Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Fire at the Yu Family (Part Two)

The rickshaw was waiting at the foot of the hill. Yu Manyi's trip was just an excuse to go to the fabric store, and she couldn’t afford to delay for too long. After lingering a little while longer at Miss Yu Xiaoqing's grave, she stood up and headed back.

The driver took a different route on the return journey, entering the city from another gate, which shortened the distance back to the Yu family home. At first, Yu Manyi didn’t find it strange, but when they reached a dock, she suddenly realized how familiar this waterway looked.

“Stop for a moment.” She suddenly said.

The driver immediately halted.

The sky had already darkened, and the sunset lay at the horizon of the water, a bright orange-yellow circle that dyed the surface of the water the same color.

Yu Manyi stood by the water’s edge, her arms crossed over her chest. Slowly, the scene from that night began to take shape in her mind: the mist, the starlight, the night ferry... and Song Qi, who had helped him onto the boat.

The images in her mind were already becoming blurry, and she realized that half a year had passed since that night. The students from the literacy class had long since left Shaoxing, and the local people who had attended the course had scattered back to their villages.

Sometimes, Yu Manyi would think that the summer had been nothing more than a fleeting dream. It was so brief and so light, it seemed out of place in her life, only to be confirmed as real with the diploma from the art school and Miss Yu Xiaoqing’s tombstone.

Yu Manyi still didn’t know what kind of impact that time would have on her life. At least for now, after they had left, she simply continued on the original path of her life.

However, that time was significant to the little postman. He had shared with her through the dog hole that he had passed this year’s promotion exam and even scored first in English. By the summer, he would be promoted from a postman to a postal clerk. He was determined to continue working hard, and who knew, perhaps he could be transferred to Hangzhou, Ningbo, or even Shanghai in the future.

Yu Manyi sighed. She was happy for the little postman, but she still sighed.

The evening breeze began to pick up, and she pulled her arms in tighter. The driver stood beside her, eagerly sharing with her:

“Miss, this is the canal in East Zhejiang. If you take a boat overnight, you'll reach Xixing, a very bustling town. After crossing another Qiantang River, you’ll be in Hangzhou, which is the furthest place I’ve ever been.”“Hmm,” Yu Manyi said, “I know.”

“Miss knows?” the boatman asked in surprise. “Then Miss truly knows a lot. Most people in the countryside haven’t even left this canal…”

“Knowing too much isn’t necessarily a good thing,” Yu Manyi replied. “It just makes you feel unsatisfied. Let’s go back.”

The boatman closed his mouth. As soon as Yu Manyi sat back into the rickshaw, he lifted the vehicle again. She turned her head to look at the canal fading into the distance and suddenly, with a flash of realization, wondered if Song Qi had been so angry earlier because he had thought he would play the role of her husband. At that moment, she suddenly became curious... What was Song Qi doing now?

Yu Manyi closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, the water’s surface had already disappeared from her view.

The journey from the outskirts back to the Yu family home took about another half hour. In just one afternoon, the atmosphere at the gate was subtly different from when she had left. When Yu Manyi had departed, Uncle Qi at the gate had seemed relaxed. But the moment she arrived back, he seemed tense.

He paced around at the door. When he saw Yu Manyi alight from the rickshaw, he hurried over to her, stuttering, “Second Miss, Second Miss, why are you back so late?”

Yu Manyi had become so skilled at lying that she didn’t need to think it over: “I couldn’t find a rickshaw. It was delayed.”

However, Uncle Qi, who usually wasn’t concerned, seemed unusually anxious, indicating that something had happened. Yu Manyi turned to look at him and found him extremely nervous, stumbling over his words, as though he had something to say but couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“What happened?” Yu Manyi stopped in her tracks.

He still couldn’t speak, fumbling for a long time, until a voice from inside the Yu family home came before he could: “Manyi, why did you take so long! Come in quickly and see who’s here!”

Yu Manyi suddenly turned around and saw San Ma, who had recently seemed listless, walking toward her with large strides, her face full of energy. She had changed into a new light yellow dress and grabbed Yu Manyi’s wrist, pulling her into the door.

Whenever something made Yu Shen happy, it was usually not a good thing for Yu Manyi. This was something she had learned from experience. She was dragged all the way into the hall, and when she looked up, two familiar yet strange faces were reflected in her eyes.She almost immediately recognized them. The woman had her cousin's eyes, and the man had her cousin's face shape. The human genes were truly marvelous; her cousin had skillfully inherited several features from both his parents and combined them together, resulting in a fairly good appearance.

"Cousin and cousin-in-law," San Ma, still looking full of energy, stood beside Yu Manyi. "Look, this is our Manyi. You didn’t inform me in advance that you were coming; had I known, I wouldn't have asked her to go out this afternoon, making you both wait so long. But she went out to buy buttons for making clothes for our Mo Heng. Look at this wonderful daughter-in-law, where else could we find such a good one!"

Yu Manyi thought for a moment and then remembered that Mo Heng was her cousin’s name.

San Ma kept tugging at her sleeve, prompting her to turn and look at her, her expression showing confusion. Yu Shen, seeing no hint in her eyes, could only turn her head, her gaze hardening, yet with a smile in her tone: "Manyi, hurry and kneel to pay your respects to your future parents-in-law. What’s this, child, not even understanding the customs..."

She reached out to pinch Yu Manyi’s arm but was subtly avoided. Yu Manyi cast a glance at the awkward couple sitting at the table, replying with neither warmth nor coldness: "Of course, I should kneel, but that would happen when the three letters and six formalities are completed, and the bridal sedan chair arrives, and I present tea and address them properly. Kneeling like this casually, it’s too disrespectful to the elders."

Yu Shen was left speechless.

Yu Manyi continued: "And you didn’t even inform me in advance. You just brought me in like this. After all, they are my future parents-in-law. I didn’t even bother to tidy myself up, looking so travel-worn. Don’t you worry people will think the Yu family doesn’t understand manners?"

Her words left Yu Shen blushing with embarrassment. Yu Manyi lowered her head, then turned to speak a few polite yet neutral words to her cousin’s parents before leaving the hall.

The moment she stepped out of the door, she heard San Ma’s voice tinged with embarrassment as she explained: "The young ladies of the Yu family are taught this way. Cousin and cousin-in-law, let me arrange accommodations for you. When Old Master Yu returns tomorrow, we will meet properly… How has Mo Heng been doing in his studies?"

Yu Manyi turned a corner and could no longer hear the couple’s voices. She stood there for a moment, feeling that the couple seemed particularly awkward.

Her cousin’s parents were from Yu Shen’s family, and she, Yu Manyi, was to be their future daughter-in-law. The engagement had already been settled. If they were simply passing through Shaoxing to visit their future in-laws, Yu Manyi didn’t understand why they would be so nervous.

She sensitively felt that something was off.

…

It had been a long time since the Yu family had hosted guests, and this time, hosting her cousin’s parents, who were also from San Ma’s side of the family, the dishes weren’t as extravagant as when they had hosted Song Qi and the others.Yu Manyi crossed her arms and watched for a while, unsure if it was because Old Master Yu did not take them seriously or if the Yu family's accounts truly weren’t as good as last year.

At the dinner table, as usual, they passed cups and exchanged pleasantries. Today, Yu Shen was particularly lively, bustling around with great enthusiasm, and appeared very pleased with herself. This was a reunion she had been planning for years, eagerly waiting for—her maternal family had finally arrived, and even her nephew who had studied abroad was about to graduate. The daughter she had adopted, who had been rebellious last year, had finally started to behave this year.

It was all so wonderful. Once summer arrived and her nephew graduated, he would certainly gain Old Master Yu’s favor—

So what if she couldn’t have children? So what if her husband was useless? Her daughter and son-in-law were all her own. The Yu family had spent so much money on Shen Mo Heng, and with Old Master Yu’s usual style, he would definitely demand a hundred times the return, which meant securing future benefits.

Once that was secured, in another ten or so years, after Old Master Yu passed away, both her husband and son-in-law would hold significant power in the family. She, Shen Yingmei, would be the head of the household.

She had never been favored in the Shen family, but marrying into the Yu family was all thanks to her own schemes. Now, in this grand game of the Yu family, the final move was about to be made. She would soon transform from a little girl from the third concubine’s family into the most successful daughter of the once-fallen Shen family, the one who could help her relatives rise again.

Yu Shen enjoyed this meal with great vigor, as it was her moment to shine. Even her laughter seemed louder, which made Old Master Yu furrow his brows.

While she was laughing, Yu Manyi suddenly noticed her future parents-in-law, her cousin’s parents, who were also San Ma’s cousin and wife. They exchanged a glance, their expressions full of worry.

“Alright, stop laughing like that,” Old Master Yu reminded with a forced smile, “It’s improper. Control your wife.”

San Shu understood the implication in Old Master Yu’s words and quickly restrained the already tipsy Yu Shen. However, before he could stop her, San Ma, still in high spirits, proudly said:

“Studying abroad, huh? How many students in this village have studied abroad in the past few years? Father, you always say business is hard to do, but when Mo Heng returns, I think it wouldn’t hurt to do business abroad…”

“Mo Heng is a scholar,” Old Master Yu maintained his composure, turning his gaze to the uneasy in-laws. “A scholar should behave like a scholar. Business isn’t as simple as you think. It’s not something anyone can do…”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Manyi saw her future in-laws suddenly look as if they had grabbed onto a life-saving straw, hurriedly trying to explain:

“Yes, yes, we know our son. He’s a scholar, so he won’t be good at business. Just recently, we received a letter from him, saying he found a teaching position at a school. The opportunity is very good, and if he can continue his studies and get a doctorate…”There was a brief silence at the table, with only Yu Shen continuing to smile, oblivious to the looming crisis.

“Pursue a PhD?” Old Master Yu’s face stiffened, and he snorted through his nose uncontrollably. “You don’t do business, so you don’t understand how difficult it is to make money these days. If he pursues a PhD, I…”

“No, no need,” her cousin’s father quickly interjected. “If he pursues a PhD, he’ll have a scholarship. Besides, he’s already secured a teaching position, so he doesn’t need to…”

“How long will it take to get a PhD?” Old Master Yu’s expression turned cold. “Our Manyi has already waited for him for four years, and now she’s already eighteen! If he goes off to pursue his PhD and comes back—”

Yu Manyi’s sharp instincts made her look up, sensing something ominous. As expected, before Old Master Yu could finish speaking, the couple exchanged a glance. Suddenly, both of them pushed their chairs back, stood up, and, supporting each other, “thudded” to their knees.

This time, even San Ma, who had been laughing all along, froze, her face stiffening. San Shu could no longer hold her down. She immediately stood up, flustered. “Cousin, Cousin, what are you doing? Please, get up! We’re going to be in-laws in the future…”

“Old Master Yu!” Without even looking at her, the “in-laws” lowered their heads, and in a tone filled with grief, the mother said, “We are here to apologize for our unworthy son!”

What a strange experience.

This was the first time Yu Manyi realized that what happened outside didn’t have much to do with her. She sat quietly in her chair, watching the farce unfold before her.

This was also when she realized that the Yu family mansion truly resembled a stage. Everyone was like a puppet on strings, with both their laughter and tears intentionally performed.

It was her cousin’s parents who started the drama first. The poor, simply dressed relatives looked like two truly unfortunate people, sobbing together while supporting each other. They recited their lines with dramatic precision, every word full of pain and regret:

“Yingmei—Old Master Yu—we’re sorry! We didn’t raise our child well—this little rascal forgot his roots as soon as he went abroad, he’s become infatuated with foreign things—he learned, but he’s not thinking about repaying his parents and his homeland, or even the benefactors who supported him. Instead, he says the academic atmosphere abroad is more advanced, and he wants to stay abroad to continue his studies—”

“This—this—this ungrateful child! He even said he met his true—ugh, I can’t even bring myself to say that word—bah, he said he met his true love!”

“He wants to cancel his engagement with our Manyi, such a good daughter-in-law, who made him so many clothes. And yet he wants to cancel the engagement. He really doesn’t know what’s good for him!”The in-laws' performance had ended. The spotlight swept across Old Master Yu's face, which was filled with fury, then focused on San Ma's blank expression. Her face was as white as a sheet, devoid of any color, as she clutched a handkerchief to her chest. She was truly an actress who had gotten too deeply into her role. Yu Manyi watched her gasping for breath, as if she were about to suffocate.

She finally let out a piercing scream: "Brother! Brother!!"

She rushed forward, tearing at her brother and sister-in-law's clothes, accusing them: "What nonsense are you talking? What nonsense are you saying! Do you hate me? Are you trying to ruin me? I’ve been in the Yu family for so many years, I’ve been in the Yu family for so many years!!"

The battlefield was too close. Yu Manyi carefully avoided them, leaving space for the performance.

Yu Shen continued to cry and wail. Years of planning went up in smoke, and she completely lost control. She had even used her dowry money to buy fabric for her nephew’s clothes. She couldn’t even buy the rouge she liked, but she bought fabric for him.

"Where have I wronged the Shen family? Where have I wronged the Shen family!" She cried loudly. "Since I was little, I’ve never had anything, you all didn’t care for me! I got married, I thought only of you all, I thought only of you all! Without me, how would Shen Moheng stay overseas, how would he study! You treat me like this, why do you always treat me like this!"

Her insanity grew, and her rage spread further, knocking over a chair. Yu Manyi had to keep retreating to protect herself, backing up until she was behind a screen in the dining room. This made the people under the dining table and the spotlight above them seem more profound.

Great composition and colors, Yu Manyi thought, just having gotten her graduation certificate from the art school.

"What kind of behavior is this!" Old Master Yu finally spoke in the dark, his voice deep and filled with anger. "What are these things? What in the world has my Yu family done to deserve this?"

"Dad," San Shu immediately stood up in fear, "I’ll take her away, I’ll take her away."

"Don’t touch me!" San Ma suddenly sprang up from the floor, shaking off San Shu’s outstretched hand. "You useless bastard who can’t even have children! If it weren’t for you, why would I adopt your brother’s child? Why would I bring my nephew into the house to be a son-in-law! You’re always thinking about remarriage, you have problems yourself. Even if you marry ten more, you’ll still be a worthless bastard!"

San Shu's face alternated between red and white from her insults, finally managing to choke out, "Shut up!"

"You all owe me!" Shen Yingmei shouted powerfully in the middle of everyone, "None of you have treated me right, the Yu family, the Shen family… all you damn bastards… all you damn bastards…"Her scream gradually turned into muttering. Yu Manyi carefully poked her head out from behind the screen and saw Yu Shen reciting something. Suddenly, she picked up a chair from the floor and threw it at the chandelier hanging above the dining table.

Her movement was so sudden and violent that no one dared to stop her. The servants and others in the Yu family screamed and scattered.

With a loud, violent explosion, the hall was finally plunged into complete darkness.