Chapter 1 — Two Lives Reclaimed Cui Gia

Chu Hoai An's wife and I fought each other all our lives. Until Chu Hoai An's childhood sweetheart returned, rarely did the two of us make the same choice. At that time, Chu Hoai An called all three of us over. On the surface it's a discussion, but in reality it's just an announcement. "Uyen Nhi was kidnapped by human traffickers when she was young. She had to wander everywhere and endure many hardships. I intend to give her a name." “But she said she doesn't like fighting in the backyard.” "So, you two should discuss it among yourselves. Either you will be demoted to concubine status and then transferred to the private hospital, or..." Manh Nhuoc Lam and I both had a cold look in our eyes and said in unison: "We separate." But life after separation is not easy. Lam Ngoc Uyen was jealous because we had enjoyed many years of happiness, so he took advantage of the power of the Zhou residence to block my and Manh Nhuoc Lam's way of life. The world is so vast, but the two of us have nowhere to live. After that, Manh Nhuoc Lam was noticed by a dog official with a special hobby, taken to the palace and tortured to death. When I collected her body and took care of her funeral, I encountered bandits who wanted to humiliate me. In pain, I bit my tongue and committed suicide. When we opened our eyes again, we were both returned to the day Chu Hoai An made us choose. Manh Nhuoc Lam said first: "I am a peaceful wife, I am not a concubine, and I will not leave." I calmly nodded: "I am the main wife, there is no reason to give up my seat to someone else..." ... When Chu Hoai An heard that, he immediately became angry. “Cui Can Ninh, Manh Nhuoc Lam, I haven't finished speaking yet!” "You girls only have two paths to choose from. Either you'll be reduced to being a concubine and then move on, or you'll get separated." In my previous life, Manh Nhuoc Lam and I chose to separate without hesitation because of our unwillingness to bow our heads. We both think the same. We have arms and legs, and wherever we go, we won't starve to death. But in the end, we still underestimate the cruelty of Lam Ngoc Uyen and the power of the Chu family, and then receive a tragic end. The pain and humiliation of being humiliated by bandits seems to still happen yesterday. It's so clear that it's etched deep into my bones. I couldn't help but shiver, but my determination in this life became even stronger. "The law stipulates that regardless of whether you are reduced to concubine or divorce, it must be the woman who commits the mistake first." “But I, Cui Jinning, have been married to the Chu family for four years and have never done anything wrong.” “What reason does the husband have for demoting or retiring me?” The days of relying on each other and overcoming hardships together in our previous lives have made Manh Nhuoc Lam and I eliminate our enmity. Now, she finally stopped confronting me like before, but spoke up: "That's right. Even though I am an ordinary wife, it was the husband who used the ceremony reserved for the main wife to welcome me into the door." “If there is no legitimate reason, my husband cannot touch me.” This is the first time the two of us have fought together against Zhou Huai'an. In the past, no matter how Manh Nhuoc Lam and I fought with each other, when facing Chu Hoai An, we were all obedient and understanding. Not only because the wife must obey her husband, but also because we both remember Chu Hoai An's kindness. He and I were neighbors. But when I was sixteen years old, my house was looted by bandits. The government is so vast that only I am left to survive. I was so desperate that I wanted to follow my relatives. It was Chu Hoai An who saved me, telling me to marry him so he could take care of me for the rest of my life. I was moved so I agreed. As for Manh Nhuoc Lam, he entered the palace two years after me. Having said that, she is also a pitiful person. There was a flood in her hometown and the whole family died. She wandered alone to Vinh Ninh. When she was almost starving to death, Chu Hoai An saved her. She pitifully begged, finally making Chu Hoai An soften his heart and marry her as his wife. After all, Chu Hoai An is a benefactor, and the one who saved us both. That's why the two of us always listen to everything he says. Now, both of their personalities suddenly changed as if they were possessed by someone else, of course

n Chu Hoai An could not adapt. But he understands very well that what we say makes sense, so he has to think hard to find a suitable reason. “You two have truly never done anything wrong to me or the Chu family.” “But everyone knows that the two of them are always trying to harm each other.” “If I used the crime of jealousy to demote you two to concubines or separate, surely no one would say anything, right?” I innocently looked at Manh Nhuoc Lam: "Have I ever harmed you?" Manh Nhuoc Lam without hesitation shook his head: "Never." “I have never harmed you, have I?” I seriously replied: "Never." Chu Hoai An was immediately so angry that he almost jumped up. “You two can't be so unreasonable in lying, okay?!” "All over the government, who doesn't know that the two of them once killed each other's unborn child!" What Chu Hoai An said is true. A year and a half ago, Manh Nhuoc Lam was jealous that I had developed the drug first, so he mixed the drug that destroyed the blood into my sedative incense. After learning the truth, I couldn't swallow my anger, so on the day she was diagnosed with luck, I forced her to drink two bowls of roses. Chu Hoai An is a person who values face. Because he didn't want to be laughed at by others, he pushed this matter down and did not allow anyone to mention it. Now, for Lam Ngoc Uyen, he is willing to throw away the face that he values most. But it's okay. He can be without face, so can I. "Husband misunderstood. Nhuoc Lam's younger sister never used the medicine to abort my uterus. It was because I fell down carelessly that I had a miscarriage." Manh Nhuoc Lam quickly nodded: "That's right. Sister Can Ninh has never forced me to drink roses. It's because I accidentally ate something by mistake, causing you to be misunderstood by others." "You... you..." Chu Hoai An was so angry that his face turned red. But it's been so long that the evidence is gone. He stammered for a long time but still couldn't say anything. Lam Ngoc Uyen, who had always been silent, saw this and immediately turned red, showing an innocent and weak look. “Brother Hoai An, don't be embarrassed because of me.” "If the sisters don't welcome you, it's okay for you to leave..." Chu Hoai An was naturally soft-hearted, not to mention the other person was still his childhood sweetheart who had been lost for many years. He immediately panicked and clumsily pulled his sleeve to wipe Lam Ngoc Uyen's tears. She also comforted her mouth: "Uyen Nhi, don't misunderstand." “The two of them just don't want to leave me, not that they don't welcome me.” I hastily explained: "Husband, Miss Lam did not misunderstand." “I really don't welcome her.” Chu Hoai An's spine stiffened, the awkward look on his face could not be hidden. He frowned, raised his voice and said: "Can Ninh, you have always been the most understanding. Why do we have to target Uyen Nhi today?!" Even though I clearly knew Chu Hoai An's intentions, when I heard these words, I still couldn't help but feel bitter. That's right. I am the one who understands the most. But understanding that is not something you are born with. Only because I was grateful to Chu Hoai An for not leaving me did I force myself to grow up overnight. After getting married, I devoted all my heart and soul to the Chu family. Chu Hoai An did not want to be a merchant but wanted to be a mandarin, so I immediately took the lead in saving all expenses, preparing enough gold and silver to help him manage his relationships. When he first took office, I was busy all alone, taking care of the public's funeral and taking care of my seriously ill and bedridden grandmother. I did not want to share a husband with someone else, but because I did not want Chu Hoai An to be embarrassed and break his promise, I still suppressed all dissatisfaction and agreed to let Manh Nhuoc Lam enter the palace. I thought that if I just understood things a little better, he would remember the good things about me. But unexpectedly, no matter how much we understand the situation, in the end it still cannot compare to a word on Lam Ngoc Uyen's pillow. If that's the case, why do we need to continue understanding? I shrugged innocently: "Husband misunderstood again. I wasn't aiming at her." "If you change to someone else, I won't welcome you either." Seeing that Chu Hoai An couldn't talk to me, he instinctively turned to look at Manh Nhuoc Lam. Seems like

But he wants to find a breakthrough from her side. Manh Nhuoc Lam waved his fan, still maintaining the same arrogant and arrogant appearance as before. "Husband, you don't need to ask too much, I can answer directly." "I'm not like sister Can Ninh. I'm targeting Lam Ngoc Uyen." "I just don't welcome her." Chu Hoai An was so angry that his whole body trembled. He gritted his teeth and pointed at the two of us, angrily saying: "Obviously you two have discussed it before!" "Don't think that if you don't agree then I will have no choice." "Even though the main wife can only have one person, the average wife can have many!" “Tomorrow, I will marry Uyen Nhi into the door!” “I want to see who dares to stop me!” Manh Nhuoc Lam looked at me. I understand what she means. As an ordinary wife, she has no right to interfere with her husband's decisions. But we are different. I am the official wife whose name was recorded by the government! I smiled and made a natural gesture to invite him. “I will not stop my husband.” “But the law stipulates that without the consent of the government, even if she is brought into the palace, she can only be a concubine.” “If the husband is willing to let Miss Lam be his concubine, I have no objections.” As soon as the law was mentioned, Chu Hoai An's momentum immediately decreased by half. After all, everyone knows that the current Saint is a person who takes the law extremely seriously. Don't say Chu Hoai An, even princes and princesses who break the law will still be killed. He was completely at a loss and sullenly asked me: "Can Ninh, if I promise not to mention the matter of concubine status and separation anymore, can you agree to let Uyen Nhi marry you as a concubine?" I calmly smiled: "As long as I don't agree, even if my husband mentions being a concubine or separating, it's useless." “Using this as a condition of exchange is really without any sincerity.” Chu Hoai An's eyes were filled with anger, but for Lam Ngoc Uyen, he still chose to swallow this anger. "Okay, then you give me the conditions. As long as you can let Uyen Nhi in the door, I agree to anything!" 2 We still cannot avoid feeling bitter in our hearts. Lam Ngoc Uyen was kidnapped when she was a child. Chu Hoai An seemed to have gone crazy, searching for her for ten years. Ten years later, he finally accepted the truth and let himself go. Since then, he hid Lam Ngoc Uyen in the deepest part of his heart, never mentioning it in front of others. But I'm his neighbor. I have seen his haggard and worried appearance because of Lam Ngoc Uyen. So, when he asked me to marry him, I unconsciously asked: "You already have someone else in your heart, how can I marry you?" But he said: "You misunderstood. I only see Uyen Nhi as a younger sister." "The younger sister is missing, of course the elder brother must be worried." When he said this, his eyes were steady and sincere. I immediately believed. After four years of being married, he really treated me very well. Whenever there is a conflict, no matter who is right or wrong, he is always the first to apologize.