Chapter 88 : Wanting Her to Be a Widow

After finalizing the dowry, Song Ying wrote a letter and handed it to Faer.

“Give this to the medicine shopkeeper, he’ll know what to do once he reads it.”

Faer went out and soon came back again.

“Princess, what was in that letter? After he read it, his eyes got bigger than a cow’s, and then he started laughing like crazy, it scared me!”

Song Ying replied, “Now that I’ve received the imperial reward and reclaimed the property my mother left behind, I’m naturally short on manpower.”

Faer looked suspicious. “But I noticed you didn’t take everything back?”

Song Ying smiled. “My mother never had much money. She bought whatever she liked on impulse, which is why she ended up with so many mediocre things…”

Han Zhu had scolded her mother about that many times, but Madam Han had never been able to change her ways.

Song Ying added, “The ones I picked may look unprofitable or abandoned now, but when my mother was alive, they were the most valuable properties.”

“The letter I had you deliver to the pharmacist includes all their names. These people were the original experts managing those estates and shops.”

“After my mother passed away, they all chose to leave. Though the Marquis’s estate continued to function, it was no longer as thriving as it once was. Eventually, I didn’t have the energy to take care of it either.”

Faer was stunned. “Will those people really come back?”

Song Ying replied, “Now that these properties are in my hands again, of course they’ll return. Each of them received kindness from my mother.”

Faer nodded earnestly. “If the Marquis’s household sees these places thriving under your management, won’t they try to take them back?”

Song Ying said calmly, “The Song family has never had a sense of shame. I’m a member of the Song family too, I can be shameless if I have to. What do you think?”

Faer clapped her hands. “When two thick-skinned people go head-to-head, neither will back down!”

Song Ying reached out and pinched her cheek. “I’d better focus on losing some face weight first.”

—

According to Dayin custom, the couple couldn’t see each other the day before the wedding.

So Han Zhu invited Huo Zhen to Shangyue Tower for a private dinner two days before the ceremony.

Two small jars of wine sat on the table.

“General Huo…”

Huo Zhen quickly interrupted, “You’re Aying’s uncle and therefore my uncle too. Just call me Huo Zhen.”

Han Zhu gave him his first point of approval in his heart.

“In that case, I’ll call you Huo Zhen. Huo Zhen…”

“Yes, Uncle, go ahead.”

Han Zhu placed a hand on Huo Zhen’s shoulder. “I can tell you truly care for our Aying. She lost her mother young and lived a hard life in the Song family. She thought marrying Yue Shaozhi would bring her some warmth, but look what happened…”

Huo Zhen said seriously, “Uncle, please don’t worry. I swear, if I ever betray Aying, I—”

Han Zhu quickly waved his hand to stop him. “No, no, no. You’re about to get married, don’t say such unlucky things. Besides, what’s the use of swearing oaths these days?”

Song Jinzhuo also made promises when he married Han, and look how that turned out.

Huo Zhen took the initiative to pour wine for both of them. “Let me toast you first, no need for more words.”

Seeing Huo Zhen drink so heartily, Han Zhu praised him again. “Good! I like your personality. Tonight, let’s drink until we drop!”

Huo Zhen grinned, “Uncle, Aying told me we shouldn’t drink too much, just enough to enjoy ourselves.”

Han Zhu gave him a thumbs up. “Now that’s a good kid. Aying really didn’t choose wrong.”

Huo Zhen even used a few tricks that Song Ying taught him, making Han Zhu burst into laughter. Their bond grew stronger naturally.

Huo Zhen paid for the meal himself and even bought an extra jar of wine for Han Zhu to take home.

Han Zhu was so happy that his praise for Huo Zhen practically doubled, almost to the point of calling him “brother.”

As they left the restaurant, Huo Zhen was about to help the tipsy Han Zhu to his carriage when suddenly, another carriage rushed toward them.

“Watch out!”

Huo Zhen shielded Han Zhu and let out a grunt as his arm was cut by the edge of the carriage.

He held back a curse and glared at the carriage. “Who is it?!”

The carriage slowly came to a stop, and the person inside peeked out, looking embarrassed. “Oh, so it’s General Huo. My apologies, I was in a rush to get home and didn’t see clearly.”

Huo Zhen clenched his fists as he stared at Wen Jun’s face, it was the kind that seemed to be begging for a slap.

Wen Jun added, “Oh? Isn’t that Uncle of Aying? Uncle—!”

The tone was overly familiar, as if he’d been calling him that all his life.

Huo Zhen and Han Zhu’s faces immediately darkened.

‘Who the hell told you to call him ‘uncle’?!’

Wen Jun, ever shameless, got out of the carriage and apologized with a fake smile, “Uncle, I’m truly sorry about earlier. I really was in a hurry. Uncle, where are you headed? Let me give you a ride.”

Han Zhu looked at Wen Jun. Even if he had seen him before, he couldn’t remember anymore.

He turned to Huo Zhen and asked, “Who is this?”

Huo Zhen replied with a sneer, “Just a playboy.”

Han Zhu gave an “oh” and didn’t bother to speak further. He pulled Huo Zhen with him and said, “Let’s go home.”

Wen Jun quickly stepped forward to block their way. “Uncle, you’re heading home? It’s along my route. Let me take you.”

Huo Zhen growled, “Wen Jun, is there something wrong with your eyes? Can’t you see we already have a carriage?”

Wen Jun glanced at the carriage with disdain. “General Huo’s carriage is too shabby. As the future husband of the princess, is that the kind of gift you offer your uncle-in-law?”

Huo Zhen was about to explode, but Han Zhu stopped him and said to Wen Jun, “Thank you for the kind offer, sir. But I have no need for any of that. Goodbye, goodbye.”

Wen Jun still wouldn’t give up. “But Uncle hasn’t even sat beside me, how would he know I’m not better? General Huo is just a brute. How can he possibly know how to be considerate to his elders?”

“Wen Jun!”

This guy was clearly here to stir up trouble!

Wen Jun swiftly stepped aside. “Oh my, General Huo’s going to hit me now? Go ahead, do it. Let your uncle see what you’re really like. And if that fist one day lands on Aying, tsk tsk tsk… poor Aying…”

Han Zhu had seen plenty of men like this. Though Wen Jun had a handsome appearance, his heart was completely rotten.

He held back Huo Zhen, said “goodbye” to Wen Jun, and got into the carriage without another word.

Wen Jun stood still, his expression fading, replaced by a cold stare as he watched the carriage disappear into the distance.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the knife in his hand, its blade glinting coldly in the night.

Red liquid slowly dripped from the edge of the blade onto the ground.

If Huo Zhen had made the first move, he would’ve stabbed him right in the neck and turned Song Ying into a widow.

Wen Jun muttered, “What a pity…”

—

At that very moment, Song Ying, who was just about to enjoy a late-night snack, suddenly sneezed. “A-choo! Uh…”

Faer: “Princess?”

Song Ying: “It’s fine. Just an itchy nose.”

Hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Faer stood up to check. “It’s my uncle.”

Han Zhu entered the room and went straight to the point: “Go check on Huo Zhen, he just got hit by a carriage.”

Song Ying immediately put down her chopsticks and headed to Han Zhu’s courtyard.

When Huo Zhen saw her, his face lit up with joy.

Song Ying asked, “What happened?”

Huo Zhen pointed to the scratch on his arm and said, “Uncle’s just being overly cautious, it’s only a small cut.”

Han Zhu added, “There was a man named Wen Jun. His carriage suddenly charged at us. If it weren’t for Huo Zhen, I’d have been thrown across the street.”