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Young Madam Han covered her mouth with a handkerchief and whispered about the fight between old Master Wang and old Marquis.
The old Marquis had cornered old Wang in the ceremonial room and cleverly locked the door. The servants outside initially unaware, upon hearing the commotion, rushed to break open the door. By the time they got in, the two old men were already rolling on the ground in a brawl, the ceremonial bucket overturned, and both sporting bruises…
The thought of that scene made Lu Man chuckle mischievously before hastily covering her mouth with the handkerchief.
Young Madam Han remarked, “Tomorrow, old Wang will surely lodge a complaint at the palace again.”
Lu Man quipped, “No worries, the Emperor always sides with Grandmother, and Grandfather is unwell, so it doesn’t matter who he fights with.”
The Third Madam and Young Madam chuckled along.
Lu Man and her companions arrived at the outer courtyard of the Xie residence, where they met with the men before boarding a carriage to head back home. She led Song Mo, Jiang Yue, Jiang Jiu, and Mama Li in one carriage.
Song Ming approached Lu Man’s carriage, intending to take his son, Song Mo, back home. However, this was merely an excuse, he was eager to see Lu Man and was anxious about her well-being since Jiang Zhanwei’s return. In recent days, Song Ming had been tormented by feelings of discomfort, frustration, and jealousy, almost on the verge of exploding.
He knew he had no right to feel “jealous”, but this emotion lingered and tormented him.
Upon hearing that his dad was taking him home, Song Mo, seated next to Lu Man, started wailing. Seeing this, Jiang Yue also didn’t want Uncle Ming to leave and joined in the crying, while Jiang Jiu tried to plead on their behalf.
Lu Man lifted the curtain of the carriage and smiled at Song Ming, saying, “I miss Mo too, let him stay at my house for a day.”
In the lingering winter sunlight, Lu Man’s delicate face gleamed with a healthy glow, radiating joy and mirth. There was no sign of weariness or sorrow that hinted at an impending abandonment.
Song Ming’s heart skipped a beat as he gazed at Lu Man, momentarily lost in thought. This wasn’t what he had expected at all!
Lu Man smiled again and said, “Prince, let’s stick to the usual routine. Let Mo stay at my house once every ten days, he seems so upset.”
Song Ming quickly smiled and said, “Oh, sure, then I’ll trouble Young Lady Lu.”
The cries from the carriage abruptly ceased, followed by enthusiastic cheers.
Song Ming’s heart seemed to empty momentarily as he gazed into the sky, lost in thought. Golden wax plum blossoms fluttered down from a particular spot, where a beautiful lady wept like a pear tree in the rain…
Jiang Zhanwei approached Song Ming, bowing respectfully as he said, “Prince, I heard that when I was absent, you helped my younger brother out of a few predicaments. I sincerely thank you.” With a slight bow, he expressed his gratitude.
Quickly regaining his composure, Song Ming wore a warm and humble smile, replying, “No need to be so polite. We are relatives and should support each other. Besides, your wife saved my mother’s life and has taken care of Mo, so it’s only right that I reciprocate.”
Jiang Zhanwei, with a hidden meaning in his eyes, smiled and responded, “As you said, we are relatives and should support each other.”
The term “relatives” was emphasized.
Seated in the carriage, Lu Man was puzzled. She hadn’t had the chance to discuss other family matters with Jiang Zhanwei yet he seemed to be aware of everything.
Moreover, she noticed that Song Ming seemed different from before. Despite his immaculate attire, he appeared somewhat worn-out, even thinner, with a hint of deep sadness in his eyes, fleeting yet caught by her observant gaze.
A pang of sorrow struck Lu Man’s heart.
During the journey, she quietly asked Song Mo in her arms, “Has something happened at home?”
Pouting, Song Mo replied, “I don’t know what’s going on. Father is unhappy, drinking every day, and Grandmother scolded him, calling him a fool and a blockhead.”
Beside them, Jiang Yue patted her chest, raised two thumbs, and commented, “Dad, blockhead.”
Implying that her dad was a blockhead.
Song Mo, preoccupied, ignored flattering Jiang Yue and instead wrapped his arms around Lu Man’s neck, saying, “Sister-in-law, there’s no one to play with me at home, and I’m not happy.”
With the household already gloomy and the adults arguing, lacking any joyous atmosphere, it was impossible for the children to be happy in such an environment.
Observing the pouting little boy, Lu Man felt a pang of guilt. She hugged him and said, “I promise, from now on, I’ll make sure to pick you up on time to come and play at our house.”
Song Mo corrected her, “And stay overnight.”
“Alright, and stay overnight.” Lu Man agreed, then turned to Jiang Jiu and Jiang Yue, saying, “If I forget, you two must remind me.”
Jiang Jiu blushed as she agreed. She felt somewhat embarrassed for forgetting about Little Mo once her brother had returned.
Lu Man was puzzled. Could it be that the old Princess was pressuring Song Ming to marry a girl he didn’t like again?
Taking a deep breath, she hoped that whatever difficulties Song Ming faced, he would overcome them and find happiness. If he encountered any problems he couldn’t resolve, she wondered how she could assist him.
Despite their limited time together, Lu Man enjoyed the relaxed, pressure-free feeling of being with Song Ming. She trusted him, and he reciprocated that trust. Even in her past life, where she had a few male classmates she got along with well, she jokingly called them her “girlfriends”, a relationship far less important than the bond she shared with Song Ming.
Upon returning to Donghui Courtyard, Lu Man arranged for Song Mo to stay in the east wing of the fourth courtyard. He wanted to stay in the east side room of the main building, but Lu Man refused, stating, “Look at Yue, she has already moved to the east wing. Children grow up and shouldn’t live with adults.”
She then had the nursemaid lead him to visit Jiang Yue’s “new home”.
After the children left, Lu Man scolded Jiang Zhanwei, saying, “That child is lonely at home and enjoys coming to our house to play. Can’t you at least offer a smile?”
Jiang Zhanwei, teased by her words, responded, “All my smiles are for you. Aren’t you satisfied?” He then pulled her into his arms and said, “Man, I’ve come back alive, so you’re not allowed to leave me. You must stay by my side until death.”
His voice was low, almost a whisper.
His actions startled the little girls in the room, and they blushed and hurried out.
Lu Man, exasperated, pushed him but couldn’t budge him, scolding, “What nonsense are you talking about in broad daylight?” Despite her scolding, she felt a bit uneasy. Could he have found out about her reluctance to live with him before?
She recalled that Jiang Zhanwei knew about Song Ming helping He Cheng, and he would surely inquire about the events of the past two years upon his return. Having not done anything to upset him, Lu Man wasn’t worried about his servants reporting anything to him.
As Jiang Zhanwei continued, “Man, I truly delight in you, and I can’t bear to see you leave me. Before going to war, I deceived you…”
Lu Man raised her head, asking cautiously, “What did you deceive me about? Tell me the truth.”