Passing through a quiet and secluded corridor, one arrives at a spacious open space surrounded by brocade curtains. Several tables are set up there, and a few women are sitting to the side. Upon seeing the group, they quickly gather around.
Shi Jialuo led Yue Zhan to the main seat. Shi Lan was about to follow when she was stopped by the elderly woman she had met before.
Looking at the beautiful woman standing beside her, who seemed kind and gentle as she gazed at her, Shi Lan frowned slightly.
“This is your mother,” the woman said, gently stroking the back of her hand. “When you disappeared, your mother was so worried that she couldn’t eat or sleep, and she even fell ill. If it weren’t for Twenty-Niang coming to me crying and asking someone to treat her, she would probably be serving Buddha by now.”
After she finished speaking, a young girl who looked somewhat like Shi Lan bowed gracefully, looked up at Shi Lan with a smile, and said, "Nineteenth Sister, I am Twentieth Sister. Do you still remember me?"
Shi Lan shook her head. The girl was somewhat disappointed. She held up the lock around her neck for Shi Lan to see. Shi Lan glanced at it and saw that it was engraved with the character 'Cen', which means small mountain.
Shi Lan pursed her lips, finding the name "Mountain Mist" rather intriguing.
The girl seemed oblivious to anything, still holding it up with a charming smile, as if she were very proud.
Shi Lan nodded politely, keenly sensing that the woman called her mother, though seemingly unintentional, was actually focusing all her attention on her.
The woman who claimed to be her great-mother then began to say that she had missed her ever since she left the garrison that day, but unfortunately, she could not see her because of the military camp.
Shi Lan lowered her head slightly, appearing to be a respectful listener, but her attention kept shifting to the other side.
Shi Jiami came over to invite the woman to take her seat. Shi Lan smiled and nodded at him. The so-called mother, who was helping Cen Niang tidy her clothes, hurriedly stepped forward and asked Shi Jiami with a smile if she wanted to take her seat.
Shi Jiami gave her a cold glance, snorted, ignored her, and walked away.
Shi Lan pretended not to see her, helped the woman sit down, and then went to his own desk.
The beautiful woman was stunned when Shi Jiami embarrassed her in front of Shi Lan.
Cen Niang couldn't bear to see her mother lose face in such a setting, so she pulled her along and slowly led her to her seat.
The banquet began, and everyone toasted each other. Shi Lan was still recovering from her injuries, so she couldn't even drink sweet wine and could only drink some light tea.
After a few rounds of drinks, Yue Zhan, seeing the good atmosphere, also began to get restless. Shi Jiami was a typical bookworm who only read the classics and was oblivious to the world around him. After a few compliments from Yue Zhan, he became very enthusiastic and started to sway as he recited poems.
Although Shi Jialuo was shrewd, after drinking two jars of wine, he revealed another side of himself and actually went up to Yue Zhan to pour him more wine.
Yue Zhan had been training in the military since he was a child, and he had been drinking strong liquor since he was old enough to understand things. To him, the sweet wine here was just a thirst-quenching liquid. After drinking a few bowls with Shi Jialuo, Shi Jialuo immediately became much more affectionate towards him, and they started to put their arms around each other's shoulders and call each other brothers.
Yue Zhan was both amused and exasperated. He had already made preparations, but now there was no way to continue.
Seeing the chaotic scene, Shi Lan was too lazy to stay and went to the waterside pavilion to listen to the wind and enjoy the scenery.
A cool breeze rustled the leaves, and the gentle gurgling of the water flowing under the wooden bridge created a unique scene.
Shi Lan strolled along the water's edge, the creaking of wooden planks weighed down by the weight of the water echoing in her ears.
Shi Lan turned her head and looked behind her. The woman who claimed to be her mother was walking briskly towards her. When she got closer, she said in a hoarse voice, "You shouldn't have come back. Since you decided to leave in the first place, you shouldn't have shown up again."
Shi Lan turned to look at her. Was she kidding? The original owner was only a five-year-old toddler. She actually kicked such a young child out of the house. Now that the child has returned, instead of asking how she was, she's questioning her.
Is this really the original owner's biological mother? Shi Lan had serious doubts.
The woman walked step by step toward Shi Lan, her fingers almost digging into her palms. Shi Lan firmly believed that if the crowd hadn't kept their distance from her, she would have been happy to use those sharp nails to pinch her own neck.
Shi Lan smiled, pursing her lips, and stepped back step by step towards the woman. When she reached the edge of the bridge, she looked at the rushing river below and said, "Do you think they would treat you if I fell in now? Especially my father, just think about it, he probably wouldn't even want to look at you."
Shi Lan adheres to the principle of eliminating any malicious intent towards her, especially since the original owner showed no emotional fluctuation towards women, so Shi Lan felt no remorse for attacking her.
The woman's expression changed slightly, and she quickly stepped forward to pull her back, saying, "Don't be impulsive."
Shi Lan suddenly smiled, flipped her hand over, grabbed the woman hard, and pushed her into the river with a deafening scream.
The woman flailed her limbs in panic and fell into the river with a splash. The icy water instantly submerged her. As she struggled haphazardly in the water, Shi Lan glanced at the rock that was half-protruding from the water and snorted coldly.
Instead of fighting her, you should drink some cold water in the river to sober up.
Upon hearing Shi Lan's voice, Yue Zhan leaped to the bridge. "Lan Niang, what's wrong?"
Shi Lan trembled as she leaned against the bridge pillar, her face pale as she looked at the river. She turned to look at Yue Zhan and the others who were rushing over. "I... I don't know. She suddenly came over and tried to push me. I tripped here, and she fell in," Shi Lan said, pointing to the uneven part of the bridge. She said in a panic, "My lord, quickly send someone to rescue her."
Yue Zhan coldly looked down at the bridge and said, "No need. The water here is only waist-deep, no one can die here." He turned to look at Shi Jiami, "It seems your wife doesn't know this and is even trying to harm Lan Niang."
Shi Jiami's face turned pale as he stared at the woman who was still struggling, his teeth clenched, his eyes revealing a fierce glint of hatred that wished she would die immediately.
Shi Lan smiled slightly. No matter what this woman was after, even if women were relatively independent in this era, they still needed men to support them. Shi Jiami's patience had probably reached its limit, and he would not help this woman in the slightest.
Cen Niang also noticed this and quickly called on the servants standing around to help.
The woman glanced at the river, sighed softly, and muttered, "Poor little nineteen." She then brushed past Cen Niang and came to Shi Lan. Looking at Yue Zhan, who was glaring at her, she said apologetically, "Your mother has become increasingly confused over the years. I shouldn't have brought her to see you just because she begged me. I was confused about this. I will give you and the Grand Commander an explanation."
Shi Lan twitched her lips. She was clearly the victim, so why should she explain herself to him?
Cen Niang anxiously stepped forward, wanting to defend her mother, but was pulled back by Shi Jialuo.
Yue Zhan glared at the woman and snorted coldly, "What mother? I have heard clearly. She is just a fake mother. Please do not say that she is Lan Niang's mother in the future. She is not qualified."
The woman was stunned by Yue Zhan's retort, but she was unable to speak.
Shi Lan asked the woman, "What did she mean when she said I shouldn't have come back?" (To be continued.)
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