Good love, good love
Aunt Yun started warming up her voice before dawn. It seemed that she had made some progress recently. Her singing could be heard through several courtyards and even reached the small Buddhist hall in the east courtyard.
Mrs. Qin knelt in the Buddhist temple again, copying scriptures and burning incense.
Liu San was ill again, this time even more seriously ill, unconscious for several days. Whenever Mrs. Qin closed her eyes, she could only see Liu San's face, his eyes tightly shut and pale. She felt the child's body and found it hadn't gained any flesh, only a skeleton.
"Qingfang, why doesn't San Ge grow even though he only eats a lot?" Her tears had probably dried up, and she just lowered her head and kept rubbing Liu San's cold feet.
"The Third Young Master is blessed by heaven, and nothing will happen to him. Perhaps he really has a connection with Buddhism and Taoism, so why not believe the immortal and try to convert to Taoism?" After Qingfang finished speaking and saw that Madam Qin still looked ashen, she realized that she had said too much and stopped talking.
Now, the North Courtyard had moved to the study, and the West Courtyard had favored wives and pregnant women, all of whom were restless. How could Madam Qin bear to send Liu San to Fengqing Monastery? If she went to Fengqing Monastery, would she still have a place in the Liu family? I'm afraid no one would take her, the wife of the first wife, seriously.
It would have been fine if Aunt Yun didn't sing, but once she sang it gave Madam Qin even more of a headache.
In Jinlan Courtyard, Ning Hua was pruning her pine trees. She had recently taken up growing pine and cypress trees, which were easier to grow than orchids and remained green all year round.
"I think the cloud pieces your aunt has made are better than those made by Mr. Shen." Qiuyan started to speak without restraint again.
"When did you see Mr. Shen repairing the bonsai?" Ning Hua didn't take Qiu Yan's words to heart and answered casually.
"A few days ago, Qiu Tong and I saw Mr. Shen in the garden, repairing bonsai in the pavilion in the middle of the lake."
"Mr. Shen is a scholar, so it's normal for him to be elegant."
"I don't think scholars are necessarily elegant. Madam has never been elegant."
"Shh..." She couldn't control Qiu Yan's mouth anymore, and she didn't know how this child could live in the house for so long.
As the master and servant were talking, Aunt Qingfang came into the courtyard with several maids, carrying gold and silver jewelry, rouge and powder. "I want to say hello to Aunt Fan. I've been so thankful for your care and attention these days. My lady is grateful to you for asking me to bring you some things to wear and use. They're not expensive, just things young ladies would like."
Ning Hua looked at the pile of perfume, powder and jewelry and thanked Qingfang. After she left, she showed disgust on her face and asked Qiuyan to put the items in the cabinet and lock them up.
"Auntie, this is the best perfume sold in the Liu family shop. It would be a shame to lock it up."
"If you like it, I'll give it to you." Ning Hua had no intention of competing for favor, but how could everything go as planned in the backyard? She played with the birds for a while, then went for a walk in the garden.
In the pavilion in the middle of the lake, Shen Ju'an was teaching again. The round heads of several children were reading little by little, and their staggering appearance always reminded her of the days in Lujiang.
Never mind, things have changed.
That night, Ning Hua washed and dressed, putting on the new jewelry and perfume her mistress had given her, and donning the red gauze blouse that pleased Master Liu. She stared blankly at her face in the mirror, which looked like a death, pale and vibrant.
She touched Qiuyan's hand and asked, "Does it look good to you?"
"Auntie is young, so naturally she is pretty." Qiuyan put a golden peony hairpin on her head that was as big as half her face.
"Why do I look so strange?"
"My aunt is usually too plain, but today is just the right time."
"Just right, isn't it?" Ning Hua asked numbly.
Qiuyan replied a few more words: "Just right."
It just so happens that she doesn't like it, and it just so happens that Master Liu likes it.
Ning Hua looked at herself in the bronze mirror, her red lips and fine teeth. Like warm blood, like a red candle at a wedding, like rotten fruit...
Jinlan Courtyard was plain, for Ninghua preferred quiet. Tonight, a rare evening, a few red lanterns were hung. Master Liu was quite pleased when he entered the courtyard, and he was also pleased with Fan Ninghua's proactive approach.
"I see that you are different from before. This is very good." The rough old hands stroked the cold and soft white jade through the red gauze shirt as thin as a cicada's wing.
The night is cool, the pearls and jades are clanging, even a hundred years is still not enough.
Yulan rested her head on her arm, still thinking about the word "like" Liu Er said that night. What did he like? The Yulan hairpin?
She heard it that day, but thought she didn't hear it clearly, so she just said "Ah?" and Liu Er said it was nothing and went back to the house.
Yulan regretted not chasing after her to ask, but she didn't dare to do so at the time. She turned the magnolia hairpin in her hand, which was carved from white marble. It was given to her by her mother. When Aunt Yun saw her wearing this magnolia hairpin, she said, "Since you have a magnolia hairpin, let's call her Yulan."
"What are you thinking about? Why don't you stay up at night and keep watch for the master?" Haitang couldn't sleep because of the rustling sound of Yulan tossing and turning.
"Haitang, do you think this looks good?" Half of her head appeared from the quilt. She was holding the magnolia hairpin, and her face was red as she blinked her big eyes at Haitang.
"It's in good condition, go to sleep." Haitang patted Yulan's quilt impatiently.
"My mother gave it to me."
In the dark night, Haitang met her pair of bright black eyes and said enviously, "That's great."
Haitang lost her mother when she was born. It was the kindness of the old lady that gave her a chance to survive. She grew up under the care of Aunt Qingfang. Later, the old lady also passed away, and Aunt Qingfang was her only "relative".
She looked at Yulan's innocent face, which was slightly flushed, and her clear eyes were filled with envy. She asked, "Do you miss her?"
"It's been too long. I don't miss it anymore." Yulan buried her head in the quilt.
The last time she saw her mother was six years ago. People from the yamen took her away from the Liu family to identify the body. Her mother was lying on a straw mat, covered in blood.
Mr. Zhang kindly covered her eyes, but the blood seeped through the gaps between his fingers and soaked into her eye sockets.
The county magistrate said her mother had jumped from a building, and the case was hastily closed. She remembered the senile appearance of the county magistrate, the aloof and conceited lawyer, and the ferocious and vicious yamen runners.
She remembered that year she was a ten-year-old girl kneeling alone in the court. When she lowered her eyes, she saw a bloodstained straw mat, and when she raised her eyes, she saw a plaque with the words "A Bright Mirror Hangs High".
In the end, she was driven out of the court in disgust, and was drowned in spit by calls of "bastard" and "slut".
The daughter of a prostitute would probably be disgusting to look at.
It's ridiculous. How could you not feel disgusted when you go to a brothel? I'm afraid that when you think about dirty things, you won't even let a dog go. But when you turn around and act like a human being, you feel disgusted.
Yulan crawled beside the lawyer's legs and bit his legs hard, and was finally taken away by Mr. Zhang.
"Mr. Zhang, who do you think my father is?" Yulan looked at the small grave and knelt down to kowtow several times.
"How should I know? From now on, just forget about this, forget Chunfeng Tower, forget your mother, and forget... looking for your father. Do your job well in the Liu family. Your mother also hopes that you can live an ordinary life." Mr. Zhang touched Yulan's head. This was the little girl he watched grow up, the little girl who hid here and there in Chunfeng Tower.
"Well. Mr. Zhang, where are you going in the future? Can I still find you?" Yulan wiped her tears. Now this is the only friend she is still familiar with.
"I think Chunfeng Tower is gone this time, and I plan to travel around the world. Xiao Yulan, you should forget about me too." After saying this, Mr. Zhang disappeared among the mountains in the distance.
Yulan wiped her tears, held Haitang's hand, and fell into a deep sleep.
Mr. Liu stayed overnight at Jinlan Courtyard. Madam Qin showed a rare look of joy and said to Qingfang, "Will Fan be pregnant soon? I treat her well, so can you adopt her child?"
"Don't worry, ma'am. It will happen naturally if we are destined to do so." Qingfang comforted her.
"Let's go and burn some more incense sticks. Let's pray for a good marriage for the young lady."
Shen Ju'an found it strange. Why did the more he lectured, the fewer students there were? It was fine if Liu San was not feeling well, but why didn't Miss Liu and Liu Er come?
"Second brother was called to the study by father, and eldest sister must be taking care of third brother." Fourth Miss Liu said to the fifth Miss.
Shen Ju'an was helpless. Miss Liu Si and Miss Liu Wu were still young, no more than yellow mouths, so he had to let them practice calligraphy and read storybooks on their own. Shen Ju'an found a comfortable position, brewed a pot of tea, and began to read leisurely.
Steal a half day of leisure from this busy life.
The willows were green, the wind lifted the bamboo curtains, and he saw Ning Hua walking his bird by the lake again. The book covered half of his face, leaving only his eyes gazing at the people by the lake.
It was as if that delicate and graceful girl would quietly gaze at the pavilion by the lake every day. Shen Ju'an suddenly felt uneasy and flipped through the book in a panic.
Gentlemen are always narcissistic, and those who are educated are no different.
"What is Mr. Shen busy with?" Liu Er and Miss Liu arrived late, and saw from a distance that Shen Ju'an was sitting alone and suddenly stood up and fell.
"There was a bug just now." He was a little embarrassed. "Here it is. Let's start the lecture."
Shen Ju'an straightened his expression and looked again. Ning Hua in the distance was no longer there. He felt lost for no reason.
Qiuyan showed Yulan the jewels that Master Liu had bestowed upon the Jinlan Courtyard that morning, and she also explained that Concubine Fan had been given special permission to order the dishes. Her tone was filled with pride and complacency. Yulan felt a strange discomfort, thinking it might be because Concubine Yun had been so rambunctious, even without favor, she hadn't had to worry about food and clothing. Although it sounded a bit strange, Yulan simply listened quietly. Qiuyan was a talkative person, and even without replying, she could listen for hours.
After Qiuyan finished talking to Yulan, she went around several courtyards and chatted with the maids in other courtyards. Yulan sighed that she had no sense of defense at all.
Now that Liu Er had earned Master Liu's respect, life in the North Courtyard had improved. Yulan wouldn't cause a scene in the kitchen over a bowl of mutton, but she had been feeling vaguely uneasy lately.
Perhaps due to the sweltering heat, a rainstorm had been brewing for a long time, but it hadn't fallen yet. The sky was tinged with an unusual, eerie, pale red.
"Second Master..." Yulan called out to Liu Er, who was about to go to study, but she didn't know what to say. Finally, she took the umbrella and stuffed it into the box, "It might rain."
"Okay." Even if Liu Er walked to the moon cave door, he would turn back to hear Yulan talking and put a sandalwood box in Yulan's hand. "Keep this."
Bao Fu stood at the entrance of the moon cave and looked at the two of them with disdain.
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