Bab 7: Chapter 7: On the Eve of Establishing Roots
The old house of the Dai family was decorated with lights and full of guests. The festive atmosphere of the old man's 80th birthday diluted the solemnity of the past. Dai Shiya, dressed in a simple and elegant dress, shuttled among the crowd, chatting and laughing with those "uncles" and "aunts", like a weak and non-aggressive little white rabbit.
"Shiya, you just returned to the Dai family and you don't understand a lot of things. You should learn more from Yueyue in the future. She is your sister. She has been smart and likable since she was a child." A gracefully dressed lady took Dai Shiya's hand and said kindly.
Dai Shiya calmly withdrew her hand, with a perfect smile on her lips: "Thank you for your concern, I will definitely do it."
She scanned the crowd calmly, and finally, in the lounge area in the corner of the banquet, she saw Dai Yue. She was chatting with a few young girls, laughing like a silver bell from time to time, playing the innocent role as always.
"The show is about to begin." Dai Shiya took a deep breath and walked towards Dai Yue with graceful steps.
"Sister, how are you doing recently?" Dai Shiya walked to Dai Yue with a sweet smile and intimate tone, as if the two of them were really a pair of sisters with deep feelings.
Dai Yue was obviously startled by this sudden closeness, but she quickly reacted and showed a false smile: "Shi Ya, why are you here?"
Dai Shiya ignored her hypocrisy, turned to look at the girls, and said gently: "Everyone, I want to tell you a secret today, a secret about my sister."
As soon as these words came out, the people around stopped talking and looked over here curiously. The smile on Dai Yue's face gradually stiffened, and she felt a little uneasy.
"Sister, do you still remember that you spread rumors that I would do anything to marry into a wealthy family?" Dai Shiya's voice was soft, but it struck Dai Yue's heart like a heavy hammer.
"You...what are you talking about? I don't know!" Dai Yue pretended to be calm and denied it.
"Really?" Dai Shiya sneered and took out a recorder from her handbag. "Then do you dare to listen to this recording in front of everyone?"
A girl's voice came from the recorder. It was sarcastic and completely different from Dai Yue's usual voice, but the tone and speaking habits were exactly the same as Dai Yue's.
"Don't worry, I will never let Dai Shiya have an easy life... I will definitely bring her to ruin..."
The content of the recording is the evidence that Dai Yue instructed others to spread rumors.
Dai Yue's face was pale and her body was shaky. She wanted to refute, but found that she had no way to speak. The people around her looked at her with suspicion and contempt.
"I...I..." Dai Yue stammered but couldn't utter a complete sentence.
"Why aren't you talking, sister?" Dai Shiya pressed on, her tone cold, "Aren't you good at making up stories? Why aren't you making up stories now?"
Dai Yue's lies were exposed in public, and she was like a stray dog, in a state of embarrassment. The guests around her pointed at her and talked about her.
"It turns out that she is the scheming person!"
"You can only know a person's face but not his heart!"
"How could the Dai family raise such a daughter?"
Listening to the discussions around her, Dai Yue felt so ashamed that she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. She glared at Dai Shiya with resentment, but was powerless to refute.
Outside the crowd, Mr. Dai, who had been silent the whole time, saw all of this. He walked forward slowly with a cane, his cloudy eyes full of disappointment... Mr. Dai walked in front of Dai Yue, his cloudy eyes pierced her like a sword, his disappointment was beyond words. "Ayue, I always thought you were a sensible child, but I didn't expect..." He sighed heavily, his tone full of fatigue and heartache.
Dai Yue had never seen her grandfather's eyes so stern. She was so scared that her legs went limp and she sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face. "Grandpa, I was wrong, I..." She wanted to explain, but she was choking and couldn't say a complete sentence.
"That's enough." Old Master Dai waved his hand and stopped looking at her. He turned to look at Dai Shiya, with a hint of inquiry and appreciation in his eyes. "Shiya, you did a great job."
Dai Shiya smiled slightly, neither humble nor arrogant: "I just did what I should do."
"You've been wronged." Old Master Dai looked at her with a little more pity in his eyes. He had lived for most of his life and had seen all kinds of people. Although Dai Shiya's methods were a bit harsh, she always remained restrained and calm in the face of Dai Yue's difficulties. This kind of mentality was rare.
Dai Shiya's eyes were slightly red, but she didn't let the tears fall. She knew that now was not the time to cry. What she had to do was to completely change her image in the family.
"Grandpa, actually, ever since I came to the Dai family, I have always..." Dai Shiya paused, with a hint of grievance in her tone, "I know that I am not of the Dai family's bloodline, and I understand that everyone does not recognize me. However, I did not expect that even..."
She didn't continue, but everyone understood what she meant. Dai Yue, the most beloved granddaughter of the Dai family, was so difficult for her, not to mention the servants.
"Shi Ya, if you have any grievances, just tell me and grandpa will take care of it for you!" Grandpa Dai said in a deep voice, with a majestic aura arising from him.
"Thank you, Grandpa." Dai Shiya looked at him gratefully, took a deep breath, and said slowly, "Since I came here, I have been looked down upon and even made things difficult for by some people. They call me a 'wild girl' behind my back, saying that I have become a phoenix by flying up the tree, and also..."
She paused, as if she found it difficult to speak, "She also said that I did whatever it took to marry into the Dai family..."
"What?!" There was a cry of surprise from the crowd, and everyone looked at Dai Shiya with sympathy in their eyes.
Dai Shiya couldn't hold back her tears and choked up as she said, "I know that I don't have the qualifications to enter the Dai family because of my poor background. But I married Achen because I love him and he loves me. We truly love each other, so is this wrong?"
Her words were sincere and moving. Everyone present was infected by her emotions, and many people began to reflect on their previous behavior.
Dai Shiya wiped her tears and continued, "I came to the Dai family not to fight for anything. I just want to live a good life with Achen and respect my elders. But why..."
She didn't say anything else, but her eyes and her tone had already expressed her grievance and helplessness vividly.
In the crowd, some family members who originally held a neutral attitude towards Dai Shiya began to waver. They looked at this weak but strong girl in front of them, with mixed feelings in their hearts... Dai Shiya's words were like spring rain, moistening the hearts of many people who originally had prejudices against her. In the family, several uncles who had always remained neutral gradually softened their gazes towards Dai Shiya.
"Shiya," Third Uncle spoke first, with a bit of emotion in his tone, "You have been wronged. Although our Dai family is rich and powerful, it is not a place where reason is unreasonable. When you marry into the Dai family, you are a member of our Dai family. If anyone dares to gossip about you behind your back, don't blame me for being rude!"
"Yes, Shiya," Fourth Aunt also said, "You have been married to Achen for a while, and we have seen what kind of person you are. You are filial to your elders and treat people sincerely. You are a good child. We have wronged you before."
"Thank you, Uncle San, and Aunt Si." Dai Shiya nodded gratefully, her eyes reddening again. She knew that she had finally taken a crucial step.
"Grandpa, uncles, aunts and uncles," Dai Shiya took a deep breath and said with a firm look, "I know that I still have a long way to go if I want to truly integrate into the Dai family. But I hope everyone can believe that I married Achen because I sincerely want to live a good life with him, and I am willing to give everything for this family."
She paused and said sincerely, "Although I am not from a prominent family, I also have certain abilities and resources. I hope to have the opportunity to contribute to the family, and I also hope that everyone can give me a fair chance to prove myself."
Dai Shiya's words were powerful, and her sincerity and determination infected everyone present.
"Shiya, we are glad that you have this heart." The uncle who had been silent all this time said, "The door of the Dai family is always open to you. Whatever you want to do, just go ahead and do it. We will support you."
"Yes, we all support you." Other family members also expressed their agreement.
Dai Shiya looked at the sincere faces in front of her, and a warm current surged in her heart. She knew that she had finally gained a foothold in the Dai family.
However, at this moment, a sarcastic voice suddenly sounded...
"Oh, if you don't know, you might think it's some rich girl giving a speech here!" A sharp voice broke the originally harmonious atmosphere. Dai Yue crossed her arms and walked out with a mocking look on her face. "You said it well, sincerely, and with dedication, but why haven't I seen you do anything for the Dai family before?"
Dai Shiya sneered in her heart. This Dai Yue was really impatient. He jumped out so quickly to make a presence. She looked at Dai Yue calmly, without any ripples in her eyes, as if she was looking at a jumping clown.
"Dai Yue, how can you talk like that?" Uncle San frowned, with a bit of displeasure in his tone, "Shi Ya has just arrived at the Dai family and is not familiar with many things. How can you say that to her?"
"Uncle San, isn't this all for the sake of our family?" Dai Yue rolled her eyes and said in a wronged tone, "Who knows if she is sincere? What if she just wants to take advantage of our Dai family?"
"You..." Uncle San wanted to say something else, but Dai Shiya gently pulled his sleeve.
"Uncle San, it's okay." Dai Shiya smiled slightly, her tone gentle but with a firmness that could not be ignored, "I believe time will prove everything. Since I married Achen, I will naturally regard the Dai family as my own home and protect it to the best of my ability."
She turned her head and looked directly at Dai Yue, with a meaningful smile on her lips. "As for some people, instead of wasting time on meaningless suspicion and speculation, it is better to spend more time improving yourself, so as not to be eliminated by the times in the future without realizing it."
Dai Yue's face froze. She heard the sarcasm in Dai Shiya's words, but she couldn't refute it. She gritted her teeth and wanted to say something else, but was stopped by her aunt, who whispered, "Stop it."
Dai Shiya ignored Dai Yue, she knew that she had successfully defeated the opponent. What she had to do now was to prove herself with practical actions and make those who still had doubts about her completely convinced.
After the family meeting, Dai Shiya returned to her room and gently rubbed her brows. Although she had achieved a certain victory today, she knew that she still needed to work harder. The internal relationships of the Dai family were complicated, and there was still a long way to go if she wanted to gain a real foothold.
She walked to the window and looked at the bustling city night scene outside the window, her eyes gradually becoming deep. She thought of the description of the Dai family in the book and the various changes that might happen in the future, and a sense of uneasiness rose in her heart.
"It seems that I need to prepare early." Dai Shiya murmured to herself in a low voice, with a flash of determination in her eyes.
She is no longer the helpless book-crosser. She will use her wisdom and courage to carve out a world of her own in this wealthy family.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone