jdhmnovel Chapter 144 Move away
Chapter 144 Move away
Ying glanced at Zisu and saw her looking out the window with her hands behind her back. Her heart pounded, and she muttered to herself, "Oh no, I've messed things up today. What should I do? How am I going to explain this to my son?"
What should I do? Am I supposed to apologize to a young girl? No! Absolutely not! If I do that, wouldn't Zisu have no authority as the mother-in-law after she marries into the Fang family?!
This won't do! No way, absolutely not! Admitting fault? Not a chance!
Furthermore, Princess Yulin clearly adores Heng'er. Once a woman falls in love with a man, she's willing to abandon even her parents. Besides, her son Heng'er is a handsome and exceptionally talented scholar; she simply doesn't believe Shangguan Zisu would be willing to abandon her own son!
With this thought, Ying's resolve strengthened, and with an air of pride, she walked out of the small stone pool without looking back.
As Zisu watched Ying leave with her haughty demeanor, she couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Did she think that she could only marry her son in this lifetime?
What a joke! She wouldn't even want to serve a mother-in-law like that! In her past life, she was tormented enough by her mother-in-law and was terrified of it! In this life, she will absolutely not choose a difficult in-law family, and she will absolutely not make things difficult for herself!
However, it's quite strange that Fang Heng's second wife and Ying Shi got along so well in their past life. Perhaps there was some hidden reason? Or was the harmony just a facade, and they weren't actually at peace?
In her past life, the reason why Madam Ying didn't force women into Fang Heng's marriage was perhaps because Fang Heng's stepmother was strong-willed enough? Or was there some unknown reason? Otherwise, judging from Madam Ying's demeanor today, she's not someone who's easy to talk to.
Indeed, what woman who has been bullied by her mother-in-law would willingly refrain from sending her son a concubine or causing trouble for her daughter-in-law? Especially a woman who was bullied to the point of not being able to stay in the Marquis's mansion by her husband's concubine! If this woman hadn't had a good son, she probably would have been devoured by the concubine long ago, leaving not even a bone fragment!
Zisu smiled coldly. Even if she cared about Fang Heng, she wouldn't be foolish enough to make things difficult for herself. The Fang family was also very complicated, no less so than the Duan Prince's Mansion or the Jiang family. In the past, she thought Ying Shi was a good person, and after marriage, she would only have to deal with the concubines and illegitimate children of the Marquis of Zhongxin. She never expected Ying Shi herself to be so unreliable!
If Ying had other flaws, she could be tolerant of them; however, she absolutely could not accept Ying arranging for Fang Heng to take a concubine. This was her principle in choosing a spouse, and she would not choose anyone who crossed this line!
At worst, I'll just never get married!
Zisu swallowed hard, the metallic taste rising in her throat. Her eyes darkened for a moment, then brightened again. Never mind, she wouldn't think about it anymore. After all, Fang Heng hadn't confessed his love to her. Besides, she had saved Fang Heng's life in this life; that was repayment for the debt from her past life!
With this in mind, Zisu perked up and got busy.
That evening, Fang Heng returned home and listened to his mother angrily recount what had happened at Wuliping that day. He felt a sharp pain in his heart.
Oh no! What are we going to do now?
"Mother, how could you do this? When did I ever say I wanted to take a concubine? I don't want to take a concubine, and I'm not willing to! As long as Zisu is willing to marry me, I'm willing to wait as many years as possible!" Fang Heng forcibly suppressed his anger and resentment and said in a calm tone.
Madam Ying: "Don't even think about it. You must take a concubine next month! Otherwise, I'll die in front of you! How old are you? Yun Duo's mother has been dead for years, and you're still all alone, without even a woman who cares about you. You don't care, but it breaks my heart!"
Fang Heng: "Mother, how could you have become like this? Are you still my mother? It's only three years. I haven't had a woman for the past five years, and I've lived just fine!"
Madam Ying: "For the past five years, you were in the Northeast Army camp, there was nothing you could do. Now, you're around me every day, but you don't even have a woman to warm your bed. It breaks my heart to see this!"
Fang Heng's attitude was extremely firm: "Mother, I can agree to anything else, but I absolutely will not agree to taking a concubine! If I agree, Zisu will definitely not choose me, and then I will miss out on her! In that case, I will live with regret for the rest of my life!"
Madam Ying: "It's best that she didn't choose you! To be honest, I'm quite dissatisfied with her! First, she's always on the go, she doesn't act like a proper young lady at all; second, she won't allow you to take a concubine, which is clearly her way of trying to prevent you from having children! I won't allow a woman like that to enter my Fang family and become my daughter-in-law!"
Think of Yun Duo's mother, what a wonderful woman she was! She never disobeyed me. If I told her to go east, she would never go west—how incredibly filial she was! Compared to her, Shangguan Zisu is practically not even a woman. I've thought about it again and again, and I feel that a daughter-in-law like her is unacceptable!
Fang Heng: "Mother, it's me who wants to get married, not you! I just love Zisu, and I won't marry anyone else! There are some things I didn't want to say, but since you brought up Yun Duo's mother, I can't help but say a few words. Yun Duo's mother is indeed very virtuous and filial, but she is also too weak. If she had been a little stronger, she wouldn't have died in childbirth."
Mentioning this, Ying's face turned pale, as if she had remembered something unpleasant. Moreover, she seemed a little guilty.
Fang Heng glanced at his mother, paused, and then gritted his teeth and continued, "Why did she have a difficult childbirth? Mother, have you forgotten? If she hadn't been setting rules in front of you and hadn't been angered by Madam Lu, she wouldn't have miscarried. If she hadn't miscarried, the chances of a difficult childbirth would have been much lower. If she had given birth normally, and there had been time to call a skilled midwife and doctor, she wouldn't have lost her life!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Ying's face changed drastically, and her hands trembled uncontrollably. She dared not look at her son's face, and with her head down, she said with great difficulty, "Don't say anymore. It was my fault back then. I shouldn't have forced your wife, who was about to give birth, to follow the rules just to compete with Madam Lu."
She really didn't want to admit her mistake, but it was the truth, and she couldn't deny it. In retrospect, the reason she had desperately protected Yun Duo and Ru Feng all these years, preventing the two motherless children from falling victim to Madam Lu's cruelty, was because she felt guilty and felt she had let the two children down.
Fang Heng then said, "Zisu has a wonderful personality. She is lively, cheerful, kind, and lovely, as well as strong, decisive, and skilled in both literature and martial arts. Only a woman like her can gain a foothold in the Marquis of Zhongxin's mansion and protect her children. Women who are too gentle are not suitable for survival in aristocratic families, just like my mother, who couldn't even defeat a concubine."
If it weren't for her son's strong character, he might have died at the hands of those concubines long ago; how could he have grown up? A mother, besides protecting herself, must also protect her children. To put it bluntly, even if Yun Duo's mother hadn't died in childbirth, she would likely have died of depression later in life for various reasons.
To be honest, he didn't like Yun Duo's mother. However, she was also a pitiful woman, and the reason he didn't despise her and tried his best to protect her back then was out of a sense of responsibility as a husband. If it weren't for the fact that they had been betrothed since childhood and there was no going back, he would never have agreed to marry such a weak woman.
As expected, Yun Duo's mother, overwhelmed with worry and wanting to be a good daughter-in-law, endured her advanced pregnancy to serve her mother-in-law meals and tea, standing for over an hour at a time. Madam Lu, always eager to stir up trouble, further provoked her with words, ultimately leading to Yun Duo's death in childbirth.
Hearing her son's words, Ying felt ashamed.
Yes, her son is right; she herself is a timid person. She remembers when her son was five years old, he started protecting her, while she, the mother, hid behind her five-year-old child.
Thinking back on it now, she feels immense shame. If there were a hole under her feet, she would have crawled into it so she wouldn't have to face her son.
This situation made her feel extremely embarrassed.
Fang Heng: "Mother, you have gone too far! You live in Zisu's house, yet you went to her and told her you wanted to take a concubine for me. You have gone too far! If you ever go to Zisu again and say anything untoward, don't blame me for being ruthless. I will have to send you back to the Marquis's mansion!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Ying was immediately terrified: "I will not go back to the Marquis's mansion, I will not go, I would rather die than go back!"
When her son came to take up his post, he was the most powerful person in the entire Zhangshu County. Walking down the street, no one dared to bully her; the shop owners all treated her with utmost respect. The ladies and young women she associated with were also extremely courteous and respectful.
She lived a very comfortable and pleasant life in Zhangshu County. Thinking back to her days at the Marquis's mansion, it was like heaven and earth. Although it was the countryside, she didn't have to worry about poison in her food or water! For that reason alone, she didn't want to leave and didn't want to go back to the hellish Marquis's mansion!
Fang Heng glanced helplessly at his mother, hardened his heart, and continued to threaten, "If you don't want to go back, Mother, then don't talk nonsense to Zisu. Be nicer to her. Anyway, no matter how much you dislike her, I still won't take a concubine. I'm determined to marry Zisu!"
Hearing her son's words, Madam Ying was immediately enraged: "Listen carefully! I may not go to Shangguan Zisu, and I may not gossip about her. However, taking a concubine is a must. I don't need you to take many, just one to warm your bed and bear your children! If you still don't agree to this, then don't call me 'Mother' anymore, and don't even mention sending me back to the Marquis's mansion. Just kick me out and let me fend for myself!"
She was unwilling to be controlled by her son like this. Her own son, for the sake of Shangguan Zisu, who flirted with every woman in the world, treated her like this. So she decided to go all out. Going back to the Marquis's mansion was better than being controlled by Shangguan Zisu in the future!
She simply couldn't swallow this insult!
Furthermore, this house belonged to Shangguan Zisu, and now she felt extremely uncomfortable and uneasy living there. Early the next morning, she went to the yamen (government office), and while her son was out on business, she found a bored constable: "Find me a house, preferably near the county government office, two or three courtyards are fine. Price is negotiable, as long as the surrounding environment is good, the house must be at least 70% new, nothing too old!"
"Yes, Madam!" The constable naturally dared not disobey and quickly agreed, then went out to find a house himself.
In less than an hour, a constable knocked on the garden gate: "Madam, we've found three houses, some with two courtyards and some with three. Two of them are not far from the county government office, and the third is a little further away. Would you like to take a look in person and decide on a house? All three houses are in high demand; they can be rented or bought. If you are truly interested, Madam, it's best to make a decision as soon as possible!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Ying immediately became anxious and quickly said, "Okay, wait a moment, I'll go change my clothes and then I'll go with you to see the house!"
That evening, Fang Heng returned to the garden and found only Uncle Xu there. He couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Why are you alone? Where are Madam and Miss?"
Uncle Xu said, "Sir, Madam bought a three-courtyard house today and moved in with Miss! Madam asked me to stay here and wait for you so I can take you to your new home and make sure you can find it!"
"Absurd!" Fang Heng was furious.
This is Zisu's house. She went to great lengths to make it convenient for her family. Now, without a word, she's suddenly bought the house and moved away. What's going on? How can he explain this to Zisu? How can he face her?
However, at this point, he had no choice but to smile helplessly.
Well, it's better not to live in Zisu's house. It'll save people from gossip and accusations of taking advantage of Zisu. Sigh, why are there so many unpleasant things in life?
Fang Heng reluctantly walked around the house, only to find it completely empty, back to its state before he moved in. He wanted to stay another night, but it wasn't possible, so he had no choice but to go to the new house with Uncle Xu.
Zisu received a letter from Fang Heng, filled with apologies and unease.
Zisu remained silent, lit the oil lamp, and burned the letter to avoid leaving evidence of "private exchange".
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