"Nanyuan, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but how can you be a wife like this? You've been married for ten years, but you don't have any children! Do you want to end Kuan'er's family line?" Liu said in Tong Nanyuan's flower hall.
Tong Nanyuan, who was accused by Liu, couldn't even raise his head.
She is straightforward and frank, but she is a woman after all.
In this era, women without children will inevitably be despised by their husband's family.
Although Liu was not Lu Kuan's biological mother, she was his stepmother. Tong Nanyuan didn't dare to raise her head in front of her.
"If it really doesn't work, you can just adopt one from your sons and nephews. They all have the surname Lu. We can't give our own children to outsiders!"
"Mother."
At this time, Lu Lingjun's voice sounded.
Liu, who was scolding her daughter-in-law, was very imposing, but her arrogance immediately diminished when she heard her voice.
"Lingjun is here." Liu immediately stood up flatteringly and looked at Lu Lingjun with a smile.
She really can't offend Lu Lingjun.
He is now the true head of Ningyang Marquis' Mansion!
The huge mansion was all under her command, and Liu unconsciously felt much shorter than her!
"Mother, what did you just say?" Lu Lingjun looked at Liu and said.
"Nothing, just chatting with Nan Yuan." Liu didn't dare to say that in front of Lu Lingjun.
She is such a smart person that she can definitely see what she is thinking at a glance.
He will definitely interfere when the time comes and will not let her get what she wants!
Forget it, Tong Nanyuan is easy to control, I'll come back to control her later.
"You are here for something. You guys can chat first. I will come again tomorrow." Liu looked at Tong Nanyuan, "I will bring them here tomorrow. You can spend more time with them."
"Yes, mother." Tong Nanyuan said with lowered eyebrows.
After seeing Liu off, Tong Nanyuan's face suddenly fell.
"Nan Yuan, she wants you to adopt one of Kuan'er's nephews again?"
Tong Nanyuan nodded reluctantly, "Alas, if my husband had a few concubines and gave birth to one or two illegitimate children, it would be better than adopting one."
Tong Nanyuan, who came from a wealthy family, was not so resistant to concubines.
Her father had several concubines, and her younger sister Tong Nanxia was born to the concubine Aunt Zhao.
All illegitimate sons and daughters are registered under her name and are her children.
In her opinion, a concubine's child at least still had Lu Kuan's bloodline, but if he was adopted, it would be like the family was wiped out.
Unfortunately, Lu Kuan was determined not to take a concubine.
He said that his eldest sister had a bad marriage because her brother-in-law had too many concubines and she suffered a lot.
So he didn't take concubines.
Hearing this, Lu Lingjun comforted her, "Don't worry, no one can do anything to Kuan'er unless he nods."
When Tong Nanyuan heard this, her eyes brightened even more. She hurriedly called the servants to bring up the medicine boiled in the kitchen. In front of Lu Lingjun, she gulped down the bitter and astringent medicine.
Seeing this, Lu Lingjun couldn't help but sigh. In this era, the demands and missions placed on women were really too heavy.
She hadn't been sitting here with Tong Nanyuan for long when Lu Kuan came back early.
But Lu Kuan brought someone with him today.
"Shouye hasn't arrived yet, right?" Lu Kuan said when he entered the small flower hall.
"Yes, it's not time yet. It will take at least half an hour." Tong Nanyuan replied.
Hearing this, Lu Kuan turned to his friend and said, "My nephew is a punctual person, so we will be back early."
He didn't dare to say that Li Shouye had a fixed time for going out and coming back, and he was not allowed to go out too early.
When the bearded man heard this, he said cheerfully, "In that case, let's go to his house to pay a visit."
When Lu Lingjun heard this, he looked at Tong Nanyuan curiously.
Tong Nanyuan explained to her, "This is the teacher my husband found for Shouye. He was the chief examiner last year."
Lu Lingyun's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Kuan'er, you're really worried. I think he's from Wang Daru's family?"
"That's right." Tong Nanyuan nodded, "So Mr. Wang has to go and see the business in person before agreeing."
"This is a good thing. We can definitely keep the business going." Lu Lingjun nodded.
"Why don't we go together?" Tong Nanyuan became interested.
This is a great thing, it would be great to see it with your own eyes.
"OK."
Coincidentally, Lu Lingjun, Tong Nanyuan and their group had just arrived at Li's house, and Liu had just arrived as well.
Liu came to see her daughter. When she saw Lu Lingjun and his group coming, she was stunned at first, and then asked them what they were doing there.
Tong Nanyuan hurriedly and enthusiastically told Liu that Lu Kuan had found a teacher for Li Shouye.
That was the chief examiner last year! The famous scholar Mr. Wang!
When Liu heard this, she was overjoyed. She hurriedly hugged everyone and went in with them.
He kept praising his good grandson all the way.
"We are very smart in keeping our business! Mr. Wang, you will be right to accept him as your student!"
As they were talking, everyone arrived at Lu Hanyi's yard.
The moment Liu entered the yard, she rushed to find her daughter and told her the good news.
At this time, Lu Hanyi was sitting at the door of Li Shouye's study, mending and embroidering.
She guarded the door and would not allow Li Shouye to go out before a certain time.
"Han Yi!"
"mother?"
Lu Hanyi was surprised to see this large group of people. "What's wrong?"
"Good, good!" Liu quickly told Lu Hanyi the purpose of everyone's visit.
"Mr. Wang was the chief examiner last year. He is here to take a look at Shouye. If he is satisfied, he will accept Shouye as his student!"
When Lu Hanyi heard this, her eyes lit up.
"Hurry up and call Shouye out!"
"Mom, it's not time yet. Shouye is studying."
"It doesn't take that long! Go and call that person out!" Liu urged.
Lu Hanyi's eyes turned, and she walked forward directly, "Mr. Wang, right?"
"Madam is...?"
"I am the mother of Shouye."
"It's Mrs. Li." Mr. Wang was very polite. "Where is the business? I want to meet the child."
"No hurry," Lu Hanyi sat down in front of Mr. Wang, "Shouye is still studying and won't come out until the time comes."
Lu Kuan and the others who followed along all frowned.
Is it such a short time to study? How can you not distinguish the important things?
Lu Hanyi said politely at this time, "Shouye hasn't come out yet, it's the same if I introduce him to you first."
Mr. Wang came over and saw Lu Hanyi say this. He glanced at his good friend Lu Kuan and said with a smile, "Okay, it would be nice to hear the evaluation of Madam Li, the mother, first."
After receiving such high-level polite words from Mr. Wang, Lu Hanyi was even more eager to express herself.
She spoke with great pride, "My son, he's no good! He's so stupid!"
Lu Kuan and the others: "!"
"I have had to teach him since he was little, and urged him to study. If I don't keep an eye on him, he will go wild. Master, you have to keep an eye on him for me in the future! If you let him slack off, he will never be able to pass the imperial examination with his stupid brain like a pig!"
Everyone: "!"
In front of everyone, Lu Hanyi belittled her son with extremely humble disdain.
Liu listened to her daughter babble about a lot of things that were all belittling Li Shouye. After being shocked, she quickly pulled her aside.
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
"Mom, how could I be talking nonsense?" Lu Hanyi said, turning her head to look at Master Wang and continued, "I raised my son by myself. From childhood to adulthood, I even served him meals. Without a mother like me, he wouldn't be where he is today!"
Everyone: "!"
Liu felt as if her three souls ascended to heaven and her seven spirits left her body. She looked at Master Wang, whose face sank, and said, "Mr. Wang, don't listen to my daughter's nonsense. My grandson is a really good boy. He passed the imperial examination at a young age. He is really smart!"
"Who said he was not good? Everyone has advantages and disadvantages. I want to point out all his disadvantages so that Mr. Wang can know them in advance, so as not to disappoint him later!"
Everyone: "…"
Master Wang stroked his beard and said with embarrassment, "Mrs. Li is right."
Hearing the recognition made Lu Hanyi even more proud.
She straightened her back with pride, "My son has a lot of problems. When he goes to your house, please be more tolerant of him. For example, there are set times and amounts for him to eat and drink tea. Mr. Wang, please ask your maid to pay attention and serve him well. Otherwise, I will go to live with Shouye, and I will serve him myself, so I can rest assured!"
Everyone: "…"
Master Wang couldn't sit still any longer at this time, "Brother Lu, I remembered that I have something else to do, so I'll go back first."
"Mr. Wang, why are you leaving? My son is coming out soon. Don't you want to see him?"
Master Wang smiled awkwardly, "Forget it, forget it, we'll talk about it later."
He waved his hand and looked at Lu Kuan.
When Lu Kuan met his gaze, he felt so embarrassed that he could not even hold his face.
He nodded at him apologetically and embarrassedly, "Thank you for coming here, Brother Wang."
Master Wang didn't say anything more to him. He stroked his beard and walked out quickly.
Seeing him leave like that, Lu Hanyi couldn't help but look unhappy, "What does this guy mean by this!"
At this moment, the door of the room she had been guarding creaked open.
Li Shouye came out of the room.
As soon as he came out, he saw so many people in the yard.
Especially after seeing Lu Kuan, "Uncle? Why are you here?"
When Lu Kuan saw his eldest nephew, his look was indescribable.
I can't express how sad, sorry and regretful I feel.
"By the way, didn't you recommend Mr. Wang to me today?" Li Shouye came over, "I was just about to go."
"You don't have to go. The man named Wang just came over." Lu Hanyi said dissatisfiedly.
When Li Shouye heard this, his heart skipped a beat. "What about Mr. Wang?"
"Left again!" Lu Hanyi pointed outside the courtyard, "That guy was the same, he said he wanted to see you, but as soon as I finished speaking, he didn't even look at you and just left."
Li Shouye was furious.
"Mom! What did you say?!"
"I, I'll introduce you to him."
"Who asked you to introduce me?" Li Shouye rushed to the gate of the courtyard, but there was no one there. He turned around and rushed to Lu Kuan.
"Uncle, what did Mr. Wang mean just now? Will he come again?"
Lu Kuan looked at his nephew who had great potential and sighed deeply.
Suddenly, Li Shouye understood.
His mother ruined the opportunity he had finally gotten.
He turned around and glared at Lu Hanyi, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Lu Hanyi looked at his son who was glaring at him. His eyes were blank for a moment, and then he said even louder, "What do you mean by yelling at me? I'm your mother, how can I harm you?"
Everyone: "…"
Li Shouye felt suffocated as if someone was strangling him. He looked at his mother, but he couldn't do anything to hit or scold her. However, when he met her eyes, he smashed everything on the table.
Seeing this, Lu Hanyi yelled, "You, you are so rebellious! Who are you angry with?"
"Hanyi, stop talking!" Mrs. Liu could feel her grandson's powerless anger. She pulled Lu Hanyi and said, "It was all your fault just now. What nonsense were you talking about? You've ruined Shouye's future!"
"How could I be talking nonsense! Not a single word I said was untrue! Didn't I raise him all by myself with all the hardship and suffering? Didn't I push him to study hard every day and night, so that he could achieve such results? Didn't I bring him food and vegetables every day and put them in front of his mouth to eat? What's the problem with this!"
When Li Shouye heard her mother say this, he rushed forward angrily, "You, you just said this to Mr. Wang!"
"Yes!" Lu Hanyi looked at him, "Mother must always tell the truth to husband, right?"
Li Shouye suppressed his anger and said, "But if you say that, which gentleman would be willing to accept me?"
Lu Hanyi looked at him, perhaps sensing a hint of her son's unhappiness, she consoled him, "This is called modesty. We say it's not good in advance so that we can surprise you later and discover more of your good qualities!"
"Son, this is all for your own good."
Li Shouye met his mother's eyes that were full of mischief and "how could you possibly understand me?" He gasped heavily, remained silent for a long time, and then burst into a scream of despair.
"Ah! Ahhh! Ahhhhhhh—"
He turned and ran back to his study, slamming the door shut.
The sound of the door slamming was like a slap in the face of Lu Hanyi, causing her to howl immediately, "What are you doing!"
"Who are you slamming the door for?"
"Mother is so devoted to you, how could she be wrong?"
Everyone in the yard looked at the collapsed Li Shouye and the screaming Lu Hanyi, and they all sighed.
Lu Lingjun followed Lu Kuan and left first, leaving Liu in the yard to persuade her daughter.
When they left, they could still hear Lu Hanyi's aggrieved sobs inside.
"What does he mean by this!"
"I'm his mother! How could he do this to me? I didn't want to eat or wear anything for him, and I spent all my money on buying him books. Now he's blaming me!"
"Okay, stop talking. Didn't you see that you scared Mr. Wang away? He was the teacher that Lu Kuan found for Shouye!"
"In my opinion, that Wang guy never wanted to take him in! Those people don't really want to help my son! If they really wanted to help keep the business, why would they bother looking at him! They would just take him away! They're just putting on a show to fool people! My stupid son can't even see that!"
"He even lost his temper with me. He has no conscience!"
Everyone: "…"
After leaving the Li family, Lu Lingjun simply got in her own car and went back to the Marquis' Mansion first. She glanced at Lu Kuan and Tong Nanyuan, who were both exhausted by Lu Hanyi.
"Forget it, we'll do our best. There's no way we can help any more."
Lu Kuan nodded and said, "I'll go back and explain it to Brother Wang."
After hearing this, Lu Lingjun said nothing more.
Even if she could imagine that if Lu Kuan went to find Mr. Wang, there was a 99% chance that Mr. Wang would refuse.
Even though, the student is a student, and the student's mother is the student's mother, and accepting someone as a disciple has nothing to do with their mother, but when faced with a mother like this, which decent family would want to get involved?
Accepting a disciple is also accepting a son, and there will inevitably be involvement in the future.
Unless Li Shouye and Lu Hanyi completely cut off their relationship, no one would be willing to get involved with such a person.
There was no point in saying more, so Lu Lingjun shut up and got in the car to go back to his house.
As Binghao was about to return home, the mansion became more and more lively day by day.
When Lu Lingjun came back today, she saw Cheng Suying leading several close friends to enjoy the flowers and chat in the yard.
As soon as Lu Lingjun arrived there, this group of young and lovely daughters of wealthy families all saluted her.
"Hello, Mrs. Cheng."
"Hello, Mrs. Cheng."
"You are all well too." Lu Lingjun smiled faintly as he looked at the group of young and lively girls in front of him.
People are always the cutest when they are in their teens, and I like them no matter how I look at them.
"What are you talking about?"
"We're talking about my second brother. Isn't he going to come back victorious from the battle? They are very interested in him." Cheng Suying came to Lu Lingjun, took her arm and said.
"Sui Ying!"
"Sui Ying!"
Cheng Suying's friends looked at her with reproach, and were dissatisfied with her for telling her mother what they had talked about in private.
If the lady heard this, who knows what she would think. It would be so embarrassing!
Lu Lingjun looked at the 13 or 14-year-old girls in front of him and smiled, "I can't hear anything. Just continue chatting. I'll ask someone to bring you some fruit and snacks."
Lu Lingjun very tactfully withdrew from the circle of other girls' little girls and ordered the servants to bring them some snacks and fruits.
They all treated us very well.
After Lu Lingjun left, Cheng Suying's friends gathered together and they couldn't help but look at Lu Lingjun's figure.
"Xiying, your mother is so gentle."
"Yes, I think Mrs. Cheng is really lovely."
"Don't worry, my mother is not the kind of person who talks too much and meddles in other people's affairs. She will know everything we talk about," Cheng Suying returned to them, "as long as it's not about getting married, she will never laugh at me or criticize me."
Hearing this, the noble ladies around her looked at her enviously.
"I envy you so much."
"Mrs. Cheng is so nice."
These noble ladies in the capital city all have strict family education, some of which are so strict that they dare not even breathe heavily in their own rooms.
Not to mention getting together with friends to chat about everything without any scruples.
"Let's continue. Where were we just now?"
"When will your second brother, General Cheng, return to Beijing?"
"I received the letter the other day, and it arrived a month later."
"Your second brother is amazing. He has accomplished such a great feat at such a young age!"
"What a young man with so much to offer!"
The group of little girls said with their eyes shining.
the next day.
Lu Lingjun didn't go anywhere in her yard, listening to the stewards and Qiu Ling coming to her to report the accounts.
Now all the trivial matters of managing the household have been left to Qiu Ling and Ling Long.
The two of them did a very good job. They were in charge of everything from repairing the courtyard walls, maintaining the flowers and plants, night security patrols, and taking care of the chores of the servants in the mansion.
Only large financial transactions in the accounts and some matters they did not dare to decide were handed over to Lu Lingjun.
Lu Lingjun first listened to them summarize the accounts. She randomly flipped through a few account books and checked them to make sure there were no omissions or discrepancies. She nodded and approved the accounts for the previous quarter.
Qiu Ling said at this time, "Young Madam, there is one more matter for you to decide."
"What's up?"
"The people over at Luoguxiang want us to send a groom." Qiu Ling said.
Luoguxiang is the alley where Cheng Yunshuo kept Li Bixi as his mistress.
The people in Luoguxiang were talking about Li Bixi's family who were kicked out by Lu Lingjun and now live alone.
"groom?"
Qiu Ling nodded, "They said that their last groom was old and broke his leg while driving the Third Young Master's horse. He has now returned home to recuperate. The Third Young Master is going to take the examination for a Tongsheng this year in Ping'an County outside the capital. They said that it is inconvenient for the Third Young Master to travel, so they want us to send a groom to him."
After hearing this, Lu Lingjun waved his hand casually and said, "Give it to them."
"yes."
Over the years, Li Bijie has been very honest and has never provoked Lu Lingjun again. She only occasionally asks her for some things.
They were all in the name of Cheng Bingzhi.
Now there is a maid and a horse in that yard, and there was also a groom before, all of which were arranged for Cheng Bingzhi.
As for Cheng Lanying, she didn't say anything about her anyway. Maybe she was afraid that if she asked for too much, it would annoy Lu Lingjun, so she didn't give any.
So Li Bixiang was very tactful and only asked for some respect and benefits for her son.
Now the reason was that Cheng Bingzhi was going to take the examination for a Tongsheng (a scholar), so Lu Lingjun was too lazy to argue with them. Besides, Cheng Bingzhi was already fifteen years old this year, and he would not be able to support them for many more years.
However, when Cheng Bingzhi grew up, they had to pay for the horses and grooms themselves.
I don't know if they can afford to go from luxury to frugality.
As soon as Qiu Ling received Lu Lingjun's order, she went to do it, and soon she hired a new groom.
He is a very handsome young man.
There was no need to trouble Lu Lingjun to decide on the personnel. Qiu Ling took a look at the strong and muscular young man and nodded with satisfaction.
It's always good to hire a young one. He will definitely not break his leg while riding the horse this time.
She sent them to the courtyard in Luoguxiang.
at this time.
Luoguxiang.
An elderly woman was sitting in the yard picking vegetables, with a young girl next to her.
The little girl was dressed simply, without any decorations on her body, except that she looked decent without any patches on her body.
At this time, a young woman with a silk patch sewn on her chest walked out of the room. She looked over there and shouted rudely, "Hurry up, the third young master said he was hungry while reading and wanted to have dinner early."
"Okay, Ying'er, just take good care of Bingzhi, and we'll take care of the rest." said the elderly woman.
The woman named Ying'er snorted and turned into the house.
After she entered the house, the old woman looked at the girl beside her and said, "Lanying, hurry up and pick all the vegetables, wash them, and bring them to the kitchen. Don't let your brother go hungry. Your brother is going to take the exam this year, and we must not let him suffer any loss."
The girl called Lanying was Cheng Lanying.
She glanced at her mother resentfully and said, "I know."
After saying that, Li Bixi went into the kitchen to light the fire.
When Cheng Lanying saw this, she treated the vegetables in front of her as Cheng Bingzhi and picked them one by one.
Just then, their gate was knocked open.
Cheng Lanying stood up impatiently, "Who is it?"
"I'm the newly hired groom of the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion. My master wants me to come here and drive the horses for the master inside!"
Cheng Lanying opened the door and saw a young man in his early twenties with dark skin, wearing shorts and a strong build.
Seeing someone open the door, the groom smiled naively and said, "My name is Wei Dahai, and I am the groom sent by the Marquis' Mansion to serve. Who is the master of our mansion? Please lead the way and ask me to kowtow to you, young lady."
When Cheng Lanying heard this, she rolled her eyes and said, "Grandpa, what a fart grandpa."
Wei Dahai was stunned when he heard this, and then he heard a shout from the kitchen, "Lanying! Lanying! Hurry up and bring the food. What if your brother is hungry and it affects his imperial examination?"
When Cheng Lanying heard this, she rolled her eyes to the sky. As she walked in, she said, "He just passed the exam for a poor student. He couldn't even pass it until he was fifteen. What impact can it have? With his stupid brain, he won't even be able to pass the exam for a scholar in his lifetime!"
"Cheng Lanying! What are you dawdling about for?" Li Bijie urged in the kitchen.
"Here it comes. Here it comes."
"Go get a bucket of water first, there's no water!"
Cheng Lanying, who had just picked up the vegetable basket, put the vegetables down upon hearing this and turned to fetch water from the well.
As she was struggling to shake the bucket of water and lift it up, a strong arm took the bucket.
Cheng Lanying was taken aback, and then she met him with a simple and honest smile, "Let me do the rough work, girl, you just lead the way!"
When Cheng Lanying heard this, she immediately took a liking to the groom. She nodded and led him to the kitchen, talking more along the way.
"The one in the kitchen is my mother, the former aunt of the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion. The one living in the main house is my brother, who is the grandfather in your mouth."
When Wei Dahai heard this, his eyes widened in disbelief, "Girl, aren't you...the daughter of the Marquis' Mansion?!"
Miss Marquis's Mansion...what an old name.
Ever since she, her mother and her brother were driven out of the Marquis' Mansion ten years ago, there was no longer any Second Miss in the Marquis' Mansion.
Washing clothes and cooking, she has to do everything by herself, and not only does she wash her own clothes, but also the clothes of the whole family...
Her brother, on the other hand, was still able to maintain some dignity as a young master. Her mother asked the Marquis's mansion for a maid, a carriage, and a groom for him...
Open your mouth and food will come; stretch out your hand and clothes will come.
Her mother explained to her that Cheng Bingzhi was a boy, the patriarch of the family, and the future pillar of the family. He was born different from women like them and should be served.
If he becomes successful in the future, she will also benefit from it!
She is good to him now, and he will be good to her in the future!
She asked her mother what good he could give her.
Her mother told her that when she gets married in the future, he will be able to support her!
Cheng Lanying didn't know how her brother who couldn't even pass the exam to become a student could support her, but if she asked again, she would definitely be scolded by Li Bijie.
Scold her for not knowing how to love her brother and be filial to her mother, and being as heartless and ungrateful as the father and the Marquisate who abandoned them! Born a bad girl, her mother had to shed so much blood when she gave birth to her, and she almost died! Lambs know how to kneel down to suckle, but she doesn't know how to express gratitude and filial piety...
Cheng Lanying was in a daze when she heard Li Bixi's voice from the kitchen.
"Cheng Lanying! Where have you been? Your mother's pot is almost burnt dry! You've ruined your brother's food. If he doesn't eat it later, you'll be in trouble!"
"Miss, that's inside..." Wei Dahai said after hearing the scolding.
Cheng Lanying waved her hands, "Hurry up and go."
—
Marquis' Mansion.
Lu Lingjun was in her own yard.
This afternoon, Lu Kuan came to her place.
Lu Kuan first told her what happened with Mr. Wang yesterday.
He shook his head and sighed, "I went to see Brother Wang, and he said that we should forget about taking over the business."
Lu Lingjun nodded, thinking the same thing as she did.
The Wang family is a famous and powerful family, so there is no need for them to get involved with such a family. Even if Shouye is a child prodigy, in this world, child prodigies are not that impressive in the face of absolute resources and strength.
With enough resources, ordinary people can become prodigies and have a bright future.
A child prodigy who only has talent but no help at all will eventually become just like everyone else.
It is so difficult to make a name for yourself by working hard on your own.
"But Brother Wang gave me a list of books, saying that these are the books that the examiners this year are reading now. I will give them to Shouye later and ask him to memorize more of the contents." Lu Kuan said.
Lu Lingyun heard this and said, "Kuan'er, you have done your best."
What are the questions in the imperial examination? Naturally, they are from the books that the examiners are currently reading.
More than 80% of the test questions are based on what the examiners are currently reading, and another part is current affairs information.
And even if you guess wrong and the test questions are not these, candidates can still win the favor of examiners and give high scores by writing down famous quotes and ideas from the books that examiners have read recently in their answers.
Finally, calligraphy is another important factor in the imperial examination results.
If you can write well and there is not a single typo throughout the whole paper, this paper will basically guarantee you admission into the imperial examination.
"Kuan'er, this is a set of my treasured wolf-hair and Laokeng Tao inkstones. Take it to Shouye." Lu Lingjun took out a gift box of brushes and inkstones from behind her back and handed it to him. She hushed and warned him, "Don't tell him it's from me. Don't let Shouye's mother know."
When Lu Kuan heard this, he laughed, "Yes, big sister."
Lu Kuan accepted the expensive writing brush and ink set, and calculated the time as he was about to leave. Lu Lingjun then said, "By the way, Kuan'er, I want to tell you again about what you asked me to say last time."
"What do you mean? Has Nan Yuan given up?"
Perhaps because he was busy with Li Shouye's affairs during this period, Tong Nanyuan did not mention the matter of having a baby in his ear. He thought that Lu Lingjun had helped her convince Tong Nanyuan.
Lu Lingjun shook his head. "I can't help you with this. Nan Yuan is determined to have a child."
"Why is this happening?" Lu Kuan frowned.
Seeing him like this, Lu Lingjun said, "Why don't you go back and discuss with Nan Yuan and take a concubine to give birth to a bastard and raise her well."
When Lu Kuan heard such a suggestion, he shook his head and said, "I won't."
"Why?"
Lu Kuan was silent for a long time. "I am a bastard. My mother was bullied by Liu when I was young. Because I was the only bastard in the family, she targeted my mother everywhere. My mother suffered a lot to protect me. My father didn't care about us. When my mother died, he didn't even hire a doctor for her."
"I don't want to have a miserable woman at home who will give birth to a child for me and Nan Yuan and then be ignored in the future."
Lu Kuan's words were something Lu Lingjun never expected.
Lu Kuan hated taking concubines. Firstly, he felt that his elder sister, who was the principal wife, had suffered a lot in her life. Secondly, those who were concubines also suffered a lot in their lives.
Women often fight against each other in the game, fighting for their own interests, and in the end, everyone gets hurt.
Lu Lingjun fell into a long period of thought and silence, and Lu Kuan looked at Lu Lingjun.
"Big sister, forget about taking a concubine."
"But you have never had a child, and Nanyuan is under a lot of pressure." Lu Lingjun looked up at him and told Lu Kuan that Liu had been secretly looking for Tong Nanyuan and forcing her to adopt her grandson.
After hearing this, Lu Kuan also pondered for a long time, "Forget it, it's better to delay it for a while."
Hearing this, Lu Lingjun didn't say much, "Okay."
Lu Kuan took his things and went back to his home.
When he arrived, Li Shouye was already there.
After being scolded by his mother yesterday, Li Shouye lost all his spirit. He sat in Tong Nanyuan's yard with lifeless eyes.
Tong Nanyuan kept comforting him.
"Shouye, don't be sad."
"We all know that it's your mother's fault. You're taking the imperial examination soon, so don't let her disturb your mood."
"Let's drink more tea to calm down our anger and relieve our anger."
"Just pretend she doesn't exist!"
Li Shouye felt as depressed as a lump of iron when listening to his aunt's gentle words.
His mother made him so angry yesterday that he couldn't get over it or relieve it at all!
"Protect the business."
At this time, Lu Kuan walked in carrying something.
"Uncle." Li Shouye looked at his uncle in despair.
Lu Kuan looked at his big nephew and asked distressedly, "How are you now?"
"It's okay." Li Shouye clenched his fists. He felt depressed and angry. He even had the urge to just give up the exam and give his mother a good beating.
Seeing Li Shouye in such a bad state, Lu Kuan said, "A real man will always encounter various hardships in his life. The more critical the moment, the more you need to keep your mind steady. If you let others disturb your heart, your life will end here."
Li Shouye nodded when he heard this.
Lu Kuan took out a large pile of books and said, "Although Brother Wang will not accept you as his disciple, he found these books. They are the books that the examiners are reading this year. You should go back and read them carefully."
Li Shouye's lost and gray eyes suddenly reignited.
The books the examiners are reading!
His uncle is predicting the topic for him!
"Thank you, uncle!" Li Shouye hugged the pile of books in surprise.
At this time, Lu Kuan handed him another exquisite wooden box.
"You keep this too."
"This is...?"
Li Shouye opened the box and was surprised to see the wolf-hair brush that looked extremely expensive and the Laokeng Tao inkstone that was hard to buy even with money!
This Laokeng Tao inkstone is something that only nobles or wealthy businessmen can collect.
The old teacher where he studied before had seen an old Tao inkstone when he was teaching the young princes in the palace. After returning, he kept repeating in front of them that it was the best inkstone he had ever used in his life.
If he had been able to use that inkstone to take the exam, his score might have been among the top!
The test papers written with high-quality inkstones have clean ink and smooth handwriting. The perfect paper can stand out from a pile of papers at the first time.
This turned out to be the Laokeng Tao inkstone that his old master had been talking about all his life!
"This is a gift from your aunt." Lu Kuan said with a smile.
Li Shouye raised his head when he heard this.
"Shh, don't let your mother know when you get back."
Li Shouye nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining, "Yes! Uncle, thank my aunt for me!"
"I will." Lu Kuan patted his shoulder, "Your imperial examination is coming up, don't be distracted."
"Hmm!" At this moment, Li Shouye felt that his whole body was filled with strength again.
His own mother is unreliable, but all of his elder relatives are very supportive.
Li Shouye was filled with strength and took all these things back to his home.
—
Li Mansion.
Lu Hanyi sighed in the yard.
After what happened yesterday, Li Shouye locked himself in his room for the whole day and refused to open the door no matter how much she knocked.
When the time came, he went out by himself.
Seeing Li Shouye's gloomy face, she couldn't help asking him and sat at the gate of the courtyard to guard.
She waited and waited, and finally saw her son coming back.
"Protect the business!"
Li Shouye didn't even look at his mother and turned to go back to his room.
"Protect the business!" Lu Hanyi was unwilling to give up and stepped forward with a big smile on her face, "Are you still mad at your mother?"
Li Shouye really didn't want to pay attention to her. Lu Hanyi stepped forward to block his door and looked at him flatteringly, "You haven't eaten since last night, are you hungry?"
Perhaps it was because of the warmth and comfort given by Tong Nanyuan, Lu Kuan and Lu Lingjun at the Lu family that he felt less hardened when he looked at his mother. He replied, "I've eaten at my uncle's house."
When she heard him talking to her, Lu Hanyi was as if she had been pardoned. She looked left and right at the things Li Shouye brought back, "Shouye, are these given to you by your uncle?"
She stretched out her hand to flip through the books given by Lu Kuan and the pen and ink box given by Lu Lingjun, but Li Shouye quickly dodged.
"What are you doing? I just want to see what you brought back!"
"These are all books, pens and inkstones. What do you want to see?" Li Shouye glared at her.
Lu Hanyi's face froze. She said weakly, "Okay, okay, I won't go through your things anymore. I just hope you're well."
Li Shouye's heart softened when he heard her say that. "These are the predictions my uncle got for me. They were given to me by Mr. Wang."
"Did Mr. Wang give it to you?"
"Yes, I could have taken him as my master." Li Shouye said disappointedly.
When Lu Hanyi heard this, he said, "Shouye, you don't have to think like that. He was unlucky to not accept you as his apprentice! My son is a gifted man with extraordinary talent. He was so blind that he missed you. He will regret it in the future!"
"Just do your best in the exam and get first place. That Wang will have to beat his chest and stamp his feet at home in regret! Even if he comes to beg you to be his apprentice, we won't go!"
Li Shouye: "…"
He pushed his mother away, walked in quickly, and slammed the door.
"Protect the business! Protect the business!"
Lu Hanyi looked at her son who had closed the door again. She punched him twice in a hurry and cursed angrily outside the house, "My good son must have gotten close to that group of people and was led astray!"
"Those bastards keep saying they're helping my son, but which one of them has as much sincerity as a real mother like me! Shouye, you're so stupid! If you don't listen to your mother, they'll cheat you sooner or later!"
Lu Hanyi cursed at the door for a long time but no one opened it. She sighed dejectedly and sat down on the threshold.
A thought suddenly occurred to her mind: could it be that her good and obedient son was possessed by an evil spirit?
Yes! That is possible!
She has to go to the temple to burn incense and pray for her son tomorrow!
On the second day, Lu Hanyi asked her mother Liu to go to the temple to pray.
When she came back, Liu gave her instructions.
"Shouye will take the imperial examination in three days. Don't bother him any more during this period!"
"How did I torture him?" At this point, Lu Hanyi immediately became unhappy, "I'm his biological mother, how could I torture him? Everything I do is for his own good. What do you people know? You keep saying that I tortured him. Why didn't any of you come out to help me before? Now you come and accuse me of not being able to teach my children. Who do you think you are..."
Liu looked at her own daughter like this, and closed her mouth with a resentful look in her eyes.
Her daughter has become more and more difficult to get along with over the years.
This is only her own daughter. If it were someone else, she would not want to have any contact with her.
Sometimes, this person has abandoned the blood relationship of parents and children, and it feels like we are even worse than outsiders when we get along with them!
When it comes down to it, how people get along with each other ultimately comes down to their character and personality. Lu Hanyi has become more and more eccentric, cunning, domineering, and unreasonable over the years. Even her own mother doesn't want to talk to her.
Sometimes when Liu was alone, she couldn't help but make comparisons. Lu Lingjun was cunning and difficult to deal with, but it would be great if such an outstanding child was her own daughter.
She is so much better than her stupid and stubborn daughter!
Liu's face was livid and she kept her mouth shut, not daring to confront her daughter. After Lu Hanyi's complaints and scolding, she felt much better. She looked at her mother with shining eyes, "I must make my business proud. When he gets the imperial edict for me, I will make Lu Lingyun look bad!"
Liu sighed, "You always compare yourself to Lu Lingyun, hoping that someone will ask for an imperial decree for you. It would have been better if you had just married into the Marquis's Mansion. You had to be so stupid as to snatch her marriage away!"
"What do you know!" Lu Hanyi glared at her, "How can she live as well as I do!"
Liu: "…"
She's not living as well as you, what are you thinking about all day long?
Liu thought this in her heart but didn't dare to say it out loud.
A pair of eyes looked at her crazy daughter with indescribable expression.
Lu Lingjun is the mistress of the Marquis's mansion. She is always surrounded by people wherever she goes. She eats the most delicious food, wears silk and satin, and her children are all filial to her. How is she better than him?
Is it because no one eats as well as she does, dresses as well as she does, or is it because no one serves her well!
"Her good life is just like that," Lu Hanyi's eyes lit up as he spoke. "As long as I keep my business going, pass the imperial examinations, and become a high-ranking official, she will definitely not be able to compare to me! I have a son, what does she have! She will envy me for the rest of her life!"
Liu: "…"
Forget it, she should just shut up completely.
After returning from the temple, Lu Hanyi went to see her son first. Her son still closed the door and ignored her. Only at the appointed time did he go to Lu Kuan's house by himself.
Lu Hanyi knew that he had eaten at Lu Kuan's place, so she was not so anxious and angry.
She sent someone to tell Tong Nanyuan to cook more good meals for her son and not to fool him with rotten vegetable leaves.
After hearing what was said, Tong Nanyuan was so angry that she dragged Lu Kuan home and scolded Lu Hanyi for being a weirdo.
However, no matter how annoying Lu Hanyi was, they were still friendly to Li Shouye and did not implicate him because of their mother.
Two days passed in a flash.
Li Shouye was going to the Imperial Examination Hall to take the imperial examination the next day.
When Li Shouye came back this evening, Lu Hanyi stopped him, "Shouye, Shouye!"
Li Shouye had a stern face and didn't want to pay any attention to her.
At this time, a pair of knee pads with rough stitching and pieces of material were handed to him.
"Mom has been staying up late these days to make a pair of knee pads for you. It's cold in the Imperial Examination Hall, so you should protect your knees and don't catch a cold." Lu Hanyi said.
For some reason, Li Shouye's eyes suddenly felt a little wet.
"You have a mother, so this thing must have been made by her. There's no reason for you to wear something made by someone else."
Lu Hanyi stuffed the pair of knee pads, which she had been mending all night since she lost Tong Nanyuan's, into Li Shouye's hands.
"Mom." Li Shouye lowered his head and met her mother's eyes.
His mother was crazy, but she really gave him the best she could.
He felt a little guilty.
"It was the child who made the mistake before."
Hearing this, Lu Hanyi reached out and touched his head, "Mother knows that you have been deceived by those evil ways. You are still my good son."
Li Shouye: "…"
"Mother doesn't blame you. You are the only person in this world who is connected to me by heart and blood. You are the only one I can count on in this life."
Li Shouye nodded heavily, "I will definitely do well in the exam tomorrow and will never let you down."
Lu Hanyi smiled with satisfaction and relief like a loving mother.
the next day.
The big day of the Spring Examination.
There was a crowd of people outside the Imperial Examination Hall again.
Li Shouye was sent over by a group of people.
Except for Lu Kuan who attended the court, Tong Nanyuan, Lu Lingjun, Liu and others all came. Even Cheng Suying and Cheng Bingan came together. When Lu Hanyi saw Lu Lingjun with her children, her chin almost lifted to the sky.
Tong Nanyuan led the group to encourage Li Shouye. Lu Hanyi looked at Cheng Binghao and said, "Oh, Young Master Cheng, haven't you even passed the imperial examination yet?"
When Cheng Bingan heard her asking about him, he looked at her humbly and politely, "Yes, aunt, I will take the exam again this year."
"Then you have to work hard. Our family's Shouye will take the imperial examination this year, and you haven't even passed the imperial examination. The gap is too big."
Everyone: "…"
Everyone was embarrassed, and Li Shouye was the most embarrassed among them.
How can he be compared to Cheng Bingan?
He took the imperial examination because it was the only way for him to take the examination in his life. He was already the eldest son of the Marquis of Ningyang and would inherit the title of marquis when he came of age. He took the examination purely for fun.
There is no need for him to pursue a career in politics!
Seeing Li Shouye's embarrassed expression, Lu Lingjun took the initiative to say, "Shouye is indeed smart, a rare child prodigy."
Cheng Bing'an also echoed Lu Lingyun's words at this time, "I am dull and not as smart as my cousin. Cousin, you should study hard and let all of us benefit from it!"
Li Shouye listened to what they said and looked at Lu Lingyun and Cheng Bingan with gratitude, "I will do well in the exam."
After hearing what they said, Lu Hanyi, who was standing by, couldn't suppress the pride on her face. She straightened her back and was about to make a few more sarcastic remarks, but Liu grabbed her arm.
"Okay, we still have to take the exam to keep our business going! Stop talking!"
Lu Hanyi was interrupted and snorted reluctantly, but her attention was now on her proud son. She turned to him and warned him, "Shouye, you must do well in the exam and make a name for yourself..."
Before Lu Hanyi could finish her words, Li Shouye started walking towards the Imperial Examination Hall carrying his things.
"Shouye! Mother hasn't finished yet!"
"You must eat and drink well in there, don't starve yourself."
"You must do well in the exam!"
The louder Lu Hanyi spoke, the faster Li Shouye walked, and soon he arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall and lined up for inspection.
Lu Hanyi looked at the people who had already lined up, and then she stopped talking. She turned her head to look at the people behind her and snorted heavily, "My son Shouye will definitely pass the examination."
"My cousin is very smart. A mere imperial examination will not be a problem for him." Cheng Bing'an said.
Lu Hanyi glanced at him and said, "Of course. You think he has a brain like yours, but he can't even pass the imperial examination."
Cheng Bingan: "..."
"Second aunt, why do you speak so harshly? My eldest brother has not offended you, why do you always target him?" Cheng Suying stood up and confronted her.
Lu Hanyi glanced at her again, "What do you know, a little girl? My brother Shouye passed the imperial examination several years ago, but your brother still hasn't passed the exam yet. It's really shameful."
"you!"
"Okay, Siying." Lu Lingjun grabbed Cheng Siying and told her not to argue with Lu Hanyi.
No matter what you say to such a person, it will only attract anger.
Cheng Suying snorted and ignored Lu Hanyi.
Lu Hanyi added, "When my son Shouye wins the imperial examination, the first thing I will do is find him a lady from a prestigious family. I won't even look at a girl like you who doesn't follow the rules!"
Cheng Suying: "…"
This is really intolerable. Even if her mother teaches her a lesson today, she will still have a good talk with her weird second aunt.
But at this time, Tong Nanyuan shouted, "What's wrong with keeping the business!"
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone who was about to leave stopped and turned to look at Li Shouye who was standing at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall.
Everyone saw Li Shouye being stopped by the inspectors, who seemed to have found some prohibited items on him and pushed him out of the Imperial Examination Hall.
"Protect the business!"
"Protect the business!"
"Protect the business!"
A group of people rushed forward.
"What happened!" Tong Nanyuan asked with great concern.
At this time, the inspector who was searching at the door held up a pair of cut knee pads, took out a piece of paper folded into a triangle from inside and said loudly, "This student smuggled a piece of paper into the examination room, which is considered cheating! Disqualification from the examination!"
"What!"
The moment everyone heard this, their eyes widened.
Li Shouye even got up from the ground and rushed to the official in a hurry, "Sir, I didn't have it! I didn't bring that thing! I am innocent!"
"Sir, you must have wronged my son. He is so smart that he doesn't need to make cheat sheets at all!" Lu Hanyi also rushed over.
"Yes, my nephew is both good in character and in study, he will not cheat!" Tong Nanyuan also stood up and spoke.
The inspecting officer looked at them and said, "This is what we found in his own knee pads! What can he be accused of?"
As he spoke, the inspecting officer threw the pair of knee pads made of several layers of cloth and the yellow paper folded into a triangle at Li Shouye.
Lu Hanyi was stunned when she saw the triangular yellow paper, but Tong Nanyuan snatched the triangular yellow paper away.
She looked at this strange thing and thought it was just like the talisman paper one gets when praying in a temple.
At this time, Liu's voice came from behind them, "Hanyi! How could you put the blessings you prayed for in the temple into Shouye's knee pads!"
After she said this, everyone turned to look at Lu Hanyi.
Lu Hanyi had already shut her mouth. She looked left and right, her face tense and flustered. She snatched the triangular yellow paper and rushed to the inspecting official to explain, "Sir, this is the talisman I prayed for in the temple. It is to bless my son to pass the imperial examination. This is not a cheat sheet!"
When the official heard this explanation, he sneered, "The higher-ups have ordered a ban on bringing in any paper with writing on it. This thing is a cheat sheet! Your son cheated in the imperial examination, so he is banned from taking the exam this year!"
Lu Hanyi collapsed when she heard this. She sat down on the ground, looking confused and muttering to herself.
"I, I don't know."
"Shouye, I didn't know I couldn't bring this."
As Lu Hanyi spoke, she hugged her son's legs and said, "Shouye, you can't not take the exam. Change your clothes and line up again. Don't wear knee pads, they won't notice!"
Everyone: "..."
Li Shouye's face turned completely black. He looked at his mother, his eyes changing from extremely angry to lifeless, and he finally burst out loud.
"Ah - I won't take the exam anymore! I won't take the exam again in my life!"
Hearing this, Lu Hanyi hugged his legs tightly, "No! No! Shouye, you must take the exam! You can't not take it!"
"You are like this, why do you want me to take the exam?" Li Shouye was completely driven crazy by his mother and burst into tears. He smashed all the things he brought with him, "You will not be satisfied until you ruin my whole life!"
When Liu and Tong Nanyuan saw this, they hurried over to persuade him, "Shouye, Shouye, don't do this!"
"Shouye, we'll find a way for you!"
"Oh, go find your uncle. He must have a solution!" Liu looked at Tong Nanyuan anxiously and grabbed her hand. "Call Kuan'er over here!"
Tong Nanyuan frowned and said helplessly, "My husband is in the palace, and I can't enter the palace, so how can I tell him!"
"Ah, is the business really going to be ruined?" Liu was dejected and sat down as well.
At this moment, Tong Nanyuan hurriedly turned to look at Lu Lingjun, "Cousin! Please help keep the business going! Go to the palace to inform the husband and ask him if he has any solution!"
When Liu heard this, hope came to her eyes. She rolled and crawled to Lu Lingyun, "Lingyun, you must help me keep the business! I beg you!"
Lu Lingjun saw Liu who was begging desperately, Li Shouye with dazed eyes, and Lu Hanyi who was lying on the ground holding Li Shouye's thighs and screaming.
"I'll think of a way."
Lu Lingjun went to look for someone.
Not long after, Lu Kuan arrived.
On the way, he heard the whole story and found the person on the road. After he came over, the people he brought had a few words in private with the inspecting official. The inspecting official turned around and saw them and gave Li Shouye another chance.
"You line up again. If anything is found this time, you will never be able to take the imperial examination again in your life."
Li Shouye, who was in a daze, opened his eyes blankly when he heard this.
"Shouye, don't just stand there, go quickly and do well in the exam!" Lu Kuan's voice rang out, and he patted Li Shouye on the shoulder to give him strength.
Lu Hanyi, who was at his feet, also came back to her senses and was extremely surprised. "Shouye! You have another chance! Hurry up, don't delay!"
Li Shouye finally came back to his senses. He glanced at his mother, pulled his legs apart, picked up the things everyone had prepared for him, and hurried towards the examination room which was about to close.
Li Shouye stepped on the last moment and carried his things into the examination room. Seeing her grandson rescued, Liu felt as if she had been pardoned and breathed a sigh of relief.
She turned around and glared at Lu Hanyi, poking her head and scolding her, "Why did you put that damn thing in Shouye's knee pads!" Angry, so angry, so angry! Liu used 99% of her strength to poke. Lu Hanyi, who had a pain in the head from being poked, has now recovered.
After dodging, she rubbed her head and said, "I am praying for Shouye to exorcise ghosts! He contradicted me a few days ago, and I thought he was hit by something unclean! It is used to exorcise evil spirits for him!"
Everyone: ""
"Do you know that you almost delayed Shouye's life!" "I don't know that you can't bring written papers to the imperial examination, and the inspector is also very blind, doesn't he look at the words on it! How can it be cheating! It's really inhumane." Lu Hanyi's voice became smaller and smaller as she spoke.
She looked at everyone who was looking at her, "It's okay in the end!" Everyone was so angry when they heard this. "You still have the nerve to say that, if it weren't for my husband and cousin today, how could Shouye be okay!" Tong Nanyuan said angrily.
She can't say this. If Liu said it, Lu Hanyi would shut up. If Tong Nanyuan said it, Lu Hanyi would have something to say. "One of them is my uncle and the other is my aunt, so what's wrong with them helping my family to maintain the business!"
Lu Hanyi tilted his neck, feeling unreasonable but still very angry. Tong Nanyuan's neck turned red with anger, "Now you know that my husband is Shouye's uncle and my cousin is Shouye's aunt! Why didn't I see you ask Shouye to recognize us before? You even forbade him to eat at my house!"
"Tong Nanyuan, what do you mean! Didn't I just ask you to help? It's as if we owe you a huge favor!" Everyone: How can this not be a huge favor. Tong Nanyuan put her hands on her hips, "We didn't ask you to owe us any favor, we just can't accept it. We obviously helped you, how can you not even say a word of gratitude! It's as if we owed you! Ask yourself, if it weren't for my husband and cousin today, would your son have been ruined by you!" "Forget it, forget it, just say less, we are all family." Liu made a bitter face to smooth things over.
Lu Hanyi rolled her eyes, "Tsk, did I need your help? Even without you, my family's business can still be saved!" Tong Nanyuan: ""
Everyone: ""Tong Nanyuan was so angry that she jumped up and down, and she didn't even care about the manners of a lady from a noble family.
She rushed up to her and asked her to tear it apart. Lu Kuan quickly hugged Tong Nanyuan, "Forget it, Nanyuan, don't bother with her!" "No, I can't swallow this breath! Is she Lu Hanyi still a human being? She won't do anything that has anything to do with people, and she won't say a word that people say!" "You dare to teach me a lesson! How dare you, an old woman who can't even lay eggs, tell me to be a human being! If you say another word, I'll ask my brother to divorce you!"
Everyone: """Lu Hanyi!" Lu Kuan glared at her when he heard this, and the arrogant Lu Hanyi stopped talking. Lu Kuan pulled and coaxed Tong Nanyuan away first. Liu was muttering to her daughter in the back, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
"What nonsense am I talking about? This Tong girl has been married for ten years and she can't even lay an egg. She will make our Lu family extinct! I think she will ask Lu Kuan to divorce her sooner or later and hide back in her Jiangnan countryside in disgrace!" Tong Nanyuan, who was dragged away, heard this and burst into tears in anger.
Tong Nanyuan and Lu Kuan got into Lu Lingyun's carriage together. After getting in the car, Tong Nanyuan kept crying, and Lu Kuan kept comforting her. "Don't listen to the nonsense that lunatic says." "I will never divorce you in this life."
"Just treat her as a fart. Lu Hanyi has farted enough!" The more Lu Kuan comforted Tong Nanyuan, the more sadly Tong Nanyuan cried. Cheng Siying also advised, "Aunt, don't cry. Everyone knows that my second aunt is crazy. Today, my cousin who keeps his business almost ruined her. Why do you have to argue with her?"
"I also made her very angry before. Now we all know what kind of person she is. Let's not associate with her in the future. Let her go crazy alone!" Tong Nanyuan was still crying. She was scolded by Lu Hanyi at the critical point, and she broke down. This is no longer Lu Hanyi's business, but she can't think it through. Lu Lingyun looked at Tong Nanyuan who was wiping tears sadly, and sighed slowly. She looked at Lu Kuan, "Let Nanyuan live in my house today." "Okay." Lu Kuan raised his head and looked at Lu Lingyun gratefully.
The carriage arrived at the Marquis's Mansion first. Lu Lingyun took Lu Hanyi, whose eyes were swollen from crying, and others out of the car, and asked the carriage to send Lu Kuan back.
Tong Nanyuan's face was haggard at this time, and her usually lively eyes were dim at this time. When she arrived at Lu Lingyun's courtyard, she said with sorrowful eyes, "Cousin, should I divorce my husband?" "What nonsense are you talking about?" Lu Lingyun scolded her.
"I think she is right. I have been married to the Lu family for ten years without any children. I want to end my husband's lineage." "She, Lu Hanyi, is crazy, and you are crazy too!" Lu Lingyun stared at her, "What does Kuan'er do to you? Do you need me to say more? He won the top three prizes in the imperial examinations just to marry you. You are saying this to make him feel disappointed!"
Tong Nanyuan's tears fell silently, "I know, but the better my husband treats me, the more uneasy I feel. He is such a good person, how can I let him have no descendants!" Seeing her so sad, Lu Lingyun was silent for a while. If she had told her directly about their mother's family's health, she would have left a child for Lu Kuan even if she died.
But this, alas! Lu Lingyun sighed, stood up in front of Tong Nanyuan, hugged her in his arms, and asked her to cry loudly. The next day, she called Tong Nanxia. Tong Nanxia had been married to the Duke of Zhao's mansion for more than ten years, but she had no children.
In the past few years, Zhao Yanshu had added two concubines, both of whom were taken by Tong Nanxia. Because she couldn't give birth to a child. Lu Lingjun told her in person that after Tong Nanxia knew about her body, she secretly took contraceptive medicine and stopped giving birth. Zhao Yanshu didn't know that he loved Tong Nanxia so much that it was okay for her not to give birth, and he had to bear all the pressure.
As time went by, Tong Nanxia felt bad, and at the suggestion of her mother-in-law, she gave him two more concubines, and he had a son and a daughter. With more offspring, her mother-in-law was a little satisfied.
After she arrived at the Marquis's Mansion, she saw the haggard and pitiful Tong Nanyuan, and her heart ached. She stepped forward to comfort Tong Nanyuan, "Third sister, what's wrong with you!"
"Nanxia."
When Tong Nanyuan saw Tong Nanxia coming over, a glimmer of light rose in her dull eyes.
"What are you doing? You make yourself so unhappy, and in the end your brother-in-law will be sad too." Tong Nanxia was invited by Lu Lingjun to comfort her.
She sat beside her and said. Tong Nanyuan was silent when she heard this. "There are men in the outside world. Just pretend you don't know and live your own life happily!" Tong Nanxia advised earnestly.
"No, I want to give birth to a child for my husband." Tong Nanyuan was particularly firm at this time. Tong Nanxia was immediately anxious when she heard this, "Then don't you worry about any accidents during childbirth?! Since ancient times, women giving birth have been walking through the gates of hell. Our eldest sister and second sister both died in childbirth, and there are also many cousins in the Lin family.
They also died because of childbirth." She hinted at Tong Nanyuan. In the past ten years, 90% of the sisters in the first and side branches of their family have died while giving birth, leaving only one or two. After giving birth, they are still alive, but the children died, and they can never give birth again. The women in their family are cursed in childbearing! Tong Nanyuan was not moved at all after hearing this, but said, "What if I die? It's worth it to leave a descendant for my husband!"
"But if something happens to you, the child will have no mother in the future, and your brother-in-law will have no you. How do you want them to live!" Tong Nanyuan didn't say anything after hearing this. After a long while, she said, "Then I will listen to my mother-in-law and adopt a nephew from the Lu family." Tong Nanxia: "After Tong Nanyuan left Lu Lingjun and returned to her own house, she was much more relaxed with Liu.
When Liu felt that Tong Nanyuan was somewhat relaxed and was willing to adopt one of her grandchildren, her eyes lit up. She hurried back to make arrangements, preparing to bring her grandchildren to Lu Kuan's house to hang out more. No matter which one is adopted, it will be fine in the future! The Lu family's incense is now with Lu Kuan, and his resources are also the best.
If her grandchild is adopted later, wouldn't that be picking up a ready-made bargain! There is no escape, no escape, it's still hers! Liu's whole person became active. After a few days, the spring examination was over. Li Shouye also came down from the examination room. On the day he came out, Lu Hanyi and Liu all went to pick him up. Because Lu Hanyi was there, Tong Nanyuan didn't go now. She turned around and told Lu Kuan that she would not go to any place where Lu Hanyi was in the future. "Shouye, how did you do in the exam?"
"You must have been tired after taking the exam for several days in a row. Mother has already prepared the food at home. You should go home with mother and have a good meal and take a bath!" Lu Hanyi eagerly stepped forward to carry things for him. As soon as her hand touched Li Shouye, Li Shouye dodged it. Li Shouye completely ignored her. He looked around, "Where's my aunt? Isn't she here?" "Nanyuan isn't here." Liu said with a smile, "But I'm going to your uncle's house later."
Hearing this, Li Shouye responded, "Grandma, I'll go with you." Hearing this, Liu glanced at her daughter. Lu Hanyi was obviously unhappy. Seeing that Lu Hanyi was nagging again, Liu said in advance, "Okay, Shouye has been taking exams for several days in a row. He must be tired. It's good for him to go to your uncle's house to rest for a few days.
You have to let the child rest too!" Lu Hanyi was still unhappy when she heard her mother say that, but she met Li Shouye's eyes and finally held her breath, "Okay, mother, take Shouye to his uncle's house to stay for a few days. Don't waste these days. You still have the palace examination later, and you have to study at your uncle's house. I'll send all your books over later."
Before she finished speaking, Li Shouye got on Liu's carriage with his things. "This child!" Seeing him like this, Lu Hanyi said angrily. "Okay, stop nagging," Liu interrupted her quickly, "You almost delayed his exam before, how can the child not be angry!" "I'm his mother! How dare he be angry with me! This is unfilial! He is such an unfilial son!"
Liu: ""Don't say it, I have something to do these days, you should go back quickly." Liu herself didn't want to talk to her daughter. She hurried away too. Seeing her leave, Lu Hanyi chased after her and said, "Mom, please keep an eye on him for me, don't let Shouye be led astray by them!"
"Got it!" Li Shouye arrived at Lu Kuan's house. Along with his little cousins. Liu has two sons and two grandsons. The oldest grandson is thirteen years old, and the youngest is eight years old. All the children were sent to Tong Nanyuan.
Seeing this, Li Shouye asked curiously, "Grandma, what are they doing here, aunt?" Liu looked at her eldest grandson, her eyes shining, and said, "Your aunt is planning to adopt a child!" "Nanyuan, this is Jianye, Jianshun, Jianlin, Jianda, they are all very smart, go over and show them to your aunt!"
Tong Nanyuan looked at the children in front of her, asked them to sit down, and asked someone to bring them food. Seeing this, Li Shouye suddenly felt envious. It would be great if he could be adopted by Tong Nanyuan. It would be great to have such a mother. When it was evening, Lu Kuan came back. He was surprised to see so many people in the room, "Why are you all here today?" Tong Nanyuan saw him, "I asked the children to come for dinner." Hearing this, Lu Kuan didn't say anything.
He sat down and saw Li Shouye sitting in the corner, and hurriedly asked him about the exam. "Shouye, how did you do in the exam?" Li Shouye was silent for a moment, "Not good." Normal people would have a good attitude after such a mother made such a fuss. Li Shouye was able to perform at half his usual level, and it was already pretty good to hand in the answer sheet.
Hearing this, Lu Kuan said, "Let's not talk about this after the exam. Let's eat first. We can talk about everything after the results are announced." "Yeah." Maybe because Tong Nanyuan planned to adopt a child, and because he had a conflict with Lu Hanyi, Li Shouye felt that his aunt was not as enthusiastic about him as before. He only stayed at Lu's house for one day and then went back to his own home. Lu Hanyi, who was at home, saw that Li Shouye came back early and was pleasantly surprised.
"Shouye, why did you come back?" Li Shouye replied in a very bad mood, "My aunt is very busy." "Shouye, do you still find that your home and your mother are good? Those outsiders are outsiders no matter what. They are not as sincere to you as your mother!"
Lu Hanyi asked. "Your aunt is just pretending to be good. You will know after a while that she is really fake!" Li Shouye finally couldn't help it. He stopped and said to his mother, "No matter how hypocritical my aunt is, I want to stand in front of her like Jianye and the others, hoping that she will accept me as her son!"
Lu Hanyi heard Li Shouye say that he wanted to be Tong Nanyuan's son.
Immediately, the whole person was like a burning powder barrel.
"What did you say? You want to be Tong Nanyuan's son! You only ate a few bites of her food, and you acknowledge her as your mother! Do you still have a conscience?"
"I only know that on the day of the Spring Examination, it was my aunt who begged my aunt to find my uncle to help me, and you almost ruined me!"
When Lu Hanyi heard Li Shouye bring this up, her arrogance immediately deflated.
Her eyes wandered, "Shouye, I know you blame me, but wasn't I doing that for your own good? Besides, wasn't everything alright in the end?"
Li Shouye looked at her with a sneer.
"Shouye, let's just forget about it. I promise you, there won't be a next time." Lu Hanyi reached out to pull her son.
Li Shouye brushed it aside and turned to walk into the house.
Seeing this, Lu Hanyi cried out, "Shouye, mother worked so hard to raise you, you can't abandon mother!"
"Open the door, open the door. Have you forgotten that your mother has brought you up from childhood to adulthood? When you were sick, your mother took care of you! Tong Nanyuan only helped you once. How can you acknowledge her as your mother just for such a small matter?"
She knocked on the wooden door several times, and when there was no response, Lu Hanyi turned around and said.
"I knew it, I knew it!"
"It must be that Tong who did something! She can't lay eggs so she comes to steal my son! I will never let her go!"
After Lu Hanyi finished speaking, she turned around and ran out, heading straight for Lu Kuan's house.
at this time.
Lu Lingjun was in Tong Nanyuan's yard.
She was called to meet Lu Kuan's four older nephews.
"I think Jianda is good. He is the youngest. If we start raising him now, we will definitely be able to kiss him in the future." Tong Nanyuan whispered in Lu Lingjun's ear.
Liu sent over four grandchildren, the youngest of whom, Jianda, is already eight years old.
As she spoke, Tong Nanyuan gently called Lu Jianda over, "Jianda, come here."
Lu Jianda came over and said, "Aunt, Aunt."
"You're so good," Tong Nanyuan touched his head, "I heard from your grandmother that you can recite 300 poems now?"
"That's right. Not only can I recite 300 poems, I can also recite the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars. My parents and grandmother taught me since I was a child that people must be filial!"
Tong Nanyuan was particularly satisfied when she heard this. She looked at Lu Lingjun and said, "Cousin, Jianda is not only smart but also filial. I think he looks the most like my husband."
When Lu Lingjun heard this, she blinked her eyes and looked at the well-behaved Lu Jianda in front of her, "Jianda, you said you can recite the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, so your aunt wants to test you. If you become rich in the future, how will you treat your parents?"
Lu Jianda said without hesitation, "Of course I will buy a big house for my parents to live in and a bunch of maids and servants to serve them!"
Lu Lingjun continued to ask, "You are so filial, how could your parents be willing to let you come here to be your uncle's stepson?"
"What's the big deal? When I grow up, I will bring my parents over to live with us. My parents told me that it's a waste for my uncle and aunt to live in such a big house. It's just right for me to be adopted and bring my whole family over to live with me when I grow up. That's perfect!" Lu Jianda didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said.
His answers were full of filial piety, brotherly love and respect.
But when Tong Nanyuan heard this, his expression suddenly turned extremely ugly.
When taking in a child for adoption, the first thing to look at is whether the child's parents are still alive. If the parents are not alive, then the child will be adopted. But if the parents are still alive, there is no point in talking about adopting the child!
People have biological parents, so filial piety should be shown to them first.
No matter how good the adoptive parents are, they can't compare to the biological parents!
When Tong Nanyuan's face was extremely ugly, the servant came hurriedly to report, "Madam! Second Aunt rushed in!"
This is Lu Kuan's residence. The second aunt is naturally his second sister in terms of generation, Lu Hanyi!
As he was speaking, Lu Hanyi's angry voice came from outside the yard, "You son of a bitch Tong Nanyuan, come out here!"
Tong Nanyuan and Lu Lingjun looked towards the gate of the courtyard together, and saw Lu Hanyi rushing past the maid who was trying to stop her and entering the courtyard, pointing at Tong Nanyuan and starting to curse.
"You can't lay eggs, so you steal other people's sons. How can you be so vicious, bitch! If you can't have children, just die! Who are you harming everywhere?"
"Lu Hanyi!" Upon hearing this, Lu Lingjun protected Tong Nanyuan and glared at her, "Are you crazy?"
"Lu Lingjun, I knew you were involved in this!" Lu Hanyi turned his attention to her. The moment he saw her, his anger was completely directed at her. "You saw that my son was successful, you were jealous, so you instigated your cousin who couldn't lay eggs to adopt him and snatch my good son away!"
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
"Don't bother to make excuses. I can tell who you are at a glance! You're just afraid that I'll live better than you. You're jealous of me and you're trying to scheme against me!"
Everyone: "…"
Lu Lingjun looked at her with difficulty describing what was going on.
Tong Nanyuan then started to retort, "Lu Hanyi, if your brain is broken, go find a doctor! My cousin is jealous of you? Is she plotting against you? How can you compare to my cousin! In terms of family background, my cousin is the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, and you married a small-time official in Beijing, and you don't even have a say at home!"
"Speaking of children, my cousin has children all around her, and they all love and respect her. What about you? You were so lucky to have a smart and good son like Shouye, but you forced him away! I don't want to care about you!"
"Your son doesn't want to pay attention to you, but you come here to make a scene! How can you be so shameless! And you still have the nerve to say that we are jealous of you! The way you are now, even the dogs on the street would despise you! Who would want to stick to you? With a mother like you, I can't even hold my head up to keep my business!"
Tong Nanyuan cursed out all the accumulated dissatisfaction with Lu Hanyi in one breath and let out a long sigh of relief.
When Lu Hanyi heard this, her eyes gradually turned red. "You are a hen that doesn't lay eggs. I will fight you!"
She rushed towards Tong Nanyuan like an angry cow.
In a flash, Lu Lingjun saw Lu Hanyi completely out of control. Without even having time to call for help, she pulled Tong Nanyuan behind her. Lu Hanyi slammed her head against the small wooden table in front of them with such force that Cheng Jianda, who was sitting next to them and watching the show in a daze, was knocked over.
A table full of scalding hot tea spilled over, scalding Lu Hanyi and Cheng Jianda.
"Jianda!"
Tong Nanyuan hurriedly went over to pull Cheng Jianda up, she hugged Cheng Jianda and fell to the ground.
"Nan Yuan!"
Meanwhile, Lu Hanyi, who was sitting opposite them, was hit on the head by a heavy kettle with a loud bang and passed out.
"Han Yi!"
At this time, another voice was heard at the gate of the courtyard, and Liu rushed over.