The entire household had spent the whole night searching, and the two people being sought appeared together.
Hand in hand!
Not only did Hu Rui look displeased, but the Fifth Young Master’s expression was also extremely sour.
The servants didn’t dare to look around and all kept their heads down like quails.
Hu Rui slammed the table: “Nonsense! The one you’re supposed to marry is clearly our Fifth Young Master, Xie Jinghong how can you randomly call someone else your husband?!”
Yu Mu’an looked innocent: “But the matchmaker said that both you and my maternal family had nodded in agreement to the temporary swap of brides.
The daughter-in-law and the husband bowed to each other in front of everyone, so naturally, she is the husband’s wife.”
“Ridiculous!”
Hu Rui scolded angrily, her face full of resentment.
“Who said we agreed to swap brides? Wasn’t it a mistake in the first place?!”
Yu Mu’an froze, looking at Hu Rui with a confused expression:
“But… the matchmaker who came to pick up the bride said so…”
At this moment, Xie Jinghong suddenly interjected, his expression dark:
“So… from the very beginning, you knew that the one you were bowing to in marriage was my elder brother?”
Yu Mu’an nodded: “Yes.”
Xie Jinghong couldn’t help but stand up and step closer to her “I was the one who sent the betrothal gift! And you were just switched in a temporary marriage like this, and you have no objection?!”
Yu Mu’an looked puzzled: “Why should I have an objection?
Leaving aside parental arrangements and matchmaker agreements, I am just a woman; what’s wrong with following the elders’ arrangements for marriage?
Besides, you and your sister have been devoted to each other for a long time, and you’ve held hands intimately in front of me more than once. You even said you wouldn’t marry anyone but your sister. I’ve always treated you as my brother-in-law and had no other feelings.
When the matchmaker suddenly said to swap brides, I thought it meant you had finally persuaded your mother to agree.”
Yu Lin, standing nearby, was stunned, but immediately nodded in agreement “Yes, Mother!
Lin and Brother Hong have been childhood sweethearts and devoted to each other for a long time. Brother Hong has repeatedly said he would marry no one but Lin!
Since we were carried by mistake, it must be destiny, Mother! For the sake of the General’s household’s reputation, we can only go along with the mistake… And look look at Yu Mu’an!
She’s holding hands with elder brother! How could she be switched back? How would Brother Hong agree?”
Xie Jinghong’s face darkened like the bottom of a cauldron.
Hu Rui’s gaze swept over the group.
Yu Lin knelt on the ground, crying pitifully, clinging timidly to Xie Jinghong’s leg.
Xie Jinghong glared at Yu Mu’an like a husband catching a cheating wife, more annoyed than truly angry.
As for Xie Jieyan…
That fool, since entering the house, hadn’t performed any formalities; he had gone off to play with tea cups, spilling tea all over his chest, with two tea leaves still stuck there.
Hu Rui took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and said in a deep voice “As for that scheming woman, once I catch her, a thorough interrogation will reveal the truth.
But tonight, it’s not too late there’s still a chance to set things right!
Now, you two brothers, take your true wives back to your own courtyards!”
Xie Jinghong bowed his head: “Yes.”
Yu Lin was shocked and turned to hug his leg “Brother Hong! You don’t want Lin anymore? We clearly just bowed in marriage! Lin is your proper wife!
Mistakes happen, but we love each other why must we switch back?!”
Xie Jinghong frowned, patiently soothing her “Marriage is a serious matter; we must follow the rules of the original betrothal. Don’t be willful.”
Yu Lin shook her head violently, clinging to his leg “I don’t want to… sob sob sob… Brother Hong, you can’t abandon me… sob sob sob…
You said you would marry no one but Lin! You said Lin is the only wife in your heart!
Lin has given herself to you, Brother Hong, you can’t just leave her sob sob sob…”
Xie Jinghong was shocked: “Shut up!”
Hu Rui slammed the table: “What?!”
Yu Mu’an lowered her eyes: oh dear…
In the previous life, the second daughter of the Hou family married into the General’s household, and the story had been talked about for a long time.
The eldest legitimate daughter, Yu Mu’an, married the Fifth Young Master, Xie Jinghong.
The younger, illegitimate daughter, Yu Lin, married the eldest son of the General’s household, the promising young general.
Everyone guessed that the matriarch of the Hou family didn’t truly love her legitimate daughter as she appeared.
Even the concubine-born daughter ended up marrying better than the eldest daughter.
Unfortunately, later, the young general of the General’s household fell to bandits and died in a cliff accident, and his wife Yu Lin was lost in the chaos.
The old general, grief-stricken, could only petition for the youngest son Xie Jinghong to be made heir.
As for Xie Jinghong…
Once mediocre and timid, he seemed to transform completely: made heir, sent on campaigns, advancing in rank, ultimately becoming a full general, with his wife Yu Mu’an honored as first-rank lady.
But the truth was nothing like outsiders saw!
The General’s household deceived everyone.
The eldest son, Xie Jieyan, had long been rendered a fool from injury, and the marriage Yu Lin had fought for became a joke, with her daily beaten and bruised by the fool.
She refused to accept it and turned to seduce the Fifth Young Master Xie Jinghong.
Thinking of this, Yu Mu’an felt blood rush to her head, her ears ringing.
Yu Lin!
She remembered being locked in the firewood room by Yu Lin, her limbs broken, crawling on the ground, living among rats and bugs.
Yu Lin, dressed magnificently, beamed with smug delight, boasting from above “Here’s a secret: the stepmother you’ve cherished is actually the one who killed your real mother, hahaha…
I wonder if your mother, looking down from heaven, sees her daughter bonding every day with the killer of her own life, would she rest in peace? Heeheehee…”
Heaven has eyes!
Since she’s been given a second chance, this time, no one who harmed her and her mother would be left unpunished!
She will take this marriage into her own hands!
At this moment, Yu Lin, in order to salvage the situation, even revealed such a secret.
She had nothing to lose.
Yu Lin, braving the murderous gaze of mother and son, continued to wail “At first, when the marriage was arranged, Brother Hong, you said my elder brother was a fool, and even if I wasn’t a virgin, he wouldn’t understand.
Later, seeing that I truly didn’t want it, you promised you’d find a way to refuse Yu Mu’an and marry me!
Brother Hong! You clearly promised Lin!”
Xie Jinghong’s expression looked like he wanted to tear Yu Lin’s mouth apart.
Hu Rui raised a trembling finger at Yu Lin: “You… you…”
The nanny beside her quickly helped Hu Rui calm down and scolded:
“Don’t talk nonsense!
Our Fifth Young Master has a kind heart; he would never speak such absurd and rude words! It’s unbearable to hear!
Our eldest son is a brave and intelligent young general; how could you dare insult him?!”
Xie Jinghong kicked Yu Lin away, furious: “You shrew! Truly unreasonable!”
He turned to Hu Rui “Mother, I am taking An’er back.”
Hu Rui restrained her anger and nodded: “Go, a moment of spring night…”
“Mother.”
Yu Mu’an knelt straight down, bowing her head.
“The one I bowed to in marriage is Xie Jieyan.
A daughter-in-law follows her husband; since I’ve already bowed to Xie Jieyan, he is my only husband.”
Hearing this, Xie Jinghong glared at her, his face pitch black.
Hu Rui’s chest heaved violently; she stared at Yu Mu’an and sneered coldly: “Good, good, good…”
She waved her hand “It seems my daughter-in-law has been raised very well obedient, only respecting her parents’ wishes. If that’s the case…
Go! Invite the Hou family to my General’s household for a meeting!”