deltrittennovels Chapter 532: I Will Not Be the Cast-Off Wife in a Play
Chapter 532: I Will Not Be the Cast-Off Wife in a Play
Tong Zhaodi and Tong Zhijie entered Wu Ji, their eyes wandering around.
Although the shop wasn’t as spacious and stocked as their aunt’s Jufu Supermarket, nor as bustling with customers, it was nevertheless a shop in the county town.
Tong Zhaodi had started planning; once she married Wu Musheng, this shop would be hers. Then, whether she wanted to run a business or just collect rent, it would be her decision.
"Why is the shop empty?" Tong Zhijie asked.
The neighboring shops had people coming in and out from time to time, but Wu Ji had no customers at all, which puzzled Tong Zhijie.
Wu Na forced a smile and said, "It’s late; the customers have all gone home."
She hurriedly dealt with Tong Zhaodi and Tong Zhijie, pointing to the three rooms in the backyard and said, "My parents are there; you go there first, I have something to do."
Tong Zhaodi said, "Alright, you go ahead. I’ll take the mountain goods we brought from home and give them to Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu."
Tong Zhaodi straightened her back, determined to win over Wu Ren and his wife. Once they agreed, she could marry Wu Musheng.
Wu Na quickly ran to the warehouse.
Gu Ruinian heard the commotion from Wu Na, looked up with expectation at Wu Na.
Wu Na said, "I’ve sent the message to the Zheng Family."
Gu Ruinian raised his head, held Wu Na’s hand, and said, "Don’t worry, I won’t let you down."
Wu Na lowered her head with a cold smile, then quickly raised it and said coyly, "I won’t mind you either. Once you’re back on your feet, I’ll talk to my dad about our engagement."
She was persuaded by Gu Ruinian to help him send a message to the Zheng Family.
But when she reached the doorstep of the Zheng Family, she sobered up, realizing that if Gu Ruinian rose through the ranks using the influence of the Zheng’s second son, he wouldn’t value her, a village chief’s daughter.
To make sure Gu Ruinian willingly married her, she had to keep him tightly within the grasp of the Wu Family.
So she unhesitatingly tore the note written by Gu Ruinian and threw it into the river, pretending nothing happened as she returned from a brief stroll outside.
It’s still uncertain who would ultimately hold whom.
Gu Ruinian said, "Let’s not rush things; we should take it slowly. If you talk to Uncle Wu while he’s angry, he surely won’t agree. Let me find a way to improve Wu Ji’s business; once he’s happy, he’ll give his consent."
His experiences at the Zheng Family had frightened Gu Ruinian, fearing that Wu Ren might break his other leg if he found out about his flirtations with Wu Na.
Wu Na was very useful to him, and he was determined to marry her, but he needed the Wu Family to willingly marry Wu Na to him.
Upon hearing Gu Ruinian sidestep their engagement, Wu Na thought, Gu Ruinian indeed wants to use her.
Fortunately, she wasn’t so naive as to be taken advantage of by him.
Wu Na had already decided that once she married Gu Ruinian, she’d distance herself from Mr. Gu Youtian and his family, rent out Wu Ji, and let Gu Ruinian focus on his studies. She desired to become a scholar’s wife, a scholar’s wife, and she hadn’t thought further than that. As long as Rui Nian could become a scholar, she’d be satisfied.
She wasn’t planning to let Rui Nian take the capital examinations.
She refused to become the neglected wife sung about in those operas, where a poor young man leaves his loyal wife after becoming the Champion Scholar.
She intended to keep Gu Ruinian firmly under her control.
Gu Ruinian looked at Wu Na’s face, reddish from the cold, and felt a wave of irritation, closing his eyes and saying, "Wu Na, I’m a bit sleepy."
Hopefully, the second son of the Zheng Family received his message and could threaten the Xu Family to leave him alone.
"Alright then, you rest. From now on, if you want to send any messages, leave it to me." Wu Na nodded, kindly tucking in his covers, and then left with a smile.
Backyard of the Wu Family.
Tong Zhaodi and Tong Zhijie entered unannounced, causing Wu Ren and Mrs. Qiao to have unpleasant expressions.
In their hearts, Tong Pandi had embarrassed them, and Tong Huaqiong had stolen business from Wu Ji; anyone with the surname Tong was considered no good, and Tong Fusheng’s family was no exception.
Wu Musheng showed no friendliness toward Tong Zhijie, but he welcomed Tong Zhaodi with a smile.
Wu Musheng wasn’t over Tong Pandi; previously, Tong Pandi didn’t care for anyone in the Tong Family except Tong Zhaodi. Maybe the former sister-in-law could help bring Tong Pandi back to the Wu Family.
"What brings you to my home?" Mrs. Qiao asked.
Tong Zhaodi said, "Tong Pandi has tarnished Brother Musheng and Wu Na’s reputations. My parents were so angry they fell ill, and they sent my brother and me here to seek your forgiveness."
Mrs. Qiao said indifferently, "No need for forgiveness. Our Wu Family can’t afford the girls from your Tong Family."
Tong Zhaodi’s heart skipped a beat. She smiled and said, "Aunt Wu, Tong Pandi is no longer considered a daughter of the Tong Family. She can neither bear sons nor honor her in-laws. Our Tong Family disowns a daughter like her."
Then, trying to please, she added, "Aunt Wu, despite everything, I was once sisters with Tong Pandi. She has hurt you, and I am here to make amends for them. Beat me, scold me—I’ll accept it without complaint. All I ask is to maintain the kinship between our families."
Mrs. Qiao said, "I heard your family has arranged a betrothal for you, to be a second wife in the prefecture city?"
Tong Zhaodi’s face turned red, uncertain how to respond. Mrs. Qiao, however, softened her tone, saying, "Your father is quite capable. When you’re married, we’ll engage as relatives."
Tong Zhijie wanted to say something, but Tong Pandi quickly interjected, "Aunt Wu, as you say, I have always esteemed both you and Uncle Wu as elders. My father’s old schoolmate arranged this match for me. His friend is a scholar who can speak for us in front of Magistrate Yao."
She realized Mrs. Qiao had misunderstood her engagement.
Her father indeed arranged for her to be a concubine for a scholar using connections with an old classmate. As a scholar, her father cared about appearances and found "concubine" unpleasant, so he vaguely referred to it as a second wife.
The Wu Family saw potential benefits in this match, so they hadn’t chased her away.
However, the Wu Family didn’t know that the scholar had rejected her because of her divorced sister.
Common farmers didn’t catch her interest. If she waited too long, she’d become an old maid. Therefore, Tong Fusheng and Mrs. Wang decided it was better to marry her off to Wu Musheng.
Tong Zhaodi was adept at reading the room. Realizing that Mrs. Qiao would resist anything related to the Tong family girls, she kept her purpose hidden, planning to find an opportunity to make it a fait accompli with Wu Musheng.
But first, she needed to keep Mrs. Qiao and Wu Ren hanging, as Mrs. Wang had advised, allowing them to remain under the impression that she was betrothed to a scholar in the prefecture city. Once she and Wu Musheng were a done deal, she could use it as leverage to ask for more benefits from the Wu Family.
Mrs. Qiao’s demeanor softened further upon hearing about Tong Zhaodi’s arranged marriage, although she inwardly despised Tong Fusheng for marrying his daughter off to an older man for benefits.
But that was not the Wu Family’s concern. As long as they could gain from it, it was enough.
Tong Zhaodi noticed Mrs. Qiao’s demeanor was less harsh than before, so she praised Wu Ren and Mrs. Qiao, then presented them with the wild game her family brought before rolling up her sleeves to start working.
Cleaning the courtyard, washing clothes, washing vegetables... Tong Zhaodi was diligent, which Mrs. Qiao noticed, and her anger eased somewhat.