Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 124 Eyebrows
Lu Jia was caught in a dilemma by the news brought by He Qu.

After tossing and turning all night, and having eaten breakfast with her mind on her mind, she still set off for the Cheng family home.

If this plan doesn't benefit the Cheng family, it's uncertain whether they will agree to it. They might simply accept without giving anything in return, and such a hastily formed kinship might not be reliable.

Lu Jia could have pretended not to know and focused on doing what was agreed upon beforehand. But to knowingly let someone fall into a trap was ultimately unethical.

When they arrived at the Cheng family home, Mrs. Cheng was busy directing people to paste paper on the windows.

After hearing Lu Jia's words last night, Madam Cheng felt reassured.

After all, the Lu family held official positions. If the two families hadn't had a grudge, they would have gone straight to each other's door, and there would have been no problem.

Although this wasn't exactly asking for help, and was acting on Lu Jia's advice, it also had a bit of a rivalry with Lu Jie.

But there was no time to worry about that. Lu Jia was right. The Lu family's eldest daughter, who had been missing for many years, had been found by the Cheng family. Lu Jie had to accept this favor no matter what.

After discussing it last night, they agreed to make some arrangements in the next few days, and then proceed with their plans after Qiu Niang and her son arrive in the capital.

Although Cheng Wenhui was still angry when she thought about how Lu Jia had slapped her in the face, she still instructed Madam Cheng to vacate the courtyard where her younger sister had lived before her marriage so that Lu Jia could live there.

So early in the morning, Mrs. Cheng began to busy herself inside and outside the house.

Hearing that Lu Jia had arrived suddenly, Madam Cheng was quite surprised and hurriedly welcomed her in.

Cheng Wenhui happened to be practicing the Five Animal Frolics when she heard the news and came out as well.

Upon seeing Lu Jia, he said, "You've come so early this morning, what tricks are you up to now?"

Lu Jia was too lazy to argue with him: "The Minister of Personnel is also going to be replaced. Does Uncle know who will be replaced?"

Cheng Wenhui said nonchalantly, "Who cares who he is? Do you expect me to fawn over him?"

Lu Jia then smiled and asked, "Do you know Guan Qi?"

“Guan Qi, the prefect of Zhejiang?” Cheng Wenhui frowned. “He is capable, but also very stubborn.”

"The Yan family recommended him to succeed as Minister of Personnel."

"The Yan family recommended him?"

The upright Vice Censor-in-Chief finally straightened his expression.

Knowing that he understood the seriousness of the matter, Lu Jia continued, "In this way, it's not such a bad thing that Uncle can't fill this vacancy."

Cheng Wenhui paused, then gritted her teeth and said, "Even if I had a different boss, I would still just be doing my job. I'm not some greenhorn who just entered officialdom; why would I go looking for trouble?"

"Even if your uncle doesn't cause trouble, you can't prevent others from doing so. What if you're made to take the blame for something in the process? That would be tough, wouldn't it? Such things have happened quite often in the imperial court in the past, haven't they?"

Cheng Wenhui stood up, walked around twice with her hands behind her back, and then suddenly turned around: "What can we do now? Am I supposed to stay in the Censorate for the rest of my life? If I don't get promoted, won't Yan'er still be unable to go to the Imperial Academy?"

“The Imperial Academy is no problem.” Before he could finish speaking, Lu Jia stood up: “For my father, it’s just a matter of a word.”

Even if Lu Jie were not in that position, he would still have no say in this matter!
After saying this, Cheng Wenhui and Madam Cheng fell silent.

After a moment, Madam Cheng said, "This is the only way for now."

After seeing Lu Jia off, Madam Cheng sighed as she watched her retreating figure, "Your brother-in-law went to all that trouble, but his ill intentions backfired. How could he be so determined to cause us trouble, yet end up helping us avoid a trap?"

Cheng Wenhui frowned: "He must have known about the internal plan to replace the Minister for Minister long ago. If that's the case, why is he secretly sabotaging me? What exactly is he up to?"

Not only Cheng Wenhui couldn't understand Lu Jie's actions, but Lu Jia, who already didn't understand some of his behavior, was equally baffled.

Thinking about it more deeply, Lu Jie holds great power. If he really wanted to make things difficult for his brother-in-law, why focus on just this one matter?

Given Cheng Wenhui's temperament, she has probably offended many people long ago. If Lu Jie were to say a few words behind her back, someone would naturally take the initiative to deal with the Cheng family on his behalf. However, the Cheng family has lived a relatively peaceful life all these years.

Lu Jia then realized that she didn't actually know much about her treacherous father.

"The girl is back?"

Just as I stepped across the threshold, Fuxiao came out carrying a bowl of herbal medicine.

Lu Jia then asked, "How is Yin Liu?"

“The doctor came again this morning and said the wound is starting to heal. Miss,” Dawn said briefly, then continued, “Guard He has been waiting for you for a long time.”

"Is he waiting for me again?"

Lu Jia immediately tensed up upon hearing this. She had only just started, and she didn't want to cause any more trouble.

Despite saying that, she still walked inside.

He Qu was indeed sitting in the courtyard, and Yin Liu even came out. Qing He got her a recliner and carried it out for her to sunbathe.

After a few days of rest, the little girl's complexion improved significantly. She also seemed more energetic, and she was chatting and laughing with He Qu about something.

"What do you want?" Lu Jia asked He Qu, sitting between the two, while glancing at Yin Liu.

This girl is surprisingly quick-witted: "Miss, Brother He said that there's been some progress in the investigation of the person who harmed you."

Lu Jia paused, and He Qu quickly took over the conversation: "Last time, Miss sent me to follow Guo Lu, but I was afraid that Miss would be alone, so I didn't go myself and sent someone else instead. That person has returned with news!"

"After arriving in Jizhou, Guo only showed his face for one day. The next day, he secretly ran out of the city and led a group of people directly south."

“The men I sent secretly followed them and discovered that they split into two groups halfway there. One group went to Shawan, while the other went somewhere else.”

"Our men captured two of them on the way, and then quietly found portraits of the girl, the old lady, and Yi Ge on them!"

"The other group, however, is looking for several orphaned girls aged fifteen or sixteen who have no father or mother!"

"Looking for an orphan girl?"

Lu Jia stood up as soon as she heard the news about Guo Lu.

The reason she is still lying low is twofold: firstly, Qiu Niang and the others have not yet arrived in the capital, and secondly, the movements of the Jiang family are not yet obvious.

Especially after Jiang sent Guo Lu away, she felt even more that she could not act rashly.

Now that the news has arrived, the outcome has been so unexpected?
"What is she trying to do?" Lu Jia paced back and forth a couple of times, then said, "It's obvious she doesn't want me to live. She's looking for another orphan girl, could it be—"

A thought suddenly became clear in her mind—since Madam Jiang was strongly opposed to the marriage, the only way for her to turn the tables was to have Lu Jia marry in her place. She had to prevent Lu Jia, the eldest daughter, from appearing.

However, once Lu Jia shows up, Jiang's crimes will still be exposed. So, while no one knows that Lu Jia is still alive, she sends people to Shawan to eliminate her completely, while secretly looking for targets to impersonate her.