At first, she had worried about being unable to repay the debt to Brocade Pavilion, but then it dawned on her—their Lu family was destined to rise to great heights in the future. What was five thousand taels of silver?
Besides, after the eldest son’s death, there must be some silver left behind. When Lu Changqing went to Jiangning to handle the funeral arrangements, she had instructed him to bring back all of the eldest son’s belongings.
They could use that to fill the hole in the Brocade Pavilion’s accounts.
“Mother dares to speak of things that haven’t even begun to take shape,” Fang Qianxue raised an eyebrow.
Even in the original story’s plot, Lu Wanrou never married into a prestigious family. Fang Qianxue recalled that she seemed to have caught the eye of the son of the Vice Minister of Personnel, Du Qianxu, and was taken in as a noble concubine.
“Here, take it!” Lu Wanrou fetched two fine-quality Hetian jade bracelets and reluctantly slapped them onto the table. “I’ve never seen such a money-grubbing woman!”
Fang Qianxue handed the bracelets to Cuishuang, then turned to Lady Chen and Lu Wanrou. “Tomorrow is Yuan’er and Yao’er’s third birthday. I’ve arranged a banquet at Plum Blossom Pride and invited some friends. If Mother and Third Sister don’t mind, please come and share a cup of celebratory wine.”
“I won’t go,” Lu Wanrou turned her head away haughtily.
What friends did Lady Fang have these past years? Now that the Fang family had been raided and exiled, the guests she invited were surely of no consequence. Who would want to lend her any support?
“It hasn’t even been half a year since Changli passed away, and you’re already throwing a birthday banquet?” Lady Chen said with displeasure. “Such extravagance and waste.”
“I, too, thought that since Elder Brother had just passed away, it wasn’t appropriate to make a big fuss. But I heard that Second Master is already impatient to marry Madam Xu and has even sent out invitations,” Fang Qianxue replied. “Mother knows about this as well. I thought, since a wedding banquet can be held, there’s no reason a birthday banquet can’t.”
Lady Chen was momentarily speechless, frowning as she said, “Well… I won’t interfere in you young people’s affairs. My point is simply to save money. Both children will need funds in the future.”
“You have money to marry a new wife but not to celebrate a birthday?” Cuishuang began her sarcastic commentary again. “Our mistress is using her own silver to host a birthday banquet for the young master and young miss. What’s wrong with that? It’s not like she’s asking you for money.”
“Fine, fine, do as you please. I won’t go anyway,” Lady Chen thought to herself that with Fang Qianxue’s limited funds and the modest space of Plum Blossom Pride, she’d probably just invite a few distant, insignificant relatives of the Fang family and host a shabby feast.
After Fang Qianxue left with Cuishuang, Lu Wanrou was furious.
“She has money to throw a birthday banquet for those two little brats but won’t repay the debt to Brocade Pavilion. She’s clearly bullying me!”
“Don’t shout,” Lady Chen looked at her daughter, her heart filled with frustration. “How many times have I told you? A woman must be dignified, gentle, and not show her emotions. If you want the young marquis to take notice of you, you need to restrain yourself.”
Her two sons had inherited her cunning and were adept at sweet talk and hidden daggers, but this daughter took after her deceased father—unable to keep things to herself. Nearly the entire city knew she had a crush on the young marquis.
“Understood,” Lu Wanrou lowered her head. “Mother, may I take my leave now?”
“Go and call your second brother for me. He should clean up this mess,” Lady Chen stared at the account books and tally tokens on the table, her head aching.
Lu Changqing had spent the past few days entangled with Xu Miaoyan, and he felt somewhat guilty toward Fang Qianxue. So, on his way back from court today, he bought her favorite sugar-roasted chestnuts.
But when he reached the gate of Plum Blossom Pride, he hesitated, lingering outside with the oil-paper-wrapped package in his arms.
That day, upon learning that Madam Xu had deceived him into killing his wife, he truly wanted to reprimand her, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Madam Xu had given herself to him when she was only sixteen or seventeen. If he couldn’t tolerate all her mistakes, what kind of man would he be?
Besides, Madam Xu had already promised him that she would no longer feign illness to deceive him, nor would she demand any Heart’s Blood.
To recognize one’s mistakes and correct them is a great virtue!
“Second Master,” his attendant Chenggong asked, “you’ve been waiting here for half an hour already. Are you going in or not?”
“Oh, let’s go. Follow me inside.” Only then did Lu Changqing snap out of his thoughts and steel himself to enter the courtyard gate.
He hadn’t stepped into Plum Blossom Pride for several days. He had expected Fang Qianxue to be living a miserable, desolate life like a resentful woman, but instead, he found Plum Blossom Pride decorated with lanterns and streamers. Though the plum blossoms had already fallen, red lanterns hung from the trees.
Anyone unaware might have thought Fang Qianxue was preparing to take a wife.
There were no sounds of weeping or sobbing in the courtyard. Instead, the clear, bell-like laughter of a child and a woman could be heard, warming the heart.
Lu Changqing furrowed his brows, feeling a strange discomfort in his heart.
How could Fang Qianxue live so joyfully without him?
It was utterly unreasonable.
“Second Master, this servant will go in to announce your arrival.” A cleaning maid, seeing him enter, was about to go inside to announce him when Lu Changqing waved his hand to stop her.
“What are you all doing here? Why are there so many lanterns?” Chenggong asked the maid.