Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 309 - 308 Let It Go

Chapter 309: Chapter 308 Let It Go

When Mrs. Chu spoke those words, Mrs. Li dared not make a fuss anymore. She wasn’t afraid of the elderly lord on the other side of the shield or the second lord, but she was absolutely terrified of Huachang.

She glared at Mrs. Song and said, "What’s gotten into you today? You’re usually not this proactive, now go sit down. Now they’ll say I’m a wicked mother-in-law, mistreating a concubine’s daughter-in-law."

Mrs. Song’s face turned red with frustration, but she dared not cry. It was always the same, away from prying eyes, she was asked to create trouble, only to bear all the blame once things took a wrong turn. The men advised her to be patient, to wait until the separation of the property, but when would that ever happen?

Mrs. Chu coldly said, "I really thought that the second sister-in-law was a kind person taking care of her concubine’s daughter-in-law."

Mrs. Li’s cheeks reddened at the words, frightening Mrs. Song even more."

Chen Afu gave Mrs. Li a glance, in essence, all of Mrs. Li’s words today were targeted at her. Since Mrs. Li made her intentions clear, she didn’t need to save face for her anymore.

Chen Afu laughed as she picked a few dishes for Mrs. Chu using the public chopsticks, and said, "Before coming to Capital City, my mother-in-law specifically instructed me to respect and take care of you, she also advised me to learn from you, to emulate your Bodhisattva’s heart and your striking skills. From now on, please teach your niece’s wife how to win people’s hearts and strike evildoers, and don’t hide anything from me."

Mrs. Chu chuckled, "Oh my, how kindly the eldest sister-in-law has dignified me. However, I do know a few tricks when it comes to winning hearts and tackling evil, if you want to learn, I’ll teach without reservation." She turned to Chu Hua and Chu Zhen saying, "Ladies, you should learn these too. These skills will come in handy when you marry."

Chu Hua quickly joined in, "We’ll definitely learn if you teach, third aunt."

Chu Zhen, Chu Lin, and Chu Bi were also scared of the third lady, and when they saw her speak like this, they also nodded in agreement.

Mrs. Li was even more annoyed when she saw this, glaring fiercely at Chu Lin and Chu Bi, and also gave Mrs. Song a scowl, all of whom lowered their heads in guilt.

The women at the table divided into two factions, while the men at the other table were in harmony, even the second lord had drunk quite a bit of alcohol.

After dinner, everyone talked in the hall for a while before dispersing.

Coming out of the hanging flower gate, everyone bowed to escort the elderly lord. He led Chu Ling’an and Chu Lingwei, who lived in the Outer Court, to walk towards the left. Then, the second lord’s family left towards the west, while Chen Afu and the others departed towards the east.

By now, night had fallen, and the bright half-moon hung low in the sky. Looking around, the overlapping rooftops and long corridors stretched endlessly, while the scattered trees stretched into the distance. The vast courtyard felt so foreign, making Chen Afu feel somewhat anxious.

Suddenly, a large hand held her small hand. The hand was thick and warm, giving her a sense of security. She held onto him too, intertwining her ten fingers with his.

They exchanged smiles, their footsteps picking up pace involuntarily.

Back at the Bamboo Pavilion, Chen Afu told Chu Lingxuan about how Mrs. Li, having received only 20 taels of silver as a gift, sought trouble, and how Mrs. Chu sorted it out.

Chu Lingxuan said, "Second Aunt is foolish and pompous, her little scheming is not a threat. Let’s not bicker with her out of the respect for my second uncle. However, if she openly provokes you, don’t be kind to her."

Chen Afu nodded.

The couple finished their night-time cleaning routine and put on their casual wear. Chen Afu was wearing a half-old bean-colored silk jacket with a lavender long skirt, her loose hair hanging down like black satin.

Something stirred in Chu Lingxuan’s heart, and he swiftly pulled Chen Afu into his arms. Mrs. Li hurriedly dismissed the two girl servants.

Chen Afu blushed and scolded, "Aren’t you shy doing this in front of others?"

Chu Lingxuan replied, "There is nothing to be shy about hugging my wife."

Chen Afu let him hold her waist while she leaned her head back slightly. She extended her hands to tie her hair into a bun on top of her head and then picked up a jade hairpin from the dressing table to secure her hair.

Chu Lingxuan watched her lovingly and murmured, "When I returned to Tang Garden, I saw you teaching Yan’er the nursery rhyme ’Little Swallow’. You were wearing clothes of this color and style. Your dress was also this color, and your hair was styled this way. It was evening, and the sky was filled with colorful evening clouds. I thought you looked like a fairy descending from the clouds."

Chen Afu thought for a moment, that must have been shortly after she started working in Tang Garden. She happily looked at him and asked, "Did you fall for me then?"

Chu Lingxuan, however, shook his head, causing Chen Afu to feel slighted, and her lips pouted. She muttered under her breath, "Can’t you tell a white lie?"

Chu Lingxuan smiled faintly and held her waist even tighter. In a soft voice, he said, "At that time, I was thinking what fortunate man would be able to marry such a beautiful, kind, and intelligent girl. At that time, I never thought that it would be me. Ever since the upheaval in our family, I never thought about women, about getting married, as my mind was occupied by larger concerns... You are such a wonderful girl, I dared not think about you, fearing that I wouldn’t be able to protect you... After spending more time together, I realized that I couldn’t be without you. I wanted to be with you every day, I saw you as the most important thing in my life... Then I started planning how to protect you, how to keep that woman from touching you, and how to get the elders to accept you willingly... Once I figured all that out, then I started thinking about how to make you my wife... If it weren’t for the Seventh Prince causing trouble, making our engagement so hasty, I would have shown you and your parents more sincerity..."

Chen Afu was moved to tears. This man was always thinking of her, always considering her in his plans, and had gone to great lengths to bring her home as his wife.

The marriage certificate, which she longed for in her past life but could never have, was given to her by this man. He didn’t use fine words but proved his love for her through actions.

She had been abandoned by that man, but God had given her a better man in return.

That man made her fall head over heels, leading to the loss of her self-respect and a deep heartache, even costing her life... Why did she think of him at this romantic moment? A mist welled up in her eyes, she couldn’t think about him anymore.

It was time to let go of the past love, past hatred, past reluctance, past everything. It was time to move on.

In this life, their first meeting was where he saved her, establishing their fate.

Later on, they met again, came to know each other, fell in love. That was their destiny.

From now on, only this man existed in her eyes, in her heart!

She hugged his neck and buried her head in his chest, letting her tears flow.

Chu Lingxuan asked anxiously, "Why are you crying?"

Without lifting her head, Chen Afu said in a muffled voice, "You dummy, I’m moved."

Just as she finished speaking, her body stiffened as she felt his arousal...