Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My mother, my maternal grandmother, and that refined, scholarly-looking man went into the inner room together.

They shut the door to talk.

My father had scolded me more than once, telling me not to leave our home, not to run wild outside, and to stay in the house at all times. Whenever he needed me, I had to be there to serve him.

So I didn’t go anywhere. I just stood guard outside the door.

The wooden door of our house was very thin, with cracks in it too, so I could hear every word from inside clearly.

My grandmother said coldly, “Yanxue, back then, you were rebellious. You broke off your engagement with Wenyuan and eloped with that good-for-nothing ruffian. You should have known this day would come.”

Shen Yanxue. That was my mother’s name.

My mother said nothing.

Only the sound of her crying kept drifting out.

I bit my lip nervously, not knowing whether I should push open the door and go in to wipe her tears. Would I be scolded for being unfilial?

But if I went in, would I be scolded for not knowing my place and interrupting the adults’ discussion?

The man called Cao Wenyuan said gently, “I don’t blame Yanxue.”

Grandmother said, “Enough. Since you know to repent now, I won’t make things difficult for you. After all, you are my most beloved daughter. I’ve already read the letter you wrote, and I’ve taken care of everything that needed arranging. When you eloped years ago, the Duke’s Mansion never made the matter public. We have always told outsiders that you were in poor health and living in seclusion at Hanxiang Temple to cultivate yourself and accumulate merit. Once you return to the capital, I will immediately arrange for you to marry Wenyuan.”

My mother hesitated. “But…”

Grandmother snapped, “But what?! If it were a young lady from any other family, even beating her to death would not be excessive. Not everyone is like you, with a path back still open to them!”

Cao Wenyuan said warmly, “Yanxue, I’ve made all the arrangements at home. You need only set your mind at ease. As long as you settle down from now on, I will never treat you poorly.”

My baby sister suddenly began to cry.

My mother picked her up and coaxed her, saying with difficulty, “My child…”

Grandmother’s voice turned even colder. “The child cannot be taken with you.”

But Cao Wenyuan said, “It’s all right. This child was born not long ago. We can take her back and raise her quietly. In a few years, when she’s a little older, we’ll bring her out to meet people and say she is Yanxue’s and my daughter. No one will notice anything amiss. Don’t worry. I will treat her as my own.”

Grandmother sighed. “You are so deeply devoted. Yanxue truly must have been blind back then. Rest assured, from now on, the Duke’s Mansion will be the greatest support to your official career.”

Cao Wenyuan smiled. “I don’t care about any official career. The only person in my heart is Yanxue.”

Not one of them mentioned saving my father, as though it was some natural, unspoken understanding between them.

My mother coaxed my sister back to sleep. After a long while, she finally said in a trembling voice, “Then my eldest daughter…”

Grandmother seemed very angry. “Yanxue! The Cao family is also a great aristocratic household! If Wenyuan, the only heir of the Cao family, had not overcome all objections for your sake and taken everything upon himself, do you think the elders of the Cao family would accept you?! Do you not care about Wenyuan’s dignity at all?!”

My mother fell silent.

Outside the door, I fell silent too.

Just as my father said, I was very stupid. I could never understand the words adults said, nor could I be considerate of what they were thinking.

Out of all those words, the only thing I understood was this-

My mother and my little sister were going to the capital.

Just the two of them.