Chapter 523: Seize the Opportunity
Tong Huaqiong had nothing to say about Lian Hengruo's marriage.
This was not something she could interfere with.
But Tong Huaqiong still felt that whether she got married or not, as long as she had the business and money in her hands, she would have confidence.
After talking about the Lian family, Aunt Tang mentioned Xu Zaohua again, saying that Xu Zaohua was sent to the ancestral temple on the night she was taken away by the Zheng family.
The Zheng family didn't even give Xu Zaohua a chance to argue.
"Your nephew is really impressive." Aunt Tang said with a sigh when she mentioned Gu Ruinian, "He weighed the pros and cons and readily admitted his improper relationship with Xu Zaohua in front of the Zheng family. He also put all the blame on Xu Zaohua, saying that Xu Zaohua deliberately seduced him. He even blamed Xu Zaohua for the hole in Lian Cheng's brain."
Tong Huaqiong was not surprised at all. Gu Ruinian was such a selfish person. He would sell out anyone around him if he could.
If he admits that he had an affair with Xu Zaohua, he would have a chance to survive. But if he admits that he had plotted against the Second Miss Lian, he would have no chance to survive.
After all, the latter involves the mistress of the Lian family and the second son of the Lian family.
"You don't know that after you left that day, there was a lot of noise in our lady's yard. Gu Ruinian said that Xu Zaohua seduced her, and she went up and wrestled with Gu Ruinian, scolding Gu Ruinian for plotting against her. When the Zheng family took her away, she struggled to break free and knelt down in front of Ruo'er, asking her to save her." Aunt Tang still had resentment in her eyes when she talked about Xu Zaohua.
"Xu Zaohua brought this upon herself. She deserves the punishment for her own mistakes."
She knew very well what Lian Hengruo would face if her and Gu Ruinian's plan came to fruition, and she knew what she still had to do.
Lian Hengruo and Tong Huaqiong teamed up to use the same method on her, but she felt the pain and knew how to beg for mercy.
What did you do earlier?
Tong Huaqiong said she had no sympathy for her at all.
Aunt Tang and Lian Hengruo drank cup after cup of tea at Tong Huaqiong's place and stayed for most of the day before leaving.
Aunt Tang said she would come again in the future.
"By the way, Heng Ruo, I went to the city a few days ago and met Prefect Yao. He said he didn't have any silver on him and that he would pay you back the money he owed you for the pearls another day."
Tong Huaqiong suddenly remembered that she met Prefect Yao on the way back, and Prefect Yao asked her to give a message to Lian Hengruo.
Originally, Tong Huaqiong thought that Prefect Yao wanted to shirk his debt, but when she saw his calm look, she felt that she was being too cautious.
Lian Hengruo was stunned for a moment. She had not thought about the fact that Prefect Yao still owed her money.
Aunt Tang looked strange. Standing at the entrance of Jufulai, she held Tong Huaqiong's hand and asked, "Prefect Yao is so young, is he married?"
Tong Huaqiong shook her head and said with a smile: "I heard no."
Aunt Tang's eyes sparkled, and she said, "Shopkeeper Tong, next time you meet him, can you help him and Ruo'er get together? If it were someone else, I wouldn't dare to say this, but Shopkeeper Tong is different. He specifically told you to remember Ruo'er's money, which means he trusts you."
Tong Huaqiong thought to herself, Aunt Tang is really experienced and will seize any opportunity she sees.
But Magistrate Yao looks old. He looks like he is in his thirties even though he is in his twenties.
And from what Mr. Lu said, Tong Huaqiong suspected that he was of unclear sexual orientation.
Tong Huaqiong wanted to refuse.
Lian Hengruo saw Tong Huaqiong's embarrassment and said, "Auntie, I was just joking. Aunt Tong, you don't have to take it to heart."
Aunt Tang rolled her eyes at Lian Hengruo and said, "I'm not kidding. It's no big deal to ask if it's possible. Anyway, we'll give it a try first."
Tong Huaqiong: “…”
Lian Hengruo was so angry that he went berserk, which stopped Aunt Tang's plan to act as a matchmaker.
"Aunt, do you know who Magistrate Yao is? How dare you ask Aunt Tong to be my matchmaker? His family is a prominent family in Shengjing. They have produced imperial tutors and prime ministers. How could a family like him possibly marry a merchant girl? Aunt, please don't make a fool of yourself." After leaving Tong Huaqiong's Jufulai, Lian Hengruo expressed his dissatisfaction to Aunt Tang while sitting in the carriage.
Aunt Tang raised her eyebrows and said, "Ruo'er, what did I tell you? You are no worse than any legitimate daughter, nor any official daughter. What's wrong with being a concubine's daughter? What's wrong with being a merchant's daughter? If someone values these, how many good marriages would be missed. So what if Magistrate Yao is from a Shengjing family? All the oil, salt, sauce and vinegar were brought to his house by merchants? When he was the magistrate, wasn't the tax silver from the merchants in Ningcheng his achievement?"
"Ruo'er, I am just a poor and broke girl from the countryside. My parents sold me to the Lian Mansion as a maid. I became a concubine to avoid starvation and to keep warm. I never thought that I was worse than those wives. I just started from a low point. So since you were a child, I taught you to keep accounts, let you study, and tried to get your father to give you the business, just to prevent you from following my old path. Now I have done it. So why can't I want you to marry into a Shengjing family now?"
"Do you think it's that easy to establish a female household? You won't be able to guard against the obstacles in the clan and the calculations of your eldest brother. Even if you really establish a female household, will you be willing to accept that your money will end up in the hands of the useless descendants of the Hua family when you are old? Besides, your father will never let you establish a female household. He keeps you at home now just to let you run a business for his useless son. When you are no longer useful, he will find a reason to marry you off. By then, when you are old, what good family will be waiting for you? Don't you think that becoming someone's successor is not much better than being a concubine? Even if you follow your Aunt Tong's example and become a widow with your children after your husband dies, it is better than having your money end up in the hands of others before you get married."
Aunt Tang saw Lian Hengruo frowning slightly, knowing that she had heard it, she kept silent.
Lian Hengruo really listened to it.
She hadn't listened to him and asked Tong Huaqiong to help her find a match between her and Prefect Yao. In fact, she had forgotten what Prefect Yao looked like. She only remembered that he was a dark-faced man with a mouthful of white teeth when he smiled.
Her aunt's words reminded her that the master would never allow her to establish a daughter-in-law household.
Although she now has the shop and pearl business from the Lian family, she is still maintaining a balance with her eldest brother.
Master Lian used her and his concubine to suppress his wife and children.
He then used the schemes of his wife and children against her to make the mother and daughter understand that only by relying on him could they have a place in the Lian family.
If this balance is broken, for example, if one day she can pin her eldest brother to the ground, the master will definitely find a way to marry her off.
Lian Hengruo just felt bored. A family was so small, and the master treated him like the emperor of Shengjing, suppressing this and balancing that to ensure that everyone was in his hands.
Such days are really meaningless.
She only hated that she was not a man, so that she could make a name for herself outside. Then she could start her own family and take her aunt out with her. Her aunt could wear gold and silver and put on heavy makeup as she wanted, and she no longer had to follow her father's preferences as the standard for dressing.
It’s a pity that she is not a man. If she wants to leave the Lian family, she can only rely on marriage.
Lian Hengruo was originally very happy that she could not marry the second son of Zheng, but now her aunt's words plunged her into a new round of troubles.