Chapter 243: Vaguely Seemingly Appearing (Two Chapters Combined into One)

It rained last night with thunder and lightning. Feng Yalan felt sorry for the seedlings she had just planted, so she took a tarpaulin and ran out. As a result, she got caught in the rain and developed a fever in the second half of the night.

Her four maids were dealt with by the mansion after she fell into the water. She was worried that they would be sold to a shabby place, so she used her private money to secretly buy them.

She asked her wet nurse to arrange marriages for them, but unfortunately, until she came to Zizhu Temple, their marriages were still not settled.

At first she thought they were too picky, but later she realized they were just worried about her.

She gave all her savings, along with the gold and silver jewelry her aunt had accumulated over the years, to the four maids.

Let them use the money to buy an embroidery workshop.

She couldn't see her future, and she didn't know if she could leave Zizhu Temple. This embroidery workshop was the way out she left for her aunt.

My aunt has no children. One day, when she grows old and loses her beauty, she can rely on this embroidery workshop to spend her old age in peace.

At the same time, this embroidery workshop also provides shelter for four maids.

Life is difficult for women, and this is the best way out she can provide for them.

When she came to Zizhu Temple, she had no maids or servants, only a bag, and was penniless.

The four maids were all good at embroidery. They managed the embroidery workshop for her and secretly bribed the female Taoist priests in Zizhu Temple.

Feng Yalan didn't know about this at first. She was glad that she had met good people and had not been treated harshly. It was not until a few days ago when she received the fine rice sent by the maids from Kun Dao that she realized that they had been secretly taking care of her.

Feng Yalan cherishes herself more than before. She has nothing now, and all she can do is live a good life.

This fever was an accident. Fortunately, her quilt was very thick. She covered her head with the quilt, wrapped herself up, and fell asleep in a daze.

It was also spring in the dream, with grass growing and warblers flying, and a patchwork of deep and light red. She got married.

In the bridal chamber, a handsome young man in bright red wedding clothes stood, and this was her husband.

Her husband was gentle and refined, with a soft smile, but when she met his eyes, she found that his smile did not reach his eyes.

She felt a little disappointed, perhaps he also disliked her because she was a concubine's daughter.

The man's name is Lang Qiubai, an orphan, but he is lucky enough to be chosen by his father's disciple Lang Jing and become the heir to his younger brother who died young.

She felt even more pity for her husband, pity that he had no parents or brothers, pity that he lived under someone else's roof. She treated him even better, and when he occasionally responded, she was secretly happy.

Later, she became pregnant. At this time, Tongzhou was hit by a flood, and her husband went to Tongzhou with the fifth prince. She sent him out of the house and tied the amulet she had asked for him with her own hands.

He asked her to take good care of herself and their child.

She waited and waited, and after ten months of pregnancy, she gave birth to their son.

But she waited for the news of his death.

He died, swept away by the flood, and no one saw him alive or dead.

The flood caused heavy casualties, and the Fifth Prince and his followers were all convicted, while her husband was rewarded for his death in the line of duty.

But no amount of praise could compensate for her pain. She lost her husband, and her son lost his father.

She closed the door to visitors and raised her son alone at home.

Time flies, and three years have passed in the blink of an eye. According to custom, she has to take her son to the Taoist temple to perform rituals for her deceased husband. She seldom goes out, and has not even been back to her parents' home for a long time.

The Taoist temple was bustling with people. She didn't dare let go of her son's hand for a moment, and even had to take her son with her when she went to the toilet.

However, the terrible thing still happened.

Just as she came out of the toilet, a man rushed out from the side, snatched her son away and ran in the opposite direction.

She shouted and chased after him, when suddenly several strong women rushed over and stopped her. She turned left, and they also turned left. She turned right, and they also turned right. She finally broke through their blockade, but there was no trace of the man anywhere.

She searched the entire Taoist temple but couldn't find her son.

In desperation, she could only seek help from her aunt's family. Her aunt knelt in front of her father and begged bitterly, and her father finally agreed to help.

This massive search lasted for more than a month, but still no trace of the son was found.

Her father no longer cared, and the government office shelved the case. Only she was still looking for her son.

Year after year, day after day, she was always on the road looking for her child, until one day, she fell down a steep slope while trying to avoid a frightened horse, breaking both her legs. For many years after that, she could not leave the house again...

Suddenly, the sky darkened and the scene in her dream changed. She was thrown to the ground like garbage. She struggled to get up, but saw two pairs of gorgeous boots walking towards her one after another.

She raised her head with difficulty and looked upwards, and she saw a familiar face.

Lang Qiubai, her late husband!

And the young man standing next to her late husband actually looked somewhat familiar.

A heart-wrenching pain spread throughout her body, she screamed and suddenly opened her eyes.

It was dark all around and she had difficulty breathing. She struggled subconsciously. Finally, a cool breeze came over her, she smelled the fresh air, and her mind became clear.

She lay on the bed, sweating profusely, her body wet, and the quilt was also sticky and damp.

She remembered that she had a fever. She reached out and touched her forehead, and her fever had subsided.

Feng Yalan forced herself to sit up. She felt a little dizzy, but she knew she should be fine.

She changed herself into dry clothes. The hot water she had prepared before going to bed had already gone cold. She took a few sips, which moistened her dry throat and made her feel much more comfortable. She returned to bed, turned the quilt over and covered herself with it again, but she could no longer fall asleep.

She often dreams, but she can't remember it when she wakes up. However, this dream today is still vivid in her mind.

Lang Qiubai......

She searched her memory to make sure she had never heard the name before.

She knew Lang Jing. Lang Jing had a son and a daughter. The son was still young, and the daughter was the Lang Yuyu who made her grit her teeth.

She had never heard that Lang Jing had a nephew.

No, no!

Lang Qiubai's face appeared in her mind. How could she forget the face of this man who had been her husband for more than half a year in her dream?

What's more, she not only remembered his appearance when he was young, she even saw him in his middle age in her dreams. Time was kind to him, and he was still as handsome, elegant, and extraordinary as ever.

Feng Yalan closed her eyes silently. She remembered this face. She had seen this face before.

Yang Shengqiu!

It was after Yang Shengqiu proposed that her stepmother asked her to meet someone. A family like theirs would not get married without meeting each other, otherwise it would give people something to talk about.

That day, she was standing in the pavilion and saw her third brother walking past with Yang Shengqiu. She didn't know what her third brother said, but Yang Shengqiu stopped and looked towards the pavilion.

At that moment, their eyes did not meet, but her face turned red.

It turns out that Lang Qiubai is Yang Shengqiu. She vaguely remembers that Yang Shengqiu is also related to the Lang family, but for some reason, Yang Shengqiu changed his name in the dream.

Since that person is Yang Shengqiu, then who is the young man who followed Lang Qiubai at the end of the dream?

Feng Yalan's heart moved. She thought of something, put on her clothes, got out of bed, walked to the bronze mirror, found a tinder and lit a candle. In the flickering candlelight, she saw herself in the mirror.

No wonder she felt that the young man looked familiar. Of course he looked familiar, because the young man was 40% similar to her.

Feng Yalan fell into the chair. This is how things turned out. It turned out to be like this!

But why?

Why?

She suddenly thought, if she had not fallen into the water, if the fifth prince had not proposed to her, would she still marry Yang Shengqiu?

Could everything in the dream be her destined fate?

She married Yang Shengqiu and became pregnant. Yang Shengqiu died in the line of duty, and she raised her son alone. Three years later, her son was kidnapped. She searched everywhere for him and eventually became disabled. Many years later, Yang Shengqiu came back with his son, looking elegant and graceful, dressed in fine clothes, while she was in a miserable state, like a beggar.

Feng Yalan felt difficulty breathing again. This time, there was no quilt covering her head, but the air around her became thinner and thinner. She gasped for breath like a fish off the shore.

She slammed the bronze mirror on the table with trembling hands. She didn't want to see herself in the mirror, nor did she want to think of the young man who looked so much like her.

Lang Qiubai deceived everyone and her entire life!

This must be a warning from God. Although she came to Zizhu Temple, she was much luckier than herself in her dream.

Compared to marrying Yang Shengqiu and reliving the life in the dream again, Zizhu Temple is simply a paradise.

Here, she worked from sunrise to sunset, chanted scriptures, meditated, and grew flowers and vegetables. There were female Taoist priests and lay Buddhists who were quite friendly to her, and outside there were concubines and maids who cared about her.

The next day, when Feng Yalan got up, it was already noon and she missed the morning class.

She thought she would be scolded, but instead she received a small packet of brown sugar: "You don't look well. If you feel unwell, go back and lie down."

Feng Yalan thanked him quickly and picked up the broom diligently to start cleaning. Just after she finished sweeping a piece of space, she saw Princess Jiarou coming over.

"You don't look well. Are you sick? I'll have Senior Sister Qingfeng take your pulse later. Don't try to resist if you're sick."

Princess Jiarou's voice was cold, but the words she said warmed her heart.

Senior Sister Qingfeng came quickly, checked her pulse, and brought her three wax pills. She also thoughtfully brought some pumpkin candies, and told her to take them and then go back to lie down.

She did as she was told. In the evening, the nun brought her some porridge and whispered to her, "Someone asked me about you. I haven't told anyone about this. You should thank me. I brought you some porridge. When you get better, you have to help me water the vegetable garden."

Feng Yalan was startled. "Okay, I'll be fine tomorrow. I'll water your vegetable patch. By the way, who asked about me?"

The little nun smiled and said, "He's a very handsome young man. He asked me if my family had come to see me since I came to the temple, and if they had sent me anything. He also asked me how my relationship with the eldest princess is."

Feng Yalan frowned slightly. He was actually asking this?

Why did that person ask these questions? What did he want to know?

She asked, "What did you say?"

The little nun was innocent: "Of course I tell the truth. I am a monk, and monks cannot lie. The ancestor will be angry."

"Then how did you say it? Can you learn it again? Please."

Feng Yalan took out some pumpkin candies and offered them to her. The little nun quickly took one and put it in her mouth, smiling widely.

"I told her that you came here to practice asceticism, and your family members certainly wouldn't bother you. Also, you spend most of your time working in the vegetable garden, and the eldest princess doesn't have to work, so you two wouldn't meet and wouldn't be familiar with each other."

Feng Yalan smiled, picked up a piece of pumpkin candy and put it in her mouth: "That's very well said. If someone comes to ask about me in the future, just say the same thing."

After the little nun left, Feng Yalan drank some white porridge and went outside to wash the dishes.

There is a gurgling stream outside the door, flowing from here to the vegetable field in front.

Feng Yalan squatted by the stream, washing dishes silently, but she was thinking about the person the little nun mentioned.

Whoever that person is, his purpose is clear.

She wanted to know whether the Feng family had abandoned her, and whether she was still useful.

Feng Yalan curled the corners of her mouth slightly. The little nun said that he was a very handsome young man.

Some of her brothers and nephews were very handsome, but they did not need to ask secretly. If they wanted to know something, they could call her over and ask her in person.

As for other handsome young men, the only ones she had interactions with were the Third Prince, the Fifth Prince and Yang Shengqiu.

The fifth prince was put under house arrest, and he might never be able to leave in this lifetime.

Then there is only one person left.

Yang Shengqiu!

Thinking of the dream she had, Feng Yalan felt nauseous.

The bad guy who ruined her life actually wanted to continue using her.

Could it be that he still wanted to use her identity to become the son-in-law of the Feng family, just like in his dream, and have the opportunity to be with the prince? Oh, yes, he also faked his death. The death in the line of duty was all fake. He was alive and well and still had the energy to snatch her son away.

It's ridiculous. Even when she gave birth to a son, she was exploited by him. He used her womb to give birth to his son, and then snatched the son away from her, making her search for him for half her life.

Unfortunately, the dream did not tell her where Yang Shengqiu was during the years when she lost her son, and why the person who had not appeared for so many years was standing in front of her again.

There were too many things she couldn't figure out, but it didn't matter. She just needed to know that if she married Yang Shengqiu, her life would be as miserable as in her dream.

Don’t say that as long as it didn’t happen, you can forgive Yang Shengqiu, the instigator.

Haha, don’t forget, the reason why she didn’t marry him was not because he was kind enough to let her go, but because it was a coincidence that she was not destined to die.

Feng Yalan quietly asked the little nun to help her keep an eye out and to call her if that person came again.

Three days later, the little nun came running over. Feng Yalan followed her to the back door of Zizhu Temple. In the shade of green willows, the young man was whispering something with a girl who looked like a maid. The girl was shy and nodded continuously.

As for the young man, although Feng Yalan could only see his profile from her perspective, she could still tell that it was Yang Shengqiu. Although she had only met Yang Shengqiu once, after all, they had been married in her dreams for more than half a year, so she recognized him at a glance.

After the two separated, Feng Yalan watched the maid go to the southwest corner.

Living there were two old concubines of the retired emperor. They had no children and did not want to live in the palace, so they moved to Zizhu Temple.

"Are those the maids of the two old concubines?" Feng Yalan asked.

"No, the old lady's maid wouldn't go out. The second lady of the Zhou Mansion came these two days, and that maid looks like she's from the Zhou Mansion."

The Zhou Mansion is the maiden home of one of the old concubines, and the second lady is her niece-in-law.

Does Yang Shengqiu want to find out about her through the maids in Zhou’s mansion?