Chapter 50 A person who can't even figure out their own love and hate...
A gentle breeze was blowing, and the May weather already carried a hint of summer heat. Yu Tan changed into a soft, light gauze dress, and carrying account books and letters, went out with Aunt He.
It was originally agreed that Aunt He would go to East Street to buy food. She went to several shops to collect payments and took the opportunity to secretly find a post station and mail the letter.
When they reached the street, Aunt He stayed by her side without leaving for a moment, almost sticking to her.
She had no choice but to find a teahouse to drink some cool tea to cool off. Not far away was Zhao Qin's mansion gate. However, after only half a month, the once bustling mansion gate was deserted, and the vermilion gate was tightly closed.
Just as the waiter came to serve tea, she stopped him to inquire about something, asking, "What happened at the Zhao residence?"
"Does Madam know Madam Zhao?"
She nodded: "I've done business with her before."
The waiter wiped his hands with a handkerchief, glanced around, and only dared to speak quietly when no one at the other tables had ordered tea.
"Something unfortunate has happened at the Zhao residence. The man who was by Lady Zhao's side was that Miao man. He actually controlled Lady Zhao for more than ten years using such a despicable thing as Gu worms. Now that the matter has been exposed, Lady Zhao has driven him out of the residence. Fearing that she would be implicated by him, she moved to Huizhou yesterday to clear her mind."
The fragrance emanating from Zhao Qin was indeed a result of a curse. She had a vague suspicion at first, but it turned out to be true.
Yue Lang had been deceiving her for over a decade.
Zhao Qin left yesterday?
Can she catch up now by water?
"Has the Gu worm been neutralized?"
The waiter shook his head: "I don't know about that, but it seems the Miao man committed a crime and was arrested."
The people at the next table were clamoring for more tea, and the waiter hurriedly went over.
The lead on Zhao Qin has also gone cold.
After lingering at the teahouse, Aunt He had even less time to go to the East Wing; she was almost running out of time.
Yu Tan continued to stroll leisurely among the vendors, collecting a debt from another shop, and noticed that Aunt He looked anxious.
"The accounts are almost collected. I'd like to rest at the teahouse in front for a while. Aunt He, are you still going to the East Wing to make some purchases?"
"My wife."
Yu Tan slowly sat down in the teahouse. The storyteller slammed his gavel and began to tell the story of Du Shiniang angrily sinking her treasure chest. She pretended to be listening intently and didn't want to move an inch.
Aunt He had no choice but to repeatedly instruct Yu Tan to wait for her at the teahouse, as her round trip to the East Ward would only take an hour.
Yu Tan stared intently at the storyteller, as if afraid of missing a single word.
He felt as if he were already on Du Shiniang's boat, nodding and agreeing to everything she said, his hand holding the melon seed raised for a long time, completely lost in thought.
Aunt He sighed, saying that Yu He'an was too young and possessive of the person he liked, keeping her confined to a house. She was clearly very happy when her wife came out.
Everything was new and exciting; I was even engrossed in listening to audiobooks.
"My wife, wait for me here."
Aunt He stood at the entrance of the teahouse, looking back and forth several times. Only when she saw that the person was still in this posture did she dare to leave with peace of mind.
Seeing that Aunt He had finally left, Yu Tan stopped coughing and went through the back door of the teahouse to the post station across the street to mail the letter she had been hiding for a long time.
If all goes well, she will be able to escape from here by the end of the year and head to Huizhou, where these annoying events will no longer occur.
No one will know that something unclear happened between her and Yu He'an, and they will forget about it over time. If more time passes...
Now that the Marquis's family no longer resents her, she can still come and visit, just like an unknown distant relative coming to beg for money, or she can just glance at them from afar across the street.
She stood in front of Baixianglou, which was originally one of her properties. She had sold it in a hurry at a low price, but there was still a debt of one hundred taels of silver that she hadn't settled, which was her biggest debt.
She lifted her skirt and walked into Baixianglou, where the waiter greeted her politely.
"Madam, are you buying wine or a meal?"
"I'm looking for your manager."
The waiter led her to the second floor, where a middle-aged man in his forties sat behind the counter, his eyes narrowed into slits with a smile.
"Shopkeeper, your wife is looking for you."
"What do you want?" The shopkeeper's gaze swept over them.
Yu Tan spread out the receipts tucked inside the ledger. "Manager, I've come today to settle the accounts."
The shopkeeper's face stiffened. He held the receipt in his hand and examined it carefully several times, but he couldn't find any mistakes.
"The receipts are genuine, but these were made by Manager Hui and me. Why are you holding them, Madam?"
Yu Tan raised her voice: "I'm here to collect debts on behalf of Manager Hui."
The guests on the second floor all looked in her direction, and some even opened the doors of private rooms to watch the spectacle.
She didn't lower her head and shrink back. This ledger was hers, and it was only right that she get back the money owed to her.
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "What bad luck, madam. The money in Baixianglou has all been used to buy ingredients and wine these past few days. Come back in a few days, and I promise I'll give it to you."
Yu Tan stood still, her lips slightly pursed.
That's the hardest part; he doesn't say he won't give it to you, he just keeps putting it off.
She never expected to get the money in one go.
"Then I'll come again tomorrow. Please prepare the money, it's only a hundred taels. Manager Zhao, you've taken over this big restaurant from me, you can't owe me this little bit of money, can you?"
The shopkeeper smiled broadly: "In business, integrity is paramount. How could I possibly ruin my own reputation?"
"Okay." There was no point in arguing any further, so Yu Tan decisively went downstairs.
"You idiot, next time you see her, just say I'm not here." The shopkeeper hit the waiter on the head with the ledger.
The waiter covered his head, feeling wronged: "I saw that the lady was dressed elegantly, and I thought she must be a very wealthy and noble person, so I invited her upstairs."
The shopkeeper scoffed, "What use is an imposter who's been kicked out of the Marquis's mansion?"
"Give her the money back." A black knife was slammed onto the counter. When the shopkeeper looked up, his handsome face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
He recognized the man; he was a general who had returned from the border and probably knew Yu Tan.
The shopkeeper still wore the same expression as when dealing with Yu Tan: "I will send the money over tomorrow."
The knife was drawn an inch from its sheath, a flash of cold light.
"Now." If he didn't do as he was told, he could lose his life on the spot.
"General, spare my life! Yes, yes, yes!"
The shopkeeper had no choice but to open the drawer and hand over the silver notes inside with both hands.
"Take it down yourself."
The shopkeeper hurriedly handed the silver notes down the stairs, his footsteps making a thumping sound.
Jiang Tingfeng stood inside the private room, the window half-open, so people outside couldn't see up, but he could see everyone clearly.
During my time in Yuyang, I had never seen Yu Tan wear a white dress. She was fresh and elegant, like a blooming Yu Tan flower, but unlike her.
The shopkeeper caught up with the graceful figure in moonlight, handed over the silver notes, and said with a smile, "Madam, there's still some money in the cabinet. I just found it. The accounts still need to be settled before I can feel at ease."
Yu Tan was stunned for a moment, then accepted the silver note, thanked her, and looked up. There was nothing strange about it.
Jiang Tingfeng hurriedly hid inside.
"That's so strange."
The shopkeeper probably had a change of heart.
Holding the silver notes she had gotten back, she felt as if she had grasped a turning point, giving her the courage to leave Bianjing in the future.
She hurried to the teahouse, needing to be back before Aunt He returned. Just as she sat down and finished a fresh cup of tea, Aunt He returned carrying a handful of things.
For the next ten days, after Yu He'an went to the Hanlin Academy, she and Aunt He would sneak out. Aunt He would buy new things, while she would busy collecting money.
The debt collection process went exceptionally smoothly; God had finally opened his eyes, and her luck was about to change.
Aunt He was also a restless person and was used to going out with her every day.
By the time I finished listening to the story, the sun was already setting outside.
The small bookstall across from the teahouse was packing up, and the fire-avoidance diagrams that were originally at the bottom were now openly displayed on top.
Although she had reached marriageable age, she had not yet been engaged, and the headmistress could not possibly bring such a matter to light.
She vaguely felt that what she and Yu He'an had done was different from real sexual relations, but she couldn't ask Yu He'an. If she asked Aunt He, the whole street would hear about it tomorrow. She could only buy a fire-avoidance book to read herself.
She stood in front of the bookstall, pretending to be sophisticated, picked out two popular novels, and in the corner was her favorite, "The Princess Returns to the Court." She quickly slipped a fire-avoidance guide inside, paid the bill, and ran off.
The vendor was busy packing the books into boxes.
"Whatever book she wants, I want the same one."
The vendor looked up and saw a general in soft armor, holding a sword and with a stern face.
"The lady just asked for those books, I'll take a copy too."
"Yes, General, I'll get it for you right away."
The vendor quickly packed up the storybook the young lady had bought, then took out a fire-avoidance diagram from it and handed it to the young general. When the young general looked up, his already unpleasant expression turned even more unpleasant.
He left the money behind and walked unhurriedly toward the young woman.
*
Yu Tan walked faster and faster, carrying the storybook. The sun was setting so quickly. If she didn't hurry, Yu He'an would definitely come back from the Hanlin Academy first, and then he would definitely scold her with a stern face.
The teahouse was three streets away from the alley where the courtyard was located; if you walked quickly, you could get home in half an hour.
As she walked down the third street, she noticed someone following her, moving at a leisurely pace, keeping a distance of several dozen meters. If she sped up, the person following her would also speed up; if she slowed down, the person would disappear from sight.
It doesn't seem like they want to arrest her; they'd rather see where she lives.
Could they be from the Marquis's residence?
She quickly found a small alley and slipped inside. She tried to curl up and hide in the shadows. A few dozen breaths later, a tall figure flashed past, a black knife at his waist.
She was startled, terrified that the knife would fall on her neck and, with a single, gentle cut, destroy all her carefully laid plans.
During those days in Yuyang, they could still be considered playmates.
In the story, after her identity is exposed, Jiang Tingfeng despises her intensely, just like now, with a cold face, he blocks her way back with a knife.
She could only try her best to curl up and not make a sound.
"Woof woof..." The dogs in the alley noticed something was wrong, and several dogs ran towards her.
Jiang Tingfeng, who was outside the alley, turned and walked into the alley. When he passed the corner where she was hiding, he only paused for a few breaths. She was so scared that she almost held her breath and curled up even more, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
Fortunately, Jiang Tingfeng didn't notice her presence and went into the alley to teach the vicious dog a lesson.
Taking advantage of the moment, she grabbed the storybook and rushed out.
The book "The Princess Returns to Court" fell to the ground with a thud, but she didn't dare turn around to pick it up. She turned the corner and ran towards the small courtyard as fast as she could.
Normally, she would walk for 15 minutes, but she could run the same route in half an hour.
Seeing the gate to the courtyard, she finally felt relieved. No matter how much Jiang Tingfeng hated her, he couldn't trespass on someone's property.
She leaned against the wall, panting heavily, when she saw Yu He'an walk out of the courtyard with a stern face. Seeing him, she was no longer afraid of being scolded; it was as if she had seen a savior.
"Brother."
Why did she come back so early today? Doesn't that mean her running away has been exposed?
"Is the book so good?"
A blush crept onto her cheeks, brighter than the sunset. Her hair was damp, and her collar had come undone, revealing her fair neck and straight collarbone.
Jiang Tingfeng, who was standing at the entrance of the alley with one tail following behind him, had half of his body hidden in the shadows, a knife at his waist, and a pile of books in his right hand.
A person who doesn't even understand his own love and hate keeps asking if he will hate Yu Tan, but in reality, he follows her around eagerly.
In an instant, Yu He'an's cold and stern expression relaxed, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
She raised her hand to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead, and gently tucked her damp hair to one side, her movements tender and affectionate.
It's not like an older brother coming to catch his younger sister who's sneaked out to play, but more like a husband waiting in the yard for his wife to come home.
Yu He'an took the book from Yu Tan's hands, pulled her into his arms, and led her into the courtyard.
"Remember to come back earlier next time. Once it gets dark, the dog at the alley entrance won't be leashed."
After welcoming Yu Tan into the courtyard, she left Jiang Tingfeng with a defiant back view of them embracing.
Author's Note: Thank you, Pai!, for the thunder. [Starry-eyed]
Thank you, kitty head. Hugs to Mingyue Xiaomi Cat Nutritional Solution [droopy ears rabbit head]
I've run out of drafts, so I'll start writing every day from scratch, working 996 (9am-9pm, 6 days a week). It might be past midnight, so I probably won't be at midnight anymore. No need to stay up all night waiting; just check back the next morning. If I don't update, I'll let you know in advance.
I'm used to writing every day, but sometimes when I'm busy, I have to ask for leave before I've written 3000 words.
Love you all, I'll let you know in advance what's going on.
Schedule: It should be finished in one to two months. (I think so, since the outline and the main text are completely different. Don't blame me if it takes longer than expected.)
Seeing an old friend again, this is the third book I've read. It's a strange feeling. [Milk Tea]
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