Chapter 314 Who exactly summoned her?

Ji Qingwu lowered his eyes innocently and looked at the guqin in the corner of the tea table.

Thinking about what the old lady had just said, Wei Ting resembled his father? In what ways?

What was it like back then? Is there anything that Grandma Wei regrets now?

The tea room was quiet for a while.

"This is Ting'er's mother's zither."

Madam Wei had composed herself, and her voice became calm and even.

Ji Qingwu had already examined the zither carefully.

The strings are a little loose, but the body of the instrument is well preserved. The lacquer is glossy and shiny, and it is free of dust. It has been wiped frequently without leaving any watermarks. It is clear that it has been carefully maintained.

When Wei Ting's mother was alive, she should have been cherished, just like this zither.

Madam Wei said, "Even when Ting'er was on the front lines of war, he always carried it with him."

Ji Qingwu also recalled that Wei Ting did indeed like music; otherwise, she wouldn't have tried to please him by wearing out her fingers to learn that damned harp.

Ji Qingwu looked down at his fingers, even checking between his fingers, and found that there wasn't a single mark left.

She drifted off into thought, realizing that she knew nothing about music and preferred the freedom of drawing a bow and shooting arrows in the wilderness.

When she first entered the army camp, she pestered Wei Ting several times, wanting him to teach her archery, but he always politely declined.

After that, she began to follow his preferences and gradually received some responses, eventually being able to enter his tent.

But she had never seen this instrument before.

She never saw Wei Ting's heart, nor his beloved possessions.

Ji Qingwu's gaze shifted to the web of her right hand, where a thin callus still remained—a mark left from when she practiced archery and horsemanship after arriving in Lin'an.

I practice medicine to make a living. Once something becomes a means of livelihood, the pure joy I once had is gone.

But archery is not.

Perhaps her heart, from the moment she received personal instruction in archery from Emperor Wusu in the Jiying Hall, was already filled with comparison and bias. And then, it gradually slipped out of her control...

Because of her grandson's situation, Madam Wei showed signs of aging, and when she thought of her son and daughter-in-law's past, her back became even more hunched.

The old lady sighed softly, "But this time, Ting'er kept it."

Ji Qingwu withdrew his gaze from the guqin and said, "Carrying this thing while marching and fighting is quite inconvenient. It's better to leave it at home."

"inconvenient?"

Old Madam Wei said with heartache, "He packed a Welwitschia mirabilis, soil and mud, into a cowhide bag and took it away."

Before leaving, Wei Ting plucked a flower and took it with him, but he might as well have taken a zither with him; at least that would have been more elegant.

Ji Qingwu was speechless; this was truly something she hadn't expected.

Madam Wei said wistfully, "If the military situation hadn't been so urgent, Ting'er would definitely have found a way to take you with him."

For the first time, Ji Qingwu was grateful that the military intelligence was urgent enough...

She suddenly asked, "Madam, Wei Ting had someone he loved before, didn't he?"

Ji Qingwu had some guesses about what the old lady hadn't said: if Wei Ting and that person could rekindle their relationship, wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone?

Madam Wei's lips twitched slightly. She didn't answer, but said instead, "I've been talking to you for so long, and it turns out it's all been for nothing."

Ji Qingwu said, "Madam, I think you are much more reasonable than my grandmother, so I'll tell you the truth."

Hearing this made the old lady of the Wei family feel a little better.

She picked up the Buddhist prayer beads on the table and twirled them. That old woman Ji was indeed unreasonable; she had deliberately opposed her when she was young.

"Go ahead and tell me."

Ji Qingwu said earnestly, "My agreement to marry your grandson is a temporary measure. Once the war has stabilized, I will definitely seek a divorce."

Old Madam Wei stared at her for a long time, her hand holding the bead trembling slightly, just as Ji Qingwu thought the bead was about to hit her face.

"So be it, so be it."

"Everything in this world has its own destiny. I don't blame you; I blame myself for the sins I committed in my past life that resulted in giving birth to these vengeful beings..."

Old Madam Wei closed her eyes and recited several verses about injustice.

Just when Ji Qingwu thought the old lady had enlightened him through Buddhism.

She decided not to stay any longer and said in a low voice, "This junior will go out first."

Her wrinkled eyelids opened again, and Old Madam Wei said angrily, "Why do you look down on my grandson!"

"Do you think you're some kind of fairy, Ji Wu? Do you think my grandson can't find someone he likes without you?"

In a fit of anger, Madam Wei threw the Buddhist prayer beads into the tea barrel, splashing water everywhere and soaking the guqin.

"Let whoever wants to chant this Buddha's name chant it!"

Ji Qingwu was about to get up, but then sat back down.

Is this old lady's usual solemnity and sophistication just an act?

When she was young, Madam Wei had a violent temper and could not tolerate even the slightest imperfection. Only after both her parents passed away did she set up a meditation room in the house to calm her mind and recuperate.

The tea room and the meditation room were separated only by a screen, and Cao Mama's shadow appeared behind the screen.

"Madam."

Madam Wei remained expressionless and skillfully put the lid of the tea canister back on, as if she had done it more than once before.

"What's up?"

Granny Cao hesitated and said, "The Song family is here again... They're here to see Madam."

Old Madam Wei said irritably, "Looking for her? Then why are you telling me?"

Granny Cao rarely saw the old lady lose her temper like a child; the last time was when Wei Ting made her so angry.

"It's because Madam Song's condition is not good. She said she wants to see our Madam."

Upon receiving this news, Ji Qingwu frowned.

The toxins in Su Daiyue's body had spread to her internal organs. Although medicine was ineffective, it shouldn't have caused such a rapid onset of poisoning.

Ji Qingwu stood up and said, "I'll go over there."

Madam Wei raised her head, her face stern, and said, "Don't you remember what I just said?"

Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow and said, "Why should I be afraid of him? He insists on coming to disgust me. I should throw up on him instead."

Madam Wei wanted to refute, but found that her words were somewhat to her liking.

"etc."

Just as Ji Qingwu reached the screen, the old lady called him back.

"Tell Tongyou to come with you."

Wei Tongyou has good swordsmanship and is also very brave.

Ji Qingwu's eyes flickered, and he nodded, saying, "Okay."

*

When the two of them arrived at the Song residence in a carriage, the servants had already placed a sturdy coffin in the hall, and even the funeral banners were ready.

On her way to Madam Song's courtyard, Wei Tongyou grabbed a maid and asked, "Has Madam Song already left?"

The maid replied, "Not...not yet."

Wei Tongyou said with a complicated expression, "The person isn't even dead yet, and you've already brought all these things out. Are you hoping the person dies sooner?!"

"These are all instructions from the master," the maid said, then quickly walked away with the white cloth in her hands.

Ji Qingwu pushed open the door, and the room was filled with the pungent smell of medicine.

Su Daiyue lay in bed, looking even worse than yesterday, her face pale and sallow.

Hearing footsteps, she forced herself to open her eyes.

Upon recognizing Ji Qingwu, she exclaimed in surprise, "What brings you here...? Did you come to see me off...?"