Chapter 49 Jealousy
The sun had not yet set, and deep red and orange-yellow sunset clouds spread across the horizon.
When Li Qu arrived at Shou'an Hall, Xueying personally opened the curtain to welcome him inside.
After Li Qu greeted the old lady who was serving tea at the head of the table, she gestured for her to sit down.
Li Qu didn't know why the old lady had called her, and secretly glanced at Rong Mama, but Rong Mama didn't give her any hints.
She lowered her eyes and sat down, her posture upright and proper.
After a short while, the old lady said, "Give it to her to try."
Judging from his tone, he seemed to be in a good mood.
Li Qu breathed a sigh of relief.
Granny Rong served her a teacup, which she accepted with both hands, saying, "Thank you for the gift, Madam."
The white milk floats in the cup, like sparse stars and a pale moon.
Li Qu actually didn't like this kind of tea ceremony.
Taking a small sip, she exclaimed, "The taste is delicate and mellow. It is my honor to taste the tea personally prepared by the old lady."
The old lady at the head of the table took a satisfied sip of the tea in her bowl, then put down her cup: "You even know about tea?"
"I've only ever heard that whisking tea can reduce the bitterness of the tea leaves, leaving a pleasant fragrance and a sweet aftertaste, thus enriching the flavor profile."
"Only after tasting the tea ordered by the old lady today do I know it was well worth it." As she spoke, she picked up the teacup in her hand and took another sip.
The old lady laughed.
Li Qufang put down his teacup.
The old lady brought up the important matter: "It's inappropriate for the second son's daughter-in-law to interfere in the personnel matters of the third son's family."
“I worry about him, but he complains that the people I chose have bad manners.”
Li Qu immediately knew that the conversation was about the green fruit.
"Fortunately, the marriage between the third son and the eldest daughter of the Tang family has made progress."
“From now on, when you three wives enter the family, I will no longer have to feel like I am neither here nor there.”
Li Qu spoke up: "Congratulations to Grandma He and Third Master He."
As for the last sentence, she had no right to respond.
"Hmm, I'll have my second son's wife send someone to bring a matchmaker to your yard. You can pick one that you like, and make sure no one dislikes her. I'll also bring some of my own."
Li Qu lowered her eyebrows: "I will inform Third Master to make a selection."
The implication was that it was Zhou Jin, not her, who disliked Green Fruit for being unruly.
The old lady glanced at her and said, "You are a generous and sensible person."
"As long as you are well, Third Master, I feel like every day is a sunny day."
The old lady scoffed, "Save those words for your third master; they make my teeth ache."
After exchanging a few more words, the old lady dismissed them, saying, "Go back now, or the third son will be looking for you."
"I dare not accept such praise."
Li Qu rose, bowed, and took his leave.
The old lady glanced at her slender figure as she walked away, then turned to look at Rong Mama: "Well, what did I tell you?"
Granny Rong replied, "The old lady has the best eye."
The old lady chuckled, "They don't care at all!"
Granny Rong dared not respond.
The old lady complained, "He's so considerate! He rarely comes by his own initiative, and he's only here to subtly remind me not to upset his precious daughter."
"Hmph, he certainly knows how to make this old woman's life difficult."
Li Qu did not expect Zhou Jin to handle the green fruit.
She doesn't really care about these things.
Back at Fanghua Garden, she dismissed Granny Xu and the others, and sat down alone at her desk.
The room quieted down, and she could hear her heart beating faster and faster uncontrollably.
The wedding ceremony in large families is very complicated, taking at least a year and a half from the initial discussion of marriage to the wedding procession.
She always tries to leave.
She had considered living in the dark, but she was still unwilling to accept it!
She had clearly escaped from Yan, and she had clearly arranged everything!
She succeeded!
She leaned over the desk and buried her face in her arms.
The mistress was in charge of all domestic affairs, and after the mistress entered the household, she could hardly move an inch.
Moreover, Zhou Jin seems to be very fond of her body. If Zhou Jin continues like this after marriage, how can the new mistress allow her to live a carefree life!
The fear of being controlled by Lin Wanru's veiled malice slowly welled up in his heart.
She had no intention of harming the tiger, but the tiger intended to harm her.
She didn't want to get involved in the unspoken, treacherous struggles between women.
She felt suffocated and nauseous!
"Auntie, Auntie, please let me stay! I will never dare to overstep my bounds again!"
The sound of Green Fruit pleading could be heard from outside.
Li Qu sat up straight.
Cui Guo's spitting voice came: "Shameless thing, you smelled so good last night when you were on night duty, and if I didn't keep an eye on you, you would put on makeup and bring Third Master some hangover soup!"
"In the early morning, instead of resting and catching up on sleep at home, you're dressed up in such a flamboyant way and trying to get close to Third Master!"
"Don't you even know your own worth? You think you can steal your mistress's favor?"
"Let me tell you, our aunt is magnanimous and won't hold it against you, but Third Master can't tolerate any nonsense!"
"It was Third Master who reported to the Old Madam that he wanted to get rid of you, you unruly fellow!"
Green Fruit pleaded for a long time, but seeing that Li Qu still refused to come out of the room, she wailed, "My aunt is so jealous, isn't this going to bring disaster to the inner quarters!"
"This servant only helped Third Master put on his clothes once!"
"Besides, I was chosen by the old lady to be the Third Master's concubine, how can I be treated as an ordinary maid?"
"Waaaaah..."
"First it was Miss Huaichun, then this servant girl. Does the mistress intend to get rid of everyone around the Third Master before she's satisfied?"
"Today, the concubine is favored and acts recklessly. If the mistress enters the house one day, she will suffer the same fate as us servants."
Li Qu closed her eyes and slumped back in her chair.
Xu Mama's angry shout came: "How dare you! Where did you learn such manners? How dare you speak so disrespectfully!"
Then Li Qu heard Green Fruit cry out twice, as if it had been slapped.
Then, the green fruit's weeping made it seem even more sorrowful.
Suddenly, Green Fruit's voice rose: "Third Master, this servant knows she was wrong. Please give this servant a chance to reform."
Li Qu suddenly opened her eyes and gasped for breath.
Zhou Jin always acted swiftly and decisively.
After hearing Green Fruit call him Third Master, Li Qu never heard Green Fruit utter a single syllable again.
She stood up, straightened her clothes, composed herself, and stepped forward to greet him.
She stepped out of the doorway, and he had already reached the steps.
She spotted Huaiqiu carrying the limp, green fruit and disappearing through the courtyard gate.
She didn't react for a moment, looking in the direction Huaiqiu had disappeared, then at the man who was getting closer and closer.
Zhou Jin, mindful of her gentle nature, offered a rare explanation: "She's too noisy. Knock her out and send her back to Shou'an Hall."
Li Qu breathed a long sigh of relief.
She almost thought Huaiqiu was there to dispose of a body.
Zhou Jin noticed that she looked unwell. As he passed by her, he reached out and took her hand, leading her back to her room. "It's all nonsense. Don't take it to heart."
Her complexion returned to normal, and she helped him remove his outer robe.
She was as virtuous as a concubine in an ordinary family.
He watched as she placed his outer robe on the hanger, then turned back, took the handkerchief from the maid's tray, and waited for him.
He simply washed himself with the water the maid brought him.
She handed him a handkerchief, seemingly in low spirits.
He took the handkerchief from her hand and asked, "What's wrong?"
He casually tossed the handkerchief into the basin and tried to take her hand, but she avoided his touch.
Zhou Jin frowned: "What happened?"
She slowly raised her hand and obediently hooked her index finger into his palm.
"Today, I went to Shou'an Hall to pay my respects to the old lady."
"Upon hearing that you are about to marry a new bride, I felt an unbearable bitterness in my heart. I didn't want to talk to you, yet I didn't want to ignore you. I don't know why."
He felt pleased to hear this, and gently took her soft hand in his, comforting her: "Your future bride is of noble birth and exceptionally well-mannered."
"If you behave properly and respectfully, she will not make things difficult for you."
He added, "I will arrange everything for you and protect your safety, so don't worry."
"But I just don't feel comfortable."
He held her hand and casually changed the subject: "Huai Shuang, the new girl at Jinxiu Hall, is clumsy and took the wrong gift that I gave you."
"I brought it to you, it's on the table. Take a look and see if you like it."
Li Qu raised her hand and punched his chest in annoyance: "How dare you mention gifts, sir!"
He grabbed her hand: "What's wrong? You don't like the dress I mistakenly took?"
A blush immediately spread across her face. She recounted what had happened that morning, and finally threw herself into his arms, crying coquettishly, "How am I supposed to face people now, my lord?"
Zhou Jin couldn't help but smile, "Yes, it's my fault. What are you going to do about it?"
She hadn't expected Zhou Jin to say that. She left his embrace and looked up at him: "Does Your Highness truly wish me an apology?"
He was willing to coax her with, "Mmm."
She went along with it, speaking cautiously and pleadingly, "I miss my parents."
"Okay, go and take care of your parents' affairs tomorrow."
Her eyes lit up, and she became lively.
He looked her over: "Is it my fault?"
She obediently shook her head: "Although I am your person, my family members are completely unrelated to you."
They're not even relatives; they're complete strangers.
This is the current state of society.
The status of a concubine is as low as mud.
"A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. I am in a high position, and I need to know the people around me very well before I can feel at ease."
"It's my fault for not being honest with you sooner, which caused you to misunderstand."
He raised his hand and stroked the smooth, dark hair at the back of her head: "It's good that you understand."
She tentatively asked, "Does Master still have some concerns about not releasing Father and Mother?"
He looked into her clear eyes and said, "Since you are at peace with yourself, it must be nothing serious."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Jishui Lane is a chaotic place. Let your parents move to Qinyuan."
"The scenery there is excellent, suitable for a peaceful pregnancy and health preservation. There are also servants and attendants in the garden, and it is only three streets away from the mansion."
"It will be convenient for you to visit them in the future."
In Hezhou, housing prices decrease as you move outwards from Zhoufu.
Li Qu asked with a smile, "Does Your Excellency intend to give Qinyuan to me as your private property?"
He was extremely generous: "Mm."
She immediately brightened up, boldly cupped his face, and stood on tiptoe to peck at his lips.
"Thank you, sir."
"No need to rush, the thanks are yet to come." He remembered the important matter, "Go to the table and see what good things I brought you."
Judging from the tone of his voice, Li Qu knew he was no good.
He carefully studied her expression, wanting to see how she would react: "Go and see."
She glanced at him with suspicion in her eyes and walked to the table.
She paid no attention to the document placed on the box and tossed it aside.
She bent slightly, half-closed her eyes, and carefully pinched the brass clasp on the box, as if afraid that something inside might suddenly fly out and poke her eyes, extremely cautious.
After seeing it clearly, she lifted the lid.
Exclaimed: "Beautiful!"
Xu Mama, who had been standing to the side in a state of indifference, immediately stepped forward upon hearing this.
"Auntie! It's the gold-inlaid jade you like."
The complete set of eighteen headdresses is extremely magnificent.
My aunt's storeroom has received some new items!
Granny Xu couldn't stop smiling.
Out of appreciation for the exquisite objects, Li Qu picked up a tassel hairpin and marveled at how the craftsman could inlay gold and jade fragments into tassels.
This task is difficult to complete without the utmost patience.
Zhou Jin had already brought the brush, ink, and seal paste and placed them on the table: "Once the mistress enters the house and the concubine is brought along, wearing these will not be considered improper."
"Huh?" Before Li Qu could react, Zhou Jin had already opened the document and pushed it in front of her.
"I should at least give you a proper title."
Li Qu's gaze first moved to his face, and when she saw the unyielding look in his eyes, her heart clenched.
Looking down, the four words "concubine consignment document" appeared starkly in his pupils.
The initial secret joy at his parents' impending release from prison vanished, replaced by a dull and apathetic expression on his freckled face.
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