The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Cui Shiniang believed she had no prejudices regarding social class; otherwise, she would not have chosen a poor young man who was merely a Scholar, even though later facts proved her judgment was not so great. But she genuinely admired Shao Jingguang, which was why she insisted on marrying him and helped pave his way step by step to become a Fifth Rank Deputy Magistrate.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t escape the curse of a man changing his heart as he rose in official rank. What troubled her most was that his mistress was merely the daughter of an ordinary Scholar who couldn’t even recognize a few words, yet he took a fancy to such a person—utterly ridiculous.

Song Ci said, ”When you refer to mud that can’t stick to the wall, are you talking about the Shao Family’s faltering after their rise?”

Cui Shiniang nodded, remained silent for a while, and then said, ”Actually, the Shao Family and the Song Family’s origins are quite similar, but they don’t have an ancestor as discerning as you, nor someone as intelligent as Prime Minister Song.”

”You overpraise.”

”I’m not complimenting without reason. I’ve long known it’s hard for a Poor Family to produce a noble child, but seeing Prime Minister Song’s background, I’ve always believed that while it’s difficult, it doesn’t mean not a single noble will arise. I originally thought my ex-husband would be another noble, but I was too confident.” Cui Shiniang laughed at herself: ”Prime Minister Song is someone Poor Family scholars look up to, a true representative, but not everyone can be Prime Minister Song. It seems a Prime Minister Song appears only once in a decade.”

”The Shao Family brought forth Shao Jingguang, transforming from poor farmers to Official status, which truly changed their fate, and they aspired to be a distinguished family of scholars, hence establishing the Shao Family’s academy. At that time, I thought if the academy could cultivate a few promising young ones, the Shao Family would have its foundation.” Cui Shiniang sneered, ”But unfortunately, some mud legs can’t change their nature; they lack ambition and scholarship, only thinking about wealth.”

”Before the separation, I had already seen through the flaws of the academy’s existence, but they thought that as a woman, I was neither suitable nor should manage the academy. Otherwise, outsiders would laugh at them, so they just wanted me to stay peacefully in the inner chambers and quickly expand the family. Over time, I became cold-hearted. Later, it was my ex-husband’s affair and having a child with his mistress that became known, and there was nothing left after.”

Song Ci asked, ”Did you resolve the separation joyfully after knowing about his affair, without tearing them apart? Wouldn’t that be too easy for those two adulterous scoundrels?”

”I understand what you mean. As long as I didn’t agree, I could drag them down, and their bastard child would only be known as an illegitimate offspring with no future. But I was tired and unwilling to see the faces of the Shao Family people, I found it disgusting and didn’t want to stay there to cover for them.” Cui Shiniang declared proudly, ”Madam Song, I, Cui Shiniang, originally chose him because I trusted my heart and eyes. Even if I chose wrong, I am not without the courage to admit defeat. Just like when I dared to hold his hand, I also dare never to join his family grave.”

With such words, resolute and spirited, she dared to act and face the consequences.

Song Ci looked at her with some surprise, took a long moment, and tentatively asked, ”Between KFC and McDonald’s, which chicken do you prefer?”

Cui Shiniang: ”???”

What chicken?

Song Ci laughed sheepishly and squeezed out a sentence: ”Among women, you truly are outstanding, a model for our generation!”

This woman was simply the least traditional-minded female Song Ci had ever seen—so straightforward. Are you also a time traveler?