My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 36 Complaining to Rong Yi's Mother

Lu Jinshi entered the temple, took some sandalwood, and respectfully prayed to Buddha. Just as she was about to put the sandalwood into the incense burner, she heard a woman's voice behind her.

"big sister."

Lu Jinshi turned to look at He Jiayi, who had a perfectly round, auspicious face. "Third sister, what brings you to the temple by the maid's command?"

He Jiayi said, "This is not the place to talk. Please come with me to the side room, elder sister."

Lu Jinshi followed He Jiayi to the guest room in the temple where worshippers could rest.

He Jiayi looked at Caiyun and Yunfeng, who were following behind Lu Jinshi, and said, "Sister..."

Lu Jinshi said to Caiyun and Yunfeng, "You two stay outside and keep watch."

"Yes, girl."

Once inside, He Jiayi picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Lu Jinshi. "Sister, I have a couplet here that I'd like to ask for your advice on."

Lu Jinshi took the tea but didn't drink it, asking, "What couplet?"

He Jiayi said, "Odd changes, even remains the same..."

Lu Jinshi said, "How do you write these characters? I don't know what changes and what doesn't?"

He Jiayi asked, "What's the next line after 'Imperial Jade Liquor'? Do you know, sister?"

Lu Jinshi felt bewildered and looked up at He Jiayi. "Imperial Jade Liquor, that's quite a good couplet. Let me think about it carefully."

He Jiayi looked at Lu Jinshi and said, "You don't need to pretend you don't know anything. Just because you dared to leave your father and son behind, I'm certain that you and I are fellow countrymen who have traveled from another place."

It's fate that we've come to be sisters in the He family. Let me give you a piece of advice: this isn't the 21st century where men and women are equal; this is a feudal society with imperial power, an era of male superiority and female inferiority.

When Lu Jinshi heard his little cousin's words, he initially thought she was crazy, but upon closer inspection of her expression, she did not seem like a madwoman.

He Jiayi said, "To abandon one's father and keep one's child is shameful, not only in this imperial society, but even in our hometown where men and women are equal. What respectable young lady would have a child out of wedlock and abandon her father to keep the child?"
"Not to mention this is here. If you leave your father behind while your son remains, it will tarnish the reputation of all the daughters of the He family. Which young man in Chang'an will be willing to marry us then? It's such a waste of the good reputation that the daughters of the He family have cultivated in Chang'an over the years."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jinshi frowned. "I didn't grow up in the He family and wasn't raised by them, so you can rest assured, sister. My reputation won't affect you. Besides, marriage is about bringing good fortune to both families. The He family's status is there for all to see, so you don't need to worry about not being able to get married."

My sister also said that in this world where men are superior to women, women already have a hard enough situation. Why should they go to such lengths to cultivate a good reputation just so they can get married?

He Jiayi said, "I don't know if you were too young when you transmigrated here, or if you read too many old-fashioned transmigration novels and thought that transmigrated women could be arrogant and domineering, and could gain the favor of princes and kings. You are too naive."

Lu Jinshi was very curious about the meaning behind He Jiayi's words. What did "time-travel novel" mean?
He Jiayi looked at Lu Jinshi and said, "In this world where men are superior to women, we are weak women. We can only rely on marrying a good husband, being a good mistress, bearing more sons for our husbands, expanding our family, and living a wealthy life. Don't think that you can be like those transmigrated women in the novels you've read, able to stand out in this world and change it."

You are luckier than me. You have a good mother and a good uncle. You should go to the Prince An's Mansion to find a decent husband who has been married before and has children. Marry him well and become a virtuous and capable mistress of the house, raising your husband and children.

After two or three years, your reputation in Chang'an will improve, and the younger sisters and nieces of the He family will no longer be implicated by you, making their marriages difficult.”

Lu Jinshi took a deep breath and said, "This world cannot be changed by a weak woman, but I still want to try my best to change it."

Although I don't know what you mean by "time-traveling woman," and I don't care if you're crazy or not, I only know that just because things have always been this way doesn't mean they're right. My mother couldn't accept my father taking a concubine back then, and everyone said it was my mother's fault, that men having three or four wives and concubines was always the way it was.

But my mother married into the He family, a family that was considered inferior to her husband. Why should my mother have to endure her husband taking a concubine and swallow this insult?
If one weak woman can't change the world, then two, three, thousands upon thousands... Even if she still can't change it in the end, we can't let the world regard women as weak and lowly, and just because we women are willing to be weak.

He Jiayi said, "I've told you so much, but you still won't listen? Stop being so naive. Don't think that it's so easy for a transmigrated woman to change the world. In this world, women can only rely on their husbands to survive. The most important thing for us is to marry a good husband, manage the mansion well for him, make friends with the noble ladies in Chang'an, expand his network of connections, and finally get an enviable imperial title."

Lu Jinshi frowned and said, "I cannot agree with what you say, sister. Why should women be confined to the backyard?"

He Jiayi said, "In this world, a woman can only rely on a man. Even if she doesn't rely on her husband, she can rely on another man. You dare to be so arrogant because you have a prince uncle and a marquis father, right?"

Lu Jinshi smiled and said, "Don't men rely on having a good father or a good uncle? You say that this world is male-dominated and female-subordinate, but our He family daughters are more noble than the legitimate sons of many officials in Chang'an. This shows that this world has never been male-dominated and female-subordinate, but rather the strong are respected."

I'm not saying you can't rely on your husband or any man, after all, what men rely on are their parents and their wives' families, right? I just feel that women shouldn't place themselves in a position of inferiority to their husbands, and shouldn't be forever confined to the inner quarters.

"It's ridiculous to think that the bad reputation of one daughter in the family will affect the reputation of all the daughters in the clan. Even if I were to commit treason today, His Majesty might not implicate my sisters and nieces. How could my having a child out of wedlock affect the reputation of all the sisters in the clan?"

He Jiayi took a deep breath and said, "We really don't see eye to eye. I only came to persuade you because we are sisters from the same hometown, but who knew you would be so stubborn."

Lu Jinshi put down his teacup and said, "You are the stubborn one."

Lu Jinshi didn't want to say more to He Jiayi, so he got up and left the temple, heading towards the polo field.

On the way, Lu Jinshi pondered He Jiayi's ridiculous words: to be a good wife and mother, to obtain an imperial title, and to toil her whole life just for the sake of a reputation for being virtuous.

Before and after marriage, women have to painstakingly maintain their reputation. Daughters are already miserable enough, so living a life where they have to maintain a virtuous reputation is just adding insult to injury.

Lu Jinshi returned to the polo field, his thoughts still on the debate he had with He Jiayi in the temple, when he accidentally bumped into a lady in front of him.

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

Lu Jinshi took two steps back and hurriedly said, "Madam, I'm sorry, I was distracted. I'm very sorry."

Madam Rong chuckled and said, "It's alright, it's alright. Which family's daughter are you? When did such a celestial beauty appear in Chang'an? I had no idea."

Lu Jinshi said, "I am the eldest daughter of the Yongxing Marquis's family."

Madam Rong smiled and said, "So it was you. The Seventh Prince is very fortunate."

Lu Jinshi looked up at Madam Rong in front of him, "You are..."

Madam Rong smiled and said, "I am the maternal aunt of the Seventh Prince and a member of the Changping Marquis's family."

Lu Jinshi's smile faltered. This lady in front of him was Rong Yi's mother? Xiao Zhang'er's maternal grandmother?
Then Rong Yi has no reason to blame her for complaining to his mother.

Lu Jinshi said to Madam Rong, "Madam Rong, I have a friend who teaches at the academy your son attends. I've heard that your son is either dozing off or daydreaming in class. Not only does he not study properly, but he also thinks about taking a concubine all day long. He's even disrespectful and disrespectful to his teacher. I hope you will discipline your son properly..."

(End of this chapter)