Binding Spring Love

When Song Wan learned that the Chen family had come to break off the engagement and made a big fuss, she had no choice but to step in and negotiate.

Although she didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the Marquis's mansion, a woman who was rejected by her husband's family had no other way to go, let alone a girl like Jiang Jing who had been disgraced.

She had the old woman and matchmaker, who had come to annul the engagement, welcomed into the mansion. Song Wan said coldly, "Annulment of an engagement is a major matter for both families. You are making baseless accusations against my daughter and tarnishing the reputation of my family. Are you prepared to break ties with my family?"

The official matchmaker who came to annul the engagement laughed and said, "Madam, what are you saying? This isn't just something that's been circulating in the capital..."

"You know it's just a rumor, and since it's just a rumor without any real evidence, you've so hastily convicted the third young lady of the manor. In that case, can I also say that Madam Chen is cunning and ruthless, and the entire Chen family is licentious and immoral?"

"Oh dear, so this is how unreasonable your Marquis's mansion is."

Madam Chen's eyelids drooped, and she seemed hesitant to look at Song Wan.

"Why are you saying your Marquis's mansion is implicating me? What tricks are you playing... Isn't that what Aunt Lin herself said—that a woman from the Marquis's mansion would never marry into my Chen family if she stayed at home?"

"She was the one who broke off the engagement first. And the fact that the Third Miss of the Marquis's mansion was reading those dissolute and wicked books was something Aunt Lin herself admitted. So what are you arguing with me about now? Does the Marquis's mansion think it can use its high position to suppress us?"

"..."

Even though Song Wan prided herself on her sharp tongue, she was speechless for a moment after hearing Lin Jiayue admit that Jiang Jing read those miscellaneous books.

"This marriage is not something our Chen family wants to call off."

Seeing that Song Wan was speechless, Madam Chen smoothed the hairpin in her hair and said, "Since the Marquis's mansion doesn't think much of our Chen family, there's no need for us to become enemies. It would be better for everyone if we just broke off the engagement cleanly."

Song Wan frowned: "The Marquis's Mansion does not accept the Chen family's reason for announcing the engagement."

Jiang Jing absolutely cannot bear the reputation of being unfaithful to her husband.

What will become of a perfectly good unmarried young lady with such a reputation?

Song Wan glanced back at Jiang Xingjian, who nodded at her with a gloomy expression.

"The betrothal gifts have been exchanged, and the marriage is now settled. The Chen family will come to fetch the bride on the fifteenth of next month. If the Chen family breaks off the engagement, my Marquis's Mansion will pursue the matter to the end."

"Madam Chen, please take care of yourself..."

Before Song Wan could finish speaking, Aunt Zhou came crying from the inner courtyard. Her cries were so heart-wrenching that they startled everyone and made them momentarily lose their composure.

"My lord, please save my Jing'er! Jing'er has jumped into the well..."

Jiang Xingjian suddenly stood up. He told Song Wan to wait there, while he sent for several maids from the outer courtyard to help. Aunt Zhou followed along, crying and shouting. Seeing this, Madam Chen said awkwardly, "I never imagined that the third young lady of the Marquis's mansion would be so strong-willed. I suppose those are just rumors."

"Since such a serious matter has occurred at the Marquis's residence, I should not disturb you any longer and will return to my residence first."

Madam Chen tried to leave with the official matchmaker, but Song Wan coldly rebuked her, "Stop them!"

"You'd better pray that my third young lady is unharmed today. If anything happens to her, my Marquis's mansion will fight the Chen family to the death."

A group of rough-looking old women stepped forward to block Madam Chen's path. Madam Chen shouted, "Outrageous! My husband is also an important official in the court. How dare you treat me like this?"

Song Wan clenched her fists, her heart pounding.

What came to mind was the scene of Aunt Zhou taking Jiang Jing to Lan Courtyard to pay her respects that day. The little girl smiled shyly, with a pair of dimples on her cheeks, making her look playful and adorable.

At that time, she was untouched by worldly affairs, and her round eyes were full of girlish innocence.

But now...

Song Wan's palms were sweaty, and her eyes were slightly hot.

She held back her tears and said coldly, "If the Third Miss is safe and sound, everything will be fine. But if Jiang Jing loses his life today because of the Chen family's aggressive behavior, the Chen family can expect a white wedding in seven days."

"You dare!"

"You'll see if I dare or not!"

Picking up the teacup beside her, Song Wan looked at her slightly trembling hand and put it back down.

Before long, a mournful cry erupted from the inner courtyard; the heart-wrenching sob made her heart tremble.

Soon, a rough-looking old woman silently emerged carrying a bamboo pole covered with a thin white cloth, barely revealing her slender figure.

"River……"

A lump formed in her throat, Song Wan's eyes reddened, and she staggered, unable to believe that the vibrant young girl she had seen just a few days ago was truly gone today.

Aunt Zhou was stopped at Yu'an Courtyard by the old women of the mansion, while Jiang Jing's body was to be sent to Jixiang Garden in the mansion.

Jiang Xingjian's face was as cold as frost, his melancholy indescribable.

The old woman carried Jiang Jing's body past the crowd. The bamboo frame trembled slightly, and a slender hand slipped out from under the white cloth. In her hand, she tightly gripped a small sheepskin rattle with a white jade handle, which occasionally rattled and made a crisp sound.

Lin Jiayue slumped in front of the screen wall, watching helplessly as people carried the bamboo frame away, looking utterly terrified.

Jiang Jing was an unmarried woman, so no mourning hall was set up, and she was not buried in the ancestral grave. Her funeral could only be held at Jixiang Garden. Song Wan couldn't bear to see her end up like this, so she lowered her eyes and said to the old woman beside her, "Find ten servants to escort Madam Chen back to the mansion. Seven days later, we will hold a wedding ceremony for the Third Miss and the Chen family's young master."

Jiang Xingjian nodded, and the old woman beside him went to find someone.

Madam Chen shouted that the marriage was canceled by Lin Jiayue and had nothing to do with the Chen family, but no one responded to her.

With the help of Hengzhi and Hengwu, Song Wan returned to Lantingyuan. Jiang Xingjian walked to the screen wall, where Lin Jiayue was already crying with tears streaming down her face.

"How could anyone be so foolish as to jump into a well for some meaningless reputation? Reading a few romance novels in your own room doesn't constitute a loss of chastity. To jump into a well for such a reason... how ridiculous!"

"They're all a bunch of lunatics, a bunch of lunatics..."

Lin Jiayue's mind was filled with Jiang Jing's deathly pale hands, and she could hear the crisp sound of a leather drum.

Her face was covered in tears, and she leaned against the screen wall with a dejected and empty gaze.

Jiang Xingjian passed by her without stopping and left on his own.

The entire manor was quiet. Although a young lady had passed away, there was not a trace of white in the manor. Only in the Auspicious Garden was a nanmu coffin set up with one or two copper basins for burning paper money. A few scattered servants would numbly throw in a few pieces of yellow paper from time to time.

Song Wan sat at her desk, her eyes red but she didn't shed a tear.

"Find two old women and maids to accompany Aunt Zhou at Yu'an Courtyard. Also, take five hundred taels of silver from my dowry to prepare a dowry for Jiang Jing."

"The mansion is in complete chaos. Find someone to protect Jiang Jing's coffin and prevent anyone from opening or disturbing the burial items."

"Find someone to ask the Marquis how to proceed with the marriage between the Chen family and Jiang Jing. If the Chen family continues to refuse, will the Marquis's mansion back down, and to what extent?"

Hengwu wiped away her tears and went to find Jiang Xingjian. After receiving the message that he would spare no expense to bury Jiang Jing in the Chen family ancestral tomb, Song Wan nodded and sighed softly: "He hasn't completely softened his spine as I imagined."

"Miss, should we inform Madam and the Old Madam about the Third Miss's matter?"

"Send someone to inform the lady. As for whether to speak with the old lady or not, let the lady decide for herself."

Xiangcao went to the courtyard to find the maid who was supposed to deliver the message, while Jiang Xingjian also sent a servant to inform the other people in the mansion.

Jiang Yan was not at the mansion; he was discussing business with Xiao Jiyue at a tavern.