Chapter 91: Chapter 91 Affection of the Embroidered Ball (Part 1) Chapter 91: Chapter 91 Affection of the Embroidered Ball (Part 1) After breaking free from the previous world, Su Li returned to Chaos, where a dazzling golden light suddenly surged into his Conscious Sea.

Deep inside his consciousness, it trembled like an earthquake, shaking several times.

Su Li vaguely sensed an object that flickered in and out of existence at the very center of his Conscious Sea, appearing before his “eyes.”

The golden light scattered some of the mist that shrouded the object, but in the next second, it immediately gathered back together.

In that instant, Su Li felt it.

Intimacy, joy…

It was the form of a book.

——————-

“Born equal,” is the most laughable joke I’ve ever heard.

If it were truly about equality, why would they use their power to force us to agree?

A woman clad in a lake-blue long dress with flowing water sleeves and wearing a golden hairpin wept bitterly, her voice filled with sorrow.

This time, Su Li had arrived in a world with an ancient setting.

The body he possessed belonged to a lady epitomized by virtue and grace embedded in her very bones.

She would never understand why some people, while enjoying the superiority their status brought, would still criticize it.

She was the only daughter of the Su Family from Chaozhou City, born into luxury and wealth. Her father, having no other children, cherished her deeply even though she was a girl.

Su Zhao-shi, the head of the Su Family, couldn’t bear to let his daughter endure the hardships of married life, and considering the significant family wealth that needed an heir, he thought of having his daughter hold a suitor selection event.

When Su Li turned sixteen, the Su Family set up a stage in Chaoshan City to hold an event where Miss Su would throw an embroidered ball to find a suitor.

Su Zhao-shi had it all planned; all the unmarried men in Chaoshan City could participate, and the one who caught the embroidered ball would have a chance to meet him and take part in a test he set.

This idea was well-received, as under the fierce competition, whoever caught the ball would at least be physically strong. Additionally, the tests Su Zhao-shi set, which required some scholarly knowledge, would ensure the competence of the participants.

If someone met these criteria, his daughter would then meet him to see if there were any mutual feelings. If she approved of him, then it was their fate.

Eventually, he hoped to pass the vast family business to his daughter and son-in-law and enjoy his own peaceful life.

However, what he didn’t expect was that this embroidered ball event was going to ruin Su Li’s life and ultimately lead to the downfall of the Su Family.

It all started because of a woman named Wen Rou.

The Su Family had prepared several ceremonies, but they were ruined from the very first public appearance.

During the first instance of the suitor selection event, the sudden appearance of a woman created immense chaos.

Despite it being an event meant for single men, this woman named Wen Rou butted in.

As a result, the embroidered ball ended up in the arms of a beggar who was standing on the outskirts and had not participated.

Such a candidate was naturally not what Su Zhao-shi had in mind, and this person couldn’t even pass the first round, let alone face his tests.

But this woman named Wen Rou stubbornly caused trouble and insisted on forcing the Su Family to acknowledge this person.

Furthermore, she spoke of unthinkable ideas such as equality for all.

As the largest grain merchant in Chaozhou City, even in the entire Zhao Country, who would dare to force something that Su Zhao-shi was unwilling to acknowledge?

However, the trouble came when Su Zhao-shi eventually agreed.

Su Li initially did not understand why, but, trusting her father, she did not object. Since her father had acknowledged him, it must mean that the man had caught her father’s eye in some way.

With the participation of Wen Rou and her several companions, the Su Family held a wedding banquet that very night.

What’s done was done, Su Li truly treated the little beggar as her husband.

Just a few days after the Su Family wedding banquet, Su Zhao-shi fell ill.

The doctor said it was a heart disease; Su Li did not know what worries could have brought down her typically resilient father.

Once the Su Family Master fell ill, all the family’s affairs gradually transferred to the Su Family’s son-in-law, with Su Li assisting him. Soon, he had taken over all the Su Family’s affairs.

The previously mild condition of her father grew worse, eventually becoming incurable.

Only at her father’s deathbed did Su Li come to know the truth. The man who stood next to Wen Rou that day was the Second Prince of Zhao Country.

Mr. Su, under great feelings of guilt, dared not disobey the prince’s demands and had literally worried himself sick.

After Su Li managed her father’s funeral, she realized that there was no place left for her in the Su Family.

Her husband, the former beggar, had taken control of everything in the Su Family.

He had driven out the elders of the Su Family, and soon she was to be expelled as well.

The Su Family had become a mere purse prepared by the beggar for Wen Rou, playing a significant role in the Second Prince’s ascent to the throne.

When the destitute Su Li, barefoot and slumped at the base of a wall, barely recognizable, encountered the now noble Wen Rou, who was incognito on a private visit, she realized from a few words they exchanged that her father’s death had been due to foul play.

The now wretched Su Li frantically thought of plunging the dagger hidden in her tattered clothing into Wen Rou’s heart, but before she could get close, a Hidden Guard by her side ran her through with a sword.

The last image Su Li left in this world was of her affectionate father’s gentle smile.

—————

A myriad of memories, for Su Li, was just a fleeting moment.

She supported her head with her left hand, leaning on the table, her eyes barely open.

A maid came in with a tray of pastries, “Lady, have some snacks first; things aren’t finishing anytime soon.”

The maid standing by Su Li’s side, being closer to her than others, spoke more freely, trying to relieve her mistress’s tension, “Yes, have something to eat. You haven’t eaten much since morning…”

“Down there, there are still many admirable men. Look, on the left, at the front, is Scholar Cao from West Street, whose family is in the silk business. His family has only an old father, so anyone marrying him would get to run the house right after entering. But since our family is seeking a son-in-law, his father might not agree. However, given his deep affection for you, Lady, it’s still hard to say. And on the right, the most handsome is the second son from the Xu Family, said to be the favorite in their family. And there in the middle, wearing a headcloth, is Scholar Yan, who usually sells calligraphy and paintings in the city. Although his family is poor, his talent and literary grace astonish even the county magistrate. If it were not for his reluctance, the county magistrate would have betrothed his daughter to Scholar Yan long ago…”

Su Li slowly listened, her gaze fixed on the crowd struggling to catch an embroidered ball beneath the flower platform.

As the maid mentioned a few individuals, Su Li glanced at each, initially finding them quite acceptable. After all, as the renowned beauty of Chaozhou and with the Su Family’s considerable wealth, she indeed possessed notable allure.