Shocking! In this matriarchal society, every man wants to marry me!

Chapter 65 Chastity Arch

Xia Muning's voice was cold, and his face was ashen.

He despised irresponsible women like this, even though she was his sister. What pained him was that Xia Fang's elopement had actually cost her her life.

He didn't think Xia Fang was affectionate; he just thought she was stupid. Provoked by Song Jinshu, she actually did something as unfilial and disloyal as eloping, showing no respect for her parents. She was all affection but no brains!

Xia Qingshi spoke up. Her daughter was dead, and she seemed to have aged several years in an instant.

She looked at the corpses on the ground with heartache in her eyes, but when she saw their hands clasped together, she found it extremely offensive.

"Go and separate their hands. What kind of image is it to hold hands like that?"

Since the corpse had become cold and stiff, the two could not pull their hands apart, so the servant stepped forward and cut off Song Jinshu's hand.

Those were long, beautiful hands. Countless people had been captivated by those slender fingers, but now only a section remained in Xia Fang's hand.

"What should we do with Manager Song's body?" a servant asked.

"How can a man who elopes with a woman without a matchmaker or betrothal allow himself to enter my Xia family's ancestral grave! Fang'er's accident this time might be because of him. He should just roll her up with a curtain and throw her to the wolves in the back mountain!" Xia Qingshi's tone was chilling.

Ding Yucheng's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this.

Xia Qingshi turned to look at Ding Yucheng with affection. He was a good child, and he also had deep feelings for her child. It was her child who was unlucky and had let him down.

So her tone was quite gentle: "Yucheng, you are a good child. Fang'er... although she is dead, we will still treat you as our own child. The second branch's business is all handed over to you. Manage it well, and it will be a support for you in the future."

"Yes." Ding Yucheng looked at Xia Qingshi with emotion.

Three days later, it will be the day of Xia Fang's burial.

Although Xia Muning was injured, he still went to pay his respects.

The rain and snow outside had not yet melted. Ding Yucheng, dressed in thin, pure white mourning clothes, looked like a fallen flower ravaged by winter. He clung to the coffin, refusing to let go: "Let me see my wife one last time! Just one last look!"

Those watching from the sidelines were all deeply moved!

It was so moving that it brought tears to the eyes of anyone who heard it.

As the last handful of soil was laid on Xia Fang's coffin, Ding Yucheng also fainted from crying! Zhong Tian couldn't tell whether Ding Yucheng's feelings were genuine or not.

It wasn't until nightfall that Ding Yucheng slowly woke up. He took a sip of still-warm water to moisten his throat, since crying was really exhausting.

Liang Yun knocked on the door and came in, looking at Ding Yucheng, who was already awake in bed, without any surprise.

Ding Yucheng fainted five times in the past few days, three of which were faked. The prolonged wailing and crying was a huge test of his physical strength. He was the most important actor to keep the show going.

Liang Yun then sent over a set of white mourning clothes.

Xia Fang died, and Ding Yucheng, as her husband, naturally had to wear mourning clothes for three years.

Liang Yun, observing Ding Yucheng's expression, recounted something: "Master, Magistrate Yu heard that you were going to follow your wife in death. He was deeply moved by your loyalty and chastity, and greatly praised you, believing that you should be a role model for all men in Yangcheng. Therefore, he reported to the imperial court and requested a memorial arch for your chastity!"

"A chastity arch?"

Ding Yucheng got up and had Liang Yun help him put on mourning clothes. He said in a low voice, "Then I really feel unworthy of it."

If he were truly virtuous and kind, then he should have obediently been sold to a brothel by Nakata, becoming the sustenance for Nakata's eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring.

If he were truly virtuous and kind, then he should have been bullied to the point of being reduced from husband to servant, suffering endless humiliation and ridicule from Song Jinshu.

In fact, he knew about Song Jinshu's pregnancy a long time ago. In the year since he entered the mansion, he has already made most of the people in the second branch of the Xia family his confidants, especially those around Xia Fang, whom he has put a lot of effort into winning over.

Therefore, he knew everything about Xia Fang and Song Jinshu's affair.

Song Jinshu was unwilling to enter the Xia household to serve her husband; it was all Xia Fang's wishful thinking.

Xia Fang wanted both a gentle and capable husband to manage the household affairs and a charming and passionate mistress to satisfy her romantic desires.

But neither of them were pushovers he could easily manipulate.

However, Ding Yucheng remained calm and held back for the time being!

Song Jinshu gave Xia Fang two choices: one was to give Ding Yucheng a letter of divorce and break up with him; the other was that if Ding Yucheng was willing to become a concubine, he would not be unable to tolerate him.

The second option was that he sold the Hongsu Shou Winery, took the money, and they went to live in another place, opened a shop, and as long as they were diligent and had skills, they could make a living.

Xia Fang hesitated, torn between two options.

The balance between the two was only subtly disrupted when the doctor diagnosed Song Jinshu's pregnancy.

The Xia family had few heirs, and Ding Yucheng had been infertile for a long time. The appearance of this child gave Xia Fang a different idea, and she prepared to immediately send someone to inform her mother.

However, Ding Yucheng, who already knew the news, stopped him.

Ding Yucheng stood before him, without mincing words, and asked directly, "My lady, do you intend to inform my mother that Song Jinshu is pregnant? Do you want to divorce me?"

Xia Fang remained silent, her gaze towards Ding Yucheng somewhat evasive.

Silence means consent!

Ding Yucheng asked her with trembling eyes, "What about our more than a year of marital affection? I haven't done anything wrong since I married into the Xia family. How am I supposed to face you after doing this?"

He even disregarded the servants coming and going, abandoned his dignity, knelt on the ground, and pleaded with her, "My lady, my lady, I beg you not to be so cruel! Please spare my life."

Xia Fang shook him off, her eyes filled with guilt: "I'm sorry, Jinshu is pregnant! I promised him."

After saying that, he left without paying attention to Ding Yucheng's crying.

Ding Yucheng watched Xia Fang leave, then slowly stood up from the ground. The sticky rain and snow clung to his body, making him feel uncomfortable.

Ding Yucheng felt that his life was like these clothes stained with wind and snow, forever dirty, and forever unable to stand in front of others in a bright and beautiful way.

He felt somewhat desperate.

But fate was not too cruel to him. That night, Xia Fang did not see her mother. Her mother was out meeting with friends and was not at home. She had no face to see Ding Yucheng, so she went to find Song Jinshu instead.

However, the next day, Song Jinshu's food was laced with a mild abortifacient, but fortunately it was discovered in time and did not cause any serious harm.

Misfortune followed one after another.

When Song Jinshu went out, flowerpots and pebbles would fall from the sky, specifically targeting his head; when he sold wine, drunkards would cause trouble, deliberately bumping into his stomach.

Xia Fang sensed that this matter was very strange, so she returned to the Xia residence.

Then they heard someone whispering in the corner: "Master Xia dislikes the child in Manager Song's belly and wants us to get rid of him. But the child is innocent, and I have been holding back. How can I bear to do that?"

Xia Fang returned to the Red Hand Wine Shop with a pale face.

Still shaken, he gripped Song Jinshu's hand: "Jinshu, let's elope. We'll come back after the baby is born."