Meanwhile, in the east wing of the Meng residence, Meng Dashan and Xu Yunrong had already taken off their clothes and were preparing to go to bed when they were startled awake by a sudden muffled thud outside. Moonlight shone through the window screen, illuminating the strange expressions on their faces as they looked at each other.
Logically, with such a commotion coming from their daughter's room, they should have gone to check on the situation long ago, but at this moment, the room fell into an eerie silence, and no one moved.
Xu Yunrong felt she should say something, so she asked, "What's that loud noise in the middle of the night?"
Meng Dashan's eyes darted around. "I guess... I guess the wind was strong today and blew the flowerpots by the window over." He nodded seriously as he spoke. "Yes, that's it."
“Yes, yes,” Xu Yunrong quickly agreed. “The wind is strong today, so let’s not go out. We can get ready tomorrow when it’s light.”
"Okay, let's sleep in our own bed." The two stiffly lay back on their pillows, and the room returned to silence. After about half a cup of tea's time, the couple turned to their sides at the same time, and were both startled when their eyes met.
Xu Yunrong finally couldn't hold back any longer and lowered her voice, asking, "Have you discovered something?"
Meng Dashan's eyes flickered: "Ah, you found something? I don't know, did you see something?"
"I'm asking you a question!" Xu Yunrong pinched Meng Dashan's arm. "Stop trying to fool me. Tell me honestly, did you run into something?"
Meng Dashan winced in pain and could only stammer, "It's just... a few days ago I had an upset stomach and went to the outhouse in the middle of the night. I saw that even though it was so late, Zhao Zhao's study was still lit. I was wondering about it when I saw Qing and that child coming out of her room."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yunrong's eyes widened. "And then?"
"Then I went to the gatehouse to inquire, and Xiao Chuan said that no one came to our house that night. I was so scared that my back went cold. I thought I had encountered a ghost in the middle of the night. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt, so I paid more attention. Later, I found that a lot of leaves had fallen from the old locust tree in the backyard, and there were also a lot of footprints at the base of the wall under the tree..." Meng Dashan's voice became softer and softer as he spoke, and he glanced at Xu Yunrong's face.
When Xu Yunrong was listening, her expression didn't change much. But after he finished speaking, she narrowed her eyes, looked him up and down, and grabbed his ear. "Meng Dashan! You've really gotten bold! You managed to keep such a big thing from me? Tell me honestly, how many other things have you been hiding from me?"
"Ouch... Honey, be gentle..." Meng Dashan gasped in pain. He never expected that after worrying about his daughter for so long, the problem would fall on him. "I'm innocent! How could I dare to hide anything from you? I was just afraid you would worry. Besides, our daughter is so opinionated. If she wants to keep something from me, how can I expose her? I can only pretend I don't see it."
Xu Yunrong released her hand, assuming he wouldn't be hiding anything from her. As for her daughter's matter, she had actually discovered it earlier than Meng Dashan. After all, a mother and daughter are connected at heart. Not to mention that she sometimes kept the lamp lit until midnight, she could tell something was wrong whenever she mentioned Shen Qinghe's expression.
In the past, Shen Qinghe was just a scholar, or even a later successful candidate in the imperial examinations. Hearing about this, she would have applauded and praised her daughter for her talent. But now that Shen Qinghe has passed the imperial examinations and is in official robes, no matter how much money her daughter earns, she is still a merchant. If she were to enter the Shen family, she would have to be inferior to him.
And then there's Shen Qinghe. It's one thing for his daughter to be so reckless and act on impulse, but he's supposed to be a scholar, how could he join in this nonsense? Such a big matter, and he didn't even give her a heads-up. Does he really intend to just keep it a secret like this? Wouldn't his daughter be the one who suffers the most?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Xu Yunrong suddenly sat up straight. "Tomorrow morning, you go to the dog market and pick out two of those that bark loudly and run fast. Keep them in the backyard!"
Meng Dashan was taken aback: "Why would you suddenly get a dog?"
Xu Yunrong turned her head sharply, her eyebrows raised, "Our house has been broken into, and they stole your most treasured things, and you're still asking why?"
Meng Dashan suddenly realized what was going on and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Wouldn't this be a bit inappropriate?"
"What's wrong with it! And while you're at it, cut off the branches of that old locust tree too! Just looking at it makes me angry!"
***
Meng Zhao kept her word and indeed did not see Shen Qinghe for three days. On the fourth night, she was sitting alone in her study, flipping through an account book, when suddenly a fierce barking came from the backyard. She hurriedly got up, lifted her skirt, and ran outside.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw her parents also hurriedly coming out wearing coats, and Meng Dashan was holding a lantern in his hand.
"Father, Mother," Meng Zhao looked towards the backyard in confusion, "when did we get a dog? How come I didn't know?"
Xu Yunrong glanced at Meng Dashan, who coughed lightly and said, "I just... I bought them in the last couple of days. I heard there have been thieves in the city lately, so I thought I'd get two to guard the house."
Meng Zhao looked at them with suspicion. Logically speaking, if they wanted to keep a dog, they would have told her. Could it be that they had discovered something? But she couldn't worry about that right now. A newly bought dog is not the same as one that has been raised from a puppy. What if it has rabies? It would be terrible if it bit her.
"Then I'll go check the backyard. If someone suddenly yells like that, I hope nothing else happens." He then added, "Mom and Dad, you should go back and rest. I'll go check it myself."
Xu Yunrong rolled her eyes upon hearing this. "Don't worry about it. The dog is tied up well by the flower bed and won't bite anyone. It's just that some blind people might suffer a bit."
With things already discussed to this extent, what else could Meng Zhao not understand? Just as he was about to say something, he saw Shen Qinghe rushing over from the front yard. In the moonlight, there were several mud stains on the hem of his robe, and his hair ornament was slightly crooked, clearly indicating that he had been tidied up in a hurry.
Meng Zhao was speechless. If he hadn't asked for the money, he could have tried to explain himself, but now he was caught red-handed.
She glared at Shen Qinghe fiercely. Shen Qinghe was also somewhat wronged. Today, he was going to climb over the wall along the old path, but as soon as he jumped to the top of the wall, he found that the branch he usually used had been cut down, and the remaining trunk was completely out of reach. He was hesitating whether to jump down directly when a loud bark suddenly rang out in the silent night, startling him so much that he almost fell off the wall.
But with trees being cut down and dogs being kept, it goes without saying who they're trying to protect themselves from. It's likely that Uncle Meng or Aunt Meng discovered their affair. Since the truth has come out, they might as well take responsibility openly. They can't let Meng Zhao bear the burden alone, which is why they rushed over.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
