Chapter 66: No Way to Flow Away Spring (4) Ali baby, I miss you so much...
The morning mist was thick and everything had changed. The sky was getting whiter and whiter, like a layer of frosting. The wind had died down, but the drizzle remained.
The courtyard door was closed, and Lu Guanque knelt in the rain all night, silent and speechless.
He had always known that mistakes meant punishment, but the person he was facing wasn't someone else, but the one closest to his heart. So what he did, and the only thing he could do, was to take the initiative to atone. Conversely, the prerequisite for her to forgive him was that he take the initiative to bear everything she had endured.
Although she didn't say anything, Lu Guanque saw her handing him the umbrella as a sign of atonement. She had given him a chance, so he should seize it and not let it go.
The last time he knelt from day to night was when he asked for her hand in marriage. The late emperor disliked the Meng family, and upon learning of this, he scolded him harshly, "Your grandmother's promise of marriage is void. I've already found someone for you, so why do you insist on marrying the Meng family's daughter?"
Lu Guanque didn't care. No matter where she was, what her status was, or whether she loved him or not, he would only have her as his wife. He had always loved her, and even when he drank the poisoned wine, she was the only one who came to his mind.
But now that he found her, he discovered that when he was in pain, she was also in pain, and even more painful than him.
Therefore, if he wanted to talk to her calmly, he could only take action immediately to show her his sincerity, even if she would blame herself.
The gate opened, Lu Guanque raised his eyes, tears streaming down his face through the rain: "Ali... I'm sorry..."
The streets were deserted, the sky gloomy, and it looked like a torrential downpour was about to begin. Meng Xuanli gazed into the distance. Lu Guanque's back was bent, his black hair soaked, strands clinging to his cheeks as the rain streamed down his face, uninterrupted.
Meng Xuanli held an umbrella and walked over to him. He squatted carefully and said in a calm tone, "Kneeling all night, is it worth it?"
Lu Guanque felt a lump in his throat and opened his mouth, but due to the high fever, he couldn't speak. He could only nod, indicating that it was worth it.
Meng Xuanli looked at the umbrella beside him and asked, "You don't hold an umbrella, do you think your life is too long? I don't want to take another life on my shoulders." After a pause, she stood up and said with relief, "Go back and take a shower, change clothes, and come find me later."
In the heavy rain, Lu Guanque slowly stood up, used the umbrella as a crutch, and left here step by trembling step.
Not long after, Lu Guanque appeared in Meng Xuanli's room, looking quite clean. She was a little incredulous: "So soon?" Realizing she shouldn't ask, she added: "Drink some ginger soup to drive away the cold."
Lu Guanque found a chair and sat down, holding his porcelain bowl. He drank while listening to Meng Xuanli say, "Last May, the weather was very hot and I was freezing cold. You always held me... in your arms to warm me. It seemed like it was the second or third day when you suddenly changed your ways and stopped sleeping with me."
"It lasted for about a month. Later, I went to a banquet at the He family and overheard that you were going to marry Miss Zheng. Maybe because I loved you so much at the time, I didn't quite believe it. But later, your attitude and your words made me believe it."
"Then, around September, I heard the news in Lingnan that you had passed away in Dongdu. I was pregnant with Tongtong at the time, and I was subconsciously a little worried. But after thinking about it carefully, I felt that it was better for you to die. At least I can still remember the good things about you."
"On the night Tongtong was born, many bandits came here. I thought my mother and I were going to die. Then a man from the underworld showed up and saved us. He didn't say a word the whole time. I guess he didn't dare to speak."
"And Madam Zhang, she clearly has a northern accent, but she keeps claiming to be from Lingnan. I originally thought it was Wei Yuan, but when I met you yesterday, I realized..."
"It's all you."
Meng Xuanli leaned back and stared at him. "So, you betrayed me and then came to protect me. Was the source of your betrayal my illness? Or was it something else?"
"Both." Lu Guanque finished his drink and put down the bowl. "Many years ago, you suffered from an eye disease. Do you remember?"
Meng Xuanli's face was solemn, not quite clear about the connection between these things: "I remember, and then what?"
"The person who treated you was Su He." Lu Guanque's eyes were red as he spoke slowly, "He poisoned you at the time."
"You won't notice any signs of it in the short term, but over time, you'll feel cold all over, and slowly, within a month or two, you'll die quietly."
"We all thought he was dead, but it was actually his body double who died. Later, when you became ill, he came to me and threatened me with your life. I couldn't bear to see you die, nor could I let history repeat itself, so I had no choice but to accept his poisoned wine."
"For you, I am willing, even if you blame me and hate me later."
Meng Xuanli was stunned for a moment, then said, "Even if you did it for me, why didn't you discuss it with me? Why did you say those hurtful words? Why did you drive me away?"
"Ali, if I discuss this with you, how could you possibly watch me die, considering your love for me? Conversely, I would feel the same way. I can't tell you because I don't want to embarrass you."
"So, I agreed to Su He's conditions, but I also know that Su He will not let you live in peace." Lu Guanque was concise.
"To ensure you could reach Lingnan safely, I was utterly exhausted for a month, calculating the itinerary and weather over and over again. I even calculated your encounter with Wei Yuan... well, I did it in advance."
Meng Xuanli stood up and flatly denied it, "That's impossible. Wei Yuan and I just met by chance." After a pause, she suddenly realized that the journey south had been surprisingly smooth, as if it had been carefully planned, and that person was right in front of her...
Meng Xuanli stared at him with tears in his eyes. Lu Guanque smiled faintly and asked teasingly, "Is the booklet I gave you still there?"
Seeing that he was still able to laugh and joke, Meng Xuanli felt relieved, thinking that he was not seriously ill. She kept a cold face and said distantly, "What does this have to do with you?"
"How can it have nothing to do with me? I wrote that booklet." Lu Guanque supported himself, walked in front of her, and squatted on one knee.
Meng Xuanli frowned and didn't look at him: "What are you doing? Stay away from me, I don't want to see you."
Lu Guanque's face flushed, and his eyes looked especially gentle: "It's okay. Ah Li doesn't want to see you, so I'll just hide. But don't chase me away, okay?"
Meng Xuanli sneezed, as if she'd caught his infection, but she hadn't. Knowing Lu Guanque, she was wary of his words. "Isn't it time to kick you out? As a Duke, what can you do if you stay? Can you clean the yard, chop wood, fetch water, or even take care of the baby?"
"You can't do anything." Meng Xuanli's expression remained unchanged as he ordered them to leave. "Duke, we are now even. Let's part ways amicably."
This was not the result Lu Guanque wanted. He shook his head and said almost pleadingly: "No, I won't leave. I can't do it, but I can learn. I can do anything. I don't want to be clear with you. I want to be with you."
"I won't have any complaints, nor will I have any other thoughts. I'll do whatever Ali says. If anyone asks me, I'll just say... just say, I'm the servant Ali hired."
"Don't chase me away, okay?" Lu Guanque smiled bitterly, as if only in this way could he be chosen by her.
"Lu Guanque, when did you become such a scoundrel?" Meng Xuanli said calmly, "There's no reason to continue with something I've refused. Go away now."
The look in Lu Guanque's eyes when he looked at her was filled with not only love but also loss and sadness. He paused for a long time and murmured, "I have no home anymore."
"I don't know where I can go, where else I can go. I thought that if I found you, I could take care of you, and I could..."
As he spoke, tears fell, scalding Meng Xuanli awake. She pulled her hand away and hurriedly wiped it away: "You..." She was about to say, "Don't cry," but after thinking about it, she felt that this was a comforting word.
She couldn't comfort him yet: "You don't have to leave, but I won't treat you as a friend or family member." The implication was that he should stay as a servant.
Lu Guanque smiled, his eyes shining. Perhaps because he was very excited, he lowered his head and rested his forehead on her palm.
Meng Xuanli was panicked and spoke subconsciously: "Is there a servant like you? Who dares to do this? Are you tired of living, or..." Before she finished speaking, she felt a hot wetness on her palm: "Do you have a fever?"
In reality, Lu Guanque had just squatted down because he couldn't hold on any longer. He was barely breathing, his lips horribly red. Meng Xuanli struggled to help him up. Lu Guanque swayed slightly, leaning against her shoulder, mumbling, "Ali, don't chase me away, please..."
Meng Xuanli paused and lowered her brows. Lu Guanque closed his eyes, blinked his long eyelashes slightly, and his hot breath sprayed on her neck, making her feel itchy and hot.
Meng Xuanli wanted to help him go back, but he was no match for him in strength, so he could only help him stagger to the bed in the inner room.
After a lot of tossing and turning, Lu Guanque took the medicine and fell into a coma.
Meng Xuanli sat on the edge of the bed, leaned over and touched his forehead, which was still frighteningly hot. "I really don't know if you're pretending or not. You have such a high fever, and you can still talk so much... What other servant is like you? You let the master take care of you before you even start work."
Meng Xuanli glanced at him, then stood up and left. Almost at the same time, Lu Guanque grabbed her wrist and, with great force, brought her to the bed. She cried out in surprise, and Lu Guanque hugged her tightly through the quilt: "Ali baby, I missed you so much..."
Meng Xuanli's face was steaming hot, and his earlobes were red as blood: "Lu Guanque, if you continue like this, get out of here right now."
"I can't leave. I'm sick. Maybe if you hold me, I'll get better." Lu Guanque buried his face in her neck and breathed softly.
Meng Xuanli opened her eyes wide, pushed him away with a thud, and sat up. She said unhappily, "Just pretend."
"You're leaving. Don't you want me anymore?" Perhaps because of his illness, his voice sounded fragile.
Meng Xuanli avoided his black eyes: "You have no self-awareness, you deserve to be sick." After that, she slammed the door and left with a frighteningly loud sound.
Lu Guanque's eyes were blurry, but he was still somewhat conscious. He lay in bed, his whole body burning. He covered his face with the quilt and took a deep breath. All his memories of her came back.
#
After recovering from his illness, Lu Guanque came early every day, first cooking for the mother and daughter, then cleaning the courtyard. Because the climate in Lingnan is humid, the locals often drink soup, and Meng Xuanli has a weak spleen and stomach, Lu Guanque would go buy fresh ingredients before dawn.
That morning, Lu Guanque came in with soup. Since Meng Xuanli never spoke to him after that day, he usually put the soup down and left.
But Meng Xuanli was a little different today. She called him and said calmly, "Lu Guanque, there's something I need to tell you."
Lu Guanque stopped when he heard the voice, turned around and sat on the chair, looking at her opposite: "What's the matter?" He felt inexplicably flustered, and his mind was full of bad things.
"I'll go to the pharmacy in a few days." Meng Xuanli said calmly, "I'll leave the child to you."
Lu Guanque breathed a sigh of relief and said bluntly, "I'll take care of Tongtong, you can go without worry."
Meng Xuanli was stunned for a moment, not expecting him to agree so quickly. She calmly arranged, "Okay, there's a vacant room. You can move in."
Meng Xuanli emphasized: "Don't think too much, I'm just thinking about the child. I would be worried if Fuyao and I come back late and the child is alone. Besides, as her..." She didn't say the rest of the words because she felt that he knew.
The sunlight streamed in, and Lu Guanque's eyes were filled with a smile, as if floating on a layer of flowers. "I didn't think much of it." He supported his chin with his hand and looked into her eyes. "Try the soup."
"Oh..." Meng Xuanli said coldly, "Go out."
Even though Lu Guanque didn't mention it, Meng Xuanli could guess that, given his status, he would have to return in the future. She had never asked about his marriage, not because she didn't want to, but because she was afraid that if she did, she wouldn't be able to bear the consequences.
Instead of worrying about this, it would be better to take advantage of this time to let the father and daughter keep in touch more. When Tongtong grows up and asks who her father is, she can also recall some memories and tell him something.
His vision flickered as Meng Xuanli finished his soup, stood up and left.
#
When Lu Guanque moved in the next day, the large number of boxes and the grand scale of the scene attracted the attention of the neighbors. Meng Xuanli had no choice but to show up and say that he was a distant relative who was staying with him for a few months.
Meng Xuanli felt restless, but Lu Guanque seemed relaxed, even saying he had brought so many things because he was worried she and her daughter would suffer. Meng Xuanli waved her hand, unconvinced, but ultimately didn't take it to heart.
One day, after Meng Xuanli finished breakfast and exchanged a few words with Lu Guanque, she went to the pharmacy. She lifted the curtain and saw Anxiang weighing medicine behind the counter. She smiled and said, "Why are you here so early today?"
"The weather is getting more and more stuffy. I'm worried that the medicinal herbs will go bad, so I thought I'd come earlier so I can help my wife." Anxiang raised her eyes, but her hands did not stop.
Meng Xuanli walked to her side and looked down at her: "Then I'll go to the back storehouse to count the herbs. I have to go to the city when I have time."
An Xiang nodded: "Go ahead, my lady. I'll watch here."
Shortly after Meng Xuanli left, several burly men came in and shouted in a gruff voice, "Who's your shopkeeper? Call him out and see what kind of good medicine you're selling!"
An Xiang's heart tightened, and she quickly put down the medicine, looked up, and said with an apologetic smile: "What's the matter? Let's talk it out."
One of the burly men slammed the medicine bag on the counter and snorted, "What's wrong? My brother has diarrhea. He's been following this prescription and it always works. It never fails."
"But a few days ago, he thought your medicine was good. After taking it, not only did the symptoms not improve, but they got worse. Now he's lying at home and can't get up. There must be something wrong with your medicine!"
The people behind him immediately echoed him, their voices getting louder and louder, causing people on the street to stop and start gossiping.
Meng Xuanli came over from the backyard upon hearing the noise, shook his head at Anxiang, and cast his gaze upon the group of people. He said calmly, "Everyone, please be patient."
"Since you say there's something wrong with our medicine, do you have any evidence? Words alone are not enough. We can't just assume everything you say is true."
The burly man's eyes widened, his neck stiff, as he said, "Evidence? Look at what's on the counter? I bought this medicine from you, even the packaging is the same. Are you still trying to deny it?"
Meng Xuanli didn't argue any further. She walked behind the counter, untied the rope, and poured the herbs inside onto the counter. Her movements were calm and her expression was focused, not at all affected by those people.
The medicine packets were scattered, and most of them were herbs for treating diarrhea, so there was nothing wrong with that.
Those people showed smug looks on their faces, as if they had caught something.
Meng Xuanli frowned, picked up a few herbs, examined them carefully against the light, and sniffed them cautiously. After a moment, she stood up and looked at the burly men with a clear, sharp gaze. "Are you sure this package of medicine was all taken from our pharmacy?"
"Of course, it's yours!" The strong man was a little lacking in confidence.
Meng Xuanli picked up a few dark-colored herbs and said word by word, "These herbs look like they're from our family, but if you look closely, the color isn't right, the bitterness isn't right, not to mention the texture."
She paused. "Since our shop opened, all medicinal materials have been selected from reputable pharmacies. The quality is guaranteed, and there are absolutely no inferior goods like this. Your package of medicine is mixed with at least 30% inferior products. Unless, you did it on purpose..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the people watching on the street began to whisper, full of suspicion towards these people.
The faces of several strong men were connected as one, sometimes like white clouds, sometimes like blue clouds. No matter what kind of clouds they were, they were all very ugly.
They were hired by the Zhendong Pharmacy and deliberately bought some good medicine here and mixed it with inferior herbs, hoping to smear the reputation of their pharmacy. Unexpectedly, after a few times, some medicine packages were mixed up, and the medicine package with the most inferior herbs was taken over, and they were discovered on the spot.
"You...you're talking nonsense! It's obvious that you're selling inferior goods as good ones!"
Meng Xuanli said no more. He picked out the inferior herbs and set them aside. He smiled and said, "Whether right or wrong, good or bad, will be judged by the public. If you still insist that there's something wrong with our herbs, then we can go to the government office and ask the officials and relevant personnel to come and identify them."
"If it's our fault, we're willing to compensate tenfold and close the door to apologize. But if someone deliberately framed us, whether it's someone from Guangzhou or Dongdu, I will sue them to the end."
Several strong men wilted like day lilies in an instant. They were just doing the job for money, so how could they dare to see the officials?
"You're so cruel. Let's go!" The leader was smart enough. He grabbed the medicine bag on the counter and left in shame.
Meng Xuanli pursed his lips, lowered his eyes to look at Anxiang, and said, "These people are quite interesting. They put on a show, took away the good ones, and left all the bad ones for me."
An Xiang laughed: "My lady, go ahead and do your work. I'll clean this up."
"good."
Meanwhile, at the tea stall across from the medicine shop, Lu Guanque, dressed in a modest robe and a bamboo hat, held Tongtong in his arms. Even though Meng Xuanli distanced herself from him, Lu Guanque still secretly watched her as usual. Just now, he really wanted to rush in and protect her.
But he discovered that here, with her own abilities, she was not only able to stand on her own, but also to be self-sufficient and seek inner peace.
She didn't seem to need him anymore.
Seeing that the situation had calmed down, Lu Guanque remained silent, his mood slightly depressed. For a moment, he was distracted, and suddenly felt abandoned by her. He lowered his head. Tongtong was sleeping soundly. Her eyebrows and eyes resembled hers, and her chin resembled his. This child was probably their only connection at the moment.
After feeling depressed for an unknown amount of time, Lu Guanque stood up silently while holding the child and left the tea stall without making a sound.
The sky was dark, and people were hurrying along the streets. Not long after Meng Xuanli returned, a heavy rain began to fall. She changed into clean clothes, sat at the table, and sipped her porridge.
Fuyao was holding the child beside her, telling the story of what happened in the drugstore during the day as if she was reading from a notebook.
Lu Guanque sat down below, eating quietly. After a while, he seemed to hear the child whimpering. He put down the porcelain bowl, stood up naturally, took the child, and patted him gently.
Hearing the child gradually quiet down in his arms, Meng Xuanli's eyes moved slightly.
Lu Guanque warned in a low voice, "I'm afraid today's matter won't end here."
Meng Xuanli looked up. Lu Guanque's profile appeared exceptionally gentle under the light. He held Tongtong in his arms, pacing back and forth as he analyzed the situation in detail, "These merchants, driven by their desire to monopolize and seize business, possess unfathomable desire and courage."
"If they see that the open approach doesn't work, they'll definitely resort to covert tactics. Pay close attention to the people coming in and out of the shop these days."
Meng Xuanli thought about it for a while and felt that it made perfect sense: "I understand. I will ask Anxiang and Fuyao to be more careful."
Lu Guanque said no more, placed the child in the cradle, and said softly, "I'll go wash the dishes."
Watching him leave, Meng Xuanli felt a little dazed. Fuyao, standing beside her, couldn't help but sigh, "My wife, since the Duke came, my life has become much easier. He does everything from chopping wood, fetching water, cleaning, and taking care of Tongtong."
"I can't believe that the Duke would be so humble as to do this."
Meng Xuanli didn't say anything. She knew very well that for a man as precious as him, doing all these things was a torture for him.
However, he was completely different now, so different that she was a little worried that he hadn't really changed.
He shouldn't threaten anyone anymore, right?
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The author has something to say: Double update
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