Chapter 43 This marriage will be called off.
The banquet was held in the main hall, where guests toasted and drank, creating a lively atmosphere.
The banquet for the villagers was held in the outer room, to share in the festive atmosphere.
As night fell, Old Madam Song stood up, intending to announce another piece of good news in public, but was stopped by Yu He'an. The joy that had been reflected in her crimson dress had completely faded.
Her tone was cold and harsh: "Grandmother, today is not a good day."
The strange atmosphere continued to build, with people constantly glancing in their direction. Old Madam Song lowered her eyes, cleared her throat, and finally sat back down in the main seat, maintaining harmony in the room.
Yu Tan sat down and gulped down several cups of tea before her restlessness subsided somewhat.
Just a moment ago everything was fine, but in a mere instant, Yu Tan could sense that Old Madam Song was unhappy.
What could possibly upset her on such a joyous day?
She called softly, "Grandmother."
Old Madam Song's tense expression relaxed, and she patted her hand, "Yaoyao, it's just your turn now..."
What else could be wrong with her?
Naturally, she and Chu Minglang are related by marriage.
Chu Minglang smiled smugly, holding her hand tightly, and she didn't pull away at that moment.
Then it became noisy all around, and she couldn't hear the sounds around her. Everything was in chaos.
But the voice in my heart was very clear.
You cannot marry Chu Minglang; do not gamble your fate on him.
She mustered her courage, wanting to publicly reject the marriage proposal: "Grandmother."
"Yaoyao, we can talk about it later. Your father will be back soon..." Old Madam Song patted her head affectionately.
They said there were still three months left, how come it's been brought forward?
She hurriedly looked at Yu He'an, and their eyes met. After they looked away, his gaze remained fixed on their clasped hands.
As the lively banquet ended, everyone became preoccupied with their own thoughts.
She felt flustered and had a bad feeling; Huixin needed to act even faster.
Chu Minglang was in a great mood, with a smile playing on his lips.
After the banquet, because of her foot injury, she did not avoid his support and walked back to Lanfang Courtyard under the moonlight.
This action resembles that of a deeply in love couple deliberately avoiding crowds.
After being helped by Yu He'an, she began to feel unwell. The fluid in her lower abdomen became more and more swollen. It took her a while to feel better after the fluid had separated on the table.
Chu Minglang loosened his grip on her arm for a moment: "Yaoyao, slow down."
She stumbled and almost fell, glaring fiercely at Chu Minglang. "What are you doing?"
Chu Minglang forced a smile and rushed forward to help her, but she dodged him.
"Yaoyao, I was just worried you would fall."
"I know." She pursed her lips unhappily. Chu Minglang had clearly let go on purpose, and his faint smile couldn't hide his jealousy.
She didn't bother to guess Chu Minglang's thoughts. Her hand was already being supported by Lanxin, and she had already walked ahead. After walking several dozen meters, Chu Minglang did not follow.
“Yaoyao, you never seem to see me… Don’t you understand what Grandmother means? We’re getting engaged soon.” Chu Minglang stepped forward, his face showing considerable hurt, blocking her path. “In a couple of days, I’ll prepare gifts and go to the Marquis’s residence for the betrothal ceremony… Then we’ll choose a wedding date, and we’ll go back to Lingnan together…”
After walking for a while, her right foot started to hurt, so she sat down on the artificial hill.
Chu Minglang appeared beside her again at some point, taking a step closer. She was so startled that she took a step back and almost fell backward, but fortunately Lan Xin caught her.
She was annoyed and shouted, "Chu Minglang!"
Chu Minglang seemed to finally realize his lapse in composure and took a few steps back.
Given that the love potion had been planted, Yu Tan should have been extremely dependent on him.
Why is it that, despite the love potion, he is always the one who is preoccupied with Yu Tan, yet he sees no affection from Yu Tan towards him? It has been almost a month, and she has only gotten a little closer to him, shortening the distance between them from a few meters to three steps.
Chu Minglang shook his head. It must be the first month; the love potion wasn't working on them yet.
"We're almost engaged, yet we're still so distant." Chu Minglang laughed self-deprecatingly. "Yaoyao, even after we get married, will we still be three steps apart like this?"
"Let me catch my breath..." She lowered her head, her gaze fixed on her feet. Now was not the time to refuse.
“Yaoyao, how long is a break? A year, two years, or ten years…” Chu Minglang took a few steps closer. “You have to give me a deadline.”
"It won't be long..."
Once her identity is exposed, he will leave, and he will no longer have to worry about these things.
"How long?" Chu Minglang stared intently at her, determined to get an answer today.
"Autumn, after Grandmother's birthday banquet..."
Chu Minglang smiled and said, "Is there some special meaning behind it? Why choose to do it after Grandmother's banquet..."
You'll find out then.
Her identity was exposed at that time, and she turned her face away, unwilling to see how much sincerity he had.
"You go first, I'll rest for a while and then go back to Lanfang Courtyard myself."
"Yaoyao, how can you give someone only half of it?"
"You go first..." Seeing that he still wanted to linger, "Lanxin, quickly see Chu Langjun off for me."
"Yaoyao, we have a long future ahead of us." Chu Minglang's eyes darkened.
Now that the love potion has been planted, the days of it activating once a month have become unbearable. Today is the first month, and she can still endure it. There is still the second month... She will eventually take the initiative to beg him.
Chu Minglang waved his hand, pretending not to care about being rejected, and was greeted by Lan Xin.
She sat on the artificial hill, trying to sort out these tangled clues.
Father may return home earlier than expected.
She felt inexplicably close to Chu Minglang, had strange physical ailments, and began to feel unwell again after leaving Chu Minglang. All of this terrified her.
Although there are some discrepancies with the plot, the general interpretation of the past has been distorted.
Her hand was grabbed and raised over her shoulder. It was pitch black all around, and she couldn't see who it was.
His body was suddenly slammed against the artificial hill, his legs were spread apart, and one leg was forcefully squeezed in; he was extremely close.
This position is quite oppressive; if she is not careful, she will be skinned and dismembered and eaten whole.
She was furious: "Chu Minglang, let go."
His fingertips moved from her cheek to her earlobe, his warm, moist breath, carrying the scent of alcohol, sprayed onto her neck. His fingertips and breath licked the skin together, and a ticklish sensation rose up.
"Vast and distant."
"Brother?" She stopped struggling, and Yu He'an moved even closer, almost bumping into her skirt.
The already uncomfortable body became even more unbearable after Yu He'an got close. The scent of cedar permeated the body, and the wrist that was being held felt numb and itchy. She wanted to push him away, but she held back because it was him.
"Yaoyao, don't marry Chu Minglang." The tone was no longer cold and distant, but carried a weak plea.
“Lingnan is so far from Bianjing, it’s inconvenient for you to come back to see your grandmother and me… Are you willing to marry so far away?”
Her lower abdomen felt heavy and swollen, and she instinctively clenched it, causing her swaying vaginal fluid to rush out, overflowing and becoming damp and sticky.
The feeling of heaviness lessened a bit, and she even wanted to shake herself a little more to squeeze out all the fluid in her abdomen and relieve her discomfort.
After a few dozen breaths, she finally regained her senses and felt a flush rise to her cheeks. Had she started her period?
She couldn't listen to anything; all she wanted was to get back to the yard as quickly as possible.
The hand that had been stroking her face loosened; Yu He'an had already found the answer herself.
"No answer means I don't like it. I understand. This engagement will be called off..."
*
After that day, she didn't see Chu Minglang for more than half a month. She didn't know if he was too busy preparing for the betrothal ceremony or if Yu He'an's words about canceling the engagement had worked.
Her body also became very strange. That day, there was no menstrual fluid under her skirt, but rather strange, sticky water stains.
Because she was recovering from leg injuries and couldn't go out, she had to take the contents of the sachet to Doctor Xue for a checkup. The medicinal herbs came from Miao territory.
Since Bianjing was hard to find, she used some other medicinal herbs and made a sachet. Whether it was because Doctor Xue's herbs were effective or for some other reason, her lower abdomen had stopped aching a few days ago, but in the last few days the aching sensation has returned, and it's even more intense than before. Doctor Xue's herbs are no longer effective, so she took out the blue sachet again and hid it in her sleeve.
The imperial court's appointment came very quickly. Yu He'an was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a sixth-rank official, and began his post in early May, having served for more than half a month.
Huixin had almost finished managing her business in Bianjing and was just waiting to deposit the money into a bank before setting off for Huizhou.
She intentionally let Huixin stay in the Marquis's mansion to say goodbye to her old friends.
In the afternoon, she rode in a carriage to Zhao Qin's place. As soon as she got off the carriage, her right eyelid started twitching, as if something very big was about to happen.
She forced down her inner turmoil and entered the Zhao residence.
Zhao Qin, a man who knew how to enjoy life, hosted a banquet in the Hundred Flowers Garden, where he and a group of ladies enjoyed tea. When he saw her, he smiled and said, "Young Lady Yu, I thought you had forgotten again... The merchant ship bound for Huizhou will be leaving in a couple of days..."
“Madam Zhao, I have come today for this very reason.”
Zhao Qin led her to the inner hall to discuss the entire business process in Huizhou. To show her sincerity, she was even willing to return the caravan that had gone to the Western Regions to Zhao Qin.
Zhao Qin teased, "Young Lady Yu, to me, this doesn't look like you're doing business. It looks more like you've racked up a mountain of debt and are planning to run away."
“If Madam Zhao doesn’t want to accept it, I’ll have Huixin take it to Huizhou with her. Although the route from Huizhou to the Western Regions is a bit far, it still brings in some money.”
"Young Lady Yu, how can you refuse something that's offered to you on your doorstep..."
Zhao Qin smiled and moved closer, away from Baihua. She smelled a faint scent from the sachet on Zhao Qin, so faint that it was impossible to tell without sniffing hard.
"Zhao Niangzi, what kind of incense are you using?"
Zhao Qin raised his arm and sniffed: "The usual spices, the latest spices from Bangqintai."
She looked up at Zhao Qin, while Yue Lang stood behind her, his gaze occasionally falling on her.
Zhao Qin was holding up a section of the ledger for Yue Lang to see, laughing at the accountant for not being able to understand such a simple calculation.
Yue Lang bent down and enveloped Zhao Qin in his arms, just like any other couple.
She composed herself and handed the sachet to Zhao Qin. "Madam Zhao, Yue Lang is from Miao territory. Could you help me look into these spices?"
Yue Lang opened the sachet and poured the fine crumbs into his palm. "This spice is extremely hard to find; it will take some time to find it."
"I urgently need this sachet, I'll have to trouble Lord Yue and Lady Zhao."
As she was leaving, Yue Lang, contrary to his usual behavior, got up to see her off. When they reached the gate of the Zhao residence, Yue Lang suddenly stepped forward a few paces.
His tone was unfriendly: "Young Lady Yu, spices are hard to find. Come to think of it, this is the second favor I've done for you."
Yu Tan took a half step back and curtsied. "I haven't yet thanked Lord Yue for saving me. And now, you've helped me out of this predicament with the sachet. If Lady Zhao ever needs my help in the future, I will do my best."
Yue Lang stared intently at her, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
Yu Tan instinctively felt that Yue Lang was not as harmless as he had appeared in front of Zhao Qin, and she took a half step back in fear.
"If you have any news about the ingredients for the sachets, please let me know."
"No problem."
That's strange.
Yu Tan hurriedly got into the carriage and rushed back to her residence, eager to read the book.
Although she had read it several times before, it was just to pass the time. She always skipped three lines and one line when reading, so she never read it clearly and it never stuck in her mind.
The sound of the carriage wheels rolling over the road made her feel uneasy.
Perhaps it was the unusual relationship she had just witnessed between Yue Lang and Zhao Qin that instilled in her the fear that she would be manipulated in this way.
My right eyelid kept twitching, and my anxiety grew stronger.
She reached up and pressed her eyelids, unable to hide the fear in her heart.
When they arrived at the Marquis's residence, the fear had not yet dissipated.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop, she got off and walked into the Marquis's residence, whereupon the red-lacquered gate behind her slammed shut.
She frowned and looked back. At this hour, Yu He'an was still on duty at the Hanlin Academy. Why had the mansion gates been closed all of a sudden?
The moment the gates closed, dark clouds covered the sun, and the once bright sky suddenly darkened.
She turned to the side: "Why are the gates suddenly closed?"
The two servants stood with their hands behind their backs, legs apart, and remained silent.
Granny Liu rushed over, her face ashen, even more terrifying than when she taught me manners as a child.
"My lady, please come into the courtyard with me quickly. You have really angered the old lady this time."
"Granny Liu, has something happened?"
Granny Liu pursed her lips: "Madam, the Marquis of the border has sent a letter. You probably know more about it than I do. Come with me quickly."
The string in my mind completely snapped.
It's only the end of May, how could it be so early?
Author's Note: Thank you. (Mi Cat's Nutrient Solution)
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