Chapter 089
Chapter 89: One Hundred Jin of Pork
Unaware of her parents’ worries, Xia Meng Yan lay on the soft couch while a physician took her pulse. Duan Yi Chen stared at the physician, as if he could dig the answer straight out of the man’s head.
“How is it? Is the child all right?” Duan Yi Chen asked the moment the physician let go of her wrist.
The physician had been hauled from the city. He’d thought he was treating a wounded outlaw, but it turned out to be a pulse diagnosis for a pregnant woman. He said carefully: “Master, don’t worry. Madam and the child were only frightened. Two doses of calming medicine and a few days’ rest will do.”
Duan Yi Chen let out a long breath. Then he realized: Master? Madam? The physician thought they were newlyweds?
He glanced at Xia Meng Yan, expecting her to be unhappy. She only frowned a little and didn’t correct him. Hearing that the child was fine, her heart finally settled. She said calmly: “Chun Yue, see the physician out.”
Chun Yue had rushed over as soon as she got the news. The tear tracks on her face were still visible. She led the physician off to write the prescription and get the medicine.
Since Xia Meng Yan didn’t correct the physician, a hundred flowers bloomed in Duan Yi Chen’s heart. [Does this mean Yan’er might marry me?]
He leaned closer and asked in a rush: “Yan’er, are you hungry? Do you want anything to eat?”
The room smelled like fresh fruit. Even though her arrival had been sudden, the estate had quickly arranged everything to her liking. The scent of oranges in the air made her stomach growl. She opened her eyes, and a hint of embarrassment flashed in the quiet room.
Catching Duan Yi Chen staring at her, she glared back. He burst into loud laughter and said: “I get it, Yan’er is hungry. I’ll have food prepared.”
He ran out, excited, only to hear a sharp shout behind him: “Duan Yi Chen, how dare you laugh at me. Do you have a death wish?”
Instead of being mad, he grabbed Jian Ping in a hug and laughed: “Did you hear that? She scolded me!”
Jian Ping looked totally lost. Was the master a fool? Summer Miss scolded him, and he was happy about it? [Are you sure it’s not just that you deserve a scolding?]
The laughter outside was so loud that Xia Meng Yan couldn’t help hearing it. She didn’t notice the smile tugging at the corner of her own mouth.
Counting her last life and this one, she and Duan Yi Chen had been friends for over twenty years. The two hundred thousand taels incident at Marquis Manor had truly upset her, but the fact that the Eldest Princess was still keeping him under strict watch showed he couldn’t act freely. Deep down, she didn’t want to lose this friend. [Forget it. Let things take their course.] [If this touches the Royal Family’s secrets, it’s better if I don’t know.]
Duan Yi Chen had no idea his silly behavior had cooled her anger.
At dinner, Xia Ping Yuan and Madam Lin came by. After making sure she was fine, they brought up Lu Rong Fang.
“As you guessed,” Xia Ping Yuan said, beard almost bristling with anger at the Lu family’s sneaky trick, “Lu Rong Fang strutted around the moment he got home, telling everyone he saved you. Luckily, Heir Apparent Duan’s people released the news first that he saved you. Now the whole capital is guessing who got there first.”
“The Lu family played dirty, so I sent them one hundred jin of pork as thanks,” he added with a sly smile, taking a sip of tea.
Xia Meng Yan stared, stunned: “One hundred jin of pork?”
He lifted his chin proudly and said: “Their dogs were the ones who found you. After that, Heir Apparent Duan brought you to the Xia manor’s estate. What does any of that have to do with Lu Rong Fang?”
Xia Meng Yan almost laughed herself silly. Who knew you could do that?
Madam Lin patted her daughter’s back and shot Xia Ping Yuan an annoyed look as she said: “Look at you, teasing our daughter.”
Head high with pride, Xia Ping Yuan thought, sending one hundred jin of pork with full ceremony let everyone in the capital know his daughter had nothing to do with Lu Rong Fang. Anyone who dared play dirty with his daughter had to pay a price.
Tears sprang to Xia Meng Yan’s eyes from laughing. Only her father would pull something like this.
She asked, still giggling: “Did the Lu family accept it?”
“Why wouldn’t they? I delivered it with great sincerity, gongs and drums and all. Would they dare refuse?”
Hearing “gongs and drums,” she nearly collapsed laughing again.
Madam Lin gave Xia Ping Yuan a playful thump and said: “Enough. We know you’re amazing and stood up for our daughter.”
“I’m fine, Mother. I want to hear all of it,” Xia Meng Yan said, smiling. “Have the kitchen make a few more dishes later. We should celebrate properly.” She could just picture Lu Rong Fang’s face when he received a mountain of pork after all his scheming. She had been thinking about how to strike back, but now she didn’t need to lift a finger. He would choke on this.
Madam Lin squeezed her daughter’s hand and said warmly: “Remember, no matter what happens, we are your strong support. What others say doesn’t matter. What matters is the three of us together.”
Smiling, Xia Meng Yan suddenly started to cry. She remembered how, in her last life, her parents with white hair had to bury a child. She had been unfilial. [How many good deeds did I do in a past life to have such good parents now?]
“You’re about to be a mother yourself. Why are you still dropping golden beans?” Madam Lin pulled her daughter into her arms, full of emotion. Her daughter was so good. How could anyone bear to hurt her?
Xia Ping Yuan’s pride faded. He lowered his head and drank his tea.
When Duan Yi Chen came in and saw Xia Meng Yan’s red eyes, he thought someone had bullied her. He said at once: “Who bullied you? I’ll go settle it.”
She turned her head and pressed her feelings down.
Xia Ping Yuan and Madam Lin rose and bowed slightly as they said: “Thank you, Heir Apparent Duan. The Xia family will remember this kindness.”
“Lord Xia, you’re too formal,” Duan Yi Chen said. “Yan’er and I grew up together. I saved her because I wanted to.”
While warmth filled the Xia manor’s estate, the Lu family’s manor was so gloomy it felt wet.
“Useless fool! Who told you to use the household Shadow Guard?” Lord Lu had heard earlier that Xia Ping Yuan was surrounded by beggars and had been secretly pleased. But when he got home, he heard that Xia Ping Yuan had delivered one hundred jin of pork as “thanks.”
Still angry, Lord Lu kicked out hard and snarled: “I’ve seen fools, but never one as foolish as you.”
Lu Rong Fang had not expected the Xia family to be so ruthless. He had thought that even if he couldn’t make Xia Meng Yan willingly marry him, he could at least gain some advantage. He never imagined that old fox Xia Ping Yuan would hang the “favor” on a dog, slapping him in the face in front of the whole capital.
“Father, it was my mistake this time,” Lu Rong Fang said through clenched teeth. “Punish me however you wish.”
Lord Lu paced the study, fuming, though he knew the truth. If those old foxes at court couldn’t outplay Xia Ping Yuan, how could his son? “I’ve told you many times your reputation must not have a single stain. Now how are you going to end this?”
Biting his lip, Lu Rong Fang tasted unwillingness and helplessness together. Now he finally understood what it meant to lift a stone only to smash your own foot. Xia Ping Yuan was ruthless.
“If we act like we don’t care,” he said after a moment, “people outside won’t see the Lu family’s joke. Xia Ping Yuan has many political enemies at court. With a little guidance, we can turn the guns around.”
Lord Lu frowned and looked at his kneeling son: “Stand up and tell me your idea.”
Numb from kneeling, Lu Rong Fang pushed himself up slowly and said: “A lot of commoners saw me saving her today. But our Lu family pinned the credit on a dog, which clearly shows we don’t want to admit it. Now everyone outside says Heir Apparent Duan saved Xia Meng Yan. We’ll go along with it and say the Xia family is flattering high and stepping on low, trying to curry favor with Marquis Xuan Ping’s manor while belittling the Lu family.”