After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 50

When someone asked her why her eyes were red and swollen, she lowered her eyelashes and spoke softly:

“It’s nothing… I’m just happy for my cousin. Brother-in-law Zhou is really generous. That oxcart and that dowry are probably the first of their kind in our village.”

She paused at just the right moment, a bitter yet envious smile on her face. “Of course I can’t compare. Mingyuan is a scholar, noble indeed, just a bit poor right now… I only hope that when he passes the imperial examination, he’ll remember the grievances we suffered today…”

She didn’t speak definitively, but every word she uttered guided the conversation.

People remembered that on the day her cousin got engaged, she had slammed the door and left without giving Lin Sang any face. Soon, new gossip began to circulate in the village:

“Have you heard? That girl Lin Jiao’er is feeling wronged! She complains that the Zhang family is too poor to afford a dowry like the Zhou family’s!”

“No wonder Lin Sang left without even eating on the day of her engagement; it seems she was traumatized!”

“Tsk tsk, that’s true. It would be a disgrace for a scholar to receive such a meager dowry.”

“The Zhang family’s circumstances… I’m afraid it’ll be difficult! We can’t just empty our savings for the sake of saving face, can we?”

“But then again, our little girl is marrying a scholar, and she’ll be an official’s wife in the future. If the dowry is outdone by the ‘rogue’ from the next village, it won’t look good for Scholar Zhang, will it?”

Rumors spread like wildfire through the village, their core message clear: Lin Jiao’er envied her cousin’s success and implied that the Zhang family must offer a dowry “worthy” of a scholar’s status, otherwise they would lose face as scholars.

———

The rumors naturally reached the ears of the Lin family, who had just returned from packing up their stall in town.

The family was delighted with their booming business and the convenience of the oxcart when they heard this roundabout gossip that had somehow drifted into their own lives, and they all looked at each other in bewilderment.

Lin Sang frowned, her tone calm: “Why is she doing this to herself?”

Wang sighed, with a hint of helplessness and understanding: “What else could it be? It’s just her competitive nature, she can’t stand seeing others do well! Oh well, let’s just live our own lives and let her say whatever she wants.”

Lin the Elder said in a muffled voice, “Ignore her! We’ve done nothing wrong!”

The family found the rumor absurd and laughable, and paid it no heed.

Meanwhile, at the Zhang family’s house, Old Mrs. Zhang listened to the village gossip relayed by her neighbor, her wrinkled face expressionless, only a cold sneer flashing in her cloudy eyes.

She knew perfectly well what was going on: “Hmph, Lin Jiao’er! She dares to show off her low-class tricks in front of me!”

Having served in the inner workings of a grand mansion for so many years, what underhanded tricks hadn’t she seen? Lin Jiao’er’s little schemes were nothing but child’s play to her!

The Lin family’s second branch had just had a grand engagement, and before the buzz had died down, the topic was precisely shifted to the Zhang family’s betrothal gifts. Who else could it be but Lin Jiao’er, who was determined to compete with her cousin?

Considering Lin Jiao’er’s outburst on the day of their engagement, Old Mrs. Zhang felt even more strongly that this woman was scheming and of questionable character.

She stole her cousin’s marriage proposal back then, and now she’s constantly comparing herself to others—she’s a real troublemaker! She increasingly felt that if her son really married this woman, there would be endless troubles and the family would never be at peace.

But she knew that her son was now bewitched by that Lin Jiao’er, and she couldn’t stop him by force.

She made up her mind to remain still and not only not increase the betrothal gifts, but also reduce them as she had originally planned! She wanted to see what kind of trouble Lin Jiao’er could cause.

———

Zhang Mingyuan also heard the rumors at the school. Although his classmates did not say it outright, the probing looks in their eyes and their whispers made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

He always valued his reputation highly, so how could he bear being secretly talked about as “shabby” or “worse than a scoundrel”? As soon as school was over, he rushed home and found his mother doing embroidery under the dim light.

“Mother!” Zhang Mingyuan said anxiously, “The whole village is talking about our betrothal gifts! They’re saying… saying that if we’re too stingy, not only will our precious daughter lose face, but I will also lose face, and we scholars will lose all dignity! Do you think… could we… could we increase the betrothal gifts a bit? At least… at least it can’t be too much worse than the Zhou family’s, right?”

His words sounded somewhat unsure of himself, but also carried the urgency of being held hostage by public opinion.

Grandma Zhang stopped her needlework, looked up, and calmly stared at her son. Her sharp gaze made Zhang Mingyuan feel uneasy.

“Mingyuan,” her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable coldness, “what have you been doing with your studies? Have you wasted your time?”

Zhang Mingyuan was stunned: “Mother…”

“A wise man worries about the Way, not about poverty! This is the teaching of the sages!” Old Mrs. Zhang said in a more serious tone. “Instead of thinking about how to improve your studies and pass the imperial examinations, you are disturbed by a few idle words from village women and are thinking about these material things.”

Can’t you see what Lin Jiao’er is thinking? She’s using the village’s gossip to blackmail you! Forcing the Zhang family to put on a brave face even when we’re not!

She stood up, walked to her son, and said sternly, “Let me tell you, the betrothal gifts will be as I said before, and they will only be less, not more! Everyone in the village knows what kind of family we Zhang are. Why should we empty our coffers for that little bit of empty fame, leaving you with no money to even take the imperial examinations in the future?!”

Her last words struck Zhang Mingyuan’s heart like a hammer blow: “If you insist on going along with her wishes, fine, then this old woman is only capable of this much. You’ll have to figure out your own tuition, writing materials, and travel expenses for the imperial examinations! Is your future more important, or is that empty honor of a betrothal gift more important? You decide for yourself!”

Old Mrs. Zhang understood her son and directly seized control of his lifeline.

Zhang Mingyuan was so speechless by his mother’s words that his face turned red and he broke out in a cold sweat.

Yes, if we exhaust our family’s wealth for the betrothal gifts and it affects our chances of passing the imperial examinations, then we will truly be penny-wise and pound-foolish!

Compared to her bright future, what did Lin Jiao’er’s grievances and the gossip in the village matter?

He instantly deflated, all his resolve crumbling in the face of reality and his mother’s cold threats.

He stammered, “Mother… I understand… I was confused… Everything, everything is up to Mother to decide.”

Face and pride, comparisons—all became insignificant in the face of his own interests. All he was thinking about now was getting a wife as soon as possible so as not to interfere with his studies.

As for whether Lin Jiao’er was satisfied or not, he no longer cared.

Seeing her son compromise, Old Mrs. Zhang snorted inwardly, sat back down under the lamp, and picked up her embroidery again. However, the tightness in her lips revealed her inner turmoil and a deeper aversion to her future daughter-in-law.