Zhang Jingyun took Lin Runan in on behalf of Mei Niang and settled her in the Cen residence. He also checked the pulse of Old Master Lin and wrote a prescription for medicine. He also took a look at the two crying kids. They were fine, probably just bored from sitting in the carriage for too long.
When Lu Xiangfeng received the news from Zhang Jingyun, he sent wine, food and meals overnight, and specially asked the kitchen to prepare a bowl of porridge suitable for the old and the young. Mei Niang had already arranged for maids to wait at the Cen Mansion to serve Lin Runan's family. All the daily necessities were bought new. Once the old and the young moved into the Cen Courtyard, it was like returning home. They drank hot tea, soaked in hot water, and put on comfortable new clothes. Most of the fatigue from the journey home disappeared, and the little baby fell asleep quickly. Old Master Lin drank half a bowl of porridge, and the medicine had not been boiled yet, but he was already in better spirits.
Madam Zhang, who was temporarily acting as the inner courtyard manager, brought four or five maids to meet the new master and said to Lin Runan, "From now on, Miss Lin is the master of this house. We servants are waiting for your orders!"
Lin Runan looked at her: "This is what Miss Qin said?"
Madam Zhang didn't know who she was talking about: "Reply to the young lady: We don't know who Miss Qin is? We have only seen Miss Cen!"
Lin Runan smiled: "Okay, Miss Cen is Miss Cen, when will she come?"
Mother Zhang said, "The girl is back, and Miss Cen will be here soon!"
Mei Niang did not appear at Cen's residence until two days later. It was that day when she got off the car to buy preserved fruits and was accidentally discovered by Bai Zhan.
It was Cui Xi who reminded her: Miss Lin likes to eat salted olives, honey-candied dates, and hot and sour dried tofu. After eating spicy food, she should change her taste with sweet food. If it is too sweet, she can eat a salted olive... Mei Niang's forehead was full of black lines. This girl's taste is really weird.
She insisted on not letting Cui Xi and Cui Si get off the car. She was prepared for the worst and could not stand being caught by anyone. So she went down to buy things and came back. Fortunately, she stuck to her principles. If she had let Cui Xi get off the car to buy things that day, Bai Zhan would have discovered the secret.
The meeting between the two friends was not as awkward as she had imagined. Lin Runan's temperament and character were so compatible with hers that she could not understand why the weak and timid Qin Meiniang caught her eye. The two became good friends. After spending half a day with Lin Runan, she understood that Lin Runan was open-minded and cheerful, but she was most compassionate to the weak, and the little white rabbit-like Qin Meiniang just satisfied her desire to help the weak. There was no doubt that the friendship between them was pure and clean, without any interest relationship.
The first person Lin Runan saw was Mei Niang wearing a mask. He looked at her hesitantly: I don’t know her, but the two girls beside her recognized her.
Cui Xi brought some clean water, and Mei Niang dipped her hand in the water, patted her face gently, took off the mask, revealing Qin Mei Niang's stunningly beautiful face. Lin Runan exclaimed and smiled happily.
Lin Runan understood Mei Niang's difficulty in not being able to go out at will, but still let her wear a mask. In the identity of Cen Meimei, she met the elders of the Lin family one by one, and also met Lin Runan's younger half-brothers and half-sisters. Then the two of them walked slowly in the yard without anyone following them, talking about their respective situations after they parted.
Mei Niang didn't know how her previous life got along with Lin Runan, but she found that she and Lin Runan really hit it off from day one. Her conversation was tacit and smooth, with just the right transition and no dull moments, and they made the most of their time.
She knew all about Lin Runan's situation, and because of trust, she also explained herself - of course, the relationship between Qin Meiniang and Xu Junying. She only said that the relationship between the couple was not harmonious. Although she had a child, the elders were not optimistic about her life in the mansion. She was a little sad and even fell seriously ill because of this. Of course, she is better now and her body has recovered.
When Lin Runan asked about Zhang Jingyun, Mei Niang explained: the child was too young, she needed money when she was seriously ill, Xu Junying was on the battlefield at that time and could not take care of her, the people in the Hou Mansion looked down on her, and she refused to beg them, so she had to find a way to make money. By chance, she obtained the management rights of Xiankelai, which not only solved her private expenses, but also solved the difficulties of her mother's family. Zhang Jingyun and several other friends met when they were running Xiankelai. They are all gentlemen and worth getting along with.
Fortunately, although Lin Runan came from a famous family, she was not a traditional lady with rigid ideas. She had experienced hardships herself, so she appreciated Mei Niang's approach. She took her hand and said, "You and I are far apart, and we still need to work hard to make a living. I live in a place like the wilderness, and my life is hard, but my body and mind are free, and I live more freely than you. Your concerns when you first got married turned out to be true. Hou Mansion is really not suitable for you. But what can I do? I already have Heng'er... When I looked at Xu Junying, I felt that he was not a heartless person."
Mei Niang smiled and said, "It's not his fault. I... Alas! Fate is something that cannot be explained clearly. Let's just live with it. Now we have to take it one step at a time!"
Lin Runan was a little negative: "Seeing you like this, I don't even dare to think about my own marriage!"
Mei Niang said hurriedly: "Don't! You are not as good as me. You will definitely marry a good husband!"
The two girlfriends started to joke and chat again. Mei Niang then told Lin Runan about the recent situation of Queen Sun Huiyun and everything the Queen had done for her. Lin Runan's eyes sparkled with tears and she choked up and said:
"I'm the one who's holding you back! The Queen herself is not feeling well, yet she still thinks of me and helps me solve my problems... You can't take care of yourself, yet you sneak out to take care of me!"
Mei Niang gently pressed the corners of her eyes with the silk scarf in her hand, and smiled and comforted her: "Don't cry, dear! The queen is fine, and she will give birth to a prince in March. Let's pray for her with sincerity and true heart as friends!"
Lin Runan was amused by her tone, snatched the silk scarf and wiped her tears, nodded and said: "Okay! Let's pray for the queen with sincerity and true heart as friends!"
Walking to the wall near Suochun Courtyard, he suddenly heard a clear flute sound, exciting drum beats, and melodious piano music coming from that side. Lin Runan was stunned: "Is this the music hall?"
Mei Niang smiled and said, "Suochunyuan is where my friends who I brought back live. They have recruited some young men and women who are familiar with rhythmic instruments and dance skills to practice choreography and perform at Xiankelai at the invitation of diners. I thought that when their skills mature and they become a school of their own, they can set up a new business and open a special music studio."
Lin Runan nodded repeatedly: "You are right! Remember how I love watching you play the piano? I am not very good at playing the piano, and I don't like to play it myself, but I like to listen to others play it!"
Mei Niang laughed: "I can't do anything now. I can't play the piano or compose music. I forgot everything after this serious illness!"
Lin Runan looked at her seriously: "Have you forgotten everything? But you have a lot more things... Really, you are so different now than before, but I like you more now!"
As soon as this topic came up, Mei Niang couldn't help but change the subject: "Do you want to see them sing and dance? They are just rehearsing in Suochun Courtyard. It would be wonderful to see them perform on the small stage carefully designed by Xiankelai. If you want to see it, let them arrange it tomorrow night. You and I will dress up as men and go to the scene to drink and watch the dance. It will be a welcome for you. I will play the drums for you to see!"
Lin Runan clapped his hands and laughed, "Great, great! Drinking and watching singing and dancing, I love it so much!"
The next evening, Xu Junying came back from outside, changed into his casual clothes, and went to Jinhua Hall to pay his respects to the old lady. Seeing that several of his brothers and sisters were there, the old lady invited him to have dinner, so he accepted. He sat and talked with the old lady for a while. When dinner was served, Bai Jingyu brought Zhuang Yulan's cloth bowls and plates to serve soup and dishes to everyone. Mei Niang still didn't come. The old lady smiled and said, "Have you paid your respects to your mother? Your mother hasn't been feeling well recently. I asked Mei Niang to go to her place more often to serve her mother-in-law and take care of Heng Ge'er."
Xu Junying said: "My grandson went to my mother's place yesterday and asked the imperial physician to check her pulse. There was nothing serious. It was just a headache that Chun had every now and then. She would be fine after taking some medicine."
"Well, that's good."
After dinner, Xu Junying, as usual, used the excuse that he had taken official documents home to read, politely declined Zhuang Yulan’s offer of tea, and went back before his brothers and sisters.
Zhuang Yulan followed him to the corridor at the door, and watched Xu Junying's tall and straight figure disappear into the night. She felt happy and worried. She was happy that she would soon become his new wife, but she was worried that he had been restless recently and refused to watch her demonstrate her tea art and personally brew tea for him. What was he worried about? Was it business or personal matters
No matter what it is, Zhuang Yulan thought confidently that once she married into Tsinghua College, she would never let him do this again. She would always be by his side, trying her best to make him happy!
Xu Junying returned to Tsinghua Courtyard. He did not go directly to the East Courtyard, but walked to the door of the upper room. The maid in the corridor was about to report in, but he waved his hand. Cheng'er suddenly appeared from nowhere and shouted in a crisp voice:
"Master Hou is back!"
Xu Junying turned to look at Cheng'er, who also looked at him with an innocent smile on her face: "Master Hou, please come in. Grandma just took some medicine and lay down for a while. She's dizzy again!"
Xu Junying thought about it, dismissed the maid, lifted the curtain and walked in.
No wonder he saw the light on the window outside flickering. There was only one lamp on in the room, with a small lamp wick. There was only a maid named Cui Lian in the room, who came forward to greet him. Xu Junying glanced at the partition with two layers of curtains and vaguely saw a person lying on the bed inside, facing inwards, covered tightly with a quilt.
Xu Junying asked, "Grandma just took the pills. Wasn't she supposed to sit for a while? Why did she fall asleep?"
Cui Lian lowered her head and said, "Replying to Lord Hou: Grandma is tired after a day of work. She went to wait on the first wife in her room and held Heng'er. She just took some pills and didn't even have dinner properly. She just fell asleep!"
As she spoke, she walked over and pulled aside a layer of the curtain: "Master Hou, please take a look at grandma. She is asleep, and her face looks a little bad!"
Xu Junying didn't move, but looked around: "Why are you alone? Where are they?"
"Mother Wang went to the kitchen to make a bowl of porridge for Grandma, so she can eat it whenever she wakes up. Cuisi followed her because she was afraid that her mother might fall down due to poor eyesight. Grandma was not feeling well, so Cuixi asked me to take care of her without closing my eyes. She will go to sleep first. I will be on duty in the first half of the night, and she will come in the second half!"
Xu Junying nodded: "Take good care of him. If he really doesn't feel well, let Baoju go and ask the imperial physician to take a look!"
Cui Lian lowered the curtain and said, "I'll remember this! If you have anything, I'll report back to you, Lord Hou!"
Xu Junying said nothing more, looked at Cui Lian again, turned around and went out, returning to the east courtyard.
Cheng Er flashed into the room, patted her chest and said to Cui Lian: "Sister Cui Lian, I was really scared just now!"
Cui Lian wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief and sighed, "I didn't expect that Lord Hou would suddenly come again tonight. If it weren't for your shout, we would have been finished!"
Inside the curtain, Ping'er deliberately lowered her voice and called out, "Sister Cuilian, can I come out now?"
Cuilian and Cheng'er smiled at each other. Cheng'er said into the tent, "Just lie down and take a nap. Just warm the bed for Grandma. Who knows, Master may come again soon!"
Cui Lian flicked her smooth forehead: "You bad hoof, spit now, don't let your words come true!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)