Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“You are a daughter of an aristocratic family, yet you show your face in public like this. And Second Young Master has not even broken off the engagement with you. If you want to disgrace yourself, fine-but now you are disgracing Second Young Master as well.”

“I suppose this is the extent of your upbringing. After all, you are only from an insignificant branch of the Cui Family, with what little reputation you have earned solely thanks to your father. Perhaps you still do not know this, but the Pei Family agreed to marry you only because there was no girl of suitable age in the main branch of the Cui Family. Otherwise, such a fine match would never have fallen to you.”

Her voice was not as clear and bright as other young ladies’. It was slightly low, alluring, and very pleasant to the ear.

It was only the words she spoke that were not pleasant at all.

I had endured for so many years. Now that I could finally make my own decisions, why should I keep enduring?

“Yingying, enough of this nonsense!” Yuan Shen snapped with a frown.

“You came to my door today without even announcing your family or name, and the first thing you did was scold me. It seems your own upbringing is nothing remarkable either. Whatever I wish to do, and however I do it, the Pei Family has said nothing. In what capacity are you speaking?”

I asked her unhurriedly.

“Fifth Lady, please don’t take offense. Yingying is my family’s Sixth Lady, the youngest in the household. She was spoiled from childhood, and she grew up together with Second Young Master and me…”

“How your family spoils her is your family’s business. Do you expect me to spoil her too when she comes here?”

I cut Yuan Shen off. There was no apology in his tone; he was merely making excuses for the young lady of his household.

Yuan Shen fell silent for a moment, looking somewhat aggrieved.

“What is so impressive about you? How many things can you do that a noble lady should know?” Yuan Ying’s cheeks were faintly flushed, likely from anger.

“I have many sisters at home, and my family is poor. When we were young, if we wanted to eat our fill, we had to fight for it. I don’t know how to do anything. I only excel at one thing: I am crude and strong. It would be very easy for me to slap someone hard enough that their face swells for ten days to half a month. Would Sixth Lady like to try?”

This was not a lie. Compared with others, I truly was very strong.

Yuan Ying’s mouth fell slightly open, her face full of disbelief.

No matter what, she could never have imagined I would say such a thing, could she?

Ha!

For now, I would first become the person I had always longed to be.

“Fifth Lady, there is no need to frighten her!”

“I am not frightening her. If she comes to my shop to buy things, I will naturally welcome her. But if she has come only to stab at me with words and look down on me, then let us see whether I will put up with it. What happens between Pei Qian and me is a matter between the Pei Clan and the Cui Clan. It is not for outsiders to gossip about.”

Yuan Shen looked at me, then at his sister, and said, “We were rude.”

This time, there seemed to be a little sincerity and apology in it, so I did not continue arguing with them.

Several days later, rumors gradually began to spread through Anyi that the daughter of the Cui Clan had not only debased herself by becoming a merchant, but was also fierce and ignorant of etiquette.

Ah Tao pouted and said we might as well close the shop and simply wait properly for me to be married. If this went on, the Pei Family would surely break off the engagement.

I smiled and patted her head. If one had to rely on others for everything, then one would likely have to rely on others for the rest of one’s life.

If I had to live my days by watching other people’s expressions, I did not want to live that way.

Let others say whatever they liked. As long as it did not stop me from making money, that was enough.