Madam Ye was so angry that she smashed several teacups. If she hadn't felt that the indentured maids in the mansion were not good enough for her son, why would she have thought of looking for a commoner?
Sometimes she really wished to marry a maid from the mansion, but she was afraid of being ridiculed, thinking that their Ye family was truly unrefined. Their eldest daughter-in-law was a maid, and her son was perfect in every way, so these lowly girls were not worthy of him.
After venting her anger, she ordered the steward to quickly help the Xu family find someone.
Wu Caiwei told Xu Hui to hide at home, while she herself went into the city as usual, gathering information to see what the Ye family's reaction was.
As soon as she entered the teahouse, she heard people discussing the disappearance of the Ye family's future young madam. They said someone had seen her chatting with a woman the previous morning, but they were too far away to see what the woman looked like clearly.
Then, several people whispered, wondering what was wrong with the Ye family, why one by one no one was willing to marry into it.
Hearing this, Wu Caiwei had a flash of inspiration. After thinking for a moment, she walked to a secluded spot, changed her attire, and emerged as a dashing young man.
To avoid being recognized, she slightly thickened her eyebrows, added a few moles to her face, and attached a small mustache.
In the teahouse, whenever anyone gossiped about the situation of the Ye family's young master, she would join them, pretending to whisper secrets, inadvertently revealing that she had relatives working in the Ye mansion. She heard that the Ye family's young master had contracted a venereal disease and was not long for this world.
Everyone has a gossipy heart, and men are no exception. Hearing such explosive news, they naturally continued to inquire.
"Don't you think about it? As soon as the Ye family's young master fell ill, all the women who had interacted with him disappeared. Where are there so many coincidences in the world? Moreover, two fiancées have run away. How could we outsiders know more than they do?" Wu Caiwei subtly guided them.
Seeing their enlightened expressions, she secretly rejoiced.
This kind of event happened several times, and the news of the Ye family's young master falling ill spread within a small circle.
Originally, everyone took it as gossip, but some people who understood a little of the situation felt that this matter was likely true, and the situation escalated, with rumors flying everywhere.
Three days before the wedding, the rumors finally reached Old Master Ye's ears.
Old Master Ye's heart sank, followed by anger. He had tried every means to hide it, but someone had exposed it. Who was that person? He must not be discovered, otherwise, he would be torn to pieces.
Steward Li, a relative of the Xu family who had some influence in the Ye mansion, felt that since the matter was facilitated by him, and now there was a problem, he should hasten to apologize.
Old Master Ye was indeed a bit wrathful, feeling that the person she found was unreliable and had put him in a predicament. With only three days left before the wedding, and the bride missing, what would the Ye family do? Wouldn't they become the laughingstock of the entire city? It was too late to change the bride at this point.
Steward Li, seeing that the duck he thought was cooked was about to fly away, cursed Xu's mother fiercely in her heart for not being able to handle such a simple matter.
When she was at home, she had thought of many solutions. The best was still to marry a daughter from the Xu family. The eldest daughter ran away, but there were still two younger ones.
Her second daughter, Xu Jia, was not young anymore and was a suitable candidate.
When Old Master Ye heard her suggestion, he also thought it was good. He asked her to make another trip to discuss it properly with the Xu family, promising a generous reward.
Steward Li, hearing that her mistake was lightly dismissed by the master, quickly thanked him and hurried to the Xu family.
Mr. and Mrs. Xu sat by the dining table, exhausted and with sorrowful faces. They had not slept for two days and two nights since their eldest daughter disappeared.
Seeing Steward Li, they felt like they had seen a savior. Xu's mother choked, "Aunt, what should I do?"
"You know to cry now, what were you doing back then? I heard you weren't particularly kind to her. I say, you got the money, couldn't you have appeased her a little? Once she entered the Ye mansion, it would all be over." Steward Li really didn't know what to say about her, short-sighted.
"It's not too late to be afraid now. The master is very angry. I pleaded with him so much that he agreed to give you a chance to atone." Steward Li casually took the tea handed to her and said while drinking.
"Please help me, Aunt." Xu's mother quickly responded when she heard there was a way. Having lived in the county town for so many years, they were well aware of the Ye family's style of doing things. After such an embarrassing incident for the Ye family, they knew that the Xu family would not have a good outcome.
"Your family doesn't have only one daughter. Fortunately, the wedding is close, and the Ye family can't change the bride in time. Otherwise, just wait for revenge at home. You can't be foolish now." Steward Li looked at her meaningfully.
"But... but... my Jia'er is still young and I want to keep her for a couple more years." Xu's mother hesitated, saying truthfully that she really didn't want to inflict this marriage on her daughter, even though her daughter had complained to her many times in private, asking why such a good opportunity was left to Xu Hui, and she also wanted to be the Ye family's eldest daughter-in-law. Sudan Novel Network
Although Madam Xu was uneducated, she was not foolish. Who would give a thousand taels of silver directly when marrying a wife? It was clearly a trap.
"You are being foolish. No matter how good a daughter is, she will eventually marry into another family. You have to think about yourselves, your husband, and your son. With the wealth of the Ye family, your good days are yet to come. Moreover, she is going to be the Ye family's eldest daughter-in-law, a life of wealth and honor." Madam Li earnestly persuaded her.
She had watched this niece grow up, and she was a selfish person. She believed that in the end, she would understand.
As expected, the couple did not hesitate for long before reluctantly agreeing.
Steward Li was relieved to have accomplished this matter, having not disgraced her mission.
Everyone craned their necks waiting for the Ye mansion's next move. After all, without a bride, how could they get married? To their disappointment, the Ye mansion remained as usual, showing no signs of panic.
Wu Caiwei understood what was going on with a little thought. She wondered which unfortunate girl was about to enter the fiery pit. Based on the situation, it was most likely the Xu family's second daughter, Xu Jia.
After a brief inquiry about her reputation, she heard people say she was sharp-tongued, vain, and eager to climb the social ladder.
Wasn't the Ye family's wedding tailor-made for her? This put her at ease. She didn't have to implicate innocent people, and perhaps Xu Jia would even be quite happy.
She guessed correctly. Xu Jia was overjoyed when she heard that the marriage had been changed to her. Thinking of becoming the Ye family's eldest daughter-in-law and having a large number of servants at her beck and call, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
As for the news of the Ye family's young master falling ill, a humble family like the Xu family would not have heard of it. Even if they had heard of it, they probably wouldn't have cared. As long as they could enter the Ye family's doors, adopt a child later, and inherit the fortune, they would have turned their lives around.