Chapter 798: Honeydew Melon

"A few days ago, my uncle sent a steward to the Gao family, wanting me to return to the Su family to take care of the old lady for a while. He said that the maids and women in the mansion did not satisfy the old lady, and she even refused to eat, just accustomed to my service."

Lu Yiner laughed at this point.

Tong Huaqiong was momentarily speechless.

Su Shihang truly is incorrigible, from a young age used to everyone making way for him and serving him without needing to change at all.

Even now Lu Yiner is someone else’s daughter-in-law, yet he can still boldly come to their door asking her to return to serve Old Mrs. Su. His face is truly thick-skinned enough.

Lu Yiner cursed, "My cheap uncle must have been kicked in the head by a donkey. Asking someone for a favor without any humility, not offering any benefits, and ordering me right away to go back and take care of his mother. Having eaten their food for a few years, do they truly take me for their maid? I have no idea what he was thinking. My mother was so angry that she scolded the steward from the Su family who came to our door, and my father wanted to go to the Su mansion to demand an explanation, but I stopped him, fearing the Su family would dirty his feet."

Lu Yiner’s parents were so angry they couldn’t sleep.

This trip to Shengjing, Father Lu and Mother Lu only then learned what kind of life Lu Yiner had lived in the Su mansion before.

They had always thought Lu Yiner was living the life of a rich lady at the Su mansion, and every time the Lu Family brought news home, it was to recount how well-off Yiner was living.

As it turns out, their daughter at the Su mansion was not even treated as well as a maid. Lu Yiner’s parents felt angry and guilty about this.

They were angry at the Lu family’s deceit.

And they felt guilty for being so credulous.

This time after coming to Shengjing, father and mother learned that the Lu family had been sent back to their hometown by Su Shihang to be watched over by the clan.

They hadn’t heard a word about it back home.

One has to say Su Shihang is ruthless and heartless.

Father Lu hates Su Shihang to death; he originally wanted to go to the Su mansion to demand an explanation, after all, he only had one sister, and before his father passed, he took his hand and asked him to treat the Lu family well once he learned that Su Shihang intended to remarry.

Father Lu wanted to ask Su Shihang at the Su mansion what it meant to send Lu back to their hometown, whether he intended to divorce her or, like last time, temporarily suspend the marriage and remarry.

Having heard of Lu Yiner’s experiences in Shengjing over the years, Mother Lu despised her sister-in-law’s hypocrisy and stubbornly stopped Father Lu from going to the Su mansion to demand justice for the Lu family.

Mother Lu said, "Back when Su Shihang remarried, we saw through Su Shihang’s callousness. We took her back to the Lu family and said we didn’t mind supporting her for life, or if she wanted to remarry, we’d support that too. She could have lived a good life with the Lu family, but she wasn’t willing to stay as even a concubine to follow Su Shihang to Shengjing. Later, when Su Shihang’s wife passed, she became the main wife and returned to the countryside with great pomp. During those glorious days, did she ever care about our well-being? When Su Shihang came to Shengjing for the imperial exams, draining our silver, she didn’t even mention repaying it. Such an ungrateful sister-in-law, I wonder why I listened to you and trusted her then?"

"When she brought Yiner to Shengjing for upbringing, I was against it. You said food was scarce in the countryside, and Yiner could at least live well with your sister. That’s why I agreed to let Yiner go to Shengjing. I don’t expect Yiner to live like a rich lady at the Su mansion, but she can’t be treated like a pawn either!"

Mother Lu always had reservations about her sister-in-law.

Yet, she never expressed them in front of her husband.

She could accept her sister-in-law taking advantage of them but could not tolerate her sister-in-law using her daughter as a pawn.

"Don’t mention a few years of meals in the Su mansion. Before Su Shihang earned his title, your father almost loaned out the entire family to him. What they owe us... Your sister and Su Shihang sleep in the same bed. You seek justice for your sister? If your sister knew, she wouldn’t feel grateful but rather blame you for intruding. Now in the village, she’s focused on pleasing the Su family, dreaming of returning to Shengjing. If she knows you seek out Su Shihang, she’ll blame her inability to return to the capital all on you."

Mother Lu forbade Father Lu from visiting the Su mansion to seek justice for her sister-in-law.

Her sister-in-law is ungrateful, controlled by Su Shihang for half a lifetime, disregarding everyone else.

Going to their door would only result in leaving shamefully empty-handed.

Father Lu awkwardly acknowledged these words.

Wife was not wrong; his sister was indeed such a person.

Yet, she was his only sister; he couldn’t just leave her be.

Father Lu decided to find an excuse later to visit nephew Su Chengji to ask about the situation, for his sister had borne a son for the Su family, and they shouldn’t treat her like this.

While Lu Yiner was discussing how Father Lu wanted to go to the Su mansion to demand justice, and Mother Lu was forbidding it, Su Chengmin strode into the room with his long legs, holding two large boxes, shaking off the snow.

When Su Chengmin saw Lu Yiner, his smile vanished.

Upon seeing Su Chengmin, Lu Yiner became visibly frightened and couldn’t help but inch closer to Tong Huaqiong.

Gu Taohua followed into the room, untying her shawl.

The pair arrived from somewhere, bringing a chill.

Tong Huaqiong quickly invited Gu Taohua to warm by the stove and had a maid pour them hot tea.

"Aunt Tong, inside here are honeydews."

Su Chengmin wasn’t in a rush to drink tea. He placed the two large wooden boxes on the ground before Tong Huaqiong and opened the lid; inside were five white honeydews with patterns.

The scent of ripe honeydew being warmed over the charcoal fire filled the room with a sweet aroma.

The smell was enough to make one’s mouth water.

Tong Huaqiong curiously asked, "Where did the honeydews come from?"

Given the outdated preservation techniques, most fruits were seasonal. During winter, even wealthy families struggled to enjoy honeydew unless they were part of the royal household.

Su Chengmin explained, "The Princely Heir of Prince Jingnan came to Shengjing for his brother’s wedding and brought two carts of melons to present to the emperor. Each palace got two melons, and the Crown Prince got a bit more. The Crown Prince gifted one to Mr. Su and ordered me to give the rest to you."

Tong Huaqiong beamed with delight, grateful to the diligent Crown Prince.

During this era, transporting fresh fruit from Yunnan to Shengjing was difficult unless enormous resources were spent.

No ruler with sense would cause undue harm to the people and waste resources.

Only because of the visit of Prince Jingnan’s son to Shengjing enabled the offering of two carts of melons.

Eating honeydew beside a fire in the winter was a delightful thought.

Tong Huaqiong called for someone to invite Mrs. Hong, Mrs. Zhao, Gu Baishuang, and Tong Pandi, excited to slice and enjoy the melon.

Gu Taohua said, "Mother, why rush? Brother isn’t here yet. Let’s wait for him to join us."

Tong Huaqiong reconsidered, realizing the honeydew wasn’t going anywhere.

There were five melons in total. Tong Huaqiong sent one to Lu Zhaoyang and Huang Jingshan and another to Aunt Tang and Lian Hengruo.

As she contemplated whether to give one to Lu Yiner, Su Chengmin said to Lu Yiner, "You’d better head back. The emperor awarded one to Gao Ming."

Tong Huaqiong felt Su Chengmin’s excuse to get rid of people was quite unique.

Lu Yiner abruptly stood up, asking, "Cousin, what happened to Gao Ming?"

Su Chengmin gave Lu Yiner a surprised look and replied, "Gao Ming was injured today while saving the emperor."