Chapter 12: A Bit of Sunshine Makes Everything Bright

Chapter 12: A Bit of Sunshine Makes Everything Bright

After dinner, the courtyard was quieter than usual.

Gui Xiang lugged half a bucket of hot water upstairs, with Hong Yu following behind to help her lift it.

"You’ll have a better life with Fourth Madam from now on."

Hong Yu and Gui Xiang were from the same hometown and had a good relationship. Gui Xiang didn’t mince words, "It’s not exactly living in luxury, but it’s better than putting up with this place."

Hong Yu was always getting beaten or scolded by Third Madam. She had always envied Gui Xiang for having such a gentle and kind mistress in Fourth Madam. Now, along with envy, she felt a deep sense of loss.

"I heard the entire Fifth Branch is moving to Hong Kong. Are you going with them?"

Gui Xiang's family was in the countryside. She had been sent to the city as a maid by her parents since she was young. Now, she didn’t want to go back to her hometown.

"Where the young lady goes, I go."

"We’ll hardly see each other in the future."

Or perhaps they might never see each other again.

Seeing Hong Yu’s eyes well up, Gui Xiang quickly asked, "Are your parents on your case again?"

Hong Yu's parents were urging her to return home and marry the old ferryman from the neighboring village. It was said that the old man was not only lame but also blind in one eye. Her parents agreed to the marriage because the old man offered a hefty dowry.

Once Hong Yu married, her brothers would have enough money to marry as well.

If only she could run away, but she had nowhere to go.

Gui Xiang shifted the wooden bucket to her other hand and encouraged her, "If you don’t want to marry, try finding another household in secret."

"Where would I go? I don’t know anyone. Even with the Second Branch relatives, I’m afraid my parents would track me down." Hong Yu was deeply troubled. She wanted to ask Gui Xiang for help but ultimately didn’t speak up.

Gui Xiang understood Hong Yu’s feelings but didn’t want to make any promises. She only said, "I’ll check if any of the Lin family’s relatives need a maid or helper, but don’t get your hopes up too much."

Hong Yu thanked her over and over.

They stood at the door talking. The courtyard was brightly lit, and from a distance, they saw First Madam coming upstairs. Hong Yu quickly ducked out of sight.

With Lin Yufan’s remarriage to Zhao Zhiao all set, Zhao Lijie, who was supposed to return in the evening, was still nowhere to be seen. First Madam was on edge and finally decided to swallow her pride, personally bringing over a piece of the most fashionable brocade fabric.

"With the war going on, supplies are scarce. This brocade was bought at a steep price through connections. It was originally meant for the new bride’s qipao, but she's too robust, and it's not enough for her. But it should fit you just right." First Madam subtly flattered Lin Yufan's figure.

Looking at the high-quality fabric on the table, Lin Yufan smiled, "Why don't you keep it for yourself, sister-in-law?"

"Look at my figure, how can I compare to yours?"

"Why not? Half a bowl of rice porridge in the morning and boiled tofu in the evening, and you'll surely lose weight after a while."

That was pure sarcasm!

Gui Xiang, watching from the corner, almost couldn't hold back her laughter.

The verbal dagger cut into First Madam's face, and blood seemed to spray out invisibly, choking her throat with a nauseating stench.

First Madam couldn't retort and could only force a smile, "Fourth sister-in-law, don't be angry. It's not worth ruining your health. I scolded Sun the Cook and his fools yesterday and docked half a month's wages."

"Docked half a month's wages?"

The eldest madam knew this punishment was lenient, but she had no other choice.

"I can't just kick them out, can I? You know, their eldest son is gone, and the younger one isn't quite right in the head. It's really sad."

A smile crept onto Lin Yufan's face: "It seems eldest sister-in-law is not only skilled at changing expressions and singing operas but also has a heart of a Bodhisattva."

The eldest madam: "..."

If it weren't for the fact that Zhao Lijie hadn't returned yet and she still needed to rely on her future husband's connections, the eldest madam wouldn't have been so submissive.

She really wanted to just walk away.

But for her husband's sake, she gritted her teeth and put up with it.

"I've been so swamped with Nan Geer's wedding preparations that I've been completely overwhelmed. With the master's arrest, I lost my cool and blurted out some thoughtless words that unintentionally hurt fourth sister-in-law. I feel truly ashamed. Fourth sister-in-law, please... don't hold it against me. I apologize to you here today... Please accept this bolt of fabric."

Lin Yufan glanced at the fabric, then at the eldest madam, and was about to speak when she heard footsteps outside.

"Eldest madam, eldest madam... the master has returned."

Finally, he's back!

The eldest madam was thrilled. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have had to stoop to see Lin Yufan's face!

Now that the master was back, even if she had to cut ties with Lin Yufan, so what?

Lin Yufan might be rich after her remarriage, but what did that matter to her? She wouldn't need to rely on Zhao Zhiao for her livelihood in the future. At most, they could just avoid each other.

With this thought, the eldest madam's spirits lifted a bit.

"If you don't want it, fine." The eldest madam reached out to take back the fabric on the table.

She had put up with enough humiliation for one day. She couldn't afford to lose both face and the fabric. She had to take this fine brocade back.

Lin Yufan wasn't interested in the so-called apology gift, but to have it offered and then taken back—that was just unreasonable.

As soon as the eldest madam reached out, Lin Yufan quickly grabbed the fabric and handed it to Gui Xiang.

"Gui Xiang, this brocade is the eldest madam's apology gift. Thank her properly."

Gui Xiang, holding back a laugh, responded promptly, "Thank you, eldest madam."

The eldest madam: "!"

Lin Yufan looked down on her gift and immediately handed it over to a maid in front of her? And called it an apology to the maid!

She had been slapped by Gui Xiang, and Gui Xiang hadn't even apologized to her yet. Why should she be the one apologizing?

The eldest madam was so furious she could spit nails, but she couldn't jump up and snatch it back. As the lady of the house, she still had to keep up appearances.

The sound of a car outside suggested Zhao Lijie had arrived home. The eldest madam had to choke back her anger and rushed downstairs.

*

In Jinghua Tower, Wang Junyao and several uncles from the clan who were helping with the wedding had just finished discussing the wedding arrangements. It was almost eight o'clock when they finally saw the guests off.

Turning around, she saw her son standing by the grandfather clock, his face a mix of anger and grievance, like a young cub abandoned by its lioness.

Wang Junyao gave him a look: "What's with that expression? On the eighth of this month, your eldest brother and Lin Yufan are getting married. When your brother returns, remember to congratulate him."

Zhao Lixiang had never imagined his eldest brother would act so swiftly. Thirteenth Uncle had previously told him that the earliest outcome would be at the end of the month. Who would have thought that in just three days, before he could even react, everything had already been settled.

"And remember, Lin Yufan is now your sister-in-law. Don’t embarrass yourself."

Hearing his mother's warning, Zhao Lixiang felt indignant but remained silent, turning around and heading upstairs.

Wang Junyao just couldn’t get it. Although Lin Yufan was good-looking, she was merely a pretty young widow with fair skin and a good figure. How could she have such a charm that both her sons were head over heels for her?

She couldn’t make heads or tails of Zhao Lixiang, and she understood Zhao Zhiao even less.

Fortunately, she was satisfied with the current outcome.

*

The small shop owned by Lin Yufan had been on the market for a few days, and finally, someone came forward with an offer.

Her cousin’s husband had a Jewish colleague who wanted to buy it, but the offer was way below the asking price.

The listed price for the shop was $10,000, but the other party directly halved it, only willing to pay $5,000. Xi Gu urged her not to sell.

During this period, the market was flooded with sellers, but very few buyers. Moreover, Lin Yufan only accepted US dollars or gold bars, so the number of potential buyers was even smaller.

She set the price at $10,000 to allow for some haggling. If she could get $6,000, she would be satisfied.

Both parties agreed to meet at He Mansion. The Jewish buyer was quite shrewd; he was aware the shop was in a prime spot but kept complaining about how small it was and how unstable the current situation was, fearing he wouldn’t be able to rent it out.

The negotiation hit a snag at $7,000.

The buyer then began pleading poverty, saying he didn’t have that much cash on hand.

Lin Yufan was aware that within a few months, the war in the north would intensify, and property values would take a nosedive. By the following year, prices would bottom out.

In her previous life, neither she nor the members of the Second Branch sold their properties, partly because they thought they could return, but mainly because the prices were too low to sell.

Now she just wanted to cut to the chase and wrap things up swiftly. They finally agreed on $6,500, and the paperwork was completed that afternoon.

With a hefty sum of cash on hand, fearing it was unsafe on the road, Xi Gu made sure to arrange for a trusted rickshaw to take them home.

As they approached the alley entrance, Lin Yufan saw a familiar figure standing under the lamppost. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Zhao Lixiang.

The rickshaw driver stopped, and Gui Xiang greeted him first, "Lixiang, what brings you here?"

Zhao Lixiang’s face, which had been clouded with gloom, seemed to finally see sunlight. He smiled and said, "I’m here waiting for you."

Usually, when Zhao Lixiang came over, he would go directly to the house. Why was he acting so furtive and uneasy today?

Recalling the time Zhao Lixiang had been used as a decoy by Zhao Zhiao, Lin Yufan suspected that Zhao Zhiao had sent him again and asked, "Did your brother send you to find me?"

Zhao Lixiang, who had been clinging to a sliver of hope and wanted to ask Lin Yufan if she would leave with him, felt like he had been struck by lightning.

He cleared his throat nervously, his tongue darting out to moisten his lips, and couldn’t find the words for a moment.

Seeing him so nervous made Lin Yufan nervous too. People were coming and going in the alley, occasionally glancing curiously at them. Fortunately, Gui Xiang was by her side; otherwise, it would have looked very strange for her and Zhao Lixiang to be standing at the street corner.

She lowered her voice, "What else does your brother want?"

Again, his brother. Why was it always his brother? When did she start liking his brother?

Zhao Lixiang’s head was buzzing. The sun seemed to hide, leaving him standing alone in the rain.

He tried to control his emotions, not wanting her to see that his heart was already a wilderness out of control.

"My brother mentioned... he’s been in Nanjing for the past few days... he’s not sure when he’ll be back."

Is that all?

Lin Yufan didn’t want to show that she wasn’t concerned about Zhao Zhiao’s whereabouts, so she nodded and said, "I see. Thank you for coming to tell me."

The atmosphere became briefly awkward.

Zhao Lixiang casually changed the subject to lighten the mood, "I’ve been working at Guangming Newspaper recently..."

"Really?" This was a topic that piqued Lin Yufan’s interest, as it touched on something she wanted to learn more about. She smiled and asked, "What do you do at Guangming Newspaper?"

Lin Yufan seemed more interested in him than in his elder brother. Zhao Lixiang, who had been standing alone in the rain moments ago, immediately perked up.

"Photography, writing, proofreading... I do it all."