Chapter 142 is to apologize to you.
The next day, Achan got up very early. She still had to go to the West Market to buy things. It was still before the end of the first month of the lunar calendar, and she didn't know if the hunting shops had all the goods.
Fortunately, what Achan was worried about did not happen. She only needed to visit two hunting shops to buy the grass and black beeswax she needed.
After putting away her purchases, she went to a nearby mutton soup shop, had a bowl of mutton soup, and bought a few sugar pancakes before heading home.
The snowfall during the Lunar New Year was so heavy that the snow on the roads hasn't melted yet, and pedestrians have trampled it into uneven patches, making it difficult to walk.
Achan was paying close attention to the road ahead and didn't notice that a carriage had stopped by the roadside and the people inside were heading straight for her.
"Miss Ji, please wait."
Suddenly hearing someone call her name, Achan stopped and turned around.
The person who called out to her was slightly overweight and had a kind smile on his face, making him seem easy to get along with. However, the guards with him looked rather intimidating.
"Who are you people?" Achan's gaze swept over the group of people, finally landing on the one who spoke.
Seeing that she showed no fear, a hint of satisfaction flashed in the man's eyes before he spoke, "My name is Ji Zhuang. I just came from Liangzhou. If we're talking about seniority, you should call me Uncle."
Achan raised her eyebrows slightly. In her memory, the Ji family was not limited to the Marquis of Jinyang branch. The main branch of the Ji family was in Liangzhou. In the past, they only exchanged New Year's gifts with the Marquis of Jinyang's mansion and did not have much contact.
Judging from what this man said, he was clearly from the main branch.
Achan didn't have the habit of going around introducing herself to relatives; she simply asked him, "Is there something you need?"
"This isn't the place to talk. Why don't you come sit with me?"
Achan paused for a moment, and Ji Zhuang thought she would agree to his request, but the next moment he heard her say, "If you don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to. I have nothing to do with the Ji family and I'm not interested in your affairs."
Ji Zhuang's expression was not good. He was the next patriarch of the Ji clan, and the younger generation in the clan never dared to contradict him. But today, he was humiliated by a little girl.
"What if I insist on inviting you over?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the guards surrounded Achan.
Achan looked at these people, still standing in place: "Just them?"
Ji Zhuang smiled without saying a word, thinking that the girl was bluffing.
Achan suddenly asked him, "Before you came to see me, you must have been to the Marquis of Jinyang's residence, right?"
"Yes, I've been there."
He came to see Ji Chan today specifically because he was asked to do so by his cousin Ji Heng.
But this girl, though she looks weak and easily bullied, has quite a temper.
"Did you know that the Marquis of Jinyang had married a wife, and that wife had given him a son and a daughter?"
Ji Zhuang's smile froze; he naturally knew. Ji Heng had suddenly gained two children and even wrote to the clan requesting to be included in the family genealogy, which greatly displeased his father.
If it weren't for the fact that the clan needed to rely on the Marquis of Jinyang's mansion, and that the boy named Xue Zhao was quite talented, the old man would never have agreed.
To my surprise, when I came back this year, I heard that both of those children had died.
Seeing his expression, Achan smiled and said, "Looks like you know. Do you know how they died?"
Her question made Ji Zhuang's heart sink. He looked at A Chan with a hint of inquiry in his eyes. He really didn't know.
Achan's smile grew even brighter: "You should have found out more before getting involved in this mess."
Ji Zhuang was a cautious man. He had come here at his cousin's invitation to mediate between the father and daughter and smooth over the foolish things his cousin had done. Now he regretted not having inquired more thoroughly before coming.
When I arrived, I only heard my cousin say that his daughter was cold-hearted, but her words clearly carried a deeper meaning. How exactly did those two children die?
However, considering that his son, who was studying in the capital, would still need his cousin's help, he hesitated for a moment before speaking: "I came to see you this time not to harm you. The clan already knows about Ji Heng's absurd behavior, and the clan leader will definitely not agree to expel you from the Ji clan. You don't need to be so hostile towards me."
Achan found it quite interesting that a year after the incident, someone actually came to her defense.
Unfortunately, they were too late.
Achan smiled and said to Ji Zhuang, "I haven't started to hate you yet. If one day I don't like you, you should be like the Marquis of Jinyang. Within a year, your brother-in-law will die, then your son, then your daughter, and finally even your beloved wife will be imprisoned in Zhenyu."
Upon hearing Ah Chan's repeated use of the word "death," Ji Zhuang suddenly felt the hairs on his body stand on end.
He wasn't sure where Ji Chan's confidence came from, and he didn't completely believe what she said, but he also felt a bit hesitant.
"Please pass on a message to the Marquis of Jinyang for me." Achan felt the sugar cake in her hand was getting a little cold, so she lost interest in continuing the small talk and got straight to the point.
"What did you say?"
“From the day Xue Mingtang killed me, I have been sworn enemies with the Marquis of Jinyang’s family. He doesn’t need to worry about Xue’s life or death, because the couple will be reunited in Zhenyu sooner or later.”
Ji Zhuang's face was ashen: "Miss Ji's words are rather arrogant."
Achan's words were not only a provocation to Marquis Jinyang, but also a disregard for the Ji family.
"Arrogant? Do you think the reason the Marquis of Jinyang sent you to find me instead of coming himself is because his leg is broken and he can't walk?"
Ji Zhuang recalled that he had asked his cousin the same question before, but his cousin had only claimed that his daughter harbored resentment towards him and that they would quarrel whenever they met. Now it seemed that his cousin had been hiding a lot from him.
Seeing that Ji Zhuang remained silent, A Chan said, "Here's some advice for you: don't meddle in things you shouldn't, and that's how you'll live a long life."
After saying that, Achan glared at the guard who was blocking her way: "Get out of the way, don't block my way."
The guard wasn't stupid; the girl's few words had startled his master. Without his master's orders, he dared not anger her and could only obediently make way.
Regardless of whether Ji Zhuang heeded this advice, he ultimately did not have anyone stop A Chan from leaving.
For Achan, Ji Zhuang wasn't important enough for her to remember, but this incident reminded her that if she had time, she should go and see Madam Xue.
She thought that after Xue was imprisoned, the Marquis of Jinyang would give up on her, but she never expected that he would go to such lengths for Xue.
He brought in people from the main branch to let her return to the Ji family. Did he think that if she reconciled with him, he would have no reason to target them?
After returning home, it was already past 9 AM. She put down what she was carrying and went to Hui Niang's room to look for cotton thread.
The found cotton thread was twisted to a suitable thickness, and then black beeswax was melted in a charcoal stove.
Black beeswax comes from the hives of black bees, who live only in shady places, so the beeswax contains a lot of yin energy. The wax block was heated in the ceramic jar for half an hour before it finally began to melt, and the originally black wax block gradually became transparent after melting.
Achan took some wax, soaked the cotton thread in it, and after it was fully soaked, she took it out; that was the candle wick.
She didn't have any candle molds prepared, and after wandering around the kitchen for a while, she finally had to take out a bowl and use the wax to stick the candle wick into the bowl to fix it in place.
At this moment, the black beeswax was still bubbling on the stove. Achan added the crushed grass strips to the wax little by little. The transparent wax first turned yellow, and then a red dot suddenly appeared in the center of the wax. The red color then gradually spread, just like the color of blood.
Tiaocao is a strange plant that looks like a tongue. Eating it can prevent people from being deceived, but if used externally, it can deceive people's eyes.
It can be used to deceive ordinary people without causing any harm, and the effect comes and goes quickly.
Achan poured the completely discolored wax into a bowl, and once it solidified, the incense and candle were complete.
However, when she checked again an hour later, the wax did not seem to have solidified. Ah Chan thought for a moment, then went to the woodshed to fetch a small bowl of water from the willow wood. She poured the water into a large bowl and placed the small bowl containing the wax inside.
In less than half an hour, the incense and candles had completely solidified.
It was still late afternoon when Ah Chan took the incense and candles she had made and went out to light the lantern.
This time, however, she only lit one lantern, and under that dark lantern, Lü Ruhui's figure appeared.
"Miss Ji." Lü Ruhui's voice sounded somewhat ethereal compared to yesterday, and even her figure seemed increasingly indistinct.
She was just an ordinary ghost after all, without enough yin energy to sustain her. In another two days, Achan probably wouldn't be able to see her anymore.
"Wait a moment." Achan placed the bowl containing the incense and candles on the ground and then lit the wick.
When the candle was lit, the flame was green and had no heat whatsoever.
Without Achan even saying a word of warning, Lü Ruhui had already unconsciously floated above the flames.
After only a short time on the flames, Lü Ruhui's figure became much clearer, and she felt that her thoughts were no longer so chaotic.
Achan was very pleased with the change in her and said, "Once the incense and candles have burned out, you will look just like an ordinary person."
"Thank you, Miss Ji."
"Don't thank me yet, I haven't finished speaking," Achan reminded her. "The effect of this incense and candle will last for five days. During the day, the sunlight is too strong, and the yin energy provided by the incense and candle will easily dissipate, so you can only travel after sunset."
Mr. Lü nodded, indicating that he understood.
"The scent on you has the effect of deceiving people's eyes, making most people think you are an ordinary person. If there are no cultivators in your family, your identity should not be discovered. However, you should still be careful to avoid people who patrol at night, especially the Mingjing Guards."
Achan didn't want Bai Xiuming to come knocking on her door again over such a trivial matter.
"I will be careful."
The incense and candles burned very slowly, taking a full two hours before the flames gradually went out.
At this moment, Achan was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open. She sat on a chair, wearing a thick cloak, watching Boss Lü float in mid-air, his figure gradually solidifying.
After the flames completely disappeared, Lü Ruhui landed on the ground. At this moment, she looked exactly the same as when she was alive. She stood under the lantern, and there was even a shadow under her feet.
She carried a sweet, fruity scent, the smell of burning grass.
Achan could smell the scent, and her eyes were naturally captivated by the herb. She got up and looked around Boss Lü, but didn't notice anything unusual.
"Miss Ji, how is it?" Lü Ruhui asked, her tone slightly apprehensive.
"No problem, Mr. Lü is free to do what he wants."
Upon hearing this, Lü Ruhui breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Achan, saying, "Then I shall take my leave."
Achan nodded slightly to her, and then saw Lü Ruhui's figure blur for a moment before disappearing.
Achan lit the other lantern before bolting the door and going back to rest.
She didn't know what Boss Lü would do, but she hoped that he would do as he pleased so that she could embark on the journey to the underworld without any worries in five days.
It was already the twelfth day of the first lunar month, and the festive atmosphere of the New Year had not yet dissipated, but officials in the court had already begun to perform their duties as usual.
At the hour of Shen (3-5 PM), Mr. Lü returned to his residence as usual. He had only changed out of his official robes and rested for a short while when he heard the steward report from outside: "Master, Madam, the eldest young lady has arrived and is waiting outside the door. She says she wants to pay her respects to you two."
Upon hearing this, Madam Lü was about to have the steward bring the person in when Madam Lü sneered, "Does our Lü family belong to a place she can come and go as she pleases?"
"master!"
Mother Lü wanted to persuade her further, but then she heard her husband say, "That wretched child never comes to our house during the New Year, nor does she come to pay her respects on the first day of the new year. Her mother waited for her until the fifth day, thinking of her every day, but she's like she's dead. Today she finally has time, but we don't have time to see her."
When Lu's mother heard her husband say this, she also felt resentful towards her eldest daughter, so she stopped trying to persuade her.
The butler sensed the anger in his master's words and remained silent. He had served the family for many years and had watched the eldest daughter grow up since she was a child. This time, he also felt that the eldest daughter had gone too far.
Even if you've argued with your parents, you can't wait until the twelfth day of the first lunar month to visit them.
"Then this old servant will go and tell the young lady that the master and mistress have already retired for the night, and ask her to come another day?"
"Go."
Lu Ruhui, the doorman, was stopped at the door of her own house. After waiting for a while, the housekeeper finally appeared.
The butler stood at the door and said to her, "Young lady, it's really unfortunate. Master and Madam have already retired for the night, and they are afraid they cannot see you today."
It was only late afternoon, how could her parents be resting? They just didn't want to see her, so they deliberately came up with this ridiculous excuse.
Lü Ruhui smiled inexplicably and said softly to the housekeeper, "Since my parents are resting, I won't disturb them."
After saying that, she turned and left.
There was still some time before curfew, but it was already quite dark, and there weren't many pedestrians on the road.
Looking at her somewhat frail figure, the butler couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Why is this young lady choosing to suffer instead of enjoying a good life?
As Lü Ruhui walked down the street, no one noticed anything unusual about her; they simply treated her like an ordinary passerby.
And so she walked all the way to the Liu residence.
The Liu residence remained exactly as it was on the day she left, even the gatekeeper hadn't changed.
She stood at the gate of the mansion, gazing at the familiar vermilion gate, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. She had once thought she would grow old here, with Liu Xiangze, but she had been mistaken.
The gatekeeper was startled when he saw this former lady, but he didn't dare to be negligent and hurriedly went to report.
Lu Ruhui waited outside the mansion gate for only a short while before someone arrived.
She thought it would be the housekeeper, but when she saw the person's blurry figure, she knew it was Liu Xiangze.
Liu Xiangze seemed to be in a hurry, not even putting on a cloak.
Seeing that Lü Ruhui was still waiting at the door, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and quickly walked up to her.
"...You've arrived."
Lu Ruhui looked him over; he seemed different today than before.
"I have a few words I'd like to say to you, but if it's inconvenient for you, we can talk another day..."
Before she could finish speaking, Liu Xiangze hurriedly said, "It's convenient."
"Let's go inside and talk, it's cold outside." Liu Xiangze was also looking at Lü Ruhui. Her clothes were very thin, but she didn't seem to feel the cold.
“Okay.” Lü Ruhui did not refuse and followed Liu Xiangze into her former home.
The mansion was quiet. The two walked one after the other. When they reached the front yard, Lü Ruhui saw a snowman that had not yet melted in the corner of the yard.
Liu Xiangze probably doesn't know how to build a snowman; the only person in the family who knows how to do that is Liu Yu'an.
Thinking of that child, she couldn't help but lower her eyes.
The footsteps behind him suddenly disappeared. Liu Xiangze turned around and saw Lü Ruhui staring at the snowman. A hint of regret flashed in his eyes, and he said, "That's the snowman from Yu'andui."
Lü Ruhui remained silent and continued walking forward.
The two entered the main room.
This used to be their bedroom, but now, for Lü Ruhui, it's someone else's room.
The furnishings here were exactly the same as the day she left, and the room became quiet after she and Liu Xiangze sat down.
In the past, when they were together, they often stayed in the same room and felt comfortable even though they didn't talk. But now, they are just awkward and speechless.
Finally, Lü Ruhui spoke first: "You came to my house to look for me on the fourth day of the lunar new year. Was there something you wanted to tell me?"
"I..." Liu Xiangze's voice was a little tense, "I went to apologize to you."
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