Chapter 345: 352: The Change Is Coming

Su Wenyue also picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth, nodding, “This pickled cucumber is sour with a hint of sweetness, moderately spicy, crisp and delicious, especially when prepared by Feng Susu. Adding the ancestral secret recipe gives it a unique flavor.”

“Aunt’s skills are becoming more and more refined,” Su Wenyue complimented.

“It’s nothing significant. This little skill is all I can be proud of. And Shu Qin, that little girl, has indeed surpassed her teacher. Even if I leave, Lady Yue won’t have to worry about missing out on these,” Feng Susu said with a smile. If she truly could find her husband this time, she naturally planned to take her son and go home to live together. If not, she was determined to continue her search, without always staying in the Han Mansion. However, she could never repay the great kindness Lady Yue had shown her, so she unreservedly passed on her only skill to Shu Qin as a token of her gratitude.

Su Wenyue understood the meaning behind Feng Susu’s words. She felt both admiration and a touch of sorrow within her heart. It wouldn’t be long before Feng Susu’s hardships turned into happiness. Yet, thinking of the woman named Hongling in the General’s Mansion, Su Wenyue felt a tightness in her chest for Feng Susu. Her eyes shifted as she contemplated that Ye Xinxin seemed to know the reason. It might be a good idea to find an opportunity to ask her and find out the true background of that woman.

Su Wenyue had indeed sent people to inquire before, but due to her concerns about revealing their motives and spoiling things, they had proceeded with caution. The guard at the General’s Mansion was tight, and her people hadn’t managed to uncover any useful information.

After the New Year’s celebration, Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang were also planning to go back. Despite the wealth in the prefecture, it was full of traps and too many rules, making them feel uneasy. They were more comfortable in the countryside, where, thanks to their son’s success, villagers treated them with great courtesy and made their days very comfortable. There was no reason for them to stay and bother the fourth son and his wife.

“Father and Mother, it’s rare for you to visit. Why not stay a few more days? At least wait until after the Lantern Festival to go back. The Lantern Festival here in the city is quite lively, and your daughter-in-law will accompany you to see the Flower Lanterns,” Su Wenyue said, trying to persuade her in-laws to stay. Her mother-in-law seemed to have learned from the last incident and was now treating her with courtesy and not causing her any trouble. Su Wenyue was naturally happy to have the older folks enjoy a few more days in the city. As for the third son and his wife, they were being watched, and they couldn’t stir up any trouble in just a few days.

“No, we should go back earlier. We need to give our regards to everyone in the village during the winter months. It’s not good to return too late,” Mrs. Yang said with a smile. Although they were set on going back, she was still pleased with her daughter-in-law’s attitude.

“Indeed, even though the fourth child is now wealthy, we shouldn’t forget our roots. We need to remember the village’s relationships,” Old Man Han added from the side.

“Father and Mother are right, the village’s relationships should not be neglected. We owe the villagers a lot for their help. Since that’s the case, I’ll have someone arrange everything, and you can come to the city to stay for a while when you have the time,” Su Wenyue’s attitude was clear, leaving it up to her Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law to decide for themselves.

When she mentioned this to Han Yu that evening, his reaction was as expected, and his eyes even flickered with a peculiar light, though it was too fast for Su Wenyue to notice.

“Going back earlier is also good. I can see that Father and Mother are not very comfortable staying in the mansion. They’d be happier in the village. Some things that are bound to happen must be resolved sooner rather than later,” Han Yu said, clearly implying something more, but Su Wenyue couldn’t figure it out and didn’t ask further, especially since this concerned her Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law. She couldn’t help but overthink it.

After seeing off the Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law and their party, it wasn’t long before Han Yu also had to go to the General Battalion for his duties. The beginning of everything is difficult, and he was busy attending to numerous tasks at the military camp and other affairs outside. He would return home very late at night. Suddenly, the mansion felt emptier, and Su Wenyue felt somewhat hollow inside. However, before she had time to adjust, Ye Xinxin disrupted this state of affairs.

Ye Xinxin seemed to have gotten attached to the Han Mansion, coming over almost every other day as if she had to, naturally to mooch food. Su Wenyue herself liked Ye Xinxin’s personality and was all the more happy to accommodate her for certain reasons. Eventually, Ye Xinxin simply brought her husband Shangguan Wuyou with her. Both spouses were carefree and informal, finding the Han Mansion a good place to be, and they truly ‘stuck’ around.

One day, while chatting and joking with Ye Xinxin, Su Wenyue brought up the General’s Mansion again, sharing some amusing stories about Hongling and discussing the General An’s lost wife and child. Unlike before, Su Wenyue didn’t gloss over it but inquired about the details.

“Sister Yue, why are you so interested in General An’s lost wife and child? Do you know something about their whereabouts?” After Ye Xinxin shared what she knew, she asked with curiosity. She too was curious about where General An’s wife and child could be, and what kind of woman Lady An was to have held his attention until now.

Su Wenyue didn’t deny it, but neither did she reveal Feng Susu’s identity. She simply said, “There are some leads, but I’m not sure if they are accurate. This matters to General An, so I dare not speak carelessly in case I’m mistaken.”

“That makes sense,” Ye Xinxin agreed. “After all, General An has been searching for his wife and child for so many years. A mistake would surely cause disappointment.” Although Ye Xinxin disliked Hongling, she clearly had a good impression of General An. Seeing that Su Wenyue seemed to have some secrets, she didn’t press further on the topic. No matter how carefree and candid Ye Xinxin appeared, she was still a daughter raised by an aristocratic family and knew her limits. This spared Su Wenyue the trouble of making up stories.

Su Wenyue was also worried that she might not handle the matter properly and accidentally give themselves away. Thinking it over, she decided to wait until Han Yu came home that evening and tell him everything, to see what he decided. Entrusting the matter to Han Yu was surely better than her trying to manage it on her own.

Han Yu came back very late as usual, looking more somber than usual, but he softened when he saw Su Wenyue’s concerned expression.

“Husband, has something happened at the military camp?” Su Wenyue guessed that the troubles must be related to Han Yu’s duties at the military camp, which she had heard a bit about.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry,” Han Yu replied, then sighed when he saw his wife’s disbelief.

“Now that Mr. Sun has climbed onto Prime Minister Wang’s big tree and started to meddle with military affairs, it does hinder me somewhat. But it’s not a major issue. I was just feeling a bit out of sorts. You should be more cautious when dealing with Madam Sun and her daughter in the future. They refrained from troubling you because of their connection with the Marquis Bei’an Mansion, but now they might change their stance.”