The next day, Mrs. Ning from Mrs. Hong’s residence personally took two daughters-in-law to the Shi family to discuss the matter. Mrs. Wang, upon hearing that someone from the governor’s residence had come, assumed it was about an invitation to a banquet, and did not make much of it, ordering the visitors to be let in. Little did she know that after Mrs. Ning paid her respects and exchanged pleasantries, she brought up Shi Lian’s marriage proposal, catching Mrs. Wang off guard. "This, why on earth did Mrs. Hong suddenly bring up this matter!" Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but chuckle. She didn’t think Mrs. Hong’s suggestion of Shi Lian becoming a concubine was demeaning to Shi Lian; after all, the Hongs were a family of officials, and Shi Lian, a concubine daughter, couldn’t possibly aspire to become the lawful wife of the heir. To enter the family as an honored concubine was already quite a privilege for Shi Lian. "It’s all destiny!" Mrs. Ning smiled and said, "Did Madame possibly take the young ladies and the grandmothers to Meihua Temple a few days ago? Our young master happened to pass by that day, saw the plum blossoms behind the hill and went up for a look. From a distance in the plum forest, he caught a glimpse of your esteemed daughter, and ever since then, he has been smitten, unable to stop thinking about her and imploring our lady to send this servant to speak on his behalf! Rest assured, our lady is very kind, and our second young master has not married yet. Your daughter will become an honored concubine once she’s married, which is just like being an official young mistress! She certainly won’t be aggrieved!" Mrs. Ning’s face was full of smiles, having carefully rehearsed these words with Mrs. Hong beforehand, making her speech exceedingly smooth. She fully expected that after these words, Mrs. Wang would readily agree, but she saw Mrs. Wang’s expression stiffen ever so slightly. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveIＦire.net "At Meihua Temple... Young Master Hong has seen our third girl?" Mrs. Wang asked with a forced smile. "Indeed!" Mrs. Ning exclaimed with a smile, "This is what they call destiny! Hehe, ’fate brings people together no matter how far apart they may be’—that saying fits this situation perfectly!" Mrs. Hong and Mrs. Ning had no idea that Shi Fengju and Sang Wan had kept this matter a secret from Mrs. Wang, who knew nothing about it. They thought that by saying so, they were expressing the Hong family’s willingness to take responsibility, which would surely make Mrs. Wang breathe a sigh of relief and be even more satisfied with them. Little did they know they had actually given Mrs. Wang quite a shock! Mrs. Wang was shocked and angered, thinking to herself that the wretched girl was truly incorrigible, always courting trouble! Usually, she didn’t seem interested in wandering around when at home; why had she gone wild once outside? What business did she have in that plum forest? And now she had even attracted the attention of the young master from the Hong family. Although they had merely glanced at each other from afar, if word got out, who knew how it might be twisted? It could even be rumoured to be an intimate exchange! Such a scandal would disgrace the family! At this moment, Mrs. Wang wanted to call Shi Lian over and interrogate her thoroughly, hardly in the mood for any other business. Smiling, she made an excuse: "You and your lady have been very considerate! I don’t know if our third girl is fortunate enough for such a match. How about this, I’ll give a response to your lady in a few days, how does that sound?" "Marriage is a serious matter that deserves careful consideration!" Despite feeling quite disappointed, Mrs. Ning obligingly smiled and responded: "Then, how about this, this old servant will return in three days to hear Madame’s definitive answer, would that be acceptable?" "All right! We can talk again in three days!" Mrs. Wang nodded with a smile and ordered the servants to see the visitors out. No sooner had Mrs. Ning left than Mrs. Wang’s expression turned grim, and she ordered someone to fetch Shi Lian. Shi Lian, having been frightened in the plum forest, grew more fearful the more she thought about it, feeling uneasy like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow; upon hearing Xiuchun say that her mother wanted to see her, her face went pale! "I will change my clothes and be there shortly, sister Xiuchun, you go ahead and report to mother!" Shi Lian hurriedly said with a smile. "Then I shall leave first; do hurry up, Third Miss!" Xiuchun smiled and took her leave. Shi Lian tightly gripped Cai Yun’s hand and instructed her: "Quickly find someone trustworthy to inform my sister-in-law, tell her my mother has summoned me, be quick!" Cai Yun, equally anxious, rejoiced at the request and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, Miss, you change your clothes first; I shall send someone immediately, and sister-in-law is sure to help you!" The maid and her mistress hurriedly got ready, calmed their nerves, and composedly made their way to Mrs. Wang’s location. Mrs. Wang was waiting in the warm pavilion; upon Shi Lian’s arrival, Xiuchun directly escorted her in and then stood guard by the door. Inside, only Mrs. Jiang was in attendance. "Shameless creature, kneel down!" Mrs. Wang hissed through clenched teeth. "Mother!" Shi Lian’s knees buckled, and she knelt before Mrs. Wang, her eyes brimming with tears, "Daughter doesn’t know what she did wrong to make mother so angry, I have been unfilial, please articulate my faults!" "You still have the nerve to ask me!" Mrs. Wang scoffed coldly, "Keep pretending, let’s see how long you can keep it up! What exactly happened in the plum forest behind Meihua Temple that day?"