Chapter 9 (2/2)

Long San replied: “You used to invite people out to the lake, so I conclude that you are not actually afraid of the water. Your current state is most likely because you once nearly drowned.”

“Invite people out on the Lake? Who? ” Did she have friends here too?

Long San stopped walking, glanced at her, and replied: “My second brother. ”

Feng Ning was shocked, she stared wide-eyed, only after a long time finally stammered: “Er- Er Bo*?” Long San nodded: “Yes.” Feng Ning stupidly asked: “Why invite him?”

Long San patiently answered, “What you were thinking exactly, I do not know, I only know that second brother manages the household, and that your family was not willing to marry you off to me originally. ”

Feng Ning foolishly stood fixed on the spot. Long San continued to walk forward, she blankly stood for a bit, then silently followed behind him. Following that, both of them remained silent all the way back, after returning to the Long Residence, Long San returned to his courtyard, Feng Ning following behind him also went in.

“Long San, Long San ……” She went with him into his study room and sorrowfully asked: “Am I bad woman? ”

Long San sighed: “Feng Ning, if we can  just figure this out that would be enough, it’s useless to look into the past. I believe that the you right now holds no ill will towards my family, and I also promise you that once we settle this affair, I’ll let you return home. You only need to try to remember matters with relation to the stolen treasure, the rest only increases our worries, there’s no need to inquire.”

“Of course there’s a need to inquire, all of you know what the past me was like, but I don’t know, of course I have the right to know what kind of person I was, and what kind of things I had done. Also, everything is connected, either to the things I had done, or perhaps with me stealing your family treasure.” Feng Ning paced back and forth: ” For instance, you and I conspired together to steal the family treasure, you couldn’t act personally, so you sent me to steal the key, you and I pretended to not get along, and we deceived the public. Another example, by chance I happen to learn of a secret that Er Ye can’t tell anyone, he quickly calculated, and then fabricated that I had an illicit love affair, that I seduced him , to let everyone hate me, and then set a trap, leading me to my death. Another example….. ”

“Feng Ning……” The more Long San listened, the more dumbfounded he got, he quickly interrupted her: “Don’t a.s.sume anymore, none of what you say is correct. “Feng Ning stopped and looked helplessly at him, Long San rubbed his forehead: “You really believe anything is possible. ”

“Anything is possible. ”

“That does not include the guesses of our family turmoil, we three brothers are very close, those kinds of things won’t happen. ”

Feng Ning pouting her mouth, sat in a chair, and gloomily said: “Yeah, you guys wouldn’t do such things, I also think I wouldn’t do these kinds of things, but I did, didn’t you guys catch me red handed?”

“Feng Ning, why would you do this, we would also like to know the truth, that’s why we’re sitting together to discuss it.”

“Then first tell me, what kinds of things have I done in the past. ” Without waiting for Long San to open his mouth, Feng Ning added: “The good and the bad, everything. ”

Long Sans hesitated for a bit, then finally nodded: “Then you also have to promise, these are all in the past, you may not use it to bring up issues. ”

“Okay.” Feng Ning agreed readily, at this, Long San finally started speaking.

“Originally when your parents came to us, we did not agree to fulfill the promise of marriage, but your parents were persistent, they took out Grandpa’s written pledge and keepsake and made a huge fuss, insisting on First Brother taking you as his wife. First Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law were already married at this point, so Big Brother was naturally unwilling, but your family actually demanded that he divorce his wife, when that didn’t succeed, they said making you a wife of same rank was fine as well. ”

Feng Ning furrowed her brows, did her parents not treasure her much?

Long San went on: “Big Brother has always been very firm in his decisions, he swiftly refused the marriage. Your family was left with no other choice, and they actually went to our family graveyard to kick a fuss, Second Brother personally went to settle the issue, when they realized Second Brother was the one who actually managed the household, they quickly turned around and demanded that Second Brother marry you. Second Brother naturally was also unwilling. At that time, your family’s att.i.tudes made us feel suspicious, and that the actual interest was for our family’s power and prestige. My thoughts at the time were that your family didn’t actually sincerely want to fulfill the promise of marriage, so I offered to marry, otherwise they could forget about it. Unexpectedly, your family actually agreed in the end. ”

Feng Ning mockingly said: “Did you actually think that if you said that my family would stop just like that? ”

“I had indeed underestimated.” Long San continued: “After the wedding was set, Yu Mama** was very angry and felt that our family had been humiliated. Before the wedding, I had to attend to some matters away from home, so she said to leave the wedding to her, she would make sure it wouldn’t go through.” Speaking up to this point, he paused, seemingly to hesitate.

Feng Ning didn’t let him stop and continued to press: “And then what, how did Yu Mama intend for it to end? Didn’t we still end up getting married anyway? ”

Long San could only answer: “Yu Mama had sent the three of us away, and on the day of the wedding, said we had something big to settle and couldn’t attend the wedding, and so could only ask to have a pig replace the groom, if the Feng Family were not satisfied, the wedding would be cancelled. ”

Feng Ning with her mouth open said in shock: “A pig? ”

Long San a bit awkwardly nodded. Feng Ning loudly asked again: “A real pig? “Long San felt more and more embarra.s.sed, could not say anything. Feng Ning slapped the table : “You guys could actually go so far as to do something like that? ”

“Feng Ning……” Long San wanted to say something, but was stopped by Feng Ning’s angry wave of the hand. She got up and paced back and forth, talking to herself out loud: “What were my parents thinking, they agreed just like that? How on earth did I agree?  I even performed the wedding rites? I should have stabbed the pig, hung it on the wedding altar, and let its blood flow into a river, so that even after scrubbing the floor for months, you guys still wouldn’t be able to scrub it clean. How could I have let you guys bully me like that? ”

After she yelled enough,  she glared sideways at Long San: “Did I stab the pig? ”

“No”

“Did I perform the wedding rites? ”

“Yes. ”

Feng Ning furiously pounded the table: “I’m actually so useless?” Long San said: “Even you think it’s unbelievable, then you must understand why we concluded that you weren’t marrying for pure reasons. ”

Feng Ning said: “What I can’t believe, is that I didn’t slaughter my swine husband and everybody there!”

*二伯Er Bo: Is used as ‘second uncle’ (uncle from your father’s side) in modern day, but Feng Ning uses it more as brother-in-law or as a respectful term for Long Er as the head of the household.

** 余嬤嬤Yu Mama: I changed it from Momma to Mama as ‘Mama’ is the correct Pinyin spelling.

<script>