“Why are you so stubborn?” Wang Lumei stood close to Yan Zigui and whispered, “Just apologize first and get through today. If this spreads outside, it will hurt your reputation.”
“Great-Aunt, if my younger sister has done anything wrong, I apologize to you on her behalf,” Yan Shiwen stepped forward and bowed. “Please be generous and don’t argue with her.”
“I already said it’s not because of her.” Mo Huan shook her head. “I don’t want to celebrate my birthday. Are you forcing me to celebrate it?”
“The invitations have already been sent out. If we cancel now, it will only cause rumors,” Mrs. Song said calmly. Everyone understood her meaning. “Children don’t understand the seriousness of things. Why should you lower yourself to argue with her?”
If you truly force her to bow her head, and she refuses, no one knows what she might do.
Mo Huan looked at her, and tears came instantly. “Back then, Aunt brought me into the Yan family. My cousin went to the front lines, and no one knew if he would live or die. I depended on Aunt to survive. When he returned, he brought his wife with him. I was going to leave, but Aunt refused, so I stayed.”
“My sister-in-law did not understand household matters, so I managed them. When she followed my cousin to Jialan Pass, the old and the young were left at home. I carried everything on my shoulders. No matter how much gossip there was, I pretended not to hear it.”
“After enduring all these years, can I not even decide something small like not celebrating my own birthday?” Mo Huan cried. “I truly don’t know what I have done to wrong the Yan family.”
Rao Xueniang and Yan Zhenying cried along with her.
Yan Ci looked at Yan Zigui with impatience. “Is this the scene you wanted to see?”
“When the whole family was peaceful, you had to stand up and say it wasn’t right?”
“When your great-grandmother brought you into the Yan family, it was because your stepmother wanted to marry you off as a concubine to a prefect over fifty years old. You said that since you would be a concubine anyway, you would rather be your grandfather’s concubine. Only then did your great-grandmother bring you in.”
“Your grandparents were married by arrangement of General Yan Ming, and Qin Rong, the grain officer, was the witness. They married properly on the battlefield. How can you twist the story to make it sound like there was no proper marriage?”
“The Mo family had already fallen into decline. Even when Grandfather had not yet achieved success, Great-Grandmother did not want to make you the main wife. After Grandfather returned victorious and was honored as a general, he had planned to prepare a dowry and marry you off. If you had not knelt before Great-Grandmother and cried all night, you would not have become a concubine. You begged for this position yourself. Why are you full of grievances now?”
Yan Zigui spoke calmly, as if it were nothing serious.
Everyone present widened their eyes. They had never heard this version before.
Mo Huan glared at her, and this time her tears seemed more real. “I have never spoken badly about your mother at home, yet she slanders me in Jialan Pass.”
“To be scolded by a junior like this—what is the point of my living? I might as well die.”
“Yan Zigui!” Yan Ci shouted. “Do you really want to make this impossible to fix?”
“So all these years you listened to her speak badly about my parents?” Yan Zigui asked him in return. “Did they go to Jialan Pass to enjoy comfort? They left you here in the capital to suffer, and she stayed at home as the so-called ‘Old Madam’ and claims great merit?”
“Zigui,” Mrs. Song interrupted when she saw her speaking too much. “Matters of the older generation are not for you to discuss.”
Yan Zigui fell silent. Only Mo Huan’s crying filled the room. Rao Xueniang and Yan Zhenying were too shocked to continue crying for a moment.
Mo Huan kept shouting that she did not want to live anymore.
Yan Shixue said to Yan Zigui, “Just give her a way out first. It’s not good for things to stay like this.”
Yan Shidao from the second branch also said, “Elder Sister, before you came back, we were all taught to learn from your filial piety. But now, you…”
Yan Zigui gave a light laugh and looked at Mo Huan. “Filial piety?”
“Your act may work on them, but it doesn’t work on me. Did you give birth to my father? Did you raise me for even one day? You did neither. On what basis should I show you filial respect?”
“I didn’t give birth to your father, and I didn’t raise you. In this family, I am just an outsider. I might as well die.” Mo Huan beat her chest and wailed, while the others hurried to comfort her.
Yan Ci’s face turned dark. “I am your father. Will you listen to me or not?”
Just as everything was in complete chaos, Gan Cao and the housekeeper’s wife lifted the curtain and came in.
“Madam, the official broker has arrived,” the housekeeper’s wife said first. Gan Cao walked quietly to stand behind Yan Zigui.
“The official broker? I didn’t invite him,” Mrs. Song said in confusion.
“I invited him,” Yan Zigui said.
Her expression changed. She was no longer calm and challenging. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and she looked as if she were about to cry.
“As soon as I came back, Aunt said she didn’t want to celebrate her birthday. Father and Mother scolded me. Uncles and aunts blamed me. My brothers and sisters also said I was wrong.”
“Maybe… I should never have come back.”
“Your younger uncle didn’t blame you. Your younger aunt didn’t either. Your fifth and eighth brothers and your fourth sister didn’t blame you,” Yan Fu said quickly.
Yan Zigui sniffed. “They say we are one family. Second Uncle can run out and find a place to stay. But I have nowhere to go.”
“So I invited the broker to find a quiet small courtyard where I can stay until Grandfather and Grandmother return.” She looked at Mo Huan. “I don’t know why Aunt hates me so much. But you are an elder. If anything is wrong, it must be my fault. I will leave immediately. I hope I won’t ruin Aunt’s mood for her birthday.”
“I am young. I cannot bear such responsibility.”
Mo Huan opened her mouth but could not speak. She did not expect Yan Zigui, at such a young age, to say such things. These were tactics usually used by married women with experience. Young girls were usually too shy to speak their true thoughts so clearly.
After speaking, Yan Zigui bowed and immediately turned to leave without hesitation.
“Stop her!” Mo Huan cried urgently. “If she moves out today, no one in this house will be able to show their face again!”
Wang Shumei quickly ran after her.
They struggled in the courtyard.
Yan Zigui’s crying voice could be heard from outside.
Yan Fu glared at his older brother. “Brother, others may not care because they don’t share her blood. But you are her father. She left you when she was so young. After so many years, this is her first time coming home, and you treat her like this?”
“You—”
Yan Ci felt pain in his heart when he heard her words. Being blamed by his younger brother made him even angrier. He threw his teacup to the ground.
The sound of broken porcelain rang out.
“None of you listen to me anyway. Do whatever you want. I don’t care anymore!”
Outside, Wang Shumei was comforting Yan Zigui. “Don’t take it to heart. This is your home. You cannot leave.”
Yan Zigui seemed to have more to say and stopped in the courtyard. She raised her voice so the people inside could hear.
“I may be young and inexperienced, but I am not stupid. I just arrived yesterday, and today the birthday banquet is canceled. When guests ask why, will you say it is because I dislike it?”
“Who am I? I just returned, and already I can force the aunt of this house to cancel her birthday banquet? If this spreads, won’t people say I am arrogant and unreasonable?”
“Aunt has bad intentions, and Father only tells me to endure everything.”
“I have already been very patient.”
“If not, I would have packed my things this morning and left. I could go to my grandaunt’s home. I could go to my grandfather’s old friends. If the Yan family cannot tolerate me, let’s see who will truly lose face.”
“You are a good child. Aunt knows that. You were raised personally by your grandmother. You cannot be wrong,” Wang Shumei comforted her. This girl raised in the northwest was truly impressive. She cried loudly and clearly, yet not a single tear was on her face.
“They say I disturb the peace of the family.” Yan Zigui looked toward the room inside. “Then just wait. I will not admit to something I did not do. If today you force me to recognize this ‘Old Madam’—”
“Tomorrow I will have people tear down the plaque of this residence. When Grandfather returns to the capital and asks the Emperor to grant him a new home, you can call whoever you want ‘Old Madam.’ I won’t care.”