Chapter 93: A Gift to Reiterate
Wu Hua coaxed him, lowering his voice slightly, just like an older brother who cared deeply for his younger brother. He patted Nangong Ling's shoulder and placed his hand on his shoulder, saying, "I know you are the most sensible. Ren Ci killed Father. We can't avenge him today, but there will be plenty of time and other ways. As for Xie Huailing... Mother has her reasons. Don't let this cause any rift with Mother. It took Mother so many years to find us."
But when Nangong Ling looked at Wuhua's face, at the face he had once placed his sincere trust in, he could only hear Xie Huailing's voice.
After the door opened, she knelt down in front of his disheveled state. There was no disgust on her face, only sorrow. This woman, his beloved, truly was the most intelligent woman in the world. He told her why he had betrayed Ren Ci, and then she told him a completely different story from the one Wu Hua had given him.
[...Tianfeng Shisilang came to the martial world back then to find his wife. Shi Guanyin abandoned you and your father, returning alone to the Central Plains to seek revenge. It wasn't Ren Ci who tore your family apart, it was her.]
Nangong Ling couldn't help but defend her mother. It was clearly her mother who couldn't bear to be a burden on her father and was afraid that her father would worry, so she returned to the Central Plains alone to seek revenge. Unfortunately, her father caught up with her and died tragically at the hands of Ren Ci.
Xie Huailing listened quietly to him finish speaking, then gently pointed out the flaw in the story: "If you couldn't bear to be a burden, why didn't you even bother to find an excuse to talk to anyone? Young Master Nangong, don't be used."
She continued, "Not all mothers in the world love their children, nor do all wives love their husbands. The ones who love you most in this world are Chief Ren and Madam Ren. It was Shi Guanyin who hated Madam Ren and tried to ruin her life. With such great power, how come she didn't know where you two brothers were all these years ago, and didn't avenge your father herself, waiting until now? It's because she hates Madam Ren."
"You will be able to verify what I have said in the future. Young Master Nangong, Young Master of the Gang, you possess the most genuine family affection and the brightest future in this world. Don't mistake mud for pearls and ruin yourself. Shi Guanyin and Wuhua won't care much about you. It's not too late to turn back now."
Words that carry little weight carry a heavy burden, leaving a deep mark on Nangong Ling's heart. Xie Huailing deliberately avoided criticizing him, so he listened to almost every word she said, each word carefully crafted before it was uttered. Now, with his plan exposed and his mind unsettled, how could Nangong Ling not be persuaded?
Furthermore, Nangong Ling is certainly not a very upright person. Doesn't he feel any fear? His future is ruined, doesn't he feel any unease? People are selfish after all. Can he accept that the young leader of the Beggars' Sect, who is revered by thousands, is going to flee to the desert? Xie Huailing has undoubtedly provided him with a way out. He can see through the fog and see the true faces of Wuhua and Shi Guanyin.
Therefore, it was only natural that he wavered. Even if he didn't love Xie Huailing, he couldn't help but trust her to some extent. Moreover, Nangong Ling was already in love with her. After hearing what she said, a thousand emotions welled up in his heart and he couldn't control them.
Upon hearing Wu Hua's words, Nangong Ling could no longer genuinely smile. She simply said, "I understand, brother. If Mother has any plans, please give me your instructions."
.
The next day, Su Mengzhen's letter still hadn't arrived, and Xie Huailing was still waiting.
With three or four days left, she wasn't in a hurry. Su Mengzhen possessed impeccable moral character and was expected to challenge the pinnacle of morality among the Jianghu figures of Bianjing. Although he might not be able to become the champion compared to the others from the Divine Marquis's Mansion, he would certainly be more than capable of ranking among the top few. Such a person would definitely not stand her up. The reason Xie Huailing was still dwelling on this matter was that she was wondering what kind of arrangements could have taken Su Mengzhen so long.
Did she make any difficult requests? Probably not.
Even if there were any, Xie Huailing would not reflect on them.
She continued to wait, taking care of some important matters along the way, though important matters shouldn't be done incidentally. In short, her plan was progressing steadily, so steadily that she still had time to attend to other things, managing to squeeze in a trip out with Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou.
Shaman naturally disagreed. What if Shi Guanyin came at this time? But after the incident at the Southern Prince's Mansion, she stopped questioning any of Xie Huailing's decisions. She preferred to think that Xie Huailing knew what he was doing, so even though she had some reservations, she didn't say them. It was only when Xie Huailing chatted with her on the way that she mentioned them.
Lu Xiaofeng went out to buy a boat.
In a few days, it will be the Lantern Festival in Jinan. The river will be filled with lanterns, and crowds will throng the water. Naturally, enjoying the lanterns from a boat will be the most delightful experience. He also wanted to congratulate Xie Huailing on her narrow victory. As for the possibility of Shi Guanyin succeeding, Xie Huailing was so confident that he believed her; Lu Xiaofeng wasn't a pessimistic person. A wanderer's motto is to live life to the fullest, for what is a wanderer if one doesn't seize the day?
Although it was called buying a boat, Lu Xiaofeng had already chosen one: a magnificent vessel made of mahogany. An ordinary small boat would cost no more than one string of cash, but this one cost Lu Xiaofeng a full two hundred strings. Xie Huailing, the head of the household, already knew that diesel fuel was expensive, and that the official boats built by the imperial court specifically for transporting government goods cost only between five hundred and seven hundred strings. Lu Xiaofeng's move could be described as extravagant.
In particular, he paid very readily without mentioning the price or caring whether the vendor had overcharged him. He then waved his hand and called Xie Huailing and Hua Manlou to the next place.
He ordered flowers and bought wine, spending more money than everyone else on the street, as if he were the noble young master from a wealthy family. Hua Manlou, who occasionally reminded him to keep track of the bill, was the real江湖客 (jianghu kè kè, a wandering swordsman). After spending like this, when Xie Huailing went to buy a painting, Lu Xiaofeng, on a whim, reached into his pocket while looking at the paintings in the art gallery, and guess what? It was empty!
Xie Huailing could tell from his eyes that he hadn't found any money. Although Hua Manlou couldn't see, he knew his pockets much better than Lu Xiaofeng. He shook his head and said, "I already told you, you have to be careful with your money and plan ahead. Don't buy everything you see, and don't just spend as much as you want without thinking about anything else."
Lu Xiaofeng wasn't embarrassed at all. He brushed aside his two magical little mustaches and laughed, shifting the blame, "How can it be said that I buy whatever comes to mind? I have a plan too. Besides, why are you only talking about her and not her? Hua Manlou, that's not very kind of you."
He was referring to Xie Huailing, who had spent even more money than him along the way. Xie Huailing was particularly fond of buying expensive items, and while saying he would bring some back for Ren Ci and Qiu Lingsu, he spent all the money.
Unfortunately, his attempt to shift the blame failed because Xie Huailing retorted, "Why bring me up? Is your cousin also surnamed Su?"
Lu Xiaofeng then cried out, realizing that he had forgotten Xie Huailing never spent his own money.
However, his shouting did have an effect. Xie Huailing, feeling ashamed of him, slapped a silver note on the counter and said to the waiter, "Settle the bill."
The waiter, who had been busy for a while only to be met with a penniless fellow, was immediately relieved and took the silver note, bowing even lower: "Alright, I'll go get it for you three right away. You want the portrait of a beauty sent from Bianjing, and this young master wants three landscape paintings by painter Zhou, right?"
Xie Huailing said yes, and the waiter nodded repeatedly, then glanced at the amount on the banknote. At the bottom of the banknote, he saw a "Su" character mark, which flashed before his eyes, seemingly just an illusion, yet it was definitely not an illusion.
The waiter's eager expression faltered, as if a pebble had been dropped into a lake. The lake remained still, and his expression returned to normal. He simply walked upstairs with even faster steps.
Xie Huailing glanced at the waiter out of the corner of her eye, only turning her attention back after seeing him go upstairs. This was a hidden spot of the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion; she had come to retrieve something personally.
Lu Xiaofeng was still chattering away beside him, his words seemingly endless. He was telling Hua Manlou that money is meant to be spent, trying to persuade him with his theories. It would be strange if Hua Manlou were to fall for his words. He chuckled and replied, "This time Huailing is there to back you up, but what about next time? What if you can't come up with money next time? Lu Xiaofeng, oh Lu Xiaofeng, you're too carefree."
“There’s always a way next time. There’s always a way. Even if we can’t get it out, it’s just a matter of taking a stroll around town.” Lu Xiaofeng didn’t care much. He was the type who would rather buy a smile than have ten thousand taels of gold.
Although the two couldn't agree on anything, neither intended to persuade the other. After Hua Manlou made a few more teasing remarks, the topic flew like a bird to Xie Huailing. Just then, the waiter brought over the paintings, and Lu Xiaofeng leaned against Xie Huailing, asking, "I didn't expect you to have ordered a painting of a beauty in advance. Miss Xie, you certainly have the leisure and refined taste. What kind did you order?"
Lu Xiaofeng was truly an expert among experts in this regard. Xie Huailing rolled her eyes at him slightly, turned away, and untied the ribbon on the scroll: "Don't even think about it, I won't show it to you."
She shielded the painting with her body, and Lu Xiaofeng wasn't really interested in seeing it, only catching a fleeting glimpse. The scroll depicted a beautiful woman turning her head, standing gracefully amidst a tree full of snow. He only caught a glimpse of her silhouette, but he remembered her figure, more radiant in the snow and more beautiful in the frost, and her eyes, which seemed to hold a thousand fleeting dreams of beauty. He immediately remarked with a smile, "She is indeed a peerless beauty, but why are you hiding it? What use can a painting be? Perhaps you have some connection with the person in the painting?"
“It’s possible.” Xie Huailing tied the scroll back up and said calmly, “It will happen sooner or later. But that day will definitely not be a pleasant one for her.”
After saying that, she handed the scroll to Shaman and whispered in her ear that she should put the scroll and the things she gave to Qiu Lingsu together and not make a special difference when she returned them to the Beggars' Sect.
This was almost clearly a deliberate attempt to trick the Beggars' Sect into making a mistake, so that the painting would be delivered to Qiu Lingsu.
When this painting reached Qiu Lingsu's eyes, it naturally ended up in front of another person as well. After all, they were such good friends that Qiu Lingsu always stayed with her day and night, and would occasionally neglect Ren Ci.
It was evening of the second day, and Xie Huailing was silently counting in his mind.
This is also another countdown signal.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com