Aristocratic Family - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 : Revenge

Lian Yueyao gazed quietly at her reflection in the mirror, her face pale, eyes dull, and her expression fragile and forlorn.

She thought that since Hua Lei had gone home, she might have heard some news about what’s happening outside. Being confined to the inner courtyard had its drawbacks, like being uninformed about external matters. Mu Qiu knew a bit about the inner courtyard’s affairs but was almost clueless about outside matters.
Hua Lei, being a servant born in the household, had many relatives working in the mansion, so she was more informed about external news.

Lian Yueyao put down the pearl hairpin and asked, “I’ve been copying scriptures for months and haven’t paid attention to other matters. Tell me, what’s the current situation outside?” She couldn’t afford to ignore outside matters anymore.

Hua Lei was a bit surprised that the young lady was asking about such trivial matters today. Usually, the young lady wouldn’t bother with these details. Despite her doubts, Hua Lei shared what she knew: “Young lady, there’s nothing much going on in the outer courtyard. However, Madam has let go of most of the people we brought back from Jiangnan. The ones who were let go were all people Old Master and Lady had brought from Jiangnan.” Madam’s reason was that the mansion didn’t need so many people, and letting them go was an act of kindness.

Lian Yueyao pondered for a moment before asking, “When did this happen?”

Hua Lei felt happy that the young lady was genuinely interested: “It happened three months ago, Young lady. The people who were kept are all servants born in the household…”

Lian Yueyao raised her head, her voice gentle: “Speak your mind, don’t hesitate.”

With the young lady’s permission, Hua Lei continued: “Young lady, it’s not just about the people from Jiangnan being let go. What’s crucial is that Madam’s dowry maids shouldn’t be let go so easily. This servant is worried that if all of them are sent away, you won’t have anyone reliable left.” The concern wasn’t about having no one to serve, but about having no one trustworthy.

Madam’s dowry maids were not only skilled but also loyal.
Lian Yueyao was taken aback. She hadn’t thought about it carefully before, but now that Hua Lei had reminded her, and considering her later experiences, it was indeed as Hua Lei had thought – she had no one reliable left in the end. The people her mother had chosen for her were loyal, but later on, some died, some were sold, and some were married off.
Various reasons led to their departure. In the end, only two people were left: Mu Qiu, who was rootless and naive in the Lian mansion, easily deceived; and Gu Mama, who was disloyal.

Lian Yueyao thought about this and felt a chill run down her spine. Madam Mo’s true intentions were revealed. She had been planning step by step, starting early, and Lian Yueyao had foolishly thought it was only after her grandmother’s passing that Madam Mo began to plot against her. “Where are the people my mother brought as part of her dowry now?” she asked.

Hua Lei smiled. She had heard about this from her parents. Her mother had said that Madam Mo likely wanted to isolate the young lady, leaving her with no one reliable, and had told Hua Lei to advise the young lady to be cautious. Unfortunately, Hua Lei had advised many times, but the young lady hadn’t listened. What worried Hua Lei was that the young lady not only lacked caution but also didn’t pay attention to these trivial matters. Now that the young lady was asking, it was a good sign that she was starting to pay attention to outside matters. “Young lady, the people your mother brought as part of her dowry have been sent to the Manor. The dowry and the contracts for these people are still with the Old Lady.” Having the contracts with Old Lady Lian was also a troublesome matter, but since Old Lady Lian loved the young lady, Hua Lei wasn’t too worried.

Hua Lei was reminding Lian Yueyao that the dowry and the contracts for the people below weren’t in her hands, and things not in one’s hands were not secure. Lian Yueyao’s hand paused on the silver bracelet, and then her face turned expressionless as she said, “I understand.”

Hua Lei… did she understand the meaning behind Lian Yueyao’s words? It wasn’t that the young lady was stupid and couldn’t understand; on the contrary, the young lady was very intelligent. However, her intelligence was focused on music, chess, poetry, and other refined pursuits, and she didn’t pay attention to these matters. When the old master and lady were alive, it wasn’t a problem, and these things could be learned slowly. But now, if the young lady continued like this, she would suffer greatly in the future.
Lian Yueyao asked Mu Qiu to bring her money box. She took out a 10-tael silver ingot: “Take this and let your mother nourish herself well.”

Hua Lei knelt down: “The young lady’s permission for this servant to go back and take care of her mother is already a great kindness. How can we accept the young lady’s reward? Young lady, now that the old master and lady are gone, we need to be frugal with silver and gold. If the young lady has money, she’ll be able to live without looking at others’ faces in the mansion.” Hua Lei, coming from a lower background, knew that interpersonal relationships required a lot of spending. The first master and Madam couldn’t be relied upon, so having money was essential.
With money, things could be done.

Lian Yueyao listened to Hua Lei’s words, knowing she meant well, but she wouldn’t do that. Saving money to spend on Madam Mo and her children? She wasn’t short of money. The silver and gold her parents left her would last a lifetime at her current spending rate: “Just take it and don’t say more. Let your mother rest for a few more days and recover well. When your mother is better, you’ll be able to serve me with peace of mind.”

Hua Lei knew Lian Yueyao’s temperament. If she refused the kindness again, the young lady would get annoyed. So she accepted the silver and thanked her. Hua Lei felt extremely happy, not because of the silver, but because of the young lady’s change. The young lady was extremely intelligent; she just needed to be cautious. With her intelligence and caution, she wouldn’t have to fear those with ulterior motives.

Lian Yueyao saw Hua Lei’s expression and felt a slight heaviness in her heart. Even with a second chance, facing someone as ruthless and unscrupulous as Madam Mo, she wasn’t confident she could handle it. However, she was now cautious, and with sufficient preparation, she believed Madam Mo wouldn’t be able to control her life like she did in her previous life.

Lian Yueyao got ready to visit Old Lady Lian in the main room. Mu Qiu and Hua Lei advised her to rest well, saying Old Lady Lian had already instructed her to pay respects only on the 1st and 15th of the month. Previously, Lian Yueyao indeed only visited on those days and spent the rest of her time copying scriptures. But this time, no matter what, Mu Qiu and Hua Lei couldn’t dissuade Lian Yueyao.

Lian Yueyao insisted on going to the main room to pay respects now. Firstly, others like Yueying went every day, and she didn’t want to be special; secondly, she wanted to reappear in front of everyone and show them her changes.

The heavy rain last night had accumulated water on the eaves and roads. The stone path in the middle was higher than the sides, so it wasn’t flooded. However, it was still drizzling outside.

Gu Mama held a blue cloth umbrella, ready to escort Lian Yueyao. Lian Yueyao said calmly: “Gu Mama is old, and the road is slippery on rainy days. Let Hua Lei hold the umbrella. Gu Mama can rest more in the courtyard.” After yesterday’s unpleasantness, Lian Yueyao’s state of mind had stabilized. She knew she had to deal with Gu Mama slowly and couldn’t rush it.

In her previous life, she didn’t listen to her mother’s words and suffered greatly. This life, she would remember her mother’s teachings firmly. Her mother’s teachings were practical.

Gu Mama didn’t dare to say more. She knew the young lady’s temperament well, having nursed her. If she said more, it would only annoy the young lady further.
Although Gu Mama felt extremely unhappy, she would still obey the young lady’s wishes until she found the reason. Gu Mama handed the blue cloth umbrella to Hua Lei: “Take good care of the young lady and make sure she doesn’t get wet.”

Hua Lei took the umbrella, wondering what was wrong with the young lady. Usually, the young lady wasn’t exactly obedient to Gu Mama, but she would still listen to her. Why did she refuse Gu Mama’s help today? But she couldn’t ask. She held the umbrella with both hands, tilting it to cover Lian Yueyao.

Lian Yueyao walked on the stone path, extending her hand outside the umbrella, letting the rain hit her hand. The coolness gave her a sense of reality. Lian Yueyao walked slowly, thinking about the past. After her grandmother passed away, Madam Mo said that Lan Xi Courtyard, where she lived, was too far from the main room.

She wanted Lian Yueyao to move out and live with Lian Yuebing. That way, she wouldn’t be lonely. At first, she refused, feeling attached to the courtyard her father had given her.

Madam Mo didn’t get angry about this matter and instead showed even more affection towards Lian Yueyao, giving her the best food, clothes, and everything. It was as if she loved Lian Yueyao more than her own children.

At that time, Lian Yueyao was young and naive, only knowing happiness and gratitude. She treated Madam Mo like her biological mother and loved her dearly. Even Mu Qiu often spoke well of Madam Mo to her. Because of this, she eventually listened to Madam Mo’s words and moved out of Lan Xi Courtyard to live with Lian Yuebing.

Now, looking back, Lian Yueyao realized she was young and ignorant. If someone loves another child more than their own, there are only two possibilities: one is a truly noble person who repays kindness, and the other is someone with ulterior motives. Madam Mo was the latter. Lian Yueyao was young and had lost her parents, so she was trapped. Once someone becomes stubborn, they won’t change their ways until they hit rock bottom.

Actually, Lian Yueyao didn’t hate Madam Mo for deceiving the Shen family and taking the money. The Shen family had good reason to reject her due to her background. Madam Mo’s attempt to seize her wealth wasn’t hateful either; after all, wealth can tempt people. However, Madam Mo shouldn’t have sold her.
Even if she was married off to someone of lower status, Lian Yueyao wouldn’t hate her as much. But Madam Mo treated her like a commodity, selling her to merchants and as a concubine. She was treated like a plaything.

After learning the truth, Lian Yueyao struggled with whether to seek revenge. If she did, the entire Lian family would be ruined once the truth came out.

When she arrived in the capital, she heard that her uncle, Lian Dongfang, had become a high-ranking official, a third-rank official. Her two cousins had bright futures, and Lian Yuebing had married into the Luyang Marquis Mansion as a noblewoman, enjoying wealth and honor. Even the illegitimate daughter had married a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan.

They were living such a happy life, with high-ranking officials and wealth, enjoying glory and prosperity, and all of this was built on her family’s downfall. Not only that, but she was also subjected to endless torture. She didn’t feel at peace, she didn’t feel at peace, she wouldn’t rest in peace even in death.

Since they could do such vicious things, why should she hesitate? At that time, she didn’t think about the consequences of her actions. She had to seek justice for herself.

Lian Yueyao smiled bitterly, she had indeed sought justice for herself. But now, looking back, she wasn’t sure if it was right or wrong. For her, it was justice and revenge. But for the Lian family, she was a sinner, an unforgivable sinner.

A family of scholars and officials, selling their own niece to a merchant as a concubine. Once this was proven, the Lian family’s reputation would be ruined, and they would no longer have a place to stand in the capital.

A hundred years of scholarly heritage, the Lian family’s years of hard work and struggle, the reputation built up over generations, all destroyed by her hands. Fortunately, she didn’t die, or she wouldn’t know how to face her ancestors in the underworld.

Hua Lei and the other maids saw Lian Yueyao fall silent again, and a sorrowful aura surrounded her.

Hua Lei asked anxiously, “Young lady, what’s wrong?”

Lian Yueyao shook her head, coming back to her senses, and said, “Nothing, let’s go.”

Hua Lei was very worried, seeing the young lady like this. What was wrong with the young lady? She had been spacing out since morning, and not just spacing out, but also filled with sadness. She was fine just now!

Ah, the young lady must be thinking of the old master and lady again.

Lian Yueyao walked slowly. It took 15 minutes to walk from Lanxi Courtyard to the main room. For others, this was just a short distance, but for Lian Yueyao, it felt like she was walking through her entire past life.