Chapter 41
Do whatever you want
Madam Hao was slightly surprised, because Lu Qin had never spoken to her so proactively before. Most of the time, it was Madam Hao who called Lu Qin over and lectured her on etiquette.
Seeing her eager gaze, Old Madam Hao, unsure of her intentions, beckoned her to come inside and talk.
Lu Qin lowered her head and obediently followed.
The two went to the warm pavilion one after the other. Madam Hao had tea served and dismissed everyone else, gesturing to Lu Qin: "Speak frankly if you have something to say."
Lu Qin raised her head and pondered for a moment.
"Mother."
Just as Madam Hao was guessing that she was going to plead for the shop, she spoke softly, "I once heard Ling'er mention that you used to love dancing very much."
"I heard that you once danced so beautifully in the capital, like a goddess descending to earth, and everyone who saw you praised you. You even brought about a happy marriage with my father."
Madam Hao was taken aback upon hearing this.
No one in the household had ever seen her dance, and she herself had almost forgotten that she was once a skilled dancer.
At that time, Master Hao was attracted to her and thought about her day and night. He immediately sent someone to propose marriage, and she was formally married in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men.
Unfortunately, after marrying into the Hao family, she was busy managing household affairs and raising children, and never skipped that step again.
Now that Lu Qin has suddenly been mentioned, it makes one feel bewildered.
Madam Hao was touched and smiled with her eyes lowered: "It's an old story, yet people still remember it."
"Mother, your daughter-in-law really wants to see what kind of dance it is."
As Lu Qin spoke, she took out the manuscript from her sleeve and slowly unfolded it in front of Old Madam Hao.
"My daughter-in-law came to see my mother today because she has a gift to give her and also to fulfill her husband's request."
She stepped forward slowly, allowing Madam Hao to see more clearly: "This is a dance dress that my husband designed for you. It's a one-of-a-kind design, and only you have it."
Madam Hao stared at the paper for a long time, then took it and examined it again.
She could hardly believe it: "You mean, Jing Shi painted this himself?"
“Yes, Mother, my husband actually loves calligraphy and painting, and he is also good at painting, especially clothing design.” Lu Qin said slowly, “Mother doesn’t go out often, so she probably doesn’t know that the most popular clothing patterns in our area are all designed by my husband. It can be seen that my husband is very talented.”
She paused and then said, "This outfit hasn't been finished yet. I wanted to show it to you first, so you would know that your husband is thinking of you and hopes that you can rediscover your hobbies and not be bound by others."
"..." As Madam Hao listened, she vaguely discerned the implied meaning behind the words.
She glanced at Lu Qin and exposed her, "Are you saying that I've neglected Jing Shi's hobbies and stifled his nature?"
"Your daughter-in-law wouldn't dare," Lu Qin said humbly. "Your daughter-in-law dares to speak frankly, but compared to running the clinic, my husband prefers designing clothing patterns. That's why he allowed me to buy the shop and run it with him. Your daughter-in-law hopes..."
"You want me to agree to you opening a branch store?"
Old Madam Hao saw through her intentions again and interrupted, "Qin'er, if it's about this, you should give up the idea."
She sat upright, her tone leaving no room for argument: "You are very capable, but don't forget that you are the daughter-in-law of the Hao family and must abide by the Hao family's rules. You know in your heart how long you've been causing trouble and how much trouble you've created because of this clothing shop. If your father and I hadn't stopped you, who knows what kind of chaos you would have caused."
"Besides, the Hao family's clinic can't be left without an heir. It's been passed down from generation to generation and is even recognized by the royal family. Do you expect him to abandon the clinic and run a clothing store with you?"
Old Madam Hao's words were very straightforward, clearly indicating that she did not want to waste time. Lu Qin was met with a cold reception, but fearing that she would not listen any longer, she began to argue with her.
She added, "Mother, you are too kind. My husband's only wish is for more people to wear the clothes he designs. I want to do my best to support him."
"Mother, you may not know this, but the clinic is not without a successor. Jinglan has mastered her skills and loves medicine. She may be the most suitable candidate."
Madam Hao disagreed: "Jinglan is still young and a girl. She should marry into a good family in the future."
Lu Qin said, "Yes, Mother. As a woman, one is always forced to abide by the rules. But I believe that women are also human beings, with their own joys and sorrows, and should not become parasites on their husbands."
"If Jinglan really marries someone hastily as you say, she will probably have the same regrets as you. Wouldn't it be better if we let them each do what they like?"
Seeing that she spoke with great conviction and eloquence, Old Madam Hao's face darkened, and she slammed her hand on the table.
"Absurd! Do you even know what you're saying?"
Lu Qin was startled and realized that she had acted too hastily. She hurriedly knelt on the ground and said, "Mother, please calm down. I did not mean to talk back. I just hope that my husband and Jinglan can do what they love, and so can you, Mother."
As she spoke, she choked up, her eyes reddening as she pitifully said, "I lost my mother a long time ago, but I've always regarded her as my own mother. I just really hope to be able to talk to her about my feelings."
“Mother works hard for the Hao family every day, and I feel sorry for her. I only hope that you can relax a little and not live only for your husband and children… I have overstepped my bounds, please don’t blame me, Mother.”
"..." These words were spoken with tears streaming down his face, like a child who had made a mistake crying to his mother, and anyone who heard them would feel sorry for him.
Madam Hao gazed at her for a moment, and seeing the tears glistening in her eyes, she felt a pang of pity. After all, she was a mother herself and had a daughter.
After a moment of silence, she sighed softly, "Fine, go back and copy the 'Rules for Women' twenty times. From now on, you are not allowed to talk nonsense."
"yes."
Lu Qin kowtowed and stood up. Seeing that Old Madam Hao seemed to have nothing else to say, she walked towards the door with some annoyance.
The tears she had just shed evaporated instantly. Lu Qin recalled Old Madam Hao's words and felt a little regretful that she hadn't been able to persuade her.
Just when she thought she had failed to deliver her message, Old Madam Hao suddenly called her back, hesitatingly saying...
"I really like this dress. Have someone make it for me tomorrow."
...
The sky was hazy, a light rain was falling, and the moisture spread in the courtyard. One by one, the lights of thousands of homes went out in the silence.
When Lu Qin came out of Madam Hao's room, Ling'er was waiting outside with an umbrella. Seeing that the ground was wet, she lifted her skirt.
Seeing that she looked relaxed and walked briskly, Ling'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had just noticed that the master and madam were unhappy and thought something had happened, but now it seems that she was probably overthinking it.
The sudden drizzle added a touch of ambiance to the night. The silvery rain slowly poured down, and the rustling sound of it brushing against the leaves was like a young girl writing her thoughts by the window.
Lu Qin was eager to return home, so she decided to have a good time and strode back to her dormitory to share her joy with Hao Jingshi.
Although Madam Hao did not explicitly agree, she knew that Madam Hao had already been moved by her.
She strode forward, her cheerful steps splashing water lightly, completely oblivious to the fact that her shoes were already soaked.
Seeing this, Ling'er hurriedly chased after her, holding up the umbrella, and advised, "Young Madam, please slow down. Your clothes are all wet. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"It's alright, it's alright." Lu Qin's feet flew. "Ling'er, I've never felt so happy. I must hurry back and tell my husband."
Ling'er asked curiously, "What is it that makes the young mistress so happy?"
Lu Qin looked at her, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and asked mysteriously, "You want to know?"
Ling'er nodded, eager to learn.
"If you catch up with me, I'll tell you!"
After Lu Qin finished speaking, she took off running, crossing many puddles in a row. Ling'er was a little dumbfounded. When she came to her senses, Lu Qin was already sticking her tongue out at her from under the opposite corridor.
"Young Madam, wait for me!" Ling'er was anxious. If Lu Qin got caught in the rain and fell ill, the young master would surely torture her to death.
She followed him step by step, holding an umbrella, but every time they reached a certain place, Lu Qin would take off running again, never letting her catch up.
"Young Madam, you!" Ling'er blushed with embarrassment, but fearing that Lu Qin would get wet in the rain, she could only follow again.
She was extremely helpless, like an ant on a hot pan, chasing after it in circles, but she didn't dare to be too presumptuous, since running around in the mansion was against the rules.
Two figures moved through the night, one in front of the other, one fast and one slow, running and stopping intermittently.
"Come here, Ling'er, come quickly!"
As Lu Qin ran, she didn't forget to turn back and tease Ling'er.
Ling'er was both amused and exasperated. She chased after Lu Qin all the way but couldn't catch up. Finally, Lu Qin stopped in front of the dormitory door, panting and laughing mischievously.
Ling'er finally caught up, her anger mixed with shame. She put away her umbrella and said, "Young Madam, you dared to play tricks on me! I am so stupid and have failed to serve you properly. I dare not stay by your side any longer!"
Lu Qin walked up to her and saw that she was unusually acting like a girl, so she patted her shoulder and coaxed her, "Alright, since you've worked so hard, I'll tell you."
Ling'er glanced at her, believed her, and moved closer at her prompting.
Lu Qin rolled her hands into a tube and whispered in Ling'er's ear, "Actually, it's nothing."
Upon hearing this, Ling'er's serious expression instantly changed. When she looked up again, Lu Qin had already run into a black shadow.
She stamped her foot and finally let go, chasing after the shadow: "Young Madam! You're teasing me again!"
"..."
Lu Qin was caught by Ling'er at the corner and she was entangled for a long time. She did not expect Ling'er to be so nimble, so she could only chuckle and pretend to be stupid.
After pressing her for answers, Ling'er realized that her words and actions had been inappropriate, so she knelt down to apologize. Lu Qin helped her up and spent a lot of time persuading her not to worry about it.
As the two played around like this, Ling'er developed a different kind of affection for her young master, as if she were in springtime, chasing and playing with her childhood sweetheart, feeling very close to her.
She helped Lu Qin wash up, and after she returned to her bedchamber, she went alone to close the doors and windows, and took a blanket to stand guard at the door.
After taking a deep breath of fresh air, Lu Qin strode into the dormitory.
"My husband!"
From afar, Hao Jingshi leaned against the bed with a soft pillow behind his back, his eyelashes drooping, and his hands gently rubbing his temples, seemingly already sleepy.
Hearing footsteps, Hao Jingshi looked up and saw the person in front of him jumping up and down excitedly. He then let go of the two hands on his head and opened them in front of him, ready to welcome them.
Lu Qin loosened her skirt and twirled around, the hem of her skirt billowing out like a flower, and in the blink of an eye, she flew into his arms.
He pulled her into his arms, not forgetting to raise an eyebrow and say, "Did you miss me? I'm back!"
"You seem so happy." Hao Jingshi looked at her beaming face and said, "It seems you've gotten what you wanted?"
“Exactly.” Lu Qin snapped her fingers. “Mother has agreed to return the shop to us and also agrees to let us expand our business to the capital. Husband, our good days are finally coming!”
"You actually managed to persuade Mother?" Hao Jingshi asked in surprise. "How did you do that?"
"Of course, it's because everyone loves me."
Lu Qin stretched and yawned, glossing over the matter lightly, not wanting to recount the events of that long hour.
During that hour, she was on tenterhooks, carefully considering every word.
Seeing that she was unwilling to elaborate, Hao Jingshi did not press her for details, but simply offered a couple of compliments.
Lu Qin accepted it with an air of arrogance, then took off her shoes, lay down, pulled the blanket over herself, and started to get ready to sleep.
"Husband, go and put out the candles, I'm too lazy to move."
Hao Jingshi saw her curled up in the blanket, his lips curled up, and instead of extinguishing the candle, he slowly leaned down, getting closer and closer to her.
He squinted and said, "Now that Madam has gotten what she wanted... isn't it my turn?"
"Um?"
Lu Qin poked her head out from under the blanket, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
Wasn't he just tired? Why does he look... a little excited now?
"Doesn't Madam remember what she said?" Hao Jingshi leaned closer, pressing him. "Then let me help you recall. In the carriage, you said you would no longer be willful and would listen to me in everything..."
Lu Qin stared at him, their eyes almost meeting, then feigned ignorance and said, "When did this happen? I don't remember it."
"I knew you'd cheat."
Hao Jingshi suddenly gave a wicked smile, pulled her up along with the blanket, and pulled a white silk ribbon from under her pillow.
Lu Qin was pushed to the corner of the bed and faced the wall. Just as she was about to turn around to see what he was doing, everything suddenly went dark.
It felt like there was a knot at the back of my head, my vision was blurry, and I couldn't see anything clearly.
Lu Qin realized what was happening and hurriedly pulled her hand out from under the blanket: "Husband, what are you doing..."
"Help Madam keep her promise. If Madam is unwilling to listen, I have my own ways."
Hao Jingshi grabbed her hands from behind, which she had finally managed to free herself from the blanket, pressed them together, and tied them back together with a silk ribbon.
Lu Qin vaguely understood his intention. Unable to move and unable to see him clearly, she could only kick her legs in protest: "Hao Jingshi, you, you let me go..."
"Don't be afraid, it won't hurt you."
Hao Jingshi drew the curtain, finally revealing his greedy wildness, and buried his head in the softest spot, drawing strokes.
"..."
The person in front of him went limp, pursed his lips, and collapsed onto the bed, instantly falling silent.
Bathed in candlelight, he began to admire the damp, red marks.
Having enjoyed the view to the fullest, they blew out the candles, creating a world of their own in the pitch-black night, where they could do whatever they pleased...
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