Even though they had reached an agreement, everyone was still filled with anxiety. Shen Jingui was the elder brother, while Shen Fugui was the younger one. Whether they could win the argument was one thing. Even if they did, they could only keep Shen Yuning. As for Yuanbao, there was truly nothing they could do.
However, as the head of the family, Old Man Zhang thought they should first make good preparations. As for what would happen later, they could only wait and see when Shen Jingui came again to claim the people.
Early the next morning, when the whole family was getting ready to return to Xiaoshu Village, they unexpectedly met an old acquaintance, Zhang Dachun.
Ever since Shen Fugui went to Zhang Dachun's house last time and returned the meat that was sent as a festival gift, Dachun's mother had flown into a great rage. She forbade Dachun from having any further contact with the Shen family and even didn't let him go to work in the dye - house.
Although Shen Yuning felt sorry, thinking that they had lost a promising talent, she also thought that if he stayed, their subsequent meetings would surely invite gossiping. So she just let him go.
Now Zhang Dachun looked extremely nervous, with some morning dew on his body. Apparently, he had rushed here overnight. Perhaps out of shyness, he hesitated at the courtyard gate and didn't dare to knock and enter.
Shen Fugui was taken aback. "Dachun? What are you doing here?"
Zhang Dachun blushed and hung his head. It seemed that the mental preparation he had made earlier had completely collapsed at this moment, and he couldn't utter a word.
Shen Fugui didn't have time to talk to him in detail. He just waved his hand. "Do you want to come back to work in the dye - house? We're not available today. You go back first. When we're free, I'll let Xuanzhi come to find you."
Zhang Dachun quickly shook his head. "No no no, it's not about work... I'm... I'm here to propose marriage..."
Not only Shen Fugui but everyone else looked at Zhang Dachun. He came empty - handed. He didn't look like someone coming to propose marriage at all.
Since Zhang Dachun had already spoken his mind, he felt more at ease to continue. He quickly blurted out, "I... I heard about what happened to your family. I heard that your elder brother from the Shen family is coming to take Sister Yuning away. So I... I came here brazenly to propose marriage. But I don't mean it in that way. I mean, if it's inconvenient for Sister Yuning, she can first pretend to be engaged to me. After we've appeased Elder Brother Shen, we can call off the engagement..."
Zhang Rong usually looked down on Dachun's mother, whose words always embarrassed others. Hearing this, she sneered repeatedly. "Do you think getting engaged is a simple matter for a girl? Once the engagement is made, is it that easy to call off? Even if it's called off, won't Yuning's reputation be ruined? Moreover, you know what kind of person your mother is. Don't let her think later that our Yuning is coveting something from your family!"
Zhang Dachun's face turned green and then white. He mumbled and shook his head but couldn't say anything nice.
Zhang Rong was too lazy to talk to him anymore. She told Shen Fugui to go and prepare the carriage quickly and helped Yuanbao and Huzi get on the carriage first.
Seeing that Shen Yuning was about to get on the carriage, Zhang Dachun quickly stepped forward and shouted, "Sister Yuning, I swear I'll treat you well all my life. My mother... If she dares to make things difficult for you, I'll move out with you..."
Zhang Rong had already put one foot on the carriage step. Hearing this, she retracted her foot and asked, "You dare to move out? Aren't you afraid that your mother will scold you for forgetting your mother once you get a wife?"
Zhang Dachun didn't know where he got the courage. He said firmly, "I'm not afraid. Sister Yuning, if you're willing, I'll definitely treat you well. If you really don't want to, we can get engaged first. When you meet a suitable husband in the future, we can call off the engagement..."
Shen Yuning held back Zhang Rong, who wanted to speak on her behalf. She nodded at Zhang Dachun with a smile. "Thank you, Brother Dachun, for your kindness. I know you came today to help me out of this difficult situation. But my elder brother is a reckless person. Even if I get engaged in a hurry now, he will still find a way to mess it up. Please don't worry about us. Evil will never prevail over good. There's always a way out. I'll surely find a more suitable way to deal with this."
Zhang Dachun had a lot to say but couldn't get it out. He looked at Shen Yuning's back and then at the people around her. Suddenly, he felt extremely ashamed. Even if he was by her side, he couldn't do anything. Not to mention protecting her, if something happened, he might even need her protection.
At this moment, he felt both dejected and sad. He had liked Shen Yuning for a long time. Since she came to Xiaoshu Village, it was as if she had injected vitality into the village. She was so lively and beautiful. He wanted to marry her and have her. Even though his mother disliked her for being an orphan from another place, he had never thought of giving up.
But at this moment, he understood that she would never be his. She was bright, beautiful, capable, and generous. She was born to find someone who could protect her. And he would never be that person in his whole life.
As for Shen Yuning and her group, they rushed back to Xiaoshu Village in a hurry. They invited the clan elders from their hometown. Old Man Zhang spent a lot of effort trying to persuade them. Finally, the clan members agreed to remove Zhang Rong and Shen Fugui's names from the family genealogy. After their names were removed, they still needed to submit the documents to the government. The official in charge of household registration would send the records to Maohe County and then register them in the Shen family.
Before they even started the first step, Shen Jingui rushed to Xiaoshu Village. Today, not only was the servant from yesterday following behind him, but there was also a man in his thirties, dressed in silk and satin, who seemed to have the words "I'm rich" written all over him.
When the man saw Shen Yuning, his eyes lit up. He asked with a kind smile on his face, "Are you the owner of Shen's Embroidery Workshop?"
Shen Yuning stepped back warily behind Shen Fugui and explained, "The embroidery workshop belongs to Uncle Chen and Xuanzhi, not me."
The man didn't mind. He just sized Shen Yuning up and down and showed a satisfied look. "I heard that you're very good at embroidery?"
Shen Fugui glared at him. "Who are you?"
Only then did the man notice their vigilant looks. He quickly took a step back with a gentle smile. "Don't misunderstand. I mean no harm. I came here with your elder brother."
Someone who came with Shen Jingui could mean no harm? Shen Fugui protected his sister behind him and stared at the man in front of him.
Shen Jingui said impatiently, "As I expected. I knew you were trying to hide. Well? Where else do you think you can hide? Come with me quickly!"
Shen Fugui stuck out his neck and hid Shen Yuning further behind him. "Shen Jingui, you're her elder brother, and I'm her elder brother too. Anyway, I won't let you take her away."
Shen Jingui sneered, "You're no longer a member of the Shen family. You've become someone else's son - in - law. What right do you have to come back and interfere in the Shen family's affairs?"
After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward to pull Shen Yuning.
Shen Fugui took two steps back and blocked him. He shouted at the same time, "Don't even think about it. I came here today just to have my name removed from the Zhang family's genealogy. From now on, I, Shen Fugui, am still a member of the Shen family!"
Shen Jingui was shocked. He looked at Old Man Zhang. "He's your son - in - law. You don't have a son to take care of you in your old age. Are you really willing to let him go?"
Old Man Zhang spat on the ground. "So what if I don't have a son? I have a younger brother and nephews. There are so many people in the clan. Do you think they won't take care of me?"
As he was speaking, Zhang Mo's two sons immediately stood up straight and stared menacingly at Shen Jingui. They were all here today to support Shen Yuning!
Old Man Zhang continued shouting disdainfully, "Everyone knows what a black - hearted person you are. People in our Xiaoshu Village are not as heartless as you. You don't treat your sister like a human being. The man you brought here is here to buy Miss Yuning, right? I'm telling you, Shen Jingui. Since Yuning came to our Zhang family, she's just like our Zhang family's daughter. She's my daughter. I'll never allow anyone to take her away."
Shen Jingui's face turned bright red. He shouted angrily, "She's clearly my younger sister. Who do you think you are to make decisions for her? And Shen Fugui, even if you're no longer the Zhang family's son - in - law, I'm the elder brother and you're the younger one. The elder brother is like a father. You have to listen to me."
Shen Yuning sneered. "The saying 'the elder brother is like a father' refers to a situation where the father passes away when the younger siblings are young, and the elder brother raises them on behalf of the father. After the younger siblings reach adulthood, they should respect the elder brother. Shen Jingui, tell me yourself. Have you ever raised Second Brother for a single day? Now you're talking about 'the elder brother is like a father'?"
Shen Jingui had never been to school. The saying "the elder brother is like a father" was even taught to him by others. He had no words to refute. He just looked at the rich man beside him.
The man had seen more of the world than Shen Jingui. He quickly stepped forward with a smile. "Miss Shen misunderstood. Your elder brother didn't mean it like that..."
Shen Fugui thought that anyone in the same group as Shen Jingui was not a good person. He glared at the man again. "What do you mean? What does his meaning have to do with you? We're a family talking. Who do you think you are?"
This sentence obviously touched a sore spot for the man. The smile on his face disappeared completely, and his eyes were filled with disdain. "Humph, he took my money. Your sister will be my concubine from now on."
Shen Fugui panicked. He grabbed his sister's wrist and took several steps back. "Nonsense... My sister will never be someone's concubine. You don't even think about it."
The man still looked cold. He took a few steps forward and tried to grab Shen Yuning. "I paid a hundred taels. What I bought is naturally mine. I paid the money and signed the contract. She's my concubine."
Shen Yuning hid behind Shen Fugui and insisted, "You signed the contract with him, not with me. Everyone here knows that the law is strict. If a parent or elder brother sells a younger sibling over the age of ten, the younger sibling can only be a servant, not a concubine. I didn't agree. He can't sell me as a concubine. Your contract is invalid."
Seeing that Shen Yuning spoke in an orderly manner, completely different from an ordinary village girl, the man suddenly became more interested. He couldn't help but laugh. "Don't be afraid or panicked. I originally only heard about your skills and thought it was worth buying you, so I agreed. After seeing you, I know that even if you don't have those skills, I'd still be happy to welcome you into my family. If you think being a concubine is beneath you, I can divorce my wife and marry you."
Shen Yuning was extremely angry at this moment. She asked, "Divorce your wife to marry another? When your wife married you, did she ever think that one day she would be abandoned by you? When you had your grand wedding with her, did you ever think that you would divorce your wife to marry another in the future? Today you divorce another woman for me. Who knows if you won't do the same thing in the future..."
A look of confusion flashed across the man's face. He quickly came to his senses and laughed again. "So you're worried that I can't give you any guarantees? You don't have to worry about this. Since I'm fond of you, I'll surely promise you a lifetime. As for my first wife, you don't have to feel sorry for her. When I divorce her, I'll surely give her a lot of benefits. She won't be jealous. Instead, she'll be very happy."
Shen Yuning was almost driven crazy with anger. What did he mean by "I should feel sorry for her"? It was clearly he who should feel sorry for her! But this man in front of her might have some abilities, so he was extremely arrogant. He spoke proudly, as if he thought that being a little nicer to Shen Yuning was already doing his full duty as a suitor.