Chapter 96 A Gentleman's Pursuit
Mrs. Hu said that Ji Jinghe was very resourceful. Before leaving, he kept everything a secret. If he really died in another place many years later, she would live the rest of her life with guilt.
Therefore, we cannot grant his wish. After all, it was something he did himself, and he doesn't regret it. Why should Yu'an feel guilty?
At first, Yu-an felt that time was passing too slowly, but after a while, another summer had passed without her realizing it.
With the last of her money, she bought two shops in the capital: one for her uncle Li Ji'an to use as a pharmacy, and the other for herself to open a cloth shop.
Because of Chu Zhuo'an's future, she couldn't return to Jiangling for the time being. In addition, knowing that the two elderly people's health was gradually deteriorating, she insisted on bringing them to the capital.
With companionship and activities to keep them company, the elderly are gradually becoming healthier.
Li Baozhong was seeing patients at the pharmacy, and Chen would sit with him in the backyard, where they would sit with the embroiderers, cutting and embroidering clothes.
"Although I'm away from my homeland, the capital is still a bustling city. With you and Zhuo'er by my side, spending all my time with you makes me feel much more comfortable and happy," Chen said, winding the silk thread.
She's getting old, her eyesight is failing, and she can't focus on needlework for long periods of time, so sometimes she just sits beside the younger generation and chats with them.
Yu An smiled and said, "As long as you and Grandfather are willing to live here, I'll be happy."
For now, this is the only option. Once Chu Zhuo'an is completely appeased, Yu'an plans to hand over the shop to Madam Hu and have her look after it. She will then accompany the two elderly people back to Jiangling to see them off in their final days.
"We're running out of silk thread. I'll go inside and find some more." Madam Chen got up and left.
Yu An raised her head and loosened her neck, then continued to lower her head to insert the needles.
Baozhu ran over excitedly, "Miss, a big order has come in! Someone has ordered five dresses, all made of the finest materials, and has already paid a deposit of one hundred and fifty taels."
Yu An: "Really?!" That's great.
The shop hasn't officially opened yet, but people are already visiting. What's there to be afraid of in the future?
Yu An was overjoyed. The sunlight shining on her was so warm, it warmed her to the bone, making her feel comfortable all over.
She hummed a little tune, and the good news seemed to give her wings, making her needle and thread fly faster and faster as she worked with increasing enthusiasm.
A gentle breeze caressed her face, carrying a delicate fragrance. Belatedly, she realized it was somewhat familiar, and long-forgotten memories flooded her mind. A dark shadow was reflected in the corner of the white silk.
Intuition points to someone else, the impossible one.
Yu An turned around and saw a black robe. The next moment, she met a pair of eyes that were extremely familiar and had long been deeply engraved in her heart.
Their eyes met, and compared to her surprise and hesitation, the joy and tenderness in his eyes were so intense. They hadn't seen each other for over a year, yet there was no awkwardness between them, as if the past year had never existed.
"You're back."
Ji Jinghe smiled and said, "I'm back. I came back yesterday."
She looked him up and down, then paused, "You...you're cured of the poison?"
"I was lucky. I found the antidote in a Yao village in the southwest and was cured. I've been well for more than half a year now."
Yu An stood up, and compared to his familiarity, she seemed rather awkward.
Recalling the words she had spoken before their parting, she felt ashamed to face him.
People say that life is unpredictable, and that's the point, because you never know how things will turn out, so you have to leave yourself a way out.
This was true for Ji Jinghe in the past, and it is also true for her now.
A few days ago it rained, so the tables and chairs in the yard were moved back inside. Since Ji Jinghe couldn't sit down, the two of them had to stand there.
Yu An: "After you left, I heard from Pei Chengyu that you went to the southwest to quell the rebellion. Now that you're back, it means things are going well."
After more than a year of hard work in the military camp, Ji Jinghe had gotten a little tanned, but his complexion had recovered. His body was no longer as tall and elegant as that of a scholar, and at first glance he looked like a true military general. He had also become much more approachable.
Ji Jinghe nodded, "It's not great, but at least they're back."
Just as Yu An was about to nod in agreement, he hurriedly added, "Upon his return, he should be reinstated to his official position and will no longer be considered an idle person."
"Yu Niang, where did you put that bundle of gold thread? I can't find it anywhere..."
As Chen spoke, she arrived.
Ji Jinghe bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Grandmother."
When a person suddenly appeared, Chen was stunned for a moment before realizing it was Ji Jinghe.
After more than a year apart, she had changed so much that Ms. Chen almost didn't recognize her.
The two had little to say to each other, and it became even more difficult to speak after the old man arrived.
Ji Jinghe: "Grandmother, I have some matters to attend to at court, so I'll be leaving now. I'll come to see you another day."
"Sit down and have a cup of tea before you leave..."
Ji Jinghe bowed again, smiled, and left.
Both of them avoided the main point, and when they looked back, they still had nothing to say.
Chen knew about their affair. After watching the figure disappear, she looked at Yu'an.
When did you get back?
He said yesterday.
"You haven't even rested yet, and you've already come to see me?"
Yu An sat down, picked up the embroidery needle, suppressed the restlessness in her heart, and continued to work, pretending to be indifferent.
Chen saw through it all but said nothing, and no matter how much the younger generation caused trouble, she didn't get involved.
When I looked at the list again when I got home that night, I realized that the address of the five pieces of clothing was the Ji residence.
Baozhu, that girl, must have heard it from someone, knowing only part of the story, and was overjoyed as if it were a big order, unaware that it was Ji Jinghe's doing.
She didn't expose it; the sizes left behind were mostly Ji Shu's and Shen Qiulan's, which was something she could do.
With the store's opening date approaching, Mingjia asked Wang Wan'er to accompany her.
Mingjia's eyes lit up as he looked at the beautiful clothes hanging out to the screen. He exclaimed, "Teacher, I knew this would work! Once Grandmother writes the inscription for you, your business is guaranteed to be a hit!"
"It's all thanks to the Empress Dowager."
"Yes, but you can't just thank your grandmother alone. You also have to thank me. If I hadn't encouraged you, you would still be hesitating right now."
Yu An nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, little princess."
The master and disciple were inseparable, which Wang Wan'er found displeasing. After all, she was the one who was related to the Empress Dowager, and if anyone was to be affectionate, it should be her. Why was she, an outsider, being dragged into it?
Hearing that the Empress Dowager was going to inscribe a message for Yu'an's shop made it even harder for him to suppress his jealousy, and his anger immediately flared up.
"The Empress Dowager wants to write an inscription for you? When did this happen?"
Mingjia, holding Yu'an's arm, pouted and said, "You didn't know? This happened a month ago."
"Oh, it's understandable that you don't know, since you don't come to the palace often, and you weren't there when we were talking."
It was an ordinary sentence, but it struck a chord with Wang Wan'er.
It wasn't that she didn't want to go to the palace, but that her aunt disliked her. Every time she went to the palace, she would only meet her for half an hour before finding a reason to send her away, and there was nothing she could do about it.
This time they said they wanted to cultivate themselves or rest, but when it came to Chu Yu'an, they didn't even bother to worship Buddha or sleep; everything was fine with them.
She was indignant. How could her own niece be treated worse than an outsider, even if she was her old friend's daughter?
He had only been thinking about something for a short while when the person in front of him disappeared.
Wang Wan'er took a deep breath and followed.
*
Another day passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for the Ji family to come and collect the clothes. Yu'an was particularly curious to know who was coming to collect them, and when she saw that it was a stranger, she asked directly.
"Is this Ji Jinghe's idea?"
Seeing that the servant remained silent, Yu'an had no choice but to threaten, "If you don't tell the truth, I can't give you this garment."
The servant placed the money pouch on the counter, and Yu An said helplessly, "I don't want the money..."
He only managed to say half a sentence before the servant ran off.
They didn't take the clothes, but they left the money behind.
Yu An called out twice, but there was no response.
Baozhu: "What's wrong?"
Yu An sighed, opened the bag and counted the contents; there were a full four hundred taels of silver inside.
"It's alright. Put these clothes away and the money away too. Don't touch them for now."
Baozhu was still oblivious to what was going on, but obediently started packing her things. "I heard some rumors this morning that the master is going to be transferred to the cabinet by the emperor and become the chief minister."
"Many people say it's probably true."
He said he had nothing to do with Ji Jinghe, but when he had nothing to do or when he was falling asleep at night, he would still think about the scene of their meeting that day.
After much thought, she realized that what he really meant was that he said the Emperor would restore his official position that day.
He will never forget what she said back then.
"The old man has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. After nearly four years of hardship, he has finally returned to the cabinet."
Baozhu spoke haltingly, “I also heard that the eldest brother made great contributions in the southwest, defeating 100,000 rebel troops. That's why His Majesty was able to overcome all opposition and send him back to the cabinet.”
After going around in circles, we finally returned to where we started.
How many people lost their lives during this period, and how many innocent people were implicated?
If everyone did their duty and had no greed, how wonderful that would be! Her life wouldn't be like this now, and at least Chu Xingjian would still be alive.
The second floor of the shop is a place for them and their customers to rest. When no one is around, Yu'an sits by the window, listening to the traffic noise on the street, or quietly sits at the table reading or making some small, handy items.
The breeze blowing in from outside the window is quite pleasant.
Baozhu also noticed something: her daughter had suddenly taken to sitting by the window upstairs, whereas she usually preferred to stay in the backyard.
At first she didn't know, but later she noticed that every other day there would be an extra figure at the tea stall across from the shop, and that's when she guessed it.
This person is stubborn but soft-hearted; he probably forgave her.
Ji Jinghe would sit quietly on the stool at the tea stall each time, and leave after about half an hour.
Without greeting him or looking up at the building, the tea stall owner initially didn't know who he was, only that he came from an extraordinary family. As time went on, he gradually learned who he was and who he was there for.
When Madam Chu sought justice for her father, it caused quite a stir in the capital, which also made her relationship with the Ji family clear.
It's common for couples to separate and reunite, so there's nothing strange about it.
Ji Shu happened to be there too. Seeing Ji Jinghe downstairs, she shoved Yu An and said, "My brother is easy to seduce. Why don't you try to seduce him? If you're not satisfied, just kick him aside."
Yu An said angrily, "Why haven't I seen Young Master Luo coming to see you lately? How are things between you two? The other day, the young ladies who came to the shop to buy fabric were talking about him..."
"What did you say?" Ji Shu interrupted. "We're engaged, who dares to covet him?"
The couple had originally planned to get married last spring, but the old lady passed away unexpectedly. As a granddaughter, Ji Shu had no choice but to observe mourning. The Luo family also agreed to let her observe the three-year mourning period before getting married.
Yu An laughed out loud and teased, "Look at you, with such a narrow mind, what are you going to do in the future?"
"What's wrong with my mind..." Ji Shu pouted. "Our Ji family's rules state that men cannot take concubines, and that applies to him too. If things don't work out, they can get a divorce. He can't bring a mistress back to me."
"My brother was the same. My mother was foolish to keep sending him concubines one after another," she added in a low voice.
Yu An pursed her lips and remained silent.
The weather suddenly became hot for a few days, and Yu'an couldn't stay upstairs anymore, so she moved to the backyard.
Having spent half a month upstairs, the sudden move to the backyard prompted Baozhu to ask curiously, "Why isn't Miss upstairs anymore?"
"hot."
Baozhu: ...
When the shop opened in the morning, I found that the steps in front of the store were full of fresh gardenias, and the fragrance of the flowers was so strong that I could not smell the aroma of the steamed buns shop next door.
Putting aside everything else, just the fact that it can attract people to admire the flowers and then encourage them to buy things in the shop is a good thing.
The shop assistant wondered whose flowers were placed there.
Baozhu laughed and said, "Who else could it be but right in front of you?"
Yu An glanced subconsciously at the tea stall outside the door, then went to the backyard.
As the day for Yu'an to go to the palace to request calligraphy drew closer, Wang Wan'er could no longer sit still. Watching the endless stream of customers coming and going from inside the carriage, she ordered her horse to turn around and head to the palace.
As expected, the Empress Dowager was taking a midday nap when she grabbed the maid who usually served tea to the Empress Dowager.
"Sister, I'd like to ask you something."
As she spoke, she stuffed a bag full of silver into the maid's sleeve.
"I heard someone say that Lady Chu looks like the Eldest Princess. Does the Empress Dowager know about this...?"
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Author's Note: Baozhu: I was wrong. [question mark]
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