Chapter 29: Too Beautiful for a Quiet Life

By the time Yu Tingwan finished sweeping the courtyard, dusk was approaching, and she was drenched in sweat.

That’s when Li Lian arrived.

Yu Tingwan’s heart stirred, and she hurried over. “Auntie, is there another marriage prospect?”

Li Lian was direct: “I don’t have any suitable candidates at the moment.”

The light in Yu Tingwan’s eyes dimmed.

She spoke dryly, “Then please keep looking.”

Li Lian: …

“These things can’t be rushed.”

“My neighbor is eager to arrange a match, but he’s a widower with two children. Should I introduce him to you?”

Yu Tingwan: …

That’s a no.

She had no desire to be a stepmother.

Li Lian continued, “There’s another who’s never married, though he’s had several failed engagements.”

Yu Tingwan perked up. “Was there something wrong with him?”

Li Lian shook her head.

“Not exactly.”

“He’s a fine young man—hardworking and reliable. Lives with just his widowed mother, who’s known for being reasonable.”

“Both mother and son are kind and generous. When I visited their home, they even gave me a handful of melon seeds.”

Yu Tingwan grew interested. “In that case—”

Before she could finish, Li Lian sighed.

“But he’s ill-fated.”

“His first fiancée drowned, the second died of illness, and the third—they were about to marry, the date was set and everything, when tragedy struck again.”

Yu Tingwan spoke slowly, “Is that so? Well, if he has bad luck and I have bad luck, that sounds like quite the match.”

Li Lian: …

She knew this would happen!

Yu Tingwan smiled. “I don’t believe in such things.”

She looked at Li Lian confidently. “Besides, who’s to say who dooms whom?”

Li Lian glared at her. “What nonsense! He’s known for bringing misfortune to wives. After all these incidents, no young woman dares speak to him.”

“I know you have your own mind—you’ll say these were just coincidences and that as long as he’s a good person, you don’t care. But I absolutely won’t bring him to meet you.”

Li Lian had been speaking in hushed tones since entering the courtyard, mindful of Yu Tingwan’s reputation.

While their neighbor Hui Niang couldn’t hear, Wei Zhao’s martial arts training had given him sharper hearing than most.

Not that he cared about others’ affairs.

He turned over, lying down listlessly.

Hui Niang noticed and felt her heart sink.

During their time together, Wei Zhao had seemed to harbor a death wish. Nothing interested him, as if nothing in the world could stir him.

When reminded to eat, he’d take a few perfunctory bites. If not prompted, he wouldn’t even open his mouth.

Since Xiao Niang passed, she feared he would abandon her too.

Next door, Yu Tingwan understood Li Lian was looking out for her. Seeing her firm stance, she sighed dramatically. “Really impossible?”

“Impossible.”

Yu Tingwan looked genuinely disappointed.

“Are my standards too high?”

Li Lian: …

No, your standards were already incredibly low.

It all came down to Yu Tingwan’s background.

Li Lian had been making tireless efforts on her behalf lately.

Given her status and reputation for honesty, villagers from several nearby villages were willing to show her respect.

When she vouched for Yu Tingwan as a good, capable girl, people believed her.

Everything had seemed promising at first.

But when they heard about Yu Tingwan’s falling out with Madam Wang, they became hesitant.

Who wouldn’t want to marry into a scholar’s family? Seeing that Yu Tingwan had moved out instead of reconciling, and with Hu Dazhu not returning to take her back, it seemed clear there would be no further ties. Who would want to get involved in that mess?

Li Lian didn’t want to be too direct, so she simply said, “You’re too striking.”

Yu Tingwan understood. In a quiet voice, she responded, “So I don’t look like I come from a proper family, and potential in-laws worry I won’t stay in line as a wife?”

She wasn’t upset. Instead, she asked gently, “Then what did you come to tell me, Auntie?”

That actually reminded Li Lian.

She slapped her thigh. “Look at me! Talking about this, I almost forgot the real matter.”

Yu Tingwan couldn’t imagine anything more important than her marriage prospects. But seeing Li Lian’s suddenly serious expression, she held her breath, expecting something major.

Then came the news—

“Your sister-in-law gave birth last night.”

Yu Tingwan: ???

That’s it?

“She fell during the night, nearly had complications.”

“Your aunt was wailing like a ghost. The neighbors heard the commotion and saw your sister-in-law bleeding. They rushed to find a midwife without delay.”

Li Lian shook her head. “The rain was pouring last night, and the roads were treacherous. Aunt Wu was in such a hurry she fell on the way.”

By the time they got the midwife to the Hu household, Aunt Wu was soaked through.

“Your aunt didn’t even thank her. Instead, she blamed her for being slow and threatened to hold her responsible if anything happened to the child.”

Yu Tingwan: …

That was exactly like Aunt Wang.

Li Lian continued, “With the birth happening inside, everything was chaos. Your Aunt Wu was furious but couldn’t argue at such a time, so she left without staying to help.”

That was Madam Wang’s own doing.

Without Yu Tingwan to order around, Madam Wang had to do everything herself—boiling water, cooking eggs to replenish Xiao Xu’s strength.

Li Lian spoke of Madam Wang with evident disdain.

She was just lucky to have a scholar for a son; otherwise, what was there to look up to?

“They say the baby was in distress, and even the midwife was at her wit’s end. Your aunt screamed to save the child, but fortunately, your sister-in-law pulled through.”

Yu Tingwan: …

She figured Xiao Xu must have been so angered by Aunt Wang that sheer rage kept her alive.

Before she was even dead, Aunt Wang was already thinking about finding Hu Dalang another wife.

How could Xiao Xu accept that quietly?

Li Lian added, “But it was a girl.”

When Madam Wang saw it wasn’t a boy, her face darkened, and she berated Xiao Xu for being useless. After all that care and food, she’d produced a worthless burden!

After the midwife left, Xiao Xu still had no milk, and the newborn was crying from hunger, but Madam Wang abandoned both mother and daughter, not even holding the crying child, and stormed back to her room.

Li Lian said, “I’m telling you this so you know to stay away from the Hu household for now.”

She warned, “Your aunt is unreasonable, and with no man in charge at home, she might take her anger out on you if given the chance. Best to avoid her entirely.”

Yu Tingwan nodded. “Understood.”

She’d have to be crazy to go back.

Then Li Lian noticed something odd.

She had been talking for so long her mouth was dry, but the young woman’s reaction was unnaturally calm, showing no surprise whatsoever.

She hadn’t even asked a single question throughout.

“How can you be so unconcerned about such a matter?”

Yu Tingwan blinked.

“Why should I be?”

She was genuinely puzzled. “It’s not my baby.”

That reasoning was… irrefutable.

Li Lian sighed. “Your sister-in-law treated you poorly, and now she’s suffered for it. Even if it’s not right, if it were me, I’d feel at least a little satisfied.”

Yu Tingwan couldn’t exactly say she’d already celebrated in advance.

Under Li Lian’s suspicious gaze, she made an effort to feign emotion.

She hesitated before forcing out two words—

“Ha… ha?”