Matchmaker Liu choked, feeling inexplicably flustered: "Those words of yours are really unpleasant. Mrs. Wang wants you to be wealthy and prosperous for the rest of your life, it's for your own good!"
"Landlord Dong is even older than you, aunty."
Matchmaker Liu brushed it off: "So what? With a bit of medicine, a man can still be as vigorous as a tiger."
"Once you enter the door, you'd be the stepmother. If you can conceive, everyone's happy; if not, you can still play mother to ready-made children."
Yu Tingwan said coldly, "Don't mention how the original wife hasn't been dead a month, the white lanterns at the Dong household haven't even been taken down. What about those concubines he took in years ago? Each was tortured until there wasn't a good piece of skin left on them within six months, rolled up in a mat and thrown into the mountains to become food for wolves and tigers."
She asked calmly: "I have no grudge against you, aunty, why would you want to harm me?"
Matchmaker Liu's smile didn't falter: "Listen to what you're saying. It's their bad luck they died, can't enjoy blessings, what's it got to do with the landlord, sir?"
Yu Tingwan didn't want to argue with her: "Aunty has married off a lot of people over the years, right?"
"Characters like yours, sharp-tongued and shameless, have done so much harm. Pushing many good girls from proper families into a pit of fire."
"That young man from the Wei family has seen blood on the battlefield, imagine his reaction when he wakes up to find his sister died after marrying—what's going to happen to you?"
Matchmaker Liu jumped up: "You're insulting me? Everyone says the niece of the Hu family is full of faults, I didn't believe it before. Who am I rushing around for if not for you? You ungrateful thing!"
Finally understanding why Mrs. Wang despised Yu Tingwan!
This girl is indeed unlikeable!
Infuriated, she was about to leave!
Marriage is a matter decided by a parent's command and matchmaker's word; Yu Tingwan's parents are gone, so Mrs. Wang, her aunt, can make the decision!
Matchmaker Liu was angry, she really was going to get this marriage agreement completed this time!
"If I recall correctly, aunty has been widowed for three years, right?"
Yu Tingwan watched her retreating, furious figure, her gaze oddly complex.
Who could imagine, this Matchmaker Liu would soon be caught in an adulterous bed, becoming someone everyone hounded.
"Aunty has no children or ties, so why stick to it? Just for the village to praise you as loyal and honest, refusing to remarry even after your husband died?"
Matchmaker Liu paused suspiciously, sensing another meaning in her words.
Sure enough, Yu Tingwan's words set off ripples: "But how would they know, aunty and the father-in-law played around secretly."
Matchmaker Liu suddenly froze.
"Aunty's filthy deeds, who knows if I'll let them slip one day."
Though the wind was bone-chilling cold, sweat ran down her back, she refused to admit, screeched: "You're talking nonsense!"
Yu Tingwan was curious: "Does your father-in-law take medicine?"
I do, vigorous as a tiger.
Yu Tingwan continued: "At your age, aunty, why is your waist-length gown still embroidered with love birds?"
What I do is none of your business!
Yu Tingwan tilted her head shyly and questioned further: "Aunty, how does that birthmark on your buttocks look like a butterfly? Not just your father-in-law likes it, I quite like it too."
How did Yu Tingwan know such private matters?
Matchmaker Liu almost fainted, forcing herself to stifle her trembling, and anxiously looked around, voice shaky: "Stop it!"
The other one was all smiles, showing not a hint of threat.
Matchmaker Liu shivered all over, half her scalp going numb, how could she dare try any tricks now?
Her teeth chattering, she forced out a sentence: "Your aunt is mean-hearted and won't tolerate you, intending to ruin your future, but not I. That Landlord Dong has one foot in the grave, you're at your prime, should be matched with a fine young man."
Yu Tingwan glanced at the sky, feeling brighter now that one matter was resolved.
The faint smile at the corner of her mouth didn't fade, as she leisurely adjusted her disheveled cloak, causing Matchmaker Liu's body to shiver three times.
"Aunty's character is lacking, but she'd better consider the consequences of being scorned and spat upon by everyone, right?"
The matchmaker, best at reading faces, couldn't help but realize her intentions, the fear spreading inch by inch from her chest as she hid it away: "What do you need me to do?"
The weather was bitterly cold, the river surface frozen with thick ice.
The sky was gloomy, snow falling for three days straight, everywhere covered in bone-chilling white, with a single step sinking deep, shoes and socks all wet.
After falling out with Mrs. Wang, Yu Tingwan had no intention of reconciliation.
After she went on strike, the past few days, Mrs. Wang was truly exhausted!!!
Busy inside and out! Reluctant to order Mrs. Xiao around, afraid for the grandchild in her belly.
When seeing Yu Tingwan once again appearing eagerly with a bowl at mealtime, Mrs. Wang's anger surged, wishing she could swallow this little wench alive.
Hold on, it'll be soon, news from the Dong family will arrive soon.
This meal was bean porridge, not a grain of rice in sight, all beans.
The soybeans weren't soaked long, and Mrs. Wang was stingy with oil, making it hard to swallow.
Yu Tingwan spat out a small pebble with no expression.
It was the third one she'd spat out.
If she didn't eat, she'd starve, she furrowed her eyebrows and took another spoonful.
Mrs. Xiao poked with her chopsticks. She preferred the food Yu Tingwan cooked, at least it was edible. But now Yu Tingwan was a thorn, how could she dare ask her to cook?
She cautiously glanced at Yu Tingwan, knowing her place while dependent on others.
If she were Yu Tingwan, she'd have knelt and confessed to Mrs. Wang by now.
Previously, Yu Tingwan didn't necessarily try to please Mrs. Wang, but she respected her. Even with Mrs. Wang's every trouble, she never turned red.
What madness has taken over her in recent days?
"Why are you staring at me, sister-in-law?"
Looking at you courting death!
But Mrs. Xiao dreaded her: "Nothing."
Yu Tingwan nodded seriously: "Oh? Does sister-in-law think aunt's cooking is like pig slop?"
Mrs. Xiao tensed up: ???
You figured it out?
Mrs. Wang: !!!
Yu Tingwan frowned: "Yes, aunt's cooking isn't great, but sister-in-law should ask around, where else can you find a mother-in-law busy ahead and behind taking care of a daughter-in-law? It's so cold, aunt doesn't want to freeze her hands washing soybeans, but rather tosses them directly into the pot, if you taste stones or it's not to your liking, can't you just endure it?"
"Sister-in-law, don't be foolish, it matters little if you don't eat, but what if the child goes hungry?"
Seeing panic and guilt flash in Mrs. Xiao's eyes, Mrs. Wang couldn't breathe smoothly.
Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have always had conflicts.
She was well aware Yu Tingwan was instigating, but she couldn't help more thinking!
She stared hard at Mrs. Xiao, a cold laugh slipped from her lips.
"What does cleanliness matter? Does it kill you?"
"You think having a child will stop me from teaching you a lesson?"
Mrs. Xiao shivered with fear: "Mother, I didn't mean it. I just have no appetite."
Mrs. Wang wouldn't believe it, harshly poking her: "What are you worth?"
"I could get Dalang to marry you, after you give birth I can have him divorce you too! His brother is doing well, why worry about finding a bride?"
Mrs. Xiao turned pale.
Yu Tingwan understood it all clearly, back then the Hu family, to support Hu Yaozu's studies, had no money to marry off Hu Dalang.
A drought hit, many people starved that year.
Mrs. Xiao was traded for a bag of rice by Mrs. Wang.
Hu Dalang had always disdained her looks, but she was cowed by him.
This is hardly the end of it.
Yu Tingwan suppressed a sneer, slowly: "Alright, what is aunty saying? Sister-in-law carries Hu family's flesh and blood, don't frighten her."
"Look at that pale face, if big cousin sees it..."
Yu Tingwan smiled, speaking the truth.
"Oh, he won't be moved."