After being forced to leave the marriage, I became the wife of a top scholar.

Chapter 108: A Thorn Left Behind
At this point, apart from Bai Qinglian, all members of the Bai family were present at the dinner table.

Du Huan was unaware of what had happened in the backyard. He hadn't seen Bai Qinglian, and he still asked Madam Chen, "Mother-in-law, why didn't my third sister come?"

Bai Chenming and Chen Shi were already forcing smiles, and now they forced out even more smiles, saying, "Oh, your third sister suddenly isn't feeling well. I had someone bring her food to her room. We don't need to worry about her, we'll just eat our own food."

Du Huan then noticed that the expressions of the people at the table were not quite right, so he did not ask any further questions.

Because of Bai Qinglian's matter, the Bai family's meal was not as joyous as it should have been; instead, it was somewhat somber.

After the meal, Bai Chenming asked Du Huan to take Bai Furong back first.

After Du Huan left, he couldn't help but ask Furong curiously, "Madam, what happened just now? My father-in-law and mother-in-law seemed a little off."

Bai Furong pursed her lips tightly, then shook her head violently and said, "I don't know. Husband, please don't ask me anymore."

Seeing that Bai Furong was almost in tears, Du Huan naturally didn't ask any more questions. After they returned to the Du family, he quickly forgot about the matter, assuming that Bai Qinglian had probably gone to cause trouble for Bai Wanqing again, just like before.

Meanwhile, at the Bai family home, Bai Chenming called Bai Wanqing to his study and asked Uncle Liu to talk to his son-in-law.

"Qing'er! This matter is probably your sister's idea again."

"It's my fault for not teaching your sister well, which is why she felt so emboldened to do these shameful things and made you suffer."

Bai Wanqing knew her father was in pain, so she just obediently agreed without saying anything.

Bai Chenming suddenly sighed and said, "Don't worry, I will give you an explanation for this matter. I've thought about it. Now that your sister has married into the Huang family, why don't we leave this matter to the Huang family to handle?"

Bai Wanqing gently raised her eyes. She hadn't expected that her father would actually try to push Bai Qinglian out this time.

“Father, I know you are upset for me, but if we push our third sister directly to the Huang family, it will probably be our Bai family that suffers in the end.”

How could Bai Chenming not know? Putting aside the distant past, just take Furong and Cheng Nan for example. If Bai Qinglian's scandals were exposed by the Huang family, then the Bai family's reputation would be ruined.

"But I can't just stand by and watch you suffer!"

"If it were just once, that would be one thing, but your sister has hurt you and Furong time and time again!"

"How could I possibly keep her here?" Bai Chenming was truly heartbroken at this moment; making this decision was incredibly difficult for him.

Especially since Bai Qinglian is eyeing her older sister's newlywed husband this time, if word gets out that it's actually Bai Chenming, people will probably laugh at her behind her back.

Bai Wanqing pondered for a moment, but still felt that she could not hand Bai Qinglian over to the Huang family.

"Father, I have a plan that can both preserve the Bai family's reputation and keep Third Sister in check."

"any solution?"

Bai Wanqing then whispered her thoughts in her father's ear. Her father looked at his daughter thoughtfully and asked, "Will your sister really be restrained like this?"

"Perhaps. Even if we can't control Third Sister, we can at least prevent this vegetable farmer from speaking recklessly."

Bai Chenming nodded, finding it very reasonable, and the matter was settled.

After the two finished talking about this unpleasant matter, Bai Chenming finally remembered to ask his daughter about her plans: "When are you and Yun Che planning to go to Huaizhou?"

“I’ve heard that these appointments are all for a limited time. People who passed the imperial examinations in his cohort have already taken up their posts long ago. Won’t people criticize him for being so late?”

Bai Wanqing knew her father was worried about them. "No, Father, we've been keeping track of the dates, but it is indeed a bit tight, so we've decided to go to Huaizhou tomorrow."

"Tomorrow! So soon?" Bai Chenming felt very reluctant.

After all, although Bai Wanqing was married before, she was still in their Huai'an County, and she could still come back to visit from time to time. Now that she has gone to Huaizhou, it will probably not be so convenient for her to come back.

Thinking of this, Bai Chenming sighed softly, but he quickly thought of what Bai Qinglian had just done and felt that it might be a good thing if Qing'er left Huai'an County.

"Go! Go away! Get away from this troublesome place, and maybe you'll live a more comfortable life."

Bai Wanqing knew her father was referring to Bai Qinglian, so she obediently nodded.

The father and daughter chatted for a while longer, until almost evening, before the father let them go home.

Bai Wanqing frowned and didn't speak on the way. Lin Yunche thought she was angry. "What's wrong? Does your father-in-law know that I did it and is blaming you?"

Bai Wanqing gently shook her head.

"It's alright. If I'm to blame you, I'll go and apologize with a bundle of thorns on my back. I've already thought about this matter, and I was indeed too rash."

"Even if Bai Qinglian had ill intentions towards me, I could have simply thwarted her plan. There was no need to resort to this elaborate scheme."

"Now I've dragged you into this."

The more Lin Yunche analyzed the situation, the more he realized that he had indeed made a mistake.

Seeing that he kept rambling on and on, Bai Wanqing finally spoke up, "Forget it! She only has herself to blame, but she shouldn't do it again next time."

Lin Yunche nodded immediately, "No! I won't give her another chance to get close to me."

Bai Wanqing was amused by his sincere expression, and seeing her smile, Lin Yunche finally felt relieved. After returning home, the two busied themselves with packing the last things they needed to take to Huaizhou, quickly forgetting the unpleasantness of the day.

It's just that Bai Chenming has to clean up the mess left by Bai Qinglian at the Bai family home.

At this moment, Madam Chen shouted at Bai Chenming with a tense tone, "Master, do you think you've gone mad? Do you know that Lian'er was about to commit suicide because of this matter today?"

"You actually said you wanted to keep this vegetable farmer in the Bai family?"

"I think you've really gone mad! Aren't you afraid he'll go around telling everyone about our Bai family? Then not only will Qinglian be dead, but we'll both lose all our face."

Bai Chenming knew that Madam Chen would object, so he had already prepared his words: "Madam, where are you sending him? How far away? Can you guarantee that he will never come back?"

"If he comes back and uses Lian'er's matter to threaten our Bai family, what will become of us then?"

"We might as well keep this vegetable farmer here now, and while he still thinks he's committing a crime, buy back his and his family's indentures and keep an eye on them. Nothing bad can happen that way."

Mrs. Chen was slightly taken aback. She hadn't thought of that, so her attitude softened a bit.

"But wouldn't Qinglian always think of such a person?"

"How are you expecting Lian'er to live with this kind of mindset?!"

Mrs. Chen still felt sorry for her daughter, so she was still unwilling to keep her by her side.

Bai Chenming raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Chen family, do you think we're all blind and can't see through what Qinglian is planning today?"

Chen paused, knowing that Bai Chenming was probably furious.

But how could she possibly admit that Qinglian had done something wrong?

"Master, what are you saying? Qinglian is already married, what could she possibly be plotting?"

"This whole thing was the farmer's doing. He's the one who ruined our daughter! Sir, you're not going to side with an outsider now, are you?"

As Chen finished speaking, she wiped her eyes, looking pitiful.

This time, Bai Chenming refused to buy it. "Helping outsiders? Chen family, you really think I'm a fool now!"

"I knew it. Even if Qinglian had the guts, she couldn't have planned something like this on her own. Now I understand. It was you, her mother, who was behind it all."

"Do you realize that you're not helping her? You're clearly harming her."

At this moment, Madam Chen felt wronged, "Master, how could I harm her?"

"Lian'er is my own daughter. Aren't I doing this for her own good?"

"Don't you know what kind of life our daughter will have to live in the Huang family?"

"As you saw, on the day of the wedding, Master Huang didn't take our Bai family seriously at all. Otherwise, why would he have changed his mind at the last minute?"

"And today, her eldest sister and brother-in-law came back as a couple, but Lian'er, the youngest, suffered the most grievances, and she came back alone."

"Since she's going to be someone's concubine anyway, what's wrong with Lian'er becoming her elder sister's concubine? When her husband becomes an official in Huaizhou, Qinglian will help her elder sister manage the household. Isn't that a good thing?"

Chen spoke with such confidence that Bai Chenming was so angry he almost fainted.

"You...you're really being ridiculous!"

"From today onwards, you must not see Lian'er again."

"You don't need to interfere in the vegetable farmers' affairs. Just stay in your yard and reflect on your actions."

Upon hearing this, Madam Chen's eyes widened immediately. "Master, are you going to put me under house arrest?"

Bai Chenming took a breath and said, "If you are not satisfied, I can also give you a letter of divorce, and you can leave the Bai family."

Chen was truly terrified. She had been with Bai Chenming for so many years and had never seen him so angry that he wanted to divorce his wife.

"Hmph! So what if I have to stay in the courtyard? Fine, I'll stay. You don't have to threaten me with divorce." Madam Chen said as she left the study.

Bai Chenming finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Chen's departing figure.

"Butler Liu!" Bai Chenming called over Uncle Liu and handed him over the matter of how to deal with the vegetable farmers.

After learning that the vegetable farmer had been left behind, Bai Qinglian made a scene again, but this time neither Chen nor Bai Chenming went to her courtyard.

She calmed down after she finished making a scene.

A short while later, Uncle Liu came over to deliver a message: "Third Miss, people from the Huang family have arrived to take you back."

Knowing how formidable Madam Huang was, Bai Qinglian dared not disobey her and could only return to the Huang family with a belly full of anger.

(End of this chapter)