Jiangnan, Song Mansion.
Autumn goes and winter comes. In the cold twelfth month of winter, the biting north wind penetrates into the skin and bones.
Under the eaves, a group of servants stood with their hands hanging down, holding lanterns.
The whole garden was silent, except for the occasional crackling sound of the white snow breaking off a branch.
The courtyard was deep and quiet. A little maid held a lacquered wooden tea tray in both hands, walked slowly and lifted her skirt as she passed under the eaves of the corridor.
They were just second-class maids in the mansion, so naturally they could not get close to Song Lingzhi. They served the medicinal food to Qiuyan, then picked up their skirts and returned to the tea room.
Holding the lacquered wooden tea tray in her hand, Qiuyan was in a trance. She turned around the screen wall and almost faced Baizhi, but she did not avoid it.
"You're going to die." Bai Zhi glared at Qiu Yan angrily, and quickly took the lacquered wooden tea tray from her hand. "What's wrong with you today? You look absent-minded?"
Behind the gorilla felt curtain, Song Lingzhi had not yet woken up.
Qiuyan winked at Baizhi, secretly pulled her under the eaves, and said in a low voice: "Yesterday, the girl suddenly asked me when she had improved her perfume making skills. I was shocked. You said that the girl..."
Qiuyan hesitated to speak, her face full of worry, "Will she remember those things again?"
After Qiu Mo fell into the sea, Song Lingzhi almost died. Qiu Yan and Bai Zhi were not by Song Lingzhi's side at the time, so they didn't know what had happened before.
All I know is that the emperor has shown mercy and allowed the entire Song family to return to Jiangnan. Old Madam Song was so happy that she cried, but although Song Lingzhi had saved his life, his health was not as good as before.
The sea water was bone-chillingly cold; the fact that Song Lingzhi was still alive was a blessing from God.
Old Madam Song heaved a sigh of relief, and then gave orders to everyone in the mansion not to mention Shen Yan to Song Lingzhi, for fear that she would recall the bad past.
Qiuyan was worried: "I was so anxious yesterday that I almost let it slip that I mentioned Madam Xiang. I don't know if the young lady will think of those things in the capital again..."
Qiuyan lowered her head, her face full of guilt.
Bai Zhi comforted her softly: "Don't think too much, maybe the girl was just asking casually."
Qiuyan was worried: "But..."
"Don't worry about it. The most urgent thing now is to take good care of the girl's body. Nothing else matters."
The orangutan felt curtain was drawn up, the bronze and gold four elephants carrying the eight-direction flower-shaped clock on the ten-brocade lattice were struck lightly, the layers of green gauze curtains fluttered, and a rustling sound came from the chaise longue.
—Song Lingzhi woke up.
Bai Zhi and Qiu Yan looked at each other, put aside their doubts, opened the curtain and walked into the warm room: "The girl is finally awake."
The Linyue Pavilion, which had been as peaceful as autumn waves, was suddenly filled with ripples. A group of servants and old women, holding toiletries, stood at the door like wings, and the wash basins in their hands were taken away by Baizhi.
There was a floor heater burning in the warm room, and large gilded enameled copper stoves were placed in all four corners, emitting a warm and fragrant aroma.
Song Lingzhi opened his eyes in confusion, only to feel extremely tired. After washing his face, he caught a glimpse of the bowl of bitter and hard-to-swallow medicine out of the corner of his eye. Song Lingzhi held his brow with one hand.
Although it has been more than three months since I fell into the sea, I can still dream about the icy cold sea water that night.
The chilling coldness spread throughout his limbs, and the sea water seemed like an endless cage, swallowing Song Lingzhi bit by bit.
She felt her body falling, her heavy body pressed firmly under the sea water, and she couldn't breathe.
The sea water was surging on all sides, and my hands were cold wherever I touched.