Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 162 I must reconnect with my father and daughter!

“That’s right,” Changfu straightened up upon hearing this, regaining some of his confidence. “That’s what Steward Qin said. After chasing after them for a few steps, he saw with his own eyes the two men carrying sacks leap into the master’s study!”

Lu Jia looked at him again: "You mean, Qin Zhou came by last night?"

"I had just arrived at the side gate when Steward Qin appeared. He witnessed the sack being stolen. He gave chase, but upon reaching the other side, he discovered that the thieves had fled in the direction of the master's residence!"

Lu Jia gasped. Qin Zhou had actually been here!
He actually showed up when I needed him the most!

Do not!
More importantly, Du Mama's men then headed towards Lu Jie's study. What does this mean?
Was it Lu Jie who had someone intercept Granny Du?!

He knew everything, even that he had hidden Granny Du and was going to take her out.
"Then why didn't he give chase?" Lu Jia frowned. "Since he had the ability to infiltrate the mansion, why didn't he simply intercept the person?"

"Butler Qin said there were other people in the master's courtyard, and they left too quickly for him to intercept alone. But he instructed me to make sure to tell the young lady this news. He said it was up to the young lady to decide what to do."

Lu Jia said, "Isn't there only a few servants in the study?"

"That's how it should be, but after Steward Qin told me to leave, I was still unwilling to give up and went to wander around the study again. I found that in addition to the master's close attendants, Mr. Yang was also there."

"My guess is that since Mr. Yang is also here, there might be guards from the manor as well. It's possible that he couldn't have managed to snatch the person back from so many people by himself."

Lu Jia slammed his fist on the table, his face turning ashen.

Changfu hurriedly said, "Miss, please don't blame Steward Qin. He said that if something goes wrong, it will be a big problem. If you want to blame someone, blame me. It's all my fault for being incompetent!"

Lu Jia gritted her teeth: "I don't blame him! I blame my father!"

The biggest surprise didn't come from her stepmother, but from her own father!

I've seen people cause trouble before, but I've never seen anyone cause trouble like this!

She had indeed overestimated him. She had previously thought she had misunderstood him in her past life, but in reality, this father was not as heartless as she had imagined.

So, what was the result?

She was proven wrong right away!

Thinking of this, she snorted heavily, turned around, and ran out the door.

Qinghe chased after her: "Where are you going, young lady?"

"To strengthen the bond between father and daughter!"

"..."

……

After the people in the west courtyard dispersed, Madam Jiang was "invited" back to the main house, and Lu Jie also returned to his room shortly afterward.

Jiang Shiteng stood up from the chair: "Master, you were quite the big shot today, slapping my face in front of so many people. Are you feeling very proud of yourself?"
"Your first wife and eldest daughter have returned. As for me, the second wife, and Ying'er, the second daughter, we can both step aside. From now on, we will have no place in this family. Is that right?!"

Lu Jie stood under the door, looking at her from a distance of ten feet, and only responded after he finished speaking: "Whether you came first or last, it is your fault today. Firstly, as an elder and a mother, you have been scheming against your stepdaughter, which is neither kind nor compassionate."

"Secondly, as the mistress of the house, you instigated your servants to set up shady schemes that harmed both yourself and others, which is unbecoming of you."

"Although I, Lu Jie, am opportunistic, I am not someone who cannot distinguish right from wrong. If your methods were clever enough to prevent anyone from finding fault, that would be fine. But you have let everyone see your immoral behavior. According to family rules, I could even confine you. Now I'm letting Jia'er learn to manage the household from you. Firstly, with this arrangement, you won't need to suffer any further punishment. Secondly, don't you always say that the girl is ignorant?"

"Now that she's in your hands, you can teach her how to do things, so that she won't make any mistakes in the future and offend you again."

"But I don't understand, what else do you have to complain about?"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeve, turned around, and stepped through the door.

Jiang was stunned for a moment, then instinctively rushed forward and blocked his way.

Lu Jie asked, "What are you doing?"

Jiang turned around and closed the door, then turned back around with red eyes, gritting her teeth and said, "Is that really what you think?"

“Otherwise?” Lu Jie said, “She is indeed my eldest daughter, but we have been husband and wife for more than ten years, and she has only been by my side for a total of five years. Don’t you think that based on this, can she compare to the affection between you and me?”
"You're usually so smart and capable, why are you so upset about this?"
"She is my daughter. If word gets out that this is how the eldest daughter of the Lu family lives after returning to the mansion, is it better for you or for me?"
"If you had just given me some face and treated her with kindness, I would naturally have respected you in return. But instead, you personally laid a hand on an old woman. Tell me, if I had treated Ying'er the same way, how would you have reacted?"

Madam Jiang's expression changed: "Why are you bringing up Ying'er? She's our daughter!"

Lu Jie said calmly, "I know she is our daughter. I'm just asking you to put yourself in her shoes."

After saying that, he pulled up the curtain again, but this time he didn't pause and walked out briskly.

Jiang stared at the empty doorway for a long time before biting her lip and slumping down.

……

Lu Jie returned to his study, where Yang Bonong had already brewed tea and set out breakfast on the kang table. He laid out the breakfast, stood up, and said, "Are you hungry? Eat up."

Lu Jie sighed and sat down, picked up his chopsticks, looked at the fragrant food and said, "I, Lu Jie, have lived half my life, and you are the only one who still cares about whether I have eaten or not."

After saying that, he pointed to the other end of the kang table with his chopsticks and said, "You can eat too."

Yang Bonong smiled and sat down, pouring him a cup of tea: "If someone can do what you have done, they have to sacrifice something, right?"

Lu Jie shook his head and, while sipping his porridge, asked, "Where is he?"

"It's all settled in."

Lu Jie stirred the porridge in his bowl: "Didn't you give yourself away?"

"master!"

Before Yang Bonong could reply, the servant outside the door walked in with a solemn expression: "The young lady has arrived! It seems she's not here with good intentions!"

Lu Jie paused and turned his head, and immediately saw Lu Jia, like an angry rabbit, hopping towards him quickly outside the open door!

He quickly put down the bowl: "What is she doing here? Why is she here?"

Yang Bonong also stood up in a panic: "I don't know, I didn't do anything to her..."

"Lord Lu!"

Before the words were even finished, a delicate, sweet girl's voice rang out. Then, a flash of light appeared at the doorway, and Lu Jia rushed in. After seeing who was in the room, she turned around and closed the door. Then she walked to the kang table, glanced quickly at the food spread out on it, and said, "You can still eat?!"