章 116: The Only Way Forward
Zachariah and Joseph were closer than any of their other siblings, and he had known since Wang had been born that his father had expected far more from the boy than he had from his other sons. When Zachariah had been made the child's godfather he was sure that the question of succession had just become a contest between his second son and his youngest.
"Even though she goes voluntarily she will be taken to the same place, Lucia went to, where Baozhai is now?" Wang still couldn't wrap his head around what Zachariah had told him. "Lucia has never been the same; it's like the light inside her died."
"She will, for the most part, be isolated from the ones seeking treatment or being punished but yes she will be in the facility," Zachariah nodded. "I understand your concerns, but Lucia's case was different, as is Baozhai's."
"Wait here," he said suddenly and left the room for a moment leaving Wang to go over his thoughts. The trial was no longer the easy test he had expected for Changying, where she would be at the farm, and he would be able to see her each weekend. Instead, she would spend the first weeks being indoctrinated by her father on traditional family law and then travel to the sitting of the chairs where she would be placed into the care of the Battaglia Table who ran the rehabilitation facility for the twelve families. While it housed the wayward children who dabbled in drugs or other substances, it also dealt with the punishment of anyone who had been seen to commit a crime against the family. Lucy and Baozhai were examples of that. Because it was not spoken about, the brothers assumed a dependency on alcohol or drugs had been Lucy's crime. She had been a wild child during her adolescence and had rebelled against everything the family stood for until her parents had stepped in. Baozhai had been more devious hiding her sins behind a mask of family devotion. They each had earned their place at the facility. Changying's only crime had been to love him.
"Marisol is going to keep Changying company, she will be wondering where you are," Zachariah announced entering the room. "You must have time to consider whether you will take her to your father now or send her away."
"I love her," Wang said sadly. "Sending her away would be too difficult, for both of us."
"Then you must endure and forgive each other when it is over. It is the only way forward," Zachariah said gently. "If she is even half the woman you describe she will not be there long," he reassured Wang.
"She is stronger than she looks, I am not sure they will break her so easily," Wang said thoughtfully.
"She is intelligent though and will understand what is required unlike Baozhai, who will fight against the lessons she needs to learn," he once again turned around Wang's dark thoughts.
"It's not the dark ages for God's sake, why are we clinging to such archaic laws!" Wang ranted in frustration.
"The traditions and laws that constantly threaten to break the younger generations are exactly the things that hold all of the families together and helps us to prosper when the wedge between the wealthy and the middle class widens further than ever before. Think of the devastation to all of the people who rely on our families for work and shelter, charities who prosper through our largesse, should the tables begin to disintegrate because some laws seem archaic," Zachariah challenged.
"Even international law recognises change over time, why can't we?" Wang was sounding petulant even to his ears.
"Feminism has never been entertained by any of the Twelve tables throughout the world. Are we chauvinists? Yes. Misogynistic? Perhaps, but it is our way, and the women we trust to rule the tables alongside us need to be beautiful, intelligent, loyal and respectful of our laws and traditions. If a woman wants to become part of our family, then she must prove herself worthy of us. Changying is an outsider, Wang. If you don't want to have to share her, then let her go and pick a woman from one of the southern tables which have grown up respecting our laws and traditions."
In a moment of clarity, he heard her voice in his head saying, "You won't ever have to share my heart, that is yours alone." He smiled then knowing that she had been right; she may obey and serve in a variety of ways but he possessed her heart, and that is why she had agreed to a trial in the first place. He suspected that was why his father had said he would oversee the trial himself because he had known that family law would demand more of an outsider.
"Okay I will accept what must happen, tell me all that you know, about the plans for Changying," Wang sat up and poured himself another cup of coffee happy that Marisol had gone to Changying.
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