Wealthy beyond measure, yet you call me a sister-supporting-brother demon?

Ma Guifen said helplessly, "I think that old couple from the Yuan family have learned from Yuan Sheng, that scoundrel, and they've lost all sense of shame!" She slapped her face hard.

Eating meat every day? Eating the finest white rice? Eating mutton offal soup? Eating red bean paste pastries? Eating three meals a day!

Zhang Wen and Ma Guifen's words instantly ignited public opinion at the Big Locust Tree Intelligence Station.

What kind of life is this? Even the richest landlords aren't this good! The Yuan family is going too far! They eat and dress so well, yet they don't pay their debts? Luckily, Butcher Wang and Zhang Wen told them, otherwise they wouldn't have known the true colors of Yuan Laifu and Sheng Guihua.

They used to think Yuan Sheng was just a lazy, good-for-nothing scoundrel, and that Yuan Laifu and Sheng Guihua were just unfortunate people. Now they see that the Yuan family is like a crooked beam, and Yuan Sheng's character is all thanks to Yuan Laifu and the others.

Zhang Wen and Ma Guifen felt much better after hearing everyone's comments, and the frustration of being constantly coveted by the Yuan family was greatly relieved.

Ma Guifen said to a little girl next to her, "You little girls, don't let Yuan Sheng be blind to yourselves. He dresses like a respectable person, but he's all show and no substance. His only redeeming quality is his face." Ma Guifen was even more furious when she saw the indigo blue robe Yuan Sheng was wearing. It was a robe she had carefully selected for her son, and this little bastard Yuan Sheng had actually put it on.

"A peasant, trying to imitate scholars, wearing a ceremonial robe. Even if he wears it, he can't hide his bumpkin smell." Ma Guifen pouted her big, protruding mouth.

Ma Guifen's words had too broad an impact, and those around her were unhappy.

Peasants? Aren't you, Ma Guifen and Zhang Wen, peasants? Your son is just a student who hasn't even passed the county-level imperial examination yet.

I don't think your Zhang family is any good either.

However, considering the possibility that the Zhang family might rise to great heights, they simply kept these thoughts to themselves.

Yuan Sheng has good hearing; even though they were speaking in hushed tones, he still heard them.

Arguing with them? Proving yourself?

Let them covet my braised meat recipe and cause trouble?

Yuan Sheng was too lazy to pay attention. Let them say what they want. He would make money quietly and develop his business stealthily.

He glanced at Chenxi, who remained unaffected by the rumors, and couldn't help but smile knowingly. His little wife was quite strong-willed.

The two waited at the village entrance for a while, and then Uncle Niu Gen's oxcart arrived. They spent twenty coins to hire the cart from Uncle Niu Gen. Zhongping Town is dozens of miles away from Qingshan Town.

Finally, Yuan Sheng and his group arrived at Zhu Chenxi's maternal home, Zhu Family Village in Zhongping Town. Almost everyone in Zhu Family Village is surnamed Zhu, unlike Shanhou Village, which is a village with various surnames.

Qingshan Town is a town that developed later. It was there because of a drought, and many people fled to this place. The villages gradually developed, so there are all kinds of surnames here.

Zhu Chenxi's trip back to her parents' home was not only to retrieve the two taels and three mace of silver she had saved in the pigsty, but also to ask her father for the twenty taels of betrothal gifts the Yuan family had given her. If her father knew she was getting married and returned from Laishui County, she could get the silver back.

My father was a scholar who valued his reputation.

Zhu Chenxi was walking home with Yuan Sheng when they were spotted by a young girl.

The girl watched from afar, wanting to recognize him but too shy to approach. Finally, she covered her mouth and excitedly ran up.

"Dawn! It really is you!"

The girl's name is Zhu Qingxing. She is Zhu Chenxi's distant cousin and also Zhu Chenxi's best friend.

Zhu Chenxi's father, Zhu Dehai, and Zhu Qingxing's father, Zhu Defa, are cousins. Zhu Dehai's father and Zhu Defa's father are biological brothers.

"I heard that your stepmother sold you to a scoundrel from Qingshan Town for a marriage of convenience to bring you good luck? As soon as my parents heard about this, they rushed to Laishui County to send a message to your father to come back and rescue you!"

Yuan Sheng raised an eyebrow. His reputation as a scoundrel had already spread all the way to Zhongping Town.

He coughed. "Excuse me, just interrupting. This scoundrel... is here."

Zhu Qingxing stared wide-eyed. "You're a scoundrel who was forced into a marriage to ward off bad luck... Pshaw, you're Chenxi's husband?"

Yuan Sheng nodded. "Uh... that's me."

Zhu Qingxing took a step back, holding her head. No, she was a little confused.

Is this handsome, dashing, and imposing young man the legendary, deadly scoundrel?

its not right!

She looked at her friend with a suspicious gaze, and Zhu Chenxi's fair cheeks turned pink. "He is my husband."

Hahaha, what's going on? Zhu Qingxing felt like she had been shown up in front of her for no reason.

Zhu Qingxing looked at her friend's complexion again; her skin was fair and delicate, and she looked very well-nourished.

Although she knew her friend was naturally beautiful and could never get tanned, with fair skin, she had never seen such a healthy glow.

Looking at my friend's new clothes, they were obviously expensive, and the shoes she was wearing were brand new and very exquisite.

She was so worried about her friend that she cried her eyes out, but she never expected that her friend would marry such a handsome and wealthy man!

Zhu Qingxing chuckled, "Chenxi, seeing you doing so well, that old woman Qian Jinfeng must be furious!"

Qian Jinfeng is Zhu Chenxi's stepmother. Zhu Chenxi's biological mother passed away six years ago. Three years later, Zhu Chenxi's scholar father remarried.

Qian Jinfeng, along with her daughter Zhang Meiru from her previous marriage, married Zhu Chenxi's scholar father. The two had a son named Zhu Wendong, who is one and a half years old this year.

Zhang Meiru changed her surname to Zhu and is now called Zhu Meiru.

Zhu Chenxi smiled as she imagined her stepmother seeing her ideal husband and being heartbroken.

"By the way, Qingxing, what did my father say when my second uncle sent him a message?"

Zhu Qingxing sighed, "Third Uncle said the wedding ceremony is already complete, so there's no point in him going to Qingshan Town. However, he took leave and will be back this morning to welcome you back to your new home to meet your new son-in-law."

"If you ask me, Third Uncle is just an old-fashioned man. So what if the marriage ceremony is completed? She'll regret marrying a scoundrel."

She realized she had misspoke and slapped her mouth. "Chenxi, I wasn't talking about your husband." Why did she feel like she was making things worse by trying to explain herself?

Zhu Chenxi nodded, hoping her father could stand up for her today.

Zhu Qingxing leaned close to Zhu Chenxi's ear and said, "Third Uncle also said that because of the birthmark on your face, it's already difficult for you to get married. Breaking off the engagement with the Yuan family would mean you'd have to remarry, which would probably make it even harder."

"Okay. Qingxing, when you see my father, run back and tell him. I won't close the gate later."

"Don't worry, Dawn, I've got you covered!"

After Zhu Qingxing left, Yuan Sheng followed Zhu Chenxi as they approached the Zhu family's gate.

The Zhu family had four brick and tile houses, which, although not as grand as those of a landlord, were still quite impressive.

Unlike Yuansheng's house, which only had a wooden fence, this house had a high wall made of blue bricks.

The large wooden door was made of fine wood and painted red.

Zhu Chenxi knocked on the door. "Coming!" her voice was a little high-pitched.

Qian Jinfeng came out to open the door. She was startled when she saw the large birthmark on Zhu Chenxi's face.

Could it be that she couldn't make it at her in-laws' house and ran back home?