Daily Life of a Powerful Official Supporting His Wife

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Lin Yudie was still feeling sorry for herself when a lady approached Lu Baoer. She was wearing a royal blue, straight-collared jacket with a double-breasted front and a high-waisted skirt with a coral-colored chrysanthemum pattern. A smile played at the corners of her mouth, and there were faint smile lines at the corners of her eyes. She asked Lu Baoer in a gentle voice, "Are you Madam Xie?"

"Mrs. Zhao, there were too many people here just now, so I didn't have time to greet you." Lu Baoer returned the greeting and said.

The old maid had already made inquiries about the wives of the various families attending the banquet. This particular Madam Zhao was the original wife of a sixth-rank Dali Sizhi. She had a son and a daughter, not many, but she had both flowers and fruits, which was considered extremely fortunate.

Her master's official rank was higher than Xie Junling's, and he was considered Lu Baoer's superior's wife. Now that he had condescended to be close to Lu Baoer, the old nanny was a little surprised.

In reality, Mrs. Zhao was only talking to Lu Bao'er out of curiosity about how she could be favored by Old Madam Su. Mrs. Zhao wasn't very good at anything else, but she was very good at judging people. Seeing that Lu Bao'er and Lin Yudie were acting with discretion and weren't the type to take advantage of others' misfortunes, she immediately felt a desire to get close to her.

"It's okay! I wanted to talk to you earlier, but there were so many people around that I didn't have a chance to talk to you." Mrs. Zhao remembered Lu Baoer no matter which time she was talking about the Gu Mansion.

No matter whether it is false or sincere, as long as it does not cause trouble for her, Lu Baoer will return the favor with a smile.

Mrs. Zhao chatted with Lu Baoer from time to time, talking about everything from poetry and songs to jewelry matching. Lu Baoer was humble and could answer a few questions.

She wasn't looking to get close to someone because of Madam Zhao's power, but rather chatting with them like ordinary friends, neither flattering Madam Zhao nor trying to compete with her. It was like meeting a chess opponent, with both sides interacting. Madam Zhao seemed to be feeling a pity that they had met too late, and after a few words, she started chatting with Lu Baoer like a sister.

There were rules for seating in the flower hall, so Madam Zhao had to go to another table. She shook Lu Baoer's hand and whispered, "My dear sister, I'll send you an invitation in a few days to come to my house and play."

"That's good, of course." Lu Baoer also liked Madam Zhao. Perhaps it was because the Zhao family was stable, with two legitimate children and no concubines. Madam Zhao was eight or nine years older than Lu Baoer, but she was still innocent and naive.

Seeing Lu Bao'er talking to Madam Zhao, Lin Yudie felt disdainful and curled her lips, thinking to herself, "She talks like she's indifferent to the world, but she's obviously more fawning and close than anyone else!"

After all, Lord Zhao was an official in the Dali Temple, and as an official under the Dali Temple, he had connections in various departments, which would ensure a smooth path to the court. Therefore, countless ladies wanted to get close to Madam Zhao, and when they saw her taking the initiative to talk to Lu Baoer, they couldn't help but take a peek.

Lin Yudie, born into a family of merchants, naturally knew how to flatter the powerful and bully the weak. Unable to contain herself, she also approached and spoke warmly to Madam Zhao, "Madam Zhao, your dress is beautiful. The royal blue color complements your complexion perfectly."

But when she saw Lin Yudie, the smile on Mrs. Zhao's face faded in an instant. She glanced at Lin Yudie indifferently, nodded, and said nothing.

Lin Yudie was embarrassed by the cold reception. It was obvious that Madam Zhao didn't want to pay attention to her! If she looked down on herself, why would she talk to Lu Baoer specifically? Lin Yudie was puzzled and hid at another table to eat her food. Her eyes were full of resentment when she looked at Lu Baoer. Lu Baoer, who was envied for no reason, was eating her food in small bites. She was arrogant in the Xie Mansion. Even if her sitting posture was wrong, the old nanny indulged her. Knowing that she was well-behaved outside, she turned a blind eye.

Nowadays, when I visit someone else’s home, I always feel reserved and don’t eat much.

In fact, it wasn't that Lu Bao'er was nervous, but how could the dishes at this wedding banquet be as delicious as those made by the chef in the mansion? Lu Bao'er didn't even want to go out again!

Nonsense! This cook was assigned along with the imperial mansion. They all learned their trade in the palace, so naturally theirs is better than the commoners'. Speaking of which, the old nanny was also puzzled as to why the emperor valued Xie Junling so much. He had just passed the imperial examination, and he was either given a mansion or assigned people. It was obvious that he wanted to train him as a loyal minister, with only the emperor's people around him. Yet, despite his love for Xie Junling, he had been working in the Hanlin Academy for six months, yet there was no news of him. Not to mention a real position, even the mention of him meeting the emperor was rare. It was clear that the emperor's mind was unpredictable; his plans were beyond the comprehension of the subordinates.

It was late at night, and the cries of birds outside made people feel upset.

The ladies' banquet had ended, but the gentlemen were still drinking. Lu Baoer knew Xie Junling was still drinking, and not wanting to spoil his spirits, she decided to return home. But as soon as she reached the door, she saw a tall, graceful man standing beside the carriage. Was it Xie Junling?
Lu Baoer's lips and tongue were stammering, and she was speechless for a moment. She called out tremblingly, "Husband?"

Xie Junling waited for a quarter of an hour. Seeing Lu Baoer coming, he held out his hand to support her: "Why don't you put on a cloak so you don't get cold."

As soon as he finished speaking, he handed her a cold-weather cloak and immediately wrapped her up like a thick cocoon. Lu Baoer's watery eyes sparkled under her fur collar as she stared blankly at Xie Junling.

Xie Junling supported the young lady's slender waist and led her to the carriage with green curtains. He said, "I can't handle the wine, so I found an excuse to leave. I have to go to the Hanlin Academy tomorrow, and it's hard to fall asleep if I drink too much."

"Oh." Lu Baoer believed whatever Xie Junling said.

Only the old nanny knew that this area has been in turmoil recently. It was said that some bandits had escaped into Kyoto and were causing chaos, and the government was sending people to arrest them!
When they got into the carriage, Xie Junling placed the hollow gilded fire basket between Lu Baoer's hands to keep her warm. She was very afraid of the cold, so she didn't want to get cold. She was complaining about stomachaches in the middle of the night.

Xie Junling remembered her cute, aggrieved look as she complained about a stomachache. It made him feel distressed, yet he couldn't hit or scold her. He knew she wasn't allowed to crave an iced bowl of osmanthus honey after eating hot food in winter, but she was right, telling the cook that ice was expensive in the summer, and it would be a shame not to have some in the winter.
What a bunch of twisted logic! Isn't it just because she wants to eat? If she was really frugal, why didn't she turn off the floor heater to save some money on charcoal? She even made the inner room feel like spring all year round, so even a thin spring shirt would be too hot.

Xie Junling sighed softly, causing Lu Baoer to lean over and ask, "What are you thinking about, my husband?"

Xie Junling glanced at her and said, "I was thinking about how I should punish you the next time you steal the ice bowl."

"..." Lu Bao'er frowned, secretly blaming herself. She shouldn't have been so rude and asked so many questions! What was she asking? Wouldn't Xie Junling teach her a lesson anyway?
Lu Baoer thought, how come she was deceived by Xie Junling's appearance at the beginning and didn't see how evil his heart was?

(End of this chapter)