Song Ci drank two cups of tea before looking at Wu Dan, who was kneeling on the ground quite unsettled. After waiting for a while, her once tough deanor seed to have faded.
"Madam Wu, if you want to follow this old man of my family, it’s not impossible. The Song family is large and wealthy, so you won’t lack food, drink, or clothing, but there won’t be much more beyond that."
Wu Dan was taken aback: "What do you an?"
"It ans that the old man wants to take you as a secondary wife, which is impossible. I don’t agree," Song Ci looked at her. "If you want to enjoy wealth, you can only be his concubine, just like the two ladies in Hongxiu Pavilion. Being a secondary wife is out of the question."
Wu Dan’s eyes widened, and she shuffled forward on her knees, saying, "Madam, I co from a decent family, a proper farming and studying household, not from so disreputable place."
How could being property and a proper concubine be the sa? She didn’t want to risk being sold off at any ti.
Song Ci suddenly laughed and looked at Nanny Gong: "Nanny Gong, you’re from the forr royal court. You’ve seen and heard countless things. What do you call a proper lady who has secretly mingled with soone without status?"
"In reply, Madam, clandestine affairs without status are called promiscuity," Nanny Gong said rigidly.
Song Ci’s eyes lit up: "Ah, isn’t that sothing that requires being drowned in a pig cage?"
Nanny Gong: "..."
The old master of the Song family: "..."
No, why are you so excited and thrilled?
Wu Dan’s face turned deathly pale; such a term as promiscuity, how could she bear it?
"You ought to listen up; I’ve laid out two paths for you: either be like the two ladies in Hongxiu Pavilion or take one thousand taels and disappear on your own," Song Ci said. "With a thousand taels, you can prepare a very respectable dowry and find an honest man who understands you, have a few children, and it’s another way out."
A pitiful honest man: Did we honest n offend you?
The old master of the Song family was furious. Wasn’t this old lady helping others tear down the wall right in front of him?
In truth, Song Ci was really considering Wu Dan’s future. It’s not as if she’s ruining so honest person’s life. In fact, plenty of people would want Wu Dan with a dowry of a thousand taels because, for a farming family, that’s a considerable amount.
These days, aren’t there quite a few bachelors who have never had a wife? Wu Dan looks decent enough and has a dowry. Finding soone who understands her and having a few kids, buying so farmland, isn’t that better than being with an old man at death’s door?
Right now, it might seem respectable to be a concubine, but when the old master of the Song family dies, how many years will she have to keep vigil as a young widow? If she doesn’t want to remain a widow, what choices will she have for remarriage?
Sure, relying on the connections from the Pri Minister’s Mansion to find a second marriage, but at that age, can she still have children?
Giving her a choice now is because this chubby old man next door made a move too quickly. She’s been considerate enough, hasn’t she? If it were a truly malicious one, her fate would be uncertain.
"You old hag, Dan’er is already mine, and you’re asking her to remarry? You’re so vicious; you’re a jealous woman!" The old master of the Song family couldn’t bear it and pointed at Song Ci’s face, cursing.
Song Ci retorted, "So what if she’s yours? Giving her a thousand taels isn’t taking advantage for free. She’s young—taking a thousand taels and finding a young, strong man, singing and giving birth to a few smart kids, becoming a lady of the house and running the household—isn’t that better than living under others’ eyes and making a living under the Lady’s nose?"
"And besides, you’re over fifty. Is your back alright? Can you still have children? Without kids, how will she manage once you kick the bucket?"
The old master of the Song family was so angry he almost wanted to drop dead. He cursed angrily, "You old hag, aren’t you ashad to curse your own man?"
Saying every sentence with ’is your back alright’ is utterly embarrassing!
"Everyone will die eventually. I’m just a straightforward person, speaking based on facts, starting from reality, and considering long-term." Song Ci huffed.
Wu Dan’s eyes rolled; she bit her lip and said, "A thousand taels, I agree!"
Ah? Isn’t this a wall that couldn’t be untorn?
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