Perfect Encounter - Chapter 17.1
PROOFREAD BY AFREANA
Chapter 17.1
An Ruochen was shocked. She subconsciously dropped the flower branch and ran towards the courtyard. When she got close, she realized this was the courtyard of her eldest brother, An Ronggui. At the courtyard’s door, a boy was stnding guard and did not seem to hear the screams but only looked at An Ruochen cautiously.
An Ruochen suddenly understood, retreating three steps, her heart angry and in pain.
“Big sister.” An Ruofang arrived, scared to see this situation, and hugged An Ruochen’s waist. An Ruoxi stood behind them, and her face was pale.
The little girl’s cries for help intertwined with An Ronggui’s scolding and wildly proud voice. An Ruochen’s back was chilled, and she froze on the spot. An Ruoxi came over to pull An Ruofang, who was holding An Ruochen’s waist for dear life. An Ruoxi called for the maids to come over and pulled the two away together.
Later in the evening, An Ruochen heard the noise outside, the servants talking about a new little girl in An Ronggui’s courtyard who jumped into the well and killed herself. The young master was in a good mood today and had a few more drinks with the master. He took a liking to the little girl, who was born pretty and seemed smart but didn’t think she would be so tough that she jumped into the well.
An Ruochen felt a wave of nausea coming and did not go to dinner claiming to be sick. After listening to what the nanny said, An Ping sent people to the little girl’s family and let them take the body, giving them a small amount of money for funeral expenses. He said the girl was stupid and dropped a valuable antique vase. According to the rules, she should be punished. She was afraid to pay for the vase and jumped into the well. The family was crying in the backyard.
An Ruochen didn’t know what happened to her, but she quietly ran to the backyard to see. The couple looked poor. The man had a cane by his side and seemed to have some kind of disability. Both of them fell to the ground crying. How can they believe their daughter to be gone like this? They had signed a three-year contract but did not expect to be separated in life and death in just one month. An Ping threatened them. He said the master would not pursue the matter of the vase, and the girl’s family would have the chance to bury her properly and get at least a bit of money.
The couple took their daughter’s corpse in tears. An Ruochen watched secretly from afar, her heart like a frozen lake. If she entered the Qian family door, perhaps she would end up the same way, but her father would not shed any tears.
An Ruochen quietly returned to her courtyard. Not long after sitting down, An Ruofang came, and the little girl was crying with red eyes. Without saying a word, she ran in and seeing that no one was around, she shoved a cloth bag into An Ruochen’s hand and turned to run away.
An Ruochen opened that cloth bag. Inside there was silver, copper coins, and also some jewelry. An Ruochen’s nose was sore and she almost shed a tear.
The next day, the atmosphere in the residence was heavy. The young people were all trembling. On the other hand, An Ronggui neither took the situation seriously nor reflected on it. An Zhifu and the second wife, Mrs. Tan, said the girl did not know what was good for her and even went to jump into the well, showing off to whom?
An Ruochen couldn’t eat and went back to the room. She thought that if she had been the girl who suffered this bad luck, she would have decided not to just simply die. She would have killed the evil man in exchange for her life first, and only then would she be satisfied. But then she imagined the killing scenario and felt the horror. Maybe if it were her, she still wouldn’t have dared to do it. The more she thought about it, the more determined she was to escape. To leave this place, to leave these black-hearted people.
But An Ruochen never expected there would be a twist to things.
That day at dinner time, Qian Pei came. He was all red and smiling. An Zhifu was very happy, and arranged a big feast, invited courtesans and Qian Pei. An Ruochen had heard something earlier and knew that Qian Pei has gotten the jade goods back for her father, and her father hosted this banquet to thank him. This feast lasted until late at night, and Qian Pei was pleased. An Zhifu called An Ruochen to the study, saying there was something that he needed to instruct her about.
When An Ruochen arrived, she saw An Ronggui, the second wife, Mrs. Tan, and the fourth wife, Mrs. Duan, also there. Mrs. Tan’s face was sullen, and Mrs. Duan’s eyes were red. Seeing this scene, An Ruochen was apprehensive and did not dare to think about what had happened. She saluted and stood aside to wait until she is called.
An Zhifu didn’t have the heart to care about her but only scolded Mrs. Duan, saying she was crying and crying. He also scolded An Ronggui for being useless and not understanding Master Qian’s joke. Mrs. Tan saw that her son being scolded, and she hurriedly defended him. She said Ronggui was only fifteen, and Ronggui deserved some credit for the business.
An Ruochen listened quietly with her head hanging down, chanting in her heart about pigs, dogs, cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, and geese. When she reached the twenty-sixth time, she finally heard An Zhifu call her name. He said: “I called you here to let you know that Master Qian has fallen in love with Ruofang. The marriage has been decided. On the 24th, you two sisters will enter the palanquin together. Ruofang is young and does not know what to do, so you should teach her more.”
It was like a bolt from the blue sky! An Ruochen was frozen, her brain buzzed, and she kneeled: “Father, the fourth sister is only twelve years old.”
Mrs. Duan sobbed again.
An Zhifu glared at Mrs. Duan impatiently and said to An Ruochen: ” This is why you need to watch out for her in the Qian family and not be jealous of her. Ruofang is young, so you should take care of everything for her.”
An Ruochen couldn’t believe it. So that’s how it is, that’s how it is! Everything was clear now. Why did the wedding arrangements have to be mysteriously hidden in Mrs. Tan’s courtyard? Why did An Ruoxi suddenly become friendly with An Ruofang, she wasn’t currying favor, but she was feeling guilty and pitying her. An Ruoxi knew what had happened, they were talking about her marriage, not the fourth sister’s marriage, she was afraid that if anything went wrong, she would need to take the blame, and that’s why she reacted violently to her last time when her reputation was seemingly damaged.
An Ruochen knelt on the ground and bowed her head, not daring to look at An Zhifu at all. She was afraid she could not hide her anger. She was afraid she could not control what she says and make herself regret it. Five more days, only five more days until she leaves! She only needed five more days to endure!
An Ruochen was trembling a little, she thought she was angry, but she found herself scared inside. Father settled such a marriage and went out of his way to give his twelve-year-old daughter to that old bastard! How could she leave? How can she leave?
“Father, our An family is respectable in Zhonglan City. Your daughters do not need to worry about marriage, but two daughters marrying one husband together, isn’t that a joke?” An Ruochen knew she should pretend to be a good girl and bite the bullet, but she opened her mouth and heard herself saying this.
As expected, An Zhifu frowned and scolded: “You know nothing! If Master Qian hadn’t helped us get the goods back, our An family would have been finished! It’s a blessing for the An family that he took a fancy to Ruofang!”
An Ruochen understood. Qian Pei had tricked her father. Qian Pei must have been interested in the fourth sister from the beginning. When she thought about it, it made sense. Every time the fourth sister stood next to her, Qian Pei’s gaze was extraordinarily lustful. It turns out that it was the fourth sister! Those things in the rumors can also be true. That old bastard Qian likes young girls, this animal son of a bitch has evil thoughts about her sister! The fourth sister was young, and if he had asked for her at the beginning, her father would not have agreed, so he chose her. After the marriage has been set and her father entered the trap, he set up a scheme to let the fourth sister into the door together.
So cunning and black-hearted! It was so disgusting that she wanted to vomit!
An Ruochen felt a cavity of anger burning her heart and lungs. She lowered her body but said loudly: “Father, but this is too inviting for people to laugh at the An family. Not only will it make people laugh, but our family will also be at a great disadvantage. On the other hand, when the fourth sister marries into a powerful family, the benefits will not be comparable to only a jade store.”
Mrs. Duan hurriedly said, “The eldest girl is right.”
She also does not want her daughter to marry an old lecher.
An Ruochen said again: “Moreover, the goods for this store, it is not just this time that they have been urgently needed, in the future the situation may only repeat itself. Today, he used this matter to shackle Father, what about the future?”
An Ronggui said: “You are just a woman. The wedding has been decided, and the wedding gifts have been exchanged. After you pass through the door, Qian and An family will become in-laws, and everything is negotiable. Moreover, the marriage ceremony had been decided. How can there be any reason to regret it now?”
An Ruochen’s brain buzzed, and she continued with a stiff face: “Father, this business matters. All parties have benefits. Master Qian has helped you, and he will not lose out. He is also making a lot of money in it. Today, if you let him think that you are easy to take advantage of, how can you compete for profits in the future? He is always pressuring you. How can this business last?”
An Zhifu frowned and did not speak. What An Ruochen had said hit his heart, and he didn’t know when the wasteful elder daughter had suddenly become smart.
An Ruochen said again: ”I am stupid, but I think that if I give out all the benefits, I will have no bargaining chips in my hand. In the future, won’t we be led by the nose? Although the marriage was decided, Father still has room for negotiation. Let me marry first. After two or three years, I’ll be established in the Qian House, and my fourth sister will have grown up by then. After I marry, the two families will become in-laws, and Master Qian naturally would not be able to say anything. The business would be stable, and your heart will also be steady. As for the fourth younger sister, it is possible that she will marry a prince or nobleman. When the time comes, Father can choose a good match. If there is one better than Master Qian, Master Qian will not dare to say anything. If it is not as good as Master Qian, the fourth younger sister will marry him, which is reasonable.” You have to delay for a while, and you will have a chance.
“That’s right, that’s right.” Mrs. Duan wiped her tears and agreed, “What the eldest girl said is true.”
An Zhifu did not speak, thinking. Mrs. Tan and An Ronggui couldn’t pick out any faults in An Ruchen’s words and couldn’t say anything. The last thing An Zhifu said was that he would discuss the matter with Qian Pei again.