TCN: Mei Gongqing

Chapter 2-5

The man in front of her was a scholar her father had saved while he was traveling. All along, her father had treated him as a friend. He respectfully kept him at the estate and even asked her and all the servants to call him 'uncle'.

But it was this very man who colluded with thieves. The night before they left for the south, the house was broken into and robbed of all its wealth.

If her father hadn't secretly hid some gold in his study, she wouldn't have been able to go to the south. She would long have begged on the street!

Chen Rong stared at Uncle Wu and unhurriedly stated, "We'll depart this afternoon!"

"What? Departing this afternoon? Ah Rong, why not wait a few more days?"

Chen Rong quietly sneered before hardening her face. "I said we're leaving this afternoon," she repeated loudly.

She was nevertheless a young girl who had yet to establish her influence. The man looked to the older woman behind her and demanded: "Nurse Ping, have you said something to Ah Rong? Traveling south is a serious matter, how can we just leave on a whim?" At this, he remembered something and raised his voice to say: "Besides, Ah Rong has been having nightmares for many nights. Since she is feeling unwell, why not rest for two more days?"

The kind looking woman quickly stepped forward and faced Chen Rong while saying: "Miss, there is validity in Uncle Wu's words..." Chen Rong interrupted her, shouting, "I said we're leaving this afternoon!"

Uncle Wu wanted to oppose her order, but when he met her fathomless dark eyes, for some reason he shuddered and swallowed back the words he had wanted to blurt out.

"Close the door," Chen Rong ordered after withdrawing her gaze.

For a second, Uncle Wu was slightly taken aback. At length, he realized she was talking to him. He closed the door in bewilderment, his heart feeling ill at ease: What happened to Ah Rong? How did she change so much?

As soon as Uncle Wu left, Chen Rong went to the study that housed thick bamboo slips and silk manuscripts. In the past, after Uncle Wu had conspired with thieves to rob their family wealth, she had recalled her father's reminder in desperation: If anything unexpected were to happen, go to the study. After a good cry in the study, she accidentally discovered numerous gold leaves in these bamboo and silk books. She had survived thanks to these gold leaves.

Loud clanging clashed outside. It was the servants busy at packing. At the moment, the entire courtyard was almost ready; soon they would be moving to the study.

These noisy voices, these rough clamoring, they were all so pleasant to the ears. How did she not realize this before?

Chen Rong slowly sat down and opened a roll of silk manuscript, her ears raptly listening to the bustling sounds.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when a loud call came to her from outside the door: "Ah Rong, are you in the study? Elder Sun is here."

It was Uncle Wu's voice.

This translation belongs to hamster428.

Chen Rong's face sank: He didn't know when to give up. He even invited Elder Sun over!

"Nurse Ping, is Ah Rong in the study?" Uncle Wu's shout sounded again. "He has come to visit because he heard she isn't feeling well. Let Ah Rong know so she can come to receive her guest."

Chen Rong rose. Before Nurse Ping could answer, she had replied with a crystal clear voice: "I'm coming." Then she pushed open the study door.

At the gate stood an elderly man with gray beard and hair. He was Elder Sun. Before her father left, he had entrusted her welfare and education to this elderly man. In front of him, she did not have much right to speak.