Chapter 19 Farewell to Xingshuang (Part 7) He had already rejected her once. ...
It rained for several days during the festival, but when the weather cleared up, people who had been restless and relaxed came back to their senses and went back to court or their studies.
Zhi Rou was preoccupied with the matter of the thank-you gift, so after school that day, she immediately chased after Wei Yuanzhan as soon as he left the family school.
Before she could even finish speaking, Lan Ye stepped aside and blocked her completely, raising his eyebrows as if afraid she might offend Wei Yuanzhan.
It's really not his fault.
Ever since he saw Song Zhirou shoot his master with a slingshot, he had been blaming himself and believed that the girl was impolite and audacious.
Zhi Rou was puzzled by his stare. When he stopped her, she tilted her head and called out to Wei Yuanzhan, "I have something for you!"
Lan Ye turned to look at Wei Yuanzhan and took a half step back.
Wei Yuanzhan remained silent, observing her with a hint of doubt.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, he accompanied his parents to the Song family to offer congratulations. Before leaving, he suddenly encountered Song Zhirou in the corridor.
She clearly hadn't expected to see him either. She was startled at first, then ran over and started rummaging through her clothes in front of him.
They never managed to pull anything out.
Then she asked, "Will you come another day?"
That's utter nonsense.
Every year, he would always return to the Song family's private school to study, just like today.
So he asked, "What's wrong?"
She said then, "I want to thank you."
Right now, Wei Yuanzhan stepped forward, his long shadow looming over him, and asked, "What?" He was also a little curious.
She then produced the wooden box that had been overlooked last time from behind her back, gently opened it, and inside lay a slingshot carved from fine teak.
Wei Yuanzhan frowned, looked at her in confusion for a moment, then suddenly chuckled to himself: "Are you reminding me how amazing you are?"
Zhi Rou immediately remembered the time she had made a mistake and quickly said no, "I want to play with you."
Compared to her own slingshot, the one she gave to Wei Yuanzhan was much more exquisite. After all, she had paid her second brother to buy it from outside.
This is her way of expressing friendship.
She was inviting him to play with her.
Upon hearing this, Lan Ye and Chang Huai couldn't help but laugh. They quickly coughed and turned around to face the cave entrance.
Wei Yuanzhan glanced at the two of them, then turned back to examine Zhi Rou carefully.
It was still early spring, and the sunlight fell like gauze on her face, rippling with golden light that dazzled him.
He had already rejected her once.
That time it was at the Xu family's birthday banquet. He felt bored and went outside for some fresh air, and somehow he got close to her.
She was the same way then, her emotions expressed too directly, unlike anyone he had ever known. He was stunned, unsure how to respond to such sincere feelings, and simply assumed that their social statuses were worlds apart, and that what she was saying was nothing short of a dream.
But now, he slowly looked away from Song Zhirou's gaze, his hands clenching awkwardly for a moment: "I only play for real. I have no interest in your little tricks."
This was because he thought she was childish. He often held a short knife in his hand, playing with it.
Zhi Rou didn't quite understand why this person in front of her was both good and bad. Was his word a polite refusal?
She lowered her eyelashes and responded with a muffled "Oh."
Just as she was about to remove her hand holding the acid, she saw him step forward and snatch the wooden box from her hand.
"Thanks." He then turned and walked forward.
Lan Ye and the other person immediately followed.
After walking a distance, Lan Ye secretly glanced at Wei Yuanzhan and saw that his ears were slightly red, and his face was serious, even somewhat troubled.
He couldn't help but ask, "Sir, are you really going to be hanging out with Miss Song? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?"
Wei Yuanzhan stopped and asked, "What's so funny?"
Before he could finish speaking, Changhuai kicked him from the side. Only then did he notice Wei Yuanzhan's expression. He knew all too well that although the boy was smiling, he was probably holding back some anger.
She immediately covered her mouth and begged for mercy, but it was too late.
Wei Yuanzhan's gaze swept over his sword, and he said frankly, "Tonight we'll practice spear fighting. You'll be with me."
After they left, Xinghui stepped up from outside the cave entrance and asked, "Has Fourth Miss's gift been delivered?"
Zhi Rou paused for a moment, then came to her senses: "I guess so... anyway, he accepted it." Remembering something else, she asked as she walked, "Sister Xing Hui, is there still no letter for me?"
It has been seven months since she left Luozhou. Why hasn't Xiao'e sent her a single word during these seven months?
Xinghui looked at her face and asked, "Whose letter is Fourth Miss waiting for?"
“She’s a friend of mine in Los Angeles,” Zhi Rou said. “She’s a very close friend of mine. She also promised to write to me.”
This wasn't the first time Xinghui had heard her mention Luozhou. Every time she spoke of it, her brows would light up with joy.
At this moment, she frowned in worry: "I wrote to her too... why didn't she reply?"
"Perhaps it was delayed on the way?" Xinghui advised. "Fourth Miss, don't be sad. Although there's no letter from Luozhou, Miss Jiang sent quite a few things to your residence. I took a look for you, and many of them are rare goods that have just been sold in the south. You'll definitely be happy with them."
"Luo Luo?" Zhi Rou paused slightly.
She and Jiang Luoya did indeed hit it off, but they had only known each other for less than a month, and she had already received many gifts from the Jiang family.
The lingering chill of winter still lingers, a sudden north wind rises, and the windows emit a low, mournful sound.
On the chaise lounge, Lin He clenched her fists, not sleeping soundly.
In her dream, she was still young, at the time when her family was discussing her marriage. She disliked those pale-faced, thin young men from noble families, and whenever her mother came to persuade her, she would bring up General Chang, who had accompanied her father north, and say, "I will not marry anyone but Second Brother Chang!"
"How did Mother know I didn't send a letter?" she vehemently denied.
The woman glanced at her, and perhaps having made up her mind, her tone calmed down: "Even if you sent a letter, what can you do? Did they say when they would return to the capital?"
"Marrying off a daughter is naturally about sending her away; what use is she to bring him back?"
These words completely enraged the mother, who slammed the teacup she had just picked up back onto the table with a thud, almost gritting her teeth: "If your father hears this, he won't let you off easily!"
Upon hearing the word "father," her demeanor immediately softened, replaced by a docile expression: "Daughter knows she was wrong, Mother, please calm down, lest you harm your health."
Three months later, she put on a veil, slipped through a side gate into a carriage, and headed towards Mingyue Tower.
She invited her close friends Wang Shujun and Wei Jingfan to a gathering at Mingyue Tower.
She arrived early that noon, casually tossed her veiled hat onto the table, and sat by the window.
It was unclear which official's son had come to the city. He looked unfamiliar and was sitting upright on his horse, surrounded by a group of women who were throwing sachets at him like rain.
She tilted her head slightly, looked down through the stained-glass window, and sized up the man.
He was dressed in a fine, narrow-sleeved robe, and his face was handsome. She gazed at him for a long time, and for no apparent reason, a sense of familiarity arose within her.
She then summoned a maid and pointed downstairs with her finger: "Who's that?"
After a moment of discernment, and taking into account the sounds coming from outside, the maid replied, "Miss, it seems to be General Chang."
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her voice softened: "Which General Chang?"
By the fifth year of the Shuo De era, she had been married to Chang Yu, the second son of the Chang family, for nine years.
That evening, the Marquis of Yining's residence hosted a banquet to celebrate General Wei's retirement from military service. Before attending the banquet, Chang Yu specifically instructed her not to wait and to rest early.
After she had put her son to sleep, she still kept the lamp lit in the main house, half-asleep and half-awake, waiting for him to return.
Just before midnight, the sound of unsteady footsteps grew louder as he entered the room with a click. She hurried to greet him and helped him to a chair.
Just as he was about to call someone to fetch water, he grabbed her hand, his gaze lingering on her face for a long time, his voice hoarse.
"Jing Fan said that if his wife's next child is a son, he would ask you and me to... have a daughter."
The burning sensation in her wrist spread to her cheek, and she turned her face away: "The general is drunk, I'll have someone come in to serve him."
He smiled playfully behind her.
In the seventh year of Shuode, the night rain was heavy, as if washing away blood, and it continued to fall without ceasing.
Holding her daughter, who was less than six months old, she hid under the deck, holding her breath, listening to the clash of weapons outside, and dared not move an inch.
...
“Mother, Mother…”
A childish voice gently rang in my ears.
Lin He slowly awoke from her old dream and opened her eyes.
The daylight had faded, and candlelight flickered inside, casting a worried glow on Zhi Rou's face: "Did Mother have a nightmare?"
Lin He paused for a moment, then shook her head and loosened her grip. Perhaps she had been holding on too tightly, for her hand trembled slightly as she released her grip.
He had no choice but to abandon his desire to stroke his daughter, and tried to keep his voice steady as he asked, "Why aren't you in your own yard?"
Seeing that her mother's expression was no different than usual, Zhi Rou finally relaxed, and a golden light flashed in her clear eyes: "The teacher praised me today and even assigned me homework! I want to do well, but it's too difficult..."
As she spoke, a hint of melancholy appeared between her brows. But after a moment, her delicate brows relaxed again, and she looked at her with a sweet smile: "That's why I came to see you, Mother, and ask for your guidance."
In Zhi Rou's heart, her mother was the most learned woman in the world. Whenever she had any troubles, she could always find her mother to solve them.
She had been "hiding" in the family school for several months, and finally gained Mr. Zhou's favor. Naturally, she had to work even harder to maintain this favor for a longer period of time.
Lin He smiled after hearing this and asked her to bring her homework, but she said to wait. Then she got up and ran out, and somehow got a basin of hot water, which she carefully carried away.
Reaching the bedside, she wrung out a handkerchief with both little hands and presented it to her like a treasure: "Mother, wipe your forehead, you're a little sweaty. How did you fall asleep while reading?"
"I tend to feel sleepy when it's cold." Lin He took the damp cloth and smiled. "Thank you."
Zhi Rou straightened her clothes, sat down on the couch, took out the notes on difficult problems she had copied when she came, and casually asked something while unfolding them, which made Lin He's heart skip a beat for no reason.
A note from the author:
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