Chapter 480: Chapter 480: Love Yourself First (4 more)
Xie Zhinuan patted Mu Rourou’s shoulder, “This is just my opinion, and if I can’t have children and my husband wants to take a concubine, I won’t allow it. I would only choose to divorce!”
“…” Mu Rourou was tremendously shocked.
Divorce.
Could she even divorce His Highness the King of Han?
“And I’ve never thought about getting married!”
“…” Mu Rourou was even more stunned.
Not getting married.
She wouldn’t marry someone of His Highness the King of Han’s status?
“Rourou, although we are women, we must look to the future and not focus all our thoughts within the inner courtyard. Too much malicious scheming will turn even the most beautiful face ugly and make one unliked. As women, we should be more open-minded and far-sighted. Constantly fixating on the small domain of the inner courtyard will only make our lives increasingly miserable, and in the end, we’ll find ourselves possessing nothing but a pile of lifeless things!”
“To make someone love you, you first have to love yourself. If you regard yourself as worthless as dandelions, who will treat you like a treasure? But if you see yourself as a treasure, those who treat you as dandelions won’t even be able to come close to you. Only those who see you as a treasure will resonate with your soul!”
“While you’re still young, while you’re still unmarried and everything is still under your control, it’s never a mistake to strive to live your days like a poem!”, Xie Zhinuan said, patting Mu Rourou’s shoulder.
Having said this, she wouldn’t say anymore.
She didn’t wish for Mu Rourou to hold a grudge against her stepmother, nor did she want her words to cause Mu Rourou to doubt herself.
A person whose heart is filled with nothing but grievance and self-pity is not worth making a deep connection with, not worth her support.
If Mu Rourou turned out to be beyond help, she would return the hundred thousand silver notes intact.
Mu Rourou walked beside Xie Zhinuan, stunned, with Xie Zhinuan’s words echoing in her mind.
These words, no one had ever spoken to her before.
The difficulty of being a stepmother, the breadth of a woman’s heart…
Not there. Her stepmother didn’t love her, her mother was never seen, her father was busy making money.
Back at the Xie Mansion.
Xie Zhinuan went back to freshen up and rest by herself, while Mu Rourou slowly walked to the guest residence. Upon arriving at the entrance, she saw maids and old women still kneeling, and after pondering for a moment, she murmured softly, “Stand up.”
Their knees were nearly broken from the kneeling.
Yet, upon hearing Mu Rourou’s words, they couldn’t stand up.
“…”
Mu Rourou watched and had someone step forward to help them, then she slowly walked toward the house.
After a few steps, Mu Rourou suddenly turned her head and said, “I will go with Sister Xie to Gaocheng County tomorrow. You can choose to follow me, or you can go back to the Mu Residence, it’s up to you!”
She had given them the opportunity to choose.
They naturally chose to return to the Mu Residence to complain and not follow Mu Rourou.
“We want to go back to the Mu Residence!”
With the answer in hand, Mu Rourou’s lips tightened as she said, “As you wish!”
She stepped into the house.
Mu Rourou sat on the bed for a long time before she finally got up to write letters.
One to her father, and, after much hesitation and thought, she wrote another to her stepmother to thank her for years of guidance.
Just as Xie Zhinuan had said, even as women, they should have aspirations and know how to be grateful.
Although there was no birth tie, there was the tie of upbringing. Even though the love in that upbringing lacked sincerity, she actually lived better than many young ladies; she lacked nothing in books, clothing, or jewelry…
Mu Rourou tried hard to think of the good in her stepmother but, after racking her brains, she could barely conjure a few instances and had to give up resentfully.
Having written the letters, she hesitated for a long time but didn’t dare to send someone to deliver them.
As time passed, the unease in her heart deepened, and she became more indecisive.
“Are you not going to sleep yet, miss?” The maid attending to her at the Xie Mansion spoke softly at the door.
“…” Returning to her senses, Mu Rourou felt a chill run through her. She quickly replied, “I’m going to sleep now!”