She folded the dowry list back up and began to play with it, tapping it against her other palm.
Chu Lian abruptly asked, âMomo, I canât really remember... Was there any money in my dowry?â
Senior Servant Gui cast a careful glance at her. Afraid some misunderstanding would arise in Chu Lianâs heart, she said in a measured tone, âOf course thereâs money! Why wouldnât there be?â
Due to Sixth Missâs unhappiness over the match, on the day of her marriage, Senior Servant Gui had kept the banknotes that the presiding lady of the house, the wife of House Yingâs heir, had sent over. After Chu Lian had married over, she had been frightened by the way her mistress and her new husband were interacting, so she had completely forgotten about the money in her care.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Finally, something that wouldnât disappoint her. Chu Lianâs eyes instantly lit up and, with a degree of urgency, she asked, âHow much?â
Senior Servant Gui looked a little put on the spot. She awkwardly chuckled and held up five fingers.
Chu Lian returned the smile. âFive hundred taels?â
Senior Servant Guiâs eyes widened in shock. She hadnât expected Chu Lian to get the figure right. Wouldnât most noble ladies guess five thousand taels instead?
Seeing Chu Lian smiling happily, Xiyanâs heart felt like it was being crushed. Conversely, Chu Lianâs seeming happiness and contentment with that sum made her heart ache even more for her mistress.
Although the House of Duke Ying had no qualified successors and was slowly becoming a shell of its former self, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. When the main branchâs illegitimate fourth miss had gotten married, due to the favour of the main branchâs legitimate wife, she had been sent out from the house with a thousand taels of silver as dowry!
Their young miss was a legitimate daughter of House Ying, yet she had to suffer this kind of treatment.
âSixth Miss...â Xiyan called out in a low voice.
Every time this girl called out to her with a voice that sounded as if she was about to cry, Chu Lian knew that Xiyan had probably gotten sad over her circumstances, without being able to see it from a lighter perspective.
So, when Chu Lian spoke again, it was with a clear, calm voice. âWhatâs there to be sad about? Five hundred taels isnât a small sum either. A family of three can live for a year with ten taels! Furthermore, my mother died when I was young. Are you really expecting a motherless child to be treated the same as a child with a mother? Although my dowryâs a little small, Iâve married a good husband, havenât I? The family elders here are all easy to get along with, too. What is there to be unhappy about? Iâve already accepted all this, so canât you guys accept it too? Anyway, who cares if thereâs less money? We just have to earn more ourselves! In this world, thereâs nothing easier to solve than a lack of money!â
Buried in Chu Lianâs words were her incredible self-confidence and willpower. She had been able to stand strong and unyielding in order to survive in that technologically advanced world, where humans had become even more twisted. How could the simple civilisation of this Great Wu Dynasty pose a problem to her?
To enjoy life, you have to be able to bear with its stresses. This was something a smart woman should know.
Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan were shaken by Chu Lianâs words. Since Senior Servant Gui was older and more experienced than Xiyan, she recovered a little more quickly. She nodded, gratified that the tender, young flower she had raised had finally broken free from its bindings and blossomed into a beautifully fragrant bud. Chu Lian was no longer a single, lone sprout that was struggling to grow in a swamp.
However, Xiyan was still in a daze. Chu Lianâs sweet, clear voice was still ringing in her ears: âIn this world, thereâs nothing easier to solve than a lack of money!â
What an arrogant, yet confident phrase that was. How many humans in this world would toil their lives away â maybe even to the point of throwing away their lives â for the sake of a few dirty, copper coins? The saying, âeveryone works for moneyâ, didnât spring up from nothing.
Xiyan could almost see a faint, white glow around Chu Lian; it was almost like she was a god who should be revered by all men. She realised that her mistress was looking at her with a gentle gaze. Suddenly, immense relief flooded through her. The unfair treatment at the Ying Estate and the old grievances buried inside her instantly turned into tiny golden specks and disappeared.
âYes, as Mistress commands it. This servant will always obey Sixth Miss.â
Chu Lian tilted her head. Upon seeing that Xiyan had burst into a bright smile, exposing her two cute little canines, Chu Lian also felt happy for her.
This girl had complex issues hidden in her heart. If she could let go of all her mental burdens just like today, then maybe she wouldnât die in vain like âChu Lianâ had.