Chapter 36: Rescue
Chen Tang thought about Qi Huaijing's words. It was true that people in this mansion were unpredictable. He just said a few polite words and turned to leave.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew over the candles on the incense table. Chen Tang thought that the weather was dry and was afraid of fire hazards, so he asked the maids to carry away the incense table and other items and put them away properly.
Huaping and Xianghui responded and went to carry the incense table one on the left and one on the right. No one was holding the lantern, and the incense burner was shaking and was about to fall over after taking one or two steps.
"careful!"
Chen Tang hurriedly gave him a hand, and Aunt Xue saw this, turned around and raised her chin slightly towards the two maids behind her.
"Why don't you go and help? Are you just going to watch your Third Grandma do it? She doesn't even have the tact to do it!"
The two maids looked at each other, hesitated, and did not speak for a while.
Aunt Xue sneered.
"What are you afraid of? Third Grandma is right here, how can I run away?!"
The two maids then obeyed and went together.
As soon as the maids left, Chen Tang and her looked at each other in silence, and the atmosphere was a bit awkward.
She would rather let the conversation remain silent, but Chen Tang would play dumb and never answer her easily again.
Aunt Xue didn't mind her neglect. She smiled lightly, bowed half-heartedly, and was about to turn around and say goodbye.
Chen Tang nodded, not returning the greeting, and let her go.
“Plop!”
The sound of someone falling into the water suddenly cut through the moonlight and was very obvious in the slightly chilly autumn night.
Aunt Xue was about to leave when she turned around and looked at Shen Tang with shock in her eyes.
"Someone fell into the water!"
Chen Tang knew that there was a lotus pond nearby, so she immediately lifted her skirt and ran over.
Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment and followed.
"Someone come! Someone come!"
Chen Tang ran and called for people, but there was a banquet in front of him, and the servants were all serving. There was also the sound of singing and stringed instruments, so no one could hear him at this moment.
The two men ran to the lotus pond, one in front and one behind, and took a closer look, and indeed, they saw someone struggling in the water.
The moonlight was bright, and in the water was a little child in red clothes, crying weakly and choking on water.
“Cough cough… wuwu… cough cough cough… wuwu…”
Chen Tang cried out in surprise.
"It's Sister Luan! She fell into the water! Someone, come!"
Aunt Xue saw that it was the eldest daughter of her own courtyard, and she immediately became alert. Meeting Chen Tang's panicked look, she unconsciously took two steps back.
She wasn't going to save him.
Chen Tang turned around and saw Aunt Xue turning around and trying to leave, but he couldn't harden his heart and leave like her.
She knew that the pool was not deep. Besides, Luan'er was still so young and always called her aunt sweetly. She couldn't just watch her drown!
Qiu Shui was a little cold. As soon as she entered the water, it covered her chest, making her shiver uncontrollably.
The child was still struggling in front of her eyes. She ignored the cold, pushed aside the withered lotus leaves, stepped on the soft mud, and walked slowly forward for a while. Then she grabbed Luan Jie'er's hand, hugged the child who was about to cry to death, and moved step by step towards the shore.
The algae and water plants in the water were tangled together, entangled with her hands and feet. It took her a lot of effort to finally move to the shore.
But there were steps on the shore, which were smooth and slippery. Luan Jie'er's clothes were soaked with water and were very heavy. Chen Tang held the child and tried to lift her up two or three times, but failed.
Chen Tang shivered all over, still gritting his teeth to hold the child up, and watched as he was about to slide down again...
A jade-white hand stretched out from the steps and grabbed Luan Jie'er's wet clothes.
"Give me!"
It’s Aunt Xue.
Aunt Xue was very thin and had little strength in her hands, but she was stronger than Shen Tang, who had been struggling in the water for a long time. She grabbed the child's clothes and pulled him up.
The two of them were pushing and pulling. Chen Tang saw that she was about to pull the child up. Knowing that she was a fickle person, he did not dare to let go easily and continued to lift the child up with all his strength.
She didn't dare to relax until Aunt Xue brought the child to shore.
Seeing the child being rescued, Shen Tang felt relieved, but he shuddered unconsciously, and then he realized that he was also soaked, and immediately felt that the water was even colder.
Fortunately, Huaping and other maids came back with the incense table. Seeing that there was no one there and hearing faint struggles and shouts, they all hurried over here.
"Painting screen! I'm here!"
"Ah! Miss! Miss!"
Huaping was the first to notice Chen Tang in the water. She was so frightened that she was about to jump out, but Chen Tang immediately stopped her.
"Don't! Don't jump! You're not tall enough, you'll drown if you jump! Come, pull me up, reach out your hand and pull me up!"
"Miss! Give me your hand!"
"Hold it!"
Several maids came over, and Shen Tang immediately reached out for help, but her clothes were heavy and her hands were slippery, so no one pulled her up.
The water in the pool was cold, and Shen Tang tried several times in a row. He was so tired that he asked the maids to let go.
For a moment, Aunt Xue held Luanjie and splashed water, Huaping and others lay on the shore trying to find a solution, and two little maids shouted for help on the shore.
Three or five maids who were passing by came over. Some stayed to help, while others were busy running to the distance to call for help.
The moonlight is like frost and the voices are noisy.
However, Shen Tang, who was soaking in the water, was the calmest. He suddenly began to unbutton his clothes, taking off layer by layer of his luxurious and troublesome clothes.
The skirt is too heavy.
Chen Tang knew that it was against etiquette to take off clothes in public. If he was seen by a servant or a stranger, his reputation would be greatly damaged.
But staying alive is what matters, reputation is nothing!
She has always loved to follow the rules, but she couldn't be trapped to death in this cold pool just for the sake of the rules.
She took off layer after layer of clothes, and suddenly there was a "splash" and someone jumped down from the shore.
Before Chen Tang could react, someone suddenly lifted him up by the waist, and half of his wet body was out of the water.
“Ah…Ahhh…Ahhhhh!”
Once again, she was finally lifted out of the water and was caught by Huaping and the others.
The maids helped Chen Tang to the shore. When she stepped on the solid ground, she felt relieved and her hands and feet softened.
There was another "splash" of water, and the man came ashore, pushed aside the maids, and immediately saw Chen Tang, who was pale and trembling all over.
Shen Tang raised his eyes and saw that it was him, and when he spoke, he couldn't help trembling.
"Cousin... Cousin..."
"Shut up!"
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