Bride Swap Backfire: My Cousin's Rebirth Made Us a Power Couple-Chapter 70 - 47: Almost Exposed (Part 2)

Upon hearing this, Mr. Li’s heart leaped into her throat.

The day she returned from the Zhao Village, she had told her son that his marriage to Miss Chen was settled.

Her son was overjoyed, even kowtowing to her in thanks. He swore before her that he and his bride would be filial to her.

The engagement to the girl he adored filled him with endless energy. He would study late into the second watch of the night without feeling the slightest bit tired.

One night, when she got up, she saw a light still on in his room. She went over to urge him to rest, but he told her that now that he was engaged, he couldn’t let the young lady down. He declared he would study diligently and pass the exams as soon as possible. Only then would he marry Miss Chen, ensuring no one would ever dare to look down on her.

Upon hearing this, she couldn’t stop praising him. "My son is so responsible! My son can endure any hardship! Any girl who marries my son is truly blessed by her ancestors."

But when she returned to her room, she was too worried to sleep. A bitter feeling rose in her chest, and she came close to ripping her quilt apart.

At moments like this, Mr. Li became even more convinced that her "marriage swap" had been a good thing.

’If I really let that Chen Wanqing marry into the family, there won’t be a place for me in this home anymore.’

’I raised this son for myself, not for Chen Wanqing.’

Later, word of the "one girl promised to two families" incident in the Zhao Village got out. It caused a huge uproar in the county seat, and she was nearly implicated herself.

Fortunately, she had gone to Mrs. Wang and given her a piece of her mind, extracting a promise that the matchmaker wouldn’t breathe a word of it. Besides, she had been living a secluded life since her husband’s death, rarely leaving home with her daughter.

Most importantly, her family was still in mourning, which was why no one had connected them to the affair.

However, to keep her son from hearing any rumors, Mr. Li had been watching him like a hawk recently. She even brought up the Chen family to pressure him. She told him that the Scholar exam was difficult and that the Chen family’s grandson was also competing this year, so her son had to give it his all. "Otherwise," she warned, "if their grandson passes next year and you don’t, it will be a great loss of face for Miss Chen. I’m afraid the engagement might be in jeopardy."

Thanks to her dire warnings, Li Cun now came straight home from his academy and buried himself in his books until midnight, pretending no one was home whenever someone came knocking. At the academy, he tuned out the world and focused solely on his studies, blocking out all distracting gossip.

Just as Mr. Li was inwardly gloating about having her son wrapped around her finger, she suddenly overheard a conversation strike up between two middle-aged women waiting to see the doctor.

They were excitedly discussing that very "one girl promised to two families" scandal from the Zhao Village. They spoke with great gusto, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

Li Cun zoned out for a moment. Just as his focus returned, Mr. Li quickly said, "My foot has suddenly stopped hurting! Let’s hurry home. You can grab your book box and get to the academy. Don’t let this delay your studies."

The old doctor, who was just about to examine Mr. Li, glanced at her in surprise.

When he saw the woman’s strained, awkward expression, he figured one of two things was true: either her leg had genuinely stopped hurting, or her family was poor and had to be careful with every Silver Coin.

Hearing her then urge her son to his studies at the academy, the doctor assumed it was the latter.

’It’s never easy for a common family to support a scholar,’ he mused. ’It can truly bleed a family dry.’

The old doctor said, "Perhaps a muscle was just out of place. If it doesn’t hurt anymore, then you’re fine. Just make sure to get plenty of rest once you’re home. Don’t strain yourself or move about too much."

The old doctor added a specific reminder for Mr. Li. "You’re getting on in years; you must pay more attention to your health. If you feel any discomfort again, Ma’am, just come back and find me."

"Yes, yes, of course. Thank you, Doctor."

Mr. Li pulled Li Cun along, rushing out of the apothecary.

But just then, Li Cun stopped in his tracks.

He pointed back inside the apothecary, toward the two gossiping women. "Mother, what was that they were saying about ’one girl promised to two families’? Something about an elder granddaughter being engaged, and then the younger one? Where is this happening? Is it a big deal?"

Mr. Li’s scalp tingled with dread, and her heart shot back into her throat.

Her heart pounded in panic, as if gnawed on by ants. A prickly pain shot through her, and her legs went so weak she nearly collapsed.

Yet, the expression on Mr. Li’s face remained perfectly calm.

"Who knows where that happened? I’m at home all day; I don’t hear such idle gossip. It’s just some trivial family matter, nothing out of the ordinary. Cun, you shouldn’t pay attention to such things. Your focus should be on your studies. Passing the Scholar exam and marrying Miss Chen—that’s what you should be focused on."

Li Cun looked dazed. "You’re right, Mother."