Stop (repair)
Granny Zhao complained incessantly, and hurriedly coaxed her to drink hot tea. She then spoke to her gently for a long time before finally making sure that Feng Daizhu had no strength left.
Feng Daizhu was already exhausted, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead. Although she was still heartbroken, she no longer spoke, but simply let Zhao Mama take care of everything for her and settle her down to rest.
Having gone through this ordeal, Granny Zhao dared not be negligent again. She immediately summoned two obedient and sensible maids to guard the bedside and stay by her side without leaving for a moment, ensuring that there would be no further mishaps. Busy running around, she watched as dawn approached, and Feng Daizhu lay on the bed with her eyes closed, already exhausted and fast asleep.
Granny Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not let her guard down. She watched as the maid simmered the medicine for the pregnant woman over a low flame before lifting the curtain and leaving.
After a busy night, her back and waist were already aching. Granny Zhao sighed softly, recalling everything that had just happened. If she had been even a little bit slower, even just a little bit slower, things would probably be completely different now.
The sky gradually cleared, with a few wispy clouds floating by, but they were blown away by the morning breeze in the blink of an eye.
Granny Zhao glanced around. The study was still quiet. The master had returned home late last night drunk and certainly wouldn't be up early this morning. He was probably just pretending to be sick and not going to work today. As for Feng Daizhu, who knew when she might say something else?
By then, things will be even more out of control.
She hurried through the corridor and lifted the curtain in front of the small kitchen. It was still early, and the kitchen was empty except for a young maid in a light blue dress with a short-sleeved blouse, who was intently brewing medicine in the corner. She wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, heard footsteps, turned around and saw that it was Granny Zhao, the head of the main house. She quickly stood up and bowed.
Granny Zhao turned around and carefully closed the door, making sure no one was around before lowering her voice and saying:
"Are there any of those medicine packets left?"
The girl looked up at the words. Perhaps because she had gotten up very early that morning, her face showed signs of fatigue, and the light powder she had hastily applied could not completely cover the imperfections on her skin. There was a patch of slightly red eczema on her right cheek and behind her ear. Even with a layer of powder, it could not be completely concealed.
Since Xiang'er contracted eczema, her appearance has been tarnished, so she no longer serves in the front hall. She also sought out a doctor to prescribe medicine, and each time she had to bathe in the medicine and apply cold compresses carefully, but it still didn't get better after a long time.
"Reporting to Granny Zhao, there are still some dried wild herbs and fruit pits left, which I naturally kept..."
Granny Zhao, though anxious, maintained her composure and interrupted her.
"That's good. Are those things still in your room? Throw them all away, or burn them. In any case, don't leave any trace."
Xiang'er was puzzled and asked in confusion:
"But Granny, didn't you say before that we should wait a while and then act accordingly? Although they've noticed something at the other residence, they haven't made a move..."
Granny Zhao immediately glared at her, "You little brat, you've really grown bold! How dare you! Don't talk nonsense!"
Xiang'er was suddenly scolded, and immediately lowered her head meekly, not daring to utter another word.
Zhao Mama lowered her voice and warned sternly with a stern expression, "Don't you dare cause any more trouble, or you might end up losing your life because of what you said!"
Xiang'er was so frightened that she didn't dare to breathe. She had never seen Granny Zhao so serious before, and could only nod and agree.
Granny Zhao lingered in the kitchen for a while longer, and only looked away when she saw Xiang'er carrying the brewed medicinal soup out.
The situation is urgent. If she doesn't do something soon, Feng Daizhu will likely cause trouble sooner or later, and then it won't be as simple as just burning away the traces of what she did.
Feng Daizhu's deep affection for the man in the villa was something she had never expected, or perhaps something she had been unwilling to believe.
In particular, it was one thing for Dalang to be discreet in the past, but now that Feng Daizhu has discovered his misdeeds time and time again, his image of being virtuous, family-oriented, and loving towards his wife can no longer deceive Feng Daizhu. In fact, it has made Feng Daizhu disheartened and willing to lose everything she has.
Looking at the half-empty jar of medicine remaining on the stove, the dark brown liquid had a bitter taste and was permeated by the rising steam, giving the jar a rich and mellow aroma.
It was her idea to drug the lady in the villa, but now it seems that she miscalculated.
She served Feng Daizhu day and night, was the closest to her, and naturally understood her feelings best.
Seeing her mistress suffering so much since her second pregnancy, Zhao Mama initially didn't understand. She just thought that Feng Daizhu was worried day and night, and sooner or later her body wouldn't be able to take it. So she tried hard to understand the extremely restrained and obscure meaning in Feng Daizhu's words.
"With a son like Dou, the Dou family's future is undoubtedly bright, filled with wealth and honor—a blessing that others envy. But is this blessing truly real...?"
"The villa doesn't please Mother, but making her kneel in the ancestral hall all night is too harsh. In the end, this matter was caused by me, so I'm not really warm-hearted. Why don't you come with me to the ancestral hall to take a look?"
"The new bride is quite pretty, but she's always a bit reserved in her movements. I heard they haven't... well, that man has been dissolute and unrestrained for half his life, naturally he won't settle down so easily. That new bride is quite pitiful..."
Later, seeing the two people in the villa getting along more and more harmoniously, even to the point of being inseparable, those feelings that had once been barely concealed could no longer be hidden—
It was then that Granny Zhao finally understood—what this young mistress longed for day and night was not her husband's bright future, nor the child she was about to bear, nor even the respected power to manage the Dou family—
What she cared about was clearly an impossible person, an extremely secretive past, and a dream that was now unattainable for the eldest young mistress of the mansion, a dream that everyone in the mansion respected.
Once she finally understood this layer, all the mysteries and coded messages that had puzzled her were answered one by one.
As pampered and dazzling as Feng Daizhu was, she was born with high spirits, but little by little she began to fall into endless self-doubt.
The aloof and dissolute Dou Yanxun has had countless passersby in his life over the years, but they were all just half-hearted acts. He has always only liked bright and flamboyant women, so why is he now acting as if he has lost his soul because of that cold and gentle woman?!
All of Feng Daizhu's pain, dissatisfaction, and jealousy turned into an unbreakable knot, lingering in her heart, making her restless and losing her soul.
In order to protect her master, to protect her own frail old bones, and to protect the young Lang'er, and to maintain the dignity of the main branch, Granny Zhao hardened her heart and, without Feng Daizhu's knowledge, took action against the woman in the other courtyard.
Originally, he only intended to worsen Lin Xu's condition while she was seriously ill and get rid of her without making a sound, but for some reason, the people around her discovered the clues.
She understood Feng Daizhu's nature; although she was consumed by jealousy, she was kind-hearted and would never resort to underhanded tactics. Therefore, Granny Zhao had no choice but to stop. She could only watch helplessly as the couple grew more harmonious, and even she, an outsider, noticed something unusual.
The indescribable emotions in Second Master's eyes, the way his gaze lingered on his wife—these were clearly expressions of intense, overwhelming affection. And these were emotions that Second Master had never shown to anyone else in this family before.
How could Feng Daizhu, who had to maintain a calm facade despite seeing all of this every day, possibly endure it all?
Granny Zhao stepped out of the kitchen and tightly closed the wooden door behind her.
She had misunderstood the situation before. Now that everything could no longer be concealed, Lin Xu's existence was no longer the crucial matter. On the contrary, the existence of the second wife was, in itself, a threat to the first wife—
If something happens to the one in the other courtyard, the lady will probably be able to settle down and focus on her own affairs.
.
The morning light streamed through the window, a rare welcome change from the gloom. Several birds perched on the eaves, chirping incessantly. Dou Yanxun squinted, a hint of impatience in his eyes.
The chirping always reminded him of the birdcage hanging in the west wing, and the two creatures, one red and one gray, inside that enormous gold-threaded cage. Their incessant chirping was incredibly annoying.
It was clearly given to her by her "meticulous" and "brilliant" cousin.
Dou Yanxun closed his eyes, clearing away all his worries, and bent down to fasten his belt.
Footsteps approached from the side at some unknown time, accompanied by a faint, sweet fragrance that was not cloying at all, but rather a delightful scent that soothed the heart.
He opened his eyes and, sure enough, saw Lin Xu standing in front of him.
She had already finished washing and dressing, and was now wearing a long red brocade dress with rose patterns. Compared to her usual light blue dress, it added a touch of alluring brilliance.
She hadn't applied any makeup yet, but her face was as fair as a pink dumpling, and her eyes shone with a clear light as she looked at him with a bright smile.
With a slight upturn of her lips, she revealed a serene beauty that rivaled even the morning light streaming through the window.
Dou Yanxun met her eyes, and unconsciously a smile crept onto his lips as he smiled along with her. "Why are you in such a good mood?"
Lin Xu lowered his head, smoothed out the wrinkles on his light blue official robe, and straightened his belt.
"last night......"
last night.
Dou Yanxun's heart trembled, as if the lake water was being stirred up with ripples, but his expression remained calm and unchanged, only curtsying his lips as he let her laugh lightly.
"Lifelike".
She slept soundly last night. At first, he lay still, but in his half-awake state, he couldn't resist and reached out to hug her tightly.
The warmth and softness in his arms, even the slightest thought that arose within him, made him somewhat flustered.
Therefore, I could no longer think about it in detail.
Dou Yanxun coughed lightly, but there was an lingering tenderness in his eyes.
The person in front of him smiled with a hint of shyness. Lin Xu knew where his thoughts had gone astray. He was both angry and annoyed, so he immediately stopped what he was doing and reached out to pat his chest lightly.
"I mean, do you remember what I said before I went to sleep last night?"
Dou Yanxun was exhausted at that time, and the bed felt very soft. As soon as he lay down, his consciousness became sluggish.
In a hazy state, the person in my arms seemed to be saying that the Cold Food Festival in late spring was coming soon, and that we could find a sunny day to invite my third sister to go out for a spring outing together.
"The custom of going on spring outings during the Cold Food Festival?"
Sure enough, Lin Xu smiled and nodded at him.
"I will talk to my third sister in advance. At that time, the willows along the Chanyu Creek will be swaying and the pear trees will be in full bloom. It will be a wonderful sight."
"nature."
Dou Yanxun and Dou Zhen have always been close, and he has never traveled with Lin Xu before, so there is no reason for him to refuse.
He lowered his eyes to look at the person in front of him, whose eyes clearly held a quiet, subtle light, and for some reason, seemed to be filled with joy.
Is she so happy just because she's traveling with him?
The tranquility in his heart was somehow stirred, causing a gentle ripple—
Dou Yanxun reached out and put his arm around Lin Xu's shoulder, pulling her into his embrace. He lowered his head and slowly moved closer to her cheek.
He was about to plant a kiss when the person in his arms nimbly dodged away, catching him off guard. He could only look at her eyes, which seemed both far away and close at hand, gleaming with a mischievous light.
When did I manage to dodge it?
His eyes were slightly cool, a hint of gloom flashing across them, yet a rare touch of masculine dominance also rose within them—
He was about to pull her shoulders close and embrace her again when he suddenly noticed the snow-white neck peeking out from under her clothes, and his gaze darkened.
There it was, smooth and bright, like the moon, yet clearly...
Something is missing.
The jade pendant he gave her that day, which she later made into a pendant and always wore around her neck, has disappeared.
Last night, she was clearly still wearing it; the soft light under the lamp illuminated her skin, making it appear as warm and lustrous as the moon. He remembered it clearly.
But now, that familiar emerald green has completely disappeared.
Dou Yanxun's heart was involuntarily churning, but his face remained calm and composed.
He casually released his hands, but the words that came out of his mouth carried an undeniable chill.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go to my shift now."
For some reason, faced with the doubts that arose spontaneously, he didn't dare to ask.
A vague sense of fear seemed to rise in his heart; he was afraid that he would read a disappointing answer in the eyes before him.
Just as he was about to turn around, his arm was grabbed.
The instigator shook his arm and then clung to him in an instant, seemingly unconcerned about the wrinkles she had just smoothed out.
But a moment later, Dou Yanxun felt as if someone had yanked his waist. He looked down, still completely caught off guard.
The piece of mutton fat jade that was under the belt had disappeared.
Looking up again, he saw Lin Xu standing in front of him, his arm outstretched towards him with a smug look on his face.
As she opened and closed her palm, a net woven from pale yellow silk threads gracefully drooped down, swaying before his eyes.
A delicate and beautiful ice flower knot was tied on the net, with the tassels hanging down smoothly, interspersed with a few crystal-clear white jade beads. The combination of the two was exceptionally clever and charming.
"Here, this is a new knot I made. I learned how to make an ice flower knot from the old lady. It symbolizes peace and good fortune throughout the four seasons. I think it would match your pendant quite well."
Dou Yanxun took the tassel, and upon closer inspection, found it to be even more intricate and exquisite.
She has always been clumsy at needlework, and this knot... I wonder how much effort she put into making it.
The jade pendant at his waist, with its tassel worn for many years, was quite worn, but he hadn't paid it any attention. Little did he know that she would notice it at some point.
"Lifelike".
Dou Yanxun called her name softly, looking down as Lin Xu bent down and replaced the newly made tassel with the jade pendant on his waist.
Those beautiful eyes and brows were bathed in sunlight, adding a touch of warmth and gentleness compared to their usual cool demeanor, making it impossible to look away.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he looked at the other knot tightly clutched in her hand, somewhat puzzled.
"What you made yourself is certainly excellent. But why are there two pairs?"
Hanging around his waist, a single tassel would have been sufficient.
Her previously calm face suddenly flushed a delicate pink, and Lin Xu's fine eyelashes trembled slightly, yet her tone remained nonchalant:
"But after finishing this one, I found I had some extra thread, so I decided to make another one."
She carefully fastened the jade pendant, letting it dangle gently in the air. Only then did she stand up again, smiling as she looked up at him, a barely perceptible tenderness in her eyes.
"Very well, it suits you well."
The faint, almost spring-water-tinged tone trailed off, lingering in the air before fading away completely in an instant.
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