Chapter 150: The Aging Bachelor
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
“Shuang Shuang, come here and call your Little Auntie.”
As soon as Rong Che entered, the Old Madam waved him over with a cheerful smile.
“Shuang… Shuang Shuang? Little… Auntie?” Rong Che almost stumbled over the threshold. Since when was he called Shuang Shuang?
The Old Madam beamed and pulled Shi Yun close, laughing heartily.
“Your name, Che, has the element of water. It flows aimlessly and might be why you can’t find a wife.”
“I’ve given you a new nickname, Shuang Shuang. Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Come, come. I’ve also recognized you a Little Auntie today. Aren’t you surprised? Delighted?” The Old Madam beckoned with a mischievous grin.
Just then, she covered her nose and frowned. “What’s that smell? It’s kind of sharp…”
It was as if she just noticed something strange. She squinted at Rong Che suspiciously. “Did you put flour on your face? Why are you so vain today?” Her tone was filled with disdain.
Rong Che broke out in a cold sweat. [Mother, you are truly my birth mother.]
[Ha ha ha! This is hilarious!]
[The Old Madam made his crush her sister!]
[Your beloved turns into your Little Auntie. Happy? Excited?]
[The peacock is showing off. A thousand-year-old iron tree has finally bloomed!] Lu Chao Chao burst into uncontrollable laughter in her mind.
Shi Yun pressed her lips tightly together to suppress her amusement, her shoulders trembling visibly.
“Mother, I didn’t put flour on my face. Didn’t you say before that I was unkempt? I thought I’d clean up a little…” He shot a quick glance at Shi Yun. Seeing no ridicule in her eyes, only barely concealed mirth, he felt slightly relieved.
The Old Madam fanned the air around her. “Open the door; you’re suffocating me.”
Rong Che obediently went to open the door.
“This is my newly recognized sister—” Before the sentence could finish, Rong Che quickly turned back.
“Mother, you’re too old to be recognizing sisters. Shi… Sister Yun is still young. You can invite her to visit our manor often instead.” He deftly changed the subject, calling Shi Yun his sister.
[Little Auntie? Over my dead body!]
[If she truly becomes my Little Auntie, the Rong family will see its end!]
The Old Madam looked at him with disdain.
She patted Shi Yun’s hand. “True, I was too impulsive.”
“You are a good child. The Marquis Zhongyong was foolish to miss out on you. That’s his misfortune.” The Old Madam looked at Shi Yun with affection. She truly liked her demeanor.
Such composure, such grace—qualities of a noblewoman.
“The capital is full of outstanding men.”
Rong Che’s eyes widened in dismay. [Mother, don’t forget there’s an old bachelor in the house!]
Shi Yun noticed his indignant expression, his flushed face, and his flustered movements. She couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Their eyes met for a moment, and Rong Che’s face grew even redder. He didn’t know where to place his hands and feet.
He ended up drinking tea to hide his embarrassment, gulping down cup after cup.
“Stay for lunch today, so the family can properly thank you,” the Old Madam said.
“Little Princess, our manor excels at preparing meals for children. You must stay and try them!” Her tone turned sour. “We have chefs skilled in postpartum dishes, baby food, wedding banquets… and yet—”
“My son is hopeless.”
The Old Madam rolled her eyes and began mercilessly tearing into Rong Che’s dignity.
“Eighteen years ago, he brought home two shabby clay figurines. He would giggle over them during meals and while reading, treasuring them so much he wouldn’t let me touch them.”
“I thought he was ready for marriage.”
“But this useless son of mine hasn’t made any progress in eighteen years.”
Shi Yun froze. [Clay figurines?]
Rong Che’s ears turned bright red. “Mother, please stop…” He begged for mercy. [Leave me some dignity!]
The Old Madam snorted, dragging Shi Yun toward the main hall.
The Stabilizing Duke’s Manor had a simple household. The duke had no concubines, only the Old Madam.
She bore him just one son and one daughter. The eldest daughter was married into the palace as the Empress, while her legitimate son remained unmarried to this day.
“Sigh. This manor is so quiet, not a soul around. Shi Yun, you must come often to keep this old woman company,” the Old Madam said wistfully.
“Mother, I’m here to accompany you,” Rong Che murmured.
The Old Madam glanced at him coolly. “Bachelors don’t count.”
Rong Che stiffened.
When the meal began, the men and women sat at the same table. Rong Che conveniently found himself seated across from Shi Yun.
“Why you stealing glances at my mother?” Lu Chao Chao’s childish voice rang out.
The one-and-a-half-year-old, seated on a high stool, refused to be fed or held. She clutched her spoon and ate with an intense focus, not dropping a single grain of rice.
Such a well-behaved child.
Rong Che’s face flushed. “I wasn’t looking—I… I…”
Panicking under the scrutinizing gazes of her parents, he quickly tore off a drumstick from a roast pigeon and placed it in Lu Chao Chao’s bowl.
“It’s crispy on the outside and tender inside. Kids love it. Princess Sunshine, eat more…” He looked at Lu Chao Chao as if pleading for mercy.
With the drumstick in her bowl, Lu Chao Chao’s smile became genuine.
“Maybe Chao Chao saw wrong…”
Rong Che secretly sighed in relief.
After dinner, the Old Madam, feeling her age, grew tired.
“Che’er, escort Shi Yun out of the manor. It’s late; see her safely back to the Lu family,” the Old Madam said with a smile, presenting Lu Chao Chao with generous meeting gifts.
As was customary, the hostess gave the child a red envelope for their first meeting.
“I had the cooks prepare some snacks that children enjoy. Made from yam and other easily digestible ingredients, these are good for teething.” Rong Che handed over a box of delicacies.
“Take them back for Princess Sunshine. If she likes them, bring her mother here more often,” he said, glancing at Lu Chao Chao.
[Uncle Rong is such a nice man…]
Shi Yun shot him a playful glare.
Rong Che pursed his lips, his eyes full of a warm smile, unable to look away from her.
When they reached the gate, Rong Che gently helped Shi Yun into the carriage. She paused, her heart skipping a beat. As the carriage creaked away, she glanced back through the curtain and saw Rong Che standing there, staring after her as if afraid she might disappear the moment he blinked.
On the way back, they passed the Marquis Zhongyong’s Manor.
Lu Yuan Ze, dismounting from his horse, spotted Rong Che and approached with a smile.
“General Rong.”
Rong Che’s smile vanished. He looked at Lu Yuan Ze coldly.
“Marquis Lu? I heard you’ve had some… issues. I know a few specialists in men’s health. Should I introduce them to you?”
Lu Yuan Ze’s smile froze.
“Don’t shy away from treatment, Marquis Lu. If there’s an illness, it’s best to address it,” Rong Che added blandly.
Lu Yuan Ze frowned. [Why does the general seem hostile? I’ve never offended him…]
“This is mere hearsay. There’s nothing wrong with me!” Lu Yuan Ze replied, though his face darkened.
“No issues? Then why does your son take care of your women?” Rong Che retorted before spurring his horse away.
Lu Yuan Ze felt the hostility as clear as a slap and had no rebuttal. After all, just yesterday, he had been publicly humiliated when caught in a scandal.
As the carriage passed, he glimpsed a familiar silhouette through the curtains.
“Shi Yun?” Lu Yuan Ze shook his head.
Impossible.
The Stabilizing General had countless noblewomen vying for his hand. Why would he associate with Shi Yun, a divorced woman with three sons and a daughter?