Try to salvage the situation

When Zhao Jun learned that his mother had taken it upon herself to break off the engagement, he hurriedly sent people to stop her, but it was too late. He immediately wrote a letter and sent it to the Fu residence, having already made his decision on the way there.

Three years is a long time; I can wait that long.

The cancellation of the engagement was only his mother's idea. He was willing to wait for Miss Fu for three years until he passed the imperial examination and then marry her. Zhao Jun was anxious and hoped that the Fu family would not misunderstand.

When Zhao Jun arrived at the gate of the Fu residence, he did not have a visiting card, so the gatekeeper naturally refused to let him in.

It was inappropriate for an outsider to stand at the Fu family's door. To avoid further gossip, Granny Cui personally went to refuse him, saying that the lady was unwell and would not receive guests.

Zhao Jun gritted his teeth, then smiled bitterly and said, "Granny, there's a misunderstanding between our two families. Could I please see Madam Fu?"

Zhao Junhui was dressed in a white jacket with a front opening, his hair tied up with a jade hairpin. He had always been a dashing and elegant man, but at this moment his eyes were filled with pleading.

Looking at the handsome Zhao Junhui, Cui Mama had a hint of regret in her eyes. She pursed her lips and said, "Madam Zhao has already made herself very clear. Young Master Zhao, please return."

Zhao Jun rushed to the Fu family hoping to salvage the marriage, but in the end he was unable to enter. He had no choice but to ask Granny Cui to deliver the letter inside.

The letter was addressed to Miss Fu.

The letter was delivered to Yu Roulan first. She originally intended to tear it up, but after hearing Granny Cui talk about Zhao Junhui's sincere appearance, she changed her mind. She wanted to see how the Zhao family could still make excuses.

The letter was short, and Yu Roulan finished reading it quickly. She remained silent for a long time.

The decision to cancel the engagement was made by Madam Zhao herself. Madam Zhao came to the Fu family to break off the engagement without her son's knowledge, but Zhao Junhui himself was unwilling to break off the engagement with the Fu family.

The young man's words were earnest, and his pure heart was evident on the page. After reading the letter, Yu Roulan's resentment dissipated considerably. Zhao Junhui was indeed a good choice to be her son-in-law. It was originally a perfect match between a talented man and a beautiful woman, but fate had other plans...

In the end, Yu Roulan still chose to hand the letter over to Fu Zhiqiao.

Fu Zhiqiao read the letter, and a look of surprise appeared in her eyes.

Knowing that his family had suddenly changed and that he was no longer of much help to them, this man was still willing to keep his promise. Fu Changyue's judgment was indeed insightful; this Zhao Junhui was worthy of the title of a gentleman.

"Regardless of what Young Master Zhao is like, our fate can only end here." Fu Zhi Qiao made her intentions clear to Yu Rou Lan.

In the Great Wei Dynasty, women generally stayed at home to be good wives and mothers after marriage. It is normal for ideas to differ in different times. Fu Zhi Qiao did not want to judge whether this idea was right or wrong. She believed that it was not feasible to entrust the rest of one's life entirely to others.

Her body is not even fifteen years old, it's really outrageous to arrange her future marriage so early.

Fu Zhiqiao handed the letter to Granny Cui, saying, "Take it and burn it. Don't let outsiders see it."

*

At this moment, a dispute was breaking out in the Zhao family.

Zhao Jun returned home, his voice filled with anger: "Why did Mother cancel the marriage with the Fu family? Marriage is always about uniting two families. How could Mother be so disregardful of feelings and insist on breaking off the engagement at the critical moment when Master Fu has passed away?"

"We haven't exchanged tokens yet, so it can't be considered a broken engagement..." Madam Zhao felt a headache coming on. Her son, who was always steady and reserved, had a gloomy expression on his face, and judging from his attitude, he seemed quite satisfied with the marriage to the Fu family.

However, Madam Zhao did not regret breaking off the engagement. This was not only about the affection between the children, but also about Zhao Junhui's future. "There are many collateral branches in the clan. Our family has been neglected all these years. Junhui, your father is gone. You are your mother's only hope. You must listen to your mother in this matter of marriage."

Ultimately, unable to bear blaming her son for being so immature, Madam Zhao sighed deeply: "I'm doing this all for your own good. What you need is someone who can help you in the future, not someone who will hold you back..."

The rest of her words sounded so cold that Madam Zhao didn't continue.

"In your eyes, is your son's marriage a transaction?"

Madam Zhao did not think she had done anything wrong. She said earnestly, "Marriage has always been a matter of parents' orders and matchmakers' words. Junhui, you are still young and do not know how much benefit a good marriage can bring and how many detours it can save you from."

"You decided to get engaged to the Fu family without my consent, and now you're breaking off the engagement without my permission..." Zhao Jun paused, finally unable to hide his anger, "Is my son a puppet in your hands?"

Zhao Junhui, who always adhered to etiquette, was unusually loud in front of his mother today, clearly indicating that he was furious.

"But..." Madam Zhao wanted to say something more.

Zhao Junhui interrupted her: "Future prospects, future prospects, when have I, Zhao Junhui, ever needed to rely on a woman to advance my future?"

After saying that, he turned and left.

The young man was naturally proud. Zhao Junhui was intelligent and well-versed in literature since childhood. He did not want to achieve success by taking shortcuts; he wanted to make a future based on his own talent.

Madam Zhao watched his departing figure, her eyes filled with sorrow, and murmured, "Did I do something wrong?"

*

An hour had passed since the argument with Madam Zhao, and Zhao Jun returned to his desk, but he hadn't turned a single page of his book.

His frustration hadn't subsided, and he couldn't concentrate on the book in front of him no matter what. He simply closed the book, staring blankly out the window, lost in thought.

The pageboy, Laibao, asked cautiously, "Young master, would you like some tea?"

"I won't drink it."

Lai Bao understood; his young master was indeed very unhappy. He slowly left the study, carefully closing the door, every movement very soft, afraid of disturbing Zhao Junhui.

Zhao Junhui was still lost in his thoughts. He had actually met Fu Zhiqiao before, after the two families had reached an agreement on an engagement.

As a young man, he was curious about who his future wife would be. Half a year ago, he and his mother visited the Fu family and met Fu Zhi Qiao once in the Fu family garden.

That brief encounter didn't make Zhao Jun remember Fu Zhiqiao, until recently when he saw her again.

Zhao Junhui clearly remembers that it was a rainy day. He had just bought books at the bookstore and taken two steps when it started to drizzle. He had no choice but to retreat to the eaves to take shelter from the rain.

Pedestrians rushing to find shelter from the rain also ran under the eaves. Zhao Jun patted the water droplets off his body, watching the rain splash on the ground, wondering how long the rain would last.

I looked up and saw a scene I'll never forget.

A carriage slowly drove up in the rain and stopped in front of the bookstore. A maid got out of the carriage, held an umbrella, and helped a girl down slowly.

The oil-paper umbrella was very large, covering most of her face.

Unlike the hurried people around her, she seemed very relaxed, walking slowly and gracefully in the rain.

She was getting closer and closer to the bookstore.

Zhao Junhui's heart suddenly tightened for some reason. Step by step, he got closer and closer, and finally, he saw her face clearly.

The girl was extremely beautiful, with snow-white, translucent skin and eyes that sparkled like stars. The mist in the rain enveloped her like a hazy glow, giving her an indescribable ethereal and graceful air.

Fu Zhi Qiao felt the gaze upon her and turned around in confusion. Yin Xing whispered a reminder from the side, "Miss, the one under the eaves is Young Master Zhao."

Fu Zhi Qiao couldn't recall who Young Master Zhao was for a moment, but she didn't dwell on it. Who Young Master Zhao was wasn't important; her main purpose in going out was to buy books.

Ever since she woke up, Yu Roulan has valued her more than her own eyes. She finally managed to persuade Yu Roulan to let her go out. Of course, she wanted to seize the time to select more local chronicles. After glancing at Zhao Junhui, she walked into the bookstore without looking back.

Zhao Junhui only came to his senses after her figure had completely disappeared.

The rain came quickly and went quickly, leaving only a layer of damp moisture in the air.

A spring rain not only dampened Zhao Junhui's temples, but also seeped into his heart.

*

When the head housekeeper of the second branch of the Fu family saw Madam Zhao arrive, she assumed that Madam Zhao had come to discuss the marriage between Fu Zhi Qiao and Zhao Jun Hui, and she immediately informed Zhao Xia Lan of the matter.

Zhao Xialan lowered her eyes in deep thought. When Fu Changyue was alive, he had intended to arrange a marriage between the two families. Zhao Junhui was a well-known talented scholar in Yuzhou and was very likely to take the imperial examination and become an official in the future. If the two of them were to get married...

No, she couldn't let Fu Zhi Qiao have a chance to make a comeback.

Zhao Xialan frowned, pondering how to handle the situation.

A trusted confidante is someone who helps her master solve problems. A wicked thought flashed through the mind of the head maid: "This old servant has a way that will definitely prevent them from ever turning the tables!"

Zhao Xialan's expression softened slightly, and she asked, "What method?"

The head housekeeper leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "What does a woman value most? Her purity. If the eldest son's purity is ruined, and the madam goes back to her maiden home and finds some random relative to marry him, then the eldest son will be at our mercy from now on."

A young lady whose body has been defiled—how can she still have the face to live in the Fu family? She can only go to the countryside to find a farm to spend the rest of her life. More importantly, once Fu Zhi Qiao's reputation is ruined, the good son-in-law that Fu Chang Yue carefully selected will become the second wife's son!

"That's right!" Zhao Xialan's mind raced. With Fu Zhiqiao in her grasp, was she afraid that Yu Roulan wouldn't listen to her? Zhao Xialan revealed a confident smile. Yu Roulan and her daughter were destined to be trampled under her feet!

Fu Zhi Qiao is actually a very adaptable person. She has the original owner's memories and knows the local characters. In addition, she received elite education from a young age in her previous life and has some foundation in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Picking up these skills again is not very difficult for her.

To understand this dynasty, she had to consult numerous books and local chronicles. In addition, she also learned needlework. Although she was forced into it, she was still able to sew a pocket without any problems.

The original owner was too weak, truly deserving of the title "sickly person".

Due to the lack of medical care in ancient times, people did not live very long. A simple cold could take a person's life. In order to save her own life, Fu Zhiqiao jogged in the yard every day to exercise.

At first, she could feel a burning sensation in her lungs and shortness of breath after walking just a few steps in the courtyard. The original owner of this body was too weak, so she had to gradually increase the amount of exercise. After a month of training, she can now walk for half an hour without getting out of breath or having her heart racing.

"Ginkgo, how do you think I'm different from before?" Fu Zhi Qiao asked tentatively.

"Now that you're feeling better, you seem much more energetic," Yinxing said after a moment's thought.

"Don't you think there's something wrong with me?"

Yinxing looked puzzled: "What's wrong, young lady? Is there something wrong?"

"...It's alright now."

It was indeed a joyous occasion that the young lady had recovered. Although she was thin, she was always smiling and very easy to get along with. After waking up, she was so calm that she was hard to fathom, especially when she wasn't smiling, which gave people a strange sense of pressure.

Yinxing was the one who felt it most clearly. As Fu Zhiqiao's personal maid, she was the one who could sense the changes in Fu Zhiqiao the most. When Fu Zhiqiao first woke up, she always felt that something was wrong with her young lady, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

When she saw Fu Zhi Qiao scribbling in her notebook, with characters she couldn't understand, she thought her daughter had lost her mind. But she was relieved when she found that her daughter's behavior was normal.