"Sir, you have good eyesight." Song Qiao glanced at Lanhua, then stepped forward and apologized, "I'm sorry for neglecting you."
"Hey, I came without saying hello and offended your guests."
"It's okay, he's an uninvited guest."
Wen Hui had long felt that there was something unusual between Song Qiao and Madam Lu, so upon hearing her speak, she curiously asked, "What is your connection with Madam Lu?"
Song Qiao had nothing to hide from Wen Hui, "She is my biological mother."
"I see." Wen Hui understood.
He had been to the Lu family's remarriage banquet. At the banquet, he had heard people mention that the second wife of Lu was remarried after a divorce, but he didn't know that her ex-husband's family was the Song family.
Seeing Song Qiao's attitude towards Madam Lu, Wen Hui asked tentatively, "Are you not on good terms with her?"
"Yeah." Song Qiao lowered his head. "After she left home, she cut off all ties with me and my father. I don't know why she came back recently."
Wen Hui guessed, "Maybe he wants to reconcile with you."
"Not entirely." Song Qiao glanced sideways, touched Shibajiao's sword blade, and said bitterly: "Besides, although I have a history with her, we have never been good friends."
Wen Hui sighed, seeing that it was yet another injustice.
"Mr. Wen."
"Zhuchun?" Wen Hui turned around and saw Hu Xu standing at the door. She asked in surprise, "Why are you here too? Come in and talk."
Hu Xu walked in, greeted Wen Hui, and then replied, "I also live in this alley, just across the street."
Wen Hui was surprised and said, "What a coincidence! It turns out you and Madam Song are neighbors."
Hu Xu smiled slightly, then looked at Song Qiao and asked, "Are you okay?"
"It's okay." Song Qiao shook his head and asked again: "Did you see her?"
"I said hello and exchanged a few words."
Song Qiao was slightly startled, then said, "See you next time, no need to bother with me."
It seems that Song Qiao also knows that Madam Lu will not give up and will probably continue to pester him.
Hu Xu warned: "You should also be careful, she must have other purposes in coming to you."
"What did she say to you?"
“It’s not explicitly stated.”
Wen Hui's eyes rolled back and forth between the two of them, and then she asked Hu Xu, "Does Zhu Chun also know this Madam Lu?"
"I've met him two or three times, but I'm not very familiar with him." Hu Xu asked, "Do you know him too, sir?"
"I'm not very familiar with them, but I did have some friendship with the old man from her husband's family, the Lu family. But after the old man passed away, I rarely interacted with his family."
At this point, Wen Hui couldn't help but say a few more words, "The people behind the Lu family are short-sighted and not as clear-headed as the old man. They're obsessed with scheming and currying favor with the rich and powerful. This time, because of the relationship with the Minister of Revenue, they almost lost their job, but they still don't know how to behave. Recently, there have been rumors that Lu Sizhu has delegated some court duties to the Wei family."
"The Wei family?" Hu Xu asked, "Is it the wealthy Wei family?"
"That's right." Wen Hui nodded. "The Wei family was implicated this time, and many of their properties were closed down. But a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Plus, the forces behind them are so intertwined, there are many who want to take advantage of the opportunity to win them over. This Lu Sizhu is obviously also thinking about this."
Wen Hui shook her head as she spoke, "At a time when the situation is critical, yet they still act in such a way that goes against the will of the Holy Emperor. The Lu family's fate will not last long."
Thinking of her deceased old friend, Wen Hui couldn't help but sigh.
Hu Xu was cautious about what Wen Hui said, and thought that since he had some free time tomorrow, he might as well go and ask Lou Yunchun about it, as no one knew more about the matter than him.
Wen Hui looked at Song Qiao and said to her, "Madam Lu is your mother. I shouldn't interfere in your mother-daughter affairs, but I just heard you mention that she seems to have other intentions, so I want to remind you. It's best for you to have less contact with the Lu family and don't let them get involved."
Song Qiao nodded and said, "Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will keep an eye on it." She had no intention of having any contact with him anyway.
Hu Xu also said to Song Qiao: "If she comes to see you again, you must tell me."
Song Qiao's heart was filled with ripples. She stared at Hu Xu, recalling the conversation with her father in the mountains. Many words came to her lips, but she suppressed them and just nodded to Hu Xu.
It is hard for him to imagine what the young man and woman mean when they are so in tune with each other.
Wen Hui stroked his beard and smiled, then called to Hu Xu, "Zhu Chun, why don't you sit down and talk?"
Hu Xu did not refuse and sat down as he was told.
Seeing that the two wanted to talk for a long time, Song Qiao said, "I'll go make tea."
"Thank you, thank you." After thanking her, Wen Hui said to Hu Xu, "I just went to the bookstore and discussed the orchid book with the shopkeeper Xu. She proposed a new idea that I really like. Come, come, let me talk to you about it."
Hu Xu followed Song Qiao to the backyard until he was blocked by the door. Then he came back to his senses and said to Wen Hui, "I am all ears."
Song Qiao went to the backyard to light a fire and make tea. Listening to the vague conversation between Hu Xu and Wen Hui outside, he couldn't help but stare at the flames and think that Hu Xu seemed to care about him a lot recently.
Hu Xu was a kind person, and in the three years they had lived next door to each other, he had helped her a lot. She knew it was out of pity, but she couldn't help but be moved, holding on to a glimmer of hope and fantasy.
But after learning that he had a lover, this bit of luck and fantasy disappeared.
Later, he became the top scorer in the imperial examination. The difference in status caused the distance between them to grow even wider. If she hadn't met Xu Jiang and Mr. Wen and agreed to help them edit the orchid book, she and Hu Xu would probably have become strangers long ago.
Being close to Hu Xu again made her heart flutter, but she never dared to move forward because she couldn't tell whether Hu Xu admired her or pitied her.
She has been miserable enough and doesn't want to be sentimental anymore.
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