The sound of cicadas in the yard was loud.
When the weather was cold, she looked forward to warmth, but just a few days after it warmed up, summer arrived.
Madam Zhou shook the fan in her hand heavily.
“Why are these cicadas sticking around?” she scolded.
The maids kneeling in the corridor quickly went to catch the cicadas.
After a few more sharp cries, the cicadas’ sounds in the yard diminished.
Madam Zhou put down the fan and looked at the open letters on the small table.
“Bah, I can’t believe they would actually do this!” she angrily cursed. “And they even got their own maternal family involved. Even a fool knows what they’re after!”
“Madam, now is not the time to be angry. How should we respond to the master?” the maid advised from the side.
“How should we respond? Of course, we reject them outright! Our family isn’t dead yet, and she, a concubine, dares to ruin our family’s girls! Where’s your master’s temper gone? He should have given that shameless couple a good beating right then and there!” Madam Zhou shouted. “And investigating… what’s there to investigate!”
As she spoke, she stood up.
“Prepare the carriage, I am going to Jiang-zhou,” she said.
The maids hurried to dissuade her.
“Madam, even if we reject them this time, what about next time? It’s just a marriage proposal. Aren’t there plenty of men out there? Rejecting once, twice, three times… the Cheng family will start saying that we have bad intentions. After all, Jiao Jiao is from the Cheng family,” she said.
Madam Zhou clearly understood this point and angrily shook her fan.
“Madam, this can be handled too,” another maid said with a smile. “The Cheng family can propose a marriage for Jiao Jiao, and so can we. In the end, it’s just a matter of whose proposal is better. The people will see with clear eyes. It’s the fairest way.”
Madam Zhou snorted.
“I am not shameless enough to embarrass my own family,” she said. “And I don’t have relatives who are desperate enough to marry off their daughter like that.”
“Madam, actually, Jiao Jiao isn’t completely out of the question,” one maid hesitated before speaking. “Although she was sick before, now… she’s better, right?”
“Yes, Madam. Don’t forget, there were several families who came to propose back then,” another maid quickly added.
Madam Zhou snorted again.
“They were hoping for her to bring someone back from the dead. But now, her skills are all used up, and no one is coming to propose anymore!” she said. “It’s a good thing we didn’t agree at that time. If we had, they’d have called off the engagement now, and that would be truly embarrassing! Just like the Qin family—before we even agreed, they changed their minds and backed out!”
The maids exchanged glances.
“The capital is so big. Is there really no other family with suitable candidates?” one of them asked.
Madam Zhou shook her fan and sneered.
“Who told her to have been a fool in the past?” she said. “Even if she’s better now, it can’t erase her past foolishness.”
Foolishness, a lost mother, and the loss of a loved one—any one of those would be enough to make people look at her differently, let alone both.
What decent family would choose such a person as their daughter-in-law?
“The good families won’t look at her, the lesser ones can’t suppress the Cheng family, and the mediocre ones… where am I supposed to find such a family? The world won’t just drop one into my lap!” Madam Zhou said, slamming her fan down heavily, her face full of frustration.
Footsteps came from the yard, and the maids kneeling in the corridor greeted the visitor.
“Sixth Young Master has arrived.”
Madam Zhou looked up and saw Zhou Liu-lang stride in, seemingly just returned from the training grounds, his body still dripping with sweat.
“Mother, have you received a letter from Father? Is he well?” Zhou Liu-lang stepped inside, lifted his clothes, and kneeled down to ask.
Madam Zhou looked at him but did not speak, her gaze slightly shifting.
After the New Year, seventeen-year-old Zhou Liu-lang had grown taller again, and with his years of martial training, he had developed more of a heroic air than his peers.
“Mother?” Zhou Liu-lang asked in confusion, unable to help but glance down at himself, wondering if something was wrong.
Madam Zhou averted her gaze, her expression a bit complex.
At this point, there was nothing more she could do. She had to deal with the Cheng family first and figure things out later.
“Liu-lang, how has Young Master Qin been lately?” she asked with a smile.
Madam Zhou’s question left Zhou Liu-lang somewhat puzzled.
Since Young Master Qin had a physical disability, and his parents had deliberately avoided discussing his condition, why was his mother suddenly asking about him today?
“I haven’t seen him these past few days,” Zhou Liu-lang said. “Is there something wrong, Mother?”
“No, nothing. I just worry that that foolish girl is making empty threats and bullying people like this. I hope he doesn’t take his anger out on you,” Madam Zhou replied.
Zhou Liu-lang lowered his head and smiled faintly.
“It won’t happen. He is not that kind of person,” he said.
“People’s hearts are unpredictable,” Madam Zhou shook her head and sighed as she looked at Zhou Liu-lang. “My poor son, it’s all because of that fool.”
Fool…
What fool could open a shop silently? And what fool could just kill someone without people noticing?
Zhou Liu-lang gave a wry smile.
“Mother, she’s not a fool,” he said.
Not only is she not a fool, she’s very clever—and ruthless. On the surface, she seems like a dry twig, but when you reach out to snap it, you realize it’s actually a snake… a venomous one.
There are already plenty of people who have been bitten by her and know the consequences.
Anyone who still treats her like a fool is the real fool.
“Mother, she…” Zhou Liu-lang started to speak.
Madam Zhou impatiently interrupted him.
“Whether she’s a fool, we still have to look after her,” she said, pointing at the letter in front of her. “Your father is furious. The Cheng family is truly shameless, trying to marry her off just to greedily get her dowry.”
Her son still sat quietly in front of her, his expression not one of rage, but rather he seemed to smile slightly.
If he were deeply in love with that fool, hearing this news, how could he not be shocked and upset?
“Mother, there’s no need to worry,” Zhou Liu-lang said, smiling again.
They had only caused a little trouble at her shop, and she’d dealt with it cleanly and decisively—anyone who dared to touch her…
Zhou Liu-lang shook his head, his expression complicated.
This lady had no hesitation in using deadly force.
“Liu-lang,” Madam Zhou called.
Zhou Liu-lang snapped out of his thoughts and saw his mother studying him closely.
“Tell Father not to be so angry with them,” he said. “If they’re after the dowry, let them be. We just need to treat her well.”
Madam Zhou nodded, a look of some comfort in her eyes.
“Good, I understand. Your father is fine as well. Go and rest now,” she said.
Zhou Liu-lang stood up and left.
“Send someone to me, I will reply to the master’s letter,” Madam Zhou said.
The maid quickly moved the writing desk, and another girl took up the brush.
“First, write Zhou Liu-lang’s marriage proposal,” Madam Zhou instructed.
The young maid’s hand trembled, causing ink to drop and stain the paper.
The maid looked at Madam Zhou in surprise.
“Madam!” she cried. “This won’t do!”
“It will do,” Madam Zhou replied with a snort. “To deceive those shameless fools in the Cheng family, whether it succeeds or not, it’s still up to us.”
“But, but if this gets out, it would be bad for Liu-lang’s reputation,” the maid urged.
“What’s bad about it?” Madam Zhou said. “We are just trying to help the girl, exposing her father’s shameful actions. We have to use a few tactics. Even if it gets out, people will say we are doing the right thing.”
That’s right. And then they would slowly find a good match for her. It wouldn’t be lying. If they couldn’t find a suitable match, they would come up with some excuse—say she was ill, or that the astrologer claimed the match was incompatible. Whatever excuse worked. Then, they would send her to the old home in Shan Prefecture, where she could be taken care of for life.
“Write to the master. No matter what, we aren’t afraid. Even if it goes to court in the future, don’t forget, the Cheng family was once going to drown Jiao-niang. We can check with the Taoist temple and see who’s been paying the rice money all year round,” Madam Zhou said, raising an eyebrow. “Just because he’s the father, he thinks he can take our family’s dowry? It won’t be that easy!”
