Chapter 5: The Eldest Son

“The young master has returned!” A maid’s voice rang out from outside.

Wen Ruyu had been lost in thought. Since she had been ill recently, it wasn’t surprising that she seemed low on energy.

Hearing that her eldest son, whom she had never met, had returned, she perked up a little.

The family members also turned their gaze toward the door. Especially her eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Zhao, who had already stood up to take a look outside.

The eldest couple of the household had a good relationship. From Wen Ruyu’s memories, her eldest son was a proper man who did not indulge in reckless behavior.

Since the couple often spent time apart, it was natural for Zhao Shu to miss her husband.

By custom, Lu Songnian, upon arriving home covered in dust from travel, should have gone to his own quarters to change before greeting Wen Ruyu.

However, upon hearing that his mother was ill, Lu Baining rushed over without even changing his clothes, eager to see his mother.

As he lifted the curtain and stepped inside, the room was warm with a well-stoked brazier.

Approaching the bed, he looked at his mother’s familiar face, and his eyes immediately reddened. Kneeling before Wen Ruyu, he bowed deeply. “Mother, your unfilial son Baining has returned!”

Hearing the announcement of Lu Baining’s arrival, Wen Ruyu had already been preparing herself emotionally.

In truth, she didn’t need much preparation. Just thinking about how much she had aged, how hard she had worked to secure the family’s fortune, and how she longed for the comfort of a soft mattress—these were enough to bring tears to her eyes.

“My… child! Wuwuwu…” Wen Ruyu, recalling her past life in modern times, wept with genuine emotion.

Seeing his mother cry, Lu Baining’s eyes reddened even more.

Not every younger member of the family was particularly filial, but upon seeing their mother cry, none dared not to console her.

One by one, they all stepped forward to persuade Wen Ruyu not to cry.

Wen Ruyu, however, was only making a show of emotion and quickly wiped away her tears, allowing her eldest son to sit.

Wen Ruyu now lived in an era set in an alternate history. The country was called Yufeng, with politics and ideology similar to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Their clothing resembled styles from the Song and Ming periods, though some people preferred older fashions. The social atmosphere was fairly open.

The country itself was relatively small, not even half the size of modern China.

Historical figures up until the Ming dynasty still existed, but the dynastic transitions were quicker. There were no major upheavals like the Five Hu Invasions or the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. There was also no large-scale foreign invasion like that of the Yuan or Qing dynasties.

This was likely because the country’s small size made it less of a target for conquest.

From the memories of the original owner of this body, Wen Ruyu could only gather this much.

Though the original owner had studied and recognized some characters, her education seemed to have been wasted.

She only cared about managing the household and had little interest in the country’s political system, laws, or diplomacy.

She knew this bit of history only because her husband had been an official. To have common topics with him, she had learned some basics.

After wiping away her tears, Wen Ruyu finally removed her hand from her eldest son’s face.

She then ordered for the meal to be prepared, and they ate in the front hall.

The servants bustled about. Wen Ruyu pulled her son into casual conversation, asking about his experiences traveling north.

She didn’t ask about profits in front of everyone, though she was curious.

But even if she didn’t ask, someone else was bound to be curious.

Once they were seated at the table, her younger son immediately blurted out, “Elder brother, did you make a thousand taels on this trip?”

Upon hearing this, Wen Ruyu quickly interrupted, “Eat your meal properly and don’t ask unnecessary questions. How much money the family makes is none of your concern! Whatever we earn, you won’t be left out.”

Hearing his mother’s sharp words, Lu Jinnian shrank his neck, confusion flashing across his delicate face.

What was wrong with Mother today? Normally, she wouldn’t care what he said at the dinner table. But today, it seemed like she was deliberately guarding against him.

His younger sister, seeing Wen Ruyu raise her voice, only glanced up cautiously, not daring to breathe too loudly. She even slowed down her eating.

Wen Ruyu sighed inwardly.

Never mind. The little girl was still young, her values not yet fully formed.

Then she glanced at Lu Jinnian, who had fallen silent, and a cold smile curled on her lips.

From what she remembered of the original owner’s life, the child she had spoiled the most was this one.

And it was this child who took the most money from her every year, deceiving her again and again.

If he knew how much the family actually made, wouldn’t that just bring trouble for her?

Trying to outsmart her?

She wasn’t their real mother and had no intention of indulging them endlessly.

Turning her gaze away, Wen Ruyu sighed and began her performance.

“I have been sick these past two days. In my feverish dreams, I kept seeing your father crying and telling me that Songnian had earned a scholar’s title but was forced into business. Our Lu family is not struggling, so why must he become a merchant? Each time I wake up, I feel pain in my chest, guilt weighing heavily on me. The more I think about it, the more I feel I have wronged our ancestors—especially your father.”

“They say all professions are inferior, except for studying. Though our dynasty allows merchants to take the imperial exams, business is still considered a lowly profession and a difficult one at that. Starting next year, I want Songnian to stop selling cloth in the capital. From now on, I will personally manage the family’s two shops.”

In truth, the Lu family had been a scholarly household since Lu Father’s time. The family’s businesses had been established under him, and though they engaged in trade, they weren’t officially classified as merchants.

With connections and some maneuvering, Lu Songnian had been able to engage in trade despite holding a scholar’s title. Government oversight had not been too strict.

Wen Ruyu wasn’t sure if her words would be effective—if her good eldest son would accept them and let her take control of the family’s affairs.

After all, the dream was just a pretext. It was merely a tool for her to reclaim the family’s business.

But Wen Ruyu had overthought things.

The moment she mentioned taking back the shops, her eldest son, Lu Songnian, immediately burst into tears, declaring his own unfilial behavior.

“It is my fault! Mother has already stepped back from household affairs due to her poor health, yet I have been unable to earn enough to support the family. Now, I have forced my sick mother to take on business matters!” He then knelt before Wen Ruyu once more, dabbing his tears with his fine sleeve.

Compared to Wen Ruyu’s age, Lu Songnian looked very young.

At the age of a modern university student, he was not naïve or foolish. Instead, he had traveled far and wide, shouldering the family’s livelihood.

For a moment, Wen Ruyu felt a twinge of guilt for deceiving him. But she quickly suppressed it.

No matter what, she was determined to take charge of this household.

She wouldn’t feel secure unless she had control of the money.