Chapter 183: Debt Collection at the Marquis' Mansion

Lu Lingyun was fiddling with an abacus in her own courtyard.

The maids sat around her, embroidering clothes, tending to flowers and plants, or fanning her.

"Why does our Master Cheng seem weird to me?" Xiao Wei said.

"What's so strange about that?"

"Don't you think he is particularly concerned about your cousin's affairs?" Xiao Wei raised her head with a gossipy look on her face.

"I feel the same way!" Xiao Tao said, "Look, last time, my cousin called him and Miss Huihui beggars, but he didn't get angry. He even came to the rescue of my cousin."

"No way," Xiao Rui shook her head and said seriously, "I think the Second Master is kind-hearted and doesn't care about my cousin. Look at him taking the initiative to help today. What kind of master would do such a thing?"

"If he is kind and enthusiastic, why doesn't he help you fetch water? Help you with some chores!"

"That's right. Last time you went to the outer courtyard to pass on a message, I didn't even have the enthusiasm to invite you for tea!"

Xiao Rui blushed, "How can I compare with my cousin!"

"Why not? According to what you said, I can help my cousin deliver things, but I can't help you fetch water!"

"If you ask me, I'll just ask Second Master why he's so enthusiastic but doesn't help our Xiao Rui!"

"That's right. I'll ask you later."

"You are so bad!" Xiao Rui couldn't argue with a group of people. She immediately went to Lu Lingyun with a red face to complain, shaking her arm, "Madam, look at them!"

Lu Lingyun, who was fiddling with the abacus beads at the side, chuckled, "That's enough, you talkative girls. If you keep talking, Xiaorui will mess up my abacus beads, and then there won't be anyone willing to recount for me."

As soon as she finished speaking, the maids around her laughed.

Xiao Rui pouted, "Madam, you are also bad, you also bully others!"

When a group of people were talking and laughing, the nanny came to report.

"Madam, there's someone outside asking for the bill!"

"You want the bill? Whose? " Lu Lingjun stopped smiling and looked at the nanny strangely.

"It's someone from the casino. They said they were cheating our mansion! They're here to ask us for money!"

"Who owes the money?" Lu Lingyun became more and more curious as he listened.

"The man who is behind the bill is called Du Tai. He said his sister is the most favored concubine in the Ningyang Marquis's mansion! All the bills are on Concubine Du's head!"

Lu Lingyun: "......"

Small lotus courtyard.

Du Ruo had a rare two days of free time.

Her brother didn't look for her again, and she had been getting very close to Cheng Yunshuo these days.

Every night, she would act coquettishly and ask Cheng Yunshuo to feed her and give her water. Cheng Yunshuo would always say a few words about why she never grew up, and then he would go along with her and dote on her.

Du Ruoke likes to hear Cheng Yunshuo say that she will never grow up.

It felt like being held in his palm.

She was just tilting her head to think about how to act coquettishly with Cheng Yunshuo tonight when she heard Xiaoqin hurriedly report, "Aunt Du, the young mistress wants you to come over."

Lu Lingyun is looking for her?

The sweetness in Du Ruo's eyes suddenly disappeared, and a hint of hostility and reluctance crept up.

Could it be that he saw that she was favored and was picking on her on purpose?

Humph, she won’t be afraid of her!

Du Ruo packed up and went to Lu Lingyun's yard.

When she arrived at Lu Lingyun's yard, she saw several unfamiliar men standing in the middle of the yard.

Those people were all dressed in shorts and rough clothes, and they all looked like hooligans. It was obvious at first glance that they were not serious people.

"What does the young lady want to talk to me about?" Du Ruo was unaware and spoke over those people.

Lu Lingyun glanced at her, then looked at the debt collector in front of him, "Look, this is Aunt Du, talk to her."

Upon hearing this, Du Ruo immediately turned around and looked at the strangers in front of him, eyes full of vigilance and surprise, "Who are you? What are you doing!"

These are for her!

For a moment, she even thought that maybe Lu Lingyun had hired a group of thugs to bully her and take revenge on her!

Amidst her shame, anger, and confusion, she heard the person on the other side yell viciously, "Pay back the money!"

Du Ruo: “…”

"Pay back the money now!"

"It is only natural to pay back debts!"

"Who are you?"

For a moment, Du Ruo was confused and she looked at Lu Lingyun hurriedly.

Lu Lingyun took a sip of hot tea and said slowly, "They came to you and said your brother owed money at the casino."

Du Ruo: “…”

Her brother owed money in the casino and even came to the Marquis' Mansion!

Du Ruo blushed with shame, and was angry and annoyed, "How much money does my brother owe you!"

"Three hundred taels!"

"Three hundred taels?!" Du Ruo couldn't believe it.

"Aunt, you'd better pay back the money as soon as possible. This is the fingerprint of your brother in our casino. If you don't pay back the money, we will report to the police!" The people in the casino threw out a stack of IOUs, all of which had the names of Du Ruo and Ningyang Marquis' Mansion on them.

"We in the Marquisate won't recognize this thing." Lu Lingyun's voice came slowly, "If we see the officials, we will definitely punish those who use the name of the Marquisate."

When Du Ruo heard this, her face turned even redder.

Her brother owed money and the debt collector came to her husband's house to collect the debt, which made her lose face in front of Lu Lingyun.

The key point is that her brother used the title of the Marquis' Mansion falsely, which was simply embarrassing for her husband's family!

"I'll pay it back for him!"

After saying these four words, Du Ruo turned around and went back to his yard to get the money.

How could her dowry be enough? She had already paid back 160 taels for Du Tai before, and now she had to pay another 300 taels. The dowry and betrothal money together were only about 300 taels. In the end, what was not enough was used, so she used most of her box of jewelry to make up for it.

Only then did he manage to pay back Du Tai's money.

"From today on, Du Tai's debt has nothing to do with me! You are not allowed to come to the Marquis' Mansion to collect debts again!" After Du Ruo paid back the money, he tore up the IOU in front of Lu Lingyun.

The casino people who had received the money naturally laughed happily and said, "Okay, okay, we won't come anymore."

Du Ruo heaved a sigh of relief only after these people left. She turned around and glanced at Lu Lingyun who was watching the excitement from beginning to end. She felt ashamed and angry. What a shame! She had embarrassed herself in front of her!

"I've dealt with the matter! Don't look for me anymore!"

After saying this, she ran away from Lu Lingyun's yard with a red face.

"Hey, Aunt Du is really becoming more and more unruly!"

"Did our young mistress ask her to leave? She left!"

"You feel ashamed, right? It's really embarrassing!"

The maids said.

Lu Lingyun looked at the back of Emperor Du Ruocang fleeing and shook his head, "It's nothing to be embarrassed in front of me, but it's the end of being embarrassed in front of others."

Du Ruo returned to her own courtyard feeling very ashamed. She sat on a chair, thinking about rushing back to the Du family to question her brother, and then she wanted to lock herself up because of her shame today.

Just at this time, Cheng Yunshuo came back.

"What's wrong with you today?" Cheng Yunshuo had already walked in and Du Ruo didn't see him, so he couldn't help but ask.

"Master!" Du Ruo raised her blushing face and threw herself into Cheng Yunshuo's arms.

"Who bullied you today?"