Chapter Twenty-Seven: Uncle Wen's Advice

After venting her grievances and resentment with a torrent of words, Lu Yun, prompted by a hint from Lu Ying, gritted his teeth and declared, “Fortunately, Uncle Wen from the Ping family’s fourth branch went with us this time. Do you know what he said? He said that man surnamed Zeng is ‘cold and fickle by nature, indecisive in his affections—such a man is unworthy to be a husband!’”

Quoting a third party lent their accusation great credibility. For a moment, even Aunt Yang could only sigh, lamenting how she had misjudged the man.

The siblings remained seated, talking for the better part of an hour, until Lu Ying, dabbing her tear-stained face with her sleeve, finally bid farewell to the neighbors and returned, eyes brimming, to her new home amid their sympathetic sighs.

As soon as they crossed the threshold, both brother and sister, having fought a hard battle, exhaled in relief and collapsed onto the couch, exhausted. Lu Yun, whose throat was parched from so much talking, closed his eyes.

After a while, he looked up at his sister, who was bustling about preparing dinner, and asked in a low voice, “Sister, why did you want me to say all that? Didn’t you already ask Uncle Wen to speak for us? Why go through all this trouble?”

Lu Ying tended the fire as she replied, “It’s called striking first to gain the upper hand. Besides, Uncle Wen rarely says much, so we must be prepared on both fronts.” The firelight glowed on her fair, delicate face and graceful figure, and to Lu Yun, her calm presence seemed to warm the whole house.

As she worked, she explained softly, “Ah Yun, the sages say, ‘Three men make a tiger.’ It means slander and rumors are powerful things. I refuse to let the Zengs slander us, to have people call me domineering or unruly, ignorant of my place. Some things must be done preemptively. After tonight’s conversation, our neighbors will spread the story from one to another until it’s known far and wide. By then, if the Zengs try to defame me, no one will believe them.”

She paused, then continued, “As for Uncle Wen, everyone knows his upright character. If anyone asks, and he speaks a word or two on our behalf, they’ll believe the rest implicitly.” Whether it was striking someone or tearing up the betrothal contract, her actions had been too severe. Left to gossip, her reputation would hardly fare well. In such circumstances, how could she not act first?

“Big sister, do you hate Zeng Changzhi very much?”

Amid the flickering flames, Lu Ying turned to look at him. After a moment’s thought, she nodded. “Yes, I do hate him a little.” She pressed her lips together and murmured, “The more I once trusted him, the more I resent him now. He thought, with my parents gone, he could toy with me as he pleased. Ha! This time, I’ll make him understand what it is to suffer in silence!”

After parting from the Lu siblings, Uncle Wen hurried back to the Ping residence.

Ping Yin had been waiting anxiously for his return, her palms damp with nervous sweat. Before she could rush over to ask, Uncle Wen strode directly into her parents’ chambers without pausing.

He must be reporting the matter to them.

Ping Yin’s heart pounded wildly. Face flushed, she hesitated, then changed her clothes and quietly crept toward her parents’ side room.

Outside the door, voices drifted out. Hearing Uncle Wen’s familiar tone, Ping Yin glared at the surrounding maids, signaling them to withdraw. Then, silently, she pressed her ear to the door to listen.

Inside, Uncle Wen’s steady voice was clear: “At the time, that Zeng lad answered directly: he never intended to marry Ah Yin as his wife...” The moment those words reached her ears, Ping Yin’s face turned pale. But the voices inside continued, “It was only after Lu Ying pressed them repeatedly that Madam Zeng admitted their plan—to marry both, with the Lu girl as concubine.”

At this, the two elders inside were evidently shocked.

Amid murmurs, Ping Yin heard Uncle Wen’s grave voice: “Sir, in my estimation, the Zeng family is no suitable match. Madam Zeng is coarse and unreasonable, ever seeking advantage. That Zeng Changzhi is fickle of heart. Moreover, both mother and son are cold and unkind by nature—hardly people to entrust one’s daughter to. If Ah Yin were to marry such a man, all might go well if fortune smiled, but at the first sign of trouble, she would regret it all her life.”

He had only gotten this far when, with a bang, Ping Yin burst in, tears streaming down her face, pale with fear and pain. Shaking her head desperately through her tears, she cried, “No, it’s not true! Uncle Wen, you must be mistaken, you must have it wrong!”

As if recalling something, she shrilled, “Uncle Wen, you must have fallen for that wretched Lu Ying’s trick! Don’t believe her. She’s not a good person—she hates me for taking Zeng from her and means me no good!”

Her parents had not expected their daughter to barge in, nor that, having heard Uncle Wen’s account, she would stubbornly cling to her beliefs. At once, her father’s face darkened and he barked, “Someone! Take her out!”

“Yes, sir.” The two maids had barely seized Ping Yin when her father commanded, “Lock her up and watch her closely. She is not to see any outsiders.”

At this order, Ping Yin’s legs went weak with panic. She struggled and screamed at her parents, “Mother, Father, it’s not like that! Zeng is a good man, it’s not like that...” As she was dragged farther away, her cries grew ever more heartrending.

Hearing their daughter’s weeping, Lady Ping could not help but shed tears herself. Wiping her face with her sleeve, she whispered, “It’s all my fault. Before, when Ah Yin first mentioned the Zeng boy, I paid it no mind. Later, when I heard his father was made a captain, I even allowed her to keep company with him.”

Her husband snorted, “It’s foolish women like you—long hair, short wit—that cause trouble! That Zeng fellow was willing to discard a fiancée of ten years without a second thought. Such a heartless man, and you encouraged our daughter to see him? Hmph, if Uncle Wen hadn’t gone this time, Ah Yin’s whole future would have been ruined by your hand!”

Uncle Wen could not help but nod in agreement and sighed, “Indeed, the fact that the Zeng boy would throw aside his betrothed of ten years to court another is proof enough he is not a worthy match.” Seeing Lady Ping’s expression grow shamefaced, he fell silent and, finding a pretext, excused himself in haste.

Meanwhile, in the Lu household, after a hearty meal, brother and sister gathered once more in the study to write.

As they worked, Lu Yun suddenly set his brush down with a thud and declared gruffly, “Sister, even if I never make it as a scholar-official, I’ll at least become a licentiate. I will never let anyone look down on you again! I want the Zeng family to regret how they treated you—to kneel before you one day and beg for forgiveness!” By candlelight, the young man’s handsome face was flushed with intensity, his dark eyes shining with resolve.

Lu Ying turned to face him, her lips curving in a gentle smile. “Yes, I’ll be waiting for you to rise in the world, Ah Yun.” Her voice was soft as a spring breeze, filled with unspoken trust. Lu Yun’s heart warmed, his anger subsiding, replaced by a sudden sense of weight upon his shoulders—a responsibility urging him to grow up.