Chapter 96: Meeting an Old Friend in a Foreign Land (Part 2)
At noon, a major incident occurred in the palace. Wei Shuiyun, the daughter of the Taiwei family, fell into the water.
It was said that she was feeding fish alone in the waterside pavilion when she fell into the water. Her maidservant had just gone back to get some snacks, and there was no one to look after her. Wei Shuiyun struggled in the water for a long time, barely breathing, before she was rescued.
After being fished out, Miss Wei was like a possessed person, talking nonsense, saying that there was a ghost in the water and she saw a ghost.
Mrs. Wei was horrified, and Concubine Wei also came to visit in person, but Wei Shuiyun was afraid of everyone she saw and started shouting.
Some people said that Wei Shuiyun was possessed by evil spirits.
"How could you be possessed by evil spirits out of nowhere?"
"Who knows? Maybe he ran into something dirty."
hiss--
The ladies hurriedly dispersed, fearing that they would be implicated if they got too close.
"Sister Luo, you said earlier that you would invite her to the Chrysanthemum Banquet when you return to the capital. Will you still invite her then? If so, I dare not go."
Miss Luo said, "How can I invite her if she's like this? Forget me, who else in the capital would dare to invite her in the future?"
"Isn't it?" others echoed.
At noon, Pei Xingju returned to Lingxiaoyuan from the government office and also heard the news.
It's just that he knows more than others.
The secret guard respectfully reported, "The waterside pavilion is close to Changtai Palace, just across from it. Prince Liang was basking in the sun in the palace at the time."
Pei Xingju's expression was calm.
The secret guard continued, "I personally saw Prince Liang's guard Xichang fly across the waterside pavilion."
"Xichang's Kung Fu is so strong that he can climb walls and jump over rooftops like the wind. Not to mention Miss Liang, even I can only see a shadow passing by."
Chen Yi was also sitting nearby. After listening, he thoughtfully asked Pei Xingju, "Should we disclose this to Wei Taiwei?"
It will be a good show to watch when Wei Taiwei faces off against Duke Xin.
Pei Xingju unexpectedly said, "No need. It would be good for Miss Wei to learn a lesson."
"?"
Lessons? What lessons?
Chen Yi was confused: "Are you planning something that I don't know about?"
Pei Xingju said nothing, and waved for the servant to come in and serve the meal. He was a little hungry after a busy morning.
Chen Yi also sat over, but after just two bites, he started to complain: "The chef in the palace is too bad. He can't even compare to Miss Zhuang's cooking skills."
Pei Xingju was chewing his rice, and suddenly it felt like chewing wax. He said angrily, "Are you going to eat or not? If not, put down your chopsticks."
"Eat, eat anywhere." Chen Yi continued to eat, then remembered something and asked, "By the way, I haven't seen Miss Zhuang for two days. Where did she go?"
Pei Xingju couldn't eat anymore, so he put down his chopsticks and went to read a book.
.
Zhuang Wan followed the Liang family's merchant ship all the way south. After about five or six days, the merchant ship stopped at a place called Hui'an.
The boatman told me that Hui'an was one of the most prosperous prefectures in southern China, also known as the hometown of silk. It was famous throughout China because every household here raised silkworms and spun silk.
She thought about it and decided to say goodbye to the caravan and stay here.
Zhuang Wan first bought two sets of men's clothing from a tailor shop, disguised herself as a man, and then went to find a security company. The security company traveled extensively, and it was safest to follow them.
She spent five taels of silver and discussed with the escort leader to leave with them.
So, after another five or six days, she came to a small county called Luyang.
This county town faces the sea to the east and is somewhat remote, where most people make their living by fishing. On his way here, Zhuang Wan saw the coastal islands and felt the pleasant sea breeze, which delighted him, so he decided to stay.
That night, Zhuang Wan stayed in the only inn in the county town.
"Boss, are there any pawnbrokers in the county?"
The inn is run by a young couple. It is said that the inn was left by their elders and has been run by two generations, and is still being run by the couple's generation.
The husband was in his early twenties, dark-skinned, and honest. Seeing Zhuang Wan, dressed in men's clothing but looking better than a woman, he dared not even glance at her.
He lowered his head and said embarrassedly, "Sir, which trade do you want to ask about?"
Zhuang Wan said, "I moved here from far away and wanted to rent a place to live."
His wife came in from the back door at this time. Upon hearing what he had said, she immediately came up to him and asked in detail, "Sir, would you like to rent a house? What are your requirements for it?"
Zhuang Wan: "I don't have any requirements. Just a clean, spacious place with a yard to plant some flowers and plants."
"Oh, then you've come to the right person," the woman said. "Sir, there's no need to ask a broker. I'll take you to see the place tomorrow."
She said, "It's not far away, just across the alley from our inn. The family is kind and warm, and the house is kept spotless. If the owner wasn't ill and short of money, he wouldn't have rented out the house."
Zhuang Wan was delighted when she heard this: "Thank you very much. In that case, please take me to see it tomorrow."
The next day, Zhuang Wan woke up early, had breakfast, and waited for the woman. Later, he learned her name was Yunniang, a local native who was warm and hospitable and was known as the most beautiful woman in the county.
Zhuang Wan praised her for her good looks. Yunniang smiled shyly and took her to see the house.
The house is very nice. There is a spacious courtyard as soon as you enter the door. In the middle of the courtyard is a large water tank with a red carp and a turtle in it.
To the west of the courtyard were the kitchen and warehouse, and to the north were three rooms, the center of which was the main room, which connected to the left and right bedrooms. In the backyard were the firewood room and toilet, and two osmanthus trees were planted.
Zhuang Wan walked around the house, feeling quite satisfied. Finally, her eyes stopped at a newly built wall on the east side.
She asked, "What's that over there?"
Yunniang said, "Oh, this house was originally a joint venture between two institutions, and there are a few wing rooms on the east side. Didn't I tell you yesterday that the original owner of the house was ill and short of money, so he wanted to rent out half of the house, and they will live there."
"Don't worry," Yunniang said, "this wall is solid. It won't bother you at all."
Fearing that Zhuang Wan might be unhappy, she hurriedly said, "If you mind, could I help you negotiate the price?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a childish voice at the door, half suspicious and half surprised, calling out: "Sister Ruyi?"
The two turned around and saw a little girl about eight or nine years old standing at the door.
When she saw Zhuang Wan, she ran in happily, "It really is Sister Ruyi."
"Mom!" She turned her head and said, "The one who rented our house is Sister Ruyi."
Zhuang Wan tried hard to recall.
The name Zhuang Ruyi was given to him when he escaped. At that time, he was following Lin Gui's caravan and riding in a carriage with a mother and daughter.
She remembered and couldn't help but be surprised: "What a coincidence, Erya, this is your home?"
Erya nodded: "Yes, we are from Luyang and used to live here."
Erya's mother came in with a winnowing basket. She was surprised to see Zhuang Wan in men's clothing, but then she laughed, "Miss Zhuang, I didn't expect it to be you."
Later, Zhuang Wan learned from Erya's mother that Erya's father was ill and could not work in the caravan, so the family of three decided to return to their hometown to settle down, which was the courtyard where they originally lived.
As the saying goes, we meet each other all the time. When Zhuang Wan saw Erya and her mother, she felt a sense of intimacy as if she had met an old friend in a foreign land.
It also gave her more expectations and warmth in this strange little town.
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