Jiang Yushu remained unblinking, but she saw her father's eyes shifting, as if he were guilty, as if he knew the truth. She always remembered that the original owner had hanged herself unjustly, and she always wanted to clear the poor girl's name and seek justice for herself.
Thinking of this, she made a quick decision, tears welling up in her eyes as she said sadly, "I know I should forget my cousin, but people are made of flesh and blood. How can we just forget? Back then, you were the one who decided to marry me to my cousin. We were supposed to marry into the Pei family in Jiangnan next year, but who knew she would end up marrying into the Guo family instead? How can I not be terrified and heartbroken?"
Jiang Shisen was at a loss. He stared at his eldest daughter's red eyes and warned her in a low voice, "It's done. You've already found your place. Don't mention Wen Feng anymore!"
"In fact, I don't have the face to see my cousin again." Jiang Yushu was very calm. She raised her handkerchief to cover her eyes, pretended to cry, and spoke with all her might, aggrieved:
"First, I've been wronged. Second, I've let my cousin down. Third, my father doesn't believe in his innocence! Fourth, because of my shattered reputation, I'm constantly despised and ridiculed. Oh my God, what's the point of living in this world? Even my father doubts me. I might as well die! Wuuwuwu..."
Jiang Shisen was extremely worried and asked angrily, "When did I ever doubt you?"
Jiang Yushu was shocked and immediately put down her sleeves. She opened her eyes wide, rubbing them with tears, and asked with bated breath, "So, it sounds like father believes his daughter?"
"Hmph." Jiang Shisen flicked his sleeves, put his left hand behind his back, twirled his beard with his right, and frowned as he replied, "If you're truly the kind of child who's so greedy for wealth and fame that you'll do anything to marry into a wealthy family, don't even think your father will care about your life or death!"
Jiang Yushu was puzzled and asked, "Since you believe I'm innocent, why are you forcing me to marry Mr. Guo?"
"Silly girl," Jiang Shisen patiently explained, "the scandal happened at the birthday banquet. You and Honglei were seen being intimate and indecent. Many guests saw you. Your reputation is ruined beyond repair. If not Honglei, who else can you marry? Besides Honglei, what other talented young man would be willing to marry you?"
Jiang Yushu answered without hesitation: "Can't I just stay single for the rest of my life?"
"Nonsense again! What parent in the world wouldn't find a husband for their daughter? If you never marry, shave your head and become a nun to save yourself from embarrassment!"
Men and women shouldn't touch each other, but if they cross the line, the consequences are so serious? Jiang Yushu was stunned, completely unable to understand. She suppressed her anxiety and asked earnestly, "The key is that I was framed. Don't you care who cruelly framed your daughter?"
Jiang Shisen's face turned pale and he looked extremely unhappy. He angrily asked, "Don't tell me you want to cause unrest in my family and bring disgrace to everyone in it? Only then will you be satisfied?"
"I--"
"Enough!" Jiang Shisen raised his head and ordered without hesitation, "This matter has been exposed and must not be mentioned again! Although the Guo family has fallen on hard times, Honglei is still young and may be able to revive the family business in the future. Live your life with him wholeheartedly. Just pretend that you were never betrothed to Wenfeng."
——Guo Honglei couldn't bear to listen anymore, turned around and left quietly.
The martial artist walked lightly, holding the tea tray with both hands, his knuckles turned white, and he almost crushed the red lacquered wood.
I came here excitedly, but now I feel like I'm falling into an icy cave.
Childhood sweethearts? Mutual affection? Death to prove one's resolve?
Guo Honglei had inquired carefully about Pei Wenfeng, who was engaged to his wife, and learned that he was the nephew of his father-in-law's first wife, a native of Jiangnan. He was said to be an elegant scholar who had studied in the capital for several years and returned home two years ago to review his studies for the provincial examination.
If nothing unexpected happened, he should have married the second girl Yushan, but unexpectedly, by mistake, he ended up marrying Jiang Yushu.
Fate plays tricks on us.
Guo Honglei strode with his head held high. After walking a distance, he stopped and rested for a while, then chose another path to enter the garden.
The Jiangs and their daughters were still talking:
"Yushu, you must know what is good and what is bad, and know how to cherish your blessings."
Jiang Shisen earnestly and earnestly said, "Don't forget, after the incident that day, in front of all our relatives and friends, I had to use family discipline to reprimand you in order to save my reputation. But after only a few blows, Honglei stepped forward and took the initiative to take responsibility, insisting that it was his own drunken disrespect that offended the beautiful woman, and he personally facilitated the marriage. His magnanimity is truly rare, and he is more than a match for you."
At this point, Jiang Yushu suddenly realized: her father took the overall situation into consideration and was determined to maintain the family's reputation. He pretended to be deaf and dumb, and sacrificed his eldest daughter to save the others in order to avoid more trouble.
She sighed inwardly, feeling indignant and deeply sympathetic to the original owner. However, with exile imminent and other priorities imminent, she had no time to dwell on the past.
"Don't cry, it won't look good in front of others." Jiang Shisen felt sorry for his eldest daughter because she was well-behaved and filial since she was young.
Jiang Yushu took a deep breath, forced herself to cheer up, and choked up, "My daughter deserves to die for making her father so worried. Don't worry, I will live a good life with Mr. Guo from now on! It's just..."
"Just what? You can just say it."
Jiang Yushu's face was filled with worry, and she tugged at her handkerchief with her ten fingers. She said carefully, "You know, the property of the Marquis of Jingyang's mansion was confiscated by the court. Now my daughter only has a few pieces of jewelry left, and I don't know how to convert them into silver. Exiled for three thousand miles, through mountains and rivers, it's inevitable that we will encounter danger along the way—"
"Alright, no need to say more. Father understands. I've brought it." Jiang Shisen waved his hand hoarsely, his heart suddenly filled with grief. He took out the silver notes he had prepared and handed them to his terrified daughter, whispering, "Keep these for yourself and take them with you to Xicang. Tomorrow morning I'll give you some silver and copper coins in public, and you'll hand them over to your mother-in-law in person. It's up to her whether she accepts them or not."
Jiang Yushu was stunned and flipped through the banknotes in confusion: one hundred taels, three hundred and fifty taels, three hundred taels... After a rough calculation, the total was more than a thousand taels.
What kind of father is he?
"Ah, have you remembered it?" Jiang Shisen was so disappointed that he said, "From now on, be more careful, otherwise you will suffer!"
Jiang Yushu came back to her senses, a mixture of emotions, her eyes inexplicably warmed, and she replied softly, "My daughter, remember this: keep these for yourself, and give them to mother-in-law tomorrow."
"Well. Filial piety is the most important virtue, and it cannot be violated. No matter what your mother-in-law's temperament is, as a daughter-in-law, you should respect and be filial to her, which is the proper way."
Jiang Yushu hesitated to speak, and said with restraint: "...Yes, you have a point."
At this time, Guo Honglei, who had taken a detour from the other end of the garden, arrived and called out from afar, "Father-in-law!"
"Honglei is here. Hurry up and wipe your tears. Don't cry all day long and make him annoyed."
Jiang Yushu, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, put away the banknote and obediently wiped her eyes. She finally understood that her father attached great importance to rules and reputation, so she quickly walked over to her husband and graciously took the tea tray to prevent the old man from nagging.
"Father-in-law." Guo Honglei bowed and glanced at his wife, who lowered her head and looked submissive. He mistakenly thought that she was reluctant to face him. He couldn't help but feel sad and asked in a low voice, "Why are you crying again?"
Again? Did he really get annoyed? Jiang Yushu avoided the main point and answered casually, "I feel sad thinking about being separated from my father tomorrow morning."
"Miss, you have suffered a great injustice by marrying me," said Guo Honglei.
Jiang Yushu stopped and hurriedly explained, "Don't get me wrong, I've never blamed you for anything! We're all implicated, so just consider it bad luck."
Guo Honglei sighed, "Don't say this in front of Mother, lest she think you're blaming Big Brother."
"Yushu is innocent and outspoken, which is indeed a bad thing." Jiang Shisen shook his head.
Jiang Yushu continued to be virtuous, "My daughter knows her mistakes and will change in the future."
A moment later, the three of them walked into the pavilion in the garden.
"Father-in-law, please have some tea."
Jiang Shisen took a sip of tea and said, "You guys sit down too."
The young couple faced each other. Jiang Yushu, full of expectation, asked impatiently, "Have you reported the Marquis's death? Have you heard back?"
Jiang Shisen replied solemnly, "I have reported it to the higher authorities. However, there has been no response yet."
Guo Honglei was unsurprised and said calmly, "Thank you for your concern. This matter is already difficult, after all, the accomplices have been sentenced to death by lingchi and beheading. Your Majesty has already shown extra mercy by exiling the Guo family."
"It's hard to predict the outcome until we get to the final step. Just be patient and wait." Jiang Shisen admired his son-in-law. To him, whether he was the eldest son-in-law or the second son-in-law made no difference; they were still half-sons.
Jiang Yushu was inevitably disappointed, but she was resilient by nature and quickly pulled herself together. She said seriously, "Since this is the case, we can only take it one step at a time. Three thousand miles, with a limit of fifty miles a day, and a deadline of two months to reach Xicang. Fifty miles a day is something a young person can accomplish if they grit their teeth. The problem is that the elderly, the weak, women, and children won't be able to handle it. They'll definitely need help at first, but walking more will strengthen their bodies, and they'll get used to it in the latter part."
Guo Honglei nodded. "Yesterday I divided the family into groups of three, five, and seven. After we set off tomorrow morning, we will support each other as planned and try our best to reach Xicang alive."
Jiang Yushu nodded in agreement.
Father Jiang smiled with relief and said kindly, "It's good that you can cheer up and think about it. When you encounter difficulties, you might as well remember that 'God will give great responsibilities to those who are capable of them.' Suffer more hardships in your youth, and blessings will come later."
"I will follow my father-in-law's teachings and do my best to take care of Yushu and try not to let her suffer in vain." Guo Honglei stood up and bowed properly.
Jiang Shisen raised his hand to support him, patted his son-in-law on the shoulder, and his encouragement was evident in his words.
Jiang Yushu reminded him, "Didn't you write a letter to Mr. Lu last night? Remember to give it to your father and pass it on. Don't forget."
"Yes, I have it with me." Guo Honglei took out the letter. "Mr. Lu is my son-in-law's mentor. He is old and has been ill since the beginning of spring, so I can't say goodbye in person. I'd like to ask my father-in-law to send someone to deliver this letter."
Jiang Shisen took the letter and thought for a moment, "Lu Zhidong? This old gentleman is very famous, and his students are all over the world."
Guo Honglei couldn't help but smile bitterly, "I'm ashamed. Because of me, a criminal has emerged from my teacher's fold."
"You are so young, you shouldn't underestimate yourself." Looking at the sky, Jiang Shisen said hurriedly, "It is better to do it today than to wait for another day. I will go to visit Mr. Lu now!" As he spoke, he had already left the pavilion.
Jiang Yushu followed briskly, "Daughter will see you off."
Guo Honglei also followed.
Unexpectedly, when the three of them reached the second gate, they heard Wang's scolding from afar:
"roll!"
"My father and brother passed away, my mother's family is in trouble, and Huilan hasn't shown up yet. I just pretend that I never gave birth to a daughter in this life!"
A long-faced man in fine clothes blushed and argued, "Hui Lan is pregnant, you know that, and she has difficulty moving around, so how can she go back to her parents' home?"
Wang scolded him: "Hmph, Feng Han, I didn't expect you to be so powerful and cold-hearted. I said so many good things about you in front of the Marquis, otherwise, with the Feng family, you would never marry Huilan." She was furious. She snatched the gift box from the maid and threw it hard, and the cakes rolled all over the floor.
"Ouch! We can talk it out, please don't do anything." Feng Han, the son-in-law of the Guo family, held his head and dodged in embarrassment.
Wang's face turned pale as she sneered, "Over the past few years, I don't know how many benefits you've received from the Jingyang Marquis' Mansion, yet at this very moment, you're only offering sweet-scented osmanthus cake as a 'filial tribute' to your mother-in-law. Mr. Feng, you're so shameless!"
Jiang Yushu whispered, "That's my brother-in-law, right?"
Guo Honglei nodded, expressionless.
"My father-in-law and eldest brother-in-law passed away, and everyone in the mansion changed into plain clothes." Jiang Yushu looked at the man in fancy clothes with his eyes rolling around, and asked in confusion, "He came to pay his respects, and he's wearing royal blue clothes?"
Father Jiang glanced at him twice and then looked away with disdain.
"The world is fickle," Guo Honglei said flatly, "People like that are the best at flattering the powerful and bullying the weak."
"Mother!" Guo Honglei quickly approached, not even glancing at Feng Han, and advised, "Why get angry over someone like that? It's not worth it."
Wang turned her head away, feeling awkward. She forced a smile and said politely, "My dear, why don't you stay for a meal?"
Jiang Shisen also politely replied: "No, I'm in a hurry to do something."
"My father-in-law is running around for our family again." Guo Honglei told his mother.
Wang said gratefully, "Thanks to my in-laws for their generous support! Unlike some mean people who just watch the fire from the other side of the river."
Feng Han shrank his neck and took advantage of everyone's inattention to sneak away without looking back.
"I've only done my bit, nothing to worry about." Jiang Shisen nodded slightly, "Goodbye."
"Goodbye. Honglei, why don't you see your father-in-law off quickly?"
"yes."
After watching Father Jiang walk away, Wang waved and asked lovingly, "Yushu, come here, let me take a look at your throat. Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt much anymore. Thank you for your concern, mother."
"We're family, what's there to thank? Poor girl, I heard your mother died of illness when you were young. Ever since our family got into trouble, your stepmother has been completely indifferent. That's really too much. Don't be sad, my dear child. From now on, I will treat you like my own daughter!"
"Yeah." Jiang Yushu lowered her head and tried her best to keep a straight face, for fear that she would laugh out loud.
Nighttime Bedroom
Jiang Yushu lay on the bed, swinging her feet absentmindedly, staring at the banknotes in thought: Where should I hide it?
With a creak, the door was pushed open.
Now she understood that the only one who dared to enter the bedroom without permission was Guo Honglei.
"We're leaving at 3:30 AM tomorrow and have to walk 50 miles. Why don't you take a rest?" Guo Honglei took off his coat and wrung out his handkerchief to wipe his face.
Although they had only been together for a few days, Jiang Yushu inexplicably trusted him. She leaned over and shouted happily, "Hey, come here quickly, I have something good to show you!"
"What?" Guo Honglei paused, then slowly stepped into the inner room. He had been on night watch the previous two days, and tonight was the first time they had shared a bedroom.
On the bed, Jiang Yushu looked up, flicked the banknotes with her fingers, and said happily, "A total of 1,360 taels! My father gave it to me."
At the same time, Jiang Mansion
"try to find!"
"Search carefully for me!"
Jiang Shisen's step-wife, Xu, drank a sip of tea and said angrily, "This is outrageous! A thief broke into my room and more than a thousand taels of silver notes disappeared!"
There was a loud bang, and the door was pushed open impatiently. Jiang Shisen paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, saying calmly, "Why are you in such a hurry? No need to look for it, I took it and used it."
Xu was shocked and asked in astonishment, "It was you? What did you do with it? The money was for Yushan's coming-of-age ceremony."
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