Chapter 8: It Wasn't My Intention to Marry Her

Lu's house.

Ji Ruzhen was frightened by Chunzhi holding a kitchen knife at the door of Li's Pharmacy, and was also scolded by a street vendor, leaving her completely humiliated.

If the servants and maids had not protected her and run fast, she might have been hit by rotten eggs and rotten vegetable leaves.

A rich lady like Ji Ruzhen had never suffered such an injustice before. When she returned to the Lu family, she cried to Old Madam Lu and said, "Mother-in-law, the servant I kicked out yesterday not only spread rumors everywhere that I stole her husband, but also incited the street vendors to curse me!"

The two maids echoed:

"What a nasty curse!"

"That butcher was holding a butcher knife and wanted to chop our lady! Fortunately, we ran fast!"

"Is this really true?" Mrs. Lu had originally feigned illness in the hope that her new daughter-in-law would be filial to her, but hearing this, her head really started to hurt. "How ridiculous! This is truly outrageous! When Jingyun comes back, I'll make sure he brings his men to teach those untouchables a lesson!"

Old Madam Lu felt that since she was the mother of the number one scholar, she was superior to ordinary people.

Without Chunzhi, he got the daughter of the prime minister as his wife. Everyone knows that this is a very cost-effective deal.

Mrs. Lu comforted Ji Ruzhen with a few words, then went back to her room to rest, using her heartache as an excuse.

Not long after, Lu Jingyun came back.

Ji Ruzhen hugged Lu Jingyun and cried, "My husband, I went out today to find a doctor for my mother-in-law, but..."

She had only said half of this when tears started to fall.

He felt aggrieved and couldn't continue speaking.

"Who made Madam unhappy? Madam, tell me, and I will definitely vent my anger on your behalf."

Lu Jingyun quickly hugged Ji Ruzhen to comfort her and wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

When Ji Ruzhen heard this, she cried even harder.

Lu Jingyun helped Ji Ruzhen sit down and asked the two maids, "What happened to Madam when she went out?"

The two maids hurriedly repeated what they had just said to Madam Lu, adding fuel to the fire.

It was said that Chunzhi not only held a kitchen knife to chop Ji Ruzhen, but also instigated the street vendors to insult Ji Ruzhen.

When Lu Jingyun heard this, his expression turned somewhat ugly.

"Husband..." Ji Ruzhen held Lu Jingyun's hand, "Today I ran into your former servant at the pharmacy. I originally thought that her life was pitiful and she might not be able to survive without the support of the Lu family. So I thought that as long as she was obedient, I would let her come back and be your concubine. But she...but when she heard this, she went crazy...she picked up a kitchen knife and wanted to chop me. I was scared to death..."

Hearing this, Lu Jingyun patted Ji Ruzhen's back gently and coaxed her in a gentle voice, "Madam, you are kind. This is not the capital. Not everyone in Linshui Town is well-educated and well-mannered. Madam, please don't go out alone without me by your side in the future."

Ji Ruzhen raised her eyes and glared at him, "Does my husband still think it's my fault?"

"Of course it's not Madam's fault."

Lu Jingyun knew that Chunzhi was not a shrew who would pick up a knife and attack people for no reason. It must be Ji Ruzhen who did something to her first.

But even if he knew, he could only coax Ji Ruzhen gently, telling her not to cry and to be careful not to hurt her eyes.

Lu Jingyun coaxed her for a long time, and finally said: "I'll let her come and apologize to you, okay?"

Ji Ruzhen said: "Then I want her to kneel down for me."

Lu Jingyun frowned almost imperceptibly and said in a low voice, "Okay."

Ji Ruzhen stopped crying.

Lu Jingyun instructed the maids to take good care of his wife, and then went to the tofu workshop to find Chunzhi.

After he left, the maid asked Ji Ruzhen, "Miss, do you really only want that lowly maid to kneel down for you?"

Ji Ruzhen wiped away her tears and said, "Of course not."

She had never suffered such a huge loss of face in her life, so how could she swallow this humiliation?

Ji Ruzhen turned around and remembered that Lord Li, the prefect of Jiangzhou, was her father's disciple. She immediately sent someone to the government office, telling him that no matter what he did, he must help her vent her anger.

"Yes, miss."

The servant responded and immediately set off for Lord Li's residence.

…

North of the city, Taohua Lane.

Tofu workshop.

Chunzhi made clothes for the man all afternoon until the evening.

As the sky was filled with sunset glow, someone knocked on the gate.

Huo Zheng didn't want to be seen, so he pushed the wheelbarrow into the hut.

"Who is it?"

Chunzhi glanced at him, asked a question, and walked over to open the door.

As soon as the gate opened, she saw Lu Jingyun standing in front of her.

Chunzhi was stunned for a moment, then immediately closed the door after she realized what was happening.

"Chunzhi." Lu Jingyun called her name and held the door that was about to close.

"Why are you still looking for me?"

Chunzhi couldn't close the door, so she could only turn around and walk inside.

Lu Jingyun pushed open the door and walked in.

He came alone.

There were originally two servants from the Ji Mansion who were supposed to follow, but Lu Jingyun sent them to buy things for Ji Ruzhen.

He came to the tofu workshop alone to find Chunzhi.

In the past, every time Chunzhi saw him, her eyes would sparkle and she would smile, as if just seeing him would make her happy.

And now…

Chunzhi didn't even want to look at him for another second.

Lu Jingyun followed behind Chunzhi and whispered, "Chunzhi, marrying Ji Ruzhen was not my original intention, but it is the emperor's order that I cannot disobey..."

"The Emperor's order is hard to disobey?" Chunzhi stopped and turned to look at Lu Jingyun. "Is it the Emperor's order that is hard to disobey, or are you just trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful?"

Lu Jingyun was silent for a moment, then said to her, "Chunzhi, you've never been to the capital. You don't know that in a place like the capital... if you want to survive and live a decent life, you have to sacrifice everything."

"So you married Ji Ruzhen and betrayed me."

Chunzhi said this calmly, but her heart was full of bitterness.

She once thought that Lu Jingyun was her home.

She will be with Lu Jingyun for the rest of her life, sharing hardships and happiness together.

But the fact is, she and Lu Jingyun can only share adversity, but not wealth.

Because there is someone else who can share wealth with Lu Jingyun.

It's not just Ji Ruzhen, there are also other daughters of high-ranking officials, rich ladies.

Lu Jingyun took a step forward and reached out to pull Chunzhi, but she dodged him.

Chunzhi imitated Huo Qi's behavior and said coldly, "Men and women should not be intimate with each other. As a married man, you shouldn't come to me alone, let alone flirt with me!"

"Men and women shouldn't touch each other?" Lu Jingyun said in disbelief, "Chunzhi, you told me that men and women shouldn't touch each other?"

Chunzhi was his child bride for ten years, helping him with laundry, cooking, bathing and washing his hair. Except for the fact that they had never formally performed the Zhougong ritual, they had long since crossed the category of "not close".

And now, Harue treated him as a stranger.

Chunzhi turned her head away, unwilling to look at him, "Since you married Ji Ruzhen, you shouldn't come to see me."

If you want to break up, break up completely.

There should be no lingering connection.

Chunzhi looks weak, but she is actually very strong.

Lu Jingyun grew up with her and knew her character best. He clearly felt that Chunzhi was really determined to leave him.

He took another half step forward and whispered to Chunzhi, "If I tell you that I married Ji Ruzhen for unspeakable reasons, and that I never thought of abandoning you and marrying someone else, would you believe me?"