Chapter 22: Returning to Her Maiden Home (Part 4)

When Wen Lan heard Lin Furong’s mother giving orders, she suddenly remembered the hunter’s warning from the night before. Clearly, the hunter knew this village’s ways all too well. Sure enough, a married daughter was treated like a servant—and they even expected her husband to work like a laborer too.

That wouldn’t do.

So Wen Lan said frankly to Mother Lin, “Asking the hunter to bring two wild chickens for Mid-Autumn Festival? Do you want the gossipy villagers to tell him every nasty rumor the Meng family has spread about me?”

“…They wouldn’t, would they?” Mother Lin said with some guilt. The women in the village had indeed spent plenty of time gossiping in front of her recently—their tone and looks made it seem as if the entire Lin family were a joke.

“Why wouldn’t they?” Wen Lan answered firmly. “That hunter gave such a heavy betrothal gift in front of everyone today. There are definitely people in the village who are jealous. And once jealousy starts, slander follows. What if the hunter comes and they start talking behind his back?”

“Elder Sister is right,” fourteen-year-old Lin Hehua stepped up to stand beside Wen Lan. “That hunter is way better than that old pervert Wang. Mom, don’t ruin this marriage.”

“Ay, I… I just wanted to meet my future son-in-law. You say he won’t be coming for Mid-Autumn Festival, but surely he’ll come to escort you for the wedding, right? He’s not planning to skip the marriage ceremony altogether, is he?”

Wen Lan replied, “It’s not that he wants to skip it. It’s that we want him to skip it.”

Then she pretended to look shy and said coyly, “Anyway, I’m already his wife now. Whether he comes to escort me or not isn’t that important.”

“That won’t do.” This time it was Lin Furong’s father who spoke. The man, who looked rather thin and frail, shook his head and said, “Xiao Rong, this is your life’s most important matter. We can’t be so careless!”

Wen Lan really wanted to say: when they rushed to marry Lin Furong off to that old pervert Wang, how come no one said they were being careless? But now that it’s a hunter, suddenly everyone’s acting cautious.

But calming herself, she understood Father Lin’s feelings. His daughter had been ridiculed by the villagers—it must have been humiliating for a father. Now that there was a chance to hold his head high again, how could he pass it up?

What they didn’t know was that the hunter wasn’t an ordinary man. The only reason he agreed to the marriage was likely due to that meddlesome “matchmaker” by his side.

She, Wen Lan, was just lucky.

“Dad!” Wen Lan turned to Father Lin, then quickly corrected herself, “I mean, Father. I understand how you feel. I was wrong before—I listened to Meng Qiancheng and made a terrible mistake. But heaven has eyes and let me meet the hunter, who saved me from disaster. Still, I can’t let him be mocked by villagers because of me.”

“How would he be mocked?” Father Lin didn’t get it. But to be fair, for a peasant man, these were complex issues to grasp.

Wen Lan helped him understand. “Father, do you remember how the villagers talked about me before? If the hunter hears those things, do you think he’ll feel proud to have married me?”

“That’s true,” Mother Lin finally realized. Clutching her husband’s arm, she said, “If that hunter finds out Xiao Rong once tried to elope with Meng Qiancheng and ends up backing out of the marriage, we’ll be completely disgraced.”

Father Lin didn’t speak, but his face clearly showed displeasure. He glanced at Wen Lan coldly, then scolded her in a low voice, “You silly girl. That Meng family had such a huge scandal. Meng Laosan practically begged to get Meng Qiancheng engaged to that Yin girl. Do you think he’d really run off with you at such a crucial moment?”

“I wasn’t the one who wanted to elope.” Wen Lan knew clearly—whether from Lin Furong’s memories or from hearing Meng Qiancheng and Sun Dafu’s conversation—that it was Meng Qiancheng who had proposed running away.

“Doesn’t matter who brought it up. You packed your things and waited at the edge of the village—that fact can’t be erased.” Father Lin was likely recalling the arrogant faces of the Meng family when they dragged Lin Furong back. He still hadn’t gotten over it.

Wen Lan realized that Lin Furong’s decision to keep that rendezvous had indeed caused her parents to lose face. That shame probably haunted them and made it hard to lift their heads in the village.

So now they hoped the hunter would come with fanfare to marry Lin Furong—both to restore the Lin family’s reputation and to salvage hers.

Poor parents—always worrying for their children.

Wen Lan could understand, but the reality didn’t allow it.

She could only try persuading them again. “Father, Mother! I was unfilial before and caused you shame. But please believe me, I won’t make the same mistake again. I will live a good life from now on.”

Not just a good life—an outstanding one. Wen Lan made a silent vow in her heart.

Father Lin was slightly moved.

Wen Lan decided to press a little more. She held his thin arm and gently pleaded, “Father, it was actually my idea to keep the hunter away from the village. I just think, with my current situation, having a big wedding would be inappropriate—it would draw too much attention.”

“Too much attention?” Father Lin seemed confused by the new term. Not only did he not understand this fresh phrase, he also didn’t understand how his daughter, who had only been away two days, suddenly came back full of ideas.

The Lin Furong of the past was always someone who did whatever her parents told her. She rarely had thoughts of her own. Otherwise, how would Meng Qiancheng have talked her into running away so easily?

“Xiao Fu, what’s going on with you?” Father Lin asked in confusion.