Chapter 190: Deserving

Chu Lingxuan and old marquis Chu came to Luyuan for a meal. Shanzhi opened the door and informed them that there were guests at home, and the young miss and Aunt Chen were entertaining in the upper room.

They thought of waiting in the western wing. However, before they could enter the house, they saw Chen Shiying coming out from the upper room.

Chen Shiying, upon seeing them, blushed even more. He quickly went over and respectfully greeted old marquis Chu, “I pay my respects to Lord Chu.” Then, he greeted Chu Lingxuan with a salute, “Mr. Chu, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Chu Lingxuan also returned the gesture, “Mr. Chen, what a coincidence.”

Old marquis Chu smiled, “Mr. Chen, are you here to see the young lady?”

Chen Shiying, blushing, replied, “Yes.”

Old marquis Chu continued, “It’s been over a decade, and suddenly you have such a good daughter. Mr. Chen, you are fortunate.”

Chen Shiying, still red-faced, bowed again, “I am ashamed, to have made Lord Chu laugh.”

Old marquis Chu gave a faint humph and said, “I don’t have the leisure to jest with irrelevant people.” Upon seeing Chen Feng approaching, his expression immediately softened, “I plan to chat with Madam Chen about the weather as soon as I return to the capital, and then discuss the scenery with the censors. My dear girl, do you need this old man to dissuade them on your behalf?”

He really was an endearing old man, openly threatening others like that.

Chen Feng smiled and replied, “Thank you, Old Marquis Chu, for your consideration. I appreciate it. However, I don’t need that. In gratitude, I will prepare a dish for you tonight that you’ve never tasted before.”

Old marquis Chu waved his hand, saying, “Very well, I won’t interfere when I return to the capital.”

Chen Shiying once again respectfully saluted Old marquis Chu, then smiled at Chen Feng. He said, “Lord Chu, Mr. Chu, please excuse me. I must return home.”

Old marquis Chu nodded and added, “Keep your household in order. This place is very close to the capital, and any commotion here will quickly reach the Emperor’s ears.”

Chen Shiying nodded and bid farewell to Chen Feng at the gate, with Chu Lingxuan also seeing him off.

Chu Lingxuan smiled, “I heard that Mr. Chen is good at playing Go, and I also enjoy it. If Mr. Chen has free time, let’s play a couple of games together.”

Chen Shiying replied with a smile, “Sure, if I have the time, I’ll definitely visit to trouble you, Mr. Chen.”

He then turned to Chen Feng and said, “Take good care of your mother. If you encounter any difficulties, send word to me at any time. Lin Bo from the manor is my father’s man, you can ask him to deliver messages. Consider that suggestion carefully, don’t let emotions cloud your judgment, choose what is beneficial for you. And if you meet a young man you like, you’ll have to pass my inspection. After all these years of traveling and voyaging, my eyesight is better than yours.” With that, he boarded a nearby carriage.

Chen Feng took a few steps forward and spoke through the carriage window, “Mr. Chen, I think it’s best if you visit our home less often and have less contact with my mother. It would be better for you and my mother.”

A long sigh came from inside the carriage, “Alright, I’ll remember this advice. If Feng wants me to visit less, then so be it. But if I want to see you, you’ll have to come out to meet me. Agreed?” Not hearing a response from Chen Feng, he continued, “If little Feng doesn’t respond, I’ll take it as your agreement.”

As the carriage disappeared down the winding path, Chu Lingxuan came up to Chen Feng and asked, “Have you acknowledged him as your father?”

Chen Feng shook her head, “I haven’t. He one-sidedly acknowledged me.” She added, “Actually, he’s not a bad person. He’s completely different from his mother.”

Chu Lingxuan chuckled and said, “You may not have acknowledged him officially, but in your heart, you already have, right?”

Chen Feng submitted.

That man was not bad, fairly upright. However, fate had not led him and Mrs. Wang to unite in the end. But this outcome was good for both of them, each had found what they desired. One had a successful career and a contented family, while the other had a harmonious family life filled with marital bliss.

As they returned to the courtyard, the Chu family’s elder and his grandson went to the western wing for tea, while Chen Feng went back to the upper room, where she found Mrs. Wang still wiping away tears.

Chen Feng consoled, “Mother, don’t be upset. Now, you both are living well separately, and that’s enough.”

Mrs. Wang wiped her tears and said, “Mother isn’t upset. I’m just reminded of the past… those things evoke emotions. From the time he was five, I took care of him. During that time, the mother-in-law… Oh, Madam Chen, she was busy embroidering to support the family, and I took care of everything for him. Meals, clothing, and even when he misbehaved, I had to reason with him… Until he turned seven, I was the one who looked after him when she wasn’t around. When he was scolded or punished by his mother, he would secretly come to me and cry… As he grew older, he remained very dependent on me, consulting with me whenever something came up and even teaching me to read and write. When he won money from poetry competitions or writing letters for others, he would secretly hand it to me… His mother was very unhappy about these things and often scolded or pinched me when he was at school.”

Thinking of their innocent past, Chen Feng also felt a great deal of emotion. She put her arm around Mrs. Wang and said, “So, it’s good that you aren’t together. With a mother-in-law like that, even if you had married him, you wouldn’t have been happy. Look at my father, he’s so kind and respects you. And grandmother, although she’s strong-willed, she’s still good to you… However, that man is quite smart. He’s positioned your current relationship as that of siblings, and indeed, the way you interacted in the past truly lives up to the term ‘siblings’. This way, he can help our family from a distance without causing too much displeasure to my father. Even though we don’t need his help now, it’s rare for him to have such intentions.”

Mrs. Wang wiped her tears and said, “I understand. I’ll just consider him as a brother and bless him from a distance.”

That’s for the best.

Chen Feng handed the thousand taels promissory note to Mrs. Wang, saying, “Mother, take this. You have taken care of him for ten years, and you have suffered so much because of that. You deserve this compensation.” She then picked up the two deeds and said, “He should have supported me. As his true daughter, I should accept this.”

Mrs. Wang hesitated as she held the promissory note, “He is from a humble background. Where did he get so much money? Let’s not make him greedy for our sakes. Forget it, let’s return it to him.”

No wonder Chen Shiying’s father, on his deathbed, asked him to protect Mrs. Wang. Compared to his own mother, Mrs. Wang was truly in a different world.

Chen Feng assured, “Don’t worry, he’s so clever. How could he risk breaking the law for a ‘sister’ and a daughter who didn’t grow up by his side? I suspect that he must have served as a magistrate in Jiangnan. Three years as a Qing magistrate, a hundred thousand silver taels. Moreover, Jiangnan is the most wealthy place, so he won’t be poor.”

Chen Feng looked closely at the deeds and found that the land was located in Tenli Town, Sanqing County. She knew Tenli Town, not far from where they were, less than ten miles away.