Chapter 51 Three Nightmares "Wife, Mother is doing this for our own good..."
On the carriage journey home, the parrot hung precariously from above the carriage. Songlan couldn't resist reaching out to tease it, but the parrot grew impatient, suddenly fluttering its wings and landing steadily on Meng Lingyao's shoulder, even playfully nuzzling her with its face.
“This parrot is so well-behaved, it seems to get along well with you, Miss,” Songlan said with a smile.
Meng Lingyao chuckled and poked its red beak with her finger. "This is probably what they mean by 'like master, like pet.'"
Bathed in the soft moonlight, Meng Lingyao soaked in a bath fragrant with peonies, listening to Songlan chatter about the newly changed silk quilt. In the misty haze, a parrot on a wooden stand nodded its head, dozing off, which made Meng Lingyao feel sleepy too.
"Miss, Miss," Songlan called softly, "Don't fall asleep like this, be careful not to catch a cold."
She mumbled a reply, washed herself clean, changed into her nightgown, and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she could go to sleep.
“Miss,” Songlan tied a sachet to the edge of the bed, “the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and there will be many snakes, insects, rats and ants. I put some medicinal herbs in this sachet to help you sleep more soundly.”
"I still prefer woad," she murmured, turned over, and drifted off to sleep amidst the slightly bitter scent of mugwort.
She had another dream...
It was an exceptionally long dream, so long that it felt like half a lifetime had passed in a dream.
Piecing together countless fragmented pieces, she saw herself in a phoenix coronet and wedding gown, happily marrying Zhao Xu. At first, life must have been good; in her dreams, she vaguely saw her gentle and devoted husband, and her kind and gentle mother-in-law.
Then she dreamt that she was sitting in the back hall of Juxianglou, her belly slightly protruding, as if she were pregnant. Her pregnant belly was pressed against the table, and her fingertips were turning the pages of the account books. The rain was pattering outside the window. She rubbed her aching back and heard footsteps outside the door.
"Young Madam," a maidservant said, bringing in a bowl of medicine. "It's time for your pregnancy-preserving medicine."
She was busy checking the accounts and didn't want to drink, so she just told them to leave it. But then someone else came in, and she knew that person was her mother-in-law, Madam Cui.
"Xu'er specifically instructed me to watch you take it." The noblewoman's voice was gentle but brooked no argument. "You child, you never take care of your health."
“Mother, the branch in Jinling has just opened, so we need to keep an eye on it these next few days.”
A branch in Jinling? So her business is doing so well?
Meng Lingyao couldn't help but sigh, realizing that she was indeed an unparalleled business genius.
Madam Cui sighed and sat down beside her. "The Marquis's mansion is not short of money. You are pregnant now, why bother with all this?"
“This isn’t about hard work.” Meng Lingyao raised her eyes, her tone calm. “Juxianglou is something I built from scratch, and even after marrying into the Marquis’s family, I don’t want to abandon it.”
Madam Cui frowned slightly, but before she could speak, the curtain was suddenly lifted. Zhao Xu strode in, still in his armor, his brows showing signs of fatigue, but he smiled when he saw her. "Why are you still here, my lady? Mother is right, you should rest well."
Meng Lingyao clearly felt her heart sink slightly, but she still said in a steady voice, "The accounts are not yet cleared. Let me look at them for a while longer."
Zhao Xu approached, took her hand, and gently stroked her cool fingertips with his fingertips. "Leave the business matters to the managers. Mother is doing this for our own good."
"Our mother was doing it for our own good."
It was as if a dull knife was slowly cutting into her heart.
An indescribable dull pain spread through her heart. She looked at him, and his eyes, which were once gentle and smiling, were now full of consolation, as if her insistence was nothing more than willfulness.
"Okay," she finally replied softly.
That night, she suffered excruciating abdominal pain, her clothes soaked with cold sweat. Madam Cui rushed over, her face filled with worry, but a hint of coldness in her eyes was reflected in Meng Lingyao's pupils. "I told you to rest and take care of your pregnancy, but you wouldn't listen..."
Zhao Xu stood by the bed, his face pale, and held her hand, whispering, "My wife, don't be afraid..."
But when the imperial physician shook his head and sighed, Madam Cui said softly, "Xu'er, the loss of this child may not be the will of Heaven."
Zhao Xu remained silent for a long time before finally saying in a low voice, "Mother is right."
Meng Lingyao closed her eyes, unwilling to look at them again.
"Miss! Miss!" Songlan's voice startled her awake from her dream.
Meng Lingyao suddenly opened her eyes, drenched in cold sweat, her palms tightly gripping the blankets. Outside the window, the night was still deep, with only the parrot fluttering gently in its cage.
She slowly loosened her fingers, her face inexplicably wet; when she touched it, it was all tears.
Songlan hurriedly fetched a hot towel to wipe the young lady's face.
“Miss,” she said, her brow furrowed, “you had another nightmare?”
What a terrible dream this is! It's never been like this before...
She was filled with worry.
Meng Lingyao sat up, clutched the handkerchief handed to her, and slowly shook her head.
"It wasn't a nightmare." She tugged at the corners of her lips, then suddenly looked up and smiled at her. "It was a wonderful dream."
“I dreamed that Juxianglou was doing excellent business, and had opened branches in Nanjing and Suzhou.”
Songlan was stunned for a moment. If it was such a good dream, why was Miss's face full of tears?
She composed herself and smiled, "That's wonderful."
"Miss, why don't you sleep a little longer?" Songlan lit another lamp, lowered the outer curtain of the bed, and the soft light spread across Meng Lingyao's face. She said softly, "It's still early."
Meng Lingyao looked up and saw the parrot swaying on the shelf through the thin curtain. "It's a bit noisy, let's take it out."
Songlan paused for a moment, then replied, "Yes."
She gave the order, and the maid on night duty outside quickly took the parrot away.
Meng Lingyao lay down again, her hand unconsciously resting on her lower abdomen, as if burned, and she quickly pulled away. She pulled the blanket up, closed her eyes, and thought, it's just a dream, she will never let her child suffer like this.
Instead, we should think carefully about how to expand Juxianglou's business, not only in Nanjing and Suzhou, but also in Sichuan and Shengjing. What business could be more reliable than the business we hold in our own hands?
A few days later.
Madam Zhong caught up with Cang Dian, who was walking briskly, "Where is your young lady? We haven't seen her for days! The Dragon Boat Festival banquet is the day after tomorrow!"
"At Juxianglou." Cang Dian bowed and apologized repeatedly, "Madam, Miss is in a hurry, please allow me to go ahead."
Madam Zhong loosened her grip slightly, and Cang Dian slipped away like a fish.
"Really..." Madam Zhong muttered irritably, hands on her hips, and led a few servants to Juxiang Tower to capture her daughter, who had been away from home for days, and bring her back to the mansion.
"you……"
Madam Zhong intended to reprimand her daughter, for while she always supported her daughter in pursuing her own interests and not being confined to the inner quarters all day, she should still distinguish between what was important and what was urgent. The Dragon Boat Festival banquet was of paramount importance; how could she neglect such a serious matter because of her interest in business?
But the words caught in his throat when he saw his daughter's face.
In just a few days, her daughter's once radiant face became noticeably thinner, her chin became more pointed, and there was a faint bluish shadow under her eyes. Only her eyes became clearer and brighter.
She was both annoyed and amused. She quickly stepped forward and gently touched her daughter's cheek with her warm palm. "Why are you doing this? Is the family short of food or clothing? Why are you putting yourself through this for a shop?"
Meng Lingyao tilted her head, pressed her face closer to her mother's palm, and gently rubbed it. "I want to at least make a show of it."
Madam Zhong pinched her cheek. "Are you worried that the family can't afford to support you?"
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes, and said softly, "Mother says this now... but if I don't get married for a long time and become an old maid at home, getting in your way every day, Mother and Father... will probably get tired of looking at me."
"Nonsense!" Madam Zhong's face darkened immediately, and her voice suddenly rose several decibels. "Who would dare to spread such rumors? Listen to this: if you find a truly worthy and compatible young man, your mother will naturally be happy to send you off to your marriage. But if all the men in the capital are like Lu Heming and Zhou Yizhi, then it's better not to marry at all!"
"If your father dares to say another word, I'll break his legs."
Meng Lingyao chuckled, "There's no need to be so cruel to Father."
"That's true." Madam Zhong said thoughtfully, "He only receives a few months' salary for attending court."
She studied her daughter's expression and softened her tone, "Young Master Jian seemed to be a good person and talented that day, but since you have no interest in him, there's no need to see him again. Yaoyao, we only hope that you..." She paused, her voice gentle yet firm, "...that you can live a comfortable and happy life, which is better than anything else."
Meng Lingyao blinked her teary eyes and threw herself into her mother's arms, "Mother..."
These days, she had been engrossed in the affairs of Juxianglou, determined to make a name for herself, but a hint of escapism lingered in her mind. The grievances, fears, and helplessness she felt in her dream melted away at this moment in the soft, familiar scent of her mother's clothes. A lump formed in her throat, her eyes instantly reddened, and the tears that had been building up finally streamed down her face.
Madam Zhong was slightly jolted by her daughter's bump, but quickly caught her steadily. Feeling her daughter's trembling shoulders in her arms, her heart trembled, but she still deliberately scolded, "Look at you, covered in incense ash powder, it's all over my new clothes!"
She uttered words of disdain, but her arms tightened around her daughter, one hand gently patting her thin back, the other tenderly combing her slightly disheveled hair.
-
On the Dragon Boat Festival, the sky was clear and blue. The royal villa, built along the river, covered a vast area, with pavilions and towers scattered in a well-organized manner, creating a picturesque scene with the winding river.
Today, we will first accompany His Majesty to watch the dragon boat races, and then proceed to the palace for a banquet. The dragon boat teams have already been selected, leaving two of the most outstanding ones. Coincidentally, these two teams have intricate connections with two different princes. One team is led by the second prince's brother-in-law, while the other's elite team is led by the third prince's cousin. The rivalry between the two princes adds a touch of undercurrent to this already lively Dragon Boat Festival event.
Along the riverbank, magnificent canopies and stands had already been erected, their brocade curtains fluttering and providing ample shade. Inside, thick Persian carpets were laid out, and exquisite low tables and tea sets were displayed, laden with various seasonal fruits and chilled soups. Despite such thoughtful arrangements, the scorching early summer afternoon sun still shone through the gaps, its heat almost unbearable, causing beads of sweat to appear on people's foreheads.
Meng Lingyao sat among the women, her mind much calmer than it had been in recent days. She carefully applied her face powder with newly made rouge, its color clear and natural. The lip rouge she dabbed on her lips, which she named "Pomegranate Beauty," was vibrant yet not vulgar. She then lightly patted her homemade "Bamboo Dew" lipstick behind her ears and on her wrists, its delicate and refreshing fragrance quietly permeating the slightly warm air, making one feel relaxed and happy.
Normally, she would dress up so meticulously to attract attention and show off her own abilities. But today, she wanted to use herself to showcase the exquisite craftsmanship of what she had created. She was no longer an object of adornment, but rather someone who would make these rouges and perfumes even more precious through her use.
Judging from Zhao Ruxuan's occasional glances over, the effect seems to be quite good.
According to etiquette, men and women sat separately in the stands, separated by a thin gauze curtain. Though one could not see clearly, one could still roughly make out people's figures. The drums thundered, and the dragon boat shot off like an arrow, cutting through the blue waves and speeding away. Cheers and applause surged like a tide from both banks.
Meng Lingyao sipped her tea, her eyes fixed straight ahead. Yet, she could clearly feel the intense gazes directed at her from the men's seats, almost tangible. She lowered her gaze, adjusting her sleeves, pretending not to notice.
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