Love's Debt Comes Knocking - Chapter 11

Yet, in the end, she still couldn’t go.

Grandmother Tao had fallen ill, and as the eldest granddaughter, Tao Yuan stayed at home to care for her.

The old lady had been strong and healthy for years without falling ill, but this time, her condition stirred the hearts of everyone in the Tao clan. Fortunately, it wasn’t serious—just a result of catching a chill. After taking medicine and resting for a while, she would recover as before.

Though she appeared calm on the surface, the old lady felt embarrassed for inadvertently causing unease throughout the household.

Under the bright sunlight, the highest-ranking matriarch of the Tao family sat propped up in bed, gazing intently at her serene, elegant, and breathtakingly beautiful granddaughter.

Serenity was good, but too much of it was not.

“Time is precious. Why waste it on an old woman like me? Go out and have fun. Make the most of it before you marry.”

Tao Yuan shook her head, her delicate jade-like hands peeling a translucent lychee before feeding it to her grandmother. Her cool, clear eyes suddenly filled with delight. “Does Grandmother find me bothersome?”

With her mouth full of lychee, the old lady could only ‘accuse’ her granddaughter with her eyes for being mischievous.

Finally swallowing it, she tapped Tao Yuan’s nose with a finger. “Bullying an old woman.”

“Your granddaughter wouldn’t dare.”

“Is there anything you wouldn’t dare?”

Having lived a long life and survived the turbulent times of war, the old lady had a keen eye for people. “Among all the younger generation in this big family, you are my favorite, and the one I worry about the most. Do you know why?”

Tao Yuan held a handkerchief, her eyes brimming with affection.

The old lady’s heart softened completely. “You, my dear, are perfect in every way, except you’ve had a hard life. If it were just a hard life paired with a gentle heart, you could still live well in this world. But are you like that? You appear delicate, yet deep down, you’re more stubborn than anyone. Your heart is made of iron and forged from ice.”

If only she had a third of Tao Zheng’s flexibility, willingness to show weakness, and ruthlessness, she wouldn’t still be unmarried at twenty-six.

The entire family had worked together to keep the secret of Tao Yuan’s loss of innocence from the old matriarch, afraid that if she found out, her anger would shake the heavens. Worse still, if she were to become too enraged and her health deteriorated, no one would dare bear the blame as the sinner of the Tao clan.

“It’s also those people’s misfortune. They pick and choose even when they have such a wonderful granddaughter like you. Tell me, what kind of person would it take to warm your heart even a little?”

The old lady’s heart ached with worry for her granddaughter, but Tao Yuan remained silent and fed her another lychee.

“Why are you stuffing my mouth again?”

Tao Yuan couldn’t help but smile. “Lychees nourish the body and beautify the complexion, benefiting the spleen and liver. They are truly good things. I’m just concerned for you, Grandmother.”

Her smile was a delight to behold, and for the sake of seeing it more often, the old lady couldn’t bring herself to scold her. Holding her hand, she sighed. “Yuan’er, tell me the truth. Among the handsome young men from noble families, is there anyone you fancy?”

“No.”

“How can there be none?” The old lady was genuinely worried now. “If not a young man, what about a young lady?”

“If I were to marry a lady, not to mention Father, the scorn from the noble families would probably drown me.”

“Look at how capable they think they are!”

The old lady was indignant.

Having lived to this age, she saw things more clearly than most.

A dynasty may last a hundred years, but noble families endure for millennia. The alliance of top-tier clans is a blade hanging over the royal family’s head.

The noble families restrain the imperial clan, and the great houses check the royal family, forcing the emperor to revise the Zhou Code under pressure, adding laws permitting same-sex marriage.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was open-minded, with free relationships between men and women. Women admiring women and men admiring men had already shown signs in the previous dynasty.

With established foundations, pushing forward faced little resistance.

Orientation was open, and the emperor’s mind was open as well.

What remained closed were the aristocratic families who clung stubbornly to ancestral laws from their lofty positions.

Last year, during the revision of the Zhou Code, the aristocratic families nearly clashed with the imperial family. In the end, Li Chen turned red in the face, his neck bulging with anger, and fainted in the Golden Hall, frightening many.

No family wanted to bear the reputation of “causing the emperor’s death,” so the law allowing same-sex marriage was finally promulgated.

The emperor was determined to win the support of “another group of people,” taking an unconventional path.

If the aristocratic families refused to play along with the imperial family, the imperial family would find those who could align with the Li surname.

Judging by the situation, it was either the east wind prevailing over the west wind or the west wind prevailing over the east wind.

The emperor was ambitious and not cowardly.

However, the laws he was determined to implement were considered shameful by the aristocratic families. Same-sex dalliances were acceptable, but elevating them to the level of marriage whether you were the eldest son or eldest daughter—could lead to broken legs at best or death at worst.

“Living a life is about finding a soulmate to spend it with, isn’t it? Living alone is possible, but it’s too lonely. Regardless of gender, if you have someone you like, tell your grandmother. As for your father, this old woman will help you settle it.”

Tao Yuan smiled, unwilling to disappoint the old lady’s sincere intentions. “Alright, I thank Grandmother in advance.”

“Yuan’er.” The old matriarch caressed her face. “You must marry someday. Marry someone you find pleasing and don’t resist. That’s the only thing your grandmother can do for you.”

She cared nothing for family interests. Having lived most of her life, couldn’t she indulge herself one last time? If a grand family relied on selling its sons and daughters to maintain prosperity, such a family would eventually perish, even if it endured.

Nothing was more important than her granddaughter’s peace and happiness.

Hearts are biased.

After much deliberation, Tao Zhen’s heart leaned toward his second daughter, Tao Zheng. The heart of Old Lady Tao, however, had always favored her beloved eldest granddaughter.

The gates of the Tao residence were wide open as the father and son of the Xie family arrived.

Tao Zheng hid behind an embroidered screen, blushing as she observed the impeccably dressed Sixth Young Master Xie.

Sixth Young Master Xie wore a cold expression, dissatisfied with the marriage arranged by his elders. He favored the eldest daughter of the Tao family, but unfortunately, that renowned talent of the capital was no longer pure.

Upon learning this devastating news, his heart turned to ashes, and he simply stopped resisting.

Whether he married “Second Miss Tao” or “Second Miss Xing,” he felt indifferent. Even as he sat there listening to the back-and-forth between the elders, the words went in one ear and out the other.

His calm and detached demeanor, however, appeared favorable in Tao Zheng’s eyes.

After a lengthy discussion, the marriage between the two families was settled. Tao Zheng left with her heart pounding like a deer, walking all the way to the fragrant rear garden, where she bumped into Tao Yuan, who had just come from the old matriarch’s quarters. Her face turned pale as she bowed in greeting. “E-elder sister.”

Tao Yuan was accompanied by only one maid, with no sign of Han Chan.

“Have you met Sixth Young Master Xie?”

Without being told to rise, Tao Zheng could only maintain her bowed posture, eyes lowered. “Yes, I have.”

“Is Sixth Young Master Xie handsome?”

Tao Zheng suddenly looked up, as if forgetting her fear, adopting the protective stance of a mother guarding her young. “Elder sister, the Tao and Xie families are uniting through marriage. Father chose me.”

Tao Yuan glanced at her twice before shifting her gaze back to the golden chrysanthemums blooming brightly. “The dashing and imposing Sixth Young Master Xie—such praise is exaggerated. He’s merely average-looking. It’s a pity you treat him like a treasure.”

“How can you be so sure that Sixth Young Master Xie is overrated when you’ve never even met him, Elder Sister?”

“I haven’t met him, but Elder Brother has.”

The Tao siblings, both handsome and beautiful, had perfectly inherited the fine looks of the Qinghe Cui family. If anyone else had claimed that Sixth Young Master Xie was merely average-looking, Tao Zheng would have been indignant.

But when those words came from Tao Yu or Tao Yuan, Tao Zheng felt her pride wounded.

She already regarded Sixth Young Master Xie as her future husband and could not tolerate others speaking ill of him.

“Is it proper for Elder Sister to discuss the appearance of an unrelated man behind his back?”

“How is it behind his back? I would say the same to his face—that he is overrated.”

Tao Zheng was left speechless, struggling to find her voice. After a moment, she exclaimed in surprise, “Elder Sister, why do you seem like a completely different person all of a sudden?”

“Is that so?” Tao Yuan turned to face her directly.

“There’s something I must tell you. In the past, I treated you well because I saw you as a younger sister. But after what you did, we are no longer sisters—we are enemies. From now on, you’d better stay out of my way, or don’t blame me for showing you no mercy.”

With those words, she turned and left, giving the other no time to react.

Tao Zheng was accustomed to subtle, veiled threats, but she had never encountered such a direct, blunt “hard knife” aimed straight at the heart.

Which scion of a noble family didn’t greet others with a smile? Who would warn their enemy in advance, “I’m going to deal with you”?

Tao Zheng’s legs went weak, her mind drifting back to the day Tao Yuan had nearly choked the life out of her.

It was like this.

Just like this.

Once she turned against you, she no longer saw you as a living person.

Even if you rose to the heavens, in her eyes, you were nothing but a filthy insect in the mud, a pitiful fool courting death.

What gave her the right to be so arrogant!

The maidservant beside her stole a glance at the Second Young Lady’s gloomy expression, too terrified to speak.

“A woman who has lost her virtue—how long can you stay arrogant? Aren’t you destined to be despised by your husband’s family? We’ll see!”

Once she became the Young Madam of the Xie family, everyone would see which of the two sisters truly shone.

“Why should the Eldest Young Lady waste her anger on an ingrate like the Second Young Lady? Evil people will meet their match. With her twisted heart, do you think she’ll improve after marriage?”

Dui Xue paused briefly. “It’s getting late, Eldest Young Lady. Shall we still go see the ‘God of Wealth’?”

Tao Yuan, preoccupied with preparing snow pear soup for her grandmother, headed toward the kitchen. “Didn’t Han Chan already go?”

Han Chan?

Dui Xue thought to herself: That playful Han Chan might have missed something important!

Lanshan Ferry.

“Make way! Please make way!”

“Ouch! You stepped on my foot!”

Seizing the opportunity, Han Chan squeezed into the dense, bustling crowd, standing on tiptoe and craning her neck to catch a glimpse.

The wind rippled the water as the Lu family fleet finally revealed its majestic form amid the clamor of the crowd.

“Wow! Such enormous ships! So magnificent!”

The capital’s residents were no strangers to grandeur, yet they were still left awestruck by the Lu family’s grand display.

The Lu family flag, black with golden edges, fluttered proudly in the wind. At the ferry, countless officials formed a protective line with their swords, preventing the excited crowd from surging forward and causing chaos.

Han Chan, being rather short, struggled to push her way to the front but still couldn’t see clearly.

“If only I could get a little closer…” she muttered under her breath.

The “God of Wealth” was rarely seen on ordinary days, and the most excited among the crowd were undoubtedly the merchants who had closed their shops early to wait here.

With the Lu family leading the merchant world, who wouldn’t want to catch a glimpse of the legendary uncrowned king?

Aside from the merchants, the second most excited group was the young women and newlywed wives of the capital.

Everyone knew the Lu family had a young mistress, but few knew what she looked like or what her demeanor was like.

During the plum rain season, as floods ravaged the land and crows cried out, news of the Lu family’s young master generously aiding the disaster victims reached the capital. The story spread with vivid details—who wouldn’t want to meet such a benevolent young god of wealth? If one were lucky enough to marry into the Lu family, worries would vanish for generations.

Young women dreamed of catching a wealthy husband, while young men hoped to take a shortcut by marrying into the Lu family.

Though the Lu family’s fleet had yet to arrive, tales about them filled the air.

Proud scions of noble families, restrained by their elders, came in small numbers. Those who did arrive hid in their carriages, half-curious and half-defiant, watching with the thought, “Let’s see if she really has four arms and eight eyes.”

“She’s here! The god of wealth is here!”

The crowd erupted in excitement.

Lu Jinhuan, dressed in a peony-red gown, supported the elderly matriarch on her right arm. “Grandmother, look at them—they’re making a fuss before even seeing her clearly. Walk slowly, so you won’t be jostled.”

The matriarch, still spirited after days on the water, patted her adopted granddaughter’s hand and reminded everyone, “Guard the young master carefully. Wait until the crowd disperses and it’s safe before she steps out of the cabin.”

“Yes, Madam!”

Lu Yang sighed, feeling a sweet annoyance at the “special treatment” from her grandmother. Surrounded by dozens of people, she couldn’t show herself early even if she wanted to.

The crowd at the dock buzzed with excitement.

“Did you see? Did you see?”

“I saw her! She’s a beauty, wearing a red gown!”

Han Chan strained her eyes, but before she could get a better look, officials began dispersing the crowd for safety.

It wasn’t until a palace eunuch arrived with an imperial decree summoning the Lu family to the palace that the congestion at the dock finally eased.

The eunuch bowed respectfully to the matriarch, his gaze briefly resting on Lu Jinhuan. He thought to himself that while the girl was strikingly beautiful, she lacked the air of nobility, likely the adopted granddaughter the matriarch had taken in before the journey.

Bending slightly, he said, “The crowd has dispersed. May the young master of the Lu family please step ashore.”

The matriarch chuckled, calling him a shrewd one, then turned and called softly, “A Yang, come out now.”