Chapter 148

Chapter 148

Lu Mingzhu insisted she hadn’t cheated.

He Yun made the dumplings, and they looked nearly identical to the others, except for the flower-shaped ones.

Ah Rong and Hong Jie boiled and served the dumplings.

Lu Mingzhu brought them to the table, first serving He Yun, then Mrs. Ceng, followed by her father and herself.

Guests came first.

Because of this, everyone thought she had good luck.

"Mingzhu, with your luck this year, you’re bound to strike it rich," Mrs. Ceng said with a smile.

Lu Mingzhu’s face turned red with excitement as she clasped her hands, "Everyone here will share in the good fortune. Since everyone has seen it, we will all prosper together, each of us will have abundant wealth."

With no distractions, staying up late didn’t feel exhausting.

Her father gave Lu Mingzhu the same New Year’s money as last year, while He Yun gave her a string of 100 engraved mother coins, each one unique and of excellent quality.

Mrs. Ceng took one look and said, "Mr. He is really thoughtful; mine seems a little underwhelming."

Engraved mother coins are extremely rare; even finding one is tough, let alone a hundred, all different, and all from the Qing Dynasty.

Since they were minted in different places, the coins vary.

Lu Mingzhu had never seen engraved mother coins before; among ancient coins, she had only seen cast mother coins, which are made from engraved mother coins and are more valuable than ordinary coins, let alone the mother of cast mother coins.

It’s priceless.

Lu Mingzhu’s eyes narrowed to slits, "Thank you, Godfather. I wish you smooth sailing this year, double the joy, prosperity year-round, peace everywhere, good fortune at your doorstep, great achievements, stars shining brightly, wealth from every corner, everything falling into place, perfection in all things, a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons, eternal generations, and all wishes fulfilled."

She said it all in one breath without a pause.

Her father was jealous, "Mingzhu, you didn’t say these blessings to me just now."

Lu Mingzhu exclaimed, "Do you want to have a hundred sons?"

"Don’t talk nonsense," her father knew she would divert the topic.

Mrs. Ceng smiled slightly, beckoning Lu Mingzhu to come to her, showing obvious favoritism, "Godmother loves you; I’ll give you New Year’s money without your blessings."

It was also a string of a hundred coins.

Lu Mingzhu thanked her and also said a series of blessings, ending the New Year’s Eve, and everyone went to rest.

He Yun returned to his own home and did not stay.

Having missed the sleepy feeling, Lu Mingzhu couldn’t fall asleep for a while.

She opened the window and saw the night sky outside, the stars blinking at her, twinkling brightly. Xie Junyao must be seeing them too, but what about her mother and her original body?

Not in the same world, can they see the same starry sky?

She hoped they would be safe, happy, and worry-free for life.

After making her wish, Lu Mingzhu went back to bed.

She slept soundly and had a lovely dream, in which her mother told her she was doing well, accompanied by the original body wearing her skin, telling Lu Mingzhu to take care of herself and live happily.

On New Year’s Day, marking a fresh start.

Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, Lu Changsheng took Lu Ning to wish a Happy New Year to Lu’s father and Mrs. Ceng.

Lu Ning also paid her respects to Lu Mingzhu.

The little girl was blossoming into a real beauty, with snow-white and delicate skin, thick and jet-black hair tied into two braids, and a thin, straight fringe that made her eyes look big and round.

Her eyes were dark, bright, and crystal clear.

She was unrecognizable from when Xu the Butler first brought her home, so much so that even Lin Xiaohong wouldn’t recognize her as the former Lu Aiguo standing in front of her, let alone her former neighbors.

Lu Mingzhu gifted her a custom red satin Tang suit with white fur trim, which she quickly changed into and emerged looking radiant, like a little fairy before Guanyin, reminding Mrs. Ceng of Lu Mingzhu’s childhood.

"No wonder they say a niece takes after her aunt—it’s true," Mrs. Ceng sighed, giving her a string of copper coins.

Lu Ning thanked her with a sweet smile.

"Do we really look alike?" Lu Mingzhu squatted down, cheek to cheek with Lu Ning, letting everyone see.

Lu’s father nodded, "Very similar."

She was the very image of the Lu family, and there was no need to worry about Old Man Ye recognizing her.

Lu Changsheng said, "It’s good to resemble her aunt."

To live as the family’s cherished one, safe, sound, and free from trouble.

Lu Ning nodded vigorously, "I want to be like my aunt."

Auntie’s so pretty!

"What’s so great about being like me? You didn’t even want to come with Grandpa to celebrate the New Year with me yesterday, I’m heartbroken!" Lu Mingzhu pretended to be heartbroken.

She was concerned about how the old lady treated Lu Ning, after all, the old lady was truly biased towards boys, without a doubt.

Last year she doted on Lu Pingan because he was the eldest grandson, but now that Lu Changsheng had returned, she only had eyes for her own grandson, so why would she care about a great-granddaughter?

Before Lu Changsheng took her to live with him, she had almost no contact with the old lady.

Lu Ning hurriedly said, "I wanted to come, but Dad wanted to spend the New Year with me. If I came, he wouldn’t buy the brooch that Auntie likes! So I had to bend for the sake of rice."

Lu Mingzhu teased her, "Do you know what 'bend for the sake of rice' means?"

"Yes, my brother told me," the little girl was very shrewd, "My brother said, a child like me who has no ability should learn to bend appropriately for the sake of rice."

Lu Changsheng rubbed his forehead, "What kind of nonsense does your brother usually teach you?"

"Brother is right, didn’t you buy me the brooch? I want to give it to Auntie as a New Year’s gift," Lu Ning firmly defended Lu Pingan, who she had spent the most time with, and instinctively learned how to fleece her father to support her aunt.

Lu Mingzhu clapped her hands and laughed.

"Exactly," she said, patting Lu Ning’s head, "Good child, Auntie likes you, I didn’t spoil you for nothing."

Lu Changsheng shook his head helplessly.

"It’s a pity Pingan isn’t here," Lu Mingzhu lamented.

Whenever Lu Changsheng thought about his son, who was always cold and indifferent towards him, he felt a pang of frustration.

He still didn’t know how to connect with him.

Lu Ning blinked her eyes, her lips moved slightly, but she didn’t say anything.

It wasn’t until Lu Mingzhu went back to her bedroom to put away the diamond brooch she had received that Lu Ning followed her in and confided a secret to Lu Mingzhu: "No one knows where my brother went. Grandpa doesn’t know, Dad doesn’t know, but I know. He went to the capital to see Mom."

Lu Mingzhu was surprised, "How do you know?"

"He asked me about my biological mother’s whereabouts. I told him I didn’t know, and he told me that he discovered Mom is at the Revolutionary Cemetery in the capital. He went there first to pay his respects for me, and he will take me to see her when I grow up." Lu Ning’s expression was innocent and pure. "Brother told me not to tell anyone, but Auntie is not just anyone."

"Auntie will keep it between us." Lu Mingzhu gently stroked Lu Ning’s back.

Lu Ning nestled in her arms, on the verge of sleep.

She had stayed up late last night with the old lady and Lu Changsheng, so tired her eyelids drooped. Lu Changsheng sent her to bed before midnight, but she woke up early this morning and was now very sleepy.

Lu Mingzhu carried her to her bed, tucked her in, and then left the room and went downstairs.

Pingan’s whereabouts surprised her.

Usually, Pingan seemed indifferent to his parents and never asked about them. He was always cold and indifferent towards Lu Changsheng.

Lu Mingzhu thought he lacked an emotional bond with his parents, but she didn’t expect that he had been keeping it all inside.

Even when he paid respects to Ye Ying, he kept it from his family.

Had they neglected him too much?

He was just a teenager.

Lu Mingzhu reflected.

At the same time, she recalled the fragments about Lu Shen in the novel.

It had been too long, and she couldn’t remember the entire novel by heart. Many details had been forgotten.

She vaguely recalled Lu Shen appearing in his forties, calm and composed, rarely showing emotion, somewhat like Xie Junhao. He never married or had children, and every Spring Festival, he would go to pay respects to his parents and aunt, offering the first incense or flowers. He never visited on Qingming Festival, the traditional tomb-sweeping day.

As for why it was the aunt who stood in front of them to protect them, rather than Lu Shen, who was only three years younger than the aunt, there were no memories or records.

Perhaps it would forever remain a mystery.

Just as Lu Mingzhu thought this, she realized that there was one person who must know the specifics.

That was Zhang Shuo.

Lu Aiguo’s memories couldn’t tell the whole story, but he was a man who had experienced the tumultuous times of that era. He knew much more than the snippets in the novel.

For her own safety, it was best not to pry too much.

If Lu Zhuri had died, was Lu Shen really safe and sound? Perhaps he couldn’t protect himself and his sister, so it had to be the original body who stepped forward.

She guessed correctly. When Zhang Shuo saw Lu Pingan at the cemetery, he also thought of that past.

Zhang Shuo had been severely injured, but because of his background, no hospital was willing to take him in. At that time, medical resources were scarce, and there were no conditions for proper treatment. Lu Mingzhu had used a Browning pistol to force a doctor to treat him, but it was only a temporary solution. As a result, he became a sickly man.

For his sake, Mingzhu devoted herself to studying medicine, combining Chinese and Western medicine. With the help of foreign friends visiting Shanghai, she spent a large sum of money to purchase a set of Western medical equipment, pulling his life back from the brink of death and restoring his health to that of a normal person.

Mingzhu was like a second parent to both him and Lu Aiguo, and she was truly worthy of that honor.

Zhang Shuo also thought about the dream he had.

On the night of National Day, he didn’t sleep until the early hours of the morning. He dreamed of Mingzhu, dressed in a bright red dress, her face radiant with joy. She told him that because of him, she and the current Mingzhu had swapped souls. Though it was initially unforgivable, she was thriving in this new world.

There was no war, no uncertainty, and women lived freely without any constraints.

Zhang Shuo had a rough idea of her circumstances and was almost moved to tears, "Is it truly good? Are you genuinely happy? Mingzhu, do you still remember our past?"

"I remember," Mingzhu subtly rolled her eyes.

She said, "Zhang Shuo, you are the architect of this predicament. If there’s any shred of conscience left in you, never reveal her in front of Mingzhu’s family. Otherwise, even if you amass a century’s worth of good deeds for your next life, I won’t see you."

If it weren’t for her concern for Mingzhu, she wouldn’t have appeared to Zhang Shuo in this dream.

The past was behind her; she had moved on long ago.

Actually, she ought to have encouraged Zhang Shuo to embrace a new life, but she feared his relentless pursuit might cause undue complications for Mingzhu.

"Are you suggesting there’s a chance for us to reunite? What must I do to meet you once more?" Zhang Shuo remembered asking Mingzhu.

He was more excited than ever.

Mingzhu told him, "When we both pass away in each other’s forms, and you accumulate another hundred years of merit, there could be an opportunity for us to reunite. But should you shatter Mingzhu’s happiness in this lifetime, even if the opportunity arises, I will not rekindle our bond."

Being granted a second life was a blessing beyond measure; there was no third life.

However, she had no choice but to convey this to Zhang Shuo.

Zhang Shuo quickly assured her, "I will not cause her any harm. Provided she refrains from any unethical actions or actions detrimental to the nation and its citizens, I will not lay a hand on her, nor will I divulge this secret to another soul."

He understood the stakes.

"Very well, I trust you to honor your promise! Otherwise, you shall never lay eyes on me again, in this life or the next." With that, Mingzhu’s image slowly dissolved into the void of his dream.

Zhang Shuo woke up.

At that time, still at the front command post, he couldn’t control himself.

Although it was a dream, he inexplicably felt that it was Mingzhu, the Mingzhu he wanted to see again.

She had specifically sent him this dream!

According to Mingzhu, he could seek to meet her again in the next life, provided that Mingzhu in this life and she in the other world both lived peacefully to old age. Wasn’t that achievable?

He harbored no desire to harm an innocent woman, particularly one who wore the visage of his cherished one.

She wasn’t in the mainland; she must be safe.

Upon returning to the capital according to the transfer order and learning that Lu Zhuri had resigned and returned to his hometown, Zhang Shuo was stunned for a while. Then, under the pretext of paying respects to Ye Ying, he went to the cemetery.

He wanted to see Lu Pingan.

If Lu Pingan was fine, then Mingzhu would be safe.

Based on his understanding of Lu Pingan, after Lu Zhuri resigned and returned to his hometown, becoming Lu Changsheng and rejoining the Lu family, Lu Pingan would definitely come to pay respects to his birth mother, Ye Ying.

Knowing where his birth mother was buried but ignoring it would not be like Lu Pingan.

Zhang Shuo finally saw him.

He was dressed in a black cotton coat, wearing a hat, and bundled up tightly. His facial features had changed somewhat, looking much more ordinary.

He wiped the snow off Ye Ying's tombstone without saying a word.

Zhang Shuo closed his eyes for a moment, ultimately deciding not to walk over and ask how Lu Mingzhu was doing now. Instead, he pretended to be sweeping the tomb, slowly strolling to Ye Ying's grave, "I’m here to pay respects at my comrade’s wife’s grave. Are you a relative of theirs?"

Lu Pingan had never met Zhang Shuo in person, but he had seen his photo at Zhang Zhenxing's place. He had heard that Lu Zhuri was originally going to set his son up with someone, but later, he never brought it up again.

Zhang Zhenxing had spoken of this matter with a particularly regretful tone.

This brought to mind what Lu Pingan’s father had said about leaving him and his aunt in Shanghai to introduce his aunt to the son of his father's old superior, but he and his aunt had run away together.

So, recognizing Zhang Shuo, Lu Pingan said indifferently, "What if I am? What if I’m not?"

Zhang Shuo smiled, "Just asking."

Lu Pingan ignored him, bowed three times in front of Ye Ying's grave, then turned and left.

On the way back to the International Hotel, he took off the cotton coat, revealing a blue coat underneath, and grabbed a handful of snow to rub into water, washing off the makeup he’d used to disguise himself.

He had learned this from Lu Mingzhu, and it worked very well.

Arriving at the International Hotel, Lu Pingan met the smiling Zhang Zhenxing, "Comrade Pingan, you showed up here without a word. Is there a problem with the crafts?"

They had already brought out the best craftsmanship.

The best was for export, and the seconds were for domestic sales.

"No problem, I’m looking to increase the order," Lu Pingan sincerely believed that his country's handicrafts were very popular, especially silk and porcelain, which have always been popular overseas, from ancient times to today.

Zhang Zhenxing was overjoyed: "That’s fantastic news!"

Every time, they could generate significant foreign currency earnings, reducing their dependence on overseas remittances.

Originally, it was a ten out of ten dependency, now it’s down to nine.

Of course, the bulk of foreign exchange still comes from overseas remittances; just exporting handicrafts isn’t enough.