A Good Country Wife
Chapter 537 - 531_1

Chapter 537: Chapter 531_1

"This servant, this servant is willing." Fangcao still agreed, knowing that although she wasn’t very clever, she still knew what was best for herself under the circumstances. There was nothing left for her but to marry Zhang Qiusheng.

Zhang Qiusheng, although a little old, did not have a bad appearance. He seemed mild-tempered and skilled in his craft, and he was valued by the mistress. Since he had promised to treat her well, she might as well marry him!

When a person’s situation and way of thinking change, their perspective on matters also changes. Just moments ago, Fangcao was upset with Zhang Qiusheng for taking advantage of her and was also concerned about his age, and so she thought ill of him in every way. Now, when she thought about it, Zhang Qiusheng wasn’t all that bad. As she recounted his virtues, she felt settled, waiting for Zhang Qiusheng to welcome her into his home. This change was not insignificant, and Fangcao found it natural. After all, what more could a woman want in life than to have a dependable man to live well with? She recognized that it was pragmatic, but people needed to be realistic in order to live good lives.

Seeing how quickly Fangcao accepted the situation, Lin Yue was somewhat surprised. Just moments ago, Fangcao was crying and wailing, but now her mood had cleared as if the storm had passed, changing all too quickly.

Since Zhang Qiusheng was willing to marry, and Fangcao was willing to be wed, this matter was mostly resolved. What remained was dealing with ****** and Zhao Pingshun. However, Zhao Pingshun, though appearing honest, was actually quite cunning and denied Fangcao’s accusations word for word. Besides, he wasn’t actually a servant of their household; he was only staying there due to his house collapsing under the snow, making it difficult to reprimand him on the spot.

Zhao Erhu’s face darkened further as he looked at Zhao Pingshun and ******. If today’s incident hadn’t involved him due to his caution, the original conspiracy was aimed at him, and he couldn’t understand what was happening with women nowadays. They were vain and shameless, willing to resort to any trick or scheme, which frustrated him. Had ****** succeeded today, he didn’t dare to imagine the current state of affairs. His young wife was temperamental, and even if he had unintentionally caused this issue, if there had been any actual misconduct with ******, even a forced relationship wouldn’t remove the thorn in her heart.

The more Zhao Erhu thought about it, the darker his expression became. Zhao Pingshun stood his ground, feeling confident he couldn’t be touched due to the lack of evidence and not being a servant of the Zhao family. ******, on the other hand, trembled with fear. Her usual infatuation with Zhao Erhu was cast aside, and all she hoped for now was that he wouldn’t pursue her any further. After all, her father had already agreed to take in the woman, which should be enough to settle matters without any further consequences, right?

Of course, these thoughts ****** dared only to keep to herself, lacking the courage to voice them aloud. But she was naive and simple, and even without speaking, her face revealed her thoughts.

Fangcao knelt next to ******, observing every expression, boiling with anger inside. This shameless woman had colluded with Zhao Pingshun and yet lusted after the master, causing her downfall, yet showed no remorse; truly hateful.

Even though Fangcao had agreed to marry Zhang Qiusheng and had come to grips with reality, the hatred in her heart hadn’t completely dissipated. She couldn’t forgive Zhao Pingshun and ******; one used her affection to harm her, and the other instigated her ruin. To Fangcao, Zhao Pingshun deserved her hatred more, for even though ****** had planned the whole affair, she had not acted against Fangcao personally. But a woman’s logic can’t always be judged by common standards; while Fangcao also despised Zhao Pingshun, it was ****** she detested most.

In Fangcao’s mind, if it weren’t for ******’s flirtatious manipulations of Zhao Pingshun, misleading him, he wouldn’t have treated her so. Moreover, she had to admit, deep down, that ****** was more beautiful and therefore more appealing to men. Their rivalry was also fueled by the natural antagonism between women.

"Hmph, a shameless woman, eating from the bowl and looking into the pot. You’re not content with seducing Zhao Pingshun, but you dare to set your eyes on the master too, as if you were worthy," Fangcao thought. As the victim, she felt entitled to her excessive words. She wanted to provoke ******, hoping to irritate the mistress enough to punish her.

When Zhang Qiusheng heard what Fangcao had said, his expression turned sour. No matter what, ****** was still his daughter. Despite his disappointment in her, he had pampered her from a young age. He could scold her himself, but it was unbearable to hear others speak of her that way. And when it came to status, it was his that was lacking. But since he was at fault, he withheld his displeasure; after all, Fangcao marrying him in her prime was a sacrifice, and her resentment towards ****** was understandable. It might be better to let her vent rather than keep it bottled up, lest it disrupt the household harmony once she became part of the family.

Zhang Qiusheng might be tolerant, but ****** could not stand it. Moreover, this woman would soon enter her household and become her stepmother. If she showed weakness now, she would be bullied in the future.

"What did you say? When it comes to status, I’m at least better off than you, a servant. In fact, you’re the one climbing high by marrying my father. Who are you trying to fool with that look of grievance? Maybe inside, you’re pleased. If you were really so chaste and virtuous, why did you listen to Zhao Pingshun and go to the carpentry room? It seems like you were just longing for a man."

"Enough! You wretched girl, shut your mouth. If you spout nonsense again, watch me beat you to death!" Zhang Qiusheng rebuked, unable to bear the vulgarity of ******’s words. Such talk was unbecoming of a young lady. His disappointment in his daughter intensified.

******, however, thought that her father scolded her for Fangcao’s sake. She felt both angry and wronged, and having been frightened, she started to cry. It seemed like Fangcao was born to be her nemesis; if it weren’t for her, today’s plan might not have ended like this. Now she was being chastised because of Fangcao.

Zhao Erhu, witnessing the father and daughter at odds, didn’t wish to intervene any further. After all, ****** wasn’t their servant, and it would be better to leave her fate to her father. It was tiresome to entangle himself with this witless woman any longer. Most importantly, his wife held Zhang Qiusheng in high regard, so he spared him some face. Otherwise, he could have brought charges against him for ruining their maid’s reputation.

Zhang Qiusheng was well aware of this and gratefully acknowledged Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue’s willingness not to pursue the matter any further. He voluntarily suggested signing a lifetime contract with the Zhao family, committing to work only as a carpenter for Zhao Erhu’s household in the future.

Lin Yue was pleased with Zhang Qiusheng’s understanding. If it weren’t for his craftsmanship, she wouldn’t have been so tolerant. With this incident, Zhang Qiusheng would effectively become a member of her household.

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