My sister became the empress, but I'm still growing vegetables and raising chickens

Another man also said: "Yes, you have seen the world!"

Si Xingzhi collected his thoughts and quickly said, "I used to think the same way. I thought I lived in Kyoto, so I'd seen everything. Even down and out, I still thought highly of myself, thinking I was knowledgeable. But in reality, I'd only seen the things that happened in the city. The farmland changes with each season, and the scenery is different and unique. How could city dwellers see that? I've never seen such a world."

Several men were smug, feeling they could outdo the former marquises. Some, however, secretly thought that the marquis had simply fallen on hard times, and as a prisoner, he would never be able to rise again. But his conversation was more than a match for peasants like them.

If their own boy could learn a few words and go back to work as a clerk in a shop in the county town, it would be better than them relying on the weather for their livelihood in the fields.

……

My younger sister also left early in the morning. Unlike yesterday when she had deliberately dressed up so elegantly, she hadn't done anything fancy today. It was just that she was naturally pretty, so even without makeup, she was still exceptionally striking.

But after what the eldest sister said to the Queen Mother yesterday, the younger sister had a strange feeling.

In the past, she had to rely on pretending to be nice and making people pity her in order to borrow money from men. Those men were young and inexperienced, so they were easily moved by her and wanted to marry her.

In the past, when the eldest sister knew about this, she would be furious. Like the other village women, she would scold her for being promiscuous and seducing men. She would also force her to return the money and even told her to choose one of those men to marry.

She was originally the legitimate daughter of a marquis and was favored by the Empress Dowager. How could she possibly look down on a man from this remote village?

Only a chosen one can be worthy of her, and she will do everything in her power to climb up!

The eldest sister didn’t understand her ambition, but the eldest sister yesterday seemed to understand it, so she helped her solve the problem of the Queen Mother.

It also made her understand that a daughter's reputation is important, and she must never let others take advantage of her for petty gains.

So today, she held her head high and went to find the men who had borrowed money from her yesterday, and handed the IOUs to them one by one.

"Sister Wan'er, what are you doing? Why are you doing this for such a small amount of money? I'm not planning on asking you for it."

The younger sister shook her head: "I know you are doing this for my own good, but I can't be so shameless as to accept your kindness. I will pay back the money as soon as possible."

When she arrived at Wang's house, she went straight to knock on the door. It was Wang's mother who came out to open the door. She glared at her when she saw her.

"Shameless thing, how dare you come to my house! Don't you even look at your own status? Bah, do you really think you're some rich girl? My son is going to graduate from high school and marry a respectable girl!"

The younger sister was not angry. When she saw Wang Ming running out in a panic, she didn't look at him for long and just said to Wang's mother.

"Aunt, although you went to my house yesterday to insult and slander me, I have thought about it carefully. After all, I did borrow money from Brother Wang, so I won't do anything to you."

The Queen Mother was furious: "What did you say? What else do you want to do to me? Was there anything I said wrong? You shameless little bitch, you cheated my son's money, you..."

"Mom!" Wang Ming shouted, stepping forward to block his younger sister. "Mom, what are you talking about? I told you, I gave that money to Sister Wan'er willingly! How dare you go to someone else's house and make a scene? You actually said bad things to Sister Wan'er?"

The Queen Mother scolded, "I provided you with food and drink, and even taught you to read and write. The whole family's hope rests on you. You said you wanted to buy brushes, inkstone, and paper, and I immediately gave you a tael of silver. But then you were deceived by this bitch, and now you're still protecting her? You...you really make me so angry!"

Wang Ming was dissatisfied: "Mom, I said I gave it to her on my own initiative. If you insult her like this again, I will definitely not forgive you!"

"You won't forgive me? Are you still trying to stir up trouble?" The Queen Mother clutched her chest. "I'm so mad, so mad!"

Seeing that she was extremely angry, the younger sister's eyes flashed with a hint of satisfaction.

But she didn't want to argue any further, so she just handed over the IOU in her hand: "Brother Wang, please stop talking and don't make Auntie angry. This matter was originally my fault. I shouldn't have asked you for money in private. After I got home, my sister scolded me and asked me to come and apologize. I will make up the IOU first and will return the money to you before the New Year."

Knowing that the money could be returned, the Queen Mother felt a little relieved. Although she still disliked this private daughter, she was not that angry after all.

She rudely snatched the IOU away: "You agreed to pay the money back before the New Year and you are not allowed to default on it!"

"I will never default on my debts."

Wang Ming was anxious: "Sister Wan'er, what are you talking about? Your family is in such a situation, where would you get the money? Don't you have to pay back the money you owed to the casino?"

The Queen Mother slapped Wang Ming on the back a few times and said, "Why would you worry about other people's family affairs? Shut up, shut up!"

She looked at her younger sister again and said, "Also, you are not allowed to come to see my son again. Just return the money to me directly and don't meet him again."

The younger sister glanced at Wang Ming and said, "Okay."

Wang Ming was stunned. "No, mother, are you still being unreasonable? Sister Wan'er has had it hard enough, how could you treat her like this? Besides, I'm sincere to Sister Wan'er. Mother, I want to marry Sister Wan'er!"

"What did you say? How dare you! Even if you can't marry the daughter of a wealthy family in the future, you must marry a girl from an honest family. I will never allow the daughter of a prisoner to marry into our family!"

The younger sister was impatient and kept calling her the daughter of a criminal. It wasn't her father who committed the crime, and their Si family was just unlucky and implicated.

A daughter of a wealthy family? How could this small Wang family dare to dream of her? Did they really think that her son was noble just because he could read a few words?

Wang Ming's knowledge is not even as good as hers. He needs to study for a few more years to see if he can pass the imperial examination. Any higher is impossible.

Wang Ming shook his head desperately: "No, I don't want anyone except Sister Wan'er."

I thank you!

But the younger sister just said: "Brother Wang, I remember all your kindness to me, but there is absolutely no possibility for us."

Wang Ming thought she was disheartened by her mother's scolding, so he quickly came over to express his true feelings: "Sister Wan'er, my feelings for you are as clear as the sun and the moon. I will never marry anyone but you in this life."

No, no, no, you have to marry me? I don't want to marry you. I'm not my love-brained second sister who thinks love is everything and that love is enough.

The younger sister shook her head, her face extremely determined. "Brother Wang, no matter what, I will not marry you. My second brother was killed by a wild boar while hunting in the mountains. He raised me and is like a father to me. So, I will observe mourning for him this year and have absolutely no thoughts of sex."