After leaving the Houfu, Xing Dai Rong emerged from the room. “Miss Xing, you’re awake?” Qiu Kui, seeing her come out, couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. She was about to go forward and ask how she was doing when she saw her striding out. “Miss Xing, where are you going!”
“To Lu Lingyun’s place!”
Xing Dai Rong marched towards Lu Lingyun’s courtyard, her face flushed with anger. Hearing this, Qiu Kui felt cold sweat break out on her forehead. “My dear mother, what is she going to do to the mistress again!”
Lu Lingyun was watering flowers in the courtyard. Recently, she had cultivated a large pot of flowers, each kind possessing its own unique beauty. Just as she was watering the newly acquired Night-Blooming Cereus, Xing Dai Rong barged in.
“Miss Xing, what are you doing!”
“We haven’t reported yet!”
Xiao Wei and the others followed Xing Dai Rong in. Seeing her arrival, Lu Lingyun set down the watering can. “Miss Xing has come.”
“Don’t pretend!” Xing Dai Rong glared at Lu Lingyun, her face full of rage. “You are the most hateful person in the entire Houfu!”
“How have I offended you?” Lu Lingyun smiled calmly, looking at her.
“Why do you have to marry him!”
Lu Lingyun chuckled at her. “Miss Xing, you’ve asked me this question several times. Let me repeat it once again: arranged by my parents, with a matchmaker’s blessing, I was brought into the Houfu with a dowry of a hundred and forty sedan chairs, with a grand wedding ceremony. ”
“You don’t love Cheng Yunshuo at all, why do you have to do this!”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“I’m saying, can’t you live without a man!” Xing Dai Rong screamed hysterically.
After a night of contemplation, she had figured it out – her enemy was not Qiu Ling, but Lu Lingyun! If not for her occupying the position of mistress, how could Cheng Yunshuo have called her a concubine!
Since Cheng Yunshuo refused to divorce, she was here to make her leave!
“You’re being so presumptuous! Don’t you dare touch her!”霜红 had gained some experience over this period of time, she had learned to read the situation and ordered someone to grab Xing Dai Rong. She had gone too far, there was no need to indulge her anymore!
At this moment, Lu Lingyun gently waved her hand, dismissing everyone. She looked at Xing Dai Rong, who was still seething with anger, and calmly smiled. “Miss Xing, you said I can’t live without a man?”
“Isn’t that true? Since you don’t love Cheng Yunshuo at all, why do you have to cling to this position! Can women in your era have some dignity!”
Lu Lingyun continued to smile as she looked at her. “Judging from your tone, you seem to be from a different time.”
“I am!” Xing Dai Rong blurted out. There was no longer any need to hold back. “I tell you, I come from a world of freedom and equality, where everyone can pursue true love, not manipulated by anyone! You have some dignity too, stop clinging to Cheng Yunshuo, give up the position that belongs to me!”
Lu Lingyun’s eyes lit up as she listened to her words. She nodded. “The world you described is truly beautiful.”
“Then why don’t you step aside!” A flash of joy crossed Xing Dai Rong’s eyes. The next second, she heard Lu Lingyun say.
“But, I believe, no matter what world it is, only those with strength can speak of dignity, freedom, and love.”
Xing Dai Rong was stunned.
“My father is a fifth-rank Hanlin scholar, and many of my brothers hold official positions in the court. When I married, my dowry consisted of a hundred and forty sedan chairs, filled with food, clothing, and other necessities, including a coffin, encompassing everything I needed from birth to death. Even the well water I drink in the Houfu was built by my father, ensuring that I could live comfortably for the rest of my life without relying on the Houfu for a single thread, drop of water, or grain.”
Lu Lingyun smiled as she looked at Xing Dai Rong. “But what about you, Miss Xing?”
“Money, power, and influence? What do you have? The food you eat, the clothes you wear, all depend on the Young Master. Even this dress you wear, it was the Young Master who asked me for money to make for you. You said I can’t live without a man, but I think you’re the one who can’t live without a man.”
“You have nothing. How can you qualify to ask me to fulfill your dream of freedom, love, and dignity? Is it just because you think the world should be like that in your previous era?”
**Cultural References and Idioms:**
* **Hanlin scholar (翰林)**: A prestigious academic position in ancient China, associated with high literacy and scholarship.
* **Dowry (嫁妆)**: Traditionally, a large sum of money or goods given by the bride’s family to the groom’s family upon marriage.
* **Sedan chairs (抬)**: A common mode of transportation in ancient China, particularly for women.
* **Three Matchmakers and Six Rites (三媒六聘)**: A traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, symbolizing the formal process of arranged marriage.
* **Hundred and forty sedan chairs (一百四十抬)**: This large amount of dowry highlights the wealth and influence of Lu Lingyun’s family.
* **”From birth to death (从生到死)”**: This phrase emphasizes how the dowry included everything Lu Lingyun would ever need, ensuring her independence even after her husband’s death.
**Other Notes:**
* The translation attempts to maintain the novel’s tone and style, including the direct address to the reader (e.g., “My dear mother”).
* Some idiomatic expressions are kept to enhance the authenticity, with explanations provided.
* The translation incorporates the glossary to ensure consistency in the names and terms.
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