Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 460 - 451: Many Thoughts

Chapter 460: Chapter 451: Many Thoughts

Chen Afu was busy in the small kitchen with Mrs. Hua, preparing Chu Lingxuan’s favorite vegetarian dishes, because Chu Lingxuan would be eating a vegetarian meal with Liao Chen tonight.

In the evening, Dabao and Chu Lingzhi went back to Jin Courtyard early, while little Ms. Chu was still lingering in Yanxiang Residence. She was waiting for her father; she hadn’t seen her father in a very long time. Originally, she wanted to go to the Zen Courtyard to see her father in the late afternoon, but her mother wouldn’t allow it, claiming that her father and grandmother were discussing important matters.

With two quarters of an hour still left till night, Chen Afu smiled, "Yan’er, it’s time for you to go to bed. Tomorrow, you can see your father as soon as you come over."

Chu Hanyan gave a yawn and pouted, complaining, "What if Daddy leaves before dawn?"

Chen Afu replied with a laugh, "He won’t tomorrow. Your daddy will stay at home for a couple of days."

Only then did little miss, led by Luo Mei, return to the Yiran Courtyard.

After sending little miss off, Hong Fei helped Chen Afu to the West Wing Room. The two little brothers lived here now. Yu was in the North Room, and Ming was in the South Side. There was a small bed with a railing all around it in the middle of the room where they would sometimes sit and play when they were awake.

Chen Afu first went into the North Room to check on Yu, then to the South Room to check on Ming. They were both sleeping soundly, wearing only a small red bellyband. They were surrounded by a pale green mosquito net embroidered with jade bamboo. The two mothers were still working, sitting under a candle doing needlework, occasionally fanning their sleeping children.

After checking in on them, Chen Afu returned to their main room and sat on the Luohan Bed in a daze.

Chu Lingxuan didn’t get back until mid morning and he was not looking in high spirits.

Chen Afu stood up and approached him, asking, "Did not the mother agree to return home with us?"

Chu Lingxuan took her hand and headed towards the bedroom, replying in an off-topic manner, "Why haven’t you gone to bed yet at this late hour?"

Chen Afu replied, "I couldn’t rest easy without you here."

Chu Lingxuan gave a small smile at the corner of his mouth, but his expression hardened again thinking about his mother’s stubbornness. He sat her down by the bed, saying, "Mother refuses to go back home and she is very insistent about it. She said that even our home in the capital city is known as The Chus’ Mansion, and she will never enter The Chus again." He sighed, "Mother holds deep resentment towards the father. Although she knows it wasn’t his fault, she still doesn’t want to forgive him. In the future... ah, I need to persuade her again."

Chen Afu advised, "We must take it one step at a time. The fact that grandmother has stayed in Tang Garden for over a month is already a remarkable achievement." She added, chuckling, "Our two sons have been so charming, clinging onto grandmother all day. They pounce on her as soon as they see her."

Chu Lingxuan also chuckled, "Mother adores them and always sings their praises." After pondering for a moment, he added, "Since Mother is so attached to them, let’s try to find a way to have our sons draw her into our home in Dingzhou."

"That’s not right!" blurted Chen Afu. Seeing Chu Lingxuan’s puzzled look, she explained further, "I feel that allowing Yu and Ming to keep grandmother’s affection in this mortal world, to let grandmother enjoy familial affection here, and allowing us, the younger generation, to be more filial to her, already fulfilled our sons’ duty of filial piety. We can’t force grandmother to go to The Chus against her will. Our sons can keep her in Tang Garden because it’s her territory and she willingly gets close to her grandsons there. However, the task of bringing grandmother back to The Chus should fall onto your father. After all, it was him who sent her away from The Chus and left her in solitude in the nunnery for more than ten years. He should win back his wife with his sincerity and love."

"You’re exaggerating, women are always overthinking," Chu Lingxuan replied with a frown, "Father is very busy, and as the younger generation, we should alleviate his worries and help him."

Chen Afu stubbornly said, "Yu and Ming keeping grandmother’s affection already helps father a lot, by buying him time at least." She then straightened up from Chu Lingxuan’s embrace and said, "You men are always doing great things and it’s often the women who suffer the consequences. Grandmother was heartbroken for such a long time, to bring her back to The Chus, of course father should use his utmost sincerity to move her."

"You women are always overthinking."

Chu Lingxuan couldn’t understand why despite all his persuasions, his normally gentle mother was this time particularly stubborn and just flatly refused to go back home, but the reason was explained by his wife. To make her return home, his father would have to come in person. But his father was busy in Capital City, where could he spare the time to come here? Besides, given mother’s resentment towards father, just the thought of how much trouble it would be if the father attempted to get her home sent shivers down his spine.

Chu Lingxuan didn’t argue any more and got up to wash up.

After the couple lay in bed together, Chu Lingxuan’s large hand gently rubbed Chen Afu’s slightly swollen belly. He couldn’t hide his grin as he said, "I hope this time there’s just one. Having twins is too exhausting." He added, "Third Aunt was thrilled to hear that you’re pregnant again and hopes you can have a girl. She even said it’d be best if it was another pair of twins."

Chen Afu laughed, "Then Third Aunt will be disappointed. The doctor has taken my pulse, and this time, there’s only one. However, no matter how many daughters I have, I wouldn’t want to give them to Third Aunt." She added playfully, "If I had another daughter, I wouldn’t tell Third Aunt. Anyway, Dingzhou is far away from Capital City."

Chu Lingxuan whispered, "Perhaps, before we have our second daughter, we will already have moved to Capital City..."

Chen Afu could tell there was more to his words and turned to look at him. Starlight was shining through the window, casting a veil of light on his majestic features through the fine gauze canopy, making him look more tender and handsome. The only possibility for them to return to Capital City was if they managed to bring down the Second and Third Princes and the Ninth Prince became the crown prince, wasn’t it?

So she asked, "Is everything going smoothly for the Ninth Prince?" Thinking of the fact that the Second Prince was a reincarnated person, she hesitated before saying, "The Second Prince seems to have a wise guide and can foresee some future events. If he feels that he is out of options, he might take desperate measures to prevent certain things from happening. If there’s a good opportunity, we should try to eliminate him in one go to prevent things from dragging on."

Chu Lingxuan sighed, "Eliminating him in one go, easier said than done!" He then reassured her, "Don’t worry, the Ninth Prince has been biding his time for ten years, and we, the Chu family, have also been preparing in secret for ten years. Plus, the Emperor’s goal has not changed... However, ever since they lost Yang Qing and a few others, it seems like the Second Prince and Prince Guo have become impatient... The reason I’ve been convincing Mother to return home for her spiritual cultivation is because I fear that the Second Prince might do something reckless, like threatening Mother. Yingxue Nunnery is too far away. Although I have my people there to protect her and it’s near Lingyin Temple, I’m still worried that something unexpected might happen."

Chen Afu’s heart sank and she said, "As it’s a matter concerning Mother’s safety, let’s... let’s have her move back home."

Chu Lingxuan sighed, "Mother is particularly stubborn about this issue, she simply won’t listen no matter how much I try to convince her. She even said that life and death are predestined and if she were to be kidnapped by traitors, she would rather kill herself. I guess I’ll have to try persuading her again."

Not wanting to appear stubborn, Chen Afu said, "Tomorrow, I’ll take the children with me and we’ll all try to convince her."