Fear of returning home

The maid hurriedly ran in to report, nearly tripping over the threshold in excitement as she saw Su Wenyue slowly approaching the Su Family in an ox cart from afar.

“Lady Yue is back, quick, let’s go to the front gate to welcome her!” Master Su and Madam Su had been eagerly waiting at home since this morning because it was the day their daughter would be visiting after her marriage. Hearing that their daughter and their son-in-law had arrived, they rushed out to meet them with excitement on their faces, causing an uncomfortable feeling to arise in the hearts of the two concubine’s daughters who had already married off.

When they visited their mother’s family, they were never treated with such attention. Although they knew their status as concubine’s daughters made them different, it was still uncomfortable to think about. However, considering that Su Wenyue had married a peasant farmer who was not publicly presentable, they felt a sense of balance. No matter how much the first lady was cherished and pampered since childhood, held in everyone’s palm, now she had become a farmer’s wife in the countryside, and her status was now far less than theirs.

All this had to be thanked to Old Master Su who had taken a fancy to that peasant’s son and hastily arranged the marriage. With the favoritism Master Su and Aunt had for Su Wenyue, who knows how good her marriage could have been today. But now she had married a farmer, which was truly gratifying to see.

Speaking of which, Father didn’t favor Su Wenyue as much as he showed on the surface, otherwise, how could he have followed Old Master Su’s orders and married Su Wenyue to such a man? If Father truly disagreed, what would the Han Family do to them if they wanted to break off the marriage that had been set? But in the end, no matter how unwilling Su Wenyue was, no matter how fierce her protest, she still ended up riding in the bridal sedan chair, reluctantly.

Regarding this marriage mismatch, aside from Master Su and Old Master Su, almost no one was optimistic. Only Master Su and Old Master Su knew the truth, not only due to the old monk’s prophecy that Han Yu would prosper, but also because of Han Yu’s character.

As the saying goes, you can see a person’s future from their behavior at the age of three. Although Han Yu was young at the time, his insight and courage, even at such a young age, suggested that he wouldn’t turn out too badly. Although the Han family was a peasant family, his parents-in-law were kind-hearted. Due to the connection with the Su Family, they would definitely not treat Su Wenyue poorly.

Compared to those seemingly impressive families with their hidden sordidness, someone with Su Wenyue’s simple nature marrying into a family like the Han’s was bound to have a good life. And if the old monk’s predictions were correct and Han Yu did rise to prominence, based on the couple’s sharing of hardships, he would surely value and be lenient toward his first wife, definitely not treating Su Wenyue poorly.

Master Su had considered every aspect for Su Wenyue, yet no one could understand his painstaking efforts. As the person involved, Su Wenyue was especially furious, causing a scene, and absolutely refusing to marry into the Han Family, only to be forcibly placed in the bridal sedan chair in the end.

It was only because she was the first lady of the Su Family, and also because he liked her, that Old Master Su was willing to go to such lengths for her. If it had been someone else, Old Master Su wouldn’t have bothered. By now, the great old master from the capital had already sent someone to fetch him, but he deliberately waited until his granddaughter was in the bridal sedan chair before leaving, even missing the birth of his great-grandchild.

In truth, Old Master Su was an extremely stubborn man who held traditional views on the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born children. In his eyes, only the offspring of the legal wife were legitimate descendants of the Su Family, while children from concubines were seen as worth little more than servants, their status was not much higher than that of household servants.

Hence the two concubine’s daughters had always addressed him as Old Master

Su, just like the servants did, which especially rankled them. They carried the Su Family’s blood as well, and just because they did not have a favored mother, how had their lot fallen so low?

Concubine’s daughters need not necessarily return home when the first lady did; they had come back simply to revel in the sight of Su Wenyue’s downfall and to mock the proud and arrogant first lady’s current plight.

An Family knew exactly what the concubine’s daughters were thinking and felt very displeased. As a result, she had been giving everyone a cold shoulder all morning, even leaving Master Su with a snub. Master Su glared fiercely at the two concubine’s daughters with shallow eyelids, these two troublesome beings. They were already married yet still came back to meddle in family affairs.

Indeed, Father was right: concubine-born children were just things that could never be presentable! Influenced by his father, Old Master Su, Master Su didn’t like the two concubine’s daughters one bit, let alone place any importance on them.

“I am truly looking out for our daughter’s best interests, why won’t you trust my judgment? The son-in-law is indeed a good man, he will surely achieve great things in the future. Father had someone calculate his fortune specifically; they said the son-in-law is destined for officialdom and will certainly rise through the ranks smoothly. In the future, our daughter could also become an official’s wife, isn’t that wonderful?”

Upon hearing this, An Family got even angrier. What unreliable nonsense was this—believing the words of some old monk?

“Don’t use these intangible things to pacify me. That Han family’s kid is just a farmer, albeit a more literate one, with some martial arts. Apart from that, he has no special abilities—destined for officialdom, are you dreaming? Regardless of what could happen in the future, what about now? Look at the kind of life our daughter is leading. The Han family is such a modest household that they couldn’t even afford a proper wedding. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect my daughter to marry in such a disheartened way.”

Saying this, An Family felt her heart break, and she heartily dabbed at her tears with her handkerchief. Master Su felt helpless as he tried to comfort his wife, “Well, isn’t there a saying that one must endure hardship before enjoying prosperity? Our daughter’s good days are yet to come, don’t be like this. Today is the day our daughter returns, and she would feel heartache seeing you this way.”

“Heartache, what heartache? Aren’t you aware of your daughter’s temperament? When we forced her into the bridal sedan chair, she must have been resenting us deeply. I was even worried whether she would come back today. None of the men in this family can give me peace of mind. I must have owed you all in my previous life!” Even though An Family spoke thus, her steps hastened as she moved to go outside, with Master Su cheerfully following behind.

As they say, as one draws near to their hometown, they become fearful. It was only now that Su Wenyue truly understood the meaning of this phrase. Standing at the entrance to the Su Family’s estate, she found herself unable to take a step forward, simply standing there stupefied, gazing at the large signboard before her that read “Su Mansion”. A surge of feelings welled up in her heart as she thought of her father’s and mother’s faces and voices, as if her life had passed by in many years.

In her previous life, besides the child she had abandoned, the people she had let down the most were her family members who had doted on her since she was young. While she was in the mansion, she had someone inquire about her family and, knowing that they were well, she never disturbed them—just silently keeping tabs until she was framed and killed by the Mistress. She didn’t even know if her parents had received any news of it..

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