“I’m not leaving,” his tone suddenly softened, and the arm around my waist pulled me towards the bed. My heart raced, and I could barely catch my breath.
Not long after An Jin became a deputy minister in the Ministry of Personnel, he personally came to propose marriage.
My parents, older brother, and younger sister were all very happy, and no one understood why I was anxious. An family’s betrothal gifts filled the front room. My mother and sister laughed joyfully, selecting fine brocades and exquisitely crafted jewelry, but I pulled my father aside and told him I wanted to refuse the marriage.
My father was surprised. He had thought that having grown up together, An Jin and I were well-suited, but he didn’t expect me to be unwilling to accept this marriage. I didn’t reveal the true reason, only saying I had no romantic feelings for An Jin and thus didn’t want to marry him. Though disappointed, my father respected my wishes and declined the proposal to An Jin. When my father returned the betrothal gifts to the An family, my mother and sister cried while clinging to the rosewood chest, wishing they could be sent along with it. The scene made me feel quite guilty.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to marry, but we had deep-seated grievances, and his motives for proposing were far from pure.
After refusing the proposal, An Jin seemed to have no reaction. However, my family began to encounter strange misfortunes. First, my father nearly got demoted during the annual official performance review, barely keeping his position with a reduced monthly salary. Then my mother was robbed while returning home, causing a tremendous uproar.
Next was my older brother, whose prospective bride suddenly refused to marry him and ridiculed him. Finally, my younger sister, who loved beautiful clothes and dreamed of meeting a refined gentleman, was humiliated while secretly attending a noble girls’ gathering. She became so discouraged that she could only sing two lines: “Even with a heart as high as the sky, how can one escape being lowly…” while casting me resentful glances.
I couldn’t understand why, despite my efforts to provide for the family, such misfortune would befall us.
