saying that, she looked at Madam Xue again.

“Don’t mistreat her. Treat her the same as Eldest and Second’s wives.”

She said she treated him like her own grandson, but she wasn’t even willing to give a meeting gift and wanted Madam Xue to give it. The Madam of Dongyang was furious.

Madam Xue didn’t mind, and took out the gift she had prepared long ago and handed it to Zhuang Li, her eyes gentle. “Of course, I will treat her the same.”

Zhuang Li accepted the gift and thanked her respectfully. Without waiting for the Madam of Dongyang to remind her, she asked Chun Yue to carry the gifts forward and gave them to the young ladies of the Xue family beside Old Madam Xue, and then to Madam Xue’s two grandsons. For a time, the room was filled with the lively sounds of “Younger Sister,” “Sister-in-law,” “Nephew,” and “Aunt.”

The Madam of Dongyang looked at the others again. “We came in a hurry and didn’t prepare anything, but since the elders have happened to meet, let’s all meet.”

She led Zhuang Li to meet the ladies. Since she had said “elders,” the ladies had to give a meeting gift. Because they were also suddenly notified by Old Madam Xue yesterday, some people had prepared, while others had not prepared in a hurry and could only take off their bracelets and hairpins to give.

Xueliu and Chun Yue received gifts and held them full. The Madam of Dongyang would also tease the ladies from time to time, “Is this bracelet newly made? I haven’t seen you wear it before. Where’s your favorite jadeite?” “Madam Huang, your hairpin is a pair, right?” She joked and asked for more.

A lady who had a good relationship with the Madam of Dongyang took her arm and chuckled, “I know you’re not happy, but that’s enough. Who told you to have such a good son? Everyone is curious.”

The Madam of Dongyang said, “How can you trick people into coming like this?”

As she spoke, she glanced at Old Madam Xue. Although she was holding back her anger this time, Old Madam Xue was stunned by Zhuang Li’s words and didn’t dare to speak again. She wasn’t able to be mean to others like she used to, and was even mocked by Zhuang Li for being foolish, and couldn’t even talk back…

Thinking of this, the Madam of Dongyang wanted to laugh a little.

This trip was worth it!

She was going to annoy this old woman to death!