Chapter One Hundred and Twenty: Someone Help, the Xie Family Has Been Robbed!

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty: Someone Help, the Xie Family Has Been Robbed!

"This is my winter solstice present for my sister."

Lu Xiaoxin held a small dough figure in her hands, with the plum blossom petal on its forehead being the most noticeable detail.

Lu Mingchao carefully wiped the wood shavings off her fingers with a handkerchief and gently took the dough figure, saying happily, "There's a present for the winter solstice!"

Lu Xiaoxin blinked her eyes, which sparkled like little stars, and nodded eagerly. "There’s a present."

"I wanted to learn wood carving from big brother, but I didn’t get the hang of it, so I could only make a dough figure."

As she spoke, Lu Xiaoxin looked a little shy.

Lu Mingchao smiled. "Your sister loves it."

"But your sister didn’t prepare a present for me. What should I do?"

Lu Xiaoxin shook her head firmly. "I don’t need a present. It’s all for my sister."

Lu Mingchao’s smile deepened. "You also need a present. Let your sister think about what to prepare for you."

Maybe she’ll find some toys to help with learning for Lu Xiaoxin in the space supermarket.

"It’s cold, the dough figure is cracked. Let’s go inside to think about it."

Lu Xiaoxin corrected her earnestly, "Sister, it’s not from the cold, it just dried out."

Lu Mingchao: …

Meanwhile, in the kitchen.

The bowl in Lu Yao’s hand slipped and fell toward the ground.

Xie Yan grabbed the bowl just in time, dried it off, and placed it on the wooden shelf.

Fortunately, he was skilled, or his mother-in-law might’ve thought he was being careless.

Did Shu Yuan’s identity rattle Lu Yao?

Lu Yao widened his eyes, losing his usual calmness. "What did you say your name was?"

Shu Yuan tightened his grip on the broom and repeated, "Shu Yuan."

Lu Yao blinked slowly and hesitantly. "Shu Yuan, the favorite student of Headmaster Yu Shan from Baopu Academy, never lost a debate, the former emperor’s study companion, and who aced the provincial exam at seventeen."

"And later the eunuch Shu Yuan, who entered the palace as a servant at eighteen." Shu Yuan added in a trembling voice, like a thread trembling in the wind.

At eighteen, the age when he should have been celebrating his triumph in the imperial examinations.

"I’ve heard of your legend." Lu Yao hid his shock behind a calm face.

Shu Yuan’s face froze with the unease from moments ago.

Legend.

Lu Yao referred to his past as a legend.

"Shu Yuan, you’re truly unlucky." Lu Yao muttered.

Shu Yuan asked, "Do you still want to be friends with me?"

Lu Yao wore a faint smile, with a touch of curiosity, as if wondering why Shu Yuan would ask such a meaningless question.

"Being friends with a legend is a real privilege."

"Besides, true scholarship is about substance, not appearances. There's no need to belittle yourself; you should recognize your true worth."

"The name Shu Yuan made waves in the literary scene of Daqian ten years ago."

"You've got good taste." Shu Yuan turned around and continued to clean up the scattered debris.

Dusk was falling.

Lu Mingchao, who had spent the afternoon playing the attentive companion to Grandma Lu and Yunniang, got up to go home.

On the way home, Shu Yuan, wearing a woven hat, seemed as if he had drunk fake wine, with classic verses and eloquent prose rolling off his tongue effortlessly.

This was a sensation even the Chief Eunuch, who had the emperor's ear again, could not experience.

Along the way, dogs from every household were barking along with Shu Yuan.

Xie Huaiqian’s look at Shu Yuan grew increasingly complex.

Perhaps, the feud from the last generation was not rooted in Shu Yuan, but in the former emperor.

The night grew deeper.

Before the bed, a tiny flame flickered in the oil lamp, swaying slightly.

Lu Mingchao yawned, feeling a bit sleepy, "A Yan, I haven’t asked how the fine rice business is going."

As Xie Yan drew back the bed curtains, he replied, "Going well."

"The fine rice you provided is of high quality, each grain full and clear, evenly sized and gleaming, and it cooks up sweet and tender, with an excellent taste. That’s why I have an upper hand when negotiating with grain merchants and shopkeepers outside."

"Good quality at a reasonable price, with profit to be made, naturally makes for a better deal."

"By the way, some grain merchants revealed that Sun Zhiye has been working the room these days, willing to give up some profit to renew contracts."

"Landlords, gentry, and wealthy merchants are still wary of Sun’s ghost incident, often finding excuses, but some are willing to believe in Sun Zhiye’s business talent, throwing him a lifeline for future huge profits."

Lu Mingchao wiped away the tears caused by yawning, "The world hustles for benefits."

"The world bustles for benefits."

"Helping in times of need, it sounds nice."

"If there were really the righteousness to help in times of need, they wouldn’t have terminated the contract unilaterally so decisively before."

"Counting on fingers, three days later is a good day to open."

As she spoke, Lu Mingchao yawned again.

The lamp flame went out, and the night wind wailed.

The next day.

A thick fog spread in all directions, visibility was extremely low, hard-pressed to tell man from beast three feet away.

Lu Mingchao had just finished explaining the day's tasks to Feng Jinyu and was feeling parched. She held a cup and drank water in large gulps, completely disregarding her image.

"Niece, niece, your uncle has come to visit."

Upon hearing the word "visit," Lu Mingchao was momentarily stunned.

It wasn't a holiday or a festival, so what kind of visit was this?

Feng Jinyu, who was practicing writing stroke by stroke, made faces and reminded her, "Master, your uncle."

Lu Mingchao frowned, her memory instantly flooding back. Without pausing for breath, she said, "The son left by the first wife my late grandfather married, who had a frosty relationship with my grandmother and father. As soon as my grandfather died, he couldn't wait to divide the family and settled down with his wife in Dahe Village. That uncle?"

What kind of relative is that?

Feng Jinyu nodded eagerly, "Yes, that's him."

A look of disgust flashed in Lu Mingchao's eyes. She glanced at the thick fog where one could hardly see their own hand and smirked, "Jinyu, does your Master know she has an uncle?"

"No, she doesn't," Feng Jinyu understood immediately.

Lu Mingchao smiled, "Exactly, exactly."

Having made up her mind, Lu Mingchao walked towards the courtyard. Standing by the gate, she cleared her throat and called out in a trembling voice, "What nonsense are you talking about in broad daylight? I don't have an uncle."

As she spoke, she opened the door.

In the thick fog, a figure suddenly appeared, and Lu Mingchao immediately struck down with a rolling pin.

However, who could tell her why there was another one?

In a flash, Lu Mingchao swung the rolling pin again. The person dodged in panic and directly collided with the nearby brick wall, causing the accumulated dust to fall off in a shower.

Lu Mingchao pursed her lips slightly, gripping the rolling pin tightly, her knuckles visibly protruding.

"Jinyu, go call for help. Say that the Xie family has been invaded by thieves!"

Who said she had to engage in a tug-of-war with troublesome relatives in a farming novel?

Of course, it wasn't that she couldn't engage, but this uncle had appeared too late. She no longer had the patience to deal with him gently.

For those with ill intentions, she would make them well-intentioned.

As the saying goes, a dying man's words are kind.

When someone is about to be beaten to death by her, no matter how hard-hearted or hateful they are, their words will become pleasant.

Feng Jinyu ran out as instructed, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Help, someone, the Xie family has been invaded by thieves."

Yunniang exploded in anger.