52 Chapter Fifty-Two
Today, he waited patiently for her.
Chapter 52
Upon hearing a crisp sound, Liu Qingqing lowered her voice and listened intently, but heard no further sound; she must have misheard.
He then turned his attention back to Liu Qingying.
She thought that, judging from what she had overheard in the study that day, Xie Lang preferred Liu Qingying. Liu Qingying had also seemed interested in Xie Lang before; if she were to act as a matchmaker, it would be a way of secretly apologizing, and it would also make it easier for her to extricate herself.
She gave a self-deprecating laugh, shaking her head inwardly.
What does it mean to get away?
Xie Lang wouldn't have kept her anyway.
Despite saying that, her smile was faint, but her heart was heavy with sorrow.
What she thought was hers, the treasure she had stubbornly kept and protected all these years, has finally been returned to someone else...
What isn't hers, even if she possesses it briefly, will eventually be lost.
I feel empty inside.
Liu Qingying didn't respond. Her smile vanished, and she solemnly grasped Liu Qingqing's cold hand, frowning as she glanced at it before leading her back.
Liu Qingqing was surprised.
"Is my sister sick?"
Liu Qingying frowned, looking her up and down. Seeing Liu Qingqing shake her head in disbelief, she thought, "Why would she say such nonsense if she's not sick? She knows perfectly well how much her sister loves her brother-in-law. Even if her sister hides it well, she's not stupid."
If we're talking about who understands my sister best over the years, it's definitely her, who's been secretly observing me all the time!
How could she not know that her sister's usually calm eyes would light up whenever her brother-in-law visited the Liu residence? How could she not know that only when her brother-in-law came could she see a hint of a smile in her sister's eyes and lips?
She's not stupid!
She had said some nonsense and acted inappropriately in the past, but wasn't that just to get her sister to notice her more? Even resentment was better than indifference.
Now, even though her older sister dislikes her, she can still exchange a few words with her. She's even planning to send her to academy.
Lately, she has been feeling happy and wants more. She hopes that her sister can truly love her, instead of just glancing at her indifferently every time.
She knew that her sister didn't like her anymore.
Although her older sister was calm and collected, she knew that her sister was extremely protective of her belongings.
So she wouldn't dare accept any ordinary items, and she only ever said it casually before.
If she is more domineering and unreasonable, her sister will suffer less from her mother's treatment.
A thousand thoughts raced through Liu Qingying's mind. Her heart skipped a beat. Her sister must be ill to be spouting such nonsense!
Without saying a word, he grabbed his sister and pulled her outside, instructing the servants to arrange a carriage, "We need to go to the clinic for a proper check-up."
Seeing the wary looks from Granny Li and the others, Liu Qingying wasn't annoyed. As if she hadn't noticed the rejection in their eyes, she instead beckoned them over and asked, "How has your health been lately, sister? Has the family physician come to check your pulse?"
The question left Li Mama and the others stunned; they looked at each other in bewilderment.
How could they explain that the young lady had been frequently ill lately, and they were also very worried about her?
Seeing that Granny Li hesitated to speak, Liu Qingying understood and pulled Liu Qingqing outside without saying a word, "Granny, the weather is nice today, let's go out and have our pulses checked together."
For the first time, Granny Li found Liu Qingying pleasing to the eye and quickly nodded, "Alright! Go and take a look."
Ignoring Liu Qingqing's objections, the group pushed and pulled her out of the mansion. Zhao Pansheng quickly returned to Jialan Garden to fetch a jade-patterned brocade cloak for his young mistress.
The group left the mansion in a great hurry.
On the other side, in the bamboo forest.
Xie Lang remained standing in the same spot, his expressionless gaze shifting from the shards of porcelain in his hand to the broken teacup that had just shattered and fallen into the grass.
The chilling words of Madam Liu still echoed in his ears: what did she mean by having someone enter the mansion to keep him company?
Suddenly, he sneered and lightly tossed the broken porcelain in his hand, smashing it against the high red wall, where it instantly shattered into pieces.
And the kind of companion who stays with you forever?
How could he not know that he wanted to be with someone else forever!
Is he the kind of person who will accept any cat or dog?
At this point, he had long forgotten that he had promised that if Lady Liu wanted to leave, he would release her, and not only release her, but also prepare a dowry for her.
But now...
The thought barely crossed his mind before he felt his muscles tighten, and a surge of anger erupted from the depths of his heart, the flames crackling and burning his flesh.
And then there was the shock of hearing her say she was leaving. He experienced this strange feeling for the first time—a bitter, aching pain, like someone had plunged a cold, long sword into his body and then slowly swirled it around. With each breath, a dull ache shot through his chest, as if his ribs were being struck.
He raised his hand to cover his chest.
He must have been injured while practicing martial arts recently.
A few breaths later, he straightened his body, like a resilient green bamboo.
Xie Lang narrowed his cold eyes, as if drawing a snow-white blade.
The subtle clues from before finally came together: why she stopped talking to him, stopped practicing her staff techniques with him, why she became distant, and why she avoided his touch. It turned out she wanted to leave.
Why did he want to leave? He didn't understand.
What's wrong with them?
Xie Lang then thought of the box of pills. With a clear bird song, Xie Liu appeared like a ghost.
"What are your orders, sir?" Xie Liu knelt on one knee.
"How's the pill making going?"
"It was just made this morning," Xie Liu said, taking out a brocade box from his clothes and respectfully handing it over with both hands. It looked exactly the same as the box that Liu Qingqing had hidden!
Xie Lang took it, lifted the lid and examined it carefully. He couldn't see anything unusual, and then smelled it before closing it with satisfaction.
"put……"
Having uttered just one word, Xie Lang swallowed the rest of his instructions, "Go down."
Xie Liu vanished in a flash. Xie Lang appeared to be looking at the spot where Xie Liu disappeared, but his mind was elsewhere.
A gust of cold wind brought Xie Lang back to his senses, and he turned to look at the red wall beside the bamboo grove.
Recent investigations revealed the presence of hidden guards outside his second uncle's courtyard. He now knows his second uncle is acting strangely, and his second uncle knows he is too. Both are observing the situation silently, making no move. If they were to act, his beloved father might be the next to find out.
He secretly investigated his mother's past, but knew very little. He only knew that his father, mother and second uncle had known each other since childhood and were classmates at Songyang Academy.
Although he hadn't seen her, according to the guards, his mother was doing very well in his second uncle's courtyard. His second uncle would even plant flowers and pick fruit for her, and massage her legs and back. She was much better off than his powerful marquis father.
Knowing his mother as he did, he knew that his uncle's high walls couldn't hold her back if she didn't want to. Since his mother hadn't left, she must have her own plans, so he decided to let things take their course for now and observe. If his mother was safe and in a good mood, he didn't intend to interfere.
Furthermore, Xie Lang was not a rigid or boring person who would force a woman to remain faithful to one man until death. Although he did not understand what love was, he understood the principle that once a move was made, it could not be taken back.
But then his thoughts shifted, realizing that his seemingly gentle and virtuous wife didn't understand the principle of "once a move is made, there's no going back."
Xie Lang managed to suppress this inexplicable feeling and tried to return to his previous train of thought.
Therefore, even if he did not want to spend the rest of his life with his father, he would not force his mother to return to the mansion.
During those years when our father was missing on the frontier, our mother stood like a towering tree, sheltering us siblings from the wind and rain, like an invincible lioness protecting us from both open and hidden attacks, raising us to adulthood. But how can mortals be invulnerable to swords and spears?
He knew that his mother had spent many days and nights with them, her face wet with tears.
Therefore, he was willing to grant his mother a peaceful and joyful life, no matter how earth-shattering the other party's identity was.
He climbed to his current high position so that his people would no longer be bound by constraints.
Even if his mother were to act recklessly and defy the world, he would do everything in his power to protect her!
With his mother still alive and well, his mind was at peace, and he felt relieved.
But the thought of his wife having thoughts of leaving caused a spasm in his heart, making him furrow his brow.
Xie Lang stared at the broken porcelain shards on the ground for a long time before bending down to pick them up one by one. In a moment of distraction, his hand was cut by a sharp shard. He stared at the bloodstain on his fingertip, feeling a strange, yet strangely relieved feeling.
Placing the broken porcelain shards in his palm, Xie Lang slowly walked towards the study.
He entered the study, summoned a servant, and instructed him to put the other fragments in the storeroom, leaving only the one stained with his blood between his fingers.
The dried blood reflected on the porcelain white surface resembled a plum blossom weeping blood in the snow.
Xie Lang fiddled with the porcelain shards with his fingers, the sharp points leaving white marks as they grazed his knuckles. He glanced down at them. After a moment, he suddenly stood up, placed the shards next to the inkstone on the corner of the table, and left the study, going straight to the main room.
Seeing that the master had left, the servant hurried to the storeroom.
The people in the storeroom glanced at the things in the servant's hands, unsurprised, and shook their heads. "When will our master change his sentimental nature? He's clearly very wealthy, so why is he so reluctant to part with them?"
He quietly kept things he had used, things he had feelings for, things that were meaningful to him.
Even the rattle drums they played with as children, after the Lady Hou passed away, were taken from the Lady Hou's storeroom and placed on their side.
"It's not just these things; even your horse is not worthy of you."
The master's current mount is an old horse weighing less than a hundred taels of silver. The horse was bought for him by the Lady of the Marquis on his seventh birthday.
When officials have urgent business to attend to, they use the best steeds in the government office, and they are reluctant to use this old horse.
The horse is well cared for in the mansion, used only for going to and from the government office. The master says it needs to be taken out for a walk every day, otherwise even a horse will become depressed. When the master has free time, he feeds it himself, and before he was married, he would take it out for a run during his days off.
Xie Lang strode back to the main room.
They had timed it right; their group had already left the mansion.
Only servants were busy in Jialan Garden.
Just after passing through the hanging flower gate, he suddenly stopped and looked around.
In the distance, there's a small lake and a waterside pavilion; willows sway in the breeze along the shore; and once barren land next to the wall has been planted with flowers of unknown species. A charming path is paved with delicate cobblestones beside the walkway, leading to a locust tree at its end. Under its dense canopy is a small wooden chair, and beside it, a low table.
He walked through every corner of Jialan Garden for the first time.
Every glance held her mark. Before she married into the family, Jialan Garden was just an ordinary courtyard with only towering bamboo groves. Xie Lang's gaze swept over every corner; since her arrival, Jialan Garden had become quite different.
He could imagine her clumsily transforming the yard into its current state, like a squirrel.
Now, just one glance at this face warms my heart.
A faint smile had just appeared in his eyes when, as if remembering something, the smile vanished instantly, and his expression gradually became serious.
Xie Lang strode toward the main room and stood at the doorway, looking around inside, just as he had done before.
The cold and dull room is now filled with her various things, like other colors finally emerging in the bleak winter.
The lily of the valley she had placed by the window at the time of her wedding was still in bloom, and two more porcelain cups belonging to her were added to the round table. The wisps of smoke from the bronze incense burner carried her scent, as if she were still there.
Originally, he carried the woody scent of Yue Lin Xiang, but now it has been mixed with her subtle floral fragrance.
He stopped in front of her favorite tortoiseshell-patterned dressing table and pulled out the wooden drawer of the dressing case with a long finger.
Instead of directly exchanging the box for the new one, he took out the newly made pills and placed them inside the original box.
These are pills that he specially prepared.
It does not harm the body.
Replace birth control pills with those that replenish qi and blood.
The fake death pills were replaced with a tonic mixed with sedatives.
As for the last one, although he didn't know its purpose, he changed it according to his own ideas.
After he finished washing in the bathroom, he opened the wooden cabinet to take out his clean robe and caught a glimpse of the tightly wrapped bundle of clothes out of the corner of his eye.
That was the storybook she left behind last time, which he had wrapped himself. He had tucked it in the same spot as before, so it seemed she hadn't looked at it recently.
They don't even read storybooks anymore?
Xie Lang's eyes were indifferent as he reached out and gently fiddled with the fabric of his clothes, revealing the long-sealed storybook once again.
Xie Lang lifted his robes and sat gracefully at the octagonal table. He ordered a servant to brew a pot of fine tea, and with a slight movement of his jade-like joints, he opened a storybook.
He had never waited for her before.
Today, he waited patiently for her.
-
Songyang Academy is indeed the best academy nowadays. In just over a month, Liu Qingying has actually developed a decisive and efficient personality.
As soon as the carriage left the alley leading to the Marquis's residence, Liu Qingying asked Granny Li, "Granny, I don't know which clinic in the capital is good. Do you know?"
So that they won't think she has bad intentions no matter where she goes.
Although Granny Li readily agreed to take her young mistress to the clinic, she was indeed wary of Liu Qingying. While Liu Qingying hadn't done anything particularly wrong, her treacherous and vicious mother was certainly a cause for concern!
Upon hearing Liu Qingying's words, Granny Li immediately seized the opportunity, saying, "Then let's go to Jishetang."
Jishengtang was a medical clinic under Liu Qingqing's name.
The group then headed towards Jishetang.
Before even reaching the entrance of the clinic, a large group of people, like a swarm of wasps, surrounded the clinic, reaching out and scrambling to grab the items, almost coming to blows.
Liu Qingqing asked the carriage to stop further away and lifted the curtain to look in that direction.
Before long, people walked past the carriage looking dejected, their complaints drifting through the carriage and into the carriage itself.
"Medicine is so hard to get! These days, we can't even get a prescription, let alone the medicine itself. It's driving us crazy!"
"I don't know what's wrong, there's no medicine anywhere, and if you get sick, even if you have money, there's nowhere to get treatment! This worthless life, how am I supposed to live..."
Liu Qingqing remembered them all.
The carriage was eerily quiet, a heavy silence hanging over it.
After waiting a while longer, and after the servant shouted that there was no more medicine and sent the crowd away, Liu Qingqing got out of the carriage. Liu Qingying followed beside her sister, looking left and right.
Upon entering the clinic, medicinal herbs were scattered on the ground near the entrance, and a servant was squatting down, carefully picking them up one by one.
Fortunately, Manager Tang was not here today. The servant heard footsteps and thought that someone was coming to look for medicine again. He was about to make a face when he looked up and saw that it was the master of the house. He immediately stood up and hurriedly bowed to invite the master of the house in.
When Doctor Lu saw that it was Miss Lu, he quickly got up and went around from behind the table to greet her. Just as he was about to bow, Miss Lu held his arm.
"Old Lu, what's wrong?"
Liu Qingqing glanced at the entrance where the crowd had just been.
Doctor Lu understood, sighed, and said in a low voice, "Recently, there have been many displaced people in the capital, and many people around are also sick. There isn't enough medicine. We can only release a little each day. Manager Tang has gone out to find medicine merchants to buy medicine."
"With so much farmland around Beijing, doesn't anyone grow medicinal herbs?"
"In the early years there were quite a few, but as the war subsided and the world improved, everyone started growing grain again. Who would have thought that such a great disaster would suddenly strike? It's too late to grow medicinal herbs now. The herbs that once covered the land have long been dug up."
Upon hearing this, Liu Qingying immediately recognized it as a medical clinic she knew.
After a moment's thought, she roughly guessed that this clinic was part of her dowry left to her by her older sister and mother, but her mother had been holding onto it.
It's a bit awkward.
Liu Qingying touched her nose and hid behind, no longer saying a word, afraid of being disliked and kicked out again.
Quietly listening to her sister's conversation with the venerable old doctor, she grew increasingly alarmed. She had always thought life was easy while confined to the small world of the Liu family mansion. But since going to the academy, she had seen and heard so much more.
She originally thought that the world outside was already difficult for ordinary people, but she never imagined it would be even more difficult.
For a moment, his mind wandered, and he didn't know what he was thinking.
After waiting for a while, I snapped out of my daze and caught a glimpse of the old doctor taking my sister's pulse, so I took small steps forward.
The old doctor closed his eyes solemnly, and the women dared not utter a sound.
After a moment, the old doctor sighed with delight, "Miss, your health is excellent! Apart from a slight chill, everything else is fine."
All the indescribable evil toxins in my body have been eliminated!
Dr. Lu was overjoyed, but seeing that the young lady was unaware of the situation, he didn't reveal it to avoid causing her unnecessary trouble.
In this day and age, there are many women who have been driven to their deaths by gossip. Those offensive things are in the past; why bother talking about them now?
"I'll prescribe two more prescriptions for you, Miss. You'll be fine after taking them."
The old doctor stroked his long, snow-white beard and smiled, "When will the young lady's husband arrive? If you trust me, I'll give this old man a good look too."
He was concerned about the young lady's poisoning and wanted to find out if it had anything to do with the famous Lord Xie in the court.
Upon hearing this, Liu Qingqing's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly replied, "He's been busy lately, but I'll definitely have him come if he has some free time."
Standing beside Liu Qingqing, Liu Qingying secretly raised her eyes to sized up her sister, her heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her handkerchief tightly. Thinking of her sister's shocking words at the Marquis's residence just now, she concluded that her sister and brother-in-law had a falling out.
But my sister has always been good-natured, I don't know how she managed to provoke Lord Xie into this state.
The waiter packed the medicine and handed it to Granny Li. After saying goodbye to Doctor Lu, they left the clinic.
After all that trouble, everyone was starving, so they headed towards Jialan Residence.
We arrived in a hurry today, and the private rooms were full, so we sat down on the first floor.
As soon as she sat down, Liu Qingying looked around and muttered, "Jialan Residence, it does sound similar to my sister's courtyard name."
Liu Qingqing heard that "in recent years, orchids have become very popular among princes and nobles. I heard that the Regent's wife is quite fond of a new type of orchid, so she named it Jialan."
The coincidence of their names is merely a matter of chance.
Liu Qingying said "Oh," raised her hand to call the waiter over, and stared at the wooden menu on the wall, ordering: "Crystal pork knuckle, roasted mutton, West Lake fish soup, and all the other dishes. Also, a bowl of mutton soup noodles, with extra tender mutton."
After the waiter made a note of it, Liu Qingying turned around and smiled at the astonished gazes of the crowd, patting her chest, "It's on me today."
This was the first time her sister had brought her out to eat with her, and Liu Qingying was overjoyed.
The group exchanged glances, seeing that the young lady did not speak up to stop them.
Granny Li laughed and said, "Then this old servant can eat to her heart's content today!"
Liu Qingying waved her hand dismissively, saying with a carefree and generous air, "No problem, no problem, order whatever you want to eat!"
Granny Li smiled because the dishes Liu Qingying ordered were all the young lady's favorites.
Regardless of the past, she is willing to accept this favor.
Liu Qingying chattered away in his ear about what she had recently learned at the academy, while Liu Qingqing listened absentmindedly, just like the two of them in the Liu family mansion in the past.
Liu Qingqing, however, was thinking that compared to disliking Liu Qingying as a person, she was even more disgusted by the favoritism shown to Liu Qingying and the indifference shown to her by everyone in the Liu family. Thinking about it carefully, Liu Qingying hadn't done anything particularly heinous since childhood. Sometimes, even if they took her things, they would secretly bring her food.
Liu Qingqing glanced at her and thought to herself, "What a strange person."
Liu Qingying noticed her sister's gaze, hesitated, and stopped talking, touching her face. "Wh...what's wrong, sister?"
Liu Qingqing shook her head, thinking that people are all complicated.
Liu Qingying is, she is, and Xie Lang is too. One cannot judge whether a person is good or bad based on a single instance.
With Liu Qingying acting coquettishly and foolishly, the meal was actually more enjoyable than expected.
After dinner, they strolled through the market and made quite a few purchases, even the usually quiet Qingju bought a lot of things.
As the sun sets, it's almost time to part ways.
Liu Qingying was reluctant to leave, clinging to her sister like a puppy and refusing to go.
He then said he would treat his sister to dinner again.
We ate a lot at lunch, and no one could eat anymore.
I found a clean wonton stall on the street and ate a bowl of fresh pork wontons by myself.
The woman's face was weathered, her dark skin deeply lined with wrinkles. She smiled warmly and invited the guests to sit down. After settling things in, she went back to wash her hands and continue wrapping wontons.
The wooden table and bench were spotless, without a trace of grease, yet they bore the marks of time.
Behind them, a taciturn man stood in front of the boiling water, head down, putting wontons into the pot.
Liu Qingqing glanced at it, but sensed something was wrong. She couldn't quite make out what it was, so she looked away.
Suddenly, Liu Qingying nudged her sister's leg under the table, and when her sister looked over, she gestured with her eyes for her to look towards the stove.
Liu Qingqing looked over in surprise and was shocked to find that the man's left leg was missing below the knee, and his left arm was supporting him on a wooden crutch.
No wonder I felt something was off.
In the corner, a doll wearing an ill-fitting, patched, and tattered long coat was digging in the dirt next to a tree with its back to them. It seemed to find something and then stuff it into its mouth.
When Liu Qingqing looked at the proprietress again, she realized that although she was smiling, her eyes were full of bitterness.
The wontons were ready quickly, and the proprietress brought them over deftly, seemingly oblivious to the scalding broth spilling onto her hands. When it came time to pay, she generously rounded down the bill, her eyes full of eager anticipation, "If you esteemed guests enjoy your meal, please come again."
The dinner was eaten very quietly.
Upon returning home, all of them felt a mix of emotions.
Watching others struggle to survive, they felt either melancholy or sorrow.
Perhaps it's a case of animals feeling sorry for their own kind.
Losing all interest for a moment, Liu Qingqing headed straight for Jialan Garden.
On the way, he told Granny Li, "Remind me to send out the things I bought tomorrow."
Granny Li readily agreed: "This old servant remembers! The jade openwork Magu offering longevity pendant I bought for the old lady, and the white jade openwork Lingzhi pattern earrings I bought for Miss Xie. And the little trinkets for the two children, this old servant remembers them all."
Liu Qingqing nodded, and they arrived at the main room as they spoke. She suddenly stopped, not immediately stepping onto the stone steps, but instead looking up at the green tiles and red eaves.
After a long while, he took a light breath and stepped onto the stairs.
Thinking that Xie Lang hadn't sent anyone today, he probably wasn't coming back, and the tension at the wonton stall eased a bit.
Then she thought she should check on the hidden pills later to see if they were alright. Then a vague thought arose in her mind: she should go to the farm tomorrow.
When you have something on your mind, you move a little slower.
Liu Qingqing climbed the steps and pushed open the tightly closed door. The door opened slightly, revealing a sliver of light. She sensed something was amiss, but before she could think of anything, the door slowly swung open.
When I looked up, I was met with eyes as still and unfathomable as a frozen lake in winter.
[Author's Note]
Next chapter preview:
For a moment, the two men stared at each other.
This was the first time the two had met since Ying Yucheng arrived in Beijing.
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