After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Chapter 74 Ke Yunyun's Request
He hadn't originally considered Xu Keyun's status as a concubine, but after meeting her today, he immediately changed his mind.

Ke Yunyun looked at Zhu Yixuan with a charming and captivating gaze, her lips moving slightly. "Yunyun thanks Young Master Zhu for his kindness, but my health is really a burden. The doctor said that I cannot overwork myself and can only take good care of myself for the rest of my life. Even if I marry you as a concubine, I will not live long. It would be bad luck for Yunyun to die in your mansion."

Zhu Yixuan's heart tightened, and his brows furrowed tightly. "Miss Ke, you must not say such discouraging things. My Zhu family is not the most prominent in Zhaohua County, but it is far superior to ordinary families. Even the county magistrate treats us with respect. If you marry me, you will surely enjoy endless wealth and honor. I can also find a famous doctor to cure your stubborn illness."

"But with your first wife still alive, I'm afraid Yunyun won't be able to live such a comfortable life!" Ke Yunyun put on a pitiful look, then changed the subject, saying, "However, I am extremely fortunate to have your favor, and I certainly wouldn't dare to refuse. Could you please think of a compromise?"

Zhu Yixuan thought Ke Yunyun was going to reject him and was thinking of other ways to do it. Unexpectedly, she agreed. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked like he was open to discussion. "Miss Ke, please feel free to ask for anything. I will do my best to fulfill your request."

Ke Yunyun smiled, which made Zhu Yixuan's heart flutter again before she slowly said, "Young Master knows that Yunyun comes from a poor background. If I were to enter the manor with Young Master, I would have to learn the rules. But my body is really too weak. I'm afraid that if Madam just finds an excuse to lightly punish me a couple of times, I won't be able to bear it."

Yunyun doesn't seek any official title, only a peaceful and quiet life. Therefore, I hope that you, young master, will prepare a courtyard for me outside the manor, quietly, so as not to disturb the others in the manor. Also, please buy me a servant to attend to me.”

"That's it?" Zhu Yixuan looked surprised, but also found it novel.

It's truly astonishing that there are still girls who would rather be a mistress than a legitimate concubine these days.

However, this saved him a lot of trouble, and since he had never kept a mistress before, he could give it a try.

Ke Yunyun nodded emphatically, "Yunyun doesn't ask for much, that's all."

"Alright! I can certainly fulfill Miss Ke's request. Please wait here, I will go back and arrange things properly, and I can pick you up the day after tomorrow at the latest." Zhu Yixuan left his things and quickly left with his men.

Ke Yunyun watched the carriage leave, then turned back and told Su Nizi and the others to carry the things inside.

Madam Han was very puzzled by her actions, looking at her with disappointment and frustration, "Since you had no choice but to marry him, why didn't you agree? Even a concubine is better than a mistress!"

Ke Yunyun gave a bitter smile. "Second Aunt, I made this decision after careful consideration. Although being a mistress is not a good thing and people will point fingers at me, I won't be bound by the Zhu family. Even if Young Master Zhu's wife knows about me, she can't openly deal with me. After all, I am a law-abiding citizen. I can just leave and what can they do to me? I will still be free."

She has been confined at home for more than a decade and doesn't want to spend the rest of her life trapped in the inner courtyard of her mansion, unable to leave.

“But this will ruin your life! How will you ever get married?” Madam Han still couldn’t understand.

Ke Yunyun didn't take it to heart. "Second Aunt, do you think I'm capable of having children or of managing the household and external affairs as well as you do?"

Han choked and couldn't speak.

Ke Yunyun continued, "You know I can't do anything. When other people get married, they don't just worship their ancestors. Even if they bring a generous dowry, their husband's family will still look down on them. What's more, I don't have a generous dowry. If I don't become Young Master Zhu's concubine, I still won't be able to get married. Now that someone is willing to support me and let me live a good life, it's not as bad as you think, right?"

The elders were still having trouble understanding it.

Su Tai thought Ke Yunyun was very insightful, so she silently gave her a thumbs up and turned to look at the betrothal gifts that Zhu Yixuan had brought.

"Huh? Is this ginseng?" Su Tai picked up a radish-like thing, sniffed it hard, and after confirming that it was ginseng, she quickly and carefully placed it on the table and continued rummaging through it. Han Shi and Su Nizi also came over to help, and in no time, all the betrothal gifts were opened.

There were ginseng, deer antler, bird's nest, shark fin, as well as gold, silver, jade, gemstones, four sets of headdresses, two bolts of brocade, one hundred taels of silver, and a wedding dress that was almost bright red.

Everyone fell silent upon seeing these things.

Ke Yunyun was delighted, "You see, Young Master Zhu is very generous to me. I won't have a hard time living with him."

After repeated persuasion from Ke Yunyun, the entire Ke family finally acquiesced to the matter.

Two days later, Zhu Yixuan came to pick her up in person. This time, Ke Yunyun only took a small bundle and left with him without looking back. She didn't take any of the betrothal gifts that Zhu Yixuan had given her.

It took the Ke family two days to accept the reality. With snow approaching, they knew it would be too late to go back. So they packed their belongings, called the Ye sisters, and left Dongmen Village.

When Su Tai and Shen Yi returned to the Su family with the cotton cloth, Su Nizi and her family were no longer there.

Han gave a brief explanation and then went to call Huang and Tao to come and fetch the cloth.

As a result, many village women followed along. Everyone was captivated by the cotton cloth, and even after learning the price, some insisted on buying it.

Su Tai had anticipated this situation and immediately set up a table at her parents' home, asking Huang and Tao to notify those in the village who wanted to buy cotton cloth to come over.

There are only blue, red, black, and white.

It just so happens that many families are getting married at the end of the year, and when they heard that there was good fabric, especially red, many girls came. One family wanted four feet, another wanted five feet, and in less than half a day, all the fabric Su Tai brought was gone.

Fearing that the villagers would come to buy cloth again, Han quickly closed the courtyard gate.

In the hall.

Shen Yi helped Su Tai calculate the money, and after counting it carefully, it turned out to be fifty taels.

She picked out all the copper coins and exchanged them with Madam Han for some loose silver before returning with Shen Yi.

She sold fifty taels of silver to the automated trading counter and got 12500 coins. This brought her virtual currency balance to over five figures again. Meanwhile, the transfer station still had three or four hundred catties of cotton left, enough to make a few more quilts and clothes.

Before it snowed, the couple continued to work in the backyard. When Shen Yi had free time, he would go into the mountains to set traps, and occasionally they could find some meat at home.

Just then, the house of Shen Yi's second uncle was completed, and his whole family returned the fishing boat.

As soon as Shen Zhuang entered the door, he hurriedly carried the wooden bucket to the kitchen. "It was fished up from the Daxun River when we finished fishing today. It's not too big or too small, enough to make a fish soup."