Chapter 66 It's her own fault for not being attractive to men...
Lu You took his sister-in-law's advice to heart and bought Jiang Yufen a bouquet of flowers, a cake, and a necklace.
It's surprising how many tricks this kid knows; he charmed Jiang Yufen in no time.
Lu Xuan felt a little jealous. Did her second brother never think about his younger sister at all? His younger sister was still young and needed to be coaxed.
Shen Rong hugged her, looking at her with sympathy: "It's okay, your sister-in-law will take you to buy it tomorrow! It's nothing special."
Lu Xuan pouted and nodded, "Yes, I don't like it."
Lu You scratched the back of his head. He hadn't expected that he hadn't answered the question completely correctly; it was a bit careless.
"Sister-in-law, little sister, it was my oversight. I'll make it up to you tomorrow."
Shen Rong quickly refused: "Don't, be careful your older brother gets jealous when he gets back."
Lu Xuan, the lackey, clung to Shen Rong's arm and snorted, "That's right, only the eldest brother can give flowers to the eldest sister-in-law, isn't that right, eldest sister-in-law?"
Shen Rong said coolly, "Your older brother didn't send any, how would I know?"
She accidentally hit the horse's leg, and Lu Xuan chuckled and let go.
Just then, Gui Chun came to call Shen Rong to answer the phone, saying it was Lu Lin calling.
Lu Xuan stuck out her tongue behind her back; her older brother was in for trouble. Lu You and Jiang Yufen tiptoed upstairs and, seeing Lu Xuan still watching the commotion, quickly pulled her away.
"Unhappy?" Lu Lin was very perceptive and immediately noticed that something was wrong with her tone.
"Get to the point, I didn't know phone calls were so expensive."
Lu Lin laughed: "How did I offend you when I was so far away?"
Shen Rong: "You knew it was so far away, why did you only think to call today?"
Lu Lin quickly apologized: "I've been busy and I was afraid of revealing my whereabouts, so I didn't contact my family."
Shen Rong nodded slightly. This matter was over. Since she called today, does that mean she's coming back soon?
When are you coming back?
Lu Lin paused for a moment, his tone somewhat weak: "Not yet, it may take some more time."
Shen Rong: "But... Miss Dou's wedding is just a few days away, why isn't she coming back?"
Why didn't Dou Wenliang send his sister off to her wedding?
Lu Lin hummed in agreement.
Take good care of yourself at home.
Shen Rong was in low spirits and simply said "Oh".
Lu Linxin felt a little nervous and asked her if she had been to the hospital. Shen Rong briefly told him what had happened in the past few days.
Time flew by, and Lu Lin reminded her that it was time to hang up.
"Lu Lin." Shen Rong called out to him.
Lu Lin listened nervously and responded softly.
"Come back soon."
Lu Lin's lips curled up: "Okay."
He hung up the phone, leaned against the window, and looked out towards Bincheng.
"Hey, Tianming, what are you laughing at all by yourself standing here?"
Dou Wenliang straightened his clothes and came out of the room, looking radiant and dashing.
"Where are you going so late, young marshal?" Lu Lin asked in return.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Dou Wenliang's face: "Alright, you can keep thinking about your wife. I'm going to go for a walk outside."
Lu Lin shook his head helplessly and could only say, "Young Marshal, come back soon. There are important matters to attend to tomorrow."
Dou Wenliang patted him on the shoulder, looking pleased: "Good brother."
He took a few steps and then came back: "Um, don't tell your wife about my business, okay?"
His expression seemed somewhat unnatural.
Lu Lin didn't even bother to look at him. His wife wasn't one to talk too much, so who did she think he was belittling?
***
The Marshal's Mansion was brightly decorated, and everyone was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Cao Fengyi was entertaining guests when someone came in looking anxious and whispered a few words in her ear. Her expression changed drastically.
Someone asked her what was wrong, and she forced a smile: "Those servants are so clumsy, they break things every day... Excuse me for a moment, I'll go take a look, please do as you please."
Cao Fengyi walked over to Shen Rong and pulled her to a secluded spot: "The Marshal has been assassinated. I have to go and see. Can you help me deal with him for now?"
Shen Rong was shocked: "Is the General alright?"
"They said it was nothing serious, but I was worried and went to check it out."
The Third Madam has already left. If she doesn't return for a long time, it might arouse suspicion. She needs Shen Rong to help her cover for her.
Shen Rong: "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on these people for you."
Cao Fengyi gratefully shook her hand and left.
No sooner had she left than someone came to find Shen Rong to inquire about news.
With a beaming smile, Uchida Eiko greeted her, "Mrs. Lu must be about to give birth, why hasn't Director Lu returned yet?"
Shen Rong, holding her belly, laughed and said, "He was supposed to come back, but I told him to go visit my parents. My mother bought a lot of things for him to bring over."
Uchida Eiko said with a smile, "Heijo isn't far, it's a pity that Director Lu can't come back to join in the fun."
Shen Rong ate a piece of fruit and casually said, "It doesn't matter, he doesn't like to get involved in these kinds of things anyway."
Uchida Eiko started talking about other things, when suddenly, Shen Rong seemed to remember something: "Have you caught that thief?"
"No, never mind, it's not worth much anyway," said Uchida Eiko with a regretful expression.
Shen Rong: "It's a pity that Lu Lin isn't in Bincheng, otherwise I would have asked him to help you find him faster."
"It must be a pity that the young marshal didn't come back on such an important day."
So that was the purpose. Shen Rong brought up the Dou family's explanation to the outside world, saying, "They said they went to inspect various places and encountered urgent military affairs, so they couldn't come back in time."
"What could be more important than your sister's wedding, Mrs. Lu? I did hear some news that the young marshal has also come out of seclusion and gone to the Northwest with Director Lu."
Shen Rong was shocked: "He kidnapped my Lu Lin? No way!"
She seemed a little anxious and wanted to stand up and ask Cao Fengyi. Uchida Eiko was worried. If she asked so rashly, wouldn't she expose herself? Where did she, a Japanese housewife, hear such things?
"I only heard about it, so I can't take it seriously."
It would also expose the Japanese surveillance of the Marshal's Mansion, so she naturally had to persuade Shen Rong to stay.
Shen Rong breathed a sigh of relief: "Who is this person? They're talking nonsense. My husband Lu Lin just spoke to me on the phone a couple of days ago. He was still in Pingcheng then, and I even asked him to go to Beihai to buy me pea flour cakes. There's no way he'd go to the Northwest."
Uchida Eiko's smile was somewhat forced: "Perhaps the young marshal went to the Northwest."
Shen Rong feigned surprise: "The Marshal and the Northwest are not on good terms. Wouldn't the young marshal be asking for trouble if he went there?" She shook her head, it was impossible.
She whispered in Uchida Eiko's ear, looking quite serious: "I think he's probably hiding."
Uchida Eiko looked surprised: "What do you mean?"
Shen Rong gave him a look that said, "We're different from you. Don't be fooled by the fact that we're all family. There are still degrees of closeness among us. The young marshal and the eldest daughter aren't from the same mother. And the eldest daughter isn't without her own brother. You know, this marriage between Dou and Yang isn't really good for the young marshal. Maybe he's trying to control the second branch of the family by deliberately not showing up."
Uchida Ayaka suddenly realized: "There's such a thing?"
Shen Rong nodded: "Every family seems harmonious on the surface. I heard that the Third Madam's son is close to you Japanese. Isn't the Young Marshal worried about that?"
Uchida Eiko quickly shook her head: "Young Marshal, you've misunderstood us. We and the Third Young Master are just friends."
Shen Rong's lips curled into a smile. "We? We were so careless in front of her."
Cao Fengyi finally returned and asked them what they had been talking about.
Shen Rong blurted out, "We were talking about why the young marshal hasn't returned yet?"
Uchida Ayaka said somewhat awkwardly, "Yes, I apologize for being rude."
Cao Fengyi smoothly deflected the question. Too many people had asked this question today, so she had prepared her answer in advance: "He's too busy to come, but it's the same with my second brother here."
These words indirectly confirmed Shen Rong's speculations, and Uchida Eiko's eyes flickered.
Shen Rong exclaimed in surprise and said to Uchida Eiko, "Isn't that your sister?"
Xingzi was talking to Han Xiwen, while Mrs. Han waited boredly to the side.
Cao Fengyi beckoned Mrs. Han to come and sit down, and Xingzi and Ma Langhua also came over.
Cao Fengyi was somewhat surprised: "Are Mrs. Han and Miss Xingzi also very familiar with each other?"
Mrs. Han said with a sneer, "I'm not familiar with Miss Sachiko, but my husband received a few boxes of sushi from her. You know what, Miss Sachiko has excellent skills. She could open a shop someday, and we would definitely support her."
She turned to Shen Rong with a smile and said, "Mrs. Lu, you're really missing out on a treat. Miss Sachiko's sushi is absolutely superb."
They're treating her like a sushi vendor. Sachiko's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Ma Langhua stood up for his friend, saying, "Xingzi only brought you some food as a token of her gratitude. Why are you being so rude? Do you think she's a cook?"
Mrs. Han sneered: "I didn't say that. I just think it's a bit unseemly for Miss Xingzi to be chasing after men and bringing them food."
Uchida Eiko stood up and apologized: "I'm sorry, Mrs. Han. Sachiko is new to your area and doesn't understand some things, which caused the misunderstanding. She didn't mean anything by it."
Ma Langhua muttered to herself, "It's my own fault for not being attractive to men."
Mrs. Han's face darkened further: "I'm afraid that Miss Xingzi has been watching too many plays with Miss Langhua lately, and she thinks that any favor must be repaid with her body."
Sachiko finally spoke: "Mrs. Han, your husband doesn't like you, so don't take it out on me. I was just thanking him for saving me on the street that day; I didn't mean anything by it. I won't ruin your marriage."
Mrs. Han chuckled coldly a few times: "Miss Xingzi thinks too highly of herself."
That dismissive attitude made Sachiko's eyes turn cold.
Cao Fengyi stepped forward to smooth things over: "Alright, I understand some of it now. It's all a misunderstanding. Let it go, it's all cleared up now."
Just then, someone said that the Marshal had arrived and the wedding was about to begin.
Yang Shaokang smiled smugly, his eyes fixed on Dou Meiyun, making her transform from a cold beauty into a charming bride.
General Dou couldn't stop smiling. The fact that his son and daughter got along so well meant that he had made the right choice in arranging the marriage.
After finishing her work, Shen Rong found a moment to tell Cao Fengyi about Uchida Eiko's inquiries about Dou Wenliang's whereabouts.
"That's a good excuse. Let them guess."
They all thought it was just internal strife within the Marshal's Mansion, which could lull them into a false sense of security.
"Recently, the relationship between the commander-in-chief and the Japanese has become somewhat strained. She is probably asking you for help at the request of the consul's wife. Luckily, you are quick-witted."
Cao Fengyi sighed, "I've dealt with several groups of people today, I'm really exhausted."
She told Shen Rong, "They should be back soon." She glanced at Shen Rong's belly, her eyes filled with apology.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you, having to send Lu Lin away for so long at a time like this."
Shen Rong chuckled, touching her belly: "He can't help me at home, and he can't help me with my big belly."
Cao Fengyi shook her head: "Don't feel sorry for him. Men who haven't experienced the pain of pregnancy think that waking up to find a baby in their bed is easy. You need to make him work harder so that he can understand your hardship and know how to cherish the baby."
"Sister-in-law, this is based on your experience."
Cao Fengyi's expression turned somewhat indifferent: "Of course."
But Dou Wenliang is a young marshal, unlike Lu Lin, so even if she wanted to cause trouble, she couldn't.
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