CH 5

Marriage

During the spring season, the streets of Xijing are filled with residents flying kites among the vibrant colors of blooming flowers and lush green willows. The grassy fields are dotted with wildflowers, as their petals reach up towards the sky, adding a pop of color to the already vibrant scene. 

However, amidst this picturesque scenery, in a rundown tile-roofed house in the south courtyard, a blind and beautiful woman devoutly kneels on her futon and prays for her white knight (Pei Xuan) with all her heart. Unaware that on the other side of the wall that confides her, she has become the topic of gossip among her neighbors

…

"I heard that the eldest daughter of Mr. Xining supposedly committed suicide, but is actually alive and blind.”

"That doesn't match what I heard," interjected a food vendor. "I've heard people say that the person Mrs. Pei really admires is the youngest daughter from Mr. Xining’s family." 

"Yes, yes…but we should also praise his oldest daughter!.”

The two went back and forth.

Although there were also some people who didn’t understand, as they waved their hands, and said: "Stop arguing, anyway, it's the daughter from the Xining family who is being praised, does it make any difference whether it's the oldest or the youngest?.”

The crowd was taken aback for a moment, but soon realized that the important thing was that the daughter came from the respected Xining family, and not which specific daughter was being praised. 

This realization caused the value of all the daughters from the Xining family to rise,

After hearing the news, many wives sought to marry their sons to one of the beautiful and virtuous daughters.

Though this may have seemed like a positive outcome to outsiders, Mr. Xining was not pleased, scowling and asking, "Did you send someone to spread those words?.”

Mrs. Xining scolded her husband for being slow: "I created a trend, and took advantage of the people’s confusion. Besides, I didn't lie, Mrs. Pei did praise our daughter, but I was just confusing the public as to who it was.”

She added, "Besides, as a father, you don't need to think about our Dai’s marriage. That responsibility is for the mother.”

"Besides, by spreading this information, wouldn’t there be more people coming to our house to propose for marriage?.”

However, despite the influx of marriage proposals, many people in Xijing now knew that Mr. Xining had a blind daughter, which deeply affected him and left him feeling depressed. 

His wife, meanwhile, was too preoccupied with choosing a future son-in-law and had no time to comfort him. 

Each member of the family had their own responsibilities to attend to, and it seemed that no one had the time or inclination to think about the eldest daughter who still lived in a rundown house, with no one to care for her.

In this moment, Cui Dai's anger flared as she stormed and made her way to the small south courtyard, her voice raised in fury. "Well, Cui Ti, you dare to have a private meeting with an outsider while keeping this lady out of it?. Besides, using a straw mat and placing it by the wall, how coincidental that a person fell and it would be the son of the prime minister!? Such absurdity!.”

She was filled with rage that day, as the Prime Minister's wife had ignored her, despite always being spoiled. To make matters worse, her own mother had the audacity to use Cui Ti's accomplishment to draw the attention of a group of noble ladies, all eager to marry off their sons. 

The thought of being subjected to such shame and degradation was unbearable for her. 

"Cui Ti! Come out here! You b***h!.”

Hearing the loud shouts, Bai Ge came out holding a broom: “Miss Dai?.”

“Where’s Cui Ti?.” Cui Dai demanded as she entered the room, accompanied by a strong woman with hard muscles and a thick waist.

Bai Ge quickly grasped the situation, and positioned herself behind the door. "The mistress is in the middle of her prayers.”

"Praying? Who are you praying to? The two of you are trying to curse me to death!,” Cui Dai sneered.

"Miss Dai, don't speak nonsense!.”

Cui Dai's anger boiled over, her voice filled with contempt. "Did I give you permission to speak? Tear her mouth for me, let's see if she dares to speak again without my permission."

editing

"No, don't! Miss Dai!—.”

"Wait!.” Cui Ti walked out, her hand gripping a piece of green bamboo. She was dressed in a silk gown that accentuated her elegance and poise. Though she may not have had the same physical maturity as the 14-year-old Cui Dai, her beauty was undeniable and striking. 

The more Cui Dai looked at her, the more she became angry, and she was sure that Cui Ti had bewitched Pei Xuan with her beauty.

Furthermore, her mother made it very clear to her that the son of the Pei family was the most reputable and outstanding man ever in Xijing.

He came first in literary talent, first in character, first in appearance, and first in family background, not to mention the other things, but he is also the prime minister's only son. 

With such a talent, sooner or later, His Majesty will definitely appoint him to a very important position.

The malice in Cui Dai's eyes was unmistakable as she sneered, "You came just in time, your dog offended this lady, now I'm going to kill her, will you let me?.”

"--Bai Ge, come here."

Bai Ge was gagged and struggling, her body writhing in pain and her face flushed. The two maids who accompanied Cui Dai held Bai Ge down firmly and kicked her hard in the calf, forcing her to kneel before their mistress.

Cui Ti's grip on the bamboo stick was tight, her lips pressed together in a thin line and her shoulders were shaking slightly. 

Cui Dai noticed her reaction and was overjoyed, "I suggest you give up on your delusional aspirations. A sparrow will always be a sparrow and will never turn into a phoenix. Moreover, you're a blind woman, why would the Pei family's son find you attractive? And don't forget, you're a tragic accident born to a father who doesn't love you and a mother who uses you for her own gain.”

"I am not an accident."

"But you are! Just look at your pitiful maid, who has been serving you since childhood, never getting enough to eat or warm clothes to wear, constantly bullied by the other servants. I'll do her a favor and kill her right now, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Immediately, Cui Ti slammed the bamboo stick on the ground, and Bai Ge bit her lip in humiliation.

She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the mistress come over and stand up for her.

Meanwhile, Cui Dai watched as Cui Ti helplessly moved step by step and waved the bamboo staff tentatively and laughed at her.

But Cui Ti ignored her laughter and continued, mustering her utmost effort to make her way, and she did in a speed Cui Dai didn’t expect!

However, Cui Dai continued to mock and jeer, and she never expected to be struck by the bamboo stick. At first, the impact was soft, but as Cui Ti continued to strike her, Cui Dai cried out in pain.

Taking advantage of the situation, Bai Ge got up, clenched her fists and beat the face of the maid who oppressed her just now.

The scene was a chaotic mess. 

Cui Dai was shocked by the sudden turn of events and didn't expect the blind girl to fight back so fiercely.

"Hit them! No, kill them!!,” Cui Dai screamed, ordering her servants to join the fray. 

Three of them stepped forward and began to mercilessly beat the thin maid and the blind girl.

As the brutal beating persisted for another 15 minutes, Cui Dai's rage still boiled within her. She glared at the rabbit cage but saw that it was empty, internally, she wished to tear Cui Ti's heart out, but knew it was impossible.

"Mistress, how are you?,” Bai Ge asked, despite having a bruised nose and a swollen face.

Cui Ti's body was slick with sweat, her temples damp, and her fingers tightly gripping the bamboo stick she had used to defend herself and her maid. She was panting heavily, her wooden hairpin having fallen to the ground, and her hair cascading down, obscuring half of her face.

She was out of breath, the wooden hairpin on her head fell to the ground, and her hair hung down, covering half of her face.

Bai Ge, lying on the ground, trembling, pushed her hair aside and, upon seeing that her mistress face was unscathed, let out a relieved smirk: "Mistress, you were so powerful. I saw you hit someone with a bamboo stick, and you saved me! Although, it did take me a while to jump over and scratch her face!”

She continued to gloat, "I guess our injuries won't heal in half a month."

As the spring breeze blew, Bai Ge surveyed the small courtyard that had been through so much—

The swing set she had so carefully built for her mistress lay in ruins, and the flowers, plants, and vegetables she had tended to in the yard were trampled and destroyed.

Bai Ge felt her nose getting stuffy and said softly: "Mistress, when they left, we weren't considered losers, since we fought back. You know, I wouldn't even have thought about retaliating before.”

She was silent for a moment, looked at her beautiful and poor master with a serious expression, then smiled sincerely and said, "Mistress, you are so brave." 

Bai Ge gently pried open Cui Ti's hand, the one she had been gripping the bamboo stick with, and saw the red nail marks and her shoes that had been stepped on multiple times, tears welling up in her eyes: "Let's not fight with them next time, okay?.”

Cui Ti looked up, her voice hoarse, "Do you think I'm useless too?.”

“No, Bai Ge didn't think that way!.”

"There won't be a next time."

Cui Ti stood up with her bamboo stick, her footing unsteady, "I will protect you from now on, you are mine, and no one can bully you." 

Her words touched Bai Ge’s heart. She felt that death would be worth it, her heart broke and she burst into tears while holding Cui Ti: "Woo..wooooo.woooo.”

…

The fact that Cui Dai had gone to the south courtyard to beat someone could not be kept a secret from her family. 

Mrs. Xining reprimanded her daughter when she heard about it, hypocritically speaking about right and wrong and so on.

Her prejudice was so deeply ingrained that even Mr. Xining couldn't see it, and even if he could, he would choose to ignore it for one reason alone: he didn't like the eldest daughter, Cui Ti.

During this time, Mr. Xining thought repeatedly about how much better things would be if Cui Ti wasn't blind. If she had won the praise of the Prime Minister's wife like yesterday, he would find her a good marriage.

But he sighed in sadness, "Send the medicine over, even the poison of a tiger does not eat its offspring." (T/L: In order to make himself feel morally right, he does not pray on his offsprings downfall)

Cui Dai was taken aback.

Mrs. Xining was like a cat whose foot has been stepped on, "I gave birth to her, and I still owe her? You say I'm a poisonous tiger? When I was pregnant with her, she tortured me!.”

"You don’t think it’s shameful to have a blind daughter? I get angry whenever I see her. Also, what’s with you? You didn't care about her for eighteen years, and now you want to be a loving father. Are you brain dead!?.”

After being scolded, Mr. Xining simply stared at her and stopped meddling in their affairs as usual.

"I'm really mad at your father!.” After he left, Ms. Xining complained to the youngest daughter.

Cui Dai, overhearing their argument, felt elated and immediately suggested, "Mom, why don't we arrange a marriage for the blind girl? We could make her get married early, so that you won't have to argue with her anymore."

"Marriage?.”

The marriage of children is typically decided by the parents, and Mrs. Xining is the person who holds the power in the household. However, she never considered marrying Cui Ti off.

"Would anyone want her?.”

"Definitely. This is also a great opportunity to get rid of her. Plus, since the prime minister's wife praised Cui Ti, no one would dare treat her poorly."

"What’s more, there are people in Xijing who are blind, deaf, and autistic. It's only natural that the disabled should marry the disabled."

Her words managed to sway Mrs. Xining's mind. If the children's marriage is handled well, perhaps another imperial scholar will emerge from their family.

On that day, Mrs. Xining, who hadn't set foot in the small south courtyard for 18 years, led an elderly female painter to stand in front of Cui Ti to paint her portrait, put the medicinal bottle down and left without saying a word.

Witnessing this, the hope in Bai Ge's eyes was shattered piece by piece. Only God knows why Ms. Xining was extremely excited to see the mistress in the small courtyard.

Despite Cui Ti being her own flesh and blood, the youngest daughter savagely beat her without any repercussion. In any other family, this would have been considered a grave punishment.

But Cui Ti did not hear any words of comfort or explanation from her mother.

She tightly gripped the medicine bottle, her knuckles turning white.

“Mistress, what does this mean? It can't be—"

Bai Ge covered her mouth: At that moment, the only thing that came to her mind was the portrait being painted, and it could only mean one thing!

At that moment, the white porcelain bottle in Cui Ti’s hands fell and shattered, accompanied by Bai Ge's exclamation and confusion, as Cui Ti smiled lightly, "Really, she is trying to marry me off again."