Chapter 35: Verification The next day, when Tang Suzi arrived at Ling Mansion, she...
The next day, when Tang Suzi arrived at Ling Mansion, her eyes unexpectedly caught Zhou's mother standing at the doorstep of the neighbor's house.
Mother Zhou was carrying an exquisite food drawer box, and a maid was beside her, whispering and persuading.
"Madam, the wind is quite strong this morning. You should go inside and wait. I'll be waiting outside. Once Miss Tang arrives, I'll come and tell you immediately..."
“No need…”
Before she finished speaking, the moment Zhou's mother looked up, her eyes met Tang Suzi's.
A flash of unexpected joy flashed in her eyes, and then she hurried down the steps and walked towards Tang Suzi.
"Tiao'er..."
However, Tang Suzi acted as if he didn't see her, with no expression on his face, and walked towards the gate of Ling Mansion on his own.
Seeing Tang Suzi about to cross the threshold of Ling Mansion, Zhou's mother was extremely anxious and shouted behind her:
"Miss Tang!"
Tang Suzi then stopped.
Zhou's mother hurried over and stood beside Tang Suzi.
Looking at Tang Suzi's cold face, the joy in Zhou's mother's heart was instantly replaced by a sense of uneasiness. She was a little embarrassed and spoke nervously:
"Miss Tang, can I talk to you for a few words?"
Tang Suzi turned around expressionlessly.
"Madam, please say whatever you want to say here."
"I……"
Mother Zhou had a thousand words in her mind, but she didn't know where to start.
She wanted to ask her daughter how she was doing these years, to apologize, to ask for forgiveness, and to make up for past mistakes.
But facing Tang Suzi's cold eyes, she found it difficult to speak.
In her memory, her daughter's eyes were always so clear and bright, and she always looked at her with longing love. Even when they left her alone in her hometown, she had never had such a strange, distant and indifferent expression towards her.
Zhou's mother finally gave up what she wanted to say, stammered and didn't know what to say, and finally could only remain silent.
"If you have nothing else to do, Madam, I will go in first."
Tang Suzi said.
"Wait a minute..."
Just as Tang Suzi was about to turn around, Zhou's mother caught a glimpse of the food box in her hand.
She quickly handed the food box to Tang Suzi.
"These are the snacks I made myself. There are nine-layer cakes, osmanthus cakes, and pea yellow cakes. Would you like to try them?"
She remembered that Tiaoer loved to eat these the most.
Tang Suzi glanced at the food box calmly, frowned slightly, then raised his eyes and stared at Zhou's mother without blinking.
"Madam, I have never met you before. May I ask why you gave these to me?"
Zhou's mother was speechless for a moment.
Tang Suzi pursed her lips lightly and continued,
"Whatever your motives, I have no reason to accept a gift from a stranger. Thank you for your kindness."
After saying that, she didn't even look at Zhou's mother and walked straight into Ling's house.
After entering the Ling Mansion, Tang Suzi began to check the accounts with Lin Xiangli's personal maid Xiu'er.
These days, apart from going to Yunluan Holy Mountain to look for Ling An, she would come to Ling Mansion and sort out the accounts left by Lin Xiangli with Yan'er.
She thought that since she couldn't find Ling An and Lin Xiangli in a short time, it would be better to help Lin Xiangli settle the old accounts first, so that when she came back, the burden would be reduced.
But Yan'er found that Tang Suzi seemed a little absent-minded today.
"Miss Tang?"
"Hmm? What did you say?"
Tang Suzi came back to his senses.
"Can all these debts here be consolidated into one?"
Yan'er asked, pointing to a record in the account book.
"Let me see..."
Tang Suzi came closer to examine it carefully and nodded.
"Can."
"Miss Tang, are you feeling unwell today? Do you want to go back and rest for a while?"
Yan'er asked with concern.
Tang Suzi shook his head.
"It's okay, let's continue..."
*
When Tang Suzi finished checking the accounts, it was already dark, and she returned to Ling Mansion in the night.
Walking along the path back to her quiet courtyard, she noticed that the vacant land next door had been plowed flat and surrounded by a low bamboo and wooden fence, creating a unique scene.
Through the gaps in the fence, Tang Suzi vaguely saw some low tree seedlings planted inside, lush and green.
She walked closer curiously and saw clusters of camellia seedlings standing tall. The soil at the roots was moist with circles of water marks, and crystal water droplets hung on the leaves. It was obvious that they had been planted not long ago and had been carefully irrigated.
Looking at these camellia saplings, Tang Suzi felt a complex emotion in his heart.
In the end, did he choose to grow camellias?
She was delighted that Fang Buyu still remembered her, but she was also worried that he was still dwelling on the past and unable to get over her departure.
Recalling her childhood, she still had the love of her grandmother, but Fang Buyu had no relatives, was lonely and helpless.
During his time in Zuiyue Tower, he often went hungry and had to endure unwarranted accusations and beatings. His life was difficult.
She had witnessed his miserable childhood firsthand, and therefore hoped even more that he would have a bright future.
Just as she was gazing at the camellia tree, lost in thought, a soft voice came to her ears.
Tang Suzi turned her head and saw Zhao Hui wearing a light blue silk dress, walking towards her with a smile on her face.
She walked lightly, and the pearl and jade tassels in her hair swayed in the wind, showing her elegance.
"Miss Tang." Zhao Hui greeted her with a smile.
Tang Suzi quickly bowed and saluted: "Mrs. Zhao."
Zhao Hui helped her up with a smile: "Miss Tang, you're welcome."
While helping Tang Suzi up, Zhao Hui gently held her hands.
"Miss Tang, you have taken good care of me before, but as your mother, I have never had the time to find an opportunity to thank you properly. Could you please do me the honor of hosting a banquet tomorrow night to thank you properly?"
Tang Suzi quickly waved her hand and refused: "No need, Madam Zhao. Pavilion Master Fang once saved me, and it is my duty to take care of him."
Zhao Hui pretended to be angry,
"There's no such thing as duty. You've been by my side and taken care of me for so long, and if I don't treat you to a meal, I'd be failing in my duty as a mother."
As she spoke, Zhao Hui seemed to become a little excited.
"My son was seriously injured, but I, as a mother, was unaware of it and wasn't there to take care of him. I've failed as a mother..."
As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the corners of her eyes.
Tang Suzi looked at her helplessly, and when he saw her covering her head with a handkerchief and sobbing, he could only agree helplessly.
"Okay, okay, I promise you, don't cry."
"Really?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Hui suddenly raised her head and looked at her, her eyes sparkling with brilliance, without any trace of tears.
Tang Suzi was stunned for a moment. The rapid change of emotions caught her off guard.
She nodded somewhat confusedly.
"Good! That's great!"
Zhao Hui clapped her hands excitedly.
"Then I'll send someone to call you tomorrow after I'm ready. Miss Tang, you should go to bed early."
Tang Suzi stood there, watching Zhao Hui turn around and leave, but did not see the smug smile on Zhao Hui's face after she turned around.
She quietly clenched her fist and made a victory gesture: Yeah, the task assigned to me by my son is a preliminary success!
The next morning, when Tang Suzi woke up from his sleep, the rain outside the window was continuous, like a fine bead curtain gently knocking on the eaves, making a dripping sound.
She gently pushed open a door, and a mist mixed with moisture and freshness rushed towards her, bringing with it a damp coolness and vitality.
She quickly half-closed the door and went back into the house, leaning against the rustic nanmu table, staring quietly at the hazy rain outside the window.
This rain seems to have some kind of magic, which makes people feel peaceful and full of thoughts.
Last night, she was awakened by the sound of rain while half asleep. She hurriedly got up and closed the open window before falling asleep again.
However, she woke up before dawn, which seemed to have become her habit in recent days, because every morning she would go to Yunluan Holy Mountain to wait for Ling An.
But today, looking at the increasingly heavy rain, she couldn't help but feel a little hesitant.
Since returning from Ling Mansion yesterday, Tang Suzi has felt unprecedentedly tired.
If you hurt the enemy by a thousand, you will hurt yourself by eight hundred. Besides, that is not the enemy, but the mother who is connected to you by heart.
The entanglement with her left her exhausted.
This kind of mental fatigue made Tang Suzi unable to muster the energy to go out again.
She thought, it was raining so hard today, maybe she should give herself a day off and have a good rest.
After all, no matter how big the matter is, there is no need to rush it.
So she closed the door again and returned to the warm bed.
Amid the sound of the drizzling rain, she fell asleep again.
I don’t know how long I slept, but when I opened my eyes again, the sound of rain had stopped.
The room was still dark.
She couldn't help but wonder, what's going on? Is it still dark?
Just as she was thinking this, a crisp knock on the door sounded from outside, accompanied by Xiaoying's voice,
"Miss Tang, are you in the house?"
Tang Suzi got up in a daze, lit a butter lamp, put on his clogs and went to open the door.
The door opened slightly, and Xiaoying saw Tang Suzi in front of her, who had obviously not yet completely emerged from the dream. She was quite surprised by his sleepy look.
"Miss Tang, did you just wake up?"
Xiaoying asked.
Tang Suzi responded softly, then raised his hand to rub his slightly messy hair, with a nasal tone in his voice.
"Um...Xiaoying, what do you want from me?"
"Mrs. Zhao invites you to dinner. I'll take you there." Xiaoying replied.
Tang Suzi then remembered that Mrs. Zhao had asked her to have dinner with her today.
But she was puzzled. Wasn't it night time? Could it be night time now? She had slept for so long!
"Okay, Xiaoying, wait for me for a moment, I'll clean up."
After packing up, she followed Xiaoying to the courtyard where Fang Buyu lived.
At the gate of the courtyard, she saw Fang Buyu at a glance.
Today, he was wearing royal blue casual clothes, which made him look even more slender. He was sitting at the round stone table in the courtyard, waiting for her.
Jade plates were laid out on the table, filled with a variety of dishes, all of which were delicacies she didn't recognize, and their colors were tempting.
As soon as her figure appeared at the threshold, Fang Buyu stood up to greet her, smiling and saying,
"Miss Tang, you are here."
At this moment, Zhao Hui and a servant carrying a jade porcelain soup bowl happened to walk to the door.
As soon as she saw Tang Suzi, Zhao Hui hugged her shoulders affectionately and walked into the yard together.
"Miss Tang, come and take a seat, the dishes are ready."
After everyone was seated, Zhao Hui carefully poured a cup of tea for the two of them and herself, saying, "Buyu's injury has just healed, so he shouldn't drink alcohol. Let's have tea instead of wine today."
After she finished speaking, she raised her glass to Tang Suzi and said, "Ms. Tang, this is for you. Thank you for your careful care for Bu Yu."
Fang Buyu also raised his glass towards Tang Suzi, with a faint smile in his eyes.
"Miss Tang, thank you for your care."
Seeing the mother and son being so enthusiastic, Tang Suzi was a little surprised. She was a little flattered and quickly raised her glass in response.
"No, no, no, I should thank you. You're the one who helped me a lot."
After the clink of glasses, the banquet officially began and everyone started to eat.
Zhao Hui served Tang Suzi the dishes while eating. Zhao Hui picked up some dishes for Tang Suzi and asked with concern,
"Miss Tang, are you used to living here?"
Tang Suzi smiled and nodded: "Everything is fine, thank you for your concern, madam."
"If you need anything, just tell the butler to get it."
Tang Suzi said gratefully, "It's all ready. Thank you, ma'am."
As they chatted, Zhao Hui picked up the soup bowl in front of Tang Suzi and prepared to scoop soup for her.
She scooped soup from the soup bowl on the table, spoonful by spoonful, and said as she scooped,
"This crucian carp and tofu soup is the most nourishing. I specially cooked it for an hour. Miss Tang, you must try it."
Crucian carp and tofu soup?
Tang Suzi was shocked, she remembered that Fang Buyu couldn't eat beans.
Once she accidentally gave him a piece of tofu fish cake, and after eating it, he broke out in a rash all over his body and vomited continuously, which almost scared her to death.
Doesn’t Mrs. Zhao know about his dietary taboos?
Just as he was wondering, he saw Zhao Hui also picked up the soup bowl in front of Fang Buyu.
"Buyu, this soup is delicious, you should try it too."
When Tang Suzi saw this scene, his fingers clenched unconsciously.
She stared closely at Zhao Hui as she handed the fish soup in her hand to Fang Buyu, and Fang Buyu took it calmly and said, "Thank you, mother."
What's wrong with Ayu? Has he forgotten his dietary restrictions?
Time seemed to have frozen, everything was still, and all Tang Suzi could see was Fang Buyu picking up a spoon, scooping up a small spoonful of fish soup, and slowly bringing it to his mouth.
Tang Suzi's heart was in his throat. When the soup spoon was only a finger's breadth away from Fang Buyu's lips, Tang Suzi suddenly put down his chopsticks. Just as he was about to speak out to stop him, Zhao Hui beside him suddenly shouted,
"No chance!"
Fang Buyu paused his movements, and the spoonful of soup stopped at his mouth.
He gave Zhao Hui a subtle wink, but Zhao Hui acted as if she didn't see it and snatched the spoon from his hand.
"It suddenly occurred to me that I forgot to add salt to this soup this afternoon. It probably won't taste very good. Let's not drink it and eat something else..."
Zhao Hui took the bowl of soup away as she spoke.
Tang Suzi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fang Buyu sighed helplessly:
He made a mistake by underestimating his mother's concern for him.
After the banquet, the mother and son sent Tang Suzi to the gate of the courtyard, and Xiaoying took her back.
When Tang Suzi's figure slowly disappeared around the corner of the path, Zhao Hui looked at Fang Buyu with an apologetic look on her face.
"I'm sorry, I messed up, didn't I?"
Fang Buyu patted Zhao Hui's shoulder and said soothingly,
"It's okay, mother. I was inconsiderate and shouldn't have made you worry."
Zhao Hui finally breathed a sigh of relief, holding her chest and saying,
"I was really scared just now. I almost thought you were going to drink that bowl of soup."
At this point, she looked at Fang Buyu doubtfully.
"But Bu Yu, why did you try this tofu soup? You obviously can't eat soy products."
Fang Buyu looked blankly in the direction where Tang Suzi left.
There was no one there, but he kept staring.
"Because I want to make sure whether she is the one in my heart."
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