Chapter 9 Tea Talk Shen Qinglu naturally saw her guilt, inside...
*
In a short while, the person arrived in front of them.
In an instant, the winter snow melted away and the flowing water stopped, revealing her perfect facial features and delicate eyebrows and eyes, making her so awe-inspiring that one dared not look directly at her.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Uncle Jiu," Mu Lin said, bowing again.
The Mu family was a family of military generals, and their rules and regulations were not as strict as those of civil officials' families. All descendants were ranked regardless of gender. His father, Mu Weitang, had nine siblings, and he was the ninth, named Mu Hanshi.
Many years ago, Mu Hanshi's father, Mu Chen, was an official outside the capital with his wife and son. Unexpectedly, a plague broke out in the area, and all three family members were infected. In the end, only Mu Hanshi survived.
In Mu Lin's memory, this Ninth Uncle was always the most special person in the Marquis's mansion. Perhaps because he had damaged his health when he was young, he had always been in poor health, preferred quiet and rarely appeared in front of others.
Not only his father, but also his grandmother and uncles had repeatedly told them, the younger generation, not to disturb Uncle Jiu's rest for many years. He always thought it was because the elders cared about Uncle Jiu, but later he gradually realized that was not the case.
As the heir of a marquis's family, he was raised by his father from a young age, and he was the only junior member to participate in important family matters. And every time a decision was made, his father would subconsciously look at his ninth uncle.
What convinced him that Uncle Jiu was no ordinary man was that three years ago, when he wanted to join the army at the border, his elders disagreed. He asked Uncle Jiu to help him persuade them, and Uncle Jiu only said one sentence, "It's rare that he has such a pure heart. It's good for him to go out and gain some experience."
With just that one sentence, he changed the minds of all the elders, including his most beloved grandmother. From then on, he knew that his Ninth Uncle held an extraordinary position in the Mu family.
He took a deep breath and said, "Today, I went to the Yu residence and met the eldest daughter of the Yu family."
Mu Hanshi slightly raised his eyelids, his tone indifferent, "Are you disappointed?"
"I wonder if Uncle Jiu still remembers the time I went to the Yu family three years ago. The eldest daughter of the Yu family happened to have caught a cold and was not feeling well, so I was unable to meet her. Later, Yu Jingliang let me stay overnight, and that's when I encountered him in the night."
"You two had a very pleasant conversation, which is why you agreed to the marriage."
“That’s right.” Mu Lin’s brows furrowed with worry. “That night, the darkness was so thick that I couldn’t see her face clearly. But I heard someone calling her ‘Miss’ when they came looking for her. I thought that since there was only one young lady in the Yu family, she must be the eldest young lady of the Yu family. But when I went to the Yu family today, I found that there was another young lady named A-Li in their household.”
Mu Hanshi looked at him quietly, gesturing for him to continue.
He gave a wry smile. "I have a vague feeling that the person I chatted happily with that night was most likely that girl named Yu Li."
"She was born to Yu Zhiheng's younger sister and was the daughter of the disgraced official Su Qihe."
“I asked Yu Jingliang and learned about her identity. Not only that, I also heard Yu Jingliang say that she was different from ordinary people since childhood, and her mind seemed to be incomplete. If that’s true, how could she have talked so freely with me three years ago?”
A woman's reputation must not be tarnished, so he told no one about his encounter with a woman three years ago, except to Mu Hanshi. Now, with mixed feelings, he could only seek advice from this Ninth Uncle.
"This woman is very different in public and in private; I suppose you already have a plan in mind." Mu Hanshi's tone was as light as falling snow. "You've met the real eldest daughter of the Yu family today; what do you think?"
Mu Lin shook his head, then nodded.
The real eldest daughter of the Yu family was well-educated and polite, and there was nothing to criticize, but for some reason, he just felt disappointed.
"She's a good person, but for some reason, I don't feel anything for her."
"Since you are still undecided, let's postpone the engagement until you've thought it through."
"Thank you, Uncle Jiu."
After he took his leave, the steward came over.
"How could the Yu family be so foolish? Knowing that today is the day for the young master and Miss Yu to meet, they still let that girl named Yu Li show up."
Mu Hanshi walked up to the bamboo forest painting and said, "It shouldn't be the intention of the Yu family. The inner quarters are a battlefield for women, full of intrigues and schemes. That girl named Yu Li had a night encounter with A Lin three years ago, and then deliberately appeared again three years later. She's not mentally deficient; she's clearly a cunning person."
"Why didn't the Lord explain this to the young master just now?"
“He will be the head of the Marquis’s mansion in the future. If he can’t even see through this little trick and can’t deal with it, how will he be able to uphold the Mu family’s reputation in the future?”
Upon hearing this, the steward said, "His Majesty has always valued the young master and has been training him in every way. The young master will surely understand His Majesty's good intentions in the future."
Mu Hanshi gazed at the bamboo forest painting with indifferent eyes, his gaze seemingly filled with countless emotions, yet also appearing to contain nothing at all.
All was silent, devoid of desire or wants.
*
The entire Yu family, except for the Jingxin Courtyard, eats three meals a day, and the same is true for Ruian Residence.
Madam Xie had already given instructions to the kitchen to prepare some dishes suitable for Shen Qinglu. The dishes included light fish soup and vegetarian dishes cooked with lard, which were low in meat but looked quite appealing.
Shen Qinglu took a sip of soup, her big eyes immediately filled with surprise, and after taking another bite of vegetables, her gaze shone as brightly as stars in the dark night, dazzling for a moment.
"Grandma, these dishes are delicious. I've never eaten such delicious food before."
Upon hearing this, Xie felt a deep sense of bitterness welling up in her heart.
It was just ordinary food, with only a little meat added, yet the child was so happy, which showed how poorly she usually ate. Looking at the face in front of her that resembled her daughter, she felt so sad that she couldn't speak, only saying guiltily things like, "Eat more if you like it."
Shen Qinglu could see the other party's guilt, but she felt nothing in her heart.
One layer of guilt is not enough; she wants layers upon layers of guilt that eventually accumulate into a mountain, suffocating people until they finally explode.
After finishing one bowl of rice, she asked for another. The first thing she said after putting down her chopsticks was, "So this is what it feels like to be full. My stomach feels so comfortable."
Ms. Xie was already feeling guilty, and hearing these words made her heart clench and ache even more.
This child has never been full!
"You can eat whatever you want, as much as you want, while you're with your grandmother."
"Really?" Shen Qinglu asked in surprise, then her eyes slowly changed, filled with a hint of caution and pleading. "Then I'll stay with Grandmother from now on, okay?"
Looking at Xie with such guilt, he was almost about to nod in agreement, but before he could utter the word "okay," his reason stopped him.
She's getting old, and no one can worry about how many years she'll live. Her daughter will still have to rely on her brother and sister-in-law for a living in the future, so while she's still alive, we should make plans for her.
“Your mother…she’s had a tough time too. She’s been a bit neglectful of you before. She knows she was wrong now and will definitely take good care of you from now on. Don’t blame her.”
negligence?
Shen Qinglu sneered inwardly.
Yu Qingxue's oversight wasn't in taking care of her, but in failing to kill her. Now that she's stayed, she absolutely won't leave!
"I'll listen to Grandma." She suddenly changed the subject. "Grandma, I want to go to school and learn to read and write, is that alright?"
"Of course!" Madam Xie was admiring her daughter's sensible and obedient nature and was thinking about how to make it up to her. When she heard her daughter take the initiative to express her desire to study and learn to read, she naturally agreed immediately.
But how can someone who was originally missing a soul suddenly become able to read and write once they regain their senses?
"Ali, tell your grandmother why you want to study and learn to read?"
"When I was in a daze before, I seemed to hear someone say that only by being literate can one know the world and see across thousands of miles. Only by reading can one understand the principles of things and connect with the past and present."
Ms. Xie was extremely surprised.
The reason was simple: it was her father who said those words.
Her father was a scholar, so she and her siblings learned to read and write from a young age. Later, when she encouraged her children and grandchildren, she said the same thing, never expecting that this child would know it.
"How did you know that sentence?" she asked excitedly, her emotions clearly fluctuating.
"I don't know, I feel like I know." Shen Qinglu's face was full of confusion, as if she had no idea what she had said.
This is certainly one of the fragments of memory left behind by the original owner.
On one occasion, Yu Jingliang skipped school and was caught red-handed by Madam Xie. Instead of severely scolding her grandson, she said this earnestly.
What they didn't know was that the original person was behind a tree not far away, a mere shell of a person who had preserved these words and passed them on to later generations.
"Grandmother, is this statement correct?"
"Yes, yes," Xie said repeatedly, her eyes unconsciously reddening. "If you want to read and write, Grandma will teach you, okay?"
"That's great!" Shen Qinglu clapped her hands to express her joy.
This feeling greatly excited Xie, and he immediately began his teaching plan.
Shen Qinglu picked up the book she had chosen and flipped through its contents. Her initial intention to hide her ignorance immediately vanished. She thought to herself that the handwriting was so different that she was truly illiterate and had to start learning from scratch.
The grandmother and granddaughter sat by the window, spreading out their writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone. She taught her stroke by stroke, and Shen Qinglu learned diligently.
Granny Li, Xia Chan, Qiu Lu, and others attended to them, their attention entirely focused on them. Occasionally, Qiu Lu would become distracted, glancing at Xia Chan beside her with a complex expression.
The white Xuan paper was quickly filled with black characters.
Xie's handwriting was elegant, while Shen Qinglu's handwriting, though clumsy, still had some merit.
"Ali, is this your first time writing?" Xie asked.
Shen Qinglu nodded.
This body should be.
Mr. Xie was pleasantly surprised again, "To write like this for the first time, you are even better than your father was back then."
She remained a widow for many years, raising her two children alone. Her son was intelligent and talented, and loved learning from a young age.
As for the daughter...
The child now practices vegetarianism and chants Buddhist scriptures, but as a child he was restless and rarely calmed down to practice calligraphy or read books, though he could get into storybooks. Looking at the child before her, she saw that he resembled her daughter, but his talent for reading and his quiet nature seemed more like her son's.
Blood ties and innate nature really can't be faked!
"Grandmother, what does this word mean?" Shen Qinglu asked, pointing to one of the characters.
Just as she was about to say something, she heard footsteps entering the room and couldn't help but look over.
Shen Qinglu looked up at the two people who had entered.
The two looked alike; one was older, and the other was probably just over twenty.
Yu Zhiheng and Yu Jingxian.
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