Chapter 3: Negotiating Conditions!
After sending off the Fu family, the Old Master Leng looked at Leng Sa and asked. “Yue’er, what were you trying to say?”
Leng Sa looked at him calmly and asked, “Grandpa, why don’t we cancel the engagement?”
“Bang!” The cane in Old Master Leng’s hand banged heavily on the ground; both Leng Sa’s parents could not help but tremble, but their daughter was strangely calm.
Old Master Leng looked at her, “Do you understand what you are talking about!?”
Leng Sa nodded,”I understand, although calling off the marriage is not good, it is not our Leng family’s fault. At least nowadays, it is not as harsh as before … ”
At least no one will be forced to die just because they withdrew from the marriage , unless that person has no desire to live!
Truthfully, even major clans will not do this; forcing a young lady to a dead end by changing the marriage partner would think their family rules were not old-fashioned, but rather that their family was inconsiderate and wanted to seek fame.
Old master Leng sneered. “You just think it’s not your fault? It’s not as harsh as it used to be…that circumstance was for a normal family! Go ask, which big family would be willing to marry a girl whose marriage was called off?Ask your sisters! Your older and second sisters just got married a few years ago. You ask them if they have a good life in their mother-in-law’s house?Don’t think that studying is enough for you to be considered an adult.”
“And what does grandfather mean?”
There was silence in the hall for a while before the Old master Leng said in a deep voice: “What Military Governor Fu said just now ……”
“Old Master!” The second Madam could not help but stand up. “You can’t do this!That Fu family young master ……” The second Madam had always been somewhat afraid of her husband’s father, but for the sake of her daughter she had to stand up.
Old master Leng swept her a glance, “You are a woman, how can you talk too much?”
Second Madam felt sore in her heart. How come she was not qualified to speak, she was her mother? Nowadays, it is said that it is a new era, but for the Leng family, there was no difference, Old master’s words still prevail. If Yue’er hadn’t been engaged to the fourth young master of the Fu family, the old man would have refused to let her go to school. But Yue’er who made a lot of effort to fight for that right with the old master. In addition to the fact that the old master felt that women should only study, Yue’er was no even sent to her prefered college!
Alongside Leng Mingyue held her mother’s hand and gently patted it, indicating that she did not need to worry. The second master looked at the Old man Leng, “Dad, this is not appropriate.” The Fu family is not fastidious in doing things, do we have to follow ….marrying the elder brother instead of younger brother, is there no principle? when it gets out, there will be backlash.” he said solemnly.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to be unmarried?” Apart from the Fu and Leng family, who can affirm the marriage contract between the two families? ”
“…”Where is this necessary for anyone to see with their own eyes? Hasn’t the news about the marriage between the fourth young master of the Fu family and the third miss of the Leng family spread throughout Yong city? What does the old master mean that if they don’t admit it, they can pretend that it never happened? If they don’t admit it, will people in Yong city be oblivious?
Leng Sa lowered her eyes and said, “I understand what my grandfather meant.”
Old master Leng’s expression eased a little, “It’s good if you understand, grandfather is also thinking for your own good. As for what Military Governor Fu said, after two years, wait for this matter…whatever you want to do, even if you leave the Fu family you will not be without support for the rest of your life.”
Leng Sa smiled, “Grandfather, originally the Leng family could have been taken out of this matter cleanly… Fourth young master Fu shamelessness is his business, what does it have to do with the Leng family? If you get involved like this…in another twenty years everyone in Yongcheng will remember that the Leng family’s third young miss was withdrawn from the marriage by the Fu family and had the audacity to marry the crippled young master.”
“Of course I’ll take care of it for you. I won’t let dirty water pour on you.” Said Old master Leng.
Leng Sa shook her head, “Just as grandfather said, people are ignorant, who cares what you have to suffer? They will only treat it as an incident and jokes to be passed around in Yong city for decades.”
Old master Leng stared at Leng Sa,”What do you want? If you want to cancel the marriage I advise you to die before it is too late, the Leng family must not have a daughter who withdrew from the marriage, or your family of four will get out of the Leng family together!”
“Father?!” Second Master looked at his father with a pale face. He didn’t expect his father to say such a thing.
Leng Sa nodded, “It’s not that the Leng family can’t have a daughter who has been withdrawn, but they can’t lose the Fu family as an in-law.”
Old master Leng’s eyes suddenly became cold, just like the look on his face.
“The Leng family has raised you for so many years, I’m not asking you to do anything for the Leng family, at least… don’t drag the Leng family. Second son, do you understand?”
Second master Leng was sweating and pleaded with a pale face, “Father, this is not going to happen…will ruin Yue’er’s life?”
Old Master Leng said in a cold voice: “What do you mean a ruined life? In a couple of years, send her to the capital or send her out of the country to get married and have children. The head of the Fu family can’t do anything about that now, what do you have to worry about? Even if this incident ruins her life, what about those girls who were sent to the palace earlier for the sake of the family and died in the deep palace after a lifetime of torture?”
Second master looked at his father with some bewilderment, he had no great ability to be honest. Whether as a husband, a son or a father. The father always said how their Leng family’s family was and how strong the character of a scholar was, but what did his father say right now?
Leng Sa looked somewhat sympathetically at his own father whose world views were clearly shattered in front of him, and sighed lightly, “Since grandfather has decided, I seem to have no choice but to obey.
“Yue’er?!” Second master Leng and his wife exclaimed in surprise.
The expressions of Old Master Leng and Eldest master next to him suddenly eased. The Eldest master smiled, “Yue’er is still sensible. It really wasn’t in vain when my father sent you to the university to study.”
Second Master looked at Leng Sa anxiously: “Yue’er, don’t talk nonsense, let’s…”
“Shut up!” Old Master Leng interrupted his son in a cold voice, “You want to disown your father, your brothers and nephews, and take your family and get out of the Leng family?”
Second Master was speechless. If he really did this, his family would not be able to stay in Yong city at all. Nowadays, the world is full of strife. If his family cut ties what will they do, not to mention his son who was still 12-years-old and his delicate wife?
“Father…” Second Master looked at his father pleadingly.
“Father, don’t worry, I’ll deal with this matter.” Leng Sa said and looked at Old Master Leng and smiled, “Grandfather, since I promised, then… let’s talk about the conditions next.”
The hall was silent.
“You want to…negotiate terms with me?” Old master Leng looked at Leng Mingyue. This granddaughter was considered outstanding among the girls in the Leng family in terms of looks and brains, but Old Master Leng had never liked her too much.
When she was young, he didn’t remember well, but the respectful appearance of Leng Mingyue always gave Old Lady Leng a somewhat alienated or indifferent feeling. This made the old master Leng, who has always been accustomed to being aloof and domineering, very uncomfortable. If it weren’t for Old madam Fu’s fancy to get this girl to be engaged to Fourth Young Master Fu, Old Master Leng would never allow her to go to school, for fear that she would get married early.
Now, this girl actually said that she wanted to negotiate with him? !
Leng Sa twitched the corners of her lips slightly, “I sacrificed my reputation and youth to marry myself to the Fu family, but the benefits are for the others. Shouldn’t we negotiate my terms?”
“……”