MYSIOAMEWTMMAlTWOAM: Chapter 4

 Glossary

· Qin Yuan: The female protagonist, reborn. Former wife of Lin Ziqi.

· Qin Wan: Qin Yuan's Di Mei, also reborn.

· Marquis of Dingbei: A military lord, Qin Wan's original fiancé.

· Lin Ziqi: A poor Juren scholar from a humble family.

· Hongye: Qin Yuan's maidservant.

· Cuiming: Qin Yuan's other maidservant.

· Cui Shi: The primary wife (Madame Cui), mother of Qin Wan and Qin Heng.

· Qin Heng: The younger brother.

· Chancellor Qin: Qin Yuan's father, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

· Di: Legitimate, referring to children born to the primary wife.

· Shu: Referring to children born to concubines.

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Chapter 4: All These Good Things Were Forcibly Sent by Qin Wan

On the day for adding to the trousseau, relatives and friends came to give Qin Yuan generous gifts, offering many flattering words.

In her previous life, most of their gifts had been given without sincerity, merely to save face.

Qin Yuan had Hongye and Cuiming create a ledger, registering everything.

Those meager gifts from her past life had all been recorded, and she later repaid them with lavish presents.

In this life, she naturally handled it even more graciously.

Sure enough, the relatives and friends left happily, all praising her as a truly blessed person, magnanimous in her actions, considerate and dignified.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Over on Qin Wan's side, things were somewhat awkward.

According to Hongye, Qin Wan had smashed many porcelain items again and cursed them for being snobbish.

Qin Yuan simply listened to it as a joke.

Two days later, the Marquis of Dingbei's residence sent the betrothal gifts, which filled Qin Yuan's courtyard to the brim.

Friends and relatives gathered around to look, whispering praises among themselves.

Even Qin Yuan, who was accustomed to fine things, felt the Marquis's residence had spared no expense. She just didn't know if Qin Wan had received this much in her previous life.

Hongye and Cuiming were so excited they couldn't sleep, while Qin Yuan remained perfectly calm and detached.

Hongye said, "Miss, the Marquis's residence is truly overflowing with wealth! Those gold ingots, that jadeite, that white jade—ah, they're so generous!"

Cuiming also marveled, "To witness such a scene in this lifetime is worth it."

Qin Yuan smiled. "This is only the beginning? The Marquis's betrothal gifts are merely a drop in the bucket for them. Who would use their entire family fortune to marry a wife?"

Hongye giggled uncontrollably.

Cuiming asked, "What's so funny?"

Hongye said, "Just thinking that such a fine life belongs to our Miss makes me happy. Second Young Miss always tried to step over you, but she never expected to stumble in marriage."

Cuiming was also in high spirits. "We must go to the temple to pray and add oil to the Bodhisattva's lamp."

Qin Yuan said nothing.

Both she and Qin Wan knew it was no surprise this marriage had fallen to her.

When Marquis Gu was young, he was engaged to his childhood sweetheart, but the girl fell ill and died before they could marry.

Later, the Old Marquis Gu encountered trouble, and Marquis Gu took over his father's position, fighting for years in the northern frontiers, with no time to marry.

When he returned triumphant to the court, Marquis Gu was nearly thirty and had brought back a woman and two children around seven or eight years old from the battlefield. Outsiders spread rumors that they were Marquis Gu's beloved concubine and children, so families of equivalent status were unwilling to marry their daughters into the Marquis's residence.

The Old Madame Gu was eager to get Marquis Gu married and wanted a daughter from a scholarly family to elevate their social standing. After all calculations, the Qin family's daughter was just right.

In her previous life, Qin Wan had raised a storm over that woman and the two children, becoming estranged from Marquis Gu.

Qin Yuan didn't care about any of this in the slightest.

Having lived a full lifetime, she had long grown indifferent to romantic love between men and women.

In her previous life, she had endured hardships with Lin Ziqi, painstakingly scheming for him. Once he gained a little wealth, Lin Ziqi filled his household with wives and concubines.

In their humble days, Lin Ziqi had promised never to betray her, but after rising to high office, he grew resentful of her talents. He relied on her to manage the household and devise strategies, yet he promoted concubines to suppress her and make her obedient.

All his tactics of balance were used on the wife who had stood by him throughout his journey—truly disheartening.

To outsiders, she was the noble and dignified Madame Zaixiang, but inwardly, she lived in frustration and annoyance, her hair graying before she turned forty.

In this life, she only wanted to live well, open her heart, enjoy food, drink, and pleasures, manage her own enterprises, and do what she wished to do.

For her, the Marquis's residence was the best possible choice.

She would no longer be dragged down by the Lin family, nor would she have to exhaust herself to propel Lin Ziqi to high office because of their marital unity.

If Marquis Gu gave her the dignity of being the Marquise, she would turn a blind eye to his affairs.

With the status of Marquise, she could do so much more, unlike her previous life, where she had to climb slowly from lowly beginnings.

This was indeed a fine marriage, and it was Qin Wan who had forcibly pushed it upon her.

It was...subtly ironic.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

The Lin family's betrothal gifts not only were few in number but also of poor quality, with many items being mere bedding and household goods to make up the count.

After Hongye and Cuiming went to see them, they came back and imitated the scene for a long time.

As Qin Yuan listened, she realized it was still more than what she had received in her previous life. It seemed Lin Ziqi had invested his entire family fortune in the betrothal gifts.

After all, Qin Wan was a Di daughter.

Unexpectedly, though Qin Yuan hadn't gone to see Qin Wan's betrothal gifts, Qin Wan came to see hers. After looking, her face turned as dark as ink, with jealousy and resentment that she couldn't conceal.

Qin Yuan's mood improved even more.

She had been worried that the Marquis's residence might reduce the betrothal gifts due to the marriage exchange, but it seemed the Dingbei Marquis's residence was not that petty.

The wedding day for both was set for the same date.

Initially, Madame Cui had whispered in her husband's ear, saying that Lin Ziqi's family was poor and Qin Yuan was a Shu daughter, so why not hold the wedding banquets on the same day? That way, the Lin family wouldn't be embarrassed by their few relatives and shabby dowry.

Chancellor Qin had agreed.

Madame Cui's original intention was to use Qin Yuan as a foil for Qin Wan's high marriage, but now it had become a way to enhance Qin Yuan's face.

Madame Cui was so angry she couldn't sleep night after night.

Seeing Madame Cui toss and turn in bed, Chancellor Qin said, "Wan'er has a willful nature, spoiled by our pampering. Marrying into the Dingbei Marquis's residence is climbing socially—she definitely won't tolerate any slights. Lin Ziqi, after all, is my student. He's been coming to our residence for years; his character and appearance are top-notch, and we know him well. He wouldn't dare bully Wan'er; he'll only cherish her properly."

Madame Cui, on one hand, resented Qin Yuan for getting such a fine marriage, and on the other, hated that Qin Wan had married down to Lin Ziqi, a poor scholar. These days, looking at Qin Yuan's betrothal gifts and then at Qin Wan's, she had coughed up blood several times.

Hearing this, she felt a bit better.

"So, you're saying this is still a good marriage?"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

"Lin Ziqi has the talent to become a Jinshi, and he's my student. He's been seeking guidance under my wing for years. Once he enters officialdom, with my connections supporting him, how could he do poorly? The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy is, after all, a fifth-rank official. My Di daughter is more than a match for a commoner like him. If he's smart, he'll elevate Wan'er high."

Hearing this, Madame Cui felt even more relieved. She repeated what Qin Wan had told her to her husband.

"Wan'er says Lin Ziqi will inevitably achieve spectacular success, rise rapidly, and reach the highest ranks of officials. Ah, is this child bewitched?"

Chancellor Qin frowned. Though he didn't understand why Qin Wan held Lin Ziqi in such high regard, to make Madame Cui feel better, he said, "Lin Ziqi may come from a poor family, but he studies diligently and tirelessly, with a resilient character. He will certainly achieve something."

But whether he could achieve spectacular success, rise rapidly, and reach the highest ranks was unknown.

After all, diligence and resilience alone were not enough.

In his youth, Chancellor Qin had also aspired to great things, but after facing reality, he relied on his wife's family name and influence, striving his utmost only to become Chancellor. Better than some, worse than others—he knew many top-ranked Jinshi, most of whom floated in the unpredictable seas of officialdom, leaving everything to fate, and some fared worse than he did.

Madame Cui turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

In the dark of night, Chancellor Qin breathed a sigh of relief.

He had feared that Madame Cui and Qin Wan might not accept the situation and offend Lin Ziqi and Qin Yuan.

What was done was done; there was no need to create further complications.

As long as the Dingbei Marquis's residence was his in-law, wasn't any daughter who married in still his daughter?

(End of Chapter)

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