Chapter 5: Lady Wei, Shao Ge'er, and Yu Lian (5)
However, she recalled the Lady Fu of the State of Wei whom she had seen yesterday on Zhuque Street. Like her, a woman from the ruined household of Li Shouzheng, she had leveraged her family background to become the wife of an official. Her esteemed status commanded respect and reverence from officials, not to mention the common women of the market; who would dare to mock her? They did not even have the courage to feel jealousy. Yu Lian fantasized that if one day she could attain such nobility, those who knew her should feel ashamed and recognize their own lowliness. With such thoughts, she felt a faint sense of ethereal pleasure in her heart. Yet, her experiences in the household of Li Shouzheng made her understand that such a reality was impossible; she could only find solace within her own heart.
Shao Ge'er was momentarily taken aback, then walked into the kitchen and found a stool to sit down on
She and the Fu family are both women, both wives of Li Chongxun, yet their fates diverged dramatically in a moment of turmoil. The Fu family, who had just been the wife of a criminal, transformed into the adopted daughter of the powerful figure Guo Wei after revealing her father's name and her connection with him; in contrast, Yulian's fate was clearly not met with such favor. Once the Li family was destroyed, she was left without support and was taken away by a military officer from Guo Wei's army.
Guo Shao shook his head, finally unable to resist his hunger. He picked up the porridge and took a sip, only to find the taste extremely poor, as if it contained husks or similar grain debris. In this era, having something to eat was already fortunate, but Yulian usually ate this. He secretly glanced at her again, truly unable to discern how such a fair-skinned woman could live on such meager fare.
Had she not been sold into the household of Li Shouzheng at a young age, perhaps Yulian would have perished from hunger during one of the droughts, locust plagues, or famines, or even been consumed as food; or, if luckier, she might have grown up to marry into a family of similar social standing, living a life of poverty and ignorance, enduring hardships as before. In any case, since becoming a maid in the Li household, she has experienced a life entirely different from her origins, one devoid of hunger and cold, filled instead with luxury and abundance. Even as the most lowly maid, her life is better than it was back in her hometown. In summary, since becoming a maid in the Li household, she has witnessed a life completely different from her origins, one devoid of hunger and cold, filled instead with luxury and abundance. Even as the most lowly maid, her life is better than it was back in her hometown.
However, she finally realized that it was impossible for her to become the daughter-in-law of General Li Shouzhen, as the Li family would never give up the opportunity to form a marriage alliance with the prominent Fu Yanquing family. Consequently, Fu Yanquing's eldest daughter, Miss Fu, naturally became the primary wife of Li Chongxun. Yulian did not dare to easily reveal that she was carrying the bloodline of the Li family; she planned to first find a way to establish a good relationship with Miss Fu, hoping to become a concubine of higher status beside the couple Li Chongxun and his wife. If she were to give birth to a son, it would ensure her security.
Yulian felt ashamed to face others and only wanted to hide in a dark corner, so when she went out, she hardly spoke to anyone. How wonderful it would be if no one in this world recognized her; she also wished that those gossiping women would not use her misfortunes as fodder for their idle chatter.
The tears in her eyes finally slid down her cheeks, and at the same time, a faint smile appeared: "You may go back; we will not behave like those adulterous couples, and I am not a treacherous woman who commits adultery and murders her husband. I remember the kindness Shao Ge'er has shown me in my heart."
Before she became the wife of the lame husband of the Chen family, she had only experienced two painful encounters with men, and this was one of them. She did not expect Young Master Li to fulfill all his promises; for such a wealthy young man, it would suffice if he honored just a portion of his commitments. Moreover, Yulian later discovered that she was suddenly pregnant, which made the situation even more optimistic
As the days passed, it had come to the first year of Xian De, and Yu Lian had lost all hope for life. A withered flower unable to bear fruit, with nothing to her name and a burdensome husband, she had contemplated fleeing with Tu Shu many times, but where could she run to, and what could she do? In countless dark nights, she had speculated that escaping would likely lead to being sold into a brothel. Even if she were taken in by an ordinary family as a wife, once it was discovered that she could not bear children and there was no need to report to her family, it was highly probable that she would be sold off for some money, allowing the husband to remarry, for common folk marry to have children.
Sometimes she feels very hopeless, only thinking about living one day at a time, and when she can no longer endure it, she thinks it would be better to just die.
As he stood up, preparing to take his leave, he suddenly noticed the glistening tears in Yulian's eyes, illuminated by the flickering light of the firewood in the stove. The flames in the stove danced, casting an orange glow on her face that alternated between light and shadow, reflecting the turmoil within her heart.
In the evening, someone knocked at the door. When Yulian opened it, she found that Shao Ge'er had returned. Shao Ge'er was still in armor but without any weapons. He hung his head low, seemingly in a depressed mood, not daring to look Yulian in the eye, and he did not enter the house. Standing at the door, he said: "Commander Wang has ordered me to compensate the Chen family for the bereavement and funeral expenses, but..."
Guo Shao took a sip of a porridge of unknown origin, feeling no appetite, and began to eat slowly, saying: "Commander Wang believes that I have some connection with Zhang Yongde, the commander in front of the palace. He intended to do me a personal favor; however, just yesterday, Yang Biao was demoted three ranks for injuring someone while gambling. If Commander Wang were to show me leniency, it would be seen as unfair and would not be accepted by the public. Therefore, the order was to demote me from the position of head to that of a tenth-ranked officer, and I am also responsible for compensation..." He continued: "As for Yang Biao, he is rather unfortunate; he was just demoted to a tenth-ranked officer yesterday, and today, because I returned to the position of tenth-ranked officer in the fourth team, he has been further demoted to a deputy officer."
Have you eaten? Yulian asked again, treating Guo Shao not at all like a husband-killer, and she knew from the illustrations that Shao Ge'er killed the man from the Chen family to stand up for himself. Shao Ge'er did not respond, so she guessed he had returned hungry, hurriedly lifting the lid of the pot and filling a coarse bowl to the brim with a thick green soup.
Unfortunately, the world is unpredictable. Before Yulian could wait for that day, the Li family was completely wiped out due to their rebellion.
Guo Shao furrowed his brow and said: "I will return to the barracks early tomorrow. What are your plans for the future? That blacksmith shop is my compensation to you, and with Old Huang's support, it can barely sustain a living. You should not refuse it..."
You ... ... '' Guo Shao did not know how to ask.
Behind every beautiful woman who leads an unhappy life, there is usually not just a simple experience, and Yulian is no exception
Yulian hurriedly looked around the alley and said, "Come in to talk, don't just stand at the door."
Sometimes she feels very unwilling and frustrated. Not to mention being wealthy and noble, she is even inferior to the ugly and coarse women in the streets of Tokyo's Longjinfang. Instead of enjoying a good day, she is mocked and gossiped about by them. Is she really to end her life in such humiliation, allowing those people to gloat and ridicule her a few more times?
Yulian shook her head and quietly glanced at him: "You can keep the shop; I no longer want it. I will sign a promissory note for you to settle the matter, as if I have already compensated you."
However, no one is easily satisfied, and even less so is anyone willing to be of lowly status, subjected to arbitrary bullying, without envying those who live in comfort and luxury. Yulian gradually realizes that her greatest asset and opportunity is her beauty. She is more beautiful than those other maids doing menial tasks and has already blossomed into a graceful young woman
... ...
Yulian pressed her red lips together, appearing as if she wanted to speak but hesitated. Her beautiful and pristine face stood out strikingly in the dilapidated, dust-covered low house, creating a stark contrast. The kitchen, filled with an old, musty smell, contained everything aged, making Yulian's presence seem utterly incongruous.
The military positions during the Five Dynasties were relatively chaotic. However, Yulian, having grown up in the household of Li Shouzhen and later meeting Guo Shao in Dongjing, gained considerable understanding of these matters through their conversations. She comprehended the military ranks below the commanding officer. The military envoy or the chief officer is equivalent to a centurion, while the ten captains are akin to squad leaders, and the deputy captain corresponds to the vice squad leader. Most individuals who join the military are primarily motivated by the desire for promotion and wealth. Although Guo Shao did not face capital punishment for killing, being demoted from the commander of a hundred to a squad leader was still a significant loss.
The master of the house, Li Shouzheng, held the greatest power in that affluent estate, yet his cunning and shrewdness had long allowed him to see through the ways of the world. Even if he took an interest in someone, they would merely be a plaything. Yulian set her sights on Li Shouchun, the young master who had just come of age and lacked much experience.
Yulian has a smooth and round forehead, a face shaped like a goose egg, and a pair of distinctly black and white almond-shaped eyes that complement each other perfectly, creating a natural beauty. Her brows do not reveal any allure, yet she appears quite approachable. However, her clothing is indeed worn and tattered, exposing her fair face and neck, which inevitably brings to mind a partially peeled sticky rice dumpling.
She was subjected to violence by that military general, subsequently abducted back to his home. She was unable to resist, for otherwise, she would face a more tragic fate, being forced to serve as a camp prostitute and subjected to countless violations. Yulian consequently suffered a miscarriage and, due to inadequate medical treatment, was later informed that she would never be able to bear children again. Before she could even harbor hatred towards that general, war broke out again, and the general was killed in battle. His household, consisting of wives and concubines, scattered like birds and beasts, and Yulian was sold off like a commodity for profit. The person who bought her was her final husband, surnamed Chen, who was ugly, an alcoholic, irritable, impoverished, and a eunuch, making him utterly unremarkable. Even more unfortunately, when Guo Wei led his troops back to Dongjing, there was almost no resistance, resulting in minimal casualties; however, he was pushed off the city wall and broke his leg.
Indeed, Li Chongxun was easily captivated by Yulian, and after a series of solemn vows, Yulian endured both pain and disgust as she secretly indulged in forbidden fruit with Young Master Li. In that moment, she was inexplicably filled with panic, but it was too late for regret; she didn't even dare to call out for help.
Guo Shao saw the steaming porridge on the wooden table and awkwardly said: "This is not very good... By the way, in the room where I live in the backyard of the blacksmith's shop, there is a jar of money under the box, but it is not enough"
Guo Shao seemed to have a slight misunderstanding, nodding and saying: "Right now, I have no other choice but to consider that shop as compensation for your family, and that sum of money will be included as well"
Yulian said: "They only asked you to pay money, did they not hit you?"
Without friends, without relatives, and even home is a broken one; her husband was murdered, and she feels little sorrow. Such circumstances make her feel like the most unfortunate person in the world. Although she was born into a lowly status, heaven granted her a beauty better than that of the vast majority of people. Moreover, she is not the only one from a lower background; where exactly did she go wrong? Was it a mistake to provoke the son of Li Shouzheng in the first place? ... If she hadn't done that, would things have turned out any better? ... Although she was born into a lowly status, heaven granted her a beauty better than that of the vast majority of people. Moreover, she is not the only one from a lower background; where exactly did she go wrong? Was it a mistake to provoke the son of Li Shouzheng in the first place? ... If she hadn't done that, would things have turned out any better? ...
Guo Shao's unfinished words lodged in his throat, and he fell silent. He thought for a moment; he indeed had always had a fondness for Yulian, the beautiful yet pitiable woman who was also very diligent, someone anyone would like. However, it seemed unreasonable to expect anything from her simply because he had been a bit kind to her and had helped her during her difficult times
"My matters are none of your concern, Guo Lang." Yu Lian's tone suddenly turned somewhat cold; indeed, a woman's mood can change more swiftly than the weather.
Yulian then said, "I would rather not take the shop lease."