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

Chapter 39 Desperate
Bai Chenming sat up abruptly, ignoring the pain in his chest, "That rebellious daughter of hers actually dared to end her life!"

"Take me there!" Bai Chenming struggled to get out of bed.

Bai Wanqing stepped forward to support him, then turned to Qiuwen and asked, "Was the person rescued?"

Qiuwen suddenly realized and nodded hurriedly, "She's been saved! She's been saved! When Madam arrived, the Third Miss was standing on a chair, about to hang herself, but Madam has stopped her now."

When Bai Chenming heard that the person had been rescued, he was finally less panicked. Bai Wanqing helped him up and then went with him to Bai Qinglian's courtyard.

Bai Qinglian was holding Chen Shi and crying bitterly. Bai Furong seemed to be frightened by Bai Qinglian's appearance just now, and huddled to the side trembling.

Scattered white silk and overturned wooden chairs lay on the ground, making Bai Chenming's head spin.

"You've really grown some guts! Not only did you drug people, but now you're even trying to kill yourself. How could I have given birth to a daughter like you!" Bai Chenming roared, pointing at Bai Qinglian.

Seeing that Bai Chenming was not comforting his daughter but was still blaming her, Chen said with heartache, "Bai Chenming, are the three of us, mother and children, not even members of your Bai family? You always side with Kou Shi and Kou Shi's children. Your daughter has been treated like this! And you are still here blaming her!"

"Are you really planning to force her to her death?" Chen asked, glaring angrily at Bai Wanqing.

"She deserves to die! It's because you protected her that she's become like this. I think it would be better to just let her die!" Bai Chenming's hands trembled with anger, but his heart was bleeding.

Hearing her father's scolding, Bai Qinglian stopped crying. "Father, Mother, it is my fault for being unfilial. I should not have disgraced the Bai family. I will die now and never implicate you, Father and Mother."

After saying that, Bai Qinglian tried to break free from Chen Shi and pick up the white silk from the ground again. Chen Shi cried and grabbed Bai Qinglian tightly, "No, daughter, no! You can't die! What will your mother do if you die!"

"Bai Chenming! If you keep pushing Qinglian like this, then the three of us will all die in front of you today." Madam Chen suddenly stood up, pulled up Furong who was curled up in the corner, and called Qiuwen to go to Bai Chengnan's courtyard to call the young master over as well.

The room was in complete chaos in no time.

"Enough!" Bai Chenming roared, clutching his chest and panting heavily. Large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, startling Bai Wanqing, who quickly stepped forward to take his pulse.

Fortunately, my father drank his medicine just now, otherwise his body definitely wouldn't have been able to hold on.

"I'm going to Master Huang's house tomorrow and beg him to take Qinglian back! Stop making trouble!" Bai Chenming's voice suddenly became much hoarse, and his face looked much more weathered.

"I won't marry Master Huang!" Bai Qinglian cried out.

"You've already given yourself to him, who else can you marry if not him!" Bai Chenming asked in anguish.

Bai Qinglian was speechless for a moment, but then shook her head. "Father, Master Huang is simply no good. If you let your daughter marry him, you'll be a widow!"

Bai Chenming never expected that even at this point, Bai Qinglian would still be thinking about this matter. He was truly about to collapse.

"Then let's find Liu Fu, the family who came to propose marriage to us before. I'll go and beg them to accept you." Bai Chenming was truly helpless, but he was willing to swallow his pride for his daughter.

“I’m not going. Their family has been selling meat for generations. I’d rather marry into the Huang family as a concubine,” Bai Qinglian said immediately.

Bai Qinglian sobbed a few more times and then stopped talking. She suddenly looked at Bai Wanqing and then at Bai Furong, her eyes filled with hatred. Why was she the most clever daughter in the family? Why was she so disliked and ended up as a concubine in the Huang family?

Bai Chenming sighed in disappointment, "Then that's settled. I'll go to the Huang family tomorrow."

That night, almost no one in the Bai family slept.

Bai Chenming, in particular, sat in the study all night after returning to the courtyard. No matter how Bai Wanqing tried to persuade him, she couldn't. So she stayed in the room with him and played chess all night.

As soon as it was light, Bai Chenming stood up. "Qing'er, you should go back and rest!"

Bai Wanqing didn't know what to say for a moment, only feeling that her father seemed to have a few more gray hairs and a few more wrinkles on his face overnight.

"Uncle Liu, if anything happens, be sure to come back and report immediately!" Bai Wanqing instructed anxiously.

Liu Bo readily agreed and then went to the Huang family with Bai Chenming.

"Miss, shall we go to the clinic again today?" Bai Wanqing returned to the courtyard somewhat tired. Ruixin hurriedly brought her water and told her to wash her face first. After staying up all night, Bai Wanqing's face was covered with a layer of oil.

"I'm not going today! I'm worried about Father." Bai Wanqing said as she washed her face and then changed out of yesterday's clothes.

"Miss, why don't you get some sleep? I'll wake you up if anything happens." Ruixin carefully made the bed, and Bai Wanqing nodded and got into bed.

She fell asleep without realizing it.

When she woke up again, it was already evening. "Ruixin! Ruixin!"

Bai Wanqing called Ruixin's name urgently, and Ruixin immediately ran in from outside, "Miss, you're awake!"

"Hmm! Have Father and the others returned?" Bai Wanqing patted her face to try and wake herself up as quickly as possible.

"You're back! Master told me not to wake you, and to go directly to his study when you wake up, Miss." Ruixin brought Bai Wanqing some new clothes.

Bai Wanqing quickly dressed and went to Bai Chenming's study. "You're here!" Bai Chenming said somewhat dejectedly.

"Father, has the Huang family relented?"

Bai Chenming shook his head. "No! Although the Huang family is not an official family, they are the most powerful imperial merchants in Huai'an County. I asked many of my friends to persuade him, but he refused."

"Originally, I was thinking of sending Qinglian to the Liu family to marry Liu Fuhu's son, but I didn't expect that before I could even open my mouth at the Liu family, Liu Fuhu said with difficulty that he couldn't afford to offend Master Huang."

"He would never dare to take Master Huang's concubine as his daughter-in-law."

"This child has blocked his own path!" Bai Chenming's eyes were full of regret.

“Father, it seems that the only way forward is for Third Sister to marry into the Huang family,” Bai Wanqing said.

Bai Chenming fell silent.

Bai Wanqing didn't say anything more, then got up and left. She didn't want to marry into the Huang family; she couldn't accompany Bai Qinglian to debase herself.

After much deliberation, Bai Wanqing decided to go find Madam Hu.

"Ruixin, send a visiting card to Madam Hu. We'll be going to the Hu family tomorrow," Bai Wanqing said.

"Miss, you...you want to agree to Madam Hu's proposal to marry her second son?" Ruixin looked at her young mistress with concern.

How could her young lady be so miserable, driven to this point by that guy Bai Qinglian?

"Marry the Second Young Master Hu?" Bai Wanqing shook her head. "What kind of family is the Hu family? If it weren't for Bai Qinglian's incident, we could barely manage to get related to the Hu family through marriage. But now, given the Bai family's reputation, I'm afraid even if I agree, Madam Hu wouldn't agree!"

"So, Miss, are you going to see Madam Hu again tomorrow?"

"Madam Hu's father is the county magistrate of our county. If we're talking about people in Huai'an County who can talk to the Huang family, then the only one is probably Old Master Cui. I have no choice but to ask him for help with this matter."

"I understand!" Ruixin carefully put away the invitation and promptly delivered it to the Hu residence.

When Madam Hu received the visiting card, she immediately understood what Bai Wanqing wanted.

"Go tell Miss Bai that I will be waiting at home tomorrow, and ask her to come as soon as possible!" Madam Hu relayed the order to the gatekeeper.

The old nanny beside her, however, advised against it, "Mistress, the Bai family girl's reputation is already ruined. Do you really intend to let her marry our second young master?"

Madam Hu smiled and said, "Granny, if it were anyone else, I would naturally not have any more contact with her. But I admire the eldest daughter of the Bai family. Given her current situation, she would naturally not bring up the matter of marrying into the Hu family again."

"Won't she? She's desperate now!" The old woman curled her lip. "I'm just afraid that if she gets involved with you, it won't be easy to get rid of her."

"No! How about we make a bet?" Madam Hu smiled and looked at the old nanny.

The old nanny lowered her head. "This servant has no money to bet with you. If you believe her, Madam, please believe her this once!"

"Mother! Who are you telling me to believe?!" Hu Tao returned home travel-worn, but upon entering, he saw that his mother looked well and decided to chat with her.

"Yes," Madam Hu was about to say when the old woman interrupted her, "Young master, it's no one! It's just those ladies and servants who usually associate with you, you wouldn't be interested."

Madam Hu glared angrily at the nanny, but she didn't blame her. She knew the nanny didn't want the second young master to get involved with the Bai family girl, so she didn't bring it up again.

Young Master Hu did not inquire further.

The next day, Bai Wanqing went to the Hu residence early in the morning. As soon as she got off the carriage, the Hu family's steward greeted her warmly, "Is it Miss Bai? Please come in quickly, Madam has been waiting for you for a while!"

Bai Wanqing nodded and followed the steward to the flower hall in the backyard of the Hu residence. As before, Madam Hu had prepared fruit and tea, and greeted Bai Wanqing with a smile.

"Wanqing, you've arrived!" Madam Hu said with a smile.

"Madam Hu!" Bai Wanqing greeted her respectfully.

"Come, sit down!" Madam Hu took Bai Wanqing's hand and offered her a seat, then sat down next to Bai Wanqing, at a perfect distance.

"Thank you, Madam!" Bai Wanqing said.

Madam Hu picked up a piece of fruit and handed it to Bai Wanqing. "No need to thank me. I should be thanking you. Recently, Doctor Luo has been seeing my mother-in-law regularly. She has regained feeling in her hands and feet. Doctor Luo said that with another six months to a year of treatment, she might actually be able to get out of bed and move around!"

At this point, Mrs. Hu's face beamed with a smile.

Bai Wanqing didn't seek credit, but simply nodded slightly. After gathering her thoughts, she got straight to the point and stated her purpose.

"Madam Hu, Wanqing has a request."

(End of this chapter)