Chapter 132 Leaving the Clan
It was the night of the tenth day of the tenth month.
The Zhao residence in Qintai Alley.
Zhao's mother sat on the bed, preparing to go to sleep.
Li Fu served Zhao's mother the medicine, which Zhao's mother then drank and casually handed the empty bowl to Li Fu.
Li Fu took the medicine bowl, placed it on the tray held by her maid Huancao, bent down to lift the quilt for Zhao's mother, and helped her to bed.
Huancao put the tray aside and wanted to take off Zhao's mother's shoes.
Zhao's mother avoided it.
Huancao wanted to reach out again, but Zhao's mother told her to leave, "Take the empty bowl back and wash it clean."
Huancao reluctantly withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and rolled her eyes: "Yes."
Why didn't you dare to act arrogantly when I was at home?
The ring of grass receded.
Li Fu understood what Zhao's mother meant, so she squatted down, took off her slippers, and placed them on the footstool.
Zhao's mother got into bed, pulled the blanket over her legs, and knew in her heart that it was inappropriate, but she still pretended to be calm and shamelessly spoke up.
“You are the sister-in-law. Miao’er is young and has no father to love her. You should love her more.”
Zhao Lianqing's younger sister was named Zhao Duanmiao.
"Miao'er said that she saw your sister bring you a lot of things today."
"Among them is a kingfisher made of pure gold, which is very lifelike."
Li Fu nodded: "It is indeed lifelike, and I think it looks very beautiful. Moreover, it is made of pure gold, so it is of extraordinary value."
Zhao's mother took a deep breath: "What do you have that you always think of Miao'er?"
Li Fu: "What other sisters-in-law have, my younger sister will naturally have too."
Zhao's mother looked at her with displeasure: "Miao'er wants that kingfisher, what are you pretending for?"
She disliked her daughter-in-law's tendency to pretend not to know what was going on.
Li Fu: "Yes, that's what Rongrong entrusted to her daughter-in-law for safekeeping."
“If my sister wants it, I can talk to Rongrong and ask her to sell it to my mother-in-law.”
The Zhao family was poor.
The Zhao family can now support two servants, all thanks to Li Fu supplementing their income with her dowry.
Zhao's mother choked on her breath, her face flushed red with embarrassment.
He said confidently, "If you buy it and give it to Miao'er, consider it as saving up for Miao'er's dowry."
“Yuanzhi’s father is gone, and all his salary has been given to you. It is only right that you prepare a dowry for your aunt.”
Zhao Lianqing, courtesy name Yuanzhi.
The lamplight was dim, and flying insects swarmed around it.
Li Fu walked toward the candlestick, ignoring her completely.
It's something the daughter-in-law should do; she'll do it well.
She wouldn't play along with their unreasonable demands.
As Zhao's mother watched her slender daughter-in-law leave, she rolled her eyes in exasperation: "Is this how you show filial piety to your mother-in-law?!"
Li Fu walked to the candlestick, turned slightly to the side, and looked at her mother-in-law on the bed.
“My daughter-in-law has very little of her dowry left and can’t afford this.”
“I will write a letter to my husband and ask him to tighten his belt and save money to prepare this expensive dowry for my sister-in-law.”
"As for the monthly salary that my husband gives to his daughter-in-law, it's all used up on you and my sister, and it's still not enough."
"Since you want to prepare an expensive and respectable dowry for your aunt."
"I will go back and see how to reduce expenses for you and your sister and save money."
"If you are worried that your daughter-in-law is not doing a good job, I will go back and show you the accounts of your and my sister's necessary expenses for the past year. You can decide for yourself."
Beauty seen under the lamplight is ethereal, almost otherworldly.
Li Fu is neither as bright and flamboyant as Li Rong, nor as charming and incomparable as Li Qu.
She is gentle and graceful, like a clear and calm spring lake, capable of reflecting the ugly side of the person opposite her.
Zhao's mother's face turned a deep purplish-red.
The candlelight dimmed, footsteps were soft, and Li Fu opened the door, her voice calm: "Mother, please rest early."
close the door.
Zhao's mother was so angry that she fell backward onto the bed.
I don't know how I fell asleep, but when I woke up I found myself being robbed.
The cellar was dark and smelly.
Sunlight streamed through the cracks at the cellar entrance, and it was already broad daylight.
Not far ahead, four figures could be seen gathered around a table.
Some were wiping their knives, while others were drinking.
One of them spoke up: "If you ask me, we should tie up her young and beautiful daughter-in-law tonight. We can sell her for more than a hundred taels of silver."
Another person chimed in, "A hundred taels? Her daughter-in-law is in charge of the household affairs; I heard she has at least five hundred taels on her!"
Another person advised, "Hey, she's an official's wife, after all. Making money is the priority. If we don't pay to ransom her, it's not too late for us to take the risk later."
Do you think this old woman's daughter-in-law will pay money to ransom her?
"In Qintai Alley, this daughter-in-law is the most filial. I heard that the clothes she buys for her mother-in-law and sister-in-law are all the latest fashions! They're even better than what she wears herself!"
The person who had been wiping the knife remained silent. He dropped the towel in his hand, picked up the knife, and walked towards Zhao's mother.
"Let me test how sharp the knife is."
When he stood in front of Zhao's mother, he raised his hand and brandished the snow-white blade.
Upon seeing this, Zhao's mother's pupils constricted, her limbs stiffened, and in her fear, her old ailment flared up again; her temples suddenly began to throb with pain, which intensified.
The blade slid down.
She rolled her eyes, lost control of her bladder, and fainted.
The man picked up the spider that had fallen onto Zhao's mother and split in two.
The other three gave him a thumbs up.
When it comes to intimidation, you have to look at the boss.
For two nights and one day, Zhao's mother not only had to endure the torment of her chronic illness worsening due to the lack of medication, but also had to suffer the torment inflicted by the robbers.
After paying the ransom, Li Fu found Zhao's mother tied to a pillar in the agreed-upon dilapidated temple and rescued her.
After Zhao's mother was rescued, she grabbed Li Fu's arm and said...
"I can't stay here! They say they've run out of money and they're coming to rob me!"
Li Fu hesitated, saying, "Yes, Mother said before that a woman follows her husband when she is married and her son when he is not. We should wait for my husband's reply before making a decision about leaving the capital. I think that makes a lot of sense."
Zhao's mother quickly waved her hand: "Yuanzhi is away on official business, and there are no men in our family to support us. We also have no relatives in the capital to rely on. It's too dangerous for us to live alone."
"We can't stay here!"
Li Fu: "If we're not in the capital, where can we go to stay?"
“Yuanzhi is not allowed to bring his family when he goes on official business, so we cannot come to him for help.”
“But your third sister is the head wife of the third branch of the Zhou family, and she has power and influence.”
"It would be best if we went to seek refuge with her first!"
"By the way, borrow some men from your second sister to escort us south."
Li Fu advised, "Mother, how about I borrow some men from my second sister to guard the courtyard? We can wait for my husband's reply before deciding?"
"No, no, I heard them say that their boss is short of money, which is why he came up with this dirty trick of robbing people."
“We absolutely cannot afford to offend anyone who dares to order someone to do such a thing right under the emperor’s nose.”
"It's best to avoid it."
"They might as well kidnap this old codger, but if they run out of money, they'll use the same trick again and kidnap Miao'er or you..."
Zhao's mother looked at Li Fu's beautiful face.
She'll go crazy if something happens to Miao'er.
If something happens to this daughter-in-law, her son might go insane!
Then the Zhao family's sky will fall.
She hadn't slept for a day and a night, and her eyes were bloodshot.
"I said I'd leave the capital, so I'll leave. Do you dare disobey?"
Things went more smoothly than Li Fu had imagined: "I will obey Mother's instructions."
Zhao's mother asked anxiously, "Have you reported it to the authorities?"
Li Fu quickly shook her head: "This involves Mother's reputation, how dare I publicize it?"
"I was afraid something might go wrong, so I asked my second sister for two maids and a few skilled fighters."
"But Mother, don't worry, I haven't mentioned this to my second sister."
Zhao's mother breathed a sigh of relief.
With her worries gone, she pressed her temples, only to find her head throbbing even more violently.
"Quick, hurry home and brew me some medicine!"
The withdrawal from medication made her headaches worse than before.
It hastened her decision.
Otherwise, given her personality, she would never have gone to seek refuge with her daughter-in-law's sister unless this happened again.
*
It was October 12th.
It is auspicious for weddings, sacrifices, prayers, and travel.
It is forbidden to hold religious ceremonies or plant crops.
Today, Lin Xiaocong planted a crabapple tree outside his office window at the National Medical Center.
When I got off duty, I heard that the people from the Zhao family had already gone south.
Qiu Chan looked at Lin Xiaocong with a sorrowful expression, as if Lin Xiaocong had been abandoned.
"This morning, my great-aunt borrowed Qiufeng to pick up someone from the dilapidated temple at the foot of Red Maple Mountain outside the city."
"The other person was wearing a cloak and a hat, covering himself up completely, and did not speak a word the whole way, so it was impossible to tell who he was."
"But Qiu Feng had people keep an eye out and found that after that person entered the Zhao residence with the eldest daughter, no one came out of the Zhao residence again until the eldest daughter's family left the capital and went south."
"However, the number of the eldest daughter's family members who left Beijing for the south did not increase."
"I'm sure she's the eldest daughter's mother-in-law."
Lin Xiaocong hummed in agreement, smiled faintly, and walked towards the carriage with one hand behind his back: "What's Rongrong up to today?"
"I went to see a play in the morning, and in the afternoon I asked Qiu Hui for some fabric, saying I wanted to make clothes for you."
Lin Xiaocong was surprised, then asked with a smile, "Did she spend the whole afternoon doing that?"
When a woman is pregnant, her Qi and blood gather to nourish the fetus. Sitting for long periods of time can easily lead to stagnation of Qi and blood, blockage of meridians, and harm to the body.
"Young Master had instructed us that Qiu Hui and Qiu Ju would not allow the Second Miss to sit for long."
"We dared not let the second young lady touch the scissors; it was the second young lady who gave the orders, and Qiu Hui and Qiu Ju did the work."
"Later, the second young lady came with this servant to fetch you, and then..."
Before Qiu Chan could finish speaking, she saw her young master stride towards the carriage and abruptly lift the curtain: "Rongrong!"
Li Rong took out the book from the hidden compartment and curiously opened it.
The pupils dilated dramatically.
She slammed the book shut, her face flushed red, and coldly raised her eyelids.
Lin Xiaocong's gaze fell on the book cover within his field of vision. He recognized the book, and his smile froze.
He quickly jumped onto the carriage, trying to snatch the book from Li Rong's hand, but the book was already flying towards him.
"Dirty!"
Lin Xiaocong was hit squarely by the book, caught it, squeezed next to Li Rong, and said in a serious tone.
"Rongrong, Qiuchan asked me to keep this for him!"
"I utterly despise him for reading such obscene and disgusting books!"
Li Rong's eyes: Keep making this up.
Lin Xiaocong lifted the carriage curtain and shoved the book into Qiu Chan's arms.
"If you don't believe me, ask Qiu Chan."
Qiu Chan was curious, so she took it out and glanced at it, then quickly closed it and stuffed it into her bosom.
He said firmly, "That's right, these are the books that this servant asked you to keep for the young master."
Qiu Hui stepped out of the carriage, silently sat down on the saddle, and kept her eyes straight ahead.
Qiu Chan's lips turned down, forming an unsightly curve:
Waaaaah... The young master is cheating his slave.
Seeing that Qiu Chan hadn't started driving for a long time, Qiu Hui took action, grabbing the reins with one hand and whipping the horse's rump with the other: "Chirp~"
The car moved slowly and smoothly.
Lin Xiaocong and Li Rong sat next to each other.
He held Li Rong's hand and played with it in his palm.
She seemed to be in a good mood: "Didn't I tell you to stay home and rest during your pregnancy? Why did you come to pick me up?"
Li Rong peeked out through a crack in the car window: "I came just because I wanted to."
"You came because you missed me, didn't you?"
He's always so shameless.
She unconsciously curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
"Let's go shopping tonight."
She rarely takes the initiative.
He took her pulse.
The pulse is calm and gentle, like a skilled craftsman adjusting silk, combining strength and softness. The continuous pulse at the cun position is a good sign of harmonious interaction between the heart and kidneys.
His gaze fell on the face of the woman who was peeking out the window.
The pulse indicates a good mood.
He put down the fingers that had been taking her pulse, took her hand in his palm, interlocked their fingers, and smiled: "Okay."
*
As dusk fell, the streets of the city grew increasingly crowded, and lanterns lit up one after another.
He was more lively than Li Rong.
"Rongrong, do you like that mask?"
He squeezed through the crowd, took the fox mask that the young lady liked from the mask stall, and put it on his face.
Seeing Li Rong approach, his cheerful voice spilled out from under his mask: "Rongrong, am I handsome?"
The stall owner bowed and stepped forward with a smile: "Young master, you are exceptionally handsome and have excellent taste."
"This is the most popular exquisitely carved and painted fox mask this year, priced at two hundred coins."
Lin Xiaocong took two in his hand, and then casually picked two for Qiu Chan and Qiu Hui.
Qiu Chan stepped forward and paid with a piece of silver, which was more than an ounce.
The delighted stall owner quickly thanked him, saying, "Thank you for the tip, young master."
He placed the mask in her hands, bent down, pressed his cheek against her thin veil, and squeezed the veil close to her ear:
"We need to wear the same fox spirit mask as Rongrong, a pair."
Li Rong laughed at him: "If you're not afraid of being laughed at, then wear it."
Lin Xiaocong straightened up, put the mask on his face, took her hand, and squeezed into the crowd.
After they left, countless women rushed forward and pointed at the fox spirit mask.
"I want one."
Throughout the journey, his voice was loud and cheerful, yet his demeanor was refined and dignified. A blend of warmth and joy emanated from him, attracting everyone's attention.
He stood in front of the lantern stall, holding a lotus lantern in one hand and a rabbit lantern in the other, his gaze fixed on her.
"Do you like this one, or this one?"
Passersby couldn't help but follow his gaze to look at the woman he held in his eyes.
A child being carried on his father's shoulders passed by and curiously reached out to grab her veil.
She revealed the smile in her eyes as she looked at him through the veil.
His eyes couldn't hide his affection.
Qiu Hui promptly removed the child's hand.
Li Rong hurriedly averted her gaze and turned to disappear into the crowd.
He stuffed the little rabbit lantern into Qiu Chan's hand, then took a lotus lantern and chased after her with a smile.
"I want to have the same things as Rongrong."
Qiu Feng seized the opportunity to step forward and whispered, "Young master, the men who kidnapped the young lady have already set off."
Lin Xiaocong kept walking: "Don't chase after her, she's rarely happy."
Autumn maple leaves engulfed the crowd.
The evening market dispelled the cold wind.
On the way back to Chuntang Garden, she fell asleep in his arms.
The carriage stopped before it reached Chuntang Garden.
The sound of cicadas could be heard outside.
"Young Master, Young Master, Second Young Master and Third Young Master are back."
They are Lin Xiaocong's two older brothers, born to the same parents.
Lin Xiaocong leaned against the carriage wall, his smile tinged with helplessness.
"Can't you really let me have a couple of good days?"
Qiu Hui entered the carriage and pulled Li Rong into her arms.
Lin Xiaocong took the fox mask from her hand and placed it on the low table, then lifted the curtain and got off the carriage.
The carriage bypassed Lin Erge and Lin Sange and drove along the street.
Lin Erge tossed him the empty horse reins, and he took the reins and mounted the horse.
The three brothers remained silent and rode their horses toward the Marquis's residence.
Upon arriving at the Marquis's residence, Lin Xiaocong learned that his elder brother, who shared the same parents, had also returned.
The four brothers gathered together.
The eldest brother Lin sat in the main seat, while the second and third brothers Lin sat opposite Lin Xiaocong.
Before the tea was even served, Second Brother Lin slammed his fist on the table: "Seventh Brother, have you gone mad!"
“The Third Master of the Southern Lands sent letters to my father multiple times; Sima Zhao’s intentions are obvious to everyone.”
"Father was so afraid of getting involved that he would be impeached by the censors, so he refused to do so."
"Yet you're sharing a room with Master Zhou's aunt!"
"Don't forget, the Lin family is loyal to the Xiao family!"
"Is your purpose in coming here to condemn my entire Lin family to disloyalty and injustice, and to destroy my Lin family's century-old foundation?"
Lin Xiaocong explained with a smile: "Second brother, even the wife of General Renwei knows about my evil deeds of forcibly taking women from the common people. If the Censorate wants to impeach us for 'colluding with Zhou,' they will have something to refute it."
"What are you refuting! Do you think you're the only smart person in the whole world!"
"You will not marry or take a concubine for her sake, but will walk alongside her."
"All the deception and robbery we committed before were nothing but self-deception!"
"The Zhou and Xiao families are destined to meet on the battlefield, facing each other to the death."
"Now that the auspicious day for the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne has been set, the news has already reached the southern lands, and Father has long since accepted the order to take up his post in Qizhou."
"Believe it or not, the moment Qizhou suffers its defeat, an official will soon submit a memorial accusing my Lin family of colluding with the Zhou dynasty!"
"Your close relationship with Master Zhou's aunt, like that of husband and wife, is irrefutable proof!"
"At that time, you will be the lever to shake the Lin family's military power!"
Lin Xiaocong's smile faded, and he lowered his long eyelashes: "So what if the world is ruled by the Zhou family?"
Brother Lin frowned and spoke:
“Mingxu, our Lin family lives by integrity. Your words betray our ancestors and forget our roots.”
"If your father hears this, he would rather punish you than let you ever cause such a disaster."
"For Lin, integrity was more important than life itself."
"Moreover, 'trust is the greatest treasure of a ruler.'"
This means that if a ruler condones betrayal, the foundation of his rule will be shaken.
"If the Lin family dares to betray the Xiao family today, they will be able to betray the Zhou family tomorrow. A subject who serves two families is despicable and will not be tolerated by the emperor for long."
"Furthermore, the Lin family is loyal to the Xiao family and has a bright future."
"Why should I do something that will be despised by the whole world for the sake of an unfilial son like you?"
Lin Xiaocong's smile had vanished, and his expression remained indifferent.
"You don't need to do anything, I will ensure that the Xiao family line ends."
Lin Sange couldn't help but interject: "Seventh Brother, your surname is Lin. If your actions are discovered in the slightest, my entire Lin clan will be sent to the executioner's block!"
"Then we can do the opposite."
Brother Lin overturned the teacup beside him and stood up.
"Why waste your breath on him? I think he's insane!"
"To tell you the truth, your father has ordered that if you do not repent, your martial arts will be crippled, so that you will not be lawless, arrogant, and cause trouble for the region!"
Lin Xiaocong pursed his lips: "I've already backed down! Are you really going to force me to do this?"
Lin Erge was very puzzled: "You, Lin Xiaocong, are you worried about women!"
"But I just can't let her go!" Lin Xiaocong looked up.
What have I asked for?
"I asked to learn martial arts, but no one agreed. In the end, my grandmother found out that I was secretly learning from others. Fearing that I would hurt myself by learning blindly, she asked Uncle Lin Hu to come and teach me. Later, because I was exceptionally talented, my grandmother cherished me and asked my second uncle to teach me personally!"
“I begged my mother to come to Tongchuan to accompany me to study, but she said that I was the only child in Tongchuan, and there were three of us at home, and asked me to understand her heart as a mother!”
“I begged my father to let me join the army, but he forced me to take the exam for the National Medical Academy, saying that practicing medicine to help the world would also bring honor to the family!”
"I've asked for nothing in my life, and now I'm asking her for something, but it still won't work!"
"She just happened to have a younger sister who married into the Zhou family of Hezhou!"
"As a woman from the inner quarters, if Madam Lin is willing, there are countless ways to protect her."
"But all you want is for me to back down."
"This time, I will not back down."
Brother Lin stepped forward angrily, ready to attack.
Lin Sange pulled.
Lin Xiaocong: "If you can't tolerate her... either I really die, or I fake my death."
"You guys discuss it."
He got up and walked outside: "I'll be staying at the Marquis's residence tonight."
The three older brothers stared blankly at the somewhat lonely figure.
Lin Erge: "What...what does he mean?"
Brother Lin explained, "Either let him leave the clan and go with that Li woman, or he will resist even at the cost of his life."
"He threatened us with his own life?" Brother Lin found it extremely amusing.
"Fine, I'll see if he's really going to die!"
"I'll send someone to escort that woman from the Li family south right away!"
No one objected.
Because no one would believe that Lin Xiaocong would risk his life for a woman.
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