Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The three sisters peeked out and saw Wang Yuanwai, with his stern face, standing with his arms crossed, saying, "Let's get straight to the point. I'm here today to call off the engagement."

"Call off the engagement?" Ye Dafu exclaimed in surprise, "We've gone through the steps of proposal, birthdates matching, and even presented the betrothal gifts to our ancestors..."

"Wang Yuanwai now has a large family and thriving business."

Mi Fengniang slammed the wine cup onto the table, still with a mocking smile on her face,

"Won't you be the laughingstock if you break off the engagement?"

"Hmph, just look at the state of your family now,"

Wang Yuanwai sneered,

"When the engagement was made, your family was a respected family of scholars and farmers. The eldest was even a child prodigy praised by everyone in the private school, likely to bring honor to the family. But what about now?"

Mi Fengniang hesitated, her earlier bravado quickly fading.

"But before, you said that if we found our daughter, you'd honor this engagement."

Ye Dafu fumbled with his belt, forcing a smile.

"Your whole family are commoners; how can you still marry into mine?"

Wang Yuanwai snorted disdainfully through his nose.

These words struck Ye Dafu like a sting,

the word "commoners" hit him hard:

"If it weren't for me guiding you onto the right path, wouldn't you have been a commoner too?"

"Forget it, husband."

Wang's wife, who had been quiet until now, suddenly interjected,

"Since the child has returned, let's honor this engagement."

But Wang Si shot her a harsh glare, causing her to lower her head and shrink away, too scared to speak.

Wang Si said angrily, "What’s noble about emptying chamber pots? You found it too dirty and made me do it; should I be grateful?"

"Let’s be clear. Didn’t I provide the money for the fertilizer? Your capital, your connections—which one wasn’t set up by me?" Ye Dafu was furious, "Even when I sold you the land at a discount, it was out of respect for our family ties!"

"That doesn’t compensate for losing my son!"

Wang Yuanwai interrupted coldly,

"My son is an outstanding scholar; his tutor believes he has a strong chance in the imperial exams and may even become a top scholar. How could he be matched with a maid? Besides, your whole family are commoners; do you think your descendants will ever hold their heads high?"

"'Clerks, officers, prostitutes, weighers, matchmakers, runners, thieves, robbers, and sorcerers'—your family falls into four of these nine categories!"

Wang Yuanwai said with contempt, counting on his fingers,

"And it wouldn’t surprise me if you were also involved in theft and robbery."

As he spoke, he looked at Mi Fengniang with contempt. "Your daughters are all pretty, maybe the last one is secretly a prostitute as well…."

Before he could finish, Mi Fengniang shouted, "You vile animal, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Wang Yuanwai didn't have time to dodge, and his vision went black.

His temple throbbed painfully,

Then he felt a liquid flowing down from his forehead.

He clutched his head and screamed, "Blood! Blood!"

His voice trembled.

Wang Furen remained calmer. "Master, it's not blood, it's wine."

Wang Yuanwai dared to take a closer look at his hand covering his head.

There was no blood,

Only wine.

It turned out that Mi Fengniang had hurled a wine cup at him in rage, and the remaining wine spilled all over his face.

But before he could even catch his breath, he heard Mi Fengniang curse again:

"Today, I'll fight you to the death, and you'll see what I'm capable of!"

She was still clutching a wine pot, ready to hurl it.

"Ye Dafu, control your wife!" Wang Yuanwai cried out in panic for help.

Unexpectedly, Ye Dafu also picked up a broom and was about to hit him. "You filthy old hag! What street do you think you're from, barking at me like a mangy dog?"

Usually smooth-talking, he was now fierce and red-faced, clearly enraged.

Without hesitation, he started beating Wang Yuanwai.

Oh no, this is bad.

Wang Yuanwai was hit several times on the head. He grimaced and screamed, finally managing to break free. Looking around,

The Ye family lived in a cul-de-sac. The only way out of the narrow Tan Chang Lane was past the front of the house, but the two members of the Ye family were blocking the door like door gods.

There was no way out today!

A smart guy knows when to back down.

He quickly changed his expression, bowing with hands folded. "Both of you, I was rude. I apologize."

The matchmaker also tried to play peacemaker. "You're both neighbors. If this gets out of hand, the Ye family won't come out looking good either."

"Damn your cold nonsense!" Mi Fengniang interrupted coldly.

Wang Furen stepped forward and gave a deep bow. "Sister Mi, for my sake, go easy on him this time. Besides, the big red bumps on his temple from your hits mean he won't be able to show his face for at least half a month. That should be enough to vent your anger."

She looked humble and spoke earnestly,

which reminded Mi Fengniang of how Wang Furen had treated her like a close sister when the two families were on good terms.

Remembering the gossip in the streets, she realized that Wang Furen’s life wasn’t easy either.

Mi Fengniang sighed, “Fine, then.”

Ye Dafu took the opportunity to landed a couple more hits on Wang Yuanwai,

then looked at his wife before reluctantly putting down the broom:

“I'll go along with what my wife says.”

Seeing this, Wang Yuanwai grinned widely, showing his teeth: “Thank you, thank you.”

The matchmaker chimed in: “After all, they are a reasonable family.”

She spouted plenty of free compliments, as it wouldn’t cost her anything. Today, she successfully canceled the engagement and could earn an extra few dozen coins as a reward!

Ye Dafu went into the house and brought out the original betrothal contract and a pair of mandarin duck jade pendants, which he handed to Mi Fengniang.

Mi Fengniang took these items and sighed: “Being pragmatic is only human nature. Take these back with you.”

Just as she was about to return them, a clear and crisp female voice said: “Wait!”

Everyone looked up to see a girl emerge from the kitchen.

She was tall, with an oval face and delicate features, a high nose bridge, clearly a beauty in the making.

Wang Furen hadn’t seen her clearly before, but now she felt a pang of regret in her heart.

This must be the second daughter of the Ye family.

In fact, she thought this girl’s looks and demeanor would suit her son quite well.

Just as she had this thought, she met her husband’s gaze. Wang Yuanwai snorted coldly: “What? Do you expect my family to take back our decision? My second son is currently studying and will likely become a scholar or a successful candidate in the future. He might even marry a lady from a noble family in the capital, maybe even a princess or a duchess!”

Before he could finish, Ye Dafu brandished his fist.

His fist was half the size of Wang Yuanwai’s head,

which made Wang Yuanwai shrink back in fear, not daring to act rashly.

Ye Zhan finally spoke: “If you want to cancel the marriage, what about the gifts and the low-priced land your family obtained from mine under the pretense of the engagement?”

At this, everyone in the yard had different expressions:

Jade Sister widened her eyes. She had thought her younger sister came out to try to salvage the engagement, but instead, she brought up this matter.

Ye Dafu grinned: His daughter really wouldn’t let anyone take advantage of her.

Mi Fengniang chimed in supportively: “Yes, if we cancel the marriage, the gifts exchanged over the years should be returned.”

Wang Yuanwai and Wang Furen were dumbfounded; they hadn’t expected they would need to return money along with canceling the engagement.

Ye Dafu quickly started calculating: “Since the engagement, the Wang family has never sent seasonal gifts to the Ye family, but we have always sent them on time. Don’t these need to be returned?”

Mi Fengniang also helped her husband with the calculations: “Every New Year, my family sent a bag of white flour, a bag of millet, half a bag of mung beans, and two baskets of fruits to the city. These should be reimbursed at current market prices in Bianjing!”

"This!?" Wang Yuanwai was stunned. "But didn't you give these willingly?"

"It's because of the family connection through the marriage arrangement. Why don't you see my parents giving gifts to other families? Or should they?" Ye Zhan replied, not giving an inch. "Or perhaps... is it because your son has been promising himself to various people, just to take advantage of the engagement and gain benefits?"

"Exactly!" Ye Dafu crossed his arms and leaned casually against an apricot tree. "Otherwise, I might have to visit your son's school and ask his tutor and classmates to settle this!"

"My lord, we cannot do that." Wang Furen's face paled. "Scholars hold propriety and righteousness in the highest regard..."

"Shut up!" Wang Yuanwai scolded his wife in a low voice, then turned back with a grim expression. "Ye Dafu, name your price."

"We need to calculate carefully. Also, the land that was sold to you at a low price because of the engagement is a big item."

"A bag of white flour is worth 50 wen per dou,

millet is 30 wen per dou, half a bag of mung beans is 70 wen per dou, and the two baskets of melons and fruits are worth about 20 wen."

"That's 170 wen for a year, and we did this for three years, so that's 540 wen!"

"Plus, during the engagement, we sent a hen worth 50 wen and a rooster worth 30 wen, so that's 680 wen!"

"After we moved to Bianjing, although we couldn't afford to send food, we sent bamboo baskets and incense cages made by our own hands, worth about ten wen each year, totaling over 100 wen for eleven years."

The Wangs' return gifts were just spoiled meat from restaurants or leftover fermentation waste.

Mi Fengniang grew more delighted as she calculated,

and even brought out Ye Dafu's business abacus from the house,

her fingers flying across the beads:

"With these eyes of mine, as clear as crystal, not a single coin will be missing today!"

Wang Yuanwai kept haggling, but the Ye family began organizing to invite the village elder,

Ye Dafu even sent his son to Yongqiu County to bring back the original land agents, scribes, and clan elders involved in the deal,

Wang Yuanwai waved his hands frantically, frightened. He couldn't afford to leave a bad reputation, as his son's future in the imperial examinations and officialdom depended on maintaining good relations with his hometown folks.

They finally agreed that the Wangs would repay 800 wen worth of gifts over 11 years and cover the land costs with an extra 1,200 wen.

Wang Yuanwai's face twisted in pain as he took two strings of cash from his sleeve. "With this money, there better be no more trouble!"

He quickly snatched the marriage contract and jade pendant, fearing the Ye family might reconsider.

"Don't worry! A promise from me is as solid as iron!" Ye Dafu swung the broom fiercely. "Now get lost!"

Recalling the earlier beating, Wang Yuanwai shrank back and hurriedly left with his wife.

As the Wangs left, Mi Fengniang sighed. "When she arrived, I thought they were here to finalize the marriage."

Her initial warm tone had been for the sake of their daughter's wedding.

Ye Dafu remembered to comfort his daughter. "Don't worry, your parents will prepare a rich dowry for you and your sister. We'll find you a better family."

The family's words warmed Ye Zhan's heart,

and she in turn comforted them.

The three Wangs—the cunning, scheming head of the household who loved taking petty advantages, the cowardly and greedy mother-in-law, and the useless son hiding behind his parents—which of them was easy to deal with? Life would be much simpler without them.

She truly didn't want this marriage.

"But... what if their son really does get chosen in a noble marriage?"

Ye Dafu, who usually had a big heart, felt a rare sense of melancholy as he gazed at the sunset hanging on the eaves of Daxiangguo Temple.

"Our family is clearly on the decline. With our low-born status, it will be hard for our children to marry well in the future."

"No, we will definitely live better than them in the future," Ye Zhan clenched her fist. "I don't believe we can't surpass those who look down on others and fawn over the powerful!"

Mi Fengniang picked up the fallen wine cup and laughed. "Our jingling, talented daughter! Let's hope your words come true. May our family rise to the thirty-third heaven, while the Wang family is left far beneath in the ninety-ninth layer of hell!"

After picking up the wine cup, she continued and went on to shoo away the neighbors who were watching the scene: "Go! Go! Go! What's there to see? Beat it, everyone!"