Chapter 195: A Concubine? That’ll Cost Extra

The crackling of firecrackers filled the air, bringing a festive atmosphere to the entirety of Lexiang County.

To properly celebrate “Little Grape’s” one-month banquet, Zheng De had spared no expense.

Over thirty banquet tables were set up, and he made an open announcement: while friends and family entering the main hall were expected to bring monetary gifts, the outdoor feast was free for all the villagers—no gift required, just come and enjoy.

Because of this, the gift collection table was set up inside the courtyard rather than outside.

Of course, as neighbors who saw each other daily, most of the attendees still brought gifts to show goodwill before heading to the feast.

At times like this, Gu Ning’an, who was in charge of recording the gifts, found himself incredibly busy.

It wasn’t until nearly half an hour into the banquet that he finally closed the ledger and made his way to a reserved table, meant for those helping with the event.

At the table, besides Gu Ning’an, were a few of Zheng De’s uncles and aunts, as well as Yu Fu and Jiao Qingqing, the husband and wife.

The meal was quiet. Even Yu Fu, who usually enjoyed flaunting himself, seemed distracted, barely speaking a word.

Gu Ning’an found this quite satisfactory—after all, a peaceful meal was a pleasant one.

But unfortunately, the tranquility didn’t last long.

Midway through the meal, Yu Fu’s mother arrived, leading a woman in her late twenties straight to their table.

That woman was none other than the second wife a matchmaker had introduced to Yu Fu.

“Come, come, let me introduce you all—” Yu Fu’s mother announced. “This young lady here is Liao Cui—my future daughter-in-law.”

As she spoke, she seated the woman beside her son.

Liao Cui had an older appearance, though her figure was well-proportioned, particularly around the hips and lower back—a physique favored by the older generation for bearing sons.

The once harmonious dining atmosphere instantly grew awkward.

Zheng De’s uncles and aunts, after seeing who had arrived, hurriedly shoveled down a few more bites before standing up to leave.

Before departing, they each cast a deep glance at Jiao Qingqing, their eyes filled with helplessness and pity…

Inside the main banquet hall, word of Yu Fu’s mother’s shocking behavior quickly spread, sparking hushed conversations among the guests.

“Yu Fu’s mother really has no sense—bringing the second wife here, acting as if the first wife doesn’t even exist… and at a gathering like this!”

“Exactly! Just watching this makes me furious! Qingqing’s such a good girl, yet she’s being treated like this!”

“If it were me, I’d throw them both out on the spot! No way I’d just swallow this humiliation!”

“Sigh, household affairs are tricky… We can talk about it, but there’s not much we can actually do to help.”

Even though the guests spoke in hushed tones, Yu Fu’s mother wasn’t deaf—she caught bits and pieces of the gossip.

Frustration boiled in her heart, but she didn’t dare confront so many people directly. Instead, she placed the blame squarely on Jiao Qingqing—that woman with the barren womb.

“If she weren’t so useless, why would I have to go through all this trouble, being judged by everyone?” she thought angrily.

“Qingqing, what are you sitting there for?”

“Don’t you know to go get us an extra set of bowls and chopsticks?”

Yu Fu’s mother glared at her.

“Mm, alright,” Jiao Qingqing responded softly, rising to fetch two sets of tableware.

Yu Fu said nothing. He glanced at Jiao Qingqing, as if wanting to speak, but in the end, he simply turned away.

Meanwhile, Yu Fu’s mother continued fawning over her “future daughter-in-law”, piling food onto her plate.

“Cui Cui, yesterday you mentioned a condition—what was it?” she asked.

Liao Cui didn’t hesitate, flashing a smile. “Well, I may not be young anymore, but I’m still a maiden… Marrying for the first time only to be a concubine—doesn’t that put me at a disadvantage?”

Yu Fu’s mother nodded in agreement. “You’re right, my son is lucky to have you. It’s indeed a bit unfair for you to enter the household as a concubine.”

She deliberately glanced at Jiao Qingqing, observing her expression. Yet Qingqing’s face remained calm and indifferent, showing no reaction at all.

Seeing this, Yu Fu’s mother refocused on Liao Cui.

Liao Cui, however, shook her head. “There’s an order to things, even in marriage. I don’t need to be the first wife, but—”

“If I’m to be the second wife, then the original twenty taels for my dowry needs to be increased.”

Yu Fu’s mother frowned. “How much more?”

Liao Cui held up one hand. “Fifty taels.”

“What?!” Yu Fu’s mother gasped, covering her mouth. “Cui Cui, isn’t that a bit too much?”

“Isn’t Young Master Yu running a liquor business in Xiangzhou?”

“Surely a businessman like him can afford a little more for the betrothal gift?”

As she spoke, Liao Cui cast a gentle, affectionate glance toward Yu Fu.

Yu Fu, who valued his pride, wanted to nod in agreement—but the reality was that twenty taels was already the maximum their family could afford.

Fifty taels? That was impossible.

Unsure how to respond, Yu Fu looked visibly awkward, forcing a laugh to cover his embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Liao Cui and Yu Fu’s mother began bargaining, negotiating back and forth.

At that moment, as Gu Ning’an quietly ate, he caught a glimpse of Yu Fu and Jiao Qingqing out of the corner of his eye—he could sense something unique dissipating from them.

Their fate had ended. The bond was broken.

After passing a brief transmission to Jiao Qingqing, Gu Ning’an withdrew from the matter, resuming his meal.

Jiao Qingqing, who had remained composed all along, trembled ever so slightly upon hearing Gu Ning’an’s voice in her mind. Then, without a change in expression, she calmly picked up a piece of fish belly, carefully removed the tiny bones, and placed it into Yu Fu’s bowl.

“Husband, eat some fish.”

Hearing her soft voice, Yu Fu, filled with guilt, responded instinctively, “Ah… okay.”

He picked up the fish and put it in his mouth, chewing. But just as he was mid-bite, Jiao Qingqing’s gentle voice rang in his ears again.

“Husband, divorce me. Let Miss Liao be the first wife instead…”

“What?”

“I’ll go write the divorce letter now.”

With that, Jiao Qingqing rose gracefully and left.

Yu Fu sat there, stunned, watching his wife’s retreating figure, a sudden panic gripping his heart. Just as he was about to call out to stop her, his mother cut him off.

“Let her go!” she said. “She’s the one choosing to leave our family. Just let her go!”

“This way, we can finally have our smart and virtuous Cui Cui as the proper first wife!”

“Mother! Qingqing did nothing wrong!” Yu Fu protested.

Seeing her son being so foolish, Yu Fu’s mother dragged him aside, lowering her voice.

“Are you stupid?!” she hissed.

“Let Jiao Qingqing suffer for now. Divorce her first—then later, you can take her back as a concubine!”

“She’s actually saving you money!”

“It’s just a title—this way, we can save thirty taels of silver!”

“Tell me, isn’t that worth it?”

“Forget all this love nonsense—there are three great sins in filial piety, and the worst of them is not having a son!”

“Just do as I say and give me a big, healthy grandson first!”