Chapter 163
Lu Wen was never liked by the Li family's old madam, but after becoming pregnant with the Li family's bloodline, his situation improved significantly compared to before.
Li Mingshan was the Li family's only son, with no brothers or sisters, their family line was not prosperous. Who would have thought that both his wife and concubine would end up pregnant one after another? Outsiders praised the woman and shuang'er he married for being fertile, and Li Mingshan himself was also considered capable, which pleased the old madam immensely. Whether it was visiting temples to pray for blessings or giving alms to accumulate merit, he now brought not just Luo Hongchou but even Lu Wen along.
With the old madam's newfound favor, Lu Wen finally gained some face in the Li family and received many benefits. His food, clothing, and daily necessities became far more refined than before.
After learning of his pregnancy, he sent a servant to report the good news to Du Lianhua. As a mere concubine, even though the old madam was somewhat pleased by the news, he didn't send anyone to the Lu family to announce it. In contrast, when Luo Hongchou was diagnosed with a pregnancy, the old madam joyfully dispatched her personal old maidservant to the Luo family to deliver the news.
Lu Wen was well aware of the difference between himself and Luo Hongchou, it all came down to family background. He believed his character, appearance, and talents were no worse than anyone else's. If not for his inferior family background, he would never have entered the Li family as a concubine.
Du Lianhua had raised him all these years and had indeed treated him well. Even after remarrying into the Lu family, he hadn't let Lu Wen suffer too much hardship. But Lu Wen also knew that this was not solely his mother's doing. Having lost his father at a young age, he had learned to read people's expressions. After joining the Lu family, unwilling to endure the bitterness of living under someone else's roof, he did everything possible to make Lu Daxiang treat him as his own child. With a sweet mouth and diligent hands, Lu Daxiang treated him fairly well and even later sent him to study in town. If not for that, he wouldn't have sent money, grain, and clothes to Lu Daxiang now.
Country folk didn’t need much money - a few hundred copper coins at most, or two or three taels of silver at the very extreme. He coaxed Li Mingshan into giving him quite a bit of private savings. Moreover, supporting his mother and stepfather earned him a reputation for filial piety, proving he wasn’t the type to scorn the poor and chase the rich. And after becoming pregnant, both the Li family’s master and old madam bestowed rewards - far more generous than what Li Mingshan, who had yet to take over the family, could provide.
It was only after entering the Li family that he realized how narrow his previous worldview had been. A bowl of plain noodles worth ten copper coins had once seemed like a treasure, something he’d crave if he couldn’t have it. Fortunately, he had always been cautious and never shared his rural experiences with others, choosing instead to listen and observe quietly to avoid becoming a laughingstock.
Upon hearing of his pregnancy, Du Lianhua brought an old hen from home, saying she would stew it into soup to nourish him. Lu Wen knew his mother meant well, but that hen was truly… embarrassingly shabby.
After his pregnancy, the Li family even served him precious bird’s nest soup every few days. Not to mention old hens, if he wanted beef, he could have it anytime. Though it couldn’t compare to Luo Hongchou’s provisions in the main family, it was still worlds apart from him past life.
Two more maids were assigned to serve him, along with an old maidservant transferred from the old madam’s courtyard. Since this was his first pregnancy and he lacked experience, having an elderly maidservant by his side to offer guidance was deemed safer.
Lu Wen didn’t want to blame his rural mother, but Du Lianhua truly had a poor and tacky air about her. Every time he came to Lu Wen’s courtyard, she would touch and gawk at everything, even marveling at a spittoon, causing Lu Wen to lose face repeatedly - both openly and subtly. The woman from the main family even mocked him to his face.
The Luo family sent expensive bird’s nest, tonics, and medicinal supplements. Since they owned a silk shop, bolts of satin and silk were carried into the main family in chests, not to mention jewels and jade. In comparison, the old hen Du Lianhua brought seemed so insignificant yet so glaringly out of place.
Lu Wen knew full well that his mother’s visit wasn’t just to deliver the hen and congratulate him, she was also here to ask for money.
Du Lianhua never outright demanded it, not with maids watching inside and outside the courtyard. How could she lose face in front of such a wealthy family? She claimed everyone at home was fine and Lu Wen needn’t worry, only mentioning that Lu Wu was growing lately, his clothes now too short, and that he missed his brother. But alas, Fenggu Town was too far, and he couldn’t bring Lu Wu along.
Lu Wen stared at the old hen with its legs tied on the ground, then listened to her words. Though his expression remained gentle, inwardly he burned with shame, afraid the maids and servants would laugh at him. He immediately had someone fetch silver and two bolts of cloth, excusing himself by saying he felt unwell and tired, urging Du Lianhua to go home and make new clothes for the family - thus fulfilling his filial duty as a child.
With the silver and cloth in hand, Du Lianhua returned to Angu Village with her back straight and chin high, smugly flaunting her wealth to everyone she met, completely unaware that Lu Wen had sent her away out of embarrassment.
Since the old hen was a gift from his mother, Lu Wen couldn’t just throw it away, much less vent his frustration on it. Holding his nose, he forced a pleased expression and ordered the maids to take the hen to the kitchen to stew, saying he’d drink the soup after his nap.
After lying down, he dismissed the maids and old maidservant. The contrast brought by that old hen left him thoughts in turmoil, his heart unsettled.
Even though he had married into the Li family, if he didn’t take care of his mother, stepfather, and that brother of his, while Li Mingshan might not mention it, who knew what the old madam would think? Fortunately, country folk didn’t spend much. Sometimes, after giving Du Lianhua money, when Li Mingshan came to his courtyard, he could coax him with sweet words and recoup his losses.
Lu Wu was still young, but at least this stepbrother shared the same mother and was somewhat close to him, not siding entirely with Lu Daxiang or that Lu Gu.
Thinking of Lu Gu, though he resented how the Shen family had disrespected him on the street back then, he also felt a sense of escape. Thankfully, he hadn’t married that hunter, Shen Xuanqing.
No comments:
Post a Comment