"You actually helped a stranger? I'm going to tell Auntie." Seeing the growing crowd and the judgmental stares, Jin Baozhu felt her pride deeply wounded. She stomped her foot, turned, and ran off, covering her face.
"Your cousin is crying, aren't you going to comfort her?" Wu Caiwei, who had observed his earlier awkwardness, noted that he wasn't entirely unaffected. She playfully tested him with her words.
"It's nothing, don't mind her. My cousin is a bit willful. I apologize to you on her behalf for any offense." Li Yuheng, who usually disliked talking to women, found himself wanting to chat more with the woman in front of him.
"Your apology lacks sincerity. Aren't you going to invite me to sit in the teahouse next door?" Wu Caiwei teased him.
In the past, many women had thrown themselves at him, and he had found it bothersome. He disliked even being glanced at. Yet, being looked at by this woman made his face flush and his heart race, filling him with a sense of happiness.
"It was my oversight. Please."
They sat in the teahouse. Wu Caiwei subtly probed for information. After all, he was the man she was to marry, and she needed to understand his background to handle him properly.
"My family situation is rather complicated. My mother died during childbirth when I was born. My family always said I was fated to be unlucky and had caused my mother's death. Later, my father remarried and had a son. They focused all their attention on that brother, and I became invisible in the family. Depriving me of food and clothing became commonplace. Unfortunately, my stepmother's son fell ill and died not long ago. They then began to try and win me over. The woman just now is my stepmother's niece." Li Yuheng looked at her nervously, sharing his situation, afraid she would disdain him for being a bringer of misfortune.
"You look like a scholar. Are you still studying?" Wu Caiwei found the situation manageable after hearing his story; it wasn't overly complicated.
"Yes, I forgot to tell you. I qualified as a Xiucai a few years ago and plan to take the Imperial examination next year. If possible, I'd like to go further." Li Yuheng said cautiously. Although his tutor assured him his results guaranteed him a place in the higher examination, he was afraid of being too presumptuous.
After that, they chatted about everything under the sun, finding themselves increasingly congenial and regretting not meeting sooner.
From then on, whenever he had free time, Li Yuheng would ask her out.
Under Liu Yu's persistent entanglement, Li Youcai lived an honest life in the village for a few days, helping her with chores daily.
One day, finding some free time, he hurried to the county town. On his way, he pondered how to approach Wu Caiwei upon meeting her, so as not to be driven away or beaten.
As he reached the entrance of the shop, he saw Wu Caiwei smiling and talking to a man. Moments later, she entered a carriage hand in hand with the man. Anyone with eyes could see their unusual relationship.
In an instant, Li Youcai felt betrayed. His anger surged, and he quickly stepped forward, blocking the carriage.
"Sun Yuanyue, you unchaste woman! Flaunting yourself with another man in broad daylight, and then getting into the same carriage? How shameless!" He had prepared many apologetic words, but now, feeling betrayed, Li Youcai was consumed by rage.
Li Yuheng, having learned about Wu Caiwei's situation, got out of the carriage and slapped him several times.
"Watch your mouth. You are divorced, and moreover, you were the one who made mistakes. If you continue to tarnish her reputation, I will teach you a lesson on how to behave."
"You scoundrel! Messing around with someone else's wife. You don't look like you can't find a wife; why are you after a divorced woman with a child?" Li Youcai wanted to retaliate, but reason prevailed. Judging by the man's attire, his family background was far from ordinary.
"You are long divorced and have no relationship with her. What I do with her is none of your business. Someone like you doesn't deserve her; she deserves better. Now, I'll teach you some manners." With that, Li Yuheng began to fight.
The street was bustling with people, and soon a crowd gathered to watch the spectacle. The incident naturally reached the Li manor.
After disciplining Li Youcai, they went out for their outing as usual, unaffected by the encounter.
Li Yuheng escorted Wu Caiwei home as always. As soon as he entered the main gate, a servant invited him to the main hall.
His father and stepmother sat there sternly, clearly having waited for a long time. He didn't greet them and simply found a seat, then began to leisurely eat the pastries on the table.
"You unfilial wretch! Is there any son as unfilial as you? Not even a greeting for your father and mother? And today, you've disgraced the family publicly!" Li Father, seeing his nonchalant attitude, slammed the table and exclaimed angrily.
"Mother? My mother is dead. Can she come back to life? People I've barely seen since childhood can't be called father. Many people on the street could be my father." Li Yuheng said flippantly.
"You, you, you'll be the death of me! Aren't you afraid I'll spread what you've said and done, ruin your reputation, and prevent you from ever becoming a scholar?" Li Qingyuan was almost suffocated by his son's defiance and couldn't help but threaten him.
"If you're willing, then go ahead. I don't care anyway." Li Yuheng knew he wouldn't dare. His father valued the imperial examinations above all else and was determined to bring glory to the Li family. He deliberately spoke to provoke him.
"I'm about to be angered to death by you, my rebellious son! And what's with that woman who has a child? You must explain this to me clearly today. Baozhu is such a good girl. If you don't like her, fine, but why must you find a divorced woman?" Li Father, trying to calm himself, quickly asked the question he most wanted answered.
"Her name is Wu Caiwei. She is divorced and has a daughter. I believe you have already investigated thoroughly. I solemnly tell you, I will marry her with a grand sedan chair." Li Yuheng said earnestly.
Li Qingyuan looked at his son's sincere expression and felt a jolt. The thing he feared most had happened.
"Absurd! Utterly preposterous! How can such a woman be worthy of you? If you don't like Baozhu, we can find another suitable match, one that satisfies you. If you marry her, you will be ridiculed. When you become a Jinshi and an official, everyone will laugh behind your back!" Li Qingyuan earnestly reasoned with his son.
"I just like her. Anyone who dares to mock her, I will defend. What if it affects my career? At worst, I won't be an official. I'll just come back and open a private school, teach, and do anything as long as I'm with her." Li Yuheng truly felt this way. In previous years, he believed the imperial examinations were the most important thing in his life. But since meeting Wu Caiwei, he realized that finding someone he loved was more important than anything. If it affected his career, he would simply return to open a private school and teach. As long as he was with her, anything was possible.
Stepmother Madam Li, for once, did not stir up trouble. Seeing her stepson like this, she felt a mix of schadenfreude and worry.
After all, in her old age, she would rely on him. She didn't want to be pointed at when she went out.
The conversation ended unpleasantly. Li Qingyuan saw his son's resolve and decided to seek a breakthrough from Wu Caiwei's side.