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墨書 Inktalez
Buddhism teaches that good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil rewards. If one has not yet received their reward, it simply means the time has not come. This cause and effect is as natural as the sound produced by clapping hands.
Although Xing Ruyi had been idle in Yin Si, she could still rely on her Ghost Technique and the beauty of a fox to navigate between the realms of yin and yang. However, she was not inclined to meddle in others' affairs.
As for Li Nan and his mother, she merely used Red Flower Wine to lightly punish them while also providing some comfort to Safflower. Fortunately, Safflower was inherently a kind and magnanimous woman. Although she harbored some resentment due to the deaths of her daughter and herself, with the passage of time, those feelings gradually faded. Now, she had let go of everything and was ready to embrace a new life.
When Li Nan awoke from his dream, he felt disoriented for a while.
The first thing he did upon regaining his senses was to go to his father and grandmother's graves to apologize. Afterward, he went to the Yamen to file a report and moved Safflower and her mother's graves into the Li Family's Ancestral Tomb. As for the divorce letter, he burned it.
Li Nan's mother had fallen seriously ill, and Xing Ruyi took the opportunity during her medical visit to quietly extract the lingering resentment belonging to Safflower from the Red Flower Wine, advising Li Nan's mother that she could continue taking it.
A week later, with the weather clear and everything in order, Xing Ruyi prepared to set off with the fox to Qingqiu. Chang Tai and Shengzi were away on official business but had arranged a meeting place with Xing Ruyi. As for Xie Xuan, upon learning that Xing Ruyi would be returning home with the fox to marry, he generously granted Chang Tai and Shengzi a three-month leave of absence and even sent along his congratulatory gift. After some polite refusal, Xing Ruyi accepted it.
After properly arranging the drinks in the Tavern, Si Niang asked her brother from her maternal family to look after things while she planned to accompany Xing Ruyi to Qingqiu along with Bell.
The day before their departure, while Xing Ruyi was preparing her belongings at Sister Si's Family, Li Nan hesitantly entered behind Bell.
"Shopkeeper Xing is here too?"
"Li Xiu Xian?" Xing Ruyi set down what she was holding, pointing at herself and then at Si Niang. "Are you looking for me or are you here to buy wine from Si Niang?"
"...I am indeed looking for Si Niang!" Li Nan said somewhat shyly. "You see, I heard from Uncle Li that Si Niang plans to travel far away. Given how high the mountains are and how long the road is, I was worried she might get bored on the way, so I brought some brewing prescriptions for her to help pass the time."
"I didn't expect you to be such a thoughtful person, Li Xiu Xian," Xing Ruyi remarked as she took the prescription.
The brewing prescription was clearly handwritten; the characters were neat and still wet with ink. Judging by its thickness, it seemed like it had been copied overnight. It was indeed a heartfelt farewell gift.
"Thank you for your kind gesture, but I cannot accept this gift without having done anything in return," Li Siniang said as she returned the wine recipe to Li Nan. "I've heard from my brother that my mother has been feeling much better lately, and I appreciate your care day and night. It's getting late, and I still need to pack my things, so I won't see you off."
Li Siniang's words were clear; she was trying to send him away. Li Nan understood this and said nothing more as he turned to leave.
"I noticed that the recipe was copied quite carefully. Are you really not interested?"
"This is something that came out of nowhere; it can't be anything good. I'm afraid it will just burn my hands," Li Siniang replied.
"It might not be so bad, but you just hurt someone's feelings," Xing Ruyi said, pouting. "I refuse to believe you didn't notice that Li Nan has feelings for you."
"Don't! I, Li Siniang, don't have that kind of fortune." Li Siniang waved her hand. "My brother is neighbors with him, and I know a bit about their family matters. Just his mother alone... even if you married in, it wouldn't necessarily be easy."
"It wouldn't be easy, but the one who would suffer wouldn't be me; it would be his own mother!" Xing Ruyi blinked. "I have a principle in life: if you're good to me, I'll be good to you; if you're not good to me, I'll be even worse to you. To deal with a sharp-tongued mother-in-law, the only way is to be fiercer, meaner, and sharper than her so she knows that her daughter-in-law is not someone to mess with. Of course, in public, you must know how to act; at least put on a good daughter-in-law facade so that when she complains outside, no one believes her. As for your husband? You need to act cute and whisper sweet nothings in his ear; occasionally show weakness and play the victim so he thinks your actions are just a response to his mother's bullying. After retaliating, you should appear regretful and kneel down to apologize."
"Oh my! Thank goodness Li Nan didn't marry you!" Li Siniang exclaimed in shock. "Could it be that you use these methods on Young Master Yin?"
"I wish I could, but unfortunately, my tactics have no place here." Xing Ruyi shrugged helplessly. "The parents of the fox have long passed away, so even if I married in, I wouldn't have to worry about in-laws at all. Even if they were alive, do you think parents who raised such an outstanding man as the fox would be as sharp-tongued as Li Nan's mother? Even if they were difficult to deal with, given how much the fox dotes on me, would he allow his parents to bully me?"
Li Siniang shook her head. "I can see that Young Master Yin cares for you more than he does for himself; he definitely wouldn't let his parents make things difficult for you."
"Whether he cares or not is his business. As for me, I absolutely won't allow anyone else's parents to bully me! Of course, if it's my fault and I deserve punishment or scolding, then I'll accept it. But if someone is just looking for trouble? Sorry, my body and skin belong to my parents; how can I let an outsider bully or scold me? At worst, I'll make the fox divorce me or simply leave him altogether—cut ties cleanly!"
"My goodness! Fox Demon, you're truly a remarkable woman! Such words would probably scare even our current empress!" Li Siniang shook her head helplessly, finally understanding Chang Tai's earlier remark.
Chang Tai once thought that the distance between him and Young Master Yin was not merely a matter of who arrived first, but rather that Young Master Yin could tolerate and fully accept the bizarre ideas in Xing Ruyi's mind, even allowing her to grow freely. It was precisely this unique aspect of Xing Ruyi that drew the attention of others. However, if the person she were to marry was not Young Master Yin but any other man from the Golden Tang Dynasty, no matter how much he loved and pampered her, he would unknowingly confine her and gradually turn her into just another one of the countless similar women in the Golden Tang Dynasty.
"For you virtuous women, I am not just an extraordinary woman; I am a true oddity!"
"Oddity? What does that mean?"
"Oddity originally refers to a rare and beautiful flower, used to describe something outstanding or to characterize a person or behavior as unique and different. But in my hometown, 'oddity' can sometimes have a negative connotation, implying that someone is strange, unsociable, or different from the norm. In short, it means not like the Common People."
"I think the first explanation is better; it suits you quite well, Fox Demon. In my eyes, you are indeed the most unique and beautiful among the many women of the Golden Tang Dynasty."
"Stop flattering me! I easily become proud!" Xing Ruyi laughed at herself first. "Actually, those words I just said were just that—nothing more. Whether it's about routines or schemes, how many truly understand? It's just that when you're in it, it's hard to see clearly like we outsiders do."
"If the person I fell in love with had a difficult mother like Li Nan's, I might not be able to be as carefree as I claim. After all, a partner in married life can also be a burden. Given my personality, as you've seen, if I really encountered such a situation, I'd probably confront it head-on and end up hurting both myself and others. I simply can't bring myself to play pity games or act helpless."
"Fortunately, you met Young Master Yin!"
"Yes, fortunately I met a fox; otherwise, I can't imagine how pitiful my life would be."
Xing Ruyi shook her head, truly unable to imagine what her life would be like without a fox. Perhaps she would have met Chang Tai and married him.
Although Chang Tai would also cherish and care for her, he was still a man raised among common folk and would view her through their lens and hold her to their standards. At that time, she certainly wouldn't be genuinely happy or joyful.
Thinking of Chang Tai made Xing Ruyi sigh inwardly again. Brother Chang wasn't young anymore; after returning from Qingqiu, she had to help Brother Chang find a suitable confidante.
Meanwhile, while Xing Ruyi was lost in thought, Li Siniang had shifted the topic back to Li Nan.
"I heard that the Li Family originally sent a matchmaker to propose to the Zhou Family. Zhou Yuanwai even had someone check on Li Nan's situation. Although there were some criticisms about his background, it was clear that he was well-educated and looked quite spirited. Moreover, he had no other burdens at home, so they considered him a suitable candidate for marriage. However, just as the Zhou Family decided to meet Li Nan, they received a Secret Letter. This letter not only detailed the actions of Li Nan and his mother against Safflower and her daughter but also stated that Li Nan's intention to marry into the Zhou Family was motivated by a desire for their wealth."
"Given this, it seems that Li Nan's plan to marry into the Zhou Family is doomed!" Xing Ruyi shook her head, but her eyes were full of gossip. As for the Secret Letter mentioned by Si Niang, it was obvious that it was the work of Yin Yuan. He had promised Li Lu to help her seek justice and also to find a fierce daughter-in-law for her irresponsible father, so that this mother-son duo could taste the bitterness of being bullied.
"That's right; Li Nan's plan to marry into the Zhou Family was supposed to fail. But who would have thought that after hearing about this, the Zhou Family Daughter actually persuaded Zhou Yuanwai to agree. She had met Safflower once and had received help from her, so she wanted to help them get their due."
"It sounds like this Zhou Family Daughter is quite formidable!"
"Indeed! This Zhou Family Daughter is the true head of the Zhou Family," Li Siniang said with a meaningful smile. "I have also met this Zhou Family Daughter before. Her temperament is somewhat similar to yours, Fox Demon. However, while you are sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, this Zhou Family Daughter appears generous and kind but is actually very tough-hearted. If it weren't for that, the Zhou Family wouldn't have achieved their current success in such a short time."
"Though she may be tough-hearted, she distinguishes between good and evil; otherwise, Sister Zhou wouldn't help Safflower and her daughter seek justice."
"That's true. Since Sister Zhou started working with Zhou Yuanwai in business, it's like a battlefield where deceit is common. Being tough-hearted is necessary for survival. Privately, Sister Zhou is also a good person who often helps the poor; she just doesn't let others know."
"But marriage matters are no joke. If she's only helping Safflower and her daughter seek justice at the cost of her own marriage, that's quite a loss," Xing Ruyi rested her chin on her hand. "In my opinion, this Zhou Family Daughter must have other considerations!"
"You really can't hide anything from you, Fox Demon!" Li Siniang laughed as well. "That's right! Sister Zhou's choice of husband serves two purposes: first, to reassure Zhou Yuanwai; second, to silence those relatives who covet the Zhou Family's wealth. Those people are all wolves in sheep's clothing, eager to seize control of the family business, so choosing a husband is inevitable."
"Li Nan has passed the provincial examination and has some literary talent. Being from Rouge Shop means they know his background well, and with only his widowed mother at home and no other relatives to rely on, he is considered an above-average choice. As for his looks, while he doesn't compare to my family's Fox Demon in any way, he does have regular features and can appear quite gentlemanly when dressed neatly." Xing Ruyi counted on her fingers. "Moreover, Li Nan's desire to marry into the Zhou Family is merely driven by greed for their wealth; he wants an easy life without worries. From how he handled the matter with Safflower, it's clear he's rather shallow-minded and lacks capability. With Sister Zhou's intelligence, it would be easy for her to control him. Furthermore, having that Secret Letter gives her leverage over him. A husband with a weakness in her hands is naturally easier to manage than others. So these are likely the reasons why the Zhou Family Daughter ultimately chose Li Nan."
Whether this is truly the case or if it reflects Sister Zhou's inner thoughts remains uncertain; what I do know is that if Li Nan truly becomes a son-in-law of the Zhou Family, life will not be easy for him!
"At least it won't be as easy as Li Nan and his mother think!" Li Siniang chuckled as well.
In the Li Family, Li Nan's Mother was looking at the invitation sent by the Zhou Family with joy on her face, which even made her illness seem less severe.
The mother sent by the Zhou family took in all of Li Nan's Mother's expressions and then revealed a mocking smile. She adjusted her posture and said, "Are you satisfied with what is written in this post? If you are satisfied, then let's choose an auspicious day to send your son to my house. As for the betrothal gifts, the Zhou family will send someone over later."
"Yes! Yes!" Li Nan's Mother nodded repeatedly. "If the Zhou Family Daughter becomes our Li Family's daughter-in-law, then shouldn't I, as the mother-in-law, also enter the Zhou family?"
"Madam Li seems to have misunderstood. Your son is marrying into our family, so it is not our sister who becomes your Li Family's daughter-in-law, but rather your son who becomes our Zhou Residence's son-in-law. As for you, if you wish to enter the Zhou Residence as well, that is also acceptable. After all, with the addition of new members to the Zhou family, we will need to hire a few more servants."
"Servants?" Li Nan's Mother darkened her expression.
"Though they are servants, Madam Li is still the biological mother of the groom, so her treatment will certainly be different. You must understand that your son is marrying into our family; it would not be very appropriate for his mother to enter the residence as well," Zhou Mother glanced at the Li Family courtyard. "In my Zhou family, even the servants enjoy better food and clothing than what you have now. Madam, you might want to consider this!"
Li Nan's Mother gritted her teeth, thinking that she was indeed Li Nan's biological mother. If she truly entered the Zhou family, Sister Zhou might treat her like a servant. Thus, she changed her tone and said, "No need to consider! Please inform Zhou Yuanwai that I am willing. Moreover, as a mother-in-law, I should also look after my son and daughter-in-law."
Zhou Mother was not someone easily fooled; she quickly saw through Li Nan's Mother's intentions and let out a cold laugh before turning to leave.
Outside, it was gloomy, with a few snowflakes drifting down gently. A heavy snowfall was bound to come to Luoyang City.
When Li Nan returned from the Li Family Tavern and passed by Zhou Mother, he glanced at her. The plum blossoms in the corner had bloomed, revealing a touch of vibrant red. Suddenly, Li Nan thought of his bride's shy profile on their wedding night.
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