These few days, Lu Zhu finally became busy. She probably realized that it was not good to let her mistress worry about such trivial matters, so she started to embroider her own dowry. After all, she was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl and was looking forward to getting married. However, Jin Er was also very busy, but it was not because of the marriage. She did not see him in the residence all day, so Lu Zhu could only ask Jin San. Jin San only vaguely said that he did not know what Jin Er was busy with, and that it was probably a task assigned by her mistress. Lu Zhu then returned. However, this continued for more than ten times, and the time that Lu Zhu saw Jin Er became less and less.
One day, Lu Zhu found out from Jin San that Jin Er was not in the residence, so she left in disappointment. After Jin San saw that Lu Zhu had left, he jumped onto a tree and sat down to talk to Jin Si. He said, "What happened to Jin Er recently? Why is he always not in the residence? Mistress doesn't seem to have any tasks assigned to him. I've never seen him so busy that he doesn't even care about Lu Zhu."
In the past, although Jin Er was also busy, he still had to stay in the residence. His favorite thing to do was to make Lu Zhu angry. Now that the relationship between the two of them had been settled, why was Jin Er still not seeing her?
Jin Si shook his head and said, "I don't know either. However, a few days ago, I saw him at Huitong money house. He seemed to be exchanging money for banknotes, but I don't know what he's doing."
"Exchanging money for banknotes?" Jin San asked curiously, "He doesn't lack any money, why is he exchanging money for banknotes?" The Embroidered Uniform Guards had quite a lot of money on them, at least enough to cover their daily expenses. It was strange for Jin Er to collect banknotes alone. Jin San thought for a while and suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "I know! Sigh, this fellow is finally enlightened. He must have finally remembered that he is also someone who is going to marry, so he must buy something for his wife. Although the betrothal gift is given by the residence, Jin Er has saved up quite a lot of money over the years. It's the same if he gives the betrothal gift. "
Jin Si nodded and said, "What you said makes sense. Jin Er has seen the world and is used to doing things to make a woman happy. He must spend more effort to give something to his wife. No wonder he hasn't been in the mansion these past few days. He's probably looking for a gift for Dewdrop. "
"But it's really not good to give him the cold shoulder just because of this." Jin San thought for a moment, "This woman needs to be coaxed. He didn't even say what he was busy with. If I were Lu Zhu, I would definitely be angry."
Jin Si wanted to say something, but Jin Yi, who had been hugging his sword in silence, suddenly said, "He is not here to buy gifts."
"Eh?" Jin San looked over in astonishment and said, "If you're not here to buy a gift, then what are you doing? Jinyi, do you know something?"
Jinyi, on the other hand, shook his head and turned to leave. Jinsan and Jinsi were already used to Jinyi's taciturn personality, so they shrugged their shoulders and pretended not to see anything. Jin Yi walked to a corner and saw Ye Feng walking over. Ye Feng's expression was also rather subtle. He glanced at Jin Yi and asked, "You also know about Jin Er's search for a physician?"
Jinyi responded and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'll follow them to take a look, you …"
"I've seen them too." Ye Feng interrupted him. The two of them seemed to be in a difficult situation, as if they had encountered an extremely thorny problem. Both of them were silent for a while before Ye Feng said, "Don't tell anyone about this first. I'll ask Jin Er when he returns to the residence. It would be bad if our friendship is damaged because of this."
Jin Yi nodded in agreement.
In a house in the east of the capital city, a short and plump woman stood at the door of a house. She kept wiping her hands on her apron, appearing extremely nervous. Not long after, an old man with white hair and beard walked out from inside. The old man carried a medicine box on his back. After he came out, he cupped his hands towards the short and plump woman. A young man walked over from the other side. This man could be considered handsome and was dressed in a clean dark green robe. He looked like the young master of a large family. The old man cupped his hands towards the man and said, "Young master, I've already prescribed medicine to nurse Madam's illness. It's just that her body is already weak and she's traveled a long distance. It's best for her not to move anymore to prevent her from getting better. It's best for her to stay for a few more months. I've prescribed some medicine to strengthen her body. Later, I'll get someone to brew the medicine for Madam to consume. Don't let her worry.
The man was a little embarrassed when he heard this, "She's not …" Then he said, "Forget it, thank you doctor. I'm just afraid that this illness will relapse. I'll have to trouble you a few times in the future." After saying this, he took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and placed it in the old man's palm, "This is the consultation fee."
This man was quite generous. Naturally, the old man had nothing else to say. He cupped his hands and left. After the old man left, the short and plump woman said, "Second young master, according to what the doctor said, it's best for Miss Liao to stay in the capital city for a few more days, so that …"
"Mother Zhou," Jin Er smiled when he heard the words, "Do you think I'll send Miss Liao out? It's fine. You can stay here for the time being. I'll write a letter to my mother. I'll have to trouble Mother Zhou to take care of Miss Liao these days. "
"What are you saying, second young master?" Mother Zhou said in fear, "This old servant will take good care of Miss Liao."
As they were talking, they heard a woman's cough coming from the room. Then, a slightly weak female voice came, "Second young master, please stay. Liao Meng still has something to say to second young master."
Seeing this, Mother Liao hurriedly said, "This old servant will send the doctor out. Second young master, you can go inside." After that, she went out of the room. Jin Er hesitated for a moment. Although he used to linger in the brothel, it was all for show. He couldn't take it seriously. After that, no one would pursue the reputation of these women. This girl from a decent family was different. After all, it was a bit excessive for a man and a woman to stay together in a room. However, thinking that Liao Meng was a patient after all, and it was his mother who asked someone to send her to the capital city from thousands of miles away, he gave up. He lifted the corner of his robe and entered the room.
The room was clean and tidy, and there was a faint smell of medicine. There was even a pot of orchid on the windowsill. It was obvious that the owner was an elegant person. Even though he was sick, he still lived his days in an elegant manner. The woman leaned against the bed. Her face was still a bit pale, but she looked even more delicate and pitiful. She respectfully nodded to Jin Er, "Second young master."
Jin Er said, "No need to be overly courteous. Your body is still very weak. It's better not to move easily."
"Second young master has a heart of Buddha." The woman smiled faintly, "Liao Meng knows that this body is not worthy of Second young master. The words between the two families were just a joke. Once my body has recovered, Liao Meng will return to Jiangnan and won't disturb Second young master. It's just that I have troubled you a lot during this period of time. I feel really apologetic. After thinking about it, I still have to thank Second young master. "
"You don't need to thank me. It's me …" Jin Er hesitated for a moment. Finally, he seemed to have made a great decision and said, "This matter is our Shen family's fault. I … "
"Second young master's words are wrong." Liao Meng smiled sweetly, "What does this have to do with Second young master? When the two families talked about this matter, you and I were only children. Now, now that my parents are no longer here, the words at that time were more of a joke and cannot be taken seriously. It's just that Zhou mama dotes on me and wanted me to say it. Second young master must not blame her. Now that Second young master already has a sweetheart, why should I be the person who breaks up a pair of affectionate ducks. So Second young master must not say anything that is sorry. "
These words were really reasonable. If it was an ordinary woman, even if she did not make a fuss, she would still have some emotions on her face. At least, she would not be as easy to talk to as the woman in front of him. A trace of appreciation flashed through Jin Er's eyes. There seemed to be some gratitude and apology mixed together, "It is me who has the heart of a lowly person trying to deceive the heart of a gentleman. But Miss Liao's illness has not recovered yet. At least give me a chance to find a doctor for Miss Liao."
Liao Meng smiled again and the two of them talked about other topics. Jin Er had been following Xiao Shao and had seen a lot of things. He also knew how to make a woman like him. Liao Meng's actions were even more unexpected. She did not have the narrow-mindedness of a woman and was also quite insightful. Moreover, her temperament was as gentle as water. The two of them actually chatted happily and did not realize that it was late. Until evening, Zhou mama even stayed for dinner. After eating together, Jin Er returned to the fu.
Just as he returned to the fu, Lu Zhu, who had finished doing embroidery, went to the kitchen to find something to eat. She happened to meet Jin Er and called out to him. Jin Er stopped and Lu Zhu walked over. She picked out two pieces of peony cake from the basket and handed it to him, "Today, the small kitchen made new pastries. Young Madam rewarded them and specially left two pieces for you. Eat them."
Lu Zhu naturally smiled without any distractions. The peony cake emitted a special fragrance. Jin Er had just eaten. Zhou mama's cooking skills were good and she also made Jiangnan dishes that he had not eaten for a long time. Naturally, he ate a little more and could not eat the pastries. He reached out to take it and smiled, "Okay, I will go back to eat it later."
"It's just two pieces of pastries. Why are you going back to eat them?" Lu Zhu curled her lips and said, "Don't tell me that you Embroidered Uniform Guards rarely eat peony cake. Just eat it here. If you eat it when it's cold, your stomach will feel uncomfortable."
Lu Zhu had good intentions. In fact, she said it unintentionally, but she had specially left these cakes for Jin Er. She wanted to see Jin Er eat them before she would be happy. Jin Er frowned and begged for mercy, "Great Aunt, I just ate outside. I really can't eat it now. It's better to wait until I return before eating it."
Since Jin Er had said so, Lu Zhu naturally could not force him to eat it. She only looked a little depressed, but it disappeared in a flash. She said, "Where did you go today? Jin Yi and the others are all in the fu. You ran out alone and even had dinner with someone. Could it be that you were in a brothel? "
She was originally joking, but Jin Er's expression changed slightly. He immediately laughed and said, "Nonsense. In any case, I am someone who is going to get married. Why would I go to a brothel? No matter how beautiful the young lady is, she still has to live with the ugly wife. "
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhu bristled and said, "Who are you calling ugly?"
The two of them joked around for a while before Jin Er returned to his room. After Lu Zhu returned, her smile slowly disappeared. Seeing this, Lian Qiao even teased her, "I heard you and Jin Er joking from afar. Why, can't you leave now?"
Lu Zhu did not speak. Lian Qiao thought that she was shy and did not pursue the matter. However, she did not notice that Lu Zhu was sitting alone in front of the bronze mirror. She stared at her palm in a daze and muttered to herself, "Why does it smell like orchids?"
…
The days became busier and busier. The smile on Lu Zhu's face also seemed to slowly disappear. When Jiang Ruan asked Lian Qiao about it, Lian Qiao also frowned and said, "I don't know what's wrong. Recently, she has been deeply worried, but indeed, there is nothing wrong. Most likely, the problem has something to do with Jin Er. "
Tian Zhu also said, "Jin Er has been spending less time with her recently. Presumably, he is somewhat unhappy."
Her own maidservants all said in unison that Lu Zhu was unhappy because she had not spent much time with Jin Er. Jiang Ruan did not echo their words. If one were to say that these were the emotions that people would have before they got married, she did not have them before. If one were to say that she was really too special, with Lu Zhu's carefree and carefree temperament, she would definitely not appear to have a heavy heart because of this kind of thing.
With Bai Zhi as an example, Jiang Ruan paid more attention to the emotions of her maidservants. However, Lu Zhu had followed her later and there was nothing wrong with her actions. When she asked her, it seemed that she was really like this because of Jin Er. It was not convenient for Jiang Ruan to intervene in the matters between a young man and a young woman, so she could only let them be.
If there was anything special, it would be that Governor Yao of Binhai, for some reason, once again had the idea of claiming kinship with Jinying Wang fu. Previously, after being warned by Xiao Shao, Governor Yao had also given up on this idea. Recently, however, he had started to be active frequently. Naturally, he did not directly come to Jinying Wang fu to send an invitation, but he also understood the principle of using a roundabout way to save the country. Unexpectedly, he sent an invitation to Guan Liang Han, Mo Cong and the others. Xiao Shao could reject Governor Yao's invitation without any misgivings, but Guan Liang Han and Mo Cong could not. Firstly, they were all colleagues of the imperial court. Secondly, Guan Liang Han and Governor Yao had quite a lot of common topics on certain matters. They were all martial arts people who had fought hard battles.
The Yao family was ready to make trouble, but Jiang Ruan did not pay any attention to them. After she was done with Lu Zhu's matter, she was busy looking at Xuan Pei's faction in the imperial court. Now, sooner or later, Xuan Li would point his spear at Xuan Pei. Whether Xuan Pei was willing or not, he had already been involved in this struggle for power. Now, she could only rely on her memories from her past life to help Xuan Pei select people to ensure Xuan Pei's temporary safety.
Xiao Shao was even busier than she was. He had heard from Jin Si that the people of Nanjiang had already appeared in many places in the capital. It was unknown what the people of Nanjiang hiding in the capital were planning to do after changing their appearances. What he was afraid of was that they would sneak into the palace and collude with the imperial court. In reality, it was already an indisputable fact that the people of Nanjiang were colluding with the people of the imperial court. Jiang Ruan was also well aware of who that person was. However, as of now, there was no evidence and it was not good to beat the grass and alert the snake. She could only take one step at a time. Now that the enemy was in the dark and she was in the light, there were many inconveniences.
…
When the night was dark, Jin Er finally returned to the fu under the light of a lantern. Lu Zhu was sitting in the room. When Jin Er walked in and saw her, he saw that she had not lit the lantern. He asked, "Why are you not lighting the lantern?" After saying this, he looked for a match to light the lantern.
"Jin Er," without waiting for him to find a match, Lu Zhu interrupted him and said, "Do you not want to marry me?"
"What are you thinking about?" Jin Er was somewhat incredulous and had forgotten to light the lantern. He asked, "Why are you throwing a tantrum again?"
"These days, you leave early and return late, so I have not been able to see you. Whenever you return, the time we talk has become especially rare. It's even worse than when I had just arrived at the fu. You are always impatient, you …. "
"Great Aunt, I've said it before. Master has given me a mission during the day and I can't accompany you all the time. I'm already very tired during the day and I don't want to listen to your unreasonable pestering." Jin Er frowned. It was unknown whether it was because he was really tired, but his brows were tightly knitted and his tone was not as gentle as before.
"I'm pestering? I'm pestering? " Lu Zhu's voice also became louder. She seemed to realize this herself and took a deep breath before she said, "I do not want to talk to you about this. I am not a fool. You are lying. The son-in-law did not give you any task. I have already asked Jin San. " Her expression could not be seen clearly in the darkness, but Jin Er could not help but feel his heart tighten. For some reason, he felt that Lu Zhu's eyes were staring at him, causing him to feel uneasy.
"No, listen to me …." Jin Er wanted to say something else but Lu Zhu interrupted him and asked, "Jin Er, do you have someone outside?"
Jin Er was stunned and immediately said angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
"You know best whether I am spouting nonsense or not." Lu Zhu's voice involuntarily became louder. She said, "You have not let me down!"
"I have already said that I do not. Don't use this as a pretext to make a fuss." Jin Er had always treated women kindly. This was the first time he had spoken so harshly to Lu Zhu. The impatience in his tone made him seem like a completely different person from his usual self.
Lu Zhu was not to be outdone and said angrily, "I use this as a pretext to make a fuss? Jin Er, don't treat everyone as idiots. Do you think it is fun to tease me? Although I am a servant girl, I cannot allow myself to be humiliated like this. If you regret it, you can tell His Highness to cancel this marriage. I, Lu Zhu, will definitely not object. I am not the kind of person who begs and pesters! "
Jin Er stood up abruptly. He could no longer suppress the anger in his voice as he said, "Cancel? You say it so lightly. What kind of person do you think I am? "
"Get lost!" Lu Zhu scolded and reached out to push him. However, there was no electric light in the room. She almost fell down when she pushed him. Immediately after, Jin Er snorted and turned to walk out of the door. He slammed the door shut fiercely.
There was no sound in the room for a long time. After a long time, the door was pushed open and Lian Qiao's voice sounded, "Why didn't you light the lamp? It's so dark …" She took out a match and lit the oil lamp. Only then did she see that there was someone sitting in the room. She said in a daze, "You are in the room. Why didn't you light the lamp … ah." Lian Qiao cried out in surprise. She saw Lu Zhu, who was supposed to be cheerful, sitting in a daze in the room. Her face was full of tears and her eyes were red from crying.
Outside the window, there seemed to be a figure silently fighting for a long time. He seemed to hesitate for a while and then walked away.
In the courtyard on the other side, Zhou Mama looked at the girl in front of her, who looked much better than before. She said in surprise, "Can Miss really succeed by doing this? That Second Young Master has never been a soft-hearted person. "
"Don't worry." Liao Meng also smiled, "Men are all the same. They don't like noisy women. But women are very sensitive. After a while, there will always be a gap between two people."
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