Chapter 27: Calculations and Convictions

"Then it's settled."

"Hold on. There are some things we need to clarify first."

"Please go ahead, Cousin."

Yin Zhi cleared her throat. "First of all, I still suggest that you two have children early. Just a suggestion—you can take it or leave it."

"Then we need to talk about my terms. I will fulfill all the duties expected of a wife. At the very least, we need to keep up appearances so outsiders won’t suspect anything. We must treat each other with respect in public, and you must not give others the impression that you're favoring a concubine over your wife."

"But since I'm fulfilling my obligations and responsibilities as agreed, you must also give me the proper treatment. I don't care whether or not you hand over your personal assets to me. Even if you give everything to her, I won’t object. But we must agree on a set monthly allowance for me. We don’t need to decide the exact amount right now; we can discuss it later. But it must be enough for me to live a respectable life fitting of my status. Ideally, it should allow me to save a little for retirement."

"Also, if you do hand over control of your assets to her, you must ensure that I receive the agreed amount every month, without any deductions. After all, I don't know this young lady. She has feelings for you, but she has none for me. You must have the means to keep her in check."

"Don’t think I’m being petty talking about these mundane things. People don’t live off thin air; they live off rice, oil, and salt. Money isn't vulgar. Those who can discuss money clearly are the ones who truly understand what they've studied. Otherwise, they're nothing more than bookworms."

Yin Zhi actually wanted to clarify whether they would be a real couple or just a fake one—in other words, whether they would consummate the marriage or not.

In her original timeline, if she were entering into a marriage agreement, she would've asked all this directly. But this era was more complicated—there were many restrictions on women. As an unmarried girl, if she brought up the bedroom matter to a man, she feared he might suspect her character.

For example: "How would a virgin girl know about such things? Are you not decent?"

If he became suspicious and backed out of the arrangement, it would be a huge loss for her.

After nearly ten years in this new world, her biggest problem—"marriage"—had finally found a nearly perfect solution: a stable and wealthy environment, a respectable life, and a long-term meal ticket with clear terms.

She could set everything else aside for now, as long as she secured that meal ticket first.

Shen Ti listened carefully to every term she stated.

He didn’t find her petty. In fact, the more specific and grounded her requests were, the more he trusted that her goals in this marriage were clear and pragmatic.

As long as someone has a motive, they can be negotiated with. That made the whole arrangement manageable.

This kind of clear, structured negotiation—what you can offer, what I can give in return, a fair exchange—was far better than the stifling helplessness under parental authority.

It was freeing.

"You needn't worry, Cousin," Shen Ti said seriously. "Since you're to be the official wife, you will be treated with the dignity of one. My family is upright. No one would dare treat you with disrespect."

"With disrespect."

Yin Zhi pondered those words.

"Cousin?" Shen Ti called her.

"Oh! Nothing," Yin Zhi returned to herself. "Go on."

Hands behind his back, Shen Ti said, "I can assure you of all these details. It’s just that now is not the time to go into them. Once everything is settled, we can discuss them thoroughly. I will make sure you are satisfied."

Yin Zhi nodded and smiled faintly. "Then for now, let’s wait for news from Aunt. Let's not make any moves until then."

Shen Ti nodded as well. "Agreed."

But he still had a big concern in his heart—after marriage, would he and Yin Zhi consummate or not? Was she agreeing to let him have a concubine peacefully under the terms they discussed? Or would they be a fake couple altogether, merely putting on a show for the elders?

Yet both of them were young and unmarried. Especially since she was a virgin girl, how could he broach such a topic now?

Even if the marriage was finalized, it still wouldn’t be the right time to talk about it.

And if the arrangement fell through, it would be even worse—talking about such things and not even ending up married? How awkward would that be?

Besides, girls usually only learn about bedroom matters the night before their wedding, taught by their mother or a nursemaid. Before that, they know nothing. Even if he brought it up, she might not understand what he meant.

So Shen Ti decided to keep his mouth shut and leave the topic for later.

They had already been talking for quite a while.

"Sister, you'd better head back quickly," Shen Ti said.

"You're faster, you go ahead. I'll walk slowly behind you. Otherwise, you'll have to slow your pace to stay behind me."

"Alright."

They bowed to each other. Shen Ti turned and left.

Once he was out of sight, Kui'er came down and asked curiously, "What did you two talk about for so long?"

"He asked me about Buddhist scriptures."

"Why did you and Young Master Shen high-five?"

"We were betting on who knows more about Buddhist texts."

"Oh my! How could you dare bet against him? He’s said to be the reincarnation of the God of Literature. He only needs to glance at any scripture or text to memorize it completely."

"Pfft~"

"Don’t laugh, it’s true! Everyone says so!"

"Alright, alright. I won’t bet with him."

Yin Zhi and Kui'er strolled leisurely back.

Thinking back on what had just happened, she realized that before Shen Ti approached her, she had genuinely believed that Lady Shen was at Donglin Temple to worship, make a vow, or fulfill one.

Now she understood that Lady Shen had likely come to verify the fortune she had fabricated.

Although her master tried his best to come up with a story that would fulfill her goals without offending anyone, people in this era were highly superstitious. Lady Shen surely wanted to confirm it personally with her master.

No wonder her master’s attitude was so strange today. Unlike before, when he met her with a furrowed brow and regret practically written on his forehead.

Now everything made sense.

Since her master was involved, Yin Zhi had no worries at all. He had almost developed a mental block over her marriage situation in recent years. Wanting to keep up the act of being a wise man in front of others only made it harder for him.

Now that he had found a solution, he was bound to push her out the door.

That final step? Solid.

Yin Zhi looked up and saw Shen Ti’s silhouette in the distance.

The young man was slender and upright. He was taller than her, and still had room to grow. As the saying goes, men continue growing until twenty-three.

When he finished growing, he would become more solid, with a mature build.

Why do adult men often lose their youthful aura? It’s because their body shape changes, altering the entire impression they give off.

Though he walked faster than Yin Zhi, he didn’t seem rushed at all.

He walked with precise, square steps, his shoulders steady and waist straight. Even at a quick pace, he exuded composure.

This was cultivated from a young age. His bearing outclassed the boy-band idols from her original world by far.

Truly pleasing to the eye.

[Disrespecting the noble.]

Yin Zhi couldn’t help but chew on that phrase.

Shen Ti had said it so naturally.

Yes, this is who he is.

He wanted to take that girl as a concubine because he had feelings for her. To protect her, he even considered not marrying a proper wife.

Why?

Because deep down, he truly believed in hierarchy and social order.

He knew he shouldn’t favor a concubine over a wife. So after making a deal with Yin Zhi, he promised without hesitation to give her the dignity of a main wife.

Yet those very beliefs conflicted with his desire to protect that girl. He couldn't resolve the contradiction because he couldn’t logically reconcile the two.

So, he tried to avoid it altogether by not marrying.

Yin Zhi looked at his disappearing silhouette and smiled.

If she had met a man with such feudal thinking in her original timeline, she would have ignored him. It would have gone against the times.

But in this era, his rule-abiding nature became exactly what she needed.

If someone follows the rules, then the rules can be used to restrain him. With someone like Shen Ti, Yin Zhi actually felt more at ease. She had plenty of moral codes, filial piety, and scholarly duties she could use to rein him in.

The truly troublesome ones are those who don’t follow any rules.

Like the male leads in romance novels from her original timeline who were "bad to the world, but good only to me."

Wake up—if he’s bad to the world, it’s not because the world is worse than you. It’s because he’s a bad person.

When he stops loving you, he’ll treat you just as terribly as he does the world, maybe even worse. Because he sees you as his possession, and that sense of ownership will make his cruelty even more intense.

And love itself, though real, is fleeting and ever-changing.

The second he gazes at you with stars in his eyes, it's real love. But the moment someone else catches his eye, he may instantly fall for her instead—and that, too, would be real.

All those fleeting loves are real.

But like sand or water, none of them can be held forever.

So—Yin Zhi walked back, feeling great.

After all, the meal ticket was the most important thing.

Who would have thought a meal ticket would fall from the sky?

What luck! Who would believe it?

But still, she had one lingering question.

This cousin of hers, with his clear thinking, quick decisions, and ability to accept criticism and admit fault...

How could someone like that still be ruled by romance?

Yin Zhi shook her head.

When she returned to the courtyard, the Third Madam was still complaining about how long she'd been gone. Then she pulled her aside and asked in a hushed tone, "Did you ask your master what your aunt was praying for?"

Earlier that day, Lady Shen had spoken alone with the chief monk in the meditation room. Though the windows were open, the Third Madam could see everything clearly but hear nothing.

It had driven her crazy with curiosity.

Yin Zhi sighed. "I didn’t ask. Even if I did, Master wouldn’t say. They serve the Buddha—they can’t go around gossiping. If word got out, what noble ladies would ever trust them again?"

A careless minister loses his life; a loose-lipped monk loses his temple.

A monk with a loose mouth? He’d lose business.

The Third Madam looked very disappointed.

The next day, Lady Shen returned to speak with the head monk again, alone.

The Third Madam and Yin Zhi stood under the corridor, watching from afar.

"What are they talking about? It's been ages," the Third Madam said. "Your master never talks to me that long."

Yin Zhi thought, of course not—you only ever pray for money or grandsons. My master can handle that with two lines.

She narrowed her eyes and looked ahead.

Her master now fully embodied the image of a wise man. No one could tell how eager he really was.

But Yin Zhi knew her master was more anxious than anyone.

Buddhists believe in karma. When her master helped her on a whim, he became entangled in her karma. Since he played a role in her beginning, he now had to bear responsibility for her outcome.

How could he not be anxious?

But Yin Zhi was not worried.

With her master's eloquence and mystique—his ability to speak in riddles and offer vague truths—if he didn't have such skill, how would he have beaten all the other bald monks to his position?

She had full confidence in him.

Master Yin and Shen Ti stood a little distance away, also watching. They said something, but Yin Zhi didn’t hear. Nor did she care.

From beginning to end today, she and Shen Ti only exchanged polite greetings as "cousin." Not a single other word or glance was shared.

Yin Zhi thought, for his age, Shen Ti really did have remarkable composure.

Shen Ti, meanwhile, thought that his cousin’s self-control exceeded that of many scholars. No wonder his mother favored her.

Finally, Lady Shen came out.

She was smiling. She looked at Yin Zhi, then at Shen Ti.

Yin Zhi saw her expression and knew—the matter was settled.

The head monk escorted Lady Shen to the door.

"Please, no need to see me out, Master," Lady Shen said.

"Amitabha," the monk said solemnly, hands folded. "With a sincere heart, your prayers will be answered."

Lady Shen's smile deepened.

Master Yin asked, "Shall we head back?"

Lady Shen replied, "Let’s go."

Everyone began preparing to leave.

They all bid farewell to the head monk. Yin Zhi stepped forward and gave a proper bow. "Master, we’re heading home."

The monk looked at her, then at the young scholar—what a perfect match of beauty and talent.

He had so much he wanted to say to his bold and determined disciple, but needing to maintain his wise-man image, he could only say:

"...Cherish your blessings."

Yin Zhi beamed. "Don’t worry, Master."