Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 481 - 472: Leaving

Chapter 481: Chapter 472: Leaving

On hearing Chu Lingxuan’s words, Chen Afu’s heart filled with sorrow and her tears flowed uncontrollably. After so many years together, how could she bear to part with Dabao!

Hearing his wife’s sobbing, Chu Lingxuan said, "I, too, am attached to Shiyi, who has lived with us for so long. However, he is a prince and does not belong to us. It is a joyous occasion when we can safely send him back to reunite with his family, and only then can the burden be lifted from our hearts."

Chen Afu wiped her tears on his shoulder and choked out, "I know. He has been nothing but trouble, and I should be happy to see him saved and returned home. But... "

Listening to his wife’s inner conflict, Chu Lingxuan felt helpless. In his heart, he truly hoped that he could soon send away this great problem.

After they held each other for a while, Chu Lingxuan said, "This is a cause for celebration. I want to invite my second brother to the mansion for a few drinks."

Chen Afu’s mood was very unsettled at this moment, filled with a mix of sorrow and reluctance. She wanted to keep herself busy, to talk and fill her heart so as to avoid thinking about their impending parting. But there were many things she couldn’t do and many words she couldn’t say. Now, all she could do was cook. She said, "Let your second uncle come here for a drink, and I will personally prepare a few dishes for you in the kitchen."

Chen Afu led a few maids to the small kitchen in the backyard and made a few dishes that Chu Lingxuan loved, along with a mutton pot.

Hong Fei was puzzled. She didn’t know what was going on with her mistress. One moment she was clearly very happy, but then suddenly became sad, with red eyes as if she had been crying.

Chu Lingxuan and Chu Lingqi drank in the West Side Room until late at night and both ended up drunk. Since Chu Lingqi arrived in Dingzhou, he had learned a lot about the Chu family’s secrets, including that they supported the Ninth Prince and were making various efforts to help him become the heir to the throne.

Of course, even when he was drunk, Chu Lingxuan dared not reveal that Dabao was the Eleventh Prince. Shiyi’s identity could only be revealed after he was sent back to the palace.

Seeing the two drunken men sprawled on the table, Chen Afu had someone take Chu Lingqi to rest in the Outer Court, while she and Hong Fei helped Chu Lingxuan to bed and undressed him and wiped his face.

The next day, Chen Afu wrote a letter to Mrs. Wang, asking it to be delivered to the countryside as quickly as possible. She wrote that her family was heading to the Capital City in five days and may stay in the Marquis’ Mansion from then on, and asked them to join them for a gathering.

Though they would still have the occasional opportunity to meet with Mrs. Wang and her family in the future, Dabao would likely be difficult to see after this.

Dabao was raised by Mrs. Wang and had formed deep bonds with their family after living with them for so many years; still, Chen Afu couldn’t reveal Dabao’s true identity to them but encouraged them to spend more time with Dabao.

The next day, Mrs. Wang and her family arrived in Dingzhou, coming directly to the Chu household, bringing with them Wang Cai and Yuan Bao. Yuan Bao was noticeably pregnant and looked ready to give birth.

Chen Afu and the others had not yet had lunch, and they waited for them to arrive and eat together.

Dabao was unaware that he would not be able to see his "grandfather", "grandmother", and "uncle" very often in the future. He asked them, "Grandfather, grandmother, uncle, what do you guys like? I’ll buy them for you in the Capital City and have them sent back."

Mrs. Wang hugged him tightly in her arms, stroking his face and head, filled with reluctance. That baby she had held in her arms as an infant had grown into a handsome young man.

She was not worried about the other children; they were all of Marquis’ blood. But Dabao was only an adopted son. Although her son-in-law and daughter-in-law would treat Dabao well, not everyone in the Marquis’ Mansion would do the same. There was a saying that "entering the Marquis’ household is like entering the sea", and Dabao was still very young. She feared that he would suffer in the future...

However, she couldn’t express her thoughts and could only put on a smile, saying, "Our life at home is comfortable, and we lack nothing. Dabao, you’re a big boy now. You must take good care of yourself, work hard and be ambitious. Make a good future for yourself."

By the end of her sentence, her eyes were tearing up.

Dabao noticed the reluctance in his grandmother’s eyes and he, too, felt reluctant to leave his grandmother’s family. He said, "Grandmother, you should come to the Capital City more often. My fifth uncle says that the Marquis’ Mansion is very large. When the time comes, my mother will arrange a place for you to stay." He added, "Once I arrive in the Capital City, I’ll buy grandfather some liquor from the Zuixian Liquor Store, buy grandmother some embroidered products from the Jinyun Embroidery Workshop, and buy my uncle some writing materials from Wen Shangzhai. Right now, I have a lot of private money -- well over a hundred taels."

Ms. Chu, who was standing by, said, "I also have some private money to buy gifts for grandfather, grandmother, and uncle."

Mrs. Wang hugged her into her arms and said, "Thank you, my girl. Our home lacks nothing. All that matters is that you, your siblings, and your mother are comfortable."

Chen Ming also felt reluctant but thought that he could visit them in the Capital City from time to time and so was not as upset as Mrs. Wang.

Alu had a more distant thought. His sister mentioned in her letter that Mr. Liao would still come to Dingzhou Mansion on the 20th, but after his examination and becoming a scholar, he might not leave his hometown to teach him in Dingzhou Mansion anymore. However, as long as he could pass the scholars’ examination, the Chu family would find a way to let him study at the Imperial College. At that time, he would frequently meet his sister and his nephews and nieces. Moreover, his biggest hope was to get a good score in the exam and enter the Imperial College on his own merit, without relying on his brother-in-law’s help.

Mrs. Wang then took out a set of clothes she had sewn for Dabao and held them up to him; they were the perfect size. She patted him on the head and said with a smile, "These clothes were made for you by your grandmother. Your eighth birthday is around the corner, Granny won’t be around you... Ah, how time flies. My grandson will soon be eight."

Chen Afu was also reluctant to part with Mrs. Wang and Chen Ming and said, "Father, mother, once we’ve settled in the Capital City, I’ll buy you a house there. In your free time, you can come and stay in the Capital City. The Xinglong Grand Restaurant is also about to open there. Perhaps in the future, third uncle’s family will also live in the Capital City for a long time. My husband has said that if he becomes an official in the Capital City in the future, he will also transfer little uncle over."

Although Chen Afu and her son moved back to the Marquis’ Mansion, Chu Lingxuan would remain temporarily in Dingzhou Mansion.

Chen Ming and the others stayed the night, living with Dabao in the Chaohua Courtyard.

The next day, Chu Lingqi and Mrs. Song’s family moved into the Deputy General’s Mansion.

Chen Afu and Chu Lingxuan entertained guests for two days at the mansion. The guests were some of their friends, including The Fus, The Qins, The Lius, and others, as well as their relatives: the homes of Chen Shiying, Wang Cheng, and Chen Shi.

On the fourth day, they packed up their things, and their friends and relatives sent over many gifts.

Chen Afu also arranged for some of the servants. Since Chu Lingxuan and Liao Chen would still be staying in the mansion for a while, most of the servants in the mansion would temporarily stay there too. She only took a few old servant women and managers who were useful to her to the Marquis’ Mansion, including Luo Fang’s family who were more convenient to use. Qingfeng remained—she was going to get married in a couple of months and her future home was here.