Visitors

"Why are you so happy that we have visitors?"

Ping Ye was grinning from ear to ear, so Lin Yunwan asked her. Ping Ye replied, "When visitors come, they have to bring you gifts, madam."

Tao Ye asked with a smile, "Is that really why? Since when have you been so shallow?"

Ping Ye stuck out her tongue. "I was just feeling cooped up. Having visitors makes the house lively. It's better than seeing that one every day."

She pointed in the direction of Ge Bao'er's quarters.

Lin Yunwan smiled faintly. "Don't be happy too soon. The visitors may not be easy to get along with."

Curiosity filled Ping Ye's face. "Madam, you've never had dealings with the Xia family. How do you know they're hard to get along with?"

How could she never have dealt with them?

In her previous life, Lu Jia had stayed for only a short while, yet her son and Qing had nearly turned the residence upside down. The trouble they caused was no small matter. They had almost alerted the palace.

Lin Yunwan explained casually, "When I married into the family, Eldest Miss Jia came back. You were young then and don't remember. Though I only spent a little time with her, I could see she was overbearing."

Ping Ye didn't believe it. "This is the Lu family, and the eldest miss has already married out. Besides..." she lowered her voice. "She was born to a concubine. How much airs would she dare put on in front of you?"

Even so, Lin Yunwan's words had put her on her guard, and she dared not take the matter lightly.

They arrived at the Hall of Longevity.

Lin Yunwan led her two maids inside to pay their respects. "Old Madam, Mother."

The Small Hall was already full of guests. Beside Old Madam Lu sat a somewhat younger old lady. She was slightly slimmer than Old Madam Lu, with long, thin cheeks and a very serious expression.

She was Lu Jia's mother-in-law, Old Madam Xia.

"Yun Wan, come and meet Old Madam Xia."

Old Madam Lu beckoned to Lin Yunwan, who went over and bowed. "I pay my respects to you, Old Madam Xia."

Old Madam Xia's stern face actually broke into a smile. Taking Lin Yunwan's hand, she said warmly, "My dear niece-in-law, I often hear your elder sister-in-law speak of you at home. Now that I've met you, I can see you really are a fine woman."

Lin Yunwan replied politely, "Eldest Miss Jia praises me too highly."

Old Madam Xia gave her a pair of jadeite bracelets of exceptional clarity. Light streamed through the latticed window, making them glow as translucent as water.

"These... are too valuable."

Lin Yunwan didn't want to accept them and was about to return them, but Old Madam Xia stopped her from slipping them off her wrists. Holding her hand tightly, she said, "Even in the Yu Region, I've heard of the Lin clan's reputation among the pure officials, and your father's illustrious name has reached my ears like a peal of thunder. Our Old Master never tires of praising him. If you won't accept these, you must look down on the Xia family."

So it was because of her father's reputation.

Unable to refuse such sincere hospitality, Lin Yunwan accepted the bracelets. Only then did she gradually recall that not only was the Xia family a scholarly household, but Old Madam Xia herself also came from a family of farmers and scholars. Although she had married into the Marquis's Residence, she admired the families of pure officials.

That was why Old Madam Xia held her alone in higher regard.

"Old Madam really does dote on Yun Wan."

Lu Jia came over from behind. Her long black hair was arranged in a married woman's coiffure, and her sharp features bore a strong resemblance to the Marquis of Wuding.

But her temperament was rather narrow-minded, and her words sounded as though she were sour with jealousy.

Old Madam Xia's expression darkened slightly, but she said nothing.

After all, they were at the Lu family home, and she had to give Lu Jia some face.

"Eldest Aunt."

Lin Yunwan turned and curtsied to her.

Lu Jia smiled. "This is my gift for our first meeting. It's not as valuable as our Old Madam's, so please don't think it too modest, sister-in-law."

Lin Yunwan had a maid accept the brocade box. "How could I? Whether a gift is modest or valuable, it carries your goodwill. Goodwill can only be treasured, never considered slight."

Lu Jia smiled too. "No wonder our Old Madam thinks so highly of you, sister-in-law. You speak so thoughtfully."

"That's enough. Be quiet in front of your elders, and don't chatter on."

Old Madam Xia gave Lu Jia a pointed look.

Lin Yunwan looked up at her. If Old Madam Xia ordinarily only looked stern, now she seemed somewhat harsh, with an indescribable severity in her eyes.

Compared with her mother-in-law, Lu Jia's sharpness was a mere witch before a great sorcerer.

"...Yes."

Lu Jia retreated dejectedly to one side and stood quietly with her sisters-in-law and nieces, not daring to interrupt again.

Old Madam Lu felt deeply displeased.

Wei Shi was uncomfortable too.

This was the Lu family home. What did she mean by scolding their daughter here?

But Old Madam Xia wasn't wrong to discipline her own daughter-in-law, and Lu Jia's family couldn't say anything about it.

"Why don't I see Third Master Xia?"

Old Madam Lu suddenly asked.

Old Madam Xia said, "He's an unmarried man. It wouldn't be proper to bring him into the inner courtyard."

Old Madam Lu smiled. "We're all family. It's fine for relatives to meet and get acquainted."

"Then I'll have him pay his respects to you next time, Old Madam."

After agreeing with a smile, Old Madam Xia asked, "Why don't I see the Heir Apparent? Is he busy today?"

Her youngest son was an unrelated man, but Lu Zhengliu was not.

By rights, he should have come when Elder Sister returned home.

Old Madam Lu gave an evasive answer. "He has official business to attend to, but he should be back soon."

She gave Nanny Yan a meaningful look.

Nanny Yan could hardly speak up either. She had sent someone to inform Lu Zhengliu long ago. Why hadn't the Heir Apparent arrived yet?

He should have been here.

Everyone was chatting and laughing in the room as Nanny Yan slipped out to look for Lu Zhengliu herself.

Although she had come out on an errand, Nanny Yan let out a heartfelt sigh of relief.

She muttered, "...I've never seen such a difficult old lady." Old Madam Xia looked like someone who cared deeply about rules and was not to be trifled with. Just standing in that room had left her feeling unable to breathe, to say nothing of the life Eldest Miss Jia led in the Xia family.

Nanny Yan searched everywhere but couldn't find Lu Zhengliu.

Fortunately, when she returned to the Hall of Longevity, the Xia family had already gone to settle into the guest courtyard, but she heard crying.

Lu Jia was sobbing inside. "Old Madam, Mother... Jia'er has finally come home to see you."

Old Madam Lu's heart ached for her too. After all, she was the residence's only young miss, and they had once cherished her like a pearl, like a treasure.

Wei Shi comforted her. "There, stop crying. If your mother-in-law sees you when you go back, she'll find fault with you again."

Lu Jia wiped away her tears.

Old Madam Lu also voiced a few complaints. "Your mother-in-law cares so much about rules that she neglects human feeling. Whatever else may be said, you're the Lu family's eldest daughter, yet she scolded you like that right in front of us. She really doesn't take the Lu family seriously."

Those words must never get out.

Lu Jia hurried to defend her mother-in-law. "My mother-in-law isn't that sort of person. Although my father-in-law has hopes of being promoted into the Grand Secretariat someday, she wouldn't look down on the Lu family because of that. She simply can't tolerate a daughter-in-law who fails to observe a woman's virtues."

"Never mind. I've been a daughter-in-law for so many years; I'm used to it."

She wiped away her tears.

"The Grand Secretariat? Can your father-in-law really enter it?"

Old Madam Lu was instantly excited.

Speaking of it made Lu Jia proud too. She smiled and said, "I'll tell you and Mother in confidence: although my father-in-law's rank isn't high right now, he's a trusted confidant of an important official. His record in his latest provincial posting was excellent, and he returned to await a promotion. Within three years, my father-in-law will have a place here in the capital."

"If someone retires from the Grand Secretariat one day, my father-in-law will work his way up there sooner or later."

"And when Father-in-law retires, it'll be my husband's turn..."

Old Madam Lu's eyes shone, and she regarded the granddaughter born of a concubine even more highly.

She said earnestly to Lu Jia, "Your brother's post in the military guard is no long-term prospect. Only if he can make his way step by step before the Grand Secretaries and the Son of Heaven can our Wuding Marquis Residence hold its head high again."

"You must have heard what straits the Lu family fell into seven years ago, even though you weren't at home..."

"Jia'er, you can't write two different versions of the character Lu in a single stroke. The Lu family's standing is your standing. Once your brother and nephew make something of themselves, the Xia family won't dare treat you with such casual disrespect."

Lu Jia nodded. "Grandmother, I know all that."

"But Grandmother, what exactly is going on with the nephews you mentioned? Why would the residence have my brother adopt two children?"

Only after dismissing Wei Shi did Old Madam Lu tell Lu Jia the truth. "Qing is your own nephew. In the future, you must make sure Zhuo and Qing grow as close as brothers."

Lu Jia was stunned for a long moment before saying, "Grandmother, I understand."

"Grandmother, who is Qing's birth mother?"

But Old Madam Lu said, "...She's already died away from here."

Lu Jia nodded. "That's good. Even if she hadn't died, you couldn't have let her live."

Night fell. After Lu Jia left, Old Madam Lu could not sleep at all.

"How is that calamity star?"

Nanny Yan said, "She's doing well."

Old Madam Lu sighed. "It would be best if she fell ill and died on her own." She was full of worry. "We can't let her stir up any trouble. The Lu family will have to rely on the Xia family in the future."

Nanny Yan said, "Even if we weren't relying on the Xia family, we still couldn't let the Lu family's reputation be ruined."

The two discussed it, and Old Madam Lu said, "As soon as the Xia family leaves, put an end to the matter between her and Zhengliu. Keep an eye on her. She isn't allowed out until the Xia family has gone."

"I understand. It's late; please get some rest."

Before going to sleep, Old Madam Lu asked again, "Where's Zhengliu? Why haven't I seen him all day?"

"I couldn't find the Heir Apparent either. He'll come pay his respects to you tomorrow. Please go to sleep."

Old Madam Lu lay down and went to sleep.

She had no idea that Lu Zhengliu hadn't shown himself because he had gone to see Ge Bao'er.