Chapter 53 During the banquet, Lu Xiuyi frowned, his expression instantly changing. ...
Two weeks later, the autumn exams ended.
Dark clouds covered the sky, and a heavy gloom descended.
The moment Jiang Xuanli stepped out of the examination hall, he originally wanted to go back to see Meng Yin first, but when he remembered the worried look on his mother's face when she came to see him off before he left, he eventually moved his feet to the place where she lived.
To their surprise, as soon as they arrived home, they saw white silk hanging high in front of the door, the whole courtyard was covered in mourning, and a series of sobbing and weeping sounds came from inside the house.
Thump!
The bundle in Jiang Xuanli's hand fell to the ground with a thud, and his mother's pale face appeared before his eyes. He instantly turned pale, his body trembled, and his steps were unsteady. As if in disbelief, he staggered and leaned against the door frame to move into the house.
Even though he couldn't see the face of the person kneeling in the hall, he knew who it was just by looking at their back. Because of this, the last glimmer of hope in his heart was shattered in an instant.
The identity of the person in the coffin is self-evident.
The words on the memorial tablet immediately came into view.
Suddenly someone in the crowd shouted, "The son-in-law is back!"
The person kneeling in the hall immediately turned her head. Just as she was about to get up, perhaps because she had been kneeling for a long time, her legs suddenly became weak and she could not stand up. She fell heavily back to her knees. Tingyue hurriedly went to help her up.
Looking from afar, Jiang Xuanli saw that her eyes were red and her face was covered in tears.
In an instant, all the resentment, unwillingness, grievance, disappointment and other complex emotions that had welled up in my heart vanished completely.
Even though he knew she was acting, the fact that she outwardly fulfilled her duties as a daughter-in-law was enough in his heart to offset everything she had done before.
How ridiculous!
Yes! Even he himself finds it laughable.
Jiang Xuanli entered the hall, knelt down with a thud, and kowtowed three times to the memorial tablet. The maid had already prepared mourning clothes for him to change into.
Jiang Xuanli remained on guard from day to night, refusing to rest.
Meng Yin didn't want him to collapse in front of everyone, so before she could even offer any words of comfort, she could only speak gently, "You haven't rested since you came back, go and get some sleep first! I'll take care of your mother here."
Jiang Xuanli stubbornly shook his head: "Since we got married, I have rarely been able to show her filial piety. My mother's funeral is tomorrow, and I want to stay by her side."
Before he could finish speaking, Meng Yin's gaze darkened instantly. What did he mean by that? He hadn't fulfilled his filial duties since getting married. Wasn't this clearly implying that she was heartless and preventing her mother-in-law from seeing him?
However, since everyone was present, she couldn't lose her temper, so she could only clench her clothes tightly, suppress her anger, step aside, and order someone to make him a bowl of porridge.
Jiang Xuanli had dark circles under his eyes and pale lips. He hadn't slept for almost a day and a night. Meng Yu couldn't bear to see him like this, so she made a gesture to Ning Sui.
She immediately understood and whispered to him, "Auntie fell ill a long time ago. When we found her, she had already collapsed on the street. It was too late to save her. She had some things she wanted to say to you before she passed away."
Jiang Xuanli suddenly turned his head and stared at her in astonishment.
Ning Sui sighed: "We've written it all down. I think your aunt would never want to see you like this. Go and get some sleep. I'll show it to you when you wake up."
Hearing this, he slowly stood up from the ground.
But a heavy sadness struck, and even with his eyes closed, how could he fall asleep?
Jiang Xuanli curled up on the couch, his eyes swollen with tears, but he couldn't cry. He stared blankly at the washed-out tent ceiling, his mind filled with uncontrollable memories of the past.
It was only then that he realized that from the time he was old enough to understand things until his father passed away, and then until they moved to Beijing, his mother had suffered so much. In his memory, she seemed to have never enjoyed a single good day.
Every day she would go out to collect and sell vegetables before dawn, and only return from outside, bent over, when night fell. Even after arriving home, she still couldn't rest; she had to light a dim oil lamp and do the accounting with her sore and swollen eyes.
Jiang Xuanli closed his eyes and rested for an hour, but he couldn't lie still any longer, so he got up and asked Ning Sui what message his mother had left for him.
Seeing that he had also rested for an hour, Ning Sui sighed silently and handed him the letter as promised.
Jiang Xuanli, with red eyes and trembling hands, slowly took and opened the package.
After a while, he finished reading the entire paper.
The tears he had been holding back in his eyes burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam.
Even as he was dying, his mother never uttered a single word of complaint; every word she spoke was filled with concern for him, and every sentence carried with her hopes for him.
His mother is really gone.
***
A north wind blew in from all directions, and the person leaning against the couch sneezed softly.
Even though there was no sound, Lu Xiuyi seemed to sense it. He looked up at her and quickly got up to take the cloak that was next to her and covered her with it. He complained, "No wonder Huaiyin always says that you don't take the cloak with you when you're cold, and you don't close the window, letting the cold wind blow like this."
Meng Yu pulled her cloak tighter, put down the book in her hand, glanced out the window, and gestured to him, "I'm fine."
Just as she was raising her hand, Huaiyin appeared at the door with a flushed face, panting and shouting loudly, "Miss, young master, the eldest young master has passed the exam! The eldest young master has passed the exam!"
Because of the cold weather and the first snowfall of the year yesterday, the plum blossoms in a village in the eastern suburbs were in full bloom. Lu Xiuyi brought her here to enjoy the snow and plum blossoms. However, today was the day the results were announced, and Meng Yu was worried about Meng Zhangzhou. She didn't have time to wait for someone to send a message, so she asked Huaiyin to send two people to the city to check. Sure enough, they returned now.
Meng Yu hurriedly put down her book and went to greet him: "The eldest son passed the exam, what about the fourth son-in-law?"
"Fourth son-in-law also won, and he was even among the top few."
Huaiyin trotted in, covered in snow, and warmed herself by the charcoal brazier.
Lu Xiuyi raised an eyebrow, placed his hands on Meng Yu's shoulders, pulled her back a little, and snorted coldly: "What does it matter whether he passes or fails? Why is Yu'er so concerned about him?"
His mental illness relapsed.
Whenever she asked a few more questions about Jiang Xuanli, he would become extremely jealous, either making sarcastic remarks or raising his eyebrows and waving his hand.
Meng Yu sighed silently and raised her hand to explain, "He is, after all, Fourth Sister's husband. If he passes the exam, Fourth Sister's life will be better in the future."
Her expression softened, a hint of helplessness mixed with tenderness. Lu Xiuyi's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, but he still pursed his lips and pulled her cloak tighter around her.
"General, Madam, the stove is ready."
Just then, a maid came to report, easing the tension. Meng Yu took his hand and smiled at him, pointing towards the stove.
With their fingers interlaced and their warm palms touching, Lu Xiuyi was no longer angry. He felt as if his heart was filled with honey, and he no longer knew what the world was. He just stood there, letting her pull him along.
The maids set up a stove near the window on the third floor, preparing beef, mutton, pork belly, vegetables, and various skewers. Looking down from the window, the blood-red plum blossoms stretched as far as the eye could see, adding a touch of brightness to the vast snowy sky.
There was no underfloor heating in the manor, and Lu Xiuyi was worried that she would be cold, so he had four or five charcoal braziers lit in the room beforehand. As soon as Meng Yu came in, she felt warm all over, and the snowy feeling on her body disappeared instantly. Before long, she was so hot that she even took off her cloak.
Lu Xiuyi gave her the best spot to enjoy the snow, and sat down opposite her, then began to diligently serve her meat.
Lu Xiuyi was a master at grilling meat. The sizzling sound filled his ears, and the aroma of the meat immediately spread. Meng Yu was so tempted that he lost all interest in appreciating the snow and just stared at the fragrant meat on the grill, drooling.
She didn't move a finger the whole time, and Lu Xiuyi put the meat to her mouth.
***
In the evening, news came from the Meng family that Meng Zhangzhou and Jiang Xuanli had both passed the imperial examinations, and that a banquet would be held at their home the next day to invite Meng Yu and Lu Xiuyi to come back for lunch.
Since the incident with Jiang's mother, Meng Yu hadn't gone back to see Aunt Shen for over a month, so she naturally agreed this time.
The next day.
After having breakfast at the estate, the two played chess all morning and then, around lunchtime, boarded their carriage and returned to the Meng family.
As soon as they entered, the table was already set, and everyone sat down in turn, waiting for the two of them. However, Meng Yu looked around but did not see Aunt Shen.
"Where is my aunt?" Lu Xiuyi looked around and spoke first.
Meng Yanqing quickly smiled and said, "We've already sent someone to pick her up; she should be here by now."
Just then, a loud shout suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Auntie is here."
The heavy windproof curtain was immediately lifted.
The moment the snow rushed in, Meng Yu saw Aunt Shen enter wearing a light blue cloak and carrying a hand warmer. Although it had only been a month since she last saw her, her face looked rather haggard.
She hurried forward to try and grab Aunt Shen's wrist, but Aunt Shen covered her wrist with her own palm instead.
Warm palms indicate smooth blood and qi circulation.
It seems there's nothing seriously wrong.
Meng Yu felt a little relieved, helped her sit down, then withdrew her hand and gestured, "Why did you only arrive now, Aunt?"
Aunt Shen smiled and said gently, "The hand warmer ran out of charcoal, so I asked Yan'er to add some, which is why it's been delayed until now."
She hadn't seen Aunt Chen's exhaustion because she was backlit, but now the sunlight streaming through the window was shining directly on her face, making the weariness in her eyes obvious.
Meng Yu found it strange and was about to ask a question when Meng Yanqing loudly instructed the maid: "Now that everyone has arrived, let's serve the dishes! This feast is specially prepared to congratulate Zhang Zhou and Xuan Li on passing the imperial examination. Since we are happy today, General, please have a few more drinks."
Lu Xiuyi nodded slightly and replied with a smile, "Of course."
Meng Yu ate the meal without tasting it.
After the hurried end, she pulled Aunt Shen back to Qingli Courtyard, and before she could speak, she carefully took her pulse.
The pulse was steady, strong, and evenly undulating, with nothing amiss.
Her brow furrowed repeatedly.
Aunt Shen withdrew her hand and gently poked her forehead: "Auntie is fine, don't worry. It's just that the weather suddenly turned cold and I'm not used to it, so I haven't been sleeping well these past few days."
After checking her pulse and confirming that she was alright, Meng Yu breathed a sigh of relief and raised her hand: "Anyway, no matter what happens, you mustn't hide anything from me."
Aunt Shen smiled and said, "I know, my little darling."
***
Dinner was also at the Meng family's house. Meng Yu remembered that she had been absent-minded at lunch and hadn't said a word when everyone congratulated Meng Zhangzhou. So she took the initiative to raise her wine cup and gesture to Meng Zhangzhou: "Big brother, I wish you a bright future and a future full of blooming flowers."
Meng Zhangzhou happily agreed: "Thank you, Third Sister. I also wish you and your husband a harmonious marriage and many children."
Before Meng Yu could even respond, Lu Xiuyi eagerly raised his wine cup and smiled at Meng Zhangzhou, saying, "Brother Zhangzhou, you speak well. I appreciate your kind words."
He's quicker than anyone to respond to compliments.
Meng Yu glanced at him.
Lu Xiuyi smiled and replied generously.
During dinner, Aunt Shen, who disliked such occasions, did not come again. After everyone finished eating, Meng Zhangzhou invited Lu Xiuyi and Jiang Xuanli to the study to appreciate the newly arrived paintings by famous artists.
Meng Yu, Meng Shuang, and Meng Yin didn't have much to say to each other. After finishing their meal, they naturally headed back to Qingli Courtyard.
Meng Zhangzhou had only received two new paintings, and he finished appreciating them in less than half an hour. Seeing that it was getting late, Lu Xiuyi went to Qingli Courtyard to pick up Meng Yu and take her back to the mansion.
Winter was cold and snowy, and darkness fell quickly. The darkness, like a monstrous beast, rolled over heavily, but was contained by the candlelight under the eaves, barely stopping in the courtyard.
When Lu Xiuyi arrived at Qingli Courtyard, only the gate and two faint candles in the courtyard flickered in the night wind, and the house appeared completely dark from a distance.
He frowned and muttered with slight dissatisfaction as he walked towards Meng Yu's room, "Didn't we agree to go back to the manor today? This lazybones, he just finished eating and is already sleeping here again."
Push open the door.
A sudden gust of cold wind swept over me.
It wasn't as warm as I'd imagined, nor did it have the expected fragrance.
The room was completely empty; there was no one there.
Lu Xiuyi frowned, his expression changing instantly.
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