[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-doted-by-the-regent-king":3,"chapter-doted-by-the-regent-king-doted-by-the-regent-king-chapter-444":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Doted By The Regent King",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1324985,1760,"Chapter 444 - 444 444 Don't Follow the Step Mother's Path","doted-by-the-regent-king-chapter-444",444,"\u003Cp>444: Chapter 444 Don’t Follow the Step Mother’s Path 444: Chapter 444 Don’t Follow the Step Mother’s Path Wufu agreed with Ah Jiu’s thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she didn’t acknowledge them, life would definitely be more comfortable than if she did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it was just the two of them now—mother and daughter—running their own household and making their own decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to acknowledge a father meant deferring to others without the backing of a prominent family—something likely to put them in a lower position because of being concubine-born or born out of wedlock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where would their freedom be then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being seen as inferior meant being under someone else’s thumb, and as a concubine, one was inherently considered lesser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Madam Zhou’s timid nature, who knew how long she could survive in those great and noble households?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the title of a concubine-born daughter was often synonymous with being raised by a ‘young wife.’ Could she endure such a status?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alright, even if she currently bore the stigma of being an illegitimate daughter, it wasn’t much better than being a concubine-born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Wufu’s temperament, she certainly wouldn’t stand for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, no matter the reputation or title, without a clan, they were like rootless duckweed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, when it came to marriage…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah Jiu hesitated before bringing up this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Wufu burst into laughter, “A clan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as I am powerful enough, I will be my own clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah Jiu was taken aback, looking at the young girl’s confident smile, which was dazzling and breathtaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person before him, who had retaliated against his cousin in such a manner, was not someone bound by worldly conventions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had recognized her true nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wufu arrived at Madam Zhou’s room, where she was discussing matters of gifting etiquette with Qiu Xiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has Ninth Master left?” Madam Zhou beckoned to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wufu sat on the Arhat bed, picking up a stack of patterns from the kang table and flipping through them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” she replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Zhou slid a stack of candied fruits toward her, saying, “Try these.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Ma sent them over, claiming it to be her daughter-in-law’s secret recipe.” She then inquired, “That Ninth Master, what did he come for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He brought me a piece of jade.” Wufu pinched a candied fruit and placed it in her mouth—mmm, sour and sweet, very appetizing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou felt a stir in her heart and, looking at her daughter’s face, cautiously probed, “Wufu, what does this Ninth Master do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who is in his family?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at his age, he should be married by now, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet…” Wufu answered nonchalantly, then paused and chuckled, “Mother, what are you thinking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t possibly be considering Ah Jiu, could she?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Zhou said, “I find him well-favored and graceful, obviously from a distinguished family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A household like that would probably look for a wife who is virtuous and composed, gentle and stable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wufu, don’t follow in your mother’s footsteps.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, her eyes reflected a trace of worry and concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her daughter was growing up and would reach the age of marriage next February.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She should have been promised in marriage by now, but various delays had occurred due to her mother’s lack of ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, they had an estate and were contemplating opening a grocery store to sell produce from the estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were not worrying about their livelihood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting aside external possessions, Wufu herself was capable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dowry expected of a girl’s family, just the estate itself, was enough for her to carry by her side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this, they could ensure a decent marriage for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if she were to marry into a high-ranking family, such assets would hardly be impressive, but Madam Zhou had never considered giving Wufu away to a prominent household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Firstly, she knew their station and wouldn’t harbor such unrealistic dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secondly, it was Wufu’s nature—wild and untamed like a horse without a bridle, especially with her demonstrated abilities and opinions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such a character, how could she settle down in a great and noble household?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the support of a strong family background, marrying into nobility could save one from worries of food and clothing, but the bittersweetness of such a life was as personal as drinking water—only the drinker knows if it is warm or cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, even though it was said that marriage could elevate one’s status, she would rather her daughter marry below their station to a family that they could manage, to ensure that her daughter would not be wronged.\u003C\u002Fp>",769,"2026-06-05T19:25:17.774Z",1,"novelbin.me","75e3c14294eff8997c4a35dc87062b7b6a64ab9d3bb775a7e5136fd49aa07811","doted-by-the-regent-king-chapter-445","doted-by-the-regent-king-chapter-443",1685,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdoted-by-the-regent-king-cover.jpg"]