Chapter 87: The Definition of Happiness

At this moment, Jiang Chao was returning with water from outside when his aunt hurriedly asked him to put the water down.

“Someone from the Lu family has arrived, go take a look,” she said as she tugged at his sleeve to make him appear less shabby.

However, even after tidying himself up, Jiang Chao’s attire would never be on par with that of the Lu family’s servant.

He could only rely on his face, which was enough to catch the attention of any distinguished person.

Although his aunt cared for him, Jiang Chao wasn’t her own child. The world was tough, and every family faced difficulties.

They couldn’t just support Jiang Chao without having him help out with chores.

So during his stay at their house, all the dirty and tiring tasks fell on him.

Liu Da led Jiang Chao into the room, but Jiang Chao dared not look directly at Wen Ruyu, lowering his head instead.

Although Wen Ruyu was sitting down and slightly shorter than when standing, she still couldn’t make out the details of his face clearly.

All she could see was Jiang Chao’s head, which was shaped like a pickled egg, facing her directly.

When she looked down slightly, she could see his delicate brows, but nothing else was clear.

“I’d like to speak to this child alone for a moment,” Wen Ruyu said, turning to Liu Da, who nodded and left.

The servants of the Lu family were concerned that Jiang Chao might offend Wen Ruyu, and so they hesitated to leave at first.

Only when Wen Ruyu waved her hand did they quietly retreat.

Fortunately, Liu’s house was small, so the conversation inside was still audible.

Once they were alone, Wen Ruyu motioned for Jiang Chao to come closer. “Good child, come here, sit in front of me, and we’ll have a talk.”

Jiang Chao remained silent, unwilling to sit, and instead knelt down in front of her.

Wen Ruyu thought he was scared, so she explained, “No need to be nervous, I’m not here to scold you.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chao, hesitant, finally looked up at her with his eyes.

He saw a woman in her thirties, elegantly dressed, sitting before him. Despite her simple attire, with no gold or silver, the jade hairpins and rings on her were obviously of exceptional value.

Lowering his eyes again, Jiang Chao asked, “Is the old lady here because of the matter with Lord Lu?”

Wen Ruyu smiled faintly.

It seemed Jiang Chao already assumed she had come to reprimand him for his involvement with Lu Jin Nian.

“I heard that Longxing Temple was set on fire by mountain bandits, and those who escaped were hunted down. It must have been difficult for you to escape,” Wen Ruyu said.

Jiang Chao froze at her words, his gaze snapping up to meet hers in surprise.

He hadn’t expected Wen Ruyu to bring this up.

Wen Ruyu smiled again, her face showing a rare softness.

With love unfulfilled, the temple burned, and he was pursued by bandits. He barely survived to return home, only to lose his grandmother.

Jiang Chao, without parents or siblings, was now dependent on his uncle’s family for shelter.

Though his aunt and uncle treated him decently, living in someone else’s home was never as comfortable as living at one’s own.

At seventeen or eighteen, Jiang Chao should be making decisions about his future, striving for success.

He must be feeling confused and helpless now.

But he had managed to get through it all, and it wasn’t easy.

“I came here because of that troublesome fool in my family. However, I’m not here to blame you. I just want to ask, was it voluntary between you two?” Wen Ruyu asked.

Jiang Chao bit his lip, remaining silent, but he nodded slightly.

The sky was overcast, and there were no candles lit inside the room.

Jiang Chao knelt with his back to the light, but when he raised his face, Wen Ruyu couldn’t help but feel a little surprised at his beauty.

The last time she saw someone so handsome was when she met Qing Luan and Hong Yu.

A person with such a beautiful face would definitely have a harder life under such harsh circumstances.

Beauty alone, however, would not get him far.

“After the fire at the temple, Lu Jin Nian also went to Longxing Temple. But by the time he arrived, the temple was nearly burned down, so you weren’t there,” Wen Ruyu continued.

Jiang Chao looked at her in disbelief, not quite believing her words.

Wen Ruyu went on, “He fell ill after returning, and to this day, he doesn’t know you’re still alive. I thought that if he were to come searching for you, you might not want to see him. That’s why I came ahead of him.”

Jiang Chao remained silent, not speaking a word.

Wen Ruyu expected him to say he wanted to be with Lu Jin Nian, but to her surprise, Jiang Chao showed no response at all.

She sighed and continued, “I don’t want to separate you two. True love is rare in this world. If you truly wish to be with that scoundrel, there will be rumors and gossip if you stay under my roof, which will affect my daughter’s future marriage. If you two are together, I’ll separate Jin Nian from our household and let you both live elsewhere. I’ll tell others that he’s gone away for business. If, after some years, you still remember me, come visit; if not, just live your life.”

Wen Ruyu’s forward-thinking left Jiang Chao stunned, unable to lower his head. He just stared at her in a daze.

Wen Ruyu simply smiled and said, “I’m old, and the family business will be passed on to other sons. Lu Jin Nian doesn’t need to stay by my side to serve me. I’ve enjoyed wealth and luxury, seen the ups and downs of life, and now I understand how rare true love is. The path ahead won’t be easy, but if you two can persevere, I won’t stop you.”

“But one thing—don’t harm any innocent women. If you truly want a child to care for you in your old age, then adopt one. Don’t use women merely as tools for reproduction. If you keep one, then the other, you will eventually lose everything.”

Naturally, Wen Ruyu couldn’t control their future.

Maybe they’d separate and live their own lives, or maybe they’d live their lives hidden away from others.

Life wasn’t just about love and romance.

Even if Jiang Chao was so beautiful, people would eventually tire of it.

In her past life, Wen Ruyu had enjoyed wealth and beauty, and had dated handsome men with excellent physiques.

But she never once thought of marrying any of them, and eventually, they parted ways.

When they broke up, both were calm.

Her ex-boyfriend even told her he had already sensed they wouldn’t stay together forever.

In a relationship, there were only 24 hours a day. She and her ex-boyfriend spent most of their time working for ten hours, and the rest of the time was spent together.

Outsiders thought they were deeply in love, but Wen Ruyu couldn’t explain love herself.

She just felt exhausted by it, and when the time came to break up, she did so without hesitation.

“Old lady, why?” Jiang Chao asked, confused.

Why was she so transparent, so indifferent?

Everyone valued offspring and social status more than life itself. Yet here was Wen Ruyu, a matriarch, telling him none of that mattered.

As long as two people were happy, that was enough?

“There’s no need for any ‘why.’ I just don’t want you to live a life that goes against your true feelings,” she replied.

When she chose to live alone in happiness, no one understood or supported her. But she felt content and joyful on her own.

She just wanted those who had the chance to choose their own life to be happy as well.

As long as she was fine, she didn’t want others to suffer.

Light rain began to fall from the sky.

After speaking with Jiang Chao for about half an hour, Wen Ruyu stood up, preparing to return home.

Before leaving, she left twenty liang of silver at Liu’s house to support Jiang Chao.

The ride home took about half an hour.

Wen Ruyu sat in the carriage, reflecting on Jiang Chao’s words earlier.

“Fourth Master has treated me kindly, and I’m very grateful. Although my family isn’t wealthy, I’m still a man. I can’t live my life depending on others. Right now, I just want to take care of myself. As for the rest, I don’t dare think too much. If the old lady returns, please tell Fourth Master to just consider me dead.”

“If one day I have the fortune to succeed in business or accomplish something, perhaps our paths will cross again. If not, then it’s fate that we were never meant to be.”

Economic inequality often leads to other forms of inequality.

Some have talent, others have ability. If you have the means, you can eliminate such inequalities.

Unfortunately, Jiang Chao had no skills to overcome the gap between him and Lu Jin Nian.

Though Wen Ruyu felt regret, she didn’t think Jiang Chao’s decision was wrong.

When she returned to the Lu family, it was nearly curfew.

After changing clothes, Wen Ruyu went to Lu Jin Nian’s room.

Although his health had recovered, his energy had not yet fully returned, and his face was still pale.

When he asked where Wen Ruyu had been, she simply said she had gone to the village, not mentioning Jiang Chao.

She didn’t want to interfere too much in her younger son’s feelings. Since Jiang Chao had already made his choice, whether they struggled or gave up, it was now up to Lu Jin Nian to handle.

Sitting beside Lu Jin Nian’s bed, Wen Ruyu patted his arm and said, “In the future, if you like someone, no matter their gender, as long as you don’t harm anyone, I won’t stop you. Just remember one thing. Whatever choice you make, you’ll have to bear the consequences. Just don’t regret it.”

Having chosen a happy single life for herself, she naturally hoped that the lovers around her would eventually end up together.

After all, being single was a form of happiness, and finding a life partner for the long term was also a kind of happiness. Happiness didn’t have just one definition.