Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 431 - 426: Reconciled

Chapter 431: Chapter 426: Reconciled

Chen Afu was somewhat taken aback. Chen Aman’s thinking was indeed unique and smart.

Yang Mingyuan was an old fox in the business field; Chen Aman couldn’t outsmart him. As long as she did not have any ulterior motives, he would naturally put everything into order for her, giving her what she was due. Her way of thinking, in fact, could earn even more pity and love from him and Mrs. Yang.

As for the teaching of the children, the lives in the first and the third rooms were becoming divergent for a reason. Chen Shi and Mrs. Zhang were both sharp but decent people; all the children in the house had been trained well.

Chen Afu nodded and said, "You’re young, waiting a few more years to have children is also good. Chao and Qian’er are good children. If you treat them sincerely, they will return the same sincerity to you... However, you must grasp a certain degree. Whether it is a relationship between husband and wife, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, or mother and son, one has to be sincere, respect each other, but also not too submissive..."

Long-term submission on one side, on the contrary, can easily fuel certain arrogance. Chen Afu could only hint as much.

Chen Aman seemed to understand her meaning and nodded accordingly.

When they talked about the marriage of Chen Ayu, there were several families who liked him, all of whom were involved in small businesses, and he had refused all of them. Chen Afu nodded; Ayu was only seventeen years old, there was no need to rush. Yang Mingyuan also hoped that Ayu could find a good home. With the Chus as a big tree to rely on, his bride’s birth family was bound to rise sooner or later. Ayu marrying another girl from a better background could garner him more help.

Chen Afu nevertheless joked, "It would be nice for Ayu to get married, then on the second day of the Lunar New Year, I can bring the children back to my home."

Everyone laughed uproariously at this.

They played until they had dinner before going home. Before leaving, Yang Chao and Yang Qian pulled over Chen Afu and asked her to bring Dabao and Yan’er next time.

As soon as Chen Afu returned home, she was immediately asked to go to Rong’an Hall. She hadn’t even entered the house when she heard the hearty laughter of the third lady. Old Marquis Chu and Marquis Chu were all there, all of them smiling happily.

It turned out that one of the principal wives and two side wives of the Ninth Prince were all pregnant. The principal wife, Mrs. Zhang, was the first to conceive, and she had kept the secret. The Chu family only knew about it from Marquis Chu and the third elder. Now, the other two side wives, Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Huang, were simultaneously pregnant, and it was made public.

This was indeed a huge piece of good news. The Ninth Prince was about to have three children, so Dabao would be safe.

That little fellow, Chen Afu really couldn’t bear to part with him, yet she also wanted to send him away as soon as possible. The dilemma was unbearable. She asked, "Now that the Ninth Prince has children, will Dabao be returning to the Imperial Palace soon?"

Marquis Chu shook his head and said, "Dabao’s return to the palace will still have to wait until the Ninth Prince has fully grasped the situation. It’s not only a matter of danger, but also because we don’t want the other princes to know about the Emperor’s special treatment for Shan Jieyu’s son."

Hearing this, Chen Afu was somehow a little pleased. In the future, Dabao wouldn’t be in any danger, and having him by her side wouldn’t bring much trouble to her life. Thinking back to what the monk had said, his wisdom was indeed profound - at that time, he said for Dabao not to leave within a hundred li of Xiangluo Village for two years, otherwise there would be great misfortune. That was exactly two years ago, in the first month of the year, and the deadline was just about now.

In the evening, Chen Afu took her child, and brought half a bowl of pine nuts and two pieces of rose syrup candies from the Imperial Kitchen into the space to reward the adorable creature. It had worked hard to find the tri-color ball for the Ninth Prince.

On February 8th, accompanied by second elder Chu Lingqi and Manager Luo, Chen Afu went to visit Chen Shiying again. She was about to leave, so she went to say farewell to him.

It was still General Lin who received them last time, and Chu Lingqi gave him a wallet full of silver notes again.

Upon entering the main room, Chu Lingqi and Manager Luo were talking with General Lin in the hall, while Chen Afu went into the side room by herself.

Chen Shiying had already gotten off the bed and, when he saw Chen Afu come in, he smiled and pulled her onto the bed, asking, "How are my grandsons? With this unpredictable weather, have they fallen ill?"

Chen Afu responded, "The children are all fine, they’re plump and round, and they’ve grown this much." She gestured with her hand to demonstrate their height and then laughed, "They can roll over and chase after people now. Their grandfather loves them dearly. He always says that in the future, Yu will follow his grandfather to learn martial arts, while Ming will follow his maternal grandfather to study literature."

Chen Shiying chuckled and said, "Good, good. In the future, I’ll be in charge of teaching Ming lessons and make him a scholar."

His laughter was very hearty, genuine from the heart.

Chen Afu laughed and said, "Father’s complexion is good and much more energetic than last time."

Chen Shiying laughed and said, "I’m doing well. When it’s cold, the bed is always warm, and I even had a charcoal stove for a few days." He raised his eyebrows suggestively, implying that the silver they had given must be quite a significant sum.

Chen Afu laughed and nodded. Previously, she had asked Chu Lingqi to bring Manager Luo over twice. Each time, they generously gifted silver, hoping that Chen Shiying could live a better life, never lacking warmth or food.

Naturally, the soldiers here wouldn’t dare to accept any silver. Mrs. Jiang’s relatives had tried to send it a few times, but they were righteously refused.

This time, Chen Afu not only brought the food, preserved wine, and spring clothes she had prepared herself, but also the food and clothing sent by the Jiang family. Once again, she nagged Chen Shiying a lot, asking him to take care of himself, not to starve, to think good thoughts, to think of his family...

Chen Shiying said, "I’ve lived so long, and this is the first time I’ve really had the chance to reflect. I didn’t just think about the past, but also about the future. When I was young, I wanted to study hard every day to realize the dreams my father couldn’t, to become a top scholar and a good official. After becoming an official, I had to walk on thin ice every day because of what your grandmother did, always afraid that the past would be revealed, tarnishing my good reputation and disrupting my children. Now I think about it, I was narrow-minded... No matter how careful one is with things done in the past, they can’t be hidden forever. They will eventually be revealed, it’s just a matter of time... If I have the good fortune to regain my freedom and continue as an official, I will try to be a good one. If I can’t be an official, being a commoner isn’t so bad either. ’Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, leisurely seeing the southern mountain’, that kind of life is also desirable..."

Looking at his current state, he had truly gained clarity. This was good; as long as he was alive, he could face and accept any outcome, regardless of what it was.

Chen Afu smiled and said, "Father has literary talent and a distinguished appearance. Even if you were not an official, you would still be a renowned scholar in the eyes of the world."

Chen Shiying laughed heartily and said, "Fuer is the best gift heaven has given me. Every time I see you, my heart is filled with joy."

Chen Afu’s smile reached her eyes as she laughed, "Father, you speak so sweetly, you fill my heart with joy, too."

This conversation was light-hearted, neither of them mentioned what punishment Chen Shiying might face. The Emperor and his officials were not yet finished with him, and his issue would need to wait for some time before it would be resolved.

As for the two incidents in Jiangnan, they had been clarified. The one was done by the servants of Mrs. Chen, and the other by The Tangs. Chen Shiying had corrected both afterwards, returning the money, ceding back the occupied property to the Tang family, and compensating them several hundred taels of silver. The victim had said at the time that they would not pursue the matter further.