The man had deep facial features and pupils as dark as the night. He just stood there quietly. The shadows cast by a few crabapple leaves covered his face diagonally, making it half-covered and a little blurry. He wore a black robe with dark gold silk patterns, and the edges were slightly damaged.
Minglan's upper body was about to turn back, but her legs were frozen in place. Finally, she bent down and smiled bitterly, "Greetings, Second Cousin. How has he been lately?"
Gu Tingye walked over slowly with his hands behind his back. His eyes were dark and unfathomable. He squinted at Minglan, not knowing what he was thinking. The air was uncomfortable with the silence. Minglan lowered her head and only felt the pearl petals on her temples trembling slightly.
After a while, Gu Tingye said briefly: "My father passed away a year ago."
Minglan reacted quickly and said, "Second cousin, I accept your condolences."
Gu Tingye tried not to let the corners of his mouth twitch, hesitated, and then said: "Miss Yu... did she marry well?"
Minglan suddenly looked up, only to see that he looked kind and apologetic. Minglan was confused. Gu Tingye saw Minglan's bewilderment and raised the corner of his mouth. He said, "I have always respected Lord Yu. It is not my wish for something like that to happen."
Minglan vaguely understood that Gu Tingye might have been waiting for her here on purpose. Lord Yu had been a wise and fair man all his life, but in his old age, both of his granddaughters were married to the Gu family. One married far away in Yunnan, and the other died in less than half a year. Although it was due to Lord Yu's greed, the "culprit" in front of him might also feel a little apologetic.
Minglan pondered for a moment, then said, "Yunnan is a long way off. I've only received three letters from Sister Yu in over a year. She's married well. Her parents-in-law are harmonious, and her husband is kind. Although Yunnan's customs are still undeveloped, the land is vast and the scenery is picturesque. Sister Yu is living a good life."
She also said in the letter to Yanran that Gu Tingye ran away from home and his wife fell ill right after. He hurried back only to catch up with the funeral. His father also passed away right after the funeral. The pace of the accidents was very tight. After that, there was little news about Gu Tingye in the capital.
Occasionally, there were rumors that he had "fallen into depravity" and was hanging out with some of the lowest classes in the underworld, becoming increasingly dissolute in his indulgence in eating, drinking, whoring and gambling, and seemed to have made a name for himself; however, this kind of "achievement" was not something that could be mentioned in the eyes of officials and dignitaries.
Gu Tingye seemed relieved when he heard this. He straightened his tall and well-proportioned body slightly and said gently, "If she has any difficulties, please let me know. I am not talented, but I will do my best to help her."
Minglan tried her best to suppress her astonishment and responded casually, but there was a hint of surprise in her eyes when she looked at Gu Tingye. Then she looked at the sun overhead. Could it be that it was coming out from the west?
Gu Tingye behaved in a calm and graceful manner, as if he didn't care at all about Minglan's surprised and doubtful expression. He smiled and said, "Your name is Minglan, right? You are related to the Qi family." Minglan nodded vigorously. No matter what she thought in her heart, her expression was sincere.
Gu Tingye said humbly again: "I have offended Gu a lot in the past two times, please don't be offended, Man...it's all because of Gu's poor judgment of people."
Minglan couldn't help but look up at the sun again. What was going on?! She had met Gu Tingye twice before: once when he came to accuse her, and once when he was just watching her make a fool of herself. Both times, Minglan had to flee in panic. Minglan clearly remembered his sharp, piercing temper, his sneer and hurtful words. After only three sentences, Minglan wanted to slap him in the face.
But now... Minglan stole a glance at his handsome profile. His thick black temples were a bit weathered. The fair skin of the young master was dyed light brown by the dust of the world. There was a vicissitudes of life between his brows, as if he had not had a comfortable year. But seeing his relaxed expression, sincere words and upright demeanor, he seemed to have suddenly become a "gentleman".
Gu Tingye was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "If you have any urgent problems, you can tell me, maybe I can help you."
A young eunuch's daughter, raised in seclusion, with a father and brother above her and a small family, what kind of emergency could she possibly face? But I heard he's out there, making a living. Could he hire someone to beat Minglan up if her husband cheats on her? With the Ningyuan Marquisate currently in turmoil, he still dares to act so arrogant. Great! He's got character! Minglan chuckled a few times but didn't answer.
Gu Tingye, perhaps having seen through Minglan's thoughts, smiled faintly and said calmly, "Liang Han is a righteous man, but he's a bit of a playboy. The Qi family is complicated and has many people, but the princess protects her, and Qi Heng is gentle and kind, so it's not bad to have them protecting her."
Minglan gasped, her eyes widened, and she stammered, "You—"
Gu Tingye walked up to Minglan, looked down at the girl, and said dignifiedly: "Little girl, you should listen to your old lady and don't act on your own."
After he finished speaking, the man walked away, leaving a bunch of crabapple branches and leaves swaying and dancing; Ming Lanton stayed there for a long time, wiping the cold sweat on his forehead: Is he running a private detective agency in the underworld?
Despite this, Minglan managed to remain calm and continue attending the banquet. Molan, trying to act like a lady, sipped her wine with her lips pursed, and occasionally chatted with the ladies around her. Rulan and Wenying, taking advantage of no one's attention, actually drank away a whole pot of daughter's red wine. Finally, Wang Shi watched her daughter, her cheeks flushed from drinking, get into the carriage with a sullen face. Molan said sarcastically, "She's been pretending to be so fickle all afternoon, but now she's finally let the cat out of the bag. She really thinks she's a prodigal son who has turned over a new leaf."
It is rare for Minglan to agree with Molan. As a court worker, she is a staunch skeptic of the "Prodigal Son" theory. For this reason, she is often criticized by the old judge for her lack of awareness and the enthusiasm of a party member to punish past mistakes, prevent future ones, and cure diseases and save lives. No wonder she is never rated as advanced.
It wouldn't matter anyway, so Minglan simply let it go and stopped thinking about it.
Without the old lady by her side, Minglan's life was utterly dull. She used to write a few words and present them to her grandmother, embroider a few petals and leaves and show them off to Fang Mama. But now... well, could it be that, after playing the role of a child for so long, she'd lost her self-control? Did she need encouragement and supervision to continue learning?
So, when she had nothing to do, she would often go to Hai's house to play with her little nephew. The little thing was so tiny, with tender little arms like lotus roots tied in his sleeves with small red ropes, and he waved his arms with difficulty. Quan Ge'er had a good temper, loved to laugh, and never cried or made a fuss. If he was teased a little, he would giggle with his toothless little mouth showing, and his eyes would be invisible from laughing.
Wang chanted "Amitabha" repeatedly. Finally, her grandson did not have a dull expression like her son. Her incense was not burned in vain. Hai was content to have a son. She smiled all day long and had a rosy complexion. After she came out of the confinement period and dressed up a little, she looked even more radiant than when she first got married.
"Why does he keep blowing bubbles?" Minglan used her onion-like index finger to pop the Nth bubble at the baby's mouth.
Hai smiled and said, "All children are like this. Sometimes they even spit up milk."
Minglan held the soft swaddling clothes and suddenly had a strange thought: "Has Big Brother ever held Quan Ge'er?"
Hai covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "He held me for a few moments, like Zhang Fei holding a brush. My wife saw me and laughed a few times, but then he turned stern and said something about the sage's advice: 'Hold your grandson, not your son.'"
Minglan rocked the swaddling clothes gently, looking at the baby inside with a rosy little mouth, a soft little face, and sleeping soundly with eyes closed. Minglan was so touched by the cuteness that she carefully counted the baby's long eyelashes.
"Girl, give it to me. My brother is asleep. Don't tire yourself out." The plump and plump wet nurse beside her smiled. Minglan knew the endurance of her arms, so she carefully handed the child over.
The room was a bit stuffy due to the lack of drafts. Hai was lying on the soft rattan couch. She reached out and pulled Minglan to sit beside her. She fanned Minglan gently with a white silk palace fan and said with a smile, "Our brother Quan is so lucky to have three aunts, each more considerate and attentive than the last."
The bamboo curtain outside was gently lifted, and Yang Hao came in with fruits that had been soaked in well water and placed them on the small table in front of the soft couch. Minglan saw that the small white porcelain dish with iris pattern was filled with various bright fruits, with a few silver sticks on it. It was dripping with fragrance and looked very beautiful.
"Grandma, girl, please try it." Yang Hao packed up the things skillfully and then retreated respectfully.
Minglan watched Yang Hao leave, then turned to look at Hai Shi, hesitant to speak: "She... isn't going out?"
Hai picked up a slice of apple and stuffed it into Minglan's mouth, saying self-deprecatingly, "For a family like ours, it's not good for your big brother to be alone. Otherwise, people will say that the Hai family's daughters are jealous. A while ago, someone at a banquet wanted to give your big brother a concubine. Fortunately, with her here, your big brother couldn't refuse her."
Minglan puffed her cheeks and chewed, mumbling, "I hate those people who give me concubines the most! They could give me anything else, gold, silver, jewelry, a house, a shop, anything to express their camaraderie, but they give me concubines? How frivolous! They're definitely not good officials!"
Hai chuckled, glared at Minglan, and shook her head, saying, "Don't talk nonsense." Seeing that Minglan's honey-colored Liuhe Ruyi dress was a little wrinkled, she reached out and smoothed it out for her, saying, "Yanghao is an honest girl and knows the rules. She can stay."
Minglan swallowed the apple, glanced at the gentle Hai, and thought: The most important thing is probably that Yanghaochang is plain in appearance and not very clever. She doesn't visit Changbai once a month and is basically not a threat. Otherwise, why did she send away Shuxu and Zhuhao first after entering the door?
"Hey, sister-in-law, I have a favor to ask of you." Hai Shi remembered something and took Minglan's hand. "That sachet you made for Quan last time was very good. What was in it? It has a clean and fragrant scent, and it can also repel insects when you wear it on your body."
Minglan recalled and counted on her fingers, "Dried osmanthus, osmanthus oil, dried mugwort..." She couldn't recite it by heart. It was a herbal prescription made by He Hongwen. He wrote a list for her. It was harmless to children and smelled good.
Hai didn't really want to know the secret recipe, so she said directly, "Make another one for my sister-in-law. My cousin saw it last time and liked it very much. When you have time, make three or four."
Minglan straightened her neck, her eyes wide open, and said, "Three or four?! You think they're cabbages? One patch of cabbage could yield dozens! I haven't even made what Big Sister wants. Besides, a small thing like a sachet isn't difficult to make, but making it well is not easy."
Hai feigned anger, poking Minglan's forehead with her pointed index finger and scolding her with a smile, "You naughty girl, whenever my sister-in-law gets good tea or delicious food, I always secretly save a lot for you. Have you ever heard of a man who has eaten my food?! Since you've eaten my food, you have to work for me!"
Minglan stared for a long time, then said dejectedly, "Sister-in-law, you paid your debt too quickly. You're even more ruthless than a usurer."
Hai covered her mouth with her fan and chuckled, seeming very proud. She continued to make requests, "I want the flower from last time. It's a little cricket crawling on the back of a big cicada, with a small rock standing next to it. It's quite funny."
Minglan looked at him strangely: "You... all like it?"
Hai nodded and said, "Yes, it's quite fresh, different from the usual ones, and the prize is also good."
"What's the prize?" Minglan was confused.
"You silly girl, know what's good for you!" Hai poked Minglan's head again.
Minglan suddenly realized that this was the case. She had thought that Director Li's potential audience was spread across ancient and modern times.
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