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Chapter 38: Qingming
“Smack!”
Wen Ruyu and Lu Mingzhu were sitting on the couch when they heard a sharp sound coming from Lu Jinnian’s side.
Both mother and daughter froze, glancing in that direction.
Lu Mingzhu had stopped eating too, placing a hand on her stomach to gently rub it, afraid that she might get indigestion.
On the other side of Wen Ruyu’s room, Qin Rong clenched her teeth tightly, her jaw visibly covered in goosebumps.
Her delicate, elegant face was now full of rage. If she had looked brutish, she would’ve resembled the fierce guardians at a temple’s entrance.
Though she said nothing, her expression alone made it obvious—if she could speak, she would certainly be cursing furiously.
Lu Jinnian never expected to be slapped by a mere maid. And such a small girl—how did she have such strength?
Qin Rong’s slap hit hard—Lu Jinnian’s teeth even began to ache.
He clutched his face in disbelief, his fingers brushing over the swelling mark of five distinct fingers.
He deserved it too, for behaving inappropriately in Wen Ruyu’s room. Naturally, he didn’t dare make a fuss, only swallowing the humiliation in silence.
“Jinnian, what happened?” Wen Ruyu asked from her seat, addressing the two inside.
Qin Rong snapped out of it, quickly composing her expression. She simply picked up the set of clothes and handed them off.
She exited the room and handed the clothes to the servant waiting outside, completing Wen Ruyu’s instructions.
Inside, Lu Jinnian didn’t answer Wen Ruyu. Still covering his face, he walked over to Wen Ruyu and the others.
Afraid his mother would see the slap mark and ask questions, he refused to lower his hand.
“Mother, I remembered I still have homework from the teacher, so I’ll go back first,” he said respectfully, head lowered.
Wen Ruyu sat on the couch and smirked coldly, staring at Lu Jinnian.
“Why leave just as you’ve arrived?”
“Um… the homework is important,” Lu Jinnian said, lowering his head even further.
Seeing this, Wen Ruyu didn’t press further. She simply said,
“Very well. Go on then. Be careful on your way—don’t rush and trip. Falling yourself is one thing, but bumping into someone else wouldn’t be good.”
Her words carried a deeper meaning, but it wasn’t obvious to others.
Lu Jinnian could only agree and retreat slowly.
Lu Mingzhu, observing all this, didn’t dare ask questions.
It happened to be raining that day, so Wen Ruyu didn’t ask her daughter to go out for a walk.
Spring afternoons always brought drowsiness. After a full meal, Wen Ruyu let her daughter leave to rest.
She herself planned to nap after sitting for a while longer.
Once her daughter left, she turned her gaze toward Qin Rong.
Qin Rong’s expression was calm, as always silent.
Wen Ruyu had long known that despite Qin Rong’s vacant appearance, she was clever. Any task given to her was always executed perfectly.
By now, all the other maids had been dismissed, leaving only Xiazhu and Qingxue in the room, laying out bedding for Wen Ruyu.
Wen Ruyu continued to sit on the couch, with Qin Rong attending to her side.
She spoke mildly,
“What you did today wasn’t entirely right.”
Qin Rong’s eyelid twitched slightly, her gaze dimming—but she remained still.
Wen Ruyu went on,
“Next time you hit someone, don’t leave marks in obvious places. Even if you kick or pinch them, make sure the injury is somewhere hidden. Otherwise, if someone asks about it, you’ll be the one at a disadvantage.”
From the earlier sounds and Lu Jinnian’s appearance, everyone present could guess what had happened.
Clearly, he’d tried something improper and got taught a lesson.
To Wen Ruyu, he had it coming.
But in the eyes of the old-fashioned, a maid being harassed should flee—not strike her master.
Wen Ruyu feared Qin Rong’s boldness might land her in trouble, so she offered the advice, hoping the girl would learn to protect herself.
Punishing Lu Jinnian was fine—but she needed to learn how to do it cleverly.
Upon hearing this, Qin Rong’s dimmed eyes lit up once more.
Although Xiazhu and Qingxue were making the bed, they could still hear bits of the conversation.
Seeing their mistress protect them like this, both maids felt a warmth in their hearts.
The old lady was truly kind—she treated her maids like daughters. Even when the young masters acted improperly, she still stood by her servants.
Such a mistress was rare, even if you searched the world with a lantern.
They truly were lucky to serve her.
Meanwhile, Lu Jinnian returned to his room and looked in the bronze mirror—sure enough, the five-finger slap mark stood out vividly on his fair face.
He had to face people, including his teacher tomorrow. How was he supposed to hide this?
Qin Rong might not care about Lu Jinnian, but the maids in his room still doted on him. Seeing the mark on his face, they were shocked and upset.
“What happened?!”
Since Lu Jinnian had just come from his mother’s room, they assumed the old lady had struck him and didn’t dare speak harshly about whoever hit him. They only asked.
Ashamed, Lu Jinnian muttered,
“I fell. Don’t ask too much.”
Even so, none of the maids were fooled. They could all tell it was a slap. But since Lu Jinnian wouldn’t say more, they didn’t push it.
They were just about to bring him medicine when a little maid announced that Qingxue from the old lady’s room had arrived.
With her status, no one dared block her.
She entered, holding a bottle of Baibao Dan (a healing ointment), along with a message from the old lady:
“The provincial examiner will be reviewing students this year. The Fourth Young Master is to focus on his studies. For the next month, he may not leave the house. He is to prepare for the exam and earn his title.”
Anyone who understood the situation could see this was Wen Ruyu’s way of punishing Lu Jinnian—softly but effectively.
She didn’t say it outright, giving him some dignity.
Lu Jinnian knew this was his mother’s quiet punishment.
That slap from Qin Rong didn’t escape her notice.
After all, Qin Rong was from the Qin family, and he had clearly disrespected her. A punishment was justified. He had no choice but to accept it.
Two days later, Qingming Festival arrived.
The entire Lu family was to return to their ancestral village to visit the graves.
Lu Jinnian, still bearing the slap mark and unwilling to face his mother or Qin Rong, pretended to be ill and stayed behind.
Early in the morning, the Lu household was bustling.
Wen Ruyu and the rest arrived at Lu family village, resting for a while in the ancestral home.
She instructed the servants to clean the graves, place offerings, and burn joss paper. Once done, the ritual was complete.
Then they visited the fields Lu Bainian had planted. Looking across the two acres of lush green, everyone’s spirits lifted.
A light rain fell, and curious villagers peeked at the Lu family from the roadside, admiring their wealth—but not wanting to get sick, they quickly left.
After the tomb-sweeping, they returned to the Lu family home.
By then, Liu Suqing had already hidden in a side room, knowing Wen Ruyu wouldn’t want to see her.
Lu Bainian welcomed his mother to the master bedroom to rest, and personally came to massage her legs.
Wen Ruyu looked at his dutiful expression, unsure if it was genuine or just an act.
She narrowed her eyes at him, then closed them again.
After he patiently massaged for a while, she finally said,
“That’s enough. I’m not used to sleeping this way.”
Lu Bainen stopped and said,
“I haven’t been able to fulfill my filial duties for months. Is everything well with Mother?”
Wen Ruyu replied sharply,
“Even when you lived at home, you rarely came to greet me. Does my wellbeing truly matter to you?”
Lu Bainen was instantly embarrassed and had nothing to say.
Wen Ruyu sighed inwardly. She truly owed the original host. She had taken the benefits—now she had to guide this son.
Lu Bainian had some backbone. After all, he moved to the village for a woman of questionable background and endured for months.
But he had three main flaws:
If he could fix even two of those, he’d be considered mature.
She asked,
“And you? How have things been in the village lately?”
“Tough, but manageable,” Lu Bainian dared not complain to his mother.
Farming, supporting a family—it was far harder than he’d imagined.
Now he didn’t dare spend money. The harvest wasn’t ready, and they were short on food.
He stayed healthy thanks to his good constitution, but his hands had grown rough, and his skin tanned. The coarse food didn’t make him lose weight.
But Liu Suqing had fallen ill twice. The medicine took most of their savings.
Lu Bainian didn’t know how much longer he could endure.
Still, he didn’t dare voice his troubles—his mother’s visit was a chance.
Maybe, seeing his effort, she’d shorten the probation period—or at least give him some spending money.
He leaned closer to Wen Ruyu, smiling,
“Did Mother see the two acres I planted? All green and growing!”
Clearly, he was hinting at his hard work.
Wen Ruyu understood perfectly.
But this time, she didn’t burst his bubble. Instead, she offered rare praise:
“Though not as good as others’ fields, considering your short time as a farmer, the results aren’t bad.”
Lu Bainian beamed.
He hadn’t realized it before, but back at home, when his mother used to praise him endlessly—calling him her treasure—it meant little.
Now, just hearing her say “not bad” made him happier than anything.