Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Being the son-in-law of the Cheng family is really not easy...

Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Being the son-in-law of the Cheng family is really not easy...

By the time Lu Xusheng was free, the old doctor had asked someone to cook a bowl of white radish soup. Cheng Mingyu stepped forward and placed a pillow on Cheng Yian's back to make her more comfortable, and then prepared to feed her himself.

How could Cheng Yian dare to bother him? He shook his head quickly. Feeling a little thirsty, he took the soup bowl and drank it in one gulp. At this moment, he felt sleepy and closed his eyes uncontrollably.

This bowl of soup was a little hot. After drinking it, I started sweating.

Seeing this, Cheng Mingyu ordered the old servant to bring a copper basin, rolled up his sleeves himself, and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.

Even though he heard footsteps behind him, he did not pause at all.

Lu Xusheng strode in and saw Cheng Mingyu taking care of his daughter very carefully.

It's the man's possessiveness that's at work.

Without bothering to ask for clarification, I just reached out my hand.

"Father-in-law, I came here in person." Lu Xusheng had already sat down beside the long couch.

Cheng Mingyu didn't say anything. He washed the towel, handed it to him, and then stood up and moved away.

Lu Xusheng came over with a handkerchief in his hand, and peeked to see that Cheng Yian was sweating again.

"What's going on?"

Cheng Mingyu stood aside with his hands behind his back and said unhappily, "You don't know?"

Lu Xusheng raised his eyes and looked at him, "My son-in-law doesn't know."

Cheng Mingyu could only tell him the whole story.

Lu Xusheng frowned, "You knew she had kept the medicine, why didn't you just accept your fate and take it?"

Cheng Mingyu felt upset, but he couldn't refute him.

Lu Xusheng looked at the weak Cheng Yian lying on the bed with dark eyes. She patted her chest and vowed that she had a way, and it turned out to be this way.

Now that things have come to this, there is no point in saying more.

Lu Xusheng resigned himself to wiping her sweat.

Unfortunately, he had no experience in taking care of others, so he was clumsy and didn't clean it carefully enough.

Cheng Mingyu saw this and thought that he was impatient to take care of Cheng Yian, and said expressionlessly, "If you are willing, take care of him. If you are not, just get out of the way."

Lu Xusheng understood that her father-in-law thought he was not gentle enough. Lu Xusheng swallowed her anger and slowed down her movements. After struggling like this for a while, she finally stopped sweating. Lu Xusheng threw the handkerchief back into the copper basin and sat down opposite Cheng Mingyu.

Cheng Mingyu got straight to the point, "You insist on going to Jiangnan, do you have another purpose?"

Lu Xusheng did not hesitate to say, "To be honest, I have been frequently attacked in recent years, and one of the most important assassins has already gone south. I want to meet him."

Cheng Mingyu shook his head, "A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall."

Lu Xusheng: "I am not a gentleman."

Cheng Mingyu: “…”

After a moment of silence, Cheng Mingyu stopped arguing with him and only asked, "Do you really have to go?"

"Yes, I have to go." Lu Xusheng's eyes were calm, without any fluctuation.

Cheng Mingyu knew that he was determined, so he stopped trying to persuade him. He went to the inner room of the study and brought back about a dozen volumes of documents. Lu Xusheng immediately stood up and took them. Cheng Mingyu sat down and pointed at the documents and said,

"This is what I prepared for my trip south. It contains the details of dozens of Jiangnan noble families, as well as some of the other smaller families. Take it back and have a look so you have a clear idea of ​​what's going on."

This is exactly the information that Lu Xusheng urgently needs.

After all, the Cheng family has been a prominent family for hundreds of years, and they know all the famous families in Jiangnan and even in Dajin. If he guessed correctly, the Cheng family might have intelligence personnel operating secretly.

No matter how much he inquired, his information was not as detailed as the Cheng family's.

Lu Xusheng held the letter and bowed to him solemnly, "Thank you, father-in-law."

"The last booklet contains the names of the wealthy families under my Cheng family. You can make fun of them when necessary."

To put it bluntly, this is Cheng Mingyu's trump card, and it was handed over to him.

Lu Xusheng turned directly to the last page, took a look, and was secretly amazed. He felt the strength of the head of the Cheng family.

"I will not fail in my mission."

Thinking of Lu Xusheng having to deal with the assassin, Cheng Mingyu was worried again, so he took out something that looked like a seal from the antique shelf behind him and threw it to him.

"The thirteen secret guards of the Cheng family will follow you south."

We can't just watch Lu Xusheng put himself in danger.

Lu Xusheng refused this.

"I have someone by my side, don't worry."

How could Cheng Mingyu not understand the background of those people around him? They were all iron guards left over from Silver Mountain. "Those soldiers have been through hundreds of battles, and their abilities are beyond doubt. However, they are all hard-core. If they go to Jiangnan, they must have some experts who are good at assassination and poisoning. These thirteen of me are reliable."

Lu Xusheng smiled and said, "I have these people too."

"The more the better."

Seeing that he couldn't convince him, Lu Xusheng could only accept it with a smile.

Cheng Mingyu asked Lu Xusheng how he planned to proceed, but Lu Xusheng smiled reservedly and said,

"The father-in-law will introduce his son-in-law to you for the sake of keeping you in suspense."

Cheng Mingyu could see that he was very confident, so he just ignored it.

Cheng Yian was awakened by the sound of the two people talking. He opened his eyes in a daze and saw the blurry outline of Lu Xusheng in his sight. He immediately shook his head and forced himself to wake up.

"You're here?"

Seeing this, Lu Xusheng immediately came over and helped her sit up, put a soft pillow under her, looked at her groggy appearance, and sneered,

"You are really capable. You made yourself sick. You can make anyone sick but you can't make yourself sick, right?"

Cheng Yian glared at him, but when he saw his father was standing by, he stopped arguing with him.

"Have you guys come to an end of your discussion?"

Lu Xusheng hummed.

Cheng Yian had let go of his father, but was still worried about Lu Xusheng. He planned to go back and discuss it with him, so he struggled to get up and said, "Let's go back..."

This is what Lu Xusheng meant. Although his father-in-law was very kind and cared about them, Lu Xusheng really didn't like the Cheng family.

Before Cheng Yian could move his legs to the bed, Cheng Mingyu's voice came from the other end.

"What? An An, are you planning to cross the river and then destroy the bridge?"

Cheng Yian paused and asked him in a daze, "Daddy?"

Cheng Mingyu said without hesitation, "Stay at home for a few days and wait until you are back to normal before leaving."

Given her current condition, Cheng Mingyu was worried that she might have to take care of the housework when she returned to the Lu Mansion.

Cheng Yian glanced at Lu Xusheng secretly, looking for help. Lu Xusheng could only try to negotiate with his father-in-law.

"I promise to take good care of her."

Cheng Mingyu said rudely, "Your promise is worthless to me."

Lu Xusheng was convinced and looked at Cheng Yian helplessly.

Cheng Yian didn't give up and gently pulled at the corner of his clothes. Lu Xusheng looked at Cheng Mingyu again, but Cheng Mingyu simply turned his head away and ignored the two of them, with a look on his face that showed there was no room for negotiation.

Seeing this, the old servant immediately tried to smooth things over.

"Aunt, although the young lady's condition cannot be described as sick, I'm afraid it will be difficult for her to stay at home for the next three days. The Lu Mansion is of course very good, but we have to consider the dignity of the mistress of the house. It's better for her to be free and easy at the Cheng Family."

In the Lu family, she is the mistress of the house. In the Cheng family, she is the youngest daughter, and everything she does is taken for granted.

Lu Xusheng had nothing to say, but... Cheng Mingyu lowered his eyes and fixed his robe, with no intention of keeping him.

Lu Xusheng sneered, lowered his eyes and asked Cheng Yian,

"Then shall I take you back to the yard first?"

Cheng Yian nodded.

Lu Xusheng took her cloak, wrapped her and the cloak in his arms, and left without looking back.

Rulan and several maids were waiting outside the courtyard, and took him to Yining Garden. Lu Xusheng was attracted by the luxurious decoration of Yining Garden.

It was so bright that it blinded me. Then I went to the inner room and saw the hot spring through the curtains. It was so warm and pleasant. No wonder Cheng Yian was reluctant to go back.

Lu Xusheng carried the person onto the bed, and Jinwu, who was sitting in front of the bed, looked at her. He carried her all the way without even taking a breath. However, Cheng Yian was exhausted and leaned on the pillow, unable to move.

"Don't do such stupid things next time." She was feeling uncomfortable at the moment, and Lu Xusheng couldn't bear to blame her, so he just gave her some advice.

Cheng Yian lifted his eyelids weakly, somewhat reluctant to let him go.

"Stay?"

Lu Xusheng snorted and laughed, "Didn't you see your father's disapproving look on his face?"

Cheng Yian dropped the question and stared at him, "Are you really going?"

Lu Xusheng restrained his expression, looked at her slightly messy hair, dialed her number, and replied, "Yes."

Cheng Yian's eyes were red again, "I'm sorry."

"It was my own idea. It has nothing to do with you." Lu Xusheng certainly wouldn't tell her about the killer, fearing that she would worry. "Your father has just told me the details of the Jiangnan nobles. I know myself and the enemy, so there won't be any serious problems."

Cheng Yian looked at his calm expression and felt uncomfortable. Lu Xusheng always reported good news but not his worries. Unfortunately, it was too late to persuade him. She gently pulled his sleeve, looked at him tenderly, and said,

"I owe you that."

Lu Xusheng's eyes fell on her pink and white fingers.

His cousin had pulled him like this before, and he felt annoyed at the time and shook her off subconsciously. But now that Cheng Yian was pulling him, he felt a little itchy inside.

If she hadn't taken that damn medicine, they would be on the carriage back to Lu Mansion by now.

"You owe me, and you can pay me back when you get better."

When Cheng Yian met his straight gaze, he knew what he meant, and the feeling of heartache and guilt just now disappeared in an instant.

She punched him lightly, and placed her fist on his chest. It was so firm and reliable that she couldn't bear to let it go, so she just threw herself into his arms and hugged his neck tightly.

"Lu Xusheng, I will never mention Fan Yulin again."

A man who is not responsible is not even worthy of carrying Lu Xusheng's shoes.

Even though she often slept leaning on him in bed, this was the first time she took the initiative to throw herself into his arms.

Lu Xusheng was at a loss as to what to do. He slowly turned around and replied, "Then you must keep your word."

Cheng Yian buried his head in his neck and moaned softly.

She made Lu Xusheng even more itchy.

After Cheng Yian fell asleep again, Lu Xusheng left with the stack of books. Although he spoke so easily in front of Cheng Yian, Lu Xusheng always gave enough respect to his opponents in private.

Back in the study, he called over a few trusted generals, set up a sand table, compared it with Cheng Mingyu's intelligence, and began to deduce.

Cheng Yian slept in the room until noon the next day. When she opened her eyes, she found a face hanging in front of her, which scared her.

"Grandma, don't scare me." She huddled down under the quilt.

The old man glared at her fiercely, turned around and sat up straight, "I scare you? You scare me more like that. I originally thought that Qiao girl was not as stable as you, but you did something big and brought yourself down."

Cheng Yian laughed dryly.

Mrs. Lu also came over to take a look at her and asked softly, "Do you have strength? How about I help you up and give you some porridge?"

Rulan led the little maid to bring a copper basin. The old ancestor and others stepped aside and watched her wash her face and clean up. Then Lu asked someone to bring a small table and put it in front of her bed. Seven or eight small dishes were placed in front of her for her to enjoy.

Cheng Yian was indeed hungry, so she ate two small shrimp dumplings first, and then tasted the others one by one. Her face was flushed with gluttony, and then the old man asked everyone to leave and started to scold her.

"Even if you can't bear to leave your father, you can't do this."

No matter what she said, Cheng Yian just nodded.

The old ancestor became even angrier, pointing at her and saying to the second wife, "Since ancient times, mothers have always loved their youngest children, and have allowed the youngest children in the world to do whatever they want. I thought she was different from the others, having suffered so much in the past, and her ability to manage the Lu family was no less than her elder sister's, so I thought she could bring honor to me, but unexpectedly, she still did not fall into the same rut, and quietly did great things, and was able to scare her father."

"It turns out that the youngest is the youngest. There are not many people who can be worry-free."

Cheng Yian was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He wanted to defend himself, but his "bad deeds" were exposed and he could not justify himself.

The Second Madam just smiled and said, "After all, she is only seventeen years old. Mother, please be more tactful and understanding. Anyone would be jealous when seeing their new father leave. Just think of it as loving her and stop nagging her."

The Third Lady looked at her in surprise and said, "I went back to my parents' home yesterday. My family members all praised our eldest son's daughter for being a good girl and becoming a Duke's wife at such a young age. I felt proud of hearing that and praised you to the skies. Oh, my Duke's wife, I really underestimated you."

Cheng Yian was extremely embarrassed, "Aunties, please let me go. I will never dare to do it again."

After not seeing Cheng Yiqiao for a week, Huan looked around and quickly changed the subject, "Where's my second sister?"

Lu replied, "Today her grandmother's house is hosting a banquet. She saw you early in the morning and went there."

"Are you coming back tonight?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to come back tomorrow."

Cheng Yian felt a little disappointed.

After talking with her for a while, they left each other when they saw that she was tired again. Finally, only the old man was left beside her. He held her hand and said lovingly,

"In fact, I was reluctant to see your father go. I have been unhappy since the day you broke the teacup. This morning he told me that he would not go. I felt relieved and relieved. My child, grandma can see that you really love your father."

"I'm the one who decides not to go back to Hongnong this year. I can't leave you alone at the Lu family for the New Year."

Cheng Yian slept for another three hours in the afternoon and even slept through dinner. When he woke up, he saw Cheng Mingyu sitting in front of the bed.

“Daddy…”

She mumbled in a somewhat hoarse voice, her eyelids barely open, and she struggled slowly to get up from the quilt.

Every time she called "Daddy", Cheng Mingyu had the illusion of becoming a father for the first time.

"Are you hungry, An An?"

"Uh-huh."

The couch was placed next to the screen, with a low cabinet at the head and the feet. Rulan placed the basin on the low cabinet, handed her a warm wet towel, and a cup of mouthwash tea. Cheng Yian rinsed her mouth and wiped her face, then sat up. She smelled a fragrant aroma and sniffed, "Is there anything to eat?"

Cheng Mingyu moved a plate to his side, on which was a food box. When he opened the plate, the aroma became even stronger. On the plate was a stack of triangular cakes, the crust of which was baked to a crispy golden brown, and there seemed to be stuffing inside. Cheng Yian smelled the aroma of chicken.

"It's delicious." She drooled a little.

Cheng Mingyu laughed, "You said it's delicious before you even eat it?"

Yan Ji handed her a pair of chopsticks.

Cheng Yian took a piece of it and put it in his mouth. It was indeed filled with chicken stuffing. They must have picked the tenderest chicken breasts mixed with wheat flour. The texture was extremely delicate and soft. Cheng Yian ate three pieces in a row.

"Is this made by your chef? I've never tasted such delicious samosas."

Cheng Mingyu said calmly, "Daddy did it."

Cheng Yian was so surprised that he forgot to swallow the cake in his mouth. He raised his eyes and looked at him blankly, obviously not believing him.

The dignified Zuodu Lushi, the head of the Cheng family, can actually cook and his cooking skills are so good.

Cheng Mingyu was afraid that his daughter might misunderstand him, so he smiled and explained, "Daddy only knows this."

If you keep doing it the same way for decades, then you are doing it well.

Speaking of Cheng Mingyu cooking, it was actually accidental.

That was when Cheng Yiyan was five years old. The proud young boy had never been outdone before. Until one day when he went to Zheng's house, he was angered and cried by Zheng's cousin. He came back and asked him for his mother, saying that other people's mothers made cakes for their children, but he had no mother.

Cheng Mingyu was heartbroken, so he went into the kitchen and learned how to make this snack himself.

No one would believe it if I told you this, but the second son of the Cheng family, who is very influential in the government district, loves to eat his father's triangular cake the most.

"Daddy let you down last night, so I made this cake today to make up for it."

Cheng Yian looked at him tenderly, tears welling in her eyes. She didn't bother to talk and just ate one bite at a time.

With a father like this, I really want to leave Lu Xusheng and come back to be his daughter.

There were not many pieces on this plate, only eight. Cheng Yian finished it quickly and then looked at Cheng Mingyu eagerly.

Cheng Mingyu was very pleased, his eyes full of doting, "Here is another plate, save it for you to eat later, if you eat too much at once, you will choke easily."

He also ordered the maid to serve her the main meal. This time Cheng Yian didn't have much appetite, so she ate a little quickly and put it down.

Cheng Mingyu had other things to do, so he talked to her for a while and then went back to the study. As soon as he left, Cheng Yiyan followed him in.

He had no time to come back today, but when he heard that Cheng Yian was ill, he rushed back home in a hurry. As expected, he started to blame Cheng Yian as soon as he entered the house.

"An An, how old are you? You are still acting like a little girl and trying to stop Dad from going out. If you really have any difficulties, you should discuss it with your brother..."

In the middle of his words, Cheng Yiyan smelled a familiar aroma and stopped talking and changed his tone.

"Dad made triangular cakes?"

Cheng Yian saw his eyes starting to look at the food box, so he quickly rushed over and held the food box in his arms.

"No, my second brother has been eating this for years, and this is my first time eating it. I won't give you a single bite."

Cheng Yiyan laughed out of anger and sat down on the armchair opposite her.

"This has to be eaten while it's hot. It won't taste good when it gets cold."

"This is none of your business." Cheng Yian didn't fall for his trick.

Mrs. Lu came in with Cheng Yiyan, trailing behind him. Seeing the brother and sister quarreling over a plate of cakes, she shook her head and scolded Cheng Yiyan as soon as she came in, "How shameless! You are the head of the national treasury and the father of two children, yet you are trying to steal food from your sister."

"No, I was just teasing her." Cheng Yiyan still cared about his reputation in front of his wife.

Cheng Yiyan has been working hard in the government office recently to protect the little money in the national treasury. Seeing that he looked tired, Lu guessed that he hadn't had a good rest for a long time and urged him to go back to his room.

"Let's go take a warm bath."

Cheng Yiyan told his sister to have a good rest, then stood up to leave. Before leaving, he glanced at the food box unwillingly, "Brother hasn't eaten this for almost a year, are you really reluctant to give him some?"

Cheng Yian was merciless, "No."

Cheng Yiyan was so angry that he left.

Half a minute later, Lu Xusheng also came.

Cheng Yian said that he wanted to leave Lu Xusheng, but when he saw him, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

"Did you come from the government district? Or from home? Did you have dinner?"

She can act coquettishly in front of her father and brother, but in front of her husband she can't help but take on the responsibilities of a wife.

Lu Xusheng was wrapped in a cloak. He felt hot when he entered the room, so he immediately handed the cloak to the maid, washed his hands and sat down in front of her, and said, "It came from the palace. I have already received the imperial edict, but in order to stabilize those powerful families, I announced to the outside world that your father is in charge."

At this point, Lu Xusheng paused, and looked at Cheng Yian with a complicated expression, "Except for me, His Majesty agreed that the eldest princess can go south to Jinling and garrison for me."

"I said you are fine, why do you have to let the princess get involved?"

Cheng Yian said, "If it weren't for Her Royal Highness the Princess, would His Majesty have been able to be persuaded so smoothly? Besides, it can be considered a blessing in disguise. Her Royal Highness the Princess has decided to let go of my father."

Lu Xusheng was a little surprised, and after a pause he said, "Sometimes letting go is not necessarily a good thing."

Cheng Yian was unhappy, "Why do you say that? Your Highness, can't you have your own life?"

Lu Xusheng was in a hurry to visit Cheng Yian and didn't have time for dinner. He saw a food box on the small table beside him and reached out for it, saying, "I'm not talking about her."

Cheng Yian's heart skipped a beat and he stared at Lu Xusheng suspiciously. His profile was distinct, his thick eyebrows and eyelashes cast a faint shadow at the corners of his eyes, and his expression was rarely depressed.

Cheng Yian realized later that he was talking about the divorce in the previous life.

Regret letting go?

Cheng Yian snorted at him lightly, and during this moment of stunned silence, he saw Lu Xusheng taking out a triangle cake from the plate under the food box.

“Don’t eat my cake.”

Cheng Yian quickly snatched it away.

One put a piece of it in his mouth, and the other took the whole plate.

Lu Xusheng was amused by her sudden and startled behavior and thought that she was just holding a grudge against him because of something that happened in her past life.

Cheng Yian looked at him with a proud look on his face, "My father made it himself."

Lu Xusheng's expression froze, wondering if he had heard wrongly, "Your father's craftsmanship?"

"Um."

Lu Xusheng put the tip of his tongue against his lips and teeth and didn't say anything for a long time.

A gentleman stays away from the kitchen. Isn't Cheng Mingyu the best gentleman in the world? How did he learn cooking?

Seeing Cheng Yian eating with gusto, Lu Xusheng's dissatisfaction with his father-in-law had reached its peak.

It really doesn't give people any chance to survive.

He was looking forward to tasting his wife's cooking skills, but ended up getting a taste of his father-in-law's cooking skills.

It's not easy to be the son-in-law of the Cheng family's eldest son.