After nightfall, the servants who received the order left one after another, and the torches that were lit to deal with the aftermath of the fire were then put out. There used to be two small buildings in the courtyard, but now there was only one building left. At this time, the lights were on, and it became brighter and warmer than before.
After dinner, until about nine o 'clock in the evening, the visiting relatives actually came one after another to inquire about the situation of the fire and ask about their well-being. There were also maids or attendants who followed these people. They were not qualified to come in and sit, but it was very lively to gather nearby.
During the day, everyone gathered here and watched a large group of people busily cleaning up the fire. There was an atmosphere of regret after the disaster. In the evening, after asking about the fire and finding out that no one was hurt in the fire, everyone rejoiced and had the mood of a party. They chatted for a while, and some said that Ning Yi and Su Tan'er should have changed a courtyard and so on. After the fire, everyone gathered together and was a little happy.
Well, the Su family didn't lack the money of this house, so it didn't matter if it was burned. Since no one was hurt, it was nothing more than a small accident. Since the host didn't care much, everyone didn't need to spend too much time on this matter, so more and more people came to visit. In the living room, it was just a small party.
In fact, the reason why Su Tan'er chose to live in this courtyard today was a momentary interest in it when she was a girl. In theory, she was now in charge of the affairs of the first branch. After annexing all kinds of things handed over by the Wu Family, it was estimated that the business under her management would reach half of the entire Su family. This courtyard was a little unsuitable as a place to live.
This courtyard was a slightly self-contained layout, and there was nothing uncomfortable about living in it. It was just that it was a little lacking in hospitality. Everyone also thought that Su Tan'er would take advantage of this time to choose another courtyard to live in, so they chatted about these things and expressed their opinions.
Some atmosphere probably could only be felt by a few specific people.
Su Tan'er chatted happily with the relatives who came and left, laughing and talking, but in fact, she was a little absent-minded. She only responded with some formulaic expressions. Of course, there were probably not many people in the Su family who could feel these.
Ning Yi behaved the same as usual. When a group of relatives came over, he was always polite. Together with Su Tan 'er, he entertained these people and chatted with them about the style of the house. It was as if nothing had happened. Sometimes, he even took out a brush, ink and paper to write and draw on it for the design.
Due to the large number of guests, Chan 'er, Juan' er, and Xing 'er came in and out from time to time, carrying fruits, serving tea, and greeting guests. They were also responsible for arranging the attendants and maids who came with them to the courtyard next door. In the family, they were no different from the stewards. Naturally, they were familiar with the work and were well-organized.
It seemed that everything was normal, and there were no problems at all.
Just like last year, when the weather turned cold, everyone gathered in the living room. Su Tan'er was either looking at the account book or doing needlework with the maidservants. She was listening to Ning Yi's stories. Everyone was playing chess and chatting. When guests arrived, the three maidservants would serve them tea. Everything was the same as it was today. It couldn't be any more normal. However, there was a fire today after all.
If everything was too normal, sometimes it would form an inexplicable sense of incongruity. Others might not be able to sense it, but as time passed, at least in the hearts of Chan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er, some strange questions and thoughts would exist.
No one said anything about what happened next.
It was not about the aftermath. The Su family and Su Tan'er were not short of money. It was not a big problem for them to burn down a building. Therefore, others would not find it strange. But no matter what, the small building was burned down. Ning Yi and Xiaochan's residence was burned down. The small kitchen and bathroom were also affected. Theoretically, even if they did not care, they should at least give some explanation. However, no one mentioned this matter.
Some of Xiaochan's things had been moved to the room next to Juan'er's, but Su Tan'er did not express her opinion on whether Xiaochan should live in this room from now on. Of course, she had some power in this matter. Originally, many things in the room were burned down. She could secretly ask the servants to bring them over. But from now on, what about the small kitchen and bathroom? Most importantly, where should Ning Yi stay tonight? No one mentioned this.
Su Tan'er, who had always been a leader who took care of everything, did not show a clear attitude towards anything after the fire tonight. She was just entertaining the visiting relatives. Ning Yi himself did not ask any questions. He still behaved the same as before. When he wanted to take the writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone, he went to Su Tan'er's room to find them. At this time, his things had piled up in the room. When he came to look for them, he asked Xing'er for help, "Where did they put my writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone when they moved in …" He rummaged through the drawers and cabinets.
Su Tan 'er's room was the one that felt the most out of place. Where should the things be moved to? She didn't mention it. After the sky turned dark, it was getting late. Su Taner was going to sleep tonight anyway. She seemed to have forgotten what to do with all these things piled up here. Chan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er probably wanted to ask, but after thinking about it, they could not help but have some strange feelings and speculations. In the end, they could only look at each other, murmur in their hearts, and have mixed feelings. No one asked questions. Everyone was busy in silence, pretending to be peaceful.
Halfway through the night, people who came to visit also went back one after another. After the surroundings quieted down, the three maids tidied up the room and did some cleaning. When they had nothing to do and came back, Su Tan'er was playing Gomoku with Ning Yi as a pastime. The three maids seemed a little strange. They sat aside and chatted for a while. Then Xing'er drank tea, Juan'er did needlework, and Chan'er counted the stitches on Juan'er's insoles out of boredom. Then the three maids found a deck of cards made of bamboo to play.
Su Tan'er lowered her head and did not speak to Ning Yi. She only occasionally thought of something and asked the three maids if they did a good job when a certain relative came over. Xing'er and Juan'er would answer in a low voice. On the chessboard, the husband and wife patiently blocked each other's chess pieces with a style they had not shown for a long time. They were enjoying blocking each other's chess pieces with relish. On the other side, they played the bamboo cards absent-mindedly. The three maids would count every time they played a card, which sounded a little cute. Something might happen tonight. Because of this possibility and complexity, the three maids were more or less uneasy.
The only time they were more friendly was when Ning Yi asked Chan'er if many things were burned. Chan'er replied that nothing valuable was burned. Ning Yi guessed that some of her jewelry or favorite clothes were burned. Su Tan'er said that she would buy them for Chan'er in the future.
The atmosphere was strange, and time became a little difficult to bear. Chan'er, Juan'er and Xing'er sometimes went out to fetch hot water and make tea. Sometimes, they talked in the room. Time gradually passed until it was midnight. They did not know what would happen next. The host did not sleep and did not ask them to leave, so they could not leave. But it seemed that the relationship between Su Tan'er and Ning Yi could continue until the next morning.
In fact, Su Tan'er was too embarrassed to wave her hand and say, "Go to sleep." The more time passed, the more uneasy she felt.
Soon after, it was past midnight. The sound of the bell could be heard, and the surrounding courtyard became more and more quiet. Today was actually a busy day. Xing 'er, who was playing cards, could not help but yawn. Ning Yi glanced at her, and Su Tan' er also looked over. Finally, she opened her mouth and said, "Uh, Xing 'er, you must be tired, go to sleep first." After saying this, she held the chess piece in her hand, lowered her head, and continued to concentrate on playing chess. The three maids stood up to talk and prepared to leave. They packed up the refreshments and other things. Ning Yi tilted his head and greeted them with a smile. Amidst these movements, Su Tan'er finally calmed down a little.
Chan'er, Juan'er and Xing'er walked out of the room. The figures in the corridor seemed to be doing their work before going to sleep. After another round of chess, Ning Yi got up to go to the toilet in the courtyard next door. When he came back, he met Chan'er walking on the road. She was a little quiet with a copper basin in her hand, but it was not a silence caused by disappointment or depression. The young girl's expression was a little complicated. Perhaps it was some kind of emotion that she could not handle. When she saw Ning Yi, she let out a soft cry.
"Didn't you say you were going to sleep?"
"The basin is gone, so I went to get another one." Chan'er lowered her head.
The two of them walked towards the gate of the courtyard. After a while, Ning Yi seemed to have thought of something and chuckled softly. Chan 'er looked at him and saw that he was still chuckling, as if he was amused by today's events. Then, Chan' er couldn't help but chuckle softly as well. When they reached the courtyard, she called out softly, "Young Master..."
"Hmm?"
Chan'er looked at him, "Young Master wants... uh, young master wants..." He didn't know what she wanted to say, but after thinking about it for a moment, the young maidservant smiled and shook her head, "I won't say it." She carried the basin and ran to her room.
*****
Su Tan'er had been feeling anxious. The more time passed, the more anxious she felt. It was like waiting for the dust to settle of a big business deal. She was experienced in business, but she was completely unfamiliar with this kind of thing.
She was a little shy for the whole day, but she didn't dare to think about what would happen when she was found out about the arson. No matter what, she couldn't predict what the next result would be. She didn't know if Xiang Xingzong could and couldn't categorize these emotions. She didn't know what would happen next and what kind of conversation would happen. She also didn't know if Xiang Xingzong would suddenly ask, "Where am I staying tonight?" If he really asked that, how should she answer?
There were all kinds of messy feelings, but for now, she could only take one step at a time. After Ning Yi left for a while, she sat there feeling uneasy. Then she got up and walked back and forth a few steps, not knowing what to do. She picked up the teacup and took a sip. She saw that the potted plants behind the screen in the dining room seemed to be dehydrated, so she couldn't help but go over and pour all the tea in. After she finished pouring, she realized that the tea was hot, so she quickly looked for cold water to neutralize it. During this process, the sound of Ning Yi's footsteps came back.
She took a deep breath and went back with the teacup. She wondered how much longer she would have to play five-in-a-row, but she found that Ning Yi's figure had already walked to the bedroom. He seemed to be worrying about the large pile of furniture that had been stuffed in carelessly. Su Tan'er put down the teacup and also walked over, "Husband."
"Tsk," Ning Yi said with a smile, "these things have made a mess of the room. Let's clean it up."
All kinds of tables and chairs had made the room a mess, mainly because some of the small things, such as bags and boxes, had been placed on Su Tan'er's table and chair when they were moved in. As a result, they were now all jumbled up together, and no one had said anything about cleaning up after that. Su Tan'er nodded. "Sure."
She walked past a cabinet that was blocking the way and moved a chair over. Ning Yi had already entered the room and began to sort through his personal belongings. Su Tan'er also opened some of the bags and took out some of Ning Yi's clothes to sort through, then occasionally handed things to Ning Yi.
"The Analects of Confucius, Mencius..."
"The lecture notes..."
"The jade pendant of the Vast Origin House. Tsk, it's still here..."
"These blueprints... should be useless."
"Er, there should be another one of these. Where is it..."
"Whose fan is this? Mine? "
Although Ning Yi was not a materialistic person, he still had quite a lot of these things. Even though Su Tan'er had escaped from the marriage, she still prepared all kinds of things under the instructions of her great-grandfather. Later on, there were all kinds of things that were gifted to her, or collected by Ning Yi himself. At this moment, the two of them were sorting through the small space in the room, and it took them a lot of time. Su Tan'er sat on the side of her bed and looked around at the room that no longer looked like a boudoir. Half of the space had actually been taken up by Ning Yi's belongings.
"I won't be able to arrange these large items tonight," Ning Yi said as he moved a chair to the study table. "Let's get someone to sort them out tomorrow."
"Alright." Su Tan'er nodded. Moments later, she felt the edge of the bed beside her tremble, and her body suddenly shuddered. Ning Yi also sat down next to her.
Ning Yi hadn't been in her room for a long time. In the past, he had come most often when she was sick, but even then, he would always bring a chair over to sit next to her. This was her embroidered bed, and in the past, it had only been her aura or the few nights she had stayed with Cousin Danhong. But at this moment, the sense of a man's presence suddenly approached.
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