Chapter 84: Fire

The room smelled heavily of blood, and the maids had lit incense to help dispel the odor.

Seeing this, Wen Ruyu said, “Incense in summer is too suffocating. It’s better to use fruits to freshen up the air. Go to the kitchen and bring some.”

During summer, every few days, vendors brought fresh, high-quality fruits to the Lu family, where they paid for the goods upon delivery. To ensure steady business, the vendors naturally wouldn’t risk offering low-quality fruit, so it was always of excellent quality.

Wen Ruyu didn’t worry about having enough fruit at home and was willing to spend on food and drink, so the kitchen always had plenty of fruit.

The fragrance of summer fruits was always more refreshing than the heavy scent of incense.

The maid, Pomegranate, who had come as part of the eldest daughter-in-law’s dowry, heard Wen Ruyu’s words and quickly agreed to bring some fruit, taking a few other maids with her.

Wen Ruyu approached her daughter-in-law and asked her to take a look at the little granddaughter.

However, Zhao Shu was likely too exhausted to hold the child, so Wen Ruyu gently moved the baby to her daughter-in-law’s side, bending slightly so she could look at her.

Zhao Shu’s face was pale from the labor, and she felt too tired to move. Her mood had been off since her husband wasn’t there during the birth. But seeing how much the matriarch loved her daughter, Zhao Shu’s foul mood lightened considerably.

Although Wen Ruyu had always dote on Lu Qing, she had never shown such joy before. No one had expected Wen Ruyu to be so fond of her granddaughter, holding the baby for such a long time without complaining of tiredness.

Wen Ruyu felt her affection for the child wasn’t so strong, she simply really liked the baby. Perhaps because she rarely showed strong emotions, her sudden display of happiness surprised everyone.

After holding the child for a while, Wen Ruyu finally handed the baby to the wet nurse when her arms began to feel sore.

Before leaving, she held Lu Qing and said to Zhao Shu, “Take care of her well. We won’t disturb you any longer.”

Zhao Shu, also tired and wanting to rest, felt a sense of being cherished from her mother-in-law’s words. She nodded, wiping away tears, and watched as they left before lying back down to sleep.

Just as Wen Ruyu left the room, Lu Jinnian rushed over from school, followed by his younger sister, Lu Ming Zhu, who had also just finished her lessons with the teacher.

Lu Jinnian immediately asked, “Did my sister-in-law give birth?”

“Is it a nephew or niece?” Lu Ming Zhu asked cheerfully.

Wen Ruyu smiled and instructed them, “It’s a girl. If you want to see her, go quietly, as your sister-in-law is resting. Don’t disturb her.”

Both Lu Jinnian and Lu Ming Zhu were excited. When they had a nephew before, life wasn’t as good as it was now, so the joy was not as great. Plus, since their sister-in-law had previously given birth to a son, the birth of a daughter felt fresh and exciting.

They both eagerly agreed and were about to go see the baby when Wen Ruyu called them back.

“Remember, have the maid bring a basin of water first, and don’t touch the baby without washing your hands. Don’t kiss the child carelessly, as adults’ mouths aren’t as clean as children’s faces.”

“I understand,” Lu Jinnian responded, and the two siblings carefully entered the room.

Wen Ruyu watched them go and didn’t stop them further.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoyin, who had just seen the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, felt joy but was reminded of her own lost child. The more she looked at the baby, the more sadness filled her heart, so she didn’t linger too long.

Seeing her mood lift a little after interacting with her younger siblings and mother, Wen Ruyu commented, “In the future, you and your third brother will have your own children.”

Lin Xiaoyin was a bit surprised, not expecting her mother-in-law to notice her emotional changes amid the happiness.

Just then, a maid arrived with a bowl of something red.

“This is for you,” the maid said, handing over the red-colored liquid.

Wen Ruyu first thought it was medicine, but the maid explained, “It’s brown sugar water to replenish the blood. It’s for the madam to drink for her recovery.”

Wen Ruyu’s expression remained indifferent, but she didn’t stop her. “Go ahead.”

The maid left, and Wen Ruyu then turned to her third daughter-in-law. “Arrange for someone to buy more lamb for the next few days and prepare soups for your sister-in-law. If there’s beef, even if it’s a little more expensive, get it. Just make sure to feed her some meat daily, no matter what kind, to build her strength.”

Although Zhao Shu didn’t suffer from severe morning sickness, her appetite wasn’t as good as before. Now that the baby was born, it was likely that her appetite would improve as well.

Wen Ruyu knew from her past life that brown sugar wasn’t the best for replenishing blood—what really helped the body recover was red meat, not sugary water or eggs.

Lin Xiaoyin didn’t find any issue with her mother-in-law’s advice and readily agreed.

After chatting a bit more, Lin Xiaoyin was about to see her mother-in-law off, but Wen Ruyu, knowing how busy she was, stopped her from coming along. She went to rest in her own room.

Meanwhile, Lu Jinnian and Lu Ming Zhu had washed their hands and entered the room to see the baby.

The child, tiny and pink, had her eyes tightly shut. Every so often, her little hands and feet would twitch.

Given the warm weather, the baby didn’t need to be covered with a blanket. A simple bellyband was enough to cover her stomach. Too many blankets would cause a rash.

Lu Ming Zhu gently tapped the baby’s cheek, causing the little one to frown.

Lu Jinnian, amused, also tapped the baby’s cheek.

They played with the baby for a while, unable to stop, until the baby began crying, likely hungry, and the wet nurse came to comfort her.

“Young masters, young miss, you really like her. When you have your own children, you’ll understand. But for now, let her rest.”

Lu Jinnian and Lu Ming Zhu finally relented and left the room.

They hadn’t hurt the child; they probably just disturbed her because she was hungry and cried.

Lu Ming Zhu didn’t speak much to her brother and returned to her room. Lu Jinnian, feeling there was no more point in staying, stared out at the sunset for a moment before deciding to return to his studies.

In his room, remembering the fruits his sister-in-law had prepared, he ordered a maid to bring some.

As the maid entered with the sliced watermelon, she casually mentioned, “The Longxing Temple caught fire. I hear the fire is quite serious.”

Lu Jinnian immediately put down his pen. “What did you say?”

“The temple caught fire. The kitchen sent someone to deliver food, and they mentioned it.”

Lu Jinnian frowned. “Is the fire out? Is it serious?”

“The fire was visible from outside the city, and it looked pretty bad. It could be burning for a while.”

Outside the city was the moat, so the fire wouldn’t reach the city. The maid was calm, speaking in a gossipy tone.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jinnian stood up quickly, heading for the door. “I’ll go check it out.”

“Go check what? You’re not going to eat the fruit anymore?” The maid didn’t understand Lu Jinnian’s haste.

Without replying, Lu Jinnian quickly left the room. His maids watched him, puzzled by his strange behavior.

“Hey, it’s almost time for dinner. What will you say if the old lady asks where you’ve gone?” The maid called after him.

In his hurry, Lu Jinnian didn’t respond, just running out the door.

As he left, the gatekeeper, sitting on the long bench, noticed him running and stopped him. “Where are you going in such a hurry, sir?”

Lu Jinnian, not in the mood for a conversation, replied curtly, “I’m meeting a friend. Let me pass.”

The gatekeeper, having been instructed by Zhao Shu to be cautious, stopped him. “You’re going alone? Don’t you need the horse?”

Worried about something happening to Lu Jinnian, the gatekeeper felt uneasy, as if something might go wrong, and they’d get blamed.

Lu Jinnian, realizing he hadn’t ordered a horse, paused, “Alright, bring me a horse.”

He had been in such a hurry that he forgot to arrange for a horse earlier.

As he sprinted toward Longxing Temple, it was unclear if he’d even make it there in time.

The gatekeeper quietly informed the old lady of Lu Jinnian’s rush, and word soon reached Wen Ruyu.

Wen Ruyu, holding a small piece of Hetian jade, listened to the report and instructed, “Have Tie Chui go with him. Don’t stop him from acting, but if he encounters danger, don’t let him take part.”

The gatekeeper nodded and went to find someone to accompany Lu Jinnian.

Wen Ruyu sat on the couch, playing with the jade, her thoughts wandering. Perhaps Lu Jinnian wasn’t just hanging out with ordinary officials, but had connections with people at the temple.

Zhao Shu, concerned about Wen Ruyu’s health, had only told part of the story, keeping certain details hidden.