Meaning of volitional passive form?

Question

> お姉ちゃんに何を**言われようが**、まる子はウキウキ気分なのであった。 > What was said by her sister ???? but, Maruko felt cheerful. I can't think of any way in which something which is passive can also be volitional. How do I understand this construction?

Answer 1

"ようが" is "paradoxical assumption" rather than volitional. It is like ても, which means "even if." 何を言われても or 何を言われようが is "whatever (a perosn or まる子 in this case) is told (by お姉ちゃん.) The whole sentense can be traslated "Whatever her older sister said, Maruko was so happy."