Reborn As The Wicked Little Sister-in-Law - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Second Swindle

To better deceive the trio, Lü Guiyan didn’t win eight out of ten rounds like she had before. She practiced reasonable control, winning about six out of ten.

Concubines Five, Six, and Seven started off full of confidence, but as the games went on, their temperaments grew volatile. Concubine Six was the first to lose her cool, slamming her hand onto the table.

“Speak! Are you cheating again?”

Looking at the poor table, Lü Guiyan felt relieved that they weren’t in her own courtyard; otherwise, her precious huanghuali wood table would be the one suffering.

Concubine Seven tried to mediate. “Oh, Old Six, stop slamming the table every time something goes wrong. It’s because of this that people don’t like playing with us.”

Lü Guiyan happened to discard a tile at that exact moment. “Pong! I win again.”

Concubine Seven, the mediator, went silent instantly. Concubine Six exploded, nearly flipping the table over.

“You… you! You didn’t learn anything good, only how to cheat! You’d better confess before I really lose my temper.”

Looking at the fuming Concubine Six, Lü Guiyan said with a grin, “Sister Six, don’t be angry. I swear on the Lü family name, I really didn’t cheat.”

Concubine Five chimed in, “Then why do you always win? You used to lose to us constantly. These past two times have been so abnormal, of course we suspect you’re cheating.”

Lü Guiyan collected her winnings as she spoke. “I told you, I prayed to the god who gathers wealth most effectively.”

Concubine Six snapped, “We also prayed to those two stone blocks at the gate.”

Lü Guiyan tucked the money into her pocket. “That was just the beginning. Yesterday, I went to worship a Great Deity to whom even the God of Wealth has to show respect.”

“Don’t believe it,” the three replied in unison.

“Don’t be skeptical. He is extremely efficacious. If you hadn’t prayed to his ‘underling,’ you would have lost every single round today.”

The three concubines exchanged looks. Concubine Six asked tentatively, “And who is this god?”

“The Old Man under the Moon at the temple in the east of the city.”

“What!”

The three rolled their eyes. Who would believe that the deity the God of Wealth yields to is the Matchmaker?

Lü Guiyan explained patiently, “Look at the world today; it’s ruled by great noble families. We common folk can only hope for food and warmth. Everyone crowds into the Temple of the God of Wealth to beg for money. No matter how many Wealth Gods there are, they can’t attend to everyone’s wishes.”

“So why go to the Matchmaker?” Concubine Six was actually listening intently now, while Concubine Seven watched her with an ‘are you an idiot’ expression.

Lü Guiyan continued her nonsense. “Nowadays, everyone is only looking at money. They’d rather kneel forever in the Wealth Temple than spare a glance for the Matchmaker’s Temple. This has left the Matchmaker without incense offerings, making it impossible for him to complete his yearly merit records. When I go there to ask for wealth, the old gentleman is bound to agree. If he can’t do it himself, he’ll go to the God of Wealth to get it done. The Matchmaker is a Senior Deity; for his sake, the God of Wealth will prioritize making me rich.”

The trio was left dazed by this web of lies. Concubine Five frowned. “It sounds right, but it feels strange.”

“What’s strange about it? Let me put it this way. Did you become the Marquis’s concubines because you love him? No, it was to get what you wanted through him.”

“Oh~ I see!” Concubines Five and Seven had an epiphany, while Six remained confused.

“What did you see?”

Concubine Five whispered into Six’s ear, “Our original goal in hooking the Marquis was for money, to make life better for our families.”

Concubine Six finally understood. “But I didn’t hook him; he hooked me.”

Five: “…” Seven: “…”

Lü Guiyan hid her smile behind a pale finger. “My goal is the same as yours: just for money. As for that primary position, I have no desire for it. But our monthly allowance is limited. If we don’t climb higher, the money isn’t enough. Rather than wasting time on the Marquis, we should find our own way.”

Mentioning money made Concubine Seven’s face cloud over. “We are women of the household. Besides relying on a husband, what other way is there?”

Lü Guiyan remembered the original plot mentioned that Concubine Seven’s family favored sons over daughters, so she targeted her. “Sister Seven, how is your brother doing lately?”

Concubine Seven’s expression turned heavy. “How else? Just idling at home every day, living hand-to-mouth while bragging to everyone that he’s the brother-in-law of the Pingyang Marquis. He asks me for money whenever he’s bored, as if I’m a treasury.”

“Your life is harder than theirs; you’re living on a tight budget. I suggest you abandon your family and live a carefree life for yourself,” Lü Guiyan said provocatively.

Concubine Seven flared up at this. “What are you saying? How could I abandon my family? That would be unfilial!”

“You are very filial now, but do they treat you as family? They treat you as a money tree. Sister Seven, I know you can’t bear to see them suffer, but you aren’t favored in the manor, and your monthly allowance is fixed. When your money is no longer enough for them, what will you do?”

Concubine Seven hadn’t thought that far ahead. Currently, her money could still support them.

“Your brother and his wife spend money like water, and you have two nephews and a niece. Your parents are getting older. If their health fails, how will you find that sum of money? If you borrow from people in the manor, you know everything comes with a price. When you are at a crisis point and have no other choice, you’ll have to do whatever you’re told, even if it means being used as a pawn.”

Lü Guiyan laid out the stakes, hoping Concubine Seven would prepare herself. Wei Chengyan only treated them well to keep them as scapegoats for later; Lü Guiyan intended to cut off that path.

Concubine Seven was the smartest of the three. She understood immediately after the analysis. In this manor, everyone used everyone else. If you have no value, why would anyone give you benefits? And if you take benefits, you must be prepared to be used.

“Speak then. What is your purpose for coming here today?”

Concubine Six’s brain still hadn’t caught up. “Didn’t she come to play cards?”

Concubine Five nudged Six hard and shot her a look, finally silencing her.

Lü Guiyan sighed and spoke earnestly, “I don’t believe we women have to depend on men to live our whole lives. When I went out yesterday, I saw many women doing business; they aren’t inferior to men.”

Concubine Seven hesitated. “We are concubines of the Pingyang Marquis Manor. It wouldn’t be good to show our faces in public, would it?”

“The Pingyang Marquis Manor can look after you for a lifetime, but it won’t look after your family for a lifetime. The manor has no such obligation.”

Lü Guiyan’s words pierced through the complacency of manor life like a sharp blade, straight into Concubine Seven’s heart.

Lü Guiyan pressed on. “If we had prospects in this manor, it would be fine. But we don’t. We have no favor from the Marquis and no children to rely on. Our voice in this house is less than that of a first-class maid. In this situation, if you want your family to live well, you have to put in the effort yourselves.”

Concubine Five nodded. “I understand what Ninth Sister means. Just as praying to gods requires finding a different path, we also need to think of other ways.”

Lü Guiyan nodded inwardly: At least they aren’t too stupid. That’s all I can say for now.

“So what should we do to earn money? Pray for wealth at the Matchmaker’s Temple and then go win at an underground gambling den?” Concubine Six asked bluntly.

Lü Guiyan was momentarily speechless at her comment. This Sister Six truly had a straight line from her gut to her brain.

Concubine Seven looked at Six with exasperation. “If you can’t say anything useful, don’t speak at all.”

Seven realized that Lü Guiyan had changed since she was pushed into the river. Thinking back, this had all started the first time the four of them played cards. The first time, she lost constantly to let them taste the sweetness of winning, ensuring they would keep playing with her. The second time, they lost miserably, and she tricked them into praying to a “Wealth God” to lower their guard. Now, she used the “Matchmaker” story to hint at their predicament.

Step by step, she had meticulously planned to dismantle their mental defenses, subtly warning them not to be controlled by others in the future.