She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

However, she couldn't let Zhu Jing know her thoughts yet, so she said to him, "Let's talk about this after you've asked your father. I'm leaving now; my mother will worry if we stay any longer!"

Zhu Jing watched Shen Man's departing figure, his heart filled with joy. He planned to tell his father about his desire to marry Shen Man after the birthday banquet.

He waited and waited, and finally, around 11 PM, all the guests had left.

Zhu Jing couldn't wait to find his father and mustered up his courage to tell him his feelings: "Father, I want to ask Man'er for her hand in marriage!"

"What?" Zhu Linyuan frowned immediately after hearing his son's words.

Over the years, Zhu Jing had been studying with Lu Yuan's son, the former prefect of the border town. Even after Lu Yuan was promoted and his whole family moved to the capital, Zhu Jing was still allowed to go with him.

The reason was simple: Lu Yuan saw that Zhu Jing was clever and quick-witted, and valued him highly. Several times when Zhu Linyuan met with him, he had revealed his intention to take Zhu Jing as his son-in-law after Zhu Jing passed the imperial examination.

Lu Yuan's daughter, Lu Qing, is only one year younger than Zhu Jing.

Zhu Linyuan harbored beautiful dreams and expectations. If his son could successfully pass the imperial examinations and marry a woman from an official family, then with a father-in-law like Lu Yuan by his side to assist and support him in his official career, his future would surely be bright and limitless.

At that time, the entire Zhu family will also prosper and enjoy wealth and honor.

Although the Zhu family is now the undisputed richest family in Qiufeng Town, they have no power or status, and more than half of the money they earn each year has to be spent on currying favor with officials at all levels of government.

But if someone in your family becomes an official, the whole situation will change dramatically, and you will no longer have to bow and scrape to those officials.

My son has already passed the imperial examination at a young age and is an excellent student. If he prepares well this year, he will have a good chance of passing the imperial examination next spring.

I originally thought my son was still young, so I never mentioned his marriage to him.

But to his utter surprise, he already had someone he liked, Shen Man, a beautiful but powerless peasant girl.

No wonder he included the names of the Ding mother and daughter on the guest list for the banquet; it turns out that's why.

"I do not agree to this marriage!" Zhu Linyuan refused without hesitation. "You have been able to stay by Young Master Lu's side to study all these years thanks to Lord Lu's kindness. I think you should know his intentions. Miss Lu is about your age, and I believe you two are a better match!"

Upon hearing her father's words, Zhu Jing immediately became anxious and hurriedly explained, "Father, I really don't like Lu Qing. Her affected manner is nowhere near as pleasant to look at as Man'er!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Linyuan said with a serious expression, "Hmph, what's this about liking or disliking? I had never even met your mother before we got married, and we've lived most of our lives together, haven't we? Feelings can be cultivated slowly!"

Besides, that young Doctor Ding is just a peasant girl. What benefit could you bring to the Zhu family if you married her? Miss Lu, on the other hand, is different. She is the daughter of the Lu family, an official's daughter. If you marry her, the Zhu family's status in the border prefecture will be completely different!"

Zhu Jing retorted dismissively, "Father, I don't want to marry for the sake of profit. I only want someone I truly love to spend my life with, not a wife I'm only marrying for the sake of the family's interests."

Seeing his son's stubbornness, Zhu Linyuan slammed his fist on the table in anger and said, "How can you be so unreasonable? Can feelings put food on the table? For a family like ours, power and status are the most important things! If you insist on marrying that Doctor Ding, then don't acknowledge me as your father!"

After saying this, Zhu Linyuan turned and left, leaving Zhu Jing standing alone, his heart filled with helplessness and pain. He understood that his father had done this out of consideration for the family's interests.

From childhood to adulthood, he had heard his father talk countless times about the helplessness in the business world, and he also wanted to change his family's social status through his own efforts.

He had put in far more effort than others to pass the provincial examination. But now, his father was telling him that he not only had to pass the imperial examination and become an official, but also marry a daughter of an official.

He couldn't understand why his efforts were meaningless if he couldn't even have the woman he loved!

Zhu Jing clenched his fists tightly, feeling that the reason things had reached this point of no return was ultimately because he was not strong enough.

If one is strong enough and doesn't need to depend on anyone, then no one can control one's life.

Shen Man had no idea what had happened between the Zhu father and son.

After returning home, she called Lanxiang into the house and quietly told her about Zhu Jing's confession to her.

"Mother, Zhu Jing told me today that he wants to get engaged to me!"

Upon hearing this, Lanxiang's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in disbelief. "Ah, what?!"

Her voice held a hint of surprise and displeasure, "How could this young master Zhu be so rude, saying such things to you..."

She frowned, clearly displeased with Zhu Jing's behavior.

Shen Man held Lanxiang's hand. "Mother, although I have never thought about getting married, I feel that I know Zhu Jing well. If I really marry him, it would be a good choice. At least he is close to home and can take care of you."

Lanxiang looked deeply at her daughter, her heart filled with emotion.

But at the same time, she understood the harsh reality. She sighed and gently stroked Shen Man's hair, "Silly girl, don't think too simply. Young Master Zhu is already a scholar who has passed the imperial examination; he'll definitely become an official in the future. Who knows where he'll be assigned then? Besides, given his family's circumstances, he probably wouldn't even look down on someone like us..."

"Ah, can't an official go back to his hometown to serve?" Shen Man asked curiously.

She also thought that if Zhu Jing became an official in the future and returned to his hometown, the two of them could work together to make the place even better.

Lanxiang sighed, "Man'er, don't tell anyone about this before the Zhu family comes to propose marriage. A girl's reputation is the most important thing, understand?"

Shen Man nodded. "I understand, Mother. Let nature take its course."

As the days went by, Shen Man continued to help out at the clinic every day, and occasionally she would hear people talking about the Zhu family.

However, she never saw Zhu Jing again after the birthday banquet. Fortunately, she didn't have any special feelings for Zhu Jing, and she forgot about him after the event.

Zhu Jing had actually stopped outside the clinic several times, watching her busy inside, wanting to go find her, but not knowing what to say to her.

"Young Master, you promised Young Master Lu that you would arrive in the capital by the end of March. If you don't leave now, you'll miss your chance!"