The sickly son died young? After the marriage exchange, I will bring prosperity to his entire clan f

Upon seeing Lord Wen enter, Cheng Yu's eyes lit up instantly. "You've finally decided to come see me."

Lord Wen looked at her coldly, "I came to see you because of Shi Yan. Speak your mind."

"I want to go back to the Cheng family."

"Alright, I'll have someone take you back. Once you're back at the Cheng family home, you don't need to come back."

Cheng Yu only wanted to go back to her parents' home to ask for some money to ease her current situation, but she never thought that she would never come back. "I just went back to get some things and came back. I didn't mean to not come back."

"Then you have two choices: either go straight back, or wait to die in this courtyard."

Cheng Yu's eyes were full of hurt. "You can't stand to see me doing well? No matter what, I... I do have some marital affection for you."

"Husband and wife? Affection?" Lord Wen felt disgusted. "I know my mother's personality best. Although she didn't like Huan'er's mother back then, she would never have harmed anyone unless something happened. But you, you often came to the Wen family during those days. You probably did a lot of work in that process."

"It's because of your selfishness, your desire to marry into the Wen family, that you kept instigating her behind the scenes to harm Huan'er's mother, right?"

His tone was affirmative, not questioning.

How could Cheng Yu possibly admit it? "No, no, it was my mother who looked down on her background and felt she wasn't good enough for you, so she took action. It had nothing to do with me, and I wasn't pregnant at the time. If it were really because of me, then I should have entered the Wen family after Huan'er's mother passed away."

"Hmph, you instigated me at first, but after Huan'er's mother passed away, you thought you had a chance and ran to the Wen family every day. But I never gave you a kind look and insisted that I would not remarry, so you had other ideas and stopped coming over. Then you had a child with someone outside and had no choice but to beg your mother again."

“My mother wanted me to get married, so she drugged us and got us into bed. That’s how I ended up marrying you, and you were pregnant with Shiyan when you married into the Wen family, right?”

Cheng Yu was almost too afraid to move. What he said was absolutely right; it was exactly how things were.

"Even if... even if I lied to you back then, and it was my fault, cousin, we are related by blood. Can't I even go back to my parents' house to get some things?"

"I already said it's okay, you don't need to come back after you go back."

"Shiyan went to marry a foreign ruler, and now you want me to go back but not come back? Aren't you afraid the world will curse you? Aren't you afraid the emperor will blame you?" Cheng Yu still held onto a sliver of hope.

"What are you afraid of? I will tell the Emperor everything truthfully. Guess what the Emperor will do to the Cheng family then? Will your Cheng family descendants still have a future? As for the people outside, I will tell them that Shiyan went to marry a foreign ruler, and you missed your family too much and asked to go back yourself."

"Or you don't mind letting everyone know the shameful things you've done, and I don't mind letting the people know that I've been cuckolded for many years."

Lord Wen's words were blunt and forceful, and Cheng Yu lost all her last bit of confidence. Now she dared not mention going back. If she dared to go back, she would not only face rumors from the outside world, but also blame from the Cheng family.

If she were to return, it would affect the development of the Cheng family's descendants, so she would be even more afraid to go back.

"If I don't go back to the Cheng family, could... could I go out for a walk in the yard?"

"You can move around freely in your own yard, but it's best not to go outside, so as not to let people see you and affect their mood."

Cheng Yu: "..." This man is truly heartless.

"I don't ask for anything else. My mother has been very good to me all my life. Can I visit her often?"

"No." Lord Wen refused directly. His mother was getting old and was easily influenced by others. Cheng Yu was too cunning, so it was better to have less contact with him.

Cheng Yu felt as if something was stuck in her throat, unable to speak. Her heart ached terribly. Her whole life had been wasted on such a cold-blooded man.

Lord Wen looked at her distressed expression without showing any emotion, and only asked again, "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Cheng Yu was speechless. She had so much to say, but she dared not vent her emotions. The Cheng family needed the Wen family's help, and some members of the Cheng family held official positions in the court, but they all needed the Wen family's assistance. Moreover, Lord Wen's official position was very high, and the current members of the Cheng family probably would never reach such a height in their lifetime.

If she offends Lord Wen and the Cheng family is implicated, she will remain a sinner to the Cheng family for the rest of her life. She cannot accept that. Even if it means her death, as long as Lord Wen can still help her out of consideration for the kinship between the two families, she will endure any hardship without hesitation.

Considering these pros and cons, she instinctively shook her head. All she could do now was stay put and not think about anything else. Maybe then Lord Wen wouldn't do anything to the Cheng family.

Lord Wen turned and left. After leaving Cheng Yu's courtyard, he hesitated for a moment before heading to Du Mingxian's courtyard.

Du Mingxian had already started cooking. She guessed that Lord Wen was coming, so she also sent someone to invite Wen Yibin to come over, along with the second uncle and his wife, and the third uncle and his wife. As for the younger generation in the mansion, they were not lucky enough to have any food.

Today she prepared hot pot. With the recent rains, the weather is gradually getting cooler, and eating hot pot is the most comfortable thing to do.

When Lord Wen entered the courtyard, Wen Yibin was already eating the pastries that Du Mingxian had made for him. Lord Wen was a little jealous when he saw this. After sitting down, he took a pastry first and then said quietly, "When did you arrive? You know how to find a good place. The pastries you are eating were made by her for me, your father."

After he finished speaking, he added, "It was made on purpose."

Wen Yibin finished the pastries in a few bites before slowly saying, "Big brother, you don't have to be so stingy with just two pieces of pastry. Besides, if I don't eat them now, my second and third brothers will eat them when they come over. I might as well eat more."

Lord Wen had just started eating when he heard this and was stunned. "What's going on? What are they doing here?"

"That girl sent someone to invite you, probably because she was worried that you were in a bad mood, so she thought we could all have a meal together."

Just then, the second and third wives arrived. The four of them seemed quite content, as they didn't bring their children. As soon as they entered, Wen Yibin immediately sent someone to close the main gate and stand guard. He also placed someone outside, instructing them not to open the gate for anyone.

Once everyone was present, Du Mingxian led Ke'er and Lian'er to serve the dishes. They ate in the courtyard, and the spicy aroma of the hot pot quickly wafted out. Today, Du Mingxian had specially prepared one or two extra soup bases: one spicy, one bone broth, and one tomato soup.