Madam Yan was startled by these words.
But Shengyin’s heart had turned completely cold.
In Old Master Yan’s eyes, his daughter, once married off, was like water thrown out—dead or alive, she had nothing to do with the Yan Family anymore. Her only worth lay in whether she could bring any benefits to the family.
Now, Ruohua, who was "divorced," was regarded by him as a disgrace to the family, better off dead, to end it all.
She laughed coldly, "Then I really must disappoint you, father. You may regard my life as insignificant as an ant’s, but I cherish it greatly."
"Get out!" bellowed Old Master Yan, unable to contain his fury.
Shengyin gracefully exited.
After all, Ruohua was still the young miss of the Yan Family, and her courtyard was still there.
Mother Lin had been anxiously waiting outside. Seeing Shengyin emerge, she hurried forward and asked, "Miss, are you alright? Did the master not trouble you? If it’s too much, we could go back to Cloud City..."
She knew what kind of man Old Master Yan was. Surely, her young lady had not received any friendly looks upon entering.
Shengyin smiled and shook her head, "It’s nothing serious, all within my expectations. Come, Mother Lin, you’ve had a long journey as well. Let’s go and get some proper rest."
In the evening, Madam Yan came to Shengyin’s room.
"My Ruohua..." she began to cry as she entered, talking about her ill-fated daughter.
Shengyin was truly helpless against this woman. Unlike Old Master Yan, who only cared about himself and the family, Madam Yan truly loved her only daughter.
Shengyin knew that in all of Ruohua’s lifelong memories, her mother was the kindest to her.
But Madam Yan was too timid. She dared not defy Old Master Yan. Whenever her daughter was confined to the courtyard, she would secretly weep, bringing things to her in private, never daring to openly ask Old Master Yan to release Ruohua.
Listening to her weep for quite a while with no sign of stopping, Shengyin could not help but speak up, "Mother, please stop crying. I don’t feel my life is miserable at all. I am living much better now than I did with the Loo Family."
Madam Yan did not believe her for a second, "How could you, a young lady, possibly live well on your own outside..."
Her thinking was still trapped in her own era or, rather, she imagined her daughter to be like herself.
Shengyin handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears and said, "Take a good look at me, mother. Do I look like someone who isn’t living well?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Yan hurriedly wiped her tears away. She hadn’t taken a close look at Ruohua yet.
The room was lit with an old-fashioned oil lamp, providing a faint light.
Still, Madam Yan could see that her daughter’s complexion was good, her hands had delicate, supple skin, and she clearly hadn’t suffered.
Moreover... her daughter seemed different than before. Madam Yan couldn’t quite articulate it, but Ruohua’s eyes were brighter, and she appeared more beautiful.
Shengyin tried to brainwash her, "Mother, you don’t understand. Over in Cloud City, many women work outside and earn as much as men. They live very freely on their own."
Madam Yan countered her, "Nonsense! A woman should marry into a good family and dutifully devote herself to her husband and children. Working outside and earning money is a man’s job."
As she spoke, she was reminded that her daughter no longer had any connection with the Loo Family. The tears she had managed to stem began to fall again.
With such different principles, communication is indeed impossible.