"...Yes." The Steward looked as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately held his tongue. He simply gave a respectful assent and slowly withdrew.
After he left, Zhao Zheng said with a wry smile,
"You really don't have to do all this. My Adoptive Grandfather doesn't much care for such fanfare..."
Lü Niangrong's smile was radiant.
"It's just a small token of our appreciation... By the way, I've been meaning to ask you, what's the story behind calling him 'Adoptive Grandfather'?"
"That's a bit of a long story." Zhao Zheng shrugged, then said, "Oh, right. Little Jianxue is clamoring for some candy gourds, so I'm about to go buy her some... Want any? I can get you a stick."
Lü Niangrong chuckled softly and blinked.
"I'm a little too old for those... But I'll go with you. I've been swamped with business lately and haven't had a proper break in ages. I've been in Jiangling all this time and haven't even had a chance to really see the city."
She paused, then added thoughtfully,
