The Exiled Life of the Noble Girl

Dong Qin sat next to Old Lady Wang and watched Li Mingwei and Mr. Jin play a game of chess that she did not understand. She also listened to Li Mingwei scold Liu Yizhu for being stupid and make him play the same piece ten times in a row, for a full hour or more without saying a single word to Liu Yizhu.

When today's lesson was over, Old Lady Wang insisted on taking Liu Yizhu to walk Dong Qin home, in order to create an opportunity for them to be alone together. Li Mingwei couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them, so she tidied up and prepared to leave first.

Mr. Jin stopped her, "Don't rush off, come with me."

Although she didn't know what Mr. Jin wanted to do, Li Mingwei still followed him.

The two of them went upstairs, and Mr. Jin showed her the small books he had made, then took money out of his pocket, "Six copies each of Thousand Character Classic and Analects, this is your payment."

Li Mingwei slapped her forehead, just remembering that she had forgotten all about collecting payment these past few days as she'd been so busy.

Although she laughed and joked around with Old Lady Wang all day, she was actually very serious about teaching Liu Yizhu. Over the last few days when she went home, she had been writing out sheet music from memory for Liu Yizhu, since she had promised to teach him well.

She weighed the money in her hand and put it in her pocket, then invited again, "Are you really not coming over for New Year's? Beef is hard to buy, who knows when we'll have it again."

Mr. Jin still refused, "I won't go. Yizhu and his mother come to accompany me every year, I can't abandon them just because I'm craving some beef. You can eat extra for me."

"That's true, it would seem ungrateful for the master to do that. In that case, I'll tell Old Brother Su to send some over to you later. Remember to tell Granny Wang it's from you, or she won't be able to eat any of the reunion dinner."

"You little rascal, I know you're hoping she can't eat any!"

"Me, that petty?"

"Of course, look at how you two have been these last couple days." Suddenly, Mr. Jin sat up straight with a serious expression and asked, "Do you truly not care for Yizhu at all? I saw you weren't too happy to see that Dong Qin girl today either."

"You're imagining things. I don't like her not because of Liu Yizhu, but because she insulted me earlier - she's buddies with that Cui Family Girl I fought with!"

"And you still deny it!"

Mr. Jin had been wanting to scold her for a while now and kept putting it off until he nearly forgot. He slapped the table, "The children call you Little Master Li, that makes you half a master, you ought to set an example. Getting into fights outside, what will their parents think of you?"

"Master..." Li Mingwei pouted grievously and cried out, "They insulted me first, and hit me first too. I was just defending myself!"

"No excuses, fighting is wrong!"

"So you'd just let them beat me to death? No more beef for you, Master doesn't care for me one bit, always taking other people's side!"

Li Mingwei harrumphed loudly, stamped her foot, and ran off.

Mr. Jin called after her to no avail. He could only pinch the bridge of his nose helplessly - children and their sense of justice are difficult to deal with, such a headache.

Seeing Mr. Jin lead Li Mingwei away, Liu Yizhu stopped pulling against his mother and directly turned to go home. Old Lady Wang had no choice but to escort Dong Qin back herself.

After sending Dong Qin back, she pushed open her son's door to see him still looking at the sheet music Li Mingwei had given him. Anger rose in her heart.

She snatched the sheet music away, "I see you've been obsessed with your music lessons these days, all you think about is that Mingwei. What's wrong with Little Qin? She's so pretty and from a rich family, if you married her our family wouldn't have to struggle so hard."

Liu Yizhu ignored her words. He grabbed the sheet music back from her hand, smoothed out the creases, and carefully put it back in the drawer.

"Mother, don't touch my things in the future. And about today, you didn't even discuss it with me before bringing someone over directly, it made everyone unhappy."

Old Lady Wang glared, "Unhappy? I've been unhappy the last few days, but you didn't notice right? Now that she's unhappy you suddenly have eyes? I wanted her to be unhappy, I wanted her to know what kind of daughter-in-law I want, she doesn't measure up at all!"

"The kind of daughter-in-law you want..." Liu Yizhu's words carried some sarcasm, "Mother, you want an illiterate daughter-in-law who can't play music or chess?"

"I don't care if she can do those things!" Old Lady Wang waved her hand dismissively to cut him off, "I only need her to bear grandchildren and continue the Liu family line, so I can close my eyes in peace and have the face to meet your father!"

Liu Yizhu...

He pulled at the corner of his mouth dispiritedly and sat back down, staring out the window at the swirling snow and feeling as cold inside as the ice and snow outside.

Suddenly, he sighed, "Do as you please."

The joy came so suddenly that Old Lady Wang almost couldn't believe it. She laughed, "You agree?"

Liu Yizhu looked back to meet her eyes, "Mother, I know she doesn't like me, so why do you keep targeting her?"

Old Lady Wang's smile disappeared, her face wooden. At first she had believed some rumors and thought Mingwei was clinging to her son, but after observing their interactions these days, it was clear as a mirror - the girl did not like her son.

But wasn't she targeting her own son if she didn't target Mingwei?

She had to admit, even divorced, Mingwei was still an outstanding girl - accomplished and educated. But she just couldn't accept it. If the Liu family line ended with her, how could she face the Liu ancestors a hundred years later?

She advised gently, "Son, since she doesn't like you, don't pester her anymore. There are so many nice girls in town, if you don't like them we can go to the county town next year to look. No matter how much the bride price is, Mother will figure it out for you, so why cling stubbornly to her?"

"No need, Mother. I don't want to marry for now."

He didn't even know why he kept clinging when Mingwei had rejected him so clearly.

Though he didn't know if he could wait until Mingwei saw him one day, marrying someone else just to have children when his heart belonged to another was unfair to both him and her. He couldn't do it.

Old Lady Wang said nothing, but took in the unwillingness in his eyes. No, she had to think of something to make her son give up.

Looking at her husband's memorial tablet in the room, she quickly had an idea. But not now - she had to wait until Mingwei finished teaching her son music.

The new year was approaching, and Li Mingwei didn't have much time to spend on Liu Yizhu. She compiled a basic sheet music book for him and found a time to give it to him.

"Practice following this for now. Come ask me if you have any questions. I probably can't come watch you practice every day for a while."

"You..." Liu Yizhu's heart leapt thinking of the earlier matter, "Is it because of what happened with Dong Qin, you're unhappy?"

"No ah."

What did she have to be unhappy about, she didn't lose or anything.

Hiding his disappointed look, Liu Yizhu asked solemnly, "Then why are you suddenly unwilling to teach me?"

"Older brother, it's almost New Year's. My family still has a lot to prepare, I can't keep watching you. I'm going back, just keep practicing." f𝐫e𝚎𝘄eb𝚗o𝐯𝐞𝐥.𝐜𝚘m

Remembering that Li Mingwei was staying with her cousin's family, Liu Yizhu reluctantly believed this reason. Those relying on others had to be more considerate.