The Marquis' Wife

The Miao Sheng

Lu Xiang closed his book when he saw Adelia coming in with a tray of chicken porridge and two red bean-filled bakpaos and a glass of water.

"You don't have to cook for me anymore. I'm not hungry" He immediately took the tray from his wife's hand.

"You used a lot of your brain to study so you'd be hungry by midnight. Eaten". Adelia sat down beside waiting for her husband to eat.

Lu Xiang smiled gently. "Thank you wife".

Adelia coughed and nodded in embarrassment. She was not used to hearing her husband's call to make her face flushed without being able to prevent it.

Lu Xiang ate voraciously, he was hungry in the middle even though he had dinner while studying but he did not want to bother Adelia who had been busy all day preparing the opening of the cake shop and order from manager Xu.

Lu Xiang looked at the slightly exhausted look on his wife's face, he gently stroked Adelia's cheek and let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you these two days. You must be so exhausted, right?"

Adelia shook her head slowly. "No really. Even if you're not around, there's still Lu Chen and Lu Shan helping me".

"When the cake shop opened you must have been a lot busier than you are now. Do you want to hire someone else? I don't want you to be exhausted".

Adelia thought and nodded. Preparations to open a cake shop alone he was almost overwhelmed especially when every day had to prepare cakes for sale but hiring others was very risky because potentially the cake recipe will leak, because it is very dangerous, they do not have anyone's backing will be very difficult to avoid if anyone wants to disrupt their business. Although Uncle Xu guaranteed but he was just an ordinary partner so it was impossible that Uncle Xu would always help them.

"I want to hire someone else but I'm afraid the recipe is leaking".

"You can buy slaves. They're much safer than hiring someone else".

Adelia's eyes sparkled. Yep! Why did he forget about it, in ancient times he could buy slaves who would be loyal to him.

"You're right!" But his smile faded. "But the price of a slave is expensive right?"

Lu Xiang's smile also froze, he realized that they didn't have much money to buy a slave yet he still calmed his wife. "You don't have to worry, the opening of the cake shop is still a few days away, we can definitely buy a slave". In his heart he was determined to sell a basic knowledge book in a bookstore and received several other orders in order to raise money quickly.

Adelia nodded in relief.

&&&

"You sure, grandma? Lu Xiang went to school again?!" Miao Sheng asked in disbelief.

"Yes. The rancid kid and my dissident granddaughter got a job in town, they were very lucky but Adelia didn't tell me anything at all, just gave no alimony. You poor grandson!" Grandma Lan swore Adelia and Lu Xiang over with an unwilling expression.

Miao Sheng lowered his gaze, covering the dark rays in his eyes. He hated Lu Xiang so much because ever since the man entered the Academy, the citizens had always compared him to Lu Xiang.

When he heard Lu Xiang dropped out of school, he, he was one of the most pleased to hear it and thought that the man could no longer compete with him but he did not expect that in almost three weeks he did not return home he got that unpleasant news. His hands clenched firmly, inwardly he was afraid that Lu Xiang would defeat him in the test and he would stand behind the man for good.

"Do you know where they got the job?"

Grandma Lan shook her head, Lien Hua and Li Mei who heard also shook their heads. The two had gone to the city and found out about the place where Adelia worked but there was no information about the girl.

Miao Sheng smiled and gently patted his grandmother's wrinkled hands. "You don't have to worry, Grandma. Lu Xiang has not studied for a long time so he will be far behind me, I'm sure he can't take the exam next year". Although he calmed his grandmother but in his heart he was also not sure of his own words.

Li Mie approached her son after Miao Lan's grandmother and Lien Hua left. "What should we do Miao Sheng? I don't want Lu Xiang to take the state examination next year".

Miao Sheng's face instantly became gloomy. "Why did he get to work in the city?"

"That's.. I heard that Lu Xiang had an acquaintance who gave him a shop to run".

Miao Sheng's face frowned "Do you know the shop where their mother works?"

Li Mei shook her head while sighing in disappointment. "No. I've been looking in the city but I can't find it".

Miao Sheng was silent for a moment. "Let me find out. Mother paid someone else to ruin Lu Xiang's efforts, so it would be necessary to damage his reputation" A cold aura flashed in her eyes.

Li Mei nodded in understanding.

Miao Sheng waved his hand. "Have left my room. I want to study again". The information about Lu Xiang returning to the Academy made him panic and want to study hard again.

Li Mei nodded. "You just learn, there's no need to think about Lu Xiang. I know you're smarter and smarter than that poor young man".

Miao Sheng nodded impatiently. "Yes, I know".

&&&

"Can anyone help the student?" The bookstore clerk came to Lu Xiang who entered the shop.

"I want to sell books" Lu Xiang undid the cloth and put down some of the books he had already copied.

The clerk opened the book and was stunned to see the elegant and neat writing inside. "In the meantime, I'll check out the book". He picked up the books and went to the back to check if the book had a typo or not.

Lu Xiang nodded and began to read the classic book that was in the bookstore. Zhongshuge bookstore is one of the bookstores that allow students to read for free so it helps him a lot when he does not have the money to buy books.

Previously he had also worked with the Zhongshuge bookstore in copying books and making them able to pay for school fees at the Academy.

It didn't take long, the clerk returned and handed over 1 silver coin and 500 copper coins for the three books that Lu Xiang had sold.

"The book of four classic five books doesn't have many words so we bought it for 500 copper coins and here's the money for three books".

"Thank you"

Lu Xiang walked out of the bookstore and looked at the one silver coin he got from the proceeds of selling books, he let out a long sigh but did not despair and would continue to copy books for sale in order to buy a slave for Adelia.

"Yo~. Who is this if not Lu Xiang the poor boy? What are you going to the bookstore for? Do you wish you could go back to school at the academy?".

The male voice full of scorn made Lu Xiang stop, he saw a tall man with long hair in a bun and wearing a soft satin shirt, the man was flanked by two men who were dressed more modestly than him.