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Feeling deeply aggrieved, Shen Zhu believed herself to be beautiful and intelligent. Her elder brother was a talented scholar, set to take the imperial exams next year. With his exceptional abilities, he was likely to succeed, perhaps even becoming the top scholar or achieving remarkable success in the imperial examinations. If that happened, she would be the sister of a top scholar. How could she possibly marry a peasant farmer and resign herself to a life as a farmer’s wife?
The more Shen Zhu dwelled on this, the more distressed she became, her eyes reddening from crying.
“What’s wrong? Crying won’t solve anything. Tell me, what happened? Did someone mistreat you? Was it your fourth sister-in-law?” Shen Zhang Shi was taken aback by her daughter’s tearful entrance, initially fearing something serious had occurred. However, upon learning that Shen Zhu was upset over being mocked and not mistreated, she sighed in relief, guiding her daughter to sit beside her, gently patting her back as she inquired softly.
At that moment, Shen Youfu heard the commotion and entered the room. Seeing his youngest daughter returning in tears, he furrowed his brows and asked, “What’s wrong? Did they dare mistreat you while you were helping them? How did they mistreat you?”
Shen Zhu wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, “Father, Mother, you’ve misunderstood. It wasn’t Zhao Xiaomei; she wouldn’t dare. Your daughter isn’t one to be easily bullied!”
“Then who was it? Weren’t your elder and second sisters-in-law with you? Did they just watch you being mistreated?” Shen Zhang Shi wondered why the two daughters-in-law hadn’t followed Shen Zhu back, realizing they must have stayed behind. She felt they had been too permissive.
Tugging at Shen Zhang Shi, Shen Zhu, with red eyes, explained, “Mother, could I let others see me cry like this? Neither elder sister-in-law nor second sister-in-law knew I was crying. I came back by myself. My tears are about my unfortunate fate. When I was at Fourth Brother’s house, I saw Song Dashan, the one you arranged for me to marry! You didn’t notice, but the villagers were mocking me! He was laughing there, looking foolish! Am I really going to marry such a fool? My life is so bitter. It’s all your fault for arranging this for me!”
Upon understanding the situation, Shen Youfu, no longer agitated, said, “Is that all? You just encountered Song Dashan? His family is in the nearby Song family village. His uncle is in our village, and he’s learning house construction skills from his uncle. Now that your fourth brother has hired his uncle to build the house, he must be involved too. It’s normal for you to see him. Everyone in the village knows about your betrothal. Why would people laugh at you? Even if there’s some teasing, it’s all in good fun. Why take it seriously? Aren’t you usually fearless?”
Shen Zhu, infuriated, tears streaming down her face, raised her voice, “Father, it’s all because of the marriage you arranged for me! You didn’t see how he acted! Not only does he look foolish, he’s also dim-witted. Always laughing at me endlessly. How can others not mock me? He’s dressed in patched coarse clothing, looking poor and shabby. Standing next to him, I look completely mismatched! Are you planning for me to suffer and toil in the future?”
Shen Youfu finally understood why his daughter was so upset—it was because she found the betrothal inappropriate due to Song Dashan’s poverty. He had a sense of this situation but acknowledged that back then, there had been no other choice. Seeing his daughter blossom into a bright and intelligent woman, he realized she didn’t fit the image of a rural girl and could have married a city gentleman instead of a farmer. This discrepancy also troubled him.
Shen Zhang Shi, noticing Shen Youfu’s darkening expression, quickly intervened, saying, “This isn’t your father’s fault. Years ago, when Dashan’s father saved your fifth brother, your father felt indebted and wanted to repay the favor. Dashan’s father then proposed him as a son-in-law for you. At the time, there were many onlookers, and your father felt he couldn’t reject the proposal, leading to this situation. It’s truly unfair to you, my daughter. But your father had no choice at that time.”
Shen Youfu added, “Back then, his family had better conditions than ours. Father thought that you wouldn’t be mistreated if you married into their family, so I didn’t decline. Who could have predicted it would turn out like this?”
Shen Zhu, increasingly heartbroken, covered her face with the handkerchief and wept, “I don’t care. I won’t accept Song Dashan. I refuse to become a farmer’s wife. I’ve never done heavy work at home, you’ve pampered me. Are you sending me to be a servant in someone else’s home? It would have been better if I had grown up eating rough food, then I would consider marrying into their poor family a blessing!”
Shen Zhu’s tears were genuine and heartbroken. Raised in comfort, she had learned to read and dreamed of a life akin to the literary romances she had read. Although she understood the rarity of such a life and the financial struggles of scholars like her brother, she preferred a life of luxury and refinement, adorned with gold, silver, jewels, and fine fabrics. She aspired to live like the noble ladies in those stories—a life filled with wealth and privilege. She envisioned marrying a wealthy man, perhaps with an official like her brother, which she believed would secure her happiness.
However, being betrothed meant her fate had been sealed. A betrothed woman followed the fate of her betrothed—a fate tied to that of her husband. If she married a beggar, she would lead a beggar’s life. Marrying Song Dashan would bind her to a life of farming, devoid of the luxuries she yearned for. Her dreams of wealth, jewels, luxurious clothing, fine dining, carriages, and servants would remain mere fantasies.
Shen Zhu was unwilling to accept this fate. The thought of her youthful beauty fading away amidst mundane chores and a life of labor made her eyes ache from crying.
“You! Speak softer!” Shen Zhang Shi scolded Shen Zhu, giving her a light pat. “Don’t speak so loudly, especially with your third sister-in-law around today. If you don’t want her to hear and spread rumors, lower your voice!”
Feeling even more wronged after being scolded, Shen Zhu lowered her voice and tearfully pleaded, “Father, Mother, you must find a way to cancel this betrothal. I refuse to marry Song Dashan. With my looks, I could easily secure a place in the city, bringing honor to our family. Weren’t you upset with Elder Sister because she married a poor man? Why would you want to send me to marry a pauper?”
Shen Youfu frowned and retorted, “Nonsense! How dare you speak of me that way? Can you compare your sister’s situation to yours? Song Dashan’s family used to have some money; they fell into poverty due to a fire—it’s fate. If you want to blame someone, blame your luck!”
“Yes, it’s my bad luck, while my brother has been fortunate! He was saved, and it was me who went to repay the favor!”
“Are you blaming your fifth brother then?!”
Shen Youfu’s anger flared up upon hearing Shen Zhu’s words. Shen Ziju was his hope and over the years had become his pride and joy. Any criticism of him didn’t sit well with Shen Youfu. Moreover, this matter was his own doing, unrelated to his beloved son. He felt both upset with Shen Zhu for blaming him and furious at her for indirectly criticizing Shen Ziju. Glaring at Shen Zhu, his eyebrows furrowed in anger.
Shen Zhu’s words were spoken out of frustration, and seeing her father angry made her both upset and afraid. She collapsed into Shen Zhang Shi’s arms, tears flowing once again.
Before Shen Zhang Shi could respond, they heard Sun Shi’s voice from outside, “Fifth Brother, why are you just standing at the door? Why don’t you come inside?” Turning her head, she spotted Shen Ziju’s blue attire through the curtain’s gap.
“Daughter-in-law, go back to your work, are you too picky? Finish cooking even if you’re finicky about it!” Shen Zhang Shi’s voice was not loud, but Sun Shi’s earlier tone indicated her presence at the door, making Sun Shi likely to hear. True to expectations, Sun Shi excused herself, mentioning a stomach ache, and departed. Shen Zhang Shi then gently said, “Ziju, come inside!”
Shen Ziju entered and bowed apologetically to Shen Zhu, expressing regret, “Zhu, I have caused you trouble.”
Surprised that Shen Ziju had heard her earlier remarks and fearing his reaction, Shen Zhu quickly wiped away her tears, replying, “Brother, I was just speaking thoughtlessly. In reality, we both face similar challenges in our marriage arrangements.”
Shen Ziju smiled and replied, “Our parents arranged the marriage, and I have no complaints. The important thing is to marry someone virtuous who can take care of our parents.”
At that Motherent, Shen Youfu genuinely regretted his decisions. While he could accept marrying his daughter into a poor family, arranging a similar marriage for his son filled him with deep regret. He had hoped his son would become an official, and marrying a village woman seemed inappropriate. He realized his mistake and felt remorseful for it.
“Zhu, rest assured, in the future, your brother will ensure you have a good life. You won’t have to live as a farmer’s wife,” Shen Ziju reassured Shen Zhu before bowing to their parents and leaving.
Shen Zhang Shi scolded Shen Zhu gently, “You’ve truly hurt your brother’s feelings! It’s fine to express your grievances, but why bring up his marriage matters?”
Feeling the weight of her parents’ disapproval and seeing her father’s stern gaze, Shen Zhu lowered her head in silence. Realizing that further complaints might only lead to more scolding, she felt less aggrieved now. Despite the uncertainty of whether the marriage would be called off, she found solace in her brother’s promise to take care of her in the future, ensuring her future of luxury and comfort.
Returning to his room, Shen Ziju tried to read but found himself unable to focus. Shen Ziju had never paid much attention to his own marriage due to his young age. However, Shen Zhu’s mention of it caused a shift in his thoughts. A simple girl’s image, far from the ideal beauties in books, came to mind. With a sigh, he contemplated the transient nature of beauty and the importance of achieving success and leaving a lasting legacy through officialdom.
At that moment, Shen Ziju remained unaware that his current mindset would soon be shattered.