Chapter 357: The One I Want to Marry Has Always Been You

Chapter 357: The One I Want to Marry Has Always Been You

Zheng Jinyu had originally planned to rush out to the estate, but Chunmei informed her that Zheng Hongqi and Zheng Hongxu had gone there to count the ducks for her.

Thinking that since they were already there, she decided not to make the trip herself.

She was busy and could do other things instead.

In the afternoon, Xie Peiyu arrived, still wearing his soft armor as if he had just returned from outside and hadn't even had time to change.

"Is there something urgent you need?"

Xie Peiyu looked down at his clothes. "No, I just came to see you. I'm leaving soon, so I didn't bother changing."

"If it's so urgent, why did you have to come now?"

"I ran into your elder brothers. They said you're personally arranging our wedding?"

Sigh! How embarrassing, what can be done when one's family isn't supportive?

"Yes, you've heard about our current situation, right? If I don't arrange it myself, what else can I do? Am I supposed to just show up on my own?"

Xie Peiyu laughed. "Well, that's not impossible."

"Forget it, I don't want to embarrass myself or be ridiculed."

"Alright, we'll make sure our wedding is grand. I'll talk to my mother, and she can send the nanny she brought from the palace to help you. How about that?"

"No need. How could you handle all the arrangements? People would laugh at us."

"What should we do then? It's unheard of for a bride to arrange everything herself. You do have parents and brothers."

Her family might as well not exist.

Madam Zheng was too ill to get out of bed, and her mind was entirely focused on Fang Jinxiu; she couldn't be relied upon.

What if she subconsciously arranged her departure ceremony the same way as Fang Jinxiu's? That would be disastrous.

As for Lord Zheng, thinking of his strange behavior, she suddenly asked Xie Peiyu,

"Xie Peiyu, hypothetically speaking, if I didn't have a photographic memory, if I hadn't learned in a year what ordinary girls learn in ten, if I couldn't paint or play music, if I were like Fang Erya, an ordinary peasant girl, timid and unable to write her own name, would you still marry me?"

In the original story, he wouldn't, but she couldn't help asking.

Xie Peiyu looked at her seriously. "Why assume such things? If there were a 'what if,' then the person you're talking about wouldn't be you. Jinyu, I will only marry you."

His words woke her from her reverie. She had been momentarily lost in confusion.

Xie Peiyu was different from her original family. Their relationship was predetermined by fate and blood ties, and their actions toward her were wrong.

Xie Peiyu was different. His relationship with her depended on marriage, which, due to various reasons, almost became Fang Jinxiu's, and then was nullified, thus no longer existing.

...

Fang Jinxiu's life in the Lu family was difficult. Zheng Ji publicly announced that the Zheng family had severed ties with her, turning her from Miss Zheng to the ordinary peasant girl Fang Jinxiu overnight.

Not only was she ridiculed, but the Lu family also faced mockery because of her.

The fact that her biological parents, Fang Dachuan and his wife, had switched children was widely known. The Lu family's in-laws had become the condemned criminals, the Fangs, leading to endless ridicule.

Old Master Lu was so angry that he fell ill. He was already on leave recuperating at home, but now, even with a cane, he couldn't stand up and had to be carried around in a chair.

Now, the Lu family had become a laughingstock throughout the capital.

One day, Old Master Lu summoned his children and grandchildren. "Shen'er, Fang Jinxiu cannot remain your wife. Demote her to a concubine."

Lu Shen frowned slightly. This would make his son illegitimate?

"Why?" Seeing his hesitation, Old Master Lu grew angry. "Hmph, at this point, you still can't bear to part with her? Do you know that I could even order you to divorce her? The reason I haven't is because of Ning'er."

"Grandfather is right."

"Then why can't you let go? I hear your relationship with her is poor."

Lu Shen explained, "Grandfather, my relationship with her is indeed poor. I don't want her to be a concubine because of Ning'er. Grandfather, I genuinely love Ning'er. He's smart and like me. He's also my eldest son, and I don't want him to become illegitimate."

Old Master Lu was troubled. Indeed, this was a problem.

The child seemed quite good. Regardless of Fang Jinxiu's other faults, she was good at raising children.

She breastfed him, making him healthy and cheerful, and Old Master Lu liked him too.

It was a pity for the child, who was originally the legitimate eldest son, to become illegitimate due to his mother's misdeeds.

Lord Lu said to Lu Shen, "Ah! You should have a legitimate son with Wang Shi. No matter how good this child is, having such a mother will always be a disadvantage. It would be better if he were born to you and Wang Shi."

Lu Shen thought, was this his choice? Wang Fuzhen was a bully and wouldn't let him near her.

He wondered what the Wang family was planning. All the maids, servants, and guards assigned to her were tough characters who only listened to Wang Fuzhen. If she didn't want him, he couldn't even approach her.

Of course, that wasn't the main issue. The real problem was that he might have fertility issues.

Recently, he had tried many times, but none had resulted in conception.

Old Master Lu suggested, "Perhaps we should give Ning'er to Wang Shi to raise and record him under her name. Then he would still be a legitimate son."

Lu Shen still shook his head. "Mother told me the same thing, but Ning'er is still nursing. If we change her wet nurse, she won't eat."

Previously, the old man had someone try to replace the wet nurse for his great-grandson, but it didn't work.

Grandfather Lu said, "In that case, let's leave it as it is for now and discuss it again when Ning'er is weaned."

Lu Shen said, "Yes, let's wait until she's weaned. People outside may be laughing at us now, but we can't be too ruthless. Besides, the Zheng family threatened to take back the dowry but didn't come to get it. Maybe it was just a moment of anger?"

The old man thought about it and found it somewhat reasonable, so he nodded in agreement.

Although they hadn't directly made Fang Jinxiu a concubine, the attitude of the servants in the mansion towards her had changed drastically compared to before. Even the aunts from the second and third branches spoke to her with a sarcastic tone, looking down on her.

She could still maintain her previous standard of living in terms of food and clothing, thanks to her son.

Good nutrition leads to better milk, and the Lu family hadn't neglected her in this aspect.

Fang Jinxiu harbored deep resentment towards both the Zheng and Lu families. After discussing with Zhou Shi, she felt that the biggest problem lay with the Zheng family.

As long as the Zheng family acknowledged her, the Lu family wouldn't dare to look down on her.

However, she couldn't enter the Zheng family now. After the incident, she tried to meet her brother and parents but couldn't see any of them.