Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 473 - 464: Unexpected Gains

Chapter 473: Chapter 464: Unexpected Gains

As soon as Mrs. Chu finished speaking, Yu and Ming, standing aside, burst into loud wails. Crying and screaming simultaneously, they protested, "Sis, ours, bad money... Get out, get out..."

The two little brothers made everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Chen Afu blushed a little, and huffed, "Look at how petty you are. She is your third grandma, the mother of your fifth uncle. We are all one family."

Mrs. Chu laughed even harder. "Alright, third grandma won’t snatch this little treasure from you. When your mother has another little sister, I will come and snatch her." She then presented Yu’er with a pair of top-quality jade bracelets as a token of meeting.

The two brothers understood the first half of the sentence but not the second half. They only burst into laughter when they understood that the third grandma wouldn’t snatch their sister.

Soon, Mrs. Song came to invite her to the western side room for dinner. Mrs. Song smiled and said, "It’s cold today, so I’ve prepared a mutton pot for third aunt to dispel the chill."

Mrs. Chu nodded satisfactorily and rose to go eat. Even though Chu Lingzhi wasn’t hungry, he dutifully went along and had dinner with his mother.

Mrs. Chu looked at her second son. Not only had he grown taller and stronger, but he also appeared refined and had a splendid demeanor. Most importantly, he had good skin—smooth, fair, and rosy.

Mr. and Mrs. Chu had stayed in the western border for many years, where the sandstorms were fierce and the sun beat down harshly. As a result, their skin wasn’t great—slightly coarse. Although Mrs. Chu took great care of her skin, it still had minor differences compared to the ladies in the Capital City. As for Mr. Chu, his skin was even rougher due to his wheat complexion and large pores, giving him a rugged and unrestrained appearance. Even Chu Lingwei and Chu Lingzhi, who were born and grew up in the western region, weren’t spared— their skin was slightly darker and coarser compared to the other children in the Chu family.

However, Chu Lingzhi had completely transformed now. His skin was both white and tender, making him look like a refined little gentleman carved from jade.

The more Mrs. Chu looked at him, the more she liked him. She laughed, "Being filial to your grandfather has granted you some unexpected benefits. Your sister-in-law really knows how to raise children well. All the kids are so well-groomed. No wonder Prince Rui still refuses to take Xuan’er back." She added, "Who would have thought that your father, such a manly man, could have a son who is such a pretty scholar?"

Chu Lingzhi frowned and said unhappily, "I am not just a pretty scholar. I practice martial arts every day with my elder brother or the guardian. I am both accomplished in literature and martial arts."

Mrs. Chu found this amusing and laughed heartily.

After dinner, Mrs. Chu specifically summoned Zhui Feng’s family to praise and thank Sasa. She also gifted it two silver-engraved Yingluo rings.

In the evening, Marquis Chu, Chu Lingqi, and Chu Ling’an arrived at the main court. They sat in the living room and had someone bring out little Yu’er for them to see.

Mrs. Chu personally carried Yu’er out and told them about the humorous incident where Yu and Ming regarded her as the villain who would steal their sister and insisted on throwing her out.

The old Marquis laughed heartily, saying, "Those two little rascals are so fierce, they’re like a pair of tiny bandits..." He then repeated the incident of the two brothers grabbing Zhou’s things.

The old man was quite delighted, and he retold the glorious exploits of the two brothers over and over again. Even though he mentioned this incident in almost every letter, everyone, including Mrs. Chu, still laughed heartily.

When they were alone, Mrs. Chu told Chen Afu about how Mrs. Chen, the second daughter-in-law of Vice Senator He, had been beaten by Mr. He so badly that she couldn’t get out of bed. As the He family kept a close guard on their affairs, outsiders were unaware. It was only after Mrs. Chen’s dowry maid had bribed a merchant with a hefty sum that Mrs. Chu received a plea for help.

Mr. Chu had already been hinted at by Chu Lingxuan. Not only was Mrs. Chen Chen Afu’s sister, but more importantly, Mr. He was a loyalist of the second prince, holding a third-rank position in the Left Guard Army. Although the position of Vice Senator was not high, having such a thorn in his side outside the Capital City always irked him.

Hence, Mr. Chu sought out Mr. Jiang. Together, they denounced Mr. He in the Golden Hall, claiming he indulged his son, favored his concubine over his wife, beat his weak wife so severely that she couldn’t get out of bed, and almost caused a fatality.

Mr. Jiang was livid, saying that Mrs. Chen was his granddaughter, the daughter of Chen Shiying, a dearly loved and pampered girl. How could anyone dare to hit her like that? He even shed a few tears when he expressed his sorrow.

Vice Senator He had no right to attend court, so the Emperor reprimanded Yang, the commander of the Left Guard Army, accusing him of lacking assertiveness.

Commander Yang was so enraged that he nearly spat. After returning, he not only berated Vice Senator He, but also demoted He Linsheng from a sixth-rank official to a seventh-rank official. He also hinted privately to Vice Senator Hu that if Vice Senator He made another mistake, Hu should suggest to the Ministry of War that Vice Senator He be dismissed from his post.

Vice Senator He did not dare to lay a finger on Mrs. Chen when he returned home. Instead, he beat He Linsheng half to death and sold his two trouble-making young concubines. Afterward, he apologized profusely to the Jiangs and the Chus, promising to discipline his son properly...

In the end, Mrs. Chu said, "Both Mr. He and Mrs. Chen are indeed a perfect match for each other. One is ruthlessly cruel, and the other is reckless. One is ferociously abusive, and the other takes the abuse indifferently. If I were Mrs. Chen, I would have chosen to divorce him and avoid having to undergo such torment any longer. Even if it meant never marrying again, it would be far better than getting beaten repeatedly."

Ever since her past life, Chen Afu had always despised men who beat their wives. However, she didn’t feel a bit of sympathy for Chen Yuhui being beaten. That woman was vindictive and extremely vain, and she had chosen this path for herself. She responded, "My little sister is different. She would rather cry in a luxurious palanquin than laugh in a simple oxcart. Initially, my mother found her a relatively humble but good family. But she threw tantrums and did everything she could to cancel the engagement and force her way into the He family. She insists on not divorcing, still holding onto the hope that one day she can tame Mr. He and become the wife of an official." Thinking of the cunning Chu Lingxuan, and how he was using her to undermine the He family, Chen Afu added, "However, it’s rather pitiful to be beaten by a man this way. If my third uncle and aunt can help her in the future, they should. Maybe this will make Mr. He hit her a little less."

Mrs. Chu was amused by the metaphor, "This analogy is quite novel and fitting. Indeed, there are many girls who despise poverty and love wealth, preferring to suffer great hardships in order to marry into a rich household." She added, "Rest assured, I will take care of her. A few days ago, I specially sent a nanny from my side to the He family. She brought Mrs. Chen some restorative supplies, and she gave Mrs. He a copy of ’Lessons for Women’. Mrs. He also promised several times that she would treat Mrs. Chen well and not let her son abuse his wife anymore."

Chen Afu gratefully laughed. She thought to herself, Mrs. Chen must think that with so many people helping her, wouldn’t she eventually be able to tame Mr. He someday?

Mrs. Chu was worried about her husband’s health and only stayed in Dingzhou for three days. On the 13th day of the twelfth lunar month, she decided to leave. At the request of Prince Rui, she brought Li Xuan back with her. The old Marquis and Chu Lingzhi also returned to the Capital City with her to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Since Chen Afu would only reach one month of age on the seventh day of the first lunar month of the next year, the Chu Lingxuan family couldn’t head back to the Capital City before the New Year. As they didn’t return, the Chu Lingqi family was also asked to stay behind.

Li Xuan didn’t want to leave. He couldn’t bear to part with Chen Afu, his brothers and sister, and most importantly, little Yu’er. He was forcibly placed in the carriage by Mrs. Wei, but he cried relentlessly.