Chapter 115: Chen Family’s Past

Chen Feng hugged one of Mrs. Wang’s arms and rested her head on her shoulder, saying, “Mom, I understand. If I can’t trust my own father, who can I trust? In my heart, dad, mom, my brother, Dabao, you all are the dearest to me.”

Hearing this, Dabao also slid down from the heated brick bed, wrapping his arms around Mrs. Wang, and said with a lisp, “Yes, yes, you all are the dearest to Dabao.”

Mrs. Wang smiled, she felt her daughter and grandson had been particularly affectionate towards her recently, and their words were a bit embarrassing. Nevertheless, she enjoyed it.

In her heart, Chen Feng thought that Chen Ming was mild-mannered and especially influenced by Chen Ye. It would be difficult if Chen Ye intervened in certain matters. It seemed that in the future, she needed to keep her own property distinct from that of Chen Ming’s family. It wasn’t because she was afraid of someone coveting her assets, but rather because she didn’t want to hear those “noises” that only added to her troubles.

She then said to Mrs. Wang, “Mom, dad is kind and has a mild temperament. If he starts managing the family business in the future, please remind him to take more care of our family.”

Mrs. Wang nodded with a smile and said, “I know.” She added, “Your father isn’t foolish, he understands certain things.”

Chen Feng replied, “Dad understands, it’s just that sometimes he’s unable to let go of his pride.”

Chen Lu chimed in, “Sister, rest assured, if dad can’t let go of his pride, I’ll remind him.”

After chatting for a while in the east room, the people in the west room hadn’t finished their discussion.

Chen Feng then led Dabao back to the new courtyard. Chen Ming had already promised not to let his wife and children suffer any grievances again, so it was time to see how he would handle things. Regardless of what rumors or thoughts Chen Ye and his son might have heard in the village, she hoped that Chen Ming would be able to protect his family.

…

The autumn night was serene, and the starlight bathed the ground.

In the tranquil courtyard of Tangyuan, Chu Lingxuan sat by the small bed adorned with several swallow plush toys, watching as Chu Hanyan cradled a large swallow plush into slumber. He cherished the sight of his daughter sound asleep, free from any dullness or distress, her features peaceful, occasionally graced by a smile.

He smiled faintly, gently caressing his daughter’s cheek before rising to head to the study.

Steward Luo and his eldest son, Luo Xiao, were still waiting for him.

Steward Luo, upon hearing what Luo Xiao had gathered about the rumors from Xiangluo Village, was greatly perturbed. He expressed his feeling of being caught off guard, unable to recall precisely when he had encountered the new district magistrate, Mr. Chen. It turned out… that some things had been overlooked, not thought through, and now he had to report to his master immediately.

Upon hearing this, Chu Lingxuan was also greatly shocked and hastily remarked, “I’ve always remembered that Mr. Chen’s place of origin was in Huan Province. Over a decade ago, he achieved the top position in the provincial examination and was later appointed as a top scholar in the imperial examination the following year. He was only sixteen at the time, and it was a remarkable achievement. Why has his family’s origins changed to Ji Province, and moreover, they are from the neighboring Zhaojia Village? How could Mr. Chen’s wife’s be his concubine, and when he passed the imperial examination, why did Old Lady Chen expel Mrs. Wang from the Chen family?”

Steward Luo replied, “These are all old matters from over a decade ago. The master was still young then and was in the capital city, so it’s not surprising that he didn’t know. I only came to Tangyuan nine years ago, so I’m not very clear about this matter.”

Luo Xiao bowed and said, “I specifically went to Zhaojia Village this time and spent quite a sum to roughly gather information about that family. Mr. Chen’s place of origin in Huan Province is indeed correct…”

It was said that Mr. Chen’s father was an examinee from Huan Province who, after failing to pass the imperial examination in the capital city, on his way back home, lodged at the home of Mr. Chen’s mother, Zhao, in Zhaojia Village. Unexpectedly, he fell seriously ill that very night and was forced to stay at the Zhao family’s residence. The Zhao family, aware of his status as an examinee, treated him with great respect, providing him with medical treatment, good food, and hospitality.

Having stayed for more than two months and still not fully recovered, Mr. Chen’s father was unable to embark on a long journey. The Zhao family proposed to betroth their daughter to him and allow him to continue his long-term recuperation at their home. Once he recovered, he would return to his hometown or directly proceed to the capital city for the examination after three years.

At that time, Mr. Chen’s father had very little money left, and with both his parents deceased and only a few relatives in his hometown, he decided to redouble his efforts there. He considered it better to strive hard and return to his hometown as a successful scholar. Additionally, seeing that Zhao was still fair-looking and her family was relatively well-off in the countryside, he agreed to the proposal.

The maternal family of Zhao provided funds to build a courtyard in Zhaojia Village, where Mr. Chen married and had children.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Chen’s illness persisted, preventing him from returning home or taking the imperial examination in the capital city. Particularly when his son, Chen Shiying, was five years old, he almost died…

Luo Xiao continued, “During Mr. Chen’s severe illness, Mrs. Zhao heard from a wandering monk that they needed to invite someone born in the Year of the Rabbit from the east to conduct a celebratory ritual at their home, which would heal Mr. Chen’s illness. Mrs. Zhao didn’t want to bring in a woman to become her son’s wife for the ritual, so she found a ten-year-old girl named Wang Juan to act as a concubine for her son. This way, they could conduct the ritual and have help with household chores and child-rearing. At that time, even though Mr. Chen was only five years old, he was already a renowned child prodigy, excelling in his studies. Furthermore, he was exceptionally handsome. Mrs. Zhao paid five taels of silver to bring Wang Juan home without going through an official process. Publicly, Wang Juan was considered a concubine for her son, but in reality, she was a hired servant. This was common in rural areas, where many families waited until their sons were grown up and ready to marry before legalizing the relationship at the county office. However, Mrs. Zhao might have had other intentions… “

“Believe it or not, as soon as Wang Juan entered the Chen household, Mr. Chen, who had been on the verge of death, surprisingly showed signs of improvement and Mr. Chen’s father lived for another four years before passing away. Before his death, he instructed them to return his remains to his place of origin and have his son recognize his ancestry. Mrs. Zhao carried out his wishes, taking her son and Wang Juan back to their hometown. Days after the funeral, they returned to Zhaojia Village, claiming that the Chen family’s relatives had mistreated them as widows and orphans… From then on, they lived permanently in Zhaojia Village, returning to Huan Province only twice when Mr. Chen took the imperial examination and the provincial examination.”

Blah, blah, blah… Luo Xiao relayed all the information he had gathered.

Upon hearing this, Chu Lingxuan coldly snorted, “A woman’s heart is the most venomous! For the sake of her son’s future, that old woman was too calculating. However, I remember that Mr. Chen’s wife’s maiden name was Jiang, the daughter of Mr. Jiang, not Tang.”

Luo Yuan chuckled, “Yes, sir, you’re correct. The daughter of the Tang family only became a concubine. The lady Mr. Chen ultimately married was the second daughter of the Jiang family.”

Chu Lingxuan sneered, “After all the calculations, she made a wedding gown for someone else. The Tang family still couldn’t outmatch the old woman of the Chen family. It’s just unfortunate for Wang Juan, who faithfully served the Chen family for ten years, only to be driven out in such a manner…” He added, “However, Wang Juan was also too hasty. A woman should not serve two husbands. Regardless of Ol Lady Chen’s despicable nature and stepmother’s coercion, she shouldn’t have remarried within ten days. At the very least, she should have waited until Mr. Chen returned home…”

As he spoke, Chu Lingxuan suddenly widened his eyes, surprised, “That, that lady of the Chen family, her appearance, her appearance…