Chapter 97 Pearl with Tears: "So what if I can't get married?"

Xue Chan hurriedly left the mansion and boarded the carriage, while Ren Dong, who was beside Huai Zhu, sobbed.

"The girl, she, she--"

"What exactly happened?"

Yun Sheng patted Ren Dong's back to soothe her: "Don't worry, don't worry."

With tears welling in her eyes, Ren Dong took a couple of breaths before saying, "Five days ago, Mingxia delivered the young lady's manuscript to the bookstore and ran into Qin Mama, the lady's maid, outside. That night, the master and mistress found out that the young lady had been writing a book and publishing it privately. The mistress was furious and scolded the young lady in the ancestral hall. As a result, they started arguing, and then the mistress locked the young lady in her room to reflect on her actions and also punished the maids..."

She became more and more anxious as she spoke, and tears streamed down her face.

Manuscripts, bookstores...

Xue Chan was a little dizzy from listening, but she didn't care about that. She only asked, "If it really is a matter of unauthorized printing, it's good to stop it. Being confined to the house... that's something that often happens in the past."

Honeysuckle wiped away her tears and tried to calm herself down: "But the girl refused to admit her mistake, and my wife got angry and hit her. She even said she would ask a matchmaker to come and find a husband for the girl."

Xue Chan rubbed her forehead, but then she thought about it again. Huai Zhu had always been pampered and spoiled.

Even though Madam Zhou often criticized her in the past, Huaizhu never refused to give her anything she wanted. Most of the time, it was just a few words, and Huaizhu would just whine and it would all be over.

Xue Chan comforted Ren Dong: "Uncle and Aunt are angry, and it's understandable that they said those things in anger. They cherish Huai Zhu so much, how could they bear to let her get married right away?"

"But the matchmaker came this morning!"

"What?" Xue Chan was shocked.

Ren Dong said, "It was because the matchmaker came to the door that the young lady asked me to sneak out and deliver the message."

She immediately grabbed Xue Chan's sleeve and pleaded, "Miss Xue, you and my young lady are so close, you must persuade the master and his wife."

"Don't worry about it for now..." Xue Chan patted Ren Dong's hand to comfort her, then asked, "Did Brother Qing Pei say anything?"

Ren Dong said, "The eldest young master is involved in the Tongzhou case, which is why he left the capital long ago."

Xue Chan exhaled softly, trying her best to remain calm, and lifted the carriage curtain, estimating that they would be arriving at the Cheng residence soon.

They arrived at Cheng's residence around 9:45 AM.

Xue Chan looked around the flower hall. The screen that was originally on the right side had fallen to the ground, overturning the flower stand next to it, and shattered porcelain pieces were scattered all over the floor.

Cheng Ying was surprised to see her, but when she saw Ren Dong standing to the side with her head down, she knew what was going on.

"Qiao Niang, you know about Huai Zhu, right?"

Xue Chan nodded: "Yes, I know everything. She is now—"

"Don't worry, she's fine. She was just grounded after an argument."

Xue Chan immediately asked, "What about the marriage?"

Cheng Ying sighed, sat down, and scratched her hair: "This morning, the Zheng family asked a matchmaker to propose marriage between Zheng Liulang and Huaizhu. They had just left when you arrived."

"You and your aunt agree to this marriage? So the marriage is settled?"

“No.” Cheng Ying sighed deeply, shook her head, and said with great frustration, “Actually, we were also very surprised. Although your aunt said she wanted to marry Huaizhu off, you know she’s always been all talk and no action. To be honest, the Zheng family’s marriage proposal came too suddenly. We hadn’t even exchanged a few words when Huaizhu herself came out, pushed down the screen, and rejected the marriage.”

"The situation became too tense. Fortunately, the Zheng family only said they would come again in two days. Your uncle is still thinking about how to handle this."

As Cheng Ying spoke, she covered her face with her hands and sighed again.

"This child is really... We've spoiled him rotten, making him so audacious and reckless."

Cheng Ying slightly raised her head and forced a gentle smile at Xue Chan: "Since you're here, go see her. I reckon she only wants to see you."

Xue Chan was very worried, so she quickly bowed and rushed to Fengqiao Courtyard.

Before even entering the courtyard, I could hear Zhou Niangzi and Cheng Huaizhu arguing.

"Cheng Huaizhu!"

"I won't marry him! I won't marry him! I won't marry him!"

"If you want to marry, go ahead and marry! I'll just become a nun or a Taoist priest!"

Cheng Huaizhu practically screamed it out; her voice was thick with sobs, a heart-wrenching lament.

Xue Chan ran into the courtyard, where servants were nailing the doors and windows shut.

She immediately pushed open the door and went inside, where she saw paper pages and manuscripts scattered all over the room, along with porcelain vases and flower stands.

Cheng Huaizhu and Zhou Niangzi argued until their faces turned red and tears streamed down their faces.

Madam Zhou clutched her chest and took a few steps back. Cheng Huaizhu was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously reached out to help her.

Xue Chan had already helped her up, and when Madam Zhou caught her breath and saw that it was Xue Chan, she immediately relaxed a bit.

Cheng Huaizhu withdrew her hand, sat on the edge of the bed with her back turned, and remained silent.

"Qiao Niang, what brings you here?"

Xue Chan said, "I know everything."

Madam Zhou was startled and grabbed her hand: "It's already spread!"

Xue Chan immediately reassured her, "Don't worry, I didn't hear it from outside."

Madam Zhou's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, immediately felt much relieved: "That's good, that's good."

Cheng Huaizhu sniffed: "What, are you worried that if word gets out, I won't be able to get married? Besides these things, what else do you care about?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou's anger, which had just subsided, surged again. She pointed directly at Cheng Huaizhu and said, "What are you saying? We really spoiled you rotten, spoiled you into this state!"

Seeing that another argument was about to break out, Xue Chan quickly helped Qin's mother get her out of the room.

Looking at Xue Chan, Madam Zhou burst into tears: "Tell me, why is she so disobedient? We finally managed to suppress the matter of her privately publishing the manuscript, and when the Zheng family came to propose marriage, she actually rushed out and refused the marriage. Zheng Liulang stood there, listening to what she said, I don't know what he was thinking."

Xue Chan said softly, "Aunt, Huaizhu is still very young."

"She's already sixteen, she's still young. In other families, she would have been married long ago."

"But didn't you and your uncle still say he's a child?"

“She’s not young, but she’s like a child!” Madam Zhou said angrily.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly deflated: "She refused to marry me in court. How rude and willful! If word gets out, who will dare to propose to me?"

Xue Chan thought for a moment and said to her, "The Zheng family has always had a good family tradition and character, and they are not the kind of family that would easily publicize their reputation. I think you can rest assured about this matter."

Madam Zhou looked up and sighed again.

"I hope so..."

Xue Chan gently advised her, "Marriage is secondary; the most important thing right now is carrying the baby. If you push her too far, you don't know how heartbroken you'll be."

“She’s probably not listening to us, and she doesn’t want to hear what we’re saying.” Madam Zhou raised her hand to rub her throbbing forehead, paused for a moment, and then took Xue Chan’s hand. “Could you…could you try to persuade her?”

Xue Chan smiled faintly: "I'll stay with her for two days first, at least to keep Huaizhu calm."

After several days of commotion, Madam Zhou was exhausted, and her voice was full of weariness.

"Then I'll trouble you to look after Huaizhu. I need to discuss with your uncle how to explain things to the Zheng family. I'll be going now."

Xue Chan wanted to see her off, but Madam Zhou just waved her hand.

"It's hot in the sun, let's go inside."

She left Fengqiao Pavilion with her people, and soon after, someone came to remove the doors and windows that had been nailed shut.

Xue Chan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, repeating this several times before instructing Yun Sheng to deliver a message to the Marquis's residence, saying that she would be staying at the Cheng family's residence for two days.

Yun Sheng immediately replied, "Alright, I'll send someone to deliver the message to the old lady and her husband right away."

When Xue Chan entered the house, Mingxia Rendong was tidying up the scattered items. She looked at the charcoal brazier in the corner and frowned, asking, "It's already hot; are you still burning charcoal for warmth?"

Mingxia shook her head, her eyes red, and said, "No, it was the young lady who burned the manuscript of the third volume."

Xue Chan frowned, remained silent, and then asked her, "Are you all alright after your aunt punished you?"

"We're alright." Mingxia's eyes welled with tears, and she choked out, "My wife has always been stubborn but soft-hearted; she only gave us a few slaps on the hand and deducted a month's wages. But it's the young lady..."

She turned to look at Cheng Huaizhu, who was curled up in a ball on the bed.

"Actually, the girl didn't mean to make a scene at first, and she knew she had done something wrong. But her wife was so angry that she slapped her, and after a moment of heartbreak, she burned all the manuscripts that night."

Xue Chan lowered her voice again: "You all go out first, I'll stay with her for a while."

The two nodded, quickly and neatly finished tidying up, and left, closing the door behind them.

Cheng Huaizhu wrapped herself up like a cocoon, a silent cocoon.

Xue Chan sat on the edge of the bed and gently tried to lift the corner of the blanket. But Cheng Huaizhu held on tightly, and she couldn't lift it no matter what she did; only muffled sounds came out.

"I told you, you all do your own thing and don't interfere with me."

Xue Chan leaned closer and smiled, "Huaizhu, it's me."

The corner of the blanket shifted, revealing an eye swollen like a walnut and half a pitiful lip.

Xue Chan simply lay on top of her and laughed, "What, you don't want to see me?"

Cheng Huaizhu wrapped herself up in a cocoon again, but then stretched out a hand from under the blanket and gently grasped Xue Chan's hand.

I miss you so, so much...

Xue Chan didn't say anything to comfort her, but quickly kicked off her shoes, took her hand, and lay down together.

A short while later, the large cocoon was opened, and Xue Chan was also wrapped inside.

Cheng Huaizhu held her hand tightly while leaning on her shoulder, silently shedding tears.

Xue Chan gently wiped away her tears, and Cheng Huaizhu buried her face in her arms and began to sob softly.

The incense in the Boshan burner burned quietly, emitting wisps of smoke, while a few newly opened peach blossoms were in full bloom in the porcelain vase.

As the twilight glowed through the latticed window, Mingxia quietly entered, carrying her dinner.

Xue Chan stood up first and said softly, "You haven't eaten anything all day, have something to eat."

Cheng Huaizhu was still wrapped in the blanket, her head hanging low.

"I don't want to eat..."

Mingxia squatted by the bed and looked up at her: "Miss, have something to eat. The kitchen has made apricot porridge, as well as your favorite three-in-one dish, Bojin stewed jade, and pickled fish."

Cheng Huaizhu blinked, swallowed, but turned her face away: "I don't want to eat."

"Oh, there's also lychee paste and cheese from Jixiangzhai!" Xue Chan exclaimed as she opened the food box.

She yanked off the covers and dragged Cheng Huaizhu off the bed: "I only ate two pieces of cake for lunch, I'm starving."

Half-heartedly, Cheng Huaizhu sat down at the table with her to eat.

Compared to her usual cheerful and talkative self, Cheng Huaizhu was much quieter now.

Xue Chan only ate a small bowl of rice cakes and a few bites of mixed vegetables, focusing all her attention on serving food to Cheng Huaizhu.

She eats whatever she picks out of her bowl.

As they were eating, they noticed Xue Chan's small bowl and a piece of Bojin Zhuyu that she had only half-eaten.

Her gaze returned to the porcelain bowl in front of her, filled with various dishes. She swallowed the porridge, and tears instantly streamed down her face.

"Why are the beads starting to fall out?"

Cheng Huaizhu began to sob, looked at Xue Chan, and apologized to her: "It's my fault. I've already made you take care of me, and you can't even eat a few bites of food."

Perhaps, just as my parents said.

She's so disobedient; they've wasted their time raising her.

Xue Chan laughed at her: "I told you to eat properly, but you've already shed tears in your bowl, haven't you? Now you're going to have to eat rice mixed with tears again."

Cheng Huaizhu was even more upset, and tears streamed down her face. She ate heartily, wiping away her tears as she ate, finishing all the porridge and vegetables.

As evening fell, the two sat on the porch watching the moon.

Cheng Huaizhu sniffed and said softly, "Actually, at first, I didn't want to argue with them. But my mother actually said she wanted to marry me off immediately. If she said something like that, my reputation would be ruined, and how could I get married?"

“I’m actually quite upset, even more upset than if she had slapped me.”

She was so upset that tears streamed down her face, and she sobbed uncontrollably.

Xue Chan gently patted her back to help her catch her breath and listened to her intermittent speech.

"But, but I just don't understand, does having a bad reputation mean I have to be married off immediately? If something like this happens and someone proposes to me, am I supposed to be grateful and marry them off?"

She burst into tears, but her indignation only intensified.

“I’m not some kind of jade or jewelry, but a merchant’s fruits and vegetables. If I have cracks, damage, or become ugly, I can only be sold at a low price. If someone buys me, I should happily sell me. I should also be glad that I got a good price.”

Xue Chan pulled her into her arms and listened to her low accusations.

“Huaizhu, your uncle and aunt didn’t try to sell you like you were selling a product. You are their child, don’t you know that?”

Cheng Huaizhu buried her face in her shoulder and cried, "I know they don't really want to marry me off, but I just feel so resentful. I know I was inconsiderate and made mistakes, but why is the only solution to this situation finding me a good family to marry into immediately?"

"So what if I can't get married? At worst, I'll remain unmarried for life. I'll go to the mountains, I'll go to a temple. I'd rather be like a fallen flower, silently buried in the soil..."

The moonlight flowed silently with a cold, silvery glow, and the flowers under the eaves quietly released their fragrance.