Chapter 9: Dignity

  Chen Jiong has been in this world for almost half a year and rarely walks around the county town.

  His sister-in-law didn't like his wandering around everywhere.

  He had always wanted to take a look at the county town. He was curious about the five elements, the pavilions and towers, the street scenes and pedestrians. However, his sister-in-law did not like him going out, and Chen Jing could not bear to disappoint her, until today he finally had the opportunity.

  The rain has stopped.

  The sun peeks out from the clouds, and the sky after the rain is a pale and serene blue, like jade. The flowers and trees along the street, washed by the rain, are a deep red and light green, exceptionally beautiful.

  The April which is neither warm nor cold is most suitable for a short trip to the countryside, he thought.

  "Hurry, catch her!" Chen Jing was about to turn the corner when he heard a flurry of footsteps and several robust men shouting.

  "Seize her!" There were also women's shrill cries.

  Chen Jing is thinking about something, is he catching a thief?

  Just as he was thinking about it, he was suddenly bumped into by someone.

  He was considered thin. Unexpectedly, the person who bumped into him was even thinner. Unlike Chen Jing, who stood firmly and was unexpectedly bumped by Chen Jing, he fell to the ground with a thud.

  Chen Jing looked carefully and saw that it was a woman wearing a white dress with green embroidery of plum blossoms, who had been knocked to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time. She had thick black hair like dense greenery scattered over her shoulders, setting off a face as white as snow, delicate and tender.

  Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were dirty and wrinkled.

  A middle-aged woman wearing a large red five-blessing longevity embroidered jacket, accompanied by several strong men, followed closely behind her.

  That middle-aged woman was dressed in a very worldly manner, wearing gold and silver, and at first glance, she looked like a madam of a brothel.

  Chen Jing thought that the girl was a prostitute from a brothel who had run away, and the old madam had sent someone to catch her. He felt a bit regretful, thinking that he shouldn't have bumped into this girl. Those who were sold to brothels had no control over their own bodies. If she wanted to escape, it must have taken great courage, but now he had blocked her way.

  This made Chen Jing feel slightly guilty.

  But when the two strong men picked up the woman, she finally lifted her face. She wasn't looking at Chen Jing, nor was she looking at anyone else, but kept struggling and speaking incoherently.

  The girl's eyes were bloodshot and unfocused.

  This is crazy.

  A madwoman was caught and shouted loudly with a sharp voice, kicking and biting.

  "Qing'er, my child......" The middle-aged woman stepped forward, pitifully saying, "Where are you going? Mother will take you, wherever you want to go is fine. Poor child, if you run out by yourself and get lost, who can mother rely on?"

  The tone is quite intimate.

  Chen Jing thought that this girl was highly valued by the old procuress and made a lot of money for her.

  She now has this half-crazy appearance, but can still see that her looks are not ordinary: goose egg face, skin as white as jade; almond-shaped eyes, straight nose bridge, thin lips, delicate chin, and extremely delicate facial features.

  Chen Jiong took a few more glances at the girl's complexion and diagnosed her illness to be about 70-80% certain. This illness should be caused by heat entering the blood chamber leading to madness, and taking some medicine seriously would cure it, not being a difficult symptom.

  A skilled and experienced doctor can cure this disease.

  It's not that he must take action, Chen Jing would rather have one less thing to do. After all, he looks too small and no one is willing to believe him. He also doesn't want to argue with others just to prove himself.

  Unless it's a life-threatening illness, like what happened to Third Uncle last time, his life was hanging by a thread.

  This girl's illness has been dragging on for half a year and nothing happened...

  There will always be a doctor who can cure her.

  Nothing else happened, Chen Xuan turned around and wanted to leave, but that old madam shouted at him: "This young master..."

  Chen Jing stopped in his tracks.

  The old procuress went forward and gave Chen Jinnan a bow, with all the proper courtesies. Then she said: "Thank you, sir, for your help in stopping my little girl."

  "Don't be polite." Chen Jiong saw that many passersby had stopped to watch, and said, "You all hurry along, later on someone will come to watch the commotion, pointing and commenting won't be good for the young lady's reputation. Seriously, let's invite a doctor to take a look at this young lady. It's just a minor illness, no need for mother to worry."

  The old procuress was slightly taken aback.

  Her eyes sparkled slightly.

  Then she looked up and down at Chen Jing several times, the hint of hope in her eyes faded again, bowed once more, and took the girl away.

  It was probably Chen Jing who said that the girl only had a minor illness, making the old procuress think he was skilled in medicine. Then again, seeing how young he was, it didn't seem like he had any medical skills, so after weighing it up in her mind for a moment, without even asking a single question like "Does the young master know medicine?", she turned around and left.

  Chen Jiong also walked forward.

  He strolled around the whole city until sunset before returning home.

  His sister-in-law only thought he was at the Xu's pharmacy and didn't ask much. After his nephew and niece finished school, the whole family had dinner together.

  On the second day, Chen Jing got up early to fetch water and did not meet Yang Zhi Zhou. So he finished fetching water early and started reading books after having breakfast. As it was really boring, Chen Jing fell asleep on the table while reading.

  When he woke up again, it was already mid-morning.

  A beam of light came in through the window frame, gilding the desk with a golden edge, and the dust danced lightly within it.

  Chen Jiong stood up and stretched his limbs.

  "....No way!" Chen Jiong suddenly heard this sentence.

  This is Qing Yun's voice.

  What's wrong with it?

  After this sound, the yard became quiet again.

  Chen Jiong walked to the door and looked towards the main house. In broad daylight, the windows of the bedroom in the main house were closed. If his sister-in-law was doing needlework, she would naturally have opened the window for better lighting. Closing the window in broad daylight meant they wanted to talk privately.

  The elder sister-in-law always regarded Chen Jing as a child and never told him about the difficulties at home, shouldering everything by herself.

  What did Qingyun mean by "no" just now?

  Is something wrong with brother?

  Chen Jing quietly shifted his footsteps and stood under a Hawthorn tree outside the window of the main house, listening intently.

  The voice in the room is a bit small, if it's closer, you can hear more clearly.

  Chen Jing moved a few more steps under the window.

  He was as good as standing under his elder brother's wife's window eavesdropping.

  "......That's Mrs. Jitian Ah!" Qingyun's voice was a little high, with a sobbing tone, "You sold the sacrificial field, how can we be spared by the Jianzhong Alley? Every rule of our clan and family is a mistake! If Master were at home, he wouldn't agree to it either!"

  Sell sacrificial fields?

  During the Chinese New Year, Chen Xuan learned that this family had 400 mu of sacrificial fields left by their ancestors, which was the foundation of the family's ancestral business and the family's property. No matter how difficult it was, this family property must be guarded.

  Protecting this family property is equivalent to protecting the hearth and continuing the legacy.

  The sacrificial field is something that absolutely cannot be sold. With a sacrificial field, it's equivalent to having food to eat, no matter what the harvest is like, you'll never starve to death. Not starving to death allows your descendants to thrive.

  The eldest sister actually wants to sell the sacrificial field now?

  Those sacrificial fields were not under the rule of Chen Jiong's grandfather, father and brother, but under his great-grandfather. At first, his grandfather and the uncle from Jingzhong Lane divided the family property and got those 400 mu of sacrificial fields.

  Once they find out about this matter on the other side of Zhonglv Alley, they have the right to intervene.

  As Qing Yun said, Chen Jinn's elder sister was divorced and expelled from the Chen family, which was a light punishment, while the heavy one would be beaten to death by the government.

  Sister-in-law is really too bold!

  Has it come to the point where we have to sell our ancestral land?

  Chen Jiong slightly frowned.

  "It's not all sold, only 300 mu are sold, and 100 mu are left. I've already asked someone to ask, our family's sacrificial field can be sold for 500 wen per mu. Selling 300 mu can get 150 taels of silver. With this money, we won't have to worry about the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and New Year." Eldest sister said calmly, "You don't need to say more about this matter."

  "Madam, the maid still has some jewelry, you can take it and sell it. If not, sell me!" Qingyun kowtowed to her sister-in-law.

  "What nonsense are you talking about?" Eldest Sister was displeased, her voice finally showing some fluctuation. "You're a member of the master's household, if we sell you off, how will outsiders look at the master? Our Chen family can't afford to lose face like this. You just wait, once the master is appointed to office, you won't be lacking in phoenix coronets and jade pendants."

  "Madam, what's to be done now?" Qingyun cried even harder, her voice growing louder. "There are still some things at home that can be sold, why must we sell the sacrificial field? Can't we just reduce our food and drink, eat plain congee and vegetables, and get by?"

  The elder sister-in-law smiled.

  "You've been by my side for over a decade, yet you still don't understand anything!" Eldest Sister's voice was somewhat doting. "I sold the sacrificial field, but it wasn't just for food; during festivals and holidays, we need to give gifts, which is a huge expense, at least 50 taels won't do."

  The Zhonghe Wen Gong's summer clothes, autumn clothes and spring clothes, as well as the fabrics for their garments, shoes and socks, all require materials from Jinwen Pavilion, which is hard to settle with less than thirty taels; during the Chinese New Year, they need to pay respects to their ancestors with silver, which amounts to thirty taels every year; besides, on ordinary days, whoever has a birthday or gets married, these trivial matters can barely get by with forty taels.

  "We won't give in!" Qingyun advised her sister-in-law, "During festivals and holidays, we'll pretend to be ill and avoid them; both Central and Little Master have clothes for all four seasons, which are only half new, and they can still wear them, why must they be replaced with new ones? Moreover, even if we were to replace them with new ones, why must they be made of Jinwen Pavilion's fabric? Jinwen Pavilion's fabric is more expensive than a mu of land!"

  "Nonsense!" Eldest Sister's voice turned slightly cold and serious, "Not making new clothes? Try to see how those people outside will guess about us. If Xiang Yu and Wen Gong go out, who will still look up to them? People in the world are all self-interested, they only look at clothes not at people;

  During the New Year and festivals, we really don't give gifts. From now on, I won't save face for you, nor will I save face for Master! I'd rather starve to death than cut off human relationships and be stingy!"

  Jinwen Pavilion is not the best fabric shop in Wangxian County, it's just a third-rate one.

  If even the cheapest fabrics can't be afforded, it confirms the speculation from the other side of the street that this family is really poor. Once people know you're poor, all social interactions will become awkward.

  Chen Jing understood what his sister-in-law meant.

  In Qingyun's view, Dajie sold the sacrificial field and took such a great risk just for some unimportant things. As Qingyun said, what can be done if new clothes are not made; what can be done if gifts are not given during festivals; the gifts given are cheap, and nothing can be done about it.

  Qing Yun would never understand the unspoken rules between large families.

  Chen Jiong is quite understanding.

  Thousands of years later, these rules have not been lost, but have been passed down well. Chen Jing was born into a noble family in Kyoto in his previous life, and these rules were even more cruel than they are now.

  The elder sister's prestige was not just a vanity as Qing Yun thought, but the reputation of Qi Wan Lane and the dignity of Chen Jing's brother.

  Dignity is often more important than having a full stomach.

  In high society, dignity is more important than life itself.

  You are on the shelf, you have to hold on. Maybe on the shelf, for the sake of dignity and prestige, you struggle hard. But as soon as you come down, you will struggle even harder.

  If you yourself go down and walk, others will trample you even more!

  Chen Jiong's elder brother studied hard and gained the reputation of "Number One Scholar in the Seventh Alley", which earned them respect from the county magistrate and other prominent families, to the extent that even hoodlums did not dare bully their women and children.

  This is dignity.

  This is what Big Sister must maintain!

  You've lost face, you dress inappropriately on holidays, the gifts you give don't match the value, can't meet people's expectations of a scholar-official family, it's as if you're throwing away your own dignity and prestige.

  "... everyone outside is guessing that the old master has passed away. If we continue to go downstream, outsiders will think so even more."

  The old master was also cursed by them. In a few more days, those sacrificial fields will not be sold at this price. I'll go tomorrow and settle it as soon as possible. As long as we can get through this year and next spring, there should be news coming back from the capital. If the old master still has no news, then we'll give up...” Big Sister continued to say.

  Next spring there will be a spring examination.

  Chen Jie's brother would have participated if he were still alive. As long as he participates in the spring examination, whether he passes or fails, there will be news coming back.

  If he were still alive, with his identity, the elder sister-in-law would be able to borrow money from her own family and buy back the sacrificial field; if he died, from then on, the elder sister-in-law would close the door and live a widow's life, guarding her chastity for her brother, and Chen Shi would not drive out the chaste woman.

  All of this, Big Sister has already thought it all through.

  The valuable things at home were all sold by my sister-in-law, now only the land for ancestor worship is left.

  Big sister and Qingyun were still talking about something, but Chen Jing had already stopped listening.

  He stepped lightly and slowly back into his own small study.

  He couldn't bear to look at books anymore.

  He needs money!

  Need money to support this family.

  This family is not a simple household. His elder sister-in-law's thoughts are no less than those of a man, making Chen Jing feel both ashamed and admiring.

  About a moment later, the window of the main house was pushed open, and Da Shu and Qing Yun's conversation came to an end.

  Chen Jiong sat for another half an hour before he stood up, changed into a clean robe, and said to his sister-in-law: "I'm going to give Third Uncle a follow-up examination, then I'll take a stroll around Jingzhong Alley. I'll be back later."

  Elder sister had something on her mind and didn't have the heart to bother with Chen Jing, she just said: "Don't quarrel with your brothers. If no one is accompanying you to play, come back early to study."

  Chen Jiong said yes.

  He came out of Qiwan Lane and walked on foot to Jingzhong Lane.