CH 6.1

Chapter 6.1

The moment Liu Chengji turned around and opened his mouth, Ruan Longling felt like she was splashed by a bucket of cold water. She couldn’t think of what had just happened, and after a few seconds, she came to her senses. Ruan Longling pressed her lips tightly, but she still explained softly, “I have no other choice but to do that. An unexpected situation came suddenly, and I had to collect money. Otherwise, our business would have gone bankrupt. That’s why…”

“So you have made such a fuss because of that, and you didn’t even care about our face for petty gains?” Liu Chengji asked aggressively after interrupting Ruan Longling’s explanation with a cold expression.

Ruan Longling was very upset because she felt that her companion, who had walked side by side for many years, suddenly took out a knife and stabbed her in the heart when she was not prepared. The appearance of Liu Chengji in front of her was still the same, but it seemed that he had completely changed. ‘Aji was not like this before, he was a meek character, he never spoke loudly in front of me, and he cared about me.’

It’s only been half a year, and Ruan Longling didn’t know what he experienced in the capital that caused such a drastic change in temperament. Since he just became cold to her, she also thought to put her good side back on and speak for herself because she knew that she was not wrong in collecting money for Liu Sheshi. “Yes, you’re right. I’m so fussy about every penny, and every penny counts. But it’s because I’m running around for petty profits that you have the famous master’s books and things to practise calligraphy! Because of my hard work, you could meet Mr. Zhou Ge and other great Confucian scholars who can give you advice!” ‘Others can say that I smell like money, but Liu Chengji, how can you?’ I gave him all my heart, so why should he abuse me like this?’

Ruan Longling had never felt so wrong as in this moment, the more she talked, the angrier she became, and the fingertips under her sleeves had unconsciously clenched into fists, complaining loudly that she had sacrificed for so many years. “When I used to pay you for your studies when I spent a huge amount of money to please officials, you said that I worked hard to make money, but now that you are a high scholar, you say I have no regard for decency! So in your eyes, what is gentleness? What is decent?” Ruan Rogling’s frustrated voice echoed around Taowu.

[TL Notes: “Taowa” seems to be an abandoned wooden building.]

“Why are you mentioning these things now? Are you trying to settle an old score with me now?” Liu Chenji also became very angry after listening to Ruan Longling’s words. “Yes, that’s right, you have spent a lot on me over the years, but I have also endured your domineering temper for more than ten years! Summer and winter, I have worked very hard every day, but how did you treat me? Whenever I had a headache and fever, if I didn’t read a book for a day, you were nagging me! If I couldn’t finish reading a book as scheduled, you scolded me. A man has a virtuous wife, but you’re so solitary, refusing to give in at all. With these attitudes, how can you be the mistress of a mansion?”

‘Oh! So it was my fault for urging Liu Chengji to make progress, right? Without my supervision day and night, how would he have the glory of being a top student today?’ Ruan Longling was so angry that she trembled all over, she almost gritted her teeth and asked, “What do you mean I can’t bear the position of the mistress of a mansion? Liu Chengji, what do you mean? You made it clear to me!”

Faced with Ruan Linglong’s questioning, Liu Chengji couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. However, when he was thinking about the days he spent in the capital, his guilt vanished quickly. There, no one talked about the hardships of life and money. The capital was full of rich, noble people who enjoyed life. He had made connections with those people. But if he married a merchant girl, what would happen to him? No noble would keep connections with him. Without connections, he couldn’t gain a foothold in the capital. Did he want to be a good scholar at the Imperial Academy for the rest of his life? What’s the use of true love? Could it make him rise from a humble family to an honourable family?

Because of those thoughts, Liu Cheggji had already made up his mind before coming to Yangzhou. Ruan Longling was the childhood sweetheart that he still had feelings for. But he had to face reality, so he slowly closed his eyes for a while, opened them again, and broke out the cruel words. “You merchants are not good enough for me. This marriage is worthless!”