A Tale of Golden Heiress: Lady Wanjin - Chapter 21

“Not to mention, Wen Wan already has feelings for Third Son. A young girl can be easily swayed by a few sweet words from her lover. If she insists on marrying Third Son, how could Second Brother possibly stop her?”

Qi Lanting scolded Li, who didn’t dare say another word.

“Wen Weiming should have realized it sooner—who Wen Wan marries doesn’t matter, so why not marry into our Qi family? It strengthens family ties! Just watch, Wen Weiming is more anxious than we are now!”

Wen Yue, however, disagreed. After all, Wen Weiming was her own brother. Since they were already gaining an advantage, why bother fighting over pride?

So she advised Qi Lanting, “The bride’s family has to maintain some dignity. Acting aloof makes their daughter seem more valuable. Since we’re getting the benefit, why not play humble for once? What’s more important than Third Son’s marriage?”

Qi Lanting had already planned this, but let Wen Yue say it instead, “You’re right! Nothing is more important than Third Son’s marriage! If Wen Weiming wants to put on airs for his daughter’s wedding, I’ll let him have his fill! Go, call Third Son. We’ll go to the Wen family tomorrow and kowtow to his future father-in-law—”

Wen Yue was even more anxious. With only three days left until the wedding, nothing had been prepared. She hurriedly called her two daughters-in-law, “Eldest and Second daughters-in-law, quickly, go arrange the banquet and helpers now! This wedding can’t be sloppy. Wen Wan grew up in luxury; our banquet can’t be shabby! The betrothal gifts, the gold jewelry—we must get them from Baiqiao Pavilion, solid gold, nothing less! We can’t lose face for the Qi family!”

And then there were the butchers, vegetable washers and cutters, greeters… they needed to prepare for dozens, if not hundreds, of banquet tables! The house needed cleaning, betrothal gifts prepared, the wedding procession arranged, and relatives from the Qi family’s hometown had to be invited overnight.

How could three days possibly be enough?!

Wen Yue was already overwhelmed just thinking about it.

“Oh dear, there’s so much to do! Second Brother really knows how to make things difficult for me!”

Wen Yue complained incessantly, but her tone was full of pride.

Only her two daughters-in-law felt uneasy.

So, Wen Wan gets a hundred banquet tables and jewelry from Baiqiao Pavilion, while they only got a hairpin and a bracelet when they married in?

But then again, once Wen Wan entered the Qi family with her generous dowry, wouldn’t she support the household? They would benefit too.

In the end, it all came down to one word: fate!

The Qi family joyfully awaited dawn to discuss the children’s marriage with the Wen family. Meanwhile, Zhao Heng had already been carried in a soft sedan chair to the Wen residence and placed in a room adjacent to Wen Weiming’s.

Two days until the wedding.

As Zhao Heng walked through the Wen family’s four-courtyard compound, he saw its grandeur and the numerous servants—at least twenty or thirty.

As a prominent figure in Ping County, his future father-in-law was clearly wealthy.

Red carpets covered the ground, red silk filled the air, rows of red lanterns hung high, and eye-catching “double happiness” characters adorned the window lattices.

The house was filled with fragrance, with jars of Bifang wine covered with red cloth in every corner to prevent the aroma from fading prematurely.

Servants dressed in colorful clothes bustled about, preparing for the wedding day.

Zhao Heng felt… this was absurd and unreal.

But.

Since he and Miss Wen had fallen into the water together and had skin contact, and since he had promised to marry into her family, even if he had lost his memory and felt reluctant, he had to keep his word.

If he refused to marry into the family, the Wen elders would surely devour Miss Wen alive.

How could such a delicate, soft-spoken girl have the means or strength to deal with the Wen family elders?

Moreover, he had already given her the scented sachet as a token of love.

It was clear that even before losing his memory, he had liked Miss Wen.

So be it.

Since his father and legal mother disliked him, his birth mother was dead, and he was being pursued by his siblings, leaving him with no shelter above or land below, why not offer himself as a live-in son-in-law?

It sounded… rather liberating.

Wen Wan.

From now on, she would be Zhao Heng’s wife.

He would respect and love her.

And his fiancée, wearing a smoke-pink jacket, walked toward him.

He comforted himself: At least his fiancée was beautiful and seemed… gentle and sensible.

Being a live-in son-in-law might not sound honorable, but with a beauty in his arms and no worries about food or clothing, what more could he ask for?

With this thought, the last bit of reluctance faded away.

His fiancée was very busy. In the days since he woke up, Wen Wan went out almost every day.

As far as he knew, the Wen family was the largest wine merchant near Ping County, and the somewhat famous Bifang wine of Bozhou came from the Wen family winery.

Wen Wan never returned empty-handed.

Sometimes it was a bowl of wontons from West Street, sometimes pastries from a shop, sometimes a bamboo grasshopper.

Zhao Heng felt he had never been so relaxed in his life.

Although he had lost his memory, he felt as if his mind was always tightly wound, as if… he had spent the first half of his life battling on sandy fields, never at ease.

Wen Wan said he had failed in fighting for family property and was being pursued.

That might explain it.

As a concubine-born son, disliked by his legal mother and siblings, he must have lived in constant fear and tension in his own home.

Today, Wen Wan brought a bunch of wildflowers.

As always, she greeted him with concern: “Ah Heng, are you feeling better today?”

Without waiting for his answer, she placed the flowers in a vase on the windowsill.

Nanny Chen, Hong Mei, and Lü Ping were all her confidantes.

Since Zhao Heng moved in, he had been closely monitored from all sides.

As soon as Wen Wan returned, Nanny Chen reported Zhao Heng’s daily activities: how he sat under a tree for half an hour, ate half a bowl of rice, walked slowly around the Wen residence twice, which servants he spoke to, and how long he spent in Wen Weiming’s room.

“Oh, such a big fellow, but he eats like a little chick.”

“He can’t touch fish or shrimp at all—breaks out in rashes. So delicate.”

“He doesn’t like meat either, says he doesn’t eat after noon, doesn’t eat when bloated. Quite particular, as if he were from a wealthy family.”

“The young master seems literate. He spent some time in the small study today. I saw him flipping through books.”

“Pity about the birthmark on his face. Otherwise, with his looks… he’d charm countless girls in Ping County.”

“The lad really seems to treat the Wen residence as his own home, quite comfortable and at ease, without any restraint of living under someone else’s roof.”

“But what I, Nanny Chen, admire most is that the lad has proper manners. When he encounters young, pretty maids in the household, he doesn’t stare. At least for now… the young master doesn’t seem like someone who would flirt around.”

Nanny Chen also knew Zhao Heng wasn’t some destitute fellow.

Uncle Tu had made it clear: the lad was an armed escort. In these times, anyone with skills could live decently.

Not necessarily wealthy, but at least well-fed and clothed.

Though he was far from worthy of her young lady.

Thanks to Nanny Chen, the senior spy, Wen Wan successfully kept track of Zhao Heng’s daily life.

But Wen Wan also knew Nanny Chen just loved to chatter, so she let her be, only reminding her not to watch Zhao Heng too closely.