Chapter 148: Rumors

Chapter 148

Rumors

While riding the carriage back home, Chen Furen couldn’t help but ask her daughter in surprise. Usually, Chen Yuelan was a reserved person and rarely talked to strangers, but earlier, in the fabric shop, she had seen her daughter conversing with another Furen quite amiably.

“What were you talking about with that Furen in the shop earlier?”

“Oh, nothing much. She just asked for my opinion on some fabric patterns she was choosing.”

Chen Furen didn’t quite believe her daughter. Still, seeing that Chen Yuelan was in a good mood, she didn’t press further. Just talking shouldn’t lead to any issues. After the incident at the Hou Manor, she had been trying to keep a close watch to ensure Chen Yuelan didn’t cause any more trouble.

“A’Lan, Master Han’s son has just been appointed a position in the Ministry of Logistics. Your father has received an invitation to a banquet. Would you like to attend?”

Chen Yuelan knew full well that her mother intended for her to meet and be introduced to Young Master Han. She wasn’t too pleased with the idea. No woman who had once been engaged to Song Qilin or Song Ren could look at another man the same way. So, she replied rather unenthusiastically,

“It’s up to you, Mother.”

Chen Furen was satisfied with her daughter’s agreement. Even though Young Master Han’s status was lower than that of Song Ren, he was still a good man. Chen Yuelan wouldn’t suffer if she married him. Chen Furen didn’t mind that his family was not as prestigious as the Chen family. After all, her daughter was getting married later in life. As long as her daughter would be well-treated, she could rest easy.

"Mother, who will be attending this event?"

"Mostly people from the government circles. Besides Young Master Han, there will be several other promising young men as well. Han Furen also has a daughter of marriageable age, so I believe she intends to let the young people get to know each other."

Seeing her daughter’s interest, Chen Furen was delighted. She wanted Chen Yuelan to start fresh. For a parent, the greatest peace of mind was seeing their daughter marry a good man with a stable future. When Chen Yuelan was younger and had dreams of being with Song Qilin, Chen Furen didn’t want to shatter her hopes, so she didn’t stop her daughter. She secretly wished that if Song Qilin showed any interest, her daughter’s dream might come true. But given how things had unfolded, it was time for Chen Yuelan to accept reality and move forward.

Chen Yuelan, however, did not understand her mother’s good intentions. She was only thinking of using the banquet to spread damaging rumors about Nie Shuang. Ever since Nie Shuang appeared, she felt her life had fallen apart. After waiting for years, in the end, it was Nie Shuang who married Song Qilin. Not only that, but she had also caused Chen Yuelan humiliation time and again. There was no way Chen Yuelan could let go of her grudge.

On the day of the event, she followed her parents without the usual reluctance. When she saw her married friends, she didn’t shy away. In fact, she seemed to be in an unusually good mood. Her old friends were surprised.

“Yuelan, you look so bright today. Is there some good news?”

Another friend chimed in,

“I heard your mother has been talking with Han Furen. Is that true? Young Master Han is courteous and has just been appointed to the Ministry of Logistics. His future looks bright.”

"That’s right, he works in logistics, handling military provisions. If you marry him, wouldn’t you still have connections with General Song in the future?"

The speaker had malicious intent, aiming to mock Chen Yuelan’s failed relationship with Song Qilin. These people only gossiped behind her back, but today, Chen Yuelan no longer cared. She felt a sense of satisfaction knowing she held her enemy’s secret.

Chen Yuelan smirked.

"As for the future, I don’t care. But right now, I’ve heard of a certain Furen who claimed to follow her husband to the frontier, but in reality, she went to another city. While her husband was off at war, she, who was far away, somehow became pregnant. Don’t you think that’s strange? Very few people know that she wasn’t with her husband, which is why she can still hold her head high in the capital."

Upon hearing such scandalous gossip, her young married friends eagerly listened in. Some couldn’t hold back and asked her to elaborate.

"Who are you talking about? Is she the wife of an official?"

Seeing everyone’s interest, Chen Yuelan felt a sense of pride.

"If it were just about commoners, what would be so interesting? Of course, I’m talking about the wife of an official."

Her friends began whispering amongst themselves with great excitement. Their daily lives, apart from taking care of their children and husbands, lacked much excitement. So, when they heard gossip like this, it thrilled them.

"Tell us who she is. We’re dying to know."

"You’ll have to figure it out yourselves. I only heard bits and pieces and don’t know exactly who it is."

Having done as she had intended, Chen Yuelan returned to her mother’s side. She knew her friends well and was confident that this rumor would soon be investigated. When the time came, it would have nothing to do with her—she hadn’t named anyone, after all. Whoever felt guilty enough to confess would be their own problem.

Chen Furen introduced Chen Yuelan to Han Furen, and they hit it off. They were already somewhat familiar with each other, and although Han Furen had heard some unpleasant rumors about Chen Yuelan, her experience in social circles taught her that gossip often exaggerated the truth. Young Miss Chen seemed composed and proper, not at all the impulsive person people gossiped about. The Chen family now held significant influence in the royal court, so a marriage between the two families would benefit her son. Han Furen chose to overlook the rumors.After the banquet ended, Chen Furen took her daughter home with peace of mind. The conversation had gone well, and if nothing went wrong, Han Furen would likely send a matchmaker soon. Finally, she could stop worrying about her daughter. Little did she know that at the banquet, Chen Yuelan had already dropped a major bombshell.