He Shi led Shen Huiyi back home, but the anger in her heart still hadn’t subsided. She sternly kept her alone in the room, and without warning, slapped her across the face. In a stern and harsh voice, she demanded, “Did she eat your food or drink your soup? How exactly has she offended your eyes?!”
In the capital, when raising daughters, who would ever lay a finger on a girl? Let alone slap her in the face. Shen Huiyi’s eyes immediately reddened, and with tears pooling in them, she shouted at He Shi, “I’m a young lady of the Duke’s mansion, while she’s merely a girl from an Earl’s household. Why should I have to accommodate her?! What is she anyway—as if she deserves it!”
Still not satisfied after saying this, she sneered coldly at He Shi, “You’re being servile and obsequious yourself, and now you want me to learn to be the same! So what if the Ninth Princess favors her? The Imperial Dowager Consort likes me! Just the other day when I entered the palace, Her Highness the Dowager Consort even said she especially liked the forehead band I sent her. Since you can’t see any good in me, you shouldn’t have given birth to me in the first place!”
He Shi trembled all over with rage, never having imagined that her daughter had been raised to have such a temperament—not only lacking any sense, but also treating everything she’d told her as if it went in one ear and out the other.
After standing there stunned and spacing out for a moment, she finally understood the meaning behind those four words “servile and obsequious” in Shen Huiyi’s speech. It was nothing more than her daughter thinking that by eagerly going to someone’s home to arrange a marriage match, she had lowered her own status.
Her heart felt bitter. They were children raised the same way, yet Shen Huixin was excellent in every way and never required anyone to worry about her, while Shen Huiyi was like a fighting cock every day, finding fault with everyone she saw.
Before she could think about how to correct her daughter’s strange temperament, Shen Xiaohai let out a mocking laugh and emerged from behind the gauze curtain—it turned out he had come here to rest and had been woken up by the commotion.
“Who are you calling servile and obsequious?” Shen Xiaohai sat down in a chair lined with half-worn gray squirrel fur and picked up the cold tea beside him to take a sip. “Are you talking about your mother?”
Shen Huiyi shut her mouth and stopped talking. She wasn’t afraid of He Shi, but whenever she faced her father, she was always terribly frightened.
Shen Xiaohai didn’t care whether she spoke or not. He turned his head to look at He Shi, whose fingers were trembling as if trying to control her emotions, and said in a low voice, “Confine her for a while and don’t allow her to go out. No matter which family sends an invitation, refuse them all. Going out with this kind of attitude would only bring shame to our Shen family!”
Shen Huiyi’s eyes reddened even more intensely, and she bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood—the national mourning period had just ended, and after two years without theatrical performances and entertainment, all the families were now making plans to socialize and have fun. Shen Xiaohai’s words clearly meant he was confining her and wouldn’t let her go out.
She waited for a moment, but He Shi didn’t speak up for her. Crying, she shouted at Shen Xiaohai, “But I’m supposed to be the Princess’s study companion!”
Shen Xiaohai sneered and set down his teacup heavily. “What of it? When the time comes, your mother will go to the Dowager Consort’s palace and say your health isn’t good, and naturally the matter will pass.”
But then she would never have another chance to be the Ninth Princess’s study companion. Shen Huiyi was still quite young after all, and having been raised with a considerable sense of inferiority, upon hearing this she felt as if the sky had collapsed. Unable to control herself, she sobbed, “Just for the sake of Song the Sixth Miss, you’re even willing to sacrifice your own daughter’s future… I merely don’t like her!”
Shen Xiaohai stared at her without speaking, staring until she didn’t dare make a sound, and only then did he shift his gaze away and ask her, “That also depends on whether you can bear this future or not. The Shen family isn’t without other girls. Picking out an outstanding one who knows how to conduct herself would be much better than you, this fighting cock!”
Shen Xiaohai couldn’t even muster much patience to teach his son, let alone a daughter. Even less willing to explain things clearly, he simply used this to pressure her.
Shen Huiyi was so humiliated by Shen Xiaohai’s insults that she didn’t even dare raise her head. She bit her handkerchief to keep herself from crying out loud, while looking at He Shi with tear-filled eyes, beseeching her.
He Shi had also been greatly angered by her earlier, but by this point she still couldn’t help but speak up for her daughter. “It hasn’t reached that point yet. Once I talk to her properly, she’ll understand.”
Shen Xiaohai was too impatient to listen. He stood up and walked outside, but didn’t forget to turn back and give Shen Huiyi a cold look, leaving behind the words that if she could be reasoned with, fine, but if not, she’d be confined at home.
As soon as he left, Shen Huiyi immediately broke down crying bitterly, clutching at her collar, her voice rising higher and higher as she complained that neither of her parents loved her.
He Shi let out a deep sigh and sat down beside her, lowering her eyes. “Do you think I’ve been making trip after trip to the Song family for what reason? And do you know how many times I was turned away at the door before I finally managed to get into the Song household? Even I have to speak gently and accommodatingly before Song Old Madam, yet you dare to show her attitude. Have you ever thought about it—if we strip away those four words ‘Duke Yingguo’s mansion’ from above our family’s head, what would be left? Their family has an Elder in government service, and among the young masters below, which one doesn’t hold an official position? Even without relying on this title, their backs can stand straight and tall!”
Shen Huiyi pressed her lips together and stopped crying, staring at He Shi with rabbit-red eyes, but the stubborn and resentful energy in her unconsciously dissipated.
She knew that her father was someone who always meant what he said. Even Shen Huixin would carefully watch her words and actions in front of him, striving to be faultless, let alone herself. If she truly disobeyed and angered him, he really would confine her at home and not let her go out.
Seeing that she was willing to listen, He Shi finally let out a long sigh. “What are you competing with her about anyway? Her family never counted on daughters to advance the family’s standing. When Consort Song entered the palace back then, it was only because His Majesty personally selected her, leaving them no choice. How could they be willing to send another girl into the imperial family? You’re the only one with such foolish notions.”
After pausing for a moment, He Shi continued, “She’s the eldest daughter of an Earl’s household and also the niece of Princess Duanhui. The entire Cui family dotes on her for her mother’s sake. What’s wrong with you being close to her? How does it offend your arrogant nature? Besides, since she’s not competing with you, and may even become your sister-in-law in the future…”
Shen Huiyi’s eyes widened in shock. She never expected there would be such a development. Hesitating, she opened her mouth, “What sister-in-law? To be my second brother’s wife?”
He Shi tapped her forehead and smiled. “Exactly. Your father has precisely this intention, which is why he told me to have you grow close to her. Who knew you were like gunpowder—igniting at the slightest spark. You heard some idle gossip from somewhere outside and ended up resenting her. Think about it yourself—if she marries your brother, wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing?”
No wonder they wanted her to treat the girl well—if they wanted to marry her and bring her back as a daughter-in-law, of course they’d have to treat her well! This time Shen Huiyi finally understood what He Shi and Shen Xiaohai meant, and said “oh” before lowering her head.
He Shi patted her head. “Be clever from now on, and don’t be so reckless in offending people. Otherwise, your father won’t let you off easily either.”