Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 717 Desire
Zhang was startled by Madam Lin's words. Madam Lin had been acting strangely since she entered the room, and her every move was not what Zhang expected.

But she wasn't stupid... she could roughly guess where the problem lay.

She got it wrong from the start.

Madam Lin wasn't there to cause trouble; her purpose might have been quite the opposite.

Although Zhang was usually timid and not very temperamental, she was very clear-headed. The woman who could make the wife of the Wang family personally visit and shower her with compliments couldn't possibly be her.

It goes without saying who it was because of.

Zhang met Madam Lin's gaze and asked, "Madam, did you come here this time because of Ayan?"

Madam Lin's smile deepened, a genuine joy, and she nodded in agreement.

really.

Zhang's expression stiffened slightly as the rumors about Wang Yan and A Yan immediately surfaced in her mind. She also realized why Wang Yan kept coming to her door—it wasn't for Qin Ge'er, but for A Yan.

How could she be so foolish? She didn't notice anything amiss before. Did Wang Yan already have those kinds of feelings for A-Yan back in Daming Prefecture?
Madam Lin said, "I heard from Brother Yan that it was Madam Zhang and her son who saved Ayan."

Zhang recalled her thoughts: "I didn't help much. It was Ayan who woke up on his own, and... in Daming Prefecture, it was Ayan who protected me and Qin Ge'er."

Madam Zhang couldn't let Madam Lin stand for too long, so she asked her to sit down.

After a moment of silence, Zhang said something seemingly out of the blue: "Ayan didn't say that."

But Madam Lin knew that Zhang was referring to the fact that Ayan hadn't told her about Yan Ge'er. She sighed again in her heart, thinking that her son was truly useless.

With such a tall stature and decent features, why can't he be likable?
Madam Lin nodded: "I know that too. It would be more appropriate for me to come after Ayan returns to the capital."

Zhang listened quietly.

Madam Lin continued, "But there are more and more rumors circulating outside. If the Wang family doesn't take any action, those people will probably start gossiping about A-Yan."

At this point, Madam Lin realized she hadn't explained herself clearly enough: "This is also the fault of our Wang family. We always attract gossip, and once a rumor starts circulating, those people become even more aggressive, which has implicated A-Yan."

“We cannot let Ayan suffer such injustice,” Madam Lin said. “Zhang Niangzi, you don’t need to worry. Although I’m here this time, I won’t force Ayan. Whether she likes Yan’er or not, whether she wants to marry into the Wang family or not, is up to Ayan herself.”

Standing to the side, Chen Shangjun unconsciously held his breath, repeatedly hearing Madam Lin's words in his mind, before finally figuring out their meaning.

She almost covered her mouth.

Is the Wang family here to propose marriage? Does Lord Wang wish to marry the eldest daughter-in-law?
Chen Shangjun immediately went to see Zhang Shi. The eldest daughter-in-law stayed in the Yang family as the wife of Liu Lang. If she remarried, she would have no relation to the Yang family anymore.

Chen Shangjun felt a sudden emptiness in her heart, and a wave of reluctance immediately washed over her. This emotion overshadowed her surprise at learning about the matter. She had considered that one day, the eldest daughter-in-law might want to remarry, but she never expected that it would be Lord Wang who was vying with them for the eldest daughter-in-law.

Suddenly, Wang Yan's image in Chen Shangjun's mind was no longer so upright.

Madam Zhang finally said, "Madam is right, we should listen to A-Yan on this matter." She could actually hear some clues in Madam Lin's words. Since Madam Lin already knew about this matter, why didn't she come to visit before, and why did she suddenly change her mind today?

Are you really afraid of all the gossip outside?

That may indeed be the case, but Madam Lin also said that everything should be done according to A-Yan's wishes.

Madam Lin was not a rash person; she would never have intervened without a degree of certainty. So, could this indicate that A-Yan was willing to marry Lord Wang? Or perhaps she made him some promise?
Su Man and Liu Erlang were able to come to the South City Wharf, and Lord Wang was also able to send a letter home.

Perhaps this was mentioned in the letter, which would have made Mrs. Lin happy to come.

"Such an important matter requires A-Yan's consent, no matter who proposes it." Zhang was afraid that she had guessed wrong and would bring trouble to A-Yan, so she made it clear beforehand.

“You all have to help look after him,” Madam Lin said with a smile. “Ayan was harmed by Xie Yizhi and ended up in Daming Prefecture. Fortunately, he met Madam Zhang. In Ayan’s heart, Madam Zhang and Qin’er are no different from blood relatives.”

Zhang felt a pang of sadness in her chest. She also regarded Ayan as her daughter, so she had thought about these things long ago. Ayan was still young and could not stay in the Yang family forever. She hoped to see Ayan get married and have children.

When Madam Lin mentioned her intentions, she was momentarily stunned, not because she didn't want Ayan to remarry, but because everything happened so suddenly.

To put it bluntly, she still couldn't bear to part with Ayan.

Madam Lin said, "I heard that A-Yan has already established his own household in Daming Prefecture..."

Zhang nodded. Ayan had mentioned that her "Xie" was different from the "Xie" of Daming Prefecture.

“If he only treats you as his husband’s family,” Madam Lin said, “he won’t bring you over to Bianjing immediately, am I right?”

Thinking back to how Ayan had always taken care of her and Qin Ge'er... it wasn't because she was Liu Lang's wife, but because he treated them with genuine kindness.

Therefore, their relationship will not change because Ayan remarried.

Zhang suddenly realized that she had actually been comforted by Madam Lin.

If Ayan were to marry into such a family and have such an understanding mother-in-law, it wouldn't be bad. Of course, the prerequisite is that Ayan also likes Wang Yan.

If Ayan is unwilling to marry into the Wang family, she can immediately find many problems within the Wang family.

“Ayan is kind and intelligent. If she can marry into the Wang family, it will be a great blessing for the Wang family,” Madam Lin said, taking Zhang’s hand. “You have no idea how happy I am.”

Zhang and Madam Lin looked at each other and Zhang could clearly see that Madam Lin's eyes were a little red.

Madam Lin couldn't control her emotions for a moment. She didn't mean to act this way in front of Madam Zhang. She was genuinely happy and grateful to God that she had finally waited for this day.

No one knows a son better than his mother. Over the years, she had always felt that Yan Ge'er had something on his mind, but every time she asked him, he would deny it. She had always wanted to know what he was thinking about, and when that knot she couldn't reach would be untied.

When Yan Ge'er returned from Daming Prefecture, she noticed that he had changed; the sorrow hidden in his heart was finally melting away little by little...

Upon receiving the letter from Yan Ge'er brought back from Fujian, I saw that he wrote: A Yan has agreed.

A pang of sadness welled up inside her.

Finally, Yan Ge'er was able to be with the person he loved, and he would never be alone again.

Her biggest wish has come true.

From then on, I would no longer have any extravagant desires.

(End of this chapter)