Yue Da Fu's side had loosen up. So Yue Chang Fu and Yue Chang Shou naturally wouldn't have any objection. Yue Chang Lu happily hugged Wan Niang and sat in the small house rented by Wan Niang. He rubbed her already heavily bulging belly and softly spoke: "Wan Niang, both Father and Mother have agreed. Tomorrow, I'll go to the fortune teller to see which is an auspicious day and then marry you in a glorious way!"
Wan Niang snuggled into his arms obediently and said thoughtfully, "As long as I can be with Second Elder Brother, I don't care what's glory or not."
This gentle and careless appearance made Yue Chang Lu's heart immerse in more and more. He tightly grasped Wan Niang's pair of hand that was jade smooth compared with his worn-out drudge wife's dry wood-like claws. He promised her with an oath: "Wan Niang, I will let you enter the gate of my Yue Family in a glorious. I will never wrong you in the slightest!"
Wan Niang sat up straight, looking at Yue Chang Lu's eyes with admiration: "Second Elder Brother, I am a lonely and helpless woman. To be be able to enter your Yue family's door and serve you and Elder Sister Su for a long time, it is already a great blessing for me. How can I dare to ask for anything else?"
Although Wan Niang claimed to be a widow to the outside world, she revealed her identity with half-truth to Yue Chang Lu. What she lied about was a manor's master covets her own beauty and she fled overnight. Such a virtuous and ungreedy temperament made Yue Chang Lu feel more pity for her.
"Pah, why do you mention that worn-out drudge? When you enter the door, her serving you is more like it." Speaking of the yellow-faced woman who was haggard and thin all the year round at home, Yue Chang Lu angrily let out a few 'pah'.
After Wan Niang heard what he said, she snuggled back into his arms with satisfaction. Naturally, it was impossible for her to serve Mrs. Su. She was saying this as an act to attract Yue Chang Lu and make him even more determined to treat her well.
In fact, Wan Niang was born with some beauty. Nor was she too old. She could have married a widower with much better conditions than Yue Chang Lu. Initially, she was just a maid of a major household. Because she climbed on the master's bed and became was pregnant with a child, the mistress found out. First, the baby was aborted and then kicked her out of the house.
She was a helpless, lone woman. She never thought of going back to the home that had sold her. After ending up in Liutun Town, she claimed she was a newly widowed widow and spent the only money she had on renting a small dilapidated house in Liutun Town. She set up a stall near where Yue Chang Lu worked and sold some food.
Yue Chang Lu often went to her stall to buy some food. The two became acquainted with each other: she also found out about Yue Family's background. The family had more than 30 mu of fertile land. He got two nephews in the county town studying. Although it was still a peasant family now, once one of the two nephews succeed, then Yue Chang Lu will be transformed into a master, right?
Knowing that Yue Chang Lu's wife only gave birth to seven daughters, Wan Niang knew that her chance had come. As long as she could give birth to a son for Yue Chang Lu, would she afraid of not becoming the legitimate wife of Yue Family's second branch? Wan Niang, a poor maid, was able to climb onto the master's bed among the maidservants who were above her and proved that she was indeed a bit beautiful. .
The two had only hooked up for two months and she was pregnant with Yue Chang Lu's baby. This time was different from last time. Wan Niang didn't let the legitimate wife know at the early stage. She gritted her teeth and endured until eighth month before finding Rejuvenation Hall's doctor to get a pulse. Only then, she revealed it to Yue Chang Lu that she was pregnant with a son. Like this, Yue Chang Lu impatiently took her back to Cuifeng Village to meet his parents.
Thinking of her bright future, Wan Niang's smile deepened by three degree. A pair of affectionate man and woman were each fantasizing about the future in this leaky little house.
***
Yue Chang Lu was relieved by his father and two brothers' approval. He soon found someone to check the auspicious day. The date was set. How on the issue of how planning the day, it was the first time that Yue Chang Lu had disagreement with Yue Da Fu and his wife. Yue Chang Lu insisted on marrying Wan Niang in a glorious way. How could Yue Da Fu and old Mrs. Chen agree?
First, marrying an equal wife had never been heard of in common households. In the eyes of the two, it was embarrassing to make a big deal of marrying a little wife. They can't afford to lose their face. Second, Yue Family really didn't have much money now. They currently have only twenty liang of cash in total. It can't be that they should take it out for him marry a little wife? Yue Chang Lu will have it glorious marrying a little wife, but the whole family will drink the northwest wind together?
"Father, Mother, when Wen Tao brothers said they wanted one hundred silver liangs as gifts to buy papers, you took it from the public fund. I, their second uncle, agreed without blinking an eye. Now it's my turn to need some support from family. You guys are not willing. This is too biased!" Yue Chang Lu knelt upright at the kang's bottom in the main room. Because Yue Da Fu refused to give out the money, the father and son were in conflict.
Yue Da Fu frowned a little unhappily. This old Second. His temper changed since he brought that Wan Niang back. Old Second, who was the most taciturn in the past, had learned to talk back. His dislike for Wan Niang increased.
Old Mrs. Chen uttered a few words in a heartache: "Old Second, if you say that, you are stabbing your father's heart with a knife! Think about it carefully, when Wen Tao brothers successfully become Juren and profit as officials, would you get omitted from life of luxury?"
"You are Wen Tao's Second Uncle. You're also my son. How can I just take care of them and ignore you? You were there when Wen Tao brothers' matter almost empty everything at home." Yue Da Fu sighed. Sure enough, children were debts! "Once you marry her in, won't she give birth? Does giving birth to children not cost money? The family has only a few silver liang. We just look glamorous on the surface!"
Old Mrs. Chen was the quickest. She hurried to add on Yue Da Fu's words: "Exactly! After your son is born, every few days this or that need to be eaten during post-natal. Isn't it all money? In the future, your son will grow up, study, and marry wife. Which doesn't cost money? If you spend all the money now, what will happen in the future?"
The couple bombarded Yue Chang Lu with words after words. They wanted to dispel his desire of make it big.
After listening to Yue Da Fu's words, Yue Chang Lu was also a little shaken: "It's just that I promised Wan Niang to marry her and let her gloriously enter the door..."
Seeing that his son's heart was shaken, Yue Da Fu hurriedly gave a verdict, "How about this? When she gives birth to a son, let's invite relatives and friends for a lively celebration. This is considered showing her face. How about that?"
When old Mrs. Chen heard that the banquet was still to be held, she muttered in a low voice, "Hosting banquet money cost money!"
However, neither father and son paid any attention to her. Yue Chang Lu pondered about it and knew that the situation at home wasn't as good as before. So he nodded in agreement. Holding a celebration after giving birth to a son was also giving Wan Niang an explanation!
The auspicious date given to Yue Chang Lu was the sixth day of December. There was only about half a month left. And Mrs. Su didn't know anything about it. After the date was set, Yue Chang Lu dug out the two coins that he had kept privately and bought a lot of items. Then he rushed to tidy up the cluttered up, junk-stored room next to You Jin sisters' room.
You Jin and the younger sisters stood at the door of the full of debris room. You Jin gave Yue Chang Lu an eerie smile: "Father, why are you cleaning this room? No one lives here."
Yue Chang Lu felt goosebump from the stare. He felt a little guilty in his heart. He involuntarily puffed out his chest and scolded: "You money-wasting thing dare to intervene in my affairs? Since I told you to clean up, just clean up. Why talk so much?"
The smile on You Jin's face didn't change. She solemnly said: "Father told us to clean up, then we will clean up."
After hearing her say that, Yue Chang Lu stopped looking at her. He spat at the ground and clapped his hands before going to the main room.
Seeing him leave, You Zhu threw the broom in her hand viciously to the ground. She furiously asked You Jin: "Third Elder Sister, Father is obviously... do we have to clean up for him!"
"If we don't, what can you do? Go and tell Father to let the person in? Or tell Grandfather? Tell Grandmother?" You Jin swept her gaze to You Zhu. Then she turned to the main room: "This matter isn't about what you want and can stop it. Whether it's a blessing or a disaster, it can't be avoided. Maybe this is our opportunity?"
Standing at side, You Yin and You Bao listened to the inexplicable conversation between the two of them like listening to the scriptures. They only felt confused: "Third Elder Sister, what are you talking about? Is there something going on at home?"
You Yin instinctively felt that something was wrong. Otherwise why did You Zhu have an outburst and scold her that day? Why was Third Elder Sister getting more and more strange these days? Even Father became more and more weird during this time. You Yin felt that she could almost grasp the truth of the matter, but she was always separated by a layer of veil.
"It's alright. Hurry up and clean up. If not, Father will be angry when he come back and sees that it hasn't cleaned up." You Jin gave You Yin a soothing look. Then she lead the younger sisters into the room where the junks were piled up all the year round. After cleaning up, they managed to clear up until somewhat room appearance.
You Jin sisters took three days to clean up the room. Still, it got disdained by Yue Chang Lu: "It's so sloppy. How can anyone live in it?"
If it were for Wan Niang's consideration and didn't want to make Mrs. Su move out of the room, how would he let Wan Niang be wronged and live in this utility room? Thinking of Wan Niang, Yue Chang Lu was really satisfied with her in every possible way. He wished he could hold her in his palms and protect her every day.
Two days later, Mrs. Chen, who was entrusted by Yue Chang Lu to put the newly purchased red quilt and pillowcases embroidered with the mandarin ducks into the room, came out and saw You Yin sisters standing and peeking at the door. She gave a very sharp and high-pitched laugh: "You Yin! You sisters will soon have another mother to love you. Are you happy?"
Another mother? You Yin had some doubts in her heart: "Eldest Aunt, isn't my mother in the room? How can there be another mother?"
Can't blame You Yin for her ignorance. There was no such custom of having concubine or marrying an equal in this area. How could she know this?
After listening to her naive question, Mrs. Chen let out a giggle: "Silly girl, who said you can only have one mother?"
After speaking, she snorted like a peacock with an open tail as she head back to the east wing. The people in the second branch didn't seem to know that old Second was going to marry an equal wife! Now, there'll be a good show!