Chapter 76◇
◎The scandal came to light◎
Feng Ran took his hand, warming his cold fingertips, and said tolerantly, "It's okay, take it slow. You don't need to suppress your temper. My love for you is real, and that will never change."
Feng Ran's dry, burning hands contrasted sharply with Duan Jingchuan's sticky hands.
He could no longer hear the surrounding noise. The surrounding light suddenly dimmed, and only Feng Ran's tolerant eyes shone brightly. Duan Jingchuan suddenly felt that his own gloomy life was being illuminated inch by inch.
Seeing that Duan Jingchuan's eyes were full of tears and his long eyes were moist, Feng Ran didn't want this strange atmosphere to continue, so she gently scratched Duan Jingchuan's palm. "Don't worry, a husband as obedient and handsome as you is hard to find even with a lantern. Now that I've finally found one, how could I not hold on to him tightly?"
Duan Jingchuan blushed at Feng Ran's bluntness, his heart pounding as if it would leap out of his chest. He lowered his eyes and said in a trembling voice, "I am also in love with you, Madam." There was another half-sentence he didn't say: Thank you, Madam, for appearing in my shattered life like a gift from heaven.
Hearing this, Feng Ran's mouth stretched to her ears, and she said sweetly, "I know, if you don't think so, I'll break your legs and put you in a dark room." The words were fierce, but the tone was sweet and cloying, without any intimidation.
Duan Jingchuan lowered his head, his face flushed, and gently hugged Feng Ran in his arms like a young wife.
She was clearly several sizes taller than Feng Ran, but she acted as if she had been bullied to death, which made people itch with envy.
He likes to hug her when he's shy, so she can't see his elegant and handsome face. He's so stingy.
Feng Ran poked his chest with her finger, "What do you need me to do for those weddings?" Even after living for so long, she still didn't know many common-sense etiquette rules. Duan Jingchuan was wholeheartedly good to her, so she should try her best to do her job well.
What to prepare? Duan Jingchuan pondered deeply. To be honest, he had never been involved in the affairs of the manor before and had no standard to refer to. It was Xiong Qi who brought up the marriages of these people. Even though he seemed normal now, no one in the manor would ask him to do anything. He still lived like a transparent person.
Aside from the person in his arms, probably no one else is unconditionally good to him. Well, no, even the person in his arms has conditions.
"There's nothing to prepare. You can attend the ceremony if you have time." Duan Jingchuan held down the mischievous little hand. That's right, if he didn't let the girl in his arms touch him, she probably would have torn this courtyard apart. Thinking about it, it felt like he was using his looks to serve someone.
"Oh, just don't let me be a greeter anymore." Feng Ran pinched Duan Jingchuan's long fingers, still having a great time.
During the New Year, she was apprehensive about welcoming guests that day. It was one thing that she didn't know anyone, but the guests and people in the mansion treated the two of them like monkeys. The way they looked at them still makes her furious when she thinks about it now. She was just too good-tempered.
So, those two brothers weren't good people either. Their eyes were like measuring her every breath, and even the slightest movement of her face was wrong. She didn't want to attend the ceremony. If it weren't for the bride's dignity, she would have gone to cause trouble and let them experience unpleasantness.
Duan Jingchuan felt very guilty when the matter was mentioned. He had made his wife suffer again. However, his wife did not like to hear this, so he would just keep it in mind and would never do it again in the future.
I changed the subject to a topic that Feng Ran might be interested in: "My second sister is engaged to the son of Minister Li. You should have met him once."
"Hmm? Didn't you say you were looking for a nephew from my mother's family?" Feng Ran's interest was piqued.
"Cousin Qin is going to marry my eldest brother as his concubine." Duan Jingchuan dropped another bombshell.
"What?" Feng Ran looked up abruptly, causing Duan Jingchuan to fall backward.
Duan Jingchuan had always known that Feng Ran could be very tough at times, but he had rarely experienced it. He was always able to embrace her softness. This was the first time he had faced such a blow. The pain made his nose sting and tears stream down his face.
"Ouch, blood! Husband, your lip is cut!" Feng Ran frantically rubbed it, feeling the stickiness in her palms and smelling a fishy odor. She knew something was wrong, and sure enough, her lip was cut.
Compared to the chaos and turmoil at Jinghua Courtyard, the young ladies living in Tingfeng Pavilion seemed to have different thoughts.
Duan Yutang couldn't understand Duan Yuxia's choice at all. "Second sister, what's so good about the Li family? For three generations, they've all been peasants, and this generation isn't much of a success either. There's also a sickly old mother in the family. If you marry into that family, you might not even be able to keep your dowry."
Duan Yuxia was secretly delighted to be able to marry her ideal husband. Although she disliked Duan Yutang's belittling of her beloved, she did not directly refute him. Instead, she said softly, "I am just an insignificant illegitimate daughter. Marrying into their family is considered a step down. They will not be rude."
Duan Yutang hates it when people bring up her status. Although she was born to a concubine, her food, clothing and daily necessities are comparable to those of a legitimate daughter. Her mother has never mistreated her, and she believes that she is not lacking in any way. She hates those who have some status and covet her. In her eyes, Li Chu is just a peasant.
Seeing Duan Yuxia's satisfied expression only fueled her anger. She was happy to marry down, but had she considered that it would affect her own marriage? If she wanted to marry up, how could she tell everyone that the Marquis's mansion treated everyone equally, and that she was also raised as a legitimate daughter?
"Have you been fooled? With your status, you could marry any prince or nobleman, why do you have to choose that good-for-nothing!" Duan Yutang was so angry that she spoke without thinking. She never expected that Duan Yuxia, who was usually so obedient and did whatever she was told, would ignore her advice and be so determined to marry a poor man, as if she had been bewitched.
Duan Yuxia's timid and cowardly nature was deeply ingrained in Duan Yutang's mind. In front of her, Duan Yutang never cared about what she said and always acted recklessly, without considering Duan Yuxia's thoughts at all. In the past, Duan Yuxia had always been timid and dared not talk back, and she thought it would be the same this time.
Even a clay figure has its temper, and Duan Yuxia is no clay figure either. Her previous caution was simply to ensure her own well-being. Now, she didn't want a direct confrontation, but Duan Yutang wouldn't let it go and repeatedly belittled the person she had chosen. So, she lost her temper. "Sister, you're mistaken. I made this choice precisely because I clearly understand my own status. If you can't stand it, you can choose to ignore it. Please don't insult my future husband in front of me in the future."
The clay figure in her hand actually dared to take charge, which made Duan Yutang's indignant heart even more suffocated. She shouted angrily, "Fine, you've grown wings and become capable. Just wait to be drained dry by that loser!"
“If it were truly for my own good, then so be it. But you keep calling us a poor family and saying that I’ve lowered the status of the Marquis’s daughters. If you want to climb the social ladder, why use my marriage as a stepping stone?” Duan Yuxia’s blood boiled, and she tore apart Duan Yutang’s selfish intentions.
The two maids were terrified, fearing that their two masters might start fighting at the slightest disagreement. They dared not intervene, for in this situation, anyone who tried to intervene might become a victim of violence.
Duan Yutang's chest trembled, and she said with exasperation, "I do have selfish motives, but it's all for your sake, okay? Your social statuses are so different. Are you willing to be poor in the future? Or are you going to use your dowry to support that family, turn them into bloodsucking leeches, drain you dry, smash you to pieces, and then use that to gain sympathy and win new beautiful wives and concubines?"
She was selfish, but how could she not feel sorry for her family of sisters who had followed her for so many years?
Duan Yuxia, who had been holding back her anger, found it dissipating upon hearing these words. She softened and moved closer to Duan Yutang, pleading in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Good sister, I misspoke earlier. Young Master Li isn't that bad. Father and Mother have also examined him. Please don't be angry anymore."
With a shake of her arm, Duan Yutang's anger subsided considerably, but she still relentlessly retorted, "Hmph, do you really think Father and Mother have good taste?"
Then, Duan Yuxia thought of the lawsuit that her family was going through and couldn't really say that she had good judgment. But then she suddenly thought of someone, "My second sister-in-law agrees with me. She has good judgment."
When Feng Ran first married into the family, everyone said that her life was ruined. But now, Feng Ran is living a more comfortable life than anyone else. Her husband is devoted to her, and her mother-in-law doesn't interfere in their private affairs. Which woman wouldn't envy her now?
Duan Yutang's throat tightened, and she said hesitantly, "That was an arranged marriage, not her own choice." She paused, then asked in confusion, "Why are you all calling her 'Second Sister-in-law' so affectionately lately? Didn't she forbid it before?"
Although she didn't witness the kick Xu Yiniang gave her when they first met, she still remembered Duan Jingchuan's blatant warning to call her the Crown Prince's Consort. After that, she basically didn't speak to Feng Ran, fearing that she might get kicked or be taught a lesson by her doting second brother.
Duan Yuxia smiled knowingly, “That’s the brilliance of our second sister-in-law. At first, she won over our second brother’s heart, and after she gained a foothold, she held him firmly in her grasp. Neither Father nor Mother could do anything about her. Now that our second sister-in-law has accepted our second brother, she naturally accepts this title as well.”
Duan Yutang nodded. That's right, Feng Ran is indeed cunning. It seems she needs to learn a thing or two so she can better control her husband in the future.
Seeing that Duan Yutang's mood had softened, Duan Yuxia immediately seized the opportunity to press her advantage, "Sister, Second Sister-in-law is a really good person. She is the Crown Prince's Consort and will be the future Lady of the Marquis. In the future, if you encounter any difficulties, who else can you turn to but her?"
Duan Yutang understood perfectly well. At first, she never thought that Duan Jingchuan could recover. Over the years, there were countless rumors that the girl in Jinghua Courtyard was dying and wouldn't eat or drink anything. As a daughter born out of wedlock, how could she not know how to avoid danger and seek advantage? The mistress of the inner quarters, Lady Hou, disliked this son and favored her eldest son born out of wedlock, so naturally they would follow suit.
When Feng Ran married into the family, she admitted that she had caused trouble. Now it seems that she was wrong, but she does not regret it. Her mother is still in charge of the Marquis's mansion, so Feng Ran is not a threat. In the future, she will also get married and her life will be up to fate. However, she hopes that her mother will choose a decent family for her, considering how well-behaved and sensible she has been over the years, and please do not choose a sweet-faced but bitter-hearted person.
A few days ago, when her mother wanted to marry Duan Yuxia to her nephew, she knew that her mother might not let her marriage go easily. That young master of the Qin family was an uneducated and good-for-nothing who frequented brothels. How could he be a good match? So when Qin Lianhua plotted against Duan Yuze, she gave her a push. It was also out of consideration for her younger sister Yuxia. There was nothing more she could do.
But now her mother has not yet settled her marriage. Although she looks indifferent, she is actually very anxious. Could it be that her mother has found out?
The door was flung open with a bang. "Duan Yutang! How dare you set me up!"
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