If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1029 The Fairy Wife
Liu Taigong married two wives and had four sons in total.

The eldest son has died, and his wife has separated from their great-grandfather with her son.

A house was built next to Liu Taigong's, also a brick and tile house, with a courtyard, but it was completely separated from Liu Taigong's house by a courtyard wall. The two houses did not share a main gate.

After Liu Ji got married, he built a house with blue bricks and black tiles next to his wife, but he did not separate from his father, Liu Taigong.

There wasn't even a wall between the two houses.

At this time, the gate of Liu Ji's house was still the same gate that Liu Taigong had originally built.

"Knock knock knock!" Lu Zhi was carrying a tray with chipped paint, placing two large bowls of minced meat and egg custard on the table. She was wiping sweat with a towel draped around her neck as she walked towards the kitchen when she suddenly heard a knocking sound coming from the door in the distance.

She turned her head and saw an old woman with white hair.

Although she was a "new bride," she had only been married for a little over six months.

However, in order to cultivate the "Power of the Common People" and be a good wife to the village head, she was very enthusiastic about visiting neighbors and helping them in her daily life. She earned the reputation of a "virtuous wife" in the surrounding villages.

She naturally knew all the women in Zhongyang Village, regardless of age.

He stared at the old woman for a moment and felt that she looked familiar, as if he had seen her in the next village.

I tried to think it over carefully, but I just couldn't remember.

Lü Zhi was still hesitating, preparing to go forward and greet them.

"Bang!"

The small wooden door to the kitchen was suddenly pushed open, and a beautiful young woman in her late twenties strode across the threshold and rushed toward the main door with a joyful expression.

Lü Zhi asked in surprise and doubt, "Qiu Shui, where are you going?"

"Third Sister-in-law, a guest has arrived. You go ahead with your work, I'll go and greet her!"

The village girl rushed to the door without looking back.

Upon arriving before the old woman, the village girl named "Qiushui" bowed respectfully and said, "Qiushui greets Grandma!"

Empress Lü was stunned.

This "fairy sister-in-law" used to be very shy. She wouldn't go out unless someone came to her house to call her.

Today, when we asked her to help with the cooking, she saw men having a feast in the yard. Even though her husband was there, and most of the people sitting with her were acquaintances, she refused to come out and meet them.

They stayed huddled in the kitchen, always making sure to close the small wooden door to conceal their movements.

Sometimes, when she accidentally bumps into strangers, whether male or female, she keeps her head down.

It was as if he wanted to bury his head in his clothes and hide his face under them.

Why did she rush over to greet an old woman who came to visit today, and with such a respectful attitude? Could she be an acquaintance?
Thinking of her sister-in-law's divine status, and that her acquaintances were probably also immortals, Lü Zhi's spirits lifted. Upon closer inspection, she was surprised to see that the old woman also seemed to be in a daze.

"Oh dear, this old woman is unworthy of such a grand gesture from you, madam!"

The old woman was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly reached out to stop her, but she awkwardly withdrew her hand halfway out and wiped her dirty hands back and forth on her tattered clothes.

Her uneasy appearance clearly indicated that she was an old woman from the countryside who had never seen the world.

They are definitely not acquaintances of the fairy siblings, nor are they fair-weather friends.

As Lü Zhi thought to herself, she quickly walked to the door, smiled, and asked, "Auntie, which village are you from? You look familiar, but I can't quite place you."

The old woman said, "In Xize Village, Li the One-Eyed is my son."

"Oh, Aunt Li, I remember you."

Lü Zhi didn't recognize Li the One-Eyed from Xize Village, but a look of realization appeared on her face, and she asked, "Auntie, are you here to see your son? Is Brother Li in the yard?"

The old woman shook her head and said, "My son is acquainted with Liu Laosan, but he doesn't live in your house."

"I was just passing by your house when I heard a lot of noise coming from your yard. I was thirsty, so I came over to ask for a bowl of cool water."

"Mother-in-law, I'll get you some water." Upon hearing this, Qiu Shui immediately ran back to the kitchen.

Lu Zhi asked curiously, "Does Auntie know my sister-in-law?"

The old woman asked in confusion, "Last year, Liu Laosan married the second young lady of the Lü family in the county town—that is, you, Madam. They made a big fuss with gongs and drums, and held a three-day banquet. It was quite a lively affair, and I heard about it too. But when did Liu Laosi get married?"

Lü Zhi's eyes flashed, and she said, "She's not my younger brother Liu Jiao's wife, but the newlywed wife of my husband's good brother Lu Wan. They just got married before the New Year, and the wedding banquet wasn't very grand."

"Oh, Lu Wan, I know him." The old woman glanced into the courtyard. "Young Lu is so lucky to have married such a beautiful and gentle young lady."

Lü Zhi nodded slightly and said, "It is indeed a waste for someone as ethereal as Sister Qiushui to marry Brother Lu."

“What are you saying, sister-in-law! Compared to you, I am like mud on the ground, but compared to the clouds in the sky. If you are not wronged, what am I?”

Qiu Shui carried a large tray, moving swiftly yet with remarkable steadiness.

When Lü Zhi turned around, she was so shocked that she almost cried out.

The wooden tray was piled high with drinks and food.

There were abalone the size of a child's fist, golden and tender, dripping with juice—they looked like the finest.

There are steamed large white carp, weighing at least two pounds.

There were roasted chickens, golden brown and glistening with oil, and bright green meatballs, all fragrant and mouthwatering.

There were also egg-sized candied dates, vibrant green lotus roots, and golden yellow pears.
These things are simply not something that can be made in the Liu family's kitchen.

The old woman was also stunned.

"Grandma, please sit down and eat." Qiu Shui easily raised the tray with one hand, and with the other hand she brought a chair and placed it against the wall to block the cool breeze from outside.

She herself held up a wooden tray with both hands and handed the food and drinks to the old woman, acting as a human table.

"I only asked for a bowl of cold water, why is the lady treating me so kindly?" The old woman was at a loss.

"Mother-in-law, please enjoy your meal. As long as you are satisfied, I will be happy," Qiu Shui said.

The old woman glanced timidly at Lü Zhi, not daring to make a move.

A thousand questions arose in Lü Zhi's mind, but she cleverly swallowed them back and simply smiled and said, "Auntie, just eat. We're having a feast at home today, and we've cooked a lot of dishes."

"Oh, I won't stand on ceremony." The old woman grabbed an abalone and stuffed it directly into her mouth, the juice splattering from her toothless lips with a "smack."

It splashed onto Qiu Shui's sleeves and Lü Zhi's clothes.

Qiu Shui's face showed only joy.

Lü Zhi merely raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, showing no sign of disgust or disdain on her face.

"What a wonderful day it is today? I just came from outside the village and saw Grandpa and Liu's second son plowing the fields!" the old woman asked while chewing.

Lü Zhi looked somewhat awkward and said sheepishly, "My husband, as you know, loves to make friends with heroes and valiant men. These days, 'when there are guests, there is a feast,' he doesn't care about the occasion."

The old woman looked her up and down and sighed, "Madam Lü comes from a wealthy family and brought a lot of dowry with her to the Liu family."

But if things continue like this, in less than three to five years, I'm afraid by the end of this year, Liu Laosan will be back to his petty theft again.

Lü Zhi became increasingly embarrassed and somewhat helpless, saying, "Money is useless if it's kept at home and not used."

"If it ends up in the stomach of one's own brother, then it's the best outcome."

Even you, my old aunt who lives in Xizeli, know that I brought a lot of dowry to the Liu family.

How could Liu Ji's cronies not know this?

Knowing that our family is wealthy, yet we don't offer them good wine and meat, does Liu Ji still care about his reputation?
Since they're just external possessions anyway, the sooner they're spent, the sooner they'll be settled.

Although she might have seemed pretentious, Lü Zhi was indeed somewhat similar to Liu Ji in that neither of them cared much about money.

In Xiaoyu's previous life, Lü Zhi also brought a large dowry to the Liu family. Less than two years later, Lü Zhi had to take care of her children and work in the fields, picking wild vegetables and cooking wild vegetable porridge to make a living.

She continued to live a down-to-earth life, without complaining or blaming Liu Ji for squandering the family fortune.

"Madam Lü is indeed a noble lady from a powerful family. She is magnanimous, generous, and virtuous."

The old woman picked up the long-necked wine pot, put it to her lips, and gulped down the wine inside. Her old face turned dark red, her eyes became somewhat glazed, and she began to ramble: "To be able to marry a wife, Liu Laosan has used up all the good fortune of the Liu family for seven generations."

But that scoundrel Liu Laosan doesn't know how to manage a household.

He only cared about drinking and eating meat, leaving his pregnant wife busy and working like an old ox.

Dozens of grown men, with hands and feet, strong and healthy, yet they idled away their days.

Those who don't go to the fields during the spring planting season but stay home drinking and having fun—such idle and unemployed people should really be sent to Xianyang to build the imperial mausoleum.

Her voice was quite loud, and the men in the courtyard, who were all skilled in martial arts, had sharp ears and eyes.

Immediately, some "heroes" started pointing and shouting at the doorway.

Liu Ji stopped them and advised, "I know this old woman; she's Li the One-Eyed's mother."

She's been drinking and acting crazy! Let's ignore her.

They ignored the old woman, who continued eating and drinking while rambling on and on, saying things like "family wealth is easy to scatter but hard to accumulate," "without income, it's hard to last," and "Liu Laosan got married, but he's still a good-for-nothing."

Several times, Lü Zhi couldn't resist and prepared to go back to the kitchen to continue her work.

But Qiu Shui stayed respectfully by the old woman's side the whole time, ignoring even the glances she gave him.

She knew Qiu Shui's identity.

It's definitely not normal for Qiu Shui to fawn over Li the One-Eyed's mother like that.

Empress Lü waited.

After the old woman finished eating and drinking all the delicacies, spiritual fruits, and spiritual wine on the tray, she did not find anything unusual.

"Thank you for your hospitality, ladies. I must go home now."

The old woman was quite decisive. She took the wet towel Qiu Shui handed her, wiped her hands and mouth a few times, and then turned and walked out of the village.

Empress Lü was somewhat disappointed.

Qiu Shui said, "Grandma is drunk and can't walk steadily. Let me take you out of the village!"

He then went forward to help the old woman.

The old woman declined a couple of times, but seeing that Qiu Shui insisted, she muttered a few words like "good person" and "young Lu is very lucky," and then staggered away.

Lü Zhi hesitated for a moment, but still did not follow.

One reason is that she is quick-witted and guessed that Qiu Shui was acting strangely, probably wanting to be alone with the old woman to have some private conversations.

There were some things she couldn't say because she was present.

Secondly, the banquet in the courtyard was still waiting for the dishes to be served, and Liu Laosan was calling her!

—Oh well, I'll wait until Qiu Shui comes back and then ask her.

On the other side, Xiaoyu, who was pretending to be Li One-Eyed's mother, also felt a little confused.

Lu Wan's wife, Qiu Shui, had noticed it before, but hadn't paid much attention to it.

But Qiu Shui's attentiveness to her clearly indicated that she had sensed something.

It wasn't even after meeting her that they discovered the "old woman" was acting strangely.

It's more like he's waiting for her to come to him.

How can this be?

Who can predict her movements and actions in advance these days?
However, Xiaoyu was able to remain calm.

As she walked out of the Liu family's gate, she perfectly played the role of a drunken old woman, staggering out of Zhongyang Lane.

“Oh, madam, we’ve already left the village, you should go back now. You’re a good girl, good people are always rewarded.”

She didn't intend to expose him; instead, she wanted to see what kind of medicine he bought.

Qiu Shui looked conflicted, but finally gritted her teeth, knelt down with a thud, and pleaded, "I have been targeted by an evil god, please help me, Mother-in-law."

She was direct and didn't drag things out.

The old woman asked in surprise, "What evil spirit? How can we save you?"

She didn't help Lu Wan's wife up from the ground.

Everyone else has already confessed, so if she pretends to be stupid, it will only make her seem petty.

Given her current status and position, she is fully entitled to be worshipped by Lu Wan's "fairy-like wife."

Not to mention that even a fairy-like wife needs someone's help.

Qiu Shui said, "I am from Changsha County, and I was born in Xiangshui."

Over the past few centuries, they have worked hard to relieve distress and alleviate floods in the Xiangyin area, earning a reputation for their efforts.

Some people built a temple for me and called me 'Xiangnu Niangniang'.

I dare not be arrogant, but will only repay the kindness of the people with even greater devotion.

But as my reputation spread, an evil god from Xiangyin set his sights on me and declared that he would forcibly marry me.

I fled all the way to Sishui and married into the Lu family.

But that evil god knew I was married, and still wouldn't let me go.

He even angrily swore that he would make the entire Lu family suffer a terrible death and that he would take me back.

Today, Liu's third brother is hosting a banquet at home, gathering many heroes and warriors.

They weren't idle; they also ate and drank during the busy farming season.

They should be on guard against that evil god coming to their door.

The old woman pondered for a moment and said, "Since you are the Goddess of Xiang, why did you marry that good-for-nothing boy, Lu Wan?"

Qiu Shui blushed and stammered, "In Mother's eyes, Young Master Lu may be useless, but he and I are indeed destined to be together."

Last year, he had the honor of serving a great immortal and was bestowed with a rare treasure called the "Immortal's Pillow".

Falling asleep with it on your pillow, you can dream of traveling to a fairyland.

He was in Sishui, far away from me, yet he repeatedly visited the Xiangshui Palace in his mind, passing directly through the halls and courtyards to enter the inner room to meet me.

I found myself quite compatible with him during our conversation.

I once took him on a nighttime cruise on the Xiang River and to visit famous sites in Xiangyin.

After several visits, they developed feelings for each other and pledged their lives to one another.
When the evil spirits come knocking, I've decided to come to Sishui to seek refuge with Young Master Lu.

"So it's a 'Wandering Immortal Pillow'."

The old woman secretly did a quick calculation and filled in all of Qiu Shui's unfinished words.

In short: Lu Wan should not be viewed with outdated perspectives.

After she "blessed" the 108 heroes of Pei County, they are all now completely different from before.

(End of this chapter)