Chapter 70: Reaping What One Sows
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
It was evening.
“Tonight, there’s a lantern festival. Mother, I’d like to take Chao Chao to see it,” Lu Zheng Yue said while holding Lu Chao Chao, dining in the main hall.
The first day of the Lunar New Year was filled with numerous guests visiting the household, keeping Madam Xu so busy that she barely had time to rest. Seeing Lu Chao Chao’s pitiful, eager expression, Madam Xu smiled and agreed.
“Just make sure she wears extra layers, and take a few servants along. Don’t let her out of sight,” she instructed.
Delighted, Lu Chao Chao’s little hands clutched a bulging pouch of snacks she had secretly packed. Being New Year’s Day, Madam Xu turned a blind eye to it.
“Madam, the Marquis didn’t return last night. Could something have happened?” Su Zhi Qing, dressed up especially elegantly today, finally broke her silence. She had been waiting all day, yet Lu Yuan Ze had not come home.
Madam Xu responded calmly, “Men have their responsibilities outside the household. He was likely detained by matters of the court. I raised you to the status of an equal wife so you could support the Marquis. Don’t hinder him.”
“How could I, Madam? I was merely concerned,” Su Zhi Qing said hastily.
Just then, a servant came in to announce, “Madam, the Marquis has returned.”
As soon as the words were spoken, Su Zhi Qing lifted her skirts and hurried through the snow, moving like a graceful butterfly.
Seeing Lu Yuan Ze’s figure, she momentarily froze before rushing toward him. “Marquis, you didn’t return home all night. I was worried about you.” Her eyes brimmed with tears, her voice tender and filled with admiration and devotion.
Lu Yuan Ze subtly pressed his sore waist.
Su Zhi Qing caught a faint scent on him and felt her heart sink.
“Today, I was added to the family registry and officially became the Marquis’ wife. How fortunate I am to have met you,” Su Zhi Qing said, leaning on him as they headed toward the Clear Peace Courtyard.
Lu Yuan Ze’s legs were still trembling, and his waist ached terribly. Pei Jiao Jiao truly was a captivating enchantress!
“Today, we had guests at the manor. I should first go see the elders,” he said, slipping away at the earliest opportunity.
Su Zhi Qing’s gaze inadvertently fell on the faint marks on his throat, and her eyes reddened with frustration.
Madam Xu, seeing Lu Yuan Ze’s disheveled state, was mildly surprised. She had assumed Su Zhi Qing would use every trick in the book to hold onto him.
“The Marquis looks utterly exhausted. Did you not rest well?” Madam Xu asked.
Awkwardly, Lu Yuan Ze replied, “Last night, I stayed up with a few subordinates discussing matters and lost track of time. Today, I had a few extra drinks. It’s a good thing you manage the household so well, Shi Yun.”
“To have married you, Shi Yun, is the greatest fortune of my life,” Lu Yuan Ze added, his words dripping with insincere affection.
Once, Madam Xu would have been moved by such words. Now, they disgusted her.
“You should go see the elders first. They’ll be returning to Clear Creek tomorrow,” Madam Xu said. “By the way, the old lady has promised to fund the repairs for the ancestral hall in Clear Creek. Please allocate the funds.”
With a faint smile, Madam Xu added, “After all, it’s for repairing the Lu family’s ancestral home. It wouldn’t do for me to use my dowry, lest others gossip.”
Lu Yuan Ze, ever concerned with appearances, immediately said, “How could I allow you to use your dowry?”
Inwardly, he was irritated. In the past, Shi Yun had always insisted that her wealth was shared with the Lu family. She even begged him to use it, which he had done without hesitation. Now that she was drawing boundaries, his pride couldn’t handle it.
“I’ll give the money to the elders later,” he said, leaving to find them, though still feeling agitated.
The Lu family’s finances had always been tight. Shi Yun’s dowry had once supported not just the manor but also Lu Jing Huai’s studies. Now, however, the resources were running dry.
When the elders requested three thousand taels for repairs, Lu Yuan Ze’s face turned pale. “Three thousand taels?” he exclaimed.
The clan elder frowned. “In previous years, your wife contributed a thousand taels. This year, with repairs needed for both the ancestral home and the hall, three thousand is reasonable.”
The old madam sighed. “Your father is buried in Clear Creek, along with many ancestors. Yuan Ze, this isn’t a place to scrimp.”
“Just have your wife use her dowry,” she added, evidently expecting things to go as they had before.
Irritated, Lu Yuan Ze snapped, “What kind of man uses his wife’s dowry to repair an ancestral hall?”
In the past, he had been content to let Shi Yun handle such matters, delighting the clan elders with her generosity. Now that it required his own funds, the matter felt insufferable. His yearly stipend amounted to only a few hundred taels, and while the household businesses were managed by Shi Yun, they were insufficient to sustain the manor.
“Why does the clan academy need a thousand taels annually?” he asked. “Eighteen years, and not a single scholar has emerged.”
The elder glared at him. “Wasn’t it you who suggested a thousand taels per year?”
Lu Yuan Ze froze. Back then, he had boasted of the amount when Shi Yun had willingly provided the funds.
“Fine, fine. I’ll send the money tomorrow,” he muttered dismissively.
The clan elders left in anger, grumbling, “Your wife is far more gracious than you.”
Once they were gone, Lu Yuan Ze’s face darkened.
The old madam, oblivious to his struggles, remarked, “Why the fuss? Just coax Shi Yun into paying.”
Since Shi Yun’s marriage, the household’s standard of living had improved immensely. Before her arrival, the Lu family had barely scraped by.
“When will Jing Huai return?” the old madam asked. “I miss my eldest grandson dearly. He’ll bring great honor to the family with his success.”
“I have plans,” Lu Yuan Ze replied irritably, leaving the room.
By nightfall, the Lu family gathered for the New Year’s dinner. Only then did the Gu family carriage arrive.
Lu Wan Yi had lost weight in the six months since her marriage. Beside her stood the refined scholar Gu Ling, who gazed at her with an unsettling tenderness that made her shiver.
Entering the manor hand in hand, Lu Wan Yi knelt before the old madam to pay her respects.
The moment her knees hit the floor, tears streamed down her face. “Mother! Please save me! Save me!” she cried, clutching the old madam’s trousers in despair.
The atmosphere in the room grew cold as Gu Ling’s expression darkened.