Chapter 172: The East Wind Blows, the Drum of War Beats (Part Five): Once the Play Has Begun, It Must Continue
A middle-aged man dressed in a light blue embroidered silk robe hurriedly walked into the inner room, causing astonishment among the maids and servants in the courtyard: over the years, unless summoned by the Madam, the Master would never set foot inside the main house.
Madam Kang was sitting upright in the hall, conversing with her son Kang Jin. Her expression was gentle as she said, "You must handle your duties well. I have already spoken to your uncle. Once your term is over, I will arrange for a transfer for you." Kang Jin, nearing thirty, had a fair and kind face. Upon hearing this, he whispered, "Mother, please don't plead with Uncle anymore. Yuan recently wrote saying that Aunt is causing trouble. If you continue, Uncle will be in a difficult position."
"Don't worry about that. As long as your grandmother is alive, the Wang family won't dare to make decisions without her."
Before Madam Kang could say more, she suddenly noticed her husband standing at the doorway. She was stunned for a moment, and Kang Jin quickly bowed and excused himself, respectfully saying, "Father has arrived." Mr. Kang glanced at his eldest son coldly and said, "You leave first. Your mother and I have something to discuss."
Kang Jin, who always respected his father, dared not say more and quickly left.
"It's quite rare to see you here. What wind blew the master in?"
Kang Auntie looked at her husband, who seemed like a stranger, with a cold eye. Despite being nearly fifty years old, he appeared as refined and elegant as someone in their thirties. Thinking about how she had tirelessly worked for the family day and night, yet had aged prematurely with greying hair and a weathered appearance, she couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration.
Kang Lao Ye stepped forward, waving his hand to dismiss the maidservants around, his expression immediately darkening. "If I hadn't come, I'm afraid you would have sold off our children and still not realized it!"
Kang Auntie's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to retort, "In families facing financial difficulties, selling sons and daughters is not unheard of."
When the topic turned to money, Kang Lao Ye couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He then demanded, "Where did you send Zhao'er?"
"Her health hasn't been good. She's been sick for a few days, and with the hot weather, I was afraid she might have caught an epidemic that could endanger the family. So, I sent her to the estate to recuperate." Kang Auntie had prepared her response well, showing no signs of hesitation or guilt.
"Bullshit!" Kang Lao Ye couldn't help but curse, "At this point, you're still spewing lies. Our Kang family's respectable daughter, you treat her like a servant girl, saying she's sold, she's sold, saying she's to be a concubine, she's a concubine! Do you still have any regard for me?!"
Kang Auntie knew the truth had been exposed, but she remained unyielding, mocking, "Now you suddenly act like a caring father, but I wonder how many times you've actually seen Zhao'er in the past ten years. Perhaps if father and daughter passed each other on the street, you wouldn't even recognize her!"
"Don't change the subject!" Kang Lao Ye's eyes turned fierce, "Just tell me, where is Zhao'er?"
"I'm sure you already know, there's no need to ask further! I've arranged a good future for Zhao'er."
"You, you..." Kang Lao Ye pointed at his wife, his beard trembling with anger, "You actually sent Zhao'er to become a concubine! You've disgraced the Kang family's reputation!"
"Disgraced the family's reputation?" Kang Auntie snorted coldly, raising her voice, "The one who's disgraced the Kang family's reputation isn't me! Your good second brother, two years ago, gave away one of his illegitimate daughters to another family. Why don't you go and criticize them for disgracing the family?"
Thinking of his disrespectful younger brothers, Kang Lao Ye felt even more angry. "Besides..." Kang Auntie's tone softened as she changed her approach, "I did this for the Kang family. Recently, weren't you planning for a comeback? If Lord Gu could lend a hand, wouldn't it be twice the result with half the effort!"
She had prepared her arguments long before deciding to wade into this muddy water. "Before, our relationship with the Gu family was only superficial, and we had to consider my sister and brother-in-law's face. You've always looked down on your brother-in-law, saying he's slippery and only cares about his own interests, not like a gentleman. Now, as long as the Gu family accepts Zhao'er, although our reputation may suffer a bit, we'll benefit in the end. Our niece will consider family ties and won't mistreat Zhao'er. As long as Zhao'er can bear a son and daughters, we'll be able to have direct dealings with the Gu family. Isn't that a win-win situation?"
In fact, this was only half of the reason. The other half was to deliberately provoke Minglan. Seeing that little illegitimate girl acting so arrogant now made her angry, so she wanted to vent her frustration.
Kang Lao Ye listened from beginning to end, his face alternating between pale and flushed, seemingly somewhat intrigued yet also extremely infuriated. After struggling for a while, he finally spat out, "You... you've really done it!" Then he threw a piece of paper in front of Kang Auntie. "Take a look for yourself!"
Kang Auntie looked at the paper suspiciously and picked it up slowly. As she read a few lines, her face changed drastically.
"Not only did you fail to accomplish anything, but you also caused a disaster!" Kang Lao Ye paced back and forth in the room, cursing, "I entrusted your brother-in-law with some matters in the Court of Judicial Review to take care of, but instead of improving things, he made things worse like last time! Everything was going well, but a few days ago someone accused me of misconduct. Yesterday, the Ministry of Personnel rejected my petition."
Kang Auntie's mind was in chaos, and she panicked, "Wasn't it said that your brother-in-law was transferred to the Ministry of War to manage the grain supply? Maybe the matters in the Court of Judicial Review couldn't be suppressed because of that."
"Transferred? That's a promotion!" Kang Lao Ye was both envious and resentful, his anger rising, "According to the usual practice, one must be a third-rank Privy Councilor to hold such a position. It's been barely a year since Sheng Hong was promoted to the fourth rank! And now he's in charge of military affairs and grain supply, a lucrative position! Do you know what this means?"
He took a deep breath, his jealousy burning, "This means that he's being heavily relied upon by the higher-ups! The Emperor regards him as one of his own, that's why he's placed in such an important position!" As for why the Emperor regarded Sheng Hong so highly, Kang Auntie didn't dare to ask that question.
"In the officialdom, people are all envious and malicious. Sheng Hong is currently riding high, having just left his post at the Court of Judicial Review. Who wouldn't give him some face? If he had the intention to suppress it, how could this have happened?!" Kang Lao Ye became more and more furious as he spoke. He walked up to his wife and berated her angrily, "By marrying into such an influential family, the Sheng family is currently enjoying their success. How could they be willing to share the pie with others? And yet, you eagerly sent a concubine to vie for favor? Isn't that digging someone else's wall? You didn't steal the chicken but lost the rice, and now you've stirred up a hornet's nest!"
Kang Auntie was both shocked and frightened, her hands trembling as she held the paper. With nothing to say, she could only stammer, "Why didn't you say so earlier? You only mentioned relying on acquaintances, but you didn't say you begged your brother-in-law!" If she had known earlier, she wouldn't have gone to provoke him at this time.
Kang Lao Ye was taken aback. He usually couldn't stand the fact that Sheng Hong, despite his inferior background in the imperial examinations compared to himself, had a better career. Moreover, Kang Wang's family liked to show off, so he was extremely unwilling to tell his wife that he had relied on Sheng Hong for help.
Kang Auntie took a few deep breaths, her eyes filled with malice. Through gritted teeth, she said, "Since it has come to this, and I have already offended my brother-in-law, I might as well go all out and make this happen!" She suddenly remembered Madam Tai's promise, that once Zhaorong entered the household, she would definitely help her gain favor and give birth to a child. Thinking of this, she felt as if she had grasped a lifesaving straw while drowning. Kang Auntie muttered to herself, trying to convince herself, "Don't be afraid. Even if it's difficult now, it will be fine in a few years."
Since her husband and she were not on the same page, and her husband's promotion and wealth would only boost the arrogance of those few little vixens, it was better to plan for the future. Once Zhaorong had established herself, it would also benefit her own children.
Slap! A heavy slap landed squarely on her fair cheek, leaving a red mark.
Kang Auntie covered her face, staring at Kang Lao Ye in disbelief, her voice trembling, "How dare you hit me?!"
"You're beyond foolish!"
Kang Lao Ye's face was terrifyingly dark, and he lowered his hand. "How do you think I found out about this?! Your smug good son-in-law just came over and said that he couldn't bear to see his sister-in-law become a concubine. If he had our permission, Zhaorong's marriage would be left to them. I'm utterly ashamed and have nowhere to hide my face." He finally understood why Sheng Hong suddenly refused to help. Thinking of his hard-won career plan going up in smoke again, he felt intense hatred!
"If it weren't for your three years of filial piety to your parents-in-law, I would have divorced you in a heartbeat!" Kang Lao Ye gritted his teeth.
"Don't make me laugh!" Kang Auntie stood up abruptly, screaming, "If you have the guts, divorce me right now! Don't pretend you're reluctant to lose the support of our Wang family. Do you think I'm willing to live like this?! Constantly dealing with concubines, this mansion can barely contain us! It's better to kick us out early, you and your little vixens can enjoy your days together!"
Kang Lao Ye was furious. "Having multiple wives and concubines is common for men. You're just jealous and malicious! A virtuous wife brings less trouble to her husband. It's because I've brought this disaster upon myself by marrying you that I've been frustrated for half my life! If it weren't for my parents' orders, how could I have married you?!"
"Kang Haifeng! Are you content with just three wives and four concubines?!" Kang Auntie acted like a madwoman, grabbing Kang Lao Ye's sleeve. "You lecherous scoundrel! Do you think others can't see through your black heart?! If you were capable and could lead the family, allowing me to live in peace without worrying about our children's future and money, even if you took a hundred concubines, I wouldn't say a word! But you pretend to be righteous, yet you have no ability! Today you beg my brother, tomorrow you rely on my sister's husband, and you even want to use my dowry to fill your gaps!"
She pounded her husband with all her might, crying and cursing, "You're so useless! If you treated us well, it would be fine! At least you could show some favoritism! All you do is put on a big show, constantly calculating my dowry. You've ruined my entire life!"
"I can't reason with you!"
Kang Lao Ye was annoyed by her crying and pestering, so he shook her off and walked out of the room without looking back.
Kang Auntie collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, not knowing who to blame.
Her father was kind and not insistent on marrying into the Kang family. Her mother had never looked favorably upon the ostentatious Kang family son. It was she who had chosen him behind the screen. The once-despised Sheng Hong was now flourishing, while her foolish and incapable younger sister was becoming more and more prominent. Her elder brother, who used to dote on her, became less responsive after he had a wife and children.
She felt that the world was unjust. Despite her beauty and cunning, she suffered such a miserable fate. After crying alone for half a day, she suddenly remembered an important matter. She quickly wiped away her tears, endured the heartache, touched up her makeup, and instructed someone to prepare a carriage for her departure.
The carriage headed north and, after half an hour's journey, arrived at the entrance of a quiet mansion. The small three-courtyard residence was elegantly arranged, with lush greenery and blooming flowers, presenting a beautiful scene of midsummer.
"Wife, even if you didn't come, I would have gone to find you," a servant led Kang Auntie inside. "Something big has happened. Our mistress has been crying since this morning until now, and she hasn't even eaten."
Kang Auntie was extremely anxious and didn't want to say anything more. She hurried inside. Upon entering the room, she saw Kang Yun'er looking dispirited, her eyes swollen like big peaches. Kang Auntie felt a pang of heartache and immediately hugged her daughter, trying to comfort her.
"Since receiving the letter from Youyang late last night, he hasn't spoken to me. Early this morning, he went out. When I read the letter, I understood what happened," Kang Yun'er said, tears streaming down her face, her breathing ragged. "Mother, why did you do this to me?"
Kang Auntie angrily replied, "Doesn't this foolish boy know the difference between kin and others? You're his wife, bearing his children, yet he's upset because of a distant relative? I'll go and scold him awake!"
Yun'er was gentle by nature. Although she knew her mother was in the wrong, she didn't dare to blame her too much. She just cried, "I told you before, the two brothers in the Sheng family are closer than ordinary siblings, let alone the kindness Uncle Grandmother has shown to the elder branch. When I asked the servant who delivered the letter, he said that Grandfather was furious as soon as he received the letter from Aunt Grandmother and even scolded Aunt Yun. How could your son-in-law, who is so filial, go against the wishes of his elders?"
"Madam," knew deep down that the words were not entirely untrue, but couldn't help but burst out angrily, "They're just a family of merchants. If it weren't for your age hindering things back then, how could they have had the chance! Don't worry, I don't think anyone from the Sheng family dares to come pick a fight with you!"
"Mother~~~!" Yuan'er called out mournfully, choked up for a moment before saying, "The letter says, Mother-in-law wants me to return to Youyang!"
Mrs. Kang didn't react at first, and then said blankly, "Why does she want you to go back? Who will take care of Changwu's daily life, and who will manage the affairs of the officials' families in the capital?"
Yuan'er cried, "The letter says, the family will send another maid to serve. Mother wants me to bring the children back, firstly to fulfill filial piety, secondly to let the in-laws see their grandchildren, and thirdly, if Father agrees, to arrange a marriage for Sister Ze'er. The in-laws say, there is still a layer of separation, so they want me, her own sister, to go over, to find a match for my sister..."
"You're not the eldest daughter-in-law, why serve the in-laws!" Mrs. Kang herself felt this was unreasonable.
Yuan'er's tears flowed like strings of pearls, streaming down her face as she sobbed, "Mother, since I married into this family, I've been managing things on my own. Originally, Mother-in-law wanted me to go back to my hometown to follow the rules for a few years. Besides, many officials who are sent elsewhere have their daughters-in-law serving their parents-in-law at home while they take concubines when they are away on official duties. It was Aunt Yuzuma who pleaded for me, that's why I felt so comfortable and could have children. Now that Mother-in-law has spoken, how can I dare not comply? After all, I haven't fulfilled my filial duty to the elders in my husband's family for a few days!"
Mrs. Kang felt dizzy for a moment, and after a moment of dizziness, she gradually regained her composure. "Did your husband say anything?"
"He only said one thing," Yuan'er continued to wipe away her tears, heartbroken. "Before Grandmother passed away, while she was still lucid, she repeatedly held Grandfather, Grandmother, and Aunt Yuzuma's hands, insisting that they must be filial to Aunt Yuzuma, otherwise she wouldn't rest in peace!"
In fact, for Changwu, this multiple-choice question is not difficult at all. On one side is the somewhat unruly Yue family, and on the other side is the deeply affectionate and esteemed Mrs. Sheng. The relationships between the two families are close, with mutual assistance in both official and business matters, plus a legitimate power, his cousin's husband. To offend his beloved cousin and the main wife of the cousin, just for a wife he has never met and doesn't know if she will be favored or not, is like losing a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed, and it's uncertain whether he'll even pick it up.
Regardless of emotions or reality, he decisively follows what his parents' letter says. Of course, he still loves his wife, but the reason of the Sheng family members reminds him that walking in the official circles, the accusation of being unfilial is not something to be taken lightly.
Until this moment, Mrs. Kang felt deeply guilty towards her daughter. She muttered for a long time without being able to say anything; seeing her mother like this, Yuan'er couldn't bear it and tried to comfort her with a few words. Mrs. Kang seemed possessed, her eyes glaring, hoarsely saying, "I will never let them go! Just wait and see, just wait and see..." She continued to curse repeatedly, implicitly referring to Mrs. Sheng and Minglan.
Upon hearing this, Yuan'er immediately exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, "Mother! You must not act recklessly! Although Grandfather and Grandmother are furious at the moment, as long as I serve them well, diligently and dutifully, and if my husband pleads for mercy again, there will surely be a day when things will pass. But if you do anything... if you make any more moves, daughter is afraid that we may never reunite with our husband in this lifetime!"
In truth, the Sheng family had good family values. The senior wife, Lady Wen, had not taken a concubine for several years, and her in-laws had never asked her to do so. In the short term, it might be manageable, but if it took ten or twenty years, or even until the parents passed away, there was no guarantee that they would be reunited as husband and wife.
Upon hearing these words, Aunt Kang collapsed backward, fainting away. There was a commotion in the room, with Yuan'er pinching her mother's acupoint and pouring tea down her throat. After a while, Aunt Kang gradually regained consciousness. Through gritted teeth, she uttered, "They... how dare they... use you to blackmail me!"
Upon hearing the news of Yuan'er's return to her hometown, Minglan inexplicably felt a twinge of guilt. She murmured softly, "Grandmother has always favored Second Sister-in-law, but now, for my sake, she's disregarding her."
Madam Cui, feeling a pang of headache, consoled her, saying, "No one is hitting or scolding her. It's just asking her to go back and serve her in-laws, which is what a daughter-in-law should do. Besides, it's only right and proper for a daughter to repay her mother's debts. If you want to blame anyone, blame her mother for not accumulating good karma for her children!" Her usually sharp tongue silenced even Minglan.
After instructing Danju to prepare some items to be sent to Yuan'er, Minglan still couldn't shake off the lingering gloom in her heart.
What exactly does Madam Kang want to achieve?
This person is a master schemer, far from the ostentatious and shallow Aunt Kang. Even if Kang Zhaor has entered the household, does it guarantee that he will be favored? Moreover, there are numerous flaws in this matter from beginning to end. If she exerts herself, she can likely break the scheme. Is that old woman pretending to be kind and righteous, accustomed to playing innocent, now tearing off her facade just to disgust herself with such a trivial matter?!
Minglan became increasingly unable to see through it.
At this moment, the person she couldn't see through was calmly listening to the reports.
"So, the path for the Kang family is closed?"
In the dimly lit room, Madam Kang delicately lit a stick of incense and inserted it into the incense burner. In front of the altar sat a darkened sandalwood statue of Maitreya Buddha.
"Madam Kang has fallen ill. It was Wang Mama, who attends to her, who came out to tell me," the servant bowed his head and said.
"She's quite capable. It seems we've encountered a worthy opponent," the Madam spoke softly, as if not a bit angry. "What a clever move, removing the firewood from under the pot. Even if I expose it, the person has already been sent away. For the time being, I can't produce another relative to cause trouble. Hmph, that useless woman. She wasted a lot of my effort and voice, but turned out to be worthless!"
"It's truly surprising. Second Madam is so young, yet she moves so swiftly, without revealing any flaws. She hides them well," the servant sighed, casting a glance at the mistress, hesitating, "Perhaps it's better to stop here."
The Madam shook her head. "It's too late now. Since the play has begun, we must see it through to the end."
"Madam..."
The Madam raised her hand, silencing the servant, and turned to face the statue of Maitreya Buddha. Her gaze became unusually distant. "This Buddha, it was brought by the old Marquis from a renowned monk in the South Sea that year. He said it brings eternal smiles and clears away all dust. Tell me, what do you think the Marquis was seeking when he prayed here every day?"
The servant was taken aback, then sighed. "How could anyone else know?"
"I'll tell you," the Madam's voice turned as cold as ice. "Maitreya is the Buddha of the future. He wanted to reunite with my sister in the next life."
A stifling silence filled the room. The servant looked at the Madam, her once young and vibrant face now marked by age and sorrow. The Madam gazed at the small statue of Maitreya Buddha, barely half a foot tall, and continued in a soft voice, "The Marquis knew it very well in his heart. My sister was far from an ideal match. She was not fertile, not skilled in managing a household, and her life was short. But he loved her. No matter how good and virtuous other women were, they were of no use to him."
As she spoke, a peculiar light flashed in her eyes, and she chuckled. "In the past year, watching the excitement over there, I realized that just like his father, the second son is stubborn by nature, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."
The servant felt a pang of bitterness in her heart but forced a smile. "Madam, don't dwell on it. The old Marquis treated you so well, he truly cared for you."
Little did she know, the Madam snorted self-deprecatingly. "Cared for me? You don't know, do you? Actually, he also liked the lively one from the Bai family, and he liked the biological mother of Tingyan too. But it's different, none of them..." None of them were love.
"For my sister, he was infatuated, blinded by love from a past life. There won't be the same kind of affection again," the Madam said in a bitter tone, her voice tinged with sadness.
Suddenly, a chilling gleam flashed in her eyes. "Do you know why we've been hitting walls and facing setbacks everywhere these days? Hmph, it's not because those two are exceptionally clever, but because they are a united couple, trusting each other. No matter how others try to undermine them, they can't break the foundation. That's the key!"
"So, this time, I only want Minglan's life!" The Madam looked up at the Buddha statue, her voice suddenly fervent. "The second son may like that actress out there, and he may also like Qiurong. Hmph, men, when it comes to their beloved, they'll stop at nothing! Even if the second son remarries in the future, he won't have the same affection. Hmph, as long as the couple isn't completely united, it's easy!"
Instigating discord, egging on, even if Minglan's child survives and has to deal with a stepmother in the future, it will still make for a good show.
The servant felt sorrowful, her voice choked with emotion. "But if you do this, you won't be able to retreat unscathed. Why not wait a bit longer? Perhaps something will happen on their end by itself."
"It's just two options: either let the second son slowly simmer me over a low flame, or I choose a swift end myself," the Madam said casually, her expression indifferent. "As long as he can't find any evidence against me, at most, he'll just drive me out. Wait? Hmph, wait until their children grow up and become adults? By then, even if something happens to that couple, it won't be Wei'er's turn."
"Besides, will there be such a good opportunity in the future?" The Madam thought of her arrangements, feeling a surge of excitement. "There are plenty of people in the south who want the second son's life. He may think he's hiding well, but as long as his people leave some traces along the way, we'll see who gets him in the end! Even if he doesn't die outside, when he returns, he'll only see the corpse of the Sheng family."
Gu Tingye was someone who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges. Knowing that Gu Tingwei was completely unaware, he definitely wouldn't go to extremes. In this troubled time, with swords and spears not distinguishing between friend and foe on the battlefield, who knows if Gu Tingye will be able to leave behind heirs before he dies!
As long as Gu Tingwei behaves himself, everything will work out. If he doesn't take action now, it will be much harder to do so in the future! When Gu Tingye is done grieving and remarries to fill the household, it might not be as difficult to deal with his new wife as it is with Sheng Minglan. It could take many years before she bears him a legitimate son. A husband who still mourns his deceased wife and a family that may not be harmonious, it would be far more effective to scheme and incite discord (she's quite experienced in this), much better than the current situation where she can't do anything. Moreover, she's getting older herself, while Gu Tingye and his wife are still young and vigorous. If she were to give up like this, she would truly die with great reluctance.
The Madam suppressed her emotions slightly and sat down slowly. "How is the second son's wife these days?"
With a focused expression, the attendant replied, "Although the matter with the Kang family has been resolved, she still seems burdened with worries. Upon closer observation, it doesn't seem like she's pretending."
"This woman is quite clever, knowing that things aren't so simple," the Madam chuckled. "It's good that she's burdened with worries, thinking and pondering. It's a pity we can't wait any longer, otherwise it would be nice to trouble her a bit more... By the way, how is everything on that side?"
"Don't worry, everything is under control. Like mother, like daughter, both fools. It's perfect for them to be the vanguards!"
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
The author has something to say:
Actually, Wang's situation is easy to understand.
At first, Sheng Hong was a promising young man. His greatest need at the time was to advance his career and make money, so he could tolerate his wife's various shortcomings (average appearance, stubbornness). However, as time went on, the friction between husband and wife increased. Sheng Hong gradually established himself in the officialdom, and his emotional needs rose to the same level as his career needs. Thus, the beautiful and clever Lin Yiniang emerged.
Everything is reasonable and logical.
— It seems like most men follow this trajectory in life. They hope for a hardworking and dedicated wife to accompany them in their struggles during their early years of striving. But once they achieve success, they often desire to replace their aging wife with a younger, more charming mistress.
I think those frustrated young men who can't find wives don't need to hate modern girls for being materialistic. Just look at the number of wealthy men in our country who easily discard their wives for younger ones; that should serve as a warning to young women. Before blaming women, let's reflect on the flaws of men (I'm not advocating for mistresses, remember!).
The situation with Aunt Kang is also easy to understand.
A normal heart doesn't become twisted overnight; it's a result of accumulated experiences. Her unhappiness began with her marriage, but what contrasts her is Mrs. Sheng.
When someone encounters misfortune, their attitude is crucial. They can choose to bravely face it, fight through it with strength, and continue to face others with kindness, even those who may have wronged them. Alternatively, they can choose to become malicious, harming innocent people, transferring their anger, and inflicting harm on others.
Speaking of which, Aunt Kang still has her own flesh and blood, and her children are relatively filial. However, Mrs. Sheng went from being a carefree young lady in a marquis's household to a young widow, and the most devastating part is that she didn't even have her own children. In that male-dominated society, this is the real fatal blow!
Her tragedy also stems from marriage, but look at how she handled it.
A truly noble and kind personality doesn't change due to the unfairness of fate.
Life is full of diversity, and I, as a writer, am drawn to depicting this variety in characters. I hope that readers won't disdain these differences.