Chapter 14 - He's Back.
Lu Dahua was still thinking about the money at this point.
Lu Sheng just found it ironic. Whether it was the late Madam He or the calculative Madam Liu, who tried with all her might to marry Lu Dahua, he didn't care about any of them.
"I'm not going to the Chu Mansion, I'm a little tired."
The county magistrate was not young anymore. It was unknown why he suddenly wanted to find a daughter-in-law from the countryside. There must be a problem.
After all, how could a fourth-ranking official not find a wife? It was a position that even many in the capital desired.1
She yawned, went to her own room, and closed the door before Lu Dahua could say anything.
"Father, when will Mother and Third Sister return?" Lu Jiang went up to ask.
Even though he was only five years old, he was not an insensible child.
He sensed this feeling that his mother and third sister would not return any more.
Lu Dahua was vexing over Lu Sheng's unwillingness to go to the Chu Mansion. His son mentioning Madam Liu and Lu Ning upset him even more.
He impatiently waved his hands and said, "Go! Go and play by yourself. Don't frustrate me with your presence here."
Lu Ran could feel that something was amiss when he entered the house.
Seeing the offering table, he cooled down.
He had gone to the town before dawn and had run through all the streets to find Lu Sheng, but all his efforts were in vain.
At last, he had decided to come back.
However, just when he had entered the house, he had witnessed an attitude Lu Dahua would never use toward his two beloved children. He raised his brows.
"Big Brother, when will my mother come back?"
Seeing Lu Ran return, Lu Jiang hurried over to ask him.
"How will I know where your mother has gone to?"
Lu Ran had originally disliked Madam Liu. Hearing Lu Jiang's question, his distaste grew even more.
His face was cold when he passed by Lu Jiang. Ignoring Lu Dahua too, he went straight to his room.
Lu Jiang had always been afraid of Lu Ran. When he again saw him angry, he held Lu Xin's hand and she stood at his side, not daring to speak further.
"You're back? Lu Dahua saw him walking away and hurried to pull him back. "It's good that you're back now. Go and persuade your sister to come with me to the Chu Mansion."
Lu Ran paused when he heard his words. "Sister?"
Lu Dahua said, "Yes, it's Xiao Sheng. She's back."
"Where's she?" Lu Ran asked.
"In her room. She said she's tired."
Lu Dahua's words made Lu Ran, who had the intention to knock, pause.
"I'm tired too. I'll be back in my room."
He had been searching for Lu Sheng for the past two days without proper sleep. Now that he heard she had returned, he heaved a sigh of relief. What followed was a wave of sleepiness.
"None of you gives me peace of mind."
Lu Dahua humphed and stared at the closed door of Lu Sheng's room. Then, he left the courtyard.
Lu Jiang and Lu Xin scanned the courtyard. They thought for a while before going off to find their playmates.
Who knew, a while later Lu Jiang brought back a wailing Lu Xin.
Lu Sheng rubbed her temple and hurried out to find out the reason.
Lu Jiang saw her and sniffed. He asked with teary eyes. "Second Sister, they said my mother and sister tried to kill you. Now they have been caught by the officials and are never coming back again. Is this true?"
Madam Liu had mostly focused her attention on Lu Ning, and she did not take too much care of the two children.
When he saw Lu Sheng's silence, Lu Jiang's face paled.
He had seen how his mother and third sister normally treated his second sister.
His mother had always mistreated Lu Sheng. She scolded and beat her depending on the severity of her mistakes. Most of the time, she starved her too.
"Second Sister, Mother and Third Sister… really tried to kill you?"
Lu Sheng smiled. "Let's not talk about this from now on. During this period, you and Ah Xin should stay home. It'll be over soon."
The two children looked obedient and were pleasing to her eye.Officials have different rankings in ancient Chinese history, with the first-ranking official ranked the highest besides the emperor.