Chapter 131 The Scholar Who Favored His Concubine Over His Wife (Part 23) Pursuing Pure Love...
The two walked hand in hand out of the wedding hall.
After a while, the couple finally caught up with Lin Xitang's lonely figure at the hanging flower gate. Liu Wanyao ran forward a few steps, somewhat flustered, and said in a choked voice, "Young master, please wait."
Lin Xitang stopped and turned around. It was the woman in blue he had noticed in the wedding hall earlier, and her husband. He stared at the woman in blue's face, which was quite similar to his own, and froze on the spot.
"you……"
"I……"
Liu Wanyao stepped forward, and Lin Xitang unconsciously moved to meet her. The woman in blue in front of her had tears in her eyes and said, "Ding ding dang, busy picking flowers, little girl in yellow jacket...climbing over the low wall."
Lin Xitang took a deep breath, stared straight at Liu Wanyao, and replied in a trembling voice, "East neighbor, west neighbor, half a basket of spring colors... feeding the goose's yellow."
Lin Xitang and Liu Wanyao stared at each other for a long time. Although they were both smiling, their eyes were red.
“Dingding grass, Dingding boy…” Liu Wanyao whispered.
After a long pause, Lin Xitang finally replied, "...The wind blows and the tinkling sounds echo in all directions."
As Lin Xitang watched Liu Wanyao walk towards him step by step, his hand trembled. He immediately thought of the scene more than ten years ago when he was forcibly taken away by the remnants of the Dai Kingdom army. His younger sister, Yue'er, followed behind the tall horse, her little hand reaching forward, stumbling and running towards him.
"Brother... Brother, don't go... Don't leave Yue'er behind..."
It wasn't until the siblings were getting closer that Lin Xitang slowly came to his senses. He stared intently at Liu Wanyao before him and softly asked, "Madam... why do you know this country folk song?"
Liu Wanyao looked at him with teary eyes and choked up, saying, "When I was little, my brother taught me to sing this song word by word."
A few lines of childhood rhymes are the deepest imprints on their memories.
The brother and sister gazed at each other, their blurry childhood faces gradually merging with the person before them. Liu Wanyao looked Lin Xitang up and down, and when he smiled and looked at her, she couldn't help but lower her head in fear, tears falling onto the bluestone ground.
"Where...where have you been for the past ten years? How, how..."
Why are you only coming to find me now?
After a long silence, Lin Xitang smiled slightly and said, "I have been to many places, but I have never given up looking for my Yue'er. In my memory, Yue'er was very short, much shorter than me." As he spoke, he awkwardly gestured a distance of about a foot.
Seeing that Liu Wanyao was only looking at him with tears in her eyes, Lin Xitang realized that his actions were very foolish. He quickly withdrew his hand, his throat tightening: "It was me... I was too presumptuous... I forgot that it was more than ten years ago."
Hearing Lin Xitang's words, Liu Wanyao smiled through her tears. She raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks and whispered, "I'm no longer that little kid I used to be. Over the years, I've always thought that if I could see my brother again someday, I would definitely let him see how tall I've grown."
"Yes, I've seen it..." Lin Xitang's voice choked with emotion as she said guiltily, "Yue'er, how are you...? Over the years, I've written countless letters, but I don't know where to send them. I..."
Liu Wanyao nodded vigorously, stopping him from continuing: "Brother, I'm doing very well. Ever since Madam Liu bought me home, Wanyao hasn't had a single day of hardship."
Lin Xitang was taken aback, then reached out and grabbed Liu Wanyao's wrist. Her voice held a childlike stubbornness as she said without hesitation, "My name is Lin Xitang, little sister. Your original name was Lin Xiyue, not... not Wanyao..."
"Mmm." Liu Wanyao squeezed Lin Xitang's forearm back and said softly, "I remember, brother. I have a name, my name is Lin Xiyue."
A gentle breeze rustled through the pear blossoms, and pure white petals fell softly onto their shoulders and hair. On this spring afternoon, the brother and sister were finally reunited.
Looking at the brother and sister's tightly clasped hands, Song Ce said gently, "It's windy here, which is inconvenient. Why don't we go back to the manor first, so that my wife and brother-in-law can catch up at their leisure?"
When Lin Xitang met Lin Xiyue, she immediately noticed the handsome and gentle young man standing beside her sister. Recalling his figure sitting in the main seat at the wedding hall, she vaguely guessed his identity—he was probably Mr. Song, the commoner scholar who dared to rebel against the oppressive government of the Great Wei and establish Qizhou as his own city.
Lin Xiyue then remembered that she had not yet introduced her husband to her brother.
“Brother, this is my husband, Song Ce. Husband, this is my brother, Lin Xitang.” Lin Xiyue said, her cheeks flushing with shyness.
Song Ce bowed to Lin Xitang and said in a gentle tone, "Brother-in-law, you have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. It is my first time meeting you. I hope you will take good care of me in the future. There is some tea prepared at home. Please come and have a drink."
Lin Xitang nodded slightly and returned the greeting with a smile.
Song Ce led the brother and sister outside and gently called for a servant to bring over the carriage. Lin Xiyue reluctantly let go of Lin Xitang's sleeve and was helped into the carriage by Song Ce.
As Lin Xitang watched the two figures walking hand in hand, he felt as if his younger sister was slowly growing up in a place he couldn't see.
The carriage traveled smoothly along the cobblestone street. Lin Xiyue pointed to the teahouses, silk shops, and pastry shops along the street, enthusiastically introducing the sights of Qizhou to Lin Xitang. She chattered on like a cheerful little bird, recounting the changes in her life over the years. Lin Xitang responded to everything, and seeing the undisguised joy in Lin Xiyue's eyes, he felt a mixture of warmth and bittersweetness in his heart.
Song Ce simply sat opposite him and listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a few words, always with a gentle and kind smile on his face.
Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the Song residence.
Lin Xitang stepped over the high threshold, her gaze unconsciously sweeping over the blue silk lantern hanging under the porch. The lantern bore the character "Song" and swayed gently in the breeze, exuding an air of elegance.
The handwriting is...
Lin Xitang's gaze sharpened, but before he could ask, Lin Xiyue reached out and gently tugged at his sleeve, her eyes crinkling as she said, "Brother, this way."
"good."
Lin Xitang smiled and nodded, following Lin Xiyue through the winding corridors and around a rockery made of Taihu stones, before finally arriving at a quiet and cozy flower hall.
"Brother, please sit down and rest." Lin Xiyue reached out and helped Lin Xitang sit down. After he sat down, she personally picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of warm tea. She said softly, "This is Biluochun tea that was newly picked outside Qizhou City this year. Brother, please try it and see if it suits your taste."
Lin Xitang picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and the delicate fragrance of the new tea slowly spread across his tongue. He paused, tilting the teacup slightly in his hand.
"This tea is indeed extremely refreshing." Lin Xitang looked up at Song Ce, her gaze now carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Song Ce noticed the deeper meaning in Lin Xitang's gaze, but simply smiled gently. Lin Xiyue, oblivious to the subtle atmosphere between them, clapped her hands and said, "Brother, wait a moment. I'll go to the kitchen to see if the pastries are ready." With that, she trotted out of the flower hall, her skirt brushing against Song Ce's hem, creating a gentle breeze. Seeing this, Song Ce couldn't help but smile; his wife seemed much happier than usual today.
At this moment, only two men remained in the flower hall, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense.
Lin Xitang's gaze fell on Song Ce, and seeing the faint smile on his lips, she gently placed her teacup on the table. "Mr. Song Ce, I have long admired your name. May I ask when you and my sister became husband and wife?"
Song Ce got up and poured Lin Xitang another cup of tea, saying in a calm tone, "It has been more than five years since then."
"Five years... Just now on the way, I heard Yue'er mention that she was originally a maid bought by Madam Liu as a substitute bride, and she has no engagement with you, sir. If Miss Liu, who is engaged to you, shows up one day, then my sister..."
Before Lin Xitang could finish speaking, Song Ce interrupted him, "Brother-in-law, you are overthinking it. My wife and I have been in love since the day we were married. In this life, I will only have Yue'er as my wife."
Lin Xitang stroked the rim of the teacup, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "Back when I was in the capital, I heard that you, sir, had established yourself in Qizhou as a commoner. To be able to resist the might of the Great Wei Dynasty like this, you are certainly no ordinary person. As Yue'er's elder brother, I would like to ask, are you truly willing to spend your life with my sister alone, without fear of being ridiculed by the world?"
Song Ce smiled faintly, gazing in the direction Lin Xiyue had gone, and said leisurely, "In my heart, she is different from the thousands of women in this world."
"In that case, I hope you will remember what I said today." Lin Xitang's tone unconsciously carried a bit of an elder brother's authority, after all, in his heart, his younger sister would always be that little child who needed his protection.
Song Ce paused, then nodded solemnly, "Definitely." After saying that, he looked at Lin Xitang, who was calmly sipping tea, and said gently, "You've worked hard all these years, brother-in-law."
Lin Xitang felt a pang of sadness when he heard him mention the word "hardship." Ever since he escaped from the remnants of the Dai Kingdom's army and learned that his sister had been sold, he had been restless and wandered around, hoping to find her as soon as possible. Now, seeing Yue'er doing so well, the weight that had been on his heart for over ten years finally lifted.
"That letter, you sent it, didn't you?" Lin Xitang asked.
"yes."
"Okay, I understand." Lin Xitang didn't press Song Ce about how he could predict the future, and Song Ce didn't offer any explanation. As the two remained silent, Lin Xiyue returned smiling, carrying a plate of steaming pear blossom cakes.
"Brother, please try this. I made it myself before I left home today!" Lin Xiyue pushed the pastries in front of Lin Xitang and said expectantly.
The pear blossom cake was sprinkled with fresh pear blossoms, filling the air with its fragrance. Lin Xitang picked up a piece of pear blossom cake, took a small bite, and found it soft, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth.
"Moon, it's delicious." He said with a smile, but his eyes were a little red.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiyue's nose suddenly stung with tears: "Brother, you must have suffered a lot over the years..."
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Lin Xitang waved her hand, her gaze falling on Lin Xiyue.
"Moon, tell me about yourself! How have you been all these years?"
Lin Xiyue's gaze unconsciously turned to Song Ce, and she said softly, "I don't remember much about the past, but I do remember that after I married my husband, he treated me very well. With him by my side, I was very happy."
Looking at his younger sister's gentle smile, Lin Xitang was filled with emotion. The little girl who used to follow him around crying had grown into a gentle and charming young woman, someone else's wife, and had her own family, all while he was away.
Seeing the siblings' barely concealed excitement, Song Ce couldn't help but smile. He stood up and said, "Wife, you and your brother-in-law haven't seen each other for so long, you must have a lot to talk about, so I won't disturb you any longer. If your brother-in-law needs anything, just tell the servants." After saying that, he patted Lin Xiyue's hand and closed the door for the siblings.
As Song Ce's footsteps faded into the distance, Lin Xitang sighed and said, "Yue'er, it's my fault. I failed to protect you back then, and you suffered so much."
"No, brother, don't say that." Lin Xiyue hurriedly grabbed Lin Xitang's sleeve, choking back tears, "When you were taken away back then, you had no choice. I've known since I was little that you would find me. Now, we're finally together again."
"Moon..."
As the brother and sister were talking, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the hall.
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Author's Note: I really can't resist names like Wan'er and Yue'er! [question mark]
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