Chapter 445: Confronting the Wan Family

"Second Sister, what does ’having the rice all cooked’ mean? Did Sister Yu Mei go to the Wan Family’s place to cook?" Brother Cheng asked with pure, wide-open eyes, full of curiosity.

Gu Jinli seriously replied, "I don’t know, maybe she went to cook, maybe not."

"You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about?" Mrs. Cui’s face flushed as she pulled Brother Cheng along and called Gu Jinxiu, "Let’s go, we’re going to the kitchen to make dinner."

Brother Cheng didn’t want to leave; he wanted to stay and listen, but Mrs. Cui dragged him away.

After they had left, Third Grandma anxiously asked, "Xiao Yu, is there any evidence for what you’re saying? This is a matter of life and death."

Gu Jinli shook her head: "No evidence, but Gu Yumei would rather die by hitting her head against a wall than call off the engagement. There must be something she’s scared of."

"Xiao Yu is right." Third Grandpa stated with a stern face, "Sister Mei has always cared about her reputation. With the way Wan Lifang has disgraced her, there’s no way she’d speak for the Wan Family so soon."

Who could she possibly fool by saying she’s willing to let Wan Lifang take a concubine? Since she was young, she never had that kind of virtuous and gentle temperament.

"Goodness, we must hurry to Gu Dafu’s family to ask Sister Mei; we can’t let the child suffer in silence." Although Gu Yumei is often capricious and Third Grandma scolds her frequently, she would still be very distressed if Gu Yumei were truly wronged. Pulling Third Grandpa along, she said, "Old man, hurry, hurry, let’s go to Da Fu’s place to ask about this. We can’t delay this matter."

Third Grandpa and Third Grandma hurried to Gu Dafu’s family.

Upon returning from school and hearing about the Wan Family’s affair, Gu Dexing was seething with anger. He had been blind at first, thinking that Wan Lifang, being a Scholar and from the Scholar’s Fu Family, would be a good match. Little did he expect Wan Lifang to be so vile.

"Dad, is that Miss Ni really pregnant? Or could it be that she set her sights on Wan Lifang and is faking the pregnancy to trap him?" Gu Dexing still had hope; after all, he had put effort into this engagement with the Wan Family.

...It was he who agreed, and Sister Mei who then took the Wan Family’s mule cart.

"You’re still speaking for the Wan Family! The Wan Family admitted it themselves. Your Second Uncle even took silver coins to town’s Xinglin Hall and asked Doctor Zheng. Doctor Zheng said that the Wan Family indeed invited him to check the pulse of a young lady who is pregnant, and she’s currently taking fetus-preserving medicine." Gu Dafu sat in the main hall with his head down, visibly shaken by the incident.

He couldn’t understand what was wrong with his Sister Mei. In terms of looks, she was prettier than Miss Ni. As for family background... His family is now the owner of workshops and shops; he would save up a hefty dowry for Sister Mei, sure to satisfy the Wan Family.

But his well-intentioned plans were in the midst of joyfully arranging her marriage when that little bastard from the Wan Family pulled this stunt.

Gu Dexing fell silent and then said after a while, "Dad, call off the engagement. This marriage can’t go through; it would harm my sister."

Third Grandpa had just entered and heard this statement, nodding, "Brother Xing, you’re able to say this, it shows that your studies haven’t been in vain."

"Third Uncle, Third Aunt, how did you two come? Please come in and have a seat," Gu Dafu said as he saw them, as if he had seen a pillar of support, and quickly went to greet them.

Third Grandpa said, "It’s stuffy inside, we won’t sit in the main hall. Let’s talk in the courtyard."

Gu Dexing was told, "Brother Xing, go to the kitchen and prepare the medicine for Sister Mei."

Gu Dexing was stunned at first, thinking that Brother Wang and Brother Fa were already preparing the medicine and cooking, and his help was unnecessary. But he was not too foolish; understanding that Third Grandpa had things he preferred not to say in his presence, he stood and left.

Gu Dafu brought out three stools and placed them in the courtyard, asking, "Third Uncle, Third Aunt, what is it that you wish to discuss?"

Third Grandpa did not answer him but said to Third Grandma, "Go and see if Sister Mei has woken up. If she has, you must ask her thoroughly; this is a very serious matter."

"Yes," Third Grandma replied and entered the main house, closing the door behind her before going into Gu Yumei’s room.

Seeing this, Gu Dafu stood up nervously and asked, "Third Uncle, what exactly is going on? Please don’t frighten me."

Third Grandpa quietly passed on Gu Jinli’s suspicions to Gu Dafu, but he did not say they came from Gu Jinli; instead, he pretended they were Third Grandma’s guesses. As a woman of considerable age, Third Grandma had encountered a few incidents in her life where girls had their virtue taken from them. It was reasonable to say these thoughts came from her.

Gu Dafu was immediately petrified, tears streaming down his face as he knelt on the ground, clutching his own hair, "If it’s true... Sister Mei is ruined... It’s my fault as a father; I didn’t take good care of her... If I had not agreed to this marriage, she wouldn’t have encountered this."

...

Inside the house, Gu Yumei had awoken, crying out in response to Third Grandma’s question, "No, no, I am pure! Is that how you all see me? Am I that lowly in your eyes?!"

With that, she covered her face and wept bitterly, her crying convincing neither Third Grandma nor Mrs. Chen of her words.

Mrs. Chen pulled at her, demanding, "Wretched girl, tell us the truth. Was there anything or not? If there wasn’t, why would you rather crash into a wall than call off the engagement?"

What a perfect opportunity today, to call off the marriage while Wan Lifang was at fault, and denounce the Wan Family loudly in the town, tarnishing their reputation. Thus, not only would the Wan Family lose face, but Gu Yumei would also be in the right, able to find another respectable family.

Gu Yumei was both scared and aggrieved, crying so hard she nearly fainted.

Mrs. Chen too felt a heart-wrenching pain, fearing that Wan Li might have indeed taken advantage of her, her heart twitching with anguish... In the end, Mrs. Chen cried with Gu Yumei for a while, pacified her for half an hour, assuring her she would not be looked down upon and promising to seek justice for her, before finally learning about the times Wan Li had touched Gu Yumei.

"Wuwuwu... I was unwilling, but he was too strong, I couldn’t fight him off... he, he said since we were engaged, touching a bit was no issue," Gu Yumei sobbed into Mrs. Chen’s embrace, "Second Aunt, Second Aunt, what should I do? Am I tainted now? Could I be pregnant? He forbade me from calling off the engagement, saying if I did, he would disclose this and have me drowned... I don’t want to die, I’m scared, so scared, wuwuwu..."

Mrs. Chen, with her eyes swollen from crying, fiercely cursed Wan Li, "Beast, beast! How dare he bully you like this... Don’t cry, don’t cry, it was just a few touches, you won’t get pregnant. Our Sister Mei is still a pure and untainted girl."

Third Grandma, who had also been crying, finally had her concerns somewhat eased. She consoled Gu Yumei with a few words and then went out to tell Gu Dafu about the situation.

Gu Dafu was immensely relieved to hear it; it was fortunate that Sister Mei hadn’t encountered anything worse. Enraged, he cursed Wan Li, "That little beast dared to threaten Sister Mei; I will not let him off."

Gu Dafu was furiously vexed by Wan Li, so much so that he ate no dinner that night and went to ask several men for help. The next morning, Third Grandpa and Gu Dafu, together with several men from the families, Wang Yongfu, Old Zhu, as well as Mrs. Chen and Third Grandma, marched majestically to knock on the doors of the Wan Family.

Gu Dexing also went along; he had to give Wan Li a beating, else he couldn’t quell the anger in his heart.