Chapter 81 The Madman's Thoughts The thought of the person he longed for still...
Shen Qinglu felt a strange sensation as she felt the burning sensation on her arm.
What kind of person is he exactly?
She is clearly a person as pure and ethereal as a cedar tree, possessing exceptional looks, outstanding abilities, cunning scheming, and a background that is difficult for ordinary people to attain.
Why be so humble?
In her past life, she lived behind a mask, pretending to be a well-behaved girl, displaying an indifferent attitude towards life and death, concealing her true desire to live. In this life, she feigns pitifulness to gain sympathy, or plays the fool, all for the same purpose.
So what is this person after?
"If I ask you for help or ask you to do something, will you feel any better?"
"Yes." Mu Hanshi answered without the slightest hesitation, his gaze never leaving her.
It's more than just better.
The thought that the person he cherishes is still alive fills his heart.
Shen Qinglu didn't avoid his gaze, pondering to herself.
A madman's thoughts cannot be deduced by common sense. Perhaps the reason why Mu Laojiu keeps coming to see her is indeed because of this bizarre reason.
"So, in that case, I'm the one helping you."
They were surrounded by white, ghostly sacrificial offerings such as paper houses, paper horses, and paper beauties, with a small pile of folded paper ingots in between.
When their eyes met, it was as if two lost souls had met by chance in the underworld. You looked at me, I looked at you, one eye as black as night, the other as deep and dark as the night.
Coincidentally, there were two coffins on display in the shop, one black and the other red, both decorated with gold patterns and with the character for longevity written in the center.
The black coffin exuded a chilling aura in the corner of Shen Qinglu's eye.
Those who die unjustly or violently are usually placed in black coffins.
I wonder where she was buried after she died in her previous life?
The moment her mood changed, Mu Hanshi immediately sensed it and wished he could hold her and comfort her as before.
He suppressed his emotions, restrained himself, and spoke in a very low voice, "If we help each other, then no one owes anyone anything."
That's not bad.
"Then why did you take money from me before..."
"One thing at a time, business is business, and individuals are individuals."
"..."
Too.
If this person returned the money to her and helped her unconditionally, she would be afraid to accept it.
She was lost in thought and didn't notice the sadness in Mu Hanshi's eyes.
One was dressed in snow-white, the other in fiery red. Snow and fire were opposites, like snow burning, but when they merged together, they burst forth with a strange and dazzling beauty that was impossible to look away from.
Xia Chan glanced at it only once before quickly lowering her head, her heart pounding.
Lord Mu and the young lady...
They really are a perfect match!
This place is a bit too creepy. It would be so beautiful if it were a romantic spot under the moon.
Shen Qinglu didn't think there was anything wrong with the place. After looking around, she asked confidently, "This shop is yours too, isn't it?"
Mu Hanshi hummed in agreement. "I usually spend my free time here folding paper money and making paper houses."
He didn't say how many pieces of paper money he had folded or how many paper houses he had made over the years, nor did he say that the reason he opened this shop was entirely for his Azhu.
Even if it's to the afterlife, he hopes that the person he cherishes will not have to worry about worldly things.
Shen Qinglu was unaware of his thoughts and was still thinking to herself that a madman is a madman, his hobbies are all different from ordinary people, he actually likes to fold paper money and paste houses.
She glanced at her arm, which was being held, and said emotionlessly, "Lord Mu, can you let go of me now?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Hanshi released her.
Instead of backing away, she moved closer, so close that it was as if she were shoving her unmade-up face in front of someone and pointing to her smooth forehead.
“I used the medication as you instructed, and look, the scar is gone.”
After she finished speaking, she sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off.
Before she could back away, the man's fingertips touched her forehead, as if to confirm that she wasn't using makeup to cover it up, and he rubbed it back and forth several times.
By the time she came to her senses and tried to dodge, Mu Hanshi had already stopped.
He gestured for Yang Zhen to come over, looked at the folded paper ingots, and said, "Take them and burn them."
"yes."
In the eerie atmosphere, the aroma of food wafted in from the backyard at an inopportune moment.
Shen Qinglu thought the timing was perfect and was just about to say goodbye when she heard him say, "Stay for a meal."
"..."
He didn't mind having people eat at the coffin shop, but she did.
But after thinking it over again, she agreed.
However, she didn't expect that some people would actually cook themselves. Their smooth knife skills and skillful movements clearly showed that they were regular cooks.
The sunlight streaming through the wooden window, along with the aroma of cooking fires, blended with the interplay of light and shadow and the misty haze, enveloping the pine-like man in the warmth of everyday life, creating an atmosphere that felt wonderfully beautiful and cozy.
This scene was clearly unfamiliar, yet it had an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
If the shops in front felt eerie and hellish, then the backyard was a peaceful and idyllic place, especially the grove of phoenix bamboo at the base of the courtyard wall, which made her feel inexplicably dazed.
The bamboo grove in front of her house in her past life was phoenix bamboo. She had heard her adoptive father say that this kind of bamboo does not take root indiscriminately or occupy land randomly, and is also known as filial bamboo.
She once longed to live, not only for herself but also to fulfill her filial duty to the family who raised her. Perhaps it was destiny, or perhaps it was the cycle of cause and effect, but her goal in this life remained the same: to live.
Under the monarchy, all people are subservient, and she is now one of them.
If she doesn't want to become cannon fodder in the struggle for power, she and her family must place their hopes on someone else, and that person...
Her gaze fell on the person tossing the wok, with a hint of inquiry.
Less than an hour later, a large table of dishes was placed on the table in the courtyard. Although the meat and vegetables were well-matched, they were all light and bland.
In her previous life, she always ate a light diet due to her health condition. These dishes suited her taste perfectly. The chicken was tender and fragrant, and the fish melted in her mouth. After eating, there was still a lingering fragrance in her mouth. It was better than the chefs in the Shen family mansion, and even the chefs in the general's mansion could not compare.
"You really know a lot," she praised sincerely.
Mu Hanshi lowered his eyes, not wanting her to see the relief in them, and bent down to put food on her plate.
She looked at the food in her bowl, her feelings were very complicated.
She liked this peaceful and warm atmosphere, but the people weren't right.
That's enough.
It's all just pretense; there's no need to take it to heart.
She was so engrossed in eating that she didn't notice the satisfied yet greedy look in Mu Hanshi's eyes as he lifted them.
Halfway through the meal, customers came into the shop in front.
She recognized the old man's voice, so it wasn't surprising. What was surprising was the voice of another woman, who was crying. She said that her husband had suddenly passed away, and because they needed the coffin urgently, they had bought it directly.
She immediately put down her chopsticks, hurriedly said goodbye, and left.
As Mu Hanshi looked at the unfinished food in her bowl, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
The little girl who could be coaxed with just a lollipop can no longer be kept here, even with a table of dishes that are just as good as those made by a royal chef.
After a while, he took the chopsticks she had put down, then brought the half-bowl of leftover food to himself and began to eat it slowly, bit by bit.
*
Fang's Cloth Shop was closed, but the red couplets announcing its grand opening were still there.
People would occasionally pass by and ask, "Why is this place closed today?"
The shop door was closed, but the back door was open, and faint crying could be heard coming from inside.
Two Podocarpus macrophyllus trees stood in the courtyard, one on the left and one on the right. In the corner, there were also flowers, plants, birds, and fish. The birds hopped around in their gilded cages, occasionally making melodious sounds. The fish swam around in a large vat filled with water lilies, sometimes popping their heads out of the water.
They were having a good time, unaware of the changes that had befallen their master.
Fang kept crying, her tearful eyes constantly glancing towards the door, looking completely lost.
When she saw her trusted old woman return, she immediately threw herself into her arms, crying, "Mommy, I'm scared, I'm scared..."
The old woman patted her back, her eyes red with tears, and comforted her, "I've already spoken with the owner of the coffin shop and asked them to deliver it tonight. Don't let anyone see us. Don't be afraid, young lady, we'll take the master back to Pingyang."
"I..." Fang hesitated, "My father was forced to his death. If I just leave like this, who will avenge him?"
"My dear girl, what kind of family is the Shen family? How could we possibly mess with them?" The old woman's face was full of anxiety, but her voice was filled with resentment. "Miss, listen to your master, leave here immediately, or else..."
She seemed to be suddenly grabbed by the neck; her voice stopped abruptly, and she looked at the person who entered in terror.
Shen Qinglu approached step by step, glancing expressionlessly at the corpse covered with a white sheet on the ground.
Ma Er went over, lifted the white cloth to take a look and inspect it, nodded to her to confirm, and then stepped outside.
"Miss Fang, please accept my condolences."
Fang came to her senses and asked, "You... what are you doing here?"
"I saw that your shop was closed, so I went around to take a look. I never expected that something like this would happen to your shop. Life is truly unpredictable."
“Your surname is Chen now, you're in cahoots with them, it's you...you're the ones who drove my father to his death!”
"You say we drove your father to his death, but do you have any evidence?"
Fang and the old woman looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.
Shen Qinglu sat down and looked at the old woman with her dark eyes. "You tell me, what exactly happened?"
The old woman was terrified and dared not utter a word of dissent. She immediately recounted all the events that had occurred in recent days.
After the last rumor, the Fang family was targeted.
At first, some customers still came to cause trouble, either saying that the fabric was not good or that the price was higher than other stores, which made the business worse day by day.
Fang's father sensed something was amiss and went around looking for information, treating people to drinks and putting on a show of politeness. Later, for some unknown reason, he was taken to a gambling den and unknowingly incurred a huge gambling debt.
All the money in the house was put in, but it was still far from enough. Those people made a threat, saying that if the money wasn't paid back in three days, they would come and take back the shop.
"The master told us to return to Pingyang, but halfway there the young lady felt something was wrong. When she returned, she saw that the master..."
"Then what makes you so sure that the Shen family harmed you?"
"...It's obvious, we've only offended you..." the old woman said, shrinking her neck back.
Shen Qinglu's slender fingers tapped lightly on the willow wood tabletop, each tap like a death knell, startling the Fang family mistress and her servants like two frightened quails.
Especially when she stared at Fang, Fang almost cried out.
"You...you're so different from before..."
She had been pretending the previous times they met, but today she was being her true self.
"Because I'm completely healed."
Fang said "Oh," and lowered her head, not daring to look at her.
"I heard you've managed to curry favor with the Marquis of Xingyi. Hasn't the Marquis's family been involved in your family's affairs?"
A single question stumped both Fang and the old woman; they looked at each other, unable to answer.
Shen Qinglu sighed inwardly and looked at the place where the white cloth was.
Mr. Fang doted on his daughter; otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed her to remain unmarried, nor would he have moved to Donglin City to fulfill her wish. Fang's demeanor, eyes, and even her mannerisms and personality were quite different from those of her peers, clearly indicating that she had always been pampered.
"The Xingyi Earl's Mansion is backed by the Prince Xin's Mansion. You should know the Prince Xin's status. If it is truly our Shen family targeting you, then it is a slap in the face to the Prince Xin. How could the Prince Xin allow that?"
"Then... if it's not you, then who is it?" Fang looked at her blankly with tears still glistening in her eyes.
Even after all that, she still didn't understand, which shows how simple-minded she is. No wonder she was taken advantage of by Yu Qingxue and still harbored illusions about Yu Zhiheng.
"Have you heard about the Earl of Xingyi? His biggest hobby is hanging out in gambling dens. He loses nine out of ten times. Over the years, he has lost countless amounts of silver. I heard that he lost nearly ten thousand taels of silver in one night just a few days ago."
"You mean the person who took my father to gamble was the Earl of Xingyi?" Fang murmured, clearly shocked, looking somewhat dazed.
Shen Qinglu wanted to sigh.
If someone who can't understand anything when explained in detail continues to stay in the capital, he'll probably die without even knowing how.
"Just know that it wasn't the Shen family that harmed you, and listen to your father and leave Donglin City."
"You...you child, you can't even speak clearly, how can I believe you?" Madam Fang was anxious and blocked her way. "You are also an unfilial child. After your father moved out, you didn't even visit him once. Do you know that he is being targeted in court and is very unhappy?"
Shen Qinglu was not surprised at all that Yu Zhiheng was being targeted.
There are many people in the court who treat others differently based on their status, and even more who will kick someone when they're down. Whether it's for their own selfish reasons or because someone else is acting on their behalf, now that he's lost the protection of the Shen family, everyone can take a kick out of him.
“These things should have happened when he first entered officialdom, but he had the Shen family as his backer and avoided them.”
"Weren't those people instigated by your uncle?"
Shen Qinglu's aura changed, her eyes turned cold and became even more dark and frightening. "My uncle is an upright man and would never do such a despicable thing."
"You didn't say you were Qingxue's daughter..." Fang muttered, but dared not look at her.
She smiled slightly, "Didn't I just say that I'm already better?"
Having said that, she ignored Fang Shi and objected to the old woman, saying, "Your master is gone, but you should still listen to what he said. The capital is a place of trouble, so the sooner you leave, the better, lest the dead cannot rest in peace."
The old woman was more worldly than Fang Shi, and she must have understood what she meant, so she thanked her repeatedly.
The caged bird hopped and skipped about, seemingly overjoyed, as if bidding farewell to a guest. Along with the bird, a person half-hidden in a corner was also seeing someone off.
It is cold, lonely, like a pine tree living alone in the snow.
It was during the time of Mu Han.
Mu Hanshi looked at the departing Shen family carriage with loving tenderness, "She's still too soft-hearted."
His A'Zhu.
She has always been a kind-hearted girl.
Yang Zhen stood silently behind him and said, "Miss Ali is kind-hearted by nature, so it's inevitable that she'll be soft-hearted and soft-hearted."
He lowered his eyelids and looked at the shallow, almost invisible bite mark on his hand, his eyes filled with regret.
"Go and check who asked for medicine at the Imperial Pharmacy a few days ago."
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