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

Chapter 41 Bai Wanqing Discusses Marriage

"As for Bai Qinglian, Master Huang doesn't care. He said that if the Bai family agrees, he will reluctantly accept it!"

Bai Wanqing pursed her lips. Was this a way of forcing her to remarry?

Master Huang must have calculated that with the Bai family's current reputation, she probably wouldn't be able to find a suitable family, which is why he said that to Old Master Cui.

Just as he told other people not to accept Bai Qinglian, Bai Wanqing was probably no better off.

Seeing Bai Wanqing's predicament, Madam Hu sighed. If it weren't for the affair between Master Huang and Bai Qinglian, her Hu family would have been willing to accept her. But the rumors outside were too outrageous. Her Hu family's reputation, built up over a century, couldn't be ruined by a single marriage.

Madam Hu looked troubled, which Bai Wanqing noticed. "Madam Hu, please don't be in a difficult position. This is a matter for the Bai family!"

"Even so, I clearly mentioned Tao'er to you before, but now... sigh!" Madam Hu rubbed her handkerchief, somewhat at a loss.

Bai Wanqing smiled and said, "Madam Hu, you're too kind. Old Master Cui's intervention on my behalf has already been a great help. How could Wanqing dare to ask for more!"

"Moreover, Young Master Hu is exceptionally talented. Even without this incident, Wanqing probably wouldn't have caught his eye. Madam Hu, there's no need to be saddened by this matter. Wanqing understands."

Madam Hu patted Bai Wanqing's hand, "I knew you were a sensible child. But now that Master Huang has relented, you should go back and discuss it with your father. He should find you a decent marriage."

"After all, a woman's life is ultimately dependent on her husband's family. If her husband's family treats her well, she is a treasure in their eyes; if her husband's family treats her badly, even if she is a princess of the Shang Kingdom, she will not be happy."

As Madam Hu spoke, she suddenly became somewhat saddened, as if the relationship between her and Mr. Hu was perhaps not as harmonious as it appeared on the surface.

When Madam Hu saw Wanqing looking at her, she smiled awkwardly, "Look at me, I'm just prone to sentimentality. I'm only worried about your marriage."

"I know everything, Madam Hu. You are truly thinking of me. I will go home and discuss it with my father." Bai Wanqing bid farewell to Madam Hu and left the Hu residence.

Bai Wanqing was constantly caught up in the whirlpool of marriage proposals throughout the journey.

“Miss, this Master Huang is clearly forcing you to submit. Right now, in our Huai’an County, or even in the neighboring counties, which family would dare to propose marriage to us?”

Ruixin was furious, and when she mentioned Master Huang, she felt like she wanted to bite him.

Bai Wanqing rarely showed a worried expression. "Yes! Master Huang is very confident, so no matter what, we should discuss it with Father first."

The weather was still chilly despite the sudden warmth of spring, and the spring breeze was biting. Bai Wanqing's heart felt as if it were frozen in this winter, completely cold.

Upon returning to the Bai family home, Bai Wanqing went directly to Bai Chenming's study. In just two short days, her father's hair had turned even whiter.

Bai Wanqing had been in the study for a long time before Bai Chenming noticed her.

"Qing'er, you've come!"

"Father, I've come!"

"Qing'er, find a way to escape! Escape anywhere, the farther the better!"

"If I leave, Master Huang will definitely not allow Bai Qinglian to join the family. Given Third Sister's personality, I'm afraid..."

Bai Chenming clenched his fists. "It's better to sacrifice one daughter's life than to sacrifice the happiness of two daughters. She deserves to suffer. You don't need to suffer for her sake."

Bai Wanqing knew this, and she had never taken Bai Qinglian seriously. But she still had her father and her second younger sister. If she left, even if Du Huan and Madam Du had a falling out, Furong would never have the chance to enter the Du family again.

Because she, Furong, has already endured enough!

“Father, I’ve gone to see Madam Hu. Old Master Cui persuaded Master Huang, and he’s agreed to let me go, but on one condition.” Bai Wanqing had made up her mind.

Bai Chenming's eyes lit up. "I'm willing to agree to any conditions, even if it means the Bai family goes bankrupt!"

“It’s not about money, it’s that as long as I’m engaged and betrothed, he’ll give Old Master Cui face, stop bothering me, and be willing to accept Bai Qinglian.”

"Arrange a marriage?" The light in Bai Chenming's eyes vanished instantly. "Did he... did he give our Bai family the opportunity to arrange a marriage?"

“These past few days, whenever I go out, everyone avoids me. Even the families that have been doing business with the Bai family for decades say they can’t marry into the Bai family.”

“I even contacted my relatives in Huaizhou Prefecture. The Huang family even reached out to them there.”

"Then the only option now is probably to leave Huaizhou Prefecture," Bai Chenming pondered.

"Once we leave Huaizhou Prefecture, even Master Huang can't control everything. Father can arrange a marriage for you. I'll set off tomorrow." Bai Chenming had already made up his mind.

Bai Wanqing felt that this was the only option left.

But to everyone's surprise, Master Huang blocked this road as well. He even managed to have Bai Chenming's travel permit taken away. Without the travel permit, Bai Chenming couldn't go anywhere.

Bai Chenming was furious. "If that's the case, then let's drag this out. I refuse to believe that Master Huang can keep me from ever leaving Huai'an County."

But who would have thought that Master Huang not only took away Bai Chenming's travel permit, but he also interfered with the businesses of Bai's other uncles, causing almost all of Bai's businesses to come to a standstill. The third uncle had no choice but to go to Bai's father. "Fifth brother! Now the Bai family's businesses have all stopped, what... what should we do! Our Bai family has a large family to support!" The third uncle was anxious and his face was full of worry.

"Third Brother, the Huang family is going too far! They're trying to force me to give my daughter to them! They're not human!" Bai Chenming was also suffering; he was caught in a dilemma.

"What should we do now? If the Huang family continues to interfere with our business like this, then hundreds of people in our Bai family will probably starve to death. If it were just a rough man like me, it wouldn't matter, but there's also Uncle Bai, who is so old, and your nephews and nieces, who are all younger than Wanqing. What are you going to do with them!" Uncle Bai became more and more agitated as he spoke.

"So you mean I should just hand Qing'er over like that? You're her uncle, you once protected her like a precious gem! Are you really willing to do that?" Bai Chenming asked angrily.

My third uncle jumped up and said, "What good will it do if I'm reluctant? Do you want all the other members of the Bai family to be buried with her?"

"Fifth Brother, you don't want to see the hard work of generations of our Bai family destroyed in an instant, do you?"

Bai Chenye's words made Bai Chenming unable to lift his head. He knew how difficult it had been for the Bai family to get to where they were today from nothing, and he knew how much humiliation his father had suffered in order to secure the supply rights for some shops.

He could no longer speak.

"If you can't say it to Qing'er, I'll go and say it myself!" Uncle San said through gritted teeth.

"But all we need to do is arrange a marriage for Qing'er. Do we really have to force her to go to the Huang family?" Bai Chenming was unwilling.

"Then tell me, in our Huai'an County, who would dare to propose marriage to you! Let alone others, even our uncles' and cousins ​​wouldn't dare to propose marriage to you!" The third uncle felt that Bai Chenming was too indecisive.

"I can only apologize to Qing'er!" Uncle San sighed.

Bai Chenming wanted to try again, but Bai Wanqing walked in, "Uncle, Father!"

Bai Wanqing remained as composed as ever, showing no sign of losing her composure. However, her third uncle, remembering what he had just said, tensed up. "Ahem! Qing'er, I... I had no choice. Please don't blame your third uncle."

Uncle Bai Wanqing's confidence was clearly not as strong as before, and she calmly replied, "Uncle Bai Wanqing's choice is reasonable, Wanqing understands."

Uncle San breathed a sigh of relief and said to Bai Chenming, "You see, I knew our Bai family's daughter was sensible. Since Qing'er has agreed, why don't you quickly send the message back to Master Huang so that he can loosen his grip and let those pharmacies buy our medicine again?"

Bai Chenming remained silent.

Bai Wanqing said, "Uncle, you don't have to sell your niece so quickly. Can you give Wanqing some more time?"

Uncle Bai Wanqing's words were sarcastic, and he turned away, saying, "Qing girl, what do you mean by 'selling'? This is something we've already agreed on. Wouldn't it be better to settle it sooner rather than later?"

"Do you know that every day that's delayed, our Bai family's business will be delayed by a whole day? That would be a huge loss."

My third uncle mumbled the last few words.

Bai Wanqing wasn't annoyed. "Three days!"

"Third Uncle, give me three days. If I still can't find a marriage partner, I'll agree to go to the Huang family." Bai Wanqing wasn't sure what to do, so she could only take a gamble.

"Qing'er! You..." Father Bai wanted to stop her, but Bai Wanqing stopped him.

“Father, everything started because of me, so let it end with me!” Bai Wanqing said.

The third uncle remained silent. Three days wasn't a long time; he could wait.

After leaving the study, Ruixin, who had been following Bai Wanqing, finally burst into tears.

"Miss, is there really no other way? Do we really have to go to the Huang family?"

Bai Wanqing sighed and said, "Ruixin, I don't want to go to the Huang family either, but the Huang family is not a good place now. You don't need to come with me. Don't you have a fiancé in your hometown who is already engaged?"

"Send him a message in the next couple of days, asking him to come to the Bai family so I can hand you over to him. That way I can feel at ease."

When Ruixin heard that her young mistress was going to marry her off, she cried even louder, "Miss, no! Please don't send me away! It's just the Huang family! I'll go anywhere you can go!"

"I want to go with Miss."

Bai Wanqing sighed and said, "Aren't you afraid that one day Master Huang will take you in as a concubine?"

Bai Wanqing's words were half teasing Ruixin, and half genuinely worried, since everyone knew that Master Huang often had designs on his concubines.

Ruixin was indeed stunned by these words.

Bai Wanqing immediately patted her arm and said gently, "Why don't you go and send a message to your fiancé?"

Ruixin pouted, tears welling up in her eyes, and finally nodded.

(End of this chapter)