The man on horseback was tall and slender with a handsome appearance, but he looked somewhat tired from his journey.
"... It's nothing." Tang Zhuyun, who had been so aggressive, lowered her head.
"That's good, farewell." The man spurred his horse away, the horse's hooves kicking up small water droplets, some of which landed on Tang Zhuyun's skirt.
But this time, she didn't care.
Xiu'er, who was beside her, said, "Miss, why aren't you saying anything? The way you were acting just now, I thought you were going to hit someone! Is it because she's so pretty that you can't bear to hurt her?"
Tang Zhuyun: "Shut up!"
She quickly picked out a bunch of greens, paid the money, and headed home.
"Go home? We haven't even bought any offal yet! Master said we need to cook a lot tomorrow, because Lord Wang from the Ministry of War wants to freeload tomorrow morning..."
"You go buy it. I'm worried about the two kids; I'll go back and check on them first."
Tang Zhuyun left in a hurry, leaving Xiu'er standing there dumbfounded.
Did the girl encounter a ghost today?
When Tang Zhuyun returned, Old Madam He was teaching Yanran embroidery under the grape trellis. Yanran obediently tilted her head to look at the patterns, her eyes Jingjing.
Hearing Tang Zhuyun's footsteps, she ran over and sweetly called out, "Sister!"
Tang Zhuyun's smile was somewhat forced as she patted her head and said, "Sweetie, I bought you some... Oh, I forgot to buy you snacks today."
"It's okay, we have plenty more at home!" Yanran said sensibly. "Sister, let me help you carry the basket."
Tang Zhuyun smiled and nodded, then asked, "Where's Linlin?"
She felt inexplicably nervous.
"Brother Linlin is practicing calligraphy inside the house."
Linlin highly self-disciplined; she won't go to sleep until she has written a hundred large characters every day—she's definitely a self-motivated child.
"Okay." Tang Zhuyun breathed a sigh of relief, washed a plate of peaches, and brought them to Linlin.
Linlin didn't even notice her coming in, as she was engrossed in practicing her calligraphy.
Tang Zhuyun didn't bother him. She stepped back and sat down under the grape trellis, starting to rub her little pills.
Only in this way would Yanran stop bothering her to play.
To be honest, the man she just encountered on the street has made her uneasy, and she's in no mood to think about anything else.
The man's past life included memories of... him, who chose her on the pleasure boat...
The man had forgotten her. And rightly so; she was young then, and heavily made up. Even now, thinking back to how she looked in the mirror, she still felt horrified.
That person must be Linlin's father.
He rode a tall horse, dressed in fine silks and satins, and carried a jeweled sword—this man was both rich and noble.
Who could cause trouble and ride a horse through the streets of the capital without some power?
The world is so small, how could she meet him again?
If this man recognized her and knew that Linlin was his flesh and blood, he most likely wouldn't let his own flesh and blood be lost to the world.
Even if she goes to court, she most likely won't be able to save Linlin.
what to do?
No, she would never let Linlin be taken away by anyone else.
Who exactly is that man? What is his identity? Can they escape?
Tang Zhuyun was in a state of utter confusion.
She didn't dare mention this to her father and brothers, otherwise they would worry and get anxious, and might not come up with any other ideas.
In the worst-case scenario, how should she protect Linlin?
Should we cultivate a good relationship with the Prince of Jin and ask him to intervene later?
No, the Emperor is still the best. In the end, everything boils down to just one word from the Emperor.
"Don't panic," Tang Zhuyun told herself. "That man might have already forgotten about me."
A man accustomed to frequenting pleasure boats is unlikely to remember a fleeting romance from years ago.
Moreover, even if he recognized him, he would never have imagined that Linlin was his son.
In the worst-case scenario, they'll know everything, and he might not dare to speak up because of his father's and elder brother's power...
After a long period of mental preparation, Tang Zhuyun finally began to relax.
Is Miss Tang home?
Hearing a woman's voice outside, Xiu'er went to open the door. "Who is it? Oh, Sister Lüzhu, what brings you here? Please come in, please come in."
It turned out to be Lüzhu, Meng Yulan's maid.
Tang Zhuyun smiled and invited her to sit down, then asked Xiu'er to wash the fruit.
Lüzhu's eyes were red-rimmed, and she knelt down with a thud. "Miss Tang, please save our young lady!"
Tang Zhuyun quickly had Old Madam He take Yanran inside, and then helped Lüzhu up, saying, "Take it easy, what's wrong with your daughter?"
Could it be that after Jiang Beihan returned, Meng Yulan confronted the Duke Meng's Residence?
Duke Meng would definitely not agree.
Jiang Beihan could not possibly bypass the Prince of Jin, especially since it was the Emperor's will.
Lüzhu wept uncontrollably, pleading, "My daughter, please, please go and see her."
She explained the whole story.
Tang Zhuyun: "What the hell? Say it again."
Is there something wrong with her ears?
Jiang Beihan is already married and has children?
Meng Yulan waited for him in vain?
Lüzhu cried, "When he was exiled, the girl sent him money and a message, telling him to wait for her; he said he would wait for her, but he broke his promise. The girl has such a tragic fate!"
She waited from her youthful days until she became an old maid, keeping her promise and even risking her life for it, only to end up like this?
If Jiang Beihan didn't make a promise, then so be it; life is full of vicissitudes, at most one can only sigh a few times.
But he clearly agreed, yet he went back on his word. Isn't that infuriating?
Tang Zhuyun: "Go back and tell your daughter that it's a waste to shed a single tear for such a heartless person! I... I'll go see her tomorrow!"
Her mind was in turmoil, and it was almost lunchtime and a good time to rest, so going to the Duke Meng's Residence wasn't a good idea.
"Miss Tang, please go now! I'm worried you might do something foolish."
"Alright then." There are priorities. She and Meng Yulan hit it off immediately, and she couldn't rest easy without visiting her after learning about this.
Tang Zhuyun asked Old Madam He and Xiu'er to look after the two children, then changed her clothes and hurriedly went to the Duke Meng's Residence with Lüzhu.
Meng Yulan burst into tears upon seeing her, which broke Tang Zhuyun's heart.
"Alright, alright, Sister Meng." Tang Zhuyun patted her back, waiting for her to finish crying before speaking with heartache, "I know everything. But even if he's a scoundrel, we still have to live our lives, right? It's really not worth it for a piece of trash. Have a good cry, and we'll start over!"
If you can't find a three-legged toad, can't you find a two-legged man?
Jiang Beihan is blind; losing a woman like Meng Yulan is his loss!
"A-Yun, I want to see him! I need to see him! I want to ask him face-to-face why he did this to me!"
Tang Zhuyun shook her. "Sister Meng, calm down!"
"If you get bitten by a dog, can you ask the dog why it bit you? If you could reason with it, then it wouldn't be an animal!"