The Fourth Aunt came quietly, but left with a bang. Six majestic guards riding tall horses surrounded her carriage as she left the manor. The scene was almost as grand as that of the Second Young Master.
The newly appointed steward Song Ce led the villagers to escort the people out of the village. Watching the group of people walking away in the cloud of dust raised by the horses' hooves, he felt like he was dreaming.
And the girl who made his dream come true also drove away in the carriage.
Hong Xing and Chun Fang were also among the people seeing them off. They stared at the carriage going away with jealousy in their eyes. After much trouble, Xiu'er finally went to the Marquis' Mansion. Although the man she followed was not the Second Young Master, was she still afraid that she would not have the chance to meet the Second Young Master if she went to the mansion
How could she be so lucky? God is so unfair!
Everyone was envious of Xiu'er's good fortune, except Xiu'er's mother, who cried bitterly. She lingered at the intersection and refused to leave until everyone had gone back.
If she had known that the Fourth Aunt would return to Beijing one day, she would never have let Xiu'er serve in the mansion.
It was all the fault of that suicidal Hu Sanmu. He brought about his own death and also caused her Xiu'er to be forcibly taken away by the Fourth Aunt.
How can she live without Xiu'er
Song Ce was worried about Xiu'er Niang, so after the villagers had gone home, he quietly came back to look for her. Seeing her sitting on the grass by the roadside crying, he went up to her and advised her, "Don't cry anymore, or you'll hurt yourself."
Xiu'er's mother ignored her and just kept crying.
Song Ce half-knelt down in front of her and handed her a handkerchief: "Didn't Xiu'er tell you when she left that you shouldn't worry about her? If she knew you were crying like this, she would definitely be sad."
Xiu'er Niang didn't take the handkerchief and said in a muffled voice, "How can she know unless you tell her?"
Song Ce laughed: "She entrusted you to me in front of you, so I naturally can't hide it from her."
Xiu'er's mother blushed suddenly and glared at him: "What do you mean by entrusting me or not entrusting me? I live my life and you live your life. Don't talk nonsense."
"Yes, yes, yes." Song Ce said, "Whatever you say, it's up to you."
Xiu'er's mother's face turned even redder, and she stood up and left.
Song Ce stood up and followed her, keeping a distance from her.
He knew that Xiu'er's mother was interested in him. She was just afraid that Xiu'er would blame her when she grew up because Xiu'er was still young. Now that she had Xiu'er's consent, she was happy, but she couldn't save her face for the time being and had to wait patiently for some time.
It doesn’t matter. He has already waited for seven years. What’s the harm in waiting for another ten days or half a month
Xiu'er's mother listened to the powerful footsteps of the man behind her. Every step seemed to step on her heart, making her flustered.
Song Ce has been taking good care of her since she first settled down in the village. Over the years, he has been silently protecting her. Even though he was rejected by her many times, he never got angry and never distanced himself from her.
She was not heartless, but she was worried about Xiu'er, so she had been unwilling to confess. She thought Xiu'er didn't know, but Xiu'er suddenly exposed her today and called Song Ce to her side to entrust him to her in person.
She was crying at the time because Xiu'er was going to the capital, and Xiu'er suddenly called Song Ce, which scared her so much that her tears dried up.
Xiu'er said that children are like birds. They will always fly away alone when they grow up. The only person who can stay with you forever is the one beside you.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help wanting to cry again, and her sleeves really flew away like a little bird.
After returning home, she closed the door, knelt in front of Xiu'er's father's tablet and whispered, "Master, I failed to keep an eye on Xiu'er, and she went to the capital. Your spirit in heaven must protect her and keep her safe. If possible, please bless her to return to her real parents. It's been twelve years, and it's time for her to return to her roots."
*****
The carriage was traveling on the official road. The scorching sun made the horses wilt, and the inside of the carriage was like a steamer, making people sweat profusely.
Mrs. Liu kept fanning herself, but Fourth Aunt was still not satisfied and yelled at her, asking her to fan harder.
Mrs. Liu was almost suffering from heatstroke and had no strength left. She looked at Xie Nanjia for help.
Xie Nanjia didn't sympathize with her, but was annoyed by Fourth Aunt's yelling, so she suggested, "Aunt, it's noon now, why don't you find a shady place to rest for a while and let the horse catch its breath."
The fourth concubine said, "Why rest? The most important thing is to rush back to the mansion as soon as possible."
Xie Nanjia was even more eager to return home than she was, but she still advised: "Haste makes waste. If the horse dies of exhaustion, let alone returning home, I'm afraid we will have to sleep in the wilderness."
The Fourth Aunt was timid, and when she heard that they had to sleep in the wilderness, she immediately stopped the guards outside and asked them to find a place to rest.
The guard replied, "There is a tea stall not far ahead. You can take a rest there."
The Fourth Aunt agreed, and the group got off the horses and carriages in front of the tea stall.
The tea seller had sharp eyes and saw that they were the families of powerful and wealthy people. He hurried forward to greet them warmly and invited them to take a seat.
The tea stall was set up under a big tree, with cool breeze and green shade. Everyone walked in and, for safety reasons, there was no distinction between master and servant, or between men and women, and everyone sat around a tea table.
The waiter brought some herbal tea to quench her thirst, and Fourth Aunt couldn't wait to drink it, but was stopped by Xie Nanjia, who tested it for poison with a silver hairpin and only let her drink it after confirming that it was fine.
The guards looked at her differently because of how cautious she was.
After what happened with Mrs. Ma, the Fourth Aunt no longer dared to say that Xie Nanjia's actions were unnecessary.
After everyone drank two or three cups of tea, the heat in their throats finally dissipated. It was cool under the tree, and Fourth Aunt couldn't help but doze off while leaning on the table.
Xie Nanjia thought that it would be torture to travel at this time, so it would be better to let her have a good rest and set off again when the sun was not so scorching.
The guards didn't want to travel under the scorching sun, so they agreed to Xie Nanjia's suggestion and the six of them took turns taking a rest.
As Mrs. Liu was old, she wanted to stay in the shade for a while longer, so she found a big tree and leaned against it to sleep.
Xie Nanjia drank too much water and wanted to find a place to relieve himself. He said goodbye to the guards and went to the woods on the side of the road alone.
After all, she was a girl, and fearing being seen, she walked a little further inside to make sure no one was passing by before she squatted down with confidence.
It was quiet all around, with only an occasional bird flapping its wings and flying by. Xie Nanjia stood up and had just straightened his clothes when he heard the sound of running and chasing in the distance, accompanied by the whistling of hidden weapons breaking through the air.
She was secretly startled and hid behind a big tree, picking up a few stones from the ground and holding them in her hands.
(End of this chapter)