Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard Chapter 57.5

Our Family's Daughter Has Grown Up (5)

T/N: Chapter sponsored by LittleWolfPup! Thank you for sponsoring! 

"That year, why did mother have to run away? What about her maiden family?" Du Xiao Li asked.

"Mother said, at the time, maternal grandfather disapproved of mother marrying father, but mother insisted on marrying, thus maternal grandfather severed their father and daughter relationship and had her kicked out of the family. At the time, when she married father, only maternal grandmother secretly came, the others all didn't appear. That's why, after mother met with mishap, she didn't go back home. 

Du Xiao Li didn't expect that there was also such a past. Seeing the sorrow and resentment in Du Xiu Heng's eyes, she suddenly wanted to know why Su Su Xin ran away that year.

Du Xiu Heng seemingly knew what Du Xiao Li wanted to ask and replied first, "That year, father got first place in the imperial exam and was seen by the Right Minister's younger daughter. The Right Minister's eldest daughter was the current Empress, and thus asked the Emperor for a decree, passing an imperial edict to let her younger sister become father's equal wife*. The imperial decree can not be disobeyed. From then on, our home gained a second mother. Afterwards, second mother schemed against mother and in order to protect you and I, mother had no choice but to run away.

(*T/N: Equal wife is where there are two main wives and are supposedly equal in status. However, if I remember correctly, in this novel, only the first wife's children are considered di-born.)

"Then that degenerate father or ours, what's his position?" Du Xiao Li asked.

"Don't know, that year, father was only just a small assistant minister, but this many years have passed, and along with the Right Minister, that old fart's, support, don't know how high he's already climbed to by now." Du Xiu Heng said between clenched teeth.

Du Xiao Li suddenly recalled Niu Jing's words, could it be that he knew their identity?!

This was also possible. The Right Minister's daughter marrying down, and was even a marriage bestowed by the Emperor, it definitely would have caused an uproar in the capital. Niu Jing, having lived in the capital for that long, knowing about them wasn't that strange either. 

No wonder he told her not to go to the capital. Just, for Du Xiu Heng's sake, this trip to the capital can't be avoided. Thinking of Du Xiu Heng wanting to pass the imperial exam in the future, it was no less also because of that degenerate father of theirs. 

With this many years having gone by, they didn't know what position that degenerate father has climbed to now. If Du Xiu Heng goes to the capital, what if he gets discovered?

Du Xiao Li's suddenly felt very heavy. In this era, under imperial power, what should she do to be able to better protect herself and her big brother?

Suddenly, she recalled something Luo Qi once said here, if one doesn't want to be restricted by the imperial power, then establish an absolute power of influence. Although she currently still isn't able to establish a power that can contend against the imperial power, she can however strengthen herself, letting her brother and her be able to live relatively freely in the future. 

Looks like, despite coming to this world and entering Du Xiao Li's body, the peaceful life she wanted was still an extravagant hope. However, since she's able to live another lifetime again, then she wants to let herself life as carefree as possible!

Afterwards, Du Xiao Li also asked about Su Su Xin's maiden family, but because she never told Du Xiu Heng before, Du Xiu Heng also didn't know.

Regarding their birth, they later never brought it up ever again. Neither of them once thought of returning to that degenerate father's side either. This matter thus was buried in the bottom of their hearts. But things won't completely progress according to your wishes. More often than not, some unexpected things will always occur. 

Du Xiao Li saw Du Xiu Heng's low mood and wanted to divert his attention, thus took him to go look at their house. So the two headed up the mountain. 

Just as they reached the foot of the mountain, Silver ran down from the mountain and ran in circles around Du Xiao Li. In these few months, Silver grew quit a bit. He was already to her knees. 

Du Xiao Li leaned over and rubbed Silver's head. Two people and a wolf then headed up the mountain. And as expected, they didn't see Luo Qi on the mountain. Du Xiao Li inwardly sighed, yet didn't say anything. 

The house was already half done, and judging by this speed, by the end of the eleventh month, it'll be able to completed. Because there weren't that many of them, Du Xiao Li only built three bedrooms, each person, one room. There was also a kitchen, a storage room and cellar.

"Younger sister, I'm so useless. I said I would take care of you, but in the end, let you earn money for me to go to school and even fixed our house." Du Xiu Heng was very satisfied with the house's structure. But thinking that these were all from the money that Du Xiao Li earned, his mood somewhat dropped again.

Sweat, this again!

Du Xiao Li felt this older brother of her somehow became very melancholic and moody. This won't do, she needed to quickly have his train of thought moved back on track.

"Big brother, this is investing!"

"Investing?"

"That's right! Investing is where you throw in your money and wait for even more profits in the future. Right now, I'm investing in you, so that in the future, when you're successful, won't I be able to live even better?"

Du Xiu Heng felt Du Xiao Li's words were right. In the future, he must become successful, so that he can let his younger sister live even better! From then on out, he will be even more earnest in studying, vowing become the top scorer in the imperial exam for his younger sister!

In the two days Du Xiu Heng returned, Luo Qi never appeared. All the way until the third day did Luo Qi finally return to Du village. Du Xiao Li gave him a glance and only asked whether he'd eaten or not. Seeing him shake his head, she went and cooked him a bowl of noodles.

Luo Qi looked to the noodles before him. The expression on his face very satisfied, saying: "Today just happens to be my birthday."

Du Xiao Li paused and said, "As expected, you've recovered your memories."

"Today's my birthday, not going to tell me happy birthday?" Luo Qi said with a smile.

Du Xiao Li looked to the completely different feeling Luo Qi, sat down across from him, and said, "Big brother Luo Qi, happy birthday!" 

"Thank you." Luo Qi lowered his head to eat his noodles. He clearly was at a place hundreds of meters away, but once his subordinate told him that today was his birthday, he only had one thought, come back, return to Du village, this little mountain village. When he saw Du Xiao Li make noodles for himself, he felt his heart was warm.

"That's right, big brother Luo Qi, which birthday is this?" Du Xiao Li didn't ask what he went to do, only leaning against the table, and asked with squinted eyes. 

"Seventeenth." Luo Qi looked to the languid little figure under the yellow light. For some reason, he thought of a cat.

"Seventeen huh----" Du Xiao Li had her voice drawn out. Afterwards, said through stifled laughs, "Big brother Luo Qi, you're so old, almost older than me by ten years." 

"Old?" Luo Qi's mouth twitched when he heard this word. He was only seventeen, where was he old? Moreover, didn't she say almost ten years, that wasn't that much older!

"Hehe." Du Xiao Li looked to Luo Qi's appearance and began laughing. Although the feeling he gave others changed, he was still her big brother Luo Qi.

At the end of the eleventh month, the house finished as scheduled. Du Xiao Li and Luo Qi calculated the labor cost and had the bill settled. Luo Qi had gone out again for a few days after his birthday, but after that, he just stayed at home the whole time, never once leaving.

After letting the workers help clean up the courtyard and setting down all the furnitures and whatnot, Du Xiao Li stood in the courtyard, looking to the brand new house and saying to the two people beside her, "Big brother, big brother Luo Qi, this is our new home. How about it, not bad, right!"

Du Xiu Heng nodded with a smile.

When Luo Qi heard the word home, recalling how he felt last time when he heard Du Xiao Li say this word, he reached out and touched his chest. Soon after, he said with a smile. "From now on, this is our home! Regardless of where, in the future, your house all needs to have a room for me."

"Alright, no problem!" Du Xiao Li boldly said. "However, this renovating and buying a house whatnot, you also need to pay a share. Else, I'll just let Silver kick you out!"

"Awooo----" Hearing Du Xiao Li mention its name, Silver called out in response.

"Alright, in order to not get bitten by Silver, I will obediently pay up!" Luo Qi also played along and said.

"Hah--" With that said, the three of them all started laughing.

T/N: Oh man I feel hella depressed translating this chapter knowing that Luo Qi is about to leave soon. Despite knowing that everyone will reunite again it still so sad seeing they part ways uhguhugh. I also I wonder if I should've mentioned that one of the tags the author had used was 'di daughter'. 

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