Chapter 3 Duty
Partial hospital.
The maid Xiaoman would open the door from time to time to take a look.
Shen Wei was seen sitting in a rocking chair, in front of her was a beautifully carved mahogany window frame with tortoise shell brocade. She was holding a book in both hands and looking out the window with unfocused eyes.
She saw this scene through the window.
Xie Yuchuan, who rushed over, stood at the door in a daze, seemingly hesitating whether to take the initiative to surrender to Shen Wei this time.
But after a while, a maid suddenly appeared.
With just one sentence, Xie Yuchuan was called away: "My Lord, something bad has happened! My aunt seems to have had a miscarriage, please go and have a look!"
Yes.
There is more than just his legal wife Qin Shuyu in the mansion.
He also took two concubines.
All of them were paid by Xie Yuchuan before he went on the expedition.
The same month that Xie Yuchuan brought her back home, Aunt Zhao planned for her to have a big fight with Xie Yuchuan, and then took advantage of the cold war between Xie Yuchuan and her and went to bed with him while he was drunk.
I am now eight months pregnant.
This matter has always been a thorn in her heart, but in the book, she is so stupid and brainless that she is willing to give up all her dignity for Xie Yuchuan.
Shen Wei laughed out loud: "We are all birds in a cage, why bother to fight each other? Winning three points of land, losing will destroy half of your body."
"I was also spoiled when I was little. I was the only daughter of my parents. They loved me 100%, taught me to love myself, and took me to travel all over China."
"How could I betray my mother and father's education for a man like this?"
"ridiculous......."
Xiaoman looked at Shen Wei, who was laughing until tears came out, and was full of confusion. During the days of house arrest, Miss Shen did not smash anything. Instead, she asked for a bunch of books and read them for three days.
Are you still smiling out the window for no apparent reason?
What's with the cage and the bird? Why doesn't she understand?
"Miss Shen, have some soup."
"Leave it there." Shen Wei restrained his smile and picked up the bowl calmly.
He scooped a mouthful of chicken soup into his mouth.
Shen Wei suddenly felt her stomach churning, and the greasy smell almost made her vomit.
There was a pause.
She endured the retching feeling and forced the chicken soup into her stomach.
Xiaoman put away the bowl, thought for a moment and advised: "Miss Shen, the Marquis treats you very well, you should be content, why dream of something impossible?"
"Besides, a woman should be dignified and gentle. If you continue to act like you did today... the Marquis will get tired of you sooner or later."
Shen Wei wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and said with amusement, "Is Madam dignified and gentle enough?"
"That's natural."
"Are you both virtuous and talented enough?"
“Everyone in Kyoto knows this.”
"Then why does Xie Yuchuan dislike her?"
The words Xiaoman wanted to say were suddenly stuck in her mouth. She was speechless for a moment, and her eyes slowly widened in surprise.
"Perhaps... the Marquis has not yet realized how good the lady is."
"The Xie family and the Qin family have been friends for a hundred years. They have been childhood sweethearts for more than ten years. Isn't it enough to use more than ten years to see clearly whether a woman is good or not?" Shen Wei said.
Xiaoman opened her mouth to say something else, but suddenly, she couldn't continue.
There was even a moment of self-doubt...
yeah why?
Qin Shuyu is impeccable in both appearance and manners, so why is the Marquis disliked by him?
Who among her and all the servants in the mansion didn't despise Shen Wei in their hearts? Who didn't think that only a lady deserved the love of a man? Who didn't believe that Shen Wei could only keep the Marquis' heart by becoming docile...
But isn’t the lady gentle enough?
But did she keep it?
"Want to know?" Shen Wei's smile contained a hint of sadness and pity.
She took out a wooden box from the drawer, touched Xiaoman's hair, and said, "Send this thing to Miss Qin in the main courtyard, and I will tell you the reason."
Xiaoman left with the box in his hand, his mind in a daze.
Shen Wei was stunned for a while.
He picked up the book in his hand again, and then put it down again: "In this era, the mortality rate of women giving birth is as high as 15%, and the possibility of difficult labor is % to %. Once there is heavy bleeding, death is inevitable."
"30% of men commit domestic violence and do not treat their wives as human beings at all."
"In an era where men are superior to women, women are no different from pets."
"Because they couldn't stand this kind of life, many women committed suicide by jumping into the river or hanging themselves."
"But they can't do anything about it. This is the secular concept they have grown up with. Everyone thinks it's normal, but I'm really tired of this oppressive feeling, and I may not even be able to save myself."
"A widow without a husband or children can set up her own household."
"But even if a woman is registered as a householder, as an orphan with no money or power to back her up, the outcome won't be much better. This path is too difficult to take. Can I do it......"
"Mom, I miss you so much, what should I do......"
Many memories flashed through Shen Wei's mind. She looked at the side courtyard house where she had been locked up for three days and three nights, and smiled sadly.
Be obedient and stop thinking about it.
Shen Wei, don’t think about it.
With just one word from Xie Yuchuan, you can be imprisoned in this house of just a few dozen square meters for the rest of your life.
Yes, if he wants to.
When the day comes when you are completely despised, you won't even know how you died in this deep mansion!
"I have no choice." Shen Wei closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, all the dejection in his eyes had disappeared.
She stood up, took off the outer clothes that were hindering her movement, and began to do horse stance with a water bottle in both hands.
After the lights are turned off at night, she will continue to do planks, stepping, and punching 500 times.
Women in ancient times seldom went out and were weak and frail.
The awakened Shen Wei hated this soft body. She desperately wanted to gain some strength in exchange for a little sense of security in this era, even just a little bit.
-
The wooden box sent to the main courtyard contained two keys to the warehouse.
Plus a note.
Qin Shuyu was truly shocked when he received the item.
Su Zhu beside him was even more incredulous and said, "Is this the key to the warehouse? How could a woman named Shen be willing to give it to her? What on earth is she up to?"
"Ma'am, this isn't a scam, is it?"
Qin Shuyu couldn't understand Shen Wei anymore.
Given Shen Wei's personality, it would be fine if he didn't make a fuss and refuse to give up the stewardship, but how could he possibly give it up personally?
Without going through Xie Yuchuan's hands, he returned it directly to himself?
There was also a note inside the box with the words "Return the property to the original owner" written on it.
It can be seen that the brushwork is a bit unfamiliar, as if he was imitating a book stroke by stroke.
"Maybe I figured it out."
Qin Shuyu closed the box and looked out the window: "Although I don't know why she is so weird, she likes to say ridiculous and unrealistic things and think about impossible things."
"But this is the Marquis' Mansion. She wants Xie Yuchuan to divorce me. It's simply a fantasy that we should be together for the rest of our lives."
"Xiao Man, go back and tell her that as long as she abides by her duties and stops having naive dreams, this huge Marquis's Mansion will give her a place to live."
Su Zhu next to her curled her lips in dissatisfaction: "Madam! You are too tolerant and kind. You don't bother with Shen in everything. If she had one tenth of your gentleness and elegance, she wouldn't be rejected by the Marquis."
哗；
Xiaoman, who was about to leave, paused.