At night, Leng Jinyu returned to his residence. Upon hearing that Leng Ruo Li had returned from the palace, he immediately headed for Ming Yue Courtyard.
"Li'er, you're back. How is the Empress Dowager's illness?" Leng Jinyu asked with concern as soon as he entered.
For the past three days, he had been living in trepidation, fearing that if Leng Ruo Li couldn't cure the Empress Dowager, the Emperor would have her executed. Although he didn't know when Li'er learned medicine, he wasn't surprised by his daughter's medical skills.
After all, Li'er's wet nurse, Nanny Hua, knew medicine. Li'er was raised by her, and they spent a lot of time together. Through constant exposure, she must have learned some medical principles, so it wasn't strange that Li'er knew medicine.
"Father, the Empress Dowager's pulmonary consumption has been basically brought under control."
"That's good, that's good."
Leng Jinyu let out a long sigh of relief after hearing Leng Ruo Li's words.
In fact, every day when he went to court, he really wanted to visit Leng Ruo Li at Renshou Palace. However, the Emperor had issued a decree forbidding anyone from approaching Renshou Palace without authorization, or they would be executed immediately.
However, Jun Mo Han was an exception, for no other reason than the Emperor couldn't defeat him.
"Father, you came back so late. Have you eaten?"
Leng Jinyu shook his head a little sheepishly.
Seeing the travel-worn Leng Jinyu, Leng Ruo Li guessed that he had rushed over to see her immediately after returning from the barracks, and she was instantly touched.
Leng Ruo Li pushed him onto a chair nearby and said, "Father, please wait here for a moment. Li'er will go and get you something to eat."
"Oh, Li'er, no need. Father will have Xiao Cheng get food later."
"Father, Li'er doesn't need to go to the main kitchen. It will be quick. My small kitchen has hot food, and I can stir-fry a couple of dishes."
Today, because of the incident with cooking instant noodles in the main kitchen, her instant noodles had attracted a crowd of gluttonous worms. So in the afternoon, she brought Xing'er and Ling'er to tidy up the small kitchen in Ming Yue Courtyard and got many ingredients from the main kitchen. Tonight, the three of them would eat in the small kitchen.
Leng Ruo Li quickly made a dish of minced meat mapo tofu, a spicy stir-fried chicken, garlic bok choy, and a bowl of tomato and egg soup.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Leng Ruo Li brought the food to Leng Jinyu.
When Leng Jinyu saw the dishes Leng Ruo Li brought him, he was stunned.
"Li'er, did you personally cook these dishes for Father?" Leng Jinyu asked in surprise.
"Yes, Father. Li'er didn't want to disturb Xing'er and Ling'er's rest, so I personally cooked for you. I don't know if the dishes suit your taste, why don't you try a bite first."
As Leng Ruo Li spoke, she scooped a spoonful of minced meat mapo tofu and fed it to Leng Jinyu.
After tasting the first bite, Leng Jinyu took the spoon from Leng Ruo Li and ate another bite. He was immediately astonished.
Then, he tried all the dishes Leng Ruo Li had made. Instantly, his mouth wouldn't stop, and he devoured the food Leng Ruo Li had prepared at lightning speed, leaving nothing behind.
"Haha... Li'er, the food you made is really delicious. Father accidentally ate three bowls of rice."
Leng Jinyu patted his bulging stomach and said with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Alas, how could he eat like a bandit?
His image was ruined in front of Li'er.
"Father, it's alright. If you have time in the future, come to Li'er's place to eat, and Li'er will personally cook delicious food for you."
Leng Ruo Li looked at Leng Jinyu with a smile, suddenly feeling that her cheap father was quite cute.
"Haha, then Father won't be polite."
Leng Jinyu laughed heartily.
At this moment, Leng Jinyu suddenly remembered something.
"Li'er, Father will take you to a place now."
His words left Leng Ruo Li a little confused.
"Father, where are we going?"
"Follow Father, and you'll know soon."
After that, Leng Ruo Li followed closely behind Leng Jinyu. They felt their way in the dark to the back of the rockery in Ming Yue Courtyard.
Behind this rockery was a uniquely shaped black stone, neither too big nor too small. Leng Jinyu told her that this black stone was a mechanism.
Then, she saw Leng Jinyu embrace the stone with both hands. He first turned it three times to the left, then pressed it down forcefully. Afterward, he embraced the stone with both hands and turned it three times to the right, and finally, pressed it down hard again. The mechanism was instantly activated, and a ladder leading to a secret chamber appeared.
Leng Jinyu led her down the ladder, through a passageway illuminated by a few night-blooming pearls. The entrance to the mechanism closed instantly.
Leng Jinyu patted the wall of the passageway three times. With a "click," the wall turned into two doors that slowly opened. Inside was a small secret chamber with over a dozen wooden chests.
Leng Jinyu walked up to these chests and opened them one by one, almost blinding Leng Ruo Li.
Holy crap!
This secret chamber was filled with chests of treasures! There were jewelry, gold ingots,碎银子 (shards of silver), various precious calligraphy and paintings, and also various precious jade carvings of small animals in different forms. There were even deeds to several shops.
She never dreamed that a treasure vault was hidden beneath the lotus pond of Ming Yue Courtyard.
"Li'er, these are all your mother's dowry and the treasures she earned. Now that you are grown, I will entrust them to you to keep."
Hearing what her cheap father said, Leng Ruo Li was very shocked. Her cherry-like small mouth opened into an O-shape.
Leng Jinyu looked at her cute appearance with amusement, reached out his large hand to rub her small head, and said with a smile, "Don't be surprised, these treasures are all yours."
Uh...
It couldn't be helped, she was just a little money-grubber, what could she do?
"Father, you said these jewels and paintings all belonged to my mother, and now you're giving them all to me."
"Yes, these things will all belong to you from now on. Whether you spend them or sell them, it's up to you. Father won't interfere."
"Haha—"
"Father, doesn't that mean I've become an invisible little rich woman?"
Leng Ruo Li was so happy that she almost wanted to jump up.
"Yes. My Li'er is already a little rich woman."
Leng Jinyu looked at her and shook his head with a smile.
However, his tone changed.
"Father, what did my mother do when she was alive that she could save so much jewelry?"
Leng Ruo Li suddenly became very curious about the original owner's birth mother's affairs. In fact, she had already heard about her maternal grandfather's family situation. The original owner's maternal grandfather was upright and incorruptible, and his family's economic conditions were not very wealthy, so he definitely wouldn't have had a substantial dowry for his daughter.
She looked at Leng Jinyu with anticipation.
At this moment, Leng Jinyu recalled the matter of the original owner's birth mother. His eyes instantly became sad, and he sighed and said, "Your mother was very beautiful and gentle. She was almost a jack-of-all-trades. Not only was she skilled in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she could also lead troops in battle and engage in business in her spare time. Most of the treasures in this secret chamber were earned through hard work. Before she died, she instructed me to give these treasures to you as a dowry when you grew up, to compensate for the maternal love you missed."
Knowing about the original owner's birth mother, Leng Ruo Li was filled with surprise.
Good heavens!
The original owner's birth mother was so amazing.