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Lu Man comfortingly patted He Mingzhu’s hand and said, “Mother, don’t be angry. When others play dirty, we’ll play dirty too and see whose teeth are harder.” She then addressed old lady Lu, “Who said my brother is the legitimate son of the Lu family? This is a rumor. My brother was a child my mother found in Shu Region.”
The old lady’s face turned red with anger as she roared, “Nonsense! Just by looking at Cheng’s appearance, resembling Mingzhu so closely, how could he not be my biological grandson?”
Lu Man sneered, “Because my brother was raised by my mother, living together every day, so it’s natural he looks more like her. Besides, many people resemble each other in this world. Does that mean they are all related?”
Enraged but wary of Lu Man, the domineering old lady bellowed, “I won’t argue with you. I’ll go straight to the authorities and accuse He Mingzhu of abducting the legitimate son of the Lu family, attempting to pass off my innocent grandchild as a traitor’s descendant. Her intentions are condemnable!”
Lu Man coldly retorted, “Old lady, go ahead. But I will also have someone go to the capital, accusing the Lu family of conspiring to seize my mother’s dowry, involving Xiao Chen in the plot to harm the legitimate daughter. You, Mrs. Ding, Mr. Lu, and second Mr. Lu resorted to private punishment against Xiao Chen, leading to her death. Once these three accusations are confirmed, not only will your careers be ruined, but you will also end up in prison. My third uncle is a magistrate in the capital and an expert in handling cases.”
Xiao Chen was not a servant or a concubine but a legally wedded wife, and her “violent death” amounted to private punishment. Without a report, nothing would come of it. If reported, it would be considered a serious crime. Even if Xiao Chen deserved to die, it should have been handled by the authorities.
Initially, Lu Man had hoped for Xiao Chen to pay with her life, assuming they would first take her to the estate or her family before finding a suitable way to execute her. However, Lu Fangrong, driven by extreme hatred towards Xiao Chen and eager to provide an explanation to Lu Man and Jiang Zhanwei, perhaps also to secure Bao Qin’s safety, rashly promised that Xiao Chen would die violently within three days at the Lu residence.
Indeed, on the third day, Xiao Chen “fell severely ill” and passed away. Such “violent deaths” often involved poisoning. Deaths by poisoning or strangulation were easily detected by coroners. If someone was “accidentally” drowned in a river, it would be harder to trace.
At the time of Xiao Chen’s death, the Lu family had not anticipated that Lu Man, forced into orchestrating Xiao Chen’s death, would leverage this situation to threaten them. Moreover, with influential connections in the authorities, as her third uncle was the magistrate in the capital.
Upon hearing this, old lady Lu’s expression changed drastically, a mix of anger and shock. Unable to continue the threat, she turned to He Cheng, appealing to his emotions and reason, saying, “Good boy, He Huang is a traitor, and his descendants for three generations cannot take the imperial examination. You are so intelligent and handsome, it’s a shame not to pursue the imperial examinations. Come back to be our grandson in the Lu family. With a clean family background and an official’s lineage, you can take the exams and become a high-ranking official in the future.”
He Cheng looked at the old lady and said, “Old Lady Lu, disregarding the support my mother and maternal family once provided to the Lu family, abandoning my mother despite her being alone and helpless at that time, and then mistreating my sister, causing her so much suffering, being thrown into the mountains, and even pushed to hang herself. Your actions, your actions…” He wanted to say tantamount to behaving like beasts but felt it inappropriate. After choosing his words carefully, he continued, “Your actions show a lack of compassion and loyalty. My mother and my sister are the dearest people to me. Whoever harms them, I will stand against them.” After a pause, he added, “As my sister said, I am a child my mother found in Shu, not a descendant of the Lu family. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu (Mrs. Fu/Fu Qin), they can testify. As for pursuing a career, I have never had that desire.”
The old lady took a few deep breaths, suppressing her anger, and took out a handkerchief from her pocket, crying, “Yes, I was wrong in the past, mistreating your mother and your sister. I regret it every day. Seeing that I sincerely repent and am nearing the end of my life, please don’t hold grudges against me. No parent is perfect, and even if parents make mistakes, they have given you life… Especially my second son, who left for the border to fight and cried for not seeing Man before leaving. Man, a day of marriage is a hundred days of kindness. Considering how my second son always remembered you and felt guilty towards Man, please take Cheng home. I beg of you…”
The old lady continued to cry, deeply sorrowful.
Seeing this, Lu Man also began to cry, holding a handkerchief.
This old lady was exasperating. First she threatened, then pleaded when the threat didn’t work, and finally resorted to crying. Lu Man was fed up, clutching her stomach and exclaimed, “Ouch, my stomach hurts.”
He Mingzhu and the others panicked, immediately sending for a Physician.
Liu Ya, with a stern face, issued a notice for the guests to leave, “Old Lady Lu, please leave now. If you upset our Third Young Madam and harm the child in her belly, Princess Changting will be furious.”
Upon learning of Lu Man’s pregnancy, old lady Lu, before being able to offer congratulations, was assisted by two maids to leave the room, followed quickly by Mrs. Ding.
As they walked out, old lady Lu shouted loudly, “He Mingzhu, let Cheng return home. I beg of you. The He family carries the sins and cannot ruin my grandson’s future! Man, I am your legitimate grandmother, you cannot be so unfilial…”
Old Lady Lu was truly devious, tarnishing He Mingzhu’s reputation. However, Lu Man, now with arms thicker than the legs of the Lu family, was unafraid. He Mingzhu, feeling a mix of fear and anger, continued to wipe away tears.
After sending those two individuals away, the house finally quieted down.
The following day, Deputy Steward Wang arranged for the carpenter to come to Yuling Courtyard to make furniture. He Mingzhu and He Cheng settled comfortably in Donghui Courtyard, planning to move only after the furniture was ready.
The mother and son got along very well with Jiang Zhanwei’s younger siblings. He Mingzhu, a kind-hearted woman, treated the younger siblings as her own, often sewing clothes for them and preparing meals. Having grown up observing people’s reactions, the younger siblings could sense the affection in their aunt’s eyes, leading them to be very close to her, often showing their love and affection.
Meanwhile, He Cheng was occupied with various activities. In the mornings, he studied cultural lessons with Mr. Feng in the front courtyard for an hour, visited Yuling Courtyard in the afternoons to check on the progress of the furniture making, and dedicated two hours a day to painting lessons. The rest of his time was spent copying medical books in the study and learning pulse diagnosis techniques from Lu Man. Occasionally, he would practice with Jiang Zhanyu, and sometimes socialize with well-behaved young gentlemen like Jiang Zhankun, Xie Jiuye from the Xie family, and Huang Liuye, the younger brother of Lady Min.
For his younger brother, Lu Man not only arranged the best education and connections but also shared her medical knowledge generously.
The family of five lived a content and joyful life.