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The servants had already arranged a two-courtyard compound at the post station. The guards and some male servants stayed in the front courtyard, while the master, a few trusted guards, maid servants, and Li Xuan resided in the inner courtyard.
Chen Feng and Chu Lingxuan stayed in the north room of the east wing, while Mama Wei took Li Xuan to the south room. The old Marquis and the Second Master of the Chu family resided in the upper room, and Wang Cheng’s family stayed in the west wing.
After settling in, they went to the upper room for dinner. Wang Cheng’s family was nervous around the Chu family members and couldn’t eat properly together, so Chen Feng had their meals sent to the west wing along with a jug of wine.
Unbeknownst to Chen Feng, Wang Cheng and his wife hadn’t eaten well during their stay at the Marquis’s residence. Feeling overwhelmed by the sudden opulence, and hearing disparaging remarks, despite the offenders later being punished and sold, Wang Cheng’s family felt guilty for causing trouble to Chen Feng.
To avoid being teased for eating too much and embarrassing Chen Feng, other than the children who ate heartily, Wang Cheng’s family only ate enough to satisfy their hunger. With only Mrs. Tan, whom Chen Feng had hired, and no Chu family servants present, the meals on the table were simple but satisfying, and Wang Cheng enjoyed the food.
Thinking about finally seeing his sister in two days, Wang Cheng’s eyes welled up with tears during the meal.
His wife, Mrs. Wu, comforted him with a smile and proposed, “We can’t keep relying on your sister, and we can’t stay at her house indefinitely. Although she gives us one or two taels of silver each month, and I can’t do embroidery work now, we need to send our son to school for a couple of years to secure his future. Before we left, Chen Feng gave each child twenty taels of silver. When we left, Third Madam Chu and the elder aunt each gave us fifty taels of silver as gifts, totaling one hundred and forty-eight taels. We spent five taels on tea and snacks for your sister’s family, leaving us with one hundred and forty-three taels. What do you think about buying twenty acres of land to lease out first? With the rent and the monthly income, our life would be much more comfortable. We could use the remaining money to build a house and have everything we need.”
Wang Cheng agreed, saying, “That’s what I was thinking too.”
They then gathered the supplements Chen Feng had given Wu, with the valuable ginseng root among them. They packed the ginseng, tea, and sweets together, creating a gift for his sister’s family.
Mrs. Wu regretted not making clothes for her sister-in-law and Feng upon realizing they would reunite so soon.
Wang Cheng couldn’t reveal that Chu Lingxuan had promised compensation once the investigation was resolved, likely leading to an official position. He jokingly said, “You don’t need to regret. Once I excel and rise in rank, we’ll have the means to properly thank your sister-in-law and Feng.”
Mrs. Wu teased, “You, an official? That’s a good one.” prompting laughter from Wang’s siblings.
Proudly, Wang Cheng declared, “Laugh now, but just wait and see.”
Laughter echoed in the west wing, contrasting with the somber atmosphere in the east wing. In the evening, Li Xuan, missing his parents, began crying incessantly, with neither Chen Feng nor Mama Wei able to console him.
Chu Lingxuan, witnessing Li Xuan’s loud cries, felt helpless. With one child already vying for Chen Feng’s attention, another one had now joined in.
Chen Feng resorted to placing a small piece of Agarwood at Li Xuan’s bedside, its fragrant aroma gradually calming the child in the midst of her soothing lullabies.
The agarwood was Chen Feng’s own, with most of it returned to the Third Madam Chu by the Princess of Rui.
After settling Li Xuan, Chen Feng sat by the window, waiting for the Golden Swallow to return. However, after a while of waiting, there was no sign of the little creature. Contemplating whether to call it back by pinching her left palm, she hesitated, not wanting to disturb its playfulness.
As the spring rain fell during the night, the pitter-patter on the roof kept Chen Feng awake. By morning, the rain had ceased, and a refreshing breeze greeted her as she opened the door. The courtyard’s flagstone path was still wet, with small puddles, and occasional raindrops dripped from the eaves. Chu Lingxuan and his guards were practicing martial arts under the eaves.
In the courtyard stood an old locust tree adorned with fresh leaves, echoing with chirping birds—sparrows and swallows filled the air with their lively calls.
Suddenly, among the familiar chirping, came a distinctive sound, “Mommy, mommy.”
Excited, Chen Feng ran to the tree, calling out, “Is it Golden Treasure? Has Golden Treasure returned?”
A small black bird swiftly flew down from the tree and perched on her dress, its beak curved in a smile, “Mommy, it’s me. I’ve avenged you.”
Chen Feng gently held the bird in her hands, giving it a couple of kisses, and whispered, “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
The Golden Swallow playfully licked its beak with its tongue, chirping happily, “Oh, Mommy kissed me several times.”
With a raised voice, Chen Feng exclaimed, “Oh, it’s Golden Treasure! What a coincidence to meet you here.”
Initially amused by Chen Feng’s excitement over the Golden Swallow, Chu Lingxuan witnessed her calling it Golden Treasure.
Upon hearing Chen Feng’s words, the old Marquis, Chu Lingxuan, and others familiar with the Golden Swallow, such as Autumn and Chu Huai, hurried over.
Seeing the slightly golden feathers of the swallow and its smaller size, they confirmed it was indeed the Golden Swallow.
“Hahaha, it’s really Golden Treasure.” the old Marquis laughed heartily.
Autumn exclaimed in disbelief, “How did Golden Treasure know that Young Madam was here?”
Chu Huai speculated, “Could it be that Golden Treasure couldn’t find its way home and coincidentally flew here?”
Despite their speculations, Chen Feng joyfully brought the Golden Swallow back to the east wing.
Li Xuan, disturbed by the commotion outside, began crying again. Chen Feng took the Golden Swallow to his room, where upon seeing it, Li Xuan stopped crying and tearfully commented, “The bird is smiling.”
After dinner, they took a boat to the pier. Onboard, they bid farewell to the Second Master Chu who had seen them off.
With the antics of the Golden Swallow, time on the ship became enjoyable. Li Xuan stopped demanding his mother, and even the shy Wang siblings came out to watch the bird’s antics.
At dusk, the large boat arrived at the canal dock outside Dingzhou Prefecture. They disembarked, greeted by Steward Yang from the General’s Residence.
Upon returning to the General’s Residence by carriage, it was already dark.
This time, when Chen Feng entered the General’s Residence, it was not as the needlework master but as the mistress of the house.
Outside the main gate, many servants were there to welcome them.