Upon hearing Gu Sang's words, Miss Zhang's tears began to flow again.
While wiping her tears with a handkerchief, she complained softly.
"Divine Lady, you were born in an enlightened future. Of course, you can be independent of men, and naturally, you wouldn't understand. In this era where women must obey the three obediences and four virtues, who can women rely on if not men?"
"Where you come from, women can divorce freely, and even if they go out to earn money, they won't be pointed at and gossiped about. But here, if a woman does business, she will be bullied..."
Gu Sang's expression was not particularly pleasant.
Why did this conversation sound increasingly off? It seemed like she was encountering all sorts of excuses for a lover, typical of someone blinded by love.
Therefore, Gu Sang's words were like a cold, sharp blade, piercing straight into the young woman's heart.
"Even if you were to live in modern times, you'd still be a target for bullying. From your words, I can guess that your parents have protected you too well, leaving you idle all day, only knowing how to complain, without any skills of your own."
"Without your parents' protection, whether in the future or in your current era, you would live a very miserable life."
Miss Zhang's pupils dilated instantly, staring at Gu Sang with surprise and anger.
Wasn't the Divine Lady here to solve her problems?
Why was she treating her like this?
Gu Sang's gaze was deep, seeming to see through the young woman's thoughts in an instant. She said, "If I don't speak harshly to you, you'll forever remain a sheltered young lady who knows nothing of the world's hardships."
"Don't argue. Looking at your fine clothes and delicate, fair skin, I can tell how privileged your life has been."
"You say you're a tool for your parents' matchmaking, but from my perspective, it doesn't seem so. Judging by your naivety when speaking, you're simply pampered and spoiled."
"You say your parents are separating you from your beloved, but tell me, what are your beloved's circumstances? Can they compare to your family's?"
The more Miss Zhang listened, the angrier she became, feeling increasingly that no one could understand her.
It was bad enough that her parents didn't understand her pain.
But even the seemingly kind Divine Lady was so hurtful.
Miss Zhang immediately retorted, "Though Young Mr. Li is poor, he has great ambition. I believe that one day he will surely achieve fame and success, and moreover, he treats me very well."
Gu Sang raised an eyebrow, looking at her as if she were a fool: "So it seems your beloved is a poor scholar without any official rank? And poor?"
"He's good to you because being nice is the cheapest thing, requiring no cost."
"Moreover, have you thought about how a scholar with no practical skills can support you? Let's not even consider whether he can pass the imperial examinations in the future."
"First of all, if you two elope, have you thought about how you'll live? How will you earn money? You can't even earn money yourself, yet you dream that a scholar can work to support you?"
"With an extra mouth to feed, expenses increase. Have you two thought about the future at all?"
Miss Zhang opened her mouth to argue but couldn't utter a word after thinking for a long time.
The Divine Lady was right!
She and Young Mr. Li had never thought about how they would live.
But, but couldn't they live without earning money? Why was even the otherworldly Divine Lady crudely talking about money, money, money!
Miss Zhang felt a rush of panic in her heart. No, she couldn't let the Divine Lady brainwash her.
With determination in her eyes, Miss Zhang blurted out, "Love can sustain us even if we only drink water. As long as Young Mr. Li and I are together, even water will taste sweet."
"Moreover, I don't need to wear silk clothes; I can wear cotton. I don't need to eat delicacies; I can eat vegetables and plain steamed buns!"
"As long as I'm with him, a lifetime of hardship will be sweet!"
I... um...
Gu Sang understood.
Oh, no.
She was exhausted.
What fervent vows of love!
Gu Sang was almost moved—moved for that poor scholar, that is. After all, in this world, rich, beautiful fools were becoming increasingly rare, and one must seize the opportunity when encountering such a fool.
Therefore,
Gu Sang laughed, her smile not reaching her eyes: "Haha, alright then, why don't you try drinking only water without food for three days and see if you can be full?"
"Cotton clothes and plain steamed buns, you really don't know the hardships of life, do you? Do you think that poor scholar can even afford white flour buns? You're thinking too idealistically!"
"I see you're severely blinded by love, even worse than Wang Baochuan in the TV dramas. Wang Baochuan would have to call you 'big sister' in comparison."
"Wang Baochuan was the daughter of the Chancellor's Mansion, and she also fell for a poor boy. But at least that poor boy was accomplished in both literary and martial arts, and could earn some money. He eventually tamed the red-maned horse..."
"Eighteen years later when he returned, the first thing he did wasn't to reunite with his wife, but to doubt her fidelity and go home to seduce her..."
Gu Sang felt that this woman was so foolish it made her want to curse out loud.
Even Wang Baochuan would have to take second place to her.
After all, although Xue Pinggui was a bit of a scoundrel, at least he could earn money to support his wife, and he was skilled in both civil and military affairs.
But Miss Zhang's beloved didn't even have the skills to make a living.
The two of them only thought about eloping, without any plans for the future.
For such a man, Gu Sang didn't even need to know more to realize he was unreliable!
"Divine Lady, we can't really blame Xue Pinggui. If Wang Baochuan's family hadn't tried to harm him in the military camp, the two wouldn't have been separated for eighteen years."
Listen to that—this is the talk of someone blinded by love.
She would find countless reasons and excuses to defend her true love.
Gu Sang was nearly driven to despair.
If this were Gu Sang's own daughter, she would truly want to use the word "hopeless" to describe her.
But Gu Sang still patiently explained to Miss Zhang:
"If a man truly likes you, he won't believe others' gossip and marry a princess. It's because he wanted to in the first place."
"As the third daughter of the Chancellor's Mansion, she defied her father for him and ate poor food for eighteen years. Yet he still doubted his wife's fidelity. If Wang Baochuan truly coveted wealth and status, she wouldn't have waited for him for eighteen years."
"I'm telling you this story to warn you: never abandon your family for a man, don't lose your head and marry beneath you."
"Compared to the smooth-talking lover who persuades you to elope, your family should be the most reliable and trustworthy people in your life. Your parents don't want you to suffer, and they've probably also seen that this man has no plans for the future, which is why they don't allow you to be with him."
Miss Zhang shook her head, tears falling.
Just the thought of being separated from her lover made her want to die; she couldn't even eat.
Moreover, this was just a story from a later era, what did it have to do with her? She must surely be an exception! She believed her lover truly loved her.
Miss Zhang said tearfully, "Divine Lady, I understand everything you've said."
"But I can't accept it. I want to take a gamble on love. I really can't give up how good he is to me."
"If I just give up like this, I know I'll regret it."
Gu Sang held her head in her hands, her whole face scrunched up like a bitter melon.
It was so hard to reason with someone blinded by love!
Even more frustrating than listening to Pei Changying's arrogant and flashy speeches.
If it weren't for the sake of earning merit, she would have given up on this plot to help others and just respected their fate.
Oh well.
Merit, merit, grandmother, grandmother, her dear grandmother!
Gu Sang took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of anger in her blood, and said, "Alright then, I'll help you test whether he's worth relying on or not."
