Wang Xiuxiu stood in front of the all-knowing man, clutching the few thin sheets of paper tightly in her hand, her fingertips turning white from the force.
Her gaze was fixed on the words on the paper, as if she wanted to etch every single word into her heart.
After reading the contents, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and she felt as if half of the weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Upon seeing this, the know-it-all frowned, his eyes filled with doubt.
"Madam Wang, you must not be careless."
Know-It-All lowered his voice, his tone urgent, "That County Magistrate Liu and his son appear respectable on the surface, but in reality, they are beasts in human form. His first two daughters-in-law were said to have died of illness, but in fact... they committed suicide because they couldn't bear the humiliation. You must not be blinded by the immediate benefits!"
Wang Xiuxiu raised her head, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, but she did not reply.
Seeing this, the know-it-all assumed she still didn't understand the implications, so he added, "The Liu family, including Magistrate Liu, have a terrible reputation in the county, but no one dares to say it openly because of their power. If you marry into that family, I'm afraid..."
“I understand,” Wang Xiuxiu interrupted him, her tone calm but firm. “Thank you for the reminder, sir. However, I have another question. Have you found out why Magistrate Liu would set his sights on someone as unknown as me?”
Upon hearing this, the know-it-all revealed a meaningful smile.
He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, his tone carrying a hint of flattery: "Madam Wang, you are too modest! The Cheng family of Quanzhou is a family of royalty! To be invited by them to be an embroiderer and to gain the appreciation of Madam Cheng is not something an ordinary person can achieve. Although this County Magistrate Liu is an old scoundrel, he is also a power-hungry official. He has long wanted to get on the Cheng family's good side, but unfortunately, they don't think much of him. I don't know where he learned that you have some connections with the Cheng family, so he had some crooked ideas and wanted to use you to climb up to the Cheng family."
"As for your family..."
At this point, the know-it-all hesitated for a moment, as if he had some reservations.
Seeing this, Wang Xiuxiu said calmly, "Sir, there's no need to be shy. I wanted to know everything myself, and I will bear the consequences myself."
The know-it-all was relieved and lowered his voice, saying, "Since Madam Wang has said so, then I will tell you everything I know!"
“The Liu family has a rare century-old ginseng, which is said to have excellent medicinal effects. He promised that if the marriage goes through, he will give this ginseng to the Wang family to treat your brother’s illness. He also promised to help your brother in his studies.”
"In addition, his family promised to find a job for your brother in the government so that the whole family could have government rations in the future."
After hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu sneered inwardly.
It turns out that this marriage only brought suffering to her, while the entire Wang family benefited.
No wonder the entire Wang family is so eager to make this happen.
Seeing this, the all-knowing man couldn't help but feel a little sad.
He also has a little girl at home, who has been pampered by everyone since birth.
Therefore, they looked down on the Wang family, who treated their daughter so poorly.
Suppressing her anger, she asked again, "Do the Wang family know about the Liu family's dirty deeds?"
The know-it-all nodded: "You should know. A few days ago, a woman from the Cui family came to your door and told your stepmother about the Liu family's affairs, but..." He paused, his tone tinged with sarcasm, "...the Wang family doesn't seem to care about these things."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu's eyes grew even colder.
She took a deep breath and asked again, "How much is that old ginseng worth?"
The know-it-all snapped out of his daze, thought for a moment, and replied, "A century-old ginseng, the West Market pharmacy once asked for three hundred taels."
Wang Xiuxiu nodded, took out a silver note from her bosom, and handed it to Wan Shitong: "Thank you for informing me, sir. I have another matter that I need your help with. I will give you a reward after it is done."
The all-knowing man accepted the silver note, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he didn't ask any questions. He simply cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Don't worry, Madam Wang. I will do my best to help people who are paid to do good deeds."
The all-knowing man watched Wang Xiuxiu's departing figure and shook his head.
"The Wang family is truly blind. How could they treat such a capable young woman as a mere object to be bought and sold so casually?"
After leaving the teahouse, Wang Xiuxiu walked alone on the street, her mind filled with many thoughts.
She knew the Wang family was selfish and self-serving, but she never imagined they would push her into a fire pit for a mere three hundred taels of silver.
What's even more ridiculous is that they knew the Liu family's true colors, yet they still chose to sacrifice her.
Not long after returning home, Chen Chunhua took the initiative to propose marriage to Wang Xiuxiu.
She raved about the marriage to the skies, making it sound like the best thing ever.
If the matter hadn't been thoroughly investigated beforehand, even Wang Xiuxiu would have wavered upon hearing this.
Chen Chunhua's mouth was dry from talking, but seeing that Wang Xiuxiu still didn't seem interested, she nudged Wang Degui with her elbow.
Wang Degui, lost in thought, was suddenly called out like that. Seeing his wife and daughter staring at him, he could only try his best to maintain his dignity as the head of the family.
He tapped his pipe, exhaled "It's my parents' decision," and reassured Wang Xiuxiu that she was ready to marry.
Wang Xiuxiu felt nothing; after all, she had long since given up all expectations of her biological father.
The Liu family was eager to marry her off, so they set the date very soon.
Meanwhile, Wang Xiuxiu was also counting down the days on her fingers.
---
That day, Wang Xiuxiu, who was peacefully waiting to get married at home, suddenly brought back an exquisite box from somewhere.
The wooden box was exquisite and beautiful, with gold thread inlaid along the edges, and a faint, rich medicinal fragrance wafted from it.
She opened the box in front of everyone, revealing a ginseng with long, thin roots still covered in soil.
Chen Chunhua's eyes widened, and she was so excited that she could hardly speak: "This...this was sent by Magistrate Liu?"
She reached out her trembling hand, wanting to touch the ginseng, but afraid of damaging it, so she could only watch it longingly, her face full of ecstatic joy.
"Yes, yes, it must have been Magistrate Liu who sent it! Master! Our young master is saved! Saved!"
Chen Chunhua burst into tears of joy, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She was so excited she could hardly contain herself, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, as if afraid it was all just a dream.
Wang Degui also showed a rare smile and nodded repeatedly: "Good, good, that's really great!"
Despite the Wang family's great joy, Wang Xiuxiu remained unmoved.
Wang Xiuxiu watched their reactions with indifference, her heart unmoved.
She calmly took the ginseng and used it in medicine, then left the room.
This scene, which Wang Degui and his wife were so engrossed in their joy that they had no time to pay attention to it, was all seen by Hong Xiaodong.
Hong Xiaodong quietly tugged at Wang Chengwu's sleeve, "Chengwu, Chengwu! Look at Wang Xiuxiu, I always feel like she's not quite the same as before. Do you think she knows...?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Chengwu's expression changed. He quickly covered Hong Xiaodong's mouth and whispered, "Keep your voice down! If Xiuxiu finds out, where will we find our good time?"
Hong Xiaodong pursed his lips in annoyance and muttered to himself, "She probably doesn't know. This Magistrate Liu isn't a good person, and Wang Xiuxiu isn't stupid. If she knew, how could she still be so well-behaved?"
---
After taking ginseng, Wang Chengwen's condition gradually improved.
After a few days, he was able to sit up on the bed by himself for a while.
Chen Chunhua fussed over him by the bedside, but Wang Chengwen was always absent-minded, his gaze frequently drifting towards the door.
"Young man? Young man? Why don't you answer your mother?" Chen Chunhua patted his hand lightly, somewhat displeased.
Wang Chengwen snapped out of his daze and forced a smile: "Mother, what did you say?"
Chen Chunhua sighed and asked again, "Your mother is asking what you want to eat for lunch?"
Wang Chengwen shook his head: "I'm fine with anything I eat."
"Alright, I'll do as I see fit. Do you want to sit a little longer or lie down?" Seeing that he wasn't in a good mood, Chen Chunhua didn't press him further.
"I can sit up. After lying down all day, my bones feel so weak."
Chen Chunhua was worried that he would be uncomfortable, so she slightly padded the pillow before turning around and leaving.
Wang Chengwen sat on the bed, looking at the door that wasn't fully closed, feeling somewhat disappointed.
His sister hasn't come to see him in the last few days.
She was always by his side when he was seriously ill, so why doesn't she come now that he's better?
Wang Chengwen missed her a little, but since his sister wasn't coming, he couldn't very well ask his mother to call her.
Although he was somewhat oblivious to matters of the heart, he vaguely sensed that his sister did not like their mother.
He gazed at the figure that occasionally peeked through the crack in the door, silently hoping that his sister would push the door open and come in, just like before, to talk to him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com