Chapter 83 After I came back, I couldn't find your other half...
Chapter 83
After the carriage arrived at Lanping Street, before He Hansheng could even get up, Shen Suining had already jumped off the carriage, as if she didn't want to stay with him for even a moment longer.
He Hansheng sat stiffly in the carriage for a long time until Jiang Yuchu called him, at which point he lifted the curtain and got off the carriage.
The snow had not completely melted, and there were many people at the almsgiving site. Long lines of people could be seen from afar. Presumably, to prevent any further disturbances, there were also soldiers from the Yong'an Marquis's mansion maintaining order at the scene.
He Hansheng looked around twice but didn't see Shen Suining. She had disappeared from his sight as soon as she got off the carriage, and now it would be difficult to find her.
Seeing through his thoughts, Jiang Yuchu whispered, "This place is very close to the residence of Protector Yan and the others. Madam has probably gone to find them."
He Hansheng hummed in agreement, suppressing his disappointment.
For several days afterward, whenever He Hansheng passed through Lanping Street, he would stop for a while. After all, in previous years, the Princess herself had been in charge of distributing porridge to the people at the Yong'an Marquis's residence. Now that she was bedridden, He Hansheng naturally had to pay more attention to it.
The Marquis of Yong'an's mansion has always enjoyed a high reputation in Huadu. In addition, the porridge distribution site is always crowded and noisy, and it is inevitable that some quarrels will occur when the disaster-stricken people gather together. However, the porridge shed has never been overturned in the street before, so it must not be an ordinary people causing trouble.
He Hansheng stood not far away and suddenly realized that in addition to distributing porridge today, the Marquis's mansion had also prepared a lot of winter quilts and charcoal to distribute to the people.
"What is this?" He Hansheng paused slightly, recalling that he had not given any instructions on this matter.
Jiang Yuchu stepped forward to ask, then returned to explain to He Hansheng, "My lord, these things seem to have been taken from the Pinghuai Marquis's residence, supposedly at the behest of the madam."
He Hansheng suddenly realized.
He lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, instructing Jiang Yuchu, "The Marquis of Pinghuai has always been incorruptible. These clothes and charcoal are no small sum, and we cannot let him bear the burden. In a moment, you and Jing Yue will settle accounts and take money from my private treasury to replenish the Marquis of Pinghuai's residence."
"yes."
Jiang Yuchu responded and immediately went to find Jing Yue. He Hansheng stood there for a moment, and just as he was about to leave, he saw a burly man with a thick beard leading two equally suspicious men loitering in front of the porridge stall, seemingly with ill intentions.
He Hansheng's eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped forward to investigate.
The bearded man held a chipped earthenware basin in his hands, and his patched clothes looked tattered. He twirled his tongue around in his cheek, then suddenly slammed the basin down at the feet of the long line of people, cursing, "What Yong'an Marquis's Mansion! What Princess Jinling! They're all a bunch of heartless scoundrels who eat people alive! Ha! And they're still lining up here waiting for alms! Where do you think they get the money to give out porridge?"
The bearded man pointed around and grinned, saying with a look of utter disappointment, "It was all taken from you pathetic wretches!"
Upon hearing this, the people from the Yong'an Marquis's residence clenched their fists, but they couldn't show their anger in front of so many people, and seeing He Hansheng present, they held back.
A skinny man with a thick beard recognized He Hansheng and nudged the bearded man's arm to remind him, "The Marquis of Yong'an is here, stop talking!"
"Marquis Yong'an? Wasn't Marquis Yong'an dead?!" The bearded man looked blankly at him until he saw He Hansheng, then he pretended to suddenly realize something and burst out laughing: "You mean Young Marquis He? Look at how frail he is. Without his father and mother, he's nothing! Do you think I'm afraid of him?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the bearded man was kicked away by a figure that suddenly darted out from the crowd, crashing heavily to the ground and crying out in pain.
Disguised as a commoner and mingling in the long queue, Shen Suining's face was extremely ugly. She stepped on the face of the bearded man, rubbing him hard against the ground as he tried to get up, and sneered, "I've been observing you here for days! Always sneaking around the streets, and you finally couldn't hold back anymore? Hmm?"
The bearded man was subdued by Shen Suining with a single kick and could not move. When the skinny guy and the short guy who were with him saw this, they immediately wanted to make a move, but Ling Rui and Lan Zhu held them down on the left and right and pressed them to the ground. All three of them were lying face down, neatly arranged.
"Go ahead and curse! You're so good at cursing! Why are you so quiet now, like a coward?"
Shen Suining hooked his chin with her foot, forcing the bearded man to raise his head. She reached down, grabbed his hair, and lifted him up, tearing off the fake beard from his face. She slapped his fat face and mocked, "You're so fat and chubby, and you still have the nerve to pretend to be a poor peasant here with a chipped basin? Tell me! Which son of a bitch sent you!"
"Grandpa, spare me! Grandpa, spare me!" The bearded man had been hanging around here for several days, but he never expected to run into a tough nut to crack today. He immediately slid down to his knees and begged for mercy. "I'm just a scoundrel, I only do things for money! I... I don't know anything!"
"You still have the nerve to talk back?" Shen Suining swung her fist and smashed it into his face. "Who gave you the money? What did they ask you to do? Confess from the beginning!"
Shen Suining was in a fit of anger and didn't hold back, quickly beating the bearded man until his face was bruised and swollen.
The bearded man's eyes were swollen and drooping, and he looked like he was about to cry but couldn't. He whimpered in an extremely aggrieved voice, "Grandpa, I really don't know! That person just stuffed a handful of silver into my hand and told me to come here and curse the Yong'an Marquis's mansion. He gave me a tael of silver for every curse I made. It's something that can be done just by opening my mouth... I couldn't refuse!"
This man wasn't exactly tough either. Seeing that he was beaten to a pulp and still couldn't explain himself, Shen Suining knew that he was just a brazen scoundrel who was only doing things for money.
There were many people coming and going, and it wouldn't look good if things got too out of hand. Shen Suining snorted coldly, lifted her foot and left. Ling Rui and Lan Zhu immediately followed her.
"Take the person away and leave the rest to clean up the mess," He Hansheng instructed the people from the Marquis's residence, telling them to hurry and chase after Shen Suining.
Shen Suining did not deliberately avoid him today. She, Ling Rui, and Lan Zhu walked one after the other on the street. All three of them were disguised and looked no different from ordinary people. No one could recognize them at all.
He Hansheng followed behind the three of them, keeping his distance at all times. He neither disturbed them nor followed too closely, as if he were simply going the same way.
Shen Suining noticed his presence, stopped in her tracks, and asked without turning around, "How much longer are you going to follow me?"
He Hansheng remained silent. When she stopped, he didn't take another step forward, as if he was afraid that if he got any closer, Shen Suining would run away in a huff again.
Not receiving a response, Shen Suining assumed he had left and continued walking forward on her own.
After walking for a while, Shen Suining realized he was still there. She turned around abruptly and shouted impatiently, "If you don't leave, I'm going to find the city guards on the street and report you for following innocent people in broad daylight and trying to do something indecent!"
He Hansheng stopped again, still without saying a word, but as soon as Shen Suining turned his head, he immediately followed.
Shen Suining, already furious, suddenly exploded, turning around and roaring, "He Hansheng! Are you playing 'Red Light, Green Light' with me?!"
He Hansheng stopped and finally spoke: "I... am going to the Pinghuai Marquis's residence, it just so happens to be on the way."
"..." Shen Suining choked for a moment, but she quickly realized something was wrong.
The street they were on was indeed the only way to the Marquis of Pinghuai's residence, but it would take almost half an hour by carriage to get there. At his current speed, it would probably be dark by the time he got to Shen Yan's place.
Shen Suining sneered, too lazy to expose him, and threw down the words, "It had better be."
When they reached the fork in the road, Shen Suining deliberately took the road in the opposite direction from the Marquis of Hepinghuai's residence.
He Hansheng indeed did not follow, and took another route.
For some reason, Shen Suining was very angry when He Hansheng was following her, and now that he's gone, she's even more unhappy. Ling Rui noticed her mood and couldn't help but complain, "Young Master is really something. He clearly wants Young Master to come after him, but he keeps trying to drive him away."
Shen Suining glanced at her, a forced smile on her face, "Are you itching for a beating lately?"
Lingrui immediately stuck out her tongue and fell silent.
When Shen Suining came out of Ling Rui Lanzhu's residence after changing her clothes, He Hansheng appeared again.
He stood at the entrance of the narrow, winding alley in front of the small door, where only two or three people could walk side by side. The residents of this area were all ordinary people from the capital. The front doors of every household faced this alley, and there were many different kinds of people coming and going. With his tall and imposing figure blocking the way, the neighbors couldn't help but smack their lips in annoyance.
He Hansheng, however, was good-natured. He bought a bunch of candied hawthorns from somewhere and carried them around, giving two to everyone who passed by. Although they weren't anything special, there's a saying that you can't hit a smiling face. Plus, He Hansheng was good-looking, so people would say a few words and then quickly move on.
Seeing the three of them come out, He Hansheng took some candied hawthorns from the target and gave them to Ling Rui and Lan Zhu. The two of them were happy to accept them, but Shen Suining stopped them.
She frowned at him. "What exactly do you want? Are you never going to stop?"
"Young Master, don't be so fierce," Ling Rui said with a grin, reaching past Shen Suining's hand to take the candied hawthorn that He Hansheng handed her. She took a bite and then gave a skewer to Lan Zhu. "Thank you for the candied hawthorn, Young Master."
After saying that, Lingrui and Lanzhu wisely made their escape.
Shen Suining clenched her fists in anger and turned to leave when a group of children suddenly darted out of the alley, excitedly jumping and twirling around the two of them, shouting, "Brother, brother, I want one too!"
He Hansheng gently replied "Okay," and picked a large string of skewers from the target, giving each of them one. A very small little girl next to them couldn't squeeze in, and after watching longingly for a while, she reached out and tugged at Chen Suining's sleeve, looking at her timidly and asking, "Sister, can I have one too?"
Shen Suining remained silent for a moment, then reached out and picked a bunch of them, handing them to her.
After the children rushed over, the target, which was originally covered with candied hawthorns, was quickly left bare. He Hansheng took a string of candied hawthorns off it and gave the whole target to them. The children were overjoyed, hugging the target as if it were New Year's Day, and their laughter filled the entire alley.
Watching the children's figures gradually disappear into the distance, Shen Suining let out a soft breath. She glanced at He Hansheng and prepared to leave.
"Ningning!" He Hansheng reached out and grabbed her hand. His palm was slightly damp, as if due to nervousness. After calling her name, he remained silent for a long time.
Lingrui and Lanzhu, who were lying in the corner, watched the show silently, munching on their candied hawthorn skewers and cheering for their young master in their hearts.
After a while, He Hansheng stuffed the candied hawthorn in his hand into Shen Suining's hand, and then took out a golden butterfly peony inlaid hairpin from his sleeve. He wiped it with his sleeve and put it in Shen Suining's hair. He said softly, "I saw it on the roadside and thought it suited you, so I couldn't help but buy it."
"Is that all?" Although Shen Suining did not refuse, her attitude remained indifferent.
He Hansheng immediately felt somewhat embarrassed. He hummed in response and said with a wry smile, "If you find it an eyesore, then..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shen Suining threw away the candied hawthorn with a "smack," took off her hairpin, and pressed it against He Hansheng's neck, forcing him into a corner.
The hairpin pierced He Hansheng's throat, drawing blood that trickled down his Adam's apple and into his collar. Shen Suining looked up at him, speaking slowly and deliberately—
"You said you'd take me to see the autumn leaves in the suburbs when you came back, but you broke your promise."
"You're the one who returned to Huadu without a word half a month early, leaving me alone in Yunzhou."
"You were the one who had many opportunities to explain after I came back, but you avoided seeing me."
"You were the one who thought you were doing it for my own good, writing the divorce papers, pretending to be magnanimous and saying I was free to know you," Shen Suining smirked coldly, "but now that I'm truly free, the one clinging to me relentlessly is still you. He Hansheng—"
She took a deep breath and tried to control her emotions, saying calmly, "The two weeks or so after I came back and didn't see you were also the time when I needed you the most. At that time, I even thought that you might not be here anymore, but I never thought that you would deliberately avoid seeing me. There are a million ways to resolve a problem between husband and wife, but you chose the one I hate the most, which is deception."
On the wall, Lingrui was eating half a candied hawthorn when she sensed something was wrong. She quickly threw down the candied hawthorn and jumped down to mediate the fight.
Ling Rui was with Shen Suining at the time and didn't know about He Hansheng's situation. However, Lan Zhu had stayed in Yunzhou and later returned to the capital with He Hansheng and Shen Yan. She knew all too well, so she explained for He Hansheng: "Young Master, after the Young Master and Master removed the Gu from you, the Young Master was on the verge of death. If it weren't for the protective pill left by the eldest young master and Master's intervention at the last moment, the Young Master might have really died... Master himself was also affected by the backlash and suffered internal injuries. The reason for the rush back to the capital was twofold: firstly, the conditions in Yunzhou were insufficient for the Young Master's treatment, and secondly, there were some unknown forces there that were targeting our Qianji Pavilion. Master was afraid something might happen, so he asked me, Feng Yu, and Yan Zhen to escort them back to Huadu ahead of time."
"Yes, young master, think back to when you were poisoned, didn't you also hide from us? Put yourself in our shoes, what you're doing is at most the same as what you did back then, it really can't be considered deception..."
Noticing Shen Suining's sharp gaze, Ling Rui's voice grew softer and softer until she finally fell silent.
But Shen Suining still heard these words. Her hand, which was gripping the hairpin, trembled slightly as it left He Hansheng's skin and slowly pulled back.
Just then, He Hansheng suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, about to stab the hairpin into his own throat again. Shen Suining's pupils contracted, and she immediately pressed against his chest, angrily shouting, "What are you doing! Do you want to die!"
“You can be angry with me, Ningning,” He Hansheng’s hand slowly moved up from her wrist, his palm enveloping her hand. “Hit me, scold me, you can do that. But don’t be sad, and don’t feel guilty or remorseful. This is my own choice, and no matter what the price is, I think it’s… worth it.”
"You..." Shen Suining was speechless. Faced with his face, she couldn't say anything to vent her anger. She could only direct her rage at Lan Zhu and Ling Rui, who were trying to mediate the fight: "You two have learned your lesson about betraying your own people! From now on, Bifeng Hall should not follow my surname Shen, but change to He!"
Lingrui and Lanzhu exchanged a glance, smiled in unison, and then ran away.
"you--"
Just as Shen Suining was about to chase after them, He Hansheng grabbed her shoulder and hugged her tightly.
He held her tightly, as if afraid she would run away, and buried his face in the crook of her neck, remaining silent for a long time.
There were still quite a few people coming and going. Even in broad daylight, Shen Suining still had her pride. She cleared her throat and asked, "How much longer are you going to hold me?"
"Just a little longer," He Hansheng murmured repeatedly in a hoarse voice as the hands around her waist tightened around her waist, "just a little longer."
Shen Suining tilted her head back in his arms and exhaled a breath of white air. His "little while" always seemed to last a very long time.
"He Hansheng," Shen Suining called his name. Perhaps her anger had subsided a bit, for her tone was no longer as indifferent as before, but rather carried a hint of haughty arrogance. "Just because I'm letting you hug me now doesn't mean we're back together. The matter of you writing the divorce papers is still unresolved!"
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