Chapter 129 Help Me

It was raining and windy all night.

Lin Xiaocong had already gone to work, and Li Rong, feeling weak all over, got up and opened the window.

The weather was gloomy, and Qiuju and Qiuhui were sweeping fallen leaves in the yard.

Hearing the sound of the window being opened, Qiu Hui entered the room to help Li Rong wash up, get dressed, and style her hair.

Just as I finished getting ready and before I even had breakfast, someone knocked on the gate of Chuntang Garden.

Li's father arrived.

The gatekeeper didn't understand what Li's father meant by wailing. He tried to invite Li's father in, but Li's father refused to come in no matter what. So the gatekeeper reported to Li Rong.

As Li Rong reached the door, her father pulled her outside.

"Dad, has something happened at home?"

Li's father pressed Li Rong onto the cart and pushed it away.

The gatekeeper rushed out in a panic: "Hey, what happened, Second Miss!"

Li Rong called out, "I'm afraid something has happened at home, I'm going home to check."

The gatekeeper quickly went inside to inform Qiu Hui and Qiu Ju, the two maids.

Mr. Li jogged and pushed his daughter back to the Li residence in Qingqiao Alley.

Li Rong saw a group of people at the entrance of the Li residence from afar.

She raised her hand to cover her excited and flustered heart.

Third Sister's people have arrived.

While Li's father was bringing Li Rong back, Li's mother also brought Li Han back from the girls' school.

Except for gold, silver, and a few simple changes of clothes, everything else was discarded.

The Li family left without any hesitation.

When Qiu Hui arrived at the Li residence, the Li family had already left.

The man Lin Xiaocong left at the Li residence bowed to Qiu Hui: "As instructed by the young master, if anyone from the south comes to pick up the Li family, do not stop them. Just arrange for an empty carriage to accompany them."

"A messenger has already been sent to deliver a message to the young master."

Qiu Hui remained calm: "Just do as you instruct, young master."

The young master has never miscalculated.

*

The gray clouds obscured the warm sun, and the north wind was chilly.

Li Rong lifted the carriage curtain and glanced back.

Lin Xiaocong's men followed behind, keeping a steady distance.

Li Han lowered the carriage curtain to block Li Rong's view: "Second sister, the people Third Sister sent are definitely reliable, you don't need to worry."

Li Rong's brows were furrowed the whole time.

"He..." had human blood on his hands.

Meanwhile, the eldest sister's family is still in Beijing.

Li Han frowned: "Second sister, don't you want to leave?"

Li Rong patted Li Han's head: "Did those people apologize to you today?"

"They didn't come; they all took leave."

“It was a servant in the house who apologized to me.”

"I placed those apology gifts in the most conspicuous place in the school building."

"I haven't heard those people gossiping about me since today."

"Even the headmistress was much more polite to me."

Li Rong smiled faintly.

Li Han belatedly realized that she had used the phrase "gossiping" inappropriately.

She secretly glanced at her second sister and found her leaning against the carriage wall with her eyes closed, seemingly unaware of her presence.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

*

Lin Xiaocong had anticipated that the Li family would leave Beijing and head south.

The time came a little earlier than he had expected.

However, it's nothing serious.

After finishing his shift, Guo Shi brought back a newly released lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake from Xingyuanlou, and slowly walked towards Chuntangyuan.

Qiu Chan silently followed behind her master in the carriage.

He couldn't understand why his young master treated the second young lady with such sincerity.

Why does the second daughter keep wanting to leave?

After leaving her young master, where else could she find a man as devoted to her as he was, who was both talented and handsome?

She happened to encounter a performer riding a sedan chair across the street. Upon seeing Lin Xiaocong in the crowd, she took off the flower from her head, lifted the veil that revealed the shadowy figure of Lin Xiaocong, and threw it at him.

A soft, melodious voice came from behind the veil: "This humble servant seeks fragrance at Baoyue Tower."

Seeing that the flower was about to hit his shoulder, Lin Xiaocong quickly dodged.

The fallen flowers were trampled by the cicadas that followed him on horseback.

Lin Xiaocong continued walking, raising his hand to his chest.

It was a dangerous day when Rongrong didn't come to pick me up after my shift.

By the time we reached Chuntang Garden, it was already dark.

Knock on the door, open the door, enter.

Passing through the covered walkway, garden, and hanging flower gate, one arrives at the main house.

The lanterns under the eaves were lit and swayed in the wind.

He stepped across the threshold and knew without going inside that no one was home.

He gave her enough time to choose to come back.

She didn't come back.

The fingers holding the lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake slowly clenched.

He stepped back and strode quickly down the corridor.

A cold wind whipped at his robes and hairband, chilling his smile.

He said, "You're really naughty."

"Where are you going?" Her voice suddenly came from behind.

A sudden spring breeze brushed past his heart, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Why are you coming home so late tonight? Where are you going now?"

His smile warmed as he turned to look at her: "I brought you some lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake from Xingyuanlou. I seem to have forgotten to pay for it. I was just about to go back and pay."

As he spoke, he picked up the lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake in his hand and shook it.

She came from the direction of the study.

Li Rong walked along the corridor: "Just have Qiu Chan make the trip."

"Okay." He took two steps in three quick strides, using his long legs to block her at the doorway.

He couldn't hide his overjoyed expression: "Rongrong~"

Li Rong took out a wax-sealed bamboo tube: "I wrote a letter to my third sister, can you deliver it to her for me?"

"good."

He casually tossed the letter to Qiu Hui, who was following behind her.

Qiu Hui bowed and withdrew.

He couldn't help but step forward and take her hand: "Where did you take your parents and fourth sister back?"

She looked up at him and saw that his happiness seemed genuine, so she breathed a sigh of relief: "Thirty miles away."

"Didn't you say you'd hire a little raccoon for me today?"

He scratched his head sheepishly, "Ah, I was too busy and forgot."

"I'll go to propose tomorrow." She brushed him aside and went into the house.

He followed closely behind her: "I have a day off the day after tomorrow, I'll take you with me then."

She went to find him some clothes.

He put down the pastries, took off his outer robe and hung it on the clothes rack, took the clothes she took out, and kept his eyes glued to her face.

She blushed under his intense gaze and glared at him, saying, "What are you looking at!"

She turned and walked out with the pastries in her hand, saying, "Go wash up yourself, and come eat when you're done."

"Oh, okay." He watched her leave, so happy he wanted to do a folk dance.

Rongrong still couldn't bear to part with him!

She came back on her own!

He's about to live a life of pure bliss, a life he could dream of!

His excitement made even his bathing routine rhythmic.

*

Jumping balls, sun and moon.

Li Qu has finally finished her postpartum confinement.

On the occasion of Xi Bao'er's one-month celebration, the entire south offered their congratulations.

Families who received invitations from the Zhou family personally visited with gifts to offer their congratulations, while those who did not receive invitations also received gifts.

Li Qu is dressed in her finest attire today, her black hair piled high with gold and jade embellishments, her skin as smooth as goose fat.

She led Li Han out of Shouchun Hall and headed towards Fanghua Garden.

She was surrounded by maids and servants.

Zhenniang was surrounded by people while holding her child.

Today, Granny Xu abandoned Li Qu and followed Li Han.

Li Han was speaking to Granny Xu with a sweet smile.

"Granny, is the lip rouge I made better than the one Third Sister made?"

Granny Xu couldn't stop smiling:

“Compare, today Aunt Li asked me where I bought my new lip rouge.”

"This color was specially formulated for you, Madam, based on your complexion and the colors you usually wear. You can't buy it here."

"This old servant thanks you, Fourth Miss."

"I like you, Granny. I'd be happy to make you lip rouge. You're welcome."

Ever since Li Han returned, Granny Xu has developed two more wrinkles around her eyes.

From afar, Li Qu saw Huai Qiu and Cui Guo talking at the courtyard gate.

Huaiqiu spoke with a serious expression, while Cuiguo listened with surprise.

Huaiqiu caught sight of Li Qu approaching out of the corner of his eye, stopped talking, and stepped forward to greet her: "Greetings to Madam."

The green fruit also bowed.

Li Qu pointed at the servants carrying things towards Fanghua Garden and asked, "What are they doing?"

"It's all He Yi's doing; Third Master instructed that it be handed over to you to handle."

"This is the gift register." Huaiqiu presented the gift register.

Granny Xu stepped forward and took it.

Li Qu smiled and said, "Cuiguo, please ask Brother Huaiqiu for a cup of tea for me. Thank you for your trouble."

Huaiqiu's ears turned slightly red: "It's my pleasure, Madam Xie."

Cui Guo looked knowing: Madam must want me to take this opportunity to find out information about Third Master.

She invited Huaiqiu to have tea in the south wing.

Li Qu and the others headed towards the main house.

Granny Xu counted the items that had been put into storage according to the list of gifts.

Li Qu led Li Han up the corridor, with Zhenniang following closely behind.

Upon entering, Li's mother greeted Zhenniang and took Xibao from Zhenniang's arms.

“Nephew Xiao, you have to admit, he does look quite like Peng’er.”

Li's mother named her son Li Peng, hoping he would grow up strong and prosperous.

Together with Zhenniang, she unwrapped the baby's thick swaddling clothes and changed him into a thinner, more suitable indoor swaddling clothes.

With the help of their maids, the Li sisters removed their lotus-shaped robes, washed their hands, and waited.

Upon entering the inner room, Li Han happily sat on the couch and ate pastries.

Seeing Xi Bao'er sleeping soundly in bed, Li's mother lowered the light gauze curtain and asked Li Qu as she walked towards the bed, "Has your second sister sent a letter?"

Zhenniang withdrew voluntarily.

Li Qu was removing the heavy headdress from her dressing table.

Li Qu and Li Rong maintained a correspondence of one letter every twelve days: "It was just sent out the day before yesterday."

Li Rong's previous letter asked Li Qu when she would bring her brother-in-law's family to the south.

"Your second sister has a stubborn temper, and your eldest sister's family never leaves Beijing."

"She then refused to go south."

"Your eldest sister's mother-in-law is also a difficult person to deal with."

"When Huaiyan went to pick us up, he wanted to take them with him."

"She insisted on waiting for her son's reply before she was willing to travel south."

"Otherwise, she'll cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide, saying your eldest sister is disobedient and unfilial."

"At the time, I had no choice but to send your second sister out of the capital first."

"Who would have thought that your second sister got off the bus halfway and went back with Lin's men."

"Your brother-in-law is not in Beijing right now. If you wait for him to reply to your sister, it will take forever!"

"Have you thought of a good idea?"

Since returning to the south, Li's mother has lost weight.

I am worried about Li Rong.

She sat down on the couch, her gaze falling on Li Qu.

*

As the hair ornaments were removed, the hair bun gradually came undone, revealing a waterfall of black hair.

Hongguo combed Liqu's hair, skillfully tying it into a homely bun, using two hairpins, making her look gentle and beautiful.

Li Qu left the dressing table: "I've got it."

Li's mother's eyes followed Li Qulian's every step: "What's the plan?"

Li Qu sat down next to Li Han: "If she won't come to pick us up, then let her come by herself."

"What do you mean?"

“There are thieves in the capital who specialize in robbing women and children.”

"If she doesn't want to come, then ask those thieves to kidnap her?" Mother Li disagreed.

"She'll definitely guess that you hired the thief, and she'll hate your older sister to death!"

Li Qu laughed: "The one who robbed her was a real villain. It has nothing to do with me, and I have no reason to hate you, Big Sister."

"What do you mean?"

Li Qu: "Thieves in the capital kidnapped her, then intimidated, abused, and threatened her. They then made her eldest sister pay a large sum of money to ransom her."

“If once isn’t enough, rob her again. Would it sound good if word got out that an old woman like her was kidnapped? For the sake of her children, she wouldn’t dare report it to the authorities or spread it around.”

Li Han swallowed the pastry in her mouth and quickly said, "Living in the capital is not easy. It's dangerous, and there's no money. When the time comes, even if Third Sister doesn't send someone to pick her up, she'll probably be begging to go south to find a backer."

"If all else fails, we can kidnap my eldest sister's sister-in-law once. That will scare that doting old lady so much that she will never speak of the capital again for the rest of her life."

Li Qu smiled and patted Li Han's head: "Fourth Sister is absolutely right."

Li Han laughed: "I'm quite the clever one."

Li Qu: "Firstly, my elder sister redeemed her, which was a great favor to her. Secondly, the fact that she was kidnapped is a shameful thing, so my elder sister has a handle on her. She should be less of a mother-in-law in the future."

Li's mother nodded in sudden realization: "Then we need to hurry."

Li Qu: "Huaiyan turned back when he saw you off. He's always been reliable."

Mentioning Huaiyan, Li's mother interjected, "He's been to our Li Family Village. He's the one who kidnapped your grandmother and the clan chief and brought them to Hezhou."

All that is in the past. From the moment Li Qu took her parents and sisters out of the village, she blacklisted that village.

After putting aside Li Rong's matter, Li's mother began to worry about Li Han.

"You must not get into fights at your third sister's husband's school!"

Li Han jumped off the bed excitedly: "Fight?"

"They all really like me!"

“They all fawn over me every day, their smiles are so bright they make my eyes water.”

“I receive all sorts of small gifts every day. Of course, I reciprocate when I receive gifts.”

"Mother, do you know? My school room is a separate room, even bigger than our Li residence in the capital!"

"The teaching assistants all spoke to me with smiles, and they praised me for being very smart!"

"I……"

Li Qu watched Li Han chatter away with a smile.

It seems she's doing very well at the girls' school.

*

The setting sun falls into the Milky Way, and twilight descends upon the world.

When Zhou Jin entered Fanghua Garden, the work of counting the congratulatory gifts in Fanghua Garden was just coming to an end.

When the people in the courtyard saw him approaching, they all bowed and greeted him: "Third Master."

Zhou Jin hummed in agreement, went up the steps into the house, took off his outer cloak, handed it to Cui Guo, washed it quickly, and then couldn't wait to go into the inner room.

He was locked outside the courtyard by Li Qu for twenty-five days.

He was then provoked by Li Qu with letters for another twenty-six days.

He misses her terribly.

The inner room.

Li Qu was sitting on the couch talking to Granny Xu.

His gaze fell on the ranking list of ink characters in his hand.

He wasn't even given a second glance.

His excitement turned to disappointment, and he gave Xu Mama a disgruntled look.

Granny Xu noticed and quickly bowed to Zhou Jin.

Then he turned to Li Qu and whispered, "Madam, how about we decide tomorrow morning?"

Li Qu already had an idea: "Green fruit and orange fruit should be promoted to first-class."

"The second class will be promoted two places according to the ranking of the character '墨' (mo).

"Those who are not eligible will be given priority to fill the vacancies among our own family members from the third branch, with literacy being the top priority."

"Yes," Xu Mama replied.

"Thank you for your hard work, Granny Xu." Li Qu handed the ranking list to Granny Xu.

"Would you like the meal served now, Madam?"

"Serve the meal."

Granny Xu then respectfully withdrew.

Only then did she turn her attention to Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin sat on the other side of the couch, idly fiddling with the teacup on the low table.

Noticing her gaze drifting over, he looked up at her.

Although it seemed no different from usual, she could detect a hint of resentment in it.

A young girl in love blushes with happiness whenever she sees the face of her beloved.

Her gaze towards him was gentle and bright.

His heart fluttered, he forgave her coldness, and his eyes warmed.

She rested her arm on the low table and leaned closer to him: "What do you think of my personnel adjustments in this courtyard, my husband?"

"The lady is a skilled manager."

"Without your permission, I cannot even enter the courtyard."

She gave him a coquettish wink: "I'm grateful that my husband didn't embarrass me."

After more than twenty days apart, her beauty had deepened, and her every smile and frown was even more captivating than before.

"Is that all you're going to say?"

She happily got off the plane, knelt on one knee beside his legs, and sat on his lap in an ambiguous manner, her arms wrapped around his neck.

Initiative, enthusiasm, and a warm glow ignited an irrepressible restlessness.

He cupped her buttocks in his large hand, pulled her into his arms, and held the back of her head.

At first, she was delighted, thinking that a light kiss would make him let her go.

She had so much more to say to him.

As the situation became increasingly difficult to manage, the thought of retreating arose.

He was unaware that he had already caught a soft rabbit.

She closed her eyes, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

His kisses lingered, forcing her to tilt her head back to receive them.

He ran his fingertips along her spine, held her shoulder blades, and lifted her chest up.

The kiss landed inside her collar.

He said Fanghua Garden was as solid as an iron barrel, but he knew she could now please him.

She cleared up a couple of days ago.

"My husband~" she said, her voice slightly breathless.

His voice was deep and soothing, but he was talking about the contents of the letters she had written to him during this period.

"Don't laugh at me for my sweat-soaked blue robe; it's just that I'm tasting wine for a spring night."

Drinking is used as a metaphor for intimacy.

"If even one of Xiaoshulang's hairs is missing, it must be a needle hidden by my pillow?"

Using everyday trivialities to act coquettish.

She flirted with him so much it was painful.

He rolled over and pinned her to the bed, burning with desire, and launched a fierce attack.

She gasped in alarm, "Husband, it will be forty-two days later! My body hasn't fully recovered yet!"

His emotions were equally turbulent; he stopped moving, but his face, buried in front of her, never lifted.

His deep breaths sprayed onto her delicate skin.

Her voice was soft: "My lord, please have mercy on me~"

His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice hoarse, and he buried his head in her neck, nuzzling her: "Will you help me?"

Her voice was shy as she replied, "Okay~"

He got up, picked her up, and carried her to the bathroom.

After emerging from the bathhouse, Li Qu realized how ignorant she still was.

It wasn't at all what she thought—helping with her hands!