Chapter 191: Confiding the Heart

 Chapter 191: Confiding the Heart  

Thinking about Madam Li, who was running around busy taking care of things, and the Concubine Lin, who sat back and enjoyed the fruits without lifting a finger, Daohua's mood soured. She sat absentmindedly in the pavilion, idly moving the chess pieces around.    

"I was wondering why I couldn't find you. So, you're here hiding from work," Xiao Yeyang walked over with Defu. 

Daohua glanced up at him, surprised. "Aren't you playing cards with Third Brother and the others? Why are you here?" 

Xiao Yeyang sat across from her, fanning himself. "The card game was fun at first, but once you get familiar with the rules, as long as you can remember the cards, you win every time. It got boring."

Daohua was speechless. So, this person thought it was too easy? "You don’t have to remember the cards."

Xiao Yeyang shrugged. "I can't help it. I just remember them after a glance."

Daohua rolled her eyes. "You really are showing off."

"I'm just speaking the truth," Xiao Yeyang glanced at her, curious. She had been all smiles earlier, but now she seemed upset. "Who upset you?"

Daohua looked up at him, wanting to express her frustrations. But then, she thought about how he was from an ancient society where polygamy was the norm, and she doubted he would understand her feelings. She lowered her head. "No one upset me. I just made myself unhappy."

Xiao Yeyang studied her for a moment before looking at the chessboard and laughing. "How about a few rounds? Let me see if your chess skills have improved."

Daohua wasn’t really interested, but seeing that Xiao Yeyang was trying to cheer her up, she nodded. "Alright, but you have to go easy on me. Otherwise, I won't play."

Xiao Yeyang was speechless. When had playing chess become something that required a warning first? He sighed and decided not to argue, considering it was her birthday.

The game began.

Xiao Yeyang noticed that Daohua’s moves with the white pieces were erratic, and she was somewhat distracted. He had to correct her moves while playing.

"What’s wrong with you? You look like a wilted eggplant. This is not like you."

Daohua looked at him curiously. "Not like me? Then how do you think I should be?"

Xiao Yeyang paused and actually began to think about it.

What was she like?

She was fun, bold, different from the quiet or weak ladies of other households. She exuded an energy that was uniquely hers.

Her eyes spoke volumes, and when she smiled, it felt like sunshine warming the heart. Her infectious laughter made everyone’s mood lift.

She was free-spirited, a little unruly, and even had a certain carefreeness that was like a man’s.

But when she was calm, she became graceful and serene, like a delicate flower under the moonlight, beautiful and enchanting.

Daohua noticed that Xiao Yeyang seemed to be lost in thought and waved her hand in front of his face. "Hey, what are you thinking about?"

Xiao Yeyang snapped back to reality, and her confused and innocent expression made him momentarily freeze. The image of her he had just thought about made him feel a little uneasy.

"Cough, cough~"

Xiao Yeyang quickly fanned himself, turning his gaze away. "Anyway, it shouldn't be the sad face you're wearing now. You should always be smiling."

Daohua snorted. "How could I smile every day? Let me ask you, you're a noble Young Prince, do you always feel happy?"

Before Xiao Yeyang could answer, she continued, "Even someone like you has your moments of frustration. So, what about me?"

Xiao Yeyang looked at her, seeing the clouded expression between her brows. He asked again, "What's going on? Tell me. I’ll go take care of it for you."

Hearing this, Daohua smiled faintly and said, "It’s nothing really. I just saw my father sending food to his concubine, and it made me a little upset."

Xiao Yeyang immediately sighed in relief and, with an indifferent tone, said, "I thought it was something serious. Is this little matter really worth getting upset over?"

Hearing his dismissive tone, Daohua furrowed her brows. "Shouldn’t I be upset? My mother works tirelessly to manage this household, yet my father gives all his care and love to a concubine who hasn’t contributed a thing. What does that make of my mother?"

Xiao Yeyang’s expression faltered, and as he seemed to think of something, his face slowly darkened.

Daohua continued, "Sometimes I wonder how unfair this world is to women. On one hand, women are expected to carry on the family line and manage the household; on the other, they’re expected not to be jealous." 

"But why? Why do women have to give without question, while men can embrace multiple women and enjoy the benefits of it all?"

At this point, Daohua looked up at Xiao Yeyang, paused, and then said, "Actually, I really like the play Resting Husband. If a woman could truly divorce her husband as the play suggests, it would be such a fortunate thing." 

Upon hearing this, Defu immediately grew nervous, glancing between Xiao Yeyang and Daohua with an anxious look.

Xiao Yeyang’s eyes flickered, seemingly deep in thought, before he looked up at Daohua. "But this has been the way of the world since ancient times."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately noticed the coldness that crossed Daohua's face.

"What, do you also think it’s right for men to have three wives and four concubines?"

Daohua's voice was icy, with a faint smile that barely concealed her mockery.

Xiao Yeyang opened his mouth as if to argue but ended up saying nothing.

Daohua sarcastically said, "I don’t know about other families, but in mine..."

"Yes, my father works hard outside to support our family and provide a shelter from the storms. But my mother has contributed just as much to this shelter."

"My mother not only has to honor her in-laws and raise children, but she also has to manage the household, take care of all the servants and maids, and handle social gatherings and external relations. Every single task she handles requires both mental and physical effort. Isn't that just as hard as my father’s work outside?"

"Without my mother's hard work and dedication, the so-called shelter would be no better than a scattered pile of sand, unable to withstand any storm."

"Since both sides contribute effort, shouldn’t the rights to enjoy the benefits be equal?"

"Yet, look at this household. Whenever my father has free time, he goes to visit his concubine, showing her warmth and care. Does he ever think about my mother, who is still working hard for this family?"

"Everyone has a heart. My mother has given her all, and yet she hasn't received even a fraction of the care she deserves. She has to watch her husband be affectionate with other women and have children with them. How much must that hurt her?"

Daohua spoke from the perspective of a woman, and her words were completely different from what Xiao Yeyang had been taught all his life — that women’s sacrifices for the family were a given, and that a man having multiple wives and concubines was just a normal part of life, something women had to accept. These views clashed entirely.

Xiao Yeyang froze!

Suddenly, images from his past flashed in his mind, scenes that were long faded and unclear.

In these images, a woman resolutely walked out of the Prince Ping Manor, leaving a young Xiao Yeyang crying and chasing after her, but she never turned back.

When viewed from a different perspective, that woman’s life seemed so painful and sorrowful.

Had he been wrong?

Had he misunderstood and been unjustly angry toward her all these years?

Daohua sighed. "My family is still considered lucky. My father only has two concubines. In other wealthy families, concubines can number anywhere from three or four to countless. How much more miserable must the main wife of such a household be?"

Xiao Yeyang, his expression complicated, looked at Daohua. After thinking for a moment, he said, "That’s your father’s concubines. There’s nothing you can change about that."

Daohua replied, "I may not be able to change anything, but I can protect my mother."

Xiao Yeyang furrowed his brows. "But he’s your father. You can’t treat them unfairly."

Daohua shook her head. "It’s different. My father has concubines, and he has other children besides me. Even if I weren’t here, he would still have other sons and daughters to care for him. But my mother only has me as a daughter. My elder brother and fourth brother are often at the academy, so she has only me."

"Also, the reason I’m alive today is because my father played a part, but my mother risked her life to give birth to me."

"Giving birth is like walking through the gates of hell. My mother risked her life to bring me into this world. Isn’t it only right for me to protect her more?"

At these words, Xiao Yeyang’s heart clenched, and his temples throbbed painfully.

‘You little one, you must grow up well. Your mother almost lost her life giving birth to you, suffering for three whole days and nights. When you grow up, you must take good care of her.’

The kind and warm voice echoed in his mind, and Xiao Yeyang suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of pain.

Daohua noticed Xiao Yeyang’s silence and said no more.

The two of them sat quietly, playing chess, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Behind them, Defu and Wang Man'er exchanged worried glances.

(The end of this chapter)