Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 217 - 216: Marriage Matters

Chapter 217: Chapter 216: Marriage Matters

Chen Shiying was not at all like the head of a feudal household who demands respect and gives no admission of guilt. He appeared relaxed, refined, and friendly, and was not incensed by Afu’s rude words.

With a wry smile and a deep sigh, he gently said, "Afu, I understand your resentment towards me, and it pains me to know you bear such anger. The things you’ve mentioned that bring me shame, I acknowledge them. I know you are capable and don’t need any assistance, and that you and your mother will be able to lead a good life. I regret that I wasn’t able to find you when times were toughest and shield you from hardship—it would have eased my conscience." He then looked in the direction of Lu Garden, his expression growing melancholy. "And your mother, is she well? There will be many opportunities for us, father and daughter, to spend time together... But with your mother..."

He sighed a few times, and seeing that Afu remained silent, continued, "Your mother is a good woman. I did her wrong, my faults are many...Ah, let’s not dwell on this..." Brushing his hand in dismissal, he spoke again, "Afu, it’s alright to harbor resentment towards me, but you shouldn’t let your bitterness affect your own affairs. You’re a bright child; you should consider what’s in your best interest..."

He did not continue to elaborate on what would be beneficial, but instead, he lifted his tea cup and took a few sips. "I left the city gates as soon as they opened this morning, to arrive here for lunch," he remarked.

Afu looked at him. She was unwilling to interact more than necessary and reluctant to call him ’father’. However, as a guest and one who showed genuine remorse, she couldn’t deny him a meal. "Please have a seat, Mr. Chen. I’ll prepare a few dishes in the kitchen," she said.

Chen Shiying was pleased with his daughter’s "warm" response. A small smile appeared on his face as he said, "Let the servants handle those tasks. We, father, and daughter should have a chat..."

At that moment, the excited voice of Dabao echoed through the room, "Mother, Mother, Uncle Chu lifted me up high today! He taught me to squat and punch, and even gave me a small weapon!"

Afu let out a sigh of relief. As she had hoped, Chu Lingxuan was a gentleman; he had not taken out his anger on the child.

She then heard Dabao continue, "Yan’er wants to eat the chicken noodle salad that mother makes, Grandpa Luo has invited you to Tang Garden to cook."

With the sound of thudding footsteps, Dabao stepped into the room, in his hand a sheathed dagger. The small dagger was very beautiful. The sheath was made of tan cowhide and was adorned with two rows of copper nails. The handle was in the shape of a curvaceous wolf’s head, also studded with copper nails.

Upon seeing Chen Shiying, he paused and lowered his hand, asking, "Mother, who is this gentleman?"

To Dabao, this man looked much younger than his great-uncle and Uncle Luo, despite his short mustache. His face looked familiar, so Dabao addressed him as ’uncle’.

Chen Shiying knew that Afu had an adopted son. He was aware of the ulterior motive Mrs. Wang had when she picked up this child for her daughter. However, he hadn’t expected the child to grow up so handsomely—broad eyebrows, phoenix eyes, white teeth, and red lips. He showed grace even at such a young age. Chen Shiying liked him instantly. Yet, he was also quite uncomfortable. After all, he himself was a fourth-rank official, and his daughter was a young lady of high birth. How could she be treated like a servant at Tang Garden?

Suppressing his displeasure, he said with a smile, "So, you are Dabao, right? You’ve mistaken the relationship. You should call me ’grandpa.’"

Dabao then realized—this man was the younger son-in-law of his granny. No wonder he looked so familiar and why others referred to him as the "younger son-in-law." He was indeed young to be a grandpa.

Dabao turned to look at his mother, unsure if he should address him as "grandpa."

Afu said, "Just call him Grandpa Chen." Regardless of their relationship, this form of address was always acceptable.

Dabao, being a clever child, concluded if he called him "grandpa," he would need to bow deeply. But if he called him Grandpa Chen, there was no need for such formalities. He handed the dagger over to Afu, turned to Chen Shiying and bowed, saying, "Nice to meet you, Grandpa Chen."

With neither his daughter calling him father nor his grandson calling him grandpa, Chen Shiying was somewhat disappointed. Nonetheless, he nodded and smiled, "Good boy. In the future, devote yourself to studying, and respect your mother and your grandmother. If there’s anything you don’t understand in your studies, your grandpa can help." He then took out a white jade pendant that he had prepared from his pocket.

Seeing his mother nod, Dabao respectfully accepted the jade pendant, saying, "Thank you, Grandpa Chen." He then turned to Afu and said, "Mother, since we have a guest at home, you can’t go to Tang Garden to cook. I’ll go and let them know."

Afu stopped him, snatched the small dagger, and said, "What is Mr. Chu thinking, giving a child such a thing to play with?"

Dabao laughed, "Don’t worry, Mother. Uncle Chu specifically said that the blade is still sealed. It won’t harm me." He then placed the jade pendant into Afu’s hand, "Mother, please keep these two precious items for me."

After saying this, he bowed again to Chen Shiying and left the room.

Once Dabao had gone, Chen Shiying said seriously, "Afu, you are my biological daughter and should live a life of comfort and luxury. It was my lack of care that led you to struggle to make ends meet. From now on, I will have a stipend sent to you and your mother every month. You need not continue to serve as a teacher to Ms. Chu. She even expects you to cook, treating you not only as a teacher but also a servant."

Afu replied, "Mr. Chen, you are mistaken. I’m not a servant. Ms. Chu enjoys the meals I prepare, so I cook occasionally. As for my position as a teacher to young Ms. Chu, I do it because I like her and even without the monthly salary, I would still want to teach her. So, there is no need for you to provide a stipend. My mother would not accept it. Not to mention, without the powerful backing of Tang Garden, I would have long been sold off."

Chen Shiying’s face reddened, knowing full well that Afu was referring to the vile deeds of his own mother. Realizing he would need to address each issue one at a time, he decided not to dwell on this. He then said, "Today, I came here to discuss an important matter with you. If your mother could also listen and help us consider, it would be better."

Confused, Afu asked, "What important matter? There is no need for my mother to come. If it concerns me, I can speak for myself."

Chen Shiying gave Afu a once-over, seeing her blossoming into womanhood. He said, "Afu, you are about to turn sixteen. Many girls your age are married or at least engaged..."

As soon as Afu heard this, she immediately became guarded and hastily said, "Why are we talking about my marital affairs? You have no right to meddle in such matters."