Uncle Huai
Boats come and go on the river, and people shuttle along the banks, but Bihua Island is very quiet. The trees are lush and there are few people. Only a clear spring flows down from the hillside, gently crossing the smooth stones, passing through the grass and trees, and flowing into the surging Wei River.
As she followed the others to this spot, Mu Qing sat on a large rock by the spring, lifted her skirt, and dipped her bare feet into the cool water.
She used to do this often, but after joining the Lu family, she could only relive this feeling of comfort on the Shangsi Festival.
Several young ladies sat on the surrounding stones, wading through the water and chatting.
After chatting for a while, Ji Shuzhen received a wink from Ji Shucai, and with an innocent air, asked, "Xiangling, the Grand Secretary must have had some purpose in asking you to meet the guest today, right?"
"I thought you weren't going to ask anymore." Zhen Xiangling smiled slightly. "It's just what you think."
Ji Shucai smiled and said, "The Grand Secretary once held power in the court and has seen countless talented people. I wonder what kind of grandson-in-law would catch his eye?"
Zhen Xiangling glanced at her sideways, "It must be something you, Shucai, don't like."
"How could that be?" Ji Shucai met her gaze, covered her mouth and lowered her eyes, and laughed, "I may have someone in my heart, but I can still appreciate people."
Upon hearing this, Mu Qing withdrew his gaze from the river and turned around.
Then Zhen Xiangling said, "That man is over thirty years old this year. He's as dull as a mannequin. I don't know what's wrong with him, but he's never married. My grandfather also doesn't know what's wrong with him, but he inexplicably wants to pair him up with me."
Hearing her rude words, everyone fell silent.
Lu Tongxue boldly said, "The person that the Grand Secretary has chosen must have extraordinary abilities."
Liu Lingchun chimed in, "That's right, you're their own granddaughter, so how could they be bad if they introduced you to someone?"
"Who knows? We've been soaking here for so long, it's about time."
Zhen Xiangling kicked the water, got up, summoned her servants, and put on her shoes to go ashore.
Everyone else followed her lead.
Mu Qing realized that everyone was fawning over Zhen Xiangling, largely because that Elder Zhen was of extraordinary status. This piqued her curiosity, and coincidentally, she later encountered Elder Zhen while hiking in the woods with the others.
In the height of spring, the trees on Bihua Island are tall and dense, with shrubs growing everywhere. Walking along the forest paths, one is surrounded by lush greenery, with wildflowers interspersed among them, and butterflies fluttering about.
The group chased butterflies, played, and wove flower garlands, making their return journey slower than their arrival.
After passing several ancient trees and turning the corner, when you see the figure ahead, it's too late to avoid it.
Zhen Xiangling called out to her grandfather, and Mu Qing and the others bowed in greeting.
The old man in front of him was already in his eighties, wearing a black gauze square hat, with deep-set eyes, and dressed in a wide black robe with gold trim. A white beard hung down to his chest. Although he was somewhat hunched over, he was tall and thin and still had the air of an official.
He amiably asked everyone to stand up, and when he looked at Zhen Xiangling, a smile appeared on his dignified face.
"Why the long face? If you're going on a spring outing with your girlfriends, does that mean Grandfather can't go out with anyone?"
Zhen Xiangling spoke lightly and casually: "How dare I? This is my grandfather's place. I'm just taking a walk around. When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head."
Grand Secretary Zhen pointed at her and said to the man beside him, "Look at her, what a temper she has. Luckily, she's my only granddaughter. If I had more, I'm afraid my old bones would have been worn out long ago."
Zhen Xiangling joked, "If Grandpa had a few more grandchildren, he would be beaming with joy every day."
Grand Secretary Zhen chuckled, "You think you know everything?"
"With such a close granddaughter, it's no wonder the Grand Secretary isn't afraid of being lonely."
Hearing the deep, slightly hoarse male voice, Mu Qing's fingertips trembled. She looked up and saw the man beside Elder Zhen, who was the person she had thought of in an instant.
Time seemed to have forgotten him, leaving no trace on him. He looked just like he did back then, not even thirty years old. He was refined and gentle, not at all like a bandit. Wearing a dark blue robe, he exuded the air of a scholar.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, the man turned around, his expression momentarily surprised, his cold and stern face cracking like ice, only to quickly mend itself.
"My granddaughter is getting old, and it's time to think about her marriage," sighed Grand Secretary Zhen. "This is a worrying matter."
Zhen Xiangling retorted, "Where am I old?"
Zhen Ge said with a stern face, "Even if you're not that old, you should find a husband."
The grandfather and grandson bickered for a bit, neither willing to back down, then smiled at each other and led their respective groups on their way.
As she passed by that person, Mu Qing lowered her eyes, suppressing her turbulent emotions, afraid that someone would notice something amiss.
Perhaps because of this chance encounter, the young ladies spoke much softer, but in the quiet green forest, their words, like sunlight filtering through the dappled branches, continued to drift among them.
"Xiangling, was the person the Grand Secretary recommended to you that just now?"
"You're so talkative."
“I have met him. He seems to be a supervisor, a fairly high-ranking official.”
"Who cares?"
"Xiangling, being too arrogant will cause you to miss out on a good marriage."
How was I arrogant?
Zhen Xiangling would occasionally retort, but she didn't seem to really resist, so everyone praised and flattered her, saying all sorts of nice things.
Mu Qing stood by, seemingly distracted and silent, which inevitably made him appear odd.
Ji Shucai noticed and called out to her with a smile, "Qingxue, why aren't you saying anything?"
Mu Qing snapped out of her reverie, unsure of where they were talking, and cautiously said, "I have no objection. I don't really understand what you're saying."
Zhen Xiangling, who was looking at her sideways, pouted, seemingly finding it uninteresting.
Seeing this, Ji Shuzhen smiled, revealing the boring side of this wooden beauty.
Lu Tongxue smoothed things over, "Sister Qing, perhaps you saw that Xiangling's family was arranging a marriage, and that reminded you of the young prince who came to the capital?"
Upon hearing the name "Young Prince," Mu Qing felt somewhat embarrassed. "Don't talk nonsense, I didn't say that."
The others made a few jokes, and that was the end of it.
Back at Bihua Manor, they had some tea and snacks when they heard a clap of thunder outside, and suddenly it started to rain.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a fine curtain of rain fell, with no one knowing when the sun would shine again.
To pass the time, Zhen Xiangling invited everyone to play cards. The Ji sisters sent Ji Shuzhen to play, the Lu family sent Lu Tongxue, and Liu Lingchun joined them, so the four of them sat on opposite sides.
Mu Qing watched from the sidelines with Ji Shucai. After a while, her mind was still wandering, so she pretended to feel dizzy and sat down by the window.
The window overlooks a long corridor, preventing rain from entering the room, but you can see the intensity of the rain outside.
The flowers and leaves in the courtyard were battered down by the rain, showing signs of decay. Mu Qing felt a pang of sadness at the sight, wondering if she was plagued by bad luck. She longed for the rain to stop so she could go home as soon as possible.
However, the rain didn't stop; instead, it got heavier and heavier.
As dusk approached, Grand Secretary Zhen arrived at the flower hall, still accompanied by that person. He chatted with Zhen Xiangling for a while and asked her to arrange for the young ladies of each family to stay overnight. Before leaving, he seemed to remember something and turned back at the door to ask a question.
"I heard that the Lu family's daughter who was found came today as well. Which one is it?"
Mu Qing was startled and stepped forward to curtsy, "It is my daughter."
Grand Secretary Zhen's eyes were sharp and bright, staring at her until she lowered her head. Then, he laughed in a deep voice, "To be born so beautiful, to have wandered for so many years, and to be able to return home safely is a rare stroke of good fortune. You must cherish it."
Upon hearing this, Mu Qing felt as if she were being pressured and quickly agreed.
Watching the man leave with Elder Zhen, she felt a strange sensation in her heart.
A Grand Secretary must have held a high-ranking position in the court and possess extensive connections. To be able to associate with such a person and attain a relatively high official rank, that person, like her, must cherish everything they currently possess.
They should have acted like they didn't know each other, so why was he secretly gesturing to her?
Under the long corridor, Grand Secretary Zhen walked slowly. After leaving the courtyard, he raised his hand to signal his attendants to move away, leaving only the person beside him to hold an umbrella and accompany him.
Grand Secretary Zhen, standing under the umbrella with his hands behind his back, walked even slower and asked, "From Huai, what kind of person can survive in the desolate mountains and wilderness?"
Zhang Conghuai paused slightly and said, "He must be someone determined to survive."
Grand Secretary Zhen turned to look at him, "That Miss Lu is as delicate as a flower. In your opinion, why is she so determined to survive?"
Zhang Conghuai remained calm. "As the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover. What looks like a delicate flower may actually be like a weed, born with the desire to fight to survive."
Seeing that his eyebrows and eyes were straight and his face showed no emotion, as if he were no different from usual, Grand Secretary Zhen patted his shoulder and said meaningfully, "You really are too dull. No wonder Xiangling doesn't like you anymore."
Zhang Conghuai said slowly, "This is how I always am."
"You used to be quite cheerful when you were young. If only I had listened to that girl and not sent you there," Elder Zhen said, looking back at the road ahead with regret. "I thought it wouldn't take long, but I never expected you to stay in that village for more than ten years."
A high-ranking official, busy with important affairs of the country and power struggles, looks back and remembers a chess piece that has been lying in the corner for more than ten years. When he picks it up again, it has been covered in dust.
Zhang Conghuai pondered for a moment and said, "In any case, the Grand Secretary's wish has been fulfilled and the junior has avenged his great grudge, so the result is always good."
At least, the current situation isn't too bad.
At night, when the moon was high in the sky, he went to the place where they were supposed to meet in the woods and waited for a long time until the person he was supposed to meet finally arrived.
Mu Qing and the others went out only after Shi Yu had fallen asleep. Because they were unfamiliar with the place, it took them a lot of effort to avoid the people on night watch in the manor, so they arrived late.
She wore a purple silk dress and walked into the deep forest. Seeing the figure in the moonlight, she hesitated to approach. She stopped about ten feet away and called out, "Uncle Huai..."
He stopped talking as soon as he made a sound.
She recalled the time they parted years ago when he angrily said, "Don't call me Uncle Huai!"
Because her father had killed his parents, he had spent over ten years in the village, living under the alias Zhang Huai, interacting with her solely to bide his time and seek revenge. His only regret was not being able to personally cut off her father's head. Letting her go was already the greatest concession he could make.
She was bewildered. "I'm sorry, I don't know what to call you."
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