Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 561 - 522: Returning to the Li Family (1)

Unlike Cheng Lou Ye’s worries, Li Yu En was cheerfully packing Lou Chengye’s luggage without a care in the world.

Lou Chengye sat nearby, watching her and Liu Er Niu, Liu San Niu busily moving around, showing no signs of sorrow. He couldn’t help but sigh.

Liu Er Niu, with her keen ears, heard the sound and turned around.

She saw Lou Chengye frowning, his eyes following Li Yu En’s figure back and forth.

Liu Er Niu couldn’t help but laugh.

She quietly tugged on Li Yu En’s sleeve, "Second Miss, look at Second Young Master."

"What’s up?" Li Yu En turned around, just in time to see Lou Chengye frowning and looking at her.

Li Yu En put down the clothes in her hand and walked over with a smile.

"Why are you sighing? My brother already told you about the matters in the Capital. Why are you still worried?"

Lou Chengye held her hand, "I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about you."

Li Yu En blinked her eyes in confusion, "Worried about what for me?"

Lou Chengye said, "The road to the Capital is long. Once I leave, it might be three months before I return. I can’t be at ease with you here alone."

Li Yu En laughed, "It’s alright. My brother is here too. If I get bored, I’ll go see my brother, and oh, I can also visit Old Lady to pass time."

On the surface, Li Yu En was laughing, but she still felt reluctant to part with Lou Chengye.

The last separation lasted ten days, and she felt extremely lonely. This time it would be three months; Li Yu En didn’t know how she would pass the days.

However, to keep Lou Chengye from worrying, she continued to act cheerful and happy.

Lou Chengye thought for a moment, "How about this, why don’t you go back to the Li Family to stay? We have to pass by Qingyang County on the way to the Capital. You can come with us, and I’ll drop you at the Li Family. I will then go to the Capital with Father, and on the way back, I’ll pick you up and bring you home."

Li Yu En’s eyes lit up, "Really? Husband?"

In the family, follow the father; after marriage, follow the husband. This was her mother’s teaching. At home, no matter where she wanted to stay, she had to listen to her parents’ arrangements. After marriage, she would listen to her husband’s arrangements. Returning to her parents’ home was naturally the best, but since Lou Chengye didn’t bring it up, she didn’t dare to mention it herself.

But now that Lou Chengye had brought it up on his own, Li Yu En was extremely happy.

Look, her husband truly understood her heart.

Seeing her joy, Lou Chengye also felt happy. Why hadn’t he thought of this earlier? "Of course it’s true, quickly go pack your luggage."

"Great, husband." Li Yu En joyfully called out to Er Niu and San Niu, "Quick, quick, quick, pack up my clothes too. You both are going back to the village with me."

The two young girls had been away from home for a month, with their parents always on their minds. Upon hearing they could go home, they became as excited as sparrows, deftly tidying up.

Second Lady Liu’s husband Liu Er, and her two sons worked at Lou Mansion, so she wasn’t concerned about matters at home, and she proactively offered to stay and look after Li Zun’en’s house.

With her watching the house, Lou Chengye and Li Yu En were both at ease.

Lou Chengye discussed Li Yu En’s return to her parent’s home with Lady Lou and Prefect Lou.

He initially expected his parents to oppose Li Yu En staying away from home for so long and had prepared himself. If his parents opposed, he would disregard it and insist on taking Li Yu En home.

To his surprise, his parents did not object.

Prefect Lou instructed the steward to prepare extra gifts, and Lady Lou even asked how many days she would stay at home and whether they should arrange someone to fetch her.

The change in his parents amazed Lou Chengye.

He stammered, "Mother, she won’t stay too long, and there’s no need to send anyone to pick her up. My father and I will pass through Qingyang County on our way to the Capital. Once we reach there, I will drop Yu En off at the Li Family, and when I return from the Capital, I’ll fetch Yu En and come home."

He worried his mother might be upset, so he hurried to explain.

As expected, Lady Lou’s face turned somber, "Staying so long..."

Prefect Lou glanced at her, "How long can three months really be? Wuwu’s wife married far away; how many times can she return home in a year? Going back once this year, who knows when she would have time to return next year. What’s three months? Last year, the eldest daughter-in-law also went home for two months. Later she also returned occasionally, and counting all that, it’s definitely more than three months. You’re always so biased."

"I was just saying casually, do you have to criticize me like this?" Lady Lou turned her head in discontent.

Prefect Lou, unwilling to argue, waved Lou Chengye off, "Inform your grandmother too, so she won’t worry."

Lou Chengye breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, Father."

Lou Chengye dashed off.

In the main room, Lady Lou instructed the maidservants to meticulously pack Prefect Lou’s luggage.

Going to the Capital inevitably required dealing with Capital officials, and local specialties from Zhen An Prefecture were essential.

The journey to report to the Capital occurs once every three years; the journey is long, taking at least three months.

Three months later, with the weather turning warm, winter clothes would be unusable, so spring clothing had to be prepared.

Three large chests were filled with Prefect Lou’s belongings, and another three chests were packed with gifts for the officials.

As for official documents, they needed to be packed in three more chests.

Prefect Lou, watching her busily, said, "Yesterday, the fifth couple went to see Li Erlang."

Lady Lou offhandedly remarked, "Which day doesn’t the Li Family visit her second brother?"

Prefect Lou said, "I heard from Wuwu that Li Erlang entrusted him with many matters, detailing whom to trust and whom to avoid once entering the Capital. He was worried Wuwu might not remember, so he even wrote a list for him."

Lady Lou was surprised, "This Li Erlang is quite a formidable person."

Prefect Lou laughed coldly, "Have you forgotten his true identity again?"

Lady Lou felt embarrassed. She had indeed forgotten, but speaking of it, since Li Erlang was so formidable, why didn’t he contend with the Emperor?

"What’s the use of being formidable? Wasn’t he still sent to this Zhen An Prefecture? If he had real skills, why not contend with the Emperor?" Lady Lou snorted lightly.

Prefect Lou glanced at the three busy maids over there and whispered, "What do you know? This is called preserving strength, biding one’s time. The affairs in the palace change in an instant. The Li Family is lying low! Waiting for the right moment."

Lady Lou blinked, "Will there be a change in the Capital?"

Prefect Lou stroked his beard, "I have a premonition it’s only a matter of time."

Lady Lou began to worry, "My lord, will this bring trouble to us?"

Prefect Lou looked at her with a stern face, "What trouble? We know nothing!"

Lady Lou suddenly realized, indeed, Li’s identity hadn’t been disclosed, not even Wuwu knew.

Yet she was still deeply worried, associating with the Imperial Family was no different than accompanying the emperor. What if someday the Emperor was displeased and implicated her in the extermination of nine clans?

Seeing her look of panic, Prefect Lou waved his hand, "It’s not that serious; you’re overthinking!"

"My lord always cares so little, what if it causes trouble then..." Lady Lou was so angry she didn’t want to speak anymore.

"We’ll cross that bridge when we get there," Prefect Lou didn’t have so many worries, and walked away.

Lady Lou pursed her lips in annoyance.

.

Lou Chengye and Li Yu En came to bid farewell to Old Lady Lou.

Old Lady Lou held Li Yu En’s hand, "Married far away, it’s rare to come back. Just stay at home for a few days."

Li Yu En smiled and nodded, "Yes, Old Lady."

Old Lady Lou called out to the maid, choosing some gifts for the young couple to take back.

.

The next day, the weather was clear and fine.

Lou Chengye and Li Yu En got up before dawn.

Second Lady Liu and Er Niu, San Niu got up even earlier than them.

They were all excited about setting off on a long journey.

Second Lady Liu arranged for them to wash up and then brought breakfast.

Outside, a steward nanny from the front courtyard came to inform them that the carriage was ready, and they could move their luggage.

Second Lady Liu smiled and said to Lou Chengye and Li Yu En, "Second Master and Second Young Lady, you eat first, I’ll go call someone to move the luggage."

She followed the nanny to the front courtyard, calling Liu Er and his two sons, who were sitting in the gatehouse by the Lou Mansion gate, to move the trunks from the Shuanghua Courtyard.

Liu Er and his two sons, every morning at the fifth watch, which is before dawn, waited for tasks in the gatehouse beside the Lou Mansion entrance, and returned to the small house to rest during the second watch at night.

Among the three, only the older Liu Jinbao was arranged to drive the carriage for Li Yu En, while Liu Yinbao and Liu Er would stay at the small house to guard it, because Li Xingsheng was also returning, and the house needed to be watched.

The father and sons came to Shuanghua Courtyard, happily carrying the luggage to the front courtyard.

Second Lady Liu repeatedly reminded them, "Be careful, don’t drop anything."

There were quite a few things, so Chang Sui Lou Shuosheng of Prefect Lou brought four servants to help as well.

By the time Li Yu En and Lou Chengye finished breakfast, all the luggage had been moved.

Li Yu En instructed Second Lady Liu to take care of the house, and took Er Niu, San Niu to the front courtyard.

Prefect Lou was about to go on a long journey, at the mansion gate, several of the Lou family sons and daughters-in-law, along with Lady Lou, were all there to see them off.

Li Xingsheng was already waiting at the mansion gate on horseback, when he saw Prefect Lou and the sons approach, he dismounted and walked over, cupping his hands in salute, "Mr. Lou."

Prefect Lou looked behind him, seeing he was only on horseback, and said, "This weather is still cold, how can you bear riding a horse? Ride in the carriage with me?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Li Xingsheng did not stand on ceremony and immediately returned the salute, "Thank you for the invitation, sir."

Second Lady Lou sighed softly, saying quietly to Lady Lou, "Elder sister-in-law, the elder brother never had such treatment, who knew a country brother of the Li Family would be invited by the master to ride in the carriage together."

Lady Lou glanced at her, pursed her lips, and said nothing.

In this mansion with so many people, except for Lady Lou, there was no one else who had ever ridden in the carriage with the master.

Now, a brother from the countryside of the Li Family had unexpectedly won the master’s favor.

Lady Lou snorted softly in her heart, wondering what kind of bewitching potion the Li Family siblings had given the master.