Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 116 - 115 Broken-Hearted

Chapter 116: Chapter 115 Broken-Hearted

Chu Lingxuan finally figured out why he always found Chen Afu familiar—it turned out that she looked too much like Mr. Chen!

Even though Chu Lingxuan didn’t explicitly express his thoughts, Manager Luo understood his master’s implication. He nodded and said, "Indeed, Madam Chen resembles Mr. Chen. It’s said that Mrs. Wang claimed to be pregnant a month after marrying Chen Ming. Considering that Chen Ming was close to death at that time, it’s hard to believe how..." He paused, before adding, "Besides, Mrs. Wang bore Madam Chen prematurely after only seven months of marriage. Without a doubt, Madam Chen is Mr. Chen’s legitimate daughter."

After he thought about the hardships faced by the mother and daughter, Chu Lingxuan sighed deeply, feeling a profound sense of sorrow. Little did he know, women like his own mother—laden with suffering, yet enduring—still existed in this world. Perhaps, to them, death was liberation. However, for the sake of their children, they chose to live on, despite their formidable circumstances.

He also remembered the first time he came across Chen Afu, who appeared so destitute, bullied by a county magistrate’s son. If not for his timely intervention, he dreaded the possible outcome. Regardless of everything, she was a genuine young lady of an official family. She deserved to live a life of dignity. Having thought this, he felt an urge to treat Yan even better...

Chu Lingxuan picked up his teacup and took a sip, before he impertinently remarked, "Mr. Chen’s reputation has always been impeccable. He’s known to be courteous and principled—an official of rare excellence. Not even the Emperor could help but applaud him, yet who would have guessed there’d be such a huge skeleton in his closet? If a ruthless person were to know and exploit this secret, his name would be ruined. As for the evils committed by Mrs. Chen, it remains a mystery whether he was truly uninformed or pretended to be ignorant. However, if he knew and let Mrs. Wang become pregnant, only to later drive her out, his character would indeed be questionable."

Luo Yuan bowed respectfully and said, "Mrs. Chen is very astute. When she sent Wang Juanniang away from The Chens, the news of Mr. Chen passing the exam in Hu’an province had yet to reach us in Jibei Province. He hadn’t returned, either. It’s uncertain whether The Tangs would have rushed to inform him. The reason she presented was that Mrs. Wang was unvirtuous and jealous. She claimed that Mrs. Wang’s inability to understand poetry and songs made her unfit to offer scholarly inspiration to her husband, hence she wanted to arrange for another concubine for her son. However, Mrs. Wang was not willing, creating a scene with tears and tantrums, even requesting to leave of her own accord. Mrs. Chen, infuriated to the point of a heart attack, had no choice but to send her back to her parents’ house. Regarding how Mrs. Chen forced Mrs. Wang to request departure, urgently urged Mrs. Wang’s stepmother to arrange her marriage, and managed to convince them to willingly consent without explaining the real reasons, remains unknown." He quickly added, "The fact that Mrs. Wang remarried so quickly might have been to secure a status for the child in her womb, I suppose."

Chu Lingxuan heavily dropped his teacup onto the table with a scoff, "Regardless of how eloquent the old woman might be, it cannot change the fact that her son cruelly sent Wang Juanniang away upon passing the exam! I absolutely despise people of this sort who resort to any means to fulfill their selfish desires."

Seeing that his master was enraged and remembering the hardship his own master had faced, Manager Luo couldn’t help feeling sour inside. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Master, Madam Chen is undoubtedly Mr. Chen’s own, erm... flesh and blood, should she continue to teach needlework to Miss Yan?"

Chu Lingxuan replied, "She should, of course, keep teaching. Yan likes her, and she’s also very fond of Yan. She’ll prove to be the best... needlework master. Judging by her character and wisdom, even by knowing that Mr. Chen is her biological father, and regardless of having such a grandmother, with her father’s real intentions unclear, I doubt she would be willing to recognize her ancestral home. Given the old woman’s interest in preserving her son’s reputation, she wouldn’t likely acknowledge her. Being associated with our mansion might be a blessing for her." He then looked up at Manager Luo and his son, "Considering their current situation, do all you can to assist her and her family."

Manager Luo and his son hastily agreed.

Chu Lingxuan added, "If there are indeed such imposing people, I don’t mind if you all make use of my name, or even the Marquis’ Mansion’s name to intimidate them."

Manager Luo and his son agreed again. Previously, the master didn’t like them using his official influence in handling matters, as it would ruin his reputation.

...

Luo Yuan smiled and stated, "Master, you’re not aware, are you? The ’Nine-Spice Braised Pork’ you relish is actually a recipe bought from Madam Chen by Xile Restaurant, and Madam Chen’s own version tastes even better. Initially, I wanted to ask her to prepare some for you to take back to the camp tomorrow. However, after I learnt of Mrs. Wang’s predicament, I’d been waiting to report the matter to you, so I never got around to asking her. Should I go now and ask her to prepare some?"

Chu Lingxuan gestured and replied, "Next time, it’s late now. Besides, she just moved in. She’s probably busy."

...

In the dead of night, Chen Afu was in a sound sleep when she was suddenly awakened by the sound of sobbing. It somewhat resembled Mrs. Wang’s voice, so she quickly sat upright, pressed her ear to the window, widening the slit. The sobbing had quieted down somewhat, but upon listening closely, she could still identify it as Mrs. Wang’s voice.

Mrs. Wang seemed to have covered her mouth, but the sound of her whimper was still audible. In the silent night, the sound appeared bleak and terrifying. Occasionally, Chen Ming’s gentle voice echoed, although she couldn’t make out what was being said.

A chilled draft blew in, causing Chen Afu to shiver. She hastily closed the window slit.

She lay back down again, but sleep eluded her for some time.

Mrs. Wang seemed frail and demure on the outside but bore strong fortitude and resilience within. She must’ve been sorrowful to weep such.

Chen Afu felt a sourness in her heart. It was a while before she finally drifted back into sleep. Not too long after, she was awakened by the crowing of a rooster. Considering that Mrs. Wang mustn’t have rested well during the night, she decided to get up early and prepare breakfast. Following breakfast, she decided to water the vegetable plot, fetch water, wash clothes; these outdoor chores would be taken care of by her for the next few days, sparing Mrs. Wang. After finishing these tasks, she had to head off to Tang Garden for work. She couldn’t afford to request for leave on her very first day.

Further contemplating, she concluded she’d need to hire help immediately to perform these laborious tasks. However, the house was too small and unable to accommodate more people. Hence, the plan to expand the house must be expedited, she couldn’t wait until next year.

Chen Afu stepped out of the house with daylight barely breaking. Everything was quiet over at the old courtyard. The other three were still in bed, the door was bolted, and she couldn’t go in to light the fire and cook. So she hugged the bundle of firewood and returned to the new courtyard, preparing breakfast in the kitchen there where she found some white rice, flour, and a few other condiments.

While waiting for the rice to cook in the pot and the dough to rise, she took Zhui Feng along to pick some onions from the vegetable plot and pluck a turnip. Once returned, she baked an onion pancake and mixed up some grated turnip.

She’d just picked up a few eggs to boil when she heard the door next door open.

Chen Ming stepped out. He was planning to fetch some firewood to cook, but Chen Afu rushed over and laughed, "Father, I’ve already prepared the meals. You all can come over to my place to eat."