Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 163 Slap in the face

Nianyao was stunned: "Your ideas are both quite...unconventional..."

Duan Mingzhu stared at the bowl in front of her, as if reminiscing: "I have many brothers and sisters, and they are all healthy. I watched them practice swordsmanship, ride horses, and grow up to get married and have children."

I wouldn't dare say they're particularly smart or successful, but they all lead ordinary and normal lives.

Only I was pampered, protected, and imprisoned; they loved me and pitied me.

My seventh sister and I were very close. We went to school together and composed poems together. I had a set of famous inkstones that she liked very much.

When she gets married, I plan to give her that set of famous inkstones. I don't live long, and it would be a good thing if the inkstones could find someone who appreciates them.

Holding the famous inkstone, I overheard their conversation outside the door:

The third sister said, "I've heard that there's a tradition in Nanyue that the eldest child shouldn't marry and the youngest shouldn't marry either. Luckily, we don't have these ridiculous rules in Xiling, otherwise all the younger sisters would be held back by the sixth sister."

Seventh Sister said, "If Xiling has this tradition, and she delays the marriages of her sisters, I will not forgive her unless she is ashamed enough to commit suicide."

Third Aunt said, "Little Seven, don't be rude."

Seventh Sister said, "Mother, Father is protecting her, so why are you protecting her too? She's a sickly person, she's just living one day at a time, why are you really afraid of her?"

Eleventh Sister said, "Seventh Sister, aren't you and Sixth Sister the closest? Father told us the other day to learn from you and take good care of Sixth Sister..."

Seventh Sister sneered, "She has collected many treasures, priceless ones. She said that when she dies, all those things will be mine. Don't tell anyone, or I'll divide them among you."

Third Aunt said hypocritically, "Seventh Sister, this is a joyous occasion, don't say anything unlucky."

Seventh Sister said, "Mother, I said she wasn't talking about me. I heard Father tell Eldest Brother the other day that he would support Sixth Sister for the rest of his life."

The third concubine said, "With her like this, the wedding night will turn into a tragedy, she'll be even more of a jinx than a jinx, who would dare to marry her?"

Seventh Sister said, "Speaking of which, she's the most pitiful. She'll only ever be an old maid in the Duan family, unable to enjoy even the greatest pleasures of life, dying alone without children..."

The others laughed and chimed in. My hand loosened, and the inkstone fell to the ground and broke.

They heard me, came out, and saw me. I wanted to rush up and kick them, but then everything went black and I lost consciousness.

I was in poor health, my biological mother had died, and all the women in my family were concubines. My father was very fierce to others, but he was an exception to me; he would never even say a harsh word to me.

That set of famous inkstones was something my father went to great lengths to collect from Dongyang and Beirou in southern Yue, and he spent a lot of money to give it to me.

That time, I don't know if it was because Seventh Sister was very happy and he didn't want to cause trouble, or if he was really angry because I broke the inkstone.

In short, he severely criticized me in front of everyone, saying I had a spoiled, arrogant temper and that I should be more careful in the future. That was the first time he had ever yelled at me in public, and only the second time in his life...

I later learned that while I was unconscious, my seventh sister knelt in the hall, weeping in front of everyone, saying that I was envious and jealous of her wedding, and that I had smashed an inkstone in front of her, saying that I would rather break it than give it to her.

Nianyao stared in disbelief: "The villain is the one who accuses first! How can there be such sisters in the world? They're worse than strangers..."

Duan Mingzhu said, "Sister, you only have one family, and everything your parents own is yours, so naturally you don't understand the power struggles, backstabbing, jealousy, and framing among brothers and sisters in a large family..."

After that, my father suddenly stopped treating me well. My aunts and sisters in the family, seeing how my father looked at me, were no longer as close to me as before, and even the servants became somewhat neglectful.

I suspect that my seventh sister was merely the trigger. My father, a grown man with many children, wouldn't miss out on another one like me. Perhaps he was truly tired of a daughter who needed to be pampered and indulged, and who wasn't even going to live long.

My yard is big, second only to my dad's and older brother's. I have a golden eagle, and my happiest time of day is watching it soar through the air, flying higher and higher, farther and farther, so free...

I think I don't need to wait until I'm eighteen. Death is inevitable anyway, so dying sooner will satisfy everyone.

I released the golden eagle; I didn't want it to be used by others after I died. I went to Minghu Lake; I didn't want to die at home.

I saw Yun Ting's reflection in Ming Lake... He stood by the lake, and just by looking at his reflection, you could tell he was younger, more handsome, and more refined than my seventh brother-in-law..."

Nianyao suddenly realized: "You fell into the lake, not because Yunting plotted against you, but because you deliberately fell in?"

Duan Mingzhu said, "I was too impatient. I should have waited for him to ambush me. I'm a girl, so it's better to be more reserved. But we'll end up the same way anyway, so it doesn't really matter."

We got married because of pregnancy. This would be considered immoral for most people, but I am an exception.

My father had three different doctors examine my pulse over three consecutive days before finally confirming the diagnosis and immediately began arranging the wedding.

I cooperated with Yunting in lying. He said he was an orphan with only a seriously ill grandmother and a married sister at home.

My father wanted Yunting to marry into the family, but I refused. I bought a house outside the family, and my wedding was even more lavish than my seventh sister's.

I'm going to prove everyone wrong. I'm going to declare to everyone that I'm not a jinx, that I can have children, that I'm smart and beautiful, and that my husband is unparalleled, even better than my brother-in-law and sister's husband.

Nianyao said, "...So you know everything, you know he lied to you, including that I'm not his biological sister..."

Duan Mingzhu said, "He's after my father. He wants to deceive my father and my older brother, so he has no reason to deceive me."

Nianyao said, "But you managed to fool me."

Duan Mingzhu said sincerely, "Sister, I'm so sorry."

Nianyao repeated Duan Mingzhu's words from beginning to end: "Your father is so good to you, so the first time he's scolded you must be a big deal, right?"

Duan Mingzhu spoke after a long pause: "Before I was fourteen, I personally selected all my bodyguards, and they were all highly skilled in martial arts and handsome."

One of them was particularly outstanding; I call him Ayan. He was meticulous and considerate, and I always took him with me when I went out.

On my fourteenth birthday, he went to Mount Oulu to pick snow lotus for me as a gift. He said that the snow lotus has a divine power and will protect me; seeing the snow lotus is equivalent to climbing Mount Oulu.

In that instant, I heard my heartbeat with crystal clarity. He was so tall; I wanted to kiss him but couldn't reach him.

He immediately knelt on one knee before me, humble and devout. Just then, Xiang Ma noticed us and questioned us about what we were doing.

I was overjoyed and wanted to kiss Ayan, but when Ayan discovered me, she pushed me away and jumped over the wall to run away. I couldn't take the shock and collapsed immediately.

My father scolded me, saying I didn't know how to cherish myself. He said I couldn't bear children for myself and even actively seduced men, showing no self-respect or shame, harming myself and others.

I thought it was mutual affection, but after the affair was exposed, it turned out that I had taken the initiative to seduce him.

Later, all my bodyguards were replaced by women, and I never saw Ayan and the others again.

Nianyao said, "Since they all say you can't consummate the marriage or have children, how...how did Yunting...do it...?"