An Old Acquaintance

"Amitabha Buddha, female benefactor."

The novice monk came out and bowed with his hands clasped together.

Lin Yunwan, wearing a veiled hat, bowed slightly to the novice monk and said, "Master."

The novice monk followed her gaze to the couplet on the wall and smiled, "Esteemed benefactor, this is the calligraphy of the Eldest Young Master of the Lu family in his youth."

Lin Yunwan pretended not to know. "Which Eldest Young Master of the Lu family?"

The novice monk was somewhat surprised. "Don't you know, benefactor? The Eldest Young Master of the Lu family of the Wuding Marquis Residence."

"Judging from your accent, you don't seem to be a local from the Capital."

He then introduced, "Lu Chang'gong, the Eldest Young Master of the Lu family, is a student of the Mingshan Academy. His Clerical Script is exceptional. Now, even a single character of his is extremely rare. This piece of his calligraphy has been with our temple for seven years."

Lin Yunwan looked up at the childish handwriting, suppressing her surprise.

"Is it already so difficult to find even a single word...?"

How should the character "Chang Gong" be written now?

She seemed to still remember how she taught Chang Gong to write with each stroke of the brush in the side Side Room Drooping Silk Hall back then.

The novice monk felt honored and said excitedly, "It is indeed a rare find. Originally, the Abbot wanted to request another piece of calligraphy by Eldest Young Master Lu, but Eldest Young Master Lu said that this one was the most precious piece he had ever created, so the Abbot up. It has been displayed ever since and has never been replaced."

So the couplets are all old.

Lin Yunwan and said, "I've learned a lot."

She took Cuiqin and the servants to the Main Hall to pray for blessings, waiting for Madam Chang to arrive, and also to meet Madam Chen of the Duke Xingguo's Residence.

\

"Sir, are you going out today too?"

Although Ge Bao'er was a Concubine, she dressed very extravagantly, which was not the style a Concubine should have!

Hearing that Lu Zhengliu was going out, she rushed to the Drooping Silk Hall.

Lu Zhengliu had changed his clothes and grown a beard.

He had long lost his former charm and arrogance; now, past thirty, he was a dejected middle-aged man.

Lu Zhengliu's tone was extremely cold. "A batch of porcelain has arrived; I'm going to the dock to check on the goods."

After being stripped of his title, the Lu family fell into disarray, but he had no choice but to make a living for his family.

Now, with the help of the Duke Xingguo's Residence, they've started doing what merchants do.

What are you doing here?

Lu Zhengliu looked coldly at Ge Bao'er. He had moved to the Drooping Silk Hall long ago, but he lived there alone.

He frowned, clearly disgusted. "Didn't I say that no one is allowed to come here without my permission?"

Ge Bao'er was very dissatisfied. "Zhu Qing can come, Chang Gong can come, so why can't Qing'er and I come?"

She suppressed her anger and asked, "Sir, you just can't stand Qing'er and me!"

Say what you want.

Lu Zhengliu simply straightened his cuffs indifferently.

Ge Bao'er was furious, but the man in front of her was, after all, her husband and the father of her son.

Now, aren't all the decisions, big and small, made by her in the Lu family?

Why should she fuss over such a trivial matter?

"Sir, please don't be angry. I'm not trying to upset you; I've come to talk to you about something."

Ge Bao'er smiled gently.

She was naturally pretty, and although she was getting on in years, she was quite charming when she was in a good mood.

Ge Bao'er tugged at Lu Zhengliu's sleeve and whispered, "It's a good thing."

Lu Zhengliu pushed her hand away and said calmly, "Speak."

Ge Bao'er gritted her teeth and forced a smile, "Three years ago, Lin Yunyi had diarrhea and couldn't take the exam, which also delayed his marriage. Everyone at the Mingshan Academy blamed it on my Qing'er."

"Although Qing'er didn't do it, rumors are powerful, and everyone says so. As her mother, there's nothing I can do."

Lu Zhengliu looked at her with amusement. "Was it you or not?"

He had already decided it was her, and no matter what explanation she gave, he wouldn't believe her.

But that's exactly what he wanted to ask.

Of course not!

Ge Bao'er was furious.

Seeing that she was angry, Lu Zhengliu didn't react at all; the beard on his cheeks didn't even twitch.

The only thing moving on his face was his indifferent eyes.

Ge Bao'er sat down resentfully and said irritably, "I know, whether I did it or not, you still think it's my fault, sir."

"Whether it's right now or not doesn't matter; I just want my family to be harmonious."

"I heard that Lord Chang of the Prefect of Shuntian, wants to marry his daughter to Lin Yunyi. I asked my mother to go and see Madam Chang to put in a good word for the Lin Family."

"If this marriage goes through, it would be best if both families could mend their old relationship. You should talk to Lin Yunyi and tell him to stop bullying Qing'er among the students of the Mingshan Academy!"

Lu Zhengliu laughed, "Reconcile?"

He seemed to be mocking. "You've studied for years, but you still haven't grasped the essence."

Do you think it's possible?

Lu Zhengliu closed his eyes.

Every day after Yun Wan's death, he regretted it.

He shouldn't have done that; he shouldn't have brought Ge Bao'er back.

We shouldn't have let Yun Wan get a divorce...

He now has no right to speak with the Lin Family or to learn more about Yun Wan's past.

Ge Bao'er blushed.

She has been trying very hard to learn what Lin Yunwan used to do, but the Lu family is never satisfied!

Lu Zhengliu was dissatisfied, Qing'er was dissatisfied too!

No matter what she does, she can't be perfect.

"Regardless of whether the two families can mend their relationship, as long as Qing'er is alright, I'm willing to do anything!"

Ge Bao'er couldn't sit still any longer; staying here was like sitting on pins and needles.

She stood up and said, "My mother will go to Red Elephant Temple to see Madam Chang today. Please remember to convey this favor to the Lin Family."

Lu Zhengliu, expressionless, instructed Xiliu, "Take this and burn it."

The cushion that Ge Bao'er just sat on.

Xiliu had been serving at the Drooping Silk Hall for seven years, and had grown from a young girl into a married woman. She replied, "Yes."

Ge Bao'er returned to the Courtyard.

The maid asked her, "Concubine, do you really want Madam to speak well of the Lin Family?"

Ge Bao'er sneered, "How could that be!"

"Lin Yunyi dared to gather so many people to bully my Qing'er, and I'm still helping him! Why should I!"

She couldn't swallow this insult.

Ge Bao'er was truly unwilling, her nails digging into her flesh. "But I have to pretend to do this, otherwise Grandpa and Qing'er will hate me even more..."

She couldn't understand, and choked back tears, saying, "I've given Qing'er the very best. Every time the old man wants to start a business, I shamelessly beg my parents for help. I help him manage this dilapidated house. What do I lack compared to her?"

Ge Bao'er was filled with hatred. "Seven years have passed, and not a single person has remembered anything good about me!"

She cried, "God knows how I got through the time right after she died... Everyone hated me... They all hated me..."

"My Qing'er... I'm his real mother! He still won't call me 'Mother'."

Lu Zhengliu was even more ruthless.

Whenever she broke down, he would simply ask, "Isn't this what you wanted?"

Ge Bao'er wiped away her tears and asked the maid, "How is the Old Madam?"

The maid said, "They ate two meals today."

Ge Bao'er laughed, "Let's go see the Old Madam."

Old Madam Lu lay on the bed, emaciated, and looked at Ge Bao'er as if she had seen a ghost.

Her withered hand reached out, but she lacked the strength to grasp anything, and she hoarsely cried out, "Vile woman... die... venomous woman... die... go to... hell..."

Ge Bao'er touched the ornate gold hairpin in her hair.

She bent down and whispered, "Didn't you poison me first?"

"I'm just copying what they do. Don't you like living a life worse than death?"

Old Madam Lu opened her mouth, and a lot of saliva dripped from it.

"Yun Wan... Yun Wan... come back... Yun Wan..."

Ge Bao'er sneered, "She's dead! She's already dead!"

The Old Madam was still calling out, "Yun Wan, come back... come back... I was wrong..."

Ge Bao'er left without expression.

\

"Sir, aren't you going to the dock?"

The driver was puzzled.

Lu Zhengliu, "Let's go to Red Elephant Temple."

He didn't believe Ge Bao'er was that kind-hearted, but he... had once been Yun Yi's brother-in-law, and he couldn't just stand by and watch Yun Yi's marriage be delayed.