Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 271 - 270: Love Rival

Chapter 271: Chapter 270: Love Rival

After Mrs. Wang left, Chen Afu skipped breakfast, bringing some steamed dumplings with him to the Tang Garden.

Dabao and Alu lived with Chu Lingzhi in a courtyard. When she arrived, the children were having breakfast.

Dabao was clearly distracted, his eyes slightly swollen from not sleeping well the previous night. Chu Lingzhi scolded him, "You are not behaving like a man, always clinging to your mother’s side. Look at me, I’ve been separated from my mother for so long, but I still eat and sleep as usual. My grandpa said that this is how you become a general and prosper in life."

Dabao retorted, "That’s because your family is rich and powerful. You never fear being separated from your mother, never fear being unable to see her again. I’m different. My family is poor, and my grandmother has mentioned more than once about selling me into the mountains, selling me into an opera troupe. If that happens, I’ll never see my mother again." He spoke steadily and in a low voice towards the end.

Chu Lingzhi responded dismissively, "Alu is part of your family, and he doesn’t fear being separated from his mother like you do."

Dabao blurted out, "That’s because I’m not..." and quickly covered his mouth, swallowing the rest of his words. It was the truth that he hated to acknowledge but couldn’t deny. He wasn’t his mother’s biological son, and everyone knew, which was why he felt even more scared.

He didn’t say another word, but the rims of his eyes turned red.

Alu understood why he was upset and quickly changed the subject, "Actually, I’m also afraid of being separated from my mother, but now that I’ve grown up, I’m a little less scared. But Dabao is still young, it will get better when he grows up." He then comforted Dabao, "Our family is not poor anymore, and General Chu has become your father. No one dares to bully us anymore, your auntie will no longer say those things to you."

Chu Lingzhi added triumphantly, "I don’t even need my elder brother to take action, I alone could take down your grandmother’s house with the help of my guards."

Chen Afu walked in and smiled, "Dabao, look at what your mother has brought you."

Upon seeing Chen Afu, Chen Dabao’s smile was brighter than the rising sun. He called out, "Mom, mom, hug, hug," his speech somewhat slurred from sheer joy. If his legs were not paralyzed, he would certainly run faster than Zhui Feng.

Chu Lingzhi shrugged, shook his head, and made a dismissive gesture with his mouth.

Chen Afu set the food box on the table, laughing as she pulled out a plate full of steamed dumplings. After finishing breakfast together, the children went to the front yard for their lessons, and Chen Afu visited the Yiran Courtyard where the young lady lived. The two courtyards were adjacent, and it only took few steps to get there.

Chu Hanyan was still asleep, so she quietly chatted with Mrs. Song and Mrs. Wei for a while. After the young lady woke up, she played with her for a while before going home.

Sasa formally moved into the Fu Garden and became a member of the family. Not only did Chen Afu like it, but everyone in the house did as well, although they were still a bit afraid to approach it.

In the late afternoon, Mrs. Wang visited Chen Afu again. The wood had been delivered and she asked Afu to take a look. She wanted to take Zhui Feng and Sasa to the Lu Garden to play and familiarize Sasa with the place, but Zhui Feng refused to go.

Chen Afu was puzzled, "Didn’t you used to enjoy visiting Wang Cai?"

Jin Yanzi’s voice appeared in her mind, "The brothers have turned against each other. Wang Cai also chased after Sasa and was Zhui Feng’s love rival. But Sasa didn’t like Wang Cai. So now, Zhui Feng really dislikes Wang Cai and thinks he’s a toad wanting to eat swan meat."

Chen Afu had been angry with the stingy creature and didn’t want to deal with it. But when she heard this explosive news, she couldn’t keep calm and burst into laughter. Qiu Yue and Mr. Zeng in the yard all looked at her in surprise.

Chen Afu quickly laughed and said, "Zhui Feng, are you afraid to take your wife to the Lu Garden because Wang Cai might have bad intentions?"

Zhui Feng seemed to understand. He stood up and glared in the direction of the Lu Garden, barking aggressively a few times.

His actions amused everyone in the yard.

Mr. Zeng proudly said, "Our dogs and birds are smarter than any others."

When Chen Afu arrived at the Lu Garden, she saw Wang Cai lethargically napping under a tree. He opened his eyes upon hearing movement, then closed them again when he saw it was her, neither awake nor asleep. He no longer wagged his tail excitedly to greet her like before.

Chen Afu found this extremely funny. This animal has been heartbroken and has even begun blaming her.

She then saw a pile of wood stacked under the eaves, and Carpenter Wu and his two sons were already flipping through the piles. For the next few months, they would only work at the Lu Garden and put all other jobs aside.

Carpenter Wu stood upright and laughed, "In order to create beautiful furniture for Afu, I made a special trip to the Provincial City a few days ago to look at my senior brother’s furniture and carving patterns. This time, the furniture we make will definitely be even more beautiful."

Chen Afu thanked him with a smile.

Wu Changsheng chuckled stupidly, his eyes no longer carrying the resentment from before. It was said that his wife was already a few months pregnant, and he was soon going to be a father.

Since they would be having lunch at Lu Garden, Chen Afu asked Qiu Yue to come over and help Aunt Mu with the cooking.

Chen Ming went to the main room with Mrs. Wang and Chen Afu. Chen Ming said, "Next year, the Chu family will send dowry to our family. We have decided to give all the dowry to you, and the family will also prepare a trousseau for you."

Chen Afu said, "You don’t need to prepare a trousseau. I have some money and property, let Auntie Zeng buy some clothes and bedding, that will be the trousseau I bring from my mother’s house."

Mrs. Wang disagreed, "That’s not acceptable. How can a daughter get married without a trousseau from her mother’s family? It would look bad if her husband knew."

Chen Ming shared the same sentiment.

Chen Afu thought for a moment and said, "I will give you 1,000 taels of silver, and you can buy some clothes, jewelry, and bedding. Add the furniture to that, and that will be enough. When you shop, call Madam Luo as well. She knows what to buy."

Chen Ming did not want to use Chen Afu’s money. However, all his savings put together were not up to 1,000 taels of silver and he was torn about it.

Chen Afu laughed, "Your daughter is not short of money, you can use it. In the future, I will still take care of you."

Chen Ming insisted, "You should live a good life. After the wedding, you will be part of your husband’s family. Supporting your mother’s family often can easily invite criticism. We are not short of money now, with just our wine shop, pantry, and farmland, we can barely spend it all in this lifetime."

At the same time, he insisted that the cost of the wood for the furniture and the labor be paid by Chen Afu’s family.

Chen Afu did the math. The total amount was less than 200 taels of silver, so she agreed.

For the next few days, Chen Afu spent time bonding with Sasa, talking to it, feeding it and taking it out to slide and "burrow through mountains" in the children’s playground. She also let Chu Xiaoniu take it and Zhui Feng out to stretch their legs outside the courtyard...

Sasa’s feelings for Chen Afu grew stronger day by day, and it also began to like and respect Zhui Feng more, because its spouse’s family members were just too nice.

Only after Chen Afu was sure that Sasa would not harm the family did she allow the children to return.