Cake Fragrance (8)
After Mrs. Gao's death, the front door of the Gao Mansion was closed and guarded. Gao Chang no longer received guests and stayed alone in front of Mrs. Gao's coffin to keep vigil for her.
From then on, only the cook, Aunt Ma, was allowed to enter and leave the Gao Mansion freely and go to the market to buy necessary ingredients as needed.
Looking at the entire Gao Mansion, the only door that was chained was the back door to the kitchen.
“Dong—dong—dong—”
The wooden door made a soft sound, one long and two short, repeating this way and that. Gao Qing was knocking on the door in a secret signal between Gao Hui and Aunt Ma.
Gao Hui used this secret code when she was hungry. She would sneak into the kitchen to find Aunt Ma to eat when her parents were not paying attention. This time, she taught it to Gao Qing.
Indeed, after meeting with County Magistrate Rong Ye with Xiao Lin and his party last night, Gao Hui made up her mind - she wanted to save Gao Qing, even if this method might put her to death, she would not regret it.
When Aunt Ma heard the regular knocks on the door, she wiped her hands on her apron and opened the wooden door swiftly.
"What's wrong? Why is it..." Aunt Ma showed a somewhat surprised expression. Even though Gao Qing and Gao Hui looked very similar, she recognized the person in front of her at a glance. It was Gao Qing. "Why is it you?"
Gao Qing looked around, hunched his back, and whispered, "Gao Hui and I have switched identities. Don't be surprised. I'm afraid someone will see something wrong."
Although Aunt Ma didn't know why Gao Qing came to see her, she hesitated and still led her into the house.
As she led her into the house, Aunt Ma casually asked, "Who gave you two this idea?"
"I heard from Gao Hui that they asked a few people from Liuxiangju for help."
After Aunt Ma closed the small door and made sure that there was no one else in the kitchen, Gao Qing cautiously took out a small cloth bag from his arms, as well as the official silver he had taken from Gao Hui, and handed them to Aunt Ma.
She said, "Aunt Ma, Gao Hui told me that you are our last hope. In this mansion, she only trusts you now."
Aunt Ma didn't understand what he meant, but she still responded stutteringly.
Indeed, since Gao Qing was framed, Aunt Ma and Gao Hui were the only two people who believed that Gao Qing was innocent. Apart from her, there was really no one else she could trust.
After meeting Aunt Ma's determined gaze, Gao Qing hurriedly explained, "This is the official silver Gao Hui obtained from the county magistrate. This is the firefly powder she also requested. It's in the form of a fine powder, so if you spread it out you can't see it. At night, if you sprinkle this special potion on it, it will glow."
As he spoke, Gao Qing took out a paper bag and a bottle from his waist and placed them in front of Aunt Ma, and continued:
"But there aren't many fireflies, and I don't know how long the journey will be."
"Secondly, to avoid being discovered, Aunt Ma, I'd like to trouble you to mix it with plenty of clean water and put it into several water bags for later use. Diluting it with clean water might make the glow less noticeable, but this is the effect we want, so for convenience, please do this late at night."
Aunt Ma took all the items handed to her by Gao Qing and touched her head to comfort her.
Gao Qing also lowered her head. At that moment, she caught a glimpse of the cloth shoes on Aunt Ma's feet and laughed, "Aunt Ma, look at yourself. You can even wear your shoes backwards."
After being awakened by Gao Qing, Aunt Ma realized that she had to take off both pairs of shoes.
But she had just taken off the shoes, and in the blink of an eye, she couldn't tell left from right. It was not until Gao Qing stretched out his fingers to point out the right way that she put on the cloth shoes correctly.
Afterwards, Aunt Ma scratched the back of her neck and smiled awkwardly: "Oh, it's true. I wasn't like this when I was young. Until one day I had an accident and hit my head. Now I can't tell the direction, and I've become a laughing stock."
"More than just left and right?"
"The same thing goes for east, west, south, and north. Anything that has to do with directions is confusing to me. Sometimes, when I'm rushing to make new clothes, I always sew the pockets wrong, not realizing I have two pockets on one side. After that, they never asked me to do it again, and this problem has forced me to stay in the kitchen."
"Then when you go out to buy things on weekdays, won't you be unable to find your way back home?"
Aunt Ma just laughed it off and said, "I have a dog. If I need to go out, I will take it with me. It knows the way, which is enough."
Gao Qing chuckled and didn't take it to heart.
After all, for her, it is a rare opportunity to get help from Aunt Ma.
However, the calm did not last long, as a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded.
Aunt Ma reacted quickly and hid Gao Qing behind the boiler without hesitation, telling her to cover her mouth tightly.
Then, Aunt Ma winked at her, and she immediately stood up and ran to the door in a panic.
"What's wrong? What are you doing?" Aunt Ma walked out the door and closed the kitchen door.
"Aunt Ma, there seems to be a strange noise in your room?" The leading guard asked, leaning forward and looking around with a cunning look in his eyes. "Is there someone hiding here?"
"No...nothing happened. I've been in the kitchen all day. I'm the only one in the kitchen. How could there be someone else?"
"Then why did you close the door?"
Aunt Ma was at a loss for a moment and was speechless.
"Come on, go in and search!" The leading guard gave an order, and the others kicked the door open with all their might. Aunt Ma was about to twist her way in, but was stopped. "You'd better stay here first."
She was dazed, her hands and feet became cold, and she closed her eyes unconsciously.
As the guards' footsteps got closer, Gao Qing's heartbeat, hiding behind the stove, became more and more intense, almost as if it would burst through her chest.
"That's enough." Suddenly, a deep male voice rang out from the doorway. "Let her go. This kitchen is shabby and crowded. Who can hide there? Don't bother with her."
"Yes, sir."
Gao Chang glared at Aunt Ma, waved his sleeves and left.
Aunt Ma swallowed her nervous saliva and waited until everyone had left. She quickly helped Gao Qing up, brushed off the ash on her body, and held her in her arms, saying, "I was so scared, so scared. Fortunately, you're okay."
"Aunt Ma, thank you for covering for me."
"Of course! Of course!"
"It seems that it's unsafe for me to stay here any longer. Next, I'll trouble you to work with me from inside and outside. When the time we agreed on arrives, you will drop the purse in the hall. I will wait outside the mansion. Then, I will find someone to testify and I will definitely expose them in one fell swoop!"
"Yes! I will try my best to cooperate with you, don't worry."
Gao Qing glanced at Aunt Ma, immediately knelt down, and clasped his fists towards her: "You risked such a risk to help me, I will never forget it!"
Aunt Ma helped Gao Qing up without saying a word and said, "My life is insignificant compared to the well-being of the people. But you, if you don't live in the Gao Mansion, where will you stay?"
"Don't worry, I have my own way out." Gao Qing's eyes were full of determination.
---
Although it is early spring, it is not late in the north, but the night still quickly covers the whole place.
"Oh my! I never thought that I could go on strike openly!" Mu You, who had played all day, felt relaxed. He turned around and rolled on the bedding in the wing room of Liu Xiangju. He stretched and rolled the bedding around his waist.
"Gao Hui is really generous. You were just joking, but she actually paid for it." Xiao Lin sorted out their bags and counted the items inside.
"But I didn't lie to her! She was the one who asked us for help first. We have to work, so of course we can't spare the time to help her. If she wants us to help, shouldn't she pay the debt for us first?"
"Then you shouldn't have asked her to pay back the five hundred coins we owed her."
"Oh!" After being nagged by Xiao Lin again, Mu You covered his head with the quilt in annoyance. "I didn't force her to pay. She agreed to it so readily. Her family is so rich. These five hundred coins are obviously a small matter..."
Xiao Lin said nothing and just kept wiping the items on the table.
"Hey, Xiao Lin." Mu You nimbly turned around and lay on the bed, looking at Xiao Lin's busy back. "Who do you think is behind this?"
"I have no idea."
"But now all the blame is directed at Gao Qing. This is undeniable."
"That's not what you said. You don't have any evidence to prove that it was definitely done by someone else."
"But there is no evidence to prove her innocence now!"
"Yeah, who knows what will happen next?" Xiao Lin dusted himself off, stood up, and walked to the window, admiring the twinkling stars in the dark night sky. "But our main task is to give the tea soup in the front hall to Gao Qing and let her eat it. We can't care about other things too much."
"You're more cruel than me now." Mu You propped up his head and jokingly said, "It was you who suggested that Gao Hui be Gao Qing's scapegoat, and now it's you who wants to give up."
Xiao Lin said: "Of course I want to help them, but...but I really don't know how to help."
"Now, we have changed their fates. Gao Qing would have died this time, but I have helped them prolong their lives. As long as they can hold on for a few more days, and Gao Qing can hide for a few more days, even if it's just hiding in Liuxiangju for a few days like now, once the nobles from the capital arrive, everything will be revealed."
Mu You asked back: "I don't understand."
Xiao Lin replied, "This is all we can do. Now all we have to do is get Gao Qing to eat the tea soup."
The light in Mu You's eyes suddenly dimmed. He was a little surprised by Xiao Lin's indifference.
"You...are you planning to end it like this?"
Xiao Lin saw the confusion and disappointment in Mu You's eyes, but she was helpless. Tears welled up in her eyes. "The previous ending was one person died in vain, and the other disappeared. Now it won't be like that. As long as we keep an eye on Gao Qing, everything will be over once the people from the capital arrive. As long as we serve the tea soup to Gao Qing tomorrow morning, everything will be over."
"Xiao Lin, you...when did you become like this?"
"Mu You, I'm scared. I'm really scared. I just want to go back, so..."
Suddenly, Xiao Lin stopped talking.
Mu You felt strange, so he threw off the quilt and got out of bed, gently patting her shoulder: "So what..."
"Shh—" Xiao Lin immediately covered his mouth and pushed him to the wall.
Mu You's cheeks were burning with confusion when he heard footsteps coming from the gap in the window.
He blew out the candle on the table in time and hid sideways.
The footsteps were slow, but getting closer and closer. Xiao Lin couldn't help but gasp for breath, and the unfamiliar fear made her close her eyes tightly.
Mu You held her in his arms without hesitation. Naturally, Xiao Lin could clearly hear the rapidly beating heart in Mu You's chest.
However, what she didn't know was that this beating of her heart was partly due to her.
When a dark shadow was reflected on their window paper, the sound of pigeons cooing and flapping wings came over.
Through the window paper, they could vaguely see the actions of the person outside the window - after catching the pigeon, he took out the letter from the bamboo tube on its foot, read it, and then galloped across the corridor.
Mu You then slightly opened the window and peeked out, then breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's Gao Qing."
"Gao Qing? Where is she going so late? No, I have to go check it out."
Xiao Lin was about to leave when Mu You stopped her and shook his head at her, signaling her not to be impulsive.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Lin said hoarsely as he shook off Mu You's hand. "What if something happens to her? Then all our efforts will be in vain."
"Then we shouldn't set out right after her. Let her walk a little further, then we can catch up."
That made sense. After that, Xiao Lin looked at him and then loosened his fist.
Gao Qing tiptoed through the dark corridor to the front hall. At this time, Liuxiangju was closed and there were no lights on.
But the darker it is, the more sensitive your sense of smell becomes.
Therefore, she soon caught a whiff of sweetness. Gao Qing, who had been hungry for a day, sniffed and took great effort to find the source of the fragrance - a bowl of warm tea.
She didn't understand why a bowl of tea was placed here. She just felt that her stomach was empty and she really needed delicious food to fill her stomach.
She looked around and saw that there was no one around. She immediately picked up the small spoon beside the tea soup like a thief, scooped a mouthful along the edge and tasted it carefully.
The warm and smooth tea soup melts in your mouth, with a mellow taste, sweet but not greasy, and warmth flowing slowly.
She wanted to take another bite, but her reason took over and reminded her that she still had important things to do.
So, even though she was reluctant to do so, she had to give up.
Then she tiptoed to open the door of Liuxiangju.
Xiao Lin and Mu You were some distance away from her, so they didn't see her stealing the tea soup. They only knew that she delayed for a moment and finally left the place.
When Gao Qing's footsteps became weaker, Xiao Lin and Mu You set out to follow him.
Gao Qing, who escaped late at night, secretly came to the back door of Gao's kitchen. After a secret signal, he was greeted by Gao Hui's face.
"Sister Qing, why are you here? You should be hiding in Liuxiangju! Boss Chu and the others will protect you!"
"Keep your voice down!" Gao Qing immediately made a gesture to silence everyone, then continued to explain the whole situation, "I ran away secretly and will leave immediately."
At this point, Gao Hui didn't say anything more and just let Gao Qing in silently.
But when she glanced at Gao Qing's face again, the bitterness in her throat suddenly surged up: "Sister Qing, I... I'm sorry... I... I was discovered, but I told them that I let you go. It's my fault, not yours!"
As she spoke, Gao Hui burst into tears. Gao Qing did not scold her, but instead gently comforted her: "It's okay. There is a big difference in our body sizes. It's only a matter of time before we are discovered. By the way, where is Aunt Ma?"
Gao Hui shook her head.
Gao Qing scratched his ears, grabbed Gao Hui's hand and ran: "Let's go find Aunt Ma. There are some things we must talk about in person."
Gao Hui then wiped her tears and followed Gao Qing, bowing as she walked forward.
"Don't be afraid, Sister Qing. I've suggested to my father that we should keep vigil for my mother these days. He should let her pass away peacefully..."
"So he's lifted the restrictions in the palace for three days. Although you can't escape the city, at least there won't be any guards searching for you within."
"Yeah." Gao Qing nodded, but then paused, "Your mother's death..."
"I believe you. You saved me when I nearly lost my life. You are my benefactor. Besides, you and my mother have never met, so it's impossible for you to put her to death for no reason. I don't believe a single word they say, I only believe the evidence."
Gao Qing was stunned, and a sense of hope and determination rose in his heart.
Yes, as long as Gao Hui trusts her, any trouble can be solved.
Quietly, the two came to Aunt Ma's residence.
It was a remote little house. The two stood at the door and knocked lightly on the wooden door, but there was no response. Gao Qing then opened the door without permission, but found that Aunt Ma was not in the room.
Gao Qing took out the letter he wanted to give to Aunt Ma from his arms, stuffed it under her pillow with a corner of it exposed.
Everything was going on perfectly, but when she turned around, she accidentally bumped into the wooden basin that Aunt Ma had placed under the bed, making a bang. She immediately squatted down and covered her mouth.
Fortunately, it was late at night and everyone in the Gao family was asleep, so no one noticed them.
After holding his breath for a while, Gao Qing sighed when he saw that the surroundings were still quiet.
She put the basin away, frowned, and pulled Gao Hui aside to ask, "Is this basin Aunt Ma's?"
"Yes, it's said to be a family heirloom! Who in our family still uses such an old wooden basin? My father has long been trying to get her to replace it, but she refused."
"A family heirloom..." Gao Qing tilted his head and fiddled with it, "How could there be such a family heirloom? Aunt Ma is really..."
Gao Hui spread her hands, also expressing confusion.
"Gao Hui, are these the only pairs of shoes Aunt Ma has?" Gao Qing put the wooden basin back, but accidentally found three pairs of cloth shoes neatly arranged under the bed.
"Yes, Aunt Ma has always been very simple. Just these few pairs of shoes, it is said that she made them herself! If you like, I have some too. She always gives me a pair for my birthday!"
Gao Qing smiled and was about to stand up when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She immediately covered her stomach with her hands and cried out, "It's over! I'm afraid I ate something wrong! Quick! Take me to the toilet!"
Gao Hui became extremely anxious upon seeing this, and immediately helped Gao Qing to the toilet.
When she arrived at the door of the hut, Gao Qing was stunned for a moment, stepped on the soil under her feet, and was about to think about something when she was interrupted by a severe pain in her abdomen. She rushed straight into the hut. Gao Hui was outside helping her keep watch.
After going to the toilet, Gao Qing broke up with Gao Hui and returned to Liuxiangju alone. However, she was caught by Xiao Lin and Mu You just a few steps away from Gao's house.
"Do you want to live? How dare you come back?" Mu You took the brunt of the attack and scolded Gao Qing.
"You're following me?" Gao Qing, who was already hot-tempered, was inexplicably scolded by Mu You, and he felt even more angry. "Whether I live or die is none of your business."
"You... We risked our lives to rescue you, and you're still here saying these nonsense! Do you know that if something happens to you now, all our efforts will be wasted!" Gao Qing's cold attitude made Mu You furious, and his tone became even more intense.
"What do you mean by 'all previous efforts wasted'? Yes, I am very grateful for your letter to the capital, requesting a thorough investigation of the anecdotes here, but other than that, the path I will take is my own decision."
"Is it worth it?" Mu You tilted his head and questioned, "The people in this city have nothing to do with you. Is it worth it for you to take such a big risk to save them?"
"I, Gao Qing, never care about cause and effect when doing things. This was true before, and it will be true in the future as well."
"you……"
Xiao Lin saw that the two were becoming increasingly tense, and knew something was wrong, so he quickly stepped forward to separate them. "Now is not the time for internal fighting. Let's go back to Liuxiang Residence quickly so that no one else can see us."
It was not until Xiao Lin acted as a peacemaker that Gao Qing and Mu You put aside their disdain for each other and returned to Liuxiangju together.
Several people had sworn that their actions tonight would not be noticed, but they were completely disillusioned when they saw Chu Mo standing in front of Liuxiangju.
"Chu...Boss Chu..."
"Don't stand there any longer, County Court, something's happened."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
