Chapter 29 If there is someone who desires something but cannot obtain it…
Yu Tan, veiled by a gauze curtain, moved lightly and cheerfully through the alley, like a fish that had just entered the water.
When we arrived at the city gate, the sun was high in the sky, and sunlight filled the streets and alleys, a sign of spring's arrival and the revival of all things.
A simple carriage was parked at the city gate, and Zhao Qingwu stood in the shade of a tree not far away.
Her head was wrapped in a turban, and her indigo short jacket had a snow-white fur collar, concealing the lower half of her face, revealing only a pair of almond-shaped eyes.
There was no anxiety of waiting in their eyes, only composure and peace.
She stepped forward and took Zhao Qingwu's hand, her fingertips warmer than hers. "Wu Niang, something happened earlier. Have you been waiting for a long time?"
“Yaoyao.” Zhao Qingwu shook his head. “No, I haven’t thanked Yaoyao for saving me yet.”
Yu Tan pursed her lips, somewhat displeased. "You waited for me just to express your gratitude?"
Despite Zhao Qingwu's polite yet distant tone, although she had been in Bianjing for over two months, the number of days they had spent together could be counted on one hand. Apart from the instinctive dependence brought by blood ties, there was nothing else.
Zhao Qingwu smiled gently, like a loving elder, rubbing her knuckles, warmth spreading from her fingertips to her whole body.
"Of course I wanted to see you. I was worried about you. Although it was a sunny day, the wind was still strong. Lanxin kept telling me to wait, saying you would come, so I waited here... It would be good to see you before I left, after all, I came to Bianjing for you..."
The hard shell of the clam finally managed to pry open a crack and begin to try to accept her. She grasped Zhao Qingwu's hand in return.
"I miss you." Her voice was filled with unconcealed sorrow as she pulled Zhao Qingwu outside. As the number of pedestrians gradually decreased, she finally found a place to talk. "Now that you've come to find me, why are you still beating around the bush and refusing to acknowledge me?"
"When did you find out, Yao Yao?" Zhao Qingwu was stunned and flustered. She had tried her best to deny it, so why did Yu Tan still firmly believe that she was her mother? Zhao Qingwu touched her cheek helplessly.
Two faces that are too similar, is it just because of their similar appearance?
Yu Tan took a deep breath.
Because of those fragmented plots and endless nightmares, she already knew her true identity as a fake heiress. She just happened to meet someone who looked like her, who came looking for her, wanting to see her but also avoiding her.
Zhao Qingwu even came from Liangzhou, how could she not know that?
"I knew it. I knew it the moment I saw you. You are my mother."
Zhao Qingwu hurriedly covered her mouth, glancing at Lan Xin, "How could you say such a thing?"
"Why did you come looking for me again?" She bit her lip in grievance, her vision blurring, and she could barely see Zhao Qingwu's face.
Why is it that in the destiny she glimpses, everyone abandons her?
Zhao Qingwu pulled her into his arms, and she smelled the clean scent of soapberry.
Sixteen years later, she finally nestled in her mother's arms again, feeling warm and safe.
Patting her back, she finally found a sense of belonging in this absurd fate, and a gentle yet helpless tone fell into her ear.
"At that time, I thought my days were numbered, and I always thought that if I could not see you before I died, I would not be able to die in peace. I have not yet seen what my daughter looks like."
I just wanted to come... but who knew it would be such a coincidence that we ran into each other..."
She held Zhao Qingwu's hand tightly. If they hadn't met at Doctor Xue's place, Zhao Qingwu would probably have just glanced at her from afar in the crowd and left.
She would never know that her mother's name was Zhao Qingwu, and that she had once traveled all the way to Bianjing just to see her.
Only with concern could she feel the right to express her grievances. She opened her mouth and asked the question she most wanted to ask.
Why did you send me away in the first place?
Zhao Qingwu froze, her lips and fingertips trembling, as if the last piece of clothing covering her had been torn off, revealing all her helplessness and embarrassment. She was exposed to the scorching sun, muttering for a long time, unable to utter a complete sentence.
Zhao Qingwu helplessly covered her face, but her withered hands could not stop the tears from flowing. The torrent of tears fell through her fingers, each drop hitting the bottom of her heart.
Seeing how upset Zhao Qingwu was, she regretted asking that question.
"Because I have no other choice, I have no other choice, Yao Yao..."
She hugged Zhao Qingwu tightly, wanting to call out "Mother" to comfort her, but the words caught in her throat and she couldn't say them.
“If I could keep you by my side, how could I send you away? Over the years, I’ve always worried that you’re not doing well.”
"They've been very good to me, and I've had a good year."
In this exchange, she was always the beneficiary.
Zhao Qingwu leaned on her shoulder and wept silently. Tears slid down her shoulder, and the dampness seeped into her heart. Even though she hadn't explained why, she could already feel the utter despair in her heart.
"Actually, I don't really want to know that much. You can tell me later... After I've sorted everything out here, I'll come find you. I'm good at business, and we'll have a great future together."
"Yaoyao, you've grown up." Zhao Qingwu cried silently for several breaths before stopping her tears. She had cried enough over the years.
"Back then, there was an internal strife and riots. The rebels were searching everywhere for a woman who was about to give birth. At that time, I was still a month away from giving birth and my body was not very agile. I was captured by the rebels and imprisoned in a remote village."
On that day, taking advantage of the rebels' laxity, I escaped in the chaos and ran to the middle of a desolate mountain. Just when I thought I could catch my breath, I smelled a strong stench of blood.
I mustered my courage and followed the scent of blood. I found a woman in fine clothes, covered in bruises, and more importantly, she was about to give birth, with only a nanny by her side.
The old woman entrusted the lady to me and lured away most of the rebels. There were still quite a few rebels chasing us. She was too tired to run anymore and they were about to launch an attack, so we changed our clothes. I led the way while she hid in the cave.
My memory of the rest is very vague...
All I remember is running and running.
I rolled down the hillside, wanting to live, but you started the attack ahead of time, and I hid in the ravine.
Fortunately, you were very good and didn't make things difficult for me, so the delivery went smoothly.
I used the outer garment of the Marquis's wife to make your swaddling clothes. I hid for most of the day until I recovered a bit before daring to go out.
While I still had some strength, I returned the way I came. When I found the Lady of the Marquis's residence, she had already passed away. She used her last strength to give birth to the child, and the baby cried hoarsely beside her.
My whole body was burning up abnormally.
I had no choice but to carry you two on my back. We walked through the desolate mountains for a day and a night, hiding from the rebels, until we finally found a family.
I was numb like a corpse when the old lady noticed something was wrong. "You two both have high fevers," she said, and I rushed to town to find a doctor.
He looked at her and shook his head, saying that the daughter of the Marquis's wife was full-term and could still live.
You're in a tough spot; even if you want to survive, you'll need a huge amount of money.
But I clearly remember you were perfectly fine when you were born, so how come you have a fever?
The old nanny from the Marquis's mansion found me. At that time, I was holding Qiu Ci in my arms and comforting her. She probably knew that I was not her mother, so she always cried and fussed.
The old woman saw you carrying the Marquis's mansion's package and concluded that you were the Marquis's daughter. I remembered what the doctor said: perhaps sending you to the Marquis's mansion is your only way to survive. For some inexplicable reason, I did not deny it and went with the flow.
Then I went back to Bianjing with my nanny. The journey was long, and I had several bouts of high fever. My nanny pawned all the gold and silver she had brought with her, and we finally made it to Bianjing.
I also stayed in Bianjing for a year. That year, the Marquis's mansion invited all the famous doctors in Bianjing to stay in the mansion.
The better they treat you, the more guilty I feel.
Qiu Ci secretly joined the army behind my back because she wanted to find out the cause of her father's death.
I think this is for the best; it's time to return the identity to her..."
Old Madam Song always complained that raising her was not easy, but she never imagined it would be this difficult.
Her chest felt tight, and her heart felt sore and swollen; she hadn't expected this to be the reason.
"I can't leave now."
"Why?" Zhao Qingwu looked at her, puzzled.
She couldn't speak of those unavoidable events; only by experiencing them could she find freedom.
"I still have some things to take care of, so I can't leave. I'll come back to find you when I'm done."
Zhao Qingwu gripped her hand tightly, her brows furrowed, and tears still welling in her eyes. She placed the silver notes in Zhao Qingwu's hand.
Zhao Qingwu glanced down and said, "Yaoyao, where did you get so much money?"
"Take what I earn, and remember to buy a big house in Huizhou with a dragon vein. I'll come find you when I get there."
There were still so many questions she hadn't asked, and she was afraid that if she did, it would cause Zhao Qingwu heartache and bitterness.
Anyway, she has plenty of time ahead of her, so she's not in a hurry.
She stood there, watching Zhao Qingwu carry his bundle onto the carriage and get further and further away from her.
After seeing Zhao Qingwu off, she took a carriage to the Zhao residence to discuss business matters.
Zhao Qin currently controls the business in Bianjing. Her main business is textiles and clothing, and she has a wide range of branches under her control. She intends to expand outwards, and she plans to develop in the Huizhou area.
She couldn't go, and there was no suitable person to send, so getting in touch with Zhao Qin now was the best course of action. She arrived at Zhao's residence in less than half an hour.
She strode into the Zhao residence. Zhao Qin was discussing matters with several managers, and as the discussion was nearing its end, he withdrew upon seeing her.
Zhao Qin was still dressed in her usual rich and flamboyant manner, with the gold hairpin in her hair being a new style from Ruyi Pavilion. Her clothes shimmered with a subtle light. Yue Lang stood half a step behind her, and with every movement, the silver ornaments on her body jingled.
Zhao Qin laughed and said, "As expected, Miss Yu doesn't go out in winter. She only comes out to walk around now that spring has arrived."
Yu Tan sat to the side and said, "I am afraid of the cold, and I don't leave the mansion in winter unless absolutely necessary. I heard that Madam Zhao is expanding her business."
Zhao Qin fiddled with his nails, which were painted with cardamom, and his red lips curled up. "What's wrong? Of course, the bigger the business, the more interesting it is. Do you still remember what I said when we first met? The Great Zhou is a vast territory, and we can develop it at our own pace."
Yu Tan smiled and agreed, "Zhao Niangzi is right. The bigger the business, the more interesting it is."
Zhao Qin paused in his fingertips: "Which piece of fat meat in my hands has caught your eye this time, Miss Yu? Let me make this clear beforehand, I may not be willing to give it to you this time."
Yu Tan got straight to the point: "I intend to move south of the Yangtze River and develop my business in Huizhou."
No wonder Zhao Qin was surprised. Most powerful families were based in the north, with Bianjing as their encirclement. The further south they went, the harder it was for them to reach. Further south, they were considered barbarians by the powerful families.
In their eyes, the South was hardly a good place.
Zhao Qin was quite reluctant to part with her: "Huizhou is a place where three rivers converge and trade is thriving. Miss Yu really knows how to choose."
"I'm here to seek cooperation. Whether you're willing or not is up to you, Madam Zhao. I won't force you, and I won't take everything for myself."
If Zhao Qin still disagreed after all this, it would be disrespectful to Yu Tan. Zhao Qin smiled. She was a big shot in Bianjing, so of course she needed to find someone to rely on. She didn't mind sharing some of the benefits; giving up a portion was to gain more.
"Yes, the terms of cooperation will be sent to the Marquis's residence in a few days."
Yu Tan nodded. Things were going surprisingly smoothly. She then turned to talk about other things.
Zhao Qin was one of the few people outside the Marquis's mansion whom she knew, and in addition, she had saved Zhao Qingwu, which made her feel more favorably toward her.
"Madam Zhao, how do you know Lord Yue?" After all, Zhao Qin was in Bianzhou, which was too far away from Yue Lang's Miao territory.
Zhao Qin said dismissively, "When I was young, I loved to explore. I went to Miao territory alone and met Yue Lang there. Is that so strange?"
When Zhao Qin was a young girl, Yue Lang was only a few years old. This is not surprising.
“I’ve been reading about the Gu poison books from Miao territory lately, and I’m very curious, so I’m asking.”
Previously, Yu Tan only thought that Yue Lang was timid and afraid of strangers. This pale and gloomy man had always been hiding under Zhao Qin's protection. But upon closer inspection, he was clearly standing behind Zhao Qin in the posture of a protector.
"The Miao region is quite fun. It's been many years since I've been back. I still remember a lot of Gu worms. I was terrified when I first saw them, those dark worms crawling in the jars." Zhao Qin said, leaning back into Yue Lang's arms, seemingly lost in thought.
She recalled the time she treated Zhao Qingwu, and her hair stood on end. No wonder Zhao Qin had tried to distract her at the time.
"However, there is one type of Gu worm that is quite interesting."
"What?"
"Love Gu, if there is someone you can't have, you can plant it in them, and you'll be sure to make them devoted to you."
Yu Tan's face paled: "What's the difference between this and coercion?"
Zhao Qin: "Of course."
Yue Lang: "Of course."
Zhao Qinqiao laughed and said, "This is much worse than coercion. Can you force someone to do something willingly?"
She increasingly felt that this love potion was no good thing.
Forced actions can be resisted, but the idea of love potions can even bewitch a person's mind.
She even felt a bit scared, and when she looked at Yue Lang again, she felt something was off.
After chatting with Zhao Qin for a while, they agreed on the specific details of the cooperation.
She hurriedly left the Zhao residence, and as she boarded the carriage, she looked up and was surprised to see Yu He'an and a young man in a rupao discussing scholarship on the second floor of a teahouse.
In an instant, Yu He'an turned his face and his gaze met hers.
Author's Note: Thank you MiMao for the nutrient solution! [starry-eyed]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
