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Chapter 62: Visiting the Lin Family

Besides the Lu family’s discomfort and pain, Zhao Dahan’s family wasn’t particularly at ease either.

But compared to the Lu family’s suffering, they felt somewhat relieved deep down.

Yes, why should only their family suffer when it was Lu Ke and Fen’er’s child?

Even if he was their master, he shouldn’t be so excessive.

Now that the old madam had taken charge and they had witnessed San Ye’s pain, though it couldn’t lessen their daughter’s suffering, it at least made them feel less resentful.

Evil deeds deserve retribution—Lu Ke forced their daughter to abort the child. Even if there was no physical punishment, he should at least suffer mentally.

But Wen Ruyu didn’t plan to let Lu Ke off that easily.

After comforting the Zhao family, she instructed the child to be properly buried. A child who died prematurely could not be buried in the ancestral grave, as per their customs, so it would have to be buried elsewhere.

She also had someone deliver ten taels of silver to help Fen’er recover.

After giving those orders, she told her daughter-in-law, “Fen’er’s medicine will be provided by the family. No matter what the doctor prescribes, if her family asks, just give it to them. Also, I noticed they don’t have enough quilts—have someone bring two or three good ones over.”

Zhao Shu quickly agreed.

After hearing Wen Ruyu’s words, Fen’er’s family had nothing more to say. They all knelt down and kowtowed to her.

Wen Ruyu felt a bit uneasy but accepted their thanks.

After handling Fen’er’s matters, Wen Ruyu finally returned to her own room.

Once they left the cramped little home, it suddenly felt spacious again.

Back in her room, none of the servants or family dared to leave on their own. Aside from Wen Ruyu, everyone remained standing.

Wen Ruyu sat silently in her seat for about half a quarter-hour.

No one dared speak. No one dared prompt her either.

She was deliberately creating pressure—to make her stance clear.

Even though her daughter-in-law was capable, she sometimes hid things from Wen Ruyu out of worry.

As the highest authority in the Lu family, Wen Ruyu could not be sidelined.

Whether big or small, she needed to be informed of everything.

Finally, she spoke slowly: “What San did today is extremely serious. Even though our family rules don’t have explicit consequences for this, if I don’t punish him, others might follow his example.”

There were no specific rules in the Lu family about punishing a man for causing a servant girl to miscarry.

But rules are dead—people are alive.

After what they saw today—the lifeless fetus—no one dared object to her punishing Lu Ke.

So she ordered Lu Ke to be beaten with thirty strokes.

Concubine Qian, risking being scolded by Wen Ruyu, offered to take twenty strokes in his place.

Kneeling before her, she cried and said, “He’s getting married in a few days. If he gets beaten like this, he won’t even be able to stand during the wedding. Please have mercy and let me take his place.”

Wen Ruyu thought about it and replied, “It’s true we need to consider the wedding. After all, it’s about the Lu family’s face—it can’t be too ugly.”

“So reduce it to twenty strokes. No need for you to take the punishment.”

She turned to Lu Ke and added, “This mercy is for your mother’s sake. You’re spared ten strokes.”

Lu Ke remained silent.

Wen Ruyu didn’t care. She looked around the room and continued:

“If I ever find out again that any man of this household commits such a deed, it will be forty strokes—no excuses! If you don’t care about your lives, then keep fooling around in the backyard!”

Lu Jinnian felt his scalp tighten when he heard this.

Luckily, he was young and already knew to take care of himself. While he liked flirtations, it was just hand-holding and whispering.

He remembered playing with Pei Xiao recently—if the old madam hadn’t been strict and forbidden him to stay out overnight, he might have already crossed the line.

Lu Jinnian had always loved beauty, just like his second brother—but unlike him, he also liked men.

Now that he’d found someone truly stunning, the maids and servants in the house no longer interested him.

Honestly, the only reason Lu Jinnian hadn’t gotten into trouble at home yet was pure luck.

The men of the Lu family were not timid when it came to affairs of the heart—except for the eldest, they all had both desire and daring.

Apparently, the lesson from Lu Bainian wasn’t enough—now there was Lu Ke.

Seeing that lifeless fetus today, even Lu Jinnian felt his courage shrink.

Thinking about it, he didn’t think liking men was so bad anymore.

At least he wouldn’t be making women pregnant and forcing them into abortion.

At that point, no one pleaded for Lu Ke anymore.

Wen Ruyu ordered the punishment to proceed.

Lu Ke was beaten until tears streamed down his face—the pain was real and unavoidable.

But he didn’t make a sound, enduring the twenty strokes in silence.

Afterward, Wen Ruyu told him to come with her to the Lin family’s home the next morning, then dismissed everyone.

When everything was done, Lu Bainian returned from managing the shop and sat down for dinner.

He noticed his third brother and Concubine Qian were absent, and the atmosphere at the table was off—so he stayed quiet.

Later in his room, he heard from the maids what had happened.

Lu Bainian was secretly shocked. Thankfully, ever since things ended with Liu Suqing, he hadn’t had inappropriate thoughts about the maids.

He wasn’t planning on keeping them anyway—he’d give them some silver in the future and help them find good homes.

After enjoying romantic freedom for years, he now had a more philosophical view. If there’s no shared ambition, why hold on to so many lovers?

The maids gradually understood his mindset. Though disappointed, they continued to serve him diligently.

After all, being a concubine wasn’t guaranteed—many stayed maids for life.

If they were lucky, he’d give them a good dowry and a few kind words every new year. That was a good ending.

Women of their class were already fortunate if they could live a peaceful life.

Ordinary women didn’t always dream of rising in status.

Unless you became the main wife, even being a concubine meant you were half a servant.

They saw the fate of other concubines clearly—even after giving birth to a son, they still had to serve the main wife tea.

If their children misbehaved, they still got slapped. And Wen Ruyu, as a matriarch, was already very kind.

But concubines still didn’t have an easy life.

The maids in Lu Bainian’s room accepted this. But in the world, there were always those unwilling to stay poor and would use beauty to seek power.

Everyone struggled in their own way.

Later that night, in Lu Ke’s room—

Concubine Qian tenderly applied medicine to his wounds. “You’re getting married soon. How could something like this happen now?”

“You’ve always been obedient. Why couldn’t you resist Fen’er?”

Lu Ke hadn’t eaten, his stomach ached, his back hurt, and his heart was heavy and irritated.

He knew the old madam was right and didn’t dare say otherwise.

After suffering so much, all he wanted was to be alone.

But people often lash out at those closest to them—so he exploded at his mother.

“I couldn’t resist? I’ve been resisting for over ten years! Why should I keep holding it in? Father didn’t like me. He’d care about everyone else’s studies, and only ask me something if I excelled!

The main wife didn’t like me, so I always had to tread carefully. You told me to endure too! Why should I endure more than anyone else? Why does everyone else live more freely than me?”

Concubine Qian was stunned and at a loss for words.

Lu Ke continued, tears forming:

“Now I’ve made one mistake and the old madam wants to take me to the Lin family. If it were second brother or little brother, would she treat them this way? Second brother messes with maids, little brother likes men! At most they get a beating. But me? I have to go to the Lin family?”

“They all look down on me—because I’m born of a concubine!”

“I’ve endured for so long. Can’t I just not endure this one time?!”

At that point, he began crying.

Those words struck Concubine Qian to her heart. She also began sobbing.

“My son…” she gasped between sobs, “No matter how wronged we are, we shouldn’t hurt others. Even if others are bad, you can’t follow their path. Forget Fen’er for now—but the child was innocent.”

“You were wronged—yes. But that’s my fault for not giving you a better background. Still, you shouldn’t hurt others. If you’re upset, vent it. But Fen’er’s situation—your grandmother wasn’t wrong.”

Lu Ke went silent. The mother and son sat together, crying.

After the tears, they shared a bowl of hot noodles. Then Concubine Qian returned to her room.

The next day, Wen Ruyu inquired about Lu Ke.

He said his back hurt and he’d caught a chill, so he couldn’t go to the Lin family.

Wen Ruyu had no choice but to visit the Lin residence herself.

With the marriage between the two families already settled, both sides treated each other as in-laws.

Under normal circumstances, the Lin family would welcome Wen Ruyu warmly.

But with the wedding so close, her visit raised suspicions—had something gone wrong?

Still, the Lady of the Lin family had no reason to refuse her, and ordered Wen Ruyu to be welcomed inside.

Since Lord Lin was busy with official duties, it was Madam Cao, the Lin family matriarch, who came out to receive her.

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