55 Chapter Fifty-Five
◎A divorce agreement? ◎
Chapter 55
Are you alright?
Upon hearing this, Liu Qingqing was slightly lost in thought, realizing that in the eyes of others, they seemed to be doing well.
Honestly, Xie Lang had treated her well. After that rain, she lay on the couch for three days, gradually accepting her initial hurt and sadness, until he never came back.
She no longer wanted to beg for favors from others because of a little bit of preferential treatment.
That appearance... was simply too pitiful and pathetic.
She was content with herself, and from then on, she resolved to look inward and no longer place her hopes or anything else on others.
Furthermore, Xie Lang intends to divorce her, and since she knows this, she can't very well pretend not to hear and take advantage of him.
She had already benefited greatly, and had also reaped considerable advantages from Xie Lang. She had used his influence to reclaim her dowry and managed the estate affairs perfectly, all thanks to Xie Lang, she knew it in her heart. She was grateful to him.
Therefore, one should not pretend to be stupid and cling to others.
Even she would look down on him if he did that.
Her expression shifted, a mixture of joy and sorrow. Seeing this, Ying Yucheng felt a pang of sadness. He quickly interrupted her thoughts, hurriedly saying, "I will depart in three... no, five days. I wonder if my cousin will be able to make it in time."
He felt it was too late; divorce would sever the bond between two families, and it couldn't be done so easily. So he thought he could try to postpone it for a while. But for some reason, his father suddenly sent an urgent letter asking him to return, without saying what it was about.
"It should be possible."
Liu Qingqing snapped out of her daze, looked up at him with bright eyes, and thought to herself that Xie Lang wanted a divorce, but then she thought that others might overthink it if they heard it, so she changed her words and said, "We both intend to do the same."
Another thunderbolt, truly unbelievable.
He had lost count of how many times his cousin had surprised him today.
But he felt... that Lord Xie probably didn't mean it that way.
After hesitating for a moment, Ying Yucheng softened his heart when he saw his cousin's eager expression. "Then cousin, please go ahead with your work... I'll be in the capital for the next two days."
"I understand, cousin!"
Having received his cousin's approval, Liu Qingqing felt that the day when he could ride a horse galloping freely was not far away!
Unable to contain her joy, she said goodbye to her cousin and urged the driver to hurry back home.
Time is very tight; she still has a lot to do!
Ying Yucheng and Liu Qingqing's carriage accompanied them for half the journey, and they parted ways when they arrived at the inn.
He dismounted, handed the reins to the waiter, and stood there watching the carriage disappear into the distance. Only after the carriage turned the corner and was no longer visible did he furrow his brow, turn around, and enter the inn.
The guest room, neither too big nor too small, was fully equipped with all sorts of amenities, and the book he had read that morning was still on the desk.
Aside from having business to attend to in the capital, he stayed in his room at the inn and didn't wander around much.
He closed the door and Ying Yucheng stood there with his eyes downcast.
He couldn't deceive himself; his first reaction upon hearing these words was surprise, but a secret joy quickly followed.
He took a deep breath and slapped himself hard. His jade-like face instantly turned red.
Meanwhile, Liu Qingqing returned to the Marquis's residence and immediately got busy.
Leaving was easy for Liu Qingqing, but she had many things to do.
She planned to ask Xie Lang for a divorce, and after obtaining the divorce papers, she would first have to apologize and say goodbye to the old lady.
Putting everything else aside, the old lady had no airs of an elder at all, and wholeheartedly taught her how to manage the household, unlike other elders who always wanted to control people.
The princess treated her well, and regardless of the reason, she had received real benefits and should thank the princess properly.
There was also Xie Wanyan and two babies; before leaving, I had to take them for one last stroll through the market.
She needed to ask Granny Li and the others where they wanted to go first, and then make arrangements for the servants at Jialan Garden. She couldn't possibly end up with nowhere to go because of her.
They also need to pack up all their valuables and hand over their businesses in the capital to trusted people to manage.
In short, all these trivial matters need to be planned out before obtaining the divorce papers. We can't just ask Xie Lang for a divorce and then stay at the Marquis's mansion, can we?
If one cannot leave the capital for the time being, one must find a place to go.
She could stay at the clinic, but she wanted to find a quieter house.
She then planned to have Zhao Pansheng go out and find a two-courtyard house to rent temporarily, so that the dowry could be moved out of the Marquis's mansion first. After the divorce, they could no longer occupy the mansion's storeroom.
The first thing to do was to have Granny Li sort out the dowry, arranging it according to the list. Then, she had to put away all the jewelry and ornaments she had bought herself. She kept the ones Xie Wanyan had given her, and put away the less valuable items that the Princess had bestowed upon her. As for the valuable items that the Princess and the Old Madam had given her, she left them all at the Marquis's residence.
We won't take a single penny more from him.
Granny Li received the order, but she was completely bewildered. She glanced at the most clever Zhao Pansheng, who shook his head at her. Qingju, who was engrossed in cooking to nourish her young lady, was even more clueless.
As soon as Li Mama stepped out of the main room, before she even went down the stone steps, she felt her eyelids twitching violently. Hesitantly, she turned around and saw that the young lady was taking off the pair of jade bracelets on her wrist and placing them in her makeup box.
Granny Li's heart skipped a beat. She looked left and right to make sure no one noticed, then backed away and slipped back into the main room. She turned around and tightly closed the door of the main room.
He was shocked and exclaimed, "What are you doing, Miss!"
Knowing how much her mistress loved the pair of concentric jade bracelets, she showed them to her the day after receiving them, a rare display of her childhood coquettishness. From the moment she received these bracelets, she never wore any other bracelets.
What happened all of a sudden?
Liu Qingqing hadn't expected Li Mama to make a surprise return. Caught red-handed, she didn't try to hide it from her; it had all happened in the last couple of days. She glanced over Li Mama's shoulder at the tightly closed door, then took Li Mama's hand and sat down on the chaise longue by the window.
How could Granny Li dare to sit here? This was the usual spot where the young lady and her husband read and spent time together. But Liu Qingqing pressed Granny Li down to sit, not with much force, taking advantage of Granny Li's dazed state, and she was firmly seated. As if her bottom was burning hot, Granny Li immediately sprang up.
"Granny, I want a divorce from the master."
Upon hearing this, the old woman's legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the couch.
Her eyes instantly reddened, her lips opened and closed repeatedly, and finally, she managed to choke out a trembling voice, "Why do we have to get a divorce..."
Her young lady has just started to enjoy a good life! If they divorce, where will she go? Who can protect her? In this world, with her beautiful face and delicate features, if she goes out without anyone protecting her, wouldn't she be like a piece of fat meat waiting to be devoured by wolves and tigers?
"Mommy, feel at ease",
Liu Qingqing patted Li Mama's hand, "I've already made up my mind."
After saying this, she told Li Mama her plans one by one. Li Mama's head was buzzing after listening. She sat there in a daze for a long time without moving. Liu Qingqing did not urge her, but got up on her own and went to tidy up her makeup box.
Hearing the commotion, Granny Li snapped out of her reverie. Seeing her young mistress bustling about with great interest, she felt a pang of jealousy, like she'd swallowed a whole vat of vinegar. She covered her eyes with her hand, sniffed hard, and hurriedly got up and left before her young mistress could look at her. "I'm going to sort out the young mistress's dowry," she said.
Whether Miss Guan can truly divorce Xie Lang in the end depends on her protecting her mistress's dowry; she must not let anyone take what is in her possession. She absolutely cannot afford to suffer the same loss at the hands of Madam Ying.
With red eyes, Granny Li rushed out.
Hearing the soft sound of the door closing, Liu Qingqing looked up. Contrary to what Granny Li had imagined, her eyes were also filled with warmth, and the corners of her slightly upturned eyes were red.
She sighed softly, stood still for a moment before moving again, dividing the jewelry in the makeup box into three piles.
As soon as they were sorted, a crisp thumping sound was heard.
It turned out to be a fat pigeon that had flown in and was knocking on the window frame.
Liu Qingqing pushed open the window and carried it inside. Now they were quite familiar old friends. The first time she touched the fat pigeon, it would dodge away. The second time, it would reluctantly nudge her with its beak. Now it would lazily curl up into a ball in her palm.
Instead of taking out the note from the mailbox, she gently stroked the fat pigeon's head with her fingertips and murmured, "It's a pity I won't see you again in the future."
The fat pigeon couldn't understand, so it tilted its head and stared at her with its black bean-like eyes, then cooed at her rather obediently.
Liu Qingqing sighed softly, blinked away the heat wave in front of her eyes, and shook her head with a smile. What was she saying to a little chubby bird? It couldn't understand her anyway.
Swallowing the soreness in his throat, he took out the note from the mailbox and slowly unfolded it. It was Xie Lang's strong and powerful handwriting.
—Leaving Beijing.
Liu Qingqing clasped her hands together, placed the note over her chest, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again a moment later, although her eyes were red, her gaze was clear and serene.
"It seems Heaven is on my side."
She murmured softly that his not returning to the manor would make it easier for her to pack her bags.
As for whether he will leave Beijing or simply doesn't want to come back, who knows?
Two days passed quickly after that busy period.
Liu Qingqing had already sorted out all the gold, silver and valuables she carried with her, and repackaged and sealed her dowry into different categories.
Seeing that the unusual situation could no longer be hidden from Qingju and Zhao Pansheng, he called the two of them over and, after thinking for a moment, also called Lin Mei over.
They need to know first.
But before receiving the divorce papers, it was not appropriate to say it outright, so Liu Qingqing vaguely said, "Perhaps I will have to leave the Marquis's mansion and live outside for a while."
Qingju was still confused, but Zhao Pansheng's eyelashes suddenly trembled. The strangeness that had been going on for months had finally come to fruition.
"I've already made an appointment to discuss the house with someone, and I'll get up early tomorrow morning to take care of it."
Liu Qingqing was surprised and gave Zhao Pansheng a deep look.
-
Autumn has truly arrived. Riding a horse at full speed, the evening wind feels like a knife cutting into your face.
Xie Lang sped ahead expressionlessly, cutting through the wind, while Xie Wu followed behind, grimacing and wincing.
I don't know why the adult is in such a hurry. He has been rushing along the road, and he is so thirsty that his mouth is parched and he is almost breathing fire!
As they approached the city gate, Xie Lang tightened the reins to slow the horse down. The horse shook its head, snorted, and obediently slowed down, its hooves clattering as it slowly made its way through the city gate.
Xie Lang looked back, leaving the dim sunset far behind, finally about to go home.
In this rush, not only did I not have time to bring her a gift, but I was also covered in blood.
I wonder what she's been busy with. How is my mother doing these days?
Then she thought of General Ying again, and the smile in her eyes froze. She figured that General Ying would be leaving the capital in the morning of three days from now.
Today is the fifteenth, which is auspicious.
As the horse was walking, I caught a glimpse of an old man in the distance carrying a candied hawthorn candy basket and calling out to sell it. The bright red hawthorns were coated in syrup and looked especially crystal clear in the setting sun.
I imagine Lady Liu would like it.
He hurriedly urged his horse to catch up, called out to the old man, and remembering that she had always treated her servants kindly, he took all the candied hawthorns on the entire straw target!
The old man was both delighted and surprised, and hurriedly asked, "Sir, can you handle it?"
Xie Lang looked them over and said directly, "Just hand them all to me."
The old man hesitated, mumbled twice but did not speak.
Xie Lang frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
Seeing that the nobleman showed no anger, the old man mustered his courage and said, "I need to use this straw target again tomorrow."
Xie Lang understood: "I'll give you more money."
The old man's face immediately lit up with joy, and he bowed deeply to Xie Lang, who stepped aside to avoid it. Xie Lang then gave Xie Wu a look, and Xie Wu quickly stepped forward to give the old man some money.
Although he would still need the straw targets tomorrow, the weight of the silver in his hand was enough for him to make twenty more straw targets!
Overjoyed, he couldn't help but say a few more words, "I never thought this old man would catch such a good time. When I first said I was fleeing to the capital, my wife wouldn't have agreed. If I hadn't come, how could I be living such a good life now? Back then, it was like heaven and earth!"
The old man frowned and waved his hand as he thought of the days when he ate grass roots and lived on the soil, saying, "I don't even dare to think about it."
The nobleman's attendants are pushing the crooked candied hawthorn deeper into the hole.
Seeing that the distinguished guest had not left and seemed somewhat interested in listening to him, the old man became even more excited, wishing he could tell the distinguished guest about his escape journey, much like Sun Wukong's pilgrimage to the West.
But how could I offend such an important person's ears? It would be disgraceful to cause trouble.
In the end, it all boiled down to one sentence: "After barely escaping death and arriving in the capital, I never imagined that this prosperous city would have no place for ordinary people like us to stay. Just when I thought we were going to starve to death, a kind person gave us porridge, which we cooked for a long time. Later, our luck finally turned around. My wife and son found work, and the employer was so kind that he built new houses for us."
At first, he frowned and looked distressed, but the more he talked, the more joyful he became, and in the end, even his droopy eyebrows were raised high.
"Our family must have done good deeds in our past life to have encountered so many good people!"
Just then, Xie Wu had finished preparing the straw target.
The old man, quite perceptive, stopped talking and bowed to Xie Lang in thanks, saying, "Thanks to you, I'm able to go home early today. It's still early, so I'll go back and make a straw target. I wish you a peaceful life and good health!"
After saying that, the old man hummed a tune they couldn't understand and walked away with his body hunched over.
The person who distributed the porridge had been mentioned by someone when he and his wife went out for a spring outing six months ago.
I didn't expect that after so much time, it still hasn't stopped.
I wonder which great scholar he is, to possess such profound love.
The dynasty has only been established for a little over a decade, the borders are still unstable, and natural disasters have struck, making life difficult for the common people, while the noble families are making a fortune. He suddenly became interested in this man. If he could get this man to write some articles to make the wealthy families in the capital bleed a little, although it wouldn't solve the root problem, it would at least give ordinary people a chance to breathe.
Perhaps then more people will survive.
He kept this in mind, and then turned back to instruct Xie Wu to go and investigate first.
Xie Wu accepted the order, not thinking that the adults were bothered by such trivial matters.
Although in public he is the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, in reality he is the Regent's right-hand man, working closely with Wei Mingzhao. The position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is merely a cover; it's not that he doesn't perform the duties of the Minister, but rather that he wishes he had three heads and six arms like Nezha, so that the burden on his shoulders would be even heavier.
Being a close advisor to the emperor and enjoying unparalleled influence is no easy feat.
They soon returned to the Marquis's residence.
Xie Lang dismounted and extended his hand to Xie Wu, who then handed the straw target covered with candied hawthorns to the adult.
The people outside the mansion gate covered their mouths and laughed when they saw this, each one making a comment.
"The young master must have been raised by the lady; the young couple's relationship is just so good."
"I wonder if the candied hawthorns that Lord Xie bought are particularly sweet?"
"Then you should go and ask the Crown Prince's wife."
"Ha! How could I ask such an important person? I'd like to ask them."
Xie Lang headed straight for Jialan Garden, thinking it would be better to go back to Liu Shi first, and then let her distribute it to his grandmother and others. This would also let others feel indebted to her. As for what they thought of him, he didn't care.
Next to Jialan Garden, there is another courtyard, which is now being used as a temporary warehouse.
As he strode past, Xie Lang caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly stopped, taking two steps back.
A vermilion wooden box sat on the ground in the courtyard, sealed with a yellow tape.
Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be all of Liu's dowry, causing Xie Lang to frown deeply.
Just then, a maidservant came out from the side courtyard, saw Xie Lang, and hurriedly bowed and greeted him.
Xie Lang pointed in that direction and asked, "What is this?"
The maidservant bowed her head and replied respectfully, "Two days ago, the lady instructed us to bring out the dowry and sort it out. It was all sorted out today."
Why is it placed in the yard?
Xie Lang looked up at the clusters of gray clouds on the horizon. "It's likely to rain in the next couple of days."
The maidservant, however, was unaware of this and simply shook her head, saying that she was following her mistress's orders.
Knowing that he wouldn't get any more information from the servants, Xie Lang calmed himself down and headed towards Jialan Garden.
The warm smile that rose in her eyes at returning home was replaced by doubt.
Upon entering Jialan Garden, one finds the servants bustling about, each performing their duties in a well-organized manner.
Xie Lang's gaze swept over the area, his feelings growing even stronger, yet he couldn't say anything for a moment. He stepped onto the porch of the main house, where the main door was tightly shut.
He suddenly realized something was wrong and quickly turned around.
Sure enough, they saw the heads of Zhao Pansheng and the other two behind the small kitchen, but not Li Mama.
Xie Lang's eyes showed even greater confusion.
When he returned to Jialan Garden, the madam's nanny and maids were always very perceptive.
The taciturn maid would muster up her courage to ask him what he wanted to eat, and tell him what the lady had eaten that day and what other dishes the kitchen had prepared.
The clever maidservant whom the lady later took in would then chime in with questions such as which dish the lady ate too much of today, what part of her body was feeling unwell, and whether she was in a good mood.
Granny Li, like an elder, advised him not to overwork himself, saying that the madam was waiting for him all day.
But today...
Why is everyone avoiding him?
Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the bright red candied hawthorns.
Because of this?
It doesn't seem like it.
My heart tightened suddenly. Could something have happened again?
Impatient, he didn't even bother to throw the straw target full of candied hawthorns to Xie Wu. He strode up the steps and pushed open the tightly closed door of the main room.
The door creaked open slowly under the force of the force.
Liu Qingqing was standing quietly beside the octagonal table, holding a letter or something similar in her hand. She turned around at the sound and saw Xie Lang, so she smiled at him.
Seeing her smiling as always, Xie Lang's inexplicably anxious heart finally relaxed a little.
He swallowed hard, walked towards her, and took the best-looking candied hawthorn from the straw mat and handed it to her. "There wasn't much fun at the place we went to this time. On the way back, I saw an old man selling candied hawthorn, so I bought some for you."
Liu Qingqing was surprised. She put down the letter and quickly reached out to take the candied hawthorn.
Her eyes were crystal clear, like the finest jewels. "I'm troubling you, my husband. You've brought too much; I can't possibly eat all of this."
He felt a little regretful, as if it were the first time he had done something so reckless, but when he saw her bright eyes, his discomfort disappeared.
He slightly curled his long fingers hanging at his sides, lowered his eyes to look into her eyes, and said, "If you like it, that's good. If you can't finish it, share it with the people in the manor."
Liu Qingqing nodded and couldn't help but praise, "My husband is so thoughtful."
After saying that, he brought the candied hawthorn to his lips and took a bite.
The thin sugar shell crumbled with a bite, releasing honey into her mouth and tongue, followed by the rich, slightly sweet and sour hawthorn flesh with its fruity aroma. She lowered her eyes and savored it carefully.
It was a bittersweet ending; this was a better outcome than she had anticipated.
Putting aside her resentment at not being loved, she now sees clearly that the person she once loved was a good person; they were simply incompatible.
She wasn't blind and misjudged the person.
A bittersweet feeling rose in my heart, like biting into a sour fruit with a sugary coating.
After finishing a piece of fruit, she swallowed the sugar residue in her mouth heavily, suppressing the rising sourness and tears.
After placing the unfinished candied hawthorn on the octagonal table, she picked up the letter she had just put down.
It's thin, yet weighs a ton.
This was a surprise she prepared for him; she wondered how happy he would be.
But I prayed in my heart that I wouldn't be too happy and would save her face.
In the end, my feelings became complicated, like a small lake turbulent in a storm.
She lowered her eyes and approached him, stopping three steps away in a restrained and distant manner. When he wasn't looking, she took a light breath, then handed him the letter with a light and happy expression. "My husband, I have written my name."
Xie Lang's gaze never left her. He was taken aback when he saw her put the letter down before she finished eating. When she picked up the letter and walked over, then stopped far away from him, he couldn't help but feel a bad premonition.
She shook the thin paper, gesturing for him to take it.
The paper made a crisp, crackling sound.
Xie Lang slowly withdrew his gaze from her face, which had been fixed on her, and glanced down at the letter.
But upon seeing the three large characters above, his pupils suddenly contracted.
A divorce agreement?
[Author's Note]
Next chapter preview:
Why is my husband unwilling to divorce me?
Liu Qingqing's eyes flashed with barely concealed anger as she asked sarcastically, "Could it be that my husband has feelings for me?"
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