Miss and farmhand

It wasn't easy for Luo San, a young woman from the countryside, to come to the city to find someone. She clutched her jewelry, not daring to flaunt her wealth, and only had a few copper coins in cash. The oxcart driver felt cheated, and upon seeing that she was a young woman, he almost had malicious intentions. He only relented because Luo San said she was going to see a relative, the teacher at the academy.

Shen Yurui wasn't surprised to see her come to her door. That letter was intentional.

Luo San sat in the room, his face dark and gloomy, but his eyes were bright and piercing, with a kind of fanaticism that seemed to be forced to join the Liangshan bandits.

She asked Shen Yurui, "Cousin, why are you doing all this? I haven't offended you to death, have I? Even if I'm disobedient, arrogant, and have wild ideas, what are you after?"

Shen Yurui pretended to be stupid, "What did I do? When something good happens, I think of you. If it doesn't happen, we don't have to cut off our ties. It's just correspondence. Why are you thinking so much?"

"What good thing is this? Becoming someone's second wife is a good thing? I'm only sixteen! Isn't my cousin pushing me into a fire pit?"

Shen Yurui raised an eyebrow: "Think about it honestly. My second brother is a perfectly good Hanlin scholar. Before we came here, I clearly told your parents and you as well. Back then, who didn't think it was a good marriage? Now you're calling it a hellhole. I don't want to say anything more unpleasant. If you can't understand this, then consider it all my worrying for nothing."

Luo San, of course, wouldn't listen to this now. Compared to Zhu Xiaoxu, everyone else was like a pit of fire. She still didn't believe that Zhu Xiaoxu wanted to marry Huang Chu.

Shen Yurui called over a few servants to tell her the story, which was described in great detail and even included the topic of changing the birth dates.

"Young Master Zhu hadn't been visiting the Second Master's house so frequently before, but now he goes every day. Of course, he observes etiquette and only stays with the Second Master in the garden, but the meaning couldn't be clearer. The servants at the Second Master's house are all saying the same thing, telling us it's a happy occasion, and they're not lying."

Luo San felt his hands and feet turn cold and he couldn't stop trembling, but he still remained stubborn.

"I don't believe it. I want to see Young Master Zhu."

"I don't have that kind of ability. Young Master Zhu isn't your cousin-in-law's student, so where would I get the right to invite him over? If it's really as you say, that you two are engaged, you can just send someone to inform him, and he'll come to your door on his own. Why would I need to interfere?"

She was obviously being sarcastic.

Luo San acted on his own initiative, disobeyed her arrangements, challenged her authority, and even seemed to get a good outcome, flaunting his power in front of her. How could she tolerate this?

At first, she was puzzled as to why Luo San had suddenly gone back, which she was quite happy about. Later, when she heard from people from the countryside that a scholar's son had proposed marriage, she realized what had happened and burst into laughter.

Shen Yurui thought highly of Zhu Xiaoxu. Before this, she had never even thought that Huang Chu was a good match for him. She always thought that this person would marry a young lady from the capital and would not come back to this small place.

How could someone who isn't even worthy of Huang Chu possibly respect Luo San? Shen Yurui simply thought she had lost her mind. Even if it was just to teach Luo San a lesson, she was willing to facilitate Huang Chu's marriage to Zhu Xiaoxu, so that this little girl would know her place.

Unexpectedly, the person actually came. Shen Yurui thought Luo San was just trying to save face by lying to her sisters, but she didn't expect that she had also lied to herself.

Luo San gritted his teeth, "Then please ask my cousin to lend me someone. I have a letter here; please pass it on to Young Master Zhu."

Passing letters in private is also a shameful thing, and it's against the rules to help a young lady like that. But Shen Yurui couldn't wait to see Luo San make a fool of himself.

She made a special arrangement: the next day, while Zhu Xiaoxu, Huang Xingtong, and the lacquerer's apprentice were painting and chatting outside, she and Shen Xuying, along with Huang Chu and Huang Song, sat in the pavilion to enjoy the scenery.

"My older sister hasn't been coming around much lately, she's been busy at home."

"It's nothing serious," Shen Yurui said with a smile. "I don't have much to worry about. It's you two, one big and one small, who are the ones to be concerned about."

At this moment, a servant from the academy hurriedly came in looking for Zhu Xiaoxu, pulled him aside, and handed him a letter.

Shen Yurui kept an eye on the situation over there, and when she saw Zhu Xiaoxu frowning and pushing the servant away, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Young Master Zhu, is there official business here? Come into the pavilion; paper and pen are provided. Don't stand outside with them."

Zhu Xiaoxu frowned, looked up, and forced a smile.

"It's alright, no need for you to worry, Madam."

"Did the boy deliver the wrong thing? He's so clumsy, putting all sorts of unclean things in front of his master."

The servant was about to apologize and leave when, unexpectedly, Zhu Xiaoxu took the letter and slipped it into his sleeve.

"Madam, you are mistaken. I have not made a mistake. It is just a private matter of mine that has disturbed you."

Shen Yurui remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she gasped.

He actually accepted it? Does he really have a secret relationship with Luo San?

It felt as if a fishbone was stuck in her chest.

Zhu Xiaoxu did not open the letter in public, but simply let it pass as a trivial matter.

However, he went to Shen Yurui's house the next day.

Shen Yurui sat at the head of the table, not letting Luo San come out to meet anyone. She was furious, never expecting that the young man she had taken a liking to would be so easily deceived.

"You actually dared to come to my door!" She was angry, but pretended to feel sorry for Luo San, acting like a loving older sister who doted on her cousin.

Zhu Xiaoxu cupped his hands in greeting, "Please, Madam, allow me to see the Third Miss. We can talk things out face to face. I don't know why she came back."

Shen Yurui's heart skipped a beat; this didn't sound quite right. Could it be that he didn't know either?

She feigned ignorance, saying, "You don't know? She clearly came for you. She came to me crying her eyes out. You told her to wait, and now you don't know why she's here. Tell me, didn't you make it clear that you wanted to propose to Luo San?"

Zhu Xiaoxu stood with his head bowed, remained silent for a long while, and then answered firmly, "Yes, I promised Sister Luo."

Shen Yurui gritted her teeth, "Then why haven't you contacted her for the past few months?"

Zhu Xiaoxu said, "We have already felt guilty towards our parents and relatives for our secret engagement, and dared not make it public. I wrote several letters home this month, asking my parents to agree to the marriage, but the Luo family's background is... well, my family has not yet agreed, which made me give up the idea. They said that raising a son is not for wasting time on romantic entanglements in the countryside, and told me not to mention it again. For the past few months, I have been trying my best to persuade my parents, and I am just waiting for them to relent so that I can rightfully propose marriage. I have absolutely no intention of denying it or delaying the Luo family's daughter's life!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a soft sob came from the side room next to the front hall.

Both of them paused for a moment.

Zhu Xiaoxu whispered, "Sister Luo?"

There was no response from the person inside; all that could be heard was the sound of tables and chairs being pushed aside, followed by hurried footsteps moving away.

Zhu Xiaoxu said to Shen Yurui, "This junior dares not put the First Madam in an unjust position. The First Madam cherishes the sisters and took in Sister Luo, for which I am deeply grateful. I would never have a secret rendezvous with Sister Luo in the First Madam's house, thus breaking the rules. I only ask that the First Madam kindly understand Sister Luo's situation. This junior's heart is unwavering. I dare not ask Sister Luo to waste her years waiting for me, but if Sister Luo does not give up, this junior is willing to wait until next year when I am fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination with flying colors, and when I am independent, I will come to ask for Sister Luo in a grand and glorious manner. At that time, even my father and mother will not be able to stop me."