Divorced woman with child travels through time

"You!" Zhao Lue grew angrier as he listened. There were too many people and nowhere to stay. He turned around and saw Wang Erniu sitting at the table. He became even angrier and said, "Who is he? So you have a man and that's why you don't want to leave?"

Chen Wenfang was so angry with Zhao Lue that she couldn't speak. She wanted to say, "Don't overthink it," but she also felt that she had indeed given up on her relationship with Zhao Lue and still had some feelings for Wang Erniu. So she couldn't refute him, and the rest of her words stuck in her throat.

Seeing that Chen Wenfang ignored him and did not explain, Zhao Lue became increasingly angry and was about to explode when Wang Erniu stood up and explained, "I am her cousin!"

Zhao Lue deflated like a balloon punctured by a needle, his anger instantly dissipating. He suddenly realized what was happening and greeted Wang Erniu, "Hello, Erniu!" Wang Erniu returned the greeting with clasped hands, unsure of what to say, and remained silent. Chen Wenfang also remained silent. A sudden silence fell between the three of them.

After waiting a while, Zhao Lue said again, "Are you sure you don't want to come back with me? At least it's better than living here!"

Hearing this, Chen Wenfang felt irritated and angry. What did he mean by "go back with you"? She had no legal status with him.

"Go back with you? What would that make me? Do you really expect me to become your concubine?" Chen Wenfang said impatiently. "I've been explaining, I've said I won't be a concubine, don't you understand what I mean? Am I being difficult to understand?"

Zhao Lue gave an incredulous smile and said, "Do you even know your place? At your age, with a child, to put it bluntly, you're a widow! Isn't it better for you to be with me than with anyone else? If you don't get married now, it'll be even harder later. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life taking care of this child?"

Chen Wenfang felt a mix of sadness and amusement. Wang Erniu, standing nearby, exclaimed, "That's not quite right. So what if she's a widow? If she were the legal wife, she wouldn't necessarily have to live a life of luxury. A simpler life would be more appealing. I think many men would be willing to marry her; it's just that she herself doesn't want to."

Zhao Lue was very angry and said, "Who would want to marry her! Who would dare to marry her! With her personality, she can't stand the slightest grievance, who would dare to take her?"

Wang Erniu looked at him and said earnestly, "I'm willing to marry him!"

Hahaha! Zhao Lue laughed, "So, what kind of cousin are you? You two ended up together, didn't you?"

Chen Wenfang, having reached her limit, retorted in a fit of desperation, "Fine, whatever you say. Can you leave now? I don't want to explain anymore."

"Hahahaha! Then I was right, so it's true. In just a few months, you've already gotten tired of the old and are with someone else, is that it?" Zhao Lue said angrily.

Chen Wenfang didn't want to argue with him. She kept telling herself that he was the emperor and she couldn't afford to offend him, otherwise everyone in the room would be gone. She had to be careful with her tone of voice. She pinched her palm and looked at him calmly and seriously, saying, "You sent that old woman to propose marriage. Is she going to be my concubine?"

Zhao Lue replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, what's the problem?"

Chen Wenfang looked earnestly into his eyes and said, "That's no problem! I've said it before, I won't be a concubine! This isn't a joke, it's my life principle. I have nothing in my life, but with my personality, I can't do such a thing."

Chen Wenfang continued to explain, “I know you are incredibly powerful and wealthy. Following you, I would surely have no worries about food and drink and be admired by everyone. But I am just this kind of person with a bad temper, and I don’t have the fate to do such a thing! I can’t lower my head. Call me ignorant or incompetent if you will! That’s just who I am. It’s my problem, not yours. I can’t do it, so you should leave. Thank you for accompanying us for a while, that’s enough.”

Chen Wenfang spoke sincerely yet gently, and then looked at him with deep affection and apology in her eyes.

Zhao Lue softened, sighed, and said without regret, "Fine, fine. If you don't want to, I can't force you. This is your choice. I will be getting married soon. Take care of yourself."

Chen Wenfang bowed and said goodbye, "Thank you, General. I wish you a long and happy marriage!"

Zhao Lue gave her a deep look, as if to memorize her memory, then turned and flicked his sleeve, saying, "Let's go!" He strode confidently away from Chen Wenfang's courtyard, mounted his horse, and led his servants. With a rapid clatter of hooves, the three gradually disappeared from sight.

Chen Wenfang let out a long sigh, and sat down, holding onto the table. From the time Zhao Lue arrived until now, it had only been the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, yet it could determine her entire life. Would she really not regret it?

Chen Wenfang poured herself a sip of tea, calmed herself down, and Wang Erniu stood beside her, not daring to breathe. Chen Wenfang's face looked terrible, and he didn't dare to move closer.

The four children inside breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Zhao Lue leave; they had been frightened by the argument between the two.

Chu Yi's eyes darkened, and he asked Chen Xuanyu, "Xuanzi, who is he? Your mother calls him General?"

Chen Xuanyu said, "He was my master, he taught me before, but he left soon after."

The first-year student asked, "Is he a good person?"

Chen Xuanyu pondered, "He must be a good person. My mother saved him back then." Chu Yi nodded and said nothing more.

After waiting for a while, Wang Erniu saw that Chen Wenfang seemed to have recovered, so he asked softly, "Are you still going to fish?"

Chen Wenfang recalled the time she went fishing with Zhao Lue and how he seduced her, and felt heartbroken. She said, "Let's not go. Did we forget to buy firecrackers? How about we drive to town for a stroll?"

Wang Erniu looked at her and said, "Okay, I'll go to Aunt Liu's house and bring the carriage over."

Chen Wenfang: "Mmm!"

Just as Wang Erniu was about to leave, Uncle Liu Hai and Aunt Liu came over. Seeing that they were alright, they seemed relieved. Aunt Liu walked in and said, "Fang'er, are you alright? We saw that Young Master Zhao leave, so we rushed over."

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "It's alright. He didn't make things difficult for me."

Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu both breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright!"

Chen Wenfang forced a smile and asked, "Auntie? We're going to buy firecrackers, do you want to come along?"

Uncle Liu and Uncle Chen naturally agreed, and then Chen Wenfang said, "Then go and call Shitou and Dazhuang, let's go together."

The two quickly replied, "Okay, let's go together!"

Chen Xuanyu, who had been eavesdropping inside, couldn't wait for Chen Wenfang to call them and rushed out cheering, "Great! Let's go buy firecrackers!"

Chen Wenfang and Wang Erniu packed the children's things, put on their cotton shoes, hats and gloves, took the money, and went out together. They arrived at Uncle Liu Hai's house, picked up Dazhuang and Shitou, and went to town to buy firecrackers.

The snow had fallen quite heavily, and soon a thin layer covered the ground. As the carriage drove over it, the snow melted into water, and the snowflakes disappeared.