Chapter 7: The Sickly, Weak, and Helpless Uncle from the Lu Family

White Miaomiao looked anxious for a moment but quickly regained her pitiful and delicate expression.

She held Lu Yaozu’s hand with a sorrowful yet considerate tone, saying, “Brother Yaozu, are you really willing to go against your parents for me? But… I don’t want to make things hard for you.”

Lu Yaozu immediately embraced her. “Miaomiao, as long as I can marry you, I don’t care about anything else.”

The woman in his arms gave off a faint fragrance. Lu Yaozu leaned in to smell her and felt intoxicated.

This was exactly what Bai Miaomiao had been waiting for.

“Brother Yaozu, I know how sincere you are, but we also have to think about our future. Your parents don’t like me—they think my family is too poor. If we’re going to be together, how can we manage without anything to our name?”

Lu Yaozu looked at the woman in his arms with pity, touched by her words, and couldn’t help but ask, “Then tell me, is there any better solution?”

Jiang Xiaoci’s attitude today clearly showed she wouldn’t give him any chance.

Lu Yaozu had lived a smooth life since he was young, with his parents arranging everything for him.

So when it came to matters with Bai Miaomiao, he felt conflicted and couldn’t think of a way out—naturally turning to her for advice, as he always did.

Hearing his question, Bai Miaomiao’s eyes lit up with an idea.

“Brother Yaozu, think about it—Jiang Xiaoci’s family is so rich, something’s got to be fishy. If someone sends a report letter, accusing them of having unknown sources of wealth and being capitalist sympathizers, once the news spreads and the family is about to be sent down, wouldn’t they be desperate to marry their daughter off to you?”

Lu Yaozu was shocked. His eyes widened as he looked down at her. “Miaomiao, is there really no other way? If we really do that, Jiang Xiaoci’s parents would have to be sent down.”

In this era, being accused of being a capitalist or a rightist was no small matter—it had serious consequences.

Bai Miaomiao widened her almond-shaped eyes slightly, filled with tender emotion and misty tears.

She gazed at him deeply, seemingly helpless too. “Brother Yaozu, for our future, this is the only way. We don’t have another option.”

Lu Yaozu was still hesitant. “But what if they find out it was us who reported them…? That would be dangerous…”

Bai Miaomiao bit her lip, a flicker of disdain flashing in her eyes.

Only now did she realize that Lu Yaozu wasn’t just useless—he was also a coward.

But she had no choice. Her family was too poor. She had a younger brother, and her parents favored boys over girls, never treating her like she mattered.

Lu Yaozu was the best man she could possibly cling to. No matter what, she had to find a way to marry him and live a good life.

So she held back her impatience and lowered her voice, saying, “Brother Yaozu, don’t be silly—we can report them anonymously.”

As long as they didn’t leave behind any clues, who would ever trace it back to them?

Lu Yaozu was convinced. He looked at Bai Miaomiao with admiration. “You’re right. Miaomiao, you’re so clever.”

Bai Miaomiao smiled and continued, “Brother Yaozu, just think—if someone leaks the news to Jiang Xiaoci’s parents that they’re going to be sent down, they’ll definitely start thinking about preserving their wealth. Rather than lose it all, they might as well prepare it as her dowry.”

Lu Yaozu nodded repeatedly. “That makes sense.”

The Jiang family was well-off, and just thinking about Jiang Xiaoci’s parents’ wealth made Lu Yaozu feel tempted.

“At that point, Brother Yaozu, you can ‘reluctantly’ agree to marry Jiang Xiaoci. She’ll come with a hefty dowry, and once the wealth is in your hands, you can do whatever you want.”

Lu Yaozu’s eyes began to shine, clearly tempted. He felt this plan was excellent.

Bai Miaomiao saw that he was moved.

She struck while the iron was hot, grabbing his hand anxiously. “Brother Yaozu, for our future, we must try this—this is our only chance.”

Lu Yaozu finally made up his mind. He clenched his jaw and said, “Alright. We’ll do it your way. I’ll write the report letter right now.”

Bai Miaomiao smiled knowingly. “Mm.”

To reassure her, Lu Yaozu immediately acted. He bought paper and pen, found a quiet place, and began writing the report letter.

He was a well-educated man—high school graduate—so writing the letter was no problem for him.

He wrote fluently, filling two full pages. The letter had no signature—it was sent anonymously.

After double-checking the content, Lu Yaozu proudly read it:

“Respected Investigation Team Leader,
I wish to report the Jiang family…
On the surface, they appear to be an ordinary family, but in fact, they are deeply hidden capitalists and rightist sympathizers. They possess large amounts of unexplained wealth, likely accumulated through illegal means…
I hope the investigation team can step in promptly and uncover the truth to restore order and fairness.”

Once he was certain there were no errors, Lu Yaozu folded the letter and sent it off immediately.

He was determined to make Jiang Xiaoci’s family pay for rejecting him. He wanted their wealth—for himself and Bai Miaomiao—to live a prosperous life.

The more he thought about it, the happier he felt. After sending the letter, he walked back to the Lu family’s old residence with a spring in his step.

The Lu household was large. As soon as he entered, a servant informed him that the old master and his father were talking in the main hall.

Old Master Lu was strict and stern—Lu Yaozu had always been a little afraid of him. Though he was annoyed by the notice, he obediently walked into the hall.

Old Master Lu sat at the head of the living room in an antique armchair.

He was drinking tea and listening to someone talk. When he saw Lu Yaozu enter, he slowly set his teacup down.

“Yaozu, you’ve been nowhere to be seen lately. Where did you go today?” the old man asked in a low, authoritative voice.

Lu Yaozu smiled ingratiatingly and explained, “Grandpa, I went to propose marriage.”

The old master’s brows lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “Marriage? Which girl have you taken a liking to?”

Before Lu Yaozu could speak, his father quickly added, “Dad, it’s the daughter of the Jiang family. That girl is well-rounded in every aspect—she’s a good match for our Yaozu.”

Lu Yaozu’s father, Lu Yuanshan, continued, “Dad, I was the one who advised Yaozu to consider the Jiang girl. The Jiang family’s background is decent—they’re a good fit.”

His mother chimed in as well, “Yes, Dad. The Jiang family is just like ours—they only have one child. Their daughter, Jiang Xiaoci, is an only child. If she and Yaozu marry, the two families can support each other. Why worry about their future?”

No one noticed the stiffness on Lu Yaozu’s face when Jiang Xiaoci’s name was mentioned, nor the flash of resentment in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Old Master Lu’s expression softened. He looked at Lu Yaozu and said, “Alright then. It’s about time for Yaozu to settle down…”

Just as he was speaking, a fit of suppressed coughing came from the side of the hall.

Lu Yaozu looked toward the sound and was mildly surprised. Only then did he realize that his long-sick, rarely-at-home uncle, Lu Zhoushan, had returned today.

Lu Zhoushan sat alone on a sofa to the side, coughing while sipping hot tea. After a few sips, he finally calmed down.

He looked up at the Lu family members with a gentle, apologetic smile.

“It’s nothing, just an old illness,” he said.

Perhaps because of his chronic illness, Lu Zhoushan had very pale skin—delicate and porcelain-like, as if crafted from fragile, fine china.

He had striking features—a high nose bridge, long lashes, and a beauty mark near his eye that gave his face a stunning appearance. Yet his expression was always faint, with a sickly air of frailty, making him seem distant and cool.

The early spring was still chilly, but the living room was warm with a lit charcoal brazier.

Everyone else wore thin layers, but he was wrapped in a thick military coat, curled up on the sofa, looking tired and languid.