Daily Life of a Powerful Official Supporting His Wife

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Soon, the Cheng family also sent a message, saying that they wanted Lu Baoer to change her surname and be included in the Cheng family tree. After all, she was a descendant of the eldest wife, and the eldest wife and her husband had both died. She had to follow her roots and pass on the surname.

However, Lu Baoer had a close relationship with her adoptive father, Lu Jin, and refused to do so. Consequently, she suppressed the letter from the Cheng family. The Cheng family was far away in Tongzhou; could they possibly come to Kyoto to arrest her? Lu Baoer wasn't afraid at all, and the story ended there.

When Old Madam Su found out, she wasn't too concerned. She had dared to snatch Cheng Lingyan from her grasp back then, and now she was daring enough to keep Lu Baoer in Kyoto.

What did it matter to her whether her surname was Cheng or not? It was good enough that Lu Baoer was willing to call her "Grandma" sweetly. Besides, it would take Lu Baoer ten days or half a month to go to Tongzhou, and she was reluctant to let Lu Baoer travel through mountains and rivers to that remote place.

Xie Junling naturally knew about Lu Baoer's affairs. His colleagues in the Hanlin Academy had originally envied Shen Yun for catching the eye of the Minister of Revenue and marrying his daughter. But Xie Junling had actually married the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, whose grandmother was the Princess of Qingping County. Didn't that mean he had some royal blood in his blood?

As a result, more people flattered Xie Junling. Shen Yun's only remaining advantage as a member of his wife's family was gone, leaving him feeling even more frustrated. As soon as he returned home, he went straight to Cui Yuan's room, ignoring Li Jiao. This caused Li Jiao to cry countless nights, complaining about her miserable life.

Lu Baoer returned to the Xie residence, just as the maids were setting the table in the hall. Xie Junling, hearing the noises of her washing up, lifted the curtain and looked at her, "Madam, have you been to the Fu residence so many times these days? Do you feel more confident?" Lu Baoer knew Xie Junling was teasing her about her future, with her family's support, and her rise from a rural background to a daughter of an official.

Lu Baoer coughed lightly and said with a stern face: "Third uncle said that if my husband treats me badly, he will catch you and beat you up."

Xie Junling hadn't expected her to be the kind of woman who would open a dyeing workshop if she was given a little color. He tutted his tongue and said, "You're the granddaughter of the Qingping County Lord. How could your husband have the guts to treat you badly? Tell me, how have I wronged you?"

Lu Baoer thought about it. Xie Junling was usually quite nice to her. His kindness to her probably had nothing to do with Lu Baoer's prominent family background. He didn't even have any brothers from his mother's side, let alone need the help of the Fu family.

But wasn't Lu Bao'er bickering with Xie Junling? Since it was a bickering, how could she be at a disadvantage?

Therefore, Lu Baoer said seriously: "My husband is not always kind to me. Look, it's a bit hot today. I wanted to have an ice bowl, but my husband stopped me, saying that ice is too expensive."

Hearing this, Xie Junling sneered. He wasn't worried about the ice, but rather that Lu Baoer had a weak spleen and stomach. She'd eaten two bowls of red bean ice cream in a row, wanting to stay cool in the summer, and then she'd get a stomachache. He thought she was annoying and didn't know how to take care of herself, so he made up a lie, saying the ice was too expensive and that he'd have to put an iceberg in the room to cool down. It wasn't worth her lavish spending.

He had thought the little girl would understand his good intentions, but she actually hated him in her heart. Xie Junling gritted his teeth and said, "You think your husband is too stingy?"

Lu Baoer heard something was wrong in his tone and muttered, "I didn't say that."

Xie Junling paid little attention to her. After dinner, he whispered in her ear, "Since that's the case, I'll treat you better."

"Hmm?" Xie Junling suddenly came to his senses, which surprised Lu Baoer.

Unexpectedly, Xie Junling said slowly: "It is said that a woman without children cannot survive in the backyard. Since you want your husband to treat you better, I will put in some effort to let you conceive a legitimate child first. Look, your husband has considered you in every way. Do you think he treats you well or not?"

His smile was gentle and polite, but the words he spoke were like a thunderclap, exploding in Lu Baoer's ears and making her legs and feet go weak.

To be honest, it wasn't that she disliked Xie Junling's closeness, but he was too annoying on the couch, making her avoid him. Therefore, Lu Baoer would usually sit in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air, never returning to her room. There was even one time when Xie Junling, dressed in a thin singlet, leaned against the door with his arms folded, and called her, "Are you still not going to bed? You've lit mosquito repellent grass in the room, but isn't it cooler inside than outside? What's the habit, Madam, of feeding mosquitoes in the courtyard?"

His thick black hair was tied loosely with a moon-white headband, occasionally obscuring his eyebrows and eyes, making it difficult to see his eye color. At this moment, the belt of his middle coat was untied, revealing a hint of his smooth chest, which made people think too much.

Lu Baoer's hesitant gaze met Xie Junling's, and her cheeks immediately flushed. She coughed lightly several times, then diverted Xie Junling's attention elsewhere and asked quietly, "Is your throat sore?"

"Yeah." Lu Baoer has been feeling a little irritated lately, mainly because she ate too much smoked and roasted chicken and duck.

Xie Junling frowned and called her, "Go back to your room and wait. Don't be exposed to the wind outside."

"Where are you going, husband?" Lu Baoer asked curiously when she saw Xie Junling putting on a wide-sleeved shirt and walking out of the room.

Xie Junling said calmly, "I'll go talk to the servants on night watch outside the courtyard and ask them to make you a bowl of Sichuan Fritillary and Snow Pear Soup."

"Oh." Lu Baoer nodded and went back to her room to wait obediently. She had taken a shower and was just feeling a little guilty seeing Xie Junling coming back so early.

As for why the maids did not stay in the yard, it was because Lu Baoer was afraid that certain noises at night would be heard by others and she would be embarrassed, so she sent everyone to guard outside the yard. If she needed to call someone to serve, Xie Junling would help her call them in. It was nothing more than boiling water and carrying water in for washing.

Lu Baoer waited for half an hour before Xie Junling finally came back. The old nanny brought the Fritillaria and Snow Pear Soup to the table and asked Lu Baoer to drink it while it was hot.

It is not convenient for people to serve in the master's inner room at night. Who would like to be caught by servants when getting close to the master?

The old nanny also understood these things, so she left obediently.

Lu Baoer thought the soup was too hot and refused to drink. Xie Junling was afraid that she would wait until it cooled down before drinking it, which would cause her to have a stomachache at night. So he picked up the soup spoon, put it to his lips, blew it to cool it down, and fed Lu Baoer: "Open your mouth."

Seeing Xie Junling feeding her soup seriously, Lu Baoer's face flushed. She took a sip of the warm snow pear soup and muttered, "I'm not a child. Do I still need my husband to feed me?"

Xie Junling snorted coldly: "How do you not look like a child? You are so old, but you still do childish things."

"I said it wasn't true." Lu Bao'er's temper flared up. At this moment, she blinked her misty almond eyes, leaned over and gently pecked Xie Junling's lips, saying, "How can a child do such a thing?"

Xie Junling was caught off guard by her kiss, and the spoon in his hand almost fell to the ground. He suddenly felt dry in his mouth, and said slowly and hoarsely, "Oh, it seems you are an adult now. Since you are an adult, you naturally have to do some adult things."

After saying that, he grabbed Lu Baoer's wrist and leaned over her.

Later... no matter how Lu Baoer shouted "Husband, why are you tying me up?!", it was useless. She was asking for trouble and was like a sheep walking into the tiger's mouth.

(End of this chapter)