When Jin Shanyao returned to the Anzhi Hall, it was nearly evening.
At the dinner table, Meng Anci mentioned the Silla envoys, "They also brought several women with them this time, saying they wanted to observe and learn the etiquette of the Sheng Dynasty, and specifically requested Your Majesty to allow civil and military officials to bring their families to the banquet."
Jin Shanyao, "Is it evening again?"
Meng Anci picked up some food with his chopsticks and put it in his bowl. "Tomorrow during the day, the Ministry of Rites of Rites has already received the envoy. From what I heard, he wants to exchange martial arts skills, compete in poetry and prose, and learn etiquette from each other, in order to bring our two countries closer. I'm afraid we'll have to stay in the palace all day."
Meng Anzhi continued, "Did you say an official brought several family members with him?"
"Each official may bring one, but..." Meng Anci paused slightly, looked at Meng Anzhi, and smiled, " The Silla envoy specifically requested to bring the two of you... saying that he felt an instant connection with you both in Qingzhou Prefecture and wanted to get together again."
Thinking back to the banquet eight years ago, Meng Anzhi secretly took a breath, "This is probably retaliation."
Jin Shanyao, recalling the conversation she overheard in the carriage that morning, instructed, " Anzhi, choose a hairpin with a finer point. These silver needles and poison cannot be brought into the palace..."
Meng Anzhi nodded, "I understand, Auntie..."
After dinner, Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci each returned to their studies to read, while Jin Shanyao stood idly in the courtyard basking in the moonlight, breathing heavily.
Suddenly, Jin Shanyao's ears twitched, and faint sounds of arguing drifted from outside the courtyard.
"I married you when I was fifteen, and I've worked tirelessly to take care of this family, and yet you've been keeping a vixen on the side."
A fox spirit??? Jin Shanyao her tiger-like body and quietly approached the base of the wall, wanting to see what was going on. Just as she got close, she heard a man's furious voice.
"What woman doesn't do housework? Besides, you don't eat the food, you don't wear the clothes, you don't live in the house? Are you working hard for me? You're working for yourself."
" Leshan, you have no heart... I used my dowry to support your education. I even worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, slaughtering pigs and selling meat to feed you. I was afraid you'd be ridiculed by your classmates, so I gave you most of my daily earnings... How did you treat me? You used my hard-earned money to support this vixen... How could you do this to me?"
"Huh?!" Jin Shanyao was surprised. She wanted to see which fool would need to be fed by humans after transforming into human form. With a light leap, she sat on the wall.
Three people were standing not far away. One of the men was tightly protecting a woman in red behind him, while a woman in gray linen clothes was standing opposite him.
The woman was holding a butcher's knife, and her clothes were stained with oil... Wasn't that Zhou Rourou from the market? I heard that she worked every day collecting pigs, butchering pigs, and selling pork to support her husband's education... She was a very capable woman.
Last year, her husband passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, and he happily gave her candy. How could things have changed so much in such a short time?
Zhou Rourou's husband said with disgust, "I used your dowry to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, and you also became a scholar's wife. Rourou, you have to understand me."
I'm a scholar, and I can't very well bring you along when I go out to social events, reeking of pig stench. Luckily, Yuniang beautiful and intelligent, and she loves composing poetry; it would be a good impression for me to take her out."
Zhou Rourou's gaze fell on Yuniang, who was hiding behind Leshan, her eyes full of provocation, her lips, painted with lipstick, moving slightly as if she were secretly cursing her for being stupid. Yuniang even raised her hand to tug at her brocade skirt, her eyes full of smugness.
Zhou Rourou thought about how she had earned all this by working tirelessly from dawn till dusk slaughtering pigs, and her anger flared up. She grabbed the butcher knife and roared, "I'll kill you, you vixen! You dare seduce my man!"
As he spoke, he swung the knife at the woman's face, but fortunately Leshan reacted quickly and pushed her away. Zhou Rourou lost her balance and fell to the ground, the butcher's knife flying far away with a thud.
Leshan's face turned ashen as he said, "This is utterly incomprehensible... How could I have married such a jealous woman like you?" With that, he took Yuniang's hand and strode away.
Looking at Zhou Rourou again, she sat blankly on the ground and burst into tears... Jin Shanyao remembered that Zhou Rourou had once given her a piece of candy, smacked her lips, jumped down from the wall and went over to her.
Zhou Rourou was crying her heart out when a handkerchief suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up abruptly and was taken aback when she saw Jin Shanyao. Then, disappointment filled her eyes.
What was she hoping for? How could a man whose heart had long since changed turn back just because of a few of her tears? Thinking this, her tears fell even more fiercely.
Jin Shanyao stood there, listening quietly to her cry for almost half an hour. When Zhou Rourou finally finished crying and looked up, she saw that Jin Shanyao was still waiting in the same spot, and felt a little embarrassed.
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Shopkeeper Jin."
Jin Shanyao, pondering what to say, finally spoke up to comfort her, " Meat Xi Shi, let me ask you... what do you do when your carefully raised pig keeps jumping out of its pen and won't come back unless you look for it?"
Zhou Rourou was puzzled as to why she suddenly asked this question. She honestly replied, "If I kill it to sell as meat, how could I have the energy to look for it every day!"
Jin Shanyao in satisfaction. "Raising a pig is like raising a man. You've fattened your husband up, but he's run off with someone else. Are you going to chase him home with a knife every day?"
Zhou Rourou stared blankly at her. Seeing that she had taken it to heart, Jin Shanyao continued, "You can't get back the money you spend on a pig, but you can get back the money you spend on a person. Why should you give the money you worked so hard to earn to a shameless man?"
Zhou Rourou, remaining silent for a long time, "But... he's a scholar, I'm afraid..."
"So what if he's a scholar?" Jin Shanyao interrupted her. "Aren't scholars human? Does being a scholar give you the right to spend a woman's money to support others?"
Zhou Rourou lowered her head, and tears fell again.
Jin Shanyao squatted down, gently wiping away her tears with a handkerchief. " Meat Xi Shi, you're so strong. You can hold down a big, fat pig all by yourself, and you don't even blink when you're butchering it. One cut, and the pig stops squealing. It's the same with people..."
Zhou Rourou suddenly raised her head, her eyes red-rimmed, and looked at her, "What do you mean...?"
Jin Shanyao narrowed her eyes slightly, picked up the butcher knife, and shoved it into her hand. "It's what you think. Trust me, be brave... The weaker you are, the more others will bully you! But money won't bully you; it will allow you to support more men..."
Zhou Rourou's eyes narrowed, and she said fiercely, " Shopkeeper Jin, I understand... Only money will never betray me."
Jin Shanyao with satisfaction, patted Zhou Rourou's shoulder, and said, "Remember, only by making the other party afraid can you achieve your goal... Go on, but don't cause any deaths."
She finished speaking and turned away gracefully.
Another day of accumulating Merit, ah... life is truly wonderful.
After walking a few steps, Jin Shanyao suddenly remembered that Yuniang was not a fox spirit and wanted to tell Zhou Rourou Rou.
Turning around, I saw her carrying a butcher's knife, rushing frantically in the direction Leshan had left.
Jin Shanyao's heart sank suddenly. Wait, hadn't she made herself clear?
Without thinking twice, she immediately gave chase.
Turning the corner, they saw Zhou Rourou had already pinned Leshan and Yuniang to the ground, one on top of the other, with a butcher knife held against Leshan's neck.
She gritted her teeth and said, "You bastard, give me back my money... give me back my dowry, or I'll chop you up and make you into minced meat to feed the dogs."
Jin Shanyao stood at a distance, her eyes wide, watching as she menacingly threatened the two despicable people.
Thinking to myself: Zhou Rourou... you're ruthless!