Chapter 9: Xu Chunhua, Driven Mad by Jealousy

Lu Yuan lifted the carriage curtain, took a glance outside, and said to Xu Qiuyue curiously, "How did you know we had arrived? You haven't even looked at the scenery outside the window."

"I have had a sensitive sense of smell since childhood. There are two osmanthus trees in front of my house, and it is currently the flowering season. I simply smelled a familiar fragrance."

As Xu Qiuyue spoke, she rose and stepped out of the carriage.

Xu Chunhua had seen the procession long ago.

She didn't want to deal with Xu Qiuyue at all.

In her view, Xu Qiuyue was surely suffering and working hard at the Lu residence.

But she couldn't resist her father's pulling.

Her father had been dragging her to wait at the entrance since early morning.

Only then did Xu Chunhua realize her father's pragmatism; she felt that Xu Qiuyue had married well, and so she began to try various ways to curry favor with Xu Qiuyue.

Just like in her past life, she had always been exceptionally good to her.

But once she discovered that Xu Qiuyue's husband held an extraordinary status, her heart and eyes were filled with nothing but Xu Qiuyue.

Unlike her mother, who had always been exceptionally good to her and always protected her.

Fortunately, she was clever and had made her mother hide the silver notes for Xu Qiuyue's dowry.

Otherwise, all that money would have gone to those male cousins.

Xuan Jiuqing's leg was still injured! It had never healed, and money was still needed to hire doctors.

In her past life, her father despised Xuan Jiuqing for being a vagabond; he was stingy, wouldn't part with a cent, and wouldn't hire a doctor. Xu Qiuyue could only go up the mountain to dig up some herbs to treat Xuan Jiuqing, and Xuan Jiuqing eventually recovered. From this, it could be seen that Xuan Jiuqing's injury was not serious.

Originally, Mother Xu was dead set against spending money, but Xu Chunhua told Mother Xu that Xuan Jiuqing's appearance must be that of a noble son in distress, prompting Mother Xu to shell out money to hire a doctor for him.

Perhaps it was because the village doctor's skills were not high enough.

Xuan Jiuqing's injury never really improved, and he never shared a bed with her.

Before the marriage, Xu Chunhua had kept Xuan Jiuqing strictly hidden.

She was terrified that Xu Qiuyue might catch even a single glimpse of him.

Now that she was married to Xuan Jiuqing, she felt at ease.

Didn't Xu Qiuyue make a wheelchair for Xuan Jiuqing before?

She had now directly spent two taels of silver to have a craftsman build a top-tier wheelchair.

Unfortunately, once Father Xu found out, he gave her another lecture.

Xuan Jiuqing was a high and mighty prince; how could he live in such a dilapidated place?

Naturally, this silver should be used to decorate the house well.

In Xu Chunhua's view, even this was an injustice to Xuan Jiuqing.

And now, she and Xuan Jiuqing were married; she and Xuan Jiuqing were a legitimate husband and wife.

On the day of the return visit, she made a special effort to push Xuan Jiuqing out.

It had to be said that Xuan Jiuqing's aura was truly extraordinary, and he was handsome; even sitting in a wheelchair, he was ten thousand times better than the decent-looking Lu Yuan.

Wait!

How could Lu Yuan possibly be here?

Lu Yuan despised this impoverished countryside more than anything in his life.

Furthermore, Xu Qiuyue's dowry was nothing but a pile of rotten vegetable leaves.

Yet Lu Yuan wasn't angry, and he had even returned together with Xu Qiuyue.

Looking at Father Xu, who was approaching with a fawning expression, Xu Chunhua felt driven mad by jealousy.

"Father-in-law, although our Lu family is not a family of great wealth and honor, there is plenty of food in the household. I hope you can rest easy. I have had all of the dowry that Qiuyue brought from her maiden home sent back. Rest assured, Qiuyue will definitely eat her fill and dress warmly in our Lu family; she won't have to live a hard life."

Looking at Lu Yuan's smiling face, Xu Chunhua felt as if she had swallowed excrement.

Her greatest regret back then was that when Lu Yuan wrote the letter of divorce, she hadn't agreed to the separation. Otherwise, if she had divorced him, she certainly could have married Xuan Jiuqing, even if only as a side consort!

She wouldn't have had to live such a hard life, remaining a virgin until the day she died.

The Lu Yuan she had known could never spit out ivory from his dog-like mouth; he would look at her with a face full of contempt and arrogance, and she could only ever see the two nostrils of his face.

How could Lu Yuan be so easy to talk to?

And even smiling slightly.

However, judging from Lu Yuan's actions, he was still the same Lu Yuan.

Only Lu Yuan could have done something like bringing back Xu Qiuyue's dowry.

Even though Lu Yuan's words were pleasant now, his essence was still caustic.

Xu Chunhua believed that as long as time passed, Lu Yuan would surely become caustic toward Xu Qiuyue.

Moreover, later on, Lu Yuan would be involved with a woman from a brothel, liking her very much.

If that brothel woman hadn't later hooked up with Xuan Jiuqing, Xu Chunhua felt Lu Yuan would definitely have married her.

Thinking of that brothel woman, Xu Chunhua's heart tightened.

She would have to be extremely careful then, and not let her steal Xuan Jiuqing's heart.

It wouldn't happen; she wouldn't be as assertive as Xu Qiuyue, and Xuan Jiuqing would surely love her very much.

And she would treat Xuan Jiuqing even better.

Furthermore, Mother Xu wouldn't drug her; her body was healthy, so she would definitely be able to have children.

Thinking of Mother Xu's kindness, Xu Chunhua felt a bit smug.

She only hated that she had realized things too late in her past life.

She was simply unwilling; why did Lu Yuan have to treat her like that?

When she finally saw Xuan Jiuqing, she was struck by his celestial beauty; to think such a handsome man actually existed in this world.

At that time, Mother Xu had told her that she had drugged Xu Qiuyue, so when the time came, Xu Qiuyue wouldn't be able to have children, and she would surely be allowed to secure his favor.

She was unwilling; why should she have to take Xu Qiuyue's place to bear children?

Mother Xu said that since she was married, she wouldn't be able to find a good family and could only be a concubine. Xu Qiuyue was her elder sister and the primary wife; if the two sisters were together, life wouldn't be so hard.

But she was just unwilling.

She had been better than Xu Qiuyue in every way since childhood; why should she have a worse life than Xu Qiuyue?

She refused to accept fate; she was unwilling to accept it.

Later, when she met Xuan Jiuqing, she finally accepted fate.

But Xuan Jiuqing was unwilling.

Xuan Jiuqing said he could not do wrong to Xu Qiuyue.

As for children, he said what he liked was Xu Qiuyue herself, and whether there were children didn't matter. Moreover, Xu Qiuyue was still young and could still recuperate her body; if Xu Qiuyue wanted children later, he would simply pick a newborn from among the children born to the concubines and have them raised under her name.

When Xu Chunhua heard these words, she was deeply moved.

Compared to the Lu family, it was truly so much better.

Lu Yuan refused to share a bed with her no matter what.

Those maidservants and old women even teased her every day, calling her a hen that wouldn't lay eggs; could that be blamed on her?

Thinking of this, Xu Chunhua cast another look of full affection toward Xuan Jiuqing.

In the future, Xuan Jiuqing would surely treat her even better!

Xu Chunhua's eyes were filled with nothing but love.

She didn't notice Father Xu's darkened face at all.

Father Xu glared at Xu Chunhua several times, but she didn't notice at all.

Father Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Lu Yuan in a fawning manner.

"Please do not blame her, son-in-law. The mother of the child made a mistake with those things. Qiuyue is my most beloved daughter; any good things in the house are given to her first. Last time was just a mistake; how could we only prepare these things for the child? In a few days, I will personally send them to the manor."

(End of Chapter)