ng Qianqian knew nothing about Lu Lingxiao’s situation, and even if she did, she wouldn’t care.
She carried Bao Shu, and along with Tan’er and Ban Xia, returned to Fengshui Alley.
The first ti she ca here, the house was in ruins. In just two months, the red paint on the vermilion gate was renewed, the courtyard was tidied up, two crabapple trees were planted on the east side, a cluster of green bamboo was hugged on the west side, a winding small pond was dug, and red koi fish swam back and forth in the clear water.
In the middle was a pebble-paved path, with vibrant grasses on either side.
Additionally, quite a few elegant and serene potted plants lined the walls.
Tan’er arrived under Haitang Courtyard: "Sister! I planted the trees! Do you like them?"
ng Qianqian nodded: "I like them."
Bao Shu peeked out of ng Qianqian’s arms, wanting to pick flowers one mont and trying to catch the koi in the pond the next, keeping herself busy.
Nanny Wan was packing soil; after the thawing snow recently, the soil loosened, and so dog dug a hole at the base of the wall, so she thought she’d fill it up.
"Nanny Wan."
ng Qianqian called out from behind her.
"Yes." Nanny Wan responded absent-mindedly, "This won’t do, hand that big spade nearby."
ng Qianqian handed Bao Shu to Ban Xia and went to the wall to get the spade for her.
Nanny Wan took the spade, turned it over, and thumped it onto the packed soil with a series of clangs.
"You give it a try too, take the smaller one."
"Alright."
ng Qianqian picked up a smaller spade and began packing the soil alongside Nanny Wan.
Nanny Wan was amazed: "Wow, you’ve got quite the strength! You pack it firr than ; have you done this before?"
Saying this, she lifted her head, stared intently, "Oh my!"
Ban Xia and Tan’er couldn’t stop laughing.
ng Qianqian also found it hard to suppress her laughter.
Seeing ng Qianqian laugh, Bao Shu, too, generously laughed heartily.
"Has the young lady returned?"
Nanny Li ca out of the house, her face full of excitent.
Ever since Steward Cen told her that ng Qianqian went to the border to care for Bao Shu, each ti she heard the sound of a baby, she would think ng Qianqian had returned.
Sotis when she was shopping outside and heard crying, she would go up to have a look too.
She didn’t know how many tis she had been disappointed, fortunately, this ti ng Qianqian had truly returned.
Nanny Li didn’t say a word, her eyes turning red, as she held ng Qianqian and examined her from top to bottom.
ng Qianqian said softly: "Nanny Li, I am fine."
Nanny Li turned her back to wipe her tears, then turned around again, looked at Bao Shu and said, "Why has Miss Bao Shu beco thinner?"
Tearing the house apart every day; how could she not be thin? Actually, she had grown a bit taller, but not by much.
Tan’er said: "The border must’ve been too harsh!"
It was fine until this was ntioned, and once brought up, Nanny Li felt heartache again, secretly cursing Lu Yuan hundreds of tis!
Soon, the cook and the old woman also ca out, now she should be called Nanny Hu, she got a promotion, her monthly wages increased.
With ng Qianqian returning, everyone was happier than during the New Year.
Nanny Li led ng Qianqian into the house: "Miss, how did you spend the New Year’s Eve?"
ng Qianqian was stunned.
She was busy hurriedly traveling, didn’t keep track of the dates, once she reached Fengsha Town, the fighting started, she didn’t think about New Year’s Eve at all.
Now looking back and counting the days, the night she t Lu Yuan in the mountains was precisely New Year’s Eve.
The snow water and pancakes she roasted for Lu Yuan beca his New Year’s Eve al.
"Spent it at the army camp."
ng Qianqian said with a straight face.
Nanny Wan and the cook went to boil bath water hurriedly, ng Qianqian needed to bathe, and so did Bao Shu.
The little one had crawled all the way outside the city gate, covered in dirt from head to toe.
Lu Yuan didn’t exactly hold her back, not forbidding her from touching this or climbing that, anyway as long as she didn’t get herself killed by play, she was left to do as she pleased.
At most, she’d just get dirty, a wash would make her as good as new.
After Bao Shu bathed, she sat in ng Qianqian’s lap drinking milk.
ng Qianqian brought her a small milk jug made by herding folks from the border, converted from a water pouch, with a reed straw inserted in the middle of the wooden plug of the jug’s mouth to sip from.
Tan’er bent down to watch her, pointed at her small milk jug: "Treasure Piggy, let sister have a sip! There’s so much, you can’t drink it all!"
Bao Shu kept sipping, decisively clutched the small milk jug and turned away!
ng Qianqian laughed.
"Humph! There’s still so in the pot! I’ll drink it myself!"
Tan’er briskly went to the kitchen.
Bao Shu saw this as a dire threat, imdiately handed the small milk jug to ng Qianqian, and slipped down from ng Qianqian’s leg, crawled swiftly to the little kitchen.
Nanny Li started talking to ng Qianqian about the dowry.
She handed the dowry list to the governnt, and the governnt demanded it back on her behalf; the old matron had to spit out all that she had eaten and pocketed over the years.
The second house also returned quite a bit, and it was heard that they even borrowed from their ancestral ho.
However, even with this, a portion was still not returned.
ng Qianqian nodded: "The silver used to pay Lu Family’s debts back then is counted separately. Grandfather instructed , Lu Old Master had saved his life once, so that money is considered repaynt for his lifesaving grace. As for the dowry spent by Lu Family these past years, recovering so much has exceeded my expectations. As for the remainder, I have my own plans."
Lu Family.
In contrast to ng Qianqian’s joyous atmosphere, since the little maid appeared shouting Lu Big Brother, the Lu family felt completely awkward.
"Why bring back another woman?"
Lu Linglong muttered.
The second lady pinched her daughter, signaling her to quickly shut up.
Lu Linglong wasn’t happy, whispered, "Can’t I even say that? Dragging us out of bed in the middle of the night just to see Big Brother bring back another concubine?"
The second lady covered her mouth.
"Grandmother, Mother, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, I am back."
Lu Lingxiao paid respects to the family elders and greeted Lu Linglong, "Little Sister."
Finally, he approached Lin Wan’er, holding her hand, "Wan’er."
Lin Wan’er looked at the little maid behind him, hesitated to speak.
Lu Linglong spoke up, pointing at the little maid asking, "Big Brother, who is she?"
Before Lu Lingxiao could introduce her, the little maid ca forward confidently and said, "My na is Xiaodie, Lu Big Brother saved , from now on I belong to Lu Big Brother!"
Lu Linglong sneered: "Saving you just led to more trouble, yet another mouth to feed!"
Xiaodie looked at Lu Lingxiao aggrievedly: "Lu Big Brother."
Lu Lingxiao told the Old Matron and Lu Mother: "Grandmother, Mother, Xiaodie has a pitiful background and no place to go, let her stay at the residence as a maid."
The Old Matron had no objections.
Lu Mother told Lu Lingxiao: "In that case, arrange for her in your courtyard."
Lin Wan’er was startled, looking at Lu Mother in surprise.
Lu Mother said indifferently: "When Lingxiao brought you back, the family did not say anything, now it’s just one more maid."
Lin Wan’er clenched her fingers tightly.
The Old Matron asked Lu Lingxiao to sit by her side, inquiring about his ritorious deeds.
Lu Mother left first.
As long as her son was safe, whether he received honors or not didn’t concern her.
Lin Wan’er watched the Old Matron’s eyes only focused on her grandson, completely forgetting about her, the future granddaughter-in-law. Not only the Old Matron, but even the entire second house’s attention was all on Lu Lingxiao.
And that woman nad Xiaodie, having heard a lot of battle reports on the way, could even join the conversation occasionally.
She knew, at this mont, she should sit quietly in the flower hall, for when she first arrived at Lu Family, ng Qianqian had done just that.
But suddenly, she felt so chest tightness.
She left the flower hall, chasing after Lu Mother.
Lu Mother knew what she wanted to say: "You can’t endure just a maid, when Lingxiao brought you back, Qianqian had bigger grievances than you."
With that said, Lu Mother walked away without looking back.
In the flower hall, the Old Matron hadn’t even noticed Lin Wan’er had left, her mind solely focused on her grandson: "Xiao Ge’er, I heard you achieved great rit at the border? Saved that sobody..."
"Yin Hu." Lu Second Lord said.
"Yes, yes!" The Old Matron hurriedly said.
Lu Lingxiao said seriously: "That’s not true, Yin Hu wasn’t saved by ."
Yin Hu escaped from the Beiliang Army Camp on his own, later encountering pursuers, but the pursuers were intercepted by ng Qianqian, at most, he just brought Yin Hu back to the camp.
He wouldn’t claim credit that wasn’t his, nor would he refuse the credit that was.
"Eh?"
The Old Matron was taken aback, "But that’s what everyone’s saying outside!"
Lu Lingxiao explained: "I rely brought Yin Hu back halfway to the camp, that’s hardly saving."
The Old Matron replied awkwardly: "Guiding, just guiding him back and he made you his successor, isn’t it still because my grandson is capable?"
She ended with a proud smile.
Lu Lingxiao frowned: "Yin Hu didn’t make his successor; Grandmother, where did you hear that?"
The Old Matron was shocked: "Didn’t it say sowhere that so tiger accepted a successor?"
Lu Lingxiao lowered his gaze, complex emotions surfacing: "Yin Hu did accept a successor, but it’s not ."
Lu Linglong was aghast: "Big Brother! Our family has already accepted gifts, if you’re not the new Yin Hu Guard, how do we end this?"
Lu Lingxiao had no idea his family had acted so foolishly; he hadn’t even returned ho, and they had already accepted gifts?
Already irritated by the matter with ng Qianqian, he wished never to ntion her again in his life, yet his family was using her glory as his to receive presents.
His ego was severely wounded, he didn’t want to stay a mont longer.
"I’m tired, heading back to the courtyard!"
One wave after another.
He had just reached the gate of the Songzhu Courtyard, and encountered Lin Wan’er, who had been waiting for him.
Lin Wan’er, her eyes red-rimd, gestured: Lu Lang, why did you bring another woman back from the border? Have you changed your heart?
Lu Lingxiao didn’t have any feelings for Xiaodie, but having just faced setbacks and now faced with doubt from the woman he loved, a mix of negative emotions welled up, flaring his anger.
"I just returned, yet you aren’t asking if I was hurt on the battlefield but only care if my heart has changed toward you? I even betrayed my first wife for you, and in the end, this is how little trust you have in ?"
Lin Wan’er choked, gesturing: I’m just too afraid of losing you, you’re all I have in this world, I’ve even given you the relics my father left , if your heart changes, I would have nothing left.
"Speaking of that."
Although Lu Lingxiao didn’t want to doubt Lin Wan’er, tonight he was overwheld by his emotions, and he blurted out his suspicion, "Did you really give the Black Armor Guard’s rescue order, and not the Hundred Li Kill Order?"
Lin Wan’er’s complexion changed!
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