Chapter 150.2: Throw Out the Troubles
Afterwards, Jing Wan’s courtyard got filled with even more wormwood and such things sent over by Luo Old Madam. Additionally, Luo Old Madam ordered her that in the future, she needed to have the buddhist beads given by Grandmaster Liao Chen carried on her at all times. Even if at certain times, it didn’t match with her clothes, she still needed to use another method to carry it on her.
Jing Wan knew Luo Old Madam’s intentions. Thus, she didn’t oppose on this matter. In reality, that string of buddhist beads, Jing Wan also very much liked herself.
Two days pa.s.sed very quickly, and Luo Jing Ying needed to ‘set out the door’.
The Luo family didn’t decorate with lanterns and colored banners, and further didn’t invite guests to fill the halls. The entire manor was very quiet, just like any other ordinary day.
At the Luo family’s side gate, there was already a blue-clothed little sedan parked there. Perhaps for the sake of reflecting their high regard towards Luo Jing Ying, the people that came to the Luo Manor to pick her up, aside from a respectable mama by Li Hong Ming’s side, and a steward, there were also four servant girls.
Reasonably speaking, that mama should take the people inside to pick up the person, but the Luo family instead refused, the reason being to not trouble the people of Rui Qinw.a.n.g Manor. Not being able to enter also couldn’t be criticized. Although it was only like so when the female side wasn’t highly regarded, just because this was the Luo family’s own idea, they thus didn’t think much of anything.
However, what they didn’t know was that in the Luo family third branch, Luo Jing Ying was currently having the first great dispute since the beginning of time with her mother. More precisely, it was Luo Jing Ying one-sidedly throwing a tantrum, just because what Luo Jing Ying took from home in the end, aside from a bundle, the things inside more than half were even given by Rui Qinw.a.n.g, was just a mere five thousand taels worth of banknotes. One has to know, when Luo Jing Qiang got married, even the money used to line the bottom of the trunk added up to at least five thousand taels. And now? She not only didn’t have a generous dowry, but was even just given five thousand taels. She was actually even inferior than the lowly shu-born Luo Jing Qiang? How was she willing to take things lying down, she naturally just roared in anger, and randomly smashed things.
What can you do with five thousand taels of silver? If placed in an ordinary commoner’s family, five thousand taels was more than enough to feed a family of four for a lifetime, perhaps with even surplus money remaining. And in an ordinary court official family, marrying a daughter was probably also just three to five thousand taels of dowry. In a certain sense, this was already very good. It can be seen, the Luo family, after two to three hundred years of acc.u.mulation, possessed a certain amount of family wealth, and this really wasn’t just saying. But, in a truly wealthy family, five thousands taels wasn’t even enough to buy a set of presentable head ornaments, and can’t even buy that many containers of the most high quality rouge and powder———Of course, Luo Jing Ying right now still didn’t know that with the Rouge Pavilion’s newly released premium sets, five thousand taels at most could only buy one set of the medium quality ones. That’s why, this bit of money, in Luo Jing Ying’s eyes, was just the same as bestowing charity to a beggar.
(T/N: To add another perspective, in most manors, the servant girls making one to two taels of silver a month was already considered high pay.)
Liu-s.h.i.+ coldly laughed, “If I really give a beggar five thousand taels, then it’ll be able to change his fate, and he will also be deeply grateful towards me. Giving to you is just ‘what’s gone can never come back’. Who cares if you want or not, if you don’t want, then just get lost. Leaving five thousand taels, our third branch can’t even finish using in a year. It just so happens I’m also short on money right now.”
Luo Jing Ying looked to her mother in despair. These days, although Liu-s.h.i.+ has ignored her the whole time, she also just felt Liu-s.h.i.+ was still angry, but won’t actually not care about her. However, today, she finally truly realized, her mother really didn’t care about her anymore. Clearly when learning that she was about to enter Rui Qinw.a.n.g Manor, she was still happily wanting to prepare things for her, but now, she was actually able to be ruthless to this degree? Could it be that all the love and pampering towards her since childhood was all fake?
Liu-s.h.i.+’s att.i.tude towards Luo Jing Ying, speaking of which, actually wasn’t considered too lofty. After repeatedly losing hope and getting disappointed, her heart has long grown cold, just Luo Jing Ying never sensed it. And Liu-s.h.i.+ herself also didn’t realize before, but after discovering that Luo Jing Ying was even a white-eyed wolf, everything just exploded all at once, manifesting both ruthlessness and heartlessness.
“Alright, good, since that’s the case, from hereon out, we’ll cut all relations. Even if in the future, you kneel under my feet and beg me, don’t even think about letting me call you mother ever again.” Luo Jing Ying resentfully picked up her things and left.
(T/N: I honestly feel that Liu-s.h.i.+ really is the only one that genuinely loves Luo Jing Ying the most. Although Liu-s.h.i.+ has ulterior motives, she wasn’t completely unscrupulous towards her daughter. She may have faults as a parent, but not all parents are born perfect, she’s still just human.)
Luo Jing Ying indeed never called Liu-s.h.i.+ mother to her face ever again. Not like how she said even if Liu-s.h.i.+ kneeled down to beg her, she all won’t open her mouth to call, but rather because she won’t have the opportunity to call her mother anymore. In the days after, when pa.s.sing through her days in pain and despair, for days and nights, she all called for her mother, but forever was unable to obtain a reply. Recalling her days back at the Luo family, how happy were those days. Even if being humiliated by Luo Jing Wan, it also made her feel extremely reminiscent. But, by that time, she didn’t even have the qualifications to mention Luo Jing Wan anymore. Even if the people of Rui Qinw.a.n.g Manor all say, for Jin w.a.n.gfei to have a tang sister like you, it really is a shame.
On the way, quite a few servants all saw Luo Jing Ying. However, they only just glanced a few times, and afterwards, each went about their own business, even treating her as if she didn’t exist, let alone stopping to greet her.
Luo Jing Ying’s gaze flew towards them like daggers. Unfortunately, she also encountered those petty-minded people, who would also reveal to her a provoking smile. Because her rationality still existed, that’s why Luo Jing Ying didn’t throw herself forward and rip them apart. However, this place, she didn’t want to stay a moment longer. Thus, she picked up her pace, and secretly vowed in her heart, in the future, she will definitely return here in a high and lofty position, having everyone here that didn’t respect her all ordered to commit suicide.
All the way until she was about to reach the gates, Luo Jing Ying finally slowed her steps, tidying herself up. In this moment, those things that Liu-s.h.i.+ once taught her, seemingly all returned. Even if kneeling, one still can’t show one’s inferiority, and need to be neither servile nor overbearing. Even if one’s attire was a little lacking, one still needed to maintain a perfect bearing. Thus, unconsciously, Luo Jing Ying just copied Jing Wan’s conduct and manner. Luo Jing Ying still haven’t realized, just how deep Jing Wan’s influence was towards her.
This mama that Li Hong Ming sent was bestowed by him the same surname[1] as his w.a.n.gfei——Liu. She was someone that has served Li Hong Ming since childhood, and when she came of age, she also didn’t leave the palace, but instead became a mama. She has served by Li Hong Ming’s side this entire time, and is deeply loyal to Li Hong Ming. Everything was all with his will as the first creed. And towards her, Li Hong Ming also had a deep respect. Thus, this mama although was a servant, but in Rui Qinw.a.n.g Manor, she perhaps was the most influential woman aside from Rui w.a.n.gfei. Rui w.a.n.gfei didn’t dare slight her, and the other concubines, further could only fawn and curry favor with her.
Liu Mama although scrupulously abided by her role, but, in her heart, towards Li Hong Ming, she actually always had motherly feelings. Thus, towards the people that served Li Hong Ming, it was unavoidable for her to carry a bit of judgement. Seeing Luo Jing Ying at first glance, she seemingly subconsciously frowned, and afterwards, finally smoothed out her brows. Luo Jing Ying was much better than she’d antic.i.p.ated. Heard that Luo Old Madam knew how to train people, these words should’t be false. Just, why didn’t the Luo family even prepare a single servant girl? A young lady from a court official family like her, even if as a concubine, bringing along a servant girl was only right and proper. Even if she brought two, they most likely won’t question either.
[1] Servants, especially ones that are essentially slaves, don’t have surnames most of the times. They can receive a surname if specially bestowed one by their master.
T/N: I hope this gives a sense of just how rich the Luo family is in comparison to ordinary people, of course when compared to the rest of the high upper cla.s.s, or Jin Qinw.a.n.g, this wealth really is nothing.
Also some money conversions, in ancient times:
1 tael of gold = 10 taels of silver
1 tael of silver = 1 string of copper coins = 1000 thousand copper coins
On average, a simple meal would cost maybe 2-5 copper coins.
(Disclaimer: Jen is not an expert so don’t take what I say too seriously, I just gathered what I’ve learned from here and there, I do try to check from multiple sources to be somewhat accurate at least.)