"Mom," she said softly, her voice fragile. "Have I done something wrong?"

  "Yes," Old Madam Bai stared at her. "You′ve been wrong from the very beginning!"

  "Mom?" Han Yan frowned slightly.

  "Don′t call me ‘Mom’!" Old Madam Bai′s voice was harsh. "Remember this! You can only call me ‘Mom’ in front of Pei Wen because I don′t want to hurt him. At other times, you will call me ′Old Madam,' do you hear me?"

  Han Yan′s face turned as white as a sheet.

  "You—you—what do you mean?" she stammered.

  "My meaning?" Old Madam Bai snorted coldly. "I don't like you, Han Yan!" she said bluntly, her eyes locked on her. "I′ve investigated your history thoroughly. At first, I just thought he married a factory worker, but I never expected he would marry someone worse than that, a woman from a pleasure house! I believe you must have used every trick to seduce him."

  Han Yan′s eyes widened in shock. Her lips trembled, and for a moment, she couldn′t say a word. She only vaguely and painfully felt that the beautiful world she had just built had shattered so quickly.

  "You′re very clever," Old Madam Bai continued. "You′ve managed to make Pei Wen completely devoted to you. But don′t think you can manipute me as well. The moment you entered my home, I knew exactly what kind of woman you were! Han Yan, you are not worthy of Pei Wen!"

  Han Yan looked straight at Old Madam Bai, but in reality, she saw nothing. A flood of tears had blurred her vision. Her legs were cold, and her body trembled. She had been thrown from a joyful pinnacle into an endless abyss, and she was sinking further, sinking, sinking.

  "Don′t waste your tears!" Old Madam Bai′s voice echoed coldly against the walls of the abyss. "Save your tears for Pei Wen! Now, I want you to confess—before you married Pei Wen, were you innocent?"

  Han Yan didn′t speak.

  "Speak!" Old Madam Bai shouted harshly. "Answer me!"

  Han Yan looked at her helplessly.

  "No," she said in a hoarse voice. "Pei Wen knows everything."

  "He knows! Hmph! He actually knows! After all the careful selection, he married such a woman!" Old Madam Bai gred at Han Yan, her eyes burning with anger as she looked at Han Yan's pale face and tear-filled eyes. This was how she must have used her weakness and tears to conquer men! "You′re wrong," she said, fixing her gaze on her. "You never should have come into this family! You′ve stained the entire Bai family!"

  Han Yan′s body wavered slightly, as if she might colpse at any moment.

  "You..." she trembled, her voice broken, helpless. "What... what do you want me to do? Leave... leave... here?"

  "Would you be willing to leave?" Old Madam Bai scrutinized her.

  Han Yan stared at her, and then, her legs giving way, she colpsed to her knees.

  Kneeling there, she looked up at Old Madam Bai with pleading, helpless eyes.

  "Please don't drive me away!" she said in agony. "I know I′m not good, I′m lowly, I′m filthy... but, but, but I love him, and he loves me. Please, I beg you, don′t drive me away!"

  "Hmph, I know you wouldn′t be willing to leave!" Old Madam Bai raised an eyebrow. "Hanyan Vil? Hanyan Vil! You′ve managed to secure a big property for yourself!"

  "Mom—" she protested, her voice trembling.

  "Call me ‘Old Madam!" Old Madam Bai snapped.

  "Old Madam!" she cried, her voice shaking, tears streaming down her face. She covered her mouth with her hand, desperately trying to stop herself from sobbing uncontrolbly.

  "You—you're wrong, I—never thought about... about the property... the property..." she sobbed, her words incoherent.

  "I knew you would say that!" Old Madam Bai sneered. "You don′t need to expin yourself. I know you very well! But don′t worry, I won′t drive you away. Because I can′t drive away my son along with you—he′s infatuated with you. You can stay here, but don′t try to py any tricks in front of me! Do you hear me? As long as I′m alive, I′ll be watching you. Don′t even think about touching his property! Don′t meddle in his business! Don′t touch his money!"

  “Old Madam..." she called out in pain.

  "Also," Old Madam Bai interrupted her, "I suppose you′re eager to go to Pei Wen and stir up trouble."

  Han Yan covered her face with her hands, shaking her head vigorously.

  "You′d better not say a word in front of Pei Wen!" Old Madam Bai warned. "If you want to stay here, that is. If you destroy the retionship between my son and me, I won′t let you off the hook!" Han Yan desperately shook her head.

  "I won′t say anything," she cried. "Not a word! I swear!"

  Old Madam Bai turned her face away, her expression cold.

  "Now, you can leave," she said. "Remember what I′ve said!"

  Han Yan stood up crying, covering her mouth with her hand. She hurried toward the door, but just as she reached it, she heard Old Madam Bai′s stern voice again.

  "Stop!"

  Han Yan halted and turned around. Old Madam Bai was staring at her coldly.

  "From now on, you'd better keep your actions in check. I know women like you from the pleasure houses—you're inherently restless! I′m telling you, Gao Lide is young and talented. Don′t go trying to seduce him! Be careful! I won′t allow you to make Pei Wen wear a green hat!"

  "Oh! Old Madam..." Han Yan cried out, tears streaming down her face. She couldn′t say a word, turned around, opened the door, and ran out. Immediately, she rushed back to her room, smmed the door shut, and colpsed onto the bed. She buried her head deeply in the pillow and sobbed, heartbroken, furious, and utterly shattered.

  It wasn′t until lunchtime that Han Yan finally came out of her room. Her face was pale, her eyes swollen. She sat at the dining table, looking like a ghost without a soul. Gao Lide had just returned from the tea garden, his face tanned and red, his eyes bright.

  He looked at Han Yan and, with no malice, said, "Hah! You broke your promise. Didn′t you say you were going to the tea garden to pick tea? How come you didn′t go? Afraid of the sun, are you?"

  Han Yan forced a smile, but it vanished as quickly as a fsh of lightning. She didn′t say anything, her head hanging low in a daze. Gao Lide was somewhat surprised. What had happened? What could have taken away the sunlight from her face? She looked like someone who had just walked out of hell.

  He instinctively gnced at Old Madam Bai, whose expression was inscrutable. It carried the same solemnity and nobility that she always had. Her face held no warmth, no joy, no heat, no light. Had Pei Wen′s mother said something to embarrass the young woman? He thought, sensitive to the change, and then looked back at Han Yan. Her dark hair hung so low, and her rice bowl was nearly untouched.

  At dusk, Han Yan walked out of Hanyan Vil and along the dirt road. She walked backward, slowly, heavily, and absent-mindedly. On both sides of the road, groups of female workers were still busily picking tea in the tea fields. They worked energetically, bent over, singing songs, and carrying baskets. Those female workers dressed just as she once did, wearing straw hats and wrapping their hands and feet with cloths of various colors. The different colored clothes scattered across the vast, lush green tea gardens looked enchanting.