Liu Fengjiao recovered from her shock, her eyes filled with disappointment, her voice trembling slightly, "Husband, what's going on? Is this the surprise you were talking about?"
"Yes, are you surprised? Unexpected?"
"Surprised my foot!"
A surge of anger, feeling utterly betrayed, welled up within Liu Fengjiao. She could no longer control her emotions and pointed her finger at Chen Zhancai.
"You heartless bastard! All these years, I've borne you children so you could pass the imperial examinations and serve you like royalty. I never imagined that you'd want to take a concubine as soon as you've achieved some success..."
"Shut up!" Chen Zhancai interrupted her sharply, his face darkening. "You were just full of joy and magnanimity, but now you're so petty. It's outrageous!"
I, Chen Zhancai, am now a scholar. What's wrong with me taking a second wife? Do you think you can stop me?
"Dare to say another word, and don't blame me for writing you a letter of divorce, expelling you from the Chen family, and making you regret it for the rest of your life."
Upon hearing this, Liu Fengjiao felt as if her heart was being torn apart. She really wanted to raise her hand and slap Chen Zhancai a few times, but reason ultimately prevailed over impulse.
She knew that Chen Zhancai was not the same as before. Although he was just a poor scholar, as long as he continued to study diligently, he would have a chance to pass the imperial examinations and become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examinations).
That's a respected official, and every capable man has three wives and four concubines. So what if she takes a concubine? What's there to be angry about?
With that thought in mind, she composed herself and forced a smile.
"My lord, please don't be angry. I was just too excited. I didn't mean to blame you."
Chen Zhancai snorted coldly, "I suppose you wouldn't dare to object. Alright, step aside, this scholar should ask the bride to get out of the sedan chair."
As he spoke, he smiled and stepped forward to lift the sedan curtain, saying, "My lady, please get out of the sedan."
The bride, with a red veil on her head, stepped out of the sedan chair with his help.
Liu Dashan, who was not far away, was already so angry that his veins were bulging and he was gritting his teeth, cursing Chen Zhancai in his heart.
This inhuman bastard is ugly but full of tricks. He's just getting cocky and trying to act tough. Where does he put his father-in-law's face? He's just making a fool of himself!
He wished he could call his three sons and rush up to beat Chen Zhancai to vent his anger.
But then I thought again, no, I mustn't act impulsively.
Arbitrarily beating a scholar is a serious crime. If you were handed over to the authorities, you'd be severely punished, if not killed.
She had to swallow this insult without uttering a single complaint. If she really angered Chen Zhancai, he would divorce her daughter and she could forget about benefiting from his kindness in the future.
Granny Liu was so angry with Chen Zhancai that she almost vomited blood. Seeing her old man standing there dumbfounded without any reaction, she was furious and beckoned to her three sons behind her.
"Come on, let's go beat this shameless bastard to death and avenge your sister."
Liu Bao, Liu Gen, and Liu Gou had long been unable to stand it any longer, so they rolled up their sleeves and were about to charge forward.
Liu Dashan glared at him and said, "You all better behave yourselves and don't cause any trouble."
"Father, that Chen Zhancai is a scoundrel! He even took a concubine. Isn't he just asking for a beating?" Liu Bao was furious.
Liu Gen was also furious. "Dad, they're practically shitting on our necks, and you can still stand it? In the past, not only would we not let them off easily, you would have already rushed up and beaten them up."
"That Chen Zhancai is such a hypocrite! He's got his cake and eats it too. Does he even have kidneys? I think we should go beat him up and see if he behaves." Liu Gou said, about to rush forward.
Liu Dashan pulled him back, saying, "You guys are really brainless. I've told you so many times, Chen Zhancai isn't the good-for-nothing he used to be. Now he's a scholar with status and prestige, not someone like us peasants can afford to offend. If we really piss him off, we'll all be in deep trouble."
Liu Bao was somewhat unconvinced. "Dad, are we just going to keep quiet and cower like turtles? You can tolerate that, but I can't swallow this humiliation."
"We have to swallow this anger, even if we can't. We need to prioritize the bigger picture." After saying that, Liu Dashan glanced at Granny Liu. "My dear wife, as the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. So that we can benefit from this in the future, you can't cause any trouble!"
"Wouldn't that be unfair to our daughter?"
"What are you saying? A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup. Why do you care about her? Besides, it's normal for capable men to have multiple wives and concubines. If our daughter can't even accept that, how will she live her life in the future?"
"You men are all the same," Granny Liu said with a displeased expression, stamping her foot angrily before falling silent.
At this moment, Old Mrs. Chen squeezed her way to the front of the crowd and was taken aback. Pointing at the bride with the red veil, she exclaimed, "Zhancai, what... what's going on?"
"Yes, son, whose family is getting married? Why are they bringing a bride to our doorstep?" Old Man Chen, who had caught up from behind, asked.
Chen Zhancai's face was full of pride. "Father, Mother, this is the daughter-in-law that your son has brought home for you!"
Upon hearing this, Old Man Chen was nearly speechless with shock. "Son, don't you know what our family's situation is? How come you've brought home another wife? Your parents can't take this kind of mess!"
"Father, what are you saying? Now I'm a scholar, my status is different from before. What's wrong with taking another wife? Besides, I don't need you to give me a single penny. Why are you making such a fuss!"
“It’s not my son, that’s not what I meant.”
Old Chen had just thought his son was unreliable, but when he heard that the family wouldn't have to spend any money, he breathed a sigh of relief, his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and he even changed his tone.
"Look at you, child. Why didn't you discuss such a big happy event with us beforehand so that we could be mentally prepared?"
Chen Zhancai shook his head and smiled, "I'm just taking this opportunity to give you a surprise!"
Grandma Chen was stunned for a while before finally recovering from her shock, a look of excitement and joy spreading across her face.
“Oh my good son, you are so capable! You have brought home another daughter-in-law for your mother. You have really made our Chen family proud. Let me see what my new daughter-in-law looks like.”
Just as Old Mrs. Chen's hand touched the red veil, it was suddenly grasped by the bride's hand, who said softly, "Mother, don't be in such a hurry. Your daughter-in-law is a little shy and isn't ready to meet her in-laws yet!"
"What's there to be embarrassed about? An ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws sooner or later. Come on, let your mother take a look."
The bride took a step back, dodging Old Mrs. Chen's hand, saying, "I'm afraid I might startle you out of the blue."
"This child is quite considerate. You're my daughter-in-law, how could you scare me like that!"
"Oh my goodness, Zhan Cai is right, you really are a reasonable person." The bride, who had just been speaking softly, suddenly switched to a loud voice...
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