Transmigrator meets Reincarnator II

Chapter 3| Stubborn vs. Stubborn: Five Year Old Logic

  The words were like a lightning bolt out of the blue, causing the attendants around them to freeze.

The Patriarch was the father of Xia Yuanzhou, and great-grandfather of Xia Meixiang and her cousins. He was an unyielding and stern presence within the family, upholding the family rules sternly and without mercy.

Ruan Xiuxiang frowned. "But Mei'er has never..." Her sentence petered off, worry flitting through her eyes.

Xia Yuanzhou only sighed. "I know. But the Patriarch wishes to see Mei'er... He is willing to forgive her for making a ruckus if she can explain herself and apologize. He understands that she is only a child."

Xia Yuanzhou was quite troubled by his father's demands. Xia Meixiang was his flesh and blood, but since she was three and stepped out of line during the Lantern Festival, his very appearance frightened little Meixiang.

Compared to all the great-grandchildren, Xia Meixiang could be considered to have the worst relationship with the Patriarch. He did not want to put his daughter through this, and it pained him to, but trying to persuade his grandfather was like trying to find a Deity-rank spirit beast: impossible.

Ruan Xiuxiang grabbed her husband's arm, shaking it gently. "Zhou-Zhou, you know Mei'er is..." Her gaze flickered briefly to Xia Meixiang's headtop before meeting Xia Yuanzhou's eyes. "She will not be able to."

Xia Yuanzhou clasped his wife's hand in his, comforting her. "Mei'er is his precious great-grandchild. I am sure he will not intentionally scare her." He hoped so. Xia Meixiang fear of the Patriarch hurt him (the Patriarch) deeply.

Ruan Xiuxiang looked reluctant to accept this, and in his heart, Xia Yuanzhou was also unwilling.

Contrary to his expectations, when Xia Yuanzhou told Xia Meixiang she would have to speak with the Patriarch alone, she only replied, "Okay."

Passing the Scarlet Blood Fox in her arms to Shi Huan, she followed Xia Yuanzhou to the inner hall, where the Patriarch was seated. Xia Yuanzhou gave one last look to his daughter before he left the room, standing right behind the closed doors.

*

Xia Meixiang looked up at the older man before her. He had long gray hair, with grand and regal-looking robes. He sat on a platform before Xia Meixiang, looking at her with hooded eyes.

Xia Meixiang was feeling complex feelings on her end as well. She had never had a grandparent of her own, let alone a great-grandparent. The memories of "Xia Meixiang" concerning this relative were erratic and scattered, and evoked a feeling of fear in her.

Xia Meixiang did not see anything outwardly terrifying about the Patriarch who was her great-grandfather. Other than a hazy memory of when she was three and he scolded her harshly for acting inappropriately, there was no great impression.

"Xia Meixiang," Patriarch Xia Qianlong said, "do you know your misbehavior?"

Xia Meixiang frowned inwardly, feeling the air around her grow cold. Slowly, she looked up at the Patriarch, pouting. "Mei'er does not know her wrongs."

Though her tone was milky and sweet to the ear, her words brought a look of displeasure to the Patriarch Xia's face.

"Xia Meixiang, are you saying you are not wrong for acting out this morning?" Patriarch Xia demanded to know.

The air in the room grew colder and more oppressive. Slowly, Xia Meixiang shook her head. "Mei'er simply does not know where she was wrong."

Patriarch Xia narrowed his eyes. "Xia Meixiang!"

Hong!

The air intensified and a shiver ran down her back involuntarily. Still, Xia Meixiang maintained her posture. "Great-Grandfather, Mei'er only wants to know, where Mei'er went wrong."

Xia Meixiang had a fatal flaw. As a precocious child of the modern era, and a shrewd businesswoman, she was naturally more astute at judging people and situations carefully. However, when threatened to do something, she would naturally go against the gradient as far she was stubborn- which was a great deal.

As it reared its ugly head now, the two could only wait until someone's patience ran out and they ceded.

"Fine then!" Patriarch Xia huffed, feeling invigorated. "Then tell great-grandfather what you think."

Patriarch Xia Qianlong was accustomed to never being challenged in such a way. To have it come from the child who feared him the most, he felt hurt deep in his heart. Had he alienated her to the point where she was intolerant towards him on purpose? She was only five and yet she would be so rebellious to his face? Inwardly, he fumed. Such a good great granddaughter! Fine then, he would discipline her forthright!

Waiting for nonsense to spill from Xia Meixiang's mouth, he was shocked when Xia Meixiang instead said very seriously, "Great Grandfather Patriarch, Mei'er does not like breaking promises."

Her statement was very blunt and straightforward, devoid of persuasion and coercing- it was the tone of a child who was being very honest.

"Mei'er especially does not like breaking promises with family. Yu biao-ge promised Mei'er could choose first today. He said it was certain." Xia Meixiang put on a dejected expression and spread her small arms wide, her eyes swimming a bit before she blinked rapidly. "But then Mei'er was told she must choose second. Yu biao-ge promised Mei'er, but then it was taken away..."

Xia Meixiang did not like explaining "herself" to others, but if things continued this way, Xia Meixiang felt she would only have unhappy days when facing this grand ancestor of hers.

Patriarch Xia was surprised by Xia Meixiang's explanation. It was not complicated or roundabout. She was quite straightforward with her words, neither adding or subtracting. If she were acting, she was quite an expert for one so young. Moreover, Patriarch Xia felt uncomfortable somewhat. It was true her older cousin Long Yu had asked for him to shift Meixiang to the first to choose for the selection, as a birthday present. The issue was brought before him by his eldest son Yuanlong, but he had dismissed it as a child's promise. He had not thought his granddaughter had developed such a personality, cherishing promises.

Of course her attitude could be seen as unyielding and shrewish, being unable to let go of minor slights in favor of peace, but to a child, a promise is a rather deep commitment. He thought of how Long Yu and his sister Lan Yu had pleaded for their younger cousin after she was sent to calm herself.

Patriarch Xia sighed. "Mei-girl," he began, softening the way he spoke to her. "Great grandfather understands that you cherish the words of people close to you. It is good that you do. However, what you should cherish even deeper, is a sense of familial duty."

Xia Meixiang blinked up at the Patriarch. "Familial duty?" she parroted.

"In the Xia family, we value our elders, and place them first. Great Grandfather understands that you were looking forward to the opportunity to choose first, but understand that there are rules for a reason. I cannot simply shift them to the side for you because of a promise, or your birthday, alright?" Patriarch Xia explained.

Xia Meixiang made a sullen face. "Mei'er understands... Then Mei'er is sorry for causing a commotion." Seeing as how the other side conceded, Xia Meixiang was not so thick-skinned as to not acknowledge "her " wrongs.

Patriarch Xia softened his view of this great-granddaughter of his. Although she was rowdy and short-tempered, her heart was good and straightforward. He could not bear to punish her for having such an innocent mindset. She was only five. "I cannot break the rules of the family, but great-grandfather will help Long Yu choose another gift for you, alright. Expect it tomorrow."

Xia Meixiang brightened considerably. "Mei'er thanks great-grandfather." She smiled sweetly.

Feeling pleased by the smile on Xia Meixiang's face, Patriarch Xia personally came down and walked Xia Meixiang out to her father. Rather than hand her off, he accompanied Xia Yuanzhou and Xia Meixiang back to the outer main hall, where the rest of the three households of the Xia Family had gathered.

Ruan Xiuxiang, who had been worrying over the meeting, was surprised to see Xia Meixiang brought back, one hand guided by Xia Yuanzhou and the other by the Patriarch.

The other household members, and even the attendants behind them were shocked, but hid their surprise well.

After the Patriarch left to his position in front of the assembled households, Ruan Xiuxiang questioned Xia Yuanzhou about the closeness the Patriarch had exhibited. But Xia Yuanzhou did not have an explanation. For this, Xia Yuanzhou glanced towards his daughter who was cuddling the Scarlet Blood Fox in her arms, completely unaware of the strangeness of the scene. In the end, Xia Yuanzhou shrugged off his confusion. He supposed his grandfather was just pleased that

"Now then, we will begin the selection." Patriarch Xia announced after passing a message to Elder Yuanlong, who in turn passed the message to the father of Long Yu and Lan Yu, Xia Guangli.

As the selection commenced, Xia Meixiang inwardly wrinkled her nose as several dozen young children were brought into the hall. Honestly, slavery was abolished long ago in modern China, and in most of the world, it was illegal. Xia Meixiang found it to be a inhumane and tasteless plot device used to gather villain entourages.

The little fox in her arms spoke into her mind, 'This is not exactly slavery, Little Traveller. At least not like you are used to. There would be no reason if there was not a social class structure to feed it.'

Xia Meixiang frowned, thinking to herself. That is true... One of the glowing points of the novel was how structured the setting was in terms of infrastructure.

Part of the setting was the system of slavery within the realm. "Slavery" was more akin to indentured servitude, as explain in chapter 93 when the protagonist saved his second harem member from "slavery" by paying off the accumulating debt she was in.

Poor families often sold their youngest or most useless children to wealthy families as servants/attendants to be trained up. Overtime, the children earned small wages and, by saving up the money, could buy their freedom back and earn greater wages being full-fledged servants of the families.

As Xia Meixiang was thinking about the social structure of the world, her turn to choose came. After being informed it was her turn, she skimmed the remaining crowd of children.

Fortunately for Xia Meixiang, she was of the second household and was able to choose after Long Yu and Lan Yu took their turn. Only four people were missing from the lineup, having been led away by a senior steward of the First Household to be taught the rules for the household.

Surveying the people left, Xia Meixiang felt bereft of what to do. She had no experience choosing people, and had not grasped what methods her cousins had used to choose their people.

After a few moments of circling the group, Xia Meixiang returned to her parents' sides and tugged on her mother's dress lightly. "Mother, pick for Mei'er. Mei'er does not know what to look for with them."

Indeed, all these children were too frightened and wary for the techniques Xia Meixiang was used to using to gauge potential. She could only depend on her parents to choose for her.

While her parents were surprised by her gentle askance, they readily picked two servants for their daughter of good quality.

'The society you come from is quite different from this world's, Young Traveller. It would be wise to adapt sooner rather than later.' the fox drawled in her mind.

After her turn officially passed, she sighed to herself. It seemed she would need to refine her skills to adapt to this world.