CHAPTER 1525: CHAPTER 1525: DISPLEASED

At noon the next day, Lady Li returned from the Ning Residence. "Mother, I didn’t stay long at the Ning Residence. On the way back, I picked up the custom jewelry. This was prepared for you by my husband. Take a look—do you like it?"

Zhulan took out the hairpin from the box. "Such a massive ruby—why don’t you and your husband save this for the children? At my age, it doesn’t really matter whether I wear it or not."

She was enjoying staying at home more and more—reading a bit every day, picking flowers from the garden to arrange in vases, tutoring her granddaughters, or handling matters at the orphanage. Her days passed peacefully and contentedly.

Lady Li said, "These gemstones were sent back from overseas. We’ve had the good-quality ones made into jewelry, and the children already have their own."

Zhulan put down the hairpin and asked, "How is Mrs. Yu doing?"

Lady Li sighed, "Not well. She can only lie down now, and she’s so thin it’s heartbreaking."

"Sigh, one must never fall ill."

Lady Li continued, "I also saw Ning Ming. That child has gotten frightfully thin as well."

He didn’t have the vitality that her own children did.

Zhulan chatted with Lady Li for a while before Lady Li took her leave and went home.

In Ming Teng’s courtyard, Ming Teng lay on his side, nursing his injuries. He could only lie on his side or stomach, and Ran Xun couldn’t help but stare at his back.

Ming Teng snapped, "Alright, that’s enough—haven’t you seen me injured before?"

Ran Xun said, "The Marquis Zhou really didn’t hold back."

Ming Teng admitted, "I was indeed at fault."

"You won’t be leaving the house anytime soon."

Ming Teng turned his head. "Forget about me—let’s talk about you. Now that you’re married, shouldn’t you settle down a bit?"

"I’ve had plenty of time to ’settle down’ since being confined. There aren’t many places I can go now anyway."

Ming Teng didn’t sympathize. "Serves you right—it’s your own doing. By the way, is your eldest son still being raised in the country manor?"

Ran Xun spread his hands. "It’s not up to me. And even if it were, I wouldn’t bring him back. Bringing him back would only hurt him."

"Well, that’s also your own doing."

Ran Xun sighed deeply. His feelings for his first child were indeed different, but this difference was tied to the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Ultimately, legitimacy mattered more.

Ran Xun asked, "Aren’t you worried?"

"Worried about what?"

"Children, of course."

Ming Teng rolled his eyes. "Children are a matter of fate. I’m not in a hurry."

Ran Xun envied Ming Teng—no one was pressuring him, and he still had the autonomy to make his own choices. Ran Xun himself didn’t have that luxury.

After Ran Xun left, Lau Jia came out of the house and said to her husband, who was basking in the sun, "Let’s go back inside. It’s too hot out here."

Ming Teng took her hand. "Let’s sit under the shade for a while."

With that, he gestured for the maids to carry him over.

Lau Jia didn’t actually like Ran Xun—her impression of him had always been poor. Especially after the issue with the illegitimate eldest son arose, though because of her sister-in-law, she refrained from speaking out.

Ming Teng could easily sense his wife’s dislike for Ran Xun. Holding her hand, he said, "How others live their lives has little to do with us. Once I’m busy, Ran Xun won’t be coming by as often."

Lau Jia was taken aback. "I thought I hid it well."

Ming Teng laughed, "We’re husband and wife—I know you better than you think."

Lau Jia was delighted. Nothing made her happier than knowing her husband understood her; it showed how much he cared. "Once you’re better, you have to take me out for a trip."

Ming Teng agreed, "Alright. Zhangzhou Province is close to the capital. I’ll take you there, and we’ll tour the mountains and rivers along the way."

Lau Jia, who had never left the capital since birth, said, "I thought you’d only take me for a short trip around the capital."

Ming Teng smiled. "It was a spur-of-the-moment idea."

Lau Jia began calculating when her husband’s injuries might heal, her eyes bright with joy. "I’ll need to prepare plenty of luggage."

"Alright, we’ll do as you say."

He found his wife fresh and lively. He felt guilty for making her endure lonely nights. Unlike Ming Rui, who had once taken his fiancée to a lecture, Ming Teng thought Ming Rui lacked any sense of romance, even if the Lin family’s young woman seemed happy enough.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, seven days passed. Ming Teng’s injuries had healed significantly. News of his plan to visit Zhangzhou had spread.

Chang Xhong expressed interest in going, and even Ming Hui, whose leg was recovering nicely, wanted to join. In the end, a few more people decided to tag along.

Zhulan saw Ming Teng and the others off. Zhou Shuren was worried about his wife, but when he returned and saw her in good spirits, he said, "I worried for nothing."

"The children are grown now. I’m used to it. Besides, they’re not going on an official assignment—just visiting Yushuang. I don’t have any attachments."

Zhou Shuren nodded. "True, the children have grown up. They’re no longer the little ones who used to revolve around us."

Zhulan was pleased with the painting she was working on. Turning her head, she said, "What happened today? Why do you seem unusually sentimental?"

Zhou Shuren gestured for her to wait until he changed into his official robes. "I’ll tell you once I’m done."

When Zhou Shuren emerged, Zhulan pushed a cup of chilled tea toward him. "Drink this."

He took a sip and said, "The Wang family has made a move against the Qie family over the past few days—they’ve clearly been scheming."

Zhulan wasn’t surprised. "Power is seductive. Who wouldn’t want the prestige and influence of the Wen clan?"

"Is it really that hard to stay true to oneself?"

Having worked with Wang Yi, Zhou Shuren respected him, which made his feelings all the more complicated.

Zhulan replied, "It’s hard. That’s the throne, the pinnacle of power. We’ve already changed so much, but a flourishing era only makes the allure of the throne stronger. Of course, it also has to do with the Emperor—he’s in his prime, while the Crown Prince has grown up, giving the Princes a glimmer of hope."

Zhou Shuren scoffed, "Royal power, indeed."

Zhulan didn’t want to discuss royal politics anymore. She shifted the topic to the orphanage. "Recently, some of the children at the nearby manors have dug pools to raise fish."

"Adding some lotus planting wouldn’t be bad either."

Zhulan chuckled. "The vegetables from the greenhouses are ready earlier. We earned quite a bit of silver coins recently by selling them. As a result, meals have included more meat dishes lately."

"Nicely done. By the way, have you been to the Imperial Orphanage?"

"No. Have you?"

Zhou Shuren shook his head. "I haven’t been either. I’ve only heard from the Crown Prince that the children there are doing well."

Zhulan said, "What the royal family values most is loyalty and obedience."

"Exactly. I’m thinking of taking a day off soon to teach a class there. Will you join me?"

Zhulan agreed. "Sure, I’d like to see the Imperial Orphanage too."

In the blink of an eye, several more days passed. The eldest son and his wife finally returned to the capital, only to find that the one they were most concerned about—Ming Hui—had departed.

Zhulan waited until Lady Li’s frustration passed before explaining about Ming Teng. "I didn’t mean to keep it a secret. I just didn’t want to worry you without knowing the outcome."

Lady Li smiled. "Ming Teng has always been blessed."

Zhulan realized Lady Li didn’t fully grasp how severe the avalanche incident had been. For someone who had never seen snow-covered mountains, an avalanche might just seem like a pile of snow. She opened her mouth to explain but ultimately let it go. Sometimes ignorance really was bliss—otherwise, Lady Li might end up scaring herself.

The eldest son, noticing his wife’s carefree nature, thought to himself that an avalanche couldn’t be as simple as it sounded. If it were, his mother wouldn’t have been so cautious. Since she said nothing more, he didn’t press for details.

Zhulan inquired about the Li family’s situation. Learning that both parents-in-law were still in good health, she was happy for them. She then suggested the eldest son and his wife rest after their exhausting travels. After all, they had hurried back to the capital without stopping.