Chapter 6: The World Outside

“What!” Old Mrs. Li accidentally dropped and shattered her teacup, her trembling fingers pointing at Madam Li as she unleashed a torrent of scolding, “You fool! I told you long ago to bring Sheng'er home, but you refused to listen. What kind of good thing is that woman Jiang? You’ve let her bewitch you; you believe everything she says. Well, look at this—she’s schemed Sheng'er into this mess. Didn't you see that this was all planned from the start? That shameless wench, even willing to offer up her own biological niece as a gift, and even setting such a vicious trap with that old turtle!”

Old Mrs. Li came from the streets, and in her youth, she had been quite the expert at cursing in the marketplace. Hearing her coarse language, Madam Li wiped her tears and pleaded, “Mother!”

Old Mrs. Li was frustrated by her daughter's perceived incompetence. “How did I end up with such a muddled creature like you? No wonder Sheng'er feels so hopeless. Sheng'er understands nothing; if she truly becomes a concubine to that old turtle surnamed Zhao, she’ll be led by the nose by that Gu couple in the future. That wench is probably even dreaming that all the old turtle's property will eventually belong to the Gus. Bah!”

Madam Li’s face flushed crimson from her mother's scolding, tears swirling in her eyes, and she dared not utter another word.

Old Mrs. Li loathed the Gu family. After finishing her tirade against her daughter, she called her eldest son to discuss the matter. The old man's health was poor, and she didn't dare let him know for fear he might suffer a medical crisis from anger.

The mother and son deliberated for a long time, deciding that the most urgent matter was to quickly arrange a marriage for Wen Sheng. Ideally, the groom's background should be clear and well-known so that he wouldn't fear rumors.

Zhao Rong had one thing he didn't dare tell his mother: he felt that in his niece's current situation, it would be best for her to marry someone from out of town. However, among the people he knew, there was no one suitable. If he were to blindly marry her off to someone with even worse conditions than that man surnamed Zhao, he, as her eldest uncle, would never be able to redeem himself even if he died a hundred times.

The old lady made the final decision for her daughter to stay at home and was forbidden from returning to the Gu house. She also called all her children back, intending to find a husband for Wen Sheng.

The adults of the Li family were busy to the point of exhaustion. Old Mrs. Li specifically instructed her granddaughter, Qinggui: “Your cousin has suffered grievances at home, so she will be staying with us for a while. You two are about the same age; these days, you don't need to do anything except keep her company and cheer her up. Grandma will credit you greatly for this later.”

Qinggui did not yet know what the so-called "grievances" referred to. Leaning against the old lady's side, she said with a grin, “Don't worry, Grandma. I'm dying for some company; it's wonderful that Sister Wen Sheng is coming to stay.”

In the past, Wen Sheng would only visit less than twice a year. Qinggui's impression of her was still that of a girl who spoke in a soft, delicate voice and would blush and cry when anxious. Seeing her young aunt's eyes swollen like peaches, she had expected to see a cousin Gu crying her heart out, but to her surprise, the other girl looked perfectly normal, as if nothing had happened.

However, after a short pause, Qinggui felt her grandmother was right; Cousin Wen Sheng had become uninterested in everything, which was likely due to her being in a bad mood.

Wen Sheng naturally saw that her young cousin was trying hard to cheer her up, but she truly couldn't find any interest in the shuttlecock and needlework Qinggui brought out. She said, “I want to go for a walk.”

Both the Li and Gu families held middle-tier status in Lishui. Unlike the daughters of great households who were expected to never step past their front or inner gates, Qinggui informed her parents, and the two of them changed clothes and went out.

Qinggui led Wen Sheng around the entrance of the house. She was very familiar with the neighbors in the alley; when she saw the elders, she greeted them politely and took the opportunity to introduce Wen Sheng.

It was evident that the folk customs along this entire street were very simple and honest. Everyone shared a street well to fetch water, haystacks were piled up at doorways, and some households even left their street gates wide open. A few ten-year-old girls were playing at the street entrance; seeing the two approaching, they poked their heads out and called out affectionately, “Sister Qinggui!” while curiously eyeing Wen Sheng.

Qinggui then asked Wen Sheng, “Do you want to play with them, Sister?”

Wen Sheng silently shook her head.

As she tried to walk further away, Qinggui said, “Let's just wander around this vicinity. The neighbors all know us, so it won't be an issue. Once we pass the street entrance, there are many bad people, and it's not safe. Be good, Sister; once we've finished our stroll, we'll go back, otherwise Aunt will worry.”

Hearing her so cautious, Wen Sheng couldn't help but ask, “Are there many bad people outside? Is the world so chaotic now that women dare not even walk the streets?”

Wen Sheng was calculating that sooner or later she would have to leave the Li family. When that time came, where she would go and how she would make a living would both be problems. Ultimately, she was a woman without the strength to even tie a chicken; the more chaotic the world became, the less security there would be. Now that she had no family to back her up, she naturally had to plan everything carefully.

Qinggui sighed. “I heard Father say that Lishui is, after all, the hometown of a General, so it is relatively peaceful. Other places are even more chaotic. Even if you stay home with the doors closed, you might still be robbed by thieves. I don't know how many people envy our birth; it's better to be careful.”

Despite saying this, Wen Sheng still kept thinking about seeing more distant places after returning to the Li house. Although she could slip out on her own, the thought of having to face Madam Li's tears upon her return made her feel somewhat uneasy, so she had to endure it for now.

A few days later, once they had become well-acquainted, Wen Sheng asked Qinggui to get a set of old clothes that her third brother, Li Congwu, had worn when he was a child. After making some simple alterations, she put them on while looking in the mirror.

Watching from the side, Qinggui's mouth hung open in surprise.

Her cousin had exquisite features; although her body was thin and she hadn't fully matured, she was a standard beauty in the making. When she had this sudden whim to dress as a man, Qinggui had initially thought it was a joke. Who would have thought that after Wen Sheng merely used a kohl pencil to trace her eyebrows and tied up her hair with a headcloth and changed her clothes, she would immediately look like a completely different person.

Because of those few strokes of makeup, her eyes and brows gained a touch of heroic spirit compared to before.

Judging solely by her mannerisms and aura, probably no one would recognize her as a young girl; they would only think that these old clothes were too ill-fitting, as if some young master from a certain family had disguised himself to sneak out and play.

Wen Sheng had been here for nearly two months, and the number of times she had looked in a mirror could be counted on one hand.

She reached out to touch her cheek, looking at the somewhat blurred figure in the mirror, a sense of melancholy welling up in her heart. But she quickly restrained herself and turned to say to Qinggui, “Sister, you should change your clothes too. Let's ask Third Brother to take us out to play, alright?”

Qinggui's third brother, Li Congwu, was eighteen this year and was not yet engaged.

Li Congwu was tall and well-built. Since last year, Li Rong had arranged for him to be sent to a nearby security bureau, where he worked while practicing martial arts with the escorts. Over the past year, his skills had improved significantly; in a fight, he could easily keep two or three people at bay. Therefore, when Wen Sheng suggested having him lead them out to play, Qinggui also thought it was a good idea.

However, actually getting dressed was clearly not as simple as Qinggui had imagined. In the end, she laughed until her stomach ached and still hadn't managed to get it right, and even Wen Sheng couldn't help but chuckle.

When Li Congwu returned from the security bureau, Qinggui begged him to hire a carriage. Awkwardly dressed in men's clothing, Wen Sheng boarded the carriage and sat down, while Li Congwu walked alongside them as the three of them headed out into the street.