When Gan Cai’er awoke, the sky had already darkened. Had their entanglement truly lasted from noon straight through until nightfall?
Gan Cai’er opened her mouth, only to find her throat so hoarse she couldn’t utter a single word. Supporting her waist, she shakily sat up in bed.
She truly couldn’t understand how much water had gotten into her brain in her previous life to dare drug Lan Tingzhou for excitement?!
Lan Tingzhou was indeed old-fashioned and strict about self-restraint and propriety, but no matter what… he was eighteen years old now! Right in the prime of youth, full of vigor and vitality!
His spirit, his physique—even going up the mountain to hunt bears wouldn’t faze him!
She must have been utterly mad in her previous life, right?
Leaning against the headboard, Gan Cai’er gazed at the moon high in the sky outside the window, silently berating her former self over and over again.
In the study, a single lamp flickered. Beneath its light, Lan Tingzhou sat quietly reading, his eyes lowered in concentration. With his hair loose and dressed in rare, loose robes that disregarded formalities, he appeared both solemn and unrestrained, exuding an air of elegant nonchalance.
Gan Cai’er sighed softly. If other women were to witness this scene, who knew how many hearts would be captivated?
Lan Tingzhou was a prominent figure in Qingshui Town. Not only because he was the most scholarly and talented man in town, but also because he was exceptionally handsome.
Every day, dozens if not hundreds of young maidens and married women would linger by his calligraphy and painting stall, whether they had business there or not. Just to catch a glimpse of him, many were willing to take a detour, walking an extra half-hour just to pass by his stall.
However, though Lan Tingzhou was famous, compared to Gan Cai’er, he was but a small fish in a big pond.
Because Gan Cai’er was also beautiful—the kind of beauty that had been consistent since childhood, solidly earning her the title of Qingshui Town’s number one beauty. And besides her beauty, she was also the wealthiest woman in town and its number one troublemaker.
Her father, Gan Maoguo, was the richest man in Qingshui Town, with more than half the town’s businesses belonging to the Gan family.
Gan Maoguo had two sons but only one daughter. Thus, Gan Cai’er was extremely doted upon—if she asked for the stars, she wouldn’t be given the moon. This upbringing fostered her inability to endure hardship or exertion, her domineering and willful nature, and her delicate yet arrogant temperament.
The Lan family had been scholars for generations, while the Gan family had been merchants for generations. Logically, these two families had little in common, but Gan Cai’er fell in love with Lan Tingzhou at first sight and vowed to marry no one but him.
Originally, Gan Cai’er wouldn’t have been considered a suitable match for the Lan family, but she spent money so lavishly and acted so rebelliously.
Lan Tingzhou was perfect in every way, with only one flaw: his family was poor—so poor they often struggled to secure three meals a day. Adding to that, he had a mother who required constant medication, so the Lan family frequently found themselves unable to make ends meet.
Lan Tingzhou set up a stall to sell calligraphy and paintings, but while many came to look, few were willing to pay. After all, there weren’t many households in Qingshui Town with spare money.
From the moment Gan Cai’er first laid eyes on Lan Tingzhou, she was utterly captivated. Afterward, she followed him around every day, refusing to leave no matter how much Lan Tingzhou tried to drive her away.
She eagerly paid for Lan Tingzhou’s mother’s daily medication; she bought and gifted him the rare books he desired; when the Lan family couldn’t put food on the table, she delivered meals daily; when Lan Tingzhou’s younger brother was bullied, she rolled up her sleeves and confronted the bullies, even forcing them to apologize; when young maidens and married women secretly watched Lan Tingzhou, she would sit in front of his stall, fiercely forbidding anyone from approaching…
Lan Tingzhou frowned and asked, “Miss Gan, what exactly are you trying to do?”
Gan Cai’er blinked and answered with a smile, “Brother Lan, I want to be your wife.”
Lan Tingzhou’s face instantly flushed bright red, and his pointing finger trembled with anger. “You… you… have no shame!”
Then, he abandoned his calligraphy and painting stall and stormed off in a huff.
That year, Gan Cai’er was eight years old, and Lan Tingzhou was eleven.
Afterward, Lan Tingzhou would avoid Gan Cai’er whenever he saw her. But Qingshui Town was only so big, and Gan Cai’er could always find him quickly. Later, Lan Tingzhou stopped avoiding her, but he would only face her with a cold expression, ignoring her completely. Gan Cai’er didn’t get angry either; she happily followed him around on her own. Even if he didn’t speak, she could chatter away by herself for a long time.
The two of them remained in this awkward state for many years.
Until one day, Gan Maoguo went to see Madam Lan.
Gan Maoguo took out an account book, which recorded all the expenses Gan Cai’er had covered for the Lan family during their six years in Qingshui Town. The total amounted to five hundred taels of silver!
It was worth noting that an ordinary family in Qingshui Town spent only twenty to thirty taels of silver in an entire year.
The largest portion of this five hundred taels was the daily cost of Madam Lan’s medicine.
Gan Maoguo smiled and said he wasn’t there to collect a debt. Instead, he offered to use this account book plus an additional two thousand taels of silver as a dowry to form a marriage alliance with the Lan family.
Madam Lan was furious on the spot.
She came from the Xie family, a lineage of scholars for generations, and was a true lady of noble upbringing. When had she ever suffered such humiliation!
She slammed her teacup heavily onto the table.
“My Lan family will absolutely not sell our son!”
“Rest assured, Master Gan, every cent Miss Gan spent on the Lan family will be repaid with interest, not a single coin less! If you don’t trust me, I’ll write you an IOU right now.”
“Zhang Li, bring paper and brush!” Madam Lan called out loudly.
“No, no need for that.” Gan Maoguo hurriedly stood up, waving his hands repeatedly, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile. “Madam Lan, that’s not what I meant.”
“Since Master Gan doesn’t want an IOU, please leave. As a widow, it’s not appropriate for me to entertain an unrelated man for too long.”
Madam Lan coldly tossed out these words, then stood up and walked straight into the inner chamber.
Gan Maoguo’s smile froze helplessly on his face. In truth, he knew it was improper to bring the account book to propose marriage, but he had no choice. He had previously sent matchmakers to propose, but Madam Lan had politely declined every time.
Thinking of his own hopeless daughter, whose heart was completely tied to the Lan boy, he, as her father, could only swallow his pride and try both kindness and pressure. He just hadn’t expected Madam Lan to be such a resolute person.
Truly worthy of someone from Jingdu.
Gan Maoguo rubbed his hands together and sighed. If Nannan couldn’t marry the Lan boy, who knew how long she would cry. Sigh, he’d have to think of another way.
On this side, Gan Maoguo left with a sigh. On the other side, after Madam Lan returned to the inner chamber, she angrily smashed the teacup on the table to the ground.
“Zhang Li, go and bring that unfilial son back to me!” Madam Lan said sharply.
Zhang Li was an old servant of the Lan family. He quickly acknowledged the order and went to find Lan Tingzhou.
Madam Lan had known nothing about Gan Cai’er spending money for Lan Tingzhou. The Xie family had been scholars for generations, and she had strictly adhered to rules and discipline since childhood, never stepping beyond the inner courtyards. Managing household affairs, serving her husband, and raising her children were the entirety of her life.
After the family’s property was confiscated, she was deeply aware of their dire financial situation. So, despite her frail health, she worked day and night on embroidery, which she then had Lan Tingzhou sell for money.
Her double-sided embroidery was once considered a marvel in Jingdu, with many seeking her work. She had believed that the family’s expenses were covered by her embroidery and Lan Tingzhou’s calligraphy and paintings. Yet who could have known that it was all Gan Cai’er who provided the money!
The sudden truth nearly made her vomit blood.
But she had never deeply considered—how could there be so many buyers for calligraphy, paintings, and high-end embroidery in a remote little place like Qingshui Town?
If it weren’t for her daily medicine, which could not be interrupted, Lan Tingzhou would never have accepted Gan Cai’er’s money. The beginning is always the hardest, but once it starts, it continues. Over six years of back-and-forth, that thick ledger had accumulated.
After Lan Tingzhou returned home, his mother threw a piece of paper in front of him, on which were written the words: “A person of integrity does not accept food given in contempt.”
Lan Tingzhou knelt outside his mother’s room for an entire night.
Upon learning this news, Gan Cai’er indeed cried. She stayed at home, burying her head in tears for several days, and no one could console her. Before Gan Maoguo could think of a better solution, someone approached Gan Cai’er and gave her an idea.
That evening, as Lan Tingzhou packed up his calligraphy and painting stall and returned home, he heard a loud “bang”—it sounded as if the front door had been kicked open. He hurried out to check and saw Gan Cai’er standing at his doorstep, weeping as if her heart would break.
Gan Cai’er’s actions drew a crowd of onlookers.
“Miss Gan, what are you doing?” Lan Tingzhou asked, his face pale with anger.
“Lan Tingzhou! I adore you. Why won’t you marry me?” Gan Cai’er cried loudly, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Gan Cai’er reeked of alcohol and swayed unsteadily. Lan Tingzhou was secretly annoyed—how much had she drunk to come here and cause such a scene?
The onlookers grew excited, pointing and whispering about the two.
“Miss Gan, be careful with your words. Matters of marriage should follow the parents’ arrangements and the matchmaker’s words. As children, we should not speak recklessly.”
“No, I want to marry you!”
Gan Cai’er continued to cry and make a scene, stumbling toward Lan Tingzhou as she wept. Just as she reached him, she tripped and lunged forward. Afraid she might fall, Lan Tingzhou hesitated for a moment and did not immediately step aside.
Thus, he found himself firmly embraced by Gan Cai’er.
Right there, in front of all the villagers, Gan Cai’er clung to Lan Tingzhou…
“Get down!” Lan Tingzhou gritted his teeth.
“No!”
Gan Cai’er, fueled by alcohol, threw a tantrum, scratching and kicking at Lan Tingzhou. Finally, she “accidentally” tugged off his belt and pulled half of his robe open…
It was midsummer, so everyone saw Lan Tingzhou standing there with his robe open, holding a young woman in his arms.
Lan Tingzhou clenched his teeth tightly, trembling with rage.
The next day, Lan Tingzhou’s mother agreed to the marriage with the Gan family.
Recalling the past, Gan Cai’er smiled through her tears, feeling both ashamed and remorseful. Back then, she had been reckless and utterly heedless of the consequences.
Fortunately, she had met Lan Tingzhou. But Lan Tingzhou was unfortunate to have met her.
Lan Tingzhou was a true gentleman. When she was at her lowest, with nowhere to turn while raising her daughter, it was he who extended a helping hand, setting aside past grievances to provide a home for her and her child.
In her previous life, Lan Tingzhou had shown her kindness, while she had brought him regret and remorse. Given a second chance, Gan Cai’er wanted to repay Lan Tingzhou properly.
Just as Gan Cai’er was lost in thought, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
“Tingzhou, I’ve made some white fungus and lotus seed soup for you. Come and try it—it helps clear heat and relieve summer heat.”
Lan Tingzhou’s mother had arrived!
This realization made Gan Cai’er instantly bristle with alarm! She glanced at the chaotic mess covering the bed, panicked, grabbed Lan Tingzhou’s outer robe to wrap around herself, and then slipped under the bed with a swift “shwoop.”