Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 510

In April, the mother and son of the Xu family invited a matchmaker and went to the Marquis Yun Yang’s Mansion to propose a marriage.

Xu Qingchuan himself was not much inferior to Wen Lang, and both of them were currently favored by the Emperor, regularly entering and leaving the palace. The only difference was their family background.

During a spring banquet, among the various young talents, Marquis Yun Yang was particularly interested in him.

When the Xu family sent a matchmaker, Marquis Yun Yang was naturally pleased. He even contemplated marrying his youngest daughter to the Xu family while keeping the eldest daughter for the Wen family.

If he could truly recruit both Wen Lang and Xu Qingchuan as talented sons-in-law, he would feel like he was living in a dream.

However, what surprised the Marquis was that the Xu family, when speaking of marriage, referred to his illegitimate eldest daughter, Xie Fuerui. Although she was Marquis Yun Yang’s own flesh and blood, they hadn’t spent much time together over the years, and there was not much father-daughter affection between them.

Due to his daughters being of marriageable age, it was necessary to marry Xie Fuerui first according to the seniority order. The Marquis and Marquise reluctantly brought her back.

Xie Fuerui was strong-willed. The Marquis and Marquise had shown her many potential suitors, but they hadn’t found anyone comparable to Wen Lang and Xu Qingchuan, who were already outstanding and promising in their own right.

Taking advantage of a busy period in the family, she seized the opportunity to pack her things and run back to her hometown.

She had already walked halfway when someone stopped her.

Fortunately, they knew she had just arrived in the capital and was unfamiliar with the surroundings. If she had gone elsewhere, the Marquis and Marquise wouldn’t know where to find her.

After being brought back, Xie Fuerui directly revealed her intentions, stating that she didn’t want to marry just anyone. She even said, “If my parents force me, I’ll shave my head and become a nun.”

For a scholarly and aristocratic family like Marquis Yun Yang, having a daughter become a nun would be a disgrace. Although the Marquis and Marquise were traditional figures, they weren’t heartless. If faced with such a stubborn illegitimate daughter, a more ruthless patriarch would resort to harsher measures.

Just as they were troubled, the Xu family came to propose a marriage.

Although it was unexpected for Marquis Yun Yang, they didn’t refuse outright. After discussing it with his wife, the Marquis agreed.

His wife didn’t have much affection for Xie Fuerui and even thought that she was lucky. After all, marrying a legitimate daughter to the Xu family was a good match, but marrying a concubine-born daughter was considered a suitable match.

The couple informed their two legitimate daughters about the decision, and they had no objections. The sisters hadn’t seen Xu Qingchuan, only Wen Lang. Being somewhat proud, they preferred Wen Lang, who was both talented and had a distinguished family background, unlike Marquis Yun Yang, who didn’t place much importance on family background.

Xie Fuerui was the last to receive the confirmed news, but in reality, she wasn’t the last. During previous communications, Xu Qingchuan had asked for her name, and she had informed him in her reply. Therefore, she already had an idea of the situation.

Marquis Yun Yang and his wife were afraid that she would make trouble again, so they were ready to persuade her. 

However, she naturally wouldn’t refuse such a good match, and readily agreed.

The formalities for the engagement were then processed. Due to Marquis Yun Yang and his wife’s eagerness to marry her off, they promptly arranged the engagement for mid-April, with the wedding scheduled shortly after, just six months later. They even informed the Xu family that there was no need for grand preparations.

The Marquis and his wife treated Xie Furei as grass, but Mrs. Xu regarded this future daughter-in-law as a treasure. When the engagement was discussed, Mrs. Xu and Xie Furei had already met. Xie Furei not only had an outstanding appearance but also possessed knowledge and grace. She lacked the arrogance typical of young ladies from noble families and had a clever and likable temperament. This greatly appealed to Mrs. Xu.

Mrs. Xu was determined to welcome her future daughter-in-law in a grand manner. However, Mrs. Xu lacked experience in such matters, especially since the customs and rules of marriage in the capital were different from those in the town.

But that was not a problem, as she had someone experienced by her side—the same person who had organized the wedding for Gu Yin and Wu Qingyi the previous year, Mrs. Wang.

Gu Yin and Mrs.Wang were delighted to hear the good news from Mrs. Xu. In an era where blind marriages were prevalent, finding a soulmate with shared interests and conversations became increasingly rare, especially among high-ranking families that valued traditions.

Gu Yin had already told Mrs. Xu to feel free to ask for their help whenever needed. So, when Mrs. Xu came over, the two happily worked together on the preparations every day.

One afternoon, as they were discussing the details of the wedding half a year later, Song Shiliu helped with pouring tea and suddenly exclaimed, “Madam, why did you wet your pants?”

Gu Yin looked at her, then lowered her head to see a water stain on her skirt. She chuckled, “My fluid broke.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Xu, who had just been chatting and laughing, changed instantly. They both stood up abruptly.

Gu Yin’s attitude during pregnancy was better than average. At this moment, she remained calm. She felt like she had prepared for three years and was finally facing the college entrance examination. After the last fierce battle, she could finally relax.

“Don’t worry, Mother, Aunt. The delivery room had been prepared nearby a long time ago, and the midwife had been trained by the master in the mansion. Mother, change into sterilized clothes first, tie up your hair, and bring the small box of hundred-year ginseng slices that the Empress Dowager gave me. Shiliu, fetch it for me, and I’ll take it later.”

Her words were like a reassurance pill for everyone. Mrs. Wang regained her composure and instructed, “Shiliu, help her change, take the eldest maid to dismantle the room, and then personally bring the ginseng slices. Jin Yao, go with her to keep an eye on things. I’ll go call the midwife and the old physician.”

Since her mother-in-law could handle things, Gu Yin stopped talking. She only reminded her, “Also, inform Qingyi, Xiao Yi, and Wu’an by sending a message.”

These three people were also extremely nervous about her pregnancy.

Since her belly grew, Wu Qingyi often took leave to stay at home, claiming that he had recurring illnesses from previous injuries and needed rest. In reality, it was to take care of her.