Chapter 428 Drugging and Forcibly Taking Over
Upon hearing Li San Niang's words, Cui Lan and the woman exchanged a glance. The woman had no intention of saying anything more, but Cui Lan lowered her head and pondered for a few moments before raising her head to look at Li San Niang.
"I know the female doctor. She is a very famous female doctor in the neighborhood and even in Chang'an City."
I've heard many stories about female doctors before, and I believe in their character.
At this moment, Qiu Xiang took the tea tray that Nan Xing brought from outside, and brought two cups of water. She gave one cup to Cui Lan and the other to the woman, so that the two of them could have some hot water and feel a little more comfortable.
Then, Li San Niang and Qiu Xiang heard an unexpected story.
Cuilan's family lived in Yongpingfang. They had a general store and several acres of farmland outside the city.
They were considered an average family in Chang'an who could make a living. They weren't exactly well-off, but they weren't starving either. At least they were better off than families in the outer city.
The young man who carried Cuilan was her younger brother. When he was young, his father had sent him to school to learn a few words. He was quite clever and now he was managing a general store at home.
The peaceful and tranquil days turned sour when Cuilan reached the age where she was considered a suitable match for someone, and after taking a liking to Zhou Dalang, who also lived in the neighborhood.
Zhou Dalang was good-looking and of average appearance. Although he had two younger brothers who were not much different in age, the Zhou family owned two fairly large shops in the neighborhood.
The Zhou family could be considered a well-off family content with their modest wealth, which, in Cuilan's eyes, made them a good candidate for a husband.
With mutual affection, Zhou Dalang and Cuilan's relationship quickly blossomed. Following their parents' wishes and the matchmaker's words, the two families soon began the traditional wedding ceremony.
Although Cuilan's family wanted to find her a wealthy family, they weren't the kind of family that would sell their daughter for a dowry. Instead, to give Cuilan confidence, they planned to use half of their family's savings as her dowry.
Everything proceeded according to the traditional rites and customs. Cuilan was both happy to have such a good husband as Zhou Dalang and sad that she was about to get married and leave her parents and brothers to live with someone else.
It's sweet with a hint of salt.
In this, Zhou Dalang's silver tongue charmed Cuilan, making her beam with joy. She truly thought Zhou Dalang was incredibly wonderful.
At this point, Zhou Dalang began to sabotage the meeting between the two of them.
Cuilan naturally refused, saying, "Young Master Zhou, you mustn't do this."
We're not married yet; such frivolous behavior is inappropriate.
Cuilan was still thinking clearly, and she gently and shyly rejected Zhou Dalang's advances.
Seeing Zhou Dalang's dark face, Cuilan felt a little uneasy. She wanted to be reserved before the marriage, but she also didn't want Zhou Dalang to dislike her because of her reluctance.
So, she coaxed Zhou Dalang in a soft voice for a long time before he finally calmed down.
A month or so later, Zhou Dalang invited Cuilan out again, this time to a well-known restaurant.
"Zhou Lang, why come to such an expensive place? Let's just go to that restaurant and have a bowl of soup noodles."
"Lan Niang, in my heart you deserve the best. When I see you, I feel happy and want to give you the best of everything."
"After we get married, I'll take you to Junyoulai Restaurant; their banquets are the best."
Hearing these sweet words, Cuilan could not resist and could only happily lower her head, revealing her fair and tender neck.
Cuilan didn't see the lewd look in Zhou Dalang's eyes and the calculating look on his face as he stared at her. She was only happy in her heart that she had found such a generous and kind husband.
Everything was fine until Cuilan drank a cup of peach blossom wine, and soon she felt dizzy and lightheaded.
"Zhou Lang, I'm not a good drinker and my head is a bit sore. Could you take me home?"
But with the lamb to the slaughter right in front of them, how could a wolf in human skin let it go?
Zhou Dalang pulled Cuilan into his arms and whispered in her ear with a chuckle, "Lanniang, it's alright. There's a low couch here. I'll carry you there to rest."
Cuilan, who was already somewhat confused, instinctively wanted to resist upon hearing these words.
But Zhou Dalang wasn't about to give Cuilan a chance. After saying that, he picked up Cuilan and carried her into the private room. After passing the screen, there was a low couch standing there.
Cuilan was drugged; how could she possibly resist?
The drug was put into the peach blossom wine; it was made by the waiter who served the dishes, whom Zhou Dalang had bribed beforehand.
No matter how powerful Cuilan is, she is still just a woman. A woman's strength is naturally less than that of her husband, not to mention that she has been drugged.
Cuilan was unwilling to be treated like this before marriage, and tried to open her eyes to resist. But Zhou Dalang saw that Cuilan was still not going to comply, so he leaned down and whispered in her ear: "Cuilan, we have already passed the Naji, and we will soon become husband and wife."
"Just give in to me. I'm so fond of you, I can't bear it for even a day longer."
Upon hearing this, Cuilan's mind wavered, and her resistance lessened.
She was still unwilling, but when the medicine took effect, Cuilan wanted to refuse, but she was powerless to do so.
As time passed, Cuilan fell into a deep sleep.
After Cuilan fell into a deep sleep, Zhou Dalang naturally accomplished his goal.
More than an hour later, Cuilan woke up. Looking down at the bruises on her body and feeling the tearing pain in her lower body, she knew exactly what had happened.
Cuilan burst into tears in terror. She quickly dressed and tried to leave the private room, but before she even reached the door, Zhou Dalang blocked her way.
"Lan Niang, where are you going?"
I bought some ointment to put on you. Go back and sit down quickly so I can apply the ointment properly, otherwise you'll be in pain.
"You, Zhou Lang, how could you do this to me?"
We haven't even completed the six rites of marriage, we're not even married yet, and you... how can you treat me like this? What am I supposed to do?
Thinking of Cuilan, who had lost her virginity before marriage, she was now experiencing not only physical pain but also immense mental pressure, regret, remorse, and self-blame. All sorts of emotions flashed through Cuilan's mind.
Finally, Zhou Dalang naturally took Cuilan home.
When they got home, the woman asked Cuilan where Zhou Dalang had taken her that day and what they had done, just like she always did. Cuilan was so nervous that she didn't know how to answer.
Cuilan knew she should tell the woman about being violated, but for some reason, whether out of shame or fear, she brushed off the woman's questions and didn't tell her family.
Life went on like this, and Cuilan and Zhou Dalang's formal betrothal ceremony had reached the stage of marriage.
Cuilan's family thought things would go smoothly all the way to the final step, but unexpectedly, trouble arose when it came to the tax collection.
"This is clearly different from what was said before?"
How could my family possibly acknowledge this?
The matchmaker looked embarrassed as the woman angrily asked, holding the betrothal gift list. In her heart, the matchmaker was cursing, "The Zhou family is shameless. They didn't give us the storefront and ten taels of silver that were promised earlier."
"I'm so unlucky, this is going to ruin my reputation as a matchmaker!"
The matchmaker then remembered that she had taken the revised dowry list from the Zhou family yesterday, which only contained three taels of silver and some miscellaneous items. She immediately asked why it had been changed.
"How can I speak if you break your promise like this?"
How could they possibly agree to that?
But Zhou's mother replied with a smug look on her face: "Don't worry, Cuilan's family will definitely agree!"
How could Cuilan's family possibly agree to that?
The matchmaker had no choice but to smooth things over, saying a lot of nice things, only saying that the Zhou family had changed the betrothal gift list in this way, and that was how it was.
The matchmaker left after failing to reach an agreement on the first try, taking the gift list with her.
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