The arrival of Meixiang threw Furong Garden into chaos. Rongxi tried to stop her, but the difference in status between mistress and servant was undeniable.
A new maidservant from Furong Garden served Xiang'er a cup of tea. A few red plum blossoms floated on the blue-and-white porcelain covered bowl, a pleasing sight. Because her name contained the character "plum," Xiang'er unconsciously picked up the covered bowl and took a few sips to calm her nervousness.
Xi Ying asked her to come to Furong Garden to tell Xiang'er about the loss of her son, so as to distract Fukang'an and Yan Ning from investigating the flowerpot shoes. Mei Xiang was hesitant at first, but she would have to take the blame either way. Taking the blame for speaking carelessly was far less serious than the crime of secretly harming Xiang'er.
Having made up her mind, Meixiang walked to Xiang'er's bedside and sat down. Before she spoke, she smiled, and the pearl hairpins on her head shone even brighter.
Xiang'er also grew distant from Meixiang, her fake aunt. From the moment Meixiang entered the inner room, her expression was cold. "I'm sorry to trouble you, sister, to come and see this bedridden person!" Her indifferent tone kept everyone at arm's length.
The inner room was filled with the fragrance of lotus blossoms, and wisps of smoke curled from the brazier. The newly replaced curtains were all in the latest styles from the capital, and the fabric was a gift from the Su family of Jiangnan to Yan Ning—exquisitely soft. There were mountains and rivers, and verdant fields. As the maids moved around and tugged at the curtains, vivid scenes of landscape unfolded.
Meixiang looked at the decorations in Furong Garden, then thought of the simplicity of her own courtyard, which had only two plum trees. Every day when she stepped out of the main room, all she could see were the dark branches, resembling the menacing black hair of a female ghost at night. The maid always comforted her, saying that she could enjoy the plum blossoms in winter. But without her aunt's good fortune, what good would it do even if the plum blossoms filled the courtyard?
The furniture in her courtyard, even the tables and chairs in the main hall, was all made of mahogany; there wasn't a single piece of rosewood in the entire courtyard. None of the screens had glass, and the carved patterns were designs long abandoned in the capital. Meixiang's jealousy flashed in her eyes. "Even if Madam decorates Hibiscus Garden lavishly, it can't ultimately overcome the pain of losing her son!"
The medicine that Xiang'er had just received fell onto the tatami mat, the broken bowl and medicine scattered everywhere. Mei Xiang's words were soft, yet each one was like a hammer blow, shattering her composure completely.
Lifting the brocade quilt, Xiang'er got up and grabbed Meixiang, pulling so hard that several embroidered buttons on Meixiang's neck came undone. "What grief over losing a child? Who lost their child?" Her eyes bulged, her expression ferocious and terrifying. Since she woke up, Yan Ning had been trying to cheer her up every day with the latest trends from the capital, like coaxing a child. At first, Xiang'er thought it was Dejia who had made Yan Ning so naive, but Meixiang's words ripped her heart apart.
Meixiang knew that Xiang'er was a martial artist and feared that in a moment of panic, she might use herself as a target. She wanted to say that she had misspoke, but after opening her mouth several times, she couldn't utter a sound.
Fear crept onto Meixiang's face, and she broke her promise.
It wasn't that I said something wrong, it's that I couldn't say anything at all.
The maids inside were still moving about, inadvertently lifting the curtain and causing the water to ripple. Xiang'er's grip on her clothes tightened, while Meixiang froze in terror, her eyes wide, meeting Xiang'er's gaze. The lotus-red cheongsam she wore made her face appear even paler.
When Yan Ning arrived in a hurry, Xiang'er had already drawn the sword hanging on the wall and pointed it at Mei Xiang, who was slumped on the ground. Her voice was desperate and desolate, "Speak, explain yourself clearly, or I will kill you!" Xiang'er, lying on the bed, did not comb her hair into a bun; her waist-length hair was scattered messily on her white nightgown.
Stopping Xiang'er, Yan Ning quickly sent someone to fetch a doctor. She inadvertently glanced at Mei Xiang, whose face was filled with fear and helplessness, and felt a slight surprise. However, because of Xiang'er's emotional outburst, she had no time to pay attention to her.
Upon seeing Yan Ning, Xiang'er clung to her like a lifeline, her body trembling. Her face was deathly pale, a result of her unwell health. "Yan Ning, Mei Xiang said the pain of losing a child wasn't mine, right?" Her bulging eyes stared at Yan Ning, but they were devoid of any light.
Yan Ning didn't know how to bring it up. Once the matter was laid bare, there was no turning back. She could only hold Xiang'er tightly, giving her strength as she trembled.
Turning back to look at Meixiang, their eyes flashed with cold light; they had finally lost their patience and were about to make their move!
The doctor arrived and prescribed a calming herbal decoction. Rongxi didn't wait for anyone to intervene and quickly went to brew the medicine.
By the time the medicine was retrieved and brewed, an hour had passed. From Yan Ning's evasive expression, Xiang'er had already guessed that what Mei Xiang said was true. The pain of losing a son? No, the most painful thing was that she only found out dozens of days after her son's death.
She had never held him, never seen him, yet they were separated by life and death without ever having met.
Xiang'er, nestled in her arms, was limp as a puddle of water, making it difficult for Yan Ning to hold on. After drinking the calming soup, she fell into a deep sleep, but her brows and eyes were furrowed.
"Smack!"
Yan Ning slapped Mei Xiang across the face, her hand smeared with makeup, but unable to conceal her inner rage. For her own selfish desires, she completely disregarded the other's excruciating pain. Yan Ning couldn't fathom just how vicious she and Xi Ying truly were.
They harmed Xiang'er's unborn child, and now they're trying to harm Xiang'er again.
Meixiang, who had been helped up by her personal maid, was slapped to the ground by Yan Ning. Her eyes were unfocused and lifeless.
Smoothing the delicate pink tassels on her forehead, Yan Ning carefully observed Mei Xiang's expression, a strange feeling welling up inside her. She crouched down, her face just inches away from Mei Xiang's. Mei Xiang's eyes were lifeless.
"What's wrong?" Yan Ning asked.
After a long while, Meixiang finally shed two lines of clear tears and pointed to her mouth. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out.
Yan Ning was stunned; Mei Xiang had become mute. But it was she who told Xiang'er about the loss of her son?
Yuanshan's brows furrowed, and Yan Ning pulled up her moon-white Shu brocade cheongsam to greet Fukang'an, who was striding towards her.
Zhao Xing had already found the old woman who embroidered flowerpot shoes in a shop selling embroidered shoes and clothes in the city. She said that a lady from a wealthy family had asked her to embroider them. How could a woman who was busy all day just to have enough to eat know about the struggles in the mansion?
The employer paid her well, and she did whatever he said. It was the first time in her life she had seen snowflakes of silver; they shone so brightly they made her eyes light up.
When Zhao Xing found her, she initially didn't want to talk and wanted Zhao Xing to give her some money. However, when Zhao Xing drew a sword that was even brighter than silver, she was so frightened that she told him the whole story without him having to ask her any further questions.
The Taihu stones in Furong Garden are cold and austere, with no flowers to adorn them. The lotus pond is now just a pool of clear water, and you can see the smooth, jade-like surface at the bottom.
The woman, dressed in a dark blue coarse cloth garment, slumped over her thin body. After glancing at Meixiang a few times, she was certain that Meixiang was the lady of the wealthy family who had come to see her that day.
Meixiang knelt down and shook her head vigorously at Fukang'an, opening and closing her mouth many times but unable to utter a sound.
Fukang'an thought she was trying to escape punishment and was up to her old tricks, so he ordered someone to prepare the Four Treasures of the Study and a letter of divorce, so that Zhao Xing could kick her out of the Fucha Mansion.
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