Chapter 4

Xuelan smacked her lips and said, "I don't really like it that much either"

The room was filled with laughter and joy surrounding the newlywed couple, with almost everyone trying their best to entertain them.

Sister-in-law Cheng Ling has permed curly hair, her eyebrows shaped into fine lines, and her lips painted a blood-red hue. She wears a form-fitting black dress beneath her cloak, resembling a modern woman from an American movie.

Cheng Ling felt that she could not relate to this girl who lacked a sense of self-improvement, so she smiled and said no more, only to find herself missing her classmates and friends even more.

"This girl, still a bride, why has she come back dressed in all white?" Aunt Li came out from the inner room and said, "As soon as she entered, the old lady's and madam's faces changed. Although they smiled immediately, their hearts were not at ease. You don't know, two years ago when Aunt Wang first arrived, she wore a light yellow qipao to pay her respects to the old lady, and as a result, the old lady spat at her, saying, 'What? I'm not dead yet, and you're already wearing mourning clothes? Are you urging the old woman to die?' Consequently, she knelt outside the corridor for an entire night. You don't know, two years ago when Aunt Wang first arrived, she wore a light yellow qipao to pay her respects to the old lady, and as a result, the old lady spat at her, saying, 'What? I'm not dead yet, and you're already wearing mourning clothes? Are you urging the old woman to die?' Consequently, she knelt outside the corridor for an entire night. Since then, Aunt Wang has worn bright red and green every day and has never worn yellow again.

They dare, I will protect her, if anyone touches a single hair on this beautiful young lady, I will argue with them." The old lady said, patting Cheng Ling's hand

You must be tired outside. The young couple should quickly return to the house to rest well. How about filling your stomach first? There is a steamer and rice porridge prepared in the kitchen, the lady said

However... it might not be appropriate. Third Sister hesitated and said, "As women, how can we expose ourselves like men? Moreover, if it involves work, isn't it just being among a group of men..."

It turns out that the father of Second Sister-in-law is actually a customs director. Originally, the Liu family was unattainable, but who could have predicted that Liu Erge, with his handsome looks and clever demeanor, would change that. During his university days, he wrote a love letter every day to Cheng Ling, who was still in high school, and in the end, this girl declared that she would marry no one but him

I study at a nearby girls' school. "My third sister said, 'The sisters at home attend school together, and someone picks us up every day.'"

After finally getting through lunch, I thought I could peacefully take a nap. However, to my surprise, Cheng Ling lifted the curtain and entered Aunt Li's room.

Cheng Ling brought back a large number of gifts, first presenting them to the elders and then to the younger generation

Speaking of school, Aunt Li looked at Xuelan and said, "Sister Wu has recovered from her illness and should also go to school now"

Look at her, she truly cannot read a single hint; having married into our family, she will certainly face difficulties

The two had little in common to discuss. Third Sister kept talking about her several nephews and nieces, while Cheng Ling grew increasingly silent. Finally, she stood up and said, "I have something to attend to; I will come back another day to chat with you."

Aunt Li, in a fit of anger, struck her a few times with an embroidered shoe and helplessly scolded, "Do as you please!"

Aunt Huang spoke with a sobbing tone, her voice so weak it resembled a pool of water; on the surface she appeared calm, yet beneath she trembled uncontrollably

The phrase 'worthy of a bright moment' aptly describes the situation as Liu Erge Liu Jingchao returned home with his newlywed wife

Going to school, I have never been to school in my past life... She doesn't even recognize traditional characters, so she will definitely be exposed as soon as she arrives

Who would say that Cheng Ling's father is impressive? Old Master Liu holds his second son’s advantageous marriage in high regard. He has become relatives with the director of the customs office, so how could he dare to treat the daughter poorly?

Fearing that someone might come in and ask questions, such as 'Why is Fifth Sister hiding here?' or 'Hurry back inside,' and so on

What exactly do you want to do?

I am only two years older than you, speaking to you is just like talking to my classmates, completely unrestrained. She was eating the hawthorn on her plate, making sour faces while continuing to eat. I can no longer continue my studies; I originally wanted to attend a women's university, but who would have thought I would end up being your sister-in-law. Where is Sanjie studying? I heard Jingchao say that the younger sisters at home are also attending girls' schools.

The girls in the family all attend school: Third Sister, Fourth Sister, Sixth Sister, and the pair of sisters from Auntie's family. Every day, they promptly board the horse-drawn carriage at the front door to go to a nearby girls' middle school. Each one is dressed in blue jackets, black cloth skirts, and black cotton shoes, carrying small cloth bags, truly a sight of youthful beauty.

I see you moving the stool to pick hawthorn without any issue Aunt Li said in a very harsh tone Didn't you used to enjoy going to school?

Thus, the elders of this family were all smiles and showed great care and concern

"Second sister-in-law, come and sit down." Third sister immediately stood up to greet her

In the house, there was only Xuelan, who did not even step out of the door. Aunt Li was frustrated with her lack of ambition and thus drove her out to the courtyard

Although it is already late autumn, Xuelan, dressed in a thick cotton jacket and pants, does not mind spending the whole day outside in the cold. However, her body is not in good condition; standing for too long easily makes her tired. Therefore, Xuelan wishes to find a quiet place to sit, where she can pass the time with a book of strange tales.

The two of them just got married a month ago. After returning home three days later, they set off on their honeymoon and have only just returned home now

"She actually wants to go out to work; I don't know what she's thinking," said Third Sister with a sigh. "If she doesn't take advantage of the opportunity and have a son early, she will regret it later. Just look at Eldest Sister-in-law to understand this."

Sister San stated, "It's settled then." Aunt Li from the library confirmed.

"I don't want to go to school... I'm still not well," she said shyly

Xuelan would never go near those two old women. When they speak, their words are sharp and sarcastic, and every sentence seems to jab at someone else, as if they cannot feel comfortable otherwise. Being around them is like serving a queen as a eunuch, pouring tea and water, and one cannot even dare to speak loudly. She is not looking for punishment.

However, that afternoon, she suddenly heard a sound from the door latch.

"Elderly lady, elder, I have brought Lingling back, let us bow to our elders." As Liu Erge entered the door, he pulled his wife down to kneel and pay respects to the people in the hall

Cheng Ling is quite an outgoing girl, always laughing and joking. As soon as she entered, she pulled Third Sister into a conversation

"Is it Third Sister and Fifth Sister?" she said with a smile, "I came to see you all"

Liu Erge was dressed in a black suit, wearing a black top hat, and holding a cane in his hand. From a distance, one might mistake him for a gentleman from a Western country

If an ordinary daughter-in-law dared to be so outrageous, after getting married, she would at least serve tea and water, attending to her in-laws, if not staying within the confines of the home. Just look at the Tang family; aside from eating and sleeping, when she can take a break, at all other times she is like a spinning top, bustling around a large family.

"It's really good, but being stuck at home every day is driving me crazy. I really want to go out and find a job or something," Cheng Ling muttered

"How could I be tired? Since I married into this family, I haven't served the elders even for a day. It is the master and mistress who dote on me, treating me like a child." Cheng Ling affectionately linked her arm with the old lady's, swaying as she said, "If my parents knew about this, they would surely be so angry that they would break my legs."

It is just this square courtyard, where finding a quiet place proves difficult, as people come and go, and one must rise to exchange a few words upon encountering acquaintances. In desperation, Xuelan retreated to a small woodshed in the back courtyard

There is no need to attend that ridiculous school anymore, and only then did Xuelan get out of bed. She has been in this time and space for some time now, spending her days cooped up indoors with nothing to do, so she has devoted most of her time to reading the collection of supernatural novels piled on the bookshelf in her room

Xuelan felt that sitting for too long had made her bottom numb

The siheyuan in the north all have courtyards. Although they also like to create some landscaping, it is mostly limited to potted plants. The trees planted are perennial broadleaf varieties, lush and leafy, symbolizing the wish for abundant descendants. However, the Liu family is quite exceptional; they actually dug a pond in the courtyard, surrounded by many shrubs, and even planted a few maple trees, reflecting a certain charm of southern gardens

"Aunt, what is it that I want? Don't you already know?" said a triumphant male voice

This is a small wooden hut, located behind a brick house, quite inconspicuous. It is said that many years ago, a woman lived here, and she died in this hut, remaining uncollected for three days before being taken out. As a result, the servants are not fond of fetching materials from this woodshed. The ground surrounding the house is covered with moss, indicating that it is rarely visited. Xuelan reads here every day and has never encountered anyone.

His wife was even more remarkable; all around were women dressed in vests and qipaos. Suddenly, a woman appeared wearing a white long coat and high heels, which was truly a sight to behold, akin to witnessing a Western landscape. At least everyone in the room, young and old, was left in awe. Just having gotten married, why was the bride dressed in white?

These novels are all written in Traditional Chinese, and some are even in Classical Chinese format, which appears quite challenging and requires considerable mental effort. Even with guessing and deducing, Xuelan needs at least half a day to read the characters on a single sheet of paper

Xuelan was very troubled, so the next day she lay in bed pretending to be sick and reading books, refusing to get up no matter what others said.

"Work!" exclaimed Third Sister in surprise

Xuelan immediately crouched behind the pile of firewood. Being a little girl with a small stature, she curled up and truly could see nothing at all.

Xuelan received a small box that she had sent, and upon opening it, she found a delicate silver bracelet inside. The gift from her third sister was even more valuable; she received a pair of silver bracelets

Xuelan has been sitting beside, eating hawthorn. These hawthorns were grown in the yard, and today she spent half the day picking them while standing on a small stool. Upon hearing the third sister say that Cheng Ling lacks awareness, she paused for a moment and asked, "Where is the lack of awareness?"

"You are just as oblivious as she is." Third Sister shot her a displeased glance.

If you are unwilling to attend school, then go learn about the subtleties of appearance, and stay close to the elderly ladies and matrons. You should know a few things, so that in a couple of years, when you get married, you won't be like a wooden post.

I initially thought someone had come in to move the firewood, but then I heard Aunt Huang's voice

"Yet it is the old lady who loves me the most," Cheng Ling said innocently

The next day, two very "stylish" individuals walked into the enclosed courtyard of the Liu family

Sister San sent her out and upon returning, let out a cold laugh

"How come? Haven't you thought about going out to work?" Cheng Ling said, "We are women of the new era; how can we spend all day at home listening to operas and holding children? What meaning does such a life hold?"

The person seated was so delighted that their eyes and brows were hardly visible, especially the elderly lady, who repeatedly exclaimed, "Good, good, good"

"It would be better to go to school early. The master appreciates our studies. He has praised you many times before, saying you are intelligent and do well in your studies. Since you have upset the master this time, it would be wise to return to school early. He will be pleased to know that," Sister San advised.

Going to school ... . ... Xuelan let out a laugh; she found the environment so frighteningly unfamiliar that even stepping out of her bedroom felt daunting, let alone going out to school