Chapter 52 Delivering Medicine Mu Han was already in front of her, "Give me your hand."...
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Shen Linlang's hands trembled more and more violently, her body also trembled slightly, and her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but could not make a sound.
The arising and ceasing of conditions are all due to cause and effect, and the bond between mother and daughter is no exception.
"Tell me, you knew Ali would fall into the water, you knew something would happen to her, so why... why didn't you give any warning beforehand, and why weren't you alerted at all that day?"
"Mother, you don't believe me?"
Shen Linlang really wanted to believe her. She had clearly said that she had the same dream for three days in a row, which meant that she had dreamt on the day of the Awakening of Insects. But even if it was a dream, logically speaking, whether one believed it or not, one would probably pay some attention to it.
"Tang'er, you...did you already know that you had been switched, so you were hoping that something would happen to Ali?"
Once a person becomes suspicious, they will subconsciously look for all sorts of evidence to support their suspicions, and the more they suspect, the more certain the evidence will seem.
"Mother, how could you think of me like that?"
For sixteen years, mother and daughter have been inseparable. A mother knows her child better than anyone else, having cherished and pampered her child so much.
Even when she looked wronged and aggrieved, her eyes unconsciously wandered, Shen Linlang immediately noticed. "...I remember that day you insisted on going to see Ali. You even said that it would be best for your mother if Ali didn't exist. I never knew that after all these years of careful teaching, I had raised such a vicious person like you!"
"Mother, I thought I was dreaming, I didn't think much of it..."
"Human life is at stake, and you don't even think about it? What's your heart made of?"
"I……"
"Like mother, like daughter. You are just like your mother. All my years of upbringing have been in vain. It's just that the things in your bones can't be changed." Shen Linlang's voice was filled with sorrow and hatred.
“Mother.” Yu Liuzhu stepped forward, wanting to lean on her side as before, but dared not approach in the face of her disappointed gaze. “I am your Tang’er, why don’t you believe me? We are mother and daughter destined by heaven, I am your daughter…”
Shen Linlang shook her head, "No, my daughter is Ali."
"Mother, have you forgotten? In that dream you had before you conceived, I was your daughter..."
"That child isn't you, it's Ali!"
“Mother, you said that child looks like me, how could it not be me? It must be Grandmother… it must be Grandmother’s doing. She’s on Ali’s side, deliberately trying to drive a wedge between us, that’s why she said Ali is your daughter…”
“That’s not how it is.” Shen Linlang was increasingly disappointed. “Ali is that child. She is my daughter. Don’t say anything more. Don’t come here again.”
She hardened her heart, stopped looking at Yu Liuzhu, and said to Shen Qinglu, "Ali, let's go."
"Mother, Mother..." Yu Liuzhu called out repeatedly, then suddenly stopped.
"Young lady, what's wrong?" Dengzhi shouted, "Madam, the young lady has fainted!"
She paused, clearly struggling.
Shen Qinglu held her hand, "Mother, when I fell into the water last time, I actually went through the underworld once. I walked and walked, walked a long way, it was so dark and cold, I was so scared..."
"Ah Li!" Her wavering heart immediately straightened. "Don't be afraid, Mother will stay with you from now on."
"Mother, don't leave me, don't abandon me." Shen Qinglu silently shed tears, looking at her with pleading eyes, her pitiful gaze making her want to slap herself.
Her daughter suffered so much, almost losing her life, how could she still pity someone else's daughter? She truly deserves to die!
The pit stared wide-open at the sky, as if mocking the heavens for their cruel tricks on humanity. Many crabapple tree roots remained in the pit, their tangled and unremoved parts severed from the tree trunks, destined to wither and rot.
Just like her relationship with Yu Liuzhu.
Yu Liuzhu fainted and was reportedly ill for two days.
For the past two days, Shen Qinglu has been learning from Shen Linlang how to manage all the affairs of the mansion, from social interactions to daily expenses. She learns quickly and gets the hang of things fast, bringing Shen Linlang many surprises.
The servants were all perceptive and tactful, so no one dared to mention Yu Liuzhu's matter. Shen Linlang didn't ask, and even Granny Yu wouldn't bring it up.
When the lamps were lit at night, the storeroom manager came to report that Dengzhi wanted to take some ginseng slices.
Dengzhi’s original words were: “The eldest daughter has been sick for two days, neither eating nor drinking. She has always been frail, and the madam has taken good care of her over the years. I am really afraid that something might happen to her, so I thought I would get some ginseng slices to stew a bowl of chicken soup for her to replenish her qi and blood.”
Shen Linlang felt a little soft-hearted and subconsciously looked at Shen Qinglu.
Sixteen years of bond—even a pet would have feelings for someone, let alone a person. No matter how disappointed you are, no matter how hard you want to harden your heart, it's hard not to hesitate and soften when you hear that the person you love and care for has not eaten for two days.
Shen Qinglu didn't look up, but tears rolled down her cheeks. "Didn't her mother say that one should be a vegetarian and chant Buddhist scriptures and not eat meat? When I was sick before, if I didn't eat, I would just go hungry and wouldn't even get a bowl of rice. How could she drink ginseng chicken soup?"
Every word in those words was like a long needle, piercing Shen Linlang's heart.
Shen Linlang was in unbearable pain, but hardened her heart and said, "From now on, Jingxin Courtyard's food, clothing, and daily necessities will have nothing to do with the inner quarters, and you don't need to care about them anymore."
The woman in charge responded and left with a sigh.
Shen Qinglu was still crying. "Mother, I'm sad, and you must be sad too. I know you really can't bear to part with Sister Tang'er, and I should be more magnanimous, but I'm just so sad..."
“Ali…” Shen Linlang hugged her tightly. “How can you be so sensible? It’s my fault. I will change slowly.”
She can change it slowly; there's no rush.
Through her blurry, tearful eyes, she saw the figure of Yu Zhiheng.
As soon as Yu Zhiheng entered, he saw the mother and daughter hugging and crying, and coughed lightly, feeling uneasy.
Upon hearing his voice, Shen Linlang immediately released Shen Qinglu and wiped away her tears with a handkerchief.
After four days of separation, the couple seemed to have grown distant. For Shen Linlang, this might have been extremely difficult to accept at first, but during these four days, she slept alone in her own bed, sleeping in all directions without any restraint, as if she had returned to the comfort of her own home.
However, these four days were extremely difficult for him, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. One reason was the gossip outside, another was the discord within the household, and yet another was that no matter how nice the study was, it couldn't compare to the comfort of his bed.
"Tang'er has been sick for two days, you should go and see her."
"She has her own mother, why should I go see her?" When Shen Linlang heard him bring up this matter, her initial expectation immediately changed, and her face darkened.
He frowned. "You've raised them for over ten years, are you really just going to abandon them like this?"
“I raised her for sixteen years. Others may not know how I raised her, but don’t you know, my husband? Whenever she had a headache or fever, I would stay by her side all night. But what about my Ali? How did your sister raise my child? How can you… how can you blame me for being heartless?”
“That’s not what I meant.” His brows furrowed even more, and his expression darkened. “You must be feeling bad that your family has fallen apart like this. I know you’re a magnanimous person who doesn’t hold grudges, so why can’t you just let this go?”
"You know I'm magnanimous? What have I gotten in return for all my magnanimity?" Shen Linlang wasn't soothed by him as usual. Instead, something seemed to awaken within her, and the suppressed aura of a noblewoman from a military family burst forth. "My child was switched, and I was mistreated for sixteen years. This matter cannot be left unresolved!"
"Linlang." Yu Zhiheng's tone softened, his refined face full of embarrassment as he glanced at Shen Qinglu.
Shen Qinglu stood up with red eyes. "Mother, Father, please stop arguing. I finally got to know you all. I want our family to be together. I'm going to see Sister Tang'er now."
"It would be good for you to go and see her, and also to visit your grandmother."
This was Yu Zhi Hengshan's explanation to her.
She didn't hear a word she said. She didn't go to see Yu Liuzhu or Xie Shi, but instead pushed open the door and went into Yu Qingxue's room.
The charcoal fire inside the house was clearly insufficient, and the temperature wasn't much higher than outside.
Over the years, the Jingxin Courtyard and the inner quarters have had separate meals, while others have their own allowances. But now that the inner quarters have cut off the allowances for this place, they're even running out of charcoal.
Yu Qingxue had just lain down when she suddenly saw her and immediately jumped up in surprise.
Especially when her large, dark eyes stared at people without moving, it felt as if the sky had suddenly turned dark, so dark and so cold.
"Did you complain to my father? Saying that my mother didn't care about your expenses, which caused my father and mother to have a big fight, and my father even accused my mother of not being virtuous?"
"Did your father and mother have a fight?"
"You sound quite pleased? You used to restrict me so much, not letting me go out, but now you let your own daughter keep bothering us. What are you really up to?"
"I don't……"
Before she could finish speaking, Shen Qinglu raised her hand and slapped her across the face.
She covered her face, her expression more shocked than angry.
"You dare..."
Her response was another slap.
"What wouldn't I dare to do!" Shen Qinglu's face suddenly changed, becoming wooden and blank, her eyes dark and empty. "I was young before, I didn't know any better, and you bullied me. Now I am the eldest daughter of the Yu family, the true mistress of this mansion. Do you think I would still be afraid of you?"
Even if I'm not your mother, I'm still your aunt.
"What aunt?" Shen Qinglu sneered. "You're an ingrate. If it weren't for my mother, you'd be nothing. My mother fed you, clothed you, and even gave you a dowry when you got married. That only made you more demanding. Otherwise, with my father's meager salary, where would you get pears to eat at this time of year?"
She swept her hand across the table, and the plate of pears rolled off the table.
Yu Qingxue's face ached, her liver ached, and she felt her heart fire burning even more intensely, as if it were about to burst into flames.
"You think your mother is a good person? Don't you think about why she, the legitimate daughter of a general's family, would willingly marry my brother? It's because her appearance isn't favored by nobles, and she couldn't climb the social ladder by entering the palace. My elder brother is outstanding in character and talent. Back then, countless people cried and begged to marry him. If he had married someone else, not to mention the food and clothing, even my dowry would have been more than doubled!"
The Su family has two brothers: Su Qihe is the younger son, and his elder brother is Su Qiming. Su Qiming's wife comes from a noble family, but is an illegitimate daughter.
When she first married, she looked down on her elder sister-in-law, who was a concubine's daughter, and openly and secretly despised her. She thought that since her dowry was generous, she was competitive.
Who would have thought that although the illegitimate daughter was an illegitimate daughter, she had an extremely favored concubine whose dowry was much larger than hers, causing her to lose face, be ridiculed by her mother-in-law, and be blamed by her husband.
If her sister-in-law from her own family hadn't been so stingy, why would she have felt so inferior in her husband's family?
“That estate is far away and remote, and the shop is in a bad location, far from the horse market, let alone the elephant market. If it were someone else, I would own a shop in the elephant market, let alone a shop in the horse market.”
"What other person? Are you making this up? I don't believe that anyone other than my mother would be so open and honest with my father."
"You don't believe me? Then you can go ask your father and let him tell you whether what I said is true or not."
Shen Qinglu seemed extremely angry, and in a fit of rage, she overturned everything in the room to the ground. Bottles and stools were broken or overturned, and soon the room was a complete mess.
After venting his anger, he pointed at Yu Qingxue's nose and said, "My father cared most about my mother. He and my mother were a loving couple. Unlike you, when disaster struck, you and your husband abandoned each other. One went back to her parents' home, and the other had children in exile. I know you envy and are jealous, which is why you said those things. I don't believe it!"
After saying that, she turned and left.
Looking at the room that she had ravaged, Yu Qingxue felt a surge of hatred. "This wretched child has really gone too far. She even dared to lay a hand on me. I should have strangled her to death back then!"
"Madam, please keep your voice down." Qin's mother's face changed, and she quickly advised her.
Times have changed. The masters are having a hard time, and those who serve them are walking on thin ice.
“She even dared to hit me, I can’t swallow this. And that Shen Linlang, she’s been suppressing my brother all these years. My poor brother was driven to the study by her, and he doesn’t even have anyone who cares about him.”
She spoke through gritted teeth, then suddenly remembered something, and her eyes flashed with a strange light. She then got out of bed, spread out paper and ink, and had Qin's mother deliver the letter she had written.
Qin's mother hesitated for a moment, "Madam, is this appropriate?"
"What's wrong with that!" Her swollen and injured face was contorted with hatred and pain, making her extremely ugly. "I told you to take it, so take it now!"
The night was deep, and there was no movement in the right wing or the back room, as if everyone had gone to sleep.
Qin's mother frowned and shook her head.
Under the cover of darkness, she walked towards the back gate of the mansion.
Over the years, she had mostly entered and exited the Jade Mansion through this gate. As she passed through a moon gate as usual, her eyes suddenly lit up.
The cicadas carried lanterns, as if waiting for her.
She looked at the person behind Xia Chan and was shocked.
That stunningly beautiful face was one she was used to seeing, not just on this face, but also on another face, yet it seemed completely different from the two faces she was familiar with.
Her facial features remained unchanged, but her expression changed. It was as if the blooming peony had lost its original vibrant colors and was stained with darkness, turning into an ink-like color, eerie yet still beautiful.
"Where is Mom going so late?"
"This servant...this servant wants to go see my family."
Shen Qinglu didn't want to waste any more words with her. "Are you going to tell me yourself, or should I search for it?"
Her heart tightened, and just as she hesitated, Shen Qinglu was already in front of her.
“I remember my mother used to do this all the time. Whenever my grandmother came to visit me, she would always search me.”
They did find some things, such as snacks given by the Xie family, or red envelopes given during festivals.
"Young lady, I am just a servant, and I only follow my master's orders..."
Shen Qinglu had already extended her hand in front of her. "So I don't intend to make things difficult for you. Just hand it over yourself, or tell me."
She had no choice but to take out the letter.
The cicadas have also arrived, carrying lanterns to light the way.
By the light of the lantern, Shen Qinglu finished reading the letter and asked, "Where should this letter be sent?"
"Fang Family Cloth Shop in Ma Market".
Qin's mother was filled with anxiety and had already prepared for the worst.
Unexpectedly, Shen Qinglu repackaged the letter and returned it to her, saying, "I told you I wouldn't make things difficult for you. Just send this letter out as Yu Qingxue instructed, and don't mention to her that I saw it."
She nodded repeatedly and quickly agreed.
"I dislike playing tricks the most. Mother had better listen to me. Otherwise, if she pretends to listen but secretly conspires with your master, I might not be able to punish her, but surely I can beat you to death?"
"Don't worry, young lady... I won't tell anyone. This matter will remain a secret in my heart."
Shen Qinglu seemed satisfied with her sensible manner and waved for her to leave.
Even though she was very confused, she didn't dare to ask a single question.
After she left, Xia Chan asked the question that puzzled her, "Miss, you knew that the letter was inappropriate, so why did you let her deliver it?"
“For a carbuncle that is deeply embedded in the bone, strong medicine should be used.”
Upon hearing this, the cicada seemed to be deep in thought.
The lantern's flame flickered like a firefly in the night, just like the two servants guided by it. A gust of wind blew, and as she steadied the lantern, she was startled by the sudden appearance of someone and instinctively looked at Shen Qinglu beside her.
Shen Qinglu looked at the people not far away, feeling utterly helpless.
Some people seem to be born more suited to the night. Even if they are aloof and detached during the day, they are perfectly suited to the darkness. They are dark and crazy, and their eyebrows and bones reveal something abnormal.
"Lord Mu, you have quite the refined taste. Be careful not to encounter things you shouldn't if you walk too much at night."
Are you?
"..."
What a coincidence.
She really is.
"My house isn't small. All my relatives live in the Jingxin Courtyard to the west. Lord Mu, don't take the wrong path or you'll get lost."
After Shen Qinglu finished speaking, she gave Xia Chan a wink.
Xia Chan immediately turned on the light and, with her head down, helped her walk forward.
As they passed by Mu Hanshi, they were stopped by someone who said, "Wait a minute."
In a moment, Mu Hanshi was in front of her. "Extend your hand."
She didn't move, her face expressionless.
The lantern light shone on her face, making her look like a pearl reflecting jade, highlighting the beauty between her brows and eyes. She was extremely beautiful and unparalleled, and the purple flower ornament on her forehead seemed somewhat out of place.
The two faced each other, seemingly in a confrontational posture, yet they complemented each other remarkably well.
Mu Hanshi lowered his eyebrows slightly, his eyes filled with her.
As a bird-like cry rang out, she suddenly felt her arm being grabbed, and then her hand felt heavy.
She looked down and saw a delicate porcelain bottle with a faint medicinal fragrance, exactly the same as the bottle of medicine that Mu Lin had asked Yu Jingliang to give her before.
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