Legend of Concubine's Daughter Minglan 知否知否 应是绿肥红瘦

55. A Memoir of Divorce in Ancient China (2)

At this point, there came from the outside a woman dressed like a steward. She walked with great respect to Li shi and handed over a pile of bills and many keys. Li shi took them over and nodded with a smile.

Sun the mother and the son shouted out of surprise upon seeing the woman servant, "Bian Mama, why are you here?"

Bian Mama replied with a smile, "I followed first lady to your house, but I'm still a servant of Sheng Family. Why shouldn't I be here?" She then turned to Li shi, "Madam, these are the lands and real estates that first lady took to Sun family upon marriage. The rest are the indenture of me and the list of dowries."

First Old Madam had planned this for long, taking every detail into consideration. Right after the Sun mother and son got out, the maids and servants stayed in Sun family started to take action. The strong servants guarded the door while the maid-servants in charge packed all Shulan's dowries, convened the rest maids and servants and brought all back to Sheng Family.

Sun the mother jumped out of wrath and nearly pounced on Li shi, shouting, "What a righteous Sheng-li shi! How dare you search our house and confiscate all our property! They're mine, give them back to me. I'll tear you up!" Saying that, Sun the mother rushed to scratch Li shi's face but was stopped by the maid-servants standing aside who were all trusted subordinates of Li shi. Seeing their lady being humiliated, they felt quite indignant and all vented it out on Sun the mother. Yet in the time of chaos there came a heavy "thud", and it was Sun Zhigao's mother who somehow got herself tangled by the feet and fell all over with her face touching the ground.

Sun Zhigao hurried to help his mother up, only to find that his mother somehow bit her tongue and stuttered out of pain, not able to utter a single word, which made Minglan and Pinlan quite delighted.

Waving the paper in her hand, Li shi hummed, "I have the list of dowries! I didn't take a penny from your Sun family. In fact, thousands of ounces of silver and a lot of jewelries are missing. But never mind, I'll take them as the daily expanses of my daughter living in your house. If you disagree, then I'm ready to see you in court."

Sun Zhigao boiled with anger and roared, "The minute she married me, live or dead, she is a member of Sun family. Her property henceforth belongs to Sun family. There is no such a thing as her dowry!"

Sheng Yun was quite amused by his arrogant words and derided, "Though not learned, I somehow heard the saying of 'seeing an object makes one misses its owner'. Now that you dislike my niece, why should you try to keep back her property? Ah! I see..." Sheng Yun protracted her voice as if taking a tumble, "Is it that the first scholar of Youyang covets my niece's property? Tut-tut...how vulgar you are!"

Sun Zhigao was choked, his neck reddened and his face distorted. All those present in the hall began to persuade, making it quite boisterous.

Right at this moment, First Old Madam who had been silent all the while spoke, "Dear fellow countrymen, please hear a word of this old woman."

All silenced down upon her words. She then continued in her hoarse voice, "Since the time of our great-old master Sheng, We Sheng Family has been on good terms with nearly all families in Youyang through several generations. It is not that our girls too jealous to tolerant a concubine...it's...just...I..." First Old Madam heaved a long sign, looking extremely sad.

A Baozhang (A leader in charge of ten village soldiers) of Li Family cupped his hand and asked, "Are there any secret sorrows to be revealed, Old Madam? Please do enlighten upon us."

First Old Madam Sheng continued, her voice full of deep grieve, "Dozens of years ago a prostitute came to Sheng Family as a concubine. What happened later, I believe, you are all aware of. My first daughter died before she even got ten. Wei's father brought the family to ruin for that woman, even this ancestral mansion...," First Old Madam pointed up to the roof and finished her sentence, "was sold."