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Lu Man wiped away her tears and asked, “I remember I also had a foster sister, just half a year older than me. Do you have any news about her?”
Liu Xin shook his head, “I haven’t heard anything about her.”
Expressing her gratitude, Lu Man said, “Thank the Third Young Master for me as well. Please convey to those handling the matter to put their utmost effort into finding Mama Wang’s family.” She then instructed Lu Ying, “It will surely cost money to hire people, so bring out two hundred taels of silver.”
Liu Xin quickly declined, “No need, the Third Young Master has already provided the necessary funds to the individuals in charge.”
Despite this, Lu Man had Lu Ying bring out fifty taels of silver for the operatives. She inquired, “How is Manager Li and the child doing? Can I arrange to meet Manager Li?”
Liu Xin responded, “Manager Li is still working at Renhe Hall. The Third Young Master instructed him not to arouse suspicion and to maintain the status quo. It’s better to wait a bit before you meet him. As for Mama Wang’s grandson, he has been fostered at his uncle’s house in Dingzhou Prefecture. The Third Young Master has already sent someone to retrieve him.”
Satisfied with the updates, Lu Man had Liu Xin rewarded with five taels of silver.
After Liu Xin left, Lu Man and Lu Ying both wiped away tears together.
Lu Ying had been brought up by Mama Wang and held deep affection for her.
After shedding some tears, Lu Man dried her eyes and resumed practicing acupuncture. She knew she needed to hone her skills and strengthen her thighs to protect those she cared about.
At present, it seemed that the Lu family’s depths were darker than those of the Princess’s household. Lu Fangrong’s marital arrangements were not just morally questionable, but rather menacing. The old Lady Lu was selfish and greedy, going against the promise made with He Huang, allowing Mrs. Xiao Chen to harm her own granddaughter. The main branch of the family would certainly have a hand in benefiting from the situation as well. What was most baffling was Lu Fangrong’s disregard for his daughter, despite having once shared a close bond with He Huang…
With her recovery, the moxibustion sessions at the Huang daughter-in-law resumed, with Liu Ya now taking charge. Having completed two courses of Lu Man’s prescribed herbal remedies, Liu Ya reported that her menstrual cycle was now clot-free and the pain had significantly decreased.
Three days later, Lu Man had fully recovered and energetically returned to work at the Crane Hall.
Her arrival brought joy not only to the Princess and the imperial physicians but even to old Marquis, who seemed “happy.”
The imperial physician chuckled, “Look at the old Marquis, he finally isn’t furrowing his brow.”
Everyone smiled in agreement, saying, “Indeed.”
The Princess took Lu Man’s hand and said with a smile, “Your recent illness frightened me. I’m not used to you being absent, even my husband is not accustomed to it. He has been in a bad mood, refusing to drink his soups and medicines properly, constantly spitting them out and frowning.”
Mama Qian exaggeratedly added, “Now, Third Young Madam is the old Marquis’s favorite person.”
Lu Man laughed and playfully pinched the old Marquis’s arm, saying, “Grandfather, your granddaughter-in-law has come to see you again. You should learn from your granddaughter-in-law. Even though I had one foot in the gates of the underworld, I couldn’t bear to leave you and grandmother. So, I mustered all my strength to come back.”
The Princess chimed in, “Husband, see how ill your granddaughter-in-law was, yet she returned to take care of us because of our old bones. You should learn from her and wake up earlier.”
At noon, the Princess insisted that Lu Man stay at the Crane Hall for lunch before allowing her to rest at Orchid Pavilion. She mentioned that Lu Man was now recovering well, so there was no need for massages in the afternoon, instead, she could keep her grandfather company and engage in conversation. As Lu Man departed, she was given a small box by Lu Ying, containing a hairpin with a golden phoenix head adorned with emeralds.
The jewelry gifted by the Princess was exclusively crafted by the Imperial Household Department, making them unattainable outside. Additionally, emeralds were much rarer compared to other gemstones and pearls.
Like any woman, Lu Man appreciated fine jewelry. After admiring the hairpin for a while, she carefully placed it back in the box. She now had a few precious pieces of jewelry that she kept in the drawer of her dressing table, rather than in her makeup box.
In the evening, the young siblings once again visited Orchid Pavilion for a meal.
Lu Man invited them to sit on the bed, saying, “The meals here are all prepared by the master chefs, no need for separate dishes.”
Jiang Zhankui remarked, “We’re not picky eaters. As long as we can eat with Third sister-in-law, we’re happy.”
Jiang Jiu nodded vigorously, leaning into Lu Man’s embrace.
After their meal, just as Lu Man bid farewell to the young siblings, Liu Xin arrived with a five or six-year-old child at Orchid Pavilion.
This boy was Mama Wang’s eldest grandson, Wang Dou, affectionately called Little Dou, bearing a resemblance to Mama Wang.
Feeling fearful upon arrival at the wealthy household, Little Dou obediently knelt before Lu Man and nervously greeted, “I’m Little Dou. I’ve met Third Young Madam.” This was taught to him by Liu Xin.
His voice was soft and a bit shaky.
Lu Man felt an instant connection upon seeing him. She lifted him up, gently touched his head, and reassured him, “Good boy. We’re already searching for your grandparents and parents. Stay here comfortably and wait to reunite with them.”
Upon hearing that he would see his parents again, tears of joy streamed down Little Dou’s cheeks as he asked, “Can I really see my mom and dad?”
Lu Man nodded, “Of course.” Tearfully, she apologized, “I’m sorry for causing trouble for all of you.”
She then proceeded to help him put on a prepared silver necklace with a silver lock. Initially, she had prepared a golden necklace with a golden lock, but Lu Ying reminded her that Little Dou was a servant and it wasn’t appropriate to be too flashy. She decided to save the golden necklace for when he left the mansion.
Lu Man had already prepared a few sets of children’s clothing and arranged a room in the east wing for him. She instructed him that he could play in the front and back yards of Orchid Pavilion but was not to venture beyond the moon gate at the back. Behind the moon gate was the back courtyard where Hong Ling resided. Though she rarely left the house now, Lu Man preferred that he didn’t encounter her.
From then on, Little Dou became a playmate for Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu, and the children often played together.
On June 29, the last day of June, the men rested, and Jiang Zhanwei was busy in the military camp and didn’t return.
In the morning, Lu Man had a conversation with old Marquis before going to the west wing to give the Princess a massage and listen to the news from the military camp.
The elderly lady had been experiencing stiffness in her neck, headaches, and restless sleep. With Lu Man’s help, she found relief.
According to the gentlemen, the Emperor had officially appointed Duke Xie as the Grand Marshal for the Northern Expedition, with forces gathering nationwide. Jiang Zhanwei’s camp was part of the expedition, ready to march north at any moment.
The elderly lady reassured Lu Man, “Don’t worry, I won’t allow Zhanwei to take any risks.”
Blushing, Lu Man playfully responded, “Grandmother…”
The Princess Consort added, “When Duke Xie returns to the Xie residence, I will personally meet him and ask for Zhanwei to be placed under his command.”