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Just as they were speaking, Lu Bainian was about to head out to look for someone.
But Le’er stopped him. “My lord, where are you going to find him at this hour? He just went back to report. He’s probably hiding somewhere now. If you want to find him, you’ll have to go to his house.”
Lu Bainen stopped in his tracks after hearing that.
Le’er then persuaded him, “The important thing is to report back to the old madam. If you really took someone’s silver, you need to return it. And the land—if you let it lie fallow, won’t that make it obvious something’s fishy?”
Lu Bainen listened and realized Le’er made sense.
He had expected his mother might send someone to watch him, but he figured she would turn a blind eye as long as he stayed quietly in the countryside, and occasional help from friends wouldn’t be a big deal.
He hadn’t expected his mother to be so thorough.
Now that Lu Bainen had finally stood his ground for once, he couldn’t just go back on his word now.
He grumbled and said to Liu Suqing, “Give Le’er the two taels of silver Brother Zhengqiao brought yesterday.”
Liu Suqing opened her mouth to speak, but in the end, said nothing and fetched the money pouch.
She poured out some loose change and one string of coins.
“There’s only one tael and nine qian left. The rest was spent—on food and drink.”
There were still savings at home, but those were given to Lu Bainen by the old madam.
Since the money came from different sources, it wouldn’t be right to use her money to make up for it.
As expected, Lu Bainian didn’t say anything when he saw the amount.
“Altogether, it was two taels of silver. One qian was spent. Just go back and report that to my mother.”
Le’er carefully accepted the silver.
After chatting for a bit longer, Le’er, worried his master might suffer, helped Lu Bainian work in the field for another half hour before returning home.
After cleaning up a bit back at the courtyard, he saw that it was getting late and took his leave.
Lu Bainian, feeling a bit grateful, wanted to walk Le’er out, but Le’er quickly refused, feeling unworthy of such a gesture.
And so, the master and servant parted ways.
By the time Le’er returned to the Lu residence, it was already late—just before curfew.
Originally, he should have gone directly to see the old madam, but Madam Wang happened to be in Wen Ruyu’s room at the time. Le’er’s matter wasn’t urgent, so he decided not to interrupt.
The next day, after breakfast, Le’er came to Wen Ruyu to give his report.
By now, Wen Ruyu had handed over many household affairs to Zhao Shu and only occasionally checked the accounts herself, spending most of her time managing the shops.
She was a bit more relaxed than when she had just transmigrated here.
However, she needed to go out today, so she had a free morning at home.
After breakfast, she changed into formal attire and soon heard that Le’er had arrived.
She had him come in and asked about the situation.
Le’er explained that Lu Bainen had taken silver from Zhengqiao in Lu Family Village and handed over the remaining one tael and nine qian to Wen Ruyu.
Wen Ruyu took the silver from the maid and sneered, “Choosing not to live a good life, huh?”
What a cheap bastard.
No matter how high inflation gets, Lu Bainian would always be a disgrace.
Did that once-spendthrift Second Master Lu, who used to squander the family fortune, ever imagine that one day he would bow his head over just two taels of silver?
Wen Ruyu raised her eyes and said to Qiumai, “Go cut two taels of silver from my supply. Le’er, go return the money to Zhengqiao’s house. Tell him your Second Master appreciates the kind gesture but there’s no need to send more money in the future.”
“Achoo!” It was chilly in the morning. Lu Bainen sneezed just as he stepped out after breakfast.
He grabbed a hoe and stepped outside, looking around. At first glance, he didn’t notice anything unusual, but upon closer inspection, he saw a strong figure hiding behind a tree.
Lu Bainen wasn’t used to early mornings, so he came to the fields late.
It was almost 9 a.m. by this point. Tiechui had come early and had been waiting under the tree to watch him.
Unfortunately, Tiechui wasn’t exactly nimble, so Lu Bainian spotted him easily.
Seeing this big oaf first thing in the morning made Lu Bainian furious.
Tiechui, who had been keeping a close watch on Lu Bainen, also realized he’d been seen.
He wanted to dodge and hide, but he was simply too bulky—his size didn’t allow for stealth.
So, he just stood there and let Lu Bainian stare him down.
Stares weren’t weapons, and they certainly didn’t hurt Tiechui.
Lu Bainen knew that too, so after glaring for a while, he threw down his hoe and stomped toward Tiechui.
Tiechui didn’t flinch—he just stood there.
Lu Bainian didn’t have anything nice to say. He didn’t even bother speaking. He just rolled up his sleeves and started swinging.
But his arms, used to only a few days of farm work, were too skinny. His punches, compared to Tiechui’s towering frame, were unimpressive.
Tiechui easily caught his swing.
“Second Master, save your strength for farming,” Tiechui advised kindly, which nearly made Lu Bainen cough up blood in frustration.
“If you hadn’t snitched, would I be stuck doing farm work now?!” Lu Bainian cursed and pulled his hand back, punching him again and again.
His flurry of punches had some power, hitting Tiechui a few times and making Lu Bainian feel a bit better.
But after a while, Lu Bainian was panting from exhaustion, while Tiechui didn’t even say “ouch,” which left Lu Bainian feeling defeated.
Worn out, he pulled his fists back.
Looking at the sturdy Tiechui, Lu Bainen couldn’t help but regret not having trained in martial arts when he was younger.
No wonder his mother was so smart—she knew exactly who could control him and specifically sent someone like Tiechui to keep an eye on him.
Out of breath and at a loss, Lu Bainian didn’t want to seem too weak.
He pointed a finger at Tiechui and said, “Just you wait!”
Then he turned around, grabbed his hoe, and trudged to the field.
As dumb as Tiechui seemed, what he said earlier was true.
If he used all his strength fighting, he’d have nothing left to work the land. Better save his energy for farming.
Back at the Wen residence, Wen Ruyu finished getting ready and prepared to go with her daughter and daughter-in-law to Qin Fu’s wedding.
Just before they left, she saw Qin Rong dressed plainly.
Qin Rong never cared for appearances—her hair was always secured with just a few pins.
Usually, it was fine, but today Wen Ruyu couldn’t let it go.
She told Xiazhu, “Go get a few velvet flowers from my room and put them in her hair.”
Velvet flowers were cheap—ordinary families could afford one or two for their daughters.
Qin Rong opened her mouth to refuse, but Wen Ruyu said, “We’re attending a wedding. It should look festive.”
Hearing that, Qin Rong stayed quiet.
Soon after, Xiazhu came and pinned the flowers in her hair. With everyone ready, the women left together.
They traveled by carriage. Considering Qin Rong’s special status, Wen Ruyu had her ride along too.
To keep Qin Rong’s identity secret, Wen Ruyu always acted very fond of her in public.
Only this way could she give her treatment beyond that of an ordinary maid.
As they left, the neighboring Song family also had guests arriving—Madam Wang’s brother had just come.
They passed by in a hurry, the carriage wheels rolling onward.
The Qin and Lu families lived on the same street, so the trip only took about 15 minutes.
At the venue, they presented their wedding gift and were guided by the Qin family’s servants to the women’s banquet area.
The bride hadn’t arrived yet, but the place was already buzzing with excitement.
Just after they sat down, Madam Tian from the Liu family, a friend of the original host, came over to chat.
“I heard the groom’s father is seriously ill. Not sure if he can even attend the ceremony today.”
“Really? That bad?” Wen Ruyu was surprised—the groom’s father, Old Master Xu, was about her age.
“That’s why they rushed the wedding. If they waited any longer, Xu Rui’s whole future might be delayed.”
Xu Rui had grown up under their watch, so the elders were used to calling him by name.
Wen Ruyu fell silent, thinking that Qin Fu, marrying into a family about to face mourning, probably wasn’t too happy.
Just then, the auspicious hour arrived. Firecrackers boomed outside—the bride had arrived.
Everyone moved to watch the ceremony.
Contrary to Madam Tian’s words, Old Master Xu did appear, seated in the place of honor, waiting for the couple.
But even without moving, he was sweating profusely.
Though only in his 40s or 50s, he looked 70 or 80.
Thin and frail, his bony hands trembled as he held a handkerchief, constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead.
His face was pale with a greenish tint, and the rouge on his cheeks smeared as the sweat dripped down.
No need to take his pulse—just one look said enough: his days were numbered.
Though it was meant to be a joyous event, the sight of Old Master Xu dulled the mood somewhat.
Still, it was a wedding. Even if he was gravely ill, it didn’t really dampen most people’s spirits.
The bride soon entered.
Qin Fu didn’t wear a traditional red veil, just used a fan to cover her face. From the side, her complexion looked fine.
Despite it being a happy day, she clearly looked nervous.
The groom, Xu Rui, was a decent-looking man—clean and neat. Not overly handsome, but not ugly either. Among men, he was above average.
They performed the ceremonial bows, paid respects to the parents, and then came the bridal chamber fun.
Since all the guests were from respectable families, the pranks were limited—just making the groom drink, recite poems, and some mild jokes outside the bridal room.
Wen Ruyu and the women didn’t take part in that, of course—it was all the men fooling around.
After the banquet, Wen Ruyu took her daughter and daughter-in-law home.
As they were leaving, they could still hear people cheering and urging the groom to drink. It was likely the celebration would go on until curfew.