new home
Although it had only been two days since they last met, Gao Youyi was still overjoyed to see Lin Xu. She wasn't even alone today; she was accompanied by a wet nurse who was holding a bright-eyed child in her arms. The wet nurse smiled broadly as soon as she saw Lin Xu.
Although Lin Xu had only met her younger brother, who was quite a few years older than her, once before when she visited the Lin family, it was quite strange that Qing Ge'er seemed to still remember Lin Xu. However, when he saw her again, he did not feel unfamiliar or afraid at all. He even laughed to himself and wanted to grab the hundred-year lock he was wearing around his neck and let Lin Xu play with it.
Gao Youyi affectionately tapped Qingge'er's nose, but also scolded, "This child is very mischievous, always trying to cause trouble, he can't stay quiet for a moment."
Qingge'er is now a little over a year old. His formal name, Zizhuo, was personally given to him by Lin Fu. His nickname is Qingge'er, and now you can gradually see some resemblance to his father in his eyes and brows.
Gao Youyi really liked Mianxue, and felt that Zizhuo was, after all, her uncle, so she couldn't not come and see Mianxue. That's why she insisted on bringing him along.
While she picked up the soft and cuddly Mianxue and kissed her left and right, she didn't forget to say to Lin Xu, "Our Mianxue is so good. Grandma misses her so much after just one day apart. If your father hadn't been rushing to work, I would have loved to come and see you and Mianxue together."
Lin Xu felt relieved, but he was still worried that Gao Youyi, who was always wealthy and powerful, might attract attention if she moved around frequently. Since he was now hiding in this bookstore, he had to be extremely discreet and be extra careful in everything he did.
Gao Youyi smiled knowingly, "Don't worry, we deliberately took a long detour when we came, and even this wet nurse didn't dare to follow us closely. She only came a while after I came in. You know how to do things properly, Mother."
At this point, Gao Youyi remembered the matter Lin Fu had repeatedly entrusted to her, and said with a serious expression:
“Now that you and Mianxue and your daughter are living here alone, you are vulnerable. If anything happens, you won’t even be able to protect yourselves! Although the bookstore is quiet, it is still a bit simple and cramped. How can you raise your child here? Even if you don’t want to go home, your father has prepared a place for you in an alley not far from here! It’s a small courtyard with two courtyards. At least you and your daughter will have a safe place!”
Lin Xu looked worried. In the short month she had been staying at the bookstore, she had already grown accustomed to its simple and peaceful life. Luo Shilan was elegant and quiet, and Haiping and Yumei, the two children, treated her very well. They had grown to feel like family. Besides, she had been supporting herself these past few days, and things hadn't been bad at all.
She only felt happy when she took care of many things in Mianxue's life herself.
Seeing that she was about to refuse, Gao Youyi quickly said, "We both guessed that you would do this, but you must not refuse! I have taken care of all the maids and servants over there for you. In addition to the old folks who have served you before, such as Zhuling, Rongwei, and Granny Qin, there are two quick cooks and a handyman. Everything is taken care of!"
As Gao Youyi spoke, she carefully observed Lin Xu's expression. In her urgency, she even forgot about kissing Mianxue, and said with a solemn expression:
“This house was originally part of my dowry, the ancestral property of the Gao family. Although it has been uninhabited for a long time, it has been well maintained. Xu’er, you don’t need to worry about the Dou family finding out! Besides, my brother has now established himself in Mujing. This house is not far from his nose. I doubt Dou Huaisheng would dare to be so foolish as to cause trouble there!”
Having not seen her for so long, Lin Xu had almost forgotten how quick-witted and straightforward her stepmother was. Even so, Gao Youyi's words were still considerably more modest.
Today, Gao Yanbang is thriving in the Dali Temple. He has not only solved many long-standing cases, but also cultivated a group of efficient subordinates. The Dali Temple, which was once almost overshadowed by the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice, is now a completely different entity.
Seeing Gao Youyi's anxious expression, Lin Xu couldn't help but feel a pang of unease. Her presence here was already causing a lot of trouble for the already busy Luo Shilan, and children grow quickly; Mianxue would soon need a larger place to play, and most importantly…
She hasn't gotten her revenge yet.
The hatred of the Lin family being wiped out, the hatred of her mother being brutally murdered, and the grand plan she had promised Kunrou to help her complete... all these things weighed heavily on her heart. Although she tried her best to calm herself down, these thoughts had long been accumulating like an undercurrent, just waiting for the right opportunity.
Waiting for the moment when she is finally fully prepared.
Since that was the case, Lin Xu had no choice but to agree. Gao Youyi was naturally very happy and promised to secretly send many guards to watch over the vicinity of the house so that they could rush over to protect her at the first sign of trouble.
Lin Xu was naturally very moved. Gao Youyi was very efficient, and that afternoon a team of people came to the bookstore to help Lin Xu transport all his luggage and valuables properly.
Yu Mei loved watching Mian Xue's eyelashes flutter slightly as she slept, and would often rest her chin on her hand and gaze at the baby for a long time. Hai Ping, however, stood under the eaves, his expression seemingly somewhat gloomy for some reason.
"Lady Luo said you're leaving?"
Lin Xu paused for a moment, then realized that her hasty departure had caused her to neglect the two children. She affectionately patted Haiping's head and said half-jokingly, "Empress Luo is usually busy, so I won't cause any trouble here. Haiping, you must grow up well and protect Yumei and Mianxue."
The boy paused slightly, and after a long while, he seemed to squeeze out a sentence with difficulty:
"I... can protect you now too."
The rest of the sentence was drowned out by the constant sounds of things being moved back and forth in the small courtyard.
Please don't leave...
Lin Xu squatted down and looked at Hai Ping very seriously. This stubborn and resilient boy always possessed a firmness and depth that was beyond his years. Perhaps it was because he had experienced everything at a young age and had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of taking care of his younger sister.
"Lady Lin still owes you a thank you. Ling'an, if you hadn't arrived in time that day and desperately run out to fetch the midwife, I might not be standing here with Mianxue to talk to you now. Ling'an, thank you for taking care of me these past few days."
Haiping looked into those eyes that shone as brightly as the stars, but remained silent, only nodding slowly.
.
With the help of the people sent by Gao Youyi, Lin Xu hurriedly bid farewell to Luo Shilan and arrived at his new home that very night with Mianxue. Before leaving, Luo Shilan was very reluctant to part with him, and packed all the herbal ointment she had brewed and the dried plums she had prepared into the carriage.
"If you need anything, or if there's anything you can do to help me, please don't hesitate to ask."
With this promise, Lin Xu felt even more grateful. Bringing Luo Shilan back to Mujing that day while passing through Qingyang was definitely the right decision. She smiled, but her eyes were firm. "Don't worry. I can handle Mianxue, she's just a little one. You take good care of the bookstore here. There are more important things for you to do in the future."
Luo Shilan nodded, looking bewildered.
By evening, Lin Xu had finally settled into her new home. Although the house was part of Gao Youyi's dowry, it had been vacant since she married into the Lin family, but it was well-maintained, with even the red-lacquered screen wall in front of the door being freshly painted.
Although this place is adjacent to the bustling city, it is far from the noise and hustle and bustle because of the camphor and plum trees planted behind the house. With its high-pitched eaves, white walls and black tiles, it is naturally much more spacious than the cramped bookstore. Now that she has moved to a new place, she should also change her mindset.
Lin Xu carried Mianxue forward, and as soon as he stepped into the front yard, he saw two very familiar figures who were already waiting under the eaves.
Those were Zhu Ling and Rong Wei, whom they hadn't seen for a long time.
Upon seeing her, the two women's eyes immediately welled up with tears. They quickly stepped forward to bow deeply to her. Zhu Ling tried her best to suppress her sobs and said softly, "We are finally able to see Madam! Since Madam left the Dou family, Rong Wei and I have not had a single day without feeling guilty and remorseful. It is all our fault for being negligent and causing you so much suffering. We are willing to accept any punishment!"
Lin Xu hurriedly told the two of them to get up.
"How can you blame me! In the heat of the moment that day, Bai clearly wanted to kill me. It's just that I was in a hurry and couldn't bring you out. I thought that as long as I could get you two away, even if you were accidentally captured by Bai, you would be completely unaware of what I did, and Bai wouldn't be able to do anything to you. Well, it's been a long time since we last met, and it's a blessing to see you again. Don't blame yourself anymore."
After speaking, she held Mianxue in her arms and showed her to the two of them. Mianxue was sleeping soundly in her swaddling clothes. When she saw several unfamiliar faces, she was about to burst into tears, but her attention was drawn to the beaded string on Rongwei's hand, and she quickly started to giggle.
Gao Youyi was very considerate, even providing her with two wet nurses, which made her life easier from then on. Lin Xu also met Qin Mama, who was tidying up in her room, as well as several guards and cooks in the backyard. These people must have been carefully selected by Lin Fu and Gao Youyi, as they appeared loyal and reliable.
After not seeing her for so long, Granny Qin's eyes reddened, and a few tears streamed down her wrinkled face. "Good Miss, it's wonderful that you're safe and sound. Now that you've successfully given birth to the little girl, this old servant can finally rest easy."
Lin Xu patted Granny Qin's shoulder reassuringly. She was indeed exhausted after half a day of running around. Fortunately, the kitchen had prepared the dishes in advance, which consisted of a soup, two hot dishes, and three small side dishes, all of which were light yet exquisite.
She had just finished her postpartum confinement period, and presumably following Gao Youyi's example, the kitchen had specially prepared stewed tendons until tender, which were undoubtedly nourishing. However, Lin Xu was still not in the mood for such rich and nutritious food, so she only drank a bowl of fragrant black chicken soup and ate quite a few honey-glazed lotus root slices. She ate quite happily, though.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, a wet nurse brought Mianxue over, who had already been breastfed. Mianxue had a very good temperament; even when she cried occasionally, she would stop quickly when she saw something new and interesting. Rongwei and Zhuling both liked her very much and gathered around her, watching her curiously, which was quite amusing.
Lin Xu glanced at the already dark night outside the window, dismissed all the servants in the room, and then looked at Zhu Ling and Rong Wei.
"After I left that day, did anything happen to the Dou family? You must tell me everything, in detail."
Seeing that Lin Xu had a serious expression, Zhu Ling and Rong Wei knew that this matter must be very important, so they quickly nodded.
Zhu Ling said, "...That day you sent us away one after another. Rong Wei went to Princess Kunrou to fetch the imperial physician, and then drugged the little maid guarding you in front of the palace. When Madam Bai found out, she was furious. She rushed there angrily with Aunt Guo and several servants, only to find the place deserted. Besides being furious, Madam Bai sneered several times. Her appearance was very ferocious, and even Aunt Guo, who was standing to the side at the time, was frightened..."
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