64 Homecoming Day
◎Madam, do you think that being a bit scheming and cunning is wrong?◎
After leaving Cishou Hall, Chu Yufu went straight to Chaolu Pavilion.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Cen'er and Pan'er, her former servants, carefully watering the flowers and plants under the porch with watering cans. When they saw her, their eyes lit up with surprise. They quickly put down their watering cans and stepped forward to greet her. "Greetings, Second Miss!"
Chu Yufu nodded with a smile. Cen'er had already swiftly entered the house to pass on the message, while Pan'er led her inside.
She asked, "Why are you here at Chaolu Pavilion? Didn't I tell Grandmother to serve you at Cishou Hall?"
Pan'er kept walking, whispering, "We servants were just transferred here yesterday. Madam Bai felt unwell, so she sent for a doctor, who diagnosed her with pregnancy! The old lady was very happy, saying that Chaolu Pavilion was short of staff, so she ordered us to come and serve her."
Pregnant?
Chu Yufu paused. This wasn't surprising; after all, Daddy had indeed been staying in Auntie's room for the past two months.
At this moment, Aunt Bai had already arrived at the door with a gentle smile on her face: "I knew today was the day you would return home. I was just wondering when you would come, and just when I thought about it, you arrived!"
After not seeing her for a few days, Aunt Bai looked as usual, except that she had a green jade bracelet with excellent water content on her wrist and a pair of fishhook-shaped gold earrings on her earrings.
Chu Yufu's eyes swept across the inner room behind her inconspicuously and she immediately noticed something different. The furniture in the room was almost brand new. A set of pastel tea sets was placed on the table, and there was even a thick woven carpet beside the bed.
She withdrew her gaze, looked at Aunt Bai with a smile, and sincerely congratulated her, "Aunt, congratulations!"
Aunt Bai pursed her lips and smiled faintly. She pulled her to a seat, a hint of nervousness barely noticeable. "You already know everything... Yesterday the doctor said the illness has only just started, less than two weeks ago. You're a skilled doctor. Please check my pulse again, and I'll feel more at ease."
"Come here," Chu Yufu responded, pulling Aunt Bai's wrist over and gently placing her fingertips on it. After a moment of careful scrutiny, she could indeed feel the smooth, round shape of pearls and jade, and her pulse was steady and strong, her Qi and blood saturated.
She let go of his hand and said with a smile, "The pulse is very stable. Auntie, just rest assured and take care of it. Everything is fine."
She rested her elbows on the brand new pearwood table, supported her chin with both hands, and raised her delicate little chin towards Yunxi Hall.
"I was wondering why they look so grim today. Having lost the housekeeper's key, and now Auntie having this bad news, it's like cutting flesh with a blunt knife, wouldn't it be more painful than killing her? Auntie, you must be more careful every day and don't get into trouble. If you feel something is wrong, just go and ask Grandmother for help. She will definitely protect you..."
Chu Yufu's voice gradually lowered as she spoke. Aunt Bai beside her raised her lips, but her eyes showed no joy. Instead, they were shrouded in a faint sadness.
"...What's wrong with Aunt? You look like someone is worried about something?" Chu Yufu asked softly.
Aunt Bai reached out and grasped the teacup, looking down at the green tea leaves floating in the cup, her voice as soft as a sigh.
"I'm older than you, and by seniority, I'm half your elder. There are things I shouldn't say to you. But I really don't have anyone to talk to in this mansion..."
She looked up at Chu Yufu, her eyes complicated. "Yes, I know that Wu's fate today is her own fault. Without her pressure from above, I've had a better life, but looking at her now, I'm really scared. Did you know? The Master hasn't set foot in Yunxi Hall once in the past two months. Even when the eldest lady personally invited him, she couldn't get him to come. I'm naturally happy to see the Master ignore her... but, after all, she was the one who gave birth to his children and stayed by his side for nearly twenty years."
She paused, her voice lowering. "As for your mother's past, I've only just learned a little bit. But it was Wu's provocation that caused her to give birth, and yet Master is so decisive. It's really too much..."
The word "heartless" rolled on her tongue for a few times, but she couldn't utter it out in the end, and only let out a long sigh.
The two people in the room fell into silence, with only the chirping of cicadas outside the window.
After a long while, Chu Yufu finally spoke slowly, her voice very soft: "Auntie, don't overthink it. Without expectations, there will be less disappointment. You just need to remember your original intention. Be careful with your words and actions in daily life. If you have the opportunity, save some money for yourself. It's always a good idea."
Marrying into the husband's family means being at the mercy of others, and your life depends entirely on their wishes. If you have some private property, you can still have some confidence. People like Aunt Bai who have nothing need to prepare for a rainy day.
Thinking of her own thick private account, Chu Yufu's sinking heart began to rise slightly.
Aunt Bai nodded silently, took a deep breath, and suppressed her surging emotions. She raised her hand, gently placed it on her belly, and changed the heavy topic: "The mansion has been very lively in the past two days since you were away. Do you know that the eldest girl's marriage is probably about to be decided?"
"Whose son is it?" Chu Yufu was surprised. In the spring, her grandmother had wanted to marry her eldest sister to the young master of the Liu family. The marriage was going well, but then the bride swap incident came up, and her eldest sister's marriage was put on hold.
"It was the official matchmaker sent by the Changping Marquis's Mansion to ask for a marriage for their second son, Ren Yu." Aunt Bai said.
"Why is it him!" Chu Yufu frowned.
During the banquet at the Spring Pavilion, cousin Lu's close friends mentioned this man during the meal. They didn't have a good opinion of him, saying that he was a playboy and frequented brothels. Only his appearance and family background were worth mentioning.
How could Mrs. Wu and her father not know?
"Mrs. Wu and father both agreed? Grandmother also agreed?" she asked.
Aunt Bai shook her head. "That's exactly what's strange. Wu didn't say a word this time. The master... agreed. According to him, after all, she's from a noble family. The old lady was vehemently opposed, but the young lady was determined to get married. She kept saying that men would settle down after they got married, and that if she didn't seize this opportunity, she'd never be able to make a comeback. It really pissed the old lady off, and she said she wouldn't interfere with her future."
Chu Yufu was silent. Everyone has their own ambitions, and their own destiny.
She had been away from home for only two days, and the situation in the mansion had changed dramatically. More things had happened than in the two months she had been there!
After chatting for a few more words, Chu Yufu stood up to say goodbye. Before leaving Chaolu Pavilion, she went to the west wing to find her fourth sister. It was inconvenient to take Chuyi with her on the day of her wedding, so she entrusted it to Chu Linglan to take care of it. She should also take it away when she returned home today.
As soon as the puppy saw its owner, its tail immediately wagged like a windmill, and it excitedly circled around her. Although Chu Linglan was extremely reluctant to let go, she also knew that she couldn't take someone else's love away, so she just tugged at Chu Yufu's sleeve and begged, "Second sister, when you go home to visit relatives in the future, please bring Chuyi with you!"
Chu Yufu agreed with a smile: "Okay, when you miss Chuyi, you can come to my house to play with me."
Chu Linglan thought of her second brother-in-law's cold face during the meal, and subconsciously shrank her neck. She whispered, "Will my brother-in-law agree?"
Chu Yufu hesitated for a moment, her tone uncertain: "Should... I think so?"
-
In the front hall, the lunch table had already been cleared, and the servants served fresh fruit and tea. Wu excused herself, saying she was feeling unwell, and Chu Linglan and Chu Junze left with her.
After Mr. Chu and Pei Yue chatted for another half an hour, he stood up and said, "Mingzhang, please sit down for a while. I will change my clothes for a while." Pei Yue and Chu Jinhe were the only ones left in the hall.
Chu Jinhe picked up a plump, rosy plum from the fruit bowl and carefully peeled off the thin skin. The flesh was exposed, and the inside was clearly showing brown spots that indicated staleness.
The corners of her lips curled up into a smile, and she raised her hand to show the plum in Pei Yue's direction, saying with insincere regret: "Mr. Pei, please tell me this plum. It looks fresh and juicy on the surface, but once you peel it, you'll find that it's already rotten inside."
She casually threw the rotten plum on the table, turned her gaze towards Pei Yue, and sighed meaningfully, "Actually, this person is sometimes like this, just like this plum. On the surface, he pretends to be innocent, gentle and harmless, but deep down, he's scheming and calculating, with a deep mind and a vicious heart."
Pei Yue raised his eyelids slightly, and his gaze swept across the rotten plum. Without saying a word, he just picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Chu Jinhe's expression turned ugly, and her eyes suddenly became sinister. She picked up a handkerchief and carefully wiped her fingers that were splashed with plum juice, and said sadly: "Mr. Pei, I guess you don't know that my second sister is not an easy person to deal with. She only looks gentle and kind on the surface, but in fact-"
"elder sister!"
Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by a clear voice. Chu Yufu, holding Chuyi in her arms, walked quickly into the hall from outside and came straight to Chu Jinhe. Her face was full of smiles, but her eyes were like ice-dipped plums, dark and cold, and she looked straight at Chu Jinhe.
"Mr. Pei?" She raised her voice slightly. "I'm afraid that addressing him like that is confusing the generations. Now, I should call him 'brother-in-law'."
Chu Jinhe was caught in the act of instigating something behind her back. She clenched the embroidered handkerchief in her hand, and the color on her face instantly faded, then suddenly turned red again.
Just then, Master Chu returned from changing. Pei Yue, who had been silent the entire time, tapped his teacup gently on the table, making a crisp sound. He lifted his robe, stood up, and bowed to Master Chu: "Father-in-law, it's getting late. My son-in-law and I should say goodbye."
Master Chu subconsciously glanced at the bright sky outside the hall, and was stunned for a moment before reacting: "Ah? Oh, okay, okay. Fu'er, you can go back with Mingzhang."
Chu Yufu hadn't expected her elder sister to cause trouble just an hour after she'd left. She had lost all her ladylike demeanor. Pei Yue hadn't heard a word of what she'd said before, but she'd listened to it a bit. On the way out of the house, she kept her head down, looking unhappy and just walking forward.
After getting on the carriage, she did not sit next to Pei Yue as she did when she came, but sat in the corner and placed Chuyi between her and Pei Yue. She gently stroked Chuyi's smooth fur. When she was hesitating about what to say, Pei Yue broke the silence first.
The man looked at her quietly, his deep eyes seeming to see through people's hearts. "Madam, do you think being a bit scheming is wrong? Do you think being gentle, innocent, and naive is right?"
【Author’s words】
In fact, at the beginning of this article, I just wanted to arrange a good marriage for Fu Fu, which would be a happy ending.
After all, isn't having money, status, a lover, and a comfortable life enough? But when Fufu's marriage was snatched away, with her grandmother and father gone, and she said, "How long will this life of relying on others to make decisions for me last?", I suddenly realized that for Fufu, who had worked so hard, once living under someone else's roof but had fought her way to university, becoming a doctor, and striving to take control of her own life, these were far from enough.
In this era, women have relatively many shackles. Perhaps even if they have money, they cannot live a good life. If they want to completely control their own lives, they need to change from relying on green tea methods to please others to achieve their goals, and grow into a "big boss" who has the right to speak and makes others dare not offend her. That is the perfect ending that should belong to Fu Fu.
The best thing about Lao Pei is that he does not look down on women, nor does he treat Fu Fu as a canary. He is willing to let Fu Fu spread her wings and fly high.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
