BXBX NOVEL Chapter 72: No Destiny
“Eldest Sister, please don’t say that. I don’t really have anything good to give. Yuer’s wife comes from a wealthy background, so I just hope she won’t look down on it.” Yang Juxiang had initially thought her items were quite presentable, after all, they were the only treasured possessions she had at the bottom of the box. But upon seeing Han Yu’s wife, she felt somewhat embarrassed by her own gifts—the floral cloth and silver earrings were perhaps inferior to what the lady would normally use, and yet, it wouldn’t be proper to take them back now.
“No, this is Aunt’s heartfelt sentiment; how could I dare to disdain it? It’s just that it has cost Aunt some trouble.” Su Wenyue didn’t have a good impression of this aunt, it was all just polite conversation on the surface.
Jiang Chunlan, standing off to the side, couldn’t take her eyes off of Su Wenyue as soon as she arrived, filled with both envy and jealousy—especially when looking at Su Wenyue’s clothing and demeanor, and then back at herself. Compared to Su Wenyue, she felt shabby and deflated, feeling unfairly treated by fate, wondering why all the good things had gone to Su Wenyue. Not only was Su Wenyue beautiful and from a good family, but she had even stolen Cousin Yu from her.
Thinking of Han Yu, Jiang Chunlan’s heart ached. Her mother had promised her that Cousin Yu would marry her when the time came; she had eagerly anticipated marrying the handsome and dashing Cousin Yu. How could she have known that things would change so drastically and that in the end, Cousin Yu married that woman, Su Wenyue?
“This must be my cousin, such a lovely and delicate girl.” Su Wenyue felt a malicious gaze resting on her and turned to see it came from Han Yu’s cousin. That expression of grief and sorrow on her face was as if she had been abandoned.
“Look at how eloquent Yuer’s wife is. Our Chunlan is just a wild little girl from the countryside; she can’t compare to you at all. It’s like comparing heaven to earth. I have never seen anyone as radiant as Yuer’s wife, looking like she comes from prosperous origins, just like a fairy from a painting,” praised Yang Juxiang with a kindly smile, seeming to be genuinely fond of Su Wenyue and lavishing her with compliments.
Even though Jiang Chunlan knew her mother’s words were mere pleasantries, hearing them still made her uncomfortable, and she found it difficult to maintain her smile, feeling an even deeper resentment.
Nevertheless, Mrs. Yang noticed Chunlan’s disquiet: “What’s the matter,
Chunlan? You look a little off color. Didn’t you tire yourself out on the journey? It’s nearly a four-hour ox cart ride from Xiaoxi Village to our Xinhe Village. It’s normal to feel exhausted after such a bumpy ride. Why don’t you go rest for a while? Since you’ve come all this way, you should stay for a few days, and we can talk at our leisure later on.”
“That sounds good, indeed. The horse carriage ride has left me quite exhausted.
Then, Aunt, where should I go to rest?”
“This…” Mrs. Yang had spoken without much thought, not anticipating Yang Juxiang’s unannounced visit and therefore not having planned for their accommodation. There was no room ready for them yet, and now she was at a loss as to where she should arrange for Jiang Chunlan to rest.
“Aunt, how about I go to my sister-in-law’s place? She wouldn’t mind if I rested there for a while, right?” suggested Jiang Chunlan, her eyes darting shrewdly.
Mrs. Yang had meant to let Jiang Chunlan rest temporarily in Xiao Xi’s room, as Xiao Xi had recently been sent off by the Fourth Daughter-in-law to do some errands and wasn’t expected back anytime soon. Unexpectedly, Jiang Chunlan made this request on her own, and Mrs. Yang hesitantly looked over to Su Wenyue.
If it were any other daughter-in-law, Mrs. Yang wouldn’t have hesitated; but the Fourth Daughter-in-law was different. Not only was she not someone to be trifled with, but she also kept her room impeccably clean, not a speck of dust on the table, which showed her to be meticulous about her personal space. She probably wouldn’t want anyone else sleeping in her bed. Moreover, considering that Chunlan had nearly been betrothed to the Fourth son, this added another layer of complexity. Although the Fourth Daughter-in-law was unaware of this history, Mrs. Yang knew it was proper to avoid any impropriety.
Mrs. Yang had her reservations about Chunlan. She thought to herself that the girl should have known better than to make such a presumptuous request, making things difficult for her. Now, she was in a bind, not wanting to upset the Fourth Daughter-in-law, yet also not wanting to insult her younger sister.
After the episode of Su Wenyue returning to her mother’s family last time, she was no longer the daughter-in-law Mrs. Yang could easily manipulate. Mrs.
Yang was always considerate of Su Wenyue’s feelings, fearing that an upset Su Wenyue might cause an unpleasant scene for everyone. Although the previous incident had been smoothed over thanks to Su Wenyue’s good nature and the Su Family not pursuing further trouble with Mrs. Yang’s family, she still felt somewhat intimidated by the Su Family.
Jiang Chunlan, seeing Mrs. Yang’s indecision and lack of response, was quite unhappy. Mrs. Yang was her own aunt, yet she couldn’t even agree to such a small request. Her mother always treated Mrs. Yang as her dearest sister, but it seemed so undeserved now.
Although Jiang Chunlan felt this way, the daughter raised by Yang Juxiang was not without her own schemes. Her face remained bright with an ingratiating smile, “Aunt, please agree to my request. I see that my sister-in-law is so virtuous and beautiful; she surely wouldn’t mind such a small favor. Besides, this is the first time we’ve met and I’ve taken quite a liking to her. I would love to bond more closely with my sister-in-law, you mustn’t stand in the way!”
“Well…” Mrs. Yang still didn’t give in, instead turning to look at Su Wenyue, obviously hoping she would consent.
“Aunt, what’s the matter? Is my sister-in-law not willing? I’m just tired and looking for a place to rest. Are you perhaps looking down on me?” Jiang Chunlan complained, noticing Mrs. Yang’s hesitation and apparent consultation with Su Wenyue. She looked hurt and on the verge of tears—a perfect picture of grievance.
“Since that’s the case, if my sister-in-law isn’t willing, let it be. I know our Jiang family is nothing but a poor peasant family; it’s normal for us to be looked down upon. No wonder Aunt wouldn’t agree to my being with Cousin Yu in the first place. You needn’t trouble yourself on my account, Aunt. I’m not so tired; I don’t need to rest.” As Jiang Chunlan said this, tears welled in her eyes, the epitome of misery.
Upon hearing Jiang Chunlan bring up the past, Mrs. Yang, although satisfied with her son’s current marriage, still felt some guilt towards her sister and niece. There hadn’t been any disdain for the Jiang family—it was just the unfortunate twists of fate that the two youngsters weren’t meant to be together.
Well then, it was just a matter of resting in the room of the Fourth son and his wife for a while, not a big deal. Even if she agreed, what harm could it do? The Fourth Daughter-in-law probably wasn’t so petty.
“Mother, I don’t quite understand what Cousin Chunlan is saying.. Was there something between Cousin Chunlan and my husband before? Did my husband do something to wrong Cousin Chunlan? Otherwise, why would Cousin Chunlan look so aggrieved?”