Miss and farmhand

Huang Chu instinctively felt a sense of helplessness in her father's tone that made her uneasy.

She refused to admit it, deliberately feigning ignorance and acting coquettishly: "What do you mean by running away for a lifetime? If Father doesn't agree, who can force me to go? Isn't it good for me to stay at home with Father, Mother, and Sister? Our family is harmonious and peaceful. Father can ask around; who in the entire prefecture is as carefree as our family? Besides, Father has already kept me at this age. Even if he keeps me for a few more years, until I'm old, what difference will it make? It can't be that Father doesn't want to keep me."

She felt as if she had returned to her childhood, standing in front of her father reciting ancient poems. She wasn't sure if she was reciting them correctly, so she would recite a line while her eyes darted around behind her eyelids, openly and blatantly peeking at her father's expression. If her father smiled, she was right; if he frowned, she would quickly go back and recite the previous line again.

Even now, she still has wide eyes, trying to see something reassuring in Huang Xingtong's expression.

Huang Xingtong understood her perfectly well, but even if he did, he could only sigh.

"You're still young—"

"I'm not young anymore."

"—That's even more problematic." He tapped the table, unusually displaying a father's authority to prevent Huang Chu from interrupting him. "At your awkward age, it's not just about getting married. If your mother and I truly wanted to keep you, we would keep you for life. When Rongniang grows up, if she's willing, we can certainly support her. But you need to understand, as long as your mother and I are here, this is still a home. If something happens to your mother and me—not to mention your mother, just if something happens to only me—have you thought about how you'll live?"

Huang Chu moved his chin slightly but remained silent.

If this were in her previous life, she would have shamelessly said, "So what? Life goes on just the same. Who dares to bully us, a widow and her orphan? I'll beat the drum to appeal to the emperor, I'll go to my uncle. The reputation my father left behind is enough to protect us for life."

But now she has realized that her uncle's family is unreliable. Not only are they unreliable, but they are the first people she needs to be wary of.

As for the Dengwen Drum, she has already witnessed the magistrate handling cases twice. If she still has any expectations for this matter, she would be a fool.

Huang Xingtong then said, "You think so too, don't you? It's not that your parents want to force you. You know what kind of person your father is. Now that I'm older, I don't like to argue with people. Back in the day, I was the most rebellious and eccentric one. You're like me, not like your mother. But you must understand, even people like your parents only dare to be rebellious and unrestrained behind closed doors. Once the door is open, the outside world won't tolerate people like us. You don't want to marry, so why would your father want you to go with some greenhorn who came out of nowhere? But there's no other way. Without another man, your parents can't protect you for life. We'll always be ahead of you. Do you understand?"

Huang Chu understands this principle now. After her parents passed away in her previous life, her uncle and aunt didn't even bother to cover things up with her; their falling out happened in an instant. With no one backing her up, no matter how she was treated, it wasn't too much.

"So, Father, does he still mean to wish Senior Brother well...?"

Huang Xingtong waved his hand.

"What, are you going to listen to me scare you like this, and then realize he's better and you're willing to go for it again?"

Huang Chu shook his head.

She was just puzzled. Now it seemed certain that Huang Xingtong disliked Zhu Xiaoxu, but she had never noticed it in her previous life.

In her previous life, she and Zhu Xiaoxu truly fell in love after her mother passed away. Her father's health also deteriorated rapidly. At that time, he did not show any dissatisfaction with Zhu Xiaoxu. On the contrary, he almost entrusted his son to someone else and was willing to see them get married before he went with Shen Xuying.

No, they were only engaged in their previous life.

Huang Chu suddenly realized something strange about this place.

In their past lives, the Zhu and Huang families were destined to be together, and Zhu Xiaoxu and Huang Chu's birth dates were also changed. According to the established customs of marriage for families like theirs, the formal wedding would not take until at least a year.

Huang Chu knew this and believed it was something that couldn't be helped. So, although he saw Huang Xingtong's illness worsening day by day and knew that her father wanted to see her get married, he couldn't urge her to.

It is beneath a woman's dignity to urge a man to rush into marriage, as if she is unable to marry or cannot wait. She will inevitably be criticized by her husband's family after marriage.

In the end, Huang Xingtong died before she could see her wedding. She was quickly sold into the hands of her uncle and aunt. Huang Chu always felt that it was just her bad luck, and that she could only blame her uncle and aunt for being heartless. She couldn't blame anyone else.

But after witnessing Madam Zhu's shrewdness and social skills, Huang Chu began to have doubts.

If Madam Zhu is willing to go through with this marriage, she will not care about the discomfort that others openly or secretly show, nor will she care about worldly rules. She has the ability to push everything in the direction she wants.

So, in her previous life, Huang Chu felt that the major rule was something she couldn't avoid, which led to her father's death with regret. Does this actually mean that in her previous life, Madam Zhu didn't really want Zhu Xiaoxu to marry her?

Are these so-called "big rules" just a form of delaying tactic?

Thinking further, what are the differences between this life and the previous life?

She is still herself, the only difference being that her parents died in her past life, but they are still alive in this one.

So, was the purpose of the marriage alliance between the Zhu family and the Huang family really just Huang Xingtong?

While Huang Chu was horrified, she also found it quite reasonable. Regardless of what Zhu Xiaoxu thought, Huang Chu knew her own limitations; she wasn't exactly popular with elders, and that enthusiasm seemed entirely directed at her father.

Huang Xingtong said, "Zhu Xiaoxu is a man of outstanding talent. It won't be a problem for him to stay in the capital and take up an official position in the future. If you weren't my daughter, I would also be willing to say that he would be a good match for most young ladies."

Huang Chu didn't want to say anything more about Zhu Xiaoxu.

"So, what are Father's plans for me?"

"I've discussed this with your mother, and she doesn't seem too keen on it. But she said it still depends on your opinion, and she told me to ask you," Huang Xingtong said, gripping the corner of the table and bowing his head in silence for a moment. "I'm thinking of finding a husband for you. What do you think?"

Huang Chu was stunned.

"...Taking a son-in-law as a wife?"

Huang Xingtong nodded. "I've thought it over, and this is the most convenient option for you. At your age, your parents don't think there's anything wrong with it, but if we were to find you a husband, apart from the Zhu family, all the men would definitely make a fuss about it. Not to mention before the marriage, it's hard to guarantee you won't suffer afterward. Besides, it's inconvenient for our family to arrange another marriage; not to mention inconvenient, even your uncle, a blood relative—never mind, let's not talk about him. Let's just talk about marrying into the family. There are no concerns about marriage, and we don't worry that we won't see or protect you if you suffer in someone else's home. In the end, we don't expect you to marry into a wealthy family. Your parents just want you to be as happy as you were when you were a girl after you get married. With a husband marrying into the family, you won't even have to leave the house, and a husband who depends on our family for a living will certainly not dare to treat you badly. Your father and mother have discussed this for a long time and both think this is the best option. What do you think?"

Huang Chu was still speechless for a moment. Her mouth opened and closed, but she had never imagined such a possibility. Such things were too rare these days, and she had never seen anything like it around her. She couldn't believe that her parents were so bold as to be willing to make such a plan for her.

She sat down on the chair, needing to clear her mind. Huang Xingtong didn't rush her, letting her think it over slowly. Important matters in life require careful consideration.

For some reason, before she could feel any emotion, the first thing that came to her mind was a sentence, something someone else had said, or a hallucination.

"It's in your best interest to let me stay. I guess your father thinks the same way."

The man's sweaty, reflective chin, neck, collarbone, and Adam's apple reappeared in her mind's eye.

A sultry memory suddenly sent a chill down Huang Chu's spine.