Chapter 10: The Son-in-law
Who would have thought that the beautiful and delicious-looking woman would suddenly transform into a mother-in-law who can only be admired but not consumed, while an unbearably awkward little girl pops up out of nowhere, and in the future, one would have to work hard to support them both, what a huge loss!
Ye Xiaotian never considered himself a bad person, nor is he a principled good person; he is simply an ordinary individual, possessing selfish desires and mixed thoughts, yet he would not harm the innocent for his own benefit
When it came to the term "wife," Ye Xiaotian glanced at the tearful little one and then at the charming and beautiful mother-in-law, feeling quite aggrieved in his heart
As soon as Ye Xiaotian and the others left, Madam Yang found an opportunity to invite her brother, County Magistrate Hu, to the small flower hall in the side room. Upon entering the flower hall, Madam Yang anxiously said: "Brother, how could you be so foolish as to let that little wretch go so easily?"
Young son-in-law is only nineteen years old
Madam Yang said awkwardly: "As a woman, how can I handle such matters alone? There are indeed quite a few who know the truth of this matter. Who knows which one of them might be tempted by great profit in the future and reveal the truth to her? Only by eliminating her can we avoid future troubles"
County Magistrate Hu chuckled and said, "You have traveled a long distance, and you must be weary in both body and mind. Why not stay at the Yang residence for a few days? After you have rested for a while, I will arrange for someone to escort you on your journey."
Ye Xiaotian flexed his wrist and respectfully saluted him, saying: "What the county magistrate has said is indeed correct"
Ye Xiaotian stood still, looking at the beautiful young lady who had only carried a small bundle, a few pieces of clothing, and was almost leaving with nothing. Then he glanced at the little loli beside her, who was adorably gazing at him while sucking her pinky, and suddenly felt a pang in his nose
The beautiful girl lowered her head to look at the little one beside her. The little one, who was diligently gnawing on his pinky finger, quickly withdrew his finger and swiftly darted behind her, hastily wiping his pinky on the hem of his clothing.
County Magistrate Hu nodded and said: "Very well! However, this means that preparing the dowry will be rather rushed."
Madam Yang, feeling helpless, could only softly reveal the great secret that she had kept in her heart for four long years. After she finished speaking, County Magistrate Hu was left in stunned silence.
Mrs. Yang exclaimed anxiously: "How can we accept this? Selling that little wretch to the butcher Mu and keeping Le Yao under control is the best strategy. Now that this caged bird has flown away, if there is any disturbance..."
The gate of the Yang residence opened once, then closed again, sealing tightly once more
Madam Yang lowered her head and said hesitantly: "Sister... there is indeed a matter concerning that little wretch Shui Wu, which is a secret. At the time, it was not my intention to conceal it from my elder brother, but I felt that this matter was not suitable for public discussion. I had not anticipated that my husband would encounter trouble, nor did I foresee the situation we are in today."
At this point, she suddenly realized she had misspoken, abruptly fell silent, her face alternating between red and pale.
County Magistrate Hu's expression fluctuated between dark and light for a while, and he slowly said: "If this matter is kept secret, it is likely that no rumors will spread in the future, right"
After Hu County Magistrate finished speaking, he said in a deep voice: "San Shou, loosen their bindings."
County Magistrate Hu furrowed his brow, glanced at her warily, and said in a deep voice: "What do you mean by a foolproof plan? What signs of trouble? Are you perhaps hiding something from me?"
Upon hearing the words "on the road," Ye Xiaotian's heart skipped a beat. He wished he could escape immediately, not daring to linger here. Who knows if the Yang family would harbor further ill intentions? If they truly intended to kill him, a stranger, and bury him in the wilderness, he would have no place to voice his grievances.
The beautiful and delectable figure, which one absolutely must not eat, gazed at him with a pitiful look, gently biting her lower lip, a hint of bashfulness coloring her face: "Sir... Sir, is your name Ye Xiaotian?"
Mrs. Yang took the letter in surprise and began to read it carefully. Before she had finished reading, she was filled with rage and tore the letter to shreds, saying resentfully: "This old man, even at the point of death, does not forget to make arrangements for his daughter. Hmm? But this letter is completely inconsistent with what that person named Ye said."
Madam Yang gritted her teeth and said softly: "The girl was sold to the butcher Mu precisely because if she were to die in the manor, it would attract too much attention and raise suspicions about me. After all, I have never treated her well, and this is known to all."
Hu County Magistrate is indeed a person who has been tempered in the officialdom; while others are still in a daze, he has already made a decision and is completely awake.
County Magistrate Hu's eyelids slowly drooped, concealing his profound gaze. After a long pause, he gradually raised his eyes and said with a sinister tone: "As for the current situation, the only solution is to find someone to eliminate them! Fortunately, many people saw them leave the Yang residence, so even if we were to eliminate him, it wouldn't fall on us. Moreover, if the bodies are left on the road and their identities are unknown, who could possibly investigate it clearly? Hehe!"
Furthermore, even if this lowly maid were sold off, her little burden, being Yang Lin's flesh and blood, would still have to remain in the residence. It is best this way, bringing everything to a conclusion.
County Magistrate Hu slammed the table and said: "Enough, just tell me, what exactly is going on?"
Ye Xiaotian felt a chill in his heart upon seeing his smile that concealed a dagger, and hurriedly said: "Since you have taken the noble lady as your wife, it is only proper to prepare a betrothal gift. However, the mountains are high and the roads are long, and my family is impoverished, leaving me empty-handed. How can I shamelessly accept a dowry? Let the dowry from the Yang family serve as my betrothal gift instead"
Hu Kua's expression darkened, and he said displeased: "Enough! Stop making a scene! You are being unreasonable. Your husband Yang Lin has already passed away; why must you still be jealous? You are the main wife and should conduct yourself as the mistress of the household. Do you really want to see both sides suffer before you are satisfied?"
County Magistrate Hu cast her a stern glance. Although Madam Yang was filled with dissatisfaction regarding her brother's arrangements, under the circumstances, she found it inappropriate to voice her complaints and could only resentfully remain silent
The young lady can no longer coexist with Shui Wu, but the Yang family is, after all, a prominent clan in Jingzhou. Selling the beloved concubine of the family head to a butcher would undoubtedly attract too much criticism. The reputation of the Yang family is already quite poor, and such actions would be highly inappropriate.
It is only right to honor a promise, especially since the brother-in-law is a husband and a father, and has the authority to make such arrangements; his will must be respected. The brother-in-law stated in his letter that in order to repay a debt of gratitude, he wishes to betroth his daughter to Ye Xiaotian as his wife. Furthermore, due to the daughter's young age, he requests that her mother accompany her. Therefore, this county has determined: Yang Leyao is betrothed to Ye Xiaotian as his wife, and her mother, Xue Shuiwu, will accompany her to the capital.
Five hundred taels of silver is what he is entitled to, yet he did not receive it and was nearly in danger of losing his life. In such circumstances, is it unreasonable to make a compromise and take home a beautiful woman who looks delectable and is sure to be delightful in taste
Upon hearing this, Yang Sanshou hurriedly stepped forward to untie Xue Shuiwu and Ye Xiaotian. Madam Yang furrowed her brows, unable to restrain herself from taking a step closer, and whispered: "Brother ... ... "
Hmm
Upon hearing that sigh, Ye Xiaotian was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of cherishing the delicate and beautiful. However, he quickly reminded himself: "I must not be soft-hearted! I only have a few coins in my pocket, and I don't even know how to return to the capital. How can I take two people who are just eating for free back with me! A husband and wife are like birds of the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways, let alone a mother-in-law! Once we leave the city, I will shake them off and escape on my own." A husband and wife are like birds of the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways, let alone a mother-in-law! Once we leave the city, I will shake them off and escape on my own.
Ye Xiaotian : `` ... ... ''
The beautiful woman, blushing even more, lowered her head and said: "In two months, I will turn eighteen."
Ye Xiaotian was contemplating in his heart, but he said, "As for this matter, to be honest, I only have a few dozen coins left in my pocket, and I cannot afford a carriage. Let us first leave this place of disputes, and we can discuss other matters once we reach a safe location"
Ye Xiaotian immediately said: "Thank you, County Lord, for your kind intentions, but I still have my elderly parents to support, so I am eager to return. I hope the County Lord will grant me permission, as I wish to return home with my wife."
County Magistrate Hu said: "This is precisely the cleverness of that young man. It seems he has realized that it is impossible to gain any benefit from the Yang family. Isn't this outcome favorable? Can we still deny what he said and make the contents of the letter public? Only those who understand how to share benefits can truly gain from them. If this young man were to navigate the officialdom, he would surely rise to prominence, haha."
County Magistrate Hu said, taking out the letter hidden in his sleeve, and handed it forward, calmly stating: "Take a look."
... ...
... ...
The beautiful woman let out a gentle sigh, and even the sound of her sigh was so melodious that it made Ye Xiaotian want to cry even more: "Young master, I am but a weak woman, and my daughter is still young. With the capital being so vast and the roads so long, how are we to go?"
Ye Xiaotian's lips twitched suddenly, and he said in a deep baritone, "Hmm!"
Upon thinking of this, County Magistrate Hu stepped forward and said loudly: "Ladies and gentlemen, in this world, is there any couple that has never had misunderstandings? Although my sister and her husband have had some discord, these are merely trivial matters. Since her husband has passed away, my sister is now the legitimate wife of the Yang family, a respectable matron. How could she possibly make things difficult for a concubine? Yet, it is unexpected that her husband harbored such deep misunderstandings towards her.
The beautiful woman gently said: "Everything will be decided by the son-in-law."
The beautiful woman quickly cast a glance at him and asked softly, "What is your age, esteemed son-in-law?"
County Magistrate Hu turned his face away and smiled gently at Ye Xiaotian, saying: "Xiaotian, this place is far from the capital, with high mountains and difficult roads, making it hard for the Yang family to take care of my brother-in-law. When my brother-in-law was in the capital, he relied on your care, which is a great kindness. However, now that we have become one family, I will not say thank you for this."
Madam Yang hesitated for a long time, unable to speak. County Magistrate Hu, greatly angered, exclaimed: "What on earth is the matter that you would even hide it from your own brother?"
Ye Xiaotian nearly choked on his own saliva; after coughing twice, he managed to utter a sentence: "Mother-in-law... how old are you?"
The beauty said, "From the accent, it seems that the young master is from the capital city?"
Cough!
County Magistrate Hu cast a deep glance at him, feeling that this young man was quite perceptive, and then slightly squinted his eyes, raising his voice to say: "In that case, San Shou, escort this family of three away..."
The young woman originally thought of selling herself to the butcher Mu, keeping a close watch on her under his very nose, and after a year or so, sending someone to quietly take her life. By then, no one would be the wiser, and no one would suspect me. Who would have known...