Chapter 205 - Urging On (2/2)

“Who said so? You didn’t mention it beforehand!” Sang Wan chuckled and turned her head away, refusing to give in.

Shi Fengju turned her head back and kissed her deeply while embracing her warm body tightly. Only until they were out of breath did Shi Fengju let go of her, “Remember this, Sang Wan, only this can count as a kiss!”

That kiss left Sang Wan breathless. As she panted lightly from her red-colored lips, she gazed at Shi Fengju with her moist eyes, unable to respond.

Shi Feng watched the woman by him. Her skin was flushed pink, her eyes captivating, her red lips inviting, and her silky hair scattered on the pillow and a few strands resting on her neck and shoulders. How could he hold himself back against such finery? He called out her name with his deep voice as his lips slowly returned to where it last was. He then spread her legs apart and pushed himself in once more. Together, they moaned as they embraced and let their lust kick in.

The next day, Wang Shi brought up the marriage proposal to Shi Fengju without him asking when he arrived to greet her in the morning. Shi Fengju was obviously against the proposal and he quickly convinced his mother with a few words. Knowing that even her son was against the idea, Wang Shi began to give up on the intention.

Shi Fengju then took his leave as he left to attend to his business.

While Shi Fengju and Wang Shi were having their conversation, Shi Yumei happened to overhear them at the door when on her way to greet her mother, and she hurriedly asked her mother about the details of the conversation the moment her brother left.

Why would Wang Shi hide anything from her own daughter? Wang Shi then spilled everything to her.

Shi Yumei became excited after hearing her mother’s words, and she hurriedly asked, “Mother, why didn’t you agree to such a good marriage immediately!”

Of course Shi Yumei knew that the marriage was nowhere near the expectation of a ‘good marriage’, but she was never fond of Shi Lian and her mother ever since she was young. She always felt that the both of them had snatched her father away, and before her father passed away, he was always complimenting Shi Lian for being a sensible child. On the other hand, he had never showered her with compliments, instead reprimanding her for being arrogant, overbearing, violent, unreasonable, and unladylike. She would of course be more than happy to see Shi Lian struck with misfortune!

In addition to her own disappointing marriage, she was even more keen to make sure Shi Lian did not marry into a good family, better still if into a family worse than hers.

With Shi Lian’s quiet and timid personality, she would definitely be tormented to death if she were married off as a concubine!

“What’s good about it!” Wang Shi waved the thought off. “Our family’s missy has no need to become a concubine of another family! People will assume that I am ill-treating a concubine’s daughter. I cannot afford to ruin my reputation because of this!”

“How is this ill-treating!” Shi Yumei rebutted, “The man is the legitimate son of our city’s official, a reputable family! Let’s not speak about those commoners, it is no insult for even legitimate daughters from well-to-do families to be married into such a family as a concubine! From what I know, this marriage is good for her! Furthermore, they are our city’s official while our Shi family are merchants here. The advantages we will receive out of this marriage are boundless! Furthermore, this will help Fengju in his business and he wouldn’t have to be so tired anymore!”

Upon hearing her daughter’s words, Wang Shi began to waver again. Her daughter’s words made sense. With a marriage to connect the two families, the city’s official would have to look after the Shi family as well. Then the chances of the Zhuang family overtaking them in business would be slimmer!

“But, both Fengju and Sang Wan are against this marriage. I think…”

“Mother, between Fengju and Sang Wan, who was the first to be against this marriage?” Shi Yumei interrupted.

Wang Shi replied, “Sang Wan got wind of the news first. Fengju only mentioned it when he came here today to greet me in the morning!”

“Then that’s it!” Shi Yumei clapped her hands. “Mother, you should know how precious Sang Wan is to Fengju now, she must be the one who persuaded him to be against the marriage! He would obey Sang Wan’s words more than an imperial edict. Whatever Sang Wan said, he would definitely obey!”

“Nonsense!” Wan Shi frowned, feeling a little jealous, “Since when is Fengju easily swayed? Moreover, what good would Sang Wan gain from swaying him against the marriage? She is the daughter-in-law of our family, and the future old mistress of our household. Should there be any good for the family if we were to become in-laws with the Hong’s family, why would she be opposed?”

“It’s still decades too early for her, that is why she is planning ahead now!” Shi Yumei was confident of her own words.

Wang Shi was confused by her words, “What do you mean?”

Shi Yumei sneered coldly, “Mother, you mustn’t forget that Sang Wan’s second brother is heading to Beijing for his next examination. If he passes, he will become an official regardless of his rank! Think about it, if her brother becomes an official, her position in our house will become more secure! But if we become in-laws with the city’s official, should anything happen in the future, we will have the in-laws to depend on instead of the Sang family! If that happens, her standing in our family will not be as important. As such, being as clever as she is, she will not want that to happen! That is why she is trying to ruin the marriage so that we can only depend on her Sang family should anything happen! That is her scheme!”

Wang Shi was stunned by her words and did not know how to reply.

If Sang Wan was here, she would be in awe at her speech.

She was able to make such a far-fetched reason believable, that in itself deserved ‘admiration’.

“Does, does she really have such a profound scheme?” Perturbed by her words, Wang Shi’s heart was a mess. Her daughter’s words were a shock to her. Wang Shi had never really schemed in her life, and hearing those words sent chills down her spine, almost as if it was just made known to her that she had been keeping a ferocious monster as a pet.

“Doesn’t Mother always compliment her on her cleverness?” Shi Yumei laughed coldly. “Unlike us, she had read books before so it is clear that her way of thinking would be different from us! In my opinion, I think that this marriage is very appropriate for both Third Sister and our family! You should seize the chance since it is now or never. Mother, you should hurry and decide!”