Now back to the present. After Lu Chi finished the banquet, because Shi Fa Ke was really too busy as the matchmaker, and with the ill-intentioned He Kexian watching like a tiger from the side, he couldn’t find any opportunity to speak alone with Ah Ke. Thinking there would be plenty of time in the future, he left first.

Zhu Keji, who hadn’t seen his teacher for many days, shamelessly followed along.

Lu Chi, considering that he had just performed a great service, turned a blind eye and let him be… Besides, the house on Willow Leaf Lane hadn’t been lived in for many days and would surely need a good cleaning. Why refuse when free labor was delivered to his door? It would seem so inconsiderate.

Zhu Keji was unaware of his teacher’s devious plan and happily led the horse for his teacher all the way to Willow Leaf Lane.

Lu Chi had calculated everything well, but when he opened the door, he saw that the courtyard was clean and tidy, and the rooms hadn’t accumulated thick dust as he had imagined. Even the little donkey he had forgotten in the back courtyard had been raised to be plump and energetic, very spirited.

“Teacher, if we tie this horse together with Little Black, will they fight?” asked Zhu Keji, who was leading the horse.

“Little Black?” Lu Chi raised an eyebrow.

“Mm, Sister Shi gave it that name.” Zhu Keji grinned with a pure and innocent smile.

Lu Chi cleared his throat softly and nodded. “It’s fine, just tie it together with Little Black.”

Zhu Keji obediently led the horse into the shed and tied it up, his movements very skilled. He was no longer the Third Young Master Zhu who never lifted a finger.

“Keji, this house… did you have it cleaned?” Lu Chi watched from the side and, after hesitating, still asked.

“I dare not take credit. I must thank Sister Shi for that.” Zhu Keji smiled cheerfully.

Lu Chi’s guess was confirmed, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, his expression immediately softening.

Zhu Keji watched in amazement… Should this be called one thing conquering another?

Here, Lu Chi quickly restrained his rippling emotions and took out a letter sealed with red lacquer from his bosom. “This is a letter written by my sister-in-law. Please deliver it to Madam Zhu.”

Zhu Keji took the letter and quickly returned home.

He knew how much his aunt missed his elder sister, and this family letter might bring her some comfort.

The Zhu Residence.

Madam Zhu held the family letter that Second Master Zhu Li had just delivered. The usually composed Madam Zhu’s eyes immediately reddened. Looking at Zhu Li, who was sweating profusely from running back in haste, she took out her handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “Thank you, good child.”

Zhu Keji casually wiped his sweat with his sleeve and grinned. “My teacher said elder sister is doing well, so aunt needn’t worry too much. I won’t disturb you reading elder sister’s letter now, I’ll come pay my respects to you later.”

With that, he withdrew.

Madam Zhu watched Zhu Keji leave with very complex emotions. “This child has really changed a lot.”

In the past, everyone thought he was a piece of rotten wood that couldn’t be carved, but now he had remarkably become a piece of unpolished jade with inner radiance.

Caiyun, who was standing nearby, nodded along and sighed, “Third Young Master really found a good teacher.”

Yes, the whole Zhu residence said so.

His teacher was the son of Xu Feiqiong. After all, Feiqiong was good at teaching sons.

“Madam, quickly see what the young lady wrote.” Caiyun urged.

Madam Zhu smiled and chided her. “You’re even more anxious than me.” As she spoke, she lowered her head to open the envelope. As she read, she suddenly burst out laughing with a “puchi.”

“Oh my, Madam, quickly tell this servant what the young lady wrote that’s so amusing.” Caiyun was scratching her ears and cheeks with anxiety.

“That girl… said that on the third day she went to the kitchen, washing her hands to make soup. She stubbornly refused the wet nurse’s help and confidently made a dish of minced meat porridge by herself.”

“Oh my.” Caiyun looked anxious. “How could the young lady know how to cook… Madam, and you’re still laughing!”

The young lady might have talent for growing flowers, but cooking… that was truly beyond words.

“The wet nurse even bragged to the in-laws for her, saying our young lady’s specialty was minced meat porridge.” Madam Zhu was still laughing.

“…The wet nurse really went too far!” Caiyun said indignantly. Even bragging should be done at the right time. Wasn’t this digging a pit for the young lady? Others might not know what the young lady’s minced meat porridge was like, but didn’t the wet nurse know? That pot of random ingredients with whatever was available… was that fit for human consumption?

Every time, the wet nurse couldn’t bear to dampen the young lady’s enthusiasm and secretly switched it out, replacing it with minced meat porridge she had made herself. The things the young lady made were so bad that even dogs wouldn’t eat them—they had to be buried!

Madam Zhu couldn’t help but smile. “But the son-in-law finished eating it.”

Caiyun was stunned.

Madam Zhu laughed and her eyes reddened. “Yanyan married into a good family.”

“Those who survive great disasters are blessed with good fortune. I always said our young lady’s luck would last a long time.” Caiyun massaged Madam Zhu’s shoulders while speaking softly.

Madam Zhu smiled and nodded. Yanyan’s letter was full of joy and brightness between the lines. It seemed she was living well at the Lu family.

She knew her decision back then wasn’t wrong, and felt at peace.

Her Yanyan must be happy.

What kind of experience was it when a close friend from your maiden days suddenly became your sister-in-law?

The morning after the wedding, when Shi Fa Ke walked into the kitchen, she was so startled she almost backed out… Those plates and dishes of delicious food were astonishingly rich in both quantity and variety.

So luxurious it hardly seemed like their family’s kitchen!

“Ah Ke, good morning.” He Ketian, with her hair arranged in a married woman’s style, stood in the kitchen with a very gentle and charming smile.

“Morning…” Shi Fa Ke nodded reflexively, then reacted and asked with amazement, “Ketian, why are you up so early? Did you make all this?”

She looked thoroughly shocked.

He Ketian smiled modestly and gently corrected with dignity, “First, Ah Ke, you should call me Third Sister-in-law. Second, of course I didn’t make these.”

Quite matter-of-fact about it.

Shi Fa Ke twitched the corner of her mouth. “…Third Sister-in-law.”

“Good girl.” He Ketian nodded with sisterly authority, then asked, “Are Father and Mother up yet? I don’t know what they like to eat, so I had the cook make a variety of dishes.”

…This variety was a bit much.

Shi Fa Ke held back, but couldn’t help saying, “Ketian, you don’t need to be so nervous. Father and Mother won’t get up this early. They originally planned to give you and Third Brother time to sleep in today.”

Her mother wasn’t some evil mother-in-law… How could she make a newly wed daughter-in-law cook on the second day?

“Third Sister-in-law.” He Ketian persistently corrected.

“…Third Sister-in-law.”

“Mm, first, this isn’t pedantry, it’s proper etiquette. Second, this is also a small gesture of my respect as a new daughter-in-law.” He Ketian maintained her gentle demeanor. “Ah Ke, are you hungry? I had the cook stew sweet soup, would you like to have some first?”

The cook was dowry that Ketian had brought from the He family, so her skills were naturally excellent.

Facing such a virtuous He Ketian, Shi Fa Ke felt somewhat complicated inside. You should know that when He Ketian married over, she only brought one cook as dowry and didn’t even bring a personal maid… Actually, she was used to being served at the He family, and Third Brother had thought of buying a maid for her, but He Ketian firmly refused, saying that when you marry a chicken you follow the chicken, when you marry a dog you follow the dog—no special treatment.

This reasonable Ketian hardly seemed like Ketian at all…

“Third Sister-in-law… I’m a bit uncomfortable with you being like this.”

So awkward!

“You’ll get used to it.” He Ketian smiled sweetly.

As it turned out, just as Shi Fa Ke had said, everyone in the Shi family got up particularly late today. By the time Shi Fa Ke had finished her bowl of sweet soup, they still hadn’t gotten up.

“But hasn’t Third Brother gotten up yet?” Shi Fa Ke asked curiously while drinking her sweet soup.

“Mm, he was quite tired yesterday. I got up quietly without disturbing him.” As He Ketian spoke, her face suddenly tinged with a blush… Clearly she meant to say he was tired from yesterday’s wedding ceremony, but somehow it sounded ambiguous.

Then she couldn’t help but think of all the wanton behavior from last night… her face became even redder, and she secretly felt fortunate that Shi Fa Ke couldn’t understand!

“Third Sister-in-law, why is your face so red?” Shi Fa Ke blinked and asked strangely.

“…Probably because it’s too hot.” He Ketian coughed lightly and somewhat uncomfortably raised her hand to fan her face.