Chapter 66 Following the Portrait: "She never called me General."...

The night was like a giant curtain, and snowflakes, like goose feathers, fluttered against the windowsill. The half-closed door creaked open, and a strong, bitter smell immediately filled the room.

Chu Ze placed the medicine on the table. A cold wind howled in, making the floor heating and charcoal brazier in the room seem nonexistent. He shivered from the cold and quickly turned his head. He saw that the window was wide open and Lu Xiuyi was standing in front of the window with his hands behind his back. He didn't even have a cloak on, and his face was red from the north wind.

He hurriedly took the cloak from the wooden frame and draped it over himself. Just as he was about to speak, a series of crackling firecrackers drifted over from afar, followed by a loud bang!

A dazzling display of fireworks burst forth from the inky black sky.

"It's New Year's Eve, do you think she'll appear in your dreams?" Lu Xiuyi looked up, his eyes reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors. Under the lamplight, his face appeared even paler.

It goes without saying who this "she" refers to.

Chu Ze sighed, followed his gaze, and comforted him, "Perhaps the lady has already been reincarnated. If that's the case, how could she still appear in your dreams? Young master, let go! Didn't Master Kuang also say that the stronger the desire, the less likely it is to be obtained? If you can comfort yourself a little, perhaps the lady will appear in your dreams."

After the case of reselling government grain was closed, there were no major events in the court, and Lu Xiuyi gradually became idle. As a result, his illness became more and more serious.

Last month, Master Yuanmo entered the palace to pay homage. He insisted on taking people from the vegetarian banquet to his residence to perform rituals in order to pray that the deceased would appear in his dreams.

After the two rituals were performed, he drank the herbal soup early every night and went to sleep with anticipation. However, when he woke up the next day, he was still full of worry. Every night, he would drink the herbal soup early and go to sleep, but when he woke up the next day, he was still worried.

After nearly a month of this back and forth, he finally lost all hope and returned to his usual listless state, unable to muster any interest in anything. Even when Young Master Qin and Miss Ning came to persuade him, it was to no avail.

As if awakened from a dream, Lu Xiuyi suddenly realized and lowered his head to murmur, "Yes! She has always been cold-hearted. Even if I plucked the bright moon from the sky, she might not even glance at it. Perhaps on the day she passed away, she had already let go of everything here, crossed the Bridge of Helplessness, drunk the Meng Po soup, and reincarnated without any regrets."

Chu Ze was overjoyed that he could think this way, and was about to say that it was good that he could let it go, but the next moment, he heard him say: "You give the order to have people check all the female infants born in all parts of our country this year. For all those whose names are on the register, their portraits must be sent to the capital."

As if he had heard something unbelievable, Chuze was stunned for a long time before stammering, "Young master, what do you need those portraits of baby girls for?"

A sharp gaze pierced through him.

Before he could speak, Chu Ze quickly lowered his head: "I was too talkative. I will give the order right away."

After finishing his meal, he quickly stepped aside and left.

The wisps of smoke from the herbal decoction drifted slowly into the air until they disappeared.

Lu Xiuyi picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

The wind and snow gradually stopped at some point.

The half-open door was gently bolted shut, and the hinged window was lowered. The candle wax had burned almost halfway down, and from inside the curtains came a few murmurs: "Meng Yu, don't go, don't go, please, please..."

The curtains were lifted, revealing a slender figure. She quickly took off her shoes and socks, bent down, and climbed onto the bed, leaning against his chest. She said softly, "I won't leave. I'll stay here."

The murmurs gradually subsided.

The person clinging to Lu Xiuyi's chest slowly raised their head. In the dim light, Ying Congxin's alluring face was revealed, and her fair skin was faintly visible beneath her half-undone clothes.

Seeing Lu Xiuyi's breathing become heavier, she raised her hand and gently hooked his collar with her fingertips. His tanned skin exuded a unique masculine scent that lingered around her nose. She could no longer control herself and gently kissed him.

From the chest to the neck, the kiss should begin with a rising desire, and one should murmur involuntarily, "General, I truly love you. From the first moment I saw you, I fell in love with you."

The night was desolate, and the wind and snow began to fall again.

The floor-length curtains were gently lifted by the breeze seeping in through the gaps. Her fingertips traced Lu Xiuyi's face, finding those long-awaited lips. She closed her eyes, about to kiss him.

*Smack!*

The crisp sound of the slap seemed to stir up waves in the darkness.

Ying Congxin's head was knocked to the side by the blow, and before the burning pain could even reach him, a fierce shout filled with overwhelming rage rang in his ears: "Get out."

***

When Madam Zhuang arrived at the scene, she saw that the Longxiang Pavilion was brightly lit, and the courtyard was completely illuminated. Ying Congxin was kneeling in the courtyard, her long black hair covered with snowflakes, and her thin clothes revealed her skin that was red from the cold.

On the steps, beneath the eaves, Lu Xiuyi, draped in a cloak, sat cross-legged in a round-backed chair, his indifferent expression radiating a terrifying light. He stared intently at the people below the steps, and spoke in a cold voice: "Do you know why I suddenly awoke?"

Ying Congxin bit her lip, coldly glancing at him without saying a word.

"She never called me general."

Lu Xiuyi didn't care whether she answered or not. Meng Yu couldn't speak, so naturally she had never said she loved him.

Ying Congxin paused, her gaze shifting slightly, when she heard him chuckle, "You think that by putting a sleeping potion in the medicine, I'm completely unable to resist? What a joke."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ze's expression hardened, and he hurriedly knelt down: "It was when I was brewing the medicine that I left for a while, which gave her the opportunity to take advantage of me. Please punish me, young master."

Lu Xiuyi stroked the filigree and beaded Lingxiao gold hairpin in his hand, his expression indifferent: "You deserve punishment. After this matter is over, go and receive twenty strokes of the military rod. Get up!"

Chu Ze immediately rose up in response.

Lu Xiuyi coldly looked at the kneeling person: "Guards, drag her out and parade her through the streets for three days, then hand her over to the Ministry of Justice for trial on the grounds that she attempted to harm me."

Just as the guard beside him was about to respond, Madam Zhuang rushed out from behind the crowd with tears in her eyes, knelt down beside Ying Congxin, and pleaded, "Yi-ge'er, please don't do this, please forgive Congxin this time."

Lu Xiuyi frowned. Chu Ze hurriedly stepped forward to help Zhuang Mama up from the ground and had someone bring a chair for her to sit down. Just then, Die Xue came over with a cloak and a hand warmer.

“Mother, it’s not that I don’t want to forgive her, it’s that she has crossed my bottom line time and time again. I told her before that she was forbidden from setting foot in Longxiang Pavilion, but not only did she set foot there, she also dared to drug me. If I forgive her again, what will I have to say in this mansion?” Seeing that Zhuang Mama had put on her cloak and was holding a hand warmer, and her frostbitten face had warmed up a little, Lu Xiuyi’s expression warmed up a bit, and he patiently explained to her.

His words were all reasonable, and he had indeed forgiven her several times before. Now, her behavior was becoming increasingly shameless, and Mrs. Zhuang felt as if she had a fishbone stuck in her throat, unable to utter any more words of pleading.

But when she turned her head and looked at Ying Congxin's face, she seemed to see the kindness of that benefactor who had given her a meal when she was on the verge of death in Tongzhou. She couldn't help but blurt out the words of pleading: "Yi-ge'er, she is a girl. Making her patrol the streets for three days is tantamount to taking her life. I beg you, please spare her life."

Mother Zhuang wept uncontrollably, her face, like a dried orange peel, streaked with tears. Lu Xiuyi, seeing this, could not bear it and had no choice but to back down. He instructed Chu Ze, "That's enough, spare her life for now. But I don't want to see her again. Have her driven out of the capital, and she is not allowed to take anything from the manor with her."

Chu Ze responded.

Madam Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly asked Diexue to help her back to her room. She personally packed a few clothes for her, took out twenty taels of silver from her own savings and gave it to her, tearfully instructing her: "Go back to Tongzhou! Your skills in making pancakes are quite good. With this money, you can open a small stall and support yourself. Don't covet things that don't belong to you in the future."

After saying these words, Mrs. Zhuang did not want to say anything more and got up to leave.

"From the heart, from the heart, do you know why my father named me this?"

A sorrowful voice came from behind, and Zhuang's mother stopped.

“That’s because Father wants me to live according to my heart. I love him, I live according to my heart, I fight for what I want, and I fight for the people I love. What’s wrong with that? Why do you always say that I covet things that don’t belong to me? What do you mean by not belonging to me? What in this world is born to belong to one person? In the end, the vast land of Daqi was also conquered by Emperor Gaozu. According to you, does that mean Emperor Gaozu was born to possess Daqi?”

She grew angrier as she spoke, her voice rising in rage.

Mother Zhuang felt that her words were fallacies and heresies, so she shook her head and said without turning her head: "Emperor Gaozu was able to conquer this vast land because he was destined to have this opportunity. You fought for it and even took it, but did you get what you wanted? Did you take the person you love? No, so this is something you shouldn't covet."

Upon hearing these words, Ying Congxin sneered repeatedly: "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens. What chance, what destiny, I don't believe in that."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhuang sighed, didn't argue further, and walked out.

When Ying Congxin left on Lu Xiuyi's orders, she only had a bundle containing a few clothes and twenty taels of silver given to her by Zhuang Mama. Even the cloak she was wearing was bought for her by Diexue from outside using Zhuang Mama's own savings.

Snowflakes, like goose feathers, fell from the darkness. The heavy city gate was slowly opened. Diexue handed the umbrella to Ying Congxin and said with tears in her eyes, "Sister Congxin, I don't know when we will meet again after this departure. Take care on your journey."

Chu Ze was about to step forward when Die Xue glared at him and immediately said, "This umbrella was bought with my own money and has nothing to do with the manor."

Chu Ze awkwardly took two steps back and could only manage to say something to ease the embarrassment: "It's late, the city gates can't be open for too long, you can just say a few words and that's it."

"knew."

Diexue suppressed her impatience, turned around and took out five taels of silver from her bosom, stuffing it into Ying Congxin's hand. Ying Congxin was taken aback and hurriedly tried to push it back, but Diexue said with tears in her eyes, "I don't have much money saved up. Consider these five taels of silver as a small token of my appreciation. I remember how kind you have been to me, sister. The journey back to Tongzhou is long, and there are many places where I will need money. Please don't be so polite with me, sister."

The tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally fell like raindrops. Ying Congxin lowered her head, choked up for a while, and then tightly grasped the five taels of silver. She stopped crying, raised her head, and said each word as if she were very serious: "Die Xue, I will remember the kindness you showed me today."

Diexue nodded with tears in her eyes, watching her leave.

***

The night was still and quiet, and the Longxiang Pavilion returned to complete silence.

Lu Xiuyi dismissed everyone and returned to his room. The door was slammed shut behind him. He paused, looked at the memorial tablet in front of him, and thinking about what had just happened, he covered his face and slowly slid to the ground.

A few breaths later, soft sobs escaped from between his fingers, sounding heavy with suppressed emotion. He cried for a while before putting his hand down. He noticed a basin of water on the table and rushed over to it, vigorously rubbing his neck until his skin was red and almost raw. Then, he suddenly flung his hand away with a bang!

Water was spilled all over the ground.

The dim light illuminated the memorial tablet in front of him. He leaned on the table, staggered over, and carefully took the tablet down, holding it in his arms as if it were a precious treasure.

He collapsed onto the couch, his body bent over as if in extreme pain, choking back sobs as he murmured, "I'm sorry, Yu'er, I almost, almost mistook her for you. I'm so sorry, so very sorry."

"Yu'er, what did I do wrong? Why won't you come into my dreams? Or are you really so heartless that you won't even look at me before being reincarnated? Do you know, for a moment I really thought it was you, I really thought it was you..."

The murmurs seemed to carry an unreleased sense of oppression and pain as they went on. Lu Xiuyi held Meng Yu's memorial tablet tightly, tears soaking his temples and slowly flowing down onto the bedding, wetting the area.

As the wind and snow gradually subsided, the sky began to lighten, revealing a clear blue expanse. The snow melted, revealing the tree branches in their original sprawling, claw-like shapes, while the snow-covered, dark blue tiles shimmered with vibrant colors under the warm sun.

Following Lu Xiuyi's instructions, Chu Ze ordered local county governments to draw portraits of all female infants born this year, register them, and send them to the capital by fast horse.

In less than a month, county governments from various places presented the albums of paintings. Lu Xiuyi looked through them one by one, and picked out any paintings whose eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips, or ears resembled hers and put them aside, ordering the painters to compile them into an album.

After reviewing all the picture albums, the artist compiled the portraits he had selected into a book, which turned out to be quite thick.

***

Meng Yu followed Feng Huai to the county government office, met Uncle Ge, and learned what had happened. By then, the sky was beginning to lighten.

Because of the one hundred taels of silver that Meng Yu had presented, Magistrate Zhao of the county government treated her with courtesy and did not imprison her before the matter was investigated.

Having not slept all night, Feng Huaiyuan wanted her to rest in a side room for two hours, but Meng Yu, with dark circles under her eyes, shook her head, quickly fastened her cloak, and raised her hand: "On the day Chun Restaurant opened, I instructed Uncle Ge to keep samples of all dishes delivered to the restaurant or sent out, just to prevent anyone from having malicious intentions. I just asked Uncle Ge, and he said he did keep them. I need to go to Chun Restaurant immediately to get those samples. Whether Uncle Ge poisoned anything or not, the coroner will know after testing them."

Feng Huai immediately said, "I'll go with you."

"Not only will you come with me, but you will also need to bring two other people. However, these two people must not be your two subordinates. As witnesses, they must have no connection with you or me."

"Selling plum juice!"

"Selling sesame seed cakes! Hot sesame seed cakes."

Just then, two loud and clear voices rang out from outside.

Upon hearing the sound, the two young men looked at each other, and Feng Huai immediately realized what was happening and chased after them.

Feng Huai invited Uncle Chen, who sold sour plum juice, and Brother Fang, who sold sesame cakes, to Chunshi Restaurant to witness the event. He watched as Meng Yu opened the cupboard, took out pre-packaged samples, and brought them to the county government office.

After examining each dish, including the peach wine, it was confirmed that none of the ingredients contained red roe. Meng Yu and Ge Bo were cleared of suspicion, but the waiter who delivered the dishes that night could not prove his innocence.

Just as he was racking his brains, a constable rushed in to report: "Boss, Miss Xi, something terrible has happened! Old Man Ge and the waiter who delivered the vegetables have both committed suicide by poisoning themselves."

The two men stood up in surprise and looked at each other in disbelief.

***

"Who is in the hall?"

With a thud of the gavel, the kneeling woman stopped sobbing and hurriedly bowed her head, saying, "I am Cao, the elder sister of Madam Zhou. My younger sister is still unconscious. I am here on behalf of my sister's family to ask Your Honor to give my sister's family justice."

Under the watchful eye of the judge, Lord Zhao straightened his face and said, “Ge Kang and Xiao Er committed suicide yesterday out of fear of punishment. I have summoned you here today to pronounce judgment and close the case.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Cao looked up abruptly: "My lord, my sister's family is still unconscious and their fate is unknown. You must provide them with some compensation!"

Lord Zhao frowned: "A life for a life. Ge Kang has already committed suicide. Besides, your sister's family still has a chance to live. What more do you want?"

Cao wiped away her tears: "Although Ge Kang is dead, he was vicious and caused immeasurable harm to my sister's family. Even if she is conscious, she will inevitably suffer from chronic illnesses in the future. When she is unable to work, how will the family make a living?"

Old Li chimed in, "Sir, I have always seen that Brother Zhou is strong and healthy. He used to be the breadwinner of his family. Now that he has been poisoned, even if he recovers, his health will certainly not be as good as before. Sister Cao's request is not unreasonable."

Lord Zhao's brows furrowed even deeper: "What do you suggest we do?"

With a sob in her voice, Cao hurriedly replied, "Ge Kang owns three acres of fertile land and a Chunshi restaurant. According to what you've said, they should all be transferred to the Zhou family."

“You’re trying to force us to our deaths! Even though he killed someone, Ge Kang has already committed suicide out of guilt. Why are you still trying to seize our fertile land and shops? Who is truly heartless?” Ge’s mother, kneeling to the side, couldn’t help but cry out and lunged at Cao’s wife.

Cao shook off her hand with disgust and spat, "Don't touch me. Your husband is vicious, and you're no better."

She threw her mother away forcefully, causing her to fall heavily to the ground.

"And what good are you?" Just then, Feng Huai led Meng Yu in from under the eaves. "You colluded with outsiders and conspired with the manager of Ruixiang Tower to murder your sister's family. I think you and Old Li are the insidious, vicious, and heartless people."

The tears on Cao's face reflected the uproar and disdainful looks of the crowd outside the hall. Her expression changed instantly: "Lord Feng, you must speak and act with evidence. You are a yamen runner, so you should know this better than we do."

Old Li immediately chimed in, bowing to Lord Zhao and saying, "I beg you, Your Excellency, to do justice for this humble subject. Lord Feng slandered me and Sister Cao in court; he should be severely punished."

"Sister Cao?" Feng Huai sneered, "You call her that so affectionately, as if you're afraid others won't know you've hooked up."

"you……"

Old Li was so angry that his face turned red, and he couldn't utter a single word for a moment.

"Silence!" Lord Zhao slammed his gavel. "Feng Huai, you say that Cao Shi and Li Sheng were the ones who plotted against the Zhou family. What evidence do you have?"

Feng Huai immediately waved to the outside.

Immediately, a yamen runner entered carrying a tray with a medicine bag on it. Behind the runner was an old man who looked to be over sixty years old. Everyone recognized the old man as the manager of Jichuntang.

Upon seeing the old man, Li Sheng's expression immediately changed, and she became visibly flustered.

"This dregs is red aconite, which was found under the plum tree in the Cao family's courtyard. Although red aconite is colorless and odorless, it is hard and difficult to grind into powder, so it can only be boiled in water. Three days before the incident, Li Sheng bought red aconite from Jichuntang and delivered it to the Cao family's home. After boiling the red aconite to extract the water, the Cao family used the excuse of delivering eggs to the Zhou family and sprinkled the red aconite water into the dishes when no one was paying attention, thus completing the poisoning."

As soon as Feng Huai finished speaking, the manager of Jichuntang immediately went weak in the knees and knelt down tremblingly: "Please spare my life, please spare my life, I did not know that Li Sheng bought Chiwu to harm people. There are folk remedies that use Chiwu to treat diseases, so, so I sold it to him. Please spare my life, please spare my life."

The clerk whispered a few words to Lord Zhao, who then said, "Ignorance is no excuse. Please get up."

The shopkeeper calmed himself down and stood up unsteadily.

After examining the dregs of the medicine, the coroner reported, "Sir, this is indeed Chiwu."

Upon hearing this, Lord Zhao's expression hardened. He slammed his gavel down heavily and shouted, "Cao Shi, Li Sheng, the evidence is conclusive. What else do you have to say?"

"Please spare my life, sir! Please spare my life, sir!" Cao's shoulders trembled as she suddenly straightened up, her face contorted as she pointed at Li Sheng. "It's all his fault! He was in debt from gambling and that's why he was so blinded by greed that he agreed to help the manager of Ruixianglou get rid of Ge Kang. They said that as long as Chunshi Restaurant goes out of business, the shop will be mine."

Having heard this much, Meng Yu had no desire to listen any further.

Chun Restaurant was cheap, had large portions, and tasted pretty good, which caused it to steal many customers from Ruixiang Restaurant. The manager of Ruixiang Restaurant was indignant and thus came up with a wicked idea.

"Look, look, who is that?"

Just as I was thinking this, a surprised voice suddenly burst out from the crowd.

Meng Yu followed their gaze and saw Uncle Ge, supported by Xiao Er, staggering out of the side room, his face, as white as dried orange peel, covered in tears.

Meng Yu smiled brightly.

Fortunately, the truth has come to light, and both Uncle Ge and Xiao Er are safe and sound.

***

The owner of Ruixianglou was sentenced to death for intentional homicide, and Ruixianglou subsequently declined. In the following six months, Chunshi Restaurant, run by Uncle Ge, rose to prominence and replaced Ruixianglou as the most famous teahouse in Hejiuyun Township.

Meng Yu received two hundred taels of silver from Chun Restaurant every month. With her income from Zhuoshan, she had a lot of money left over, so she simply bought this small courtyard in Hualing Lane and hired someone to renovate it.

Dark clouds rolled overhead, and a strong wind blew in, causing the tent to tilt and bend precariously.

In June, during the rainy season, with a downpour imminent, Meng Yu hurriedly sent Ren Ling up the mountain to inform the workers to go home after work. Only then did she grab an umbrella and return to Hualing Lane.

Before she even reached her doorstep, a torrential downpour began, and she quickly took shelter under the eaves of a nearby building.

"What bad luck! What kind of person is she? Her daughter-in-law is already on the verge of death, and she's still fussing over a few taels of silver. I've delivered so many babies, and I've never seen a mother-in-law like her."

“Our village’s renowned sitz bath expert can ensure the safety of mother and child. Charging her three taels of silver is already a bargain. Yet she’s still arguing. I don’t know what to say.”

Meng Yu lifted her skirt and shrank back against the wall. Suddenly, two old women with umbrellas walked up to her, frowned, rolled their eyes, and spat out their disgusted saliva.

Meng Yu watched them walk by calmly, noticing that their footprints were quickly washed away by the rain, which then fell haphazardly from the sky.

A thick fog suddenly rolled in, obscuring the road behind them as if veiled by a thin layer of gauze. As they watched, Meng Yu's expression suddenly hardened, and without even opening the umbrella that was resting against the wall, she hurriedly chased after them.

When she brought the maids to the Cui family, she ran into Cui's mother carrying out a basin of bloody water, muttering impatiently, "How delicate! Isn't this how it is when you give birth? I wasn't this troublesome when I gave birth to Ah Xun! Hey, hey, hey! Miss Xi, what are you doing bringing these two maids here? They're asking for three taels of silver right off the bat, and I don't have any money to give them. Make them leave right now..."

As soon as Cui's mother looked up, she saw Meng Yu, her face soaked with sweat, forcefully push open her door and lead in the two old women who had been sitting there earlier. She quickly put down the basin, put on her straw hat, and went forward to stop them.

The courtyard wasn't paved with bluestone; every step was muddy. Cui's mother walked slowly, and Meng Yu quickly caught up with her. Before she could even reach out, Meng Yu slapped her across the face.

The crisp sound of the slap was drowned out by the sudden rain, but at that very moment, the piercing screams from inside the house still pierced through the heavy rain and reached Meng Yu's ears.

She quickly gave the old woman a look; with lives at stake, they couldn't care less about anything else, and hurried into the house with their heads down.

Caught off guard by the sudden blow, Cui's mother's head was knocked to the side. It took her a while to recover her senses, and her face, covered with fine lines, immediately turned ferocious: "You mute, how dare you hit me? I'll tear your mouth apart!"

She roared as she stretched out her hands and kicked her feet, trying to pounce.

Seeing that she was about to pounce on him, Meng Yu gently dodged to the side. When Cui's mother saw this, she tried to turn to the side, but her foot slipped and she lost her balance, falling straight into the puddle next to her.

Mother Cui was splashed with mud and water, and her buttocks throbbed from the fall on the stones. She was furious and looked up, about to yell at Meng Yu, but when she saw Meng Yu's stern face, she inexplicably swallowed the words she was about to say.

But the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. In a fit of rage, she sat cross-legged in the puddle, splashing mud and crying out, "Oh dear! Help! Murder! This mute is trying to murder my old lady Cui! Help!"

Seeing her act so shamelessly, Meng Yu coldly raised her hand.

Before she could finish making the gesture, Cui's mother, seeing that no one was coming over, stood up and pretended to pick up a wooden stick from the corner, shouting, "This is my house. What are you, a mute, doing gesturing like this in my house? Get out of here!"

"She said that if Yun'an loses her life because of this, she will make sure you are buried with her."

Just as Meng Yu was about to turn around and find a suitable weapon to fight back, a voice filled with sternness suddenly came from the doorway. When she looked up, the rain had stopped.

Feng Huai stood beside her, holding an umbrella.

Startled by his words, Cui's mother turned pale. Seeing Meng Yu's murderous gaze, she dared not utter another word and staggered back into her room.

"Croak..."

Just then, a loud cry came from Yun'an's room. Cui's mother, who had already closed the door, immediately opened it and called out to the old woman who came out with a smile, "She's given birth! She's given birth! Is it her grandson?"

She shouted as she tried to lift her foot to go over.

The old woman smiled and replied, "Congratulations, Madam Cui, mother and daughter are safe and sound. You have a very beautiful granddaughter."

Meng Yu visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

The foot that Cui's mother had raised was quickly pulled back, and the smile on her lips instantly disappeared. She raised her eyebrows and murmured, "What's there to congratulate about my granddaughter? Such a useless belly. I've been making her a pot of chicken soup every two days. If I had known she was carrying a granddaughter, I would have preferred that chicken soup to have gone into my belly."

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it somehow carried into the room. Meng Yu was furious and wanted to go over and slap her twice, but Feng Huai stopped her: "If you can wake her up, you don't need to do it; I'll do it myself."

Meng Yu was persuaded to withdraw his foot.

Feng Huai sighed, "If you can't, why waste your emotions on someone like that? I'll keep an eye on things here for you, she won't dare to do anything reckless. You should go back and change your clothes quickly, it's more important to see Miss Yun'an. If she sees you like this, she'll definitely be worried."

Meng Yu looked down at herself. She was soaked to the bone, her skirt covered in mud, and she looked utterly disheveled. The wind, carrying the scent of rain, blew against her face. She hadn't felt the cold because she was angry, but now that she heard that Yun An and her daughter were safe, her tense nerves relaxed instantly, and the chill seeped into her limbs through her wet clothes, making her shiver.

With Feng Huai watching over her, she nodded, hurried back to boil a basin of hot water to wash herself clean, changed into clean clothes, and was about to go out with an umbrella.

He glanced at the chicken coop, then quickly put away his umbrella, went back inside to get a basket, collected seven or eight eggs, and grabbed an old hen to carry with him.

With Feng Huai watching over things, and Cui's mother's door already closed, Meng Yu went straight to the kitchen and boiled two eggs over a high flame to fill Yun An's stomach.

After boiling the eggs, Feng Huai asked her to take them inside to Yun An first. He would help her slaughter the chicken and make soup. Meng Yu did not refuse and took the eggs inside.

Just before leaving the kitchen, she remembered something, quickly put down her bowl, and raised her hand: "Don't put red dates in the chicken soup. Red dates promote blood circulation, and she can't drink it after giving birth."

Feng Huai nodded and smiled, "I know that."

Meng Yu then left with peace of mind.

Pushing open the door, a strong smell of blood immediately filled my nostrils. Yun'an was still asleep, and the baby in the cradle, after being cleaned by the old woman, had also fallen asleep.

She gently placed the eggs down, went back to the kitchen to fetch a basin of hot water, and when she returned, Yun'an was already awake. Upon seeing Meng Yu, she smiled and said, "Yunhe, thank you."

As soon as she said this, Meng Yu guessed that she must have heard what Cui's mother said. She put down the basin, helped her up, wrung out a towel to wipe her face, and then raised her hand: "You just gave birth, don't worry about anything, don't listen to anything, just relax, take good care of yourself during your postpartum period, and getting your body back in good shape is the most important thing."

Yun An smiled faintly and shook her head: "She's always been like this. I guessed it before she gave birth. There's nothing to be sad about for someone like her, and it's not worth ruining your health for her."

After wiping her face, Meng Yufang quickly wiped her body and helped her lie down to rest: "Rest assured, I've asked Feng Huai to invite a wet nurse for me. Don't worry about the baby, I'll take care of everything."

Yun An was slightly puzzled, and struggled to sit up: "Hiring a wet nurse costs a lot of money, but I..."

Meng Yu quickly helped her lie down: "Don't worry about the money, I'll take care of it."

"Can……"

Yun An frowned, about to say something, but Meng Yu gently covered her lips. Seeing that she didn't speak again, he raised his hand and asked, "Do you still consider me a friend?"

"You are naturally my best friend."

“In that case, there’s no need for further refusals or thanks,” Meng Yu said, tucking her in. “You’re giving birth today, why hasn’t Cui Xun returned yet?”

Yun An smiled wryly, “When I teach at the private school, taking a day off will result in a significant deduction from my salary. I suppose my mother-in-law didn’t even send anyone to inform A-Xun that I’m giving birth today.”

The sound of rain outside the window gradually subsided. It was only a little past afternoon, and if no one informed Cui Xun, he wouldn't be able to return until at least sunset.

Meng Yu didn't want to ask too much about Yun An and Cui Xun's affairs. After comforting her for a bit, she went to the kitchen to check on the chicken soup and then asked Feng Huai to go to the private school to inform Cui Xun about Yun An's childbirth.

Before long, Cui Xun hurriedly returned, holding an umbrella.

Perhaps hearing the familiar footsteps, or perhaps because Cui's mother had been watching the movements in the courtyard, as soon as Cui Xun returned, she hurriedly pushed open the door, composed her sullen face, and came over with an umbrella to shove him: "Xun, weren't you supposed to be giving a lecture today? Why are you back so early? Taking half a day off will cost you a lot of money, hurry back."

Cui Xun suddenly flung his hand away and roared, "Mother, Yun'an gave birth today and was on the verge of death. Why didn't you send someone to inform me?"

"Isn't that how all women give birth?" Mrs. Cui said dismissively. "Besides, I have to help out here, how could I possibly find the time to inform you?"

"Even if this matter can be let go, why did you drive the old woman away? If anything happens to Yun'an, I will never forgive you in this lifetime." Cui Xun glared at her, not wanting to pay any more attention to her, and hurriedly went inside to see Yun'an.

Cui Xun's face was full of sternness, and his roar startled his mother. After a few moments, she suddenly reacted and shouted towards Yun An's room, "Those two old women are asking for an exorbitant price, three taels of silver! If it were a big, fat grandson, that would be fine, but it's just a baby girl. Luckily, I didn't give it to them, otherwise..."

Meng Yu brought out the chicken soup, glanced at her briefly, and then stopped talking.

Under her intimidation, Cui's mother remembered what Feng Huai had said and dared not say anything more. She just angrily turned her face away and went back to her room.

Cui Xun couldn't ask for leave, and for more than a month afterward, Meng Yu was worried about Yun An, so she entrusted all the affairs of Zhuoshan to Ren Ling to manage. She cooked delicious food for Yun An and her wet nurse every day and searched for good jokes to tell her. Only after Yun An finished her confinement period and not only recovered her health but also had a rosy complexion did she feel at ease to return to Zhuoshan to brew wine.

***

Longxiang Pavilion.

Chuze put away all the portraits of the baby girls he had visited, and then recounted the remaining portraits. There were seven in total, which meant there were still seven places he hadn't visited.

For the past three months, he and Lu Xiuyi have visited every location of the baby girl in the picture book. Many of the baby girls only resembled her in some way, such as in their eyebrows, eyes, or ears. However, none of them had all the same facial features.

After reporting the figures to Lu Xiuyi, he left.

Only one light was left on in the room, and the dim light seeped through the thin gauze. Chu Ze glanced back indifferently, feeling utterly exhausted.

Just then, a guard rushed in with a scroll of portrait and reported: "Sir, a portrait has been delivered by fast horse."

Where are you from?

“From Hejiuyun Township.”