Chapter 247: Tricolor Ball

At dusk, Chen Gui’s family of four arrived at Luyuan, with even Mrs. Hu being assisted by Chen Jue as she walked slowly. Although she could now walk, she couldn’t exert herself too much, and the journey from the village to Luyuan left her panting for breath.

When they heard that Chen Feng was betrothed to the master of Tangyuan, Master Chu, they were all taken aback.

Chen Jue blurted out, “How is that possible! Chen Feng is a fool, how could someone as prestigious as Mster Chu marry her?”

Mrs. Hu, terrified, dared not speak freely, but she too found the news unbelievable, saying, “Could it be that Second Branch has developed hysteria and is now making up stories?”

Mrs. Wang and Chen Ming faces sank.

Chen Ye was seething with anger, thinking to himself, “You’re the fools. You have such a good relative, yet you don’t know how to appreciate it and say such things.” He sternly rebuked Chen Jue, “What nonsense are you spouting? Your sister Feng is marrying into a good family. All of you siblings will benefit from her good fortune.” He reminded them, “While your sister Feng is still unmarried, spend time with her. Once she marries into an official’s family, she’ll be occupied. She won’t have time for you.”

Grandma Chen also expressed her disapproval, “You’re all grown-ups, think before you speak. If any of you dares to spread rumors like your mother, you won’t be welcome outside anymore.” She then turned to Mrs. Wang, saying, “Daughter-in-law, you know a A’Jue, she’s a silly girl that speaks without thinking. We all know that A’Feng is a kind-hearted girl. She could soar to great heights, and we’re all delighted.”

Chen Jue dared not say another word. She thought to herself that if Chen Feng really married Mster Chu, she might also find a good husband. Thinking about this, she became cheerful again.

Chen Gui and Mrs. Gao concurred, “Congratulations, Second Uncle and Second Aunt. Feng has found a good family, and you should benefit from it too.”

Mrs. Wang was pleased with these words and nodded in agreement.

Grandma Chen then inquired, “What about Feng and Dabao? Why haven’t they come for dinner?”

Chen Ming replied with a smile, “They are tired from the journey and need to rest. They won’t be coming for dinner tonight.”

Mrs. Hu muttered, “She’s already acting so high and mighty before even getting married.”

Chen Ye glared at her and scolded, “You foolish woman, after all the lessons you’ve learned, your mouth still hasn’t learned to keep shut. Say another word, and I’ll slap you.”

Mrs. Hu quickly fell silent, looking around to ensure no one else was around before feeling at ease.

Chen Feng and Dabao didn’t go to Luyuan, even Chen Lu came to Fengyuan for dinner. Chen Lu was delighted to hear that Master Chu would become his brother-in-law and that his sister would still live at Tangyuan, even after marriage.

Watching his gleeful little uncle, Dabao felt dejected. Even the person who understood him the best was no longer on the same page. He nudged his head against his mother’s chest.

Dabao became even more clingy to Chen Feng. From day to night, he mostly sat on her and hummed, hardly speaking. While outwardly he seemed to have let go of the fact that Chen Feng was betrothed to Chu Lingxuan, inwardly he remained displeased.

Having experienced the warmth and coldness of human relationships from a young age, he was afraid of being abandoned. It took a lot of effort for Chen Feng to make him feel secure, to let go of his worries, and to live happily like a carefree child. But now, with his mother about to marry, he felt the fear of abandonment resurface, causing more panic than before. He didn’t want to lose the good days.

Despite Chen Feng’s efforts to reassure him, he remained scared deep down.

Chen Feng felt helpless and cherished him even more. She aimed to take it slowly, to let him know that she would continue to care for him as she always had, protect him, and not neglect him, to help him let go of his fear and anxiety.

At night, Fengyuan was exceptionally quiet. The Golden Swallow, who hadn’t gone into the mountains for a while, hurriedly led Qiqi, Gray, Zhui Feng, Wangcai, and the birds in the cage to the Honglin Mountain to play.

Dabao, as before, held onto Chen Feng even in his sleep. In the middle of the night, he seemed to have a nightmare, crying out, “Mother, Mother, I want my mother…”

Chen Feng comforted him, saying, “There, there, Mother is here. Mother will always be with you, Dabao…”

Dabao, half-dreaming, seemed to have taken his mother’s words to heart and, with tears in his eyes, relaxed and fell asleep.

The next day, just after Chen Feng and her son had finished breakfast, a messenger arrived from Chu Lingxuan. He informed them that the following day, his entire family would return from the Yingshuan Monastery to celebrate her birthday, and even his mother would be in attendance.

Tomorrow was April 26th, Chen Feng’s 16th birthday.

Chen Feng quickly drafted a shopping list for ingredients and sent someone to the county to make the purchases. She then led the preparations for the meal, ensuring that it was entirely vegetarian.

She also tidied up Fengyuan. She brought out some of the luxurious furnishings and utensils that had been stored in the warehouse, 90% of these items were gifts from Chu Lingxuan, while the remaining 10% had been sent by Yang Mingyuan. She couldn’t bear to buy such expensive items herself.

Meanwhile, news of Chen Feng’s betrothal to the master of Tangyuan spread through the nearby villages. The villages were thrown into a frenzy, and most villagers found it hard to believe. How could a village girl, who had even been considered a fool, become the wife of the master of Tangyuan, an official? Some even suggested that Master must surely be taking a concubine rather than marrying a legitimate wife.

Some went to inquire with the people at Tangyuan and the tenant farmers, only believing it when they received confirmation. Naturally, this sparked a wave of envy and jealousy.

Hu Laowu was overjoyed, feeling fortunate that he had befriended Chen Ming’s family early on. Those trying to befriend the Chen family now found it difficult to get close.

He specifically visited Luyuan, humbly reporting to Chen Ming how he had been looking after Mrs. Wang’s maternal family. Currently, the people at Wang’s family dared not go out at night or walk on secluded paths, always fearing that a stone might hit them on the head. They were even afraid to raise chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, or rabbits.

……

It was said that families who considered themselves to have good relations with the Chen family’s first son, second son, third son, Gao Lizheng’s family, Wu the carpenter’s family, and others would come to celebrate Chen Feng’s birthday. Perhaps there were even more families…

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang quickly went to inform Chen Feng.

This was a case of having distant relatives when living in seclusion, while being ignored when in the midst of the bustling city. The once shunned “fool” was now the object of competition in the village, where even a minor celebration would attract so many people.

Chen Feng had no choice but to discuss with Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang about arranging several tables at Luyuan for the families in the village to dine.

Chen Ming chuckled, “Father also thinks the same way. But there’s no need for Feng to spend money; Father is now wealthy.”

Chen Feng didn’t argue and nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Dabao, accompanied by Xue Dagui, went to the private school to give the gifts he had brought from Dingzhou to Mr. Jiang and his classmates. He also informed Mr. Jiang that he would no longer be attending the school.

In the evening, the Golden Swallow returned with the animals. This time, it brought back some unfamiliar birds, colorful and very attractive. It also held a plant in its beak. The plant had three stems emerging from the base, each with a large white, red, or yellow spherical flower, each about the size of a baby’s fist, emitting a delightful fragrance. Moreover, it had a lot of soil attached to its roots.

Chen Feng had never seen this type of flower before and felt that it must be a rare variety that the Golden Swallow had discovered in the deep mountains. She exclaimed, “Sweetie, you knew that Mommy’s birthday is approaching and brought back such a beautiful flower. Thank you.”

The Golden Swallow chirped, “Quick, put it in a pot. This isn’t just a flower, it’s a rare medicinal herb known as the Tricolor Ball, also called Night-Blooming Spring.”

Chen Feng didn’t know what the Tricolor Ball was, or what kind of medicine it represented. The name “Night-Blooming Spring” is even stranger. What kind of medicine is this?