Chapter 90 The Eve of the Wedding
In the Wutong Garden, Aman sat by the bed.
The dim candlelight illuminated the corner of the bed, on which lay a veil that her grandmother had sewn herself.
She still remembered how her grandmother used to stroke her head and say earnestly, "Our Aman will marry someone who only has eyes for you in his heart, and you will be together for life."
At that time, she agreed to be Fu Yunxiu's concubine for Madam Fu, partly to give her grandmother a proper burial, and partly because she thought that he was not long for this world. Although she was only a concubine, she would be the only one in the Wutong Garden, which could be considered as a lifelong commitment to one person.
Later, she and the young master fell in love. She told the old woman countless times in her dreams that she had found the person she had been talking about, the one whose heart and eyes were full of her, and who was willing to spend his whole life with her.
But in the end, was it all just a dream, a joke?
A single tear rolled down her cheek, wetting a corner of her veil. In a daze, Aman seemed to feel her grandmother wiping away her tears. The old woman, who was usually stern, was unusually gentle today. "Good Aman, if you feel bitter, we won't stay here."
The next day, Aman did not go to set up his stall.
The flowers in the backyard, which had already been blooming sparsely since the beginning of autumn, looked even more withered after these past few days of wind and rain. Aman, finding it an eyesore, took a sickle and chopped them all down, even uprooting them.
Aunt Zhu's son, Tiedan, climbed up the low wall to pick pears. When he saw Aman doing this, he couldn't help but widen his eyes.
"Sister Aman, what are you doing?"
“These flowers had all faded, so I cut them down early to keep them as firewood for the winter,” Aman said.
"If you're cutting down flowers, why did you uproot them all? That will kill the flowers."
"Really?" Aman seemed unaware of this, glanced down at it, and then said, "So what if he's dead!"
Tie Dan sensed something was wrong, jumped down from the low wall, walked up to Aman, and cautiously asked, "Sister Aman, are you unhappy?"
He heard from his mother that Young Master Fu was going to marry someone else.
"What are you thinking about? What's bothering me?" Aman couldn't help but pinch his little cheek, then, as if suddenly remembering something, she smiled and said, "By the way, Tiedan, can you do me a favor?"
"What kind of help?"
"Help me deliver a letter to the Marquis's residence, to Brother Mantou."
"OK."
After Aman's letter was delivered to the Marquis's residence, Mantou felt like she had gotten a hot potato, passing it around in her hands several times, unsure whether she should give it to the young master.
The news of the young master's impending marriage is now the talk of the town, and Aman must already know. He can almost imagine what's written in that letter.
"What are you doing? I've seen you walk here eight hundred times already."
Fu Yunxiu's voice suddenly appeared in her ear. Mantou subconsciously hid the letter behind her back, but she couldn't escape Fu Yunxiu's eyes. "What are you hiding? Take it out."
“Young master…” Mantou looked troubled.
"Take it out." Fu Yunxiu said in a way that left no room for argument.
Mantou handed him the letter with trembling hands. The envelope was unsigned and unsealed. Fu Yunxiu pulled out the paper inside. The handwriting was familiar, and there were only a few words: "The sky is clear and the air is fresh. Aman wishes to return to her hometown with the young master to visit relatives."
This was a promise he once made to Aman, saying that when the weather was nice, he would take her back to her hometown to visit her grandmother and neighbors.
"She knows." Fu Yunxiu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.
“She’s forcing me to make a choice,” Fu Yunxiu said.
Or rather, she was forcing him to confront the problem, rather than run away from it.
Ah Man, you always know exactly how cowardly and weak I am.
The news of Fu Yunxiu going to Wutong Garden to find Aman spread throughout the entire Marquis's mansion in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
After all, Aman's letter had to go through several people before it finally reached Mantou.
For a time, everyone in the manor was talking about how Aman would cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide to keep the young master.
No matter what, Aman had taken care of the prince for three years. Without her, it's questionable whether the prince's leg would have healed. Now, the position of principal wife that belonged to Aman has fallen into someone else's hands. If it were her, she would risk her life to obtain the status of a secondary wife or a concubine, otherwise, how unjust it would be.
"Just wait and see, it'll probably be long before we have another concubine, Lin."
"That's what they deserve. Think about it yourself, if it were you, could you serve the young master for so long?"
After leaving the Marquis's residence, Fu Yunxiu went straight to Wutong Garden.
What would normally be a short distance took Fu Yunxiu a full incense stick's time to reach today.
The gate to Wutong Garden was not bolted and was wide open. Aman sat in the pavilion, and the blazing sunlight filtered through the treetops, forming small spots of light on her body, making her look as radiant as a star.
Fu Yunxiu stood in the courtyard, his feet seemingly rooted to the spot, staring blankly at her without taking a single step forward.
His reserved demeanor reminded Aman of their first meeting.
That day seemed to be a warm afternoon. Fu Yunxiu sat in his wheelchair, his eyes filled with indifference as he looked at her, while she stood awkwardly in the courtyard.
When I first arrived, I was struck by how stunningly beautiful that aloof face was, a true beauty. But now that the roles are reversed, and Fu Yunxiu is the one who was reserved, his face seems rather ordinary now.
“You’ve arrived,” Aman said slightly, “Young master, have you come to fulfill your promise and take me back to my hometown to visit my family?”
"Aman," Fu Yunxiu said, his lips trembling, almost using all his strength, "I'm getting married."
Hearing him admit it with his own ears didn't stir much emotion in Aman; instead, she found it amusing.
If she hadn't forced him, when did he plan to tell her the news, or was he planning to keep it from her for the rest of his life?
Aman quietly looked at Fu Yunxiu, scrutinizing his face, his heart, and his person.
She admitted that she was attracted to Fu Yunxiu at first sight, but the man who had once amazed her even when he was in a wheelchair was now nowhere to be seen.
"Congratulations!" Aman said with a smile. There was no reluctance, no hypocrisy; she spoke those two words calmly, as if she were speaking to a stranger.
There was no surprise, no anger, and certainly no hysteria. Aman's calm reaction made Fu Yunxiu uneasy.
He would rather Aman act like the servants were talking about, crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide, than have Aman treat him like that.
"Aman." Fu Yunxiu was so flustered that he didn't even care about gentlemanly etiquette. He jumped over the railing into the pavilion, rushed to Aman's side, took her hand, and pleaded, "Aman, don't say hurtful things."
“I didn’t say anything out of anger.” Aman looked at him calmly. That cold look, as if she were looking at a stranger, made Fu Yunxiu feel abandoned. He desperately wanted a promise to put his mind at ease.
"You don't want me anymore, do you? Ah Man, you said you would forgive me no matter what I do, you promised. My marriage to Miss Shen was not of my own free will, it was only to rescue Yun Ting," Fu Yunxiu explained in a panic, his words incoherent. "Ah Man, my relationship with her was fake. In my heart, you are my only wife. In a few years, after I divorce her, I will definitely marry you in a grand and glorious way."
Fu Yunxiu held Aman in his arms, every word a promise. But Aman only felt a chill in her heart.
From obstructing her from opening the shop, to that passionate night, to the relentless demands for promises afterward, was everything just preparation for today?
What she perceived as sweetness and dependence were merely shackles that imprisoned her freedom.
She would rather Fu Yunxiu hadn't explained so much; at least he would have left her with some dignity.
“Aman,” after all that explanation, Fu Yunxiu still wanted a promise, “You won’t leave me, right? You’ll understand me, right?”
He gripped Aman's arm tightly, his eyes filled with obsession, as if if Aman dared to say no, he would lock her up and prevent her from leaving his side for even a moment.
madman.
Aman thought to herself, but didn't show it on her face. She hugged Fu Yunxiu back, "What are you saying? I'm just a weak woman, where can I go if I leave here?"
"Aman." Feeling Aman's tenderness, Fu Yunxiu's heart finally settled down. He buried his face in Aman's neck, greedily inhaling her scent. It seemed that only in this way could his uneasy heart return to peace.
Aman sensed his dependence and, for the first time, did not respond.
She was certain that she didn't want this person anymore.
Fu Yunxiu was filled with joy at Aman's understanding and didn't notice anything amiss with her. He proceeded to recount incessantly what had happened in the capital a few days prior, as well as his plans with Shen Jiao, without missing a single word.
"Aman, my relationship with Shen Jiao was just an act; you are the only wife in my heart."
But Shen Jiao didn't think so. Ah Man thought to herself.
She could tell from Shen Jiao's harsh words that day that she had clearly been in love with him for a long time. She didn't know if Fu Yunxiu was genuinely unaware or pretending, but it obviously didn't matter anymore.
Words that were once full of affection now sound nauseating.
Fu Yunxiu ultimately failed to notice Aman's unusual behavior.
A servant from the Marquis's residence came to report that the clan leader needed to speak with him, and hurriedly summoned the servant away.
The clan chief and several elders came to discuss his succession to the family headship and title after the wedding.
Fu Yunxiu coldly observed the people below him. He remembered just a few days ago when they looked down on him, but now they were almost fawning over him, praising him to the skies. He couldn't help but marvel once again at the immense power of authority.
The once extremely difficult problem of a marriage alliance with the General's Mansion has now been easily solved.
The news that several clan elders had come to the Marquis's residence quickly reached Fu Ang's ears.
Compared to his previous outburst of anger, this time Fu Ang was very calm and even leisurely teased the birds.
"Is everything arranged?" he asked to confirm.
"It's all arranged. On our wedding night, we'll drink the nuptial wine together, and no one will know a thing."
"That's good." Fu Ang chuckled. "Go and keep an eye on things. Once it's done, there will be a generous reward."
*
On the eve of the wedding, the Marquis's mansion was brightly decorated and bustling with activity. Madam Liu was leading the servants in checking the details of the wedding, striving to ensure that nothing went wrong on the wedding day.
"Hang that lantern higher over there."
"It's veering off course, keep an eye on it."
Be careful not to break it.
A group of people were busy, but everyone was all smiles and beaming with joy.
Aman stood outside the wall, listening to the laughter and chatter inside the Marquis's mansion. She shook the bundle on her body, feeling a pang of melancholy.
The young master said that he was forced to marry Shen Jiao, and that he had his own reasons, which he asked Aman to understand.
Aman understands, but does not agree.
She could accept that he would never marry and be his only concubine, but she could not accept being his only wife after he got married.
She has her pride and her principles. Since she can't be with one person for life, she won't force it.
As for her promise to Fu Yunxiu that she wouldn't abandon him...
Young master, you've deceived me so much, so let me deceive you just once.
A carriage stopped at the alley entrance, and Aman boarded it, disappearing into the night without a moment's hesitation.
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