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Chapter 39.1

An Ruochen said: “Since you have come here despite the humiliation, you must have something serious to say to me. But you’re so stupid, shouting and cursing at every turn. Do you think this is the An House? If you curse me one more time, get lost. If you slap the table one more time, get lost. I don’t care if you have no way out or are desperate.”

An Ruoxi stiffened and immediately wilted. She sat down and lowered her head.

An Ruochen didn’t care about her and drank her tea.

After a while, An Ruoxi said in a low voice: “I cannot stand you accusing me. That’s why I failed to control my temper. The third sister did it on purpose. She knew I wouldn’t do that kind of thing. I only fed the old nanny water. She deliberately said that about me.”

An Ruochen did not answer, ignoring her.

An Ruoxi said again, “Sister, I don’t want to marry Master Qian.”

“Is it your turn?”

“Most likely.”

“Is this a ploy to strike a conversation with me?”

“I wish, but it is not. I overheard my mother talking to Ronggui. Qian Pei hates you so much. With the fourth sister gone and you running away, he was displeased. He deliberately gave Father and Ronggui a difficult time. He also forced Father to write a report that the General and the Governor were inhumane and forcibly took his daughter. Master Qian kept that report and we can’t know for certain when he use will it. Father is worried because Master Qian got a handle on him, but Father is the one who would sue the General and Lord Governor based on this document. Master Qian is still not giving up on you and wants to find an opportunity to catch you. My mother told me the marriage negotiation was only a show to make you sympathize with me. But I heard that she discussed with Ronggui that this is a step to please Master Qian, to show their loyalty. If Master Qian agrees, I will have to marry over there.” An Ruoxi said while raising her head, “Sister, I’m desperate. Please help me.”

An Ruochen asked indifferently. “What will you offer me in exchange for helping you?”

An Ruoxi froze. She spoke her heart out for half a day, told her everything, but received such a cold sentence in return. An Ruoxi couldn’t hold back and said, “Then what did the fourth sister offer in exchange? Her life?”

An Ruochen’s face sank. The fourth sister was the pain in her heart, yet An Ruoxi used it to stab her ruthlessly.

Seeing her face, An Ruoxi bit her lips and said hastily. “I didn’t mean that.”

An Ruochen said nothing.

An Ruoxi swallowed her saliva and asked in a low voice, “There’s no news from the fourth sister, right?”

An Ruochen asked in return: “If I say I have found the fourth sister, wouldn’t you be dying to find Father and Qian Pei to ask for credit with the idea of taking the fourth sister home and then sending her to Qian Pei?”

An Ruoxi almost jumped up again: “Am I this bad? Are you the only one who loves the fourth sister, while I only want to harm her? We are sisters! Although we are not considered close, there is no hatred or grudge between us. We still had conversations in our free time. I helped you pick out clothes and sent you rouge. Weren’t you close to your fourth sister? Would I harm her? I didn’t give her the marriage. I knew she was betrothed to Master Qian, and I felt sorry for her, so I took her to play and bought her food, thinking that at least she would have a happy life before she got married. I had decided that if she had a hard time in her marriage, I would often visit her and secretly help her. I am not as good as you. You encouraged her to escape! She is only twelve years old! What can she do? She can’t even tell the difference between the north and southeast! It’s you who have harmed her! You’ve caused her life or death to be unknown. Can you sleep peacefully at night? What right do you have to defame me?”

“Then why do you come to me now? You want me to harm you? However, I can’t harm you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to sleep well at night. You can marry Qian Pei in peace, I will often visit you, and if your marriage is not well, I’ll help you a bit, okay?”

“I …… you ……,” An Ruoxi was speechless. She had lost her tongue and did not know what to say.

“You are not evil, you are good and soft-hearted, but I am not. I dared to escape and dared to fight against An Zhifu and Qian Pei. I can also stand against you.”

“I …… I don’t mean that.” An Ruoxi barely managed to squeeze out this sentence.

An Ruochen stood up violently and glared at her from above: “Pretending to be a good person in front of me, are you stupid? Have you forgotten that we were born to the same father? Have you forgotten how many nasty things have happened at home? Have you forgotten how many ugly faces I have seen since I was a child? There were no good people in the An family. The good people were all dead.”

An Ruoxi was dumbfounded.

An Ruochen looked at her sister with cold eyes. “Father often scolded my mother as a bitch. He said she couldn’t give birth to a son, crying all day long and only dragging him down. But what did my mother do wrong? She and my maternal grandfather wrongly trusted him. Father used my maternal grandfather’s status as Dechang County magistrate to take over the local merchants and steal business. He showed courtesy to my mother and pretended to be honest in front of my maternal grandfather. After marrying my mother, Father made business deals in Dechang County. After my maternal grandfather passed away from the disease and he could not extract more from the business in Dechang County, he immediately changed his face and married your mother. Then came the third concubine, the fourth concubine, and the fifth concubine. Say for yourself, which of these ladies are kindhearted to be able to live on in the An family? Kindhearted? Is that a joke?”

An Ruoxi froze there and could not speak at all.

“You asked me to help you, but you were surprised when I asked you for the benefit. Are you angry? I was also surprised and angry once, so what? Do you remember how many times Father has called me a bitch? He called me a mean-hearted little bitch.” An Ruochen stared at An Ruoxi. “Now let me tell you myself, my dear sister, that I don’t mind being the cruel and suspicious ‘bitch’ that he called me.”

An Ruoxi stared at her sister. As she stared, tears flowed down her face. She began to cry bitterly: “We as daughters, in his eyes, are all chips for profit. I don’t want to marry Qian Pei, sister. I don’t. I’m scared. My mother lied to me. She lied to me, she is devoted to Father, and I am only a bargaining chip for profit in her heart. I am terrified.”

An Ruochen stared at her and slowly sat in silence, letting her cry.