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

Chapter 44 Crossing the road
Lin Yunche snorted, seemingly disapproving of the rules of this wealthy family. "Steward Liu, this is the Lin family, not your Bai family. There are no such rules here. Sit down and eat!"

Liu Bo didn't sit down, so Lin Yunche didn't offer him a seat either. He picked up the bowl himself and started slurping his food.

Liu Bo had only seen this kind of eating manners a few years ago when he was with Master Bai in a refugee camp on the border of the Shang Kingdom.

Even Liu Bo himself didn't realize that he had sighed.

Lin Yunche looked up at him, startled, and he quickly explained, "I ran a long way and I'm a little tired. I'm getting old, I'm getting old."

After Lin Yunche finished eating, Uncle Liu urged them to hurry up and leave, but Lin Yunche was in no hurry. He first picked up the bowl and went to the kitchen to wash it, and then took the broom from the yard and swept the snow around the yard.

Uncle Liu stood there pacing anxiously, while Lin Yunche finished one task and started another.
How can I put it? He's a son-in-law who's very observant. Uncle Liu was almost in tears.

Lin Yunche really liked this kind of patient, agonizing work. He did the same thing when Bai Wanqing was standing there last time, but Bai Wanqing didn't urge him at all. In fact, he even forgot that she was waiting in the courtyard by the end.

That girl always seemed different from others.

Uncle Liu urged Lin Yunche one last time, and Lin Yunche finally put down all the workers and ran to the back of the house to lead out his horse.

"Let's go!" Lin Yunche gracefully mounted his horse, cracked his whip with a dashing air, and the two of them set off on their journey.

If Lin Yunche hadn't been wearing his tattered linen clothes, Uncle Liu would have thought he was seeing things. How could this farmer look so unlike a farmer?

As the figure receded into the distance, Uncle Liu quickly jumped onto his horse and followed.

When the two arrived at the Bai family's residence, it was already getting dark.

Uncle Liu led Lin Yunche to the front hall first, while he went to the backyard to inform Bai Chenming and Bai Wanqing. Soon, everyone in the Bai family knew that Bai Wanqing's future husband had come to visit.

Bai Qinglian stood in front of the door, looking towards the front yard, and asked Xia Yu, "Did you get a good look at what kind of person he was?"

Xia Yu nodded, "Miss, I saw it clearly. That man is just a country bumpkin, not presentable at all!"

"A brute?"

"That's right! When he first entered the Bai family, he looked around as if he had never seen a house like ours before. He was also wearing coarse linen clothes and walked without any manner of walking. He followed behind Uncle Liu and didn't even glance at people. What else could he be but a country bumpkin?"

Hearing this description, Bai Qinglian felt even worse; Bai Wanqing was clearly insulting her.

They were all supposed to become concubines in the Huang family, but what's going on now? Bai Wanqing is noble, and she would rather marry such a person than enter the Huang family.

Bai Qinglian forcefully tore the silk handkerchief she was holding in her hand into two pieces.

"Miss!" Xia Yu was startled. She realized that her young mistress was not happy, so she stopped saying the words she was about to say.

"Is there any movement from Master Huang? He's really useless, letting the women he wants slip through his fingers time and time again! Humph! And he's supposed to be a wealthy merchant with powerful connections!"

Xia Yu shook her head. "Master Huang probably doesn't know yet."

Bai Qinglian smiled slightly, "Don't know? Then go tell him now, tell him that the beauty he's been longing for has found a husband. If he doesn't make a move soon, it'll be too late!"

After speaking, Bai Qinglian's gaze toward the front hall became even more gloomy.

On the other side, after hearing that Lin Yunche had arrived at the Bai family, Bai Wanqing and Bai Chenming went to the front hall together.

At this moment, Lin Yunche sat in a chair with his legs crossed, holding a red fruit that Liu Bo had instructed the maid to bring, and was enjoying it.

Bai Chenming was taken aback at first. Whose bandits had come? But when he caught sight of his daughter's calm expression, he knew that this was the Lin family's child. In an instant, his face darkened as if he had been smeared with soot.

"Ahem!" Bai Chenming coughed lightly twice, then walked to the seat of honor and sat down. Seeing this, Lin Yunche restrained himself and immediately put down the fruit in his hand, stood up and greeted Bai Chenming.

"Master Bai!" Lin Yunche bowed respectfully, a stark contrast to his demeanor when he was eating fruit earlier.

Bai Chenming thought he was seeing things. Had the child, Zi Rou, not been cured? Why was she behaving so strangely?

Bai Wanqing also found it strange. Lin Yunche always did things his own way and was always out of line, but he was very well-behaved in front of his father.

"Please sit down, please sit down. We'll be family from now on, so there's no need to be so formal!" Bai Chenming said politely.

Lin Yunche nodded, straightened his clothes, and sat down properly in the chair, politely looking at Bai's father. Bai Chenming suddenly felt that this Lin family child seemed quite good, and his anxiety eased slightly.

"Young Master Lin, I heard from Qing'er that you agreed to be engaged to her. Have you thought this through?" Bai Chenming asked.

Lin Yunche slightly curled the corners of his mouth, stood up, clasped his hands and bowed to Bai Chenming again: "Master Bai, I have thought it through and wish to marry Wanqing."

"You knew about Qing'er before..."

“I know, but Madam Bai was kind to me back then, and now that her daughter is in trouble, I should repay her kindness,” Lin Yunche said politely.

Bai Chenming wanted to ask again, was it just to repay a debt of gratitude? But when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he realized he was being presumptuous. The two had never met before, so what else could it be but repaying a debt of gratitude!
Fortunately, this young man is handsome and has a good temperament, but why are his clothes so torn?
Bai Chenming thought of Linjia Village, but then felt that everything made sense. It didn't matter; he could prepare more dowry for Qing'er after she got married.

Thinking of this, Bai Chenming felt a little relieved.

“You are indeed a good child who keeps her promises, but after you and Qing’er get married in the future, will you have any opinions about her because of what happened before? After all, your marriage was forced upon you, and I’m afraid you will regret it and let her down again.” Bai Chenming said this carefully, as he cared a lot about his daughter’s feelings.

After all, Meng Zhan, that heartless man, betrayed his Qing'er. If it weren't for him, Qing'er wouldn't have been driven to this point.

Lin Yunche glanced at Bai Wanqing, whose expression remained calm and unreadable as always. "Master Bai, rest assured, now that I have married Wanqing, I will treat her with sincerity and will not let her down."

Lin Yunche's eyes were sincere, which surprised Bai Wanqing. But that made sense. Even if it was an act, it had to be done properly. This way, her father would worry less.

"Yes, Father, I've already talked to Young Master Lin, we'll live a good life together in the future," Bai Wanqing assured her father.

A smile finally appeared on Bai Chenming's face. "Good, good! I can finally rest assured."

"However, Mr. Lin, you came alone this time. Your father and mother have not yet shown up. Will they object to this marriage?"

When Lin Yunche mentioned his parents, his expression turned sour. Bai Chenming assumed that Lin's parents were against it, and his heart jumped back into his throat.

Lin Yunche thought for a moment and said, "My parents will certainly not object, please rest assured, Mr. Bai."

"It's good that you don't object! It's good that you don't object."

Bai Chenming was indeed afraid that the Lin family would change their minds. He had previously looked down on a family like the Lin family, but Lin Yunche was well-mannered and had an extraordinary appearance. If Qing'er hadn't married before, he might have considered this young man.

He has talent! He has integrity! He has courage!

"In that case, shall we exchange tokens today? Qing'er mentioned that you already gave her a jade pendant?"

Lin Yunche nodded, "That was given to my mother by my grandmother when she left her hometown. It's a symbol of being a daughter-in-law of the Lin family. Since Miss Bai and I are engaged, it's only right that we give it to her."

Bai Chenming was very satisfied with this explanation. He glanced at Bai Wanqing, who took out a gift box that she had prepared in advance and personally handed it to Lin Yunche.

Lin Yunche first bowed slightly, then took the gift box with both hands, opened it, and inside lay a wolf-hair brush.

"How did you know I could write?" Lin Yunche was somewhat surprised, as even the other households in his Lin Family Village did not know that he could write.

Did she know something? That's why there was a hint of danger in Lin Yunche's eyes.

Bai Wanqing explained calmly, "When I visited yesterday, your residence only had a bed and a table. There were no other marks on the wooden table, but there were one or two ink stains. I think you might use this pen."

Lin Yunche suppressed the probing look in his eyes. He thought the woman before him was too intelligent, but that was fine; after all, following him without a brain would be risky.
"Then thank you, Miss Wanqing!" Lin Yunche said with a smile.

After exchanging tokens of affection, Uncle Liu brought over the official documents, thus finalizing the marriage between him and Bai Wanqing. Bai Chenming was finally able to put his mind at ease.

He instructed Uncle Liu to escort Lin Yunche back safely, while he himself planned to personally visit the Huang family the next day to settle all these matters.

Lin Yunche rode his horse, carrying the wolf-hair brush given to him by Bai Wanqing in his arms, pondering the whole way whether his decision was right or wrong.

He is undoubtedly involved in the current court affairs, but she has unknowingly become entangled in them as well.

Lin Yunche returned to the Lin family home after thinking all the way, only to find that the courtyard gate was already crowded with people.

"Hey? Little Lin, what are you all doing gathered around my house?"

(End of this chapter)