Daily Life of a Powerful Official Supporting His Wife

Chapter 48

The Cheng family was located in Tongzhou, which was separated from the capital by Youzhou. To go to the capital, one had to pass through Youzhou's waterway.

Lu Baoer's parents had been killed by pirates on the Youzhou waterway. Old Madam Su was very superstitious and always felt that the Youzhou waterway was unlucky, so she refused to let Lu Baoer go there no matter what.

Although the Cheng family was a prominent family in Tongzhou and had considerable wealth, they had no officials serving in Kyoto. Generally speaking, the higher the rank of official, the closer the family's residence was to the imperial city. For example, the Cheng family founded the Qingcheng Academy in Tongzhou, where countless successful students received financial support from the Cheng family during their childhood. Their successors were numerous, and their reputation was high. However, even with this aristocratic family, no one served in Kyoto. Kyoto residents were snobbish, and no matter how prominent their ancestors were, they only cared about the present. Therefore, even in Kyoto, the Cheng family lacked status and could barely gain a foothold.

They also had their own selfish motives for wanting Lu Baoer to recognize his ancestral roots. Xie Junling had only been a fifth-rank official for two years, and was a close minister to the emperor. If he were to rise one step higher, it would be a truly remarkable achievement. Such a promising young grandson-in-law naturally needed to be well-received.

The Cheng family gathered together rarely and held a clan meeting.

Old Madam Cheng's head hurt when she mentioned Lu Bao'er. She snorted coldly, "As expected of a country girl, she's such a fool! If she had the surname Cheng and was included in the Cheng family tree, with her family backing her up, wouldn't it be more convenient for her to act? Her adoptive father didn't leave her any wealth, so how can she survive in Kyoto without some money? Besides, her surname isn't Fu, and the Princess Qingping was just trying to get some novelty. Now that she's married, their relationship is naturally distant. How long can she protect her?"

Madam Cheng's daughters-in-law didn't dare to say a word, but at this moment they muttered in their hearts: "If the Princess of Qingping County didn't value love, she wouldn't have kept Cheng Lingyan until now, and even after finding her new granddaughter, she didn't drive her away."

The Cheng family's first wife was no longer in office, and the second wife was now in charge. Second wife Ye, a flatterer, echoed Old Madam Cheng's words, saying, "Old An is naturally far-sighted. These younger generations are too shallow-minded. If they don't listen to you now, they will suffer in the future. Think about it, if Lord Xie gets promoted again in the future, will he look down on Bao'er, who has no support from his wife's family? She doesn't think deeply about it. She was raised in a humble family, so she's really short-sighted. She only wants to use love to consolidate her favor. Isn't it just for the sake of youth?"

In the end, it was simply because he was worried that Lu Bao'er wouldn't be able to maintain her favor and win over Xie Junling. A son-in-law like him, one who was easy to manipulate and had a successful career, was nowhere to be found.

"That's exactly what's going on." Old Madam Cheng glanced at the Second Wife with satisfaction and said, "But Bao'er refuses to come to Tongzhou no matter what. Even using the family tree to pressure her is useless. My sons are all local officials. They can't report to the capital without the emperor's summons. This is really worrying!"

The Third Madam, Mrs. Yan, pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "Mother, I have an idea."

"Oh? Tell me."

"Sister Hua has been engaged to the Yan family in Kyoto, so they'll naturally go there to get married at the end of the year. Second Master has work to do, and Kyoto is far away, so I'm afraid I won't be able to go. If I go with you and stay a little longer at my parents', wouldn't that mean I can visit the Xie family and meet my niece, whom I've never met?" Cheng Linghua, the second legitimate daughter of the Yan family, had been engaged to her cousin from the Yan family several years earlier, with the wedding date set for the end of the year. Due to the long journey and Old Madam Cheng's limited health, they were thinking of having the Second Madam go to the capital to handle the wedding on behalf of the Cheng family. They couldn't let the Yan family spend a month or so coming to Tongzhou to welcome the bride.

Madam Cheng thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Remember to bring He Jie'er with you to see the world when the time comes."

"He Jie'er?" Yan was stunned for a moment, and some resentment was rising in her heart. It's not that she couldn't guess what Old Madam Cheng was thinking, but she couldn't swallow the anger of being asked to bring that little bitch's child to Beijing! This He Jie'er was born to Old Madam Cheng's niece from her mother's family. That niece was as beautiful as a flower. After she had an affair with the Second Master, she was secretly taken into the mansion. Such a slut, it stands to reason that the mistress of the house would not even look at her, but she was particularly good at making Old Madam Cheng happy, calling her aunt all the time, and actually coaxed her around. Yan had been fighting with this aunt for many years. Two years ago, she finally got tuberculosis, and Yan worked her to death. Unexpectedly, her daughter was not a good thing either. She cried in front of Old Madam Cheng every day, and made Old Madam Cheng look at this illegitimate granddaughter with a higher regard.

Old Madam Cheng thought that He Jie'er was the most beautiful of the Cheng family. If she was properly trained today, she could marry into a good family. Now that Xie Junling had appeared, wasn't that exactly what she wanted? Bringing a legitimate daughter to the Xie family would be embarrassing. How could two legitimate daughters share the same husband? It would seem too flattering. However, a concubine's daughter was different. She wasn't as precious, so naturally, no one could say anything about her becoming a concubine.

What's more, He Jie'er has a beauty that can shame the moon and flowers, and she will definitely be able to win over men.

Yan thought that if He Jie'er made a difference in the Xie family, wouldn't she be able to ride on her head again? If Xie Junling was promoted to a higher rank, in a family like that, even if it was to be a concubine, there would be people who would be willing to take advantage of him!
She was utterly furious, and Cheng Linghe of Sifang Garden had also heard the news. She was arranging her hairpins when she heard the news, and a thought occurred to her. Old Madam Cheng naturally knew that Cheng Linghe was a concubine's daughter, and marrying her to an official in Kyoto would be seen as an enmity, not a high-ranking match. After much deliberation, she realized she simply wanted her to get closer to Xie Junling. Even if she became his concubine, with such a talented young man, she could do it.

Didn't Cheng Linghe think that a young lady who had been meticulously raised by the Cheng family could be inferior to Lu Baoer, a rural girl who had risen from humble beginnings to become a phoenix?! We'll just have to wait and see!

While people schemed against each other, the New Year was fast approaching. Another year had passed, and Lu Baoer was now busy with social events, no longer able to retreat to her home and enjoy the peace and quiet she once enjoyed. Gifts were demanded from one family, gifts from another, and the rules couldn't be compromised, keeping Lu Baoer constantly busy.

Lu Baoer was listless during dinner, yawning repeatedly, causing Xie Junling to frown slightly. He lifted his sleeves and personally helped Lu Baoer with a piece of Dongpo pork with thick sauce, asking, "Are you so busy?"

Lu Baoer nodded and said, "My husband doesn't understand. The things in the backyard, the interpersonal relationships, and the fact that every family has to give a smiling face to entertain are really difficult."

Seeing her weak voice, Xie Junling felt a little distressed. But there had to be a mistress in the household. It was a bit hard right now, but with the guidance of the Qingping County Lady, she would be able to handle the responsibilities as she got used to them. He had only one mistress in his house, and he couldn't spoil Lu Baoer, letting her shirk her duties and refuse to manage the household.

Xie Junling said calmly, "I'll take you for a stroll outside Kyoto during the New Year holiday."

When Lu Baoer heard that they were going out to play, she was naturally overjoyed. She subconsciously moved closer to Xie Junling, resting her hands on his knees, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling as she said delicately, "Husband, please don't lie. You said you would take me out."

"I understand." Xie Junling lowered his thick black eyelashes, lightly glanced at Lu Baoer's soft and boneless hands, and then reminded him: "I have taught you so many times but you still can't learn. You have no self-awareness in your daily life. You deliberately reached out to touch me again and again, deliberately teasing me. Don't beg for mercy later."

Hearing this, Lu Baoer trembled with shock and immediately withdrew her hand. She was just used to being close to Xie Junling, so she didn't deliberately seduce him!

　Dengdeng’s crooked neck means: Dear Caodeng
　　But basically they show their affection every day... Posting weird daily

　　
　
(End of this chapter)