NCCnovel Chapter 11 Equal Wife
Chapter 11 Equal Wife
Zhou Yu's bedroom.
Xu Zhuling was still kneeling on the ground. The room had been silent for an unknown amount of time. She timidly looked up and asked, "Cousin, what if Ye Wanning...?"
“No, she won’t.” Zhou Yu took a deep breath. “She has feelings for me and won’t break off the engagement. Although the Ye family is not as powerful as before, there are many branches of the Ye family. They won’t make Ye Wanning and me break off the engagement because of this. But you… you should go back to your hometown first.”
Before Xu Zhuling could react, Zhou Yu called Feng Ran over, "Take your cousin to the post station and set off immediately."
He is tired.
If they don't send their cousin away, they won't be able to explain it to the Ye family.
Xu Zhuling burst into tears. She had no relatives in her hometown, and Zhou's mother was also coming to the capital. If she went back like this, when would she be able to return?
She knew Zhou Yu's ambitions, and their friendship probably wouldn't last long.
We absolutely cannot go back!
"Cousin, why don't you arrange for me to live outside the city?" Xu Zhuling promised, "I will never come to the Zhou family again without your permission. Please don't make me go back. I'm just a weak woman; without anyone to protect me, how am I supposed to survive?"
Zhou Yu tilted his head; he was determined to send Xu Zhuling away.
Despite Xu Zhuling's tears, Zhou Yu remained unmoved. After a long while, Zhou Yu finally pulled Xu Zhuling away, saying, "Cousin, you've always understood me best. It's not that I want you to leave, it's that circumstances force you to. Don't you trust me? I'm doing this for our future, so please don't make things difficult for me."
Having said that, Xu Zhuling knew that Zhou Yu was angry. "I...I'll listen to my cousin."
Obedience is what Zhou Yu likes best.
Xu Zhuling wiped away her tears. "Cousin, please take good care of yourself. As for Feng-ge, I'd like to see him before I leave, is that alright?"
Zhou Yu wanted to say there was no need for that, but seeing Xu Zhuling's red eyes from crying, she nodded anyway.
They just didn't expect that the wet nurse would arrive carrying Feng Ge'er.
Zhou Yu immediately lost her temper, "Who told you to bring Feng Ge'er over here?"
Feng Ge'er was startled and burst into tears. Xu Zhuling quickly took her son into her arms.
The wet nurse recounted being kicked out, saying, "The Wang family showed no mercy whatsoever. In front of everyone, they openly declared that the young lady was a mistress. I had no choice; if I didn't come to the Zhou residence, I had nowhere else to go!"
Neither Zhou Yu nor Xu Zhuling expected this to happen. Zhou Yu had rented the house himself and hadn't shown up, but the wet nurse had carried Feng Ge'er all the way here, so someone must have seen her.
Without time to think, Zhou Yu told Xu Zhuling to carry Feng Ge'er with her. Ye Wanning was already suspicious of him, and he absolutely couldn't let Ye Wanning see Feng Ge'er.
Xu Zhuling was pushed away, turning back every few steps, trying to speak up for her son. She could leave, but Feng Ge'er was her cousin's bloodline, and he had to stay.
Just then, Xu Zhuling saw Zhou's mother walk into the courtyard. Perhaps not expecting Zhou's mother to arrive so timely, Xu Zhuling was stunned.
Zhou's mother was simply dressed, her face deeply lined with wrinkles. Seeing the tear stains on Xu Zhuling's face, she frowned and asked, "What happened?"
"Aunt...Aunt!" Xu Zhuling cried out in grievance, and Feng Ge'er cried along with her, making Zhou's mother jump up and down with heartache.
"My dear grandson, please stop crying, it breaks my heart." Zhou's mother hugged Feng Ge'er and urged Xu Zhuling to tell her what was wrong.
Xu Zhuling turned around tremblingly. Zhou Yu walked to the door. They both knew that Xu Zhuling and her son would not be able to leave for a while.
After everyone returned to their seats, Xu Zhuling finished recounting the recent events. Zhou's mother slammed her hand on the table and exclaimed, "This Ye Wanning, she claims to be a lady from a respectable family, but I think she's no different from a shrew! Zhuling is just a weak woman, and she's kicked out like that? Does she even respect the Zhou family?"
"Mother, please don't get agitated." Zhou Yu was still injured and it was uncomfortable for her to sit down.
"How can you expect me to stay calm?" Zhou's mother took a deep breath and began to roll up her sleeves. "Zhu Ling is the only bloodline of my family. She's been bullied, and I'm supposed to just swallow my anger? I don't agree to send Zhu Ling and her son away. If the Ye family has the guts, let them break off the engagement. I want to see if the Ye family is afraid of what people say."
Leaving her son, Zhou's mother didn't believe Ye Wanning could find someone better.
Zhou Yu was troubled by her mother's limited knowledge, but she couldn't be harsh with her. She could only try to persuade her gently, "It's not like I'm leaving and never coming back. I'm just going back to recuperate for a while. Don't be angry, Mother. You don't want this to affect my future, do you?"
"It's just a little romantic affair, how could it affect your future?" Zhou's mother didn't think it was a big deal. "You've already become the top scholar in the imperial examination, it's the Ye family that's not good enough for our family, why are you still so careful to coax Ye Wanning? If you ask me, you should just take this opportunity to confront the Ye family, and after Ye Wanning enters the family, let Zhu Ling be a secondary wife. If the Ye family doesn't agree, that's even better, you can just marry Zhu Ling directly."
“Mother, you have to think about your son’s reputation!” Zhou Yu was exhausted. When it came to the Xu family, his mother was always so unreasonable. Seeing Xu Zhuling holding Feng Ge’er without saying a word, Zhou Yu said helplessly, “No matter what, my cousin and Feng Ge’er cannot stay at the Zhou residence. I will arrange other accommodations for them. If Mother still won’t listen to her son, then I might as well resign and go back to my hometown to avoid being laughed at in the capital.”
"What's wrong with you?" Zhou's mother felt that her son must have been bewitched by Ye Wanning. Her once obedient and filial son was now threatening her. This Ye Wanning was something else; she would have to deal with her sooner or later!
Regarding Xu Zhuling and Feng Ge'er's fate, Zhou Yu ultimately arranged for them to go to the post station. As for when they would leave, Zhou Yu did not say, which relieved Xu Zhuling.
As for the Wang family, when Madam Wang learned that the wet nurse had taken the child to the Zhou residence, she was a straightforward person. In her youth, her husband had favored his mistress and almost divorced her because of it. Later, it was only because her family was powerful and could suppress her husband in official circles that she was not driven out of the Wang family. From then on, she hated mistresses to the core.
Madam Wang had met Ye Wanning several times and liked Ye Wanning's dignified and elegant demeanor. Although she felt it was inappropriate, she still had the news spread when she thought about Ye Wanning's upcoming marriage to Zhou Yu.
"I hope the Ye family will investigate after hearing about this. If they still insist on this marriage, then I'll consider myself blind," Madam Wang said to her personal maid.
"But Madam, wouldn't you be offending the Zhou family by doing this?"
"Am I afraid of him? I've lived for decades and only just learned one thing: face and reputation are nothing compared to your own happiness!" Madam Wang didn't take Zhou Yu seriously. A top scholar with no family background, who knows how many years it would take for him to rise to a high position.
The Wang family's announcement spread like wildfire throughout the capital the very next day.
This time, not only Ye Mingyue knew, but everyone in the Ye family except for the old lady knew.
Ye Wanyu was so angry that her teeth ached. She wanted to go to the Zhou family to ask what was going on, but the rumors had not yet been confirmed. Afraid that her sister would be upset if she heard them, she unusually put aside her temper and carefully sent someone to inquire.
Lin was also worried that Ye Wanning might do something rash, so she came to see Ye Wanning early in the morning.
Just as Madam Lin entered the room, before she could even say a word, a servant came to announce that Madam Zhou had arrived.
"I suppose it's because of Zhou Yu that you've come to explain to your sister. Sister, wait for me here, I'll go and meet her for you," Madam Lin reassured her.
"I'll go with my sister-in-law," Ye Wanning said with a faint smile. Her sister-in-law was too weak; she would definitely suffer if she faced the shrewish Zhou mother. She had long guessed that Zhou mother would come; she wanted Zhou mother to cause trouble so that others would say the Zhou family was unreasonable.