Chapter 4: Evil Matchmaker

The house consisted of only three rooms, and since Lady Jiang was a loudmouth, Wensheng sent Cui'er away and stood quietly by the door, hearing everything she and Lady Li said with perfect clarity.

In truth, knowing it was a marriage proposal, Wensheng immediately guessed who the man was. Lady Jiang had gone through all the trouble of staging that previous scene just to act as a lobbyist for Squire Zhao.

Even now, she still didn't know exactly who this Squire Zhao was—the man responsible for driving her predecessor to attempt suicide.

Since he was called a "Squire" and owned several shops, he must be quite old and possess some wealth; perhaps he even held some influence here in Lishui...

"...Even if he is a widower, he is a wife married through proper rites. Think about how much money the Zhao family has, and there's no mother-in-law above him. With such good conditions, if it weren't for that unfortunate accident and the fact that the Squire feels he owes Sheng'er, it wouldn't even be our turn."

As expected. Listening to Lady Jiang's words inside the room, a chill settled on Wensheng's face.

A woman like Lady Jiang, who abandoned righteousness for profit, would surely be condemned by a thousand people if she were in the Gu family of Luoyi; she would be locked away in the ancestral temple until death to prevent her from causing further chaos and harming the clan.

"That won't do. Sister-in-law, don't blame me for not giving you face on this, but in terms of age, that Squire Zhao could be her father. His sons are even older than Sheng'er. Sheng'er is the most honest and dutiful girl; this is absolutely impossible." Lady Li's tone carried a rare trace of displeasure.

Lady Jiang clicked her tongue twice. "I'm telling you, don't be foolish. Aside from being a bit old, what part of Squire Zhao is hard to find? Men always favor young wives and younger sons. Not to mention our Sheng'er is so beautiful. Once she bears a son, what will those previous ones matter? The Zhao family's vast wealth will be your biological grandson's sooner or later. Your second brother has left you two without a word for so many years; if the child marries well, you can enjoy a life of comfort in your old age."

For years, there had been no pillar of support in the house, and it had not been easy for Lady Li to raise her daughter alone. Upon hearing Lady Jiang mention money, her resolve immediately wavered.

But no matter what, she was not at the point of selling her daughter. She lowered her voice and insisted, "Sheng'er refuses. She was even suicidal because of that matter; no matter how much you talk to me, it's useless."

Lady Jiang grew somewhat annoyed. "Who am I doing this for? Don't you forget, regarding that incident Sheng'er had earlier, the old women present were all Squire Zhao's people. Once any rumors spread, Sheng'er's life will be ruined, and even our Gu family won't be able to hold their heads up in front of the neighbors."

"...Is this Squire Zhao's intention?" Lady Li asked, her voice trembling as if struck by lightning.

"How could it be? I'm just preparing for the worst. If her reputation is ruined, who would be willing to marry Sheng'er? Is she supposed to become a concubine?" Lady Jiang sighed and lamented, acting as if she were deeply concerned for her niece.

Listening to Lady Jiang's combination of soft and hard tactics, Wensheng felt a wave of nausea.

Although she had stumbled into this strange world, it didn't mean she had to be bound and forced to live the original owner's life. She had to find a way to settle this matter with Squire Zhao quickly; she didn't have the leisure to spend all day agonizing over which family to marry into.

Having lost her footing, Lady Li fell silent for a long while before forcing herself to say, "Let me think about it. As for Sheng'er, she must agree as well."

Standing at the door, Wensheng made no move to avoid them when she heard Lady Jiang finishing her speech and preparing to leave.

Lady Jiang was startled when she pulled the door open and saw Wensheng. Lady Li cried out in panic from behind. Both women knew that the previous conversation had been heard in its entirety by the child.

Unlike the worried Lady Li, Lady Jiang let out an "Aiya!" and scolded, "You startled me! You child, why are you eavesdropping on adults?" As she spoke, her eyes swept over Wensheng from head to toe like knives, looking very much as if she were trying to gauge a good price for her.

In her past life, Wensheng had encountered all sorts of gazes, so she didn't take Lady Jiang seriously. However, she remembered that she was a "newcomer" who had just been trapped. Her mother, Lady Li, was clearly soft-natured and easily bullied, having been manipulated by others for so long. If she were to tear off this thief's mask now, she would surely be the one to suffer. Thus, she suppressed her anger, her eyes showing a faint mockery as she spoke: "A gentleman is open and aboveboard. What did Auntie say that you are afraid I might hear?"

Since injuring her throat, Wensheng had rarely spoken. Now that she had opened her mouth, her voice and tone sounded different from usual; moreover, the fifteen-year-old girl from before would never have said such things.

Lady Jiang's heart skipped a beat, feeling that her niece had become inexplicably strange after her brush with death. She turned back sheepishly to her sister-in-law and said, "It's fine that she heard. Don't see us out. You two should discuss it quickly; the good days are still ahead of you."

Wensheng watched Lady Jiang hurry away. Before she could turn back, the sound of Lady Li's sorrowful weeping came from inside the room.

Feeling somewhat helpless, Wensheng turned and entered the room. She was not yet accustomed to being intimate with this body's mother, so she stood a few steps away somewhat awkwardly, pulled out a handkerchief, and handed it over. "Alright, stop crying. What problem will crying solve? I certainly won't agree to marry that old man. In a few days, I'll make them give up on the idea."

To her surprise, as soon as she finished speaking, Lady Li's crying grew even louder. She stepped forward and, without a word, pulled Wensheng tightly into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "It's all because of your heartless father! He left us two alone for over a decade without a word. Now that such a big thing has happened, there isn't even anyone to make a decision. My poor Sheng'er..."

Wensheng was very unaccustomed to being held with her head pressed against such a fragrant, soft bosom, and hearing these words made her feel even more speechless.

She couldn't let Lady Li continue in self-pity. To cut the Gordian knot, she had to quickly find a pillar of support to manage Lady Li. Wensheng had already learned about the family situation from Cui'er, and the candidate was already available.

She struggled out of Lady Li's embrace and reminded her, "Stop crying. Father isn't here, but there are Grandfather and Grandmother. I was even driven to the point of wanting to hang myself; shouldn't you go back to your maiden home and talk to Grandfather and Eldest Uncle about this?"

Lady Li's body trembled, and a look of hesitation appeared on her face. "Your grandfather's health isn't very good; he can't handle anger. Besides..."

Wensheng knew what she was hesitating about. It had been nearly two months since her accident, yet no one from the Li family had visited. At first, Wensheng thought Lady Li had no maternal relatives, but that wasn't the case.

Because her father had been missing—neither seen alive nor found dead—for ten years, the Li family, pitying their daughter for living a widow's life, had had Wensheng's eldest uncle step forward several times to try and take the mother and daughter back. However, because the Gu couple had blocked them, the two sides had nearly torn each other apart. In the end, Lady Li had listened to her sister-in-law's words, fearing that if her maiden family took her back, they would arrange a remarriage for her, so she had proactively distanced herself from them. If not for holidays or birthdays, she wouldn't visit at all.

Even now, with such a major incident involving her daughter's attempt at suicide, Lady Li had not revealed a single word to her maiden family.

Although Wensheng had no memory of the Li family's temperament, she was certain that once they learned about Squire Zhao, they would surely clash with the Gu couple.