Chapter 42 Mrs. Shen's Sky Collapses

Shen Anan blinked her drooping black eyelashes, and after struggling, she simply followed Mrs. Shen's words and spoke.

"Mom, can I decide my own marriage?"

"Of course." Mrs. Shen agreed without hesitation, but was stunned the next moment, staring at her daughter's half-exposed white neck, which was now red and bleeding.

"An An."

She held her hand and asked her to look up at her. "Tell me honestly, do you... have a crush on someone?"

Shen Anan's heart was beating violently, and she lowered her head again pretending to be shy.

Although she didn't say anything, Mrs. Shen still didn't understand something. She was very nervous and asked immediately, "Whose family is he from? What's his name? What's his character like? How did you know him?"

Shen Anan had already thought about these questions.

Zhang Yeyang had no special qualities either in terms of family background or himself. If he wanted his mother to agree and approve of this marriage, she would have to express her deep love for Zhang Yeyang and her determination to be with him.

'He is a new Jinshi this year, with both talent and good character. We knew each other as early as when we were in Jiangnan. '

Hearing this, Madam Shen’s face looked a little bad.

'Isn't he from the capital? '

Not to mention the other party's family background, she was somewhat unhappy just because they were far away in Jiangnan. Her daughter had finally returned to her side, so how could she bear to let her leave again to marry far away?

Madam Shen pursed her lips, her well-maintained face showing displeasure and displeasure.

'mother. 'Chen Anan pulled Mrs. Shen's sleeve and shook it, 'Although he comes from a poor family, he is really a very good person. You should agree to your daughter's request. '

Shen Anan’s words undoubtedly dealt another blow to Mrs. Shen.

She looked at her pretty daughter with a face as beautiful as a peach, feeling speechless. Not only was she far away in Jiangnan, but she was also a poor scholar.

'An An. 'She called her daughter, but her throat seemed to be blocked by a ball of cotton and she couldn't speak.

Shen Anan also knew that Mrs. Shen would find it difficult to accept it for a while, so she just pulled her sleeve coquettishly, lowered her head and said nothing.

An An was raised in Jiangnan since she was a child, and they were rarely together. If it was something else, she would have agreed long ago out of reluctance, but this matter made her choke up and couldn't say the words to agree.

She suddenly remembered the scene when An An just came back and resolutely refused the marriage proposal at the palace banquet. Was it possible that she already had that Jinshi in her heart at that time?

Mrs. Shen regretted her carelessness.

"An An, there are many good men in the capital. Let's pick one. Not to mention me, even your father would not agree. '

Shen Anan raised her misty almond eyes and looked at Madam Shen.

"Mom, Daddy always listens to you."

Mrs. Shen touched her daughter's face distressedly, but she didn't dare to let go even so.

"An An, whether it's among the aristocratic families or in the officialdom, there isn't so much sincerity, most of them are weighing the pros and cons. How do you know that the scholar is not trying to curry favor with you because of your status?"

If you are truly a gentleman with a decent mind, you should not have any contact with An An.

After all, their identities and upbringings are very different.

Shen Anan blinked, her black eyelashes were wet, she looked at Madam Shen pitifully, and said affectionately.

"Master Zhang is not that kind of person. Besides, even if he is trying to get close to me, my daughter will accept him. As long as the Chen family survives, he will have to respect and love me for the rest of his life."

After hearing this, Mrs. Shen almost fainted.

Listen, what is this? Has my daughter been brainwashed by that scholar?

The eldest son's marriage, the betrothal, the gift list, were all forgotten at this moment. Mrs. Shen felt like the sky had fallen.

"A Jinshi can only be a county magistrate at best. If no one helps you, your life will be like this. An An, how can I bear to see you suffer?"

"Besides, you were brought up differently. If you were to be together, with all sorts of things happening, you would definitely regret it once your passion for the game faded away."

Shen Anan sniffed, and for a moment, she suddenly felt that her current self was somewhat familiar, just like herself in her previous life who refused to repent and wanted to marry Xiao Yuan.

"Mom, his parents are both dead, there's no mess."

“…” Madam Shen choked again.

"You said it before, if there is no one to help you, you will be a county magistrate for your whole life. But if there is someone to help you, it will be different."

"He has now been assigned to be a county magistrate in Jiangnan. The area there is vast and prosperous, and it is easy for him to achieve political achievements. He will be able to return within three years."

Listening to her daughter's pie in the sky, Mrs. Shen's face was tense and she couldn't relax.

It's not that she is trying to curry favor with the powerful. A county magistrate cannot even get to the door of the Shen Mansion. This is not marrying down, it is clearly marrying back to five generations ago.

Even if the Shen family went back five generations, they would not have been so destitute.

"Mother." Shen Anan opened her mouth to say something else, but Mrs. Shen had already held her forehead and closed her eyes.

The nanny at the side came forward very cleverly and rubbed Madam Shen's forehead, saying, "Miss, Madam has been overworked these days and has a headache again. Why don't you come back later?"

Shen Anan glanced at Mrs. Shen, who had half-closed her eyes and looked exhausted, pursed her lips, and stood up, "Then mother, take a good rest. Your daughter will go back to Haitang Garden first and come to see you later."

Mrs. Shen’s eyelids twitched and she nodded slightly.

These days, she didn't want to meet her at all. She got a headache when she heard about that scholar.

Shen Anan bowed and turned to leave. Madam Shen considered again and again and spoke softly.

"An An, the poorer the children are, the more extraordinary they are for climbing to their current positions. Most of them value profit and are unlikely to be sincere to their wives. Some even use the engagement as a springboard to climb up. Most of the unfaithful ones are scholars, especially those who have struggled in difficult environments."

"Mother is not saying that Mr. Zhang is one of them, but human nature is like that. Your family backgrounds are too different. Even if you force yourself to be together, you will face many problems. An An, you should think about it."

Mrs. Shen's reaction was almost what Shen Anan expected.

Zhang Yeyang had no family background and mediocre talent, so it was impossible for Mrs. Shen to accept him readily, and she did not intend to do it overnight.

She lowered her eyelids, revealing a sad face. She said in a hoarse voice, "Mother, I have known him for a long time. I have already made up my mind and I don't want to change it."

Madam Shen closed her eyes and half-collapsed in the chair, letting Madam massage her solar plexus, looking listless.

Shen Anan returned to Haitang Garden from Madam Shen. The sadness on her face had completely faded away, replaced by calmness.

Mo Xiang closed the door and walked quickly to the window. Seeing that there was no one around, she lowered her voice and said, "Miss, it seems that the Madam will not agree."

Shen Anan responded calmly, looking at the square sky through the window lattice.

The capital city is prosperous, and it is indeed good to have parents and an elder brother to protect her, but Concubine Shen will not give up until the marriage is resolved. She cannot and does not want to get involved in those messes anymore.

"The sky in Jiangnan is more vast than that in Beijing."

——

The next morning.

Mrs. Shen had a worried look on her face, and she could not eat much. The nanny asked the kitchen to make several different soups and tried to persuade her softly.

"Madam, please eat a little. The girl..."

Before he finished speaking, a little maid walked in quickly, looking panicked.

Madam Shen pushed away the spoon that the nanny passed to her lips, looked at the little maid weakly, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Madam, the maid in the young lady's courtyard said..." the little maid said with difficulty, "The young lady hasn't eaten for two meals. She looks listless and has no energy. She is worried that the young lady is not feeling well, so she wants to report to Madam and ask a doctor to come over."

Mrs. Shen tightened her grip on the handkerchief and stood up suddenly, her heart hanging in the air.

"This kid is going to drive me crazy."

As she spoke, she quickly walked out of the yard and headed towards the Begonia Garden, and the nanny quickly followed.

The maids standing guard under the corridor of Begonia Garden saluted in unison.

Madam Shen opened the door and walked in, and found Shen Anan, who was listless and pale, on the couch.

She walked over quickly, tears in her eyes, "An An, what are you doing? Do you want to make mother heartbroken?"

Shen Anan half-opened her eyelids and smiled weakly at Madam Shen, her dry lips slightly pursed, "Mother, after thinking about it, I realized that I was indeed willful and reckless in this matter. I'm sorry."

She shook Mrs. Shen’s hand in return, with a sad face, “But I…”

“Okay, stop talking.” Madam Shen stroked her head, “Mother understands.”

My daughter is in her prime, and it is normal for her to feel romantic.

If anyone is to blame, it's only her as a mother. She wasn't able to stay with her all the time, which led to such a big mess. She didn't even know who her daughter loved.

"Eat something and take care of yourself. How can we talk about the rest?"

Madam Shen tucked the corner of the quilt for her and finally compromised, "Mom, go talk to your father and see what he says."

“Thank you, mother.” Shen Anan sat up, half of her body nestled in Madam Shen’s arms, acting coquettishly.

I feel a little guilty.

"Mom, at most three to five years, when he has made achievements in government, he can return to the capital."

After she accompanies her grandmother and everything in the capital is stable, she will consider coming back to be with Madam Shen.

Master Wen Yin's words lingered in her heart for a long time like a devil's voice. She was afraid that there would be more trouble and it would implicate her parents and elder brother.

Thinking of this, she wanted to leave even more urgently.

Madam Shen patted her back to comfort her for a while, and said softly, "You eat first, and mother will go to discuss it with your father."

Shen Anan nodded gently, lowered her head and withdrew from Madam Shen's arms, her eyes inadvertently raised with joy.

Mrs. Shen felt heavy in her heart.

My daughter is in this condition. I’m afraid she has fallen into a quagmire and it will be difficult to pull her out.

After instructing Mo Xiang to serve well, Madam Shen quickly left the Begonia Garden and headed straight for Shen Wen's study.

Mo Xiang brought a cup of tea over to Shen An'an to moisten her throat, "Girl, will this work?"

Shen Anan remained silent, and drank the tea from Mo Xiang's hand, and her dry and itchy throat felt better.

She lowered her head, with self-blame and guilt on her face, "Father and mother will agree."

They have always loved her, and as long as she is firm in her attitude, her parents will compromise.

Just like in her previous life when she insisted on marrying Xiao Yuan, her mother's reaction was even more intense than today. Later, she even fell ill due to worry, but in the end she couldn't resist her and agreed.

As my father is a military commander, the power of the Shen family is already great enough, and choosing a scholar with a clean record as a son-in-law will also make the royal family feel more at ease.

She would not marry the prince, and naturally she could not marry those from powerful families, otherwise the prince would be very unhappy.

Choosing Zhang Yeyang made everyone happy.

She was sure that as long as she was willing, her father would not refuse.

Mo Xiang helped her get up and eat a bowl of porridge. At three o'clock in the afternoon, Mrs. Shen came to the Begonia Garden again. Her eyelids were red, and she had obviously cried at Shen Wen's place.

Shen Anan felt distressed, but she suppressed it, stood up and saluted, "Mom."

“Get up quickly.” Madam Shen glanced at the half-drunk bowl of porridge in front of her and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on, sit down. You're so skinny, your chin is so pointed. Eat some more."

Shen Anan touched her cheek. She had just not eaten for a day.

She nodded obediently and said "Okay."

He sat down and slowly scooped the porridge into his mouth.

Madam Shen stared at her daughter, she couldn't see enough, and she felt even more reluctant to let her go.

After a bowl of porridge was eaten, Shen Anan told Mo Xiang to collect the bowls and chopsticks, and Mrs. Shen said softly.

"I heard from your father that the scholar should be... not bad." Mrs. Shen said with some displeasure.

"But we still have to wait and see. Your father said he would use his connections to let him stay in Beijing for a few more days. If... you are willing, and if the scholar is a decent person, then we will settle it for you."

Shen Anan's face was filled with infinite joy, "Thank you, Dad and Mom."

She reached out and hugged Madam Shen's waist, rubbed her head against Madam Shen's body, and looked very happy.

"Don't worry, mother. My daughter has grown up and will no longer be so willful."

She will not make the same mistake again, and no matter who she marries, she will live a rational and good life.

“Okay.” Madam Shen patted her back, helpless.

——

In the evening, when Shen Changhe came back from outside, he clearly felt that the air pressure in the mansion was much lower today.

The maids and servants all lowered their heads and walked lightly, as if they were afraid of startling something.

Shen Changhe frowned.

Normally, my mother should be very happy now, busy preparing his betrothal gifts.

He turned around and looked at the servant beside him, who shook his head in confusion.

He has been following the young master and doesn't know anything.

Shen Changhe, "Then why don't you go and ask."

The servant boy reacted and immediately went to ask his good friends.

Shen Changhe continued to walk into the yard. When he reached the gate, the servant came back panting.

"Sir, this is not good."

Shen Changhe stopped and tilted his head to look at him.

The servant opened his mouth, looked around and saw no one was around, and said with a difficult tone, "I asked Yuanbao who was sitting beside the master, and he said it was... about the eldest girl."

Shen Changhe frowned immediately, turned around and walked towards Madam Shen's yard, asking the servant, "What happened to An An?"

The servant hesitated, but finally did not dare to say, "Sir, you should ask the lady yourself."

Shen Changhe's steps became faster.

After arriving at Madam Shen's courtyard, before entering the house, I heard Madam Shen sighing deeply.

"What can I do?"

"Young Master." The servants in the corridor saluted in unison, and Shen Changhe walked past a few of them and went straight in.

Mrs. Shen was no longer angry at this moment. When she saw her eldest son coming, her face wrinkled and looked bitter.