Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 457 - 448: Seeking a Decree for Sister

Afterwards, the little brothers became thoroughly addicted to playing in Fu Garden, tirelessly enjoying themselves. They didn’t want to return home at night and became upset at the mention of going home. Liao Chen accompanied the little brothers to play here every day and also lived in Tang Garden.

Several days later, when Liao Chen wanted to return to Yingxue Nunnery, Chen Afu deliberately told the little brothers, "What should we do? Grandma is leaving, she doesn’t want us anymore."

The little brothers, being smart, immediately started crying. Liao Chen, heartbroken, sighed, "Okay, Okay, don’t cry, grandma will accompany you."

Chen Afu therefore satisfiedly managed to keep Liao Chen in Tang Garden.

However, something puzzled her greatly. Mrs. Chen used to come to Lu Garden for meals every day, but since her return, she had seen Hu Laowu come to Lu Garden, and even Carpenter Wu and Junior Officer Gao. But she had not seen Mrs. Chen, Chen Ye, nor anyone else from the main family.

When Chen Ming was not present, Mrs. Wang discreetly informed Chen Afu that last month, Mrs. Chen had come to discuss with Chen Ming once again, hoping to let Chen Ming and Chen Shi contribute silver to build a courtyard in the northern part of the village just like Lu Garden for the main family.

Chen Ming had been nursing faint hopes that as long as the main family had a house in the capital city, they would not ask their brothers for money. However, not long after, they once again sought money through their grandmother.

He finally realized the truth of Afu’s words: if he did not refuse, the main family would keep reaching out for money. This would not only harm his hard-working elder brother, but also spoil the fellowship between the three brothers.

He sent a letter to Chen Shi. After Chen Shi returned, instead of residing in the main family residence, he stayed in Lu Garden. The next day, they invited Mrs. Chen over. The two brothers spoke with her behind closed doors for most of the day. When they came out, Mrs. Chen’s eyes were red from crying, and she accused Chen Ming and Chen Shi of being ungrateful and not respecting their elder brother.

After Mrs. Chen returned, she never came to Lu Garden again. Chen Ye has also never visited. Only Chen Agu came secretly once to make amends to Chen Ming.

Those days, the village was buzzing with rumors that Chen Ming and Chen Shi had forgotten their roots, favoring their wives’ families. As soon as these words circulated, others said that if the two brothers had truly forgotten their roots, how could Chen Ye and Chen Agu, both simple farmers, have become landlords and shopkeepers, let alone buy houses in the capital city. They received so much from them, yet they still said these ungrateful things.

When Chen Ming heard these rumors, he was furious. Even outsiders knew the truth, yet they still uttered such hypocritical words. After much thought, he decided to let them cool down, and reasoned that Chen Ye was a shrewd person who would figure out what was in his best interest. If he didn’t realize it immediately, he would continue reflecting and eventually understand one day. Once he did, they would still be good brothers.

Later on, when Hu Laowu visited Lu Garden, he also said that his sister and brother-in-law had lost their sense of right and wrong, and that he had even gone to the Chen mansion to scold them.

However, Chen Ming felt that they should still show filial respect when necessary. Every ten days, he would ask Shan Zi to send two catties of meat and two catties of pastries to Mrs. Chen. For the first two times, Mrs. Chen did not accept it, but from the third time onwards, she did. She also unceremoniously accepted the one tael of silver per month for her living expenses.

Chen Afu was somewhat perplexed and smiled, "My father is after all a scholar, wise in his thoughts."

Mrs. Wang chuckled, "It’s not just because your father is a scholar, but also because he realized that he was right to listen to his daughter."

This made Chen Afu chuckle.

Mrs. Wang went on to say that Mrs. Ding was terrified by Chu Lingxuan’s summons to the Capital City as a witness. She fell ill and could not leave the bed after returning home. Wang Cai not only did not call for a doctor but also took all of her silver and jewelry and ran away. Ms. Ding was angry and worried at the same time, worsening her condition. The people in the village had previously despised her, and with her son and Wang Laohan not taking care of her, no one else bothered about her either. She died within a few days.

After Mrs. Ding died, Wang Cai and Mrs. Ding’s family had a huge fight over the five acres of land she left behind. After the mediation by the village chief, Wang Cai got three acres and The Dings got two.

And that’s how Mrs. Ding, who had cheated Mrs. Wang twice and made Wang Cheng suffer for half his life, met her end.

When Mrs. Wang discussed these matters, she was calm, "At first, I wished for nothing more than Mrs. Ding’s death, but when I heard that she had actually died, I did not feel as elated as I thought I would...ah."

When Chen Afu told her about the time when Chen Shiying’s mother was divorced, she had the same expression. She said, "That Granny Zhao, because she is Ying Di’s mother, even though she treated me in such a way, I never really hated her. But after she tried to harm you, I hated her deeply. I can’t understand how there can be such a malicious person in this world, who could harm her granddaughter in such a despicable manner...Her fate is her retribution from Heaven, and I don’t need to hate her anymore."

When she mentioned her being recorded in the Chen family tree, her reaction was somewhat greater. Firstly, she was stunned, then burst out laughing. She said, "I suppose Ying Di and I are siblings now, but I don’t set much store by that past relationship. But, because my title was elevated and Afu no longer has to live under the shadow of being illegitimate, without being wronged, I am happy."

Life in the countryside was peaceful and pleasant, and Chen Afu’s belly was gradually growing. She found it strange. Her reaction was very strong during her previous pregnancy, craving sour and spicy food every day. But this time, there seemed to be no such reaction. If not for her gradually growing belly and the occasional reminders to be careful, she often forgets that she’s pregnant.

Apart from looking after her children, she would also tend to the crops when she had nothing to do, mainly focusing on growing crisy small yellow cucumbers.

She didn’t dare to use the cucumber seeds that she had brought into her space again but used the seeds from those cucumbers, saying that the barbarian’s seeds were used up. The cucumbers grown from these seeds, although not as delicious as the previous ones, were still crunchier and sweeter than regular cucumbers, and smaller. Chen Afu referred to them as "crispy small yellow cucumbers".

Crunchy small yellow cucumbers are her current favorite, whether pickles, refreshing cucumbers, spicy cucumbers, sweet and sour cucumbers, etc., she can’t do without them at every meal.

On the 15th of June, she received a letter sent by Chu Lingxuan. Mr. Chu was appointed as the Left Army commandery’s Left Commander-in-chief, rank one. He is the youngest rank one official in the Dashun Dynasty and is only thirty-eight years old this year.

Wang Cheng has been acquitted. The emperor even specifically brought Wang Cheng to Jinluan Hall to commend him, saying that it was a disgrace to the court to have such a loyal hero suffer injustice.

The emperor rewarded Wang Cheng with five hundred taels of silver, a box of Dongzhu, ten rolls of palace patterned cloth, and appointed him as a Fifth Rank Officer in the Left Army Commandery. An officer is a civil position in the army, and since Wang Cheng was disabled, the emperor sympathized and gave him this position.

Afterwards, the emperor asked Wang Cheng if he had any further requests. Wang Cheng, who had previously been scared and unable to express himself clearly, surprisingly requested to issue an imperial mandate for his sister, Mrs. Wang, against everyone’s expectations.