Wang Shi was stunned, unsure how to explain to Jiang Miao. Should she say, “We got your travel expenses by having your elder sister adopted by Jiang Sen’s family”? Even if she were not that scrupulous, she couldn’t bring herself to say it now.
However, Jiang Xing did not share this hesitation. Jealous, she blurted out, “Elder sister is now living comfortably at our aunt’s house. She was adopted by our uncle’s family half a month ago.”
Wang Shi’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly pulled at Jiang Xing, “Why mention such things? Your elder brother seldom returns; let’s not discuss these unhappy matters.”
Pouting, Jiang Xing protested, “Why can’t I talk about it? Since elder sister left, mother has had to handle all the household chores alone. Elder sister hasn’t returned even once since moving to our uncle’s place. It seems she’s already forgotten about our parents.”
“Elder sister was supported by our parents for so many years,” Jiang Xing muttered in the end, a comment that to any outsider would clearly sound like jealousy, seemingly an attempt to incite Jiang Chan.
Yet, in Wang Shi’s eyes, it seemed as if Jiang Xing was simply expressing concern for her mother, unable to stand how Jiang Chan neglected them, speaking on her behalf. Indeed, Wang Shi’s biased filter was heavu.
Jiang Miao was clever enough to understand the implications behind Jiang Xing’s few words. What he hadn’t anticipated was that Jiang Mu would also agree to have Jiang Chan adopted by Jiang Sen, a development that disrupted many of Jiang Miao’s plans.
“Father, you agreed to this?” Jiang Miao was incredulous, questioning why Jiang Chan was adopted instead of Jiang Xing.
When the topic arose, Jiang Mu frowned, sipping his wine, “Your uncle’s family favored your elder sister. What could I do? Your younger sister herself suggested being adopted, but your uncle disagreed.”
Here, Jiang Mu glanced at Jiang Xing, recalling the incident that had tarnished his reputation in the village because of the uproar caused by Jiang Xing and Wang Shi. Now, not only had his image suffered, but Jiang Xing’s reputation had also declined.
The impact on Jiang Mu is that he has now gained a reputation for being unkind to his children. Jiang Xing would rather go to Jiang Sen’s house than stay at home, which is quite serious for Jiang Xing. It’s like he despises the poor and loves the rich, being infatuated with fame and fortune.
Fortunately, Jiang Xing was still young. Given a year or so, the gossip might die down. Sadly, this would likely complicate her prospects for marriage in the nearby villages.
Thinking about all the things triggered by Jiang Chan’s adoption, Jiang Mu was filled with pent-up emotions. Looking at his clothes, the seams under the armpits were all coming apart.
Previously, his elder daughter would have promptly sewn and washed his clothes. Now, his clothes had been torn for two days, and Wang Shi acted as if she hadn’t noticed.
With Jiang Chan gone, Jiang Mu realized how much had changed. The morning face-washing water was no longer prepared by his elder daughter, nor were his clothes washed clean by her, and even the meals prepared by Wang Shi were tasteless.
Currently, Jiang Miao has not yet taken the exam. There’s a lack of a hardworking and selfless Jiang Chan in the family. It’s not until Jiang Miao passes the provincial examination that the Jiang family will thrive, and their living conditions will improve significantly.
With this contrast, Jiang Mu began to miss the days when Jiang Chan was home. He had taken her labors for granted, and now these duties had fallen to Wang Shi.
Jiang Xing, the sweet-talking younger daughter, was only flattering in her words. Watching coldly, Jiang Mu saw her as cunning and unreliable for the future.
Luckily, Jiang Mu hadn’t pinned all his hopes on Jiang Xing. Whether she would be of any help to the family was not his concern; his focus was on Jiang Miao passing the exams, which would lighten his burdens.
Then, Jiang Mu could continue his path through the imperial examinations or even teach at a private school.
Hearing this, Jiang Xing sheepishly lowered her head, daring not to stir further trouble. She had become much more compliant in this period, taking on more responsibilities due to Jiang Chan’s absence.
Not to mention Jiang Xing also noticed that Jiang Mu had some opinions about her, so she behaved even more cautiously. Now that Jiang Miao is back, she inevitably became a little carried away and said a few more words in front of Jiang Miao.
“No wonder I saw elder sister in town today, assisting our aunt, dressed unlike before,” Jiang Miao realized, “So uncle just let the eldest sister be adopted out like that? Without any compensation for you?”
“There was compensation. The funds for your trip to the capital city for the exams, including food and other expenses, were all supported by your uncle,” Jiang Mu explained. If it were just this, he might not have agreed, but Jiang Sen had also offered to mentor Jiang Miao.
This was ultimately why Jiang Mu decided. In his heart, Jiang Miao, who could establish his own family, was most important.
Of course, the funds Jiang Sen provided truly alleviated their urgent needs. Not only were Jiang Miao’s expenses covered, but there was also a little surplus, which Wang Shi had already taken for household use.
With the money in hand, solving their immediate financial crisis, Jiang Mu and Wang Shi’s thoughts returned to Jiang Chan.
Jiang Miao nodded, “That seems fair. Elder sister did contribute a lot to our family over the years.”
This showed Jiang Miao’s pragmatic nature.
Jiang Mu paused, “You’re leaving for the exams in a few days. Your uncle said if you have any questions, you can ask him. He’ll help you with any difficulties.”
“I know. I’ll visit uncle’s house and see elder sister too,” Jiang Miao agreed, “Actually, elder sister didn’t need to be adopted. Managing her marriage in the future will now be much more difficult.”
Jiang Mu glanced at him, “Since elder sister is now part of our elder brother’s family, she has nothing to do with us anymore. Whether she fares well or poorly, it’s up to them to worry about, including her marriage.”
Jiang Mu understood Jiang Miao’s thoughts and took the opportunity to remind him. Now, Jiang Chan was Jiang Sen’s daughter, and they had no relation; she would call them uncle and aunt, not father and mother.
Jiang Miao clearly understood his father’s words, though he didn’t take them to heart. Ambitious, he thought of climbing up through the imperial examinations. Thus, maintaining good relations with teachers and classmates was essential.
Even Jiang Chan and Jiang Xing, his sisters, were just tools for networking in his eyes. Now that Jiang Sen had disrupted his plans, only Jiang Xing remained potentially useful.
Jiang Miao’s gaze swept over Jiang Xing. She was still young, and any schemes would have to wait at least another couple of years.
Discover more from Lilly Translations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.