Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 185 - 184 He Came

Chapter 185: Chapter 184 He Came

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By the time Chen Afu returned to Lu Garden with Dabao, Alu and the Animal House, Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang were already back.

Mrs. Wang’s eyes were red and swollen, her makeup had been washed off. Her face must have been tear-streaked, and then she had washed again. However, her spirits seemed okay.

The group sat on the bed and listened to Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang detailing their trip to Xianhu Village.

When Mrs. Wang took Chen Ming with her to see her grand-uncle Wang Laohan at his home, it shocked everyone there. No one could believe that Wang Juanniang, who had remarried to an ill man, had in fact become rich!

Despite being over sixty years old, Wang Laohan was still in good health and his family warmly welcomed Mr. and Mrs. Wang. Seeing all the gifts Mrs. Wang had brought, they were immensely happy and invited all their relatives to a feast, then distributed all the gifts.

Mrs. Wang asked where Wang Cheng was sold to and the relatives started talking all at once. At first, when Mrs. Ding was brutally beaten by the Wang family, she didn’t divulge where she had sold their child, fearing they might force her to refund the money and make her bring the child back.

Only after several years was it rumored where the child was sold. Some said he was sold directly to the Fan Dental Clinic in the county town, some said he was sold to He Houzi’s mother-in-law in the village. The latter story was the more popular belief.

He Houzi’s mother-in-law lived in a neighboring village and was a particularly persuasive, sharp character. As long as there was profit to be made, she’d do anything, no matter how ruthless. The tale was that when she arrived at the village to see her daughter, Mrs. Ding quietly found her, lured young Wang Cheng out of the village, and sold him to the old woman.

It’s been over twenty years, and that old woman has been long dead.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but burst into tears.

Chen Ming sent Xue Dagui with two taels of silver, accompanied by a young man from the Wang family, off to He Houzi’s house. Seeing that amount of silver, He Houzi told the truth. Wang Cheng was indeed sold by Mrs. Ding for five taels of silver to his mother-in-law, who then sold the boy for six taels to a distant relative of hers who had not yet had a son.

Subsequently, He Houzi took Xue Dagui to his mother-in-law’s house. Although the mother-in-law was gone, the younger brother was still there. At first, he claimed to know nothing, but when he saw Xue Dagui taking out a tael of silver, he finally revealed the specific address, saying that it was a village called Xiaoli Village in Yi’an County. Yi’an County is almost a hundred miles away from Sanqing County and is also under the jurisdiction of Jibei Province.

No one had expected they would so easily get a lead on Wang Cheng’s whereabouts and everyone was overjoyed. Mrs. Wang thought about the fact that that home didn’t have a son, and felt certain they’d have treated her brother well. This was far better than him being sold to a wealthy family to work as a servant, or being sold into an opera troupe.

However, when Mrs. Wang’s father and Mrs. Ding heard that Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang had returned to Xianhu Village, they came to find them. Mrs. Ding made a fuss, screaming that Mrs. Wang was unfilial for not visiting her father when she returned to the village. She accused Mrs. Wang of giving money only to relatives and forgetting about filial piety towards her parents...

Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang, being persons of few words, were even more at a loss during the confrontation. Auntie Zeng is more eloquent; she and the granddaughter-in-law of Wang Laohan listed all of Mrs. Ding’s wrongdoings. When it got to the infuriating parts, the two elderly women of the Wang family couldn’t help but reach for walking sticks to hit Mrs. Ding, finally scaring her off.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Wang’s father, Wang Laohan, refused to leave. He stayed on for dinner and tearfully called to his "daughter", going on about his hard life. Mrs. Wang had no choice but to instruct Chen Ming to give him one tael of silver...

Chen Afu, upon hearing about the investigation into Uncle Wang Cheng’s whereabouts, was thrilled. He called for Mr. Zeng and asked if he knew about a village called Xiaoli Village in Yi’an County.

As it turned out, Mr. Zeng did. He mentioned that Yi’an County was to the northwest of Sanqing County and that Xiaoli Village was a remote village situated by Dayan Mountain, which he’d visited once when he was young.

Everyone was delighted at the news, and they requested Mr. Zeng to take Xue Dagui to the place to investigate about Wang Cheng the next day, with ten taels of silver in tow.

The following day, Chen Afu went to Manager Luo to borrow a horse-drawn carriage, this time for two to three days.

Today is the fifth day of the first lunar month, and Hu Laowu is hosting. After seeing off Mr. Zeng and another man, Chen Ming invited Manager Luo to join him at Hu’s for a drink.

With no adult menings in Lu Garden during the day, it wouldn’t be appropriate for the Chu’s grandfather and grandson to come here for lunch, so they agreed to visit in the evening. However, Ms. Chu came with Luo Mei and her brother in the morning, intending to rest here after lunch.

After leading them in martial arts practice, telling stories, and playing games, Chen Afu set them up with building blocks in the West Chamber’s South Room and went to the kitchen. She had not only to prepare lunch but also dinner. The demands of the two old men grew increasingly high, particularly Old Lord Hou who claimed that Yan’er had passed on her selective eating habits to him. He found the food in Lu Garden more appealing than what was available in Tang Garden.

Thinking about how Old Lord Hou tugged at his beard as he said this, Chen Afu found it very amusing. Whether being old or young, he was somewhat like an old child, a very lovable old man, nothing like a person of high rank.

After lunch, she let Ms. Chu and Luo Mei sleep on the bed. As she just left the West Wing to join Mrs. Wang in their needlework in the main room, she heard a knock on the door.

Shan Zi opened the main gate but didn’t invite the visitor in. He asked blankly, "Sir, who are you looking for?"

A clear male voice from outside asked, "Excuse me, does Wang Juanniang live here?"

How dare a man mention Mrs. Wang’s maiden name? Such improper behavior!

Chen Afu, with lines of unspoken words held back, went to the door. She was taken aback when she saw the tall man standing outside.

The man was the extraordinary handsome man she had seen at the Jade Kirin Silver Tower. He was wearing a lake-blue robe embroidered with clustered flowers, a jade belt around his waist, a dark cape with gold threads, and a black fur hat. He looked leisurely and gentle. Due to the cold weather, his cheeks and lips were flushed, making his skin look as pretty as peaches and apricots.

He was about to speak but saw Chen Afu approaching. A look of happiness flashed across his face, and he exclaimed, "Fuer."

This greeting gave Chen Afu the shivers and woke her from her shock. She approached the gate and told Shan Zi, "You go about your work."

Upon hearing her, Shan Zi quickly left.

Blocking the doorway, Chen Afu asked, "Who are you, and what brings you here?"

Chen Shiying did not answer Chen Afu’s question. A smile played at the corners of his mouth as he took in Chen Afu from head to toe, his gaze growing gentler. He said, "Fu’er, I’m your... I’m Chen Shiying, and I’m here to visit...you... and your mother..."

With a poker face, Chen Afu said, "I don’t know you, and I don’t know anyone named Chen Shiying. There are only women and children in my house, so we can’t let an unfamiliar man in." Saying that, she attempted to close the door.

Chen Shiying reached out a hand to stop the door, saying, "Fu’er, let me see your mother once. I have an important matter."

Chen Afu responded, "My mother is a respectable woman. She doesn’t meet with strange men." She tried to close the door again.

Chen Shiying blocked the door and said, "Fu’er, listen to me, let me see..."

All of a sudden, his gaze froze on something behind Chen Afu. His eyes filled with unshed tears as he softly uttered, "Sister..."