Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 171 No one visits the temple without a reason

When Lu Jia entered the house, she happened to run into Lu Rong, Lu Jie's bodyguard, who was pulling a carriage down. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Is the master at home?"

Lu Rong replied respectfully, "Master is in the study."

Lu Jia glanced towards the study to the east, then turned and nodded to Lu Rong.

The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and there will be several banquets before and after the New Year. The imperial examinations will begin in February next year, which is a busy time for Lu Jie.

Yang Bonong was also busy, constantly shuttling between the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel.

When Lu Jie arrived home in the afternoon, he remembered that Lu Jia had stormed out that morning. Just as he was about to ask her a few questions, a servant announced, "The young lady has arrived."

Lu Jie quickly straightened up from where he had just leaned against the back of the chair.

Even Yang Bonong put down the teacup he had just brought to his lips to moisten his throat.

"Father!"

Soft footsteps sounded at the door, followed by the girl's clear and sweet voice.

Lu Jia appeared at the door with a sweet smile. After glancing inside, she first bowed to Lu Jie, then to Yang Bonong, and said, "It's almost dark. Father and Uncle Yang are still busy."

Her attitude, so different from that morning, made Lu Jie unable to relax at all: "Why are you here? What happened again?"

"Look at what you're saying, can't I come and comfort my father?"

Lu Jie clearly disagreed with this statement.

Lu Jia waved back and took the tray from Fu Xiao, who came in afterward, and placed it on the desk in front of Lu Jie: "Your daughter has personally made some Tanzhou dishes for Father. Father, please try them and see if they suit your taste? -- Oh, Uncle Yang, join us too. I made plenty."

Yang Bonong smiled and said, "I won't need it. My wife is waiting for me at home. Please keep the master company while you eat, Miss."

After saying this, he glanced at Lu Jie, took his leave, and left.

On the tray were a steamed fish with fermented black beans, a dish of bamboo shoots and cured pork, and two other dishes whose names I didn't know, but which were bright red with some chili peppers. Although they were just some simple folk dishes, they looked so appetizing.

"Did you make this?" Lu Jie asked, looking at her curiously.

“In this house, no one else but me could do this.” Lu Jia neatly arranged the dishes on the kang table next to him, then sat down on the kang table and looked at him.

Lu Jie picked up his chopsticks, took a couple of bites, and nodded, saying, "I didn't know you had this skill." He thought for a moment, then felt a pang of sadness and looked at her, saying, "Back in Shawan, did you have to do all this rough work every day?"

"What's so hard work about this? For ordinary people, cooking is the easiest thing in the world." She then smiled and added, "Is it delicious?"

Lu Jie smiled and nodded, then picked up his rice bowl.

While he was eating, Lu Jia picked up the teapot on the small clay stove next to him and diligently made him tea.

“I was being unreasonable this morning. My father had clearly upheld justice, but I still took my anger out on him. I apologize to you.”

This humble and subservient demeanor is nothing like the fiery, domineering person she was this morning.

The father and daughter had not seen each other for ten years, and the warm scenes of the past had faded somewhat with time, but this scene brought back all those memories.

Lu Jie put down the bowl and chopsticks, wiped his lips with a handkerchief, and said, "Is it because of what happened this morning that I thought of cooking for Father?"

"It was my fault, Father. I beg your forgiveness." Lu Jie smiled and said, "Silly child!"

How could he blame her?

He thought for a moment, then leaned to the side, opened the drawer under the kang table, took out a few pieces of sesame candy, and stuffed them into her hand: "These are the ones you used to like to eat."

After saying that, he picked up the bowl again and ate bite by bite.

This Tanzhou cuisine is spicy, but fortunately, he has traveled extensively throughout the country and has tried various regional cuisines, so it's not a problem. Especially since it was made by his daughter herself.

Several candies weighed heavily on Lu Jia's hand, and her eyes stung a little.

She put the candy in her sleeve and gazed out the window, lost in thought.

After a while, he looked away and saw that Lu Jie had eaten about 70-80% of the food. He then said, "Today I went back to my mother's residence. Thinking about the magnificent and splendid mansion where I now live, and then thinking about the small three-courtyard house where my mother lived, I felt quite uncomfortable."

“Father, my adoptive mother’s family raised me to adulthood. Shouldn’t our Lu family repay them properly?”

“Of course,” Lu Jie said. “I have already instructed Bo Nong to take care of it. The gift list for the Xie family will be made in the next day or two. Su Zhixiao and his wife will then send it over. Don’t worry, I will make sure they will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives.”

“Of course I trust my father to handle things. However, even if my father gives them a lot of money, he may not be able to keep it.”

Lu Jie frowned upon hearing this: "I heard they used to be in business. Besides, didn't you help them rebuild their business in Shawan? I think Yi Ge'er is quite clever. He'll definitely be able to take over the family business in the future."

“I’m not worried about their business acumen. What I’m worried about is their inability to protect themselves,” Lu Jia said. “Father, do you know how the Xie family fell from grace?”

Lu Jie stopped chewing: "How is it?"

After Lu Jia returned to his residence, he naturally sent people to inquire about the Xie family's background in private. He originally thought that there wouldn't be much information to be found in Shawan, but he didn't expect that they had done business in the capital for many years ten years ago. Naturally, he had heard about the things they had been involved in.

But he had no idea why Lu Jia would suddenly bring this up.
“My mother and her children were orphans and widows, with no one to rely on. Apart from her daughter, their closest relatives were the family of Liang Jun, the former censor.”

“I know that my father holds a high position and has great power, which makes it inconvenient for him to do some things. But the Liang family is different.”

"The Liang family still owes the Xie family a great debt of gratitude, and we will definitely repay them when we have the opportunity. The Xie family is not short of money now, so I think Father might as well help them in other ways."

Lu Jie stared at her for a moment, then immediately put down his chopsticks and bowl. He glanced at the food in front of him and said, "So you only come here when you need something!"

“Father!” Lu Jia got off the ground and stood beside him: “Adding flowers to brocade is far less valuable than providing charcoal in the snow! I asked around, and the Liang family didn’t commit any serious crimes back then. Think about it, if they were truly guilty of unforgivable crimes, wouldn’t they have been beheaded long ago?”
"Given your relationship with Grand Secretary Yan, it wouldn't be difficult for you to help with Lord Liang's matter."

"You little brat!" Lu Jie's heart, which had just been warmed, immediately turned cold. "So if you hadn't asked me for this, I wouldn't have received this filial piety from you."

"Please don't say that..."

Lu Jie's face fell, he snorted, and walked out the door.

"Oh, Father!"

Hearing the sounds behind him, Lu Jie walked even faster.

On the other side of the Treasure Bottle Gate, Yang Bonong was still chatting with the guards under the eaves. Seeing him come out, they smiled and asked, "Have you finished eating, sir?"

Lu Jie looked unhappy.

With his back to Yang Bonong, he stroked his beard, and after a moment he turned around: "How is the censor Liang Jun, who was imprisoned ten years ago, doing now?"