There's Something Wrong With My Little White Flower - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Fallen Republican Era Young Lady X The Overseas-Educated Paternal Aunt

Jiang Peifeng was impressed by the thoughtfulness of the dress, while on the other side, Jiang Zhiyu looked at the pair of lambskin gloves in his gift box and couldn’t help but say sourly: “The money was obviously all spent on you… Sure enough, Sister Ruan favors Peifeng more.”

He intended it as a joke, thinking that given Ruan Jiyun’s personality, she would deny it in a panic. Unexpectedly, Ruan Jiyun looked at him seriously and said: “Peifeng taught me how to read and write. Strictly speaking, she is my little teacher. It’s just a pity that my ability is limited, otherwise, I would give her all the best things in the world!”

She spoke with such solemnity and sincerity that after the words left her mouth, she realized the person asking the question was the other birthday celebrant. She immediately blushed and added as a compensation: “Of course, Brother Jiang, you have also been very good to me… But, but I really have no money left now!”

Jiang Zhiyu burst into laughter at her antics, while Jiang Peifeng stroked the dress, silent for a long time.

Ruan Jiyun was exactly this kind of person: for every bit of kindness shown to her, she wished to pour out her heart in return. This was why, in the original world, even if Jiang Zhiyu only felt an obligation to take her in, she still upheld all the duties of a wife without complaint.

Jiang Peifeng couldn’t help but glare at her brother angrily: “Sister Ruan only had this much money, and she specifically bought you English gloves! If you dislike them, give them back to me!”

Jiang Zhiyu, who was inexplicably caught in the crossfire: “………” Whose biological sister are you anyway?

Father Jiang, who had been watching the whole spectacle, smiled and reminded them: “Eat your longevity noodles, eat your longevity noodles. The noodles will get soggy if you don’t eat them now.”

After dinner, Ruan Jiyun was dragged into her room by Jiang Peifeng. Since receiving the gift, Jiang Peifeng felt a motherly sense of relief that “my girl has finally grown up.” But the thought that Ruan Jiyun, despite her limited means, had given her everything to make the dress, made her intentionally put on a serious face: “I never thought you’d be so extravagant with money, Sister Ruan.”

Ruan Jiyun quietly looked at her expression. Seeing her face was serious, she indeed felt misled: “… Peifeng, are you really angry? I, I just felt that you’ve been so kind to me, and I didn’t know how to repay you…”

“So you spent all your money. What will you do if you need to buy something yourself?”

Ruan Jiyun hadn’t considered this. She said vaguely: “I don’t need anything, though.”

Jiang Peifeng decided to use this opportunity to reinforce her education: “You can’t be like this. If someone gives you one part, you want to take out ten parts in return. You must value your own kindness and not easily give it all away to others.”

For instance, if Big Brother treats you poorly in the future, you cannot be so foolish as to raise his child just because of a past kindness.

Regarding the engagement between Ruan Jiyun and her older brother, as her relationship with the little white flower deepened, Jiang Peifeng developed a mother-like protectiveness. She felt increasingly that her brother truly didn’t deserve Ruan Jiyun. Although the Western wife hadn’t appeared yet, the thought that the gentle Ruan Jiyun might be heartbroken in the future made her feel—unbearable!

Ruan Jiyun clearly didn’t know what she was thinking and still answered innocently: “But Peifeng, you’ve been more than just a little kind to me. You taught me to read and write, took me out to play, encouraged me, and stayed with me… No one has ever been as good to me as you have.”

She paused: “So, your kindness to me is all the good in the whole world.”

As she spoke these words, she lifted her head slightly. The light gently fell into her slightly upturned large eyes, forming a misty halo. Jiang Peifeng looked into those eyes, feeling her heart suddenly beat faster, a ‘thump-thump’ sound that seemed ready to escape her chest. She said softly: “Silly girl, you will definitely get all the good in the world someday.”

She habitually raised her hand to stroke Ruan Jiyun’s hair. The strands in her palm were smooth and soft. The faint melody of a gramophone, carried by the wind, drifted through the window from somewhere outside, breaking into scattered, intermittent notes. A thought suddenly occurred to Jiang Peifeng.

“Sister Ruan, the moonlight is lovely tonight. Might I have the honor,” she smiled at Ruan Jiyun, making a courteous inviting gesture, “to invite you to a dance?”

Moonlight, reflecting the scent of the gardenias outside, shone into the room through the window. Ruan Jiyun looked at Jiang Peifeng’s beautiful smiling face. Her heart felt like a branch of flowers brushed by the night wind, a soft, tiny crack pushed open.

“Since the birthday girl invites me, I shall politely accept,” she heard her own voice, laced with a subtle smile. “But I don’t dance well. Please be patient with me, Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Peifeng watched her with a smile, her gaze wrapped in layers of silent encouragement. She always looked at her with this encouraging gaze, which had unconsciously led her far from her original world.

Ruan Jiyun gently placed her hand in Jiang Peifeng’s palm.

They danced a slow tango.

The school had a Western social dance interest class. Because of her height, Jiang Peifeng was often asked to lead the male part to help other girls familiarize themselves with the steps. Of all the dances, her favorite was the tango.

You advance, I retreat; hands linked; a slow, light movement. Progress and withdrawal are based entirely on trust, leading you to the climax of the music, where you shine brightly.

The moonlight was as soft as a piece of thin gauze, floating with a silver brilliance, blown by the wind. They spun under the moonlight, their skirts flying. Ruan Jiyun was a bit nervous, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. They were very close, close enough to smell the same faint, clean fragrance on each other.

Jiang Peifeng looked out the window. Although she knew she was in a mission world, the smile of the person in her arms still settled into her heart like the blooming gardenias on the tree, layer by layer, opening into a world of flowers.

“I will do everything I can to ensure your happiness,” she said silently in her heart.

After the birthday passed, the Jiang family welcomed another major event.

Jiang Zhiyu was successfully admitted to the University of Lyon and was preparing to go to France to study Mechanical Engineering. Father Jiang was overjoyed that a student from his family would study abroad. These days, he was busy preparing the luggage for his son.

This busyness reminded him of the marriage contract between the Jiang and Ruan families. At the time, he and Old Brother Ruan were close and he had personally promised that Ruan Jiyun would marry into the Jiang family when she came of age. Before Ruan’s father passed away, he had also entrusted his only daughter to his care. Now that Jiang Zhiyu was going abroad, he wouldn’t be back for several years, so the marriage needed to be put on the agenda.

Since it was a marriage matter, Father Jiang, adhering to old-school traditions, could never personally discuss it with the young Ruan Jiyun. After much thought, he decided to instruct the housekeeper to make a trip to Nanxi Town to discuss the matter with the clan leader and the Ruan family first.

Although Ruan Jiyun’s uncles and relatives were selfish, they were still the elders. They would only try to pocket some of the dowry money, but Father Jiang was successful in business and didn’t care about his daughter-in-law’s assets.

As long as Ruan Jiyun could marry into the family safely, money was a secondary concern.

Father Jiang planned things perfectly on his end, but on the Nanxi Town side, the Ruan family was far more problematic than he anticipated.

“So… the Jiang family really acknowledged the marriage?” The aunt, seeing her husband return home drunk, couldn’t stop herself from anxiously asking a string of questions: “Tell me quickly!”

Uncle Ruan had been drinking at the clan leader’s house and felt comfortable all over. Since his younger brother passed away, their family lacked business acumen. Their general store was running on and off, and they only relied on the hundred or so mu of prime paddy fields. Although they didn’t lack food or clothing, their life was still a step down from before.

He never expected the Jiang family to be so faithful to their promise, actually planning to welcome Yunniang into the family. Recalling the rare flattery the clan leader had shown him today, Uncle Ruan squinted and smiled: “Of course! The Jiang family said they would send the betrothal gifts soon.”

The aunt was stunned for a moment, then broke into a smile: “Oh… our Yunniang truly has good fortune. Even though she’s an orphan, the Jiang family doesn’t mind and will still welcome her into the family! Tsk… what luck…”

Uncle Ruan gave his wife a look: “Mind your words! What ‘orphan’? Yunniang will marry in as the official eldest daughter-in-law. I heard the Jiang family is now one of the top merchants in Shanghai. Don’t be like you were before. You need to foster a good relationship with Yunniang now.”

“How could I not know these things!” The aunt rubbed her hands and sighed: “I figured the wedding procession should start from here. Why don’t I go to Shanghai in a few days and bring Yunniang back? It’ll also be a chance to see Qingniang. The two sisters grew up together and should be close.”

Uncle Ruan pondered for a moment and nodded: “That makes sense. Since her mourning period is over, she should return to pay respects. As for Qingniang, a married daughter shouldn’t keep running back to her maiden home. Be careful of the in-laws complaining.”

“How could they? Besides, Qingniang is on good terms with Yunniang. That can only benefit the Cheng family’s business!”

The aunt curled her lip, thinking that Uncle Ruan didn’t care enough about his own daughter. The second son of the Cheng family wasn’t the head of the house, and Qingniang complained every time she saw her that her mother-in-law was mean and stingy, saying that although they were merchants, meat dishes were rare. She planned to use this opportunity to bring her eldest daughter back to enjoy a few days of luxury, which was better than being tormented by others.

She then recalled another worry: “How much of those hundred or so mu of prime paddy fields that Third Uncle left behind should Yunniang take as a dowry? As a girl, she shouldn’t take too much to another family, right?”

Uncle Ruan grunted: “What can we do if we don’t give it to her? The clan leader mentioned it today. The Jiang family’s betrothal gift will likely be substantial. He told us to be sensible and not lose face for the Ruan family.”

The aunt felt infuriated by this. It wasn’t the clan leader’s land, so he could speak so casually. In the countryside, if a family gave ten mu of land as a daughter’s dowry, they were considered well-off! Her Qingniang married into a higher status family and only had twelve dowry chests. Should Yunniang have more than her older sister?

The more she thought about it, the more heartache she felt, as if Yunniang marrying off wasn’t a marriage, but like carving flesh out of her own heart: “If you ask me, if it hadn’t been for that little girl from the Jiang family messing things up back then, it would have been perfect for us to adopt Xiaoxian to Third Uncle. An eldest son inheriting the family business—no one could say anything against it!”

Uncle Ruan smiled sinisterly: “If you have the ability, it shouldn’t be difficult to trick Yunniang again. If she agrees to it, adopting Xiaoxian now would be the same, wouldn’t it?”

After saying this, he ignored his wife, savoring the remaining buzz of the alcohol, and consciously closed his ears and walked toward the west wing.

He left the aunt standing alone, her expression changing repeatedly, unable to recover her wits for a long time.

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