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Chapter 60 – A Visit

Zhao Shu looked at Zhao Dahan and sighed, “You go down first. I’ll talk to you later. Go find a doctor for Fen’er — her life is more important right now.”

As she spoke, she called for the maid, Pomegranate, and instructed her to go to the accounting room and get money.

Then she summoned a young servant and told him to find the doctor who had previously examined Wen Ruyu.

Zhao Dahan saw that Zhao Shu was taking care of the matter, but feared she might not be able to restrain Lu Ke, and opened his mouth to say something.

Zhao Shu had managed the household for years and had grown adept at handling people and situations. She naturally understood Zhao Dahan’s worries. In order to reassure him, Zhao Shu looked him straight in the eye and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to give both you and Fen’er a proper explanation. This matter won’t be brushed off.”

Hearing this, and thinking about Zhao Shu’s usual sense of fairness, Zhao Dahan felt slightly comforted.

Since the Lady of the House had given her word, he had nothing else to say. If he continued to argue, it would make him look unreasonable.

So Zhao Dahan had no choice but to temporarily suppress his grievance and anger, saying, “Madam has always acted justly. I trust you.”

Zhao Shu breathed a small sigh of relief, then had someone escort Zhao Dahan away and returned to report to Wen Ruyu.

But she had no idea that Wen Ruyu was not someone so easily appeased.

If the issue were that simple, Zhao Shu wouldn’t have taken so long to return.

If it were just a case of someone causing trouble, she would’ve simply had them thrown out.

When Zhao Shu returned to the room and opened her mouth to speak, Wen Ruyu waved her hand to silence her, stopping her before she could utter a word — lest a lie be exposed and shame them all.

Then Wen Ruyu turned to Qingxue and said, “Go call in Granny Zhou from outside.”

Zhao Shu’s heart sank. Uh oh.

She had rushed over to Wen Ruyu earlier and hadn’t had time to tell Granny Zhou and the others to keep things under wraps.

When Granny Zhou entered, Wen Ruyu said, “Speak. What happened outside just now? Who was causing a ruckus?”

“Old Madam,” Zhao Shu stepped forward, wanting to answer.

“You don’t speak. I’m asking her.” Wen Ruyu gave her no chance to talk.

Seeing her mother-in-law so firm, Zhao Shu naturally held her tongue and fell silent.

Granny Zhou didn’t know how to respond, her eyes darting toward Zhao Shu.

“I’m asking you! Don’t look at her!” Wen Ruyu’s voice carried a stern edge.

Granny Zhou quickly looked back at Wen Ruyu.

“I thought I recognized the voice shouting outside — who was it?” Wen Ruyu asked.

Granny Zhou had always done whatever Wen Ruyu asked without question, but she didn’t have the composure to withstand a thorough questioning.

So when asked directly, she blurted out everything she had seen.

Zhao Shu sighed inwardly. All that effort outside was in vain.

So be it — perhaps this was simply Lu Ke’s fate.

When Wen Ruyu heard that Lu Ke had indeed deceived them, had relations with Fen’er, and even got her pregnant, she was so angry she nearly passed out.

This was outrageous — absolutely outrageous!

Seeing Wen Ruyu struggling to breathe, Zhao Shu rushed forward to help calm her.

“Old Madam, don’t get so worked up over such filth. Lu Ke has disappointed us, but we can discipline him from now on.” She ordered someone to bring tea and tended to Wen Ruyu carefully.

Wen Ruyu trembled with anger, feeling a storm of fury churning in her chest.

After sipping a couple of mouthfuls of tea, she began to calm down.

Once she had collected herself, she asked Zhao Shu, “Has a doctor seen Fen’er yet?”

Zhao Shu, still soothing her, replied gently, “Rest assured, Old Madam. I already sent someone. Fen’er will be alright.”

Wen Ruyu snapped, “Four months pregnant and forced to abort with medicine! How could she be alright?! She’s lucky to be alive! And that beast still had the nerve to do this!”

“Bring Lu Ke here right now!” she shouted, pointing in his direction.

Zhao Shu didn’t dare go against her, replying quickly, “Yes, Old Madam, please calm down. I’ll summon him right away.”

She made it clear where she stood and turned to the servants, “Well? Go fetch Lu Ke!”

Lu Ke had been lounging at home these past few days, passing the time reading.

He was just about to ask someone to inquire how Fen’er’s abortion had gone when someone from Wen Ruyu’s place arrived.

Qingxue came with two older maids — their serious demeanor looked less like a polite summons and more like they were here to arrest a criminal.

Lu Ke’s eyelids twitched nervously. He feared Wen Ruyu had learned of his affair with Fen’er.

“Ah, sister, what brings you here? Is something wrong?” Lu Ke greeted Qingxue with a smile, hoping to get some information.

But Qingxue ignored him, simply saying, “You’ll know when you get there.”

Lu Ke’s heart sank.

But since it was the Old Madam calling — the most powerful person in the Lu household — he had no choice. He changed his clothes and went over quickly.

As soon as Lu Ke entered Wen Ruyu’s room and walked past the screen, a porcelain cup flew toward his face.

“Crash!” It shattered on the carpet.

Fortunately, he dodged in time. Otherwise, he might’ve been injured.

Along with the cup came Wen Ruyu’s furious shout: “You disgrace!”

Lu Ke immediately knelt, sweating profusely, not daring to ask what had caused her rage.

He feared guessing correctly — and also feared guessing wrong and exposing something worse.

Wen Ruyu pointed at his face and scolded, “You’ve been studying for over ten years — did you stuff all those books down a dog’s belly?! You got a girl pregnant before marriage. Four months in and you forced her to abort. You filthy, rotten bastard! How could you do something so vile?!”

Lu Ke wiped his sweat. “I didn’t force her. She just didn’t speak up earlier.”

He felt wronged. A four-month pregnancy was hard to end, but it would’ve been easier at two months.

He never meant for things to get this far.

At the time, he was preparing for the provincial exams and under a lot of stress. Fen’er came to him willingly, and he didn’t resist.

He thought she was just like other chambermaids who would take medicine afterward. It was Fen’er’s fault for being too young and inexperienced — she wasn’t even formally assigned to his room.

Lu Ke didn’t say anything, and neither did Fen’er. She didn’t understand much and didn’t dare tell anyone, so no one reminded her.

She had irregular periods and only panicked when her belly started to swell after four months.

Lu Ke had only wanted to take advantage of a woman — he never intended for it to escalate this far.

Wen Ruyu slammed the table, “And you think you’re justified?!”

“Old Madam!” Zhao Shu, seeing Wen Ruyu furious to the point of collapse, rushed over. “Please don’t harm your health!”

If Wen Ruyu fell ill from anger, Zhao Shu wouldn’t know how to face the family.

Zhao Shu, raised as a traditional virtuous wife, held the notion of pleasing and respecting elders as sacred.

Though she wasn’t at fault here, she felt deeply anxious seeing Wen Ruyu so upset — like she had failed in her duty.

Wen Ruyu had wanted to strike Lu Ke but was still thinking about Fen’er’s condition.

Fen’er had worked diligently in her room, though not close to Wen Ruyu, so she hadn’t stood out. Still, Wen Ruyu couldn’t ignore a life.

To her, the idea that “a servant girl dying is no big deal” was unthinkable.

Fen’er was a life — no matter how low her status, no one had the right to violently take that away.

Trying to calm herself, Wen Ruyu leaned on Zhao Shu and stood up, saying to Lu Ke, “You come with me. Let’s go check on Fen’er.”

Lu Ke dared not object and obediently followed her to the back courtyard.

With such a major incident and the Old Madam furious, the rest of the household came too — Lu Songnian, Lu Mingzhu, Lu Jinnian, and Concubine Qian.

When Concubine Qian heard of what Lu Ke had done, she was terrified. She barely dared breathe in Wen Ruyu’s presence.

If not for the fact that the culprit was her own son, she wouldn’t have come at all to avoid embarrassment.

A whole group — the Old Madam, the masters, mistresses, young ladies, concubines, and servants — all headed toward Fen’er’s house.

Wen Ruyu, fearing her daughter would be frightened, told Lu Mingzhu to go back to her room after they left the courtyard.

Lu Mingzhu obeyed without argument.

And so, Wen Ruyu led the group to Fen’er’s home.

The Lu family’s servants had their own quarters. Beyond the second gate was a courtyard for the day laborers, who returned home at night.

There were also coachmen, attendants, gatekeepers, gardeners, etc.

The back rooms housed servants who had sold themselves into the Lu household, many of whom had families.

Fen’er’s family lived in the back rooms, which was convenient for her work with Wen Ruyu.

Her family of four — her parents and two daughters — lived in a small house.

By now, Zhao Dahan had also been brought home.

Seeing Wen Ruyu arrive, Fen’er’s family knelt to her immediately.

Wen Ruyu grew even more irritated at the sight. “Enough, enough, no need for that.”

Hearing this, they stood aside, waiting for her to speak.

Wen Ruyu entered and immediately smelled blood.

Fen’er’s mother had cleaned up, but the bedding couldn’t be washed immediately — they’d just changed the sheets and used the father’s mattress for Fen’er.

The family didn’t have spare bedding to rotate.

From outside, Wen Ruyu asked, “Is she sleeping or awake?”

Fen’er’s mother quickly answered, “The doctor just saw her. She’s still awake.”

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