Chapter 40 Calling him Brother Lin
As Shuangjiang helped his wife dry her long hair, he felt a lingering fear.
Today, as soon as the lady left the Duke's mansion, he put her down and asked her to cook millet porridge, saying that she wanted to drink it when she got back.
"My lady, that Miss Song is far too bold!"
Her voice trailed off as she spoke, “Did you already know about Miss Song’s plan? That’s why you sent me back.”
Jiang Shiyao looked at the frost in the bronze mirror and smiled.
“I have no power, influence, or connections in this mansion, but you are kind and compassionate.”
"If I die today, you will remember my kindness and treat Fu'er well in the future, so that she will not be isolated and helpless."
As she spoke, she lowered her eyelids and said, "I'm using you."
Shuangjiang paused for a moment, then denied it, saying, "This is a life-saving grace, not exploitation!"
Jiang Shiyao turned to look at her, then opened her arms and hugged her waist.
In their previous life, Shuangjiang and I were both concubines, and we only lived in the same courtyard for half a month.
Both of them died because of Song Jiyun's jealousy and hatred.
In this life, the two of them are together again in a small courtyard by chance.
Although they were master and servant, they were closer than in their previous life.
Zhou Congxian did not return for several nights in a row.
Jiang Shiyao moved back to her own small courtyard.
For a moment, it seemed as if the peace of the day had been restored!
Now that she has been exonerated, she is allowed to see Fu'er.
In the morning, Fu'er would walk across half of the mansion to wake her up before class.
In the evening, we would have dinner together, and then play with Little Bone. We didn't want to leave until it was almost bedtime.
The mansion had many rules, so Fu'er moved to the main courtyard.
It won't be returned anytime soon without a reason.
Otherwise, rumors would spread that the Zhao family would not tolerate their illegitimate children, and even their own granddaughter.
The price of grain has been rising again and again, and has now quadrupled!
Jinzhou missed this year's spring planting, and grain merchants in Beijing are eager to make a move.
I heard that some major grain merchants have already started to place orders for autumn grain, and various caravans are going to other prefectures and counties to buy grain.
He Dayou has sent several messages, saying that he also wants to form a caravan with others to collect grain from other places.
Mrs. He is now also blinded by the price.
"My lady, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Jiang Shiyao shook her head. "The rampant growth of grain will only cause panic among the people, and the imperial court will intervene."
"After all, we are not grain merchants; we only do business with this one warehouse."
"If we hold onto this grain now, we can sell it in another two weeks."
Mrs. He felt it was a bit of a pity, and just as she was about to say something, Shuangjiang came in.
She just shut her mouth and left, feeling annoyed.
She was thinking to herself, "Anyway, Jiang Niangzi will be sold in half a month. When we have the money, they can go and collect it themselves!"
If you can't do big business, small business is fine too!
After watching Mrs. He leave, Shuangjiang whispered, "It's very quiet at the Song family's place now."
Jiang Shiyao's hand touched the patterns on the bracelet.
"It's just a temporary thing. They've even dared to hire someone to kill in the street. How could they give up so easily?"
Shuangjiang hesitated for a moment, "Won't what you're doing provoke her to kill even more?"
Jiang Shiyao smiled and said, "If I stay quiet and keep hiding, do you think she will let me go?"
Frostfall shook her head, "No."
“I won’t even let you go,” Jiang Shiyao said.
“I know that the old lady sent you to my side to try and win the favor of the young master.”
"According to the old lady's arrangement, the young master will also make you a concubine."
"At that time, she won't let me go, and she'll kill you too."
Shuangjiang covered her neck and swallowed.
"Young Master, Young Master, of all people to marry, why did you have to marry a demon like that..."
Jiang Shiyao was amused by her, "Be careful, the Yaksha might come after you!"
Shuangjiang covered her lips and said, "Don't worry, my wife, I'll be careful. There are people watching day and night, and they'll report any movement!"
Jiang Shiyao pulled her to sit down beside her.
I remembered that she had said she wanted to leave this place with me last time.
"Frost's Descent, you are leaving here. What will happen to your scholar?"
Shuangjiang's ears turned red. "Zhang Lang is going to take the imperial examination this year. I've saved up some money. I'll do some small business then. Even if I don't go to the capital, I can still go back to my hometown."
In her previous life, Jiang Shiyao was not very close to Shuangjiang. She only heard Shuangjiang mention her twice the day before Shuangjiang died.
It seems that the scholar failed the imperial examination, and his family had already arranged a marriage for him, so he simply went home to get married.
That was during the Frost's Descent solar term. He said, "Luckily, he wasn't alone."
Thinking of this, Jiang Shiyao asked her, "Does that scholar have anyone else in his family? Has he told you about them?"
Shuangjiang nodded. "Our parents are still alive, and we have younger siblings to take care of."
Jiang Shiyao was puzzled.
She couldn't remember whether Shuangjiang had already arranged the marriage beforehand or later.
"If he is a good person, I will give you money to help with your dowry when it's time for Frost's Descent. Even if you don't have to worry about food and clothing, at least you'll have some financial security."
"However, a woman's marriage is like gambling, and one cannot completely trust any information she receives from him."
"It would be best to find someone from the same hometown to ask for information."
Looking into Jiang Niangzi's sincere eyes, Shuangjiang nodded.
The lady almost lost her life. If she had encountered someone like Miss Song, she would have been going to meet the King of Hell in less than a round!
Is Lady Jiang here?
Wei Xun's voice came from the doorway.
Shuangjiang came out irritably, "What are you doing here?"
My wife has suffered such a great injustice, yet the young master has not come to see her even once!
What are we doing here now?
Wei Xun touched his nose. "Miss Shuangjiang, I haven't offended you, have I?"
Shuangjiang didn't want to talk to him. She couldn't show her displeasure to the Crown Prince, but couldn't she show it to Wei Xun?
Since they are master and servant anyway, the effect is the same.
She snorted, "Forgive me, you can leave now."
After saying that, she turned to go back.
Wei Xun reached out and grabbed her sleeve. "Miss Shuangjiang, don't go, don't go! The young master has given instructions."
"The young master ordered wine and dishes at Dexing Restaurant and invited his wife to taste them."
Before Shuangjiang could turn around to reply, voices could already be heard from inside the house.
"I'm busy."
She gave Wei Xun a forced smile and said, "Go back and report."
Remembering the young master's instructions, Wei Xun continued, "The young lady is also waiting for her mistress at the restaurant."
Others might not be of much use, but Fu'er is her Achilles' heel.
When the frost descended and I turned around, Jiang Shiyao had already come out of the house.
She missed her daughter terribly.
Fu'er knelt on the chair by the window, peering out at the carriage below.
She kept muttering to herself, "Is this my mother? No, it isn't."
"Is this my mother? Why isn't she?"
She didn't touch the sweet chestnut cake on the table; she wanted to save it to eat with her mother!
She hadn't slept with her mother for a very, very long time.
She's clearly very well-behaved; even Master Zhang says she's intelligent.
Why won't Grandma let her go back to the courtyard?
Fu'er looked down at the cars flowing like water, but she couldn't see her mother.
Zhou Congxian watched as his daughter, who was not as lively as usual, waited quietly.
He picked up his daughter and said, "Daddy will take Fu'er downstairs to wait, okay?"
Fu'er immediately beamed with joy, "Okay!"
Dexinglou was renowned, and its business had always been the best among all the restaurants in the capital.
It not only occupies a large area, but also boasts the best views.
A spacious stable was also set up in the backyard, ensuring that not only the guests were well-fed, but also the horses were well-fed and watered.
Zhou Congxian has not been at home these days.
He learned something more important from the assassin: he needed to move the people.
Staying in the capital's government office would mean certain death.
To keep the matter quiet, he swapped the man for a death row inmate.
Song Jiyun hired someone to commit murder, and he has already signed and sealed the agreement, but it cannot be released yet.
Song Yitang had the ability to get his sister out of trouble unharmed and then pin the blame on Jiang Shiyao.
Getting angry at this juncture would be counterproductive.
He will definitely settle accounts with Jiang Shiyao and get back what she has wronged, one by one, in the future.
Fu'er sat in her father's arms, her eyes fixed on the carriage that had stopped at Dexing Tower.
The father and daughter did not wait for their mother.
But then they met the brothers of King Cheng.
"Isn't Huaiyuelou good for Third Brother? Why do you have to come here?"
Xiao Lin was the first to hop and skip off the carriage, exclaiming, "I'm so tired of this food, Third Brother!"
"Hey! Sister Fu'er!"
People were coming and going at the entrance, and he spotted his beloved younger sister at a glance.
Fu'er had somewhat forgotten about Xiao Lin and couldn't recall him for a moment.
Zhou Congxian knew that the Seventh Prince had given Fu'er a jade tiger. "Do you still remember the jade tiger that the Seventh Prince gave you?"
Fu'er suddenly remembered, "Brother Tiger!"
She still remembered Xiao Lin taking her to see the big tiger and the little rabbit.
Xiao Lin was somewhat dissatisfied, "What tiger brother? My name is Xiao Lin! Call me Brother Lin!"
Fu'er remembered that he said he would give her a little rabbit, so she readily agreed.
"Brother Lin."
Zhou Congxian then looked at Prince Cheng, who had just alighted from the carriage, and said, "This humble official greets Your Highness Prince Cheng."
Xiao Lin stepped forward and told Fu'er to come down, "Fu'er, come down, I'll take you to eat something delicious!"
Fu'er held her father's finger and shook her head firmly, "No, I want to wait for my mother."
Xiao Lin was suddenly in a dilemma. No one had ever refused him before; whatever he said went.
When his sister Fu'er rejected him, he was at a loss for words.
"Then...then I'll wait with you?"
Xiao Shu stepped forward and patted his seventh brother on the head. "Let's go. You still have to go to the palace later."
Xiao Lin looked up at his third brother and said, "How about I go to the palace tomorrow?"
The imperial city won't run away, but Fu'er can. He searched for so long before finally finding her.
Xiao Shu stretched out his long arm and tucked his seventh brother under his arm. "No, Princess Yalan's entourage will be leaving with the envoy in a few days. You must go to the palace."
Zhou Congxian frowned. Princess Yalan.
The Empress Dowager still agreed to the marriage alliance.
Under pressure from the vassal king, she even sought help from neighboring countries.
Just then, Jiang Shiyao's carriage arrived.
She got out of the car, and in a flash, the familiar and sweet-smelling little girl was in her arms.
Zhou Congxian turned and got into the carriage. "I have something to do. You guys go up and eat first."
The mother and daughter looked at each other and realized that they had finally met the person they had been waiting for.
As for the others.
random.
Having reached the third floor, Prince Cheng watched the departing carriage and smiled.
Things are getting more and more chaotic.
fine.
Xiao Lin then moved closer to the three of them and said, "Third Brother, I want to go find Sister Fu'er."
Xiao Shu looked at his younger brother with a smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"OK."
Xiao Lin cheered and ran downstairs with a "thump thump" of his little legs.
I happened to run into the mother and daughter who were going upstairs.
"Sister Fu'er!"
Fu'er was in a very good mood. "Brother Lin, please have dinner with us!"
Xiao Lin was overjoyed and happily followed them into the private room on the second floor.
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