Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 369: Chapter 376: Ulterior Motives
Aunt Li was worried sick when she heard the news. Having served their lady for so long, they naturally understood her temperament and knew that in this respect, she was certainly not the virtuous and generous type. Regardless of whether the news was true or false, the mere fact that the master hadn’t returned for so many days was bound to be unsettling. Hearing such rumors, she feared that a commotion was likely, as the saying goes, a man who becomes wealthy may turn bad. The master had always seemed decent, so how could he have changed now? Could it be that now he held a high office, he felt the Su Family could no longer restrain him, and that was why he dared to keep a woman outside?

Aunt Li sighed, pondering how to break the news to her lady. She actually believed the rumors to some extent: there’s no smoke without fire. The master hadn’t returned for many days, so he must have been captivated by some vixen outside. It was pitiful for their lady, who had grown up pampered and married a farmer, enduring much hardship. Now that their days had just started to improve, this new drama unfolded. She thought about keeping it from the lady, but the lady had been paying close attention to the outside news recently; even if Aunt Li wanted to hide it, she couldn’t.

Let’s wait and see; if it really comes to it, we may have to ask the old master and madam from the Su Family to come over. We can’t let the lady be bullied like this.

“Aunt Li, is there something troubling you?” Su Wenyue saw Aunt Li’s hesitance and thought she was facing some dilemma, so she asked.

“This?” Aunt Li wore a look of distress, finding it even harder to speak in light of her lady’s concern.

Su Wenyue thought Aunt Li was in some trouble: “Aunt Li, you’ve been by my side for quite some time now, and you served my mother before that. You handle many matters for me and our relationship is not like with others. If there is anything troubling you, just speak up. If I can help, I will do my best.”

Su Wenyue said this because she was speaking to Aunt Li, who is indeed rare; aside from being a bit old-fashioned, she couldn’t be more loyal, always devoted entirely to her duties. Unlike some others who would look for personal gains.

Seeing the lady’s caring attitude and hearing her words warmed Aunt Li’s heart. She had dedicated herself wholly to her lady, and it seemed her efforts hadn’t been in vain. But this made it even harder for her to deliver such heartbreaking news.

“Madam, there are rumors outside claiming that the master hasn’t returned because he’s been seduced by a vixen. I don’t know if this news is true or false, and I’m worried it will hurt you,” Aunt Li bit the bullet and spilled the beans. If the master truly had such intentions, such incidents were inevitable in the future. It would be better if the lady were prepared to deal with this likelihood. We can’t really let the master be lured away by some woman outside.

Su Wenyue’s mind went blank upon hearing Aunt Li’s words; she thought she had misheard: “Aunt Li, what did you say? Han Yu has a woman outside!”

“I don’t know if it’s true or false myself. Rumors outside tend to spread like that. Moreover, the master hasn’t been back for so many days. I feel something’s not quite right. Madam should plan ahead, find a way to bring the master back,” Aunt Li said.

Su Wenyue stood up in a surge of emotion, remembering the incident that night. Han Yu was actually bothered by it; which man wouldn’t mind his woman cuckolding him. Even if there were reasons behind it, Su Wenyue used to have confidence in Han Yu, but now she dared not say for certain. Perhaps Han Yu felt unbalanced inside, which was why he sought women outside.

How could she have been so naive to truly believe Han Yu wouldn’t mind? If she was careless, it was also because she followed her own inner thoughts. She had long been suppressing such matters and wanted to confide in someone. Han Yu’s behavior since their marriage had given her enough trust to make such a foolish mistake.

Thinking of the happiness she had not easily found in this life, and their three young children, Su Wenyue was unwilling to let the happiness she had grasped slip away. She immediately wanted to find Han Yu, to clarify no matter what the case. If Han Yu truly had a woman outside, she…

Su Wenyue’s mind was a mess, without a clear idea of what to do next. She didn’t even know if she would continue living with Han Yu if the rumors proved true. As for seeking a divorce, that wasn’t something her parents would approve of for such a reason because it was all too common for a man to have several wives and concubines. Her own father had two concubines. But if she were to continue in this marriage, she couldn’t stomach it, unable to get past this hurdle. Had it been before, she wouldn’t have thought this way, as all she wished for was a peaceful life. But she had genuinely invested her emotions in Han Yu during these days together.

Actually, many in the mansion had heard the outside rumors, and seeing Su Wenyue going to search, nobody stopped her. They all thought the mistress was quite good, were grateful to her in their hearts, and didn’t want some outside woman to distract the master and create chaos at home. It would be good if the lady could bring the master back.

“Madam, what’s wrong?” The ones close to her saw Su Wenyue pause and asked, puzzled.

Her mind had been in turmoil ever since she heard the news. It wasn’t until she reached the front door that she calmed down. The more she thought about it, the more things seemed odd. She had been too shocked by the news to notice the oddities. After all, which woman could remain calm when faced with such a situation? Han Yu had never been inappropriate with women, so it was understandable if she panicked.

“Madam?” Aunt Li, concerned, had followed Su Wenyue and asked softly, seeing such a reaction.

“Aunt Li, is there word who this woman might be, what her family background is?” As Su Wenyue’s mind cooled, she started inquiring about the details.

“This, it is said that she is a merchant’s daughter, who fell on hard times and was sold into a brothel where the master happened to rescue her and has since accommodated her outside. Everyone says that this woman is exceptionally beautiful, which is why the master was captivated by such a fox!” Aunt Li gritted her teeth as she spoke about the woman who had seduced her master.

“She is a merchant’s daughter, rescued from a brothel?” Su Wenyue’s expression eased considerably, and she became skeptical of the rumors.

She knew Han Yu well enough to doubt that he would save a woman for her beauty. That sort of thing wasn’t his style. While a woman of dazzling beauty was notable, it wasn’t likely Han Yu hadn’t encountered such women before. Even at the peak of his success, he had never shown interest, and it was even less probable now.

Su Wenyue had great confidence in Han Yu regarding such matters, especially at a time when the outside political situation was so tense. It was unlikely that Han Yu would be distracted by such things. He had enough on his plate just trying to strategize and manage the situation, unless that woman had something special about her, or Han Yu had another purpose in mind.