Chapter 109: Gained Assistance from Little Uncle

Madam Zhou’s eyes welled up with tears as she looked at her third younger brother, whom she had long believed to be dead. She was so overwhelmed that she could hardly speak.

If it weren’t for Zhang Qiuhe being present, she might have already embraced her younger brother and wept uncontrollably.

Back then, when the entire Lu family was executed, she had been confined in the Cold Palace. Upon learning of the deaths of her parents, eldest brother, and third younger brother, she nearly fainted from grief. Now, seeing her younger brother standing before her, safe and sound, it felt like a dream—so unreal that she struggled to believe it.

Du Wanchun tugged at Madam Zhou’s sleeve and whispered, “Mother, since he is an old acquaintance, why don’t we go inside and talk?”

Madam Zhou snapped out of her daze and quickly nodded. “Yes, yes, let’s go inside and talk.”

Du Wanchun held her arm and led her into the house.

Zhou Ruiyuan, Zhou Feng, and Zhou Zhao welcomed Lu Yan into the house as well.

Meanwhile, Zhang Qiuhe, who was holding her child in the courtyard, felt a bit uneasy. She quickly smiled at Madam Zhou and Du Wanchun, saying, “Aunt Zhou, Wanchun, since you have guests today, I’ll take my child home first.”

Du Wanchun turned back and smiled. “Alright, Sister Zhang, we’ll take you to the shop tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Wanchun.” Zhang Qiuhe smiled, picked up her child, and turned to leave.

Miss Mo glanced at her husband, who had already entered the house, then walked over to Zhang Qiuhe with a smile and said, “Madam Zhang, we brought some gifts of apology. It just so happens that we can help you bring them home now.”

Zhang Qiuhe lowered her head and replied, “Forget it, that’s not necessary. By the way, how is Liu Shengyuan now?”

Miss Mo answered slowly, “My second sister divorced him and kicked him out of the house.”

Zhang Qiuhe was first surprised, then laughed in satisfaction. “Serves him right! He abandoned his wife and child and was utterly heartless!”

After saying this, she hastily carried her child and walked away.

She didn’t bear any resentment toward the Mo family, but she really didn’t want to accept anything they sent.

Miss Mo was perceptive and could read people’s emotions well. Seeing Zhang Qiuhe’s reaction, she remained patient and followed her, instructing the coachman to do something before entering Zhang Qiuhe’s house.

Zhang Qiuhe saw them coming and felt it would be rude to chase them away, so she politely poured a cup of tea for Miss Mo.

Miss Mo glanced around the modest house, then quietly gave some instructions to a servant. Before long, three or four servants unloaded all the items from the carriage.

The items were not particularly valuable—about four or five sacks of rice and three jars of oil. However, hidden inside each sack of rice was thirty taels of silver, totaling over a hundred taels. Knowing that this young woman might refuse to accept the money, Miss Mo had deliberately concealed it within the rice so that when she eventually used it, she would naturally discover the silver.

Zhang Qiuhe was startled as she watched sack after sack of rice being carried into her home. She quickly protested, “Miss Mo, this really isn’t necessary. My child and I may be struggling, but we don’t need anything from the Mo family.”

Miss Mo, however, paid no heed to whether Zhang Qiuhe accepted it or not. After instructing the servants to set down the rice and oil, she simply smiled, stood up, and led her attendants away.

“Miss Mo! We really can’t accept these things, Miss Mo!”

Zhang Qiuhe hurried after them, trying to return the sacks of rice. However, each sack weighed around twenty catties, and she couldn’t carry them. By the time she had managed to drag a sack to the doorway, Miss Mo and her servants had already left. With no other choice, she had to accept the rice for now.

Looking at the sacks of rice, Zhang Qiuhe felt overwhelmed with emotion. She hadn’t expected the Mo family’s second young lady to have such a clear sense of right and wrong. If it had been a more domineering young lady, the things delivered today likely wouldn’t have been just rice.

As she thought about it, she suddenly understood why Du Wanchun had spoken to the Mo family’s second young lady in that particular manner today—it seemed she had already foreseen this outcome.

Zhang Qiuhe gazed in the direction of the Zhou family, her heart filled with gratitude. She thought to herself that if not for Du Wanchun, she had no idea what might have become of her and her child. In the future, she would have to find a way to repay her kindness.

Inside the Zhou household, after Zhang Qiuhe left, the family no longer held back their emotions.

Madam Zhou threw her arms around Lu Yan and burst into tears. “Third Brother, how have you been all these years?”

Seeing his second sister dressed in the garb of a peasant woman, Lu Yan felt a deep ache in his heart. He gently reassured her, “Second Sister, I’m fine. General Mo has taken good care of me over the years. But you and His Highness…”

As he spoke, he turned to look at Zhou Ruiyuan, Zhou Feng, and Zhou Zhao.

Zhou Ruiyuan gave him a respectful bow. “Uncle, we are all doing well.”

Then, he held Du Wanchun’s hand and introduced her. “This is my wife. Her surname is Du.”

Du Wanchun bowed to her newly met uncle and greeted him, “Uncle.”

Lu Yan was momentarily taken aback upon realizing that his nephew was now married. “It’s only been three years, and you’ve all grown up. I remember how you used to follow me around, begging me to take you to play polo.”

As he spoke, a touch of sadness crossed his face, perhaps remembering the family members they had lost. “I can’t believe that in the blink of an eye, you’re already married.”

Madam Zhou, sensing his melancholy, quickly changed the subject and asked, “Did you marry that Miss Mo from the Mo family?”

Lu Yan came back to his senses and nodded. “Yes, we’ve been married for over two years now. We have a child who looks a lot like you. Next time, I’ll bring her to see you.”

Madam Zhou was overjoyed. “That’s wonderful! Third Brother! Didn’t the Wu family want to wipe out our Lu family, to ensure we had no descendants? They wanted to eradicate us completely, but now their plan has failed!”

At the mention of the Wu family, a hint of hatred flickered in Lu Yan’s eyes. “Second Sister, don’t worry. One day, we will return to the capital, and when that time comes, those who wronged us will pay for their crimes in blood!”