My Wife is a Frustrating Genius!!! - Chapter 27

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lu Zhengliang awkwardly asked Diao Yuqing to arrange breakfast for the entire household.

“We’ve always eaten separately. What’s gotten into you so early in the morning? And now I have to personally take care of breakfast,” Diao Yuqing grumbled, putting on her earrings before standing up and glaring at the man sitting on the bed, staring blankly into space.

“Ah!” Lu Zhengliang let out a long sigh after chuckling to himself for a while by the bedside.

Startled by the sound, Diao Yuqing exclaimed, “What’s wrong with you this morning? Have you lost your mind?” She walked over to her husband with a mix of concern and disdain, reaching out to feel his forehead.

Lu Zhengliang had no time to care about what others thought of him now. He was about to become a grandfather, and his entire mindset had undergone a dramatic transformation.

“What do you know? I’m going to be a grandfather soon,” Lu Zhengliang said, moving his head away from her hand. “After all these years of waiting, I, Lu Zhengliang, finally have a grandson on the way!”

“Hmph!” Diao Yuqing snorted contemptuously. “What’s the big deal? Your legitimate son is Zheng. Even if that wild girl gives birth, her child won’t be the legitimate eldest grandson of the Lu family.”

Lu Zhengliang’s face darkened with anger as he stood up and glared at Diao Yuqing, scolding her, “What? Isn’t He’er also a son raised under your care? Let me tell you, if I have the means to elevate you to the position of the main wife, I also have the means to make He’er’s child my legitimate eldest grandson!”

“You!” Diao Yuqing stared at him in disbelief. She had thought their love was genuine, never expecting he would threaten her like this for Lu Jiahe’s sake.

“Enough of your nonsense. Hurry up and prepare breakfast, then notify all the courtyards. You are the mistress of the Lu family now. You must be thorough in your duties. Don’t think I’m unaware of your petty schemes.”

Having been indoctrinated since childhood with the idea that a wife must obey her husband, Diao Yuqing found herself unable to argue back. Fuming, she stormed out of the room.

Lu Zhengliang didn’t feel he had done anything wrong at all. His mind was solely fixated on the arrival of the Lu family’s eldest grandson.

Meanwhile, in another courtyard, Old Lady Lu was thrown into disarray upon hearing the rumors. When she had brought Cheng Yi into the household, she had specifically arranged for a physician to examine her, confirming that Cheng Yi was still untouched before allowing her entry. Moreover, she hadn’t administered any medicine to Lu Jiahe. How could there suddenly be a child on the way?

“Ah!” Old Lady Lu leaned back on her couch, pondering the rumors from the previous night.

The old matron, seeing her mistress so troubled, couldn’t help but feel distressed. “Old Ancestor, please don’t overthink it. Perhaps the young master and Miss Cheng have grown closer. The gossip among the servants is often exaggerated and embellished.”

“If even I have heard these rumors, do you think Liang’er remains unaware?” Old Lady Lu glanced at the old matron. “I trust Miss Cheng’s character, but you know Liang’er’s temperament. If he finds out that Miss Cheng isn’t actually pregnant, who knows what he might think.”

“Zheng and Hao have been married for so many years without producing any offspring. I’m afraid he’ll get his hopes up too high, and when he learns the truth, he won’t be able to handle the disappointment.”

The old matron pondered for a moment before speaking comfortingly, “Old Ancestor, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Why don’t we give the medicine to the young master? The feelings between those two have already progressed to this point, having a child is only a matter of time. If Miss Cheng becomes pregnant with our young master’s child before the master discovers the truth, he won’t be too angry either.”

Old Lady Lu listened silently to the matron’s words. Of course, she wanted to hold her grandchild sooner rather than later, but having a child should ideally be a mutual desire. Otherwise, a child born without a foundation of affection might not receive the full love of both mothers.

“Old Ancestor, think about it. If we give the medicine to the young master now, they will naturally have a child during their tender moments. But if we wait until later, the day you hold your grandchild will be delayed even further.”

Under the matron’s persistent persuasion with the “temptation of a grandchild,” Old Lady Lu’s conflicted heart finally made a decision. Without hesitation, she instructed the matron to send someone to the pharmacy to fetch the strongest medicine available, aiming to make her a great-grandmother overnight.

The two protagonists of the rumors were still unaware that their scandalous gossip had already spread throughout the entire Lu residence.

After getting up, they encountered someone sent from Diao Yuqing’s courtyard to relay a message. After washing up, they followed the messenger to the front courtyard for breakfast.

By the time the two arrived, the entire Lu family, young and old, was already seated at the dining table, waiting for them.

“Hey, why do I feel like your family is acting strange today? Look at the way your father is staring at us, his eyes are brimming with tears, as if he’s about to cry.”

Cheng Yi shuddered when she caught Lu Zhengliang’s gaze, thinking to herself that the old man had been glaring at her with fury the last time they met. How could he change so drastically overnight?

Lu Jiahe was also taken aback by the scene. She glanced sideways at Lu Jiahao and Diao Yuqing, noticing the fierce looks in their eyes, and wondered if the scandalous deeds of the second branch had been discovered by their father again.

“Come, take a seat. This morning, your mother specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare many nutritious dishes that you, young people love. Make sure to eat well.” Lu Zhengliang stood up and walked over to Cheng Yi, pulling out the chair in front of her. He scrutinized her up and down, as if he were already gazing upon his unborn grandchild.

Something is definitely going on!

Cheng Yi reached out and grabbed Lu Jiahe’s arm. Lu Zhengliang’s demeanor was far too “terrifying.” If she weren’t curious about what he was scheming, she might have picked up the chair and swung it at him right then and there.

Lu Jiahe was equally perplexed. She turned her gaze toward Old Lady Lu, seeking help, but every time she looked in that direction, her grandmother would avert her eyes.

Left with no other choice, Lu Jiahe patted the back of Cheng Yi’s hand, signaling for her to sit down calmly.

“Come, serve the dishes!” Lu Zhengliang called out to the servants nearby, and dozens of attendants entered through the front courtyard gate, carrying steaming hot dishes.

Once the food was mostly served, Lu Zhengliang leaned over and whispered a few words to a servant beside him. Shortly after, a bowl of warm pig trotter and soybean soup was placed in front of Cheng Yi.

Frowning, Cheng Yi stared at the steaming soup in front of her and glanced around suspiciously.

“What’s going on? What does this mean? Is he hinting at something?”

Lu Zhengliang noticed Cheng Yi’s poor complexion and assumed she was embarrassed about everyone knowing she was pregnant with the Lu family’s child, so he explained, “Miss Cheng, don’t overthink it. I noticed you and He’er have been working day and night at the shop, and I was worried you might strain yourselves, so I specifically asked the kitchen to prepare some nourishing soup for you.”

“Ah?” Cheng Yi was puzzled. Who drinks lactation soup for nourishment?

“Then why doesn’t she have any?” Cheng Yi eyed the single bowl of soup in front of her, suspecting the old man was trying to poison her. She pushed her bowl toward Lu Jiahe. “You drink it.”

“I don’t like it.” Lu Jiahe felt uncomfortable just looking at the trotters in the soup. She had never liked eating trotters since she was a child, even the sight of them scared her.

Seeing this, Lu Zhengliang explained, “She doesn’t like it. You drink it. It’s good for your health.”

Cheng Yi stared at Lu Zhengliang, scrutinizing him. The more she looked, the more she felt he was trying to silence her.

Watching the back-and-forth, the old lady Lu finally lost her patience. “Miss Cheng, just drink it with peace of mind. I personally oversaw the kitchen while they prepared this soup. Don’t you trust my word?” She, too, wanted a great-grandson and was growing impatient.

Although Cheng Yi loved soup, she couldn’t shake her unease, convinced the Lu family meant her harm. “You take a sip first,” she nudged Lu Jiahe’s arm. “I’ll drink after you do.”

Lu Jiahe raised an eyebrow at Cheng Yi, thinking to herself, “So, she’s using me as a poison tester!”

She picked up a spoon, took a sip of the soup, and said, “It’s actually quite tasty, but I don’t like trotters. You can have it.”

Cheng Yi watched her for a while and, seeing no adverse reactions, finally relaxed and drank the pig trotter and soybean soup. To her surprise, the Lu family’s chef was quite skilled. Not only were the dishes more varied than those outside, but even the soup tasted no different from modern versions.

“Are you planning to buy some things for the shop these days?” Lu Zhengliang, who already felt guilty toward Lu Jiahe and was further softened by the arrival of his grandchild, was no longer as cold and stern with her as before.

“Take some people from my courtyard with you when you go out to shop later. Consider whatever you buy as my gift to my grand-to you. They can help you carry everything back.” With that, Lu Zhengliang pulled out a thick stack of banknotes from his pocket and handed them to Lu Jiahe.

Lu Jiahe stared at her father, too hesitant to reach out. She had noticed his unusual behavior today. In the past, he would either glare at her coldly or leave her to Diao Yuqing’s discipline. Why was he suddenly giving her money?

“What are you waiting for? Take it.” Lu Zhengliang extended the money further, almost shoving it into her arms. “You’re the young master of the Lu family. Spend as much as you want. Starting today, your monthly allowance will increase by one thousand taels. If you run out of money, just go to the accounts office anytime.”

This is way too suspicious!

Lu Jiahe frowned, looking at her father with a mix of fear and confusion. Was he terminally ill and suddenly having a change of heart? And why was he increasing her allowance only after she and Cheng Yi had signed an agreement? Wasn’t that just letting the other party benefit?

That meal had left the two women utterly flustered. After eating, despite Lu Zhengliang and Old Lady Lu’s attempts to persuade them to stay, they quickly made excuses and fled the front courtyard, silently vowing not to appear together in front of them again until Lu Zhengliang’s “illness” was cured.

After the meal, Old Lady Lu returned to her own courtyard, anxiously waiting for the old nanny to come back.

“Old Ancestor, I’ve brought the medicine,” the old nanny said, rushing into the room with two small packages of herbs, her demeanor reminiscent of her younger days when she and Old Lady Lu had stirred up storms together.

“Let me see,” Old Lady Lu said, carefully inspecting the two doses of medicine. “I’ll call He’er over to brew the medicine later. You find an excuse to have Miss Cheng brew hers as well.”

The old nanny patted her chest confidently. “You can trust me to handle it.” With that, she pulled out another small packet of powdered medicine from her bosom. “Old Ancestor, should this be placed in the incense burner in the young master’s room?”

“What is this?” Old Lady Lu looked from the packet to the old nanny.

The old nanny smiled meaningfully. “It’s a medicinal incense that will help you hold your great-grandson sooner.”