Jiangnan Water Town, Wuan County.

After three or four days of continuous autumn rain, the sun finally came out this day. As soon as I woke up, I saw the sky was a brilliant blue. It must be a beautiful day.

Autumn rain adds coolness, it's time to put away the summer quilts. When Miss Jin, a talented woman, got up, she took apart the quilt covers with her husband and mumbled that she would take these covers and the accumulated dirty clothes to the riverbank to wash them today.

Zhu Chang stood on the ground, tying his belt. Hearing this, he glanced at his wife and asked with a serious face, "You said last night that you were going to the city south fair today. If you go to the fair, who will wash so many sets of clothes?"

Jin took a sip of his drink and exerted even more force, prying open the quilt. He glared at Zhu Chang and said, "Of course I'm letting ShuaiShuai and A wash together. Is such a trivial matter worth asking about? Do you think I would let my precious nephew handle everything?"

Zhu Chang glared back: "You'd better do this, and let me know if you take Shuangshuang out again. All the dirty work and tiring work is left to Ah. From now on, don't even think about me giving you your allowance again."

Jin took a bite, but ultimately didn't dare to continue arguing with her husband.

Busy inside the house, Zhu Chang went out first.

The Zhu family wasn't wealthy. At first, they only had three rooms in the north wing of their house. Later, when Zhu Chang passed the imperial examination and became an official, he started teaching at a private academy to earn some income, making life slightly better for the family. They gradually built additional rooms onto the courtyard. The east wing was given to their son Zhu Shuangshuang, and the west wing to their son Zhu Shiyu.

After returning from the Huayuelou, Acong moved into the east wing with Zhu Shuangshuang.

Zhu Chang opened the door to the hall and saw his nephew An sweeping the courtyard. He was wearing a slightly worn green shirt, bending slightly over with his head bowed, gently sweeping up fallen leaves. His long, black hair hung down to his shoulders, revealing half of his small white face. His eyebrows were red and bright, like roses blooming on a summer wall, so stunning that it caught the eye.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Ah raised his head and saw Zhu Chang. He smiled and said in a clear voice, "Uncle is up."

Just now, he was facing his wife's private tutor, Zhu Chang, with a cold face. Now, he smiled like spring wind and looked at his nephew kindly: "How come you got up so early again? I told you to leave these chores to your aunt, you don't have to do them yourself."

"While I continue to clean, Auntie," A said, "Mother is working very hard managing the household. Since I'm free anyway, it doesn't matter."

Zhu Chang knew his nephew was diligent and sensible, so persuading him was futile. He excused himself to go to the outhouse.

Jin in the house heard the conversation between the nephew and niece, but did not believe that Ah was trying to ease his burden. He thought that she was deliberately pleasing her husband by acting cute in front of him.

Thinking of her husband's guilt and defense of A, Jin felt a tightness in her chest.

Stopped what I was doing and remembered that past event.

Five years ago, her husband Zhu Chang went to the county town, not knowing which time he was taking the imperial examination. A woman stayed at home, painstakingly taking care of her two sons and her nephew Ah who came to live with them after killing their parents. Unfortunately, her son Zhu Shiyu suddenly fell seriously ill, and it would cost ten taels of silver to cure him.

Her family's money had almost all been taken by her husband. Jin couldn't just stand by and watch her son die, so she went to relatives and neighbors to borrow money. Everyone looked down on them for being poor and didn't believe that her husband would pass the civil service exam. They were afraid of losing their money and refused to help. Jin pleaded with everyone she could think of, until her skin was raw, and she managed to scrape together only a few dozen copper coins.

At the most desperate juncture, Jin turned his attention to Ah Tou.

Although she was only eleven years old, Ah Cai was a beautiful girl. She had fair skin and bright eyes. Even searching through the neighboring streets, you wouldn't find another girl as pretty as her. In order to cure his son's illness, Jin readily agreed. He coaxed and deceived Ah Cai into going to Huayue Building with him. The madam of Huayue Building was very satisfied with Ah Cai and gave ten taels of silver.

Jin had never forgotten that day. It was a stormy day, and when Ah discovered he had been sold, he cried uncontrollably, kneeling before her and begging his aunt not to sell him. This was the first time Jin had done something bad, and Ah's crying made her heart ache. The harder he cried, the more she wanted to escape, so she pulled away from the child, forgetting even her umbrella, and ran headlong into the rain.

The rain was drumming loudly, and finally, I couldn't hear Ah's crying anymore.

That's how Jin used these ten taels of silver to cure his son's illness, and the people at Huayue Lou were relieved.

Soon after the husband returned from his examination, he learned that Ah had been sold. He slapped her directly and then, dragging his tie, went to Huayue Lou to demand someone.

The couple hadn't even seen Ah's face when several housekeepers from Huayue Building, the brothel's madam in charge, blocked their way, smiling thinly and saying: "Ah has entered Huayue Building and become one of our girls. You can't take her away, but you can redeem her. It will cost a thousand taels, can you afford it?"

Where could the Zhu family possibly get so much money?

There's nowhere to borrow from.

Even the official documents, black and white on paper, were useless. No matter that Zhu Chang later became a scholar or even passed the provincial examination, there was nothing to be done about it.

Because of this, Zhu Chang ignored Jin for half a year until Jin's father-in-law died. Jin cried bitterly, and then Zhu Chang took her back.

Jin thought this matter was over, that her husband would no longer be angry with her for being involved with A. However, things rarely go as planned. Last year, the madam of Huayuelou became embroiled in a major case and was arrested. Huayuelou was subsequently raided and sealed by the authorities. After a lengthy investigation, the madam and several of her accomplices were executed. Those who were not implicated were released and arranged to return to their respective families by the authorities.

This includes "a" as well.

After many years, you've really changed! Back then, you were so skinny and had just one face. You are completely different now.

It is said that the daughters at Huayuelou are all raised according to the model of a well-bred lady from a wealthy family. The madam specially invited an elderly nanny who had retired from the palace to teach the girls etiquette, reading and writing, playing instruments and singing. Each girl is carefully nurtured, pampered until they are ready to receive guests.

When Jin saw Ah Shi again, if it hadn't been for her husband holding her arm, the two relatives would have cried until their eyes were red. Jin almost thought her husband had brought back a wealthy young lady from somewhere. Her appearance and bearing immediately dwarfed her proper son, who was busy pouring tea and water like a maid.

When Jin saw Ah-hou emerge, his second thought was that someone like this must have already been serving customers and wasn't clean.

But when I asked Ada about it tactfully, I learned that A-ming was in a good situation. All the girls at Huayue Lou were arranged to "open their blossoms" on their coming-of-age day. The madam knew A's birthday and had already set August 6th for him/her to "open their blossoms." Coincidentally, on August 1st, Zhao the magistrate from next door brought a group of officers to surround Huayue Lou and arrest everyone inside.

That is to say, Ah has been living at Huayue Lou for years, enjoying free food and lodging and learning the arts without paying a penny. She then returned to being a respectable citizen without any stain on her record.

When Zhu Chang learned that his nephew was still a virgin, he knelt before the ancestral tablets of the Zhu family and implored his ancestors to bless him. He also personally promised Ah Cheng, saying that as his uncle, he would definitely find him a good wife.

Jin thought, Ajin having been to that kind of place, wanting to marry into another family is impossible, but A Chang's looks, marrying a poor man like Lai Han is no problem.

Just then, A lowered his head and spoke of a big thing.

Originally, when the madam arranged for Ah to receive guests, she had a bowl of "jue si tang" (a traditional Chinese abortion soup) served to her. Ah, having been frightened by the brothel's methods, didn't dare to resist at all and obediently drank it all down. Afterward, she suffered stomach pain for days, likely eliminating any possibility of pregnancy.

Men marry to have children and carry on the family line. Who would want someone who can't give birth, no matter how good looking they are?

Those who emerged from the kiln, claiming innocence, were rarely believed. Adding insult to injury, they were also childless, making their situation even more dire.

Jin had asked all sorts of people for help in finding a husband for Ah Wei, but no one serious wanted to marry her.

However, there were several old masters who wanted to take A as a concubine, purely out of greed. Zhu Chang went around inquiring and heard that those masters' houses already had several concubines, constantly fighting with each other. Zhu Chang immediately refused, rejecting all the generous dowries they offered. He said that he had already wronged his niece once and must find a reliable husband for her.

The Kim family didn't want a useless person in their household, especially someone like Ah. Every time he was seen, Kim felt that beneath Ah's obedient facade there was definitely a heart filled with a desire for revenge.

For a variety of reasons, the Jin family wanted to marry Ah off quickly, whether as a wife or concubine.

The husband was stubborn, so Jin tried to persuade Ah Zhu to agree to be a concubine for those wealthy old masters.

Unexpectedly, Ah Ping usually appears so honest. At a critical moment, he started acting slick and said, holding my hand, that everything would be decided by his uncle.

>Jin was almost driven to death by this sentence.

When kind words were of no avail, Jin began to torment A relentlessly. As the pressure mounted, A could not bear it any longer and had to quickly find a man to marry and leave this spiteful aunt. But just as Jin had ordered A to cook a meal, Zhu Chang scolded her severely, forbidding her from making A do chores. He decreed that anything not assigned to their son should not be given to A.

Jin has cried, pleaded, even tried to charm her way into his ear, but it's all been useless. That bastard Zhu Chang treats his nephew better than his own mother!

From last year to now, Jin has endured it for a whole year!

Now that Ah Du is sixteen, she still hasn't found a match. As she gets older, it becomes harder to marry. Should she just stay at the Zhu family her whole life?

Zhu Chang is willing to serve his nephew for a lifetime, but Jin shi refuses!

.

Having dismantled the quilt, Jin gritted her teeth and prepared breakfast. The wontons filled with minced meat that she had wrapped the previous evening were boiled in hot water for a while and served.

There were five people in the family. Jin filled a large bowl for Zhu Chang and his son Zhu Shiyu, while Zhu Shuangshuang and A'er each received a smaller bowl with eight dumplings apiece. This ensured fairness and avoided another lecture from Zhu Chang.

When Zhu Chang sat down, he silently glanced at the three small bowls. Finding that his wife had not been harsh to her nephew, he ate in silence.

Ai sat next to her cousin, Zhu Shuangshuang, and picked up her bowl. She ate quietly and slowly.

Cousin Zhu Shiyu glanced a few times.

Ah, he is aware, but pretends not to.

Jin suddenly arranged for two girls to say: "I'll go to the market later. The weather is good. After dinner, A-er and Shuangshuang go to the riverbank to wash their clothes. I've put everything in the yard for you, one bucket each. Put away the dried clothes after they are dry. You two don't be lazy and wash them clean."

A nodded and put down his bowl.

Zhu Shuangshuang pursed her lips, knowing that her scholar father didn't like to be contradicted. That was why she didn't complain.

After dinner, Jin Shi and Zhu Shuangshuang whispered a few words to each other. Then, they loudly told the two girls to leave early, as if they arrived late, the good spots by the river for washing clothes would be taken by others.

When speaking, Zhu Shuangshuang had already gone to the courtyard.

When she came out, she saw two buckets, reaching her knees, under the eaves. The contents of both were nearly full. But the bucket that Zhu Shuangshuang lifted had a brightly colored bed sheet inside, clearly hers. The remaining bucket was filled with dull, dark sheets, stained and grimy, which belonged to her uncle, aunt, and cousin, Zhu Shiyu.

A looked at his cousin.

Zhu Shuangshuang wore a smug expression.

A-shen, as usual, picked up the wooden bucket from the ground.

Zhu Shuang was in front, and Ah was behind. When they stepped out of the Zhu family's gate, Ah closed the door. Looking up, he saw a figure walking out from the Zhao family next door.

>

Is Zhao Yanping, Lord Zhao.