Chapter 317: Lu Shen Confronts Lady Zheng

Chapter 317: Lu Shen Confronts Lady Zheng

"What? You're leaving too? You can't go."

She had less than a year left with her daughter; how could she let her go now?

Zheng Jinyu said sorrowfully, "What can we do? I don't want Erya to leave either, just like my brothers don't want Zheng Jinxiu to leave."

Lady Zheng felt a pang in her heart at her words. She stared at Fang Erya behind Zheng Jinyu and said, "This wretched girl is cunning and deceitful. She's no good. Don't be fooled by her."

She had clearly said that she didn't want to return to the countryside with her parents and begged for a way to survive.

Lady Zheng had been moved by pity and helped her, only to nearly cause Zheng Jinxiu's miscarriage as a result.

She regretted it so much that her insides turned green, and she hated Fang Erya even more.

"Mother, don't worry. I won't be fooled by anyone. I know what I'm doing."

"You... you really want to keep her?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Lady Zheng was on the verge of breaking down.

Zheng Jinyu replied, "Didn't we already explain the reasons earlier?"

Seeing that Zheng Jinyu wouldn't budge, Lady Zheng had no choice but to sternly warn Fang Erya before angrily storming off with a flick of her sleeves.

Once she was far enough away, Fang Erya finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Zheng Jinyu gestured for her to sit down and spoke slowly.

"How did you convince her to include you in the dowry?"

Fang Erya said, "I didn't want to go back to our hometown with them."

"They're not going back."

"Even if they don't, there's no good future with them. I know you look down on concubines and maids, but I have no choice. You know what kind of people my parents are, especially my father. He wouldn't treat me any better just because I'm his own flesh and blood. If someone offered a suitable price, he would sell me without hesitation.

So I had to plan for myself and find a way out. I told them about the custom of accompanying sisters into marriage to ensure the family's interests, and they agreed, supporting me wholeheartedly. My mother and I put on a show in front of Lady Zheng, making her feel sorry for me and agreeing to let me serve Zheng Jinxiu as a maid."

She glanced at Zheng Jinyu's expression and added softly, "I deliberately seduced Lu Shen. Zheng Jinxiu wasn't kind to me, so if I wanted to stay in the Lu household, I had to find a way myself."

Fang Erya had some skills and was willing to take risks.

Living at the bottom of society, she didn't have Zheng Jinxiu's luck. If she wanted something, she had to rely on herself and fight her way up.

Given her circumstances, reaching her current position could be considered a success.

...

Fang Erya settled down in the Zheng household. Zheng Jinyu arranged a small courtyard for her through Chunmei and provided her with silk threads to embroider flowers and pass the time.

Three days passed, and Fang Erya hadn't left the Zheng residence yet.

Lu Shen grew anxious and urged Fang Dachuan and his wife to come to the Zheng household to retrieve her.

Zheng Jinyu instructed Xie Peiyu's men to wait until the couple approached the Zheng residence. When they did, a group emerged from an alleyway, threw sacks over their heads, and beat them mercilessly. Afterward, they were dumped back into their courtyard.

Lu Shen was waiting in the courtyard for news when he saw two groaning sacks being thrown in, startling him.

"Someone, quickly open them."

His lackeys immediately opened the sacks, and Fang Dachuan and his wife crawled out, wailing.

"Ouch, they've killed someone!"

Lu Shen was bewildered. "What happened to you?"

"We don't know. We were walking when suddenly we were sacked and beaten by those vicious people."

"Arrogant!" Lu Shen exclaimed. "In broad daylight, someone dares to assault people on the street? I'll report this to the authorities."

His companions advised him, "Without catching the perpetrators, reporting it might be useless. Young Master, they seem seriously injured. Let's find a doctor for them first."

Lu Shen found these two annoying. If they hadn't given birth to two beautiful daughters, he wouldn't have bothered with them.

Waving his hand, he said, "Go ahead. Find a doctor. This young master will personally go to the Zheng household and tell Erya that her parents were beaten."

He finally had a reason to demand her return from the Zheng household.

...

A servant reported that Lu Shen had arrived and was currently meeting with Lady Zheng.

Fang Erya tensed upon hearing this. "He came so soon, after only three days."

Zheng Jinyu seemed unsurprised. "I told you. Keeping him hanging will make him anxious."

"So... should I go back with him?"

"Certainly not. Later, accompany him for tea and conversation, but don't mention anything about leaving with him."

"What if he asks me to go with him?"

"Tell him that you're a proper young lady and it wouldn't be appropriate to leave without formal arrangements."

Hearing this, Fang Erya was thrilled.

"Erya, what you mean is, I can force him to marry me?"

Zheng Jinyu shot her a disapproving look. "What are you thinking? It means that he will properly take you as his concubine, allowing you to enter the Lu family with full legitimacy and the right to compete with Zheng Jinxiu."

Yes, it was just an entry ticket, a qualification.

But that was good enough.

Erya nodded emphatically. "I'll follow your advice."

"Hmm, go on then, get yourself dressed up nicely."

"Yes."

Zheng Jinyu instructed Chunmei to send two skilled maids to help Erya get ready.

When Lu Shen came to fetch Erya, Lady Zheng would likely be so furious that she wouldn't let Lu Shen off easily.

For Lu Shen to pass through Lady Zheng's objections and come to Zheng Jinyu for Erya, there would inevitably be some negotiation involved.

At this moment, Lu Shen was indeed enduring a scolding from Lady Zheng.

"When you begged me to marry Jinxiu to you, how did you assure me? You said you would treat her well and not make her sad. But how do you act now?"

Lu Shen replied, "I have always treated her well. If you don't believe me, ask anyone in my household. Who has better treatment than her? Whether it's living conditions, food, or daily necessities, who surpasses her?"

"Is this what you call treating her well? She was pregnant and cried countless times over your affairs. Do you even know that?"

Lu Shen fell silent.

"Lady Zheng, I know you're angry with me over Erya, and Jinxiu has also argued with me about these matters. But I can honestly say that I've been very accommodating to Jinxiu in handling this situation. When she said to drive the person away, I didn't hesitate to have Erya expelled. A woman, her own sister, was reduced to being a mistress. What more do you want from us? Are you really going to drive her to death?"

"You..." Lady Zheng retorted angrily, "It's clearly your fault, yet you make it seem like I'm the one trying to drive someone to their death."

Lu Shen had run out of patience and spoke coldly. "Lady Zheng, I respect you for raising Jinxiu and call you my mother-in-law, but don't go too far. What's wrong with me wanting a woman? Which man doesn't have at least three wives or four concubines? Even Father-in-law has two concubines, doesn't he?"

These words struck a sensitive spot. She was already troubled by such issues recently, and Lady Zheng's lips trembled with anger.