Chapter 169: Grand Gift
“How is that a bad thing?” Chu Xu proudly recounted the Bird Dropping Plan. He came up with the idea, and Yuan Yuan was responsible for carrying it out.
Everyone: “…”
This plan had a certain stink to it.
Everyone immediately couldn’t lie down anymore and went off to fetch hot water to bathe.
Soaking in the bath was quite relaxing. Shang Wan took Yuan Yuan to soak, and Lu Chengjing took Chu Xu to soak.
Compared to the laughter and chatter next door, Lu Chengjing and Chu Xu looked at each other in silence, extremely quiet.
Chu Xu tried to chat. “Why are you so skinny?”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
Chu Xu still didn’t know he’d accurately stepped on a landmine. His small hand poked Lu Chengjing’s ribs and he muttered, “All bones.”
Lu Chengjing expressionlessly picked up the towel. “Turn around. I’ll scrub your back.”
“Oh.” Chu Xu obediently turned around, his little mouth chattering nonstop. “Elder Brother says men need to be sturdy to defend the family and the country. You would fall over in the wind.”
“Scholars all seem skinny. Why is that?”
“Aunt Shang likes chubby kids. She must prefer sturdy men too. You’re so skinny—why did Aunt Shang marry you?”
Without waiting for Lu Chengjing to answer, the kid answered himself. “Mom says girls all like good-looking ones. You’re good-looking, so Aunt Shang must have fallen for your face.”
Lu Chengjing’s face grew darker the more he listened. Why did this little brat talk so much?
He draped the towel over the edge of the bath bucket and said coldly, “Wipe off and go to sleep.”
Chu Xu turned back to look at him. “You’re angry?”
Lu Chengjing: “No.”
“You are angry.” Chu Xu came to his own conclusion. While stepping on the small bench to climb out of the bath bucket, he said, “I’m good-looking too. I’ll eat more and grow big and strong, so later I can definitely marry an awesome wife.”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
Not even fully grown yet, and already thinking about marrying a wife.
Chu Xu quickly wiped the water off his body, then put on the new little pants and undershirt bought the day before yesterday, and obediently climbed onto the kang to sleep.
After days of “grueling” life tempering him, the young master who previously needed someone to serve him for everything had learned to dress, eat, and sleep by himself, completely without needing coaxing.
Lu Chengjing put on his nightclothes and came out from behind the screen. He saw the kid sleeping on the kang like a little pig, thin quilt kicked to the side, most of it fallen on the ground, with only one corner still hanging on the edge of the kang.
Lu Chengjing shook his head helplessly, walked over to pick up the thin quilt, touched the back of his hand to Chu Xu’s forehead and neck, and finding it cool without sweat, draped one corner of the thin quilt over Chu Xu’s belly, tucking the sides under him to prevent it from being kicked off again.
Chu Xu smacked his lips and hummed twice, tilted his little head, and fell back asleep.
Lu Chengjing half-closed the window, blew out the candle, and went out.
In the next room, Shang Wan was coaxing Yuan Yuan to sleep. The little baby girl had just bathed, her skin pink and plump, eyes bright and sparkling, especially energetic.
Hearing footsteps, mother and daughter both looked toward the door curtain.
Lu Chengjing lifted the door curtain and walked in, long hair loose behind him, ends still dripping water.
“Daddy!” Yuan Yuan happily shouted, stretching out her small hands for a hug.
“It’s late—why aren’t you asleep?” Lu Chengjing reached out to pick up his daughter, patted her back. “Waiting for Daddy to tell a story?”
Yuan Yuan immediately nodded her little head.
The little baby girl had been raised by her own daddy to have the habit of not sleeping without a bedtime story.
“Over to you.” Shang Wan yawned. Coaxing a child was a skilled job, more tiring than fighting.
She got up and went out to dry her hair.
Lu Chengjing placed Yuan Yuan on the little bed, covered her with the small blanket, and softly told an original little story.
Yuan Yuan felt her daddy’s voice was very sleep-inducing. Her previously bright and lively big eyes gradually grew smaller bit by bit, she clenched her little fist and yawned, and before one story was finished, she had already fallen into dreamland.
Her pink plump little face pressed a crease into the pillow.
Lu Chengjing adjusted her sleeping position, and only after confirming his daughter was fast asleep did he blow out the candle and leave.
In the outer room, Shang Wan leaned by the window drying her hair. Hearing the sound, she turned her head. “Asleep?”
“Mm.” Lu Chengjing stepped forward to take the cloth towel and skillfully dried his wife’s hair.
With nothing to do, Shang Wan reached out to pinch the dripping hair ends at his back, pulled them over, pouted, and blew. “Phew—”
The glistening water droplets at the hair tips were blown to the ground, splashing a little gray flower on the floor tiles.
She repeated the action tirelessly until all the water droplets were blown off.
Lu Chengjing let her do it, reached for the wooden comb on the windowsill, and little by little combed smooth the hair in his palm.
Shang Wan tilted her head slightly to look at him and asked, “What message did Qiao Yu’an bring?”
“His men tracked the fake Gao Qi to Yuyang Prefecture, but their tracks were discovered. Two were lost while scattering to escape, and the last one brought back a message mentioning several strongholds and related contacts.”
“Discovered?” Shang Wan frowned. “If it startles the snake, won’t those people pull out?”
“At most it raises alertness—nothing major.” Lu Chengjing finished combing Shang Wan’s hair smooth before freeing a hand to tend to his own, saying as he wiped, “Those people’s appetites have long been fed fat. Collusion between officials and merchants, mutual cover-ups—they won’t give up easily.”
Shang Wan nodded. “Once Lin Jianshui exposes the matter, it can’t be hidden anymore. Not sure what Lord An plans to do.”
Lu Chengjing’s voice sank slightly. “This case has both witnesses and material evidence. Though widely involved, if he can go all in and investigate to the bottom, it would bring fame and fortune. Lord An is no mediocrity. Whether for fame, profit, or the people, he will continue investigating.”
Shang Wan clicked her tongue. “If it were someone who didn’t want trouble, you’d have landed them in big trouble.”
Lu Chengjing chuckled lightly. “Which official in court lacks ambition and aspirations? This is me giving Lord An a big gift.”
“Fox.” Shang Wan muttered, turning to close the wide-open window.
She sighed. “This is all the Lin Family’s own doing. If Lin Jianshan hadn’t sent Er Ya to fill in, driving Chen Guifang mad and accidentally waking Lin Jianshui, Lin Jianshui wouldn’t have come to us to find Er Ya, not only handing over the evidence with both hands but also willing to act as witness to denounce the matter.”
“The deed and land deed matter was also his reminder to us. Success in pitting the Lin Family was thanks to him.”
Thinking of the forged official seal, Shang Wan asked, “Do you think Lin Jianshui might suddenly back out and turn us in?”
Lu Chengjing shook his head. “He has no evidence—empty words won’t be lightly believed by the government. Moreover, evidence of child trafficking, forcing women into prostitution, collusion between officials and merchants, corruption, bribery, and such has already been sent to Lord An. Even if Lin Jianshui wants to back out, it’s too late. Testifying as a witness might still save his life.”
“Besides, if he wants Er Ya to have a good life, he’ll know what to do and what not to do.”
Shang Wan reached out to touch his half-dry hair, thinking it would be great if this world had a hairdryer.
Thinking again, even if there was a hairdryer, without electricity it would just be a decoration.
Seeing her lost in thought, Lu Chengjing softly asked, “What are you thinking?”
