Chapter 14 Chu Minglang seemed to be bewitched…
For a moment, the private room was completely silent.
Zhao Qin propped her head up and pondered for a long time. The trade route to the Western Regions was something she and Ji Yushang had worked together for half a year to develop. It could earn a lot of money in the future, but... if she could get close to the Marquis's mansion, her business could reach even greater heights.
Seeing Zhao Qin hesitate, Yu Tan felt she needed to give him time to think, so she got up and left.
Yu Tan coldly said, "What do you mean, Madam Zhao?"
Yu Tan pulled Lan Xin back a few steps.
Zhao Qin angrily said, "You blind fool, get out of here! Don't be so rude!"
The gatekeeper servants respectfully stepped aside, but Changming did not sheathe his sword; he stood beside Yutan.
"Miss Yu, could you please wait a little longer? You've been quite difficult to invite." A pair of fingertips painted with cinnamon held a cup of hot tea and handed it to her. "After you finish this cup of tea, I will give you an answer."
Yu Tan took the teacup, warmed her hands with it, and then sat down at the round table.
Zhao Qin nodded his head and gave his reply in less than a quarter of an hour, "I agree to all the conditions that Miss Yu has mentioned. I will show you my sincerity within this month."
“Excellent.” Yu Tan fiddled with her cuffs. “There’s one more thing. Madam Zhao has traveled all over the country doing business and has a wide range of knowledge. Have you ever heard of Miao territory?”
“I’ve not only heard of him, I’ve also seen him. I have a young master in my household who comes from Miao territory.” Zhao Qin didn’t hesitate at all when mentioning his young master, but the servants lowered their heads.
Yu Tan sensed something unusual in their strange behavior; the Miao man's position in Zhao Qin's household was ambiguous.
Yu Tan coughed lightly: "If there is an opportunity, may we meet?"
“Yes, the caravan’s accounts, personnel, and leader will all come to my residence in three days… He will also be there. Miss Yu, you may come over for a visit.”
“Okay.” Yu Tan took a small sip of tea.
Although the profit was less than expected, it was still a success. Zhao Qin smiled and raised his teacup to toast her.
"If Miss Yu wants to do business, we can work together. There's more to this world than just Bianjing. The Great Zhou is vast, and there's plenty of space for us to explore."
"Mmm," Yu Tan responded vaguely.
Right now, she and Zhao Qin are a perfect match—one wants money, the other wants power—but what happens in the future is another story.
After agreeing with Zhao Qin to meet another day to discuss the caravan and cooperation, Yu Tan got up and left. It was still early, and there was still some time before Yu He'an finished her studies.
The weather was gloomy, and a cold wind was blowing against my face.
Yu Tan dismissed Chang Ming and led Lan Xin quickly to Tonghua Lane, where she stood in front of the third house.
The old wooden door creaked open, and a strong smell of medicine wafted out. Wu Niang, dressed in a dark blue jacket and skirt with a headscarf wrapped around her head, was taken aback when she saw her, but then smiled.
"Yaoyao, weren't you supposed to come tomorrow?"
"I was running errands nearby today and thought I'd come and take a look." Yu Tan had already stepped into the house, and Lan Xin stood guard at the door for her.
The room was simply furnished. At the outermost edge was a medicine stove, inside which medicinal soup was simmering, bubbling and making a clanging sound as the lid was put on. Further inside, there was an eight-immortal table and two long benches.
There was no underfloor heating or charcoal brazier in the room, so the medicine stove became the warmest spot. Yu Tan wrapped herself tightly in her cloak, but still couldn't keep out the chill.
"Is the house cold and quiet without any charcoal fire burning?"
"I'm not cold," Yu Tan stubbornly insisted, pulling her cloak tighter around herself as she sat next to Wu Niang, her gaze fixed on the medicine. "Wu Niang, I've heard that Miao secret techniques have miraculous healing effects. I just happened to meet a... Miao person. I'll have him take a look another day..."
Wu Niang gently patted her hand: "Stop making a fuss, everyone has their own destiny."
Wu Niang's face was serene, as if she had calmly accepted the fact that she only had a few months to live.
She grabbed Wu Niang's hand in return; it was dry and warm, with thick calluses on her palms and fingertips, and gently rubbed against her.
She felt extremely comfortable, like a drifting ship returning to a safe harbor. She gripped the handle tighter and whispered, "Wu Niang, give it a try, just for your daughter."
Wu Niang paused for a moment, her lips moved a few times but no sound came out. After several breaths, she nodded.
Seeing that Wu Niang agreed, she smiled slightly. "Wu Niang, are you comfortable living here? I have an empty house in the west of the city, which is very close to Doctor Xue's place. It's very convenient to come and go for medical treatment... Would you like to stay there?"
"No need," Wu Niang waved her hands repeatedly. "I won't be staying long, why bother?"
"Leave?" She frantically grabbed Wu Niang's sleeve. Yesterday, she clearly heard Wu Niang mention that she would stay in Bianjing to find the person she wanted to see.
A pang of sorrow gripped her heart; wasn't she the one Wu Niang longed to see?
Didn't they all promise to get her treated properly for her sake?
“A letter came from home yesterday, urging me to return. My daughter misses me and is worried about me being alone in Bianjing.”
Wu Niang's eyes shone with a gentle light, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. Just thinking of her daughter brought a loving and peaceful smile to Wu Niang's face.
This scene deeply stung Yu Tan's eyes; it turned out it was for this daughter, not for her at all.
Wu Niang came to Bianjing on a serious illness just to see her, but all of this was just her wild guess.
She gripped her sleeve tightly, her vision blurred, her heart was heavy with emotion, and she bit her lower lip.
"Wu Niang...I really, really love your daughter." These words were squeezed out almost one by one from between her teeth.
Wu Niang said softly, "A daughter is the apple of her mother's eye; how could she not love her?"
Yu Tan stood up, a hint of annoyance on her face, and questioned, "Would there be a mother in this world who doesn't love her daughter and would send her away? Would she not recognize her daughter even when she's by her side?"
Wu Niang froze, turned her face away, and after a long while, her voice became hoarse with suppressed emotion, "No, no mother would send her daughter away, much less deny her identity when they meet again."
Yu Tan, her face grim and tears welling in her eyes, took a step closer: "Wu Niang, is it really not true?"
Wu Niang said firmly, "No, unless she wasn't her mother to begin with."
“Then I was wrong.” Yu Tan retreated dejectedly, no longer wanting to stay here. “Wu Niang, I have other things to do. I’ll come to see you again tomorrow.”
Yu Tan wrapped her cloak tighter around herself and strode towards the door.
"Yaoyao, don't come anymore."
Yu Tan paused, her back straightening. "Didn't Wu Niang say that I could come anytime I wanted?"
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Wu Niang lowered her head and eyes, and took a step back, saying, "It's cold now. Come back after I buy the charcoal brazier..."
"When are you going to buy a charcoal brazier?"
Yu Tan didn't even dare to listen to Wu Niang's answer. She wrapped her cloak tightly around herself and left the house, quickly escaping from Tonghua Lane.
It was all just wishful thinking on her part.
No matter how much she pressed her, Wu Niang would not admit to having any relationship with her, and she wouldn't even fabricate the name of a distant relative.
Like everyone else, she adores real heiresses.
She looked up at the gloomy sky, snowflakes falling like fluffy catkins, landing on her face and melting away little by little.
Lan Xin hurriedly caught up with her: "My lady, let's go back to the manor. We left in a hurry and didn't bring an umbrella. The snow will start to fall heavily soon."
"Sister Yu." A clear male voice rang out, its tone revealing undisguised surprise. "It really is you."
As she spoke, a lilac-colored umbrella was placed over her head, blocking the wind and snow. Yu Tan looked up and saw Chu Minglang staring at her with a smile in his eyes.
To be fair, Chu Minglang was born with good looks, handsome features, and a smile that often graced his lips. Although his appearance was not as outstanding as Yu He'an's, he had a gentle and refined temperament.
“Young Master Chu.” Yu Tan nodded. There was no one to avoid now, and the two families were friendly clans. It would be too deliberate for her to run away any longer. She could only walk side by side with Chu Minglang in the snow.
"Sister Yu, what are you doing in Tonghua Lane? Why do you look unhappy?"
"No, I was just wandering around and didn't notice I was here. Cough cough..." Yu Tan covered her lips and coughed lightly twice, trying to move to the side.
The more she hid, the more Chu Minglang's umbrella tilted towards her. Along the way, some snow fell on Chu Minglang's left shoulder. She could only silently keep a distance of two palms, and the two of them hid under the umbrella in this small space.
Chu Minglang smiled gently: "It's nice to stroll in the snow and enjoy the snow, but we must be careful to avoid catching a cold. I remember that Yaoyao often coughed when she was young... Lingnan is close to Miao territory, and there are some cough remedies there. Would Yaoyao like to try them?"
Yu Tan, who had originally intended to keep her distance, was suddenly intrigued and looked up at Chu Minglang, "You know people from Miao territory?"
"I know a... Sister Yu. If you have time, you can come to Lingnan and ask her to take a look... It might be beneficial to your health."
"Thank you." Yu Tan lowered her head, and the two walked side by side. They returned to the Imperial Academy in half an hour. She looked up in confusion, "Why is Young Master Chu not listening to Master Kong Ren's lecture? Or has it already ended?"
Does that mean Yu He'an has been waiting for her for a long time?
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Chu Minglang's face: "Grand Scholar Kong Ren's lectures are not something anyone can attend at will, and I am not participating in the imperial examinations this year, so there is no rush. The opportunity should be given to those who need it more."
This turned out to be her exposing Chu Minglang's weakness. "I... I didn't mean that."
“I know.” Chu Minglang’s lips curled up. “If Sister Yu doesn’t mind, may you call me Minglang as you did when we were little?”
Yu Tan lowered her eyelashes and pursed her lips slightly.
Chu Minglang is, after all, a young master from a prominent family, unlike a spoiled brat like Ji Yushang. Shouldn't he be able to reason with people?
The reason Chu Minglang hated her so much was probably because their complicated relationship was hindering his marriage to Zhen Qianjin. If things could be clarified...
She opened her mouth to refuse, but no sound came out. She screamed desperately, clutching her neck and trying to open her mouth wide.
Not a sound at all...
Even more terrifying, she heard a plot prompt in her ear.
"Sister Yu, are you feeling unwell?" Chu Minglang closed his umbrella and reached out to support her arm, but she stepped back to avoid him, unable to move an inch.
The wind and snow were too heavy, and Yu Tan felt extremely uncomfortable. Chu Minglang helped Yu Tan to shelter from the wind and snow under the corridor. He held her jade arm, and her delicate body shrank into his arms.
Yu Tan's face was pale, but she stubbornly said, "Ming Lang, I'm not feeling unwell."
A snowflake landed on Yu Tan's forehead, like a floral decoration.
Chu Minglang reached out and brushed the fine snow off his forehead. Yu Tan raised her eyes, her eyes filled with a gentle light.
As if bewitched, Chu Minglang's fingertips traced down his forehead, almost touching the tip of his small, fair ear.
"Chu Minglang." A cold, icy voice rang out.
A note from the author:
Thank you for the nutrient solution from "Roadside Salted Fish" and the digital treasure. I couldn't see your message in the backend if you didn't leave one. Thank you for the nutrient solution, it makes me very happy.
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