Dreams shattered, Old Madam Chen was so furious her lungs nearly burst.
Rage surged up through her like wildfire, and she jumped to her feet, cursing at the top of her lungs.
“You worthless brat! What nonsense are you spouting now? If you won’t let your father enter the palace, then you’ll obediently marry that man! Stop stirring up trouble!”
Having already persuaded her simple-minded father, Chen Qingqing no longer held back. Her eyes gleamed coldly as she said icily,
“My father won’t go into the palace, and I won’t get married. As for your precious third son having no silver to keep studying — that’s your problem. My father has worked himself half to death all these years to feed the third branch. He’s already done more than enough.If someone must be sold, then sell his own daughter. Don’t even think about selling me. You took the betrothal silver and don’t want to return it? Fine. Then marry off your beloved granddaughter, Chen Ruolan. It has nothing to do with our family.”
Old Man Chen’s hands trembled with fury, his beard quivering as he glared at her.
“This is rebellion! What do you mean it has nothing to do with you? We’re one family! When your third uncle becomes the top scholar in the empire, won’t you all share in the glory?”
At that, Chen Zhanshan’s eyes dimmed.He had heard those same words for nearly twenty years.
To fund Zhancai’s studies, the family had burned through every last coin and grain of rice.Even their only ox had been sold five years ago.
Since then, he had become that ox — laboring from dawn till dusk.
Whenever anyone voiced discontent, their parents silenced them with the same excuse: It’s for your brother’s future!
He had believed it once. He had believed that his brother’s success would lift them all.
But after year upon year of failure — and now that they wanted to sell his daughter to fund him — that faith finally died.
He looked at his wife and daughter, their faces pale and gaunt, their clothes patched and threadbare.
Then at his sister-in-law, Liu-shi, dressed in silk, her skin rosy and smooth — living comfortably on the sweat and blood of their labor.
For years, his family had worked themselves to the bone for the third branch.
Now, seeing it clearly, it all felt bitterly absurd.
His heart sank into an icy pit.
“Father,” he said heavily, “all these years, I’ve done every dirty, backbreaking job there is just to support Third Brother’s schooling. I’ve fulfilled my duty as an older brother. He’s thirty-four now. If he wants to keep studying, he should find his own way to pay for it. He’s no child — he has no right to target my daughter.”
“Utter nonsense!” the old man bellowed. “How can you say that? Your brother’s been busy studying! Where do you expect him to earn silver? You’re his elder brother — when the family’s in need, it’s your duty to help! What’s so wrong with marrying off your daughter? When your third brother brings glory to the family, you’ll share in the wealth!”
“That’s right, Eldest Brother, you’ve gone too far,” Zhancai said, curling his lip. “Do a little work and you act like it’ll kill you. If you were the one studying for the exam, I wouldn’t hesitate to help — even if I had to climb mountains or walk through fire! But you — you’ve really disappointed me!”
Old Man Chen’s eyes shone with pride. “Hear that? Look at your third brother’s noble heart! Eldest, you should learn from him. That’s how an older brother should act!”
Old Madam Chen’s gaze fell on Qingqing, hatred flashing in her eyes.
This cursed money-losing girl — always running her mouth!
If not for her, with Zhanshan’s meek temperament, he’d have agreed without protest.Now he was even defending that useless daughter of his!
Grinding her teeth, she snapped,“Eldest, don’t listen to that girl’s nonsense. No matter how close she is to you, she’ll marry out sooner or later — she’s not truly one of us. Look at your younger sister — when she was home, everyone doted on her, but once she married, her loyalties turned outward. You three brothers share the same blood — that’s what truly matters. When your third brother becomes the top scholar, you’ll be the brother of a high official! You’ll have whatever you want. Listen to your mother — marry off that girl!”
Chen Zhanshan’s face was as dark as water. “You want me to learn from the third? To learn selfishness?You won’t even let him skip one exam, just one year, so we can all survive? He shuts himself away reading while the rest of us break our backs to feed him — and you call that virtue? My only regret is not seeing through his hypocrisy sooner. Sell my daughter? Don’t even dream of it!”
Qingqing’s face hardened. “Father’s right. My third uncle does nothing but boast and draw false promises. If he truly cared for the family, would skipping one exam matter so much? Is a human life worth less than his ambition?”
Chen Zhanliang, the second brother, could no longer hold his tongue.“Qing girl’s right! What’s the harm in skipping a year? Let Third Brother go chop wood or till the fields for once — maybe then he’ll understand how hard we’ve worked to keep him studying!”
Qingqing looked at him with gratitude.
Her second uncle might not be the cleverest man, but at least he was fair and decent.
She didn’t want her parents to suffer anymore.
She needed time — and she was confident she could make money herself.
If Zhancai still had a shred of decency left, she wouldn’t treat him unfairly later.
It was a gamble — to see if her uncle still had any humanity left.
“I agree with Second Uncle,” she said. “If my third uncle is willing to wait until next year to take the exam, then even if next year is just as hard, I’ll marry whomever you choose — even a butcher — and use the betrothal silver to fund his studies.”
Zhanliang nodded firmly. “I agree with Qing girl. If Third Brother doesn’t take the exam this year, then even if next year I have to enter the palace as a eunuch, I’ll do it willingly.”
Zhancai’s face turned livid. Him — chop wood? Work in the fields?
The thought was unbearable — an insult to a scholar’s dignity!
“Father, Mother,” he protested, “I’ve studied day and night for years to bring honor to the Chen family.If you forbid me from taking the exam, I’d rather starve to death!”
Liu Fengjiao, ever the instigator, added fuel to the fire.“Mother, studying isn’t easier than physical labor! If Zhancai can’t take the exam, it’ll destroy him.”
Old Man Chen’s heart wavered again.
Times really were hard this year — if the third son skipped this exam, it might ease the family’s burden.
They wouldn’t have to sell their granddaughter or send a son to the palace — the village wouldn’t mock them.
He hesitated, looking to his wife. “Old woman, what do you think we should do?”
The old matriarch adored her third son.
Seeing him wronged cut her like a knife. Her face hardened.“What do you mean what should we do? After all these years of hard study, he can’t give up now. He must take the exam!”
Zhancai finally smiled. “Mother, don’t worry. This year, I’ll definitely pass and bring honor to our family.”
“Good, good son. I believe in you.” The old woman’s smile faded as she turned to glare at her eldest.“Since you refuse to support your brother’s studies, and won’t let me marry off your daughter — then get out! From this day on, I have no eldest son. When your brother succeeds, don’t even dream of coming back to share his glory!”
Qingqing’s lips curled into a faint smile.
Perfect.
She had been worrying about how to convince her parents to split from the family — and the old hag had just built the bridge for her.
Exactly what she wanted.