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

Chapter 8 The Unreachable Bai Family

Meng Zhan paused, looking at Bai Wanqing with disbelief. Fang Shi almost tripped over the threshold as well. She smiled awkwardly at the elders of the Meng and Bai families, then rolled her eyes at Bai Wanqing.

Meng Zhan quietly moved to Bai Wanqing's side and whispered, "Wanqing, I haven't had a chance to tell you about this yet. Let's send Elder Meng and Elder Bai back first, and then I'll explain to you."

The divorce between the Meng family and Bai Wanqing had already made Bai's uncle and third uncle furious, and now that they heard Meng Zhan still wanted to stay, they were even more enraged.

Uncle Bai steadily pulled his third uncle to sit in a chair, showing no intention of leaving. Uncle Bai mocked, "Lord Meng, this is our Bai family's place now, and we have no intention of leaving. On the contrary, your Meng family has already signed the divorce papers and should move out now."

The third uncle chimed in, not to be outdone: "That's right, that's right! But the Bai family isn't hard to talk to. Your Meng family doesn't have anyone to order around. Our Bai family is a respectable family. Tell us where you live, and we'll send someone to deliver your things to you right away. Our Bai family won't take advantage of your Meng family."

Meng Zhan was furious. He already held an official position, yet the Bai family still dared to speak so arrogantly. However, Meng Zhan felt that he could control Bai Wanqing. Although Bai Wanqing came from a poor background, she was still sensible. With so many elders present today, she would definitely not do anything to embarrass him, since it would not benefit the Bai family in the slightest.

"Uncle Bai, you've misunderstood. I've already discussed this with Wanqing. The Meng family will stay here for a while longer. Once the appointment from the Huaizhou prefecture arrives, we will leave."

When Fang heard Meng Zhan mention the appointment in the prefecture, she became smug again. "Yes! Wanqing, and the uncles and aunts of the Bai family, my son Meng Zhan is now the Assistant Prefect of Huaizhou Prefecture. He will be moving to Huaizhou City soon. Do you think he can stay here with you?"

"Besides, right now, in our Huai'an County, whenever they mention Zhan'er, they can't wait for us to stay with them. The fact that we're still staying at the Bai family's place is a way of giving them face."

Uncle Bai and his third uncle were furious at Fang's words. The third uncle even took a step forward, saying, "I never imagined that your Meng family would be such a despicable family. I've seen shameless people, but I've never seen anyone as shameless as you."

Fang was being verbally abused and couldn't take it anymore. She was about to pounce on her third uncle when Bai Wanqing suddenly appeared, grabbed Fang's wrist, and threw her back hard.

"Madam Fang, this is the Bai family home. Please show some respect."

Enraged, Fang pointed at Bai Wanqing's nose and yelled, "She dared to hit me again! She's truly unfilial! Zhan'er, let's get the divorce papers back, change them to divorce papers, and divorce her!"

Bai Wanqing glanced coldly at Meng Zhan and said, "Lord Meng, I think you really can't stay in our Bai family any longer. Please pack your things and leave as soon as possible."

"I'm not leaving! I'm not going anywhere!" Madam Fang plopped down in a chair, panting heavily. "The Bai family insulted officials, Zhan'er, you tell the magistrate right now to arrest them all and send them to jail."

Meng Zhan pinched the bridge of his nose; his head was slightly sore.

Bai Wanqing said calmly, "What does Lord Meng intend to do? Are you really going to send us all to prison?"

Meng Zhan cannot touch Bai Wanqing yet. The Liu family's affairs are not yet settled, and his appointment has not been made. It is not advisable to make this matter public.

"Move! We'll move now!" Meng Zhan glared fiercely at Bai Wanqing, but his words left her room to maneuver.

Madam Fang looked at her son in disbelief, "Zhan'er, they bullied your mother, how could you do this?"

"Mother!" Meng Zhan rubbed his temples, his head slightly throbbing, and loudly stopped Fang Shi, "Your son is already an official, so naturally he can give you a better house than this Bai family's. We'll move out now."

Seeing Meng Zhan say this, Fang Shi's anger subsided by half. He was right. Her son was an official, and he would have no shortage of houses in the future. Moreover, his future father-in-law was the prefect of Liuzhou. With his promotion, Meng Zhan might even become a high-ranking official in the capital. At that time, she could crush the Bai family with a single finger. Fang Shi couldn't help but laugh when she thought of this.

Meng Zhan first saw the elders of the Meng family out the door, then sent Fang back to Fude Garden, ordered people to help pack her luggage, and then turned back to find Bai Wanqing.

Seeing that his two elders were still there, Meng Zhan could only call out from afar, "Wanqing, could you come out for a moment? I have something to say to you."

Uncle Bai thought he was still looking for trouble, so he suddenly jumped out, startling Meng Zhan so much that he took three steps back.

Knowing why Meng Zhan had returned, Bai Wanqing stopped her uncle, saying, "Uncle, it's alright, I'll be right back."

Bai Wanqing walked up to Meng Zhan, who had long lost his temper and just wanted to leave immediately. "Give me back that letter!" Bai Wanqing naturally kept her word and handed the letter back to Meng Zhan. Meng Zhan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was nothing wrong with the letter.

"Bai Wanqing, I never expected you to be such a ruthless woman, to lay such a cruel hand on my cousin. Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the authorities?" Meng Zhan took back the letter, thinking he had no leverage over Bai Wanqing anymore, and threatened her again.

“Lord Meng, this matter is not exactly honorable. I have already given you enough leeway. If you really don’t care about your official reputation, then go ahead and sue me. I, Bai Wanqing, am now just a divorced woman. My reputation is no longer important. I am willing to fight to the end.” A resolute glint flashed in Bai Wanqing’s eyes.

Meng Zhan knew Bai Wanqing wasn't joking, and since he couldn't do anything to her now, he could only slink away.

Uncle San was relieved when the people left. He turned around and cursed angrily, "Bah! The Meng family has such a family tradition, yet they produced an official. I think they are not as moral as us merchants. It's really a pity for Qing'er to be married to such a family."

Uncle Bai coughed and glared at his third uncle. The third uncle didn't understand what he had said wrong and tried to explain, but Uncle Bai glared back at him angrily.

Uncle Bai patted Bai Wanqing's head, "Qing'er, don't blame your mother. She didn't know that Meng Zhan would be such a treacherous and opportunistic person."

Bai Wanqing smiled and shook her head. "Grand Uncle, I know! I understand my mother's good intentions. She was not wrong. People's hearts are inherently unpredictable, let alone someone as scheming as Meng Zhan. Fortunately, my mother looked after me from heaven and let me leave such a family early on."

"It's good that you understand! It's good that you understand!" Uncle Bai said with heartache.

"Now that the Meng family's matter has been resolved, you don't need to stay here alone anymore. Come on, I'll take you back to the Bai family." Uncle Bai and his three uncles helped Bai Wanqing pack some essentials, then called a carriage to take Bai Wanqing back to the Bai family.

Upon arriving at the Bai family's residence, the third uncle got out of the car and knocked on the door, but no one answered after a long time.

It was too cold. My third uncle was frozen solid after standing for only a short while. He rubbed his hands as he returned to the carriage. "How strange," he said, "why is no one at the Bai family's house right now? Even the servant who usually guards the gate isn't here. Shall we go check the back gate?"

Uncle Bai and Bai Wanqing nodded in agreement, but when they arrived at the back door, they found that it was also tightly closed.

After knocking for a long time, no one answered the door.

Bai Wanqing already had a guess in her heart. Normally, the Bai family would not be as closed as it was today, with no one answering the door. It must be that Madam Chen did not want her to return to the Bai family, so she was going to leave her outside and prevent her from entering the Bai family.

A divorced woman who has no family to return to is considered to have severed ties with her family and cannot enter her parents' home. Whether she is dead or alive, divorced or remarried, she is no longer related to her parents.

Bai Wanqing could think of this, and so could Bai Shuzu. He knew that the Chen family was domineering and could not be brought to the table, but he did not expect that they could go to such lengths. He felt sorry for Bai Wanqing and was even more furious.

"Third brother, go knock on the door again and say that the elders of the Bai family have arrived. If they still don't open the door, don't blame me for being impolite and suing them for disrespecting their elders." Uncle Bai's beard trembled with anger.

Uncle Bai understood and immediately went to do as instructed.

This time, Uncle Bai knocked on the door three times, and finally shouted that the elder of the Bai family had arrived, which attracted the surrounding neighbors to peek out. The Bai family had no choice but to open the door. It was not Uncle Liu who opened the door, but a new person that Chen had bought, named Mu Wu.

He opened the door with a disdainful expression, "Madam Chen caught a cold yesterday, which is why she has been keeping her doors closed to guests. Since it is Elder Bai who has come, please come in quickly."

The third uncle was about to explode with anger, but was stopped by the great-uncle Bai, who said that they should talk about it after entering the Bai family.

Uncle Bai led Bai Wanqing inside, but unexpectedly Bai Wanqing was stopped. "Elder Bai, you can come in, but others cannot."

After saying that, Mu Wu looked Bai Wanqing up and down. Madam had instructed that no one, no matter who it was, should be allowed to enter the house, as she was no longer considered a daughter of the Bai family.

Uncle Bai was so angry he jumped up and down. "Get out of my way! Even if it were just a Chen family member, or even if Bai Chenming himself were here today, he wouldn't be able to keep his Qing girl out of the door!"

(End of this chapter)