Chapter 246: Chapter 247: Shi Dayong
Thinking about all the trouble these past two days, Ancient Wen Heng was starting to regret making the trip himself. Even if he had just sent the housekeeper, no one would have found fault with it.
"Mother found this man for her. You should remember him—Shi Dayong, who fled the famine with us.
He’s in Xinkeng Village, not far from us. Apparently, his wife didn’t make it during the flight, leaving him with two children.
Plus, he has a connection to our family. The last time Father was abandoned at the village entrance and nearly froze to death, he was lucky enough to run into them and have his life saved."
"So this is considered a life-saving debt. Is Mother-in-law really trying to repay it?" With no one else in the room, Jin Qianqian spoke her mind freely, saying whatever came to her.
But Ancient Wen Heng had a different take. "We’ve all gotten it wrong this time. Shi Dayong may be a commoner, but the man is a schemer. He must have weighed the pros and cons before seeking out Gu Yuanfeng as his next wife."
"Can a man like him really handle Gu Yuanfeng?" That was Jin Qianqian’s main concern now. She didn’t want things to devolve into a complete mess, only for her to come running back to her maiden family and stir up trouble again.
"Yesterday, he didn’t just handle Gu Yuanfeng," Ancient Wen Heng said. "He also drove away the members of the He Family who came looking for trouble. The man may look honest, but he’s ruthless."
"Then won’t your sister be in for a rough time?"
"This man isn’t foolish like the He Family," Ancient Wen Heng said. "Besides, my brothers and I are not who we used to be. Otherwise, he never would have agreed to this marriage."
Jin Qianqian understood at once. "So, as long as Gu Yuanfeng doesn’t go looking for trouble, they can make this marriage work.
But I still think we shouldn’t let Shi Dayong get involved with the tofu recipe."
"Let’s wait and see for a while," Ancient Wen Heng said. "As long as he isn’t completely depraved, we can lend him a hand if he’s sincere."
’You have to make sure your own backyard fence is secure, or it’ll become a liability in the future.’
’They were putting in all this effort now precisely to avoid being dragged down by it someday.’
"So your sister just went off with him, happy as a clam?" Jin Qianqian asked. "I thought I remembered her constantly keeping in touch with the He Family. I was even wondering when she planned on going back."
"Oh, she cried and screamed that she wouldn’t marry him, but it was completely out of her hands. Between the matchmaker’s proposal, our parents’ orders, and all the clansmen watching, she wouldn’t have dared to make a scene even if she wanted to."
Jin Qianqian understood his unspoken meaning. It wasn’t that his sister didn’t want to make a scene, but that she didn’t dare.
"And the wedding gift?"
"Just those few bolts of cloth we brought back. Even that was considered quite lavish in the village." Ancient Wen Heng hesitated before continuing, "The thing is, her daughter is still at home. Mother is taking care of her."
Jin Qianqian shot him a sidelong glance. "I’m not willing to have another child in our house."
’Even though she’s just a little girl, I’m still not willing.’
’If we were to formally take her in, she would occupy the position of the eldest daughter. If we raised her ourselves and she developed ambitions later on, I have no desire to bring that kind of trouble upon myself.’
"What are you thinking?" Ancient Wen Heng asked. "Am I that untrustworthy?"
"I only heard Mother mention it in passing. They’re planning to have Eldest Brother take her to the He Family today. I just wonder what her fate will be, once she’s in their hands."
"Why didn’t she take the child with her when she remarried?" Jin Qianqian asked.
Ancient Wen Heng scoffed. "Shi Dayong actually played the part of a decent man. When he came to pick her up, he said she could bring the child along, since he already had two of his own.
But who would have guessed that the cruelest, most vicious person of all would be the child’s own mother? She was the one who cried and threw a tantrum, insisting on sending the child to the He Family."
’If the He Family were kind people, sending the child back would be fine. But you only had to look at He Chuncao, who was brought over yesterday—she was in a more miserable state than during the great flight—to know what sort of character the He Family has.’
’Sending such a small child back there... whether she’ll even survive is another question entirely.’
"Mother isn’t really thinking of sending her back, is she?" Jin Qianqian found it hard to believe that Li Cuicui couldn’t see the reality of the situation.
"The old woman didn’t say anything," Ancient Wen Heng replied, "but I could tell she was still considering it.
When she held the baby and looked at me, hesitating to speak, I just had Housekeeper Fu pack our things to leave."
His stance was so obvious that the old woman wasn’t tactless enough to press the issue. She didn’t bring the topic up again right up to the moment he left the village.
"...Actually, it’s best for a child to be with her own mother," Jin Qianqian said.
The topic was dropped just like that. The next time they heard any news, it was that the He Family had come and taken the child away for some unknown purpose.
Although Jin Qianqian worried for the infant, she soon became too preoccupied to dwell on it. Her pregnancy symptoms were starting to become more pronounced.
She wasn’t like other women who threw up everything they ate. Instead, her appetite had exploded, and her cravings changed three times a day.
Right now, for instance, she was sitting in her personal dimension, cradling a durian with a look of pure bliss.
Ancient Wen Heng, her long-suffering companion, was huddled in a corner of the dimension, pinching his nose.
"Are you sure you don’t want a little?" Jin Qianqian asked, her eyes blissfully shut. "One bite, and you’ll be hooked."
Ancient Wen Heng shook his head glumly. ’My wife’s cravings are getting too weird,’ he thought. ’She just had a huge serving of stinky tofu for lunch, and now she’s taken on durian. Is our child really going to be okay?’
’The saying goes, ’crave sour for a boy, crave spicy for a girl.’ So what on earth is this?’
Neither of them knew if spending long periods in the dimension would affect the child in her womb. After she had hastily satisfied her craving, they reappeared in their room.
This was not the first time they’d had such a late-night snack. Instead of resting right away, the two began walking slowly around the room to let their food settle.
"Darling, I might have to leave for a while." Ancient Wen Heng trimmed the candlewick, and only after the room grew brighter did he turn to Jin Qianqian and speak.
"Where are you going?" Jin Qianqian felt a little pathetic for being so clingy, but her heart soured at the thought.
"Prince Bai sent a letter," Ancient Wen Heng explained. "He’s planning to build a glass workshop near Dao City and has asked me to go oversee things."
"But I thought we agreed you wouldn’t get involved in that business."
"Prince Bai has now received a commission from the Holy Emperor and is busy dealing with the local officials," Ancient Wen Heng said. "He can’t get away at the moment, which is why he asked me for this favor."
But Jin Qianqian was confused. "Didn’t he just pass the examination to become a scholar? How can he already be taking on official duties?"
"That’s the difference between the aristocracy and scholars from humble origins," Ancient Wen Heng explained patiently to Jin Qianqian. "Ever since Bai Jinglie was invested as the Heir of Marquis Wu’an, he has held his own rank. Even if he hadn’t participated in the imperial examinations, he could still receive an official post—and not a low-ranking one, either."
"...I almost forgot about that," Jin Qianqian said. "But wouldn’t participating in the examinations give him an even better starting point?"
"He didn’t mention it in the letter, but his situation is probably not that great.
Think about that predatory stepmother of his at home. He only secured his position as the Princely Heir through the Holy Emperor’s immense favor.
It’s not hard to guess what’s happening. Now that he has come of age and also become a scholar, the matter of his marriage has become the perfect target."
