Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 279 - 278: Undercover Stake

Chapter 279: Chapter 278: Undercover Stake

"I can’t help it, I want to know," complained Chu Hanyan, sticking out her lower lip.

Should he tell her or not? Chen Dabao wrestled with this internal conflict, shifting his gaze towards Chen Afu as he fiddled with his plump fingers.

Chen Afu chuckled as he wiped Chu Hanyan’s mouth with a handkerchief and said, "Sweetheart, if you can’t wait, there will be no surprise. Wouldn’t you like to be surprised?"

"Yes," Chu Hanyan nodded.

"Then, try to be patient. Just for three more days," Chen Afu reassured.

Chu Hanyan agreed. However, as soon as they had finished eating, she asked Chen Afu, "Auntie, when will these three days finally end? I can’t wait."

At last, after enduring three days filled with longing and expectancy from Dabao and Chu Hanyan, the day arrived.

That afternoon, the rain that had persevered for days finally ceased. The vast sky was clear and azure, only the wispy clouds around the setting sun blushed slightly.

After school, Dabao was carried by Chu Xiaoniu. They, along with Marquis Chu, Chu Lingzhi, and Alu, headed for Fu Garden. From a distance, they could see Chen Afu and Chu Hanyan waiting at the entrance for them, with their skirts swirling in the gentle breeze.

In Dabao’s eyes, his mother and sister were the two most beautiful women in the world. He thought about how the scene would look if he were standing in between them, holding each of their hands—it would be that much more picturesque. This image was etched forever in his mind.

He suppressed the swell of emotions in his heart, his expression painstakingly composed. Marquis Chu noticed his unease but chuckled and pretended to see nothing.

When they got to the entrance of Fu Garden, Dabao looked at Chen Afu. She smirked and nodded at him, indicating that she had completed the task he had assigned her.

Chen Dabao then addressed Chu Hanyan, who had been eagerly watching him, "Just wait a bit longer, sister, I’ll give it to you soon."

In the dining room, an anxious Chu Hanyan finally saw Chen Dabao arrive. He grinned as he approached her, standing with his hands behind his back, and said, "Sister, I have a birthday present for you. This isn’t something I bought from the store; it’s a design that mother and I came up with, and Grandpa Wu made it for us."

Then, he handed her a small pink package.

Chu Hanyan expressed her gratitude excitedly, "Thank you, brother."

She received the small package, which was adorned with a bow made from a silk ribbon. As she untied the ribbon and unveiled the silk cloth, a beautifully crafted small red comb appeared. Etched on the comb were two swallows with their mouths open and their wings spread, as if in flight.

Chu Lingzhi, who had also been eagerly awaiting the surprise, saw the ordinary comb and was sorely disappointed. He frowned, but wisely chose to keep quiet.

The young girl, however, beamed with pure joy and even did a little hop. "Such a beautiful comb, I really like it!"

Dabao let out a hearty laugh then emphasized, "Remember, sister, this comb was the result of the combined ingenuity of mom and me."

"Oh, my brother is so talented," the young girl praised with admiration in her eyes as she intermittently blinked at him.

Chen Afu found Chu Hanyan’s overacting funny. Even if the comb was barely passable, she would’ve liked it without any reservations. Not for any other reason but because it was a gift from Dabao, and she had been eagerly anticipating it for days.

The old man stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "The brother-sister duo gets along quite wonderfully. Good, good, it should be like this."

The next afternoon, when Dabao returned home from school, his spirits were low. Since they only had a half-day of classes and had the rest of the day off, the Chu family needed the time to prepare for an early departure to Dingzhou the next morning.

Seeing his dejected state, Chu Hanyan felt guilty and explained tirelessly, "I don’t want to go to the Capital City for my birthday either. I don’t want to be away from brother..."

Chen Dabao responded, his tone heavy with sadness, "Ah, I know, sister. This is something you can’t decide."

That evening, Chen Afu invited Mrs. Wang and her family over for dinner. Mrs. Wang presented her birthday gift to the young girl - a set of pajamas adorned with pandas.

After bidding farewell to the three generations of the Chu family, Dabao and Alu promptly left for Tang Garden to attend Mr. Liao’s class. With their departure, Chen Afu finally found some quietude.

Leisurely, she went to check on the north-facing portion of the Lu Garden and survey the five acres of her own farmland. She observed Wang Laowu and a few other long-term workers in the midst of harvesting autumn corn. The watermelon field was part of a crop rotation system. The same patch of land couldn’t be used to grow watermelons in the coming year. After the autumn corn was harvested, radish seeds would be planted. The field would remain dormant through the winter. By spring of next year, peanuts would be sowed.

Chen Afu held immense admiration for Wang Laowu. She wondered whether his unique "surrounding the center" hairstyle was a deliberate act to complete his mission. A man as grubby and unattractive as him wouldn’t attract any young maiden wanting to marry him. Thus, him being single provided a good cover.

She later learned that there were others, besides Wang Laowu, tasked with protecting Dabao. These included two guardians from Tang Garden and one person each from Shangshui Village and Gujing Village. In total, there were five people. Thus, the five were the covert operatives assigned by a certain person, and the head of these operatives was Wang Laowu. Their true identities were only later revealed to Chu Lingxuan.

Out of these five men, two guardians from Tang Garden, who had worked in the Capital Marquis Mansion, had their own families due to their societal status and background. The remaining three were single.

Chen Afu felt as if she should salute these underground operatives, who were engaged in such a unique battlefront.

Of course, she also owed her highest respect to that person-their big boss.

Chen Afu frequently thought of that person—the big boss, the father of Chu Lingxuan, Prince Consort Chu. Despite occupying such a high position, he was still entrusted with this crucial undercover mission. This attested to the importance of the task at hand. Even though she had met him twice, she regretted not having a good look at him because of her nervousness.

While it was sad that Wang Laowu and the other men couldn’t find a significant other due to their mission, Prince Consort Chu was the exact opposite. He was unable to resist the allure of beauty...

Soon, it was September 13th. The next day, Chen Afu was scheduled to depart for Dingzhou.

She had already discussed with Mrs. Wang that during her absence, Dabao would reside in the Lu Garden. Also joining him would be Xue Dagui, Chu Xiaoniu, and Qiu Yue. The first two would accompany him to and from school, while Qiu Yue would attend to his daily needs.

Presently, Wang Laowu didn’t reside in Xiangluo Village anymore. Since he had to monitor the watermelon field a few months prior, Chen Afu had ordered the construction of a row of houses between the watermelon field and the Lu Garden, which became his new abode.

This arrangement ensured Dabao’s safety in Lu Garden as compared to accompanying her to Dingzhou.

That night, as Chen Afu revealed to Dabao that she was leaving for Dingzhou to celebrate Chu Hanyan’s birthday and that he couldn’t accompany due to his not yet completely healed leg, Dabao burst into tears.

"Mother, my leg is already better. I can run, I can jump, and I don’t need someone to carry me. I can walk by myself..." He sobbed as he spoke, his loud cries filling the whole house.

Chen Afu cooed comforting words towards Dabao while refusing to change her decision.

He sobbed for two full hours until his throat went hoarse. Realizing that his tears couldn’t persuade his mother, he snuffled and stopped crying. He then said, "Mother, fine. I won’t go. But, you must come back quickly. Remember, your son is waiting for you at home. Waiting is not a pleasant feeling..."

Upon hearing these persuasive words, Chen Afu capitulated immediately. Her heart ached as she held him and reassured, "Mother will come back as soon as she completes her work. Mother can’t bear to be away from her son. I promise, I swear."

After pacifying him, Xia Yue and Qiu Yue gathered his clothes and study materials and brought them over to Lu Garden.