My Lady Says She Wants to Marry Me - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

After walking outside for the entire day, Lu Youming finally had a moment to go back and see Su Wanrou. She felt a bit apprehensive—she didn’t know if Rou’er had been angry that she woke up alone after their night of extreme intimacy.

Being the one who had left for work early the morning after such a night, Lu Youming felt a trace of guilt. Clutching the small snacks she had bought for her wife, she stepped into the yamen. Aside from those on duty, most of the staff had already finished for the day.

Lu Youming walked into the courtyard under the long shadows of the setting sun. The yard was empty; even Liu Qing was nowhere to be seen. As she looked around, Zhufeng suddenly darted out. Having nothing much to do, the dog usually spent its time running around the yard.

Zhufeng pounced on Lu Youming, its large, wet eyes filled with a desperate plea to play. Lu Youming felt a pang of pity; it had been quite a while since she’d taken the dog out. She made a mental note to take him hunting in the mountains during her next break.

“Wu—Wang! Wang!” Zhufeng fetched a toy and dropped it at her feet. Lu Youming picked up the soggy frisbee and tossed it; Zhufeng vanished like a streak of lightning to catch it. After playing for about ten minutes, she reluctantly sent the dog away to find her wife.

In the main hall, Su Wanrou was reviewing the ledgers for her dowry shops. She was currently training her head maids to handle management, as her own schedule was becoming increasingly packed. While she trusted her managers, she never relaxed her oversight on key matters.

When Lu Youming entered, the sound of the abacus clicked rhythmically as Su Wanrou remained buried in her books. Lu Youming quietly handed the snacks to Liu Qing. At Liu Qing’s signal, Wenshu followed her out, leaving the two of them alone.

Su Wanrou eventually grew thirsty. Without looking up, she said, “Liu Qing, pour me some water.”

Lu Youming picked up the kettle, poured a cup of warm water, and placed it by Su Wanrou’s hand. As Su Wanrou reached for it, she turned her head and saw Lu Youming watching her with a gentle, laughing gaze. The memories of the previous night flooded back instantly, and she nearly dropped the cup.

“Careful!” Lu Youming reached out to steady her hand.

“Cough… you’re… you’re back.” Su Wanrou’s face turned bright red the moment she saw her. Seeing those flickering, shy eyes, Lu Youming knew she was embarrassed.

Lu Youming hooked a stool with her foot and sat beside her. She reached out to stroke Su Wanrou’s hair, her voice full of apology. “Yes, I’m back. I’m so sorry for leaving you home alone on the very first day.”

Su Wanrou’s face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. She hurriedly set the cup down and tried to cover Lu Youming’s mouth with her hand to stop her from saying anything else. The more she wanted to forget it, the more Lu Youming brought it up!

Lu Youming’s eyes sparkled with laughter. Her lips were covered by Su Wanrou’s soft palm, and her warm breath puffed against the center of it. The heat of that breath felt like a scald to Su Wanrou; she grew so flustered she didn’t know where to look.

Lu Youming pulled her into an embrace, letting her lean against her chest. She rubbed her cheek against Su Wanrou’s, her voice low and lazy. “I missed you so much today.”

“Mm.” Su Wanrou touched her hand. “Was today very tiring?”

“It was. I escorted Master Chen on inspections all day—carriages, walking, and since I didn’t have a seat in the carriage, I was on horseback the whole time. My legs actually ache.”

Lu Youming acted a bit spoiled, knowing Rou’er had a soft spot for her. Sure enough, Su Wanrou’s gaze softened. “Then you must take a good soak in the bath tonight.”

Su Wanrou lowered her eyes, trying to suppress her blush and hide her little “scheme.” Luckily, Lu Youming didn’t notice; she just closed her eyes and nodded repeatedly. She was truly exhausted, yawning non-stop. Between the late night and being the one “exerting effort,” plus the early start and the day of travel, she was running on fumes. She had only stayed awake this long to see Su Wanrou.

As Su Wanrou leaned against her, she watched Lu Youming’s eyes blink slower and slower until they finally remained shut. Su Wanrou decided not to make her bathe; she ordered dinner, and after they ate, she sent Lu Youming straight to bed. Lu Youming was so out of it she didn’t even notice that the bedsheets and covers had all been replaced with fresh ones.

The next day, Su Wanrou’s “illness” had vanished. She and Lu Youming both donned their green official robes and went to the office together. Liu Qing, wearing a new set of clothes, followed her mistress with her head held high. Her mistress was an official now, appointed on her own merit! Liu Qing felt a surge of pride in every step.

The new Main Clerk and County Captain greeted them and went about their business. With more staff in the yamen, Lu Youming no longer had to juggle multiple roles and was finally free of the overwhelming workload. Since there weren’t many urgent cases, she carved out time for her own projects.

Sitting in her official chair, Lu Youming held a fine brush over a sheet of white paper. She tried to sketch, but the lines were wobbly and messy. “Is it really this hard to draw a technical diagram?” She was frustrated; no matter how she handled the brush, the lines lacked precision and strength.

Thinking quickly, she went to the kitchen and grabbed a piece of partially burned charcoal. Using the charcoal as a pencil made things much easier. Half an hour later, she was looking at her drawing of a curved-shaft plow. She had observed that the locals mostly used straight-shaft plows, which were cumbersome, especially when turning in tight corners. A curved-shaft plow would work well even in wet soil, significantly reducing human labor and saving time for the farmers.

She couldn’t be 100% sure her drawing was perfect, so she sought out a carpenter who specialized in tools for the yamen.

“This is for plowing the fields. I’ve modified the straight shaft into a curve to make it easier for the people. If you find any issues during the construction, write them down and make adjustments as you see fit. If something feels wrong, come find me at the yamen.”

The carpenter nodded. “Rest assured, Lord. I will do my best.”

“Good. I’ll be waiting for the good news. There will be a reward for a successful build,” Lu Youming said with a smile. The carpenter nodded happily; he knew the Lord was never stingy with rewards.

Feeling satisfied, Lu Youming stepped out onto the street and immediately ran into Chen Jing, who was out wandering with her attendants. Lu Youming realized she hadn’t yet officially invited Chen Jing for a “welcome dinner” to handle the social formalities.

She walked over. “Master Chen, good morning.”

The moment Chen Jing saw Lu Youming, her head began to buzz. She immediately remembered yesterday, when she had to listen to Lu Youming praise her wife for two straight hours. She felt a phantom headache. She had hoped to avoid Lu Youming today and find Master Su instead.

“Greetings, Lord Lu,” Chen Jing replied.

“This afternoon, I have prepared a modest meal to welcome you and to introduce you to the other yamen officials,” Lu Youming invited. Chen Jing accepted; she hadn’t met the other staff on her first day, so this was a good chance to catch up.

That afternoon, five people sat in the small courtyard of the rear yamen, all dressed in plain clothes. Since two of the five were female officials (and high-ranking ones at that), the County Captain and Main Clerk were on their best behavior, terrified of being seen as uncouth.

There were no rowdy drinking games. They simply chatted about local customs and shared light wine. Chen Jing observed Lu Youming over her drink. Lu Youming didn’t seem to care much for the alcohol; she was more focused on the food and frequently—and quietly—placed choice morsels into Su Wanrou’s bowl. Everyone else tactfully pretended not to notice.

When the meal ended, Su Wanrou and Chen Jing made plans to visit the cement factory the next day—this time, specifically excluding Lu Youming. Lu Youming didn’t mind at all; she simply arranged for guards to escort them.

Since the afternoon was quiet, Lu Youming granted everyone a half-day off. There were other clerks on duty if anything urgent came up.