Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 133 Family Joy
After dismissing the servants, Du Mama returned to her room and saw that Jiang Shi had summoned Long Xiang in again: "Have Su Zhixiao's wife select a few clever maids to come over. Also, have the craftsmen find some time to clean up the empty courtyards in the mansion. Repair what needs repairing and add what needs adding."

Longxiang paused for a moment: "In previous years, we would only start repairing things close to the end of the year. Now it's only the beginning of winter, and if we do it now, we'll probably have to do it all again before the new year."

"We'll deal with things before the New Year; let's get on with it first."

Longxiang glanced at Granny Du beside her and said that she had gone out.

Jiang frowned and said, "The letter says to enter the city early tomorrow morning. You can send someone to wait at the city gate before dawn. As soon as the person arrives, come and report to me."

Granny Du also agreed.

The day passed quickly.

The city and its outskirts were calm and peaceful, no different from usual. Only Jiang seemed more uneasy than usual, and several times she walked to the vicinity of Yixia Courtyard, where Lu Jia used to live, looked at the desolate courtyard, and then went back to her room.

Since marrying Lu Jie, Jiang Shi gave birth to Lu Ying not long after, and then quickly saw her ailing mother-in-law, Old Madam Lu, off to her death. For the next ten years, Jiang Shi enjoyed smooth sailing. As Lu Jie's career soared, her status and position rose accordingly, and her prestige grew stronger day by day. Not only could she act with impunity in the Jiang family, but she also had complete control over the entire Lu family.

In addition, the maternal family of Lu Jie's first wife, Cheng, had long since become enemies and had no contact with him, so nowadays few people in or outside the capital mention Cheng.

If you don't ask around, some people might not even know that Lu Jie had a wife and a daughter from his first marriage.

Having already risen to the ranks of first-class noblewomen, Madam Jiang had no need to toss and turn over any other matters.

Even with the marriage between the Yan and Lu families, which she could never agree to, and even though Madam Yan almost spat in her face, she only felt disgust, not unease.

Guo Lu was able to find the person she wanted so quickly because she had never stopped searching for Lu Jia since Lu Jia disappeared.

No screams were heard in the mountains that night, and she disappeared shortly afterward. Within a radius of several miles, only one intact shoe that the girl had left behind on the way down the mountain was found. There was a village below the mountain, which made it hard to believe that she had been dragged away by wild animals or had wandered into danger and could not be found.

In short, Chiang Kai-shek did not believe that Lu Jia was dead.

Even though she was pampered and spoiled until the age of five, and even though her mother died, she was so well cared for by her father that she was practically never scratched. There was no way she could have survived on her own!

Jiang naturally wanted to see her completely dead before she could feel at ease.

But who knew that now that the person has been found, the people sent to clean up the mess are repeatedly running into obstacles.

When Guo Lu returned and confirmed that the adopted daughter of the Xie family in Shawan County was indeed Lu Jia, Jiang felt a great sense of relief.

Once we find the person, things will be much easier.

Ten years later, she'll still be just a little girl. Ten years ago, something unexpected happened that night, preventing her from succeeding. Do you think she can get away now that she's ten years later?

Even if the family that raised her was just a merchant, so what?
There are simply too many ways to make a vulnerable woman die in an accident.

But she never expected that Guo Lu couldn't even handle this kind of thing properly, and even messed things up for the Yan family!
They definitely had to be silenced.

This girl is so lucky; she's survived several near-death experiences and even managed to escape from Guo Lu and his gang's knives. She absolutely cannot be allowed to live.

Not only will the girl die, but the Xie family that raised her will also be a scourge.

Since she can't get rid of this marriage anyway, why not use this two-birds-with-one-stone strategy?

The people Guo Lu found were all people who had almost been mistaken for Lu Jia. Not only did they match in age and background, but their eyebrows and eyes were also somewhat similar to Lu Jie's—back then, Lu Jia shared the same eyebrows and eyes as his father!

When they reached the bedchamber at night, she looked at Lu Jie and put her hands on his shoulders.

Even now, when facing this man, Jiang can still see Lu Jia's face reflected in his eyes and brows. She can also see the incredibly loving look on his face when he cherished Lu Jia like a precious jewel.

If she were to give birth to his son, he would surely resemble him greatly.

Lu Jie turned around.

The unfamiliar scent of perfume emanating from his clothes instantly filled Chiang's nostrils.

Chiang Kai-shek immediately rebuffed his enthusiasm.

"Where did you go today?" "Pang Shiji and a few others invited me for a couple of drinks. Some entertainers came over, and they were quite clever; we drank a few more drinks together."

Lu Jie smiled dismissively.

Then he took off his clothes and went to take a bath.

Jiang stood under the curtain, her face frosty, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

If Lu Jia is a major concern for the Jiang family, then another major concern is that she has not yet been able to bear Lu Jie a child.

If her body had been damaged during the birth of Lu Ying, she and Lu Jie would not have had any other children in the years that followed.

Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no offspring. Since she did not give birth to a son for the Lu family, the Jiang family could not rest easy!
She doesn't just want the glory of the moment; she wants glory for a lifetime!

Lu Jie was a romantic and talented man. Although he never took a concubine, he was often approached by women.

Now that she has the status of the legitimate Madam Lu to keep her in check, and with the Yan family, which Lu Jie has to be wary of, backing her up, no one has dared to cause trouble under her nose, nor has she made any fools of herself outside.

But who knows what the future holds?

It's true that the Yan family is incredibly wealthy, but have they ever treated Jiang Shi like a human being? At most, they simply facilitated her marriage into the Lu family.

But if she were to marry Lu Jie, wouldn't the Yan family have their own considerations?
In recent years, the number of impeachments against the Yan family in the court has gradually increased. Nothing lasts forever. The emperor has been able to continue to favor them, but he is not young anymore. Because he is focused on pursuing Taoism, his health seems to be failing. When a new emperor ascends the throne, can the Yan family maintain such prosperity?

As Lu Jie's power grows and the Yan family declines, what if Lu Jie brings back an illegitimate child one day? Would she be able to refuse to take him in?

To refuse is to be unwise.

If she accepts, her status will be completely ruined.

Should we kill this illegitimate child again?

Don't be ridiculous.

Even if Lu Jie continues to coax her because of her status as the adopted daughter of the Yan family, he cannot abandon his heir.

She can be killed, but can she escape? Can Lu Jie let it go unpunished?
If he investigates, can the Yan family still protect her?
Therefore, even if Yan Qu wasn't a playboy, Lu Ying couldn't marry into the Yan family. Madam Jiang only had this one daughter, and she needed to find her a husband with both potential and influence. That way, even if the Yan family's glory faded, Madam Jiang would still have someone to rely on.

But the Yan family cannot be offended either.

Now that the marriage has been arranged, it must go through.

If this imposter Miss Lu successfully enters the manor, then not only will I, as the stepmother, gain a reputation for being virtuous, but Lu Ying will also not have to marry into the Yan family.

As long as Lu Ying finds another suitable match, even if Lu Jie really pulls some tricks, she won't be completely defeated.

That night brought no further enjoyment.

When the first birdsong came from outside the window, Jiang had already gotten up.

The first thing to do after leaving the room was to send Granny Du to the city gate to inquire.

Just as Granny Du stepped out the door, Longxiang hurriedly entered:

"Madam, there's been some news coming in from outside, but we don't know what it means."

"what news?"

"The Cheng family—that is, the Cheng family, the maternal family of the first lady—were overjoyed early this morning, saying that their cousin had arrived at their residence today!"

"……what?"

Jiang's hand trembled, and after a pause, she stood up: "The Cheng family's cousin?"