Chapter 1963: Betrothal Agreement

Chapter 1963: Betrothal Agreement

Not long after, Gan Rui began to feel unwell and rushed to the restroom.

At the tender age of eight, his stomach was quite delicate. Once he entered the restroom, things spiraled out of control as he experienced both vomiting and diarrhea, leaving his face pale as a sheet.

Gan Rui's young servant was terrified and hurriedly sought a doctor's help. After the doctor prescribed medicine and Gan Rui took it before resting, he felt utterly drained.

His condition deteriorated into a severe illness, forcing him to spend most of the month bedridden before recovering.

Both Gan's father and eldest brother were furious, and Liao Shi, who managed the household, blamed herself. Naturally, they wanted to investigate the matter thoroughly.

The woman involved had employed rather amateurish methods and had no allies, making it easy to find numerous flaws in her scheme. The investigation quickly revealed the laxatives she had used.

When Liao Shi realized that the woman had initially targeted her son, she was overcome with terror, realizing how close her son had come to losing his life. At such a young age, he had nearly been killed by that bowl of food. If he had eaten it, would he still be alive?

Upon hearing this, Shu Yu mused, "So, Liao Shi treats Gan Rui so well because he saved her son from a disaster back then?"

Jiang Fengshou nodded, "Indeed, Master Gan essentially saved that young child's life."

Following the incident, the woman responsible for the poisoning was reported to the authorities and eventually sold off. Furthermore, eldest Master Gan, through his investigation, uncovered another person who had exacerbated the situation and provided misleading information.

Gan Rui, however, was left deeply scarred by the traumatic experience. The pain he had endured as an eight-year-old, with his life hanging by a thread, had left an indelible mark on him, causing him to distance himself from concubines entirely.

When Gan Rui came of age, Liao Shi tried to arrange a concubine for him, but he flatly refused. He was terrified, the Gan family didn't force him.

"All right, if you don't want one, then you don't need one. Let's find you a wife instead."

When Gan Rui turned fifteen, his family arranged a marriage for him.

Shu Yu was surprised. "Gan Rui is engaged?"

"Although he was engaged, the girl had already passed away," Jiang Fengshou explained. "At the time, Gan Rui was just fifteen years old, and the Gan family's intention was to let him marry after he passed the provincial examination."

Initially, the Gan family believed that Gan Rui might have to wait a couple of years. However, to their astonishment, he passed the preliminary examination last year, at the age of sixteen. Even though he ranked last, achieving the title of xiucai at such a young age was a remarkable feat.

Yet, on the very day of his final examination, the girl he had been betrothed to fell ill with a high fever caused by a cold and passed away.

The girl's family was devastated. They had expected her to enjoy a life of comfort after marrying someone who had already achieved academic success. However, their daughter passed away at such a young age.

Gan's family had cause for celebration, but the girl's family faced bereavement. Her mother, who had been deeply affected, couldn't accept her daughter's fate and claimed that Gan Rui was responsible for her death.

This development greatly infuriated Gan Rui's elder brother and his wife. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion turned into a somber one. Who could have anticipated such a bizarre turn of events?

Subsequently, the girl's family became embroiled in a legal case last year, which resulted in the confiscation of their property, and they were forced to return to their hometown.

Gan's family couldn't help but feel relieved about the whole situation.

After this incident, they became even more cautious about arranging a marriage for Gan Rui.