Chapter 124 Everyone has their own judgment of what kind of person I, Lu Zhaoruo, am.
On the shore, the crowds seeing them off surged like a tide as the fleet moved forward, with cheers, blessings, and sobs of reluctance mingling together.
Outside the crowd, on a stone step overlooking the water, stood a figure.
It is Wan Wanning.
She squinted, her gaze seemingly fixed on the bow of the largest command ship in the distance—firmly locking onto Xiao Yeming, who stood against the wind in his black robes and iron armor.
The sea breeze lifted her skirt and hair, but she seemed lost in thought, oblivious to it, staring blankly into the distance.
Only when the ship's silhouette had completely faded into a dark dot on the horizon, making it impossible to distinguish human figures, did she turn around and leave silently.
Inside the embroidery building.
The crisp, calm sound of the abacus beads striking each other mirrored Lu Zhaoruo's state of mind at that moment.
She did not go to the dock to see him off, but focused on the ledger in her hand, shutting out the faint horns and noise coming from outside the window.
"My wife..."
Dong Rou stepped forward lightly and whispered, "Miss Wan Ning is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps... she also went to the docks to join in the fun."
Lu Zhaoruo's fingers continued to dab the abacus beads, and upon hearing this, she merely gave a faint smile, though her eyes held no real joy: "Let her be."
A short while later, Wan Wanning quietly slipped back through the side door with light, hurried steps.
Her hair was slightly loose, and there was some wet mud on the hem of her skirt. Her eyes were darting around as she deliberately avoided people and quietly made her way back to the backyard.
Looking up, she unexpectedly bumped into Greenie, who was carrying an embroidery frame.
Wan Wanning quickly straightened up, tucked the stray hairs behind her ears, and, adopting the demeanor of a mistress, said to Lü'er, "Lü'er... I've just walked a bit and am a little thirsty. Would you please pour me a cup of hot tea?"
As she spoke, she kept an eye on her surroundings out of the corner of her eye, afraid that her 'instructions' would be overheard by others.
Greenie bowed her head and replied, "Yes, Miss Wanning."
Seeing Greenie respectfully respond and turn to leave, Wan Wanning subconsciously twirled the hem of her clothes with her fingers, her lips curving upwards, a surge of joy welling up in her heart.
The identity of "Lu Dongjia's adopted sister" brought her unprecedented dignity and respect.
She liked it very much.
My sister really did entrust herself to a good place.
"if……"
She thought to herself, "If I could use this identity to find a good marriage and marry into a prestigious family..."
Inside the main hall of the embroidered building.
Lu Zhaoruo was arranging her newly made embroidery pieces one by one on the rosewood frame. Light and shadow shone through the window lattice onto her serene profile.
She looked up but saw no one, and asked softly, "Hasn't Greenie come yet?"
Dongrou replied in a low voice, "I don't know why, she's been so busy these past few days that I can't find her anywhere. Shall I go and look for her?"
Lu Zhaoruo lowered her eyes and continued to arrange the embroidery, saying lightly, "No need, we'll just add a few more maids to serve tea in a few days."
Before he could finish speaking...
Tu Shi stormed in, her face ashen, her gaze piercing Lu Zhaoruo like a knife. She immediately cursed, "You wretched child! You still have the mind to fiddle with these things here!"
"Look what you've done! A month ago, didn't you bump into the county magistrate's daughter, Miss Li, on the street? Well, now the retribution has come on to your brother. He was just reinstated as the patrol inspector a few days ago, but he's been stripped of his post and dismissed by the county magistrate!"
"It's all your fault!"
Lu Zhaoruo frowned.
Lu Bohong, the elder brother, had been recuperating in the embroidery tower for some time before returning to the county government office to report for duty.
However, her dismissal was within her expectations. In any case, once Xiao Yeming returned victorious, she would accompany her brother to the capital to participate in the martial arts examination.
Dongrou quickly stepped forward and said softly, "Madam, if you have something to say, why don't you move to the reception area to discuss it in detail? There are so many people coming and going in the main hall, and if you speak so loudly, I'm afraid..."
Madam Tu's anger flared even more. Her gaze swept over the brocades, embroidered screens, and dressing boxes displayed in the hall. She then reached out and grabbed a valuable piece of dark-patterned embroidery, stuffing it into her bosom: "You troublemaker! Since you've harmed your own family, use these things to tidy up your brother! We can't let him ruin his future for nothing!"
Lu Zhaoruo had already stood up, her face ashen.
She stepped forward, raised her hand and firmly pressed down on Madam Tu's wrist, her voice cold and clear: "Mother, I have my own plans regarding my brother's affairs. But everything in the embroidery workshop, every stitch and thread, is registered and belongs to the workshop as public property. Please put it down."
Speechless at her cold and hard attitude, Madam Tu became enraged and flung her hand away, pointing her finger at her nose and yelling, "Fine! Fine! Lu Zhaoruo, you've grown wings now! You even dare to talk back to your mother!"
"In the past, when you were the mistress of the Shen family, running a cloth shop and a tailor shop, you would always make excuses when asked to make a few clothes! Now that you've built such a large embroidery workshop, you can't even bear to part with a single bolt of your embroidery! How can you be so unfilial and disrespectful? You're so stingy and calculating, even towards your own family!"
Lu Zhaoruo's expression was icy cold, and she did not back down an inch: "Whatever Mother says is fine, but you cannot take a single item from the embroidery room."
"I'm going to take it anyway!"
Tu stared at her.
"Then please don't blame your daughter for being ruthless. I'll have to ask the guards to escort you out."
Lu Zhaoruo said coldly.
Upon hearing this, Madam Tu abruptly overturned an embroidered screen beside her, scattering the embroidery pieces all over the floor.
She put her hands on her hips and raised her voice even higher: "Fine! You ungrateful wretch! How heartless!"
The surrounding guests turned their heads to look, and several people had already gathered around.
Dongrou stepped forward to pull her away and persuade her, but Tu Shi pushed her away fiercely: "Get out of here, you blind, lowly servant."
She then raised her voice and said, "Everyone, come and see! Come and judge for yourselves! How ungrateful and heartless Lu Zhaoruo, the owner of this embroidery shop, is! As her own mother, I wanted to take a piece of embroidery, but she wouldn't give me one. Instead, she ordered the guards to drag me out. Where is justice?!"
Sun Jing had already entered the hall upon hearing the sound.
Seeing this, Madam Tu was a little scared and fell to the ground with a thud, bursting into tears. As she cried, she recounted how she had raised Lu Zhaoruo with great difficulty and how heartless and cruel Lu Zhaoruo was now.
As more onlookers gathered, whispers began to rise.
Lu Zhaoruo, however, remained upright, her voice not loud but clear enough for everyone around to hear: "Mother, are you determined to ruin your daughter's business today?"
“My mother keeps saying that I am ungrateful and a heartless wretch. But what about my mother’s actions today? Everyone here is a regular customer who has witnessed my behavior. You all know what kind of person I, Lu Zhaoruo, am.”
Even if Mother hangs herself here today, my embroidery shop will still continue to do business.
The embroidered tower fell silent for a moment.
To Tu's utter surprise, Lu Zhaoruo became increasingly cold and unapproachable after opening her boudoir.
She was filled with hatred.
Lu Zhaoruo nodded slightly to Sun Jingwei.
Sun Jing understood, stepped forward two steps, and said to Madam Tu, "Madam, please."
Immediately, he and another employee, one on each side, half-invited and half-carried Tu Shi out of the embroidered building.
Tu was "invited" outside, and she stumbled a bit before regaining her balance.
She whirled around, glaring fiercely at the slowly closing door, gritting her teeth as she muttered, "Hmph... He's definitely not one of my own, an ungrateful wretch! Look at that cold-hearted, heartless, and utterly ruthless person!"
She stood there cursing for a while, but seeing no further movement from inside the embroidered tower, she finally had no choice but to leave in a huff.
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