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Chapter 514: 501: What to do Now
Chapter 514: 501: What to do Now
Chapter 514: Chapter 501: What to do Now
Zhuang Wencheng’s eyebrows knitted together, “Haven’t I told you? I only see Little Sister Ning like my biological sister. I haven’t thought about anything more. A few days ago, I asked the matchmaker to help me find a few virtuous girls. When I’m free, I will meet them, and if they suit my taste, I will consider settling down.”
“Didn’t you seem pretty happy about it before, Mother?”
Mrs. Wang curled her lips in disdain.
Indeed, she was quite happy before.
That happiness had stemmed from the realization that Zhuang Wencheng was finally considering settling down, which meant she would probably have a grandchild in her arms soon – obviously a cause for joy.
However, upon contemplating that the future daughter-in-law might not be as capable as Zhuang Qingning, Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed.
Regrettably, things didn’t always go her way. Mrs. Wen wouldn’t agree with her meddling in this matter nor lend her support. There was nothing Mrs. Wang could do but worry.
All she could hope for was that Zhuang Wencheng settles down soon and has a child. That would finally put her mind at ease.
However, today’s situation had stirred up Mrs. Wang’s thoughts once again.
More so when she thought about how the daughter-in-law, whom she had once looked down upon, was now the one who didn’t want to be her daughter-in-law. The more she thought about it, the more unbearable it became.
She cajoled him, “Stop deceiving yourself. The way you looked at Little Ning before, as if your heart was entirely set on her. Tell your mother, was it because you had decided not to continue being a doctor in the county town, and upon seeing the prosperity of Little Ning’s shop and workshop, felt she was out of your league, and thus, ceased raising the issue?”
Mrs. Wang persuaded earnestly, “Now that you are going to resume your position as a doctor in the county town, and will be able to negotiate a relationship with the Cheng family, objectively speaking, it’s not worse than Little Ning’s situation…
If you feel reluctant to broach the topic, how about letting me talk to Little Ning on your behalf? No matter what, you have helped her in the past. It is only right for her to be grateful. Otherwise, wouldn’t it go against her conscientiousness?”
Zhuang Wencheng didn’t anticipate that Mrs. Wang would still be fixated on his relationship with Zhuang Qingning.
Feeling both amused and exasperated, he said, “Mother, let me be clear. I regard Little Sister Ning as a real sister. Moreover, Little Sister Ning was betrothed to someone in her early years, which I knew about a long time ago.”
“So I never entertained any other ideas and treated her like my sister. We grew up together, and I always lamented not having a sister when I saw that others had one. So, I wanted Little Sister Ning to play that role. I never thought anything beyond that.”
“Are you saying, Little Ning has been engaged for a long time?”
Of all the things Zhuang Wencheng mentioned, this was all Mrs. Wang registered, she exclaimed so abruptly that her mouth hung open, “How come I never knew about this?”
“No, when did this happen? Why didn’t I notice it? Is that girl fooling you?”
Mrs. Wang seemed to have pieced together certain circumstances, her expression abruptly darkened. “Or, could it be that Little Ning has managed to snag somebody high up and is elevating herself? Could it be Manager Cheng whom we met earlier?”
“Mother, don’t make wild guesses,” Zhuang Wencheng hurriedly grabbed her sleeve, lowering his voice, “Now that I’ve told you, it’s enough that you know about it. You must not talk recklessly in public. This could very well cost someone their life.”
Mrs. Wang looked stunned, “Why would we be risking our lives? Are you trying to scare me?”
“I’m not trying to scare you.” Zhuang Wencheng’s voice lowered even further, “I am not hiding it from you, Little Sister Ning’s future husband holds a high-rank in the capital city, he’s the elder brother of the young master who often comes to study with Qingsui and Mingli!”
Mrs. Wang turned pale upon hearing this, and it took her a long time to come to her senses, “Is that true or false? Can an official from the capital city really fancy her?”
“Apparently, they were childhood sweethearts. Moreover, when choosing a wife, virtue is of prime importance, not necessarily family background or status.”
Zhuang Wencheng reasoned, “Otherwise, why would the young master come to Little Sister Ning’s house to study, every single day, with a knowledgeable scholar such as Mr. Fan, who instead of teaching qualified students, had to teach Qingsui and Mingli?”
“You’re right…” Mrs. Wang nodded thoughtfully.
Previously, everyone in the village had heard that Mr. Fan was learned, and the young master seemed important, and that his elder brother was supposedly a high official in the capital city. She had been wondering why such affluent people would keep visiting the village.
Now that the connection between the two became clear, everything fell into place.
If Zhuang Qingning was to become their sister-in-law, their future lady, it would make sense for the brother-in-law, the scholar, to frequently visit and win the favour of the future head of the household.
But if that’s the case…
Mrs. Wang suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine, her voice trembling, “I… I had been publicly declaring how well-matched Little Ning and you were.”
Officials from the capital city held tremendous power, even more than their local county magistrate. Surely for them, the lives of common people held no value? If this was a nuisance for Master Chu, were her previous actions running the risk of damaging the reputation of his wife? Would they punish her for this in the future? Could their family face repercussions because of her?
With these thoughts racing through her mind, Mrs. Wang felt cold sweat trickling down her back.
Despite it being midwinter, she began to perspire heavily.
“Wencheng, what are we going to do?” Mrs. Wang was almost brought to tears in despair, “Will our family be ruined because of this…?”
No one could have predicted that Zhuang Qingning would turn out to be Master Chu’s childhood sweetheart, destined to be the future lady of the officials.
“Little Sister Ning is a good person, and Master Chu seems to be an understanding person as well. There shouldn’t be any problem,” Zhuang Wencheng hurriedly tried to soothe his worried mother, “Those who are ignorant cannot be blamed. Since you previously did not know about this, it should be fine.”
“However, now that you know, you must not bring up this matter in the future. Not only can you not speak of it, you also have to be more respectful to Little Sister Ning.”
“I understand, I understand,” Mrs. Wang was nodding like pecking chicken, “I know what to do from now on. My lips are sealed, no word will slip out.”
“I won’t even tell your father, your elder brother, and your sister-in-law!”
“Good, as long as you understand,” Zhuang Wencheng sighed in relief.
He had no intention of revealing the fact that Zhuang Qingning and Chu Jinnian were engaged.
But seeing Mrs. Wang’s obstinate attitude, like she was not willing to give up and wanted to stir up trouble, for the sake of Zhuang Qingning’s peace, he decided to tell her the truth.