Block the road
Guard Jiang smiled somewhat embarrassedly, and his tense body finally relaxed a little.
As they were talking, the tea lady lifted the curtain from the back kitchen and brought over a large basin of melon slices that had just been soaked in well water.
There was a full porcelain bowl, the flesh of which was white with a hint of green. The melon slices were neatly cut, and two or three mint leaves floated at the bottom of the bowl, releasing a refreshing aroma as they swayed in the well water.
"Last time, thanks to your kindness in taking care of my shop, Madam, I have chilled this melon with cool well water. It is the best way to cool off in the summer. Traveling is not easy... Please, Madam and the guards, have a taste."
Looking at the tea lady with her head down and gentle smile, Lin Xu felt even more that she was very pleasing to the eye.
After their brief encounter, she had given it some thought and decided to bring this tea lady under her wing so she could work for her in the future.
Lin Xu nodded his thanks and smiled at her, saying:
"I remember having tea and chatting with you here last time. Is your surname Luo?"
The tea lady looked somewhat surprised, seemingly not expecting that Lin Xu would remember her surname, even though it was just a casual remark that day. She quickly said:
“Indeed, my name is Luo Shilan, but my neighbors usually call me Luo Jiuniang. If you don’t mind, you can call me that too.”
"Shilan... what a poetic and picturesque name, it suits Lady Luo very well."
Lin Xu took a sip of tea and said gently, "I noticed that you have your hair styled in a traditional Chinese updo and you are a local. Yet, you are the only one running around taking care of things in this teahouse. I wonder why you are working so hard here all by yourself? Is your husband away on business?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Shilan showed a hint of hesitation on her face.
Lin Xu always spoke softly. Several guards sat at a table to the side, happily eating melons. The few customers sitting at the few tables in the shop were all far away, and their words could hardly be heard.
Zhu Ling then said, "My lady need not worry. My lady is the kindest and most benevolent person. She just tasted your tea that day and liked it, which is why she felt a little sorry for you. If it brings up your sad memories, my lady need not feel embarrassed."
Luo Shilan's lips twitched, but she sighed softly, a hint of melancholy flickering in her eyes:
"...Actually, it's not that I don't want to tell you, Madam. I'm just a commoner. We were betrothed as childhood sweethearts, but unfortunately, my husband died before we got married. So I didn't want to remarry and was willing to remain chaste for him. This shop was left to me by my parents-in-law. I had no ties to them, and with this little shop, I can make a living. That's all."
Lin Xu sighed with admiration, "My wife has excellent cooking skills and is so loyal and devoted. No wonder the villagers always come to support our shop."
As they were talking, several more guests arrived at the door for tea. Luo Shilan looked at Lin Xu and saw him nod with a smile on his lips, so she hurried over to greet them.
Lin Xu watched Luo Shilan's busy figure and realized that she was indeed a person who knew how to conduct herself and handled things very well. As a widow, she was able to manage this teahouse so well, which naturally showed that she had some skills.
She thought about her numerous dowries and ancestral properties, most of which had been left unattended for many years, like the estate in Qingyang. If she succeeded in taking revenge, she certainly wouldn't be able to stay in the Dou family any longer... When the situation changed drastically at that time, the few people she currently had under her command would naturally not be enough...
She needs to find more capable and trustworthy people to work under her.
She needs to start planning for this as soon as possible.
After finishing their tea and wiping their mouths, Guard Jiang and his entourage went outside to feed and prepare the horses. Each of them was tall and strong, with official swords at their waists, attracting attention as they passed through the shop. The guests then curiously looked in the direction Guard Jiang had left, where sat the person these guards had been escorting – Lin Xu, with his understated makeup and low-key demeanor.
Although she was dressed in plain clothes today, with only a simple silver hairpin in her black hair and no makeup, an old woman who had just entered in the distance still showed some hesitation in her eyes when she saw Lin Xu.
Her temples were gray, and her eyesight was failing, but she noticed Lin Xu's clear, dark eyes at a glance, which were exactly the same as those in her long-forgotten memories... A hint of surprise appeared in the old woman's slightly cloudy eyes, and she couldn't help but raise her hand and point tremblingly at Lin Xu.
"This...this woman looks so familiar..."
Lin Xu was slightly taken aback when she heard the surprised voice. The rim of the teacup, which was close to her lips, shifted slightly as she turned her head and looked in the direction of the voice.
From her angle, she could only see that the woman was somewhat old, with gray hair, wearing a plain gray silk jacket, and her figure was somewhat hunched. But against the light and shadow coming in from the window, she couldn't make out the old woman's face.
Sitting at the same table was a middle-aged woman wearing a moon-white brocade shirt with dark patterns. She was pretty, but the fine lines between her eyebrows were gathered together, and she seemed to be getting impatient with the old woman's words, muttering complaints in a low voice.
"...You're getting senile now, everyone looks familiar to you. You've seen several old acquaintances along the way...I think we should finish our tea here and head back quickly."
After speaking, the middle-aged woman turned around and smiled apologetically at Lin Xu.
"I'm so sorry, my mother-in-law has been unwell since the beginning of the year, and her memory isn't what it used to be. She disturbed you unnecessarily just now, please don't take offense."
Knowing that Lin Xu was wealthy and powerful, she did not want to cause trouble. After speaking, she quietly instructed the maid beside her to pay for the tea for Lin Xu's table.
Looking at the two women, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, they seemed to be from a wealthy family living nearby, out enjoying the cool evening air and tea. Lin Xuping smiled and politely declined, "It's nothing, the old lady is just seeing things. Don't take it to heart."
After she and Zhuling finished their tea, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law from the teahouse also left. A gentle breeze drifted in through the window, and the sun seemed to have softened its intensity; it was time to turn back and leave.
Lin Xu waited until Luo Shilan had finished tidying up and had some free time again.
She fiddled with the ruby ring Liao Yan had given her on her index finger and said softly to her:
"To be honest, my family owns several houses in the suburbs of Mujing, as well as some tea gardens and other properties, but they have been neglected for many years, which is a real pity. I think you are a smart and capable person. If you don't mind, you are welcome to come and find me."
Luo Shilan's dark eyes widened in shock. She had only known that Lin Xu looked like a pampered noblewoman from a wealthy family and was very kind. That was why she had sent some food out of gratitude, but it was just a small token of her thanks. She had never had any other intentions of currying favor with him.
How could this lady be so kind… Luo Shilan was extremely flustered, and her already taciturn nature made her even more at a loss for words. She could only lower her head uneasily.
"Does Madam feel sorry for me and want to pity me? But I'm just trying to earn my own living here and don't dare to ask for anything..."
Seeing that Luo Shilan's first reaction was still to refuse, and that she was so calm, Zhu Ling couldn't help but smile. If others had been given such an opportunity, they would have been rushing to express their gratitude.
"It is precisely because of Madam Luo's calm and unassuming nature that our lady has such discerning eyes. Madam Luo manages this small teahouse so well, she is naturally exceptionally intelligent, and our lady would never have misjudged her."
Luo Shilan met Lin Xu twice, and each time Lin Xu had a cold expression, but she was very kind to the servants and maids around her. She secretly observed her a few times and also felt that Lin Xu was a very kind person, but she was not ready to leave Qingzhou, the land that had raised her.
Lin Xu knew she would be in a difficult position, but he wasn't in a hurry. He also keenly noticed the hidden emotion beneath Luo Shilan's anxious expression, and he smiled slightly.
"My suggestion to invite Madam Luo was indeed a bit abrupt. Madam, you can think about it quietly for a few days and make your own decision. If you make up your mind within ten days, you can go to a flower and plant shop on Mujing North Street, and I will arrange everything."
After speaking, she stood up. Zhu Ling took a heavy purse from her sleeve and placed it on the table. The two of them then turned and left.
Even though Luo Shilan hasn't agreed yet, Lin Xu feels in his heart that she will definitely agree.
Qin's guards and others had already loaded the carriage. The horses, fed hay and water, were full of energy, panting heavily, and couldn't wait to return to the city.
Lin Xu, holding Zhu Ling's hand, was about to bend down and get into the carriage when he heard a clear, panting female voice behind him:
"Madam, please wait a moment."
But the voice was completely unfamiliar, unlike Luo Shilan's calm and composed voice from just now.
Lin Xu turned around and saw that the person who came was the little maid who had been serving the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
They finished their tea and left the teahouse long ago, so why are they still here? Besides, judging from the girl's hurried manner, it seems she rushed back.
The young girl was dressed in a pale white short blouse, her hair styled in double buns. Perhaps she had run too fast, for she was out of breath, clutching her back until she caught her breath before hurriedly bowing to Lin Xu and saying:
"I apologize for disturbing you, Madam. It is true that my old lady is a bit confused and mistook you for someone else. Now she refuses to believe my second mistress and insists on seeing you. She is unwilling to leave no matter what. My second mistress is at her wit's end, so she thought of sending me to ask you to come over... If you are willing to condescend to help, just tell my old lady the truth that you do not know her."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ling grinned and said, "I wonder where in Qingzhou your family is located? You certainly have quite the air about you. There's no reason for you to invite people like this out of the blue."
She felt that this family, from top to bottom, was acting utterly irrationally. Besides, the urgent matter was escorting the lady back, so there was no need to delay any longer.
Seeing that Zhu Ling was displeased, the young maid felt a little embarrassed. She herself felt that her request was too abrupt, but how could she dare disobey the Second Madam's order? Hoping for the best, she could only respectfully bow to Lin Xu again and awkwardly explain:
"The Wen family has always been very particular about etiquette in Qingyang. If it weren't for the old lady's insistence on staying, our second madam wouldn't have come up with this idea. This action was indeed hasty, and we hope that you will forgive any impropriety."
As the young girl spoke, she pulled a blue satin sachet with a crimson tassel from her sleeve:
"The Second Madam also instructed that if it were ordinary gold and silver, it might tarnish your noble character, so she would offer a blood-nourishing and qi-tonifying pill passed down from the Wen family as a token of gratitude. Please forgive her."
Lin Xu paused for a moment, then looked up at the carriage parked by the roadside.
"...You just mentioned the Wen family?"
Seeing that Lin Xu had spoken to her, the little girl instantly felt hopeful and quickly nodded, saying:
“Indeed, although my master has retired, he was once a high-ranking official in the capital. After retiring to his hometown, he was respected by everyone in Qingyang. Unfortunately, he passed away from illness half a year ago, and my lady was suddenly devastated, which is why she is like this now…”
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