Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 115 - 114: Past Events at Chen Mansion

Hearing this, Chen Dabao also slid down from the bed, hugged Mrs. Wang and lisped, "Yes, yes, you all are Dabao’s favorites."

Mrs. Wang laughed. She felt that her daughter and grandson had been particularly affectionate and somewhat embarrassing to her recently. But she loved it.

In Chen Afu’s mind, Chen Ming was gentle, and especially obedient to Chen Ye, which could make some things difficult. It seemed that in the future, his businesses and that of Chen Ming’s should be kept separate. Not because he feared being coveted, but because he wanted to avoid "noises" that would add to his troubles.

She turned to Mrs. Wang again and said, "Mother, my father is kind and a bit soft. If he starts managing the family business in the future, you must remind him to care more about our home."

Mrs. Wang smiled and nodded, saying, "I know." Then added, "Your father is not a fool, he knows what he’s doing."

Chen Afu said, "Dad does know what he’s doing, but sometimes he cares too much about face."

Alu, from the side, said, "Sis, don’t worry. If dad worries too much about face, I’ll remind him."

While the people in the east room were talking, those in the west room hadn’t finished their discussion.

Chen Afu then took Dabao back to New Courtyard. Chen Ming had already promised not to let his wife and children be wronged again. Now it was up to his performance. Regardless of what rumors Chen Ye and his son had heard in the village, and what they thought, she hoped Chen Ming could protect his family.

...

The autumn night was serene, the stars filled the sky.

In Yiran Courtyard of Tang Garden, Chu Lingxuan sat by the bed adorned with Little Yanzi dolls, watching Chu Hanyan hug her large Yanzi doll into her dreams. He loved seeing his daughter in deep sleep, without any dullness or grievances, her features peaceful, and a faint smile would sometimes appear on her lips.

His lips curved into a smile too. He gently brushed his daughter’s small face with his hand before rising and heading to his study.

Manager Luo and his eldest son Luo Yuan, Junior Manager Luo, were still waiting for him.

Having heard the rumors of Xiangluo Village from Luo Yuan and some of what he had found out, Manager Luo was taken aback. He had been wondering why the newly arrived governor, Mr. Chen, seemed familiar, but he couldn’t recall when he’d seen him. It turned out... he had overlooked some things and hadn’t thought too deeply about it. He needed to report to his master right away.

When Chu Lingxuan heard all this, he was also shocked. He quickly said, "I’ve always known that Mr. Chen was from Hu’an province. More than a decade ago, he came first in the Hu’an Provincial Township Examination. The following spring, the Emperor bestowed him the title of scholar. He was only sixteen at the time and unsurpassed in his splendor. How did his home suddenly become Jibei Province, and he’s now a villager of the Zhaos’ village... and how could Mr. Chen’s wife be a child bride brought up by him, only to be driven out of the Chens’ when he became a scholar?"

Manager Luo said, "Those are old affairs from more than a decade ago. My lord was young then and in the Capital City, it’s normal not to know. I only came to Tang Garden nine years ago, so I’m not very clear about it too."

Luo Yuan bowed and said, "I specifically went to the Zhaos’ Village on this trip. I spent some silver to find out about that family. Mr. Chen’s native place is indeed Hu’an province, that’s correct..."

It is said that the father of Mr. Chen was a scholar from Hu’an province. Early on, he went to the Capital City to take the Imperial Examination but did not pass. On his way home, he stopped over at the Zhaos’ village and ended up staying at the house of Mr. Chen’s mother, Madam Zhao. Unexpectedly, he fell severely ill that night and had to extend his stay. The Zhaos, knowing that he was a scholar, treated him with great respect. They not only provided him with doctors to treat his illness but also ensured he was well fed and cared for.

Mr. Chen’s father ended up staying for more than two months, but his health did not significantly improve and he was unable to travel long distances. Madam Zhao’s parents offered their daughter as his wife and suggested that he stay and recuperate in their home for an extended period. After he recovered, he could then return to his hometown, or he could wait until the next Imperial Examination three years later.

At that point, Mr. Chen’s father did not have much money left, and with his parents deceased, there were only a few relatives left in his hometown. He thought it better to work hard here, so that after passing the Imperial Examination, he could triumphantly return home. Moreover, he saw that Madam Zhao was decent-looking, and her family was prosperous by country standards, so he ended up agreeing.

Madam Zhao’s family then used their money to build a compound in the village, and Mr. Chen’s father settled there, getting married and having a son.

However, Mr. Chen’s father’s illness kept recurring. He was unable to return to his hometown, nor could he go to the Capital City to take the examinations. Especially during the year when his son, Chen Shiying, turned five, he almost died...

Luo Yuan continued, "Mr. Chen’s father was critically ill, and Mrs. Chen, upon hearing a traveling monk say that a person born in the year of the rabbit could bring happiness and good luck to the house, decided to bring one to the house so Mr. Chen’s father could recover. Mrs. Chen did not want to invite a woman as a concubine to bring good luck, so she got a ten-year-old girl, Wang Juanniang, as a child bride for her son to garner good luck. In this way, she hoped that she could not only bring good luck but also have someone to help her with housework and child-raising. However, even though Mr. Chen was only five years old at the time, he was already a famous child prodigy in the region, excelling in studies. Besides, he was exceptionally handsome, with white teeth and rosy lips. Mrs. Chen paid five taels of silver to bring Wang Juanniang home, without registering the marriage at the county government. On the surface, Wang Juanniang was said to be her son’s child bride, but in reality, she was a little long-term worker that had been hired with five taels of silver. This was a common practice in the countryside, and many families would go through the formalities only when the son had come of age and was about to sleep with his child bride. However, Mrs. Chen’s intentions could have been different. Perhaps she had a back-up plan even then..."

"And it’s worth noting, Mr. Chen’s father miraculously started to recover as soon as Wang Juanniang entered the Chen household. He lived for another four years before dying. Before Mr. Chen’s father died, he asked them to take his remains back to his native place and also asked his son to recognize his ancestry. Mrs. Chen went back to her hometown with her son and Wang Juanniang for the funeral. After the seventh-seven-day mourning period, they returned to the Zhaos’ village, stating that the clansmen in Chen’s hometown had taken advantage of their vulnerability... From then on, they settled in the Zhaos’ village, returning to Hu’an province only twice when Mr. Chen took the exams for Xiucai (promising scholar) and Juren (qualified scholar).

Luo Yuan rambled on, sharing all the information he’d gathered.

Hearing this, Chu Lingxuan sneered, "A woman’s heart is indeed the deadliest! That old woman used all her wit for her son’s future. However, I remember that Mrs. Chen’s family name is Jiang, as she is a daughter of Mr. Jiang, not Tang."

Luo Yuan chuckled, "That’s true, master. You did not remember incorrectly. The woman from the Tang family was only a concubine, and Mr. Chen ended up marrying the second Miss Jiang."

Chu Lingxuan sneered, "In the middle of all the scheming, she ended up preparing a wedding dress for others. That Tang family couldn’t outsmart Mrs. Chen. It’s a shame for Wang Juanniang, she stayed at the Chens’ for ten years, only to be driven out like this..." Then he added, "However, Wang Juanniang seemed rather impatient. A woman should not serve two husbands. However hateful Mrs. Chen is, or however much her stepmother pressures her, she should not have remarried within ten days of returning to her maiden home. At least, she should have waited until Mr. Chen came home..."

Just as he was saying this, Chu Lingxuan suddenly widened his eyes in shock, exclaiming, "Then, does... does Mrs. Chen look..."