Coincidentally, Cui Xijun had no intention of going out today, but could not resist Su Panyan, who wanted to pick up satin and embroider a sachet for Cui Muli, so she was dragged to Changlefang.
They wandered from the beginning of the street to the end of the street, from popular shops to small shops with sparse business, but they were still empty-handed.
"Panyan, after shopping for so long, you haven't found anything you like?" she asked.
Su Panyan said: "I always feel that the colour is tacky and not worthy of second brother Cui's magnanimity."
Cui Xijun was straightforward. After all, she wanted to please her second brother, "Okay, let's go shopping somewhere else."
The two of them walked outside, Su Panyan was still looking around casually. When her eyes passed a remote corner, she saw a face that seemed familiar but not familiar.
"Xijun." Su Panyan gently pulled Cui Xijun's sleeve and motioned her to look at a certain direction, "Is that Xie Miao's maid?"
Cui Xijun squinted her eyes and saw Fu Lu standing sideways at an alley a few feet away. There were several strong men dressed in coarse cloth wandering around, who looked like they were going to trouble somebody.
Cui Xijun couldn't help but frown, "What is she doing here? Where is Xie Miao?"
She kept looking into the alley. Could it be that Xie Miao was in there?
"Just in case..." Su Panyan also thought about it and asked hesitantly: "Shall we take someone to take a look?"
Cui Xijun hesitated for a moment, then called the guards and went over to Fu Lu.
When Fu Lu saw that everything was ready and was about to lead people into the alley, she suddenly caught a glimpse of Cui Xijun and Su Panyan approaching. She was frightened out of her senses and secretly cried unlucky!
How could it be such a coincidence? !
No, she had to stop them and not let anyone see Meng Yuantang!
Fu Lu pinched her palms hard and winked at the thugs. The thugs also noticed someone approaching and immediately dispersed like birds and beasts.
Fu Lu quickly stepped forward to greet them, blocking the probing gazes of the two ladies. She said, "Miss Third, Miss Su, what a coincidence. You are also here to buy things?"
Cui Xijun asked: "Those people just now..."
"Who?" Fu Lu pretended to be dumbfounded, "There's no one, ah, Third Miss."
Su Panyan said: "There were clearly a few people just now..."
Fu Lu smiled and said, "Oh, they must be passers-by."
Cui Xijun saw that her expression was calm, but like a person besieged. However she acted suspiciously, as if she was hiding something...
"Fu Lu." Cui Xijun asked, "Where is your Young Lady?"
Fu Lu bowed her head respectfully, "I'm here to do something alone. The Young Lady is at home."
Su Panyan shook her head at Cui Xijun. She saw a shadow in the alley, and it was clear that someone was inside.
"Really?" Cui Xijun raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then get out of the way. I want to go in and take a look."
Fu Lu's heart was beating like thunder, but she had to force herself to calm down, "The alley is a mess and the ground is slippery. I'm afraid that Third Miss's shoes will be dirty."
Cui Xijun clapped her hands and praised her, "Indeed, a dedicated maid devoted to her duties. If you don't want to be around Xie Miao anymore, you can come to my courtyard."
After saying that, her expression changed and she ordered the guard: "Go, get her away. I want to go to the alley to see what's going on."
Fu Lu struggled in vain but was held aside by two guards. With no choice, she turned to Su Panyan for help, "Miss Su, please advise Third Miss!"
Su Panyan ignored her and followed Cui Xijun into the alley. She was also curious as to why Xie Miao was hiding inside.
The alley is narrow and dark, but no matter how dark it is, it can't hide the two figures, one tall and one short.
Cui Xijun blinked, then blinked again——
What did she see? Xie Miao dressed up and having a tryst with a young man here?
Su Panyan was also surprised. Apart from Cui Muli and Zhou Niannan, Xie Miao was actually involved with someone else?
The two people reacted quickly. After looking at each other in tacit understanding, they both saw surprise in each other's eyes.
A man and a woman meet in private. There must be something fishy between them!
"Ahem, cough, cough." Cui Xijun cleared her throat and stared at them intently, "Cousin Xie, could you please introduce me. Who is this Young Master?"
Xie Miao realized that the plan had changed and wanted to take Meng Yuantang to the end of the alley, but Meng Yuantang would never go as she wanted.
Meng Yuantang is not stupid, on the contrary, he is very smart. He guessed the identity of the people just by hearing their names, and seeing that they are beautiful and wealthy, he immediately made another calculation.
The Cui family in the capital has been officials for generations and is noble and prominent. If you can go to the house and be a guest for a few days...
He already had an idea, so he looked at Xie Miao coyly, and asked innocently and curiously: "Cousin, who are these two?"
...
Before Xie Miao could speak, Cui Xijun rushed to speak: "Cousin? Are you Xie Miao's cousin?"
Meng Yuantang politely replied: "Exactly."
Cui Xijun asked: "Are you related by blood or just recognized halfway?"
Meng Yuantang said: "We are genuine blood cousins."
Cui Xijun looked at Xie Miao carefully and saw that she was covering the lower half of her face with a fa. Her almond-shaped eyes were red, and she looked pitiful.
When she heard Meng Yuantang's answer, she was concise and to the point and said only one word, "Yes."
Meng Yuantang explained diligently: "Since we parted ways in Pingjiang, Cousin A-Miao and I haven't seen each other for many years. I never thought we would meet here by chance, so we exchanged a few words."
Just a few small words can make Xie Miao, who has always been calm and composed, want to cry? It seems that the relationship between these cousins is extraordinary, ah.
Cui Xijun suddenly had an idea and said with a sweet smile: "Cousin Xie, since he is your cousin, it would be too rude to reminisce about the past here. You should invite him to Cui Mansion and let mother entertain him."
Xie Miao: ...Don't think I don't know you want to cause trouble.
She said: "My cousin and I have just met and are trying to find out what's going on. After I go back today to report to my aunt, then I will send a note..."
"We are all proper relatives, why is it so complicated? Just bring him back immediately." Cui Xijun said, "Don't worry, Cousin. I will go back with you, no one will dare to gossip."
Xie Miao shied away, "My cousin has other important matters——"
"It's not too late to wait until we get to Cui Mansion." Meng Yuantang readily went along with the flow, and said sincerely: "As a junior, I should visit Aunt Xie as soon as possible."
Now that things have come to this, Xie Miao can only agree. If she refuses again, it may arouse even more suspicion.
Before leaving the alley, Meng Yuantang took advantage of others not paying attention and whispered to Xie Miao: "Don't worry, little A-Miao. I will go to Cui Mansion to broaden my horizons and I will never talk nonsense."
*
On the way back, Fu Lu burst into tears and blamed herself, "Miss, I'm a useless servant. I can't stop Third Miss and Miss Su..."
Ai.
Xie Miao said: "It has nothing to do with you."
To be honest, it was God's will that could not be violated. Even though she was fully prepared, Meng Yuantang's trajectory into the Cui Mansion was not disrupted.
It's okay, it's just more troublesome than planned.
She leaned against the wall of the carriage. She casually took out the pillow and hugged it in her arms. She stroked the embroidered pattern with her fingertips and said lazily: "Have you ever heard a phrase?"
Fu Lu asked: "What phrase?"
"When a boat reaches the bridge, it will be straight, and when a carriage reaches the mountain, there will be a road." She said, "Don't be afraid, your family's young lady can handle it."
If you have nothing to think about, you will naturally have nothing to fear.
Meng Yuantang is confident and thought he had a firm hold on her. However, he doesn't know that she is pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger. She wants to wipe him clean.
The show is about to begin.
*
Meng Yuantang swaggered into Cui Mansion as a guest.
Cui Xijun asked him to wait in the front hall, and then sent her maid to report that Madam Xie has a distant relative visiting.
While waiting, Meng Yuantang held a teacup in his hand, appearing to be drinking tea, but in fact he was observing the surroundings calmly.
The hall is open, bright, comfortable and elegant. There is a complete set of cypress wood carved furniture, Gu Kaizhi's original painting "Lake Pavilion Qingxia Picture" hangs in the middle hall, and the tea set is made of smooth and fat Ru kiln sky celadon, which looks plain but is actually valuable.
Besides, after entering the Mansion, the dazzling array of pavilions, lake pavilions, and majestic mountains and rocks, although they are not magnificent, are everywhere showing the accumulation of the aristocratic family in the long river of time.
Even the servants cleaning the streets were all decent-looking, well-dressed, and respectful in their behaviour.
Meng Yuantang was secretly speechless.
He had long heard that Xie Miao's aunt married into an official family in the capital, but he never thought that she would be from such a prestigious family...
This trip was not in vain.
He secretly curled his lips, his excitement fleeting, and returned to his calm and virtuous appearance.
Xie Miao saw his reaction clearly, but Cui Xijun was careless and only cared about what she wanted to care about, "When will mother come?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a graceful and luxurious woman appeared outside the door.
Meng Yuantang's eyes brightened. He quickly stood up and bowed deeply to her, "Aunt Xie, I don't know if you still have any impressions of this junior, Meng Yuantang?"
Meng?
Madam Xie encountered a face that looked somewhat similar to Xie Miao. After being stunned, she said in surprise, "Are you my sister-in-law's nephew, A-Miao's cousin, Meng Yuantang?"
"It's this nephew." Seeing her expression, Meng Yuantang became increasingly pleased with himself. As expected, little A-Miao didn't dare to reveal even a little bit of the past.
Madam Xie really knew nothing.
When she married away to the capital and her future was uncertain, she entrusted little Xie Miao to the Meng Mansion. Three years later, when the aunt and niece reunited, Xie Miao chose to swallow her grievances for various reasons, concealing the past and insisting that the Meng family treated her extremely well.
Madam Xie believed it to be true and felt deeply for the Meng family. When she saw Meng Yuantang at this time, she couldn't help but speak affectionately, "It's Yuantang. Why didn't you write to inform me in advance so that I could send someone to pick you up?"
Meng Yuantang came up with a temporary excuse, "I just arrived in the capital, and before I had time to inquire about my aunt's residence, I accidentally met my cousin and paid a visit in a hurry. I ask my aunt for her forgiveness."
Madam Xie looked at Xie Miao, who nodded, "I went to Changlefang today and accidentally bumped into my cousin."
Cui Xijun interrupted, "I was there at that time."
Meng Yuantang joked: "The ancients are sincere and did not deceive me. It is indeed a coincidence."
He had a dignified appearance and well-spoken words. He was once well-known in Pingjiang. Outsiders were easily deceived by him, and the same was true for Madam Xie.
He wanted to liven up the atmosphere, but Xie Miao was afraid that Madam Xie would see the clues, so she "had no choice but to" cooperate. The three of them talked happily.
Upon seeing this, Cui Xijun casually found an excuse to leave. She went straight to Minglan Yuan, and vividly described the incident to Cui Muli.
"Xie Miao's maid was guarding the entrance of the alley, as if she is watching out for her..."
"She deliberately blocked us and lied to us that Xie Miao was at home, but Panyan and I went in and took a look. Guess what? Xie Miao was actually with a young man!"
"The man claims to be Xie Miao's cousin. He accidentally bumped into her in Changlefang and hid in an alley to reminisce about the past."
"He has already entered Cui Mansion, and mother and Xie Miao are entertaining him. The three of them are chatting happily. By the way, I just learned that Xie Miao stayed at this cousin's house for three years, more than a thousand days and nights!"
Cui Xijun's mouth went dry as she spoke, but Cui Muli turned a deaf ear and carefully copied "Hundred Scenes of Jiangnan" with his palms steady. With a light touch of thick ink on the tip of the pen, characters with different expressions appear on the paper. The market is bustling, the vendors are busy, the children are playing, and the women are weaving and embroidering...
Cui Xijun said angrily: "Second Brother, I've been talking for so long. You should give me some reaction."
Cui Muli put down his pen and said calmly: "I'm tired."
This is what it means to drive away guests.
Cui Xijun knew when to quit while one is ahead, and asked instead: "Panyan has given you chicken soup for half a month. When will you allow her to visit the courtyard?"
Cui Muli said: "It has nothing to do with you."
Cui Xijun didn't give up and moved out of the mountains. "Even grandmother thinks that Panyan is very good, and she is happy to see it come to fruition!"
"If you really like Su Panyan so much, why don't you marry her yourself?"
"..." Cui Xijun rolled her eyes and said, "She and I are both women, and our relationship is pure sisterhood!"
"Congratulations to you, the sisterhood will last a lifetime."
This means that she and Panyan will never be sisters-in-law for the rest of their lives.
Cui Xijun was so angry that her teeth itched, and she felt resentful from the bottom of her heart, "Panyan is so good, how is she not worthy of you? You are confident because Panyan likes you. Go ahead, wait until Panyan is heartbroken and gives up. I'll watch you cry and regret it!"
As soon as Cui Xijun left, the study returned to silence. Qiao Mu brought some soup and medicine, and saw Cui Muli looking out the window, lost in thought.
"Young Master, take some medicine."
Cui Muli didn't answer and asked, "How many days has it been?"
Qiao Mu failed to understand. After thinking for a moment, he tentatively said: "Are you asking about Miss Cousin?"
Cui Muli said nothing.
Qiao Mu said more cautiously: "It's been half a month since you last met with Miss Cousin."
Cui Muli looked at the dead trees in the courtyard. The autumn wind blew, and a leaf lost its support and fell alone.
Qiao Mu felt that the Young Master at this moment was no different from that leaf, looking extremely desolate.
"Young Master, if you want to see Miss Cousin, why not—"
"No." He said, "No need."