Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 293 Someone will take care of her!

Biyun was Madam Yan's head maid.

Given Madam Yan's age, the maids in charge of her affairs have changed time and again, but this Biyun is the daughter of Madam Yan's dowry maid, and has been by her side since childhood. The fact that she personally lit a lamp to invite Lu Ying in the middle of the night makes it seem particularly grand.

Granny Li remained silent for a moment, then stepped across the door with a smile: "Thank you for coming in person, Miss. Please come in and have some tea. I'll go in and help the young mistress get up. She hasn't been feeling well these past few days and has only just recovered."

Biyun said apologetically, "I see. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

He said "I'm sorry to bother you" but showed no intention of stopping or leaving.

With a smile, Granny Li retreated back into the room and looked at Lu Ying standing inside.

Lu Ying sneered: "Now that the crisis is over, I'll have to give you a treat because of my father."

"Then Grandma..."

“Of course I’ll go.” She walked to the mirror and sat down. “To comb my hair.”

……

The main room was packed with people. Madam Jin had been waiting for Yan Shu's return with Madam Yan, and now Yan Liang had also rushed over upon hearing the news. Under the lamplight, the room was filled with many figures, making it exceptionally lively.

Lu Ying stepped into the house and first bowed to her parents-in-law.

Yan Shu gently called her to stand up: "There's no need for such formalities. I'm so grateful for your return to the manor, otherwise, how could I have had such a smooth experience? I just heard that you're not feeling well. Is there anything wrong? Do you need a doctor to take a look? If you need any medicine, just tell your mother."

Madam Yan echoed with a long-lost smile, "Your complexion isn't too bad. All medicines have some toxicity. If there's nothing seriously wrong, there's no need to see a doctor or take medicine. I'll have someone buy you two catties of bird's nest and have the servants brew it for you to drink every day to nourish yourself. If it still doesn't feel right, then it's not too late to take medicine."

As he spoke, he beckoned her closer and pointed to the seat next to him for her to sit down: "I know you are still saddened by your mother's passing. Now that she is gone, it's time to let go."

Lu Ying bowed her head and said yes, then thanked him. She looked around at the people in the room. Jin Shi was staring at herself on the bed with her hands clenched tightly. Yan Liang stood beside her, his face showing the same relaxed expression as Yan Shu and his wife.

This situation clearly confirms that Yan Shu and Lu Jie have reconciled.

Once Lu Ying obtained information about Qi Rulan, she knew that the trip was likely to be successful.

But the result brought the family such joy, which was somewhat unexpected.

After taking the tea offered by the maid, she looked at Yan Shu and said, "Although I did offer some advice to Father, I don't know what you and Father-in-law said. I'm afraid you exaggerated because you favor me and I took credit for it."

“I’ve known your father for over ten years, don’t I know his temperament?” Yan Shu calmly sipped his tea, then sighed and looked at her. “He said it outright: even if he was angry that you knelt before him and begged him, he couldn’t ignore your situation.”

Lu Ying stared blankly at the tea. When had she ever knelt down and begged before? She hadn't even made a request. Was Lu Jie saying these words to make the Yan family remember that she had helped them?
"Alright, I didn't mean anything by summoning you here in the middle of the night," Madam Yan said, seeing that she didn't speak. She turned around and took a few documents from the maid. "These are two grain shops located at Tongzhou Wharf. From today onwards, they will belong to you alone. In our family, those who put in the effort are rewarded, so take good care of them. Also, this headdress is something I just made, but I think it's a bit too flashy. You're young, so it'll suit you perfectly."

When these items were displayed, Madam Jin's eyes widened in disbelief. Tongzhou Wharf was a hub for merchant ships from the capital region, and rice and grain were one of the main sources of income for the Yan family. The grain stores there handled hundreds of thousands of taels of silver annually. And these were just two stores. Wasn't this equivalent to Lu Ying sitting in the mansion and earning two hundred thousand taels of silver a year?

Moreover, what was Madam Yan saying? It was that it belonged to Lu Ying alone, that it was her private property, and that even Yan Qu had no share in it!

Just as her fingernails were digging into the flesh of her palm, a flash of light appeared out of the corner of her eye, almost blinding her!

On the tray brought by the maid were a complete set of red gold jewelry inlaid with eight treasures, a large phoenix hairpin with a long, threaded tail and a pair of rubies, a pair of red gold rose hairpins, a pair of heavy black phoenix bracelets, and a gold lock with five-colored gemstones inlaid around the edge.

As the eldest daughter-in-law of the Yan family, Madam Jin was naturally worldly-wise. With just one glance, she knew in her heart that this set of events would cost at least several thousand taels of silver!
The key point is that the workmanship is clearly the work of the Imperial Workshop, a skill that outsiders cannot buy even if they have money!

Her teeth itched as she listened to Lu Ying's feigned refusal, then silently turned her face away and looked elsewhere.

The conversation ended at midnight. Since Lu Jie had agreed to reconcile, the matter of raising military funds should be carried out immediately. Yan Liang had other matters to attend to and had already gone to handle them without stopping.

Jin returned to her room, and her family brought her hot water to wash up and go to bed, but she couldn't fall asleep at all.

Following her to the main room, the maid Lianqing, who had witnessed the scene, handed her a bowl of milk broth and said, "When the husband's family is in trouble, it is only natural for the Third Young Mistress to go back to her parents' home to persuade her father to forgive her. It is understandable that the master and mistress would give her a small reward, but such a heavy reward is really unexpected."

"Grandma has done a lot for the Yan family over the years, including the Jin family, and she's still working hard for them in the yamen. Even now, Madam has never bestowed a shop upon her."

“This has nothing to do with the silver shop!” Jin blurted out. “It’s because she has a father who is a high-ranking official! She comes from a prestigious family!”

Upon hearing this, Lianqing said, "In that case, the way the master and mistress have honored the third young mistress is not for her sake, but for the sake of Minister Lu's reputation."

“Although it was essentially done for the Lu family’s benefit, didn’t she get all the advantages?” Jin gritted her teeth. “She just has a good father! Lu Jie mentioned to the master how Lu Shi knelt and cried to persuade him, all to elevate her status and make the Yan family pay attention to her. But I don’t have a family like that!”

Lianqing timidly comforted her, "Actually, the Jin family did their best too."

"What's the use?" Jin said coldly. "My father is far inferior to Lu Jie, so the results that I try my best to achieve are often obtained by her with ease!"
"If the master and mistress can grant her shops and money today because of her background, they can grant her power tomorrow because of her background."

"But these things can't stop it."

“Who says it can’t?” Jin gritted her teeth. “If we can’t stop it, someone else can.”

Lianqing paused: "Grandma is right—"

“Naturally, it’s the third young master.” Madam Jin bit her lower lip until it bled. “The eldest young master grew up with the old master and madam, but the third young master was raised by you personally.”

"Although they are both biological children, Madam probably dotes on Qu Ge'er even more."

“As long as the Lu family touches the sore spot of the mother and son, even if Lu Jie holds the highest official position, it will be in vain.”