Liang Xu saw the embarrassed look on her face and immediately knew he was right. “Madam Shen, I mentioned earlier to Qing that her husband has health issues, so coming here is pointless.”
“I know. I came today with my mother-in-law, just to find some peace of mind,” Shen Youran replied.
Liang Xu had previously heard from his own sister that Shen Youran’s mother-in-law was difficult to get along with.
Originally, because of the issue with offspring, she had forced Shen Youran’s husband, Pei Huaijin, to take a concubine, which led Shen Youran to return to her natal home.
Now, the great lady of the Pei family had brought her daughter-in-law to the temple to pray for a child, clearly blaming Shen Youran for their lack of offspring.
“Madam Shen, does your mother-in-law not know whose fault this really is?”
From her mother-in-law’s recent change in attitude toward her, Shen Youran guessed that she must be aware.
But this matter was clearly unsuitable for discussing with others, so Shen Youran tactfully said, “Young Master Liang, this is my family’s private affair.”
“Madam Shen, you need not wrong yourself. I have already faced many difficulties because of this matter. According to the law, having no children is considered grounds for divorce, one of the seven reasons for dismissal. If the wife is at fault, the husband can divorce and remarry. But if it’s the husband’s fault, shouldn’t the wife have the right to do the same? I hope Madam Shen can cut her losses in time…”
“Please, Young Master Liang, don’t persuade me any further. I don’t think this is serious enough to end our marriage…” Pei Huaijin’s current child was perfectly healthy.
Not having another child was just bad luck; they had plenty of time ahead. She firmly believed that within three to five years, they would have a child.
Since he refused to listen to her kind advice, Liang Xu could only feel helpless and sorrowful. “Madam Shen, life is long. You can completely choose someone better to entrust your life to…”
After finishing her talk with the Master about the prayer for children, Mrs. Zhu came out to find Shen Youran, only to see her speaking with a man in the courtyard.
The man was tall and muscular, with slightly dark skin — clearly a martial artist.
He lowered his head, speaking to Shen Youran with furrowed, sharp brows, his expression somewhat intriguing.
Mrs. Zhu approached and overheard him say something about “cutting losses.” Then, as she got closer, she heard another sentence: “You can completely choose someone better to entrust your life to.”
Just these two sentences made Mrs. Zhu suspicious of their unusual relationship.
“Youran, who is this young master?” Mrs. Zhu walked over, her expression darkening.
Startled by her mother-in-law’s sudden appearance, Shen Youran was caught off guard. “Mother-in-law, this is Liang Liu Lang from the Town Guard General’s mansion.”
Her startled look appeared guilty to Mrs. Zhu, and the man’s identity stirred doubt in her heart. “So he is Liang Liu Lang…”
Although Mrs. Zhu rarely went out for social affairs due to her health, she knew very well how many outstanding young men were in the capital. Liang Liu Lang of the Liang family was one of them.
Since Meng Wanxin had been deceived into a marriage by the Lin family of the Changxing Marquis’s mansion, Mrs. Zhu had taken her in and was eager to find a good match for her. Liang Liu Lang of the Town Guard General’s mansion had once been under Mrs. Zhu’s consideration.
But messengers reported that Liang Liu Lang was very picky; he had seen many girls and rejected them all. He had even considered Shen Youran before.
Though Shen Youran’s temperament was somewhat indifferent, Mrs. Zhu had to admit her beauty was exceptional — few in the capital could rival her.
If Liang Liu Lang rejected Shen Youran, then he must be highly discerning, and surely Meng Wanxin, whose appearance and family background were inferior to Shen Youran’s, had no chance with him.
So Mrs. Zhu never thought much more about Liang Liu Lang.
Unexpectedly, now her own daughter-in-law had caught his eye.
Could it be that after viewing all the other girls, he found Shen Youran to be the most beautiful and was trying to come back for a second look?
That would not do.
Mrs. Zhu pulled Shen Youran aside and scolded her sharply. “Young Master Liang, this is a sacred place of the Buddhist temple. Don’t entertain greed or covet what is not yours…”
“Madam, you’ve misunderstood. I only have good intentions.”
“Good intentions? They say it’s better to tear down ten temples than to break one marriage. Yet here you are, encouraging my daughter-in-law to separate. How is that good intention?”
“I’m doing this for her own good. Madam, your bringing her here to pray for children is futile. The problem doesn’t lie with her.”
“Silence!” How could he know about this? Mrs. Zhu’s face changed, and she turned to Shen Youran, “How can this matter be spoken to others?”
“It wasn’t me,” Shen Youran took the scolding unfairly and said innocently, “He found out even earlier than I did.”
Mrs. Zhu glared at her. “Let’s go home!”
On the way back, Shen Youran explained the situation to Mrs. Zhu.
Mrs. Zhu hadn’t expected that someone already knew about this—and it was a man who liked Shen Youran. If this got out, how could her son live with his head held high in the future?
The only solution was for Shen Youran to conceive soon. Once that happened, even if there were rumors, they would collapse on their own.
“Youran, I’m sorry. I was too emotional earlier.” Mrs. Zhu took her hand and apologized. “You need to be more careful about getting pregnant. I have already found a folk remedy and we just prayed to Buddha today. Hopefully, you will conceive soon…”
Of course, the remedy wasn’t meant for her.
When Pei Huaijin learned what it was for, he said, “It’s useless,” and dumped the medicine.
After three days of dumping the medicine, Mrs. Zhu called him to Haitang Garden and forced him to drink the last dose through soft and hard means. Unexpectedly, after returning home that night, he suffered from unrelenting abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea through the night, then developed a high fever. When the doctor came, he said Pei Huaijin’s pulse was abnormal, showing signs of poisoning…
Upon closer examination, it was confirmed—he was poisoned.
Mrs. Zhu thought the folk remedy she had prayed for was the cause of the poisoning and, terrified by the consequences, wailed and wept, “That damned pharmacist! Selling fake medicine was bad enough, but poison? How could they?”
Pei Huaijin watched his grieving mother and confided in her, “Mother, don’t blame yourself. The poison in my body has been there for a long time; it’s not because of that remedy.”
At most, the remedy upset his stomach, but his poisoning caused the severe reaction.
Hearing this, Mrs. Zhu and Shen Youran were stunned. “When did you get poisoned?”
Originally, Pei Huaijin wanted to keep it hidden longer, but now that it was out, he could no longer conceal it.
“Before the New Year, at the Southern Imperial Hospital, I was shot with an arrow. The arrow was poisoned…”
At this moment, Shen Youran realized she had misunderstood his condition all along. What Qingkou called “in three to five years his health would fail” didn’t mean he was incurable. It meant his body would completely collapse in three to five years, leaving him bedridden with chronic illness and fragile bones, so fragile that even a small cold could take his life.
That damned Qingkou. If he had been clear from the start, she never would have chased after having children with him, causing him to squander his health so recklessly.
Shen Youran wiped her tears and ran outside to find Qingkou in the courtyard, giving him a good scolding.
Afterward, she lost all composure, squatting on the ground crying, “What can we do, Qingkou? The doctor said his poisoning is incurable…”
Qingkou didn’t know how to comfort her and silently handed over his handkerchief.
At that moment, Pei Huaian, Pei Huaijin’s elder brother who had heard of his illness, hurried over from Gengyun Court. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Shen Youran crouched on the ground, crying uncontrollably.
Qingkou’s handkerchief was soaked from tears. Pei Huaian handed her his own and helped her up. “Why are you crying like this?”
Youran was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, and after squatting for a long time, she suddenly felt dizzy upon standing. Instinctively, she grabbed his arm to avoid falling.
Her black eyes blurred by tears, Pei Huaian looked at the woman before him, barely able to open her eyes from crying. Memories of her childhood flooded his mind.
When they were children, before he was sent to Quanzhou, he had stayed at the Shen mansion with her for a while.
Back then, she was forced apart from her birth mother and cried loudly in the courtyard every day.
He lived next door, cared for by his wet nurse, unaware that he had a different father now.
His wet nurse forbade him from leaving the courtyard, but he was curious why the little girl next door cried so much. So, when the wet nurse wasn’t looking, he sneaked out to see the crying girl.
She was as beautiful and lovely as a snow maiden, crying wildly in the arms of an older nanny, writhing like a struggling fish.
He approached, and the nanny released her, pointing at him. “Your Elder Brother is here. Call your Elder Brother.”
She opened her swollen eyes a sliver, glanced at him, and burst into louder sobs. “He’s not my Elder Brother.”
At that time, he wondered when he had gotten a little sister in the Pei family.
But he didn’t think much then—her crying was giving him a headache, so he went over and hugged her. “Don’t cry. I’ll play with you…”
Lost in thought, Pei Huaian’s large hand gently cupped the back of her head, softly pressing the exhausted child against his chest.
Qingkou frowned, eyes sharpening. “Seventh Young Master, this is inappropriate.”
He suddenly realized she was no longer the little third sister from memory, and he wasn’t her elder brother.
“Sorry,” he hurriedly helped her up, a bit embarrassed. “I’m going to check on big brother. Your eyes aren’t good; don’t cry anymore.”
Pei Huaijin took the medicine and slept drowsily all day. By evening, his health seemed to have stabilized.
Shen Youran had cried in the courtyard earlier today. Unable to accept his poisoning, her frustration and heartache worsened her eyesight, making her eyes ache and sting, though some fumigation helped.
The couple lay together in bed as Pei Huaijin spoke of their future plans.
“A few days ago, Liang Xu came to see me, urging me to let you go…”
“Don’t listen to him,” Shen Youran rested her head on his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat. “Mother-in-law already scolded him at the temple.”
“Liang Xu is straightforward and stubborn, but his character is decent…”
“Why are you saying this?” Shen Youran pinched his side. “Do you want me to marry him instead?”
“He’s not the best choice. The first person I thought of was Xiao Ci, but he likes your sister…”
Youran looked up, surprised. “Lord Xiao likes my sister?”
“Mm, but your sister has already rejected him,” Pei Huaijin recalled the disappointed look on Xiao Ci’s face when he met him for drinks, “twice, actually.”
“When was this? I didn’t know.”
“Let’s not talk about that now,” Pei Huaijin stroked her shoulders and continued, “I originally planned to let you go in a couple of years, but that feels selfish. Keeping you longer means it’ll be harder to find someone like Liang Xu later. It’s better to divorce now.”
“What are you saying?” Shen Youran bit his lips. “Divorce is impossible, unless you die!”
“If you die, at least five years…”
“Pah, pah, pah! Stop talking! Save that mouth for kissing me, won’t you?”