Chapter 429 - 421: Breaking Off the Engagement
Mrs. Dong Sr. saw her daughter so insistent and couldn’t help but feel angry.
"This matter has already happened, and this is the current situation. Should Siwu come to apologize? In the future, he will be the son-in-law of your Marquis Mansion. How will he ever face you there again? I know you’re upset, but I’ve come to the mansion now, and both the Marquis and the elder Madam are informed, which should be satisfactory. Siwu is your own nephew, yet you’re relentless. I don’t know what you’re thinking about all day." Mrs. Dong Sr. couldn’t help but scold her daughter.
"Mother, there’s no need to worry about it anymore. Siwu doesn’t need to worry about feeling awkward coming to the mansion anymore. The Marquis has already said that this marriage cannot happen. He suggested finding a family under his command to marry Sister Hui off to, and as for Sister Jian, she will be sent to the country estate, and in a couple of years, she’ll marry far away." Mrs. Dong raised her eyebrows, feeling for the first time able to stand up straight in front of her mother. "Given what happened, the Marquis said that for the sake of the mansion’s reputation, this marriage can’t go through. Besides, there’s a question of character with Side, as he was engaged to Sister Hui yet made a move on his elder sister-in-law. He doesn’t dare to keep such a son-in-law. I originally intended to write this in a letter to mother, but since it’s a marriage matter, I should tell you in person. My sister-in-law hasn’t been in favor of this marriage for some time, and now that we are the ones suggesting breaking it off, she must be happy now, don’t you think?"
Mrs. Dong Sr. was taken aback and quickly said, "Nonsense. When the Marquis mentioned this, why didn’t you oppose it? How can a marriage be called off just like that? You agreed to this engagement initially, and your sister-in-law didn’t say anything. Now you want to break it off. How do you expect your sister-in-law to feel? After all, Side is someone you watched grow up, and he’s always been honest. Perhaps that day it wasn’t his fault; maybe it was your Jian’s flirtation that led him astray. Now you’re putting all the blame on Side. He’s your own nephew, no matter how outsiders talk about him. You know him, yet you still talk about him this way. What will people think about him in the future? Are you going to let him survive this slander?"
"Mother, what you said is not fair. When I agreed to the engagement, my sister-in-law also nodded in approval, which is how this engagement came to be. I don’t want to break it off either, but the matters of the mansion are decided by the Marquis and the elder Madam. You know what kind of life I live; how can I make such decisions myself? Besides, Sister Hui agreed with this; she didn’t want to marry over, insisting that if she must marry, it should be Sister Jian. Does mother agree for Siwu to marry a concubine’s daughter? Even if I think Side is good, so what? The child brazenly gave me a slap in the face. I considered him my own nephew, but does he consider me his own aunt?" Mrs. Dong looked displeased. "Mother, you are concerned about whether Side can survive this, but has Side considered Sister Hui? Sister Hui was always raised under your watchful eye. One more thing, why did Sister Hui say to pass this engagement to Sister Jian? When I asked her why, she said to ask you. Mother, please tell me, what’s truly going on here?"
Mrs. Dong Sr. fell silent at these words.
Now she finally understood why Sister Hui wanted to call off the engagement. Sister Hui had always respected her since she was a child, but recently, when she asked Sister Hui to do something and made her promises, she completely disregarded it later. Therefore, when Sister Hui brought it up, she didn’t acknowledge it, and now with this incident, Sister Hui wants to pass the marriage to Sister Jian. Could it be related to that issue?
Mrs. Dong Sr. felt guilt rising in her heart and also resented her grandson’s failure. Sister Hui had done so much for them, yet her grandson provoked that Sister Jian. Now, it had hurt Sister Hui, and the engagement had to be broken off, leaving the grandmother with no face to meet Sister Hui in the future.
Mrs. Dong saw her mother remain silent, but she was not anxious. She sat there sipping tea leisurely until Mrs. Dong Sr. finally spoke, "Where is Sister Hui? I want to see her."
"The elder Madam of the mansion was upset and is now recovering. Sister Hui is serving by her side. If mother wants to see her, I’ll have someone bring her over." Mrs. Dong didn’t object, and immediately called in Jingfu from outside and instructed her to fetch the Third Miss.
Jingfu left and returned shortly, "The young lady will be here soon."
Mrs. Dong nodded, and after Jingfu exited, she spoke again, "Sister Hui already has grievances in her heart, so when you talk to her, try not to be too harsh."
"She is my own granddaughter; what harsh words can I say? You don’t need to keep watch over me." Mrs. Dong Sr. looked at her daughter with a particularly stern expression. "This marriage must not be broken off. Due to this incident, Side’s reputation has already suffered. If your mansion calls off the engagement, which family would be willing to marry their daughter into his family in the future? I know Side is at fault here, but the child is scared. He’s been hiding for days and hasn’t been found yet. I won’t say more; this engagement must not be broken off. I’m putting my foot down here today, and you must inform the elder Madam and the Marquis of your mansion."
"How can I convey such a thing, mother? I have no say over matters of the mansion."
"That’s not my concern. I’m laying down the law here today. You handle it as you see fit." With Mrs. Dong Sr. firmly stating her case, Mrs. Dong didn’t dare to argue back.
She understood why her mother dared to speak like this, it was because she had once needed something from her mother.
Now, her mother was clearly leveraging that situation for coercion. What could Mrs. Dong say in return?
There was silence between the mother and daughter until Sister Hui arrived from outside, breaking the silence in the room.
Mrs. Dong Sr. called Sister Hui to her side, holding her hand, "I know I’ve wronged you and made you suffer. Rest assured, when your cousin returns, your grandmother will properly reprimand him and ensure he doesn’t ever do such a thing again. Will you forgive your cousin just this once? If this engagement is annulled, your cousin will be judged for the rest of his life. Over the years, both your grandmother and aunt have always cared for you, and even your cousin has cared for you. Considering these, will you agree with your grandmother not to break off the engagement? Just count it as your grandmother’s last request. As for Sister Jian, your grandmother promises to find a good match for her."