Bride Swap Backfire: My Cousin's Rebirth Made Us a Power Couple-Chapter 29 - 26: I Want to Break Off the Engagement
Of course, Chen Wanyue hadn’t come specifically to find Zhao Jing.
After telling them about Shusheng’s accident and returning to her room, she had suddenly remembered another important matter.
It was said that on the west side of Xiaoao Mountain, near the old locust tree one had to pass to enter the deep mountains, a treasure chest was buried about three feet underground!
She didn’t know what was inside. She only knew that in her past life, her uncle had discovered the chest, earning a great reward from the County Magistrate and even a promotion to registrar in the county government!
But by the time her uncle had his stroke of luck, Shusheng was already gone. The pointing and whispering from the villagers, along with the accusations from Mr. Qu’s family, had plunged her family into dire straits, making them afraid to even show their faces outside.
Around that time, Zhao Jing’s mourning period was also ending, and the Zhao Family sent a messenger to discuss the marriage. Overwhelmed and irritable, she had even less time to focus on the matter of the treasure.
The memory of it was so distant that she had almost forgotten it entirely.
Chen Wanyue then recalled her grandmother’s mutterings she’d overheard after the incident. It seemed that years ago, when the dynasty was founded, a defeated army had been routed, fleeing in terror to this very area. The treasure chest was likely buried by them in a hurry when they realized they couldn’t escape with it.
As for why no one ever came back for it, perhaps they had all died. Or perhaps they survived but, as remnants of the previous dynasty, dared not show their faces.
’Doesn’t that mean whoever finds this chest gets to keep everything inside?’
Chen Wanyue’s mind raced, her heart pounding with fiery ambition.
’With that much silver, I wouldn’t have to rely on Li Cun.’
’I could go to the Prefecture, or even the Capital City, find a high-ranking official to marry, and become a proper official’s wife.’
At the thought, Chen Wanyue’s heart hammered even more wildly in her chest.
How could she possibly sit still? She had waited for a moment when her grandmother and Shou’an were busy cooking, then quietly trailed after the group of young men heading up the mountain.
The old locust tree on the path into the deep mountains was easy to find, but she had no idea where the chest was buried.
If she started digging everywhere, she would inevitably attract attention. But finding a buried object with the naked eye was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Just as Chen Wanyue was at a loss, Chen Song came rushing out of the deep mountains, carrying Shusheng.
She had ducked out of the way just in time; otherwise, he would have run right into her.
Even so, she hadn’t managed to escape everyone’s notice. To her dismay, Zhao Jing had spotted her.
Chen Wanyue stepped out from behind the tree, glaring at Zhao Jing with resentment.
"I did come looking for you, actually. Zhao Jing, my grandmother went to your house two days ago to break off the engagement, so you should already know my intentions. I don’t want to marry into your family. If you have any pride at all, you won’t force me. Let’s just part amicably."
Zhao Jing looked at her, his expression as cold and detached as it had been during the years of their marriage.
That expression infuriated Chen Wanyue even more.
’That look again!’
’Always that same look!’
’I hate it!’
’I hate it so much I could die!’
’Just because I unintentionally caused his mother’s death, he’s hated me ever since. No matter how I tried to please him or atone, he remained unmoved.’
’He even asked for a divorce!’
’If Grandmother hadn’t been afraid that having a divorced woman in the family would affect my two younger brothers’ marriage prospects and studies, and if she hadn’t constantly held the life-saving favor over his head, I would have truly become an abandoned wife.’
’It was precisely because I couldn’t return to my own family and my life with his family was so miserable that I was so easily moved by a bit of warmth from someone else. One wrong step led to another, until I lost my life entirely.’
Remembering the past, Chen Wanyue’s expression twisted into a snarl.
Who would have thought that in her three years of marriage to Zhao Jing, they had never once shared a bed? She was still a virgin when she left the Zhao Village.
The peddler who had seduced her often teased her, wondering if Mr. Zhao the Scholar’s son was impotent. Otherwise, how could he leave a beautiful woman untouched?
She, too, had suspected he was impotent. Why else would he be so indifferent to all her attempts to please him?
Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to please him anymore. Trying to curry favor with a man destined for failure was more pointless than praying to a clay idol in a temple.
Chen Wanyue said, "I have never liked you, and I certainly will not marry you. My grandmother saving your mother was a great kindness, but if your family insists on forcing this marriage, you will be repaying that kindness with enmity."
She then softened her tone, trying to reason with him. "The master at the temple has read our birth charts. He said we are incompatible. If we marry, it will surely bring ruin to us both, in body and fortune. I don’t want to harm you, and you shouldn’t harm me. Let’s just go our separate ways from now on and live our own lives..."
Chen Wanyue was about to say more when she heard a commotion in the distance.
’That must be the other two search parties coming out of the deep mountains.’
Not wanting to be seen, Chen Wanyue shot a furtive glance back at the large locust tree before speaking quickly to Zhao Jing. "I’ve said my piece. You all should discuss it thoroughly. If you agree, then return the engagement token from all those years ago as soon as possible, so we can settle this matter officially."
As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Wanyue stumbled away, running as fast as she could.
Behind her, Zhao Jing’s uncle saw him and asked in surprise, "Why haven’t you gone back yet? I heard they found Shusheng. How is the boy? I heard he was covered in blood..."
Chen Wanyue didn’t stay to hear the rest, as she was running even faster now.
She practically tumbled and scrambled her way home. When she got back to her room, she found her knees were bruised.
For a moment, Chen Wanyue couldn’t help but curse resentfully, "Zhao Jing really is my bane! Nothing good ever happens when I see him!"
Just as she had this thought, a sudden CLATTER and CLANG came from the next room. Her curiosity piqued, Chen Wanyue quickly went outside to eavesdrop.
"Mother, my dear Mother! I’m your own son! How could you hide such an amazing ability from me?"
Inside the main hall, Chen Lin was kneeling on the floor, hugging the matriarch’s legs, his eyes red with emotion.
He wept while slapping his own face, putting on the perfect show of a filial son. "It’s all my fault. It’s because I’m not usually filial enough. If I had shown you more concern, Mother, how could you have borne to keep this from me?"
Mrs. Li stood to the side, eagerly offering tea to the matriarch. Her expression was a mixture of fawning sycophancy, profound awe, and a guilty conscience.
"Mother, please have some tea. Your daughter-in-law bought this specially for you. But with one thing after another happening these past few days, I completely forgot about it... Oh, right, Mother, you haven’t eaten, have you? You must be starving. You’ve truly been wronged. Here, Mother, have some tea to tide you over. I’ll go make you a meal."
Mrs. Li respectfully placed the tea in the matriarch’s hands, then rushed to the kitchen in a great hurry to prepare a meal for her, not even noticing Chen Wanyue hiding by the window and listening in.
The matriarch was old, had bad teeth, and claimed that fleeing the famine years ago had damaged her health. She insisted she needed nourishing food and had to eat a bowl of egg noodles every day.
Previously, while Mrs. Li couldn’t stop the matriarch from her "secret" eating, she never failed to make snide remarks just to spite her.
But who could have guessed that the old woman was a person of great power—that she could communicate with the divine!
’If I had known she had such heaven-defying abilities, forget eggs—if she had demanded to eat a whole chicken every day, I would have plucked every last feather myself!’
Mrs. Li was seen scooping a bowl of white flour from the jar, then cracking eggs into it to make the dough. When she started preparing the sauce, she steeled herself and cracked four whole eggs right into the bowl.
’Our matriarch is a different person now. From now on, I have to serve her well, just like I’m worshiping an ancestor.’
’Only if she is well, can our family be well.’
