Chapter 377 Deception
The fish in Chen Fenghe's bamboo basket must have been deliberately shown to her to lure her into catching fish. It was obvious that he wanted her to fall into the water and drown!
She always treated her as her sister, but she was so cruel!
"Chen...Chen Fenghe, you...just walk...and watch, I will definitely...never...let you go!" Chen Meixin said fiercely in a low voice, shaking each word.
Yang Cuicui didn't hear clearly and asked, "Mei Xin, what did you just say?"
Shen Meixin gave Yang Cuicui a somewhat cold look.
She was soaked all over, but only the sleeves and the hem of Yang Cuicui's skirt were slightly wet. It was obvious that when she fell into the water just now, her mother didn't even jump in to save her. It was obvious that she was planning to watch her drown!
However, despite being heartbroken, Chen Meixin quickly concealed the past and said, "No...it's okay. Mom, I'm so cold, and it's getting late. Let's go down the mountain..."
Yang Cuicui was still a little hesitant: "But... Mom really saw a big fish in this river. It would be a shame not to catch it, and I'd be scolded when I get back..."
Chen Meixin smiled and said coldly, "So what mother means is... that she wants me to go down to the river to catch fish again?"
Yang Cuicui was about to nod when she suddenly noticed Chen Meixin's cold expression. She quickly smiled and said, "Meixin, you're being overly suspicious. How could Mother think that? Never mind. It's getting late. As long as we know there are fish in the river, it won't be too late to get a fishing net tomorrow to catch them. The fish won't be able to escape anyway. Let's go back quickly. You're soaked all over. If you catch a cold, it will be even worse."
As she spoke, she was no longer afraid of getting wet as she had just been. She diligently helped Chen Meixin up, and the two of them walked down the mountain, one foot deep and one foot shallow.
After they had walked a few steps, a man suddenly jumped out from the bushes beside the path, scaring the two of them so much that they fell to the ground.
A burly man with an unshaven beard and patched clothes jumped out. He looked like a country bumpkin.
"No... don't kill me! You can do whatever you want!" Yang Cuicui screamed in fear.
The man glanced at the two men's faces and bodies with lustful eyes, and then said, "You can do anything? You can do it, but I don't know if your daughter can do it."
Chen Meixin quickly calmed down and realized that this person did not look like a robber. Moreover, if he was a robber, how would he know that they were mother and daughter?
She then mustered up her courage and said, "You... which one of you are in the village? We are all from the same village, why are you stopping us? If you dare to do anything to us, I... I will definitely report it to the village chief and let him take charge!"
The man originally thought of taking advantage of the situation and pretending to be a "bandit", doing his job well and living happily. However, he didn't expect that he would be recognized as a person from the same village at once, and would be reported to the village chief. He couldn't help but feel a little worried.
"I didn't expect that the young lady actually recognized me as someone from the same village? In that case, I won't scare you anymore. My name is Zhu Dazhuang, but I don't mean any harm!"
Although he said that he had no ill intentions, his eyes were still staring at Chen Meixin with lustful eyes.
Chen Meixin had always been raised as a noblewoman from an official family. All the men she met looked like well-dressed noblemen. While she had inevitably encountered all sorts of uncouth men during her exile, at least she had her husband and parents by her side. Now, the two women were blocked by this uncouth country man. She couldn't help but feel nauseous and wanted to vomit, but she had to hold it in. She asked, "If you have no ill intentions, then why are you following us?"
Zhu Dazhuang coughed twice and imitated the tone of those slicked-back young men in operas, saying, "I saw you two frail ladies going into the mountains. I was worried that you were new here and unfamiliar with the place. If you got lost in the mountains, your lives would be in danger. That's why I followed you here to protect you secretly."
After the news of Yang Cuicui going to the village chief's house in the middle of the night and knocking on the door to ask for something spread throughout the village, everyone naturally also heard that she was originally from a brothel.
Zhu Dazhuang felt a little itchy in his heart, and happened to see the mother and daughter carrying bamboo baskets into the mountains at noon, so he secretly followed them.
Chen Meixin: “…”
If she believed this, she would be very stupid.
Besides, what protection? Just now when she fell into the water and almost drowned, he didn't come out to save her, right?
However, even if I don’t believe it, I can’t expose it now, otherwise I will anger him and get into trouble.
"So that's how it is? Thank you, Brother Zhu, for protecting us. We are very grateful."
As he said this, he bowed politely towards Zhu Dazhuang.
Although Chen Meixin was not as bright and beautiful as Chen Fenghe, she was still quite pretty. Moreover, she was the noble lady and princess of the capital. Therefore, Zhu Dazhuang felt his bones soften when he heard her call him "Brother Zhu".
He was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks, and immediately took a step closer to Chen Meixin, saying in a trembling voice: "My dear sister, your calling me brother has made my bones soft. If you call me brother again, I will be willing to die immediately!"
As he said that, he opened his arms and wanted to hug Chen Meixin.
Chen Meixin suppressed her disgust and took a step back to avoid him. Then she said, "Brother Zhu, men and women shouldn't touch each other. Besides, I'm married. If someone sees me, how can I face people in the future?"
Zhu Dazhuang said anxiously, "How could anyone see this in this desolate wilderness? Even if someone did, if your man dares to hit you... I... I will protect you even at the risk of my life. If he wants to divorce you, I will marry you immediately!"
Chen Meixin thought for a moment and said, "Brother Zhu, the more you say this, the more I feel at a loss as to what to do. I...we need to go back quickly. What if my husband comes looking for us..."
As he spoke, his eyes glanced at Zhu Dazhuang intentionally or unintentionally, then quickly lowered their heads.
Yang Cuicui had seen this many times and was very familiar with it. Therefore, when she saw her daughter's behavior, she immediately understood that her daughter was intentionally or unintentionally seducing the man in front of her.
Zhu Dazhuang was instantly captivated by this glance and wanted to force her: "My dear sister, what do you say...in order for you to fulfill your brother's wish...?"
Just as Chen Meixin was about to speak, Yang Cuicui suddenly squeezed her hand, signaling her not to speak. She looked at Zhu Dazhuang with a smile, "Brother Zhu, I can see what you're thinking. But my daughter is married after all. You're blocking us like this in this desolate mountain wilderness. If my daughter just gives in to you, and you go back to the village and spread rumors, wouldn't her life be ruined?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Dazhuang immediately swore, "Aunt Yang... I, Zhu Dazhuang, can swear to heaven that I am absolutely not that kind of person! As long as my sister is willing to be with me, I will never tell anyone even if I die!"
As he spoke, he rushed towards Chen Meixin again.
Yang Cuicui raised her finger and poked his chest lightly, then glanced at him seductively and said with a half-smile, "What are you so anxious about?"
Although she was already middle-aged, her skills in alluring and charming that she had acquired in the world of romance were much more sophisticated than Chen Meixin's. Therefore, Zhu Dazhuang stared at her with his eyes wide open.
Yang Cuicui then continued, "What I just said is only the first point. The second point is that my daughter was once the daughter of the Prime Minister and married to a prince as a concubine. Even though she is now convicted and exiled, she is not someone who can be easily obtained by anyone. Let me put it bluntly, even if my daughter is now living in a brothel, she is still as famous as a top courtesan. Many princes and nobles would have to spend a fortune to get her! You just want to take advantage of my daughter for nothing with empty words. Where in the world can such a good thing happen? Today, my daughter and I are alone and you have blocked us here. If you want to take her away, we will definitely not be able to resist. However, if that happens, you can only succeed this time at most, and you will never be able to succeed again in the future!"
The implication is clear.
Zhu Dazhuang had originally followed secretly, but in fact he just wanted to use force to have some fun.
Now Yang Cuicui is hinting that there will be a next time. How can he resist this temptation?
"Yang Da... Sister Yang, then tell me, what can I do to catch your eye and win your heart? Even if it's the moon in the sky, I'll find a way to get it down and present it to you!"
Yang Cuicui didn't expect that this countryman, who looked so vulgar, could actually speak a lot of sweet words. She couldn't help but glare at him and said:
"What sister? You're becoming more and more disrespectful, even messing up the order of generations! Well, my daughter has a miserable life. She originally thought that if she married a prince, even if she couldn't become the queen in the future, she would still be the princess, and she would have a life of wealth and prosperity without worries. Who would have thought that the son-in-law was useless, committed a serious crime, and was demoted to a commoner and exiled. If he was a caring and understanding man, I wouldn't have said anything if my daughter lived in poverty with him. But who would have thought that he was worse than an ordinary man, and would beat my daughter all over the face at the slightest dissatisfaction. Look at the swelling on my daughter's face, it was caused by his slaps, and her arms are covered with marks from whips and sticks."
As Yang Cuicui spoke, she did not forget to roll up Chen Meixin's sleeve to show Zhu Dazhuang the wound on her arm.
When Zhu Dazhuang saw the arm that looked like a jade onion, his heart melted.
Yang Cuicui immediately put her sleeves back on and sighed, "If my son-in-law hadn't been such a jerk, I would never have asked my daughter, a married woman, to have another man. Seeing how much you care about my daughter today, I'm thinking about her safety for the rest of her life. So, if you're someone who understands my feelings, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to hand my daughter over to you."
Zhu Dazhuang nodded desperately, almost kneeling down. "Oh, sister... No, I dare to call you godmother first! As long as you agree to give your sister to me, I swear, I will definitely be the most considerate! Godmother, whatever you tell me to do, I will do it!"
Yang Cuicui glanced at Chen Meixin and then said calmly, "Who wouldn't swear and swear if they could talk? There must be some practical actions, so that my daughter can see. I'll test you with some small things first. You see, we mother and I have a miserable life. The man at home is unreliable, but he ordered us to go up the mountain to pick wild vegetables to eat. We searched for a long time and our backs ached, but we only got this much. When we go back, I'm afraid we won't be able to complete the task and will definitely get a beating! See if you have any food at home. It would be best if you had some meat. I feel sorry for my daughter..."
Zhu Dazhuang thought she was going to ask for money, but when he heard it was just a food order, which was so cheap, he immediately laughed and said, "So it's just a food order? That's easy. My father went into the mountains early this morning and shot a wild pheasant. He said he wants to make soup for dinner. I'll secretly bring it back to you to report it."
Upon hearing this, Yang Cuicui's eyes lit up and her mouth watered. She smiled and said, "Wild pheasant? Even if it's ordinary, it's better than nothing. Then go and get it quietly, but don't let anyone see it."
Of course Zhu Dazhuang would agree, but after agreeing, he didn't take any action. He just looked at Chen Meixin with lustful eyes and said, "Godmother, I... I have shown my sincerity, can you... let me kiss my sister?"
Yang Cuicui spat and sneered, "I just said you were sensitive to others' feelings. You haven't even seen this pheasant yet, and you're already trying to take advantage of it?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Dazhuang quickly said, "Godmother, I was just saying something, why are you still angry? Can't I just go back and get the pheasant right away?"
Having said that, he glanced at Chen Meixin again, then turned around and hurried down the mountain.
After he walked away, Shen Meixin suddenly shook off Yang Cuicui's hand and cried, "Mother, what you said just now was all nonsense! I... I am a prince's consort, how can I be treated like this by a vulgar countryman!"
Yang Cuicui: “…”
You didn't act like this when you were flirting with her eyes just now. If it weren't for that look, she, as a mother, wouldn't have said those words, right?
However, Yang Cuicui naturally did not say these words.
It seems that from now on, her family's life will depend on this daughter. If she fights back like this, won't she make her daughter unhappy?
"Mei Xin, you've wronged me. How could I not know that a man like Zhu Dazhuang still covets my daughter? Isn't that like a toad dreaming of swan flesh? It's just a dream in broad daylight. Judging from my daughter's character and appearance, even if she really remarries in the future, the new son-in-law will definitely be a top-notch man, a handsome official, and there's no way it will be Zhu Dazhuang. What I said just now was to appease him, to trick him away so that we can escape? Otherwise, if he forces himself on us, wouldn't we let him take advantage of us in vain and ruin our reputation?"
Chen Meixin wiped her eyes with her sleeve and continued to complain, "Even so, why did you promise such nonsense? Is your daughter so cheap that she can be sold for the price of a wild pheasant?"
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