Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 238 Do you know how the two brothers-in-law became estranged? (Seeking monthly votes)
In both of Lu Jia's lifetimes, no one had ever mentioned anything unusual about Madam Lu's death, including the servants who stayed behind to take care of Lu Jia after her mother passed away.

Therefore, Jiang's words surprised her greatly. If the Yan family had taken advantage of Madam Lu's illness to tamper with her, how exactly did they manage to do it?

What exactly did they do to their mother?
When Madam Lu was alive, Lu Jie and Cheng Wenhui had a good relationship, so the Cheng family must have been present around the time of his mother's death.

Upon arriving at the Cheng residence, Cheng Wenhui was in the small garden, nitpicking at Madam Cheng's orchids: "They look like roadside weeds, what's so interesting about them? Why not plant some peonies and peonies instead?"

Just as Madam Cheng rolled her eyes at him, Lu Jia stepped through the door.

After bowing to the two elders, Lu Jia explained his purpose directly to them.

"What did you say?" Cheng Wenhui was furious after hearing this. "You said your mother's death was related to the Yan family?"

Madam Cheng was also quite surprised: "Although the Yan family is unethical, this statement is rather strange. When your mother was critically ill, your uncle was not there, and your grandmother and I stayed with her until she passed away."

"Her wet nurse and the maid who had been with her since childhood were the ones who took care of her during her postpartum period."

"Moreover, at that time, the Lu and Cheng families had no dealings with the Yan family, and your mother had no contact with the women of the Yan family either. Are you saying they poisoned her? Or assassinated her?"

Assassination is out of the question; there are only a few underworld cases in the inner quarters, aren't there? Poisoning is the most common method.

"Since it wasn't an assassination and poisoning was impossible, it could be something else, right? Was a coroner called in afterward?"

"She just had postpartum hemorrhage, that's the conclusion reached by several doctors, why do we still need a coroner?" Madam Cheng said, sounding very puzzled.

But after she said "hemoptysis," her expression changed again.

Lu Jia noticed something amiss: "It's true that Mother died from postpartum hemorrhage, but was there any other trigger for it?"

Mrs. Cheng put down the walnuts she was peeling and stared blankly into space.

Lu Jia asked again, "Has your aunt thought of something?"

Madam Cheng looked up and couldn't help but glance at her husband.

Cheng Wenhui snorted, slammed her hand on the table, and got up to leave.

Lu Jia was very puzzled: "What's wrong with Uncle?"

Madam Cheng put down the walnuts and said, "Girl, did your father tell you how he and your uncle ended up like that?"

Lu Jia looked blankly in the direction Cheng Wenhui had disappeared, then shook her head. "You mean, this matter is also related to Mother's death?"

“It’s a very significant matter,” Madam Cheng sighed. “Not long after your parents’ marriage, one of your father’s classmates from Lingnan came to the capital with his sister, and they stayed at your house for a while. That girl’s name was Qi Rulan—”

"...What?" Upon hearing this, Lu Jia hurriedly spat out the walnut kernels her aunt had peeled for her. "Ru 'Lan'?"

“That’s right,” Madam Cheng said deeply. “When Qi Rulan lived in the Lu family, she got along very well with your mother. After your mother became pregnant, Miss Qi often took care of her. Later, before you were born, because Young Master Qi was appointed to an official position, the siblings moved out.”

"Not long after, this Miss Qi suddenly came to see your mother. At that time, your mother's health was fluctuating and she was not getting better. It seemed that her illness was going to become a chronic disease."

“I often go to keep her company. That day, I was preparing medicine for your mother when I came back and heard Qi Rulan kneeling by your mother's bedside crying. “I didn’t know what had happened, so I didn’t dare to go in. After she left, I saw that your mother’s face was deathly pale. I called her several times before she answered.”

Two days later, someone from the Lu family came and said that your mother was in bad shape and was bleeding heavily. I rushed over, and the doctor had already arrived. Your grandparents and your father were pacing around anxiously.

"I won't go into the details. Later, on her deathbed, your mother cried and pointed at your father, cursing him for being a beast who would marry anyone. She even pulled out a letter from under her pillow and threw it in his face."

At this point, Madam Cheng's face showed resentment: "That letter was written by Qi Rulan. What did it say? It said that she had an affair with your father when she was in the Lu family, and that she didn't stop even after she moved out! She was also pregnant with your father's child. She asked your mother to grant her wish and let her come into the mansion as a concubine!"
"Moreover, judging from the letter, it was delivered that morning!"

"what?!"

Lu Jia stood up in astonishment. "She had a child with my father?"

"Of course, the child wasn't born," Madam Cheng quickly reassured her. "Your mother fainted after a seizure, and her condition didn't improve afterward."

"When we learned that your father had actually—well, later your uncle found Qi Rulan trying to leave the city at the city gate and couldn't help but hit her. That bitch fell to the ground and couldn't get up. It's said that she also lost her baby."

Madam Cheng gritted her teeth as she spoke: "Your mother is such a strong-willed person. She and your father were very loving, and they had only been married for a year! How could she stand this kind of treatment?"

"Your mother was already weakened during childbirth and later died from postpartum hemorrhage. The doctor said she died of illness, and we all accepted it. We just thought that the Qi family was inhumane."

"But you just said that Jiang implied that the Yan family was not clean in this matter. If we count it, your mother's death can only be attributed to Qi Rulan's anger!"
"Then the Qi family is most likely instigated by the Yan family!"

Lu Jia's heart was in turmoil; every word of Madam Cheng's speculation resonated with her thoughts!
Lu Jie had never told her how he and Cheng Wenhui had become estranged, and she had always assumed it was probably because of matters of the court or old grudges.

Only then did she finally understand what was going on.

Now I finally know where this "orchid" came from.

Why does a woman need to observe a three-month postpartum confinement period? Naturally, it's because childbirth itself damages her body!

Just as she was about to step into the gates of hell, a woman she used to consider a friend suddenly appeared and said that she had been having an affair with her husband and was pregnant, and that she wanted her to give in to him! How was this any different from stabbing her in the heart with a knife?
The Yan family's move was underhanded!
"I need to tell your uncle about this!"

After speaking, Madam Cheng was so angry that she couldn't sit still.

Lu Jia quickly pulled her back: "Aunt, don't rush. I still need to confirm this matter. If Uncle hears this, I'm afraid it will cause trouble."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Cheng, remembering her husband's temperament, immediately calmed down a bit.

She asked, "So what do you plan to do?"

Lu Jia paused for a moment and said, "Since the Yan family has intervened, this debt can never be erased."

Madam Cheng looked worried: "But the Yan family is so ruthless, you mustn't do anything foolish!"

"No, they won't." Lu Jia glanced at the sky outside the door after saying that, and then asked, "By the way, can we still find the Qi family?"

Mrs. Cheng looked lost: "It's been more than ten years, I'm afraid it'll be hard to find."