Chapter 191: News

As the mother and daughter were talking, Chen Ming returned. Seeing Mrs. Wang’s swollen eyes, he was startled and hurriedly asked, “My wife, what happened to you?”

Feeling it would be best for Mrs. Wang to speak with Chen Ming alone, Chen Feng left the upper room.

She went to the southern room of the western wing, where the Chu family’s elder and his grandson were sitting on small chairs, playing with blocks on a low table. They were both big in size, and Chen Feng was worried that they might break the small chairs.

Upon Chen Feng’s arrival, the elder gestured to her with a thumbs-up and said, “Smart little girl, to come up with this idea. This way, not only can it improve the children’s attention but also their patience and observation skills.”

This was a new set of building blocks, not for constructing houses, but for assembling small wooden blocks to create the image of a galloping horse on the prairie. After scattering the blocks, the children would need to figure out how to piece them together to recreate the original picture. It included not only the horse but also the green grass and wildflowers. The children would need sufficient attention and patience to complete it.

Chu Lingxuan also commented, “Indeed, a clever idea. Ms. Chen’s painting skills are also excellent. The horse is depicted very vividly. It’s just that the pigments aren’t of high quality. I’ll arrange for some good pigments for you another day.”

Chen Feng needed good pigments, but high-quality ones were too expensive, and she was reluctant to buy them. Pigments were also educational tools and should be provided by the board of directors.

She expressed her gratitude with a smile.

Just as they were chatting, they heard the voices of Dabao, Lu, Luo Ming Cheng, and a few other kids in the courtyard, they were awake. The old marquis got up and went outside, calling the kids to assume a horse stance and do some martial arts.

After the elder had left, Chen Feng and Chu Lingxuan didn’t feel comfortable staying in the southern room. They got up and went to the main hall, where they saw the Chu Hanyan coming out from the northern room.

The young girl’s face was flushed, as if she had applied a thick layer of rouge. Her eyes still seemed a bit misty, as if she wasn’t fully awake.

Instead of running to Chu Lingxuan, who had reached out to her, she ran to Chen Feng and climbed onto her, using all her limbs. Chen Feng then lifted her up.

The young girl, in a coquettish tone, said, “Auntie, pillow… smells nice. Blanket… smells nice. Hanyan… likes it, wants more…”

The little girl’s unintentional words exposed the secret of Chen Feng’s “fragrant bedroom,” making Chen Feng feel somewhat embarrassed and causing unease for Chu Lingxuan. He coughed and quickly left the room.

Pretending to be angry, Chen Feng scolded the little girl with a soft voice, “Remember, you can’t talk about what’s in Auntie’s bedroom in front of others.”

The girl stubbornly replied, “It’s… Daddy, not… others.”

“He is your daddy, but he’s someone else to me. She really irked me, but I can’t explain it to her,” thought Chen Feng.

Shaking her head, she put the girl down and led her outside.

After playing with the children for a while, Chen Feng went to the kitchen to prepare a meal. Mama Song and Luo Mei took Chu Hanyan inside to play with the building blocks. The old marquis and his grandson continued teaching the boys horse stances and martial arts in the courtyard. Not only did the young boys enjoy this exercise, but even Qiqi and Gray loved it and joined in.

After entertaining the three generations of the Chu family, Chen’s family bid them farewell. Dabao still pulled Chen Feng to the door to “see off” the Chu family, and the father and daughter stood under the tree, turning to look back at them.

Dabao happily waved and called out, “Little sister Hanyan, Uncle Chu.” After bidding them farewell, he tugged on Chen Feng’s arm and said, “Mom, I saw little sister Hanyan waving to us.” Then, he jumped for joy.

Chen Feng also noticed a little arm waving at them.

Once they turned and left, Chen Feng led Dabao back to the upper room. Seeing Lu pestering Chen Ming for help with his studies and Chen Ming being preoccupied and somewhat impatient, Chen Feng took Lu and Dabao to the western wing, where they played until bedtime, and then she allowed Lu to return to the eastern wing to rest.

The next morning, seeing Chen Ming looking normal again at breakfast, Chen Feng finally felt at ease.

People are contradictory. Chen Feng didn’t want to see Chen Ming too happy, fearing that it might indicate he valued money more than Mrs. Wang. At the same time, she didn’t want him to be too preoccupied, as she was concerned it might lead to conflicts in their future life.

It’s rare for a man to be open and honest in such situations. Chen Ming was indeed a man of character and integrity. Mrs. Wang had struck gold. Spending her life with him was certainly better than with Chen Shiying. At least it would be a harmonious and jealousy-free life. A gentle woman like Mrs. Wang was irresistible to anyone.

Chen Feng seemed to have developed new standards for finding a partner. Is this a “father complex”? On the sixth day of the lunar month, the Chu family shamelessly joined for lunch and dinner at Luyuan, with the young Miss Chu even lingering at Luyuan during the midday break. On the seventh day, after having lunch at Luyuan, the young Miss Chu continued to sleep on Chen Feng’s bed, while the Chu elder and his grandson rested at Tangyuan. They agreed to return for dinner in the evening and mentioned that they wouldn’t be coming over on the eighth day as they were planning to visit Lingyin Temple to pay their respects and would also visit Abbess Lao Chen in Yingshuan Monastery.

The Chen family breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to rest for a day.

However, that afternoon, Old Zeng and Xue Dagui returned from the village of Xiaoli in Yian County with some bad news. They tried to visit the family that bought Wang Cheng, but the family wouldn’t let them in, stating that Li Gousheng had gone to the border to fight in a war over ten years ago and died on the battlefield.

Unable to get more information, Uncle Zeng and Xue Dagui had to stay at another household and use money to inquire about Wang Cheng’s whereabouts. They found out that the family that bought Wang Cheng was surnamed Li. After the birth of three daughters, the wife had remained unable to conceive. Believing that she wouldn’t have another child, they spread the word that they wanted to buy a bright boy. Coincidentally, an old woman, who was He Huzi’s mother-in-law, visited their house.

About six months later, the old woman brought a young boy to their home. Wang Cheng grew up to be handsome and likable. Initially, the Li family treated him well and even gave him a new name, Li Gousheng.

However, the following year, the wife, nearly in her thirties, unexpectedly became pregnant and gave birth to a son the year after. From then on, Wang Cheng’s life turned miserable. He was given meager food, made to do all kinds of work, and if he didn’t perform well, he was beaten. His body was often covered in bruises. His three sisters also often bullied him and passed their chores on to him.

Wang Cheng got little to eat and was overworked. Once, he even fainted from hunger while collecting firewood.

Many people in the village criticized the Li family for their mistreatment, especially for buying a child and then having another one. However, when confronted, the Li family promised to treat him well, but they were even more vicious behind closed doors. Eventually, the neighbors were too scared to speak up. Some compassionate neighbors would secretly give him food, making sure not to be caught by the Li family. If discovered, Wang Cheng would be scolded for disgracing the family and would be beaten.