Chapter 497: The Emperor Ghost’s Disappearance
“So… it’s really Lord Chu?!” Ling Yi swallowed her saliva.
Not to mention the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the Chu Mansion, but even the Yu Mansion was out of the Ling family’s league.
With so many big shots surrounding her, Ling Yi panicked.
Lu Sheng heard their conversation. She only smiled faintly and did not say anything.
They had been chatting and laughing at this table. However, toasts could be heard from the next table from time to time. There were also laughter from the children. It was quite lively.
Compared to the Chu Mansion, Lu Sheng preferred to live in the Lu family.
After the meal, Yu Mingyue and Fu Sisi suggested walking around the vegetable field. After exchanging greetings with Chu Sihan, Lu Sheng led the way to the vegetable field.
The villagers were initially curious about the people around Lu Sheng. Now that they met them on the way, they did not find it surprising.
After all, she was Young Madam Chu now. There was nothing strange about having important guests by her side.
The weather in August was stuffy and hot at noon, but it would be chilly in the afternoon.
They had just entered the vegetable field when they were attracted by the reds and greens in front of them.
Especially Fu Sisi. She pulled Lu Sheng to ask about this and that.
When she first returned to Huang Yang Town, she had heard her sister-in-law mention Lu Sheng’s vegetable field before, but she never had the chance to visit it.
Hence, after knowing that Lu Sheng had returned today, she came over with Yun Ting and the rest.
“This is a pumpkin. This is chili. There are watermelons and sweet potatoes over there. That one is corn. There’s also green beans. There are various vegetables over there.”
Along the way, Lu Sheng felt like a tour guide, bringing the tourists to visit the attractions.
“Corn?” Fu Sisi was curious. “I heard from Sister-in-law before. What does corn look like?”
Lu Sheng chuckled. “I’ll bring you to take a look.”
Corn was already full of grains, so it was best to eat them now.
However, because of her marriage these few days, she didn’t harvest the corn yet.
“These leaves might cut someone accidentally. Wait outside. I’ll pluck them.”
When they reached the corn field, Lu Sheng told them to wait outside while she broke a few off herself.
“Let’s go back to the bamboo house to make steamed corn.”
“What’s inside?” Ling Yi was curious.
Fu Sisi and Yu Mingyue also looked at Lu Sheng.
Lu Sheng pretended to blink. “Make a guess. There will be a reward if you’re right.”
“Reward? What reward?”
When they heard that, their interest was piqued.
Lu Sheng pondered for a moment and smiled. “In that case, each participant will be rewarded with a watermelon. The person who guessed correctly will be rewarded with three watermelons. How about that?”
“What are we guessing?” Yu Mingyue asked with a smile.
Lu Sheng said, “It’s very simple. Everyone has only one chance to guess the color of steamed corn. Whoever guesses correctly first will win.”
“I’ll go first!”
Fu Sisi was the first to raise her hand.
“Okay, you first.”
“Ah…” Fu Sisi stared at the corn for a while before saying,” They’re white, right? ”
After guessing, she looked at Lu Sheng expectantly.
Unexpectedly, Lu Sheng shook her head slightly and smiled. “No, next.”
“I’ll do it this time!”
Yu Mingyue thought for a while and guessed, “It’s jade green, right?”
Lu Sheng still shook her head. “No, Miss Ling Yi, it’s your turn.”
Ling Yi opened her eyes slightly and said hesitantly, “Could it be… apricot yellow?”
“Ah!”
Lu Sheng was surprised. “Miss Ling Yi is so smart.”
“Huh?”
Ling Yi was surprised. “Young Madam Chu, you’re saying that… I guessed correctly?”
“Yes!”
Lu Sheng smiled and nodded.
“Really?”
Fu Sisi pouted. “You guessed correctly at once. Miss Ling Yi, tell me quickly. Have you seen this corn before?”
Ling Yi shook her head innocently. “No!”
It was also her first time seeing something called ‘corn.’
Lu Sheng smiled and explained, “This type of corn is called sweet corn. Of course, there are also white ones. They’re called waxy corn.”
“Ling Yi is so lucky!” Yu Mingyue was envious.
The few of them returned to the bamboo house. Lu Sheng washed the pot and lit the fire to steam corn.
“This place is so good!”
Fu Sisi exclaimed after walking around.
There was almost no such field in the capital.
Although the farmstead in the suburbs was no different from here, the things planted there were commonly eaten. They were not as pleasing to the eye as Lu Sheng’s.
While steaming corn, Lu Sheng plucked a few tomatoes and washed them for them to eat.
The soil here was fertile. Lu Sheng used cow dung as fertilizers. They were natural and without pesticides.
“This can be eaten raw?”
Ling Yi, who had not been to the Lu family’s restaurant, was surprised.
“Yes.” Yu Mingyue smiled and said, “It’s even more delicious with white sugar on top. I’ll bring you to the Lu family’s restaurant tomorrow to try it.”
Ling Yi nodded. “Okay!”
As the three of them chatted, Lu Sheng pondered in the kitchen.
For some reason, she had been feeling anxious recently. She kept feeling that something bad was about to happen.
She suddenly remembered the dream she had two days ago. She kept feeling that it might not be just a dream.
“Cousin-in-law, it’s on fire!”
Seeing that Lu Sheng had not come out, Fu Sisi wanted to take a look.
The fire had already reached her feet, but Lu Sheng was still motionless. It was unknown what she was thinking.
Lu Sheng’s divine sense returned immediately. She lowered her head to look at the fire and was shocked.
“Cousin-in-law, are you unwell?”
She did not even notice that the fire was about to reach her feet.
Fu Sisi squatted beside her and asked worriedly.
Lu Sheng pushed the matches into the stove and shook her head with a smile. “I’m fine. I just remembered some old memories and became obsessed.”
Fu Sisi nodded. “It’s good that you’re fine!”
“It’s hot in here. Go and sit outside. The corn should be cooked soon.”
“Then, I’ll go out. Cousin-in-law, don’t be obsessed anymore. If you get burned and Cousin blames me, I won’t be able to answer to him.”
Lu Sheng smiled helplessly. “Got it. Go out quickly.”
Fu Sisi had just gone out when Lu Sheng sensed movement from the Communications Talisman.
She glanced outside the door, took out a Soundproof Talisman, and threw it at the door before taking the Communications Talisman out.
“Disciple.”
She had just picked up the Communications Talisman when Lu Zhou’s voice came from the other side.
“Master, I’m here.”
“Disciple, I heard that we have temporarily lost track of the Emperor Ghost. You have to be careful on your side.”
Lu Zhou’s voice sounded a bit grave. It seemed like the disappearance of the Emperor Ghost was not a small matter.
“Okay, Master. When are you coming back?”
“I still have to find the whereabouts of the Emperor Ghost with your grandmaster and the rest. I’m afraid I can’t return anytime soon.”
The disappearance of the Emperor Ghost was a fatal blow to the Five Peaks.
One had to know that that thing was born by sucking human souls. If they lost track of its whereabouts, it could harm the citizens at any time.
“Master… I recently…”
Lu Sheng was about to tell Lu Zhou about her dream two days ago. Unexpectedly, Lu Zhou had already cut off the connection.
She pursed her lips and hurriedly kept the Communications Talisman. Then, she stood up and destroyed the Soundproof Talisman.
“The corn is ready!”
She packed the corn in a basket made of bamboo strips and brought it to the table for them to try.
“It’s hot. Eat it when it’s cold…”
Lu Sheng had just finished speaking when Fu Sisi reached out to pick one up.
Naturally, she was shocked by the heat.
Lu Sheng said speechlessly, “I already said it’s hot…”
Fu Sisi pinched her ears and said aggrievedly, “I didn’t expect it to be so hot!”
Lu Sheng shook her head helplessly.
“So sweet, so delicious!”
“I like this corn.”
“Me too!”
After tasting it, the three of them praised it non-stop.
Lu Sheng glanced at the sky and smiled. “It’s getting late. Let’s go back early after eating.”
“Can we not go back?”
Fu Sisi swallowed the corn in her mouth and said aggrievedly, “I can stay for a day too!”
She could not bear to go back with so much delicious food.
“No.”
Lu Sheng smiled and said, “There’s still something big to do at the Chu Mansion.”
They had not told anyone about Chu Siyun’s return.
Even Prime Minister Fu did not know yet. However, he heard from Chu Hongzhong this morning that he wanted to tell the Prime Minister about this. Presumably, Prime Minister Fu should know now.
“Something big?” Yu Mingyue put down the corncob and asked softly, “I heard that Third Young Master Chu is back. Is this true?”
Fu Sisi frowned. “Miss Yu, you can’t spout nonsense!”
Cousin Yun had passed away for more than ten years. What did she mean by returning?
Unexpectedly, Lu Sheng asked in surprise, “Miss Yu, who did you hear that from?”
Yu Mingyue joked, “The Chu Mansion is only one wall away from our Yu Mansion. How can anything there be hidden from the Yu Mansion?”
It was a joke, but not a joke. After all, the two mansions were indeed very close. Moreover, the servants of the two mansions often interacted.
Hence, it was normal for the Yu Mansion to know that Chu Siyun had returned.
“What do you mean?” Fu Sisi frowned. “You’re saying that Cousin Yun is back? But hasn’t he passed away for thirteen years?”
She had never seen Chu Siyun’s face before. She had heard a lot of things from her grandmother and mother.
Yu Mingyue said, “It’s said that Old Master Chu sent him to Snowfall Villa back then and begged the Villa Master there to save Third Young Master Chu. He only woke up after thirteen years.”
“There’s actually such a thing?” Fu Sisi stood up in shock. She looked at Lu Sheng and asked, “Cousin-in-law, when did this happen?”
“Not long ago. The past two days.”
Lu Sheng said in a low voice, “Siyun has just returned and is not familiar with the Chu Mansion. His mood is a bit unstable, so Father temporarily did not inform the outside world.”
“But you can’t hide it from us!”
Fu Sisi frowned. “Uncle didn’t even inform us about such a big matter. Even Miss Yu knows about it, but we were still kept in the dark.”
“I have no choice. Other than Lord, Siyun is not willing to get close to anyone.”
Lu Sheng sighed softly. “If nothing goes wrong, Father should inform the Prime Minister today.”
“That’s good!”
Fu Sisi sat back down in a daze. Her eyes reddened as she said, “If Grandmother knew about this, she would definitely be very happy!”
Grandmother would wipe her tears every time she mentioned Cousin Yun. If she knew that Cousin Yun was still alive, she would definitely be very happy.
“Oh right, why didn’t I see Matriarch this time?”
Lu Sheng suddenly remembered that Matriarch Fu did not appear on the day of her marriage with Chu Sihan.
Of course, Mdm Fu and Fu Yiyi did not come over.
“She wanted to follow over, but she suddenly caught a cold and couldn’t come with us. Father asked Mother to stay and take care of Grandmother.”
After hearing Fu Sisi’s explanation, Lu Sheng nodded in realization.
Ling Yi had heard about Chu Siyun when she was in Huang Yang Town.
It was said that when he was five or six years old, he was poisoned by a concubine of the Chu Mansion and he died.
She was the same age as Chu Siyun. Back then, she vaguely remembered that the concubine was sent to jail and died tragically.
Some people said that the concubine was tortured to death by Mdm Chu. Others said that the concubine committed suicide to atone for her crime.
As to the reason, after so many years, other than the people from the Chu Mansion and the government office, no one knew anything.
“Then, let’s go back quickly!” Fu Sisi sniffed and smiled. “I want to visit Cousin Yun.”
All these years, Chu Siyun had practically lived in her grandmother’s words. She had yet to see him in person.
Lu Sheng nodded and asked Yu Mingyue and Ling Yi, “Are you done eating?”
The duo nodded slightly.
Lu Sheng looked at the basket. There were still three left. She asked Fu Sisi to bring them back for Lu Jiang, Lu Xin, and Xiao Yuan Zi to try.
“Then, let’s go.”
Lu Sheng stood up and heard Ling Yi say hesitantly, “Then this watermelon…”
She had guessed the color of the corn just now and was rewarded with three big round watermelons by Lu Sheng. She was happy when she won the prize, but it was a bit difficult when she wanted to take them away.
They were so heavy that she, a girl who was used to being pampered, could not carry them at all.
“I’m here. Leave them to me.”
Lu Sheng smiled and bent down to carry the basket containing the watermelons.
Fu Sisi and Yu Mingyue hugged their own watermelons.
Both of them participated just now, so they each received a watermelon.
When Lu Sheng saw the duo hugging the watermelon, she felt that it was a bit funny. She hurriedly smiled and said, “Place them in.”
Fu Sisi shook her head and rejected her. “No need. We can still carry a watermelon. Let’s go.”
Seeing this, Ling Yi also took one out of the basket Lu Sheng was carrying and said shyly, “I’ll carry one too.”
“Alright.”
Lu Sheng shrugged and turned around with a faint smile. She walked out the door first.
When they returned to the Lu family, Shi Yi, Lu Ran, and Mu Yan had already disappeared. Only Yun Ting, Chu Sihan, Yu Yang, Li Zheng, Tao Jia, and the rest were left at the table.
Liang Ping’s face was completely red. Li Zheng’s expression was normal, but he could not open his eyes.
The ones who were the most sober were Chu Sihan, Yun Ting, and Tao Jia.
The three of them continued speaking without changing their expressions. Although the others could still sit steadily, Lu Sheng felt that their bodies might sway if they stood up.
Mdm Fang and Aunt Yu had already returned, but Mdm Qiu and Mdm Chen were still around.
The three children were squatting at the side and spinning tops. They were having a lot of fun.
When they heard footsteps, they turned their heads over.
“You’re back?”
Chu Sihan asked Lu Sheng with a smile.
“Yes.” Lu Sheng nodded. She raised her eyebrows and asked, “Where’s your brother-in-law?”
Chu Sihan chuckled. “He has already been helped back to his room to sleep.”
“Young Master Shi slept too?” Lu Sheng glanced at Yu Mingyue and asked with a smile.
In her impression, Shi Yi’s tolerance for alcohol seemed to be quite good.
Yun Ting said calmly, “He likes to put up a strong front. Actually, he can’t drink.”