Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Hard as Iron

The object behind her was as hard as iron, and Jiang Shu's face was red and hot. She was stiff and dared not move. She whispered angrily: "Why are you like this? We are now in the Lin family, not in the Canaan Courtyard.

You absolutely can't do this in someone else's house. What if someone hears you doing this? "

The phrase "other people's homes" really pleased Lu Changji. He felt that Jiang Shu had a sense of belonging to Canaan Courtyard and was very happy.

Jiang Shu only felt that the giant thing behind her was becoming more and more vigorous, pressing against her tun with a burning sensation, and sticking to her tun without a gap, with the upper end reaching her waist.

Jiang Shu moved forward, putting a distance of half a person's width between herself and Lu Changji, and then she grumbled in dissatisfaction and fell asleep unknowingly.

Lu Changji looked at her sleeping face, sighed helplessly, leaned over and kissed her cheek, reached out to pick up the underwear she had changed, and strode into the bathroom.

Lu Changji stayed overnight at the Lin family's. The next morning, Lin Yunzhi and his second uncle from the next room were waiting at the door of the flower hall, waiting to greet Lu Changji.

At about three quarters past three in the morning, Lin Yunzhi saw Lu Changji coming out of the bedroom next door. He was wearing a green round-necked shirt, which was no different from his previous attire. However, Lin Yunzhi felt that there was something different about him.

His eyebrows are clear and his eyes are bright, and he seems to be becoming more elegant and clear-headed.

Lin Yunzhi and Master Lin II looked at each other and bowed together, wanting to salute Lu Changji.

Lu Changji raised his index finger to his lips, made a gesture of silence, and walked into the flower hall.

Lin Yunzhi and Master Lin followed closely behind. After everyone had gone in, Lu Changji gently closed the door. Jiang Shu had been particularly sleepy lately, and she slept lightly, so he was afraid to wake her.

Lu Changji took the main seat and said to the two of them in a gentle voice, "My wife lives in the Lin Mansion. I'm sorry to bother you two!"

Second Master Lin stepped forward and said, "Madam, your visit to my humble abode is a great honor to the Lin family. I am overjoyed and only fear that I have failed to entertain you well enough. Why would I bother you?"

Lu Changji said, "My wife has always been gentle, but she's been unwell lately, so her temper is a little off. If her words or actions are inappropriate, please bear with me."

Lu Changji's words were very thoughtful, but Master Lin Er broke out in a cold sweat. Prime Minister Lu was criticizing him for what happened a few days ago.

Jiang Shu had conflicts with the two young ladies of the second house. If she wanted to get angry, the ladies of the second house would have to bear it. After all, Jiang Shu was Prime Minister Lu's sweetheart.

Master Lin Er repeatedly said, "Madam has such a good temper. Whatever she does is right. If someone else has an argument, it must be due to their faulty character, not Madam's."

Master Lin Er was a man who knew how to deal with current affairs. Lu Changji reprimanded him and then turned to talk to Lin Yunzhi. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he was about to go out to court.

Master Lin Er and Lin Yunzhi personally escorted the person to the door of the house and respectfully invited Lu Changji to get on the carriage.

After sending Lu Changji away, their respective families came out to tidy up their clothes and wait for them to go out.

Master Lin Er was sitting in the carriage, feeling puzzled. In a court, the husband is the most important person, so which woman would not serve her husband when he goes to court?

Prime Minister Lu had left, but the one from the Jiang family didn't even leave the house. The people around them were so arrogant, but when it was just the two of them, Prime Minister Lu must have spoiled them to the sky.

Master Lin Er was shocked, and he had no idea what kind of trouble Jiang Shu had caused.

The Lin family is a large family that gathers together for meals on the 15th of every month. When Master Lin was alive, each branch would gather in the main branch to talk. Now that Master Lin has passed away, the dining location has been moved to the second branch.

Mrs. Lu's eyes were alert. Since Jiang Shu lived in the main house, she couldn't treat her coldly. She couldn't just leave the guests out and have her own meal with her family.

Before the meal started, Mrs. Lu asked the favored nanny to go to the main room in person and invite Jiang Shu to have dinner in the second room.

Jiang Shu happily agreed, and on the fifteenth day, she and Jiang Rong moved into the second room together.

The furnishings of the second house were almost the same as those of the first house, except that they were a little more frugal in some minor details. The second house had two sons and three daughters, and the expenses for betrothal gifts and dowries alone were several times more than those of the first house. In the future, the two sons would have to separate, so Mrs. Lu had to plan how to spend the money.

During the meal, men and women sat at separate tables. The wives of the third and fourth rooms were all there. The third and fourth wives were both eloquent people. When they got together, they always had endless things to talk about. But now, with the addition of Jiang Shu, they didn't dare to speak much, for fear that they would say something wrong and offend Jiang Shu.

Mrs. Lu was also a little embarrassed. She asked the servants to bring the steamed crabs to the table and said with a smile, "These crabs were sent by my brothers from my mother's family. They have been kept in the house with the fire for five months. Only about ten of them survived. Come and have a taste."

Crabs are not rare, but crabs in winter are rarer than treasures.

The maid distributed the eight pieces of crab to everyone. Everyone talked while unpacking the crabs, and the atmosphere finally became a little more lively.

Jiang Rong had eaten crabs before, but the Jiang family was not a picky family. When they got crabs, they would just tear them apart and eat them with their bare hands. They had never used these eight crab dishes.

She looked at Jiang Shu with some embarrassment, hoping that Jiang Shu could help her out, but Jiang Shu was focused on the crab and deftly used tools to take it apart.

Jiang Shu originally liked eating crabs, but today, for some reason, she felt nauseous when she smelled the crab meat.

She cut the crab into pieces but didn't eat them. She pushed the crab meat aside calmly.

Jiang Shu ignored Jiang Rong's cry for help. Jiang Rong was a little discouraged. She didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of her elders and sisters-in-law, so she didn't eat the crab and only picked up the lotus crisps nearby.

Zhang noticed this and knew Jiang Rong didn't know how to cook the crab. She sneered secretly and said deliberately, "Sister-in-law, try this crab quickly. Crab will lose its flavor when it gets cold. Then even the best food will be wasted."

Jiang Rong's face flushed red, and she thought she was weak. "I'm not feeling well, and I can't eat cold food. I'll give this crab to my sister-in-law!"

Wei covered her handkerchief with her handkerchief and scoffed, "Could it be that my sister-in-law doesn't know how to use the eight crab parts to open the crab?"

She exposed Jiang Rong's pain, and Jiang Rong's face became redder and hotter, as if it was burning.

She instinctively turned her gaze towards Jiang Shu, who was drinking ham and bamboo shoot soup with a focused look, as if she was unaware that Zhang and Wei were embarrassing her.

At this time, Mrs. Lu glared at Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Wei fiercely. She used to think that these two daughters-in-law were gentle and lovely, but now it seems that none of them is a good person.

What is Jiang Rong's current status? She is about to become the aunt of the Prime Minister. How could their second branch dare to offend her?

Madam Lu squinted at the two of them and scolded them, "Don't talk while eating or sleeping. Where have you learned the rules? You're becoming even more unruly."

After the mother-in-law spoke, Zhang Wei and the others dared not say anything more and lowered their heads silently.

The flower hall, which was not very lively to begin with, became quiet again, with only the sound of chewing food remaining.

Mrs. Lu finished her meal without savoring it, then looked up and said to everyone, "I have a lot of flowers growing in my greenhouse. Everything is withering now, but my greenhouse is full of vibrant colors. Why don't you all go over and enjoy the flowers?"

Mrs. Lu's skill in tending to flowers and plants was well-known far and wide. Seeing her sincere invitation, the people from the third and fourth rooms accepted.

Jiang Shu was not interested and declined politely, "I'm not feeling well, so I won't bother you anymore."

Jiang Rong followed up, "I'll go back and take care of my sister."

After they finished talking, they bowed to the three elders and went back to the main room together.

Jiang Shu leaned on the pillow, waved to Jiang Rong's maid Zhizi, and whispered some instructions.

Jiang Rong listened to her talk, frowning slightly. After the maid left, she said, "Eldest sister, Second Aunt clearly didn't invite mother-in-law to go enjoy the flowers. You asked Zhizi to spread a lie. If mother-in-law went, wouldn't she be exposed?"

Jiang Shu just said it was okay. She touched Jiang Rong's hair and said softly, "Rong'er, I can't always be with you. I have to ask your mother-in-law to come out so that you can have someone to rely on."

Mrs. Fang, the old lady of Lin, was copying Buddhist scriptures. Zhizi knocked on the door and entered the room. She bowed to Mrs. Fang, folded her hands in front of her, and said with her head bowed, "Old lady, the udumbia flowers that the second wife planted have bloomed. The second wife sent someone here specially to invite you to come and enjoy the flowers."

Fang has been born for a long time and refuses to leave the Buddhist temple. The Udumbara flower is a sacred flower in Buddhism. She is devoted to Buddhism. Now that she has the opportunity to appreciate the sacred flower, she must go and see it.

Fang closed the Buddhist scriptures, got up and left the house.

The masters of the first and second houses have the same father and mother, and the two families are as close as one family and often visit each other.

When Fang came in, the doorman led her directly to the greenhouse without any notification.

There is a evening primrose planted at the door of the greenhouse. The evening primrose climbs on the wooden frame, weaving two worlds.

Across the twilight jasmine flower stand, Fang heard the laughter of the people inside. First, Zhang's voice said, "Today has really opened my eyes. I knew Jiang was of humble origin and limited knowledge, but I didn't expect her to be so unpresentable that she couldn't even use the crab eight pieces."

"Fortunately, today is a family dinner. If she made a fool of herself at someone else's house, she would be laughed at."

Mrs. Wei said, "Isn't it? I've lived for a long time, and this is the first time I've seen a lady like Jiang who is in charge of the house."

"Mrs. Jiang is so ignorant. I'm afraid the eldest wife's children will be too scared to see anyone because of her upbringing."

Mrs. Lu scolded her two daughters-in-law at the banquet simply because she was afraid that Jiang Shu would bear a grudge and implicate the master of the family. Now that both Jiangs were not present, she naturally would not restrain her two daughters-in-law, and she herself was also planning to join in the discussion.

Before she could open her mouth, she suddenly saw a gray figure standing outside the flower stand. She opened her mouth and was about to ask who the person was, but then she saw the figure slowly walk around the flower stand and appear in front of them.

Zhang and Wei were caught saying bad things about someone by the other person's mother-in-law. They were scared and embarrassed and lowered their heads in embarrassment.

Mrs. Lu laughed dryly, walked up to Mrs. Fang warmly, and said, "Sister-in-law is here, why didn't you let someone know? Look at the situation now, look at it..."

Fang stared at Lu. Her eyes, which had been dull and calm as water, suddenly lit up. She raised the corners of her lips and smiled, saying sarcastically, "Am I bothering my sister-in-law?"

Mrs. Lu was even more embarrassed. "What are you talking about, sister-in-law? I haven't even had time to welcome you yet, how can you be considered a bother?"

Fang said, "It's fine if my sister-in-law doesn't find me annoying. An elder sister-in-law is like a mother. For the sake of your family and future, I have to give you a few words of advice today."

As Fang spoke, she sat down on the chair and swept her eyes over everyone in the room, sharp as a sword.

Mrs. Lu shuddered, she knew that the sister-in-law who always dominated her was back again.

Fang's voice echoed in her ears: "The previous dynasty's Grand Marshal Ren had a favorite student named Zou Hui. Because of a poor decision, Zou Hui was severely scolded by Emperor Zhao in the court. Zou Hui felt humiliated and complained to her concubine after returning home, saying that Emperor Dao was violent and unfit to be a ruler."

"Just two hours after Zou Hui finished speaking, he was taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guards and beheaded in public for the crime of disrespect. Taiwei Ren was also demoted four ranks for not keeping his subordinates in line, and was nearly stripped of his position."

After Fang finished speaking, she slowly turned her gaze to Lu: "Sister-in-law, from ancient times to the present, countless people have committed heinous crimes because of their words.

We are blood relatives, and I can let Zhang Wei and the other two go without pursuing their slander against the Jiang family. But if they repeat their old tricks in the future and slander the women of other families, and someone files a complaint and brings it to court, what will we do? Then, my younger brother and sister-in-law will also be ridiculed."

"Our dynasty is vast and rich in resources. We have seen and heard countless things we have never seen or heard of. Should we be ridiculed for encountering things we don't understand? If so, we should all stay in the backyard and never leave our rooms."

Lu clenched her fists in anger, but whenever there was a disagreement in the family, Fang would make a big deal out of nothing because of what she had done to those criminals who were to be beheaded in advance.

Mrs. Lu was displeased, but she couldn't argue with Mrs. Fang, so she could only smile and apologize: "Zhang Wei and the other two have behaved immorally. If you feel indignant, just punish them. I will not protect them."

Mrs. Lu was just being polite, but Mrs. Fang was so blunt. She said, "My niece made a mistake at home. A small punishment or a severe warning will suffice. There's no need for you two nieces to apologize to Mrs. Jiang in person. You two can just kneel in front of the hall for two quarters of an hour."

This is where Fang's cleverness lies. Kneeling in front of the hall for two quarters of an hour may not seem like a big deal, but it will make Zhang Wei and the other two lose face in the Lin family and lose face in the hearts of the servants.

Madam Lu looked at Madam Fang with a sullen face and stammered, "Sister-in-law, although Zhang and Wei are not very capable, they will be housekeepers in the future. If you make them kneel in front of the hall, how will you order the servants around?"

Fang smiled and said, "The saying 'what goes around comes around' is exactly what it means. If the master makes a mistake and just brushes it off, how can he discipline his servants?

"The servants will be punished if they see their masters make mistakes, and they will be more alert to their duties and will not dare to make mistakes again. The two nieces-in-law kneeling in front of the hall will also be helpful for the second house to discipline the servants."

With her sharp tongue, Lu's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were left speechless. Zhang and Wei had no choice but to move to the front of the hall and kneel down as punishment. Their hatred for the eldest wife reached its peak.

Zhang looked around and saw no one passing by. She lowered her voice and said, "Mother-in-law is too indulgent towards the eldest wife. In the past, even if she and the eldest aunt had coveted each other, she would have protected us. Why does she just follow whatever the eldest wife says now?"

The floor was hard and cold, rubbing against her knees. Wei quietly folded a handkerchief and placed it under her knees, whispering, "The man from the Xinyang Marquisate is still living in the main house. If you offend the main house, you'll be offending the man from the Xinyang Marquisate. He has Prime Minister Lu backing him up, so how dare your mother-in-law challenge them?"

After all, the reason why they were punished was Jiang Shu. They must avenge the great humiliation they suffered today on Jiang Shu.

Jiang Shu was a little afraid of the cold, so Jiang Rong specially asked someone to light some silver charcoal in the house. The hot steam rose and Jiang Shu finally felt a little more comfortable. She spread out the account book and taught Jiang Rong how to manage the accounts carefully.

The two were very engrossed in their work. After they had settled the accounts, they discovered that there was another person in the room. The person was wearing a wide-sleeved turquoise brocade shirt and had her hair combed high. Against the backdrop of the red gold headpiece, her skin looked even whiter than snow, and she looked very elegant and dignified.

Jiang Rong was stunned for a moment before she connected this man with her mother-in-law who worshipped Buddha all day long. Has her mother-in-law returned to secular life?

Jiang Rong bowed to Fang and stammered, "Mother, you..."

Fang Shi raised his hand to interrupt Jiang Rong and turned to Jiang Shu and said, "Rong'er is young and has no rules in his way of doing things. I have troubled Madam these past few days. From now on, I will teach Rong'er. There is no need to bother Madam anymore."

Finally, Fang was invited out. Jiang Shu nodded and said to Fang in a gentle voice, "You are an experienced person. With your guidance, Rong'er will definitely be able to support the Lin Mansion."

Fang was a considerate person. Since she had decided to return to secular life, she wanted to observe all the etiquette. In the evening, she prepared a feast to thank Jiang Shu.

After the banquet, it was dark. Jiang Shu decided to stay one more night and return to Xinyang Marquis Mansion the next day.

After a day of tossing and turning, she was exhausted both physically and mentally, and fell asleep as soon as she lay down on the couch.

Lu Changji returned under the moonlight and tiptoed to the bathroom to take a shower. He had been reviewing documents all day and his body was covered with the smell of ink.

Jiang Shu doesn't like the smell of ink.

After washing up, Lu Changji lay down on the couch and stared at Jiang Shu's sleeping face. Jiang Shu had been sleepy these days, and her complexion seemed to be better.

He moved closer to Jiang Shu and kissed her gently on the forehead. At this moment, he suddenly saw a silver hairpin under Jiang Shu's pillow.

Jiang Shu doesn't like silver jewelry, she likes jeweled and golden headpieces.

Lu Changji's eyes darkened. With a stern face, he pulled out the silver hairpin and held it to his eyes for a closer look. He saw a small "Xi" character engraved on the end of the hairpin.

Xiwen is Ye Qian's pen name.

The anger rose from the soles of his feet to his chest, and gradually gathered into a sea of ​​fire, forming a prairie fire that spread across the land.

Lu Changji pursed his lips tightly, and his hands began to tremble slightly.

He threw the silver hairpin to the ground, reached out to wake Jiang Shu, looked at her straight in the eye, and said in a calm voice, "Jiang Shu, do you think I'm dead? If you look down on me, forget it. I can't let you have your way anyway. I'm going to kill Ye Qian right now."

Jiang Shu didn't know why Lu Changji was so angry, and why he inexplicably involved Ye Qian again. Ye Qian was innocent, and she would never let Lu Changji hurt Ye Qian again.

Jiang Shu was a little anxious. She grabbed Lu Changji's sleeve and said in a hoarse voice, "Lu Changji, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Jiang Shu's trembling eyelashes caught Lu Changji's eyes, and a sneer appeared on the corner of Lu Changji's mouth. As expected, she was still thinking about Ye Qian. She couldn't help herself when Ye Qian's name was mentioned.

If he didn't get rid of Ye Qian, he would be unworthy of being a high-ranking official. Lu Changji pulled his sleeves out of Jiang Shu's hand and strode out the door.

"Lu Changji!" Jiang Shu was horrified. She jumped off the bed barefoot and ran out the door.