Chapter 9

Aunt Wu looked at Lu Nong with surprise. Then she realized they were still talking through the door and quickly opened the iron gate, saying, “Hurry up and come in, don’t talk outside.”

Lu Nong followed her into the garden.

It was summer, and the blooming period for roses had passed. The peonies drooped, but they were in full bloom under the blazing sun, with butterflies and bees occasionally flitting about. The unkempt flowerbeds, left untrimmed, added a wild charm to the scene.

In fact, Li Garden was not limited to just one or two types of flowers. It flourished with blossoms and foliage throughout the seasons. In spring, there were cherry blossoms, crabapples, magnolias, and gardenias; in summer, roses, climbing roses, peonies, lilies, and more; in autumn, chrysanthemums, hibiscuses, moonflowers, and hollyhocks and in winter, there were plum blossoms, camellias, and azaleas.

Besides that, the back of the villa was filled with various fruits and vegetables: watermelons, strawberries, cherries, and apples.

As she walked along the pebble path, passing through the flowerbeds, memories of the house flooded Lu Nong’s mind.

She recalled running under the cherry blossoms with her cousins in spring, shaking the petals to create a romantic atmosphere, and ending up with a mouthful of flowers.

In summer, she remembered sneaking into the strawberry field with Aunt Wu to pick strawberries, even though they were all unripe.

There was also that time when she stayed up all night waiting for a moonflower to bloom but was startled by a snake, waking everyone in the house…

Compared to Lu’s family, who favored their eldest son and spoiled their youngest daughter while neglecting their eldest daughter, the family at Li Garden felt more like the original owner’s family.

The original owner’s childhood was filled with joy and care because of this place and its people.

As Lu Nong emerged from her memories, she and Aunt Wu arrived at the villa’s entrance. Aunt Wu took out the key to the front door and, while unlocking it, said to Lu Nong,

“Don’t be surprised, Young Lady. Before the master and his wife left, they sold all their furniture and belongings in case a thief would come to the villa and harm me. There is nothing in here. I now live in the small house behind the villa.”

Lu Nong was puzzled. She knew the small house behind belonged to the gardener, but it was also quite respectable once tidied up. If Aunt Wu had moved there, why was she still coming into the villa?

Perhaps sensing Lu Nong’s confusion, Aunt Wu explained,

“Last year, the eldest young master came back for a visit and specifically left some things for you, saying if you came, I should take you to the study. You should know where those things are.”

“Why didn’t my cousin mention this in his letter?” Lu Nong asked.

At the mention of this, Aunt Wu’s face lit up with delight.

“The young master said you’d likely come to Li Garden alone or with a child, seeking my help. However, he also mentioned that you are quite stubborn and dislike burdening others. If you came looking for me, it must mean you’re truly in need.”

“Regardless, you would eventually come. Whether you knew or not, you would find out in the end.”

Lu Nong felt a bit embarrassed, the original owner was indeed stubborn.

When Gu Huai was born, it was Gu Weiguo who came to Li Garden to ask Aunt Wu to take care of her during the confinement period. After Gu Weiguo passed away, she never sought out Aunt Wu again.

But Lu Nong herself enjoyed the pleasures of life and craved Aunt Wu’s cooking, which was comparable to that of a professional chef.

She realized her understanding hadn’t quite matched that of the original owner.

However, when she saw Aunt Wu’s delighted face, she fell silent.

After a year or two, Aunt Wu had aged significantly. Much of her hair was now gray, and her smile revealed deep wrinkles. She was a stark contrast to the spirited Aunt Wu in the original owner’s memories.

For some reason, Lu Nong felt a sudden sting in her nose.

Perhaps the original owner was mistaken, Aunt Wu didn’t fear hard work or trouble. She feared loneliness and that she might no longer be of use to others.

Thinking about it, Aunt Wu’s husband had passed away early, and her only daughter was not close to her. She spent her life working for the Li family, taking care of her uncle and then his children.

She felt like a piece of rubble from a bygone era, merely an object in this beautiful house, broken and old, easily discarded and forgotten by the tide of time.

But she was not an object, she was a living person.

Seeing Lu Nong’s silence, Aunt Wu felt a bit flustered and said, “Did I say something wrong? Young Lady, you’re not here to ask me for help, are you? If that’s the case, it’s no problem…”

Lu Nong easily saw through the disappointment she was trying to hide.

“How could that be? I’m definitely here to find you, to ask you to help me take care of Xiao Huai. Also, I’ve been craving your braised pork.”

Lu Nong quickly grasped Aunt Wu’s aged, rough hand and said, “…I just feel like I’ve come a bit late.”

Aunt Wu nodded vigorously, her eyes reddening as she choked up. “Oh! I’ll go, I’ll go. You and Yue’er are the most gluttonous among the young masters and young ladies. Every time we make braised pork, before the others even get a chance to eat, you two little gremlins have already gobbled it all up.”

Yue’er was Lu Nong’s cousin, Li Xinyue, the only girl in her uncle’s family. She had the heart of a boy, excelling in horseback riding, swordsmanship, and fighting, yet she had no interest in makeup. From a young age, she particularly adored her cousin, who looked like a doll, and had often gotten her into trouble, making her cousin take the blame.

Thinking of the vivid memories, a smile appeared on Lu Nong’s face.

At that moment, Aunt Wu opened the door and led Lu Nong into the hall. Just as Aunt Wu had said, it was completely empty inside, devoid of furniture like sofas and coffee tables.

Aunt Wu stood at the door, unwilling to follow Lu Nong inside. Lu Nong had no choice but to head upstairs alone and pushed open the door to the study.

Just like everywhere else, the study was barren. Only an empty room remained.

But her uncle had said he left something for her in the study. He wouldn’t lie, the items must be here.

This meant that the items were hidden somewhere, not visible at first glance, concealed in the shadows.

Lu Nong wandered around the study, deep in thought, considering where something could be hidden.

Suddenly, she stopped, recalling something.

When Lu Nong was a child, she and her cousins loved to explore the villa. One day, someone suggested they venture into their uncle’s study. Her cousin whimsically declared that the study must have a secret room.

The group nearly turned the study upside down in search of this so-called secret room, even breaking their uncle’s favorite vase in the process. In the end, they found no secret room, but they did discover a hidden compartment beneath the floor in the corner, where they found a carved wooden box that was completely enclosed.

Lu Nong crouched down, tapping along the wall, and finally, in the corner near the window, she heard a sound that was different from the surrounding noise. She went downstairs to ask Aunt Wu for a wire, which she used to pry open the floorboard (who knew how a bunch of kids managed to pry open the wooden planks back then without tools).

There really was something beneath the floor.

It was the carved box that had no way of being opened.

Lu Nong carefully took out the box and set it on the ground.

Though their uncle had been very angry that day and punished everyone by making them copy books, he still took little Lu Nong aside and demonstrated how to open the intricate box to the other children.

Little Lu Nong was the smartest, remembering everything perfectly. As soon as her uncle closed the box after demonstrating, she could open it again without a hitch.

Her uncle was so pleased that he made her cousins copy books a few more times.

Lu Nong rubbed her hands together and pressed the wooden mechanism. Before long, the box popped open, revealing its contents.

“!”

Inside were twenty little goldfish.

The sight nearly dazzled Lu Nong’s eyes. Oh my, she was going to be rich!

Underneath the little goldfish was a letter and a savings book, which contained three thousand yuan.

There were also two pieces of jade. When Lu Nong touched them, she realized they were incredibly rare warm jade.

The letter explained that the little goldfish were a gift from her uncle and aunt, and the money in the savings book was contributed by her cousins. The jade was intended for her future children. Since they didn’t know how many she would have, they put in two pieces so that when the children had names, they could be engraved on them. The letter also encouraged her to live well.

Lu Nong almost cried when she saw this. Although the original owner had a not-so-good family, she also had relatives who loved her deeply and cared about her even though they were thousands of miles apart.

Every child in the Li family had a piece of jade engraved with their name, and the Lu family siblings had them too, all given by their uncle.

Lu Nong’s jade had a line of poetry engraved on it: “Delicate dice resting on red beans,” accompanied by her little name, Red Bean.

Her uncle joked that perhaps she would one day meet someone with the second half of that poem in his name.

However, her mother had taken the jade later, claiming she was afraid Lu Nong would lose it and offered to keep it safe for her.

Lu Nong pondered about how to retrieve the jade from her family when she returned.

Collecting her emotions, Lu Nong put everything back into the box and left the villa, walking around to Aunt Wu’s house.

Aunt Wu was inside tidying up. When she saw Lu Nong come out, she quickly placed some freshly washed strawberries and cherries on the table. “Hurry and eat! These are your favorites. I remembered!”

Lu Nong paused as she reached for a strawberry, feeling a bit surprised that her taste was exactly the same as the original owner’s.

“Aunt Wu, you should eat too.” She offered a large, ripe strawberry to Aunt Wu.

“Oh, I will,” Aunt Wu replied as she accepted the strawberry. “I’ve nearly finished tidying up. The sky is getting dark, when shall we leave?”

Lu Nong looked at Aunt Wu’s belongings, which included a large wicker suitcase and a cloth bundle. The suitcase was filled with artfully crafted cups, bowls, and coffee pots. These clearly didn’t belong to Aunt Wu, while only the cloth bundle was her luggage.

Lu Nong said nothing, placing the carved box inside the wicker suitcase. She lifted the suitcase in one hand and carried the fruit in the other. “Alright, let’s go.”

After walking a couple of steps, she stopped, panting.

Aunt Wu opened her mouth, hesitating for a moment before saying, “Young Lady, how about I carry the suitcase while you hold the fruit?”

“No need, I can manage. Just help me carry the fruit,” Lu Nong replied.

She knew Aunt Wu was concerned for her, but there was no way she would let Aunt Wu, an older woman, carry something so heavy.

Aunt Wu said, “Then please be careful, the items inside are fragile.”

Lu Nong: “…” Thank you so much, I’m so touched.

Because the items in her hands were too heavy, Lu Nong walked slowly, taking nearly twenty minutes to reach the entrance, and it was nearly dark.

As she stepped outside, she saw Aunt Wu standing by the roadside with her bundle next to a jeep, talking to someone inside the vehicle.

When Aunt Wu spotted Lu Nong, she quickly called out to her, “Miss, this Chief Pei says he’s here to pick you up. Do you think he was sent by your husband?”

“…” Oh no, she forgot to tell Aunt Wu about her remarriage.

This is quite awkward. How should I tell Aunt Wu that the current son-in-law’s surname is Pei?

It was obvious that the people in the car noticed Lu Nong. Xiao Zhou quickly got out of the car and walked over to Lu Nong, taking the suitcase from her hands.

“Comrade Lu, you should get in the car with this elder. I’ll handle the luggage,” he said.

Although Xiao Zhou appeared confident on the outside, he was genuinely astonished. They often say that those with wealth tend to be low-key, and this was absolutely true. Just look at Comrade Lu, anyone who lives in such a grand house is clearly someone of significance. Just calling her “Young Lady” reveals her impressive background. She is undoubtedly a refined young lady. Although being the daughter of a capitalist isn’t very appealing nowadays, the essence of her upbringing is something that ordinary people can’t easily match.

Where did Aunt Sun find the courage to mock Comrade Lu for living off others?

Lu Nong walked over to the jeep, but since Xiao Zhou had placed the suitcase in the passenger seat, she had to open the back door.

At that moment, Pei Ji’an, who was sitting in the car, silently extended his hand. Lu Nong hesitated for a moment before grasping his much larger hand. Contrary to his cold demeanor, Pei Ji’an’s hand felt somewhat warm and dry.

Once inside the car, Lu Nong immediately let go of Pei Ji’an’s hand and turned to help Aunt Wu get in.

Unbeknownst to her, after she released his hand, Pei Ji’an instinctively closed his fingers and rubbed them together slightly.

After Aunt Wu settled into her seat, Lu Nong shifted a little closer to Pei Ji’an to make more room for her.

Suddenly, the gap between them disappeared, and Lu Nong’s thigh pressed tightly against Pei Ji’an’s. At first, she didn’t notice, but as the car grew quiet, the heat radiating between their skin seeped through the light fabric of summer clothing.

There was also the clean, subtle scent of soap from Pei Ji’an, which matched his personality—low-key and indifferent, yet he had an undeniable presence.

“…”

Lu Nong slowly shifted away and leaned against Aunt Wu, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Aunt Wu thought it inappropriate for a young lady to sit so closely to a young man, so she moved slightly toward the window to create a little more space for Lu Nong.

Aunt Wu felt a bit uneasy, the aura around Pei Ji’an was quite strong, making it clear he wasn’t an ordinary person. She wondered how the young lady knew someone like him. Could he be a friend of the son-in-law?

Lu Nong was oblivious to Aunt Wu’s thoughts. She was trying to figure out how to explain to Aunt Wu that there was a new son-in-law. After pondering for a long time without finding the right words, she suddenly recalled something else.

… How did Pei Ji’an know she was here?

“How did you come to pick me up?” Lu Nong turned to ask, but accidentally bumped her chin against Pei Ji’an’s jaw.

Startled, she quickly pulled back.

Pei Ji’an calmly replied, “It was on the way.”

Lu Nong felt a little embarrassed and turned away, unable to ask any more questions.

The air fell into an awkward silence.

In this atmosphere, the car made its way back to the courtyard.

Although Aunt Wu noticed that this didn’t seem like the place where she had cared for Lu Nong after childbirth, she thought it was simply because the son-in-law had been promoted and moved to a better location.

Finally, when the car stopped in front of a small red house, Lu Nong said to Aunt Wu, “Aunt Wu, we’re home.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the door of the small red house swung open, and several teenagers, around seventeen or eighteen years old, stepped out. One particularly handsome boy held a basketball in one hand and carried a child named Gu Huai in the other. His posture was quite casual, and surprisingly, Gu Huai wasn’t crying or making a fuss.

Aunt Wu: “???”

**

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