Too high to reach

Chapter 9 Second Brother is the Best

The commotion inside Mo Yi's room went unnoticed by Wang Shi, who was out.

When he got home, he sent someone to call Mowen.

"Your aunt said she'll come with us to look at some decorations the day after tomorrow. Let's take a look first; there will be new ones in the spring. No rush!"

"Mm!" Mo Wen responded. They were showing her the dowry.

"Also... I asked your aunt about the Liang family's matter. Your aunt shook her head as soon as she heard it. She also said... Mo Yi is far inferior to you. The Liang family isn't necessarily determined to marry a girl from the Mo family! They won't be willing!"

After saying this, Madam Wang sighed deeply. Although the failure was expected, she was still inevitably depressed.

Mo Wen didn't take it to heart and said with a smile, "Whether it succeeds or not, you've done your best for your sister. Mother, you weren't home just now, and there was this whole thing..." She then told her about the narcissus.

After hearing this, Wang was furious.

"Liu is getting more and more useless! She even has to cause a scene in the younger generation's room over two potted plants. How shameless of her! I don't know how the Liu family raised her!"

Mo Wen nodded arrogantly: "Especially Mo Yuan, she's so petty, she can't stand me wearing new clothes! I can't even compete with her, it's really annoying!"

In this regard, Mrs. Wang could talk to her eldest daughter for quite a while: "Hmph, she cries because she can't have him, look at her like that! So flirtatious, not like a proper girl at all..."

"With her looks, how could she be the matriarch of a household? And she thinks she's that pretty!" Mo Wen made no attempt to hide her contempt.

Wang said mysteriously, "I'm thinking that maybe your third aunt wants to find a high-ranking family so that Mo Yuan can become her concubine!"

"Huh? This...this isn't a good idea, is it?" Mo Wen really didn't expect her third aunt to have such an idea, and quickly weighed the impact on herself.

"Liu's birth mother was a concubine, and she came from... that kind of place into an official's family. She's tasted the sweetness of it all!" Wang scoffed. "But to be honest, it's really not easy for her to find someone good. They're all picky and unrealistic... Take this marriage with the Xu family, for example. You're good-looking and have a great personality, but your aunt has to arrange things, right? Mo Yuan? Who cares about her?! The Liu family doesn't let them go back easily!"

The more the two talked, the angrier Wang felt. She ordered Qiu Hong, "Call Mo Yi over!"

As soon as Mo Yi entered the door, Wang Shi started yelling at her.

"Look at you, having nothing better to do than tinker with all that stuff?! If you like it, just grow a couple of pots yourself. But what you've got is a mess! You're like a dog trying to clean up eight piles of poop, and you can't even lick them all clean! You're not even losing money, you're just throwing money at it and getting criticized. What am I supposed to say to you?!"

Mo Yi remained silent.

Seeing her dejected appearance and then looking at her eldest daughter's bright and generous demeanor, Wang became even angrier: "Your eldest sister is right in front of you, trying to imitate her, but you still can't learn? You're always so quiet and reserved, you can't even handle any good things."

After her mother finished scolding her, Mo Wen finally spoke up to comfort her, "Mother, please don't be angry. It's not entirely my sister's fault."

Wang was still furious: "Look at her! She's average-looking, and doesn't have any special talents. She never even bothers to dress up. And she even let people bully her in the house! It's utterly shameful!"

Mo Yi kept her head slightly lowered; she had nothing to say.

"Are you a flower grower? Is this all you're good for? Your uncle wants to give as a gift, there are plenty of flower sellers out there! Aren't they all better at tending to flowers than you? Why are you being so eager to please? Honestly... I'm telling you, Mo Yi, this is just this once! Next year, let's see if you dare to grow any more daffodils!"

“I’m talking to you, did you hear me?!” Wang asked, her eyes bulging.

"Yes, Mother. Your daughter heard you. We won't raise them next year."

"Qiuhong, bring over the silk robe you made for Baoge'er!"

Qiu Hong brought over a small bag.

"This is your younger brother's new robe. We removed parts that didn't fit properly; take it back and have it sewn on. If you don't know how, ask Granny Wang!"

Mo Yi took it: "Yes."

"Be careful! Do what I need to see, don't crawl around like a spider!"

“Yes!” Mo Yi replied.

"Go away, go away!" Wang dismissed her. Then she said to Mowen, "Liu always thinks I'm easy to mess with! If she dares to provoke me again, see how I scold her!"

……

In the evening, Mo Rushan returned and strolled around looking at the daffodils.

He was in his early forties, thin and upright. Though wrinkles lined the corners of his eyes, his dark pupils held a remarkable brilliance. Stroking his beard, he nodded with a smile: "You really have to admit! Mo Yi, that little girl, is quite something! Look at all these different shapes and sizes. The leaves are only a handful tall, but there are so many flower buds, no less than what those gardeners tend. Madam probably doesn't know, but at the end of the year, a pot like this can fetch seven or eight taels of silver!"

"Really? Good heavens!" Zhuang knew everything was expensive during the New Year, but she didn't expect it to be this expensive! "Then we'll have to have Mo Yi keep an eye on it for the next couple of days, until it blooms."

"I think it's about time to deliver them!" Mo Rushan had long forgotten how many he had bought, and didn't care whether Mo Yi had kept one for herself...

Just then, Mo Fan returned home and saw Narcissus as he entered the door.

As soon as Zhuang Shi spoke, Mo Fan exclaimed, "Father, Mother! These daffodils weren't just bought by Father! He bought fifty or sixty heads. Second Uncle knew Fifth Sister liked them, so he specially bought some more for her. I even gave some to her! Mother, why did you bring them all?"

Zhuang was displeased. "Who knows these things? Mo Yi didn't mention them either."

"The adults were yelling at her, how could she have the nerve to say anything?! Even if she didn't say anything, you can't just bring them all over! You didn't leave her a single pot! Did she work for nothing?"

Zhuang sneered: "What do you mean by 'other people'? Who are they? How can you say it's a waste of time? Your father sent gifts not for the Mo family, not to make your lives better, but didn't Mo Yi benefit from it?"

Seeing his mother's temper, Mo Fan didn't dare to raise his voice, muttering, "But we can't leave none behind. I have to take a few back for her!"

Zhuang rolled her eyes at him, "We've already brought it! Why send it back? Let's leave it like this for now! We'll talk about it next time."

Mo Fan protested, "But what about Second Uncle's? He was out, and when he came back, there wasn't a single pot left at Fifth Sister's. Wasn't he angry?"

Sipping his tea and listening to his wife and children bickering, Mo Rushan finally spoke up: "Alright! Why don't you take two pots for Yi Yi? Don't worry about your second uncle, he'll put them in the living room, he can see them!"

When his father spoke, Mo Fan was unhappy but dared not argue, and left with the two basins.

Is Fifth Sister inside?

Mo Yi and Xiang Zhi were sewing Mo Bao's clothes.

Hearing the voice, he quickly got up and came out to greet him, smiling, "Second Brother is here!"

He was worried that Mo Yi was crying, but seeing her smiling face, Mo Fan was relieved: "I got two pots from my dad. I brought them back to you!"

Mo Yi didn't cry at all; instead, she smiled sweetly and gave a thumbs up: "Second brother is capable and has good taste. These two pots you chose are really beautiful."

"I thought you were going to cry!" Mo Fan said with a mischievous grin.

"Although I didn't cry, I was sad for a long time. Second brother is the best!" Mo Yimei said, arranging the daffodils beautifully.

"If you want to plant them again next year, make it clear beforehand. If you want them, have them buy the flower heads and pots in advance."

Mo Yi felt bitter: If they were reasonable, how could this have happened?
"Okay! I remember! Thank you, Second Brother!"

“We’re like siblings, no need for formalities. That’s just how my aunt is… Don’t be angry. My mother said she was making a fuss about the car this morning!” She then made a face. “Women like you, so narrow-minded!”

Mo Fan wasn't good at studying and didn't get into Xishan College.

If he weren't his uncle's only son, he would probably have been beaten a lot.

But Mo Yi felt that he was sincere and thoughtful.

More aloof, arrogant...

No matter how good others are to him, he acts like it's only natural, much better than the older brother!

(End of this chapter)