Chapter 7 A Family of Schemers: Intimidation

Chapter 7 A Family of Schemers: Intimidation

"Wait, what do you mean the marriage is off?" Father Tao's expression changed as he scrutinized Wu Changan, his friendly demeanor gone. "Your marriage has already been officially recognized, arranged by a matchmaker, with your birthdates matched, and reported to the Taichang Temple. It's not something you two can just call off."

Wu Changan glanced at Tao Chun, who was slouching with her head down, pretending not to hear or speak, leaving him to be the bad guy.

"Uncle, please forgive my rudeness. When we were discussing the marriage, I saw that you and Aunt were very reasonable, and the elder brother and his wife were harmonious. I thought the daughters of your family must be good..." Wu Changan left it at that, withdrawing his sidelong glance at Tao Chun.

"This..." Mother Tao was both angry and guilty, too unsure to argue. She pushed her daughter-in-law aside to get a stick.

Tao Qingsong stepped forward to block her, saying hesitantly, "Mother, Second Sister already knows she was wrong. There's no need to hit her. She's just a girl and can't handle much punishment."

Tao Tao rolled her eyes. Her parents never embarrassed their children in front of outsiders, always scolding them behind closed doors. She knew her mother was hitting her second sister to show her brother-in-law.

"Mother, if hitting my sister can make my brother-in-law change his mind, then go ahead and hit her," she shouted.

Wu Changan: ...

"She deserves it, being so muddle-headed, throwing away a good marriage like that," Mother Tao said, her liver aching with anger.

Dongxian snatched the stick from her mother-in-law's hand, saying, "It's getting dark, I'll go cook. Qingsong, you calm down Father and Mother. Talk nicely. Second Sister just came back, don't talk about hitting and killing."

Wu Changan had no choice but to add, "Uncle, Aunt, anger is bad for your health. You're not young anymore, take care of your health."

Dongxian winked at Tao Tao, who pushed Tao Chun towards the kitchen. Around the corner, she quickly let go of Tao Chun's hand and snorted.

Tao Chun looked over; this little girl was quite the schemer.

Dongxian took out a flint to light the oil lamp. She glanced back and asked, "Second Sister, are you hungry? There's leftover rice from noon in the pot. Should I warm up a bowl for you? I just got back and ran into Younger Uncle bringing your husband over. I was busy entertaining him and haven't had time to start cooking. The house is cold and there's no fire in the stove."

Tao Chun thought for a moment and said, "Then please, Sister-in-law, warm up a bowl of rice for me to fill me up. Later, I still have to kneel in the sacrificial hall. Father and Mother certainly won't let me eat."

"You should go hungry," Tao Tao muttered.

Dongxian chuckled and said, "Second Sister, this is Third Sister Tao, only nine years old this winter, born the year after you left the mountains. You two haven't met yet."

"When I left home, you were still in Mother's belly. You haven't seen me, but I've seen you," Tao Chun said to her sister. "I bought you many fun things outside the mountains, things I never had as a child. Unfortunately, I left in such a hurry that I left all those things behind."

"You wrote about it in your letter," Tao Tao's attitude softened.

Dongxian added a bowl of water to the pot. She went to the stove to light the fire and said, "You two sisters catch up. Little Tao, get a stool for your sister to sit on."

Tao Tao ran out and came back saying, "Father, Mother, and Elder Brother have taken my brother-in-law to the living room to talk."

Dongxian glanced at her sister-in-law, wanting to offer advice but unsure of her reaction, so she decided against it to avoid offending her.

"Second Sister, how good is Chang’an City? You'd rather die than come back," Tao Tao asked, just curious and couldn't understand. Life in the mountains was so good.

"There are many people, it's very lively and prosperous, totally different from life in the mountains," Tao Chun didn't avoid the question. "When you're over ten, you can also leave the mountains to study. Then you can go out and see for yourself."

Tao Tao shook her head, "I won't leave the mountains. I like playing in the mountains."

"I also like life in the mountains," Dongxian chimed in, puzzled. "Second Sister, weren't you scared outside the mountains?"

"Not scared, were you?"

Dongxian nodded shyly. She had only stayed outside the mountains for a year, crying every day and falling ill frequently. The people at the Taichang Temple were worried she would die in school, so the following summer, they sent her back to the mountains with a group of graduating tomb keepers, including Tao Qingsong.

Thick smoke rose from the pot, and Dongxian got up to lift the lid and serve the rice.

"Come, second sister, let's eat first."

"Thank you, sister-in-law," Tao Chun quickly stood up to take the bowl. The aroma of the food made her mouth water, and she complimented, "Sister-in-law, your cooking smells amazing; it makes me hungry just by the smell."

"Second sister, you really know how to flatter. It's just a bowl of sour bamboo shoots and cured meat rice, simmered with some water. What's so special about it? You've just been in the mountains for a few days without a proper meal; that's why you're craving it," Dongxian laughed heartily. She briskly washed the pot, saying, "You learned cooking from your aunt at the marquis's residence; your cooking skills are the real deal."

"After I finish my punishment, I'll cook a meal for my parents and siblings to show off my skills," Tao Chun said with a smile.

The people in the main room heard the laughter from the kitchen. Wu Changan secretly clicked his tongue, thinking this female ghost really knew how to charm people.

"Son-in-law, I'm not bragging, but my second daughter, aside from being a bit muddle-headed, is excellent in every way. She has been strong-willed, brave, and capable since childhood, worthy of you," Tao's father spoke earnestly. "You're still young; I understand that you can't tolerate any flaws. I was the same way when I was young. But who doesn't make mistakes? You can't guarantee that you'll never make a mistake in your life, can you? What's important is the ability to change."

Wu Changan remained silent, troubled. What he cared about wasn't that. Knowing that the one occupying Tao Chun's body was a female ghost, he couldn't possibly bring her back to his bed. If he did, he would never be rid of her.

"This marriage has already been officially arranged, and we can't let you youngsters act on a whim," Tao's father said firmly when soft words didn't work. "Your marriage was arranged by the mountain tomb envoy, a man who enjoys matchmaking for the tomb keepers in his spare time. If you want to break off the engagement, you need to ask him to intervene and have your elder brother and uncle apologize. My daughter is not someone you can just discard at will."

Wu Changan looked troubled. The mountain tomb envoy, the manager of Huiling, enjoyed matchmaking for the tomb keepers in his spare time. His marriage to Tao Chun was almost finalized, and now asking to break it off would be difficult. If he wanted the marriage to fail, he would have to reveal that Tao Chun would rather die than return to the mountains to guard the tomb. But Tao Chun wasn't Tao Chun, and he feared pushing her to madness if he went too far.

"I'll think about it, let's talk tomorrow," Wu Changan decided to delay, hoping the female ghost might vanish after kneeling in the sacrificial hall for a night.

Tao's parents relaxed, seeing there was room for compromise, and they became warm towards their new son-in-law again.

"Eldest son, while the food isn't ready yet, take your second sister to the sacrificial hall for her punishment," Tao's father said. "So we don't delay our meal later."

Tao Qingsong, seeing his father's decision was firm, stopped trying to persuade him. He privately thought Tao Chun deserved the punishment to remember her lesson. Neglecting her duty was disloyal, and taking poison to commit suicide was unfilial. If she weren't his own sister, he would have spat on her.

"Second sister, let's go," Tao Qingsong interrupted the conversation in the kitchen. "I'll take you to the sacrificial hall."

Tao Chun wiped the smile off her face and stood up to leave.

"The sacrificial hall is cold, second sister, wear more clothes," Dongxian said.

Tao Chun looked at the people outside. Tao Qingsong sighed and said, "I'll get you a couple of your sister-in-law's clothes."

"I have some, in the bundle. Wu Changan brought them, ask him where they are," Tao Chun said.

Tao's parents, hearing this in the room, pretended not to hear, letting their eldest son get clothes for their second daughter.

Wu Changan went out and handed over two bundles. Tao Chun took the bundle with winter clothes, pulling out a winter coat and skirt to put on. Finally, she glanced at him and took the other bundle, pulling out a red wedding dress and stuffing it into her arms.

Wu Changan's heart tightened, and he instinctively reached out to grab it.

"What's wrong? Did you take the wrong clothes?" Tao Qingsong asked, puzzled.

It was dark, and he didn't see clearly what clothes Tao Chun had taken.

"No, they're my own clothes. Brother, let's go," Tao Chun quickly walked away, not giving Wu Changan a chance to speak.

Tao Qingsong looked at Wu Changan and asked, "Brother-in-law, are you coming? Why not follow and take a look, so you won't suspect us of favoritism later."

"Alright," Wu Changan strode after them.

Tao Qingsong: ...

"Brother, I'm coming too," Tao Tao ran out and took her elder brother's hand.

"I'll carry you, the night road is hard to walk," Tao Qingsong carried his little sister on his back and hurried to catch up with the others.

"Tao Chun, why are you carrying the red wedding dress?" Wu Changan whispered.

"Guess," Tao Chun said with a sinister tone, scaring him: "You'd better keep one eye open while sleeping tonight."

Wu Changan was genuinely scared. He slowed down, trembling in fear, and said, "I haven't done anything wrong. You promised you would behave properly from now on."

Tao Chun ignored him, hastening her steps under the bright moonlight.

"Are you going back on your word?" Wu Changan was on the verge of tears. "I'm such an idiot. Why did I trust you?"

"What are you two fighting about?" Tao Qingsong caught up.

Wu Changan let out a desperate cry, turned around, and grabbed his brother-in-law's arm in panic. "Brother, please slow down with Tao Chun. I'll go back and beg my parents not to make her kneel in the sacrificial hall as punishment."

With that, he ran off.

"Hey! Wait—" Tao Qingsong was utterly confused. "What are you two up to? Why is he calling for our parents now, instead of our uncle and aunt? ... Second sister, hold on. Your husband has gone back to beg for you... Second sister, tell me, what did you say to him? Are you two having a spat? You silly girl, you're making such a scene. You two are just playing around, but our parents took it seriously. They were sweet-talking and making things hard for him right in front of him."

Tao Chun couldn't get a word in and ended up being slapped twice.

"No, no, I'm not fighting with him," she said, dodging and covering her head. "I have no idea what's going through his mind."

Tao Qingsong didn't buy it. He sighed, disappointed, "Take it easy. He's gone back to beg for you."

Tao Chun didn't stop. She earnestly explained, "Brother, we're not just playing around. He probably thought I was going to kill myself. Ever since I took the poison, he hasn't trusted that I've truly changed. I truly regret it and have come to realize my mistake. I want to spend the night kneeling in the sacrificial hall to reflect and show everyone that I'm truly sorry."

Tao Qingsong let out a sigh of relief, feeling reassured. "It's good that you understand our parents' intentions. You caused such a big commotion outside the mountain. The people from the Taichang Temple must know about it, and the tomb keepers studying in the school might have heard rumors too. If our parents didn't punish you, once the news spreads into the mountain, the mountain tomb envoy would come to punish you."

Tao Chun nodded, "I know. I don't blame our parents."

The three siblings quickly approached the sacrificial hall. Tao Qingsong informed the night-shift tomb keepers and watched as Tao Chun entered the hall, lit with incense and candles. He bowed and left, carrying Tao Tao on his back.

As they passed the stone lion, Tao Qingsong saw Wu Changan running towards them. He smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, you're a step late. My second sister has already gone in."

Wu Changan's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down. He nervously asked, "She's gone in? Did she have any strange reactions?"

"No, she's sincerely reflecting," Tao Qingsong patted his shoulder and said, "Brother-in-law, my second sister has truly repented. If you miss her, you'll regret it."

Wu Changan wanted to cry. He regretted it deeply. How could he have believed the female ghost's lies?

"Are you coming back with me, or are you going in to keep my second sister company?" Tao Qingsong asked.

Wu Changan didn't dare to go in. He followed Tao Qingsong, full of anxiety and fear.

By the time the three of them got home, dinner was ready. Wu Changan was too scared to have an appetite. He ate absentmindedly, not knowing what he was eating.

"What's wrong with this boy? He looks like he's lost his soul," Tao's mother whispered, sitting on the bed.

"Never mind him," Tao's father took out two letters and read them again. "After this incident, when Tao Tao goes out into the world next year, we won't have the face to ask our sister to take care of her."

"Exactly," Tao's mother sighed.

"What do you think about Chun's situation?" Tao's father asked. "I think the Wu boy is quite sensible and reliable. He doesn't seem indifferent to Chun. Let's put some pressure on both sides and try to bring them together."

Tao's mother nodded, "If this marriage falls through, Chun won't find a good match in the future. Fortunately, Tao Tao is still young..."

"We'll see how it goes. The important thing now is Chun's situation. And we need to ask someone to inquire about our sister. Chun took poison in the mansion. I wonder if the marquis's family will give her a hard time," Tao's father worried.

Tao's mother was so angry she was panting. She pressed her chest and said, "I'll find someone to exchange more mountain goods. When the New Year comes, I'll ask someone to take them to my sister. She can use them to make connections."

With the matter settled, the old couple went to sleep.

Next door, Wu Changan sat on the bed, wide-eyed and tense, staring at the wooden door. Every creak from outside made him jump in fright.