Chapter 66 She Is My Woman

Hua Qinci’s eyes shimmered with cold light as she clenched her back teeth tightly. She picked up her bundle and brushed off the dust.

This was just as well. She had always wanted to leave, and now she could do so openly, without hiding.

Hua Qinci was about to depart when Qin Youtian, who had been silently observing the scene, stepped forward to stop her.

“No! Absolutely not!”

He swiftly moved to Hua Qinci’s side and pulled her behind him.

His intervention greatly irritated Hua Qinci. She tried to yank her hand free, but Qin Youtian only tightened his grip, clutching her wrist so fiercely it turned red and throbbed with pain.

“Mother, she’s a young woman—how can you let her go off alone? It’s dangerous out here, in the wilderness! What if she encounters criminals or wild beasts? Besides, no matter what, she is now my wife. If you drive her away like this, what will it do to your son’s reputation?” Qin Youtian stood firm, refusing to let her leave.

“Youtian, it’s fifty thousand taels of silver! Even if we sold our entire family, we wouldn’t be worth that much!” Qin Mingyue, seeing her son’s unwavering determination to keep Hua Qinci, burst into tears.

Qin Youtian had heard the visitors say the amount earlier; when they mentioned fifty thousand taels, he nearly lost his temper. “Mother, listen to me. We cannot betray Qinci for silver. If word gets out, how can your son ever hold his head high again?”

Fifty thousand taels was certainly a thorny problem, but he could not, in good conscience, use a woman to pay off a debt.

Qin Mingyue was beside herself with anger. When pleading did not work, she turned aggressive, slamming her palm onto the table.

With a loud bang, the kitchen knife on the table vibrated and dust quivered in the air.

Her eyes burned dark red as she gritted her teeth. “But it’s fifty thousand taels! Son, have you lost your mind? With what will we repay them? I say we should take the initiative and send her to Master Qian’s house ourselves. Better that than losing everything.”

Qin Mingyue was furious with her son’s stubbornness. In all these years, Qin Youtian had never defied her, but now he was adamant, unyielding, and impossible to persuade. She could not understand what method Hua Qinci had used in such a short time to win over her darling son so effortlessly.

“Absolutely not, Mother! Please don’t force me. I will find a way to solve the issue of the silver,” Qin Youtian declared. He could never commit such a heartless act. Hua Qinci was now his wife, his woman. Even if she were just an ordinary person, he could not bring himself to do something so cruel and immoral.

“Qin Youtian, are you determined to go against your mother? Do you think I don’t know your worth? I struggled to give birth to you, raised you with hardship, and for my illness, you searched for doctors far and wide. Until today, what do we have? What don’t we have? You think I don’t know? Just listen to your mother this once, will you? For yourself, and for me. At most, I’ll agree to let you marry that woman, Liu Bingbing, all right?”

Qin Mingyue was so angry she’d lost all reason. All she wanted now was to get rid of the troublesome Hua Qinci—she was willing to do anything to achieve that.

Qin Youtian was her beloved son; in this lifetime, she would never give him up for anyone. Even the man she once loved, she had abandoned for her son; how much less would she care for a girl she neither liked nor understood.

Faced with two choices, she chose her son without hesitation.

“No, Mother! Qinci is a kind-hearted girl. Her father has passed away, she’s all alone, and now she’s married into the Qin family. If we don’t care for her, who will? Besides, she’s my wife. How could I ever commit such a shameful, heartless act?” Qin Youtian’s temper flared as well.