FID – Chapter 665

Chapter 665: Rumors

For several days after Xiao Maodou’s birth, the manor of the governor was bustling with visitors.

The gifts sent from all directions piled up like a mountain, in a dazzling array.

Liu Zhiqiu’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the items, practically drooling, which amused and frustrated the whole family.

Under his influence, even Liu Yusheng got swept up, and along with Liu Zhiqiu and Liu Muqiu, the three of them dove headfirst into the warehouse.

“Isn’t it a bit much to accept all these things? Won’t someone accuse Big Brother of corruption?” Liu Zhiqiu remarked while sorting through the gifts.

“The ones who sent gold, silver, and jade have all been sent back,” Liu Yusheng smiled. “The rest of these are normal gifts. As long as we remember the favor, we’ll return it in due time.”

Liu Muqiu nodded. “It wouldn’t be right to refuse all gifts either. That would make us seem out of place, and it could have a bigger negative impact on Big Brother. Being an official requires balance; only then can the path ahead be smoother.”

“Ah, Little White Lotus, didn’t know you understood all this,” Liu Yusheng teased.

Liu Muqiu smiled. The principles of governance, in fact, were quite similar to the principles of being a good person.

The only difference was their respective identities.

In any profession, connections were paramount. To maintain those connections, there must inevitably be trade-offs.

In the time it took for a few short exchanges, Liu Zhiqiu had already dug up plenty of good things.

He didn’t take any of the more valuable items but selected a few bolts of fabric and some leather and fur that could be used for warmth during the winter.

“These things are good. Big Brother and Sister-in-law won’t be able to use all of them, so we can help them out a bit. Otherwise, if these leathers are left too long without care, they’ll get infested with bugs.”

The reason sounded so noble that it made the two people beside him chuckle in unison.

When the three of them came out with their things, they ran into Ding Wenxuan, Gu Yiling, and two others who had come to visit.

It had been quite a while since Liu Yusheng had seen these people. Since the last time they met at the county office, Liu Yusheng had returned to Xinghua Village. Ding Wenxuan and the others wanted to make friends but didn’t feel comfortable directly visiting his home.

After visiting Fu Yuzheng and checking on the child, since the baby hadn’t yet reached one month, both the adults and the child weren’t supposed to be exposed to the wind. 

Liu Yusheng took the four women to the pavilion in the back garden to sit and chat, while also taking the opportunity to greet Fu Yuzheng on her behalf.

Liu Muqiu accompanied them as well.

As Liu Yusheng introduced her, Ding Wenxuan and the others all looked at Liu Muqiu, sizing her up from top to bottom, their eyes clearly filled with curiosity and intrigue.

Gu Yiling, in particular, was the most obvious in her reactions.

Unable to hold back any longer, she directly asked, “Miss Muqiu, weren’t you called Li Junyue before?”

She was always quick with her words, and by the time Ding Wenxuan and the others tried to stop her, it was too late. They could only sigh and facepalm.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yusheng was slightly surprised. “Did you know each other before?”

“I’ve never met the four young ladies,” Liu Muqiu replied. She didn’t understand why these four seemed to know her.

Realizing she had caused a misunderstanding, Gu Yiling quickly waved her hand. “No, we’ve never met before. We just heard some things about Miss Muqiu. Not long ago, there was a rumor going around the upper circles, and it was about you. It said that you were once called Li Junyue, but due to some twist of fate, you became an adopted daughter of the Liu family and changed your name to Liu Muqiu. After seeing you today, it seems like you’re not quite the same as the rumors said.”

Liu Yusheng and Liu Muqiu exchanged a glance, understanding what had happened. “If it’s a rumor that’s being spread behind our backs, it probably isn’t anything good,” Liu Yusheng remarked.

Ding Wenxuan smiled and said, “It’s indeed not something good, but rumors end with the wise. After meeting Miss Muqiu today, we can clearly sense that she is not the person described in those rumors.”

“What exactly is the rumor? Could you tell me?” Liu Muqiu slightly pursed her lips.

She wasn’t concerned about her own reputation; it was because she was now a member of the Liu family. Her reputation would also affect the Liu family’s standing, and she didn’t want to cause any harm to the family.

The four women exchanged looks, and in the end, it was Gu Yiling who spoke more directly. “I’ll tell you. The rumor, I don’t know who spread it, says that you are vain and ungrateful. In order to climb the Liu family’s branch, you pretended to die to sever ties with your birth family. 

For the sake of your own wealth and status, you even disowned her ancestors. It also said that the Liu family was fooled and couldn’t see the true face of the wolf in sheep’s clothing, and that one day, they would regret it. But from what we saw just now, your relationship with the Liu family isn’t like what we thought. So, as they say, seeing is believing.”

After hearing Gu Yiling’s words, Liu Yusheng smiled. “That means you all are wise. When the rumor reached you, it couldn’t go any further.”

She then turned to Liu Muqiu, who looked a little uncomfortable, and said, “We know what kind of person Muqiu is in our family. We live our own lives behind closed doors, and the Liu family has never been one to care about the opinions of others.”

Liu Muqiu’s eyes lowered slightly, a flash of gratitude passing through them.

She knew that when Nannan said this, it was not only to comfort her but also to express the Liu family’s stance.

They truly regarded her as a member of the family, defending her.

“I can also guess who might be spreading these rumors recently. About a month ago, the county magistrate’s daughter, Kang Ziyu, caused a scene at my house. She wanted to disturb Muqiu’s current life, and even brought the Matriarch Li along. But in the end, her little schemes didn’t succeed. She was caught by her in-laws and taken back. I suppose she got the lesson she deserved.”

“So it’s her!” Gu Yiling exclaimed. “That’s no surprise. Kang Ziyu has always been arrogant and domineering, selfish and jealous. I never liked her from the start.”

Guo Luhe also chimed in, “Fortunately, the Ding family broke off the engagement with her back then. If someone like her were brought into the family, the whole household would never have peace.”

Liu Yusheng and Liu Muqiu exchanged a glance, both smiling without speaking.

Ding Wenxuan and the others were quick to change the subject, moving on to other matters and effectively putting an end to the topic of Kang Ziyu.

“Miss Liu, the man we bumped into at the door earlier—was that your second brother?” Gu Yiling seemed particularly interested in this.

Liu Yusheng nodded. “Yes, that was my second brother, Liu Zhiqiu.”

She politely made the introduction, while Liu Muqiu immediately sat up straight, her entire body on alert.

Her gaze toward the four women lost its initial friendliness.

This made the four women look confused, unsure of which words had offended her.

“Miss Muqiu, is this…?”

“You can talk about anyone, just don’t talk about my second brother. Otherwise, Muqiu might start seeing you as enemies,” Liu Yusheng said, trying to hold back a laugh.

“Oh, I see.” The four women quickly understood, though they spoke with a somewhat teasing tone, making Liu Muqiu blush.

At that moment, a man’s voice came from the other side, “Little White Lotus, are you done chatting? Hurry over and help pick out some fabric.”

“Ah, coming, Brother Zhiqiu!” Liu Muqiu called back loudly, quickly escaping the awkward situation to avoid further teasing.

Once she left, Ding Wenxuan thought for a moment and then turned to Liu Yusheng to bring up another matter.