Qingying returned to her dormitory.
She fed the white deer and was stroking its fur playfully.
Yu Yue came in and said, "The old lady sent someone to invite you to have dinner together."
Qingying nodded, then fed the white deer a small dried fish, and said with a smile, "It's getting fatter and fatter now."
"Yeah, all I do every day is eat and sleep, sleep and eat, how can I not gain weight?"
"Being a little chubby is good; it looks festive."
She masturbated for a while longer, then got up to wash her hands.
When she arrived at Wang's house, she saw that Liu Chenglin was also there.
She smiled politely and distantly, and asked, "Is Third Brother going back to Medicine King Valley tomorrow?"
"Well, we stayed two more days. I'm afraid the letter from Master urging us to come is already on its way." Liu Chenglin's tone remained indifferent.
Madam Wang said with concern, "You are away from home, so you must take care of yourself. If you miss home, come back to see your grandmother and your father."
"yes."
After that, nothing more was said.
Qingying and Wang exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat helpless.
Madam Wang waved her hand, "Everyone's here, let's start the meal."
The maids then came over to serve the food. They ate and slept in silence, and amidst the clinking of cups, the atmosphere was no longer as awkward as it had been at the beginning.
After dinner, Madam Wang suddenly said to Liu Chenglin, "You're leaving home tomorrow, and there's no definite news about when you'll be back. Why don't you go to the ancestral hall later to burn some incense and say a few words to your grandfather and mother?"
Liu Chenglin cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, "Grandson understands."
Wang glanced at Qingying again and said, "You should come along too."
Qingying felt confused. She wasn't leaving home, so why should she go to burn incense? But when she met Wang's insistent gaze, she could only nod in agreement.
Before long, the brother and sister left Wang's courtyard and headed straight for the ancestral hall.
The two remained silent the entire way. When they arrived at the ancestral hall, Qingying first had her maid light all the candles and lamps, illuminating the entire room. Then she took a handful of incense and lit it by the ever-burning lamp.
Here are the ancestral tablets of the Liu family, arranged in three neat rows. The Liu family ancestors were once prominent, but they gradually declined after the Taizu Emperor of the previous dynasty committed a crime and was demoted. By the time of the grandfather, there was hardly any wealth left. Wang suffered a lot when she was young, but thanks to Liu Yu's success, the Liu family has now risen again.
She handed over the lit incense, which Liu Chenglin silently accepted. He then knelt on the prayer mat and kowtowed three times to the memorial tablet.
Qingying also kowtowed and offered incense, then walked outside without saying a word.
She leaned against a big tree in the courtyard, and by slightly tilting her head up, she could see a crescent moon hanging high in the sky.
“He can still say a few words to his mother’s memorial tablet inside, but what about me?” She smiled self-deprecatingly and said, “I’m just a concubine’s daughter. My mother’s memorial tablet isn’t even qualified to be placed in the Liu family’s ancestral hall.”
She had never liked coming here before. Every time she looked at the ancestral tablets of the Liu family, she felt extremely ironic. Next to each male tablet was only the tablet of his legal wife. Those with the character "Liu" in their names were all direct descendants. They seemed to be reminding her that even if she died in the future, she would not be qualified to enter the Liu family ancestral hall.
Yu Yue knew the pain in her heart and felt very sorry for her. She gently comforted her, "Miss, things are already very good now. The old lady, the master, the madam, and the eldest young master are all sincere to you. They truly treat you as family."
"Really?" Qingying pursed her lips, looked at her, and asked in confusion, "Then why do they want me to live with this awkward identity forever? And why do they want me to always remember my lowly origins?"
Yu Yue opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know how to answer.
"Naturally, it's because you're currently occupying someone else's position." Liu Chenglin's voice came coldly, with a hint of sarcasm in it.
Qingying looked over and saw him standing by the door with his arms crossed. His plain white clothes were tinged with a faint orange-yellow by the hexagonal palace lanterns under the corridor, and his shadow stretched long behind him.
He's grown taller than her now. I still remember how he used to follow her around like a little chubby boy when we were kids, calling her "sister" over and over again. It was hard not to like him.
But now... things have really changed.
"What do you mean by that?" She frowned slightly.
He scoffed and said, "You, a lowly daughter born to a concubine, are living the life of a legitimate daughter in this General's mansion, adorned with cinnabar and jade, dressed in fine silks and satins, and accompanied by carriages and servants. You should be burning incense to thank the heavens. How dare you even dream of a proper title? Have you forgotten what you are after living this stolen life for so long?"
Qingying's face gradually drained of color from his words, her voice trembling slightly, "Stolen days? What are you talking about? Whom did I steal?"
"Heh~ You still don't know anything." Liu Chenglin gazed at her quietly, then suddenly curled his lips and said, "I'm not going to tell you either, just guess slowly."
He walked outside, with Qingying following closely behind, saying, "Liu Chenglin, explain yourself clearly."
He ignored her and continued walking forward.
Qingying grabbed his sleeve to stop him from leaving and continued to question him: "What did you mean by what you just said?"
Liu Chenglin grew impatient. He tugged at her sleeve but couldn't budge it, so he pushed her forcefully.
Qingying was already frail, and with his careless push, she staggered back several steps, tripped over a stone, and fell directly into the lotus pond next to her.
With a loud "thump," everyone was stunned.
The water in the lotus pond wasn't deep; when she stood up, it only reached her waist. But when she fell backward and thrashed around a few times, she choked on several mouthfuls of water. Her body was weak, and she couldn't stand up several times.
Yu Yue jumped into the pond without hesitation to help her up. She managed to straighten up from the water with great difficulty. She was soaking wet, several of her hairpins had fallen off, and the rest were stuck crookedly in her hair. Her clothes and face were covered in mud, making her look extremely disheveled and filthy.
Yu Yue helped her to the shore. She was trembling like a leaf, her face was deathly pale, and she was coughing repeatedly.
A pang of guilt rose in Liu Chenglin's heart. He took off his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders.
"I didn't mean to. I had no choice but to..."
Qingying suddenly felt extremely wronged, and her eyes welled up with tears. She didn't say a word or look at him, but gently brushed off her outer robe and said in a trembling voice, "Yu Yue, let's go back."
“Girl, it’ll be faster if I carry you back.” Yu Yue said, squatting down.
Qingying didn't hesitate and bent down to lie on top of him.
Yu Yue glanced coldly at Liu Chenglin and said, "Third Young Master, if you have any conscience, please go and call Doctor Qin."
After saying that, she carried Qingying on her back and quickly walked towards the dormitory.
That night, Qingying's courtyard was in a frenzy of activity. Basins of hot water were brought into the house, and coughs could be heard from inside from time to time. She was so weak that she seemed to be on the verge of dying at any moment.
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