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Knowing that within the Lu family, Lu Man only favored Lu Yu, old Lady Lu instructed Mrs. Ding to bring Lu Yu along to offer birthday wishes.
Feeling bored, Third Madam Shu and Mrs. Ding struck up a conversation.
Despite Lu Man’s strong aversion towards Mrs. Ding, their conflicts were considered internal family matters. However, the Shu family’s clear intention to leverage their daughter’s father and their alignment with the Wang family created a definite conflict of interests.
If the Shu family were to exploit the Lu family for their own gain, it would be truly despicable.
Considering the Lu family as Jiang Yue’s maternal relatives, Lu Man couldn’t simply dismiss them when they came to celebrate Yue’s birthday. It was rumored that Lu Xin had also arrived and was in the front yard. Lu Xin had yet to secure an official position, causing anxiety among the Lu family members.
Lu Man subtly signaled Lu Ying, who then pulled Lu Yu aside to whisper a few words.
Lu Yu then led Mrs. Ding to a nearby chamber and advised her, “Mother, please listen to some advice. Even for the sake of Father and Big Brother, please refrain from causing Second Sister any more discomfort. Those high-ranking officials’ wives are beyond our reach. Your actions might only breed resentment in Second Sister…”
Lu Man followed them inside. With a stern expression, she addressed Mrs. Ding, “If Madam Lu wishes to climb social ranks here, it would be best to leave. Have Mr. Lu and Master Lu pack their things and prepare to take up an official position in a distant place.”
Mrs. Ding angry in her heart but still managed to smile and quickly replied, “Please don’t be angry. Alright, let’s sit aside, just the two of us talking. After lunch, we’ll leave immediately, to not disturb the gathering.”
Observing Lu Yu closely, Lu Man noticed her pale complexion, significant weight loss, and the fatigue evident beneath her thick layers of makeup, almost as if she had aged several years in a short span.
It was known that her stepfather held a sixth-rank position in the Ministry of Rites, and she had an uncle serving as a supervisor in the Censorate. Mrs. Ding had been quite pleased with this match, seeking to elevate her status.
Lu Man inquired, “Are things not going well in your in-laws’ household?”
Tears welled up in Lu Yu’s eyes as she mumbled, “Family matters, I don’t want to trouble Second Sister with them.”
Lu Man would never forget the rare moments when the original Lu Man, during her time in the Lu family, occasionally offered advice from Lu Yu. If the original Lu Man had been a bit more sensible and heeded those words, she might not have suffered such a grave loss, ultimately losing her life.
In Lu Man’s opinion, Lu Yu was the most adept at navigating social situations within the Lu family. She wasn’t a saint, had a touch of selfishness, but she had her limits, a conscience, and intelligence. She could see where the original Lu Man went wrong and recognize the malice of Mrs. Xiao Chen, the selfishness of old Lady Lu. This insight led her to discreetly warn the original Lu Man at critical moments, but unfortunately, the original Lu Man didn’t listen and ended up resenting Lu Yu.
Seeing Lu Yu in trouble, Lu Man wanted to help. She said, “If there’s anything troubling you, just let me know. I’ll help if I can.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu began to cry. Choking back tears, she revealed, “I had a miscarriage last month…” and then couldn’t continue due to her emotions.
Surprised, Lu Man asked, “What happened?” She had no idea that Lu Yu had been pregnant before.
Mrs. Ding interjected, saying, “It was her shameless mother-in-law. She falsely claimed that Lu Yu was pregnant and kept pushing women onto her son. Upset, Lu Yu argued with her husband, and somehow that old hag found out. Claiming Lu Yu was unwell, she made her serve diligently from dawn to dusk. When she returned home, she fell ill, and due to the stress from a few malicious women, she ended up losing the child.”
After explaining, Mrs. Ding wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
Lu Man went to the table to check Lu Yu’s pulse. Knowing Lu Man’s expertise in gynecology, Lu Yu quickly approached the table, eager to improve her health and hopefully conceive again soon.
After examining her pulse, Lu Man advised, “Sister, you must ease your worries and avoid getting angry in the future. Besides taking medicine, you should also consume more supplements. As for your in-laws, I will ask my eldest to speak to Mr. Liu, to request leniency and understanding, to spare you from further distress.”
Marquis Jiang was an Assistant Inspector General in the Censorate and held a superior position to Mr. Liu, the head of the Liu family.
After prescribing the medications, Lu Man instructed Lu Ying to fetch the medicines and a ginseng root, to be given to Lu Yu for her health.
Lu Yu and Mrs. Ding expressed their gratitude repeatedly.
After Lu Man left, Mrs. Ding remarked, “That old hag from the Liu family must have thought Lu Man wouldn’t intervene in our affairs, hence dared to mistreat you. Now, with Marquis Jiang’s intervention, she won’t dare to mistreat you again.” She sighed, “If only Lu Man could help the Lu family like this, your father and brother would have secured prestigious positions, and the Liu family wouldn’t dare treat you like that. Also, remember, don’t let your grandmother know about Lu Man’s assistance to you, otherwise, she’ll scold you for taking advantage of the Lu family’s benefits.”
Lu Yu nodded, and further advised her mother, “Mother, you shouldn’t side with grandmother to antagonize Second Sister. You saw for yourself that Second Sister helps whom she wants, and no amount of influence can change that. Also, advise Dad and Big Brother to rely on themselves rather than constantly seeking Second Sister’s help. If you incur Second Sister’s displeasure, even someone as influential as Marquis can be persuaded by her…”
The highlight before the feast was the “Grasping at one’s destiny” ceremony for Jiang Yue. Seated at the Eight Immortals table in the hall, the silver platter was filled with an array of items – books, pens, rouge, flower ornaments, food, account books, and more.
Not only were many women gathered around, but also some male relatives from the front yard, including the old Marquis and old Duke Xie. The two seniors alternated between arguing and getting along, keeping Jiang Zhanyu and He Cheng busy mediating.
Approaching the table, the old Marquis boomed with laughter, “Sweetie, let’s grab…”
Before he could finish, Princess Changting interjected, “Old Marquis, don’t say it. If you say it, it won’t come true.”
The old Marquis lamented, “I’m not warning her, I just wanted to say, grab whatever you want, and if you can’t, great Grandpa will provide it.”
This caused laughter among everyone present.
Old Princess He remarked, “Oh my, I’ve never seen such doting grandparents before.”
Jiang Yue eyed the silver platter and reached for the most beautiful flower ornament.
Madam Liu jokingly exclaimed, “Oh, my niece is bound to grow up as beautiful as her mother, a rare beauty indeed.”
As everyone chimed in, curious to see what she would grab next, instead of something from the silver platter, she grabbed onto the old Marquis’s beard.
Lu Man hurried over, saying to Jiang Yue, “Let go, you might hurt Grandpa.”
Jiang Yue refused to release her grip, calling out loudly, “Mother, Mother…”
Madam Xie chuckled, “The old Marquis just said that whatever she doesn’t grab, he’ll give her. He doesn’t want her to hold onto him tightly.”
Laughter filled the room again, with Princess Changting laughing until tears streamed down her face.
The old Marquis happily carried Jiang Yue, exclaiming, “Let’s go play in the front yard with Grandpa.”
Following them were two figures, one tall and one short – Song Mo and Kaipei.