Chapter 11: Concubine? Your Nan Jinping is only fit to be a nameless and statusless concubine...

Nan Jinping was annoyed, rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath, "This isn't your house."

"How dare you speak like that!" This time, Zhou Nan Shi was genuinely angry. Earlier, she had just been using the situation to show off, but in reality, she looked down on the Zhou family and was just putting on airs.

Now that Nan Jinping had directly confronted Zhou Nan Shi, it was a real slap in the face to Zhou Nan Shi.

Zhou Nan Shi had never thought highly of the Zhou family, and now, being disrespected by Nan Jinping, whom she believed should have been born to serve her family as a slave, she wanted to teach her a harsh lesson, to beat her into submission so that she would obey her family's young mistress in the future.

With this in mind, Zhou Nan Shi raised her hand and swung it fiercely towards Nan Jinping.

Nan Jinping disliked Zhou Nan Shi, but out of filial piety, she couldn't fight back. However, she could dodge.

Taking advantage of her youth and agility, Nan Jinping quickly sidestepped and avoided the slap.

The slap missing its target only enraged Zhou Nan Shi further. She hadn't expected Nan Jinping, a lowly-born Shuang Er, to dare dodge her slap. She chased after her, ready to strike again, "How dare you dodge! I'll kill you today!"

The Nan brothers wouldn't tolerate it. Coming to their house to show off was one thing, but to try to beat their brother in front of them was another.

They rushed forward, shielding Nan Jinping. Nan Da Lang glared fiercely at Zhou Nan Shi, "What did my brother Jin say that was wrong? Is this your house?"

Nan Er Lang added, "If you dare touch my brother Jin, just try!"

Nan San Lang also had a fierce look, "If you dare hit my elder brother, I'll dare hit your great-grandson."

This aunt was old, and only her great-grandson was younger than Nan San Lang, who could easily beat him.

The four young men, all with fierce looks, glared at Zhou Nan Shi, who was genuinely intimidated. After all, this wasn't her home, and she had no one to back her up. If she really provoked them, the Nan brothers might actually take action.

Zhou Nan Shi's raised hand hung in the air, neither striking nor lowering, leaving her in an awkward and embarrassing position.

Miao Shi, bound by seniority, couldn't curse back but made a veiled comment, "What are you all doing? This is your house, not a place for you to throw tantrums."

Miao Shi was clearly scolding the brothers, but her words were directed at Zhou Nan Shi, almost pointing at her forehead to accuse her of throwing a tantrum.

Zhou Nan Shi trembled, "Nan Wa Zi, are you just going to stand by and watch me get bullied in your house without doing anything?"

Nan's father was fed up with this old lady and said impatiently with a stern face, "Aunt, if you have something to say, just say it straight. My house isn't as leisurely as yours; we still have a lot of work to do and no time for idle chatter."

Zhou Nan Shi was furious, thinking the Nan family was being ungrateful. She had come to bring them a great opportunity, and this was the attitude she received!

Zhou Nan Shi wished she could turn around and leave, but remembering her granddaughter's unfinished task, she had to grit her teeth and endure.

Zhou Nan Shi found a place to sit, took a breath, and said, "I've come to bring you good news."

Miao Shi curled her lip, thinking that if there was really good news, this old lady wouldn't have thought of their family.

The Nan family knew this well, and no one responded to Zhou Nan Shi's words.

Zhou Nan Shi continued, "I've found a great marriage match for your Nan Jinping."

Nan Jinping's heart skipped a beat at the mention of marriage, thinking of Bing Wengu.

Could it be that Bing Wengu had sent Zhou Nan Shi to propose?

But then she thought, Bing Wengu probably didn't even know Zhou Nan Shi, and even if he did, knowing the poor relationship between their families, he wouldn't have asked her to propose.

If Zhou Nan Shi wasn't sent by Bing Wengu, then who could it be?

For some reason, after realizing that the matchmaker wasn't arranged by Bing Wengu, Nan Jinping's heart calmed down, and her face no longer felt hot.

While Nan Jinping's heart was at ease, Miao Shi's heart was in turmoil.

Miao Shi instinctively asked, "Which family is it?"

Nan Jinping was already eighteen years old, an age considered quite old for marriage in Yong Dynasty, whether for girls, women, or Shuang Er (a gender-neutral term).

If it were a man, he'd be considered an old bachelor; if a girl, an old maid—neither term was flattering. And for Nan Jinping, being a Shuang Er, the gossip was even harsher.

Miao Shi was extremely anxious about Nan Jinping's marriage prospects. At such an age, not a single family in the neighborhood had come forward with a marriage proposal. Even when she tried to bring it up, people would immediately shy away, as if afraid she would impose on them.

Seeing Miao Shi's anxious demeanor, Zhou Nan Shi, no longer as cold as before, felt quite smug.

She had said it before—such an older Shuang Er in their family, unwanted by anyone, how could they not be anxious?

"This match is an exceptionally good one, hard to find even with a lantern. If your Nan Jinping can marry into this family, it would truly be a stroke of great fortune for your Nan family," Zhou Nan Shi said.

"The family's surname is Li. You must have heard of them—the Li family rice shop in town, known for its two large estates. The manager is also a close relative of the Li family rice shop."

Zhou Nan Shi's dramatic pause made it seem as if she was talking about the owner of the Li family rice shop.

She continued, swinging her legs, "Manager Li earns two taels of silver monthly, and his family is quite wealthy. The match I'm proposing is with their youngest son, twenty-five years old, just a few years older than Nan Jinping."

Upon hearing Zhou Nan Shi's glowing description, Miao Shi felt not joy but deep concern.

She knew her family's situation well. It wasn't that she looked down on her own child, thinking Nan Jinping unworthy of a good match, but the societal norms were rigid.

In Yong Dynasty, men were superior to women, and women were superior to Shuang Er.

Shuang Er had the lowest social status, not quite slaves but nearly as low, differing only in that they weren't bound by a deed of sale and couldn't be sold arbitrarily.

Even among common folk, Shuang Er were looked down upon. No respectable family would take a Shuang Er as a proper spouse. At best, they might be taken as a concubine for amusement and then cast aside.

If any man took a Shuang Er as his primary spouse, regardless of his own merits, he would be scorned and ridiculed.

Given all this, even the poorest families in their village wouldn't consider marrying a Shuang Er. Last year, a fifty-something bachelor from the neighboring village married a sixteen-year-old Shuang Er, and even then, both the couple and the villagers believed the bachelor had been shortchanged.

Most Shuang Er ended up as concubines or sold into servitude. Those who could marry were considered fortunate to have found a good home.

Under these circumstances, Miao Shi couldn't possibly believe that any respectable family would want her Jin Geer (a term of endearment for Nan Jinping).

"If the family is really that good, why would they want our Jin Geer? Is there some disability?" Miao Shi worried.

She thought that if the man was truly that good, even with a disability like a missing limb or blindness in one eye, it might still be acceptable.

After all, a man without flaws wouldn't be available for her Jin Geer.

Miao Shi's question, however, seemed to offend Zhou Nan Shi.

Zhou Nan Shi angrily retorted, "Who has a disability? It's your Jin Geer who has a disability!"

"What? No disability?" Miao Shi tentatively asked, "Then is it to be a concubine?"

The disdain in Zhou Nan Shi's eyes was almost palpable. "Young Master Li is a scholar, set to take the imperial exams next year and sure to pass, becoming a scholar. There are plenty of people clamoring to be his concubine. How could a scholar like him be interested in your Shuang Er!"

If not a concubine, then certainly not a second wife.

Miao Shi frowned, "Then does he want our Jin Geer to be a mistress? That's impossible. Our Jin Geer would never be a mistress. He'd rather stay unmarried forever than be someone's mistress."

Without matchmaker or betrothal gifts, it sounds nice to call her an unofficial wife, but in reality, it's no different from being a courtesan.

"Your Shuang Er is not some stunning beauty. If the scholar wanted a mistress, he wouldn't choose someone as plain as Shuang Er," Zhou Nan Shi rolled her eyes.

Not a concubine, not a mistress, and not a step-wife—what kind of arrangement is this?

Miao Shi was tired of Zhou Nan Shi's beating around the bush, "Auntie, just say it straight."

Zhou Nan Shi then said, "The scholar has taken a liking to my eldest granddaughter. You know how beautiful my little girl is, stunningly beautiful. The scholar saw her and decided he must marry her!"

Miao Shi was confused, as it didn't seem to have anything to do with her Jin Geer.

Zhou Nan Shi continued to boast proudly, "It's also because my little girl is kind-hearted. She thought about how your Shuang Er is unwanted and can't get married, so she decided to help your little Shuang Er."

Zhou Nan Shi's tone was full of condescending charity, "Heaven pities him; he's a poor soul indeed."

"My little girl is willing to give your Shuang Er a spot as a dowry companion, to go with her to the Li family and enjoy wealth and honor."

At this point, Miao Shi finally understood.

Being a dowry companion sounds nice on the surface, but in reality, it's just being a bedmate.

When there's nothing to do, serve the Li family's master in bed; when there's work, act as a slave, taking care of the entire Li family.

This is even worse than being a mere servant. At least a regular servant doesn't have to serve the master in bed and receives a few taels of silver as payment. But her Jin Geer receives nothing.