Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Thoughts

When Lu Chen returned home, Zhe Rou had not yet rested. She was leaning on the couch, flipping through a thin picture album. The brocade quilt was casually draped around her waist, revealing a section of her snow-white, slender ankle.

"What are you looking at?" Lu Chen changed his clothes and got on the bed. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Why haven't you slept yet? You'll have a headache tomorrow."

"The broker just sent me a brochure. I'll take a look at the shops with suitable rents." Zhe Rou smiled and pushed away his treacherous hand, patting his arm with the brochure. "You and Ming Qi have been drinking together, haven't you? I've got some hangover soup warming up for you on the stove. Go have a bowl."

Lu Chen became more and more presumptuous. He lowered his head and bit open her belt, buried his face in her neck, took a deep breath, and felt the warmth and softness of the person in his arms.

His neatly tresses brushed against the skin of his neck, making Zhe Rou feel itchy. She couldn't help laughing, pushing him away while hiding inside, "Stop making trouble, go drink the hangover soup."

"No."

Instead, Lu Chen felt playful and clamped her wrist, tickling her itchy skin and laughing softly.

"Lu Bingyan, you are childish!"

The two of them played around for a while, and Zhe Rou's eyes were filled with a thin layer of mist when she smiled. Her clothes were disheveled, and her beautiful curves were vaguely revealed as her breathing rose and fell.

Lu Chen lowered his eyes and looked at her for a while, his mood suddenly became a little depressed. He silently held her in his arms, and occasionally entangled her smooth hair with his long fingers.

"妱妱."

"Um?"

Lu Chen stared at her rosy cheeks with deep eyes and said softly, "If something unexpected happens to me in the court one day, will you leave?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhe Rou gently stroked the ends of his hair at the back of his neck, a smile on her lips. "How could I leave you? No matter what happens, as long as husband and wife support each other, there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome. If we can't continue working as officials in the capital, we can go back to Taozhou and open a clinic there. You can be my manager and accountant, and I'll pay you. How about that?"

Hearing her soft and gentle voice, Lu Chen raised the corners of his lips slightly and reached out to hug her tighter.

The two of them snuggled together, Zhe Rou felt soft in her heart, she patted his back gently, and said softly: "Go to sleep, you still have to go on duty tomorrow."

After two rounds of drinking tonight, Lu Chen was indeed a little drunk. Lying beside her, his breathing slowly became even and long.

The tent became quiet. Zhe Rou used the moonlight to carefully study his profile, feeling mixed emotions.

After sleeping in the same bed for three years, they were already very familiar with each other. She could see that something was wrong with Lu Chen recently, as if he was hiding something important from her.

But since he didn't want to say it, it was useless for her to ask more. She could only pray that everything went well for him and that his wish would come true soon.

In the following days, Lu Chen was busy with his work and had no time to take care of her. Zhe Rou also understood his hard work and took Xiao Chan with her to visit Lu Wan at the County Earl's Mansion as scheduled. She checked the pulse of her maid Peng Shuang and prescribed two tonic prescriptions. She also went to see the shop with the broker.

The news quickly spread to Songchunyuan.

The air in the room was filled with the scent of sandalwood incense. Zheng Lanbi had just finished her morning prayers and was copying Buddhist scriptures at her desk, listening to Nanny Cui's report.

"Madam, that Ning is truly not an honest person. If my husband is a little more lenient, she will repeatedly visit the County Earl's Mansion under the name of the Lu Mansion's wife."

"I heard from the maid at the door that a while ago a pawnbroker came to our house and said that Ning had asked the pawnbroker to rent a shop to do some business." Zheng Lanbi stopped writing and looked up and asked, "Business?"

"That's right! I heard they were going to make and sell some kind of medicine."

Zheng Lanbi couldn't help but frown. "Is it enough for her to eat and wear something that my Lu family lacks? You want her to go out and flaunt it. She comes from a humble family, so she's not even worthy of public attention."

Nanny Cui nodded in agreement, her tone tinged with worry. "If word gets out that Ning is showing up in public like this and everyone knows that my husband has a concubine, how can we welcome the Xu family's daughter into our family? I'm afraid it will upset my husband and his wife."

With a "click", a drop of ink fell heavily on the golden millet paper worth several strings of cash.

With this stroke of the pen, an entire page of copied scriptures would be wasted. Aunt Cui, watching from the side, couldn't help but feel pained.

Zheng Lanbi pursed her lips tightly, suppressing her anger as she placed the small red sandalwood brush in her hand on the pen rest. "That day, Sanlang came to see me and spoke to me kindly for a long time. I thought he knew what was going on, so I softened my heart and let him do what he wanted, putting the marriage proposal on hold for the time being. But I never expected that he was simply blinded by women and would fool his own mother for a seductive woman!"

Seeing this, Madam Cui hurried forward to pour her a cup of tea and said, "Although Madam disdains to associate with that village woman, she is still your husband's concubine. There is no order without rules. For your husband's sake, we should establish some rules for the East Courtyard."

Zheng Lanbi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Tell someone to keep an eye on the situation over there and find the right moment to bring the person over."

Nanny Cui replied solemnly, "Don't worry, Madam."

**

The next day was ten days later. Zhe Rou liked a shop, and Lu Chen accompanied her to see the house and make an appointment.

After the carriage passed Fengqiu Gate, Ma Xing Street was in front.

Because she was going to open a women's medicine store, Zhe Rou deliberately chose a relatively secluded shop, right next to Ma Xing Street, with a back door leading directly to the courtyard alley. The rent was also much cheaper, so it was very suitable.

When the pharmacy opens in the future, as long as the business can sustain itself, it will not be difficult to buy the shop directly.

This storefront and backyard are not very large. The courtyard wall has been newly repaired, the ground is paved with bluestone slabs, and it is kept clean and tidy.

Lu Chen walked around the store and thought it was pretty good. He asked her, "So you're going to book this place?"

Zhe Rou nodded contentedly, quickly paid the deposit to the homeowner, and signed the deed.

Renting the shop was just the beginning; there were countless other chores to attend to, including procuring herbs, preparing the finished medicines, hiring workers, and so on. But Zhe Rou couldn't help but feel happy. Standing on his own two feet, running his own business without having to rely on others, felt reassuring.

She took Xiaochan with her and looked around the shop carefully inside and out, noting down a few places that needed to be rearranged. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked as excited as when she had settled in her new home in Taozhou.

Lu Chen followed behind, watching with a smile for a moment, then turned and instructed his long-servant Pingchuan, "Send a few smart servants over tomorrow to tidy up the house and fumigate every corner carefully."

Pingchuan grinned and answered yes quickly.

After almost completing the arrangements and putting away the deeds and keys, Zhe Rou walked out of the courtyard, her steps brisk as she looked at Lu Chen with a smile, "Renting a house and buying land is also a happy occasion. I'll cook a few side dishes myself tonight, and the pickled fish we prepared earlier can be opened. Let's have a few drinks in the courtyard to celebrate, okay?"

Meeting her clear eyes, Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then said, "I have an appointment at Fanlou, so I may not be able to make it back in time tonight."

Unexpectedly, he had made other arrangements. Zhe Rou felt a little disappointed for a moment, but she didn't say much. She still had a smile on her face and pretended to threaten: "Drink less at the banquet. If you get drunk, I won't let you in."

Lu Chen curled his lips and smiled, watching her get on the carriage and leave. He stood there, lost in thought for a while.

The brilliant sunlight of late spring passed through the roof and cast a waterfall of light on the wall of the square, making his face look half bright and half dark. He looked up at the sky and turned to go to Xiangguo Temple.

At this time, Xu Yourong should have left the house. It would only take two sticks of incense to get from Xu's house to Xiangguo Temple. If he went there now, he would still have time.

On the carriage back to the mansion, Xiaochan secretly looked at Zherou, wanting to say something but stopping herself for a long time, her face flushing red from holding it in.

Zhe Rou saw that she had something to say, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Xiaochan glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and finally mustered up the courage to stammer, "I...I just noticed that my husband seems to be very busy lately, either busy with errands or busy with social events..."

But I heard that when men in the capital drink, they always invite prostitutes to accompany them. Those women sing and dance with all kinds of tricks! Men in this world, once they have some money, are prone to having second thoughts. Even an old man in the countryside would want to buy a concubine if he sold an extra bushel of rice, let alone those powerful men..."

Halfway through her speech, Xiaochan suddenly realized she had slipped up and hastily changed her words, "Of course, of course our husband is not that kind of person, but, but there are always people who want to tease him, my lady, you must be more careful!"

Zhe Rou couldn't help but laugh and pinched her cheek, "How old are you? Do you know what a prostitute is?"

Xiaochan blushed and argued softly, "I just know it."

Seeing her innocent look, Zhe Rou couldn't help but laugh and smiled soothingly: "Don't worry, I know what he is. He is not that kind of person. Today is a good day to rent a shop. Tonight I will cook perilla fish and steamed lamb. Lu Bingyan will not enjoy it, so we will not care about him."

Xiaochan is simple-minded. When she heard that there was something delicious, her eyes lit up and she immediately became excited.

As they chatted, the carriage stopped at the gate of the Lu Mansion. Pingchuan placed the footstool in front of the carriage and said respectfully to the curtain, "Madam, we're here."

Zhe Rou responded with a smile, lifted the car curtain, and got out of the car with Xiao Chan on the footstool.

When she reached the door, the maid standing by bowed to her, stretched her neck to take a look into the carriage, then waved towards the courtyard and winked at her secretly.

Glancing at the old woman's movements, Zhe Rou was slightly startled. Before she could react, she suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps. Looking up, she saw Aunt Cui with a tense expression. She led a few sturdy maids, hurriedly walked around the blue brick screen wall, and walked quickly to the front.

Zhe Rou's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately had a bad premonition. She stood still, gathered her thoughts, and said with a smile, "Madam Cui."

Nanny Cui responded indifferently, slightly raising her head, her expression awe-inspiring and inviolable, "Madam, I have something to say to Madam Ning. Please follow me to Songchun Courtyard."