Chapter 64 The Heartless Person "She's already dead, why are you still thinking about her..."
Under the cover of Yu Yan and Hua Mian, Meng Shuang successfully escaped. Wearing a veil, she hurriedly arrived at Linghua Lane, where she happened to run into Lu Jiayan carrying a book bag and about to leave.
"Second Miss Meng, what are you doing here?" Lu Jiayan glanced outside and was surprised to see that she was panting heavily and had no maidservants following behind her.
Having not seen Lu Jiayan for some time, Meng Shuang noticed that the dark circles under his eyes had become even more pronounced, suggesting that he must have suffered a lot during this period. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly, and she could no longer control herself, rushing over and throwing herself into his arms.
Caught off guard, Lu Jiayan raised his hand holding the book bag high, and only after hearing Meng Shuang's crying did he slowly speak: "Second Miss, what happened?"
Meng Shuang sobbed, "Don't call me Second Miss, call me Shuang'er."
Lu Jiayan frowned: "Men and women shouldn't touch each other. Can you let go of me first?"
Hearing his distant words so suddenly, and remembering how she had not only disobeyed her mother for him but also gone to great lengths to escape, only to be met with his cold attitude, Meng Shuang's face instantly turned cold. She let go of his hand, took two steps back, and although her beautiful face was filled with tears, it revealed a silent stubbornness.
"My mother wants me to marry someone else."
Meng Shuang stared directly at the person opposite her, but his eyebrows were lowered, as he did not want to meet her gaze.
"The second young lady has a beautiful and graceful appearance, like a begonia in the sun or a lotus in the distance. She also has a kind and gentle heart. She is a perfect match for a good marriage."
His face remained calm, and even his voice was unhurried, without a trace of panic as one might expect.
What a beautiful and ethereal appearance!
What a charming and obsequious heart!
For him, she defied her mother and even poisoned the maid who had served her for many years. What does his statement mean?
There weren't many families living in Linghua Lane, so there weren't many people coming and going. Occasionally, a vendor would walk by with his load, but Meng Shuang seemed not to see him at all. The coldness in her eyes only enveloped the person opposite her, and she smiled silently: "Lu Jiayan, I only ask you one question, are you willing... to marry me?"
A cluster of purple bellflowers grew by the east wall, their hexagonal petals shimmering with vibrant colors under the blood-red setting sun. Lu Jiayan's clear yet aloof voice pierced through the wind and reached the depths of the ears: "I am destitute and my family is no longer as glorious as it once was. I am truly unworthy of the Second Miss."
His answer was exactly what she expected. Meng Shuanghan's face turned cold: "Don't use such vague things as an excuse, Lu Jiayan. She's dead. Why are you still thinking about her? Even if she weren't dead, she would still be Lu Xiuyi's wife. It's far from your place, Lu Jiayan."
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp and piercing gaze suddenly swept over from the other side.
Lu Jiayan was usually inscrutable, but the undisguised anger on his face stung Meng Shuang's eyes. She smiled coldly and said, "In terms of looks, I think I am a cut above her; in terms of intelligence, I am no less than her; in terms of background, my mother is the principal wife, while she is just the daughter of a concubine."
“Do you know that without my father’s elaborate schemes, I would not even be as good as a daughter born to a concubine,” Lu Jiayan said, his anger replaced by an indescribable sense of despair and helplessness. “To put it bluntly, I would just be the son of an illegitimate wife. Even though my mother became a second wife, because of the deceased Princess Minghua, I am still nominally my father’s adopted son. So, do you think I am someone who cares about whether I am a legitimate or illegitimate child, or who is afraid of being born into a certain family? There is no comparison between you two, and you don’t need to argue with someone who is no longer alive for my sake.”
Meng Shuang's eyes revealed a mixture of surprise, grievance, and resentment: "Putting your breath on something? You think I'm putting my breath on something with her?"
Lu Jiayan lowered his head and sighed, "Whatever I think, it doesn't matter anymore. It's getting late, and I still need to go to the academy. Second Miss, please go back!"
After saying that, he turned to leave.
"Lu Jiayan, all those sweet words and tender sentiments, did you really never have a single bit of sincerity in them?" Meng Shuang still wouldn't give up, asking again with her last glimmer of hope.
Lu Jiayan paused, turned around, looked directly into her eyes, and said firmly and resolutely, "Never."
***
The short walk home felt like an eternity to Meng Shuang. As she stepped through the back gate, Deng Mama suddenly burst out from nowhere, grabbing her and pulling her quickly towards Zhenhuazhai, her face contorted with grief as she hushed in a low voice: "My dear aunt, why are you only coming back now? It's only been an hour! Hua Mian, she… she…"
Deng Mama's words struck Meng Shuang like a thunderbolt. Only then did she remember that she had put the stone powder on Hua Mian. Her face turned pale instantly, and she broke free from Deng Mama's hand and ran back to Zhenhuazhai.
From inside the lower room, a distant sobbing sound drifted over. Meng Shuang shakily walked in, clinging to the door frame. There she saw Yu Yan and Yun Yan kneeling on the bed, their faces slapped red, their heads bowed as they sobbed.
The rough, cheap curtains hung high, revealing Hua Mian's pale face. Her clothes were neat, her hair was intact, and there was no blood at the corner of her mouth. A glimmer of hope ignited in Meng Shuang's heart. She staggered in and stumbled in, her hands trembling as she pulled out the antidote from her bosom, intending to put it into Hua Mian's mouth.
But even though she pried open Hua Mian's mouth, she just couldn't swallow it.
“Huamian, swallow it, swallow it and it will be over, swallow it and you will get better,” Meng Shuang cried anxiously. Seeing that she still hadn’t swallowed it, she immediately turned around and shouted angrily, “What are you still kneeling here for? Hurry up and bring water.”
Yu Yan stood up crying, took Meng Shuang's shoulder and pulled her away a little, choking back tears as she comforted her, "Miss, Hua Mian, Hua Mian is gone, please don't be like this."
Meng Shuang, her face pale, stared wide-eyed at Hua Mian, reaching out to touch her face: "Her body is still warm, she's not dead yet, you're lying, I was just a little late, how could she be dead? No, impossible, this is impossible, you're lying to me, you're all lying to me, I couldn't, I couldn't have killed her, it's impossible."
"How is it impossible?" A furious shout came from the doorway, and Madam Yuan appeared in the servants' room with a stern face. "For a man, you actually did such a heartless thing to Hua Mian? If he were devoted to you, that would be fine, but judging from your appearance, it's not as you think. If you had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"
Startled by her sudden outburst, Meng Shuang immediately shut her mouth. Her previously wildly waving hands fell limply to her sides. As if she had lost her soul, she slowly stood up and knelt on the ground with a thud: "Mother, I was wrong. I am willing to accept Mother's arrangement. I only beg you to spare Yu Yan and Yun Yan. They were forced by me and had no choice but to do it."
Madam Yuan sat on the wooden chair that Aunt Deng had brought over, her profile stained with the blood-red glow of the setting sun: "Even if they were forced by you, they still contributed to Hua Mian's death. Even if they are spared the death penalty, they cannot escape punishment. Otherwise, how can I face the deceased Hua Mian? Men, take them to the latrine and make them responsible for emptying the chamber pots. Without my orders, they are not to step into the main room again."
It was a miracle that they were spared their lives. Yu Yan and Yun Yan dared not say anything more and hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "Thank you for your mercy, Madam. Thank you for your mercy, Madam."
Mother Deng gave Chunzhi a wink, and Chunzhi quickly stepped forward and said to the two of them, "What are you still kneeling for? Get up and come with me to the latrine."
The two quickly responded, supporting their aching knees as they got up, and limped after Chunzhi to the latrine.
As Madam Yuan got up, intending to return to Zhenhuazhai, she instructed Deng Mama: "Take the second young lady back, and select two more capable and obedient maids to serve her. Also, this matter must not be leaked out. The old lady is not well, so there is no need to go back to Ci'an Hall."
“Yes,” Madam Deng replied, but then hesitated, remembering something, “Then, sir…”
Madam Yuan said calmly, "Master is busy with official business, and Zhou-ge has only just taken office. There is no need to bother them with such trivial matters."
Deng's mother responded repeatedly.
***
Three days later.
When Meng Yanqing returned to the capital on official business, Madam Yuan found a suitable opportunity to discuss Meng Shuang's marriage with him.
"In my opinion, the third young master of the Duke of Longguo's mansion is excellent. He comes from a noble family and is a relative of the emperor. If Shuang'er can marry into that family, she will be blessed with immense wealth and honor," Madam Yuan said with a beaming smile.
Upon hearing this, Meng Yanqing paused, his hand holding the teacup still, and frowned, saying, "The Duke of Longguo's mansion? I remember you greatly admired Lu Jiayan, the eldest son of the Lu family?"
"If we were to say that before their family fell on hard times, they would have been a good match for Shuang'er, but now that their family is in such a state, and Shuang'er has been pampered since childhood, how could she endure such hardship?"
Madam Yuan raised an eyebrow, glancing at Meng Yanqing as she spoke. Seeing him sipping his tea with his head bowed, showing no sign of wavering, she changed the subject, saying, "If Shuang'er marries him, suffering alone would be a minor matter. But they are the ones whose property has been confiscated by imperial decree. Although they may save their lives, the seeds of future trouble remain. If the emperor suddenly remembers this matter later and finds a pretext to punish them, it might implicate us. Our Meng family has a clean reputation for generations. Your Excellency is cautious in your words and actions in court, all for the sake of the Meng family's long-term prosperity. If we are brought into trouble because of such a matter, and end up with our property confiscated and our clan exterminated, even in death, I would find it difficult to face our ancestors."
The man opposite him finally moved his tightly furrowed brows: "But the Duke of Longguo's mansion is a high-ranking family, with generations of officials in high positions. How could they possibly look down on our family?"
Madam Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, saying, "The Second Madam Cheng from the Duke of Longguo's Mansion once came to have tea. She seemed quite satisfied with our Shuang'er. My lord has been away from the capital on official business these days, and I haven't had time to return. Please forgive me, sir."
As she spoke, Madam Yuan was about to stand up and apologize.
Meng Yanqing waved his hand, gesturing for her to sit down: "We've been husband and wife for decades, why be so formal?"
"Yes, sir." Madam Yuan smiled and sat down.
Meng Yanqing put down his teacup, frowned, and said, "What you said makes sense. The Lu family is no longer as glorious as it used to be. The former Marquis of Jiangyang is now in prison, and whether he lives or dies is still unknown. We really can't marry Shuang'er to such a family. As for the third young master of the Duke of Longguo's mansion, I have also heard about his romantic affairs. He is a dissolute and unruly man, and he may not be a good choice either."
Madam Yuan disagreed: "My lord, you can rest assured. I have inquired about the matter of the Third Young Master Cheng. I heard that he values appearance the most, and our Shuang'er's beauty is the least of our concerns. Moreover, Shuang'er is exceptionally intelligent. Even if she marries into the family, I don't think many people will be able to bully her."
Meng Yanqing stroked his beard, pondered for a while, and then nodded: "If the Duke of Longguo's mansion truly intends to do so, then you shall decide Shuang'er's marriage."
Upon hearing this, Madam Yuan was overjoyed and quickly stood up and curtsied to him, saying, "Yes, thank you, sir."
The next day.
Upon hearing the news, Madam Yang, the second wife of the Duke of Longguo's mansion, immediately brought Baoshan and betrothal gifts to propose marriage. Madam Yuan was all smiles and hurriedly invited them in. After asking about their birth dates and times according to procedure, she felt that Meng Shuang and Cheng Yao were very compatible and said "good" several times.
After Yuan accepted the betrothal gifts, Yang set the wedding date for the third day of the ninth lunar month within two days.
Upon hearing the news, Meng Shuang remained calm and composed, simply saying, "I have no objections. Mother, you may decide everything."
Seeing that she was troubled, Madam Yuan sat down beside her and sighed, "Shuang'er, since you have chosen to let go, you should completely erase the traces that man left in your heart. When you get married in the future, no one will notice anything amiss."
When Lu Jiayan was mentioned again, Meng Shuang wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She just felt her eyes were sore and dry.
She understood the implied meaning in Madam Yuan's words: "Mother, rest assured, I have always been decisive in my actions. Now that I have decided to marry Cheng Yao, I have no intention of going back on my word, and I will not let anyone see through my intentions or bring disaster to the Meng family."
Although she said that, how could her appearance be considered as if she had truly let go of Lu Jiayan?
After pondering for a moment, Madam Yuan said again, "Shuang'er, do you know what the best way is to make a man regret his actions?"
She had been inside for quite some time, and only now did Meng Shuang finally look up and stare directly at her.
Their eyes met, and Madam Yuan said, word by word, "It's not about blaming fate and dying in despair, but about standing above him, even at the peak, looking down on him, watching him struggle in the mire, watching him be frustrated in the mundane world. That's the best way to make a man regret his actions."
A gentle breeze drifted in through the window, dispelling the stuffiness in the room, and the person opposite them gradually brightened their eyes from being dull and lifeless.
***
In mid-to-late June, most of the fruits on Zhuoshan Mountain ripened. Thanks to the meticulous care of everyone, from weeding, fertilizing, and pest control, almost everything was done flawlessly, resulting in a bumper harvest of peaches, plums, loquats, and cherries on Zhuoshan Mountain.
Meng Yu had arranged the manpower well in advance, and also temporarily found some more people nearby. They picked all the fruit on the mountain in half a month. The big and good fruit were picked out to make wine, most of the inferior fruit was used to make peach jam, peach milk cake, dried peach, etc., and a small portion was given to the workers who picked the fruit.
As for the rotten fruit, not a single bit was wasted. Taking advantage of the hot weather, Meng Yu had people carry it up Zhuoshan Mountain, dig a deep pit on the mountainside, and bury it on the spot to make fertilizer. Even the fruit peels that everyone usually ate and the residue from brewing wine were put into a large wooden barrel and left to ferment.
There is no fertilizer like modern ones here, but after fermentation, this kitchen waste is still very fertile. It can not only be recycled, but also save her a lot of money.
Ren Ling had been following Meng Yu closely, and seeing her do this, she sighed and said she had learned a lot.
In mid-to-late August, Uncle Ge came to collect the fruit wine as agreed.
Meng Yu brewed a large quantity of fruit wine, so he had the wine cellar expanded. Above the cellar was a flat area where a small warehouse was built to store jams and dried fruits.
Under the blazing sun, dried fruit slices were laid out on a winnowing basket, emitting a fragrant aroma. As Uncle Ge passed by, he caught a whiff of the scent and couldn't help but laugh, "Girl, what a clever idea! Making the remaining peaches into dried fruit is a good way to avoid waste and also sell them."
Meng Yu picked out a basket of dried fruit and two jars of jam from the storeroom and handed them to Uncle Ge. Uncle Ge was stunned, not knowing what she meant.
Ren Ling smiled and explained, "This was just made two days ago, and our girl specially sent it to you to try."
Uncle Ge was flattered and quickly accepted the basket. He opened it and saw that the two-tiered basket was full. The aroma of fruit filled his nostrils. The dried peaches were golden brown, as if coated with wax. He also saw the jar of jam, which was thick and fragrant. It would be an excellent choice to mix with noodles or stir-fries.
"In that case, thank you very much, young lady." Ge Bo was always a straightforward person, and seeing this, he did not refuse and immediately thanked him happily.
After seeing Uncle Ge off, it was almost time to leave work. Meng Yu had two workers bring out about ten jars of jam and asked Ren Ling to gather all the workers in a shady place.
After working for four months straight, the workers under the shade of the trees were all tanned to a dark brown. Although Meng Yu was wrapped up tightly, he was also much darker than before from being exposed to the sun all day.
Meng Yu gave Ren Ling a wink before gesturing: "Everyone has worked hard for several months. These ten or so jars of jam are for you. Take one jar home with you and rest for three days. Then come back to Zhuoshan to start work again."
A cheer erupted from the crowd, and then someone in the crowd asked, "Miss Xi, will there be wages for these three days?"
Meng Yu smiled and said, "Of course."
Everyone was overjoyed and thanked Meng Yu profusely before taking the jam home.
After locking the storeroom door, Ren Ling was about to pack her things to go home when Meng Yu stopped her in time, took out a basket of dried fruit and handed it to her, saying, "Yang Yang came over the other day and I saw that he really liked eating this. You can take this basket of dried fruit back to him. Just one thing: make sure he rinses his mouth after eating it, otherwise he'll have a mouthful of aphids in the future, and I won't take responsibility for that."
Ren Lingyuan, with tears in her eyes, couldn't help but laugh out loud when she saw the last sentence: "Please rest assured, young lady, I will definitely tell him."
Behind Meng Yu was a jar of jam. She peeked at it and saw that it was the same jar that was usually kept on the shelf in the storeroom. It was twice the size of the jar she was currently receiving, and it was made by the young lady herself.
Ren Ling smiled knowingly and said, "This is for Miss Yun again, isn't it?"
Meng Yu nodded, glanced back at the jar of jam, and suddenly remembered Yun An's tired face after the wedding, feeling a pang of sadness.
"Alas! Miss Yun is a straightforward person. If she had followed you back then, would things be like this today?"
Seeing through her worries, Ren Ling sighed. During this time, she had been following Meng Yu and frequently visited her home. She had only just learned that Cui's mother was actually quite formidable. However, because Yun An had spoken a few words with a man from the same village, which she happened to see, she exaggerated Yun An's reputation in front of Cui Xun, belittling him to nothing.
Cui Xun and Yun An had a relationship for several years, so he trusted her character and never held it against her. However, people are not plants or trees. If Cui's mother constantly sows discord between the couple, it is feared that Yun An and Cui Xun's relationship will not last.
Meng Yu shook her head, smiled wryly, and raised her hand: "Let's not talk about this anymore. It's getting late, you should go home early!"
Ren Ling looked up at the sky and saw that it was already late, with the sky full of twilight, colorful clouds flying, and wild geese returning to their nests. Yang Yang must have finished school by now.
She quickly said goodbye to Meng Yu, then picked up the jar, grabbed the basket, and went home with light steps.
Meng Yu carried the jam to the Cui family's house, knocked on the door a few times, and sure enough, Cui's mother's voice came from afar: "Who is it?"
Upon opening the door and seeing Meng Yu, her smile immediately froze on her lips. She raised her hands to her chest and said coldly, "Miss Xi, are you here to see Yun An again? She's not here; she's gone back to her brother's house."
Meng Yu had no intention of getting entangled with her, nor did she even glance at her. She stepped inside, carrying the jar straight to Yun An's room.
"Hey, hey, how can you do this? I already told you she's not here, and you still barged in. This is my house. You've trespassed, I'm going to report you to the authorities!" Cui's mother chased after her, scolding her with a stern face.
Before Meng Yu could even enter the house, Yun An, still wearing his clothes, rushed out from the kitchen, holding a spatula in his hand.
Upon seeing Yun An, she turned around and glared at Cui's mother, who awkwardly pouted, "She has to cook, how could she have time to entertain you?"
Yun An stepped forward, looking worried, and asked, "Yun He, what brings you here?"
Meng Yu ignored Cui's mother and put the jar aside. Then she pointed to the jar, smiled, and raised her hand: "This is peach jam, a gift for you."
Yun An glanced at it; the jar was almost twice the size of a regular wine jar. To make such a large jar of jam, it must have taken a lot of fruit. She quickly waved her hand, "You already sent over a basket of dried fruit the other day, and now you're sending jam. This must have taken a lot of fruit. You should keep it..."
"What's with all the fuss?" Before she could finish speaking, Cui's mother walked over and picked up the jar. "Since Miss Xi has been so kind as to send it, we'll accept it."
Cui's mother glared at Yun An, then happily carried the jar into the kitchen.
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