Chapter 30: Qin Rong

Just as Wen Ruyu instructed Lu Songnian to send the guests away, Qin Fu and her elder brother showed no intention of leaving immediately.

Qin Fu’s brother said to Wen Ruyu, “Madam, there is something my father specifically asked me to pass on to you.”

Hearing this, Wen Ruyu naturally guessed that it was something not meant for others to know. So, she waved her hand, signaling the servants to leave.

The servants of the Lu family, especially those serving Wen Ruyu closely, were quite reliable. They were either indentured servants or born into servitude within the household.

While there might be scheming and personal agendas among them, they understood that their fate was tied to the prosperity of their masters. Therefore, they were generally trustworthy.

There was nothing in the Lu household that truly needed to be hidden from them.

However, to put the Qin siblings at ease, Wen Ruyu made a show of clearing the room.

Once the servants had left and the door was closed, Qin Fu’s brother took out a letter from his robe and handed it to Wen Ruyu.

Xiazhu, Wen Ruyu’s personal maid, stepped forward to receive the letter and passed it to her.

Wen Ruyu opened the envelope and found two pages inside. The letter began with Old Master Qin greeting her warmly and expressing his concern for her family.

Then, he got to the main point—his request.

As she read, Wen Ruyu glanced at the young girl standing beside Qin Fu.

Now she understood why the Qin siblings insisted on dismissing the servants but still kept this girl by their side.

This was no ordinary maid; she was a fallen nobleman’s illegitimate daughter.

A true servant would never outshine their master, yet this girl had a strong presence.

She had a delicate face like peach blossoms, and there was a hint of heroism in her brows—she bore some resemblance to her brother.

The letter explained that the girl was the daughter of Old Master Qin and the child of a disgraced official. Because Old Master Qin’s wife refused to raise her, the girl and her mother had lived on a remote estate.

After her mother’s passing, Old Master Qin discovered that she had been mistreated by the estate servants. Since his wife still refused to accept her into the main household, he decided to send her away when his daughter married.

Fortunately, the girl was already thirteen. In another two or three years, she would be of marriageable age, so he was asking Wen Ruyu to take care of her for a couple of years before finding her a decent marriage.

Her background made it difficult to publicly acknowledge her or include her as a dowry maid for her sister. Thus, the only option was to send her to Wen Ruyu.

Of course, the Qin family did not expect Wen Ruyu to take her in for free.

They had sent 200 taels of silver—100 taels for her living expenses and the other 100 for her dowry.

The girl had become mute due to years of mistreatment. She was not born mute but had been forced into silence.

Since she was highly guarded against others, Old Master Qin specifically requested that she be given her own room to avoid distress.

If it was difficult for Wen Ruyu to explain her presence, she could simply keep her as a personal maid in name.

Naturally, if Wen Ruyu accepted her, she wouldn’t actually make the girl work—after all, she was still a nobleman’s daughter.

Old Master Qin spent half a page of the letter pleading for Wen Ruyu to take her in.

After finishing the letter, Wen Ruyu beckoned the girl forward.

“Go on,” Qin Fu gently nudged her.

Qin Rong hesitantly walked toward Wen Ruyu.

Wen Ruyu reached out and took the girl’s hand. Feeling the calluses on her palm, she sighed inwardly.

At thirteen, a girl should be growing strong and healthy. Yet, this child was smaller than even her own frail daughter—barely 140 cm tall.

“Poor thing,” Wen Ruyu murmured, reaching to touch Qin Rong’s face.

The girl flinched and turned away.

Wen Ruyu wasn’t offended. To the child, she was just a stranger with no blood ties.

Raising another person wasn’t difficult for Wen Ruyu—after all, providing food and shelter wasn’t a hardship.

But raising someone else’s daughter? That gave her pause.

What if something happened? If she failed to care for this delicate girl properly, it could strain the relationship between the Lu and Qin families.

On the other hand, rejecting Old Master Qin felt like a betrayal of his kindness.

He had always been loyal and generous. When the Lu family was in trouble, he helped them without hesitation, even funding and escorting them back to Qinghe County.

Yet, he was a contradictory man—selfless toward friends but indifferent to his own family.

Many men were like that.

But ultimately, the Qin and Lu families were longtime allies, and the Qin family had shown them great kindness.

After considering all this, Wen Ruyu finally agreed to take the girl in.

After all, her children would eventually take the imperial exams. If they succeeded, it would be beneficial to have connections in the capital.

Besides, this favor could ensure future goodwill from the Qin family.

As for raising Qin Rong, her elder sister was still in Qinghe County. If anything went wrong, she could take responsibility.

And in two years, when Qin Rong reached marriageable age, her sister could decide on a match—keeping Wen Ruyu out of the equation.

Seeing Wen Ruyu agree, the Qin siblings sighed in relief.

Qin Fu’s brother expressed his gratitude. “We only learned of her existence before we left. If you had refused, we would have had no choice but to bring her to our younger sister’s in-laws. But asking her in-laws to accept a servant girl with a 200-tael dowry would have been difficult.”

“Moreover, she is withdrawn and doesn’t speak. Our sister is newly married, and bringing along such a girl would surely displease her new family.”

Wen Ruyu nodded in understanding. “Tell your father not to worry. The Qin and Lu families are close. He is welcome to visit anytime and see how she is doing.”

Qin Fu’s brother merely smiled faintly. “If the opportunity arises.”

With that, the siblings took their leave. Wen Ruyu had her son escort them out.

After they left, Wen Ruyu instructed her maids to prepare a room in her quarters for Qin Rong.

Since Qin Rong’s identity couldn’t be openly acknowledged, she would inform her children of the truth but tell the servants she was just a pitiful girl she had taken in.

Wealthy families often engaged in charity, and this explanation was easy for the household to accept.

Once the room was prepared, Qin Rong moved in.

That evening, when the family gathered for dinner, Wen Ruyu had Qin Rong sit at the table.

The servants were surprised.

Even if Wen Ruyu was kind, it was unusual for a mere servant girl to dine with the masters.

But since she insisted, they made room for her.

Still, the atmosphere was awkward with an unfamiliar presence at the table.

Only Lu Mingzhu was excited about having another girl in the house, smiling warmly at Qin Rong.

However, Qin Rong remained distant, leaving Lu Mingzhu somewhat disappointed.

After dinner, Wen Ruyu dismissed the servants and explained Qin Rong’s true identity to her children.

“Although she will not be treated as a noble lady, you must still show her respect. She is a child of the Qin family, and you are not to order her around or look down on her.”

Now understanding the situation, the children readily agreed.