"What are you doing here? Take the corner door!" The slave scolded the mother and daughter.
"Why do your Lu family..."
Old lady Zhang was so angry that she was shaking all over. She pointed at the slave's nose and was about to curse, but her daughter quietly held her down. When Zhuo Lengping winked, she had no choice but to swallow her anger.
"Shou'er, come and see this gentleman first."
Lu Jishou rolled up the curtain and saw his father, Lu Zhengfu, sitting across from a young official. The official had a goat-like face, a goatee, and was wearing an official uniform and hat that had never been changed.
"Hello, sir. May I ask your name?" Lu Jishou bowed his hands.
"My surname is Chen, my given name is Tongpao, and my given name is Gongzhou. I am thirty-three years old this year. Master, please just call me Gongzhou. Don't call me an adult. I really can't bear the responsibility." Chen Tongpao said in a calm tone.
"Mr. Chen is the county magistrate of Taizhou. I am able to run a prosperous shop in Taizhou only because of his strong support. Mr. Chen went to Nanjing to meet friends and stopped by our house to talk about the situation in Taizhou." Lu Zhengfu said enthusiastically.
Lu Jishou didn't know what to say, so he just nodded and smiled.
"Speaking of which, I see that the boss of Chenzhi County is quite old. Why haven't I heard that you have a family? Could it be that you haven't married yet?" Zhengfu asked.
"I got married once in the past, but for some reason, my wife became depressed and became ill and died. It is a pity. Since then, I have never asked for a wife again." Chen Tongpao spoke calmly, without changing his expression. It's like telling a story that has nothing to do with you.
Lu Jishou had been sitting nearby and listening, and suddenly he saw a servant running in with a smile: "I have asked the girl named Zhuo to be carried in a sedan from the corner gate. Please hurry up and finish the ceremony."
After hearing this, Lu Jishou's heart was beating fast. He hurriedly tugged on the slave's sleeve, stood up and said, "I'm going now!" He hurriedly saluted his father and trotted out.
"Young Master is getting married?"
"It's not about getting married," Lu Zhengfu said, "it's not important to take a concubine... Come on, let's continue talking about us."
"Miss Zhuo?"
Zhuo Lengping was sitting in the sedan chair, and when he heard Lu Jishou shout softly, his whole body trembled.
"Miss Zhuo." His tone this time was not so gentle.
"Yeah." Zhuo Lengping agreed.
Lu Jishoufang smiled again. He opened the sedan curtain and looked at Zhuo Lengping, whose head was covered with gauze. He couldn't help being happy and hurriedly hugged him.
Zhuo Lengping clung to his chest, not daring to break away. He just bit his lips quietly without saying a word.
Lu Jishou lifted his hijab. He looked straight at her delicate and beautiful face and was stunned for a long time; Zhuo Lengping forced a smile and swallowed the sadness in his heart.
The two of them immediately entered the hall, worshiped the Buddha, and burned incense. Since they were taking a concubine, the parents of the Lu family didn't even take a look, so they finished the matter in a hurry. After that, they asked the maid and other servants to lead them into the bridal chamber.
Seeing her daughter being treated so badly, Mrs. Zhang was so angry that her teeth chattered three times and she stamped her feet. A few tears rolled out of her eyes, but she could only watch helplessly.
At midnight, Zhuo Lengping was still sitting on the bed, never moving away or saying a word from the beginning.
Lu Jishou sighed, lying aside and looking at her back.
"Bride, what do you want to do?" Lu Jishou asked sternly.
Zhuo Lengping shed a few cold tears in front of the warm candlelight. She looked at the splendid gold bed tent and couldn't help but miss the days when she made a living by chopping firewood. At this moment, she felt that even having enough food and clothing was not perfect.
"Go to sleep." Zhuo Lengping murmured with a sob.
This sentence really angered Lu Jishou. He jumped up, turned her face over, and stared at Zhuo Lengping with a pair of angry eyes.
"You are a damn concubine of my master! It's not your turn to have dignity and face! You were penniless at that time, and you would have died of exhaustion if you didn't starve to death. It's my fault. I have fallen in love with you, and you have to call me a benefactor whether you appreciate it or not! Now you think that I won’t find you a real wife..."
Snapped!
His hand shook, followed by a slap.
"I don't think you're my little wife yet! Damn it, dirty my hands!" His spittle splashed onto Zhuo Lengping's face.
"You need to be sensible and take off my clothes quickly! Take off my clothes! Otherwise, I'll slap you like a bitch again!" Lu Jishou scolded him with unprecedented momentum.
Zhuo Lengping touched the palm marks on his face, it was a tearing pain. My heart is also torn at this moment.
"Did you hear that?" Lu Jishou looked at her fiercely.
"Master Lu!!" Zhuo Lengping finally couldn't restrain his emotions, knelt on the ground and burst into tears. She understood that now she had no choice but to bow down to him and had no other choice.
"Mr. Lu, I beg you... please... please don't... tonight..." Zhuo Lengping sobbed, his makeup was stained by tears.
"Okay, okay..." Lu Jishou laughed a few times, then kicked the table over, and the "crackling" sound on the ground made Zhuo Lengping tremble.
She raised her head slightly and saw Lu Jishou closing the door tightly.
"What's the matter, Master?" the servant outside asked hurriedly.
"Get out of here!"
Zhuo Lengping leaned against the bed quietly, wiping his tears alone.
It was sunny the next day, and Lu Zhengfu discussed with the stewards that although the Lu family was a well-known local family, they were still ordinary people in name. Therefore, his son's concubinage was not in compliance with the regulations, and he should ask the government to conceal it for him to avoid the law. The stewards were also convinced, so they took the secret message with the servant and handed it to the magistrate. The Yizheng County magistrate also wanted to sell his favor, so he immediately nodded and agreed to hide it.
Because Comrade Chen had official business, he resigned from Lu Zhengfu and prepared to return to Taizhou. Lu Zhengfu and his son Jishou walked to the door together. When Chen Tongpao turned around, he leaned over and said, "You two don't have to send me far away. You can just say goodbye here. Please come back."
"Then Magistrate Chen, please take care of yourself," Lu Zhengfu said.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality these past two days, Mr. Lu," County Magistrate Chen said as he put on his official robe, "I have to repay you in return."
Mr. Lu was pondering the meaning of these words in his mind when he saw Tongpao Chen and his son saying, "The concubine that the young master has taken is a woman named Zhuo Lengping?"
Lu Jishou was already depressed, so he just responded listlessly: "Yes, yes."
"When I went to Nanjing, I heard someone say that this woman was once imprisoned by the government and put into a women's prison for a crime, and then she was let out for some reason... Lu Gong must be careful." After saying this, he bowed and walked towards the door. Go outside.
Lu Jishou was curious and was about to step forward to ask, but he was forcefully held back by his father.
"It seems...that woman can't be kept." Lu Zhengfu pinched his beard and said in a low voice.
