Chapter 233 FCADW? IRTBTMOTMM

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 Favoring Concubines and Destroying Wives? I Refuse to be the Mistress of this Marquis' Mansion

 Chapter 233: 

 She's Back

"How come you've been so absent-minded these past few days?" 

Ge Bao'er brought a bowl of soup to Lu Zhengliu's study.

He had drifted off again, and a blob of ink had dripped onto the paper.

Now that the path of a military general was no longer viable, he had been focusing on his studies. Even if he couldn't achieve official success, learning from the Four Books and Five Classics would give him something to discuss with his children in the future.

Lu Zhengliu put down his pen and asked coldly, "What brings you here?"

It wasn't just that he disliked her coming to his study.

Ge Bao'er smiled as she entered, "Sir, I'm here to talk to you about the marriage of the young master from the Lin family. My mother said she's already discussed everything with the Chang family."

"Oh, is that so?" 

Lu Zhengliu looked at her.

Ge Bao'er nodded. "If the marriage of the young master from the Lin family goes through this time, I'll demand a share of the wedding candy to enjoy." Placing the soup on the table, she sighed, "If the young master from the Lin family achieves success in this examination and also settles his marriage, it will truly be a double joy!"

Lu Zhengliu smirked coldly. "Do you really not know if there's a joyous occasion?"

Ge Bao'er was taken aback. "What do you mean, sir?"

Lu Zhengliu couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush. "The Chang family has decided not to consider the proposal from the Lin family anymore. Didn't Madam Chen, your mother, inform you?"

Ge Bao'er pursed her lips.

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She wasn't feeling guilty, so she lifted the lid, allowing the steam to escape, and frowned. "That's a pity. My mother has praised the young master from the Lin family in front of Madam Chang many times."

"How did you know that the two families aren't considering each other anymore? Did the Lin family tell you? Did they say why the Chang family suddenly changed their mind?"

Lu Zhengliu looked at her and chuckled.

Suddenly, he murmured softly, "If only I had realized what kind of person you were earlier..."

He wouldn't have misunderstood Yunwan, and he wouldn't have caused so much unhappiness between Ge Bao'er and Yunwan.

"What are you talking about, sir?" Ge Bao'er asked.

Lu Zhengliu gave a slight tug at the corner of his mouth. "It's nothing."

He warned Ge Bao'er, "Don't meddle in the affairs of the Lin family anymore. Yunyi is about to take the exam, and if anything happens that affects his performance, I won't let you off."

Ge Bao'er was very angry. She questioned coldly, "Sir, are you already assuming it's me?"

She said indignantly, "I was just trying to help—"

"Help?" Lu Zhengliu interrupted her. "Yunyi's marriage arrangement with the Chang family has been cancelled, is that your idea of helping?"

"Whether it's helpful or not, you know best."

Ge Bao'er felt a slight panic in her heart.

But now that she was in the Lu family, she had full confidence!

"Master, the Lin family is weak, and the Chang family doesn't think highly of Lin Yunyi. No matter how much my mother tried to speak well of him in the past, it was useless."

"I can't be blamed for this!"

Lu Zhengliu kept his head down, too lazy to deal with her.

Ge Bao'er couldn't bear his indifferent attitude, as if he couldn't see her at all!

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She was so angry that she was trembling slightly. "Master, ever since I came in, you've only asked about the Lin family's affairs. Qing'er is your biological son! Don't you want to know how he's doing in Mingshan Academy? Whether he's doing well or not!"

Lu Zhengliu replied casually, "I have more than one son. If I have to inquire about each one, I might as well take on the responsibilities of the housekeeper as a man."

Ge Bao'er couldn't find words to respond!

She mocked herself, "Yes... you have plenty of sons now."

His most beloved was his adopted son, Lu Changgong.

Lu Zhengliu got up to leave.

Ge Bao'er couldn't help but ask, "Where are you going?"

Lu Zhengliu pushed past her. "You said I don't care about my children, so I'm going to see my daughter."

Ge Bao'er couldn't stay in the study any longer.

~

When Lu Zhengliu arrived at Zhuqing's place, he smiled and said, "Muer, come to your father."

Muer still had her hair tied up in a child's bun, with delicate features that resembled a young lady from a scholarly family.

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Zhuqing told her, "Muer, Father is calling you."

Muer glanced at Zhuqing before getting up from where she was sitting and walked to Lu Zhengliu, bowing respectfully. "Daughter greets Father."

Lu Zhengliu wanted to hug her, but Muer refused, saying, "Father, I'm too old now. Aunt said that boys and girls shouldn't sit together after the age of seven, so Muer can't let Father hug her anymore."

Lu Zhengliu felt deeply disappointed. After Yunwan's death, his heart was like ashes, he didn't care about the affairs of the family, nor did he want to take care of his children. By the time his thoughts began to stir again, his daughter had already grown distant from him.

He gently touched Muer's hair bun and smiled, "You won't be able to wear this child's bun for much longer."

Muer curtsied and stepped back, standing next to Zhuqing, and said to Lu Zhengliu, "Because daughter has grown up."

Zhuqing held Muer in her arms and said, "Sir, Muer is a timid child, please don't..."

Lu Zhengliu raised his hand, indicating she need not say more. He was very indulgent towards Zhu Qing and Muer. "She is my daughter, I won't worry about her."

"Master, Young Master."

Tongliu bowed outside.

Lu Chang Gong arrived.

He lifted the curtain and entered with a slight smile, but upon seeing Lu Zhengliu there, his expression became much more subdued. He greeted, "Father."

Lu Zhengliu nodded. "Here to see Muer?"

Lu Chang Gong nodded, holding a few books in his hand. He walked over to the table and placed them down, saying, "Muer wanted to read, so I brought a few books over."

Lu Zhengliu patted his shoulder, his tone gentle. "You're about to take the provincial examination, such trivial matters could have been handled by servants."

Lu Chang Gong looked indulgently at Muer and said, "This little girl insisted that I bring them myself."

Muer was already looking at Lu Chang Gong, blinking her eyes. She smiled and called out, "Big brother!"

Lu Chang Gong nodded slightly, his tone light. "These books should keep you occupied for a while. I'll be taking the exam this year during the Mid-Autumn Festival. You must behave well at home and not cause any trouble."

Muer obediently nodded. "I won't cause any trouble. Muer knows that big brother aims to be on the honor roll. I'll be waiting at home for people to come and congratulate you with drums and gongs."

"Who taught you that?"

Lu Zhengliu chuckled. It was surprising to see Muer being so lively in front of his legitimate eldest son.

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Muer glanced at him and whispered, "Mother taught me."

Lu Zhengliu knew his daughter was afraid of him.

He didn't want to linger any longer and got up. "Your mother taught you well. Those are all kind words. You two continue talking."

Before leaving, he patted Lu Chang Gong's shoulder.

He had something to discuss with Chang Gong.

After Lu Zhengliu left, Lu Chang Gong bowed respectfully. "Aunt, Muer, I'll take my leave first."

Zhuqing stood up to see him off, and Muer even reluctantly tugged at his sleeve, saying, "Big brother, hurry up and finish your exams so you can take me out to play."

Lu Chang Gong touched her bun lightly and smiled faintly as he said to Zhuqing, "Auntie, let's change her hairstyle after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

After seeing the same hairstyle for years, he had grown tired of it.

Zhuqing readily agreed and added, "Young Master, focus on your exams. Muer will behave herself."

Lu Chang Gong nodded and went out to catch up with Lu Zhengliu.

Zhuqing held Muer in her arms and said, "From now on, you should be closer to Young Master, understand?"

Muer nodded. "Mother, I like big brother the most. He's always been the best to me."

Zhuqing kissed her on the cheek and pinched her cheeks, sighing, "You, little one, were born lucky. I wonder how you ended up in our family. You even bear some resemblance to our Madam..."

"Mother, who's the Madam? Auntie Ge?" 

Muer was still naive; she had heard gossip from the servants in the house, but she had never heard her birth mother speak, so she didn't know much.

"Pah! That Ge woman is just a lowly creature! How dare she be compared to our lady!"

Zhuqing didn't want to speak harshly in front of her daughter, so she quickly added, "The Madam is your big brother's mother, the best person in the world. Just look at your big brother, and you'll see, he carries a lot of her traits now."

Muer was curious. "Mother, where is the lady? Can I meet her? I want to meet my big brother's mother!"

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Zhu Qing shook her head, her eyes turning red as she said, "You won't be able to meet her. I won't be able to meet her either... If you do meet her, you should call her 'mother'."

She suddenly remembered that the Lins had already obtained a divorce decree for the deceased lady, and she smiled sadly, "No, you shouldn't call her 'mother'. She's no longer part of the Lu family. She's just... just your big brother's mother."

That affection existed only in their hearts, with no connection to the Lu family.

~

Outside.

Lu Zhengliu wanted to visit the Old Madam Lu, walking alongside Lu Chang Gong, but he hesitated to speak.

Lu Chang Gong didn't want to pry into Lu Zhengliu's thoughts.

When they reached the second gate, he said, "Father, I'm going to study in the front yard."

Lu Zhengliu nodded, but he couldn't help but call him back, "Chang Gong, I... I think I saw... her."

"Who?"

Lu Chang Gong's voice was slightly subdued.

Lu Zhengliu opened his mouth, feeling a pang of bitterness in his heart. "Your mother. That person... looked so much like her."

"Where did Father see her?"

Lu Chang Gong's tone remained calm.

"I saw her at the Chi Xiang Temple."

Lu Zhengliu sighed bitterly. "Perhaps I was mistaken. How could it be her? She's already..."

She's already dead.

Lu Chang Gong nodded with a sigh. "Father must have been mistaken."

He bowed slightly. "I'll be going, Father."

"Mm."

As soon as he left the second gate, Lu Chang Gong's fingertips were trembling.

His mother had returned.

His mother had returned!

Did she still... remember him?

He dared not think about it.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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