Chapter 15: Broaden Your Horizons
Just now, Yuan S*i had taken her children out.
First, she sent them back to their own rooms and then asked her trusted servant to invite the doctor.
The doctor arrived quickly. When he entered the room to see the patient, she was watching from the courtyard and didn’t follow him in.
After a while, seeing the doctor leave, she planned to go back and see what was going on.
Her husband’s trusted aide was guarding the door. Seeing her coming, he shook his head slightly, meaning she was not allowed to enter… Her heart sank slightly. After thinking for a moment, she turned and went to see her daughter first.
Wen Huan was sitting by the window, lost in thought…
Since she was a child, she had always had a smooth sailing life. She was beautiful and talented.
Her father was handsome and elegant, intelligent and capable, and doted on her in every way.
Her mother was elegant and gentle, sociable, and wealthy.
Although there was an elder sister born to her father’s first wife above her, suppressing her in status, they had never been together since childhood, and her father never mentioned her. Usually, she felt that her family only consisted of her parents and two younger brothers.
Wen Yu was just an unrelated stranger!
Every time she returned with her father, that “elder sister”, huh, so petty, with a forced smile plastered on her face, would run around enthusiastically, giving this and that!
Her father remained indifferent, but she didn’t seem to notice! It was a bit annoying, but it didn’t cause her much trouble.
Her father only had one beloved daughter, and that was her.
Later, when she grew older, some jealous female companions occasionally mentioned during social interactions… that her mother was a second wife, and she was a daughter of a second wife…
But she didn’t pay much attention to it! From the moment she was born, there was an “elder sister” above her. Even though they didn’t see each other often, she was still there!
“I won’t be called a mediocre talent!” Those girls were just jealous of me! They deliberately picked on me to make me feel bad!
But, just last year…
Once, her father was not at home. Someone from her mother’s family came to visit. She didn’t know what was said, but after they left, her mother was in a bad mood, drank wine, and actually got drunk!
Worried, she tiptoed to the window outside her mother’s room.
As a result… she overheard the conversation between her mother and Nurse Xu.
Her father and mother actually had such a past… She was so shocked that she couldn’t close her mouth for a long time!
Finally, she thought of the original wife status that her mother should have had and the legitimate eldest daughter status that she should have had, but they were actually stolen by Wen Yu and her mother… And she was left with such a shameful background for no reason, she felt both afraid and resentful!
Her parents had always pampered her. Although she was quite competitive, she didn’t know many schemes or tricks, and didn’t know how to vent her hatred.
After thinking for a long time, she finally decided to use this gift-giving opportunity to bully Wen Yu! Then, taking this as an opportunity, she would start humiliating Wen Yu, making her father and grandmother discipline her, and it would be best to erase her existence!
She would become the rightful legitimate eldest daughter!
But she didn’t expect…
Wen Yu was so shameless that she exposed everything in public, and she couldn’t stop her!
However, a blessing in disguise! So what if you exposed it? Didn’t you still get beaten?
You and I are simply incomparable!
Here, the door opened and her mother came in. She thought of how her father had sternly yelled at her just now… “Mother!” Wen Huan felt wronged, and tears streamed down her face again.
“Huanhuan…” Yuan S*i sat down gently. She was always like this, never appearing anxious, “Tell me what you’re thinking?”
“Mother…” Wen Huan didn’t dare mention the past she had overheard, “Mother, I don’t like Wen Yu! I hate her!”
Yuan S*i smiled and didn’t say anything.
“Mother, you don’t know, when I go out to socialize, those girls, Zhang Feng and Liu Xiangwen, always make insinuations in front of me. Especially… Zhao Qing said that her sister-in-law was born to a second wife, so her family was initially unhappy about the marriage proposal! They are so mean! They deliberately said it in front of me!”
“Huanhuan…” Yuan S*i stroked Wen Huan’s hair. This daughter was carefully cultivated by her, she played the guqin beautifully, and the poems she wrote always had wonderful lines, “You are so outstanding! They have to find something to belittle you to make themselves feel better. Those petty women, their world is only this big! If you care about these things, you’re lowering yourself!”
“But I just can’t swallow this anger!” Wen Huan sniffed, very unhappy.
“You! Mother has told you: They do it on purpose, if you care… your own mentality will be affected. This will become your weakness. And they will deliberately say it even more!”
“Mother, I know all this! But… Wen Yu is at home, no one values her, and father dislikes her even more… The Chen family has also declined, why can’t we find a way…”
Yuan S*i was a little surprised, Huanhuan had thought a lot! But… “Daughter, you have to understand, everything should be done in moderation.”
Wen Huan looked up at her mother.
Yuan S*i said calmly, “Although she has the title of legitimate eldest daughter, who is she inside and outside the family? Haven’t you heard that Grandmother didn’t even hold a coming-of-age ceremony for her at fifteen?”
“That’s exactly it! Since they don’t value her so much, why not just…” The words “k*ll her” stopped on her tongue. After hesitating for a moment, she changed her words and said, “Just send her to the countryside, or let her become a nun.”
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“Wouldn’t that cause gossip in the family? Attracting everyone’s attention to this matter, what good would it do for us?”
“But what good does it do me that she has the title of legitimate eldest daughter?”
“Hehe… She has been burdened with the reputation of bringing misfortune to her family since she was a child, everyone is indifferent to her, and no one gossips about her. This time, we won’t take her with us to the capital. Half a year later, when your grandmother goes, she won’t take her either. They will find a family here and marry her off.”
No one knew her husband better than she did.
“…” Wen Huan didn’t understand what was going on and didn’t speak.
“She will leave with a dowry and we won’t see each other again in this lifetime. Isn’t that good?! But if something happened to her… who knows who might notice. Although your father is successful in his official duties, he also has many opponents, we can’t give them a handle.”
Wen Huan listened quietly, understanding that her mother was right, but she was still unconvinced.
“Look, you are beautiful and talented, and people will be jealous of you wherever you go. They will find something to belittle you. Your father is so outstanding, how can no one be watching for his weaknesses? The higher you go, the more careful you have to be. Similarly, when you reach a high position, you should focus on the important matters that match your status. As for those old trivial matters, they are irrelevant to your life, and you may not even remember them!”
In the future, Wen Huan would marry well, become a titled lady, or even… would she still care about some elder sister in her hometown?
“Mother, I understand.” Now, Wen Huan understood.
“Huanhuan, so you did a very bad job this time!” Yuan S*i became serious…
“Mother…” Wen Huan couldn’t tolerate others’ accusations.
“Mother has carefully cultivated you for many years, your actions shouldn’t be so petty!”
“Mother…” Wen Huan acted coquettishly, her face turning red.
“Look at this matter: If you succeed, what do you gain? If you fail, what do you lose? Didn’t you think about it beforehand? Now, she caught you red-handed… how embarrassing is that!?”
Wen Huan’s face turned even redder, and she turned her head away.
“If your father and mother want to suppress her, there is nothing else but filial piety. Isn’t it boring?” Yuan S*i patted her daughter’s hand. To be honest, after the scene just now, she wasn’t in a good mood either.
“If you don’t like her, hate her, want to deal with her, there are many ways! But no matter what, you can’t let yourself get your hands dirty. In fact, you should be extra nice to her, let her lower her guard, and then with one final blow… she probably won’t even know what happened!”
Wen Huan looked at her mother with bright eyes.
Yuan S*i continued, “I heard from your great-grandmother that those noble ladies in the capital are like this. They are good at hiding daggers behind smiles and using others to k*ll. It’s not about playing around with handkerchiefs and jewelry, but about life and death situations. Before they strike, the other party doesn’t even have the slightest bit of vigilance! So, is it right for you to just vent your anger and end up covered in dirt yourself?”
Wen Huan’s horizons seemed to open up for the first time. She nodded, “I understand, Mother. I was too petty this time.”
“Yes. A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit! Remember, your father’s promotion gives us a stepping stone, we are going to climb higher. Broaden your horizons! Even if you are wronged in the process, but if you gain something more important, it’s all worth it.”
Wen Huan nodded solemnly.
Yuan S*i walked out of her daughter’s room and looked at the scenery in the courtyard, feeling a little dazed.
For example, she knew what she wanted.
She gambled her reputation and damaged family ties… In the end: her husband was successful, their marriage was harmonious, their children were outstanding, and they had no worries about money. Soon, she would socialize in the circle of noble ladies in the capital, how wonderful was that?!
Otherwise, she would be like her sister, with a husband with limited prospects, living a frugal life. The clothes and jewelry that her daughters were proud of, Wen Huan wouldn’t even bat an eye at…
She looked at the beautiful bracelet on her wrist and smiled softly.
Second update, second update!
