Chapter 148.1 - Demanding a dowry
Ruan Zhen stared in disbelief at the beautiful older woman who stepped out from behind Ruan Xiuren.
She walked ahead and pulled at Ruan Zhen’s hand as she lightly smiled, “Zhen’er, it’s been a long time since you’ve come over.”
“Ninth, ninth sister-in-law?” Ruan Zhen’s face paled.
How … could this be?
But the thing that she had thought would never happened, actually did happen.
Her mind was completely blank as she stared at the ninth madam.
After a long time, she looked up, past the ninth madam, to the unsmiling Ruan Xiuren.
He jerked his mouth, clearly smiling but his eyes had no hint of a smile.
He silently moved forward and held the ninth madam’s shoulders as he pulled her into his embrace.
The ninth madam’s delicate white face flushed red as she pushed at him but didn’t struggle out of his embrace, listening to Ruan Xiuren who spoke from above her head.
“Ning’er, go back to your room. I have something to talk to my sister about.”
“Like that, ah, okay.” The ninth madam was a bit regretful. She didn’t normally get to see anyone, and it was hard enough for her to see Ruan Zhen, but she already had to go back.
But after listening to him for so long, she didn’t want to go against what he said, so she could only obediently listen to him.
Right until the ninth madam’s silhouette disappeared did Ruan Xiuren take away that smile on his lips.
He looked coldly at the shocked Ruan Zhen, his tall and solid frame walking towards the master’s seat.
He sat down leisurely, raising a brow as he mocked her, “Sit, now it looks like my Ruan family isn’t being hospitable.”
“Big, big brother …”
Ruan Zhen’s heart beat hard, she suddenly felt like she’d shrunk down.
“Ah, Ruan Zhen, that’s not like you. What are you feeling so uncertain about?”
“Big brother, ninth sister-in-law, she?”
“She’s awake, didn’t you see?” Ruan Xiuren’s eyes completely coldened.
Ruan Zhen had obviously seen. She wanted to ask, why was she awake?
What went wrong, it shouldn’t be like this?
If the ninth madam woke up, then she wouldn’t have any bargaining chips to threaten her big brother with?
She really wouldn’t have anything.
She forced herself to pull herself together. Ruan Zhen walked, step by step, towards Ruan Xiuren, as if she hadn’t seen the ninth madam before.
She looked up at Ruan Xiurne. “Big brother, Lian’er’s big day is approaching, when will the dowry reach the Lou residence?”
“Dowry?” Ruan Xiuren looked at her darkly before raising a cup of tea, his brows gathering together as he sipped.
Then he slowly spoke, “Ruan Zhen ah, Ruan family isn’t like how it was before.”
Ruan Zhen’s heart stopped. “But we agreed beforehand.”
“Did we? Wasn’t it you, Ruan Zhen, who forced me to agree?” He suddenly threw down his cup, nearly breaking it.
Ruan Zhen angrily bit down on her tongue, forcing herself to not reveal any hints of panic.
“Big brother, even though I know I was wrong. But Lian’er is your niece. You can’t just watch her marry like that? If she marries like that into the Li family, they’ll look down on her.” Ruan Zhen shut her eyes tightly.
She forced herself to lower herself, her tone begging.
“But you also know what happened with the golden stores, I’m also in a difficult position.”
“Big brother ….” Ruan Zhen furrowed her brows at him.
“.... After this blows over, I’ll naturally compensate her.” If it wasn’t for what happened with the golden stores, he wouldn’t be this heartless.
But when Ruan Zhen had forced him time and time again, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t hate her at all.
“But at that time, Lian’er would already be judged by the Li family! They won’t look at her well after that!” Ruan Zhen grew anxious, nearly shouting.
*
TL note:
Is anyone else into houseplants? I recently bought a monstera as well as a golden pothos, and a maidenhair fern.
My maidenhair fern’s already drooping! I really don’t have a green thumb