Chapter 36 What brings you here?

Chapter Thirty-Six: What brings you here?

Perhaps it was because the wedding date was mentioned today that Shen Tang actually dreamed about her past life.

When she first married Meng Huaiyan in her previous life, she still had expectations for the future.

She always thought that as long as she treated him well, he would eventually notice her.

But Meng Huaiyan was too difficult to please. Before they got married, he maintained basic politeness towards her, at least on the surface.

After they got married, he made no attempt to hide his disgust for her, and all the food he sent her, the clothes he made for her, and the shoes and socks he made for her were returned.

She even found it difficult to see him.

She wasn't made of wood; she inevitably felt sad and frustrated at first.

As you experience more, things get better, and you start to comfort yourself. At least he and she are a married couple who have bowed to heaven and earth, and they still have decades to go, which is already very good.

The rules of wealthy and powerful families were numerous, and she tried her best to learn them, but among those noble ladies, she was still considered someone who couldn't be presented in public.

The eldest princess disliked her, but there were certain occasions where she, as the heir apparent's wife, had to be present. However, whenever she was there, people would always point fingers and gossip about her behind her back.

"Even if she used underhanded means to obtain the position of the Crown Prince's wife, the Crown Prince still didn't take her seriously."

"I heard that Prince Meng still sleeps in a separate room from her, and they haven't shared a room yet."

"really?"

"Of course it's true. A distant relative of my personal maid works in the Duke's mansion. This news can't be wrong."

"She doesn't recognize her own worth, is vain, and will do anything to climb the social ladder. She deserves to end up like this. She'll suffer in the future."

"Hey, did you see her at the banquet just now? Her words and actions were so vulgar. She had none of the manners and demeanor of a lady from a noble family. Sure enough, a pheasant is a pheasant. No matter how much she tries to hide it, she can never become a phoenix."

Even in her dreams, those comments still made Shen Tang feel heartbroken and sad.

Because of her, even the eldest princess was implicated.

She was of noble birth and arrogant, looking down on ordinary people, which offended many people. However, because of her status, they dared not speak out against her.

Now, because of her, the eldest princess has suffered such a huge setback, and many people are secretly gloating and mocking her.

Whenever the eldest princess returned from a banquet, she would get angry and punish the woman by making her kneel in the ancestral hall, copy the precepts and instructions for women, and stand in strict order.

Those days were really tough. Her aunt saw her like that and felt so sorry for her that she cried. She asked her if she regretted it.

She said she didn't regret it.

This went on for more than half a year. Perhaps because she had always behaved herself, Meng Huaiyan no longer disliked her as much as he had at the beginning.

Although he was still cold to her, on one or two occasions, the things or soup she sent over were not returned.

She thought everything would get better.

Unexpectedly, one day the soup she delivered was laced with an aphrodisiac, and the drug was exactly the same as the one she had used before.

That was the first time she had seen Meng Huaiyan in a fit of rage and ruthlessness, and she had no doubt that at that moment, he really wanted to kill her.

Terrified, she collapsed to the ground, but still struggled and frantically tried to explain to him that she knew nothing about it.

But she had personally cooked the soup and delivered it herself, so her explanation seemed weak and powerless.

Nobody believed her.

She knew it was all over.

She thought he would divorce her, but he didn't. He simply confined her to the courtyard, forbidding anyone to visit her and leaving her to fend for herself.

She had a very difficult time in the courtyard. The food delivered to her each day was pitifully little, and sometimes it was even spoiled.

Winters in the capital are so cold. Without charcoal, she could only sleep with A-Yun to keep warm, but she still caught a cold.

Ayun begged them to get her a doctor, but no one cared whether they lived or died.

Having no other choice, A-Yun sneaked into the storeroom to steal medicinal herbs, but was discovered by the Princess's men and beaten half to death.

Despite her illness, she pleaded with the princess, saying she knew she was wrong and begging her to spare A-Yun. But all she received was a look of disgust and a resolute back.

Ayun lay on the ground covered in blood, breathing weakly. She held Ayun and wept uncontrollably. Despair overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, and it was at that moment that she began to feel regret.

It was at that moment that she suddenly understood Meng Huaiyan's intention in not divorcing her; he wanted her to suffer a fate worse than death.

He hates her.

When Shen Tang woke up, it was already bright daylight, and her heart felt like it was being torn apart, both dull and painful.

Warm liquid dripped onto the back of her hand. She raised her hand to gently touch the corner of her eye, only to realize with a start that she had been crying.

Shen Tang sat quietly on the bed, and after her emotions had calmed down, she called out to Qiao'er.

But it wasn't Qiao'er who pushed open the door, but A-Yun.

"Miss!"

"Ah Yun?!" Shen Tang was stunned for a moment. When he realized that he was not dreaming, he stepped forward and hugged her excitedly.

The image of Ah Yun covered in blood in her dream still haunts Shen Tang.

Seeing Ah Yun standing safely in front of her now, she finally felt relieved.

Shen Tang asked with some concern, "Did they do anything to you?"

Ayun: "Aside from restricting my freedom, they didn't do anything to me."

Thankfully, Meng Huaiyan managed to act like a decent human being for once.

After A-Yun helped Shen Tang finish washing up, breakfast was already set on the table.

Shen Tang had only taken a few sips of porridge when she suddenly felt nauseous and couldn't help but gag, as if she were about to vomit her entire stomach.

Ayun was instantly horrified, and Qiao'er, upon hearing the commotion and seeing the scene, also turned pale and hurriedly went to fetch a doctor.

The doctor arrived quickly and took Shen Tang's pulse with a handkerchief over his hand.

After that feeling of nausea subsided, Shen Tang felt much better.

The doctor examined her complexion again and withdrew his hand: "Nothing serious, just a mild stomach ailment. Have you not been eating properly lately?"

Shen Tang nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

The doctor shook his head helplessly. "These young girls nowadays, they diet for the sake of their figure, and they don't even care about their health."

While writing the prescription, the doctor instructed, "I'll prescribe a few doses of medicine. You'll feel better after taking them. Remember to eat regularly and avoid spicy foods."

Ayun and Qiao'er nodded hurriedly.

The medicine was quickly brewed, and when Shen Tang looked at the dark medicine, her mouth felt bitter and her scalp tingled.

But not taking the medicine was obviously not an option, so Shen Tang pinched her nose and drank it down in one gulp. The bitterness of the medicine instantly spread throughout her mouth.

Shen Tang's face scrunched up in pain, and she quickly stuffed a candied fruit into her mouth before finally recovering.

The doctor looked young, but his medical skills were quite good.

After taking the medicine, Shen Tang felt completely better in her stomach.

I ate an extra bowl of rice at noon.

Shen Tang felt that she was completely cured and was unwilling to take medicine anymore.

Despite A-Yun and Qiao-Er's repeated attempts to persuade him, Shen Tang remained unmoved.

She had been having dreams all night and didn't get much rest. She had only planned to take a short nap, but when she woke up, the sun was already setting.

"woke up?"

Shen Tang looked in the direction of the sound and saw Meng Huaiyan holding a book, sitting on a stool by the window looking at her.

Judging from their appearance, I have no idea how long they've been here.

Why are you here?