After Madam Xie became pregnant, Cui Xijun became visibly depressed. Although Madam Xie wanted to enlighten her, Cui Xijun resisted her. No matter what Madam Xie said or did, in Cui Xijun's eyes, she always spoke sweet words but concealed swords in her smile.
The affection that the two had built up over the years was easily shattered by the child in Madam Xie's belly.
Recalling her father's ecstasy that day, Cui Xijun thought over and over again: When her father knew that her mother was pregnant at that time, had he ever been so happy and looking forward to it? Did he ever called her mother by her nickname and held her hands?
No, definitely not. Others said that mother and father treated each other with respect, but father treated Madam Xie very well. In this way, the children born to Madam Xie, regardless of gender, would be regarded as treasures by their father.
Although Cui Xijun is willful and domineering, her temperament is actually particularly sensitive and fragile. She was usually very domineering and relied on the favour of her father and brother. Now that Madam Xie is pregnant, her self-confidence was fundamentally shattered.
The girl who used to be bright had a gloomy look in her eyes.
Xie Miao saw her transformation, but didn't particularly care. Cui Xijun is not difficult to figure out. Although she has a big temper, she has a simple mind and is by no means a malicious person. Although she treated her brother coldly in her previous life, blood is thicker than water and she never did anything to hurt him.
So be it.
Xie Miao was determined to change some of the tragedies of her previous life, but she was unwilling to interfere too much. She is an ordinary person with little strength and limited abilities. Unable to watch the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion coldly, one laments the wasted lives of those 283 people, while the rest... resign themselves to fate and see what happens to them.
On the day of the first snow, Zhou Niannan described the refugee unrest to her in detail, and Xie Miao had already made a preliminary decision in her mind.
No matter what she thought of Cui Muli, she could not deny that he played a crucial role in the whole matter. Whether it was almsgiving, the conspiracy that Dingyuan Marquis Mansion was about to encounter, or even Da Qi's fight for heirs and treasures, and the expansion of territory... everything could not be separated from his presence.
If she wants to change all the dangerous things, the surest way is to use his hand to change things in a safe way.
She had to conceal her identity, gain his trust, and then pass on the key information to him. He would be the one to worry about the follow-up planning. She just had to hide behind him, then walk away, and hide her merit and fame.
So very good, very good.
Her brain began to throb and hurt again. Xie Miao pressed her forehead hard, but the effect was not obvious, so she hurriedly took out the scripture.
All conditioned phenomena are like bubbles in a dream, like dew or lightning, and should be observed as such. (quoted from "Diamond Sutra")
She should learn to let go of the past life and the current life.
*
At the beginning of the New Year, time flies by quickly, and unknowingly the day when Fang Zhiruo got married has passed by.
Qiaogu received Xie Miao's advice and secretly paid attention to news about Fang Zhiruo. Sure enough, she learned from Boss Yu that the marriage had failed that day, but the reason was unclear.
Qiaogu immediately informed Xie Miao, thinking that she would seize the opportunity and be anxious to chase after Fang Zhiruo. However she didn't expect that Xie Miao was calm and relaxed, "Wait a little longer."
This wait is until the day before the Lantern Festival.
When Fang Zhiruo sent a letter and made an appointment, Xie Miao happily accepted the appointment.
A clean teahouse, a simple and elegant single room, with a light fragrance lingering from a lamp on the table.
The two of them sat across from each other, and Fang Zhiruo seemed much more silent compared to the forthright and sharp tone last time.
She picked up the teapot with slightly calloused hands and scalded the two teacups with concentration. She scooped out a small amount of tea leaves with a wooden spoon and put it into the cup. Then she brewed it with boiling water. When the tea leaves stretch slightly, she poured out the tea water and added boiling water again. They waited until the tea color is diffused and the tea turned yellow.
During this process, the palm of the hand is as steady as a mountain, and the movements are smooth and flowing.
She pushed the teacup in front of Xie Miao, "Miss Xie, please have tea."
Xie Miao picked up the tea cup, and blew it a few times. She took a sip, and said with a smile: "Miss Fang has good craftsmanship."
This is a pun, she believes Fang Zhiruo will understand.
Fang Zhiruo looked pensive, as if she was lost in memories, "My parents only have me as the only daughter. I have been with my father since I was a child. He was obsessed with papermaking, so I was influenced by it and stayed in the paper mill all day long."
Xie Miao said sincerely: "A woman inherits her father's inheritance and is single and lonely." (t/n dān tè jié lì = single and lonely. An idiom describing someone who is unique and superior, with outstanding talent. From the Book of Later Han: Biography of Su Zhang)
"How can I stand alone?" Fang Zhiruo said: "My father has worked hard all his life, but he is still mediocre and doing nothing. Guarding the small and dilapidated paper mill, he can't even make the most common long fibre hemp paper. It's such a whimsical attempt to create new paper and open up a new era... Miss Xie, don't you think it's ridiculous?"
Her voice was too calm, like a lifeless ancient well. Only by digging deeper can you taste the calm and lifeless air.
Xie Miao shook her head and retorted: "When you have an idea, you can pursue it. Your father's obsession with papermaking is not ridiculous, nor is it wrong."
Fang Zhiruo was unmoved, "But he will be just a loser until his death."
Xie Miao pondered for a long time and said, "Has Miss Fang been to Northern Xinjiang?"
Fang Zhiruo shook her head, "No."
"Neither have I, but I know that the current defense line in Northern Xinjiang is guarded by millions of heroic souls." Xie Miao's voice was soft, but as heavy as a thousand stones. "They died in battIes before the clouds cleared and the sun came out. This is a failure. But they are not afraid of death or failure. For what is in their hearts and for the people of their home and country, they rush to the front line and shed blood... Miss Fang, what do you think of them?"
"The soul supports the sun and the moon, and the liver and gallbladder reflect the rivers and mountains." Fang Zhiruo said with a wry smile: "How can he compare with the heroes."
The tea had cooled down, so Xie Miao poured tea for her again, replacing the cold cup.
She said: "All living things have their own responsibilities. The Buddha rescues people, and the souls crosses over in the underworld. Prince Gongsun is in charge of the world, but he cannot do without the common people's hard work. Miss Fang, you should not belittle yourself, let alone be timid about your future. "
Be timid about the future.
Fang Zhiruo's pupils trembled, her lips moved again and again, and finally she uttered a few words, "You actually understand me."
She missed the paper mill in her heart, but in a desperate manner she took advantage of her filial piety to marry someone, forcing herself to give up. She fully witnessed her father's failure over the past thirty years, from complacency to confusion, until he cried blood on his deathbed.
Zhiruo, fulfill my last wish. Zhiruo, if I can't do it, you can definitely do it.
Zhiruo, like paper.
As a woman, how could she bear her father's legacy? She was panic-stricken and stopped moving forward. She was determined to take another path, but things went against her wishes. When she landed, she was mercilessly beaten back to the sea by the waves, drowned, and had no way to call for help.
It seems that she can only float up and down with the tide, drifting without direction.
It was no longer possible for her to maintain her composure. A crack appeared in her mask. She covered her face with her hands and tears seeped out from between her fingers. "He and I were childhood sweethearts, but on the day we were to get married, he abandoned me and eloped with a courtesan."
Xie Miao sighed inaudibly.
When Nuwa created humans, they were divided into male and female and given two completely different minds. Men are often cold-blooded, while women are sentimental, delicate, and trapped in love. She loves them, and so do they.
There was a sadness in her heart, not only for them, but also for her former self.
"Miss Fang, the inner house is so small that you can only see your husband and children." Xie Miao stood up and pushed open the window. The winter glow suddenly broke in, shattering the gloom in the room.
She leaned against the window and pointed to the blue sky and said, "But look, the sky is so vast that it can embrace the stars, the sun, and the moon. The land is so vast that it can contain mountains, rivers, and lakes. The rotation of the four seasons contains all living things."
Her face glowed faintly, and she said in a solemn tone: "Don't you want to see, listen, and touch?"
Fang Zhiruo raised her head, forgetting to wipe her tears, and looked at her blankly.
Xie Miao stretched out her hand towards Fang Zhiruo and said firmly: "I would like to give you a helping hand."
In the pale sunlight, the girl's face is like snow, and her smile is like the wind. Only the determination in her eyes shines, like an indestructible fortress or a whirlpool that draws people into.
Fang Zhiruo stretched out her hand as if she was bewitched and grabbed her tightly.
Xie Miao shook her hand back hard and blinked narrowly, "Miss Fang, when you earn a lot of money, let alone childhood sweethearts, even immortals in the sky, I can catch a dozen for you."
*
Fang Zhiruo relieved her heart, and quickly put her mind in order. She discussed with Xie Miao in detail the matter of revitalizing the Shuxiang Papermaking Workshop. She wanted to change the address and move the paper mill to Zhibei Street. In the past, the workers were not skilled in their craft and were lazy, so they all have to be replaced. Some of the papermaking equipment has aged and needs to be replaced appropriately. The skills she learned from her father were not good. If given the chance, she hoped to learn from a master...
Xie Miao nodded in agreement with all the requests and said with a smile: "I will do as you say. Just tell me how much money is needed."
Fang Zhiruo was surprised by her straightforwardness. After calming down, she said, "Miss Xie, can I ask you a question?"
"You ask."
"Why did you find me and go to such great lengths to help me?"
Xie Miao said without thinking, "Because I know that you will definitely succeed in the future."
Her tone was determined, and there was no hint of hypocrisy.
Fang Zhiruo couldn't help but be stunned. This was the first time, apart from her father, that someone had firmly told her that she would definitely succeed.
Really? Can she really do it?
Her mood suddenly lightened, she smiled and said, "I hope I will live up to your expectations." Nor will she let her father down.
"I also have a question to ask you." Xie Miao said.
"Please tell me."
"If I hadn't come to your door, would you have picked up the paper mill business after encountering this setback?"
Fang Zhiruo fell into a long silence, then nodded, "Yes." Since fate pushed her, she couldn't avoid it, so she might as well face the difficulty.
"Then the money..."
"Even if I sell my ancestral home and property, I still have to give it a try."
In just half an hour, Fang Zhiruo had emerged from the slumped image, showing unspeakable tenacity. Xie Miao sighed. With such a mind, it is no wonder that in the future, she can be something in the paper industry as a woman.
*
The sun sets over the western mountains, and the setting sun is like blood.
A luxurious carriage was parked at the side entrance of the Criminal Department, with the gold lacquer emblem of the Fourth Prince's Mansion printed on the wall. A man in prison uniform walked out of the prison in a swaggering manner, followed by a few servants.
He turned around and looked at the prison of the Ministry of Justice where he had been staying for more than two months. He looked arrogant and uttered lies, "Huh, I, Guo Yang, just killed a bitch. What can you do to me? If you put me in jail, you have to provide me with delicious food and drink. When the time comes, you have to send me off obediently!"
A soft palm opened the carriage curtain, and a delicate female voice called: "Brother Yang, let's go."
Guo Yang was overjoyed. When he climbed onto the carriage, he spat on the ground and laughed loudly, "Who is the number one scholar? In front of His Highness, the Fourth Prince, he can only act like a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy."
In the dark corner of the alley, Fan Lekang was peeping silently, with veins on his forehead showing and his hands tightly clenched into fists.
He thought of Lan Qier, that passionate girl, how beautiful and kind she was. Knowing that he had a blood feud, she still showed her affection, and even after being rejected, she still stubbornly waited for the day when he would change his mind.
But she couldn't wait any longer. She won't be able to wait for the warm spring breeze and bright summer. She can no longer wait for the day when he would let go of his hatred, return to Qiuxiang, and cook wine with her around the stove.
She died in the hands of a scumbag. She was so miserable when she died, and her clear eyes could not close for a long time.
How does one pay for the revenge of killing his wife?
Blood debts can only be repaid with blood.