A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 15

Stepfather Remarries

Her family has a daughter who resembles you.

Though she had separated from Wu Daoyuan, he still held the title of stepfather in name. For the sake of appearances, Jiang Chenyu could not very well cut off all contact with him. If something truly important came up, she at least had to maintain a surface-level relationship.

            

The afternoon sun turned Shen Hetang’s path home golden, casting a faint gilded glow over her somewhat languid figure. Her waist was cinched tight, leather cuffs wrapped her wrists, and she wore the mesh round hat properly and elegantly—somehow making the ordinary green official uniform look striking and eye-catching.

She had examined her own appearance carefully: an oval face with elegant bone structure, a smooth full forehead, two slightly upswept thick brows beneath which sat long, beautiful phoenix eyes. Her nose was high and straight, neither delicate nor coarse, and her lips were a vivid red that stood out against her cold pale skin.

This face was an enhanced version of her original one. From what she could observe, the sword-like brows must have been cultivated by the original owner—combined with those fierce dark eyes, they gave off an imposing air. Now her commoner demeanor was dragging this face down.

            

Humming a little tune, she arrived at the entrance of Jiang Manor. The moment she stepped through the gate, she saw Jiang Chenyu waiting for her in the courtyard.

“Ah Tang, you’re back. I have something to tell you.” She spoke as she rose slightly on her toes, leaning close to Shen Hetang’s ear to recount what had just happened.

“Do you want to go?” This Wu Daoyuan was surely up to some new scheme.

            

“If it’s something important, we should still go. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.” Her contest with Wu Daoyuan still had a long way to go.

“Alright then, let’s go. I’ll accompany you.” She walked ahead, and Jiang Chenyu followed obediently behind.

“I wonder what Father-in-law wishes to discuss with my wife?”

            

With no outsiders present, Wu Daoyuan could not be bothered to pretend. He glanced at Shen Hetang wearing the yamen official uniform and thought to himself that this fellow had good luck—even a blind cat occasionally stumbles upon a dead rat.

And because looking at him annoyed him, he spoke directly to Jiang Chenyu: “Chenyu, Father wants to take a new wife. What do you think?”

Jiang Chenyu’s eyes flickered downward upon hearing this. Then she asked, “Has Father already found someone suitable?” She had not expected Wu Daoyuan to remarry so soon—it truly startled her.

            

Wu Daoyuan observed Jiang Chenyu’s reaction. Seeing she had no great response, he felt both disappointed and secretly pleased. He had just divided the Jiang family’s assets and officially changed the household plaque to Wu Manor, but he still wanted to tell Jiang Chenyu, to see how she would react.

Pitifully, these past few years he had been making wedding clothes for others¹. If he had known this would happen, he might as well have sent her to some high official in exchange for rank and wealth. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he had lost out.

“The candidate is already found. It’s a widow whose husband passed away. I pitied her for raising a daughter alone—it’s hard for a woman—and she’s warm and capable. Since you’ve married out, I truly need someone to manage the household for me.” Though unwilling, he could do nothing for now. He might as well find some pleasure for himself.

            

Hearing this, Shen Hetang’s originally lazy demeanor suddenly turned serious. What did this man mean? Why specifically seek out a widow? Or had some filthy notion taken hold again?

“Why a widow? With Father’s current means, finding a proper young woman from a good family would work as well. Why choose such a household?” Whether intentionally or not, the words struck a thorn in Jiang Chenyu’s heart, and her tone carried an edge.

“This Madam Lin’s husband met with an accident only three years after they married. She’s just past thirty now, and her daughter is about your age—fifteen this year. The two of them have been making a living selling tofu, living a hard life. I saw how difficult it was for a woman to show her face in public, so I thought marrying her would be fitting. After all, I am getting on in years.” Wu Daoyuan explained in detail.

            

Jiang Chenyu listened to his fine words, but an inexplicable disgust rose from her heart. Her intuition told her Wu Daoyuan was not so kind-hearted as to want to help a suffering mother and daughter.

“Does this Madam Lin share this intention?”

“Of course. I’ve already found a matchmaker and set the date for ten days from now. Father has only Chenyu as family, so I thought you should handle some of the arrangements. Does that work?” Wu Daoyuan asked shamelessly.

            

“But Father-in-law, having a daughter manage her father’s wedding—won’t you lose face if word gets out?” Shen Hetang, standing to the side, could not hold back from speaking.

“She has experience! Just recently she arranged everything for herself quite well. Otherwise, where would you come in!” Wu Daoyuan had no good expression when he saw Shen Hetang.

“How about this: I’ll have my cousin-aunt² come help. I’ll just oversee things from the side.” Thinking that him getting married was actually a good thing—saving him from constantly causing them trouble.

            

“That works. Then it’s settled. Even though we’ve divided the household, there’s still father-daughter affection. When the time comes, I’ll leave everything to you.”

“Chenyu will help cousin-aunt manage things. Father can rest assured.” Jiang Chenyu said indifferently.

“Then it’s decided. Ten days from now, Father will welcome your Auntie Lin through the gate.” A few days ago he had gone to the neighboring county to relax and unexpectedly met a beautiful woman. He had originally thought to spend some silver and enjoy a few days of spring with her, but that woman’s family also had a young daughter who bore three or four parts’ resemblance to Jiang Chenyu. His gloomy heart instantly cleared, and he conceived the notion of bringing her into the manor.

            

Unspeakable thoughts grew wildly in the dark like creeping vines.

On the way back, Jiang Chenyu was somewhat silent. If Wu Daoyuan took a new wife, the Jiang family’s assets would have nothing more to do with her. These were all built by her maternal grandfather from nothing, step by step.

To let Wu Daoyuan have it all so easily—she was still unwilling. Moreover, these past few years the shops under his management had been declining. She could not bear to watch her grandfather’s life’s work go to waste.

            

Soon the day of Wu Daoyuan’s remarriage arrived. Jiang Chenyu dressed plainly and watched the festivities from behind her cousin-aunt. Seeing lychees in the new couple’s room, she had not expected Wu Daoyuan to be so wasteful. The thought that this was all bought with Jiang family silver made her take her pouch and swap the entire plate of lychees for red dates, having Chuntao send them back to her own room.

“She’s here, she’s here! The bride is arriving! Get ready to serve the dishes!” her cousin-aunt called out excitedly.

Since this was a remarriage and both were past thirty, there was no grand celebration. They skipped the formal bowing ceremony³—simply bringing the bride by sedan chair and inviting relatives and friends for a banquet was enough.

            

Jiang Chenyu pulled Shen Hetang to the entrance, waiting to see what this new stepmother looked like—what kind of woman could make Wu Daoyuan, who had never remarried, suddenly decide to take a new wife.

A slightly plump woman entered, her face covered by a red bridal veil⁴, supported by a young maiden. Jiang Chenyu’s gaze fixed instantly on that young maiden’s face. Shock gave way to a nausea like she had swallowed a fly.

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