CHAPTER 381: CHAPTER 381: TWO ENGAGEMENT LETTERS

"Aunt, Ni Ruiniang’s heart is suffering." Ni Ruiniang cried in Ms. Ni’s arms, "Cousin and I are the true match. I am his rightful wife. Why have I become a concubine now?"

Ni Ruiniang was only pretty but very good at crying. Every time she wept, she looked like a frail and pitiful beauty, tears streaming down like rain on pear blossoms: "Ruiniang is not sorrowful for herself, Ruiniang feels the suffering of the Ni Family... Aunt, our Ni Family has also been a family of scholars passing down literature and education, and in previous generations, we had produced a Master Scholar. Although our family fortunes have declined, the spirit of the Ni Family still remains. How can Ruiniang... how can Ruiniang become someone’s concubine?"

Ms. Ni loved her niece Ni Ruiniang dearly and also grieved over the decline of the Ni Family fortunes, but: "What can we do about it? Your cousin is in need of Silver to pursue his studies and hopes to become a scholar; without a few hundred taels of Silver to support him, how could he possibly succeed? Where can our Ni Family find such a sum?"

The Ni Family now only had a dozen or so acres of land, plus half a residence in town.

Why only half a residence?

Because Uncle Ni had failed in business, he had to sell half of the residence to pay off debts, leaving the family crammed in four rooms with not even enough space for adding new members to the household.

"Ruiniang, don’t be sad. Your Uncle has already promised your aunt that as long as you can bear a son, the Wan Family will not allow Gu Yumei to get pregnant. Your aunt has already prepared the anti-fertility soup for her; once she marries in, she’ll be made to drink the anti-fertility soup daily."

Ni Ruiniang heard this and felt a secret thrill of joy, yet her face showed a look of concern: "Aunt, will this work? What if the Gu Family discovers and refuses to provide the Silver for cousin’s exams?"

Ms. Ni scoffed: "Ha! What can the Gu Family do once the girl has married over? Are they going to take her back? Besides, your aunt has already prepared the excuse: that your cousin needs to focus on his studies for his official position, that having children now wouldn’t be good, and that we will stop the medicine a few years later to let her conceive."

However, the anti-fertility soup Ms. Ni bought was specially used by the girls in brothels; not to mention drinking it daily, if you drank it for just a month or so, even after cessation, it would be impossible to conceive.

Ni Ruiniang was rather smart. Hearing this, she felt it improper and asked: "If we medicate Gu Yumei and she doesn’t conceive, but I give birth instead, what then?"

Ms. Ni casually replied: "That’s because our Ruiniang is blessed; she conceived at the first attempt. Who’s to blame that Gu Yumei has bad luck and didn’t receive the bedchamber joy."

Ni Ruiniang felt the excuse was insufficient, yet thinking it worked in her favor, she didn’t say more. Instead, she expressed her gratitude to Ms. Ni: "Aunt, for taking such care of Ruiniang, my gratitude is immeasurable. I can only wish to work like an ox or horse for you in the future, to repay your great kindness."

Ms. Ni, hearing this, grew even fonder of Ni Ruiniang, feeling that she was someone who knew gratitude. Holding her, she said: "Aunt’s dear Ruiniang, you don’t need to work like an ox or horse for me. Just give birth to the golden grandson in your belly, and that will be how you repay your aunt."

When Ni Ruiniang arrived at the Wan Family’s, Ms. Ni immediately had a doctor take her pulse, but it was too soon for a pregnancy to be detected. However, Ni Ruiniang had missed her monthly period, thus Ms. Ni was certain that Ni Ruiniang must be pregnant.

Ni Ruiniang did not deny it, but instead, she took the opportunity to say: "Aunt... if Ruiniang became a concubine, the child in her womb would be a bastard... Scholarly families value the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Bastards are not only criticized from birth, they are also scorned by scholars of legitimate birth when sitting for the official position exams... Although Ruiniang is willing to be a concubine, she truly cannot bear to let the child in her womb become a bastard."

Upon hearing this, Ms. Ni was startled, indeed, if Ruiniang became a concubine, her precious grandson would be a bastard. That would not do at all.

But...

"Auntie has no choice, your uncle does not agree to you becoming Brother Fang’s official wife, so you can only humble yourself to be a concubine."

Over the years, because she was always giving financial aid to her natal family, she has greatly displeased Old Master, and only after making a huge fuss several times did she manage to arrange for Brother Fang to take Ruiniang as a concubine.

Ni Ruiniang slightly lowered her head, her eyes darting about. After a while, she spoke her mind: "Auntie, actually, there is another way. Father once mentioned that in Jiangnan, there are many families that take an equal wife, wherein both sides are considered wives... Ruiniang does not wish to compete with Miss Gu, nor is it her intention to oppose Uncle deliberately. It’s truly for the sake of the child that Ruiniang must defy once and ask Auntie to take pity on the child, and let cousin marry Ruiniang as an equal wife, to give the child a legitimate status."

After she finished, Ni Ruiniang began crying pitifully, looking very sorrowful.

Upon hearing this, Ms. Ni’s eyes brightened: "Right, he could take an equal wife. Oh, my dear Ruiniang, you are the clever one, able to think of such a good idea. You wait, Auntie will go find your uncle right now and make him agree to let Brother Fang marry you as an equal wife."

Ms. Ni, for the sake of her beloved grandson and for Ni Family, did not pause for a moment and went straight to the front courtyard’s study, ordering Shuzi to call Scholar Wan back from his lessons.

Scholar Wan returned to the study with a stern face. Upon seeing Ms. Ni, he said angrily, "Ms. Ni, what are you up to now? Isn’t Ni Ruiniang already brought back to you? What more do you want?"

Ms. Ni loudly said, "What more do I want? I want you to agree to Brother Fang marrying Ruiniang as an equal wife!"

"Equal wife?" Scholar Wan turned as dark as the bottom of a pot upon hearing this: "Who gave you such a rotten idea? Scholarly families, where is there such a precedent for taking an equal wife? Only those lawless merchant families would take an equal wife."

Scholarly and noble families value propriety and would not take equal wives. If one were to take an equal wife, with only one backyard in the estate, who would be in charge? Wouldn’t that be a complete mess?

Ms. Ni countered, "Don’t make excuses, what not able to take an equal wife, I think you just look down on Ni Family and want to humiliate Ni Family, and deliberately make Ruiniang a concubine!"

"Ni Ruiniang hasn’t even crossed the threshold and has already had a disgraceful affair with Brother Fang; for Wan Family to even take her as a concubine is giving her face. If you’re still not satisfied, I could have the servants send Ni Ruiniang back to Ni Family right now." Scholar Wan, having been repeatedly defeated by Ms. Ni, was also furious and bluntly made such a heavy statement.

Ms. Ni sneered, "Let me ask you one more time, do you agree or not to let Brother Fang marry Ruiniang as an equal wife?"

Scholar Wan replied, "Don’t even think about it! Either she becomes a concubine, or Ni Ruiniang gets lost!"

"Fine, fine, fine, you forced my hand." Ms. Ni pointed at Scholar Wan and said, "Mr. Wan, I’m telling you now, if you don’t agree to Brother Fang marrying Ruiniang as an equal wife, I will take Ruiniang and announce to everyone in town about the child Ruiniang is carrying from Brother Fang, and let Wan Family’s reputation be utterly ruined. Let’s see how you can continue to teach and educate people then!"

"You, what did you say?" Scholar Wan was shocked: "Brother Fang is also your son, and I am your husband. By destroying us, what good can you possibly achieve for yourself?"

Ms. Ni knew that Scholar Wan cared most about his face, and with her saying this, she was certain Scholar Wan would agree, so she went all out, shouting, "You don’t even allow Ni Family to survive, or let my golden grandson live, why should I care about Wan Family, or what you and your son do?"