Chapter 2435: Extra - Fake Marriage (Patreon)
Content
Chapter 2435: Extra - Fake Marriage
Tang's mother was extremely anxious. First, Tang Wen Qian refused to get married, and now that he was married, there were no children. She couldn't accept this.
Feeling desperate, she had secretly approached Zhao Xi, who was known for his medical skills when Meng Han got married last year. She begged him to examine Tang Wenqian's wife.
At that time, Zhao Xi was baffled by the request. Tang Wenqian hadn't expected his mother to secretly approach them, and he was both surprised and angered.
However, he decided to be honest with Zhao Xi, revealing that he and his wife were not actually a real couple.
Their marriage was a convenience for him to deal with his mother's demands. His wife, Jiang Shi, needed his protection.
Their marriage was purely contractual, and when the opportunity arose, they would separate.
Zhao Xi was impressed by this situation. He couldn't believe that there were such elaborate arrangements even for fake marriages.
Since Tang Wenqian had been honest with him, Zhao Xi gave the "married couple" a cursory examination and then informed Tang 's mother that both of them were physically healthy, with no issues.
As for their inability to conceive, it was probably a matter of fate not yet aligning.
Tang Wenqian's mother had great trust in Zhao Xi's medical skills, so after hearing that both of them were healthy, she breathed a sigh of relief. However, her concern had shifted to the uncertainty of when they might have a child.
So, after attending Meng Han's wedding and returning to Dong'an Prefecture, Tang Wenqian's mother came up with a new idea.
She thought, if her son's marriage wasn't working out, what about other women? Now that her son was a county magistrate, having a concubine shouldn't be an issue. His wife, Jiang Shi, was an orphan and didn't have the status or confidence to object.
Indeed, Jiang Shi had stayed out of this matter.
But Tang Wenqian was furious and unwilling to accept his mother's "good intentions."
A major argument broke out between mother and son, and neither side was willing to back down.
Shortly afterward, Tang Wenqian resigned from his official position.
When Tang Wenqian's mother learned of this, she nearly fainted. She thought her son was doing this on purpose to blame her for meddling in his affairs regarding taking a concubine to have children.
Even though Tang Wenqian explained that this decision had been made years ago, Tang Wenqian's mother didn't believe it. She promised not to interfere in his affairs anymore, begging him not to resign from his position. As long as he continued as the county magistrate, she would stay out of his life.
However, when Tang Wenqian made up his mind, he was not one to easily change his decision.
In her desperation, Tang Wenqian's mother even threatened to take her own life. It was Tang Wenqian's father, who had remained silent, that scolded her and told her that the resignation letter had already been submitted. It was a done deal, and even if Tang Wenqian's mother died, the letter couldn't be retrieved.
If Tang Wenqian changed his mind, it would be a crime against the state. The entire family would be at risk, and she should stop making trouble.
Tang Wenqian's mother was left feeling lost and couldn't cry. She fell seriously ill shortly afterward.
Afterward, Tang Wenqian's father and Tang Wenqian had a deep conversation throughout the night. Tang Wenqian's father finally understood Tang Wenqian's intentions. He was an uneducated man who had worked in the fields his whole life and always followed his wife's orders. He had no knowledge, but he understood that Tang Wenqian's decision to retake the imperial examination was for his own good.
In the end, Tang Wenqian waited until a new county official took office and then went to study at the Emperial Academy. He had never intended to leave his parents behind and thought of bringing them to the capital.
Over these years, he had saved up some money and, combined with the reward money he received for his previous achievements, had also purchased two shops in his parents' names.