Looking at Meng Ruyan, who was busy but not doing her job well, Fan Shi recalled Lin Shikang's words that Meng Ruyan did not have a contract of indenture in his hands.
"Ruyan, do you still have my son in your heart?" Madam Fan suddenly questioned.
"Of course!" Meng Ruyan blurted out almost without hesitation.
"Then write a contract of servitude for my son, and I'll believe you."
Fan's idea was simple: the housework needed to be done, and her son was in his prime. Only by obtaining Meng Ruyan's indenture could she completely control Meng Ruyan and ensure that she would stay with the Lin family to work and have children.
When Meng Ruyan went to Kyoto with Lin Shikang, she said she wanted to write one, but Lin Shikang said it wasn't necessary, saying he believed in their feelings for each other.
Back then, Lin Shikang had Princess Xilan behind him, but now Princess Xilan has fallen.
He had no money, no connections, and no future. He was worried that Meng Ruyan would run away, but he had said before that he didn't want a contract of servitude and that he believed in their feelings for each other, so he was too embarrassed to ask her for one again. But it was different when Fan Shi said those words.
Meng Ruyan was deeply moved that Lin Shikang was willing to stand up to his mother for her sake and didn't say anything like "My mother raised me with great difficulty."
Therefore, upon hearing Fan's words, she agreed without hesitation to write down the contract of servitude, voluntarily becoming Lin Shikang's concubine.
Lin Shikang pretended to hesitate for a moment, but eventually agreed.
“That’s more like it. What concubine doesn’t have a contract of servitude?” Fan said. “It won’t do if we have a concubine but no mistress. Our Lin family needs to expand its lineage as soon as possible. Ruyan, you’ve been in our Lin family for quite a while now, so why is your belly so unproductive?”
Hearing this, Meng Ruyan felt extremely bitter.
Lin Shikang knew the reason, of course, but there were some things he couldn't say, or he would lose face.
Madam Fan continued rambling, "I need to talk to the matchmaker and ask them to find a suitable daughter-in-law for our Lin family."
Meng Ruyan was very sad, but she knew she was just a concubine, and a concubine who couldn't bear children.
Lin Shikang felt that his mother's wish was likely to be in vain. Yang Cui had such a great influence, and given his reputation, it would be very difficult for him to find a suitable wife in his hometown to have children.
However, he wouldn't stop them. He also held onto a sliver of hope—what if, what if, a girl was willing to marry him? He was confident in his charm and looks.
At dusk, Madam Fan returned, grumbling and cursing.
"They actually said my Lin family has a bad reputation, that my son will have a hard time finding a wife, and that we need to prepare a dowry of fifty taels! Bah! Why don't they just rob us?"
"They're just taking advantage of our Lin family's wealth to ask for exorbitant prices! Bah! Shameless bastards!"
"Do you think I, Fan Yuhua, am some kind of country bumpkin? Fifty taels! Fifty taels is enough to buy ten virgins!"
Madam Fan sat at her doorstep and spat several times in the direction of the matchmaker's house.
Seeing Fan Shi like this, Meng Ruyan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the main wife probably wouldn't be coming in so soon.
"Mother, if that doesn't work, we can go to the slave trader and buy one. I'm afraid no one in the surrounding area will be willing to marry into this family." Lin Shikang's expression was not good.
Yang Cui's reputation is so great, and her feud with Lin Shi is well known. No one would risk offending Yang Cui by marrying their daughter to her unless they offered an exorbitant dowry, as the matchmaker suggested.
Upon hearing this, Madam Fan burst into tears, hating Yang Cui to the core, yet daring not to utter a single bad word.
Previously in Kyoto, because of Princess Xilan, Madam Fan couldn't keep urging Lin Shikang to marry another woman and have a son.
But now that the princess is gone, and Meng Ruyan, a concubine, is not fertile enough to help Lin Shikang find a wife and have a son, Fan Shi has become obsessed with this, wishing she could marry a wife immediately and start a family line.
The Fan family entered the city the next day.
With the Lunar New Year just a few days away, she bought some New Year's goods and also went to the dental clinic.
However, in the past two years, the weather has been favorable, and no dishonest families have sold their daughters.
The girls in the brokerage were either sold off by their employers for making mistakes, or they were not innocent. Some of them were even more alluring than Meng Ruyan, and Fan Shi didn't like them at first glance.
She's looking for someone with big hips who can bear sons, not too pretty, and preferably a virgin.
After looking around, I couldn't find anything suitable.
Mrs. Fan returned home dejectedly.
"Madam, don't worry, we'll take our time and find something suitable," Meng Ruyan comforted her gently.
"You're secretly pleased that you haven't found a suitable one?" Madam Fan questioned with a dark expression.
Meng Ruyan hurriedly waved her hand: "No, absolutely not! I also hope that Lin Lang will have many children and grandchildren."
"Hmph!" Madam Fan snorted coldly, "It's best if there isn't one!"
"Is Madam Fan home?" came the voice of Matchmaker Sun from outside.
"Matchmaker Sun, what brings you here?"
“Of course I’ve come with good news, hehehe.” Matchmaker Sun laughed, “The Ge family’s daughter from Gaoshanling is nineteen this year. She has a big bottom, which is good for childbearing. She’s still a virgin, and she’s good at both housework and other household chores. The bride price here doesn’t need to be fifty, just twenty-eight taels will do.”
"Still unmarried at nineteen? Is there something wrong with her?"
"Then you're mistaken. That girl was originally engaged, but her father passed away unexpectedly before the wedding, and she had to observe three years of mourning. The groom's family didn't want to wait, so they broke off the engagement. That's how the situation was delayed, and now she's single. Sister, you can rest assured that I'm the matchmaker."
"Twenty-eight taels is too expensive."
"Sister, I won't lie to you. They're asking for a lower price. Everyone around here makes money by marrying into De'an Township. Nobody wants to marry into Lin'an Village. Families from further away, once they hear it's your family, demand 38 or 58 taels of dowry. The Ge family girl is asking for less."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
