Chapter 513: Propose a Marriage on behalf of Chu Siyun (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The following days were very peaceful.
For the past few days, Chu Sihan remained in Liu Yue Village with Lu Sheng.
The two of them either went to the vegetable field or brought people to dig bamboo shoots.
As time passed, Lu Ran’s suspicions towards Lu Sheng dissipated.
During this period, Lu Sheng tried to contact Lu Zhou several times, but she could not contact him.
One could imagine how badly injured Lu Zhou was in that war.
“Ah Sheng, why don’t we eat hotpot tonight?”
In the vegetable field, Leya suggested as she plucked the vegetables.
.
“Okay.” Lu Sheng nodded. “I’ll go and pluck some delicious food.”
When she went with Chu Sihan two days ago, she discovered a field of cabbages not far away. However, she did not pluck them because she was carrying prey then.
She took out a vegetable basket from the bamboo house and prepared to go up the mountain.
“I’ll accompany you.”
Chu Sihan stood up and followed her silently.
Lu Sheng turned back and smiled at him. Then, the two of them walked out of the vegetable field side by side.
Leya stared at their backs. Her smile gradually disappeared and she frowned.
“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong?”
The five-year-old Lu Xin tilted her head and asked her suspiciously.
Lu Jiang had been brought to town by Lu Ran to study two days ago. Now, Lu Xin was the only one left in the village. She followed Leya every day to study or learn needlework.
However, children always yearned for the outside world. Hence, Leya often brought her to the vegetable field to help.
“Sister-in-law is fine.”
Leya retracted her gaze and shook her head with a smile.
“Oh!”
Lu Xin nodded and continued picking the vegetables.
Leya looked outside the door again and sighed secretly.
She did not know if others had noticed it, but she felt that although Lu Sheng was smiling recently, she was not happy at all.
Chu Sihan was the same. Sometimes, he would sit at the side without saying anything and just stare at Lu Sheng in a daze. There was even an inexplicable sadness in his eyes.
At first, Leya felt that she must have seen wrongly. However, during this period of time, she had discovered their strange behavior a few times, which puzzled her.
She wanted to ask Lu Sheng, but did not know where to start.
“Second Sister, you like this?”
At night, Lu Ran and Lu Jiang returned.
As they were going to eat hotpot, there were a lot of things on the table. There was meat and vegetables.
When Lu Jiang saw the cabbage on the table, he could not help but frown.
They had no choice but to eat these dishes when their lives were tough.
He did not understand why Lu Sheng would want to pluck this to eat now that there was meat and fish.
Lu Sheng smiled and explained, “This is cabbage. It’s good for your body.”
“Really?” Lu Jiang was doubtful.
This dish was a little bitter and he did not like it at all.
“Of course.”
Lu Sheng poured the homemade soup into the pot and sat beside Chu Sihan.
When they started eating, no one touched the cabbage except Lu Sheng and Chu Sihan.
Seeing their relish, Leya also tried it. It was alright if they did not eat, but once they did, they became addicted.
After a while, Lu Ran and the rest tried the dishes as well. They realized that the taste was indeed good. Hence, they finished all the cabbage quickly.
Lu Jiang said, “In the past, it tasted horrible. Why do I find it delicious now?”
“Perhaps it’s because you’re used to fish and meat for the past two years, so you think wild vegetables are delicious too.”
Other than this explanation, Lu Sheng could not think of anything else.
For example, she did not like to eat coriander when she was young. She kept feeling that there was a strange smell, and she would be afraid every time she saw her master eat it.
However, when she grew up, she gradually liked coriander.
Perhaps it was a psychological change.
After dinner, everyone chatted for a while before returning to their rooms.
Leya looked at Lu Ran, who was lying beside her. After hesitating for a moment, she asked in a low voice, “Ah Ran, do you feel that Lord and Ah Sheng have been acting weird recently?”
Lu Ran was stunned. He frowned and asked, “What do you mean?”
“It’s just… very strange!” Leya pondered and said, “I recently realized that their interactions are becoming more and more peaceful, unlike in the past when they always have a smile on their faces. Moreover, Lord seems to be especially clingy to Ah Sheng. It has been two to three months, but he doesn’t go anywhere. He even stares at Ah Sheng in a daze from time to time, and there’s always a hint of sadness in his eyes.”
As Leya spoke, she patted her uneasy chest and continued, “I don’t know if I’m overthinking. I keep feeling uneasy.”
Lu Ran was silent for a while before saying in a low voice, “I think Ah Sheng is a little strange too. However, more than a year has passed and nothing happened.”
“Then… Perhaps I’m overthinking,” Leya said hesitantly.
Lu Ran shook his head. “I thought I was the only one who had that feeling. I didn’t expect you to think so too.”
Most importantly, not only him and Leya, but even He Qin and He Zhang felt that something was amiss with his sister.
He frowned slightly. If he had such a feeling, he could say that he was overthinking.
However, everyone felt that Lu Sheng was strange. Even Chu Sihan was strange. This forced him to overthink.
“Sleep first. I’ll ask the Lord tomorrow.”
Lu Ran knew that if he asked Lu Sheng directly, she would definitely not say anything.
Hence, it was better to ask Chu Sihan directly than Lu Sheng.
The next morning.
Lu Ran was not in a hurry to return to town. Instead, he got the coachman to send Lu Jiang to the academy first while he stayed behind.
Chu Sihan had always woken up early, especially recently. As he had been feeling uneasy, he slept lightly.
As long as the chickens in the village crowed, he would wake up.
When he came out, he saw Lu Ran sitting alone in the courtyard.
He raised an eyebrow and walked towards him. “Brother, aren’t you going to town today?”
“Later.” Lu Ran stood up and looked at him hesitantly. “I have something to ask the Lord.”
Chu Sihan nodded. “Speak.”
“It’s…” Lu Ran looked behind Chu Sihan. Seeing that Lu Sheng was indeed still sleeping, he said in a low voice, “I want to ask, is Ah Sheng sick?”
Chu Sihan was slightly stunned. Then, he raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why would Brother ask that?”
“Ah…”
Lu Ran scratched his head and continued, “I keep feeling like you’re hiding something from us.”
“Why would I?” Chu Sihan smiled lightly. “Brother, you’re overthinking. We’re fine.”
“It’s good that you’re fine!”
Lu Ran nodded. “I’m just afraid that you’re hiding something from us.”
However, Lu Ran also understood that it was useless to tell him something that even Lu Sheng and Chu Sihan could not solve.
Chu Sihan shook his head. “No.”
Lu Ran nodded. “Since there’s nothing else, I’ll go to town first.”
The carriage had already been taken by the coachman to send Lu Jiang to the academy. He could only take the ox cart to the village entrance.
After Lu Ran left, Chu Sihan’s smile gradually faded and his eyes were filled with sorrow.
His father would not joke with him. He did not know how far he could go with Lu Sheng.
Recently, the unease in his heart had become more obvious, and he could not help but feel anxious.
This impatience made him unable to sleep soundly, and it made him feel extremely terrified.
He walked to the water jar and washed up before sitting down in a pavilion.
The weather was getting cold again. Autumn was approaching, which meant that another year would pass in a few months.
Every time they slept together, he could feel that Lu Sheng would wake up in the middle of the night and take the medicine.
He knew what medicine she drank.
Perhaps, even she could feel it.
That was why it made him suffer even more.
“Why are you sitting there alone?”
Lu Sheng yawned and walked out. She looked at him suspiciously.
Chu Sihan turned to her and shook his head with a faint smile. “Why didn’t you sleep for a while more?”
“Why should I sleep so long when I’m alive?”
She smiled faintly and walked forward to sit beside him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said lightly, “Ah Han, why do you think there’s separation between loved ones in life or death?”
Chu Sihan did not speak. He only turned his head and stared at her fair profile.
When she did not hear his reply, she hurriedly sat up straight and looked up at him. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Chu Sihan smiled and said softly, “It’s time for breakfast soon. Go and wash up.”
She snorted and hurried to wash up.
Lu Ran had previously bought two elderly women, two servants, and a coachman. They were all smart people.
At this moment, the elderly women and the servants were busy in the kitchen.
Lu Sheng had just finished washing up when Leya and Lu Xin woke up.
Soon, breakfast was ready.
Just like before, there was simple plain porridge with a few side dishes.
That day, Chu Sihan received Yun Ting’s pigeon mail.
“Chu Yun’s?”
Lu Sheng walked over and asked with a smile.
Chu Sihan shook his head slightly. “No, it’s Yun Ting’s.”
“Oh? What did he say?”
Chu Sihan looked up at her and said softly, “They said they’re in Lin Jiang Mansion and will be in Huang Yang Town in half a month. They told us to prepare the dishes.”
Lu Sheng chuckled. “Isn’t that what we should do? When did they come over and we didn’t prepare any dishes?”
Chu Sihan smiled and clenched his hand. The letter dissipated into ashes in his hand.
He clapped his hands lightly and raised his eyebrows at her. “Let’s return to the Chu Mansion tomorrow morning.”
“Huh?” Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “Is something happening?”
She knew very well that Chu Sihan did not like to stay in the Chu Mansion.
Hence, he would not say that he wanted to go back for no reason.
“Yes.” He nodded slightly. “Siyun is going to propose a marriage. Father is not around, and Mother wants us to return.”
Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “Just the two of us?”
Chu Sihan thought for a while and smiled. “There’s also Siyun and Grandmother.”
“Oh, isn’t Mother going?”
“She’s not going. Second Uncle and Second Aunt will follow us.”
“Alright.”
Lu Sheng nodded slightly. “Which family is the girl from?”
“She’s a girl from a distant relative. She’s also from a merchant family and has a good relationship with the Chu Mansion. Some time ago, she came to the Chu Mansion with her father as a guest. It’s said that she fell in love with Siyun at first sight.”
“Really?” Lu Sheng raised her eyebrows and smiled. “What about Siyun?”
“Ah…” Chu Sihan pondered and said, “In short, the feeling’s mutual.”
“That’s good.”
Lu Sheng pursed her lips and smiled faintly. “Mutual love between two people is the best.”
Chu Sihan nodded slightly in agreement.
“Did they say when?” Lu Sheng asked again.
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Huh?” Lu Sheng was shocked. “Tomorrow morning?”
Chu Sihan nodded. “Yes.”
“Then, we should return to the Chu Mansion directly. It would be bad if we wake up late tomorrow and can’t make it in time.”
Chu Sihan thought for a while and nodded in agreement.
After the two of them bade farewell to Leya and Lu Xin, they returned to the Chu Mansion that day.
Ever since Chu Siyun returned, Mdm Chu’s personality had changed a lot.
Her attitude towards Lu Sheng had also changed drastically. She was no longer as cold as before.
When she heard that they were back, she even got someone to invite Lu Sheng to her courtyard for dinner.
As for Chu Sihan, he would follow them even without being called.
“You’ve been married for almost two years. Don’t you want a baby?”
After dinner, Mdm Chu could not help but speak.
However, her tone was much gentler than before.
“We’re still young. There’s no hurry.”
It was not Lu Sheng who answered, but Chu Sihan.
She looked up at Chu Sihan. Seeing his cold expression, she could not help but frown.
“Forget it.” She put down her teacup and said lightly, “I won’t interfere in your affairs anymore, lest you despise me for being nosy again.”
As she spoke, she brought a box over and passed it to Lu Sheng. “Han Er’s grandmother gave this to me. You’ve been married to the Chu Mansion for two years, but Mother hasn’t given you a decent piece of jewelry. This is for you.”
Lu Sheng was slightly stunned. She was overwhelmed by the favor and received it. “Thank you, Mother!”
Mdm Chu smiled faintly. “Open it quickly and see if you like it.”
“Yes!”
Lu Sheng answered and hurriedly opened the box.
However, she realized that the box was cushioned by a silk cloth. Inside the silk cloth was a jadeite purple jade bracelet. The color was very pure and it was very delicate. One could tell that it was expensive.
“Isn’t this… too expensive?” Lu Sheng asked hesitantly.
In her previous life, she had gone to a jade shop with her master. Any one of these would cost hundreds of thousands. They were extremely expensive.
Mdm Chu said lightly, “There’s nothing expensive to talk about. This is for you. Take it.”
She looked more like the head of a family than before.
Chu Sihan said, “You can’t refuse an elder’s gift. Accept it.”
When Lu Sheng heard that, she hurriedly thanked her again. “Thank you, Mother!”
Mdm Chu smiled and nodded. She took out another box and passed it to Lu Sheng. “This is for your future sister-in-law. Take it and put it on her tomorrow.”
“Me?”
Lu Sheng was stunned. “But isn’t the Matriarch going too?”
“That’s different.” Mdm Chu said lightly, “You represent me. The Matriarch is the Matriarch, so we can’t mix the two together.”
Lu Sheng did not know much about these, but since Mdm Chu had instructed her, she could not disobey.
—————
The next day, Lu Sheng changed into more ‘dignified’ clothes early in the morning and followed Chu Sihan and the rest to propose a marriage.
This family’s surname was Shen and they were not originally in Huang Yang Town. They had moved over not long ago.
It was not far from the Chu Mansion. They reached there in fifteen minutes by carriage.
Lu Sheng let Chu Sihan help her off the carriage and followed Matriarch Chu and the rest into the Shen Mansion.