Wanjin Lady

Chapter 123 Quarrel
She was quieter than ever.

Because she couldn't speak anymore.

Mother Chen called out to Hongmei, "Stop crying, come and help her wash herself, so that the child can leave cleanly."

"Oh." Hongmei responded, suppressing the bitterness, and came over with the new clothes to help Luping change.

Hongmei touched Luping's hand and saw the dandruff between her fingers, and couldn't help but exclaimed "Huh".

She remembered that the night before, she had cleaned the gaps between Lu Ping's nails while she was asleep.

How come my fingers are already full of dirt again after only two days?

Chen Ma was busy stripping Lu Ping's clothes. Without even looking up, she asked in a daze, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Hongmei shook her head, suppressing her doubts. "Did the young lady tell us what to do with Lu Ping's funeral?"

Mother Chen wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed, "I'll go ask the girl."

night, deeper.

The entire Ping County was like a silent tomb, without a single sound.

The house was brightly lit, but because someone had died, there was a sense of gloom beneath the huge light.

Mother Chen walked to the study and saw Wenwan's figure through the half-open window.

My heart feels like it's being weighed down by a heavy stone.

The older girl...I'm afraid she feels worse than anyone else, right?

She was only sixteen years old, yet she had to carry so much burden on her young shoulders.

There is also the huge debt of Xinlong Money House.

One by one, one by one, which one is not difficult?

Now that girl Lu Ping...

"Miss..." Aunt Chen asked hesitantly, standing by the window, "What are your plans for Lu Ping's funeral?"

The person in the room turned around, seemingly puzzled.

"For other families, if a girl who signed a death contract dies, a thick coffin is enough for burial."

"But if the girl wants to give Lu Ping the most glory, she can only be sent back to her father's family."

Wen Wan frowned, knowing that in the Great Chen Dynasty, there was no precedent for masters to hold funerals for their slaves. If she insisted on giving Lu Ping a grand funeral, she was afraid that the comments would only amplify Lu Ping's criticism.

Wen Wan asked, "Her hometown isn't far away, right? In Ping County?"

"Yes, it's not far from Hexiang Village."

The room was quiet for a moment, and then the young lady was heard asking, "Are her parents good to her?"

"Bullshit." Aunt Chen gasped heavily. "She has an older brother who's a petty thief. When he was caught and had to pay compensation, her parents sold her for a few taels of silver. Over the years, except for the few times when the family needed money and came to her for it, they usually acted like strangers."

Wen Wan felt heartbroken and was unable to make a decision.

Aunt Chen heard Zhao Heng's voice coming slowly.

"When a person dies, the light goes out. Everything else is done for show. Send her back to her parents' home and promise them twenty taels of silver. They must be buried with all the splendor they deserve. This will also let everyone know that the Wen family will not mistreat any loyal servant."

My son-in-law is also in the house?

Seeing Wen Wan remained silent, Chen Ma asked tentatively, "Then should I ask Lu Ping's parents to come and carry the person?"

Wen Wan said "hmm".

Wen Wan rubbed her temples tiredly, then sat down, supporting herself on the edge of the desk with both hands. Thinking of Zhao Heng's self-willed decision, she felt a sudden suffocation in her heart, "Husband——"

The woman called him softly in a calm voice.

The girl has clear eyes.

"Next time if something happens, I hope you can discuss it with me before doing it."

The man beside him was lying on a toffee chair. His thick, long eyelashes fluttered gently when he heard the words. When he looked up, a dim light fell into his deep pupils, as if a torch was thrown into a cold pond, shining for only a moment before going out.

Zhao Heng pursed his thin, red lips slightly, then smiled faintly. He knew that Wen Wanxin wanted him to get involved in business matters.

He also knew that his wife was warm on the outside but cold on the inside.

However, he also has his own pride.

"Madam, do you want a husband to spend your life with, or a dog that only wags its tail when you are told to?"

Wen Wan's expression froze, and the curve of her lips froze.

I don't know when it started raining outside the window.

The autumn rain has been continuous, and after this one, Ping County should be even colder.

The sound of raindrops fell on the green tiles and flowed down the eaves. Soon, a layer of mist seemed to rise between the sky and the earth.

Wen Wan was worried about two things. The first was that this temperature was not conducive to fermentation, and Master Ma would surely be worried again.

The wine vat must be wrapped with a towel to raise the temperature of the wine vat so that the main fermentation can be completed.

The winery will be busy tomorrow.

The second thing -

The girl's gaze fell calmly on Zhao Heng's face.

Her sweet and obedient figurine...seems to be starting to grow rebellious tendencies.

She sat down weakly, her hand supporting her forehead. Her voice was tired, like a spent bow. "Does it have to be now?"

Zhao Heng saw her slender shoulders, the bulge of her shoulder blades, and the faint bruises under her eyes.

He pursed his lips and said nothing.

Lu Ping is gone, she feels heartbroken and upset, he should be more tolerant of her.

However, when he thought of the cold look in Wen Wan's eyes when she subconsciously shook off his hand, he couldn't help but doubt whether Wen Wan's words "she liked him" were true or not.

Now is definitely not the time to talk about this.

A soft sigh escaped the man's lips, and he closed the book in his hand. "Okay. Let's not talk about this."

Wen Wan felt extremely irritated. Everything was out of her control, making her feel as if she was falling into an abyss with no bottom.

She suppressed the gloom in her heart and said to Zhao Heng, "Go back to your room and sleep first. I want to be alone for a while."

Zhao Heng stared at her. "Father has instructed me to stay with you closely for the next few days. If you don't like it, just ignore me."

"I said—" Wen Wan clenched her fists, her chest heaving twice. She turned her head and said to him word by word, "I want to be alone... for a while."

Zhao Heng's fingers gripping the book tensed.

After a moment, he stood up, put the book on the table, and retreated quietly.

The door creaked shut, blocking out the cool breeze outside the window.

As Zhao Heng's figure disappeared outside the window, the haze that had shrouded Wen Wan's heart finally dissipated.

After a while, he saw the "Biographies of Merchants" sent by Cheng Yunzhang on the table. He felt restless and wanted to tear it to pieces, but he finally restrained himself.

She clutched the book cover tightly, slumped down into the chair tiredly and dejectedly, lowered her head, and let the dark clouds swallow her.

The sky was just getting light, and the night temperature dropped sharply after the autumn rain. Wen Wan lay on the desk, buried her head in her hands, and fell asleep.

As soon as Chen Ma's footsteps sounded, Wen Wan woke up immediately.

The coat he was wearing instantly fell to the ground.

Wen Wan recognized that it was Zhao Heng's coat. Could it be that Zhao Heng had come back again?
After sleeping for more than an hour last night, Wen Wan finally sorted out her tangled thoughts. Now she realized that she had given Zhao Heng a bad look last night?

Wen Wan rubbed her tight temples in frustration, then looked at Chen Ma, who was standing at the door, hesitant to speak, "What's wrong?"

When Chen Ma entered, she looked extremely haggard, and it seemed that gray hairs had sprouted around her ears in just a few days. Her voice was also hoarse. "Miss... Lu Ping's parents have arrived."

Her tone was filled with resentment. "These wicked parents, they said... said... Lu Ping's death was unjust, and they wanted us to pay fifty taels of silver before they would let Lu Ping be buried..."

(End of this chapter)