Chapter 1349 - 27: Establishing Authority

Chapter 1349: Chapter 27: Establishing Authority

Shen Junshan handed the cactus to Yun Chu without saying a word and directly jumped out of the window.

He was afraid that if he spoke, he wouldn’t be able to leave.

Watching him walk away, and the open window, Yun Chu looked at the cactus in her hand, her expression a bit dazed.

"Was it Second Young Master Shen who just came?" Yun Chu asked Cai Die.

Cai Die was equally shocked.

She knew the second young master of the Jibei Marquis Mansion was unique, but not unique to the point of giving a girl a cactus.

Cai Die looked at the cactus; she couldn’t deny that the cactus seemed very dangerous.

The girl was holding it, her heart trembled, fearing that the girl might accidentally hurt herself.

Second Young Master Shen had feelings for the girl, she could see that. It’s unlikely he would give her something so dangerous unless it was beneficial.

Cai Die looked at Yun Chu and said, "Could it be for the girl to use for self-defense?"

"If the Young Master and Eldest Young Madam bully the girl, would she just smash them with a cactus?"

Yun Chu, "...."

Yun Chu’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Is that possible?

It’s not likely that Big Brother and Sister-in-law would come to her room to bully her.

In order to prevent being bullied by them, she’d have to carry the cactus everywhere.

If she really did that, the news of her, the legitimate daughter of Uncle Wen Yuan Mansion, going crazy would spread across the Capital City.

Yun Chu was amused and exasperated.

She sat on the small couch, still holding the cactus.

Her hand lightly touched the thorns, causing her to wince from the pain.

She pondered back and forth, trying to understand Shen Junshan’s intention in giving her the cactus; probably, perhaps, it was because cacti are easy to care for?

After all, it was the first time he’d given her flowers, if a cactus could be considered a flower...

He definitely hoped the flowers he gave would bloom longer.

Honestly, not many flowers can outlast a cactus.

Mrs. Jiang entered the room and saw Yun Chu staring blankly at the cactus, she said, "Where did the cactus come from, it’s so close, be careful not to hurt the girl."

Cai Die walked over and whispered, "It was given to the girl by Second Young Master of Jibei Marquis Mansion."

Mrs. Jiang, "...."

"Mom, what do you think Second Young Master Shen’s intention is?" Cai Die asked.

Her mom always said she had eaten more salt than Cai Die had eaten rice.

She couldn’t figure it out, maybe her mom knew.

Mrs. Jiang said wistfully, "Maybe he thinks the girl is like a cactus, prickly and hard to get close to."

Yun Chu’s hand paused while touching the cactus.

The faint sting in her fingertips spread from her limbs to her heart.

Isn’t she just like a cactus?

She speaks nicely to everyone but is prickly towards him, her savior from Uncle Wen Yuan Mansion, keeping him at a distance.

He must be angry, otherwise he wouldn’t have given her a cactus.

Shen Junshan gave a cactus, and Yun Chu was depressed for three days until Yan Ning invited her to Jibei Marquis Mansion, and Yun Chu’s gloomy mood improved.

Because Yan Ning also had a cactus.

This cactus was given by the Third Prince.

After hearing this, Cai Die said, "Are we too ignorant, is giving cacti popular in the Capital City?"

Yan Ning covered her mouth and giggled, "No such thing."

Yun Chu looked at her and asked, "What’s going on?"

Only then did Yan Ning talk about the cactus the Third Prince gave her.

After Shen Junshan left, the Third Prince invited Yan Ning to meet up. Feeling embarrassed empty-handed, he wanted to give Yan Ning something valuable, but she refused to accept it, so he could only give flowers, the idea of which came from Little Fu and the others.

It was just that the flowers hadn’t been delivered yet when he found out Shen Junshan was giving a girl a cactus.

After all, they were all inexperienced in pleasing girls, so they followed suit.

This cactus was the best one in the Imperial Garden, which Little Fu secretly dug up with a little eunuch in the evening, planted it in the finest porcelain pot, not mentioning the stings, it was painful.

The next day, the Third Prince delivered the cactus to Yan Ning.

Yan Ning was so shocked she didn’t know what to say.

The Third Prince saw her expression was neither pleasantly surprised nor angry, but bewildered, and he asked, "Don’t you like it?"

Should she like it?

Yan Ning looked at him, puzzled, "Why did you think of giving me a cactus?"

"Your second cousin said that giving flowers is too cliché, so I saw him pick a pot of cactus, thinking you’d like it," the Third Prince said awkwardly.

It was obvious that Yan Ning didn’t really like cacti.

Yan Ning looked at the cactus with a dark expression.

Evidently, the Third Prince was tricked by her second cousin.

However, since the second cousin didn’t prevent her from liking the Third Prince, he wouldn’t fool him into giving her a cactus.

Yan Ning felt something was off, so she asked a few more questions.

Ultimately, she laughed and said, "My cousin was just embarrassed, that’s why he picked the cactus."

"I knew it," the Third Prince said.

Then he smacked Little Fu on the forehead with a folded fan.

"He insisted on giving the cactus, thinking it would suit her taste."

That was the story behind it all. Yan Ning looked at Yun Chu, "Did your second cousin really give you the cactus?"

If Shen Junshan were here, Yun Chu would almost want to throw the cactus in his face.

Giving a cactus is one thing, but not explaining it left her confused for days!

It turns out he was just too shy and couldn’t face it, so he chose the cactus.

Yun Chu cursed Shen Junshan in her heart a few times, while Shen Junshan galloped toward Liangzhou, sneezing repeatedly on horseback.

After spending half a day with Yan Ning in the Jibei Marquis Mansion and having lunch, she returned to the Wenyuan Bo Mansion.

Yun Chu disliked the cactus and decided to plant it in the yard. However, just as she was about to leave with the cactus, the Eldest Young Madam An entered with the embroideress.

Yun Chu sensed bad news immediately, and indeed, the embroideress was here to take her measurements.

Yun Chu refused to let the embroideress measure her, saying, "I have plenty of clothes. I can’t wear them all, so there’s no need for new ones."

The Eldest Young Madam An didn’t beat around the bush and said, "Whether we make these clothes is irrelevant; a daughter’s wedding gown is indispensable."

"You should have embroidered the wedding gown yourself, but time is tight, so the embroideress will have to do it for you."

Yun Chu’s face changed, her voice rising several octaves, "Wedding gown?!"

The Eldest Young Madam An said, "Your marriage has been arranged, and you’ll be wed on the eighteenth of next month. We need to hurry with the gown."

Yun Chu’s heart sank to the bottom.

The embroideress stepped forward, but Cai Die pushed her away, and Yun Chu started to leave.

She wanted to question Young Master An; he had agreed so well just days ago, and now that Second Young Master Shen had left, he arranged her marriage?

No!

The wedding date was already set!

When Yun Chu tried to leave, the Eldest Young Madam An thought she was trying to escape and ordered the maids to stop her.

Yun Chu refused to let anyone block her way, causing a commotion in the room.

In a fit of anger, Yun Chu criticized the Eldest Young Madam An.

With authority, the Eldest Young Madam An was angry herself. She was anxious to marry Yun Chu off because in the Uncle’s Mansion, Yun Chu had more prestige than her.

Yun Chu was the legitimate daughter, deeply loved by the Old Master and Madam, incomparable to a concubine’s wife like her.

The staff at Wenyuan Bo Mansion mostly remained from before, inherently more loyal to Yun Chu. Even though the Eldest Young Madam An was the mistress, few truly cared about her.

The Eldest Young Madam An was quite crafty and decided marrying Yun Chu off was the best way to stabilize things.

They may support Yun Chu, but she must marry, and once married, it would be hard for her to return. The servants can’t all go with her. Those who don’t respect her now would suffer later when they fall under her control.

She quickly established control over the Uncle’s Mansion, dealing with a few key people. Now the whole Wenyuan Bo Mansion was under her thumb.

Stepping over Yun Chu was the best way for the Eldest Young Madam An to assert her authority!

All these years, the Eldest Young Madam An disliked Yun Chu but dared not act against her. Now that Old Wen Yuan Bo and Madam have passed away, and with Shen Junshan gone, Yun Chu was like fish on a chopping board, to be flattened and shaped at her will.

The Eldest Young Madam An raised her hand, striking toward Yun Chu’s face.

Yun Chu instinctively lifted her hand.

Hmm.

The Eldest Young Madam An’s slap landed upon the cactus.

That scream...

In an instant, the entire Wenyuan Bo Mansion scattered like birds and beasts.

The Eldest Young Madam An had used all her strength, causing the large cactus to tilt.

Her palm was full of needles; she was in pain and her eyes rolled back, carried away by the maids.

Yun Chu sat on the Arhat Couch hugging the cactus, crying.

Her fists clenched tightly.

Mrs. Jiang felt sorry for her and the cactus.

No one knew if there was still a chance to reverse the young lady’s marriage or if the cactus would survive.