Chapter 4

Chapter 4: I'm Doing This For Your Own Good, Don't Be Ungrateful! Ridiculous! Song Jiaojiao was getting married, and the dowry was supposed to be prepared by her? Why? She had been deceived by him in her previous life, and now that she had been reborn, he still wanted to keep tricking her? "Pei Wuliang." "What did you call me?" Pei Wuliang—how could she be so disrespectful as to call him by his full name? In her previous life, she had affectionately called him "husband." Even before they were married, she had addressed him softly as "Wuliang." Why was she now using his full name? "Pei Wuliang, did I say it wrong? Isn't your name Pei Wuliang?" As she called out his name, she suddenly felt like laughing. Wuliang—a man without a conscience. The name suited him perfectly. Pei Wuliang's face showed displeasure. "Qingcheng, do you know what I like most about you?" Jia Qingcheng remained silent, so Pei Wuliang continued his coaxing. "You're sensible and obedient, and you solve many of my worries. Although you're now going to marry into Chu Wangfu in her place, I've already said that's just going through the motions. In the future, you'll still be with me, and I'll treat you just as I did before—no difference at all." "So what?" "So..." Song Jiaojiao smiled sweetly and hurried over to Jia Qingcheng's side. "Sister, we'll be one family in the end. Family doesn't speak as strangers. I thank you in advance, sister, for preparing my dowry." Song Jiaojiao's words nearly made her laugh in anger. She wasn't her father or mother—how could she possibly prepare a dowry for her? This pair of adulterous dogs still wanted to scheme against her. Dream on! But... Jia Qingcheng suddenly thought of something and smiled lightly. "I wonder what kind of dowry you'd like, little sister?" When Song Jiaojiao heard that this ugly woman was indeed obedient, she decided not to be polite. "Sister, since you're asking me to speak, I'm a bit embarrassed. But if you're willing to give me the Fushou Hall as my dowry, I'd be endlessly grateful." What? Fushou Hall? Song Jiaojiao was truly ambitious—she actually wanted the gift her grandmother had given her for her tenth birthday. Fushou Hall had nothing to do with the Jia family; it was property given by her grandmother. Fushou Hall was a large medicine shop, spanning thirty storefronts in a row, with booming business every day. It was the most profitable shop under her name. Song Jiaojiao had quite the appetite! "Sister, what's wrong? Reluctant to part with it? If you are, then pretend I never mentioned it." With that, Song Jiaojiao feigned grievance. "Brother Wuliang, sister must be angry that you gave me the bracelet, which is why she won't give me the shop as my dowry. How about I give this bracelet to sister as an apology?" "Jiaojiao, you can't. This is a family heirloom bracelet I gave you. How could you give it to someone else? Besides, this represents your status as the matriarch of the Pei family. How could you give it to a concubine?" "But sister won't..." "You go back first. Leave this to me." After Pei Wuliang coaxed Song Jiaojiao away, he looked coldly at Jia Qingcheng. Just looking at her face made him feel disgusted and nauseous. In his previous life, every time he had to face her, he would first go see Jiaojiao to gather the courage to meet her. Jia Qingcheng's ugly face made him want to lose his temper for no reason. "Qingcheng, what's wrong with you today? Why have you become so petty? Jiaojiao just wanted one of your shops. You have so many shops under your name—what's the harm in giving her a few?" Jia Qingcheng was about to be laughed into anger. Pei Wuliang had it all figured out. How could her shops possibly be given to Song Jiaojiao as a dowry? "That shop was left to me by my grandmother. How could I give it to someone else?" "What do you mean 'someone else'? Jiaojiao is your own cousin. She's family—how is she an outsider?" Jia Qingcheng didn't want to waste words with him. There was no point in saying more. "Are you done?" What? Pei Wuliang was angry! "What's wrong with you? Why are you so bad-tempered? You weren't like this before." Before, Jia Qingcheng had deferred to him in everything. Whatever he said, went. She would never have argued with him like she did today. In his previous life, he remembered that all he needed was one look, and Jia Qingcheng would know what to do for him. Now, she was getting slower and slower. Could it be that ugly women had dull minds? "Before?" Jia Qingcheng found it laughable. In her previous life, she had indeed been led around by the nose by Pei Wuliang, believing everything he said. She had even avoided going out because of her ugly appearance. It was Pei Wuliang who repeatedly encouraged her to go out more and make friends, to socialize with people. Afraid she'd be bored, he even took time off work to accompany her up the mountain to pick mushrooms. She had a small hobby—she loved picking mushrooms on the mountain during the summer. She still remembered one time when she slipped and nearly fell off the cliff. Pei Wuliang had risked his life to save her, and his back had been cut to pieces by the mountain thorns, blood streaming everywhere. He'd nearly broken his leg. In that moment, she had been happy. She thought she had found the man who would cherish her most in this life—regardless of looks, regardless of status or background, and regardless of... The wealth behind her. But all of it—every single bit—had been an act. All of it was fake. The man who had risked his life to save her in her previous life and the man now speaking harshly to her gradually merged into one and the same person. "That's right, you weren't like this before. Listen to me—I'm not discussing this with you. It's settled. Before the wedding, you will complete the transfer of the shop. Qingcheng, don't make me angry. You know I don't like you like this." With those words, Pei Wuliang coldly ordered, "Someone." "What is your command, young master?" The lackey Hu Ba was Pei Wuliang's personal servant. Naturally, in her past life, he had followed Pei Wuliang into the Imperial Medical Academy and risen through the ranks steadily. "There's no need to deliver the dried mushrooms prepared for the eldest young lady. I imagine she has no appetite for them now." Dried mushrooms? Right—in her past life, he had known how to please her. She loved gathering mushrooms of all colors, yet she never ate them, because she picked them to make certain poisons. Poisons that saved lives. And this, he never understood until her death. He had mistakenly assumed she liked eating mushrooms, so whenever he was in a good mood, he would order dried mushrooms delivered to her to win her favor. In her past life, she had mistaken this for love—the greatest proof a man could give her. But now she saw it all clearly. It was never proof of love. It was simply that she hadn't followed his orders, and so he flew into a rage. And all the good temper and favoritism he had shown in her past life had been given to her cousin, Song Jiaojiao. This was the true face Pei Wuliang had hidden behind for an entire lifetime. Thinking about it, it was utterly ironic. "Young master, please speak calmly." Seeing that she remained silent, Pei Wuliang realized his words had been too harsh. He tried to coax her. "Alright, I'm doing this for your own good. When you marry into the Pei household as a widow turned concubine, trouble will naturally come looking for you. If you prepare a generous dowry for Jiaojiao, she will treat you kindly for the sake of your sisterhood. She will be the principal wife, and you the concubine—surely I don't need to spell out how things should be done. Qingcheng, I've gone to all this trouble for your sake. Don't be ungrateful."