Chapter 72: Cedar Picture

Lu Lingyun made a new friend.

She stayed in Duke Xu's mansion for a long time and had a very sumptuous lunch with Qin.

The standard of meals at the Duke's Mansion opened her eyes again. It was second only to the state banquets she had attended in the palace in her previous life.

There were dishes like steamed lamb with milk, steamed bear paw, lamb face soup, venison ham slices, steamed duck with wine, sour bamboo shoots and chicken skin soup, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and even some side dishes like tofu skin buns, sugar-filled rose dumplings, laba porridge, and chicken oil rolls. The four saucers all had their own secrets.

Rich families like the Duke's Mansion do not eat out-of-season dishes. For example, now that winter has arrived, crabs and fresh fish are no longer available. It's not that they can't eat them, but that they only eat what is fresh and in season.

What is the best time to eat and what is the most plump time to eat.

Snow was fluttering outside as Lu Lingjun and a large group of female relatives from the Duke's Mansion were enjoying a simple meal in a warm house.

The maids and nannies served me very attentively and meticulously, and I didn't feel any discomfort at all.

Lu Lingyun was also experienced in big occasions and had learned the table etiquette required of someone entering the palace. She ate a sumptuous meal without showing any shyness or being disrespectful, just like the other noble ladies in the room.

Cui and the people from the Duke's Mansion had looked at her several times, with satisfaction and surprise in their eyes.

At first, Li Niyue wondered if Lu Lingyun might not understand something during the meal, so she deliberately sat next to her, thinking of helping her when the time came.

After finishing the meal, the whole family chatted for a while. As Qin and Cui were reluctant to leave each other, Lu Lingyun finally left the Duke's Mansion with Qin.

When leaving, Cui pulled Qin aside and said, "Sister, if you have nothing to do, come to my place more often."

"I understand." Qin smiled.

Cui turned to look at Lu Lingyun. She held out her hand, and Lu Lingyun sensibly held out her hand. Cui laughed, "Your daughter-in-law comes from a scholarly family, is generous and decent, and is really likable."

"It's all because of my aunt and mother-in-law."

Cui held Lu Lingyun's hand and winked at Nanny Jiang, "Since you come here for the first time, I have to give you a gift. I just happened to get a painting by Ning Song, a great painter from the previous dynasty. We are all rough people and can't see much, so it would be great if you could keep it."

Ning Song, the painter of the previous dynasty?

Lu Lingyun's eyes lit up when he heard this. "But is it the cedar painting?"

"Look, look, it's worthy of the scholarly family I mentioned. When I say this, you know that it is worthy of being collected by someone like our Lingyun!" Cui smiled.

Other people in the room also laughed.

But Lu Lingyun's heart couldn't help but beat fast.

She knew Ning Song's cedar painting very well. In her previous life, she missed an opportunity to let Li Wenxun return to Beijing because of the cedar painting.

At that time, Grand Tutor Zhao Jue had a quota for selecting Beijing officials. As long as he proposed a candidate to the emperor, there was a 99% chance that he would be selected.

Zhao Jue was a fan of Ning Song's calligraphy, especially the Cedar Picture. When Lu Lingyun learned of the opportunity, he went to great lengths to look for it, but unfortunately he did not find it. Some other calligraphy he sent were returned, causing Li Wenxun to miss an early opportunity to return to Beijing.

In the end, he could only accumulate merits bit by bit in the Jiangnan area, and it took him more than ten years to come back.

Unexpectedly, the treasure I had been searching for all my life turned out to be in Duke Xu's Mansion.

Moreover, I gave it to myself!

Nanny Jiang took out the cedar painting. Lu Lingjun was overjoyed when he received it and kept thanking Cui.

Cui was so amused that she burst into laughter. "If you like these, come to my house often. I have a lot of them here, and you can take a good look at them."

"Yun'er must come often."

Lu Lingjun glanced at Qin, then at Li Niyue, and said while holding the cedar painting.

Cui and Li escorted Qin and Lu Lingyun to the carriage. They said goodbye reluctantly. Qin looked at Lu Lingyun holding the cedar painting in the carriage as if he had found a treasure. "So you like these things."

"My mother gave me those jewels and jades, and I like the clothes and silks too." Lu Lingyun smiled.

Qin reached out and touched her forehead, "How come I just realized that you are still a money-grubber."

Lu Lingyun smiled and said nothing.

She is indeed a money-grubber.

There is no such thing as glory and wealth in this world.

Over the past few decades, Lu Lingyun's life has been getting better and better, and she has become more and more wealthy and glorious.

When a person closes his eyes, everything is empty. Only when one lives happily every day is life real.

After returning to the Marquis' Mansion, he continued to live a comfortable life as usual.

The old Marquis Qin did not put any pressure on Lu Lingyun in the mansion.

Only at dinner every day, Cheng Yunshuo would eat with her and the old marquis Qin.

After dinner, Cheng Yunshuo went to Qiuxiangyuan or his own Yaoguangge to rest.

During the day, Lu Lingyun would chat with Qin, look at the accounts, and consult her about matters in the government. The relationship between Lu Lingyun and Qin became better and better.

Then it was December, and the Chinese New Year was approaching, so we started buying a lot of New Year goods.

Xing Dairong was also released from house arrest.

Lu Lingyun knew Xing Dairong's current situation.

After she placed Xing Dairong under house arrest, Cheng Yunshuo went there that day and heard Qiu Kui say that Xing Dairong cried for half the night, but calmed down the next day and ate well every day thereafter.

Lu Lingyun had never been stingy with Xing Dairong. After hearing her honesty, she even sighed.

After all, she is a simple little girl. In her eyes, there is only love and nothing else. When this love encounters setbacks, it is like the collapse of the world. I hope she can grow up a little.

When Lu Lingyun was chatting and embroidering with Qin in her room, she heard Nanny Wen speak.

"Madam, Young Madam, Aunt Xing is here."

"Aunt Xing? Where did Aunt Xing come from in our house?" Qin didn't think of it at first.

Yes, usually everyone kept Xing Dairong in the dark and disdained to talk about her. After she was under house arrest, she became even more obedient and had no sense of existence. When Xing Dairong suddenly came to visit, Qin was stunned.

"That's the one who used to live in the prince's room."

"Oh, it's her." Qin put down the embroidery she was doing to kill time, her face turned serious, "Why is she here?"

"I'm here to pay my respects to Madam and Young Madam."

Qin's face became more and more ugly, and her dislike was exposed on the surface, but she remembered that Xing Dairong was pregnant with a child from the Marquis's mansion, and now she also had a concubine. She said coldly, "Let her come in."

"yes."

After a while, Xing Dairong brought Qiu Kui into Qin's house.

After not seeing each other for a month, Xing Dairong had gained a little weight, and her three-month-old belly had a faint curve. Seeing her belly, Qin's face looked much better.

"Dai Rong has met the mother-in-law, the young lady."

Xing Dairong changed his usual demeanor and spoke obediently.

"Don't call me mother-in-law." Qin interrupted her coldly, "Don't you know your identity?"