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Madam Bai frowned. It was so late, how could anyone have any appetite for snacks? Besides, she was entertaining guests. Aunt Guo was being far too foolish!
Just as she was about to wave her hand to refuse, she heard the little maid outside the curtain say again, "Madam, Aunt Guo said she specially brought some snow pear and white fungus soup that has been simmering in the kitchen for half a day. It's the most nourishing and thirst-quenching soup."
Madam Zhong raised her eyebrows and smiled, "It seems that you came prepared, Auntie."
Bai nodded, and a moment later, Aunt Guo entered carrying a food box. As the curtain was rolled up, a slight chilly night breeze drifted in. Aunt Guo respectfully greeted Bai and then greeted Zhong before putting down the food box.
Upon opening the container, one finds a pot of soft, glistening white fungus soup, along with two small dishes of pastries. The osmanthus glutinous rice cake and the jujube and yam cake are steaming hot, both of which are Bai's favorite snacks.
Madam Bai recalled that during the banquet earlier that day, while she was talking with the Princess Consort of Gong and others, she had seen Dou Chu mingling with several young masters from prominent families who had come as guests with their elders. She was certain that this concubine had been instigating him. A chill ran through her, and she said indifferently:
"It's so late, Auntie, aren't you going to rest yet? It's kind of you to come all this way."
Aunt Guo rolled up her sleeves and presented two bowls of white fungus soup. She then personally served them to Madam Bai. Madam Zhong was, after all, just a guest and could not accept such service from Aunt Guo. Just as she was about to wave her hand to decline, she saw Aunt Guo smiling as she also brought a bowl to her.
His demeanor was naturally very respectful and polite.
Bai took a bite and found it indeed soft, sweet, and savory. Seeing that Aunt Guo's attitude was very respectful, she was slightly satisfied and looked up at Aunt Guo, saying:
"Speak, Auntie, you came so late at night, surely it wasn't just to bring this bowl of white fungus soup? Is there something important you need?"
Aunt Guo hurriedly said, "I don't dare to say that. I don't have anything important to do. I just thought you must be tired after a long day, so I brought you some food to help you relax. After all, it is not easy for you to manage the household affairs every day. Your good health is the most important thing now."
As the second wife of Imperial Censor Gu, Madam Zhong only had two young concubines in her household. At first, they were arrogant and haughty, but later they were also subdued by her own methods. Naturally, she was very satisfied with Aunt Guo's respectful manner, so she said frankly, "Aunt Guo has come to relieve my worries."
Having lived in the inner quarters for a long time, they were already quite familiar with each other's thoughts. Seeing Zhong Shi speak like this, Aunt Guo hesitated somewhat, while Bai Shi's expression softened, and she waved her hand, saying:
"Speak your mind. My sister is not an outsider."
Aunt Guo then agreed and lowered her voice, quickly telling the two of them in detail what she had been thinking during the day.
As Bai listened, her face grew increasingly ashen. She put down the white fungus soup she had only tasted a bite of and slammed her hand on the table in anger.
Is this really true?
Aunt Guo lowered her head slightly, but her words were very firm, "There were many people around and the scene was a bit chaotic, but the expression of the second wife's wife, Lin, was hesitant, and the young manager Zhou's expression was not very calm either, so I understood. Later, I sent a maid to ask her carefully... There is no mistake."
Upon hearing this, Bai felt a surge of anger rising within her. How dare that vile woman, Lin Xu, tarnish the reputation of the Dou family! Was all the hard work she and her husband had put into building the family over the years going to be destroyed by this wretched woman?
The more Bai thought about it, the angrier she became. A sharp pain shot through her forehead, and she gripped the corner of the table tightly. The wrinkles around her eyes gleamed with malice. She wished she could send someone to capture that unfaithful Lin right now!
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhong slowly turned the lid of her teacup, removing the floating leaves from the cup. "My dear sister was just having a headache over this, and now, Aunt Guo has come to bring her a remedy for her worries."
Bai had always been wary of Lin Xu and Dou Yanxun's near-death experience in Laining, and she was even more afraid that things might get complicated and that they would be discovered later. However, now that Dou Yanxun had been promoted and her eldest son's superior had been implicated in corruption, she was at a loss for what to do.
Zhong's words seemed to awaken Bai, and a thoughtful look appeared in her eyes. After a moment, she had an idea.
.
A few days later, two autumn rains fell in succession, and the flowers and plants withered, indicating that winter was approaching.
Lin Xu was pregnant, and even though she was still very young, everyone in the villa took great care of her, providing her with nourishing soups several times a day. Her once pointed chin gradually became rounder.
Upon hearing that they had returned from Laining, and that Lin Xu was now pregnant, Qing Mo, following Lin Fu's instructions, rushed over from the Lin family the very next day to visit her. Now that Gao Youyi had safely given birth to a son, a legitimate eldest son, the Lin family was naturally filled with peace and harmony.
Kao Yu-yi is a bit older, and her postpartum period lasted for several months. I heard she is not fully recovered yet, so I can only regretfully visit her next time.
Nevertheless, Qingmo brought a whole carriage full of gifts, all of which were remedies for her pregnancy prepared by Gao Youyi, children's clothes and toys, jade ruyi for warding off evil spirits, and so on. Lin Fu was also very happy. According to Qingmo, the night he heard the news, Lin Fu was overjoyed and drank a few cups of wine. He even planned to visit the Dou residence whenever he had time.
The father, whose calligraphy was excellent, specially sent two paintings and two calligraphy books by famous calligraphers. He also urged Lin Xu to practice calligraphy in his spare time after marriage, which Lin Xu accepted with a smile.
Not long after sending Qingmo back to the mansion, someone came to visit from the villa again. Since Lin Xu's return, all the servants from the villa had been dismissed or reassigned to their respective rooms by Bai Shi. Even with the addition of the few guards she brought back from Laining who were with Dou Yanxun, she didn't have many people working for her now, but Lin Xu was happy to have some peace and quiet.
Then, Rongwei entered from outside the hall with a very pretty young woman. The young woman walked briskly, first bowing to Lin Xu before looking at him with concern:
"It's been many days since I last saw you, Miss. I heard you're pregnant, which is truly wonderful news. How are you feeling?"
Lin Xu could hardly recognize the person in front of him.
Zhiyuan had grown taller and slimmer. Perhaps it was because she was in charge of the flower shop that she seemed much more capable. She quickly took off her light purple brocade shawl, revealing a silver-white short jacket with gray trim underneath, which made her fair skin look even more beautiful and charming.
Overjoyed, she hurriedly tried to get down from the brocade couch by the window. Zhiyuan quickly came up, helped Lin Xu up, and said with a smile, "How could this servant dare to trouble Miss to condescend to her? Besides, this servant is worried about the little master in Miss's belly."
These words amused the maids who had been with Lin Xu since he was a child in the Lin family. Zhu Ling had shared a room with Zhi Yuan before, and the two were very close. Seeing that Zhi Yuan was now much taller than her, she became even more curious and couldn't help but try to stand on tiptoe to compare her height with Zhi Yuan. Lin Xu couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Since Zhiyuan took over Yuancao Residence, aside from the first few months when she was still unfamiliar with the shop's procedures, business has been booming. She's not only gained a small reputation on Mujing North Street, but has also attracted many loyal customers, including high-ranking officials and dignitaries. Lin Xu's monthly commission has increased several times over, and since she hadn't seen Zhiyuan in a long time, she was especially warm and friendly, instructing Rongwei to serve fresh tea. The two sat and drank together.
Zhiyuan repeatedly declined, refusing to sit down no matter what Lin Xu said. She simply stood inside the hall, always so mindful of etiquette. It was precisely because of this cautious nature that she was able to do everything so well.
“Miss, the matter you asked me to investigate has been fully investigated.”
With several important matters on her mind, Zhiyuan exchanged a few polite words and then got straight to the point:
“Miss is wise. You asked Brother Zhao to investigate whether Qi Rou’er was behaving properly in Straw Hat Alley. I never expected that something would happen! Ever since Qi Shuang’er died, Qi Rou’er has been grieving and crying in Straw Hat Alley all day long, saying that her younger sister was murdered by villains. When her two older brothers, Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan, were still alive, Qi Rou’er was more well-behaved. But I never expected that since the two of them joined the army with their cousin, Qi Rou’er has become more and more restless…”
Zhao Qi discovered Qi Rou'er's disappearance half a month ago. Qi Rou'er's son had been attending school in the alley, but it was discovered that he had been absent from class without reason for a long time.
When Zhao Qi burst through the gate of the house, he found the little girl Yu Mei huddled in a corner, crying for food. Her brother, Hai Ping, had gone out to hunt for her, according to the little girl. The house was bare, indicating that Qi Rou'er had not only left behind two children but also taken all the belongings she had stolen from Qi Shuang'er.
Lin Xu listened quietly, and after a long while, she only sighed coldly. She had long known that Qi Rou'er, though seemingly gentle, was actually more ruthless than Qi Shuang'er. Those two children were not even able to support themselves, yet she abandoned them like that; they must have already flown far away by now.
"What about those two children now? Has Zhao Qi made any arrangements for them?"
Zhiyuan shook her head and said, "Brother Zhao was also promoted a few days ago. Now he needs to undergo a month of training in the camp before he can be free."
Zhao Qi's high level of martial arts and honest character made his promotion to head of the Palace Guard a piece of good news. Lin Xu recalled how Zhao Qi had offended Dou Yanzhou and Yao Sha in her previous life and ultimately disappeared without a trace, and couldn't help but feel happy for him. However, Zhao Qi now needed to focus on training, so he probably wouldn't be able to travel around for her anytime soon.
Finally, she sighed:
"In that case, I will send someone to investigate in a few days. Although the Qi sisters have done a lot of harm, the child is innocent. I can only give them some money for now."
Zhiyuan also sighed, "Miss is kind and wise."
Lin Xu took a sip of the lukewarm tea; after talking for so long, his mouth was parched. Just then, Granny Qin brought in a bowl of nourishing soup. As soon as the heavy curtain was lifted, a chilling aura wafted in.
With a smile, Granny Qin brought the chicken soup made with astragalus and ginseng, which she had been simmering over a low flame since morning, to her side and carefully scooped it into a small bowl, spoonful by spoonful.
Lin Xu drank it slowly and felt the heat on his face. His body, which had felt cold just now, was now sweating. He felt much more comfortable.
Zhiyuan added, "And another matter you asked me to investigate is gradually making some progress."
Lin Xu's brow twitched, and then he heard Zhi Yuan continue, "...That Young Master Zhou is indeed more than just someone who does silk weaving business."
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