Chapter 25: A Visitor from Far Away

Chapter 25: A Visitor from Far Away

Given this situation, he will reserve a place for Lu Mingchao within the Duke's family.

Being able to watch over her, Mingchao Lu should be happy.

"Bu Yan, go advise Miss Gu a little."

Bu Yan was puzzled.

What makes him qualified to advise Miss Gu?

Would Miss Gu really listen to his advice?

The Young Master must have had his head stuck in a door and then kicked by a donkey.

"Please clarify, Young Master."

Bu Yan bowed his head and asked respectfully.

Gu Huai: ...

Gu Huai started fidgeting—fiddling with the scroll, straightening the tassel on his pouch—and casually remarked, "Tell Zhenzhen that if she wants to bring Mingchao Lu back, it’s not out of the question."

"With Mingchao Lu here, Zhenzhen can also smile and be happy."

Bu Yan pursed his lips, his eyebrows knitting into a frown, feeling utterly speechless inside.

"Young Master, if Miss Mingchao returns to the capital, what will others say about her, and how will she handle it? Gossip can be deadly."

In his opinion, it would be better for Miss Mingchao to stay in Changxi Village and manage her own life.

It’s tough, but at least she has her freedom.

The Young Master is too prideful, and his intentions are too inscrutable.

Gu Huai's expression turned icy, his eyes like frozen steel, radiating an endless chill. "Bu Yan, you’re overstepping your bounds."

"She is Lu Mingchao, under the protection of both the Duke's family and the Yongning Marquis family. How could she have no foothold in the capital?"

"Who would dare to gossip about her?"

Bu Yan's heart trembled as he repeatedly pondered the meaning of those words.

Does Young Master want to continue the engagement with Miss Mingchao?

Impossible!

It's well-known in the capital that Miss Mingchao is just an ordinary farm girl, and her attempt at suicide has ruined her reputation. How could the Duke's family accept Miss Mingchao as the Young Master's wife, and how could the Yongning Marquis family just hand over their immense wealth to Miss Mingchao, a person with no blood relation?

He could think of that, and so could Young Master.

Unless...

Bu Yan dared not think any further.

"I understand."

He left the study with heavy footsteps.

Gu Huai irritably rubbed his temples, his frustration finding no release.

Was the injury on Lu Mingchao's forehead really as severe as Gu Zhen claimed?

While Gu Zhen busied herself buying supplies for her trip to see Lu Mingchao in Changxi Village, the wedding between Lu Mingchao and Xie Yan was fast approaching.

After word got out about how fiercely Lu Mingchao and Xie Yan had shown their strength in the Lu family courtyard, hardly anyone else tried to cause trouble.

Mostly because it would be useless even if they did.

The villagers of Changxi finally understood that Xie Yan, known for handling wild beasts daily, truly wanted to marry Lu Mingchao, the Lu family’s own daughter.

Since the marriage was set in stone, anyone who made a fuss would lose face.

Not everyone had the luck of the Lu family to have Xie Yan as a son-in-law, but if they behaved well and stayed out of trouble, they could still get cheap meat.

Feng Jinyu, who had been screaming about getting revenge for a slap, was locked inside her home by Old Madam Feng.

The sky was crystal clear, not a cloud in sight, and even the once-harsh northern winds had softened.

The Lu family’s small courtyard was decorated with hand-cut red paper cutouts symbolizing double happiness.

Outside the courtyard gate, under the eaves, red lanterns swayed, as if wanting to spread this good news far and wide with the unceasing wind.

In two days, it would be the grand wedding of Lu Mingchao and Xie Yan.

On the chests, fabrics were neatly arranged—some bright and striking, others fresh and subtle.

Tables were laden with a variety of dried fruits and pastries, showcasing a lavish and plentiful spread.

A bright red embroidered wedding gown hung from the wooden rack, its threads shimmering in the sunlight, exuding elegance and splendor.

On the kitchen walls, rows of cleaned pork, sheep, chicken, and duck meat hung neatly, ready for the upcoming feast.

Xie Yan had been delivering these items bit by bit over the past few days.

"Chaochao."

"Xie Yan cares for you, so I can be more at ease. You should live your future days well."

Yunniang sat cross-legged on the bed, sewing shoe soles. Her voice carried both joy and a hint of longing.

She was glad her daughter had found someone who truly cared for her.

"Mom, I understand." Lu Mingchao lightly rested her head on Yunniang's shoulder, not affecting her sewing while making Yunniang feel warm inside.

"Mom, after the grand wedding with Xie Yan, I need to spare some thoughts for Big Brother's lifelong marriage."

"I heard from Second Brother that the wife of the private school teacher in town has started arranging for her youngest daughter to meet potential suitors. Finding someone who mutually loves each other is not easy. If Big Brother misses out, he might waste half his life."

"As long as our family's attitude is good and our intentions sincere, the other party will consider it more carefully."

The day before, Lu Lei came back from town and quietly hid in the woodshed, sobbing for a solid twenty minutes. By dinner time, his eyes were still terribly swollen.

Lu Lei gave a very clumsy excuse, saying he had been stung by a bee.

Perhaps even the bee itself didn't know it could be so diligent in winter.

Yunniang inserted the needle into the shoe pad and sighed softly.

"This matter won't be easy."

"Ah Zhi's father, Master Cheng, has a stubborn and rigid temper. Once he's made up his mind, not even ten oxen could drag him back."

"Before, it was just a matter of time for Lei and Ah Zhi to settle down, but Master Cheng broke them apart."

"Lei knelt in Master Cheng's courtyard for half the night. Not only did Master Cheng not change his mind, he scolded Lei harshly."

"He even declared that he would marry Ah Zhi to a stray cat or dog before considering Lei."

"When Lei came back, he fell ill for several days and hasn't mentioned Ah Zhi since."

Lu Mingchao frowned slightly. It was all Lu Minghui's fault.

"Mother, Master Cheng is a loving father."

Because he dotes on his daughter, upon hearing of Lu Minghui's actions, he became worried about the Lu family's household morals, fearing that his daughter would suffer if she married into such a dirty environment.

Seeing is believing.

Lu Minghui is Lu Minghui, she is herself.

She is here cleaning up Lu Minghui's mess, but what about Lu Minghui?

Is she still living a carefree life in the Upper Capital?

In the original host's memory, Gu Zhen, the legitimate younger sister of Gu Huai, had repeatedly made things difficult for her. Now that Gu Huai's fiancée is Lu Minghui, it remains to be seen if Gu Zhen's fighting capability will be even stronger than before.

Hopefully, she can overcome any obstacles in her path.

Lu Minghui has caused so much trouble; it's only right that she pays for it.

Yunniang paused for a moment. "After the wedding banquet is over the day after tomorrow, I'll find an opportunity to ask Lei."

"If he's still interested, he should swallow his pride and try again."

"Big brother's feelings must be unchanged." Lu Mingchao smiled slightly.

It's just that I don't know if Ah Zhi, the one mother speaks of, is as steadfast as big brother.

But we have to try.

Missing out and regret are two different things.

The day slipped through their fingers like sand.

Tomorrow, she would marry Xie Yan.

As dusk fell, unexpected visitors arrived in Changxi Village.

"Auntie, do you know where Lu Mingchao's house is?"

"The one who returned from the Upper Capital, the beautiful Lu Mingchao."

"You’re not going to marry my brother anymore?"