Chapter 52

Chapter 52

The moment Third Master He was mentioned, Shen Qinglan exploded with anger. He immediately told his mother everything that had just happened in full detail.

"Mother, you didn't see it yourself—that Third Master He is utterly shameless. He must be having a hysterical fit—he forgot his meds today to dare bark such crazy nonsense!"

"When we went to the Apricot Grove, there was nothing to say between us, and we were getting along fine. But then, out of nowhere, he actually imagined I fell for him at first sight and would marry no one but him... He even brazenly said I should stay home and serve his parents like a lonely wife while he went out to have fun—such despicable words!"

"Later, he also called me crude and low-class, saying I was a discarded shoe no one wanted after three broken engagements, and that even if I had a dowry of a million taels, he wouldn't marry me..."

"Mother, he's really... How dare someone like him look down on me? Later, I cursed back at him, and he was so furious that he stumbled and fell into that mess—you can't blame me for that."

"After he fell and got hurt, he still tried to pin it on me. Luckily, Brother Han happened to be nearby at the time and came out specially to vouch for me, so he slunk away with his tail between his legs."

It wasn't hard to check; a little asking around would tell the truth.

Lady Shen naturally believed her son, and then her expression soured.

"I knew all along the He family wanted to propose because they're after our family's money—they didn't have good intentions. But wanting money isn't unusual. Since they came with ill intent, don't blame me for using them as a show to make your Brother Han value you more."

"Who would've thought He Sanlang was such a piece of work? He was after his fiancé's dowry, yet couldn't even be bothered to pretend!"

"No wonder he's good-looking but still hasn't found a decent match—so this is the shameless type he is..."

How dare he call my son a discarded shoe? It was utterly outrageous.

Shen Qinglan nodded repeatedly. "Exactly! I've never seen anyone so shameless. If today had been another young lady or young master genuinely looking for a match, wouldn't they have been tricked into the He family's pit of fire?"

"That Third Master He is shameless. Although he got hurt today by falling on his own, he will certainly bear a grudge against me."

"Mother, you must talk to Father when you get back and tell him to keep a close watch on the He family in officialdom, so that we don't let down our guard and fall into their trap..."

Technically, a useless guy like He Sanlang wouldn't be enough for Master He to form a deadly feud with the Shen family.

But you never know what might happen; a little extra caution never hurts.

"Okay, I'll talk to your father when we get back."

Lady Shen nodded and made a mental note.

—

Meanwhile.

After the doctor had cleaned and bandaged her son's facial wounds, Madam He quickly pressed him for answers: How had a nice, relaxed walk and talk ended up like this?

Holding a grudge against Shen Qinglan, He Sanlang naturally embellished the story, twisting black into white.

His account boiled down to this: Shen Qinglan confessed his love, got rejected, and then flew into a humiliated rage; he just argued a few words with him, and in a moment of carelessness, fell and injured himself.

Of course, Third Master He would have liked to say that his injuries were caused by Shen Qinglan.

But with Han Zhang as a witness, if he lied and got caught, he'd be mortified!

However.

As a mother, Madam He naturally knew her own son, and immediately asked:

"Did you say something inappropriate to Master Shen? Confess honestly. Don't think you can hide it from your old lady—you know what I'm capable of."

Third Master He was speechless.

He had no choice but to recount the matter again, though he still embellished his words.

"Mother, he was the one who first called me a live-in son-in-law. I just couldn't control my anger and said things I shouldn't have..."

Hearing this, Madam He was so angry that her heart ached, and she couldn't help scolding him harshly:

"You useless piece of work! What did I tell you before you left? I told you Shen Qinglan is spoiled rotten at home, has a bad temper. No matter what he did, you just put up with it."

"Once the family's troubles are over, if you really can't stand him, just let him 'die of illness' after he has the baby!"

"Then, not only will his dowry be ours, but Lady Shen will definitely keep sending us silver for the sake of her grandchild... Don't you know Lady Shen isn't some ordinary merchant's daughter—she's the daughter of a rich merchant from Jiangnan!"

Since ancient times, wealthy merchants have come from Jiangnan. Even if Lady Shen's maiden family was not one of the top merchants in Jiangnan, their assets were still incomparable to those of merchants from other regions.

If the He family could marry Shen Qinglan, why would they ever worry about lacking silver in the future?

At the thought of having let this mountain of gold slip away, Madam He felt a stifling pain in her chest.

Upon hearing this, Third Master He felt a twinge of regret, but still refused to admit defeat: "But Shen Qinglan's temper is far too great, and he has been rejected in three engagements... If I marry him, won't I become a laughingstock in front of my classmates?"

"If they mock you, it's out of jealousy! So what if he's been rejected three times? Our family's face is barely being kept up, and you're still worried about face?"

After scolding her son in anger, Madam He also harbored resentment towards Shen Qinglan.

The Shen family, too—no matter how much they doted on their young master, they shouldn't have indulged him to this extent. He's fiercer than a military family's young master—it's truly unbecoming.

But for the sake of that generous dowry, this cash cow had to be brought into the family no matter what.

"Let it go, it's over, and scolding you further is useless. In short, just remember this: from now on, swallow all your resentment. No matter what, you must coax Shen Qinglan back."

"Once he's in our house, there are plenty of ways to deal with him. A lack of patience ruins big plans—engrave these words in your heart, do you hear?"

Madam He gave this stern instruction at last.

"Son understands."

Third Master He was unwilling, but dared not argue, so he agreed, full of resentment.

…

And so.

After the Shen family finished burning incense and left Golden Light Temple, they ran into Madam He again.

She still came up with a big smile on her face, repeatedly saying that everything was her Third Brother's fault, begging the Shen family not to take offense, and that she would bring her unfilial son to their door to apologize another day.

"It's nothing, nothing..."

Lady Shen responded with a smile on her lips, but inside she was filled with relief.

Fortunately, today's meeting was just a formality; she had never intended to actually form a marriage alliance with the He family.

That Madam He could still smile cheerfully and appear unconcerned even with Third Master He injured showed just how huge the hole in the He family's finances was, and how ruthless Madam He was.

However, since there was only one official road, the two families had to take the same road back.

They traveled in silence.

But when they reached a remote mountain path, something unexpected happened!

“Aoo—Aoo—”

From the bushes beside the road, over a dozen gray wolves, massive in size with gleaming green eyes, burst forth and charged straight at the carriage procession.

“Ah, it’s a wolf pack, the wolves have come down the mountain!”

“Ahhh, help…”

People screamed in panic, horses neighed and bolted, and chaos broke out.

Yet, if anyone had looked closely, they'd have noticed the wolves, though ferocious, moved stiffly, their eyes clouded and lifeless—every action seemed guided by invisible strings, like puppets…

That's right—these wolves were already dead.

The reason they could now move was entirely because Han Zhang had placed parasitic plants inside their bodies, using his ability to control the parasitic vines, thereby manipulating the wolf corpses.

But everyone was so terrified by the sudden wolf attack that no one noticed such details.

“Get off the carriages! The horses will go mad with fear!”

Experienced servants quickly urged their masters to get off the carriages and take cover.

A group of pampered young ladies and gentlemen cried piteously and clung to each other in helplessness.

Only Shen Qinglan, as bold as ever, wasn't just unfazed but actually eager to join the fight.

“Mother, take cover! I’ll go kill the wolves!”

He drew his long whip from his waist and charged excitedly at the wolf pack.

After eighteen years of martial training, he finally had a chance to use it!

Han Zhang, controlling the scene from the shadows: …

This wasn't how he'd scripted it.

Madam Shen anxiously shouted, “Lan Geer, come back! Don’t be reckless!”

But the more she called out, the more worked up Shen Qinglan got. In a few swift strides, he plunged into the middle of the wolf pack.

But Shen Qinglan wasn't just brave; he had real skill. His whip cracked with force, and he soon broke the legs of several wolves.

His heroic stance was stunning, drawing everyone's eyes!

Han Zhang, watching this happen again: …

And Third Master He, watching the same scene: …

Third Master He's face went white with fear. Was Young Master Shen really this fierce?

He tremblingly tugged at Madam He's sleeve. “Mother, he… he's like this… Should I still marry him?”

Madam He swallowed hard, her own heart trembling, but she nodded firmly:

“Yes, you must marry him. He's the only one worthy of you.”

At worst, she would sacrifice one son—after all, Third Brother was good for nothing except carrying on the family line. If he could bring back a god of wealth and resolve the family's difficulties, it would finally repay all the food and expenses he had consumed over the years.

“Mother, how can you treat me like this…”

Third Master He was both furious and terrified, his heart turning cold.

He then looked at Shen Qinglan, who was fighting with increasing ferocity, his robes splattered with blood yet shockingly beautiful. He felt not a trace of tenderness—only a vivid image of himself being flayed alive by his future husband.

No, he would not marry him.

He would rather die than marry such a fierce man!

Driven by extreme fear and disgust, Third Master He's mind went blank. He grabbed a handful of gravel, wrapped it in his handkerchief, and, seizing a moment when Shen Qinglan was fighting the wolves, hurled it with all his might.

“Cough, cough… Ptoo, ptoo…”

Shen Qinglan dodged the stones but couldn't avoid the dust. He coughed and choked.

Seeing this, the wolves lunged at him.

At that critical moment—

“Young master, be careful!”

Han Zhang leaped out, yanked Shen Qinglan aside, then turned and engaged the dozen or so ferocious wolves.

But even the strongest can only do so much. Soon, Han Zhang's body was marked with several bloody claw wounds.

And just as a wolf was about to ambush Shen Qinglan from behind, Han Zhang threw himself forward, disregarding his own safety!

“Ugh—!”

The wolf's sharp fangs sank deep into Han Zhang's thigh. He let out a muffled groan, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Not far away, Madam Shen witnessed this scene. It struck her like a heavy blow, shaking her to the core—

This man named Han… he truly cared for her Lan'er so deeply that he'd risk his own life?