Chapter 32: Chapter Thirty-Two

At the Fu residence, Old Lady Su and Old Master Fu closed the room door to discuss matters.

Old Master Fu has some connections and means; as long as he lets a little word slip, someone will willingly handle things for him.

Originally, Old Master Fu couldn't find his niece by blood because there were simply no clues. Now that he has learned of Lu Jin and Lu Bao'er's whereabouts, tracing the leads from Jinhua Town all the way to Tongzhou, he has indeed uncovered some facts.

Lu Bao'er's father, Lu Jin, is a native of Tongzhou; he never married, so it is clear that Lu Bao'er is a girl he picked up along the way.

He originally intended to send Lu Bao'er to the government office to seek her birth parents, but seeing her come down the riverbank in a bamboo basket, soaked in blood, he feared she might be the offspring of a guilty official.

No matter how guilty the parents, the child is innocent. Even if Lu Bao'er is not the daughter of a criminal, she is still an abandoned, unwanted child; even returning to her parents' home would bring her no benefit.

After raising Lu Bao'er for a few days, Lu Jin felt they were fated to meet and that she was naturally clever; he grew fond, wanting to keep her by his side, so he hid in Jinhua Town and lived there as a small family of two.

When Lu Jin was in Tongzhou, someone once noticed the Fu clan seal carved on the child's little jacket and assumed Lu Jin bore the Fu surname. Just as that person was about to inquire further, Lu Jin silenced him by producing a string of copper coins, preventing any further talk.

Now Old Master Fu has sent people to buy information with money; that informant is naturally happy to recount what he saw and heard over a decade ago, after all it's a windfall from heaven, and everyone remembers it clearly.

Old Lady Su held a string of prayer beads in her hands, palms together, and whispered a Buddhist chant into the pitch‑black night: "Amitabha, this is heaven's blessing on my granddaughter."

If Little Brother Lu Jin were still alive, I would certainly go to thank him in person; it is thanks to him that Bao'er has been raised to this age.

Old Master Fu also felt pleased about this; although Fu Yao is not his eldest daughter, she is the child he and Old Lady Su cherish most.

Fu Yao had called Old Master Fu "dad" since she was little; if it weren't for her mutual affection with the Young Master of the Cheng clan, Old Master Fu would not have been willing to marry her off to such a distant place.

If they had found a suitable match for her in the capital, their Yao would not have met an untimely death.

Old Master Fu took Old Lady Su's arm and said, "Although we have found our niece by blood, we must not hastily acknowledge her as kin. Consider how Lu Jin has raised her for so many years—though he has no merit, he has endured hardship. If you suddenly tell her this man is not her birth father, what should Bao'er do? And as for Lingyan, I am the one who found her; now you say she is a counterfeit—will you cast her out, or what? This is a matter of flesh and blood, and we must weigh it carefully."

Old Master Fu, after all, holds the rank of Second‑Grade Minister of Works, and his actions naturally follow his own set of procedures.

Now he has eased his old wife with a few casual remarks—this is hardly not clever.

Old Lady Su thought it over and agreed. She let out a long sigh, planning to let some time pass before slowly figuring things out.

After all, she has raised Cheng Lingyan for years; suddenly sending her away makes Old Lady Su feel extremely reluctant.

But regarding Lu Bao'er, whenever Old Lady Su thinks of how the girl looks at her with deep respect and fear, tears well up in her eyes. Though she is Bao'er's true maternal grandmother, why does she seem no different from a stranger? Her heart aches terribly, and she sees herself about to wipe away tears.

Old Master Fu hurried to console her, saying, "What's wrong with you? Finding her is surely a happy thing. Think about it: if Bao'er could forget her foster father and be filial at your knee, wouldn't such a granddaughter make you cold‑hearted? Valuing affection is good—it shows the Lu family's upright upbringing, producing a remarkable daughter. You are truly blessed to have met someone like her."

"Yes, Bao'er is truly clever and sensible! You don't know, though we have only met a few times, she constantly worries about my health in her words. Such a well‑behaved child—when I think of how she suffered in the countryside all these years, my heart feels sore and unbearable."

"How about this: you host a banquet tomorrow, invite all the ladies, and call Bao'er too—then we can meet face to face." Even after many years of marriage, when Old Master Fu speaks to Old Lady Su he still uses this soft, gentle tone, as if coaxing a child.

"That's good." Old Lady Su gave a faint smile and said.

"If you invite so many people, remember also to invite ladies of similar rank to Minister Xie, so you don't end up inviting only the wife of a Hanlin Academy compiler, which would draw undue attention and invite gossip and scrutiny."

Old Master Fu does this to protect Lu Bao'er; if the other ladies are of third or fourth rank while Lu Bao'er's husband is only seventh grade, even setting aside whether they'd give her the cold shoulder, Old Lady Su's protection would still inevitably arouse envy. Better to invite everyone under the banner of the Princess of Qingping—then it would merely be Old Lady Su hosting a banquet alone, and no one could read too much into it.

"What the master says, we'll all follow." Old Lady Su finally broke into a smile through her tears.

Old Master Fu then relaxed, laughing, "That's right; crying all day long, we needn't fear the grandchildren laughing at us."

That night, the visit card of Princess Qingping, Lady Su, arrived at Lu Bao'er's residence, saying they would hold a venison feast, specially sending people to the hunting grounds to obtain the meat. Winter venison is firm, not fatty, and when roasted it is both chewy and refreshing.

Lu Bao'er had barely rested at home for a few days before she had to go out running errands again. She couldn't help sighing, "They say being an official's wife is easy, but from my view it's not that simple."

Xie Junling said lightly, "If you don't want to go, then don't; just stay at home."

Lu Bao'er shook her head: "Other people's invitations I might boldly push aside, but I must go to Old Lady Su's."

"Oh? Why?"

"Old Lady Su is very kind; last time she even invited me to eat jade‑appearance cake."

"So you're after the pastries at her mansion, huh?" Xie Junling laughed and cried at once.

"Not at all." Lu Bao'er smiled, pursing her lips, "I just want to try that venison."

"......" Turns out she's a foodie—daring to show up for a few bites, not fearing being sold out and still paying for others. Xie Junling heaved a deep sigh, having nothing more to say.

At this moment, to say how they reconciled after the last contraceptive soup incident: actually, Xie Junling saw that Lu Bao'er could enjoy herself whether he was present or not; he wasn't very happy, but he also couldn't be bothered to stay angry.

Anyway, the young lady doesn't understand what he's upset about, so it would be better to first teach her the taste of love, then give her proper instruction.

For now, let's indulge her and take things step by step. Being so much older than her, he can't quibble over every little thing with a young wife, or he'd seem narrow‑minded.

———————Side note———————

On the 16th, the lanterns will be on sale! Everyone, please subscribe more—this way I'll burst out with many more updates~! Hehe!