My Wife is a Frustrating Genius!!! - Chapter 9

From the servant’s tone, Old Lady Lu vaguely sensed that what was to come would be something significant. She exchanged a glance with the elderly matron beside her, gripping the woman’s arm tightly, fearing her heart might not withstand the shock and she would faint.

“Reporting to the Ancestress,” the servant began.

“After we finished helping Miss Song with her tasks on the street today, she let us rest and gave us plenty of food. But when the young master saw it, he became extremely angry. And at noon…”

The Lu family servant recounted every detail of what had happened outside that day, including how the young master had spent all his monthly allowance to buy groceries for Miss Cheng.

Upon hearing this, Old Lady Lu clenched the elderly matron’s hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. She pressed a hand to her chest, terrified she might not catch her next breath and never wake again.

Seeing the Ancestress’s reaction, the servant broke out in a cold sweat, beads of perspiration trickling down his forehead.

“Enough. Take your reward and leave now,” the elderly matron quickly interjected, dismissing the servant before helping the old lady to her feet and guiding her toward the inner chamber.

The servant nodded hastily, nervously wiping the sweat from his brow as he followed a maid out of the old lady’s room.

“Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear~” Old Lady Lu clutched her chest, feeling as if she were about to collapse from fury. “She’s only been back a few days, and already she’s caused such a huge mess!”

“Oh!”

“Ancestress, please don’t be so upset. She’s grown now, and it’s only natural for her to have such feelings,” the elderly matron consoled, growing anxious at the sight of her mistress’s distress.

Old Lady Lu fell silent, glaring at the matron. “Do you not remember what her status is?!”

The elderly matron was taken aback. “Ancestress, the young lady has long said she doesn’t wish to return to being a daughter. If she truly has something with that Miss Cheng, why not let them be? Wouldn’t that fulfill the young master’s wishes as well?”

“Ah!” Old Lady Lu heaved a long sigh. “It’s precisely because I failed her and her mother that I had no choice but to agree to raise He’er as a boy. But now, with things like this, how can I face her mother when I pass on?”

Decades ago, Old Lady Lu had arranged the marriage between her son and Wang Shi, Lu Jiahe’s mother. In those days, “parents’ orders and the matchmaker’s words” held sway. No matter how much Lu’s father and mother resisted, they had no choice but to become a family under the elders’ demands.

“At home, follow the father; after marriage, follow the husband.” When Lu’s mother first married into the Lu family, her husband was not yet the head of the household. Despite her many grievances, she held her tongue out of respect for the Ancestress.

But once Lu’s father fully took control of the family, his true nature emerged. Especially after Lu’s mother became pregnant with Jiahe, he not only disrespected her verbally but at times even resorted to physical violence.

“Ancestress, the young master’s mother has always wished for her happiness. Didn’t you agree to keep the young master’s identity a secret with her precisely so she could live more freely?” The elderly matron, having served her mistress for decades, couldn’t help but share in her sorrow, seeing her so heartbroken.

“If this girl and our young master are truly fond of each other and she can accept his status, why not let them be together? That way, our young master will have someone to rely on and confide in later in life!”

Old Lady Lu leaned against the bed, lost in thought for a long while before finally sighing deeply. “But what if this girl uses his status to threaten him later? Our silly child wouldn’t know how to handle it!”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that, Old Ancestor!” The old matron, sensing the tension in the room easing, quickly reassured her. “Our young master is clever enough!”

After going back and forth for some time, the two finally called Lu An over. Once they had learned from him where Cheng Yi set up her food stall every noon, they decided to pay a visit the next day to see for themselves the woman who had kept their “silly child” away from home for days.

The next morning, fearing that Lu Jiahe might run off to see Cheng Yi again and spoil her plans, Old Lady Lu sent him off early to a school outside the city to copy books, under the pretense of preparing for the imperial exams the following year.

By noon, the old lady had only had a bowl of broth before boarding her carriage and heading to Cheng Yi’s stall. Since it wasn’t appropriate for her to show herself, she instructed the old matron to buy several portions of the boxed meals Cheng Yi sold and bring them back for her to taste.

“Old Ancestor, please try this,” the old matron said as she entered the carriage, placing the boxed meal on the small table and lifting the lid.

Old Lady Lu squinted and glanced down at the food, her expression disdainful. “What kind of dishes are these?”

Because of Lu Jiahe’s attachment to Cheng Yi, Old Lady Lu held a strong prejudice against her. No matter how good the food might be, if it came from Cheng Yi’s hands, it would inevitably be viewed unfavorably.

“Old Ancestor, I’ve inquired about it. The land Cheng Yi rents outside the city actually belongs to our Lu family. I also asked her just now. She said most of the vegetables in these dishes are grown and prepared by herself, so they’re safe to eat.”

Hearing this, Old Lady Lu shot the old matron a glance, then picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the food Cheng Yi had made. “It’s passable,” she remarked, chewing slowly as she watched Cheng Yi outside the window. “But who knows what her character is like?”

“Don’t worry, Old Ancestor. Though our young master may be naive, his judgment in people isn’t poor.” Seeing the troubled look on the old lady’s face, the matron hurried to console her.

Old Lady Lu didn’t pursue the topic further. Instead, she asked, “How is the search for Jiahe’s academy going?””

“Replying to you, Old Ancestor, the master has already made arrangements these past few days. Young Master will be studying at the suburban academy alongside the eldest and second young masters.”

“With those two?” Old Lady Lu looked up at the matron, then turned her gaze back to Cheng Yi, who was packing up outside the carriage. “Those two have always looked down on Jiahe! How could they be placed together?” The master said it’s the best academy in Bianjing. Having the young master study with his older brothers will allow them to look out for each other.”

“Hmph!” Old Lady Lu snorted coldly. “Look out for each other? It’d be a blessing if they didn’t cause trouble for Jiahe!”

“Let’s go home, let’s go home.” The mention of Lu Jiahe and his two older brothers irritated Old Lady Lu. She immediately called for the carriage to take her home to rest.

As dusk settled, Lu Jiahe finally finished copying the book and headed home. When she entered the city gate and intended to take a glance at the place where Cheng Yi sold her goods, someone stopped her.

“Young Master Lu, Young Master Lu!”

“What a coincidence to run into you here, Young Master Lu.”

Lu Jiahe frowned at the girl standing before her, taking a moment to recall that she was the one who had been bullied outside the city the other day. The girl who had offered to marry her in gratitude.

“Ah, yes, what a coincidence,” Lu Jiahe replied awkwardly, her toes curling in embarrassment. She had barely managed to escape their last encounter, and now they had crossed paths again.

The girl shyly covered her mouth with a light laugh. “Young Master Lu, have you just returned from outside the city?”

“Mhm.” Lu Jiahe subtly took two steps back, trying to create some distance between them.

“Then we truly are fated. I’ve also just returned from outside the city.” As she spoke, the girl’s cheeks flushed even redder. “If it’s convenient for you, Young Master Lu, shall we go to the teahouse nearby for a bite to eat? I’ve always remembered how you saved me last time.”

Hearing her words, Lu Jiahe wished she could turn and flee immediately. But with so many people coming and going at the city gate, and many aware of her identity as the young master of the Lu family, she had no choice but to stand her ground, constrained by her status and reputation.

“Uh… Miss, you’re too kind. I believe anyone passing by and seeing you being bullied would have done the same.”

The girl blushed even more. “Young Master Lu, you’re too modest.”

Lu Jiahe was at a loss for words. She desperately wanted to escape but couldn’t.

Guo’er, standing nearby, nearly fainted upon hearing the girl’s words, thinking to herself how her young master had only been back in Bianjing for a few days and had already attracted so many admirers.

“Ahem!” Guo’er stepped closer to Lu Jiahe and said in a voice just loud enough for both to hear, “Young Master, the matriarch is waiting for us at home to have dinner together!” With that, she couldn’t resist sneaking a few glances at the girl beside them.

“Oh, right, right! How could I forget something so important?” Lu Jiahe caught Guo’er’s hint as if waking from a dream. “Miss, I’m truly sorry, but I have urgent matters at home today and cannot join you for a meal.”

The girl pouted slightly. “If you have matters to attend to, Young Master Lu, please go ahead. I’ll invite you another time when the opportunity arises.”

Lu Jiahe smiled at the girl, then hurried home with Guo’er and Lu An.

“That young master of the Lu family really has some charm. The other day, he was accompanying a beautiful girl selling goods at the alley, and today another one shows up.”

“Exactly! If his elder brothers find out, they’ll surely report it to their father. Come on, let’s go tell them. We’ll see what kind of spectacle the Lu family stirs up in a couple of days.”

Shortly after Lu Jiahe left, the two who had been eavesdropping nearby headed to the pleasure house to share the juicy news with Lu Jiahe’s elder brothers.

That evening, after finishing dinner, Lu Jiahe was summoned by the old matron to her grandmother’s room.

The matriarch intended to personally meet the girl her granddaughter fancied the next day, so she called Lu Jiahe over to sound out her feelings.

“Grandmother, are you well?”

“Good child, come here and let grandmother take a look at you.” The old lady beckoned Lu Jiahe to sit beside her. “He’er, you see, you’re not young anymore. Your elder brothers have already started their families, and now you.”