Chapter 779: The New Gossip of Shengjing

Mrs. Min had been waiting in the discussion hall where Min Baozhen graced during her life, awaiting the outcome.

Seeing Su Chengmin approaching, followed by Gao Ming and Lu Yiner, she sighed internally.

Ultimately, Gao Ming and Lu Yiner ended up together.

Lu Yiner was very afraid of Mrs. Min, not knowing where to place her hands and feet upon seeing her.

Mrs. Min cast a sharp glance at Lu Yiner and said, "Since you’ve decided to follow Gao Ming back, don’t entertain other fantasies. Although the Gao Family isn’t very rich or noble, the family is simple in structure, and the mother-in-law is kind and gentle. If you become Gao Ming’s legitimate wife, you can manage the household as soon as you enter. Isn’t that better than being a concubine or secondary wife in a prestigious but intrigue-filled family?"

Mrs. Min’s words were indeed harsh.

For Lu Yiner, even if she entered a prestigious family, she could only become a concubine or a remarried wife for an aging gentleman. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have tried so hard to scheme against Su Chengmin.

Lu Yiner responded softly with her eyes lowered.

Seeing Lu Yiner like this, Mrs. Min felt anger rise within her and said, "Once Gao Ming marries you, you will be the legitimate wife of the Gao Family. Let go of those petty mannerisms you picked up from your aunt. As long as any bad rumors don’t hit you directly, don’t care about them. Anyway, there are lots of new things happening in Shengjing, and today’s matter will be forgotten in a few days. If they do hit you directly, retaliate, and if things get worse, direct the blame to your aunt and that old woman of the Su Family."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yiner mustered the courage to glance at Mrs. Min.

Mrs. Min rolled her eyes, thinking she hoped Lu Yiner understood her advice.

"Gao Ming, you requested to marry Miss Lu yourself. Let today’s events pass, and from now on, treat her well."

Mrs. Min advised Gao Ming.

Gao Ming nodded eagerly.

The group left the Su Mansion.

Lu Yiner followed Gao Ming to the Gao Family’s residence, feeling a sense of dazed confusion.

This residence was small and compact, a two-entry courtyard, completely incomparable to the Su Mansion.

Without the grand eight-carriage sedan, without the formal marriage proposal, she had already become Gao Ming’s wife.

She dared not return to the Lu Family, fearing the Lu Family and Su Shihang might silently kill her. Only at the Gao Family, with Gao Ming and Su Chengmin, could her life be protected.

"Son, why have you only just returned after being out all day?"

Gao Ming’s mother, Mrs. Bai, came out to greet him.

Seeing Gao Ming bringing a young lady home, she was momentarily stunned.

Gao Ming smiled and said to Mrs. Bai, "Mother, this is my wife."

Mrs. Bai felt puzzled.

Since there was no wedding, no formal ceremony, how could she already be a wife?

However, knowing her son to be steady in his actions, since he said this lady was his wife, she must be.

Mrs. Bai hid her surprise and reached out to take Lu Yiner’s hand, saying, "Poor dear, why are you dressed so lightly? Come in quickly, we’ve just cooked some food, have some hot soup to warm yourself."

As she spoke, she led Lu Yiner into the house.

Lu Yiner came out of the Su Mansion with nothing.

During the day, she had dressed lightly to seduce Su Chengmin, and the shawl she wore was Gu Taohua’s. In the late autumn weather, she appeared very frail and delicate.

Mrs. Bai felt a pang of sympathy, not knowing what this young lady had gone through.

As Lu Yiner sat down, Mrs. Bai was already suggesting Gao Ming take Lu Yiner to Jufu Supermarket the next day to buy fabric for clothes and make jewelry.

A slight ripple set in Lu Yiner’s resigned heart, as it seemed this so-called mother-in-law was indeed kind and amiable, just as Mrs. Min had said.

After dinner, Lu Yiner got up to serve tea to Mrs. Bai and clean up the dishes.

Even though there were many maidservants and servants in the Su Mansion, she often had to serve Lu Family members, and this ingrained habit made her submissive no matter the environment.

Mrs. Bai held her down.

Even though the Gao Family was small, they still employed a maidservant and a servant woman, so there was no need for Lu Yiner to do the work.

While the servant woman cleaned up the dishes, Mrs. Bai had the maidservant take Lu Yiner to her room.

Her son left alone in the morning and returned in the evening with a wife; this matter was shrouded in mystery, and she had questions for her son.

Gao Ming naturally dared not disclose everything, merely saying vaguely that Lu Yiner was a cousin of the Su Mansion, and due to a misunderstanding, the Su Mansion wanted to drown her, so he brought her back.

Mrs. Bai sighed, filled with sympathy for Lu Yiner, and said, "Since she has entered the Gao Family, you must treat her well."

Saying this, she took out an heirloom bracelet and handed it to Gao Ming to give to Lu Yiner.

Gao Ming happily returned to the room, finding Lu Yiner sitting in the lamplight, weeping.

"You drank that cup of wine, didn’t you?" Lu Yiner asked.

Gao Ming, caught off guard, looked dispirited and said, "You guessed right."

He only told Su Chengmin that Lu Yiner and the Lu Family were scheming against him, but he didn’t tell Su Chengmin that he drank that cup of wine for him.

Using this method to make Lu Yiner marry him, he himself despised his actions.

Yet if he hadn’t done so, even if Lu Yiner’s scheming succeeded against Su Chengmin, he wouldn’t have married her, and her fate would still be drowning.

"Don’t worry, nothing happened between us." Gao Ming said, "If you don’t want to marry me, I will take you back home. If you feel home is unsafe, you can temporarily stay at my place until the Su Mansion completely collapses."

Lu Yiner shook her head and said, "Since I have entered the Gao Family, I am indeed the Gao Family’s wife."

Gao Ming was silent for a while, then placed the bracelet Mrs. Bai gave him onto Lu Yiner’s wrist.

He then opened a box and took out the silver note, handing it to Lu Yiner.

Lu Yiner thought, as long as Gao Ming treated her well, as long as her mother-in-law didn’t cause trouble, this kind of life wasn’t so bad.

Five days after the birthday banquet of the Su Mansion’s old madam, Tong Huaqiong heard that Gao Ming married Lu Yiner, and Su Shihang sent the Lu family back to their hometown.

It was initially thought that the Su Family’s scheme against Miss Lin would have Lord Lin rebuking Su Shihang’s poor household management in court.

Yet there wasn’t a single mention of Su Shihang being impeached in the court.

It seems men’s alliances and interests far outweigh the safety of daughters.

Soon after, news came from the Lin Family that the illegitimate eldest daughter was engaged to a minor official from the Hanlin Academy, whose family was out of town and who had no influential background.

Since this minor official was to be stationed elsewhere next year, Miss Lin needed to marry before the year’s end.

In families like the Lin Family, no matter if one was of legitimate or illegitimate birth, they were sought after for marriages by other prestigious or newly influential families. Though Miss Lin was born out of wedlock, she was raised under Mrs. Lin’s tutelage and treated almost as well as the legitimate children. She was entirely suitable to marry and manage the household of a prestigious or newly affluent family.

This minor official not only lacked background but was mediocre in talent and average in looks.

Let alone a prestigious family’s daughter; even the daughters of average government families in Shengjing wouldn’t want to marry him.

Thus, Miss Lin’s engagement puzzled everyone.

The gossip in Shengjing soon began speculating on why the Lin Family arranged this marriage for Miss Lin.

Tong Huaqiong, who knew the insider story, wasn’t surprised at all.