"My husband, you're confused again!" Gao gently chided, "The ninth daughter of the Ren family is already dead. Where are you going to send her? Mr. Ren has already cancelled her household registration, which means he doesn't want her to return to the Ren family. Otherwise, where will the Ren family's reputation be? If you send her back, not only will the Ren family not be grateful, but they will even become enemies with you."

"Then what should we do?" Zhou Wen was a little scared when he heard it. He didn't want to make enemies with the Ren family. He still wanted to make a living in the officialdom of Yanbei.

Gao said gently, "Of course, you should let Concubine Ren stay in our Zhou family. However, she is just the concubine you bought, not the Ninth Miss of the Ren family."

Zhou Wen was also a smart man. He immediately understood what Gao said. The Ninth Miss of the Ren family was already "dead". Even if she wasn't dead, she could only be regarded as dead. If she was allowed to go out and make trouble, the government might convict him of kidnapping a decent woman, and his future would be over.

Seeing that Zhou Wen understood, Gao took his hand and said, "When Concubine Ren wakes up later, go and persuade her. You and she still have a bond from your youth. If you treat her well in the future, I will treat her as a sister and let her feel at ease in the Zhou family. But if she talks nonsense again, for the sake of your husband's future, I will have to be the bad guy and lock her up. Concubine Ren is a smart person, she will figure it out."

Zhou Wen held Gao's hand in his backhand: "I'm sorry for wronging you."

Gao pursed her lips and smiled: "It sounds nice now, but if I really lock her up later, don't blame me for being cruel and bullying your sweetheart."

Zhou Wen looked at Gao affectionately: "Don't you know who my sweetheart is? I have a wife like this in my life, what else can I ask for?"

Gao blushed and lowered her head shyly.

As expected, Ren Yaoying refused to behave herself after waking up and continued to make a fuss. Gao tried to persuade her several times but she refused to listen. Finally, Gao had no choice but to order Ren Yaoying to be locked up. Ren Yaoying cried in the room all day long and finally damaged her throat. Later, whenever she spoke loudly, she would cry so hard that she would cough up blood.

Zhou Wen was initially willing to visit her room, hoping to coax her back, but gradually his feelings grew colder and he refused to enter her room again. A year later, Gao and the maidservant both became pregnant. Gao arranged for Zhou Wen to take in a beautiful and obedient concubine. Zhou Wen's colleagues all envied him for having such a virtuous wife.

Despite his romantic nature, Zhou Wen always held Gao in high esteem. Even after Gao's age and beauty faded, he would spend at least half of each month in the main room. When Gao passed away, after Zhou Wen had many children and grandchildren, Zhou Wen was overwhelmed with grief and fell seriously ill. Every year on Gao's death anniversary, Zhou Wen would write a eulogy for his deceased wife. Two of his eulogies have been hailed as classics of his late wife's memory, and their legacy endures.

As for Ren Yaoying, Zhou Wen had long forgotten about her. Ren Yaoying had a bad fate and died of tuberculosis a few years after following Zhou Wen. When Zhou Wen occasionally recalled her later, he only vaguely remembered that it was a romantic debt from his youth and just laughed it off.

************

Well, Zhou Wen and Gao Shi are the models of loving couples in feudal society.

Don't be too envious~o(n_n)o

.(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.) This chapter has been read (please click on the next chapter to continue reading!)