He couldn't understand why, after years of hard work and being considered so outstanding by others, he couldn't get his wish when it came to marriage.
The next day, he fell ill and couldn't get out of bed. Old Master Huang and Madam Huang constantly tried to comfort him by his bedside, but he seemed to have lost his soul.
Although Madam Bai didn't know why such a good marriage proposal was rejected by the Master, she was happy as long as Bai Yulan didn't marry well.
When Madam Bai recounted this matter as a joke to Bai Shuxue, Bai Shuxue's expression changed. If Bai Yulan hadn't discovered her affair with Huang Xuefeng, marrying her off to the Huang family might have been a good choice. After all, marrying a man who had someone else in his heart would surely make her life incredibly dramatic.
But it was too late now. She even regretted impulsively meeting Huang Xuefeng in the first place.
She never expected that even her marriage would require her father to seek his opinion. It was clear that blood ties were incredibly important. She had lived in the Bai family for so many years, yet her father had never truly considered her. Jealousy surged within her.
Early one morning, Wu Caiwei went out as usual. The carriage was initially running normally, but suddenly it sped up. Qiu Yan screamed in fright. Wu Caiwei quickly walked to the carriage door and pushed it open, only to find the coachman missing. The horse, however, was galloping wildly forward.
Coincidentally, another carriage approached from the opposite direction. This carriage was decorated exceptionally lavishly, indicating it belonged to someone the Bai family couldn't afford to offend.
Without a second thought, Wu Caiwei quickly yanked the reins. The horse cried out in pain and reared its front legs high. When they landed, they overturned the carriage.
The scene was horrifying. The guards and the coachman of the luxurious carriage on the other side were also startled. The horse's hooves had nearly landed on their carriage.
Wu Caiwei and Qiu Yan scrambled to their feet from the ground. The guards from the opposite side cautiously approached and loudly berated, "Bold ruffian, how dare you race horses in the street! Do you know your crime?"
Just as Wu Caiwei was about to apologize, a pleasant voice came from the other side, "An Yun, do not be rude."
Upon hearing his master's words, the man quickly stepped back and bowed respectfully.
As Wu Caiwei was feeling bewildered, someone emerged from the opposite carriage. The moment she met his eyes, Wu Caiwei breathed a sigh of relief.
"My subordinate was too impolite. I beg for your understanding, young master. May I ask which household you are from? I will then pay a visit to apologize another day," Huangfu Xingchen asked gently, as if this were their first meeting.
"I am a distant relative of the Bai family, officials of the Grand Court of Ceremonial. I am truly sorry today. My carriage lost control. Fortunately, no one was injured," Wu Caiwei quickly clarified her identity so he could find her.
After a perfunctory exchange of pleasantries, Huangfu Xingchen invited them and their servant into his carriage, offering to take them to an inn while his own men handled the aftermath.
Although this minor accident allowed her to meet the person she most wanted to find, it did not mean Wu Caiwei would forgive the mastermind behind it. No, she did not believe this was an accident.
Upon returning to her manor that day, she immediately informed the steward of the situation. The steward was alarmed upon hearing this and quickly sent people to find the coachman.
However, after much waiting, there was no sign of anyone. Just as he was becoming impatient, several people carried the coachman over.
"What happened?" the steward asked with surprise.
"Reporting to miss, reporting to the steward, this servant knows he has made a grave mistake and will not make excuses. But at the time, I had no choice. I was driving the carriage properly when suddenly a stone was thrown from somewhere and hit me. I lost control and toppled to the side, falling from the carriage and sustaining some injuries. I couldn't stand and wanted to warn miss when the horse suddenly bolted as if mad and disappeared from my sight in an instant," the coachman said pitifully.
"And how did you get back?" The steward, indifferent to his show of weakness, continued to ask impassively.
"A kind passerby took me to the clinic. If the steward doesn't believe me, he can go and inquire at the clinic," the coachman said, looking at him with an innocent expression.
"You may go back now. I will send someone to investigate your matter," the steward instructed, his emotions unreadable.
Once they were alone, the steward respectfully asked Wu Caiwei, "What does miss think?"
"In this world, are there so many coincidences? The entire incident seems flawless. Sending people to the clinic will surely yield the same story as he told. From my experience, the doctor at the clinic and that coachman are both suspicious. If it were truly a large stone hitting him as he claimed, it couldn't have happened so silently. Furthermore, after the stone bounced, it would have made a sound when it landed. And the coachman falling to the ground should have caused quite a commotion. Yet, I didn't hear a single sound throughout the entire event."
The steward, looking at the calm, clear-headed, and unusually composed young lady, finally understood why the Master held her in such high regard. She was calm, collected, and intelligent in the face of adversity. If she were a man, her future would surely be bright. What a shame.
"What does miss intend to do?"
"Regardless of anything else, he made a mistake. If I recall correctly, his entire family works in the manor. Have them all dismissed," the steward immediately understood her intention.
"Yes, and I will find more people to keep an eye on their family." As soon as the steward finished speaking, Wu Caiwei agreed with a nod.
The coachman had expected to receive a beating or some punishment at most, but when his entire family was expelled from the manor, he regretted it. They were forced to leave with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The servants had even confiscated the women's jewelry. With no money, how they would survive was a huge problem.
After years of pampered living in the Bai manor, they truly didn't know what they could do outside the Bai family.
They had to eat, after all. To secure their lunch, they walked and inquired wherever help was needed.
But finding odd jobs wasn't easy. The coachman finally found a position as a kitchen helper at an inn. Though called a kitchen helper, it was mostly menial labor, such as chopping wood, fetching water, and cleaning.
Moreover, they only provided meals for him alone. For all his hard work, he would receive only three hundred cash per month, and it would only be paid after working for a full month.
Upon hearing this, the coachman hesitated. With such a large family to support, how would they live for a month before he received any wages? Where would they sleep at night?
The coachman suddenly realized that in the vast expanse of the human world, there was no place for them. They went hungry at noon and continued searching for work in the afternoon. As it neared dark and they still had no prospects for dinner, facing a night on the streets, the coachman gritted his teeth and secretly returned to the Bai family.