Old Mrs. Chen then recounted how Matchmaker Zhao arranged the marriage for Fan Tong, how she accepted the betrothal gifts, and how she planned to frame Chen Qingqing.
Chen Zhancai's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and he became more energetic.
He started plotting something in his mind; the fifty taels of silver he had taken from home last time were almost all gone.
I'm broke and haven't been to Chunfeng Tower to see the beautiful girl in a long time; I miss her terribly.
Now that the family has received so much unexpected wealth, it's a good opportunity to squeeze out some of it and have some fun.
He not only wanted to visit brothels for entertainment, but also to treat his classmates who looked down on him to a big meal at the best restaurant in town.
Let them open their eyes and see for themselves; Chen Zhancai is the one worth befriending.
He wanted to take this opportunity to show off, otherwise he really couldn't stay at the academy any longer. Lately, he'd been ostracized by everyone there, even the teacher had some complaints about him...
Liu Fengjiao's worries vanished instantly, replaced by a heart full of joy. Two hundred and fifty taels of silver—that was real money!
Wang Qizhang said that if she wanted to end their improper relationship, she had to give him fifty taels of silver as hush money. Once she had this money, she wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.
That lustful bastard is a hypocrite, outwardly respectable but inwardly filthy and depraved. He humiliates her in every way and even enjoys... Now she bleeds every time she defecates...
That's great, I can finally get rid of him.
Chen Zhancai laughed and said, "Mother, you did a great job. As long as this succeeds, we'll have money."
Liu Fengjiao raised her eyebrows and looked happy. "This is really great news. You know, old ginger is spicier. That brat finally couldn't escape your grasp."
Grandma Chen was quite pleased with the praise, and shook her head with a smile, "Now that our family has money, Zhancai won't have to worry about his schooling anymore."
Chen Zhancai nodded vigorously, a sly smile on his face.
"Mother, you are truly a great hero to our family. To tell you the truth, it's practically a certainty that I'll pass the imperial examination next year and become a scholar."
"Really, this is great news!"
"Yes, it is indeed a good thing, but you don't know, if you really want to make sure it's foolproof, there are still a lot of things to do, and you have to take good care of things."
Chen Zhancai paused deliberately at this point, stealing a glance to observe Old Mrs. Chen's reaction. He saw her frown slightly, and quickly continued...
"Mother, we can't skimp on this money, otherwise all the hardships I've endured in my studies over the years will have been for nothing."
It hasn't been long since he took fifty taels of silver last time, and he seems to want more.
Old Mrs. Chen's heart tightened slightly. She didn't want to give it, but thinking that the conversation might not go smoothly, she decided to get their agreement first and then play dumb and not give it to them once the matter was settled.
Thinking of this, Old Mrs. Chen nodded.
"Third son, I understand what you mean. For the sake of your career, we must not skimp on the money that needs to be spent."
"Thank you, Mother, you're so kind." Chen Zhancai was so happy that he almost fainted when he saw her agree so readily. He then asked, "Mother, didn't you just say there was another piece of good news? Tell me quickly, what is it?"
"The good news is..." Old Mrs. Chen hesitated to speak, but seeing that Old Mr. Chen was looking at her, she quickly said, "Old man, you should tell us the good news."
Old Chen was speechless. He couldn't even tell the difference between what was important and what was urgent. He should just get to the point. Why go through all this trouble, making such a big detour? Didn't he get tired of it?
Hearing her tell him to speak, he cursed her inwardly even more, thinking, "That damned old woman really knows how to treat people badly."
He wouldn't say it himself, but if his third brother and his wife made trouble, he wouldn't be able to handle the consequences.
If good things don't turn out well, and joy turns to sorrow in the end, then it becomes a tragedy. Isn't this just idle gossip?
At this moment, Old Man Chen was somewhat gloating. Fortunately, he hadn't said a word since his son came back, so even if he was blamed, it wouldn't fall on him.
He shook his head and refused, saying, "Old woman, you've already told me the good news, you should handle the happy occasion!"
"You're really useless. I can't count on you for anything," Old Mrs. Chen said helplessly, forcing herself to speak. "Third son, Fengjiao, don't get agitated when I tell you this."
Chen Zhancai shook his head and laughed, "Mother, is there anything more exciting than money? Stop stammering and tell me!"
"Yes, the happy event you're talking about is that brat is about to marry Master Fan. If that's the case, as her aunt, I have to go and see her off, and I'll also take Ruolan to the Fan family for a good meal."
Upon hearing Chen Zhancai mention his daughter, Liu Fengjiao suddenly remembered that she hadn't seen her when she entered the room, and hurriedly looked around.
"Where's Ruolan? I can't see her. Where did she go?"
Grandma Chen gestured with her chin toward the door, "Still sleeping in the west room!"
"What time is it? She's still sleeping. I'll go wake her up."
"No, no, no, don't go and wake her yet." Old Mrs. Chen quickly pulled Liu Fengjiao back, "Let her sleep a little longer."
"Ruolan is too lazy; you all spoil her."
Liu Fengjiao chuckled and then asked, "Mother, you still haven't told me what the happy event is. Let me guess."
As he spoke, his eyes darted around, and he gave a mocking smile, "The good news is that that brat is going to marry Rich Man Fan!"
Old Mrs. Chen forced a smile, “There is indeed someone in our family who is going to marry Master Fan. No, it’s not that brat, it’s, it’s our Ruolan.”
"Ruolan?" Liu Fengjiao's mind went blank for a moment, and she looked at Old Madam Chen in astonishment. "Mother, say it again, who is going to marry Master Fan?"
"It's our Ruolan." Old Mrs. Chen muttered again.
Chen Zhancai's expression changed drastically. "Mother, what's going on? Didn't you just say that Rich Fan was going to marry Qing'er? How did it become Ruolan?"
"Yes, Mother, didn't you just say you used a sleeping potion to knock Qingya unconscious? Now that Fan Tong and she have consummated their marriage, why has he taken a fancy to our Ruolan? Tell me quickly!" Liu Fengjiao was so anxious that she was jumping up and down.
Knowing that she could no longer hide the truth, Old Mrs. Chen had no choice but to tell the truth.
Upon learning what had happened, Liu Fengjiao was stunned. Her eyes widened, and she screamed hysterically, "You two useless old hags! You're the ones who ruined my Ruolan! You have to pay back my Ruolan's innocence!"
Chen Zhancai was also furious. "What a mess you've made! If word gets out, how will I ever live in the world again? It's utterly shameful!"
Grandma Chen hadn't expected them to be so agitated, so she feigned a wronged expression.
"Zhancai, Fengjiao, calm down. Didn't I just say that this was purely an accident? If that brat hadn't interfered, our Ruolan wouldn't have gotten into this mess."
"Yes, your mother is right. This is not your mother's fault. No matter how you look at it, it's that brat who ruined Ruolan."
Seeing that things were getting out of control, Old Man Chen quickly chimed in, shifting all the blame onto Chen Qingqing...
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