Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 285 - 284

Chapter 285: 284

Seeing this little person, some warmth returned to the icy face of Marquis Chu. He reached out to touch her, but recoiled when his hand met the curtain of gauze, turning around to leave the bedroom.

He gave a barely detectable nod to Chen Afu, then coldly said to Chu Lingxuan, "I’m returning to the relay station now, and will be heading South early tomorrow morning."

Chu Lingxuan said nothing, merely nodding in response.

He then looked at Chu Hua and the child in her arms. Ignoring him, Chu Hua turned her head mock-poutingly. Despite his tears, Heng was still smiling at him.

Marquis Chu shook his head, let out a sigh, and headed out of the room. Chu Lingxuan followed him out.

Only after Marquis Chu’s figure disappeared from the gate did Chu Hua start to sob. The wet nurse hurried over to take the crying Heng from her arms.

Chen Afu came over and used a cloth to wipe Chen Hua’s tears, trying to comfort her, "Sister Chu, stop crying. Destroying your makeup with tears won’t do anything but detract from your beauty."

Chu Hua sobbed, "Every time I see him, I think about how my mother has spent these past years, and how my brother and I had no choice but to relocate to the frontier. And don’t even get me started on the hardships Yan has had to suffer... I resent him... I despise him... But the truth is, he used to dote on me the most when I was a child. How could he treat us like this..."

Chen Afu didn’t know what to say about Marquis Chu, so she could only encourage Chu Hua to be more optimistic and remind her that the most difficult days were in the past and that the best days were right before her.

As Chu Hua prattled on tearfully, maids came with water for her to cleanse her face and redo her makeup.

She seemed to suddenly remember something, raising her head to ask Chen Afu, "Did I just hear my beloved Heng call him ’grandfather’? I didn’t mishear, did I?"

"You certainly didn’t. Indeed, Heng did call him ’grandfather’," replied Chen Afu, smiling.

Chu Hua grinned broadly, and then standing up she said, "I need to teach Heng to call me ’mom’, his dad ’dad’, and his grandmother ’grandma’, to make my mother feel happier."

Chen Afu stopped her, laughing, "The wet nurse just put Heng to sleep in the West Room. Let’s not disturb him."

The two of them sat together and talked for a while. Chen Afu quietly told Chu Hua about her failed attempt to sew a dress for Chu Zhen.

Chu Hua sneered, "You did the right thing, Sister Chen. You’re my future sister-in-law, and yet she had the audacity to use you. It’s outrageous. Hmmph. Before my aunt came back to the Capital City, Mrs. Li acted as the master of the Marquis’ Mansion and has been emboldened. Not only that, but Chu Zhen has also become overly arrogant, thinking that she’s a princess of the Marquis’ Mansion and that everyone should serve her. The Peach Blossom Banquet is a flower-viewing banquet held by the princess of An County, and all the elite families in the Capital City will participate. Chu Zhen wants different clothes for the Peach Blossom Banquet, clearly aimimg to seek a good family for marriage. Those mother and daughter are a joke in the Capital City, but they are still aiming high..."

Chen Afu laughed, lifting her teacup to take a sip before saying, "That Madam Luo, she sure knows how to talk." She still felt a bit disturbed about Mrs. Luo calling her "as beautiful as a flower under the moon" in public—it wasn’t like she was praising her, it was like saying she was there to serve with her beauty.

Between lines, Chu Hua picked up on Chen Afu’s underlying sentiment and said, "My second aunt has always wanted to marry one of her own daughters to my brother." She smirked and continued, "She really dares to dream. No matter how chaotic my family is, my brother, being the heir, is not someone a concubine’s daughter of a fourth-rank official could win over."

After she finished, Chu Hua suddenly realized that Chen Afu’s father was also a fourth-rank official, and that Chen Afu was not even at the level of a concubine’s daughter. Her face turned beet red as she quickly apologized, "I’m sorry, I did not mean to disrespect you, Sister Chen. Regardless of your background, my brother cherishes you sincerely. My grandfather, my third uncle and aunt, especially Yan, they all like you. So do I."

Chen Afu laughed and hastily reassured, "I know, Sister Chu, you spoke without thinking about it. My birth really is like that, and because of my background, I was unwilling to accept Chu..."

Her face reddened abruptly and her words trailed off. This was ancient times, and the person in front of her was Chu Lingxuan’s sister—she shouldn’t discuss her relationship with him...

Chu Hua was enjoying Chen Afu’s story when she abruptly stopped speaking. Seeing this, Chu Hua quickly encouraged her, "Sister Chen, please continue. You didn’t accept my brother at first, but then, what did my brother do to win your heart?"

Chen Afu waved her hand and said, "Not at all, don’t make things up."

Chu Hua certainly didn’t believe her. She grabbed Chen Afu’s hand and asked her to continue. The two laughed and playfully tussled with each other, which reminded Chen Afu of her playful interactions with her best friends in her past life.

Finally, Chen Afu asked again, "Does Mr. Luo also serve in Shizhou Mansion?"

Chu Hua shook her head and replied, "My second uncle is serving in West Sichuan Province. Since my paternal grandmother is still alive, my elder uncle and second uncle have not divided the family’s property. Since my paternal grandmother fell sick and ended up bedridden, my second uncle has been asking my second aunt to live in Shizhou Mansion with their kids, to show filial piety to my grandmother on his behalf."

While they were talking, Chu Lingxuan returned to find Chen Afu and Chu Hua chatting and laughing, their hands linked together, joy in their eyes. He asked, "What are you two so happily talking about?"

Chu Hua giggled and said, "We’re discussing a secret and not going to tell you, Brother. By the way, has that man left? Why did you bring him here, Brother? He shouldn’t be allowed to see Yan. How could he dare to play the good person now after all the wicked things he did."

Chu Lingxuan said, "No matter what, he is still our father. Not letting him in to celebrate Yan’s birthday would not have been appropriate. Since he said he wanted to see the kids, grandfather asked me to bring him in."

Then he said to Chen Afu, "We’re going back to Tang Garden in three days. Come with us."

Shaking her head, Chen Afu replied, "No, thank you. When I left, Dabao was crying bitterly. I promised him that I would be back soon."

Although Chu Lingxuan didn’t want to let Chen Afu go, he had to respect her decision when she brought up Dabao.

Xia Yue reminded Chen Afu, "Miss, the play seems to be nearing its close, perhaps you should go to rejoin the ladies."

Chen Afu stood up and said to Chu Lingxuan, "Sir, I’ll take my leave now."

Chu Lingxuan said, "I’ll see you off in the morning."

Chen Afu nodded, then said to Chu Hua, "After you visit Abbot Liao Chen, spend some more time in Tang Garden so I can keep you company."

Chu Hua agreed and walked over to Gui Garden with her, where the opera was being performed.

The opera here was somewhat like a Kunqu opera from Chen Afu’s former life—I didn’t understand a word, but the costumes and makeup were very impressive.

After about a quarter of an hour, the opera was over. Chen Afu and her sisters bid Granny Luo farewell. Granny Luo apologized quietly to Mrs. Jiang and Chen Afu for Mrs. Li’s rudeness, asking them not to take it to heart.

Mrs. Jiang laughed and took Granny Luo’s hand, reassuring her, "Niece, rest assured, I’m not going to make a fuss with someone so ignorant."

Casting a glance at Mrs. Li, who was still saying goodbye to other female guests from afar, Chen Afu thought to herself, the woman is clearly a joke but has no self-awareness. How could the Chu’s have married someone like her.