Chapter 77 Mr. Lu, have some self-respect, don't forget me...
With many things going on lately, Shen Rong has been focusing most of her attention on the situation and worrying about Lu Lin's safety. She didn't notice Lu Xuan's unusual condition until after she had finished her postpartum confinement.
"How long has she been like this?" Shen Rong asked Zhang Ma and the others, pointing at Lu Xuan's back.
It's normal for a young girl to love beauty, but it's not normal for her to dress up meticulously and look so sweet every time she goes out.
Could they be dating?
Jiang Yufen's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at her sister-in-law: "Sister-in-law, what should we do?" The elders are all gone, and if anything happens to Lu Xuan, it will be their fault.
Reminded by Shen Rong, she realized that Lu Xuan really did look like she was seeing her sweetheart.
"Stay calm, wait until she gets back before asking her. Don't disturb her yet." She's only sixteen or seventeen and doesn't like being bossed around. If they're too strict, it will definitely backfire.
Perhaps we should test her tone first.
When Lu Xuan returned home, she was startled to see her two sisters-in-law sitting there in a row.
"What...what are you doing?" It was like a trial, she grabbed her nephew to play with.
Shen Rong patted the sofa: "Come here, we need to talk."
Lu Xuan endured it.
"Little sister is getting more and more beautiful." Shen Rong praised her first to lower her guard.
Lu Xuan smiled, clearly pleased. She glanced at Shen Rong, but still felt she couldn't compare to her sister-in-law. Did having a child make her even prettier?
"It's been a long time since we chatted, and I forgot to ask if you've made any new friends lately?" Shen Rong continued to ask.
Lu Xuan blushed instantly, pretending to play with her nephew without looking up.
Oh no, something's really happened. Shen Rong wailed.
She feigned curiosity and squeezed closer to her: "Who's that person? Where are they from? What do they do? Do we know each other?"
A barrage of questions rained down on her, and Lu Xuan was somewhat annoyed and embarrassed: "Sister-in-law, are you checking the household registration?"
Shen Rong took her chubby son, Xiao Ming, who thought his mother wanted to play with him and showed his toothless face. Little did he know that his heartless mother just dumped him on Zhang Ma.
He pouted and snorted twice before turning his head to lean on Zhang Ma's shoulder, looking aggrieved and sulking, which broke Zhang Ma's heart.
"Sweetie, shall we go outside and look at the flowers?"
Zhang Ma didn't even consider that there were no flowers outside at this time of year, only bare tree trunks. Xiao Ming sniffed, feeling even more aggrieved.
Inside the room, Shen Rong was holding Lu Xuan's arm, acting like a caring older sister, trying to get information out of her.
Lu Xuan was no match for her. There was no secret that Shen Rong couldn't get out of her. Back in the dorm, she was the veteran host of midnight whispers.
Lu Xuan confessed in no time, saying that she had recently met a male classmate who was a law student and five years older than her. She then added shyly, "He is a very interesting person."
The relationship between a man and a woman begins with interest.
Shen Rong asked directly, "You like him?"
Lu Xuan immediately shook her head, her face turning bright red: "No... I... we're just good friends."
Jiang Yufen asked with some concern, "Little sister, have you asked what kind of family he comes from, and whether there's an engagement in the family?"
Oops!
Seeing Lu Xuan's expression change, Shen Rong quickly comforted her: "Your second sister-in-law is just concerned about you. She's afraid you'll be deceived and wants to learn more about your friend."
Lu Xuan said with a hint of anger, "We're just friends. What do I have that he would lie to me about?"
She was naive and could be easily fooled, but Shen Rong didn't say it aloud.
"Alright, alright, since you're just friends, we won't ask anymore. But if you're going out with friends alone in the future, you should still tell your family first, otherwise they'll worry."
Lu Xuan pouted and nodded reluctantly.
She went upstairs dejectedly, and Jiang Yufen asked Chen Rong in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, shouldn't we tell the family, about Mom's side..."
Lu Xuan is now under their control. If anything happens, she and Shen Rong, who are both daughters-in-law, will likely not fare well.
But Lu Xuan's expression didn't reveal anything.
Shen Rong frowned slightly: "Don't say anything yet. We need to find out his name first. Even if she's willing to tell us now, she'll only be saying good things about him."
Don't believe everything you hear with a filter on.
Jiang Yufen secretly admired her sister-in-law; she was indeed calm and resourceful.
The composed and resourceful Shen Rong passed this hot potato to Lu Lin that very night.
"This concerns your sister's future, so you must investigate thoroughly and carefully. Find out if he has any contact with other female classmates in his daily life. Can you do that?" Shen Rong glanced at him.
Lu Lin casually hummed in agreement and went to play hand-in-hand with his son.
This perfunctory attitude makes one wonder whose real sister she is.
"Did you hear me clearly? Yes, what was that person's name?" Shen Rong began to check.
Lu Lin looked up at her and chuckled, "Wu Xinbai, from Wu County, Huaicheng, is currently studying law at Bincheng University, right?"
Shen Rong snorted, barely managing to get away with it. She lay down and pulled the covers up: "How long do you want?"
After a moment's thought, Lu Lin concluded that with his current abilities, three days would be enough.
"Hopefully, he's a reliable person." This way, both sides can have an explanation.
She glanced at the still-making father and son, and snapped angrily, "Stop teasing him, or he'll become stupid from lack of sleep."
Xiao Ming is such a sleepyhead, he can sleep whenever he wants. Lu Lin will have to get up early tomorrow.
The father and son turned to look at her at the same time. They had similar eyebrows and eyes, and similar expressions, as if they were saying, "How could you say such a thing about your son?"
"I have to get up early tomorrow, so don't bother me." Shen Rong's imposing manner weakened somewhat.
Xiao Ming bent down and asked his father, puzzled. Lu Lin smiled and kissed his cheek, then gestured for him to be quiet. Whether the boy really understood or not, he grinned silently.
Lu Lin put him in the crib and gently rocked him. Xiao Ming's eyes slowly closed. It was time for him to go to bed, but he was only staying up to play with him for a while to give his father face.
Lu Lin got into bed very quietly, but Shen Rong was still startled.
Did I wake you up?
He casually pulled her over, and they were practically pressed together.
This is ridiculous. He's already expecting her to throw herself into his arms before he's even explained things clearly. Lu Lin is dreaming.
She slapped his hand: "What are you doing? Have some self-respect, Mr. Lu. Don't forget our agreement."
Lu Lin withdrew his hand. Shen Rong waited and waited, then couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Don't you have anything to say?"
Lu Lin: "Good night!"
"Goodnight my ass!" Shen Rong felt incredibly embarrassed. She kicked him hard, rolled up the blanket, and pressed herself against the bedside to listen to the sounds behind her.
She heard Lu Lin's deep laughter and reached out to pull her back a little. Chen Rong was angry and kept shaking her hand back and forth.
She lay back down in the middle of the bed, and Lu Lin was still motionless. Shen Rong turned around in disbelief. Lu Lin's breathing was steady. He was... asleep!
Unbelievable! She kicked him again, rolled the blanket up tighter, and let him freeze to death.
"That bastard! He kissed me and then denied it!" Shen Rong gritted her teeth and muttered curses as she drifted off to sleep.
When she woke up the next day, Lu Lin was nowhere to be seen. She decided that she would kick him out to sleep today. What was the point of putting on airs? He didn't need it at all.
Lu Lin, just you wait. She's determined to kidnap his son, steal his money, and make him live a miserable life from now on, so that he'll regret it whenever he thinks of her, Chen Rong!
She threw the comb down hard in front of the dressing table, her eyes inadvertently catching sight of a piece of paper.
It was left by Lu Lin, telling her not to be angry, saying that he had something to say to her after he finished this busy period.
Shen Rong couldn't suppress the urge to smile. Okay, considering his willingness to admit his mistake, she'd leave him some money for retirement, not enough to cover it all.
However, upon seeing the next sentence, she could no longer laugh. Lu Lin asked her if she also had something to say, emphasizing that honesty is essential between husband and wife.
She simply can't be honest!
She came to this chaotic world, and Lu Lin was the only person who could give her a sense of security, but the trust between them was not enough for her to reveal her biggest secret.
The secret being exposed was too dangerous for her.
She crumpled the paper into a tight ball, just like her complicated feelings at that moment.
***
The Marshal's Mansion was the same as before, yet it seemed different. It was still bustling with activity, not shrouded in an atmosphere of sorrow, and still radiated an aura of majesty. The man who lived there was still the king of the four northeastern provinces.
Since Dou Wenliang used iron-fisted methods to suppress several of the Marshal's former subordinates, the others quickly became obedient, and their power was swiftly consolidated. Now, the Marshal's mansion is owned by a young couple.
"Sister-in-law, come inside quickly. Why are you just standing there like an idiot?" Cao Fengyi was wearing a plain cotton coat. The warlord's funeral had just been held, and they still had to observe mourning.
"You've had a good postpartum period; your complexion is rosy, and you're taking better care of yourself than before."
Shen Rong covered her face: "You might as well just say I've gained weight."
"She's a bit plumper."
Cao Fengyi first led her to offer incense to the Marshal, and then went to her own reception room.
"You're so thoughtful."
Cao Fengyi came to pay her respects shortly after giving birth; she remembered this kindness.
"Everything is alright," Shen Rong began with a polite remark.
Cao Fengyi sighed: "How can things be good now that the Marshal is gone? The second and third wives at home are crying like crazy. Wenliang has been driven to such a state by those people. Fortunately, Tianming is there to help him."
"After the General's accident, it was thanks to Tianming's help that the situation was stabilized; otherwise, things would have been in chaos long ago." Dou Wenliang might not be able to come back either, and she still felt lingering fear when she talked about it.
She held Shen Rong's hand tightly: "My husband and I will remember your kindness for the rest of our lives."
Shen Rong spoke modestly: "This is what he should do. The Marshal and the Young Marshal value him so much. We were also taken care of by you all when we first came to Bincheng. We were just doing our duty, so why should we use the word 'gratitude'? We still call you brothers and sisters-in-law. Did you treat us like outsiders before?"
Shen Rong had heard of the saying "great kindness turns into enmity," and sometimes having too much merit is not a good thing.
Cao Fengyi liked her for being so sensible: "You still have such a good mouth. You're right. We're family, so let's not be distant. Just remember the good things. Wenliang won't mistreat his own people."
As the two were talking about recent events, the doorman came in with news that Mrs. Han was making a scene outside the door and wanted to see the lady of the house.
Now everyone in the mansion has changed how they address Cao Fengyi; she is no longer called daughter-in-law or eldest young mistress, but rather the matriarch and wife of the young marshal.
Mrs. Han? Seeing Cao Fengyi's disgusted expression, she realized she was referring to Ma Langhua.
"Don't see her, let her go back."
The servant looked troubled; this young lady was difficult to deal with and was causing quite a commotion.
Cao Fengyi snorted coldly: "This is the young marshal's order. Tell her to stop coming to pry into other people's business and just be Mrs. Han in peace."
She knew why Ma Langhua was insisting on seeing them. Dou Wenliang had transferred Han Xiwen away from the artillery regiment. Although he wasn't demoted, he was sent to the border army as a regimental commander. Being demoted from the central government to a local position meant that Dou Wenliang was dissatisfied with him.
When Ma Langhua heard that it was her cousin's idea, she wisely refrained from making a fuss.
Her uncle's death was indirectly related to her, and although her cousin did not punish her, he no longer treated her well.
She left the Marshal's Mansion with reluctance.
"She's an idiot. If we don't let her come to the Marshal's Mansion, it'll save anyone from plotting against her." Cao Fengyi said, exasperated.
If she hadn't told that Japanese spy about the Marshal's Mansion, perhaps none of this would have happened.
She asked Shen Rong, "I heard you have a good relationship with that Uchida Eiko. Has she come to see you recently?"
Since Sachiko is a Japanese spy, and this Eiko is her cousin, she might be one too.
Shen Rong shook her head: "I haven't seen her for some time. Lu Lin is at the Security Command now. I'm not very smart, so I'd better be careful."
“You did the right thing. Our relationship with the Japanese isn’t good right now. Wenliang and his men have arrested a lot of Japanese spies in various places. They’re gathering intelligence on our military deployments and maps. I’m afraid…”
She bit her lip, her face full of worry.
"Is a fight about to break out?"
Cao Fengyi was unaware of this either; he only noticed that Dou Wenliang was returning later and later, and that troop movements were becoming more frequent.
"The death of the commander-in-chief is inextricably linked to the Japanese, and Wenliang is holding back his anger!"
"But it's alright, we have over 200,000 troops, we're not afraid to fight the Japanese." Cao Fengyi didn't know whether she was comforting Shen Rong or herself.
On the way back, Shen Rong was deep in thought. Looking at the peaceful scene on the street, she felt a little melancholy, knowing that all of this would soon be destroyed by gunfire.
She seemed powerless to change anything; the wheels of history continued to turn.
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