Night Run

It is especially easy to feel sleepy after eating and warming yourself by the fire in winter. After taking a few bites of Hu Bing, Yulan fell drowsy and dozed off on Liu Er's soft couch.

Liu Er had originally reserved the soft couch for Yulan to rest on, and he had specifically instructed his servants to hide some soothing spices inside the pillow, sewing it shut with gold thread. The spices came from the Western Regions, a trade the Liu family had always enjoyed, and Liu Er had seen plenty in his study, but this particular scent was new to him.

Mr. Liu said that he couldn't remember clearly, it was probably given to him by someone else, but it had a magical effect after using it.

In the dream, Mr. Zhang, who used to write erotic poems, came like a god riding on the clouds in the smoke.

"I haven't seen you for a few years. Have you grown so tall, little girl?"

"I haven't seen you for a few years. How come Mr. Zhang has become a deity?"

Mr. Zhang stroked his beard and suddenly burst into laughter. He swept his whisk across Yulan's forehead and said, "Remember where you are standing: Mingyue Mountain."

"where?"

When Yulan looked down, she suddenly found herself on a cliff thousands of feet high. She woke up with a startled feeling as her feet felt empty.

What a weird dream.

In the cold of winter, a nap would leave her neck covered in sticky sweat. The fire in the charcoal brazier was so strong that it made Yulan's cheeks flush. When she opened the door, the cold wind rushed in through her collar, making her shrink her neck even tighter.

There happened to be some commotion outside, so Yulan caught Bao Fu and asked him what happened.

"Nothing. Aunt Xiang invited a troupe of actors to liven things up. If you think about it, it's still not too late." Bao Fu replied.

"How long has it been since Madam passed away? And yet she's already in mourning, and yet she's already invited a troupe of actors? How dare Concubine Xiang be so bold?"

"Of course it was the master's order."

Yulan complained in her heart: Yes, he is the only one in the Liu family who dares to be so absurd. Isn’t he afraid of the people from the Qin family?

On second thought, no one from the Qin family has come until today, so no one will come.

She then asked, "What play is being performed now? Which troupe is it from?"

Bao Fu, who had just returned from the garden, happened to catch a glimpse of the performance and boasted, "Your brother Fu just checked it for you. It's from the Ding family troupe, one of the best in the world, and they're singing 'The Story of Hong Fu'!"

That round figure also flexibly imitated several movements, looking very funny and lifelike.

"Not many people order this play." Yulan pondered for a moment and then asked, "Does Madam Xiang dislike Master Liu?"

"This wasn't ordered by Concubine Xiang, but by the master of Jinlan Courtyard."

Speaking of Jinlan Courtyard, Yulan thought of Qiuyan. That girl had somehow changed her ways and had even ignored her the last time she spoke to her.

Maybe it is related to Aunt Fan’s miscarriage.

Now that the master has gone out to order a play in Xiaoyue, I think Qiuyan should be relieved.

The stage was set up in the garden, and the private school in the pavilion in the center of the lake had long been removed to make room for the stage.

Magnolia can be seen from afar when standing on the Nine-Curve Corridor Bridge. The red and green are mixed in the snow-white scenery, which is gorgeous and lively, absurd and funny.

The masters sitting in front of the stage would give out some of the toys they had at hand when they saw something they liked. I don’t know how much those toys were worth, but they were enough to support those poor families for several years.

Yulan couldn't help but think that this was the stage that Aunt Yun had been looking forward to for a long time. If she were still there, she would definitely go up and compete for the top spot.

She looked up at the sky. A few more flakes of snow had fallen, mixed with the rain. She didn't know why the rain had to mix with the snow. For whom were these tears falling? Shen's injustice?

Liu Er put a cloak on Yulan. When he came out of the study, he saw Yulan standing alone for a long time from afar, wearing such thin clothes in such a cold day.

"Want to see it? Then come with me and pay my respects."

Yulan shook her head and said she didn't want to watch. She just felt that the noise was too noisy when viewed from close up, but it was just right when viewed from a distance.

Liu Er remembered that Yulan had once worked as a maid under Madam Yun, and perhaps the memory had brought back memories. He stood beside Yulan, gazing at the pavilion from afar with her.

He remembered that he had accidentally glanced at the wound on Yulan's shoulder. At that time, Yulan just perfunctorily said that it was caused by spilling tea while working.

But how could tea hurt your shoulders? He secretly speculated that it might be Aunt Yun who threw the tea bowl in anger.

"It's all over." Liu Er said comfortingly.

At night, Yulan walked aimlessly back and forth in the garden, lantern in hand. Perhaps because she slept soundly during the day, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Even after practicing two sets of Tai Chi, she still felt energetic.

Late at night, there were only a few cats and dogs in the garden. Suddenly, a cat jumped out from the woods, frightening Yulan so much that the lamp in her hand rolled to the ground, caught fire and went out.

She thought it was bad luck and blamed herself for walking in the garden so late at night.

Just as she was walking back in the dark, she heard a rustling sound. At first she thought it was a cat from somewhere, until she heard the words:

“Brother Shen, please take me away.”

Brother Shen? Shen Ju'an?

Yulan was stunned. She wanted to run away but was afraid that the noise would be too loud and alert the enemy, so she had to hide in the dark and wait for the opportunity.

I only heard the female voice say again:

“Brother Shen, if I lose you, I will have no hope for the rest of my life. I’m afraid I’ll just have to jump into the river.”

As she spoke, the woman began to sob. Shen Juan could not sit idly by and could only advise:

"A friend's wife should not be bullied. I, Shen, am not such a shameless person. Besides, although Brother Liu has made mistakes, he is still your husband after all."

The female voice seemed unwilling to give up, and it became more and more excited.

Yulan felt familiar but couldn't remember who it was, so she just kept listening. She couldn't help but wonder which concubine was so bold as to have a night out with a man from another family?

Suddenly, she thought of Aunt Yun from that day, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart that this house was really not meant for people to live in.

When the female voice saw Shen Ju'an was about to leave, she changed the subject and talked about Miss Liu's admiration for Shen Ju'an.

"Brother Chen, you are a smart person, and I am not someone who would make trouble. I can't live in this Liu family anymore. Master Liu should also know about the matter between Miss Liu and you."

"What do you mean, Auntie?"

"Master Liu has a grudge against you. I'm afraid you'll be leaving him soon, using the excuse of going to Beijing to take the imperial examination."

"What does this have to do with Auntie?"

"In that case, why not take me with you? I know you're hiding my handkerchief, and I also know you're interested in me. Why don't we elope together? After all, we have nothing to worry about."

After a long silence, Shen Ju'an only replied, "Okay."

Yulan was stunned listening to this. It seemed that Shen Ju'an was not a gentleman after all, actually hiding the handkerchief. It was a pity that she didn't know who this bold concubine was.

Only after the two men left did Yulan dare to tiptoe out of the dark corner. As soon as she emerged, she bumped into someone's chest. She heard the person hiss and clutch their shoulder. Only then did Yulan see clearly that it was Liu Qingbai.

"What are you doing in the garden so late at night?" Liu Er held Yulan's hand tightly and asked.

"I couldn't sleep well, so I came out for a walk. What are you doing?" Yulan was not convinced by the question, and asked back while covering her forehead.

"Haitang said you weren't at home, and you didn't come to my room, so I came out to look for you. In that case, let's go back to the North Courtyard and I'll walk around with you."

"I'm tired, go back to sleep."

Yulan wanted to leave but was stopped by Liu Er again.

"What's the matter, my master?"

"Don't say that next time." Liu Er didn't like Yulan calling him master. His face was a little gloomy, and he said, "Haitang will probably be asleep by now. Don't disturb her. Come back to the room with me."

"No, men and women shouldn't touch each other."

Liu Er was unhappy and didn't care what Yulan said. He pulled Yulan towards his room, thinking that she wouldn't dare to shout in the middle of the night.

As soon as he entered the room and closed the door, he said bluntly: "I will marry you tomorrow!"

"Liu Qingbai, you are still in mourning period!"

Before Yulan could finish her words, Liu Er hugged her and bit her fiercely. Seeing Yulan's eyes widened with anger, he suddenly softened his tone and whispered softly, "Don't run around all the time. I can't sleep well if I can't find you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yulan knew she would have to sleep with Liu Er again tonight. Although they were just sleeping on a plain bed covered with a quilt, the worldly desires of ordinary people always made it difficult to fall asleep.

The two of them huddled together in the same quilt, and Yulan began to talk about what she had just heard in the garden.

Liu Er was also surprised that Shen Ju'an was so hypocritical.

The two of them stayed in bed and talked all night, and when they got excited they would sit up and gesture.

The next day, Yulan looked at the black spots under her eyes and felt unhappy. She took some rice powder and smeared them on them, blaming Liu Er for not sleeping at night and telling her all those dirty stories about Zhang Er and Wang Wu's family, which were really disgusting and disrespectful to people.

Liu Er smiled and said, "Didn't you enjoy listening to it last night?"

Yulan was furious when she picked up the ink and told Liu Er not to bother her now. If her eyebrows were drawn crookedly, he would never be able to find her today.

Liu Erben had no intention of disturbing her, but after hearing what she said, he hugged Yulan from behind and said gently, "I'll draw for you."

"Then you have to draw well."

Liu Er was full of confidence at first, but the more he looked, the more he felt something was wrong.

"What?" Yulan became nervous when she saw his hand suddenly stop.

"This smoke ink doesn't work well. I'll buy you a new one."

As soon as these words came out, Yulan knew that her makeup today was unbearable. She pushed Liu Er away, put her chin on her hand and looked at the bronze mirror, regretting, "I really shouldn't have put on makeup for you!"

A few days later, there was unexpectedly a box of snail eyebrow powder and a small bottle of rose water in Yulan's makeup box.

Where have you ever seen these good things in the North Courtyard?

Yulan teased, "Weren't these originally meant to be gifts for the Yang family's daughter? And they didn't get delivered?"

Liu Er felt aggrieved by the choking. He held Yulan's face and pecked her, saying, "How heartless! I bought this specially for you."

"I watched you enter the shop."

Yulan hadn't been speculating out of thin air. That day, Liu San had sent her down the mountain to do some shopping. As soon as she reached the market, she saw Liu Er following a carriage. The carriage, drawn by two horses and draped with a green silk curtain, had stopped beside a cosmetics shop. As soon as the carriage stopped, a pair of white, delicate hands, wearing a gold-encrusted jade bracelet, lifted the curtain and placed it on Liu Er's hand.

That day, Yulan felt a tightness in her chest, so tight she couldn't speak. She just wanted to rush over and chop Liu Er down. But in the end, she just pinched her palm and told herself to go back.

Liu Er looked at Yulan and talked about what happened at that time. He felt annoyed and distressed. He hugged Yulan's waist and said nothing.

"Forget it, it's all in the past." Yulan touched Liu Er's hair and asked, "What do you want to eat later?"

"Lily noodles."

"You're quite picky. You don't want to eat anything that's ready-made, but insist on picking something from the wild."

"I read it in a book. If you don't want to bother, you can just pull out the offering."

As soon as Yulan entered the kitchen, she heard the squinting old woman ask Huaxiu, "Are Qiuyan and Qiutong gone?"

Hua Xiu has been following Liu Ruren since the lady left. She is tactful and can't explain things clearly.

The squinting old woman's eyes rolled, becoming more restrained. She then asked, "I heard that the one from Jinlanyuan didn't die of a cold during her confinement, but ran off with that Chen? Qiuyan and Qiutong also had miserable lives, being dragged down by them."

Hua Xiu didn't respond and walked away quickly with the lunch box.

Seeing Hua Xiu ignoring her, the old woman with squinting eyes became bored and said proudly to Yulan who had just entered, "This matter is extremely secretive. I see that you in the North Courtyard don't have any connections and don't know anything about it."

Yulan didn't dare to respond, having only just discovered that it was Concubine Fan who had been there late that night. She secretly felt happy for her, but also felt sorry for Qiuyan and Qiutong, who were being irritated by Master Liu.

Finally, all my thoughts turned into a sigh to the sky.