Qu Fulan was unaware that someone was thinking of her.
That night, she had a dream.
Dreamed of the original female protagonist crying.
In a desolate and empty room.
In stark contrast to the scene outside, with its lavish wedding festivities and bridal candles.
...
Qu Fulan woke up in the middle of the night, feeling her cheeks cool. She touched them to find tears soaking her pillow.
Were they the original memories stimulating her empathy?
She remembered the dream accurately; it was a scene she'd once read in a novel.
Perhaps because the Pei Mansion was nearing a celebration, with red lanterns hung everywhere, she was "triggered by her surroundings."
But the scene in the dream did not take place at the Pei Family.
It was about the female protagonist's experiences after leaving the Pei Mansion.
Qu Fulan still remembers her feelings after finishing that novel.
She felt sorry for the female protagonist's misfortune and angry at her lack of resistance.
As for the male protagonist, she only had two words.
Garbage.
But Qu Fulan also knew that in ancient times, women had a hard time living decently unless they came from good families. Otherwise, like the female protagonist who fell into hardship, with both parents dead, her only option was to rely on a man.
Besides, that man was her childhood sweetheart, so her wanting to rely on him was normal.
Take the current marriage alliance with the Pei Family's third branch, for example. The Yao Family held the official title of fourth rank, but Third Master Pei couldn't even pass a scholar's exam. He relied on connections from the Pei Family's main branch to purchase a minor seventh-rank title.
With such a mismatch in status, it's surprising the Yao Family agreed to the match. There's only one reason: the Yao Family wanted to connect with the Pei Family's main branch.
For this purpose, the Yao Family exchanged a daughter for long-term benefits, which was a very profitable transaction.
Besides, with the Yao daughter marrying into the Pei Family's third branch, the third branch wouldn't dare to mistreat her in the future.
From the Yao Family's perspective, facilitating this marriage had countless benefits and no downsides, so why wouldn't they agree?
So here's the problem: Miss Yao's own wishes don't matter; whether she wants it or not, the marriage must happen.
Even if Third Young Master Pei is a scoundrel.
Daughters of officials already have no control over their lives, not to mention those from less fortunate backgrounds, who have it even harder.
So they can only hope to marry a man worth trusting for a lifetime, and only then would their life have hope.
How difficult is it to find a man worth trusting for a lifetime.
When Qu Fulan was in modern times, due to her parents' preference for sons over daughters, she never felt her parents' love, let alone had the luxury to pray for undying love.
That was too extravagant.
She couldn't afford it.
Now speaking of Miss Yao, upon learning that the Pei Mansion kept two exceptional maidservants, she felt various discomforts in her heart.
She mentioned this to her mother.
"Mother, Mrs. Pei's hobby is truly harmful. They're just maidservants, but she insists on keeping some seductresses around. Isn't she afraid it would disrupt the household?"
Mrs. Yao, being experienced, wasn't so narrow-minded.
"Elders like to look at beautiful things, just like your grandmother, who also keeps two striking maidservants. Because as they age, they enjoy seeing pleasing things. Otherwise, unsightly ones might ruin their appetite."
Seeing her daughter still didn't understand, she added, "Just rest assured, just like your grandmother, the maidservants she keeps are well-behaved, and the elderly have methods to discipline their subordinates."
Miss Yao remained unconvinced, "No matter how you prevent theft from outside, you can't guard against traitors inside. They may seem well-behaved now, but who knows when they might have ill thoughts? If you ask me, they should all be driven out to prevent future troubles!"
"It's fine to say these things in front of me, but if you're at the Pei Mansion, Mrs. Pei is not someone you can mess with."
"It's just driving out two maidservants; how is that considered messing up?" Miss Yao didn't understand.
Mrs. Yao feared that without pointing out the important connections, her daughter might not understand and ruin things.
"Think about it, can you move someone close to Mrs. Pei? Your father is hoping to form good ties with the Pei Family's main branch. If you ruin your father's opportunity, see how he punishes you."
Miss Yao bit her lip, finally saying nothing but still feeling unconvinced inside.
Being her own daughter, Mrs. Yao knew what was on her mind. So she softened her tone and comforted her.
"Learn to look on the bright side. Which of these men don't have concubines? Instead of dwelling on such matters, it's more important to think about how to maintain the marital relationship. As long as you manage your husband, aren't the other concubines at your disposal?"
"I don't care about other men having concubines, but my man is different. I'm the daughter of a fourth-rank official, and marrying down is already a grievance. My future husband should respect me and not take concubines!"
Mrs. Yao frowned, seeing her daughter's arrogance. From a young age, she paid no heed to her half-siblings and would destroy anything good rather than share with them. She cared little for them, so she failed to see her daughter's inappropriate behavior.
Now, seeing her daughter's attitude towards marriage, Mrs. Yao had to take a firm stance and teach her daughter how to be a wife properly.
As for whether Miss Yao was ultimately convinced, only she knew.
Meanwhile, the preparations for the joyous event at the Pei Mansion were reaching the final stage, and all that remained was to welcome the bride in seven days, completing all arrangements.
Now, people at Pei Mansion were coming and going, with joyous smiles on everyone's faces.
The joy of the wedding truly seemed infectious.
Qu Fulan walked amid the cheer, smiling but inwardly calm.
She was not swept away, for having witnessed her parents' failed marriage in modern times, she did not have expectations for marriage, making it hard to resonate emotionally.
To her, freedom and money were most important. If someone at Pei Mansion would take pity and offer her a lot of money and then set her free, she would be happier than anyone.
This feeling might only be understood by a caged bird.
Under an ancient locust tree in Fushou Hall's courtyard, a bird was confined in a cage.
Though fed well every day, its chirping was noticeably less cheerful than that of the birds outside.
Despite freedom being so close, it was trapped in the cage, unable to soar through the sky.
In such a state, having wings was futile.
As night fell, the lively and festive atmosphere at the Pei Mansion slowly calmed, and Qu Fulan stood under the tree feeding the bird.
This was her most relaxed moment of the day. Perhaps due to their shared predicament, she felt genuine empathy for the bird.
The bird seemed to sense something, becoming unusually lively whenever she came to feed it, hopping up and down, making her laugh from the bottom of her heart.
A tall figure strode in from outside, seeing this scene.
Under the ancient locust tree, in the dim light of the lamps, the woman was graceful and ethereal, with an unrestrained elegance.
Qu Fulan, hearing footsteps, instinctively turned her head just as the person drew near.