"Why? What did my third brother's wife say in the letter?"
Guo Honglei stood up, put the military book back on the bookshelf, and approached her with concern, asking, "Did something happen at home?"
Jiang Yushu quickly read the letter and solemnly announced, "Yes, something's happened. My third brother's old illness has relapsed and is serious. He needs high-quality double-petaled snow lotus as a medicine. We've run out of ours, so Xiaoru asked me to buy the medicine. She said she's urgently needing it."
"Is the condition serious?"
"Strange, Azhe is seriously ill, such a big thing, why did my third brother's wife write to tell us? Why didn't other people in the family say anything?" Guo Honglei frowned, worried and confused for a moment.
"It's a bit strange, but the news can't be false. I recognize Xiaoru's handwriting. My guess is that Azhe isn't 'seriously ill'. If he were, his family wouldn't have kept it a secret from us. Xiaoru said they still have snow lotus at home, but only the ordinary kind, which isn't potent enough." Jiang Yushu sighed and handed him the letter. "Take a look. You'll understand."
"Hmm?" Guo Honglei hesitated for a moment and did not immediately reach out to take it.
"Look, Xiaoru didn't write anything else, just asking for help."
Guo Honglei then took it, scanned it carefully, and after reading it, his face darkened and he said angrily, "Fourth brother is such a worry! He caused trouble but didn't have the ability to clean up the mess, and even implicated his brothers. If Ah Zhe—" He paused, "Third brother's illness this time was all Fourth brother's fault! I told you long ago that that courtesan is definitely not someone who's content and sensible. Sure enough, she's started to cause trouble."
"If anything happens to Ah Zhe, the Guo family will not forgive her!"
"Well, forget about the courtesan for now. The most urgent thing is to buy medicine. I'll immediately arrange for someone to buy more high-quality double-petaled snow lotus and send it back home as soon as possible to treat Azhe's illness."
Guo Honglei put down the letter and said, "You take a rest, I—"
"I'm more familiar with medicinal herbs than you are. I'll go and arrange them." Jiang Yushu pushed him to sit down, hurried out, and decided to instruct the steward to collect the medicinal herbs overnight.
Guo Honglei nodded, rubbed his temples, and then calmed down and read the letter from his sister-in-law seriously.
Meanwhile, Hechin
The north wind howled, snowflakes flew, and the winter night was bitterly cold.
Inside the bedroom, the wind blew in through the half-open door, causing the candlelight to flicker and filling the room with dark shadows.
Guo Hongxuan's face darkened as he tugged at his hair in frustration, unable to conceal his anger. He looked down and demanded, "That's ridiculous! You dared to stop my third brother's carriage in the street in the rain and snow? He's naturally frail and suffers from a heart condition. He hates anger, cold, or fatigue. You've caused his old illness to relapse, you know that?"
“I, I—”
"Why are you asking Third Brother about our affairs? Aren't you ashamed to cry in public?"
Tian Susu was full of complaints, her eyes swollen from crying, and she was terrified and asked anxiously, "How is the Third Young Master now? Is he fully recovered?"
"Recovered?" Guo Hongxuan was extremely annoyed, extremely worried, and said, "Heart disease is incurable. Father once consulted all the famous doctors in the capital, but even the imperial physician was unable to help. The doctors all told him to take good care of himself and live as long as possible. He hasn't had a serious illness in recent years, but your disturbance caused a relapse and he's bedridden. Sigh!"
"My mother was very angry and started scolding and beating me. Although my third sister-in-law didn't say anything, she must have blamed me. If my second brother knew, I would definitely not escape being scolded."
"Susu, why have you become so ignorant?"
Have I changed? Haven't you? You're clearly ignoring me on purpose, wanting someone else, and then abandoning me?
Tian Susu felt aggrieved and even suffocated, swallowing her anger silently, "Hongxuan, calm down. I'm sorry, I was wrong. That day, I mistakenly thought it was you in the carriage, and I intercepted it on impulse. It was definitely not intentional—"
Guo Hongxuan, expressionless, interrupted and asked, "How did you know it was the Guo Mansion carriage? Who told you? Could it be... you sent someone to follow me?"
"No, it's not. Have you forgotten? You came to see me several times by car, and I saw you, so I remembered it." She denied it flatly. In fact, she did secretly investigate the other party's whereabouts.
Tian Susu sat there, tears streaming down her face, looking up at the man she considered her lifelong support. Her hands cupped her swollen belly. The once charming and beautiful courtesan had gained noticeable weight after her pregnancy. She choked up and said, "We ran into each other on the street that day. I had no other intentions, I just wanted to see you. We hadn't seen each other for a long time, and I was afraid that after you got married, you would no longer care about me and the child."
Guo Hongxuan turned around in a circle, feeling extremely worried. "A real man should be responsible for his actions and keep his word. I promised to take care of you and the child, so I will definitely do it. Can you please stop thinking about it all the time?"
Tian Susu got into trouble and didn't dare to defend herself. She just nodded while crying.
"The marriage was mother's order. Everything is ready. We will get married next month. I dare not disobey. For you, I don't know how many scoldings and beatings I have endured at home. My kneecaps were almost broken before I got the elders' tacit approval. Otherwise, you might not be able to take care of the baby peacefully." Guo Hongxuan stared at the haggard and swollen woman with a frown. His love was no longer as strong as it was at the beginning.
After knowing each other for a long time, their passion faded and they had frequent quarrels. The more she cried, the more impatient he became. He gradually got tired of women who took advantage of their pregnancy to make so many demands.
But her lover is about to get married, but the bride is not her. How can a woman remain calm?
Tian Susu, a nameless and pregnant woman, was incredibly anxious and jealous, even though she was shrewd. She tried everything she could to keep her lover's heart. She looked up, tears streaming down her face, and said in a daze, "I remember the kindness Fourth Master has shown me. I have no way to repay him, but I will pledge my life to you. I'm so happy for you getting married soon. Miss Liu must be a hundred times better than someone like me. She's the one who deserves to be your wife."
Guo Hongxuan looked at the tearful pregnant woman, sighed tiredly, and softly instructed: "You are you, and Miss Liu is Miss Liu. There is no need to compare. As long as you are willing to follow me, I will take care of you to the end. Susu, you are pregnant, don't cry, take care of yourself, so that you can give birth to a healthy child, understand?"
"Um."
"It's not that I don't want to visit you, but your marriage is imminent, and I'm busy preparing for it. Secondly, my family won't allow me to visit you often. After all... Miss Liu is the magistrate's niece, and she's getting married soon. At this critical juncture, we should see each other less for the time being, to give the Liu family face and to avoid getting Mother angry."
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
"That's right! You should focus on taking care of your baby. It's winter and snowy, so don't go out for a walk."
Tian Susu secretly clenched her fists, her sharp nails digging deep into her palms. She felt a wave of jealousy, her face pale, her eyes rolling, and she said weakly and helplessly, "How can I have the energy to go shopping? Alas, the baby is getting older and older, and it's becoming more and more inconvenient to move around. I almost fell yesterday."
"Huh? Why are you so careless!"
Guo Hongxuan was stunned for a moment, then finally showed concern and asked hurriedly, "Is the child okay? Humph, how did your maid serve him?"
"Fortunately, nothing happened. I only have one maid and two old women here. They are quite diligent, busy from morning till night. There is so much work that they are overwhelmed. You can't blame the servants."
Guo Hongxuan was not stupid. After hearing this, he comforted her: "I'm sorry for my negligence. I'll send an extra servant to take care of you in a few days!"
Tian Susu took the opportunity to test her, "Lian'er, the maid you bought in Qinzhou, was originally given to me, but she took her away after just two days and has been gone for several months. I really like listening to her talk about the customs and people of Qinzhou. Why don't you ask her to come and chat with me to relieve my boredom?"
In reality, Guo Hongxuan had already secretly taken Yang Lian'er in as his concubine. He felt uneasy for a moment, but then calmed down and coaxed her, "Lian'er is a maid in my house. She's registered as a slave and can't be transferred around at will. I'll pick someone else for you. I guarantee she'll be diligent and honest!"
How could Tian Susu not understand what was happening?
Yang Lian'er, you vixen and bitch, really seduced my man!
A Miss Liu who was about to become her lover's wife, a restless maid, made her hate him so much that she almost gritted her teeth, but on the surface she was obedient, "Okay, then I'll wait."
Not long after the conversation, Guo Hongxuan quickly put on his cloak and said apologetically, "It's getting late. You should rest. I have to go home."
"So urgent?"
"Isn't it all your fault? Third brother is sick, and I can't spend the night outside." Guo Hongxuan frowned and thought involuntarily: Even if third brother recovers, I don't want to stay overnight to avoid you taking the opportunity to cry again.
Tian Susu was in the wrong and didn't dare to stop him. She stood up and said, "Okay, I'll take you there—"
"No, no need to see me off! Go to sleep." After saying that, Guo Hongxuan gathered his cloak, strode open the door, and left without looking back.
Tian Susu watched her lover's back disappear and stood there for a long time. The smile and gentleness on her face disappeared.
Suddenly, she raised her arm and swung it hard, sweeping the tea tray on the table to the ground. The porcelain shattered with a "clang clang" sound. In the quiet winter night, the crisp sound was particularly harsh.
The former courtesan gnashed her teeth, her eyes filled with hatred.
At this moment · Guo Mansion
"Cough, cough, cough."
Guo Hongzhe was alone, feeling very sick and drowsy, his lips were slightly purple, and he was coughing incessantly.
"Husband?" Ji Yingru sat down on the edge of the couch, sobbing and leaning over, observing her husband's complexion with concern.
Guo Hongzhe opened his eyes dazedly. "Xiao Ru?" He was startled when he woke up and immediately urged: "Why are you here? I'm sick, and you're pregnant. You shouldn't get close to me. Be careful! Cough, cough, cough—don't cry, I'm fine, it's just an old illness. Hurry up and go back to your room to rest."
"Shh, keep your voice down."
Ji Yingru choked up and said, "I came here secretly because I was afraid that my mother would be unhappy if she knew. I haven't seen you for a few days and I was worried. I wanted to see if you were feeling better."
"Don't worry, I'm much better." Guo Hongzhe covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and waved weakly, his nails turning purple. "Be obedient and stay away from me. You must not get sick."
The couple loved each other deeply, but when her husband fell ill, Ji Yingru was both distressed and anxious. She did not move, but whispered, "The night you fell ill, I wrote to my second sister-in-law, asking her to buy some high-quality double-petaled snow lotus for you to try. I hope it will cure your illness."
"What?"
Guo Hongzhe was stunned for a moment, then his heart warmed and he was moved. "Didn't mother say that there is still snow lotus at home?"
"Doctor Fang said that the double-petaled snow lotus is more effective than the ordinary one. If we have the better one, why use the inferior one?" Ji Yingru was timid by nature and usually wouldn't dare disobey her mother-in-law, but she was unusually brave in this matter. "Anyway, the letter has been sent to Tu Ning. I'm sure my sister-in-law will definitely help us! Even if she upsets her mother-in-law, there's nothing to worry about. At most, she'll just get a few scoldings."
"It's okay. Tell mother tomorrow that I wrote the letter, and she won't blame you."
"Everyone is responsible for their own actions. I'm not afraid!"
Ji Yingru wiped her tears and couldn't help complaining, "Why on earth did Hongxuan have to keep a mistress? That courtesan is so shameless! She was pregnant with an illegitimate child, yet she dared to parade through the streets and stop your carriage in the street. She should have gone to Hongxuan to complain about her grievances and troubles. She knew she stopped the wrong carriage, but she still cried and made you get caught in the rain in the middle of winter and become so sick."
"My fourth brother is very playful and often does things without considering the consequences. In my opinion, he regrets it now, but it's too late. I hope that after he gets married, he will put aside his playful nature and live a down-to-earth life."
Guo Hongzhe raised his hand, wanting to touch his wife's face to comfort her, but quickly retracted his hand, fearing that he would make her sick.
"I really hope my second brother and his wife will come home and teach Hongxuan a lesson."
Guo Hongzhe couldn't help laughing, "The fourth brother is getting married next month, and the second brother will try his best to come back."
Ji Yingru was furious and wished she could see her brother scolding her younger brother right away.
In a blink of an eye, it’s the Little New Year.
In the dead of winter, water turns to ice, and fierce winds sweep heavy snow across the border. The sky and the earth are covered in white, and the snow blocks the road.
In exchange for courtesy, Jiang Yushu braved the snow and went out of the city to personally deliver New Year gifts to the commander of Tu Ningwei, and inspected Sangshan and the silkworm room on the way.
At the foot of Sangshan Mountain, a group of people walked forward with difficulty, stepping on the snow with one foot deep and one foot shallow.
She was wrapped tightly, with only her eyes visible. She held a dry mulberry branch between her leather-gloved fingers. She examined it for a long moment, sighed in disappointment, and said solemnly, "All the mulberry trees on this mountain have frozen to death."
"Let alone surviving the winter, they couldn't even hold out before the first snow fell."
"I worked so hard for a whole year, and all my efforts were in vain."
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