"Aunt is really lying with her eyes open. Is this what you call family affection? I don't want it." Wu Caiwei was amused by anger.
"How can you speak like that, child? You have no manners. Who has been filling your ears? I'll confront them." Jiang Feng felt that someone must have been poisoning her daughter's mind behind her back, otherwise, how could a country girl who never came to the city know so much?
"I was born to a mother but not raised by one. What, did I hit a nerve and become enraged?" Wu Caiwei looked at her disdainfully.
"You are truly beyond help, so vulgar, how can you get married? Anyway, the marriage with the Ye family is set in stone." Jiang Feng's heart trembled when she heard this, afraid that she would see through something. She pretended to be calm and said.
"Since ancient times, marriages have always been decided by parents' orders and matchmakers' words. What's the point of saying so much to her?" Old Mrs. Jiang had long been unable to stand it. She couldn't say too much about this girl in front of her daughter, so she interrupted them and gave her daughter a way out.
"It seems you've conspired to sell me off for a good price. Since you are heartless and unfeeling, from now on, I will not consider you as family either. If there comes a day when you need my help, I will show no mercy." Wu Caiwei saw their indifferent expressions and knew that in their eyes, this was impossible. She couldn't be bothered to say more and turned to leave directly.
Without even thinking, she knew they must be criticizing her behind her back.
The original owner had such a mother, it was truly bad luck for eight lifetimes. She just didn't know what the parents of the Jiang family were thinking at the time to agree to exchange children with her.
She packed some essentials in her room and left without a word, silently disappearing. After all, no one cared about her departure.
Of course, she wasn't trying to escape because the wedding was approaching, but to go to the city to gather some information so that she could break off this engagement.
Having money made things easier. Fortunately, Jiang Feng had been quite generous to her over the years, and she had saved quite a bit.
The teahouse was a good place to gather information. After spending ten taels of silver, she asked the waiter to tell her everything properly.
The original owner was married into the Ye family in a daze, only to be left alone. The next day, the Ye family's young master passed away. She was forced to keep vigil every day, and after forty-nine days, she ended her life with a rope.
The moment she stepped into the Ye mansion, her freedom was restricted. The original owner knew very little about the Ye mansion.
She learned from the waiter that the Ye family's young master was a typical prodigal son. His favorite pastime was to visit the pleasure houses and tip the top courtesans. Because he was generous, he was a frequent guest of many courtesans.
The turn of events happened a month ago. The Ye young master, who went to the pleasure houses every day, surprisingly stayed home. The most skilled doctors in the city were hired by the Ye mansion at great expense, and several top courtesans from the pleasure houses disappeared.
Some said they contracted venereal diseases, while others said they were redeemed to become concubines. In short, rumors were rampant.
Not long after, even more bizarrely, the madam of the Wanhua Pavilion was found dead in a pond. The authorities investigated for a long time but found no clues.
A doctor who had been invited by the Ye mansion recently returned home. Some nosy people asked him about the Ye young master's condition. The doctor just shook his head, saying he was powerless. When asked what illness the Ye young master had, he would vaguely say it was an incurable disease.
Although the courtesans from the pleasure houses were redeemed by different people, Wu Caiwei's intuition told her that the mastermind was the Ye mansion, and the purpose was naturally to prevent the Ye young master's illness from being leaked. All the women who had been intimate with him could not escape. Wouldn't that clearly tell everyone that the Ye young master was ill?
As for where they went, they were probably doomed. Even with the best doctors, the Ye young master was in a critical condition. What about them? She didn't believe the Ye mansion would kindly hire doctors for them. They would be happy if they died.
This was definitely not good news for Wu Caiwei. The situation was becoming difficult, and she decided to meet Master Ye herself.
After finding out Master Ye's whereabouts, she went to the entrance of his shop. Seeing him coming out and about to get into his carriage to leave, she quickened her pace and walked towards him.
"Master Ye, please stay."
Ye Guangcai looked at the dignified woman in front of him with some confusion, certain that he didn't know her.
"I am Jiang Hanyue from Yunshui Village." Wu Caiwei curtsied slightly and stood up, smiling as she introduced herself.
Upon hearing her name, Master Ye's expression changed. He looked at her appraisingly, "The wedding is in half a month. What brings you to me now?"
"I just want to tell you that I do not agree to this marriage. How could the prominent Ye family fancy a country girl like me? It's a pity that I am insignificant and no one listens to my opinion." Wu Caiwei knew that it was impossible not to tell the truth in front of such a person.
"But your elders have already accepted my betrothal gifts and signed your deed of sale. It's too late for you to tell me this now. Go back and prepare yourself, and wait for the day when the sedan chair will welcome you." Master Ye was somewhat displeased by her lack of tact. If it weren't for his son's illness, why would they have fancied her? As it turned out, they didn't dislike her, but she was unwilling.
"It's a pity I'm not the kind of woman who sits and waits for death. If others want my life, how can I wait patiently? At worst, we'll die together. After all, I can't escape death." Wu Caiwei said indifferently.
Master Ye's eyes narrowed dangerously. He didn't know how this woman got her information. He thought he had sealed it quite tightly, but he didn't expect her to have guessed it.
Could it be that the Jiang family or the Liu mansion told her? Otherwise, how could a country girl be so confident, as if she knew many things?
It seemed they had inquired a lot behind his back, knowing such secret matters. They were simply courting death.
"Young lady, your words are not right. We are sincerely marrying you, so why would we want your life? If you are unwilling, you can find your elders." Master Ye didn't want any complications. This woman in front of him knew the truth, and he instantly had the idea of calling off the engagement. Moreover, to prevent his son's affairs from being leaked, he didn't want to let her go.
"My elders refuse to break off the engagement, so it depends on your attitude. If the engagement is not broken off within three days, I will spread the word about Young Master Ye's illness to everyone. Master Ye, you're not thinking of killing me now, are you? I have already made arrangements. If anything happens to me, someone will report it to the authorities, saying that your Ye mansion did it." Wu Caiwei looked at him maliciously, as if she could read his mind.
Master Ye's thoughts were hit on the head, and he became even more enraged. This further solidified his resolve not to let this woman into the family. His son had passed away, and there were still forty-nine days of memorial services. There were too many variables during this period.
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