Marriage of the Di Daughter

Chapter 89 Part 2: Watching a Play

Pipa 

On the stage, Little Peach, who’s playing Jiu’er, finally found her husband. However, her husband avoided knowing her and sang out: “It’s really not because I don’t want to recognize you, but afraid of taking the wrong step and having misfortune falling on oneself.”

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Jiu’er sang: “Saying taking the wrong step and having misfortune falling on oneself. Clearly you’ve got a new person, forgetting the former kindness.

At that time wanted to learn and study in Junzhou, on behalf of you, as filial piety, wife went forward to wait upon the parents, 

In the third year, saw you off to the capital to take the imperial examination, before parting, urging thousands of words to husband

Telling you to return early whether successful or not, bearing in mind the heart of old parents and young child

Who would have thought that you left for three years without any message, the widespread drought starved the parents

With difficulty carried funerals out for father and mother, then brought the child to look for you

You don’t remember the affection of husband and wife at all, and not in favor of your own child

Think with your hand placed on your heart, can it be said you are someone with an iron heart?” 

The people on stage sang with tears streaming on their faces, Jiang Li listened while feeling a pain like a knife being twisted in her heart. With the lyrics, it’s truly too difficult for her not to think of herself. Just like how Jiu’er failed to understand, she didn’t do anything wrong and did everything well, but why did her husband treat her like so. Jiang Li also very much wanted to ask Shen Yurong whether high position and great wealth was really that good. So good that even humanity could be discarded and anything else wasn’t necessary? 

Moreover, there’s his child. 

Her child, before he was born into the world, died from this dirty plot. When Shen Yurong sacrificed him, was there any hesitation, knowing that his blood flowed in this child’s body? 

Jiang Li didn’t dare to think in this direction. 

On the other side, Lu Ji who had been watching the play, suddenly spoke: “Oh, Jiang second miss is watching very attentively.”

All three people looked towards Jiang Li.

Jiang Li stood sideways from them, her eyes hanging very low. She fixed her gaze onto the audience, obviously watching very attentively. With careful look, one could see her holding the second floor’s engraved railings very tightly. The joints on her hand had gone white as she powerfully clutched on it. 

She was absorbed in the play. 

“What’s this?” Kong Liu objected, “Jiang second miss hates evil, clear between right and wrong. This play makes people extremely sullen, the people listening to it are all angry. Jiang second miss was affected by the play and was engrossed inside while listening, it’s very normal.”

“It’s very normal to be fascinated by this play and affected to some extent.” Lu Ji smilingly said: “But this is Jiang second miss.”  

What kind of person Jiang second miss was, seemingly smiling all the time. Even when she wasn’t smiling, she looked gentle like a stream of water, tranquil and serene, practically never seeing her furious or anxious. On some people, this kind of temper was lukewarm, but on Jiang second miss, people with a little eyesight could majority see that Jiang second miss was indifferent.  

Perhaps in her eyes, many things were not important. Unimportant things thus unnecessary to care about. This attitude could only be possessed by someone who had experienced a huge change in their life, usually found in the elderly who had gone through many things in their life.

Even if Jiang second miss once “harm her mother and kill her younger brother” and was sent off to stay alone in the nunnery for eight years, she wouldn’t be like now, simple and warm after going through a kind of stormy experience. 

In short, Jiang Li would not take trivial matters to heart, and didn’t even care of the people who could possibly harm her reputation. So could her heart move because of a minor play? 

Others might, but certainly not Jiang second miss. If due to this play Jiang second miss showed such a different act, that could only mean that this play stirred her. Some things in her life coincided with the things in the play. 

This was precisely empathy.

Ji Heng’s fingertips ran through the pure white fan handle. He suddenly stood up, his gaze as he looked at Jiang Li carried a bit of interest as he leisurely approached Jiang Li.  

“He…..” Kong Liu was about to speak but was pulled back by Lu Ji. Lu Ji gestured for him to stay silent and said: “Watch the play properly.”

Little Peach was still singing: “In the capital, husband was recruited as the emperor’s son-in-law, I’m stranded in the palace courtyard holding a pipa.  

Hating that he succeeded in obtaining riches and honor, forgetting the kindness and turning his back. He….. he abandoned the hair knot1 

I am his lawfully wedded wife, remembering that year going to the government 

He said whether successful or not, still his hometown

Unexpectedly the drought and famine in Hubei, starved the impoverished families to death

Both parents in law starved to death on the straw hall, without money to buy coffins for the two

Two locks of fine black hair were cut, exchanged on the main street for two sheets of woven mats. 

The neighbor on the east and the residence on the west, each one said, husband was the top scorer

I carried the child to visit, begging from door to door

The palace guard Mu Chi charged and kicked me with his leg

Fell by the palace gate…..”

Wedded wife2….. Jiang Li thought vaguely. This was actually a touching appellation. Just like the gentleness Shen Yurong treated her at that time. Like this mid-Autumn festival night, she had experienced many night scenes, each time was joyous and satisfying. Who knew there would be a day when recalling the many things of the past would be like a sword piercing the abdomen. Blade cutting to the bone, making people be in so much pain they wished they were dead.

She almost couldn’t distinguish whether it was merely the play called “Jiu’er’s record” or her real self. She seemed to have become Jiu’er, and also seemed to be more tragic than Jiu’er. 

At this time, a silk handkerchief was suddenly handed to her from the side. 

Pure white without any embroidery. Silk’s nature was smooth, under the lights, it produced a subtle flowy luster. A glance and you could tell it was light and very soft.

“Wipe it, okay?” Ji Heng’s voice sounded composed yet still leisurely. He said: “Second miss’s appearance of pear blossom rain is honestly not good.” 

Jiang Li didn’t bother with his unpleasant words and hastily reached her hand to touch her cheek. Feeling the dampness in her cheek, she wasn’t even aware when she started to cry.

She actually cried.

Subconsciously, Jiang Li was about to take Ji Heng’s handkerchief, yet became sober in a moment and smilingly said: “Many thanks, duke. But I have.” From her bosom, she fished out a light green handkerchief. Though it wasn’t as expensive as Ji Heng’s, it was quite simple yet elegant. She promptly used it to wipe the tears from her face.

Her movement was calm, as if just brushing off dust. 

But didn’t think that she would subconsciously smile. Inexplicably odd when matched with the tear at the corner of her eyes. Ji Heng paused, not saying a word and withdrew his handkerchief. He said to Jiang Li: “Didn’t expect Jiang second miss, such a hard-hearted lady, to be able to cry.” He continued unhurriedly: “I have to suspect that Jiang second miss is also a drama enthusiast.”