September 23, the eighth year of the Xuanli calendar, at noon.
Fu Xiaoguan arrived in Shangjing Jinling.
This place was unfamiliar to him, so he took Su Mo and Chunxiu to find a car dealership, called two carriages, and went directly to Wuyi Lane.
Dong Shulan lives in Wuyi Lane, and the only person Fu Xiaoguan can find at the moment is Dong Shulan.
He definitely couldn't enter the palace. Only by finding Yu Wenjun through Dong Shulan could he have the chance to meet Concubine Shang.
They found an inn in Wuyi Lane, booked three upper rooms, and temporarily settled there. After having a meal together, Fu Xiaoguan asked them to return to the inn, and he went to Dong's house alone with a small box of perfume.
Dong Shulan left Shangjing without permission and ran to Linjiang, which broke the rules of the Dong family. At this moment, she was locked in her boudoir, and the person guarding her was her elder brother Dong Xiujing.
The brother and sister were playing chess here. Dong Shulan defeated his brother repeatedly, with a smug look on his face.
She was not sad at all because of being under house arrest. Her heart had a home, so she was at peace.
As for house arrest, just keep it that way. There's no rush to go out anyway.
"My little sister seems like a different person after coming back from Linjiang." Dong Xiujing said as he made his move.
"To be honest, big brother, I have fallen in love with Fu Xiaoguan, and I hope you can like him too." Dong Shulan said it quite casually, but Dong Xiujing was stunned when he heard it. The reason for this was that Dong Shulan said this so casually.
Her tone was calm, but contained in this calmness was frankness and directness, an affirmation that was unquestionable and required no explanation!
In other words, no matter who it is, no one can change her decision on this matter!
"Mother doesn't like it."
"...If mother really doesn't like it," Dong Shulan thought of the incident between Fu Daguan and Xu Yunqing and sighed softly. Perhaps this was fate. She said slowly, "Then I won't like it."
…
The brother and sister played chess in silence. Fu Xiaoguan knocked on the door of Dong's house, handed over his business card, and waited quietly at the door.
"What? Official Fu? He dares to come to my Dong Mansion? Someone... wait a minute." Madam Dong put down her teacup and frowned for a moment. "Please ask him to come in and wait in the front hall."
She did not go out, but said to an old maid behind her: "I don't want to see her. Go and take a look at her and let her understand what I mean."
The old nanny bowed and left, slowly walking towards the front hall.
Under the guidance of the doorman, Fu Xiaoguan entered the Dong Mansion, which was a quiet place.
Minister Dong worked hard on state affairs day and night, while Madam Dong took care of the household. The family rules were very strict, and even the maids walked with soft steps and behaved with dignity. Even Fu Xiaoguan didn't even turn his head to look at her when he passed by.
"Is your young lady at home?" Fu Xiaoguan asked the doorman. The doorman shook his head and said in a low voice, "My duty is to guard the door. I don't know anything about the young lady."
Well, Fu Xiaoguan thought that since he was allowed to come in, he would always be able to find out news about Shulan.
After passing through a garden, strolling through two corridors, and crossing a moon gate, Fu Xiaoguan saw a rather solemn pavilion.
There was an old maid standing in front of the pavilion. The gatekeeper led the way there and left. Fu Xiaoguan then walked towards the pavilion, his eyes lingering on the old maid for a few breaths.
Could this be Shulan’s mother?
At such an old age, it certainly isn't.
When Fu Xiaoguan arrived in front of the pavilion, he bowed to the old nanny and said, "I, Fu Xiaoguan from Linjiang, have come to visit Madam Dong. I beg you to do me a favor."
The old nanny had a blank expression on her face. She pointed towards the attic and said, "Young Master, please come in."
"Thank you, old man."
Fu Xiaoguan walked up the steps. The old woman was still standing by the door. As he passed by her, Fu Xiaoguan took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and said, "Old lady, I am a country boy who doesn't understand the etiquette of this big city. I hope you will accept this small gift."
To be honest, Fu Xiaoguan really didn't know what etiquette was. He just remembered that when he watched TV and needed help from the eunuchs in the palace, they would give them a silver ingot. Although the person he was looking for was not a eunuch at this moment, the principle was the same, so he did so.
The old nanny frowned and asked, "Sir, do you think the Dong Mansion is short of money?"
Forehead……
"Of course the Dong family has no shortage of money, but I think you can never have too much money, right? Besides, that's not my intention. I just feel a sense of familiarity when I see you, like my grandmother. This money is earned by me, clean, so I just want to give it to you as a gift."
As Fu Xiaoguan spoke, he stuffed the silver ingot into the old nanny's hand. He thought that this was how it was played on TV.
The old nanny held the silver in her hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She put it into her sleeve and without saying a word, took Fu Xiaoguan into the attic.
"Please sit down. Madam is still resting. I will come to see you when she wakes up."
As she spoke, the old nanny made a pot of tea for Fu Xiaoguan, then went to stand in the corner at the back without saying another word.
It was already noon, and Mrs. Dong was about to wake up from her nap, so Fu Xiaoguan sat there with peace of mind, occasionally taking a sip of tea, and sometimes watching the birds jumping around in the tree outside the door, without any restraint.
However, by the time they had waited until the afternoon, the tea had been finished, but Mrs. Dong still had not appeared. Fu Xiaoguan understood the meaning of this.
He still didn't care and simply closed his eyes to practice the Nine Yang Heart Sutra.
Isn’t it just a waste of time?
Let’s see who can outlast whom!
This news means it will be dark.
The old nanny walked away quietly. When she passed by Fu Xiaoguan, she took a look at him and saw that the young man had a calm face, his eyebrows slightly lowered, and his sitting posture was still upright.
She went to the backyard. Mrs. Dong was preparing a cup of ginseng tea. When she saw the old nanny come in, she smiled and asked, "Gone?"
The old lady shook her head. "He's still sitting in the front hall. He hasn't left yet."
Mrs. Dong suppressed her smile. "Not leaving yet? Could it be that he still wants to stay here for dinner?"
The old nanny didn't respond to this question. As expected, Mrs. Dong spoke again: "What did that young man do?"
"He seemed quite easygoing. When I entered the front hall, he slipped me a silver ingot, saying...that he was a country boy who didn't understand the customs of the big city, and that he thought the silver was a token of his filial respect. Then he sat at the table and drank tea. He finished the pot of tea. He must have understood what the lady meant, but he still didn't leave. He didn't look impatient. The old servant was watching him from behind, and he barely moved. He was a...determined young man."
"He has a firm heart. I want to see how firm his heart is."
The old nanny was silent for a few breaths, then asked, "Since Madam doesn't like that young man, why don't you just say it directly? Wouldn't it be better to let him give up?"
"Are you blaming me?"
The old lady bowed and said, "I dare not."
"Not only do I want to make that young official Fu give up, I also have to make Shulan give up. I just don't understand what's so bad about Yan Xiwen. I also don't understand what's so good about that country boy! So, let's watch more, until he gives up, and until Shulan gives up."
"Go and watch until he leaves."
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