The Marquis Is Innocent

Xiao Qiao saw that Mrs. Xu was sincere. She did not refuse and thanked her. Xiao Qiao sat in the lower seat after cleansing her hands and ate without saying a word. After she had finished her meal and rinsed her mouth, Mrs. Xu asked her where Wei Shao had gone.

Xiao Qiao did not know where Wei Shao had gone so early in the morning. She didn’t ask, but if she did, he probably wouldn’t tell her.

When Mrs. Xu asked, she looked ashamed. She bowed and said, “My husband left early in the morning before dawn. I am to blame for being impolite and can not know where my husband went.”

She is blaming herself. But ‘do not know’ and ‘can not know’, although there was only an additional word when other people heard, the association is very different.

‘Can not know’ is implied she wasn’t not asking, but her husband did not cooperate, and did not let her know.

Mrs. Xu knows her grandson treats his new wife with contempt and does not live with her when they are in Xindu. As soon as she heard this, she frowned and scolded her grandson: “Grandmother saw that Zhong Lin was mistreating you. I had already spoken to him before when he came. Don’t worry. If he bullies you again in the future and makes you suffer, you can just look for me.”

Xiao Qiao shook her head: “I am not disappointed. My husband is not mistreating me. Before I got married, my family told me that the marriage benefited both families, so I hope to overcome the differences with sincerity. My husband is a cold-faced and warm-hearted person. I will hold on to my mind, and over time, we will get better.”

Mrs. Xu’s eyes flashed and fell on Xiao Qiao’s face. She examines her for a moment. A smile appeared on her face. “You are a sensible child. If you can think like this, I’m relieved.”

Old Zhong on the side interjected: “Old Madam, I was just about to say it to you. In the morning before the fifth hour, the master visited the north house. Old Madame has not yet woken up, so Old Madame is not aware of it. Master is out of town to inspect the defenses and will be back later today.”

Mrs. Xu nodded and had a few more words with Xiao Qiao. Before Xiao Qiao left, she hesitated. She bowed to Mrs. Xu and pleaded, “Grandmother, I have a matter that I can’t decide, and I want to ask grandmother’s advice.”

Mrs. Xu let her speak.

“Not long after entering the house, I learned that my mother-in-law intended my husband to take Zheng Shu as a concubine. I was very much supportive of it. Zheng Shu has always been close to my mother-in-law. If she becomes a member of my husband’s family, I will have an additional helper in the future. This is a good thing for the Wei family to start a new branch. But this morning, before my husband left, he told me to go to my mother-in-law and reject the matter for him. I am embarrassed. I wanted to persuade him to comply with my mother-in-law’s wishes and take Zheng Shu, but he wouldn’t listen to me. I don’t know how to explain to my mother-in-law without disappointing her, so I would like to seek your advice.”

Mrs. Xu frowned and whispered, “Why is she still obsessing over Zheng Shu?” She looked at Xiao Qiao, who was still bowing in front of her and not getting up. She said to the Old Zhong beside her, “Forget it. There is no need for her to go. You can go there and tell her to find an excellent family within a month. If she can’t find one, I’ll marry her niece for her.”

Old Zhong responded. Mrs. Xu’s voice softened, and she told Xiao Qiao to get up.

Xiao Qiao got up and thanked Mrs. Xu, who comforted her a few times, and Xiao Qiao retreated.

……

Wei Shao did not return until nightfall.

On the way to the west house, he remembered the words he had dropped before leaving the house in the morning.

He still remembered, once he said that, Xiao Qiao, who was lying on the pillow with her eyes in a daze, suddenly opened her eyes and turned pale.

Wei Shao’s heart felt a bit of anticipation. He rushed home. He crossed the threshold when he saw Xiao Qiao coming out of the inner room to welcome him.

These days the spring is getting denser. The peach stamens in the courtyard began to produce. She wore new spring clothes. Today she wore a light yellow spring shirt with green silk bundled into a bow behind her back. Her waist was only a grip. She was as fresh as a newly cut willow, emitting a lovely fresh scent.

Perhaps the clothes on her body fit, or it is an illusion. Wei Shao glanced and felt she seemed taller than when they first met last year, including the two masses in front of her chest ……

It seems to have bulged more than at the end of last year in Xindu.

“Husband, you’re back?”

Xiao Qiao’s footsteps were fast and light. She greeted him with an elegant smile.

Wei Shao retracted his gaze and gave a faint sound. As he changed his clothes, he felt the atmosphere was not right. When he looked at her again, he saw her standing at the door, ordering the servants to prepare the dinner. He was going to ask her if she had gone to the east house and passed on the message as he had ordered, when a servant woman came to the door, saying the madam of the east house had sent someone to invite the master to go over.

Wei Shao looked at Xiao Qiao. She turned her head to look at him. He pondered for a while and delayed the dinner. He turned and went out. He came to the east house, and once he entered, he saw Mrs. Zhu’s sullen face. Mrs. Zhu ignored him when he went to greet her.

“Why is Mother not happy?”

Wei Shao asked.

Mrs. Zhu looked at him and grunted: “My good son! I only asked you to take your cousin so that I could have company, and this is how your filial piety is to me? How dare you let the people from the north house come over and ruin my image! Even my son treats me like this. What’s the point of living?”

Only then did Wei Shao understand.

It turned out Qiao’s daughter had not come at all. She hugged his grandmother’s thighs and dumped the matter on her.

No wonder she has been smiling and in a good mood just now. She didn’t even mention it in front of his mother.

“Mother, please don’t be mistaken. I do not intend to disobey.” Wei Shao said.

“This is not disobedience? What is it you want to do? Do you want to force me to die?”

Wei Shao kneeled towards Mrs. Zhu and bowed. “Even if I were not filial, I would never dare to do that. I have another plan for my cousin, Chuyu.”

Mrs. Zhu was wiping her tears from her eyes when she heard Wei Shao say this. She was stunned and raised her eyes to look at him.

“Mother, please listen to me.” Wei Shao bowed again, “mother said you want me to marry Chuyu. It’s because you want to keep her by your side. I think Chuyu also wanted to do the same. This is easy, not necessarily for me to marry her. I can find a suitable man for Chuyu to enter the family. In this way, Chuyu will settle her life and be with Mother. What do you think?”

Mrs. Zhu was stunned.

Zheng Chuyu, who was hiding behind the screen, was startled. She never expected Wei Shao to come up with such a countermeasure. She was afraid Mrs. Zhu could not refuse to say yes. She couldn’t help but be anxious. Her body moved and touched the jade dangles. The rings and pendants made a crashing sound.

Wei Shao glanced behind the screen. Without making a sound, he only smiled at Mrs. Zhu, who was stammering and said: “Mother knows I have always treated Chuyu only as a sister, and have no slightest desire for her. If I took her as a concubine, it would be an indignity to her and would delay her life. That’s why I made this arrangement.”

“Zhong Lin, this …… I’m afraid this is not right ……”

Mrs. Zhu also heard the sound behind the screen and knew it was from Zheng Chuyu. She was alerted and intercepted: “What kind of good man is willing to enter the family? I can’t match Chuyu with anyone!”

“Mother is wrong. Nowadays, in the world, many people have lost their parents in the war. There are many fatherless sons in our army. All of them are strong and healthy. I will promote him in the future. I won’t make my cousin suffer.”

“Zhong Lin ……”

“I have decided. If Mother can’t let cousin get married, then recruit a son-in-law into our Wei family. Please think about it yourself and talk to me when you are ready. I have something to do, so I will leave now.”

Wei Shao looked stern. He bowed to the dumbfounded Mrs. Zhu and got up to leave.

As soon as Wei Shao left, Zheng Chuyu, who was behind the screen, ran out and fell into tears at Mrs. Zhu’s knees. “It seems that my fate with Aunt has ended in this life. In the future, Chuyu will always remember Aunt, and visit often.”

Mrs. Zhu was angry and heartbroken. She put her arm around Zheng Chuyu and said hatefully, “If you are not by my side, it’s fine if I have to deal with that blind old woman all day long. But now there is a new Qiao girl. How can I live my life? Don’t worry, Aunt will find another way to make Zhong Lin unable to refuse!”

“What other methods are there?”

Zheng Chuyu raised her face and sobbed.

“There is a way. It’s just that you will have to suffer ……”

Mrs. Zhu attached herself to Zheng Chuyu’s ear and whispered a few words. Zheng Chuyu’s face blushed, and she shook her head.

Mrs. Zhu embraced her and sighed. “Chuyu, I know this method is difficult for you. But now, this is the only way out. You heard what Zhong Lin said, and the North House has also sent word. If this doesn’t work out, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep you.”

Zheng Chuyu bit her lips and lowered her head for a long time. She gave a sound. Her voice was as thin as a fly: “Chuyu will listen to Aunt’s arrangement.”