Miss and farmhand

Men in the world seem to be born with a special ability: they know how to take advantage of women when they are most vulnerable, and they know when it is best to take advantage of them because women cannot resist.

Both noble and lowly men know this trick, like Zhu Xiaoxu and Huang Xingyu with Luo Shutao, and like men today with Huang Chu.

Huang Chu sighed, moved her fingers, and the man raised his head to look at her.

A perspective of looking up to her. It seems fitting; she is the mistress, he is the servant, so what harm is there in making him kneel before her?

But men don't see that kind of servile inferiority.

He scrutinized Huang Chu. "The young lady doesn't admit it?"

Huang Chu shook his head. "I've been thinking about this ever since I met you."

Her frankness surprised the man.

"So early? A young lady like you wouldn't say it was love at first sight."

Huang Chu chuckled, "No. No. I just wanted to..." The last syllable faded into her equally scattered thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I miss... Gou'er," Huang Chu murmured.

The man was visibly taken aback. Huang Chu's voice was too soft, and he couldn't be sure if Huang Chu had really said that name. Perhaps it was just a similar pronunciation, and he had misheard.

Huang Chu had no chance of knowing this name, and had no reason to call him that at this time.

Even so, he was still puzzled as to which two words Huang Chu could have said.

Before he could figure it out, Huang Chu had already snapped out of his inexplicable emotions.

"And you, when did you start?" Huang Chu asked with a faint smile, the smile casual, as if the ramblings from before had never existed and were now a thing of the past.

The man hesitated and didn't speak.

Huang Chu answered for him: "It must be the time I told your master not to hit you. I was really scared then."

"...Actually, being beaten by the master is commonplace for apprentices, it's not a big deal."

"I know," Huang Chu said. "Brother Zhu later told me that if you sign a life-and-death contract, the master will not be responsible for your death, escape, or fleeing."

The man was not happy to hear Zhu Xiaoxu's name. He let go of Huang Chu's wrist and pushed her away. Only after pushing her away did he realize his mistake and looked at Huang Chu with some regret.

Huang Chu seemed unconcerned. She rubbed her wrist. "...I'm leaving."

The man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Goodbye, young lady. Don't go to any man's house alone in the middle of the night again. There are scoundrels with ulterior motives there—"

Huang Chu suddenly turned her head and glanced at him indifferently: "—Do you have any ill intentions towards me?"

The man froze. "What, young lady, are you waiting for—"

"—Aside from grabbing my wrist, lifting me up, and throwing me against the wall, you don't seem to have done anything inappropriate to me. And even if I told people about those things, they wouldn't think you 'molested' me; they would just think you probably really hated me and wanted to kill me."

For a moment, the man couldn't figure out whether Huang Chu was praising him or criticizing him.

"...What, is the young lady actually hoping to be taken advantage of by me?" He probed with a slightly aggressive tone.

Huang Chu suddenly changed the subject and asked him, "Do you know why I came here today?"

"They've come to demand an explanation—"

Huang Chu shook his head. "I came to confirm. Now I know. You would never lay a hand on me."

After saying that, he stepped out the door and turned to leave.

The man sat blankly on the edge of the bed, his brows furrowed.

He had a gut feeling that there was something behind Huang Chu's words.

The way she looked at him before she left seemed to be...disappointment?

What is she disappointed about?

She couldn't possibly be truly disappointed that he hadn't "made a fuss" with her.

……

Huang Chu finally expressed her opinion to Huang Xingtong, agreeing to the marriage proposal.

The whole family knew about the decision and informed Mrs. Zhu of it the next time she visited.

Zhu Xiaoxu was also present at the time, standing behind Madam Zhu, smiling with narrowed eyes, his expression unchanged.

Madam Zhu covered her mouth with a handkerchief, blinked her wide, almond-shaped eyes, which were etched with fine lines, and looked utterly puzzled.

"This...this is unexpected. Will any decent family be willing to take a son-in-law as a son-in-law?"

Shen Xuying said, "In terms of talent, we are naturally no match for Young Master Zhu. However, we do not seek wealth or power in the future. We only wish for our mother to live a peaceful and comfortable life at her parents' home for the rest of her life."

Madam Zhu chuckled, "Isn't this throwing the baby out with the bathwater? Even if you're married, why can't you live a peaceful life? If the young couple has a harmonious relationship, why should they worry about the bride's family or the groom's family?"

Shen Xuying didn't argue with her about the reasons, but just nodded and said, "That's the same principle. It's just that our mother is still spoiled by us and is very difficult to please. Now we can't change her."

Madam Zhu's expression changed in a fascinating way, and she finally took her leave with a slightly embarrassed expression.

When they boarded the carriage, it was still Madam Han who directed the boy to bring out a pile of brocade boxes to return to Madam Zhu's carriage. She said that Huang Chu was too ashamed to apologize in person and could only return these gifts first. She had already accepted Madam Zhu's kindness and would visit her in person to apologize when things settled down.

What do you mean by "everything has settled"? Isn't it just about avoiding suspicion and dragging it out until she marries into the family? What's the point of visiting then?

Madam Zhu left with the brocade box, expressionless.

Madam Han breathed a sigh of relief. Middle-aged noblewomen like Madam Zhu were notoriously difficult to deal with. Today, the master of the house had humiliated her, and they probably wouldn't visit her as often in the future. The worst-case scenario was that Madam Zhu would vent her anger before leaving, and Madam Han would have to bear it. Thankfully, she hadn't been scolded today.

However, after rushing out, he came to his senses and was surprised to find that Zhu Xiaoxu was still standing to the side.

"Why didn't Young Master Zhu get into the carriage?"

Zhu Xiaoxu glanced in the direction the carriage had gone, but didn't turn back. "I'm going back to the academy. I came here today specifically to accompany my mother."

Mrs. Han was embarrassed and could only smile apologetically, "Young Master Zhu, please don't take it to heart. You have a long road ahead of you. What kind of young ladies don't you have in the capital? Our silly girl has never left the county in her life and doesn't even know the proper etiquette. She is not worthy of a talent like you."

She spoke until her mouth was dry, trying her best to comfort the man who would inevitably feel humiliated by his failed marriage proposal.

Unexpectedly, when Zhu Xiaoxu turned around, he was still smiling, and his tone was as gentle as ever.

"What are you saying, Mother Han? I've known Yi Niang for so many years, and even if we can't be husband and wife, I treat her like a younger sister and always hope she's doing well." He looked back at the gate of the Huang residence, as if he could see into Huang Chu's room through the doorway. "The fate of husband and wife is a mystery; if it's not there, it's not there. How can you force it?"

Mrs. Han was even more at a loss for words, appearing to be deeply devoted and unwavering in her affections. She could only stammer in response before hurriedly taking her leave.

On her way back, she couldn't help but wonder if she had really missed out on a good marriage. It was rare to find a man as magnanimous as Young Master Zhu. If she really married him, her daughter would surely be just as happy as when she was still at her parents' home.

He shook his head again. What's done is done; there's no point in dwelling on it.

Meanwhile, in his study, Huang Xingtong called the two parties involved to discuss setting a wedding date. After all, it was a joyous occasion, and there was no reason to delay. Huang Chu was also of a certain age, so the sooner the better.

Unexpectedly, Huang Chu himself requested to wait another two years.

She said matter-of-factly, "Senior Brother Zhu still needs to come and go from the academy, so we should give him some face. We should hold the wedding after he goes to the capital for the imperial examination. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful to him. Even if he doesn't say it, I don't know what he's thinking if he's hurt, but it's best not to make enemies."

Huang Xingtong stroked his chin and began to ponder.

He looked at the man: "What do you think?"

What he really wanted was support. Huang Chu's words made sense, but Huang Xingtong was not interested in whether or not he had become enemies with the Zhu family. He felt that such formalities were unnecessary. He had already committed the most serious humiliation, so what need was there for Zhu Xiaoxu to show concern in such trivial matters?

However, the man replied without hesitation, "I'm fine with anything. Waiting two years is no problem."