A Tale of Golden Heiress: Lady Wanjin - Chapter 19

At this moment, Nanny Chen very cooperatively hugged Wen Wan and wailed twice, “Miss, if we had known it would come to this, why did you save him! Should’ve just let him die outside, instead of rescuing such an ingrate!”

Aunt Liu immediately refused to be outdone, “Exactly! He’s been unconscious for so many days, and you’ve watched over him all this time—hiring doctors for him, praying and chanting sutras for his sake. And in the end, he just says he’s pretending to have amnesia and doesn’t remember you. Where can you go to cry injustice!”

“Enough!” Wen Wan said displeased, wiping her tears again. “Stop talking.”

She then looked at Zhao Heng on the bed, “Young Master Zhao, pay them no mind. This is a serious matter—think about it carefully.”

The three women walked out together.

Only after they had gone quite a distance did Nanny Chen dare to pat her chest and ask, “Eldest Miss, he… he won’t really refuse, will he?”

“He won’t,” Wen Wan said with certainty, “Aunt Liu, send someone to report to Father. Say the wedding date five days from now remains unchanged.”

“Nanny Chen, go release the other man brought back by Second Master Tu from the backyard.”

“And also, tell Second Master Tu that Shou’an doesn’t need to go anymore. Since he has a travel pass and a waist token, his identity probably can’t be fake.”

Wen Wan had already opportunistically hung the sachet at her waist.

This… was her trophy, after all.

But Nanny Chen hesitated, “Eldest Miss, shouldn’t we have a backup plan? That guy in the backyard may be ugly, but… but…”

Nanny Chen couldn’t find the words. After a long while, she said fiercely, “Forget it, he’s too ugly. Let him go.”

But Wen Wan smiled, “No need to worry, Nanny Chen. This marriage… Zhao Heng will definitely agree.”

Aunt Liu beamed with joy, “The Eldest Miss is the smartest in this household. If she says Zhao Heng will agree, it’s bound to happen! Our Wen residence… is going to have a wedding celebration…”

When Old Master Wen heard that Wen Wan’s marriage was settled, he was so pleased that he ate an extra half bowl of rice.

Although Old Master Wen hadn’t shown it on his face these days, Wen Wan knew he was anxious inside.

How could he not be anxious?
His two young daughters were surrounded by wolves, on the verge of being devoured by the clan, while he was powerless to stop it.

Now, at last, one worry was off his mind.

“Since he’s marrying in, he must change his surname!” Old Master Wen was thinking further ahead. “The documents must be flawless. Since he’s becoming a live-in son-in-law of our Wen family, he shouldn’t dream of any ‘returning to the ancestral line in three generations’ nonsense! And business matters… don’t let him get involved in the slightest! If he dares have even a hint of disloyalty, make sure he meets a bad end!”

Wen Wan smiled, “Let’s hold the wedding first and shut the clansmen’s mouths. We can talk about the rest later.”

“We must also hide the account books—don’t let him take a single glance. By the way, is he literate?”

“Ah… I don’t know. I’ll find out tomorrow.”

Old Master Wen had seen the way Wen Wan’s eyes lit up when she looked at Zhao Heng. They say a woman once captivated cannot escape. Old Master Wen was determined to repeatedly warn and remind Wen Wan to stay vigilant at all times.

The land of tenderness… is the most deadly.

“It’s a pity that he has a mark on his face,” Old Master Wen, for the first time, finished a whole bowl of rice and spoke with renewed vigour. “Otherwise, he’d have about two-tenths of your father’s charm from back in the day.”

Dad, are you serious?

People… at the very least… shouldn’t be that confident.

Can’t you take a look at your own thinning scalp?

“Remember, the better-looking they are, the better they lie—regardless of gender. That fellow may have a handsome face, but with that mark and being from a farming family, life must have been very hard for him.”

Just as Wen Wan thought Old Master Wen was feeling a twinge of pity for this future son-in-law, he added, “So that kind of person is usually ruthless and scheming… you must be on guard.”

Wen Wan nodded with “Mhmm, mhmm,” her hands never stopping, continuously picking up food, her arms moving swiftly as she buried herself in eating, until sweat beaded on her forehead.

She was going to make up for all those five years lost in her previous life!

Old Master Wen couldn’t bear to look.

The way this child eats is about the same as the refugees from Bingzhou.

Old Master Wen couldn’t help but remark, “Eat slower. Before, you ate like a chick pecking at rice; now it’s more like a bandit raiding a village.”

Wen Wan, her cheeks stuffed, mumbled vaguely, “Oh, Dad, the food Nanny Chen makes is so delicious. The best in the residence! No one can surpass her!”

Luping, who was serving nearby, felt as if struck by lightning: What, dare you say that again while looking me in the eye?
Just yesterday you said the dishes I made were the best in the Wen residence!
So it was all a mistake after all, right?

After finishing her meal, Wen Wan insisted on taking a hundred steps.

Lanterns were lit one after another throughout the Wen residence.

Wen Wan walked a lap around the estate. She estimated it was about one kilometer; two laps would be enough to aid digestion.

In the Great Chen Dynasty, slender and delicate beauty was the mainstream aesthetic for women, but Wen Wan, having survived a major illness, didn’t agree.

Only your enemies wish for you to be slender and delicate.

She wanted to be as strong as an ox, a horse-riding tough gal.

Looking at all this empty space, Wen Wan really wanted to give it a major overhaul, adding some weight-training equipment.

Hmph, Aunt Liu, I can have long legs and a slim waist just like you!

Meanwhile, an old servant detailed Old Master Wen’s recent condition to Wen Wan, “When the master heard today that the young lady’s happy event is approaching, he immediately drank an extra bowl of soup and seemed much more spirited. In the afternoon, Physician Yan came to check the master’s pulse. He said that since the master last spat blood, the stagnant energy in his lungs has actually cleared. If he recuperates properly and is carefully looked after, he should fully recover in time.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely true! Physician Yan said it himself!”

This was truly wonderful news!

“Give Physician Yan a generous consultation fee. Please ask him to be sure to properly tend to Father’s health. If Father can recover safely and healthily this time, he will be a great benefactor to our Wen family!”

Just after saying this, someone from Aunt Liu’s side came to deliver a message: Zhao Heng wanted to see her.

Wen Wan estimated this meeting was probably the third or fourth round of interviews.

After tonight, an offer would likely be extended.

“Where’s Luping?” she asked.

“She went to the backyard to catch a chicken. Said she’ll make you a world’s best Beggar’s Chicken tomorrow.” Hongmei volunteered, “Miss, I want to see what the groom looks like.”

“Alright. But don’t make a fuss when you see him.”

Hongmei was puzzled, “Why? Can’t I talk to him?”

“Since he was essentially ‘acquired,’ the more we say, the more mistakes we might make.”

Hongmei understood.

Their young lady must have used some unspeakable method to trick the groom into coming.

Good.

Men are cuter when they’re a bit dumb.

Wen Wan brought Hongmei along to Aunt Liu’s courtyard.

Aunt Liu came to report, updating her on Zhao Heng’s basic activities today. She mentioned the young man had even gotten up and walked around twice, recovering faster than most.

However, he had spent the whole afternoon sitting by the windowsill in a daze, which made her worry if there was something wrong with Zhao Heng’s brain.

Wen Wan laughed, “Unlikely. He seems quite clever to me.”

Entering the room, she indeed saw that Zhao Heng was already out of bed.

He wore a white linen outer robe with wide sleeves. His figure was tall and lean, with broad shoulders and a sturdy build. Sitting there, his long limbs seemed to have nowhere to put themselves.

Though his face was still pale.

Wen Wan walked over with a smile, “Young Master Zhao looks much better today. That hundred-tael ginseng really worked.”

Wen Wan deliberately emphasized the “hundred taels” part.

Let’s just not worry about whether there actually was any ginseng involved.

(End of Chapter)