Chapter 115.
The gardener of Qiao Mansion has raised the bougainvillea very well, and the flowers are blooming, but these are not as good as Tangyuan's delicate and lively expression. She is fresh and full of vitality. When showing off the sachet in her hand to Lu Mingzhi, her words and deeds aggravated Lu Mingzhi's interest in her. If he was only attracted by Tang Yuan's appearance before, now Lu Mingzhi is attracted by her liveliness.
Lu Mingzhi admired Tang Yuan's performance to his liking. Thinking about it carefully, he had not seen such a bold maid for a long time. When the maids in Lu Mansion saw Lu Mingzhi, they were like seeing evil spirits, and they all tried to avoid him. They were afraid that they would be the next to die, so how could they bother to show up in front of him.
Because she is different, Lu Mingzhi wants her even more. You must know that he has never tasted a maid next to his fiancée. He likes to seek excitement. Thinking of Tang Yuan's identity, Lu Mingzhi is eager to get her now.
Just when Lu Mingzhi showed a smile that he thought was charming, he began to cough awkwardly again. It was still the smell that bothered him. Lu Mingzhi didn't have time to think about it. He bent over and held the wall and coughed, his throat was burning with pain, like being scalded with hot water, or with just a cough all his internal organs were pulled, and the pain caused tears to flow from Lu Mingzhi's eyes.
What happened?
Why is this happening!
Lu Mingzhi's symptoms this time were more serious than the previous ones. Yuanbao took out the cough pills from his purse with trembling hands. These were specially formulated for Lu Mingzhi by the imperial doctor from the capital. Not to mention the complicated workmanship, the medicinal materials were expensive. It was shocking, but the Lu family had to shell out this money. As long as they could save Lu Mingzhi, money was nothing. Life was the most important thing.
Tangyuan was startled by his posture and hugged her bamboo basket tightly. As for the sachet, she had stuffed it back into her cuff. Tangyuan couldn't guess whether Lu Mingzhi's cough was related to the sachet, but after she just finished showing off the sachet, he coughed violently. Just in case, Tang Yuan put away the sachet cautiously.
She took small steps and leaned back, hiding next to a bougainvillea tree, peering around to observe Lu Mingzhi's situation.
"Young master, young master! Don't scare me. Take the medicine quickly. Young master will be fine after taking the medicine." Yuanbao helped Lu Mingzhi in a panic and stuffed the pill into his mouth. There was no water at the moment, so Yuanbao had to yell at Tangyuan, "Why are you still standing there! Didn't you see that the young master needs tea? For a maid like you who has no eyesight, I really don't know what Miss Qiao is doing keeping you!"
Tangyuan's cheeks were bulging, and she was extremely reluctant to pour water for Lu Mingzhi, but she had to go. She gouged out Lu Mingzhi fiercely, and pretended to go to the pavilion to get tea, but Tang Li, who was walking over after hearing the noise said, "Are you worthy of teaching my people a lesson? On the other hand, you are so trembling that you can't even hold a pill, and several pills fell to the ground. So what's the use of Mr. Lu keeping you?"
Tangli held Tangyuan's wrist and walked forward, blocking her behind her.
Tang Li doesn't know what exactly happened here, but she protects Tang Yuan unconditionally. Besides, Tang Yuan is not the kind of imprudent person. If Lu Mingzhi keeps coughing, that's his business. How can Tang Li allow Yuan Bao to talk words of reproach about her?
Tang Yuan held her sleeves with her hands and explained, "Miss, I didn't do anything but wait for the miss. It was Mr. Lu who suddenly coughed."
Tangli's eyes were soft, and just as she was about to comfort her, she sharply spotted the sachet that disappeared from her waist. Tangli touched her waist and asked her with eyes.
She didn't speak, but Tang Yuan understood the look in her eyes, so Tang Yuan took her hand to touch her cuff and said, "It's here."
Tangli stretched her eyebrows and warned again, "Don't throw it away."
How could there be any reason to throw away the items she gave? Tang Yuan couldn't bear to part with it at all.
There was affection in Tangyuan's eyes, an affection she had never expected. She said, "Don't worry, miss. The sachet you gave to this slave will not be lost."
The look in her eyes pleased Tangli. If it wasn't inappropriate, Tangli would have wanted to hug her.
The well behaved and obedient Yuanyuan touched the softness in Tangli's heart.
Liu Zhu trotted over, holding a teapot in her hand. She gave the tea cup to Yuan Bao and urged, "Let Mr. Lu drink it quickly."
After Tangli heard the commotion here, she had the foresight to ask Liu Zhu to fetch the teapot from the pavilion. Although Tangli wanted to send Lu Mingzhi to the west immediately, he could not die in Qiao Mansion. His life has to stay for now.
Yuan Bao received a scolding from Tang Li and saw Liu Zhu's tea. He got a chance to breathe from his anxiety. He also realized that he had lost his rules just now and planned to tell Tang Yuan about it later.
"Sir, drink some water to moisten your throat."
Lu Mingzhi turned around with a flushed face, wanting to save the last bit of face for himself, because drinking water while coughing would make him even more embarrassed, so Lu Mingzhi didn't want to make a fool of himself again in front of Tang Li and others, while secretly hating his broken body, he was also angry at Tang Yuan's lack of understanding. His brows were covered with evil spirits and he looked ferocious and terrifying. Yuan Bao was not surprised, and he lowered his eyebrows to add water to Lu Mingzhi without daring to say anything.
The sound of Lu Mingzhi's cough kept echoing in Qiao Ying's ears, making her brain hurt.
She also sympathized with Lu Mingzhi, but sympathy was sympathy. The person he was married to was her own cousin. Of course, Qiao Ying would be biased towards Tang Li.
Qiao Ying looked at Tangli hesitantly, and when Tangli gave her a calm look, she suppressed her worries and waited until she could talk.
With this incident, Lu Mingzhi was no longer in the mood to be in love. He knew that he had lost face today and let the Miss Qiao see his ugly face several times. Lu Mingzhi originally wanted to stay with Tang Li for a while, so he was willing when going to the garden to play, he doesn't know that the gain outweighs the loss, so it's better not to go.
He covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and after forcing himself to pay a visit to Mrs. Qiao, he left in a hurry, not daring to stay any longer.
Lu Mingzhi did not see Qiao Zhentao when he arrived, but Qiao Zhentao saw him off when he left.
Qiao Zhentao had an elegant face and deep eyes. Seeing Lu Mingzhi's carriage, he waved his sleeves and said to the housekeeper, "Although Mingzhi has just met someone from a scholarly family... his body is really too weak. My niece is outstanding in everything, so she is worthy of this marriage, and I feel unwilling for Yuanmie."
"I don't know when Zhenshan will return to Yuzhou. Fuquan, please remind me when the time comes. I have to write a family letter to Zhenshan."
"Old slave understands."
He sighed and walked back to the main hall with heavy steps. When he saw that Mrs. Qiao was not there, he walked through the corridor to Mrs. Qiao's yard.
Qiao Zhentao opened the curtain and walked in. He saluted Mrs. Qiao and said, "Mom, I wonder what you think of Yuanmie's marriage."
Mrs. Qiao had a straight heart, patted the table with a cold face, stared at Qiao Zhentao impatiently, "I don't want this marriage from the bottom of my heart. That unfilial son Zhenshan deliberately made this arrangement for Yuanmie without telling me. The marriage was a mess. When I received his letter and the engagement token from the Lu family, I really wanted to slap him in the face. The son is stupid, and the wife there is also a crazy person, watching the kite helplessly. My Yuanmie fell into a pit of fire and didn't know how to ventilate with me."
Mrs. Qiao didn't know how long she had been holding back her complaints. She added, "The second brother praised Lu Mingzhi in the letter as a good boy, with a clean family background and a clean backyard. Yuanmie would not be wronged if he married her. I originally believed him. At that time, Lu Mingzhi was not as haggard as he is now. He felt that the second son was Yuanmie's biological father and would not cheat her. But today, look at Lu Mingzhi's behavior. Even though his body and bones are not as healthy as mine, I am afraid he... forget it. Come on, stop saying such unlucky words, this marriage cannot be concluded!"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Mrs. Meng was relatively calm and said in an orderly manner, "This marriage must be canceled. Master, you haven't seen Mr. Lu's appearance when he was ill. As an outsider, I would feel uncomfortable watching it. I'm afraid her life will not be easy if my the child gets married. The Lu family didn't keep their word, saying that Mr. Lu was suffering from an old illness, but the imperial doctor had treated him and it would not be life threatening. Look at what happened today, it's really shocking, and so is Yuanmie. I raised her single-handedly, so the Lu family can't marry."
For the first time, Mrs. Qiao agreed with Mrs. Meng. Mrs. Qiao patted Mrs. Meng's hand happily. She then mentioned another matter and said in a deep voice, "Yuanmie has a maid next to her. She looks very handsome. She is very similar to the second daughter-in-law, so you ask your people to check for me and find out everything about this girl."
Qiao Zhentao's calm expression overflowed with astonishment. He hesitated and said, "She is fifty percent similar to my siblings? Could this be a coincidence? There are many people with similar looks in the world, so it doesn't mean anything."
Mrs. Qiao smiled and said, "This maid and Yuanmie are both sixteen years old. If there are more coincidences, then it is no longer a coincidence."
Qiao Zhentao still felt that Mrs. Qiao was overly concerned. He understood Mrs. Qiao's concern for Tangli, so he cared about it. He would not disobey Mrs. Qiao on this matter and obeyed, "Okay, I will do it as soon as possible. Let my subordinates investigate this maid's life experience."
When Mrs. Meng saw that Mrs. Qiao was tired, she said considerately, "Mom, in the past you would squint for a while at this time, so the master and I won't disturb you."
"Well, eldest daughter-in-law, you can't be in a hurry when it comes to Yingmie's marriage. You can choose slowly. The girls in our Qiao family are no worse than others. Like the second child, he is too hasty and has hurt Yuanmie."
Meng Shi smiled knowingly, she could hear Mrs. Qiao's love for the children, and said softly, "Don't worry, Mom, I know."
Mrs. Qiao waved her hand and slowly walked into the inner room with Nanny Zhang serving her.
As the two of them walked together, Mrs. Meng suddenly said, "You have to pay more attention to Yuanmie's marriage. She is a good girl. Don't be delayed by marriage."
Qiao Zhentao said in a deep voice, "Madam, Yuanmie is also my niece. I will not let her be wronged."
Mrs. Meng stared at him for a while. After a moment, she smiled and said, "I thought you were angry with Yuanmie."
Qiao Zhentao's eyes flashed, and he said with a helpless smile, "Are you talking about madam Mei? How could I be angry with Yuanmie over a madam? You are my relatives, and she is just a plaything, used for fun."
Mrs. Meng's eyelashes trembled, and she lowered her eyes slowly, with a slight smile on her lips.
You were the one who doted on madam Mei to the point of no end, and now you are the one who says to me that she is just a plaything. Man, they are really ruthless. It's really admirable that one heart can hold so many women.
Mengshi smiled and said, "Master knows what's going on, so I feel relieved."
The two of them looked at each other in silence, walking on the path, and soon arrived at the courtyard of the main house. Mrs. Meng said, "By the way, madam Bai told me that she made local dishes for you, and they are your favorite."
Qiao Zhentao raised his eyebrows and suddenly became interested, "Then I have to go and see. madam Bai has good cooking skills."
Meng said sagely, "Master, go slowly."
Qiao Zhentao stroked his hair and said happily, "It is my blessing to marry you."
Mrs. Meng lowered her face and smiled, but did not respond. Qiao Zhentao thought she was shy, laughed loudly, and left.
When the spring breeze blew up, it seemed as if a petal fell on Mrs. Meng's bun.
She wiped it with a handkerchief and said, "There is something dirty."
She regrets marrying him, but if she doesn't marry him, she won't be able to meet a mother-in-law like Mrs. Qiao and a daughter like Qiao Ying.
Mrs. Meng murmured, "This is the only use he has."
In another courtyard of Qiao Mansion, Tang Yuan was combing the hair of the woman in front of her. Tang Yuan unknowingly sat on her lap.
Tang Yuan leaned in her arms, smelling the faint fragrance, and looked up at her face.
"What's wrong?"
Tang Yuan pursed her lips, couldn't help the curiosity in her heart and finally asked, "Miss, do you think Mr. Lu's illness will be cured?"
The woman hugging her raised her lips and smiled, tapped Tang Yuan's eyebrows with her finger, and said, "Does Yuanyuan want him to be cured, or does she want him to remain incurable for the rest of his life?"
Tang Yuan grabbed her wrist and folded the jade bracelets as thin as wicker together. The sweet sound struck Tang Yuan's heart, "Miss, do you want to hear the truth or a lie from this slave?"
Tangli laughed, "I asked you first."
"No matter what, the miss has to answer the slave first."
Tang Yuanmei's eyes widened and she stared at her non stop. The seriousness in her eyes made Tang Yuan seem to care about Tang Li so much. The affection expressed in her eyes won Tang Li's obedience. She said, "Of course I want to hear Yuanyuan's truth."
"That slave hopes that he will never be cured in his lifetime."
Tangyuan felt that what she said was too decisive, and she regretted it a little, and hurriedly said, "Is this slave very vicious? But this is what I said sincerely. If Mr. Lu's illness gets better, then breaking the miss's marriage will be impossible. There is no room for reversal. Today, the slave has seen the old lady's worries. As long as Mr. Lu becomes more seriously ill, the old lady will not be willing to marry the miss to him. In this way, there will be no..."
She asked, "He can't do anything?"
Tang Yuan leaned softly on her shoulder, tangled her fingers in her hair, and whispered, "No one will come to ruin the relationship between slave and miss."
Tangli curled her eyes, "Does Yuanyuan like to stay with me?"
[Although the short winter melon person is a bit short, she still has high ambitions, but she actually becomes possessive of me. How unbecoming is this! I am the master, and she is just a little maid, trying to dominate the master? It's just a fool's errand, it doesn't matter whether she is worthy or not. ]
Tangyuan's eyes turned red, this damn voice was pouring cold water on her again. The miss's eyes were as gentle as water, without any trace of disdain. Why could her voice be so hateful!
The miss who disappoints the scenery!
Tangyuan wiped her tears on the side of her neck. If there was no voice from her heart, Tangyuan might have timidly avoided Tangli's questions, because she knew that she was just an insignificant slave, how could she dare to sell herself to the Qiao family? Does she expect to be favored by her master?
But deep down she has the spirit of refusing to admit defeat, so what if she doesn't deserve it? She just wanted to say it! If she doesn't say it, wouldn't it just suit Tang Li's wishes?
So Tang Yuan said angrily, "I like the miss very much and want to stay with the miss. I am very thick skinned and want to take advantage of the miss. The miss can only give me the sachet, and no one else can have it! I still want to pester the miss like this every day, and I will feel safe and secure when I smell your scent."
Tangyuan ignored her tears and finished all her words in a tone of anger that came from her heart.
She waited uneasily for Tangli's response. Her misty eyes were endearing. Tangli held her face and said distressedly, "Why are you crying? I can hear what Yuanyuan said. I'm very happy, really happy."
[Dwarf winter melon turns into a crybaby? She looked so ugly when she cried. ]
Tangyuan wiped her tears with her hands and muttered, "It's not because the miss is angry. It's not easy to be a slave, it's not easy."
After speaking out about the greed that was suppressed in her heart, Tang Yuan suddenly felt that the burden had been lifted and she became very relaxed. She could even pretend that she had not heard the ridicule in her heart. There are always strange illnesses anyway, and getting angry because of strange illnesses is not worth it.
Tangyuan listened to Tangli's gentle words, and her tears couldn't stop flowing down.
In fact, Tang Yuan didn't know why she was crying. She was probably tortured by the woman in front of her. She was very kind to her, but her voice was real and she couldn't deceive others. Now that I trust her, isn't it a big gamble? Accept her kindness to you and ignore her inner voice. This is your motivation to perseverance.
But what would happen if one day she stopped thinking about accepting her kindness and started to believe her voice?
But I am not afraid, I have chosen her, and that is her.
Tang Yuan choked and said, "Miss, I am satisfied to hear these words. I won't tell anyone about your strange illness. This is a secret between the two of us, so you can scold the slave in your heart without restraint. I won't be sad, this slave can bear it!"
She told it with bad intentions, in order to get more tenderness from Tang Li, and also wanted to take the opportunity to see what she really thought of herself.
Tangli's eyelids twitched as she was wiping her tears, and she said seriously, "Yuanyuan, what is the strange illness you are talking about? I don't quite understand."
Tang Yuan's eyes were filled with tears, and she hesitated for a moment whether to speak or not.
Tangli asked nervously, "Yuanyuan, tell me everything you know, okay?"
Tang Yuan frowned and hesitated to speak. She wanted to say but dared not.
She softened her tone and hugged Tangyuan, "Yuanyuan, please tell me, this is really important to me."
Tang Yuan was worried, "The miss said first, don't worry about this strange illness. I have observed it. Only I can hear this strange illness, so this illness may not be serious, but it is a bit weird."
"Okay, I'm not in a hurry, I'll just listen to Yuanyuan."
At this time, Tang Yuan raised her eyebrows and murmured, "Strange, why can't I hear it now? According to common sense, it should have appeared when the miss was talking just now."
Tangli tightened the string in her mind and asked patiently, "What exactly is it?"
Tangyuan recalled it and said, "From the first day I saw miss, I heard a voice. At first I thought it was haunted, but later I found out that when the miss spoke, it would come out, like It's the voice in my heart."
"Anything else?"
Tangyuan looked at her with tearful eyes, and suddenly remembered something. She was overjoyed, her eyes sparkling with light. She held Tangli's arms tightly and asked cautiously, "Is it possible that the miss doesn't know?"
Tangli smiled bitterly and shook her head, "How could I possibly know."
Tang Yuan was overjoyed, "So, if the miss scolds the slave in her heart, she doesn't mean it from the bottom of her heart?"
"Wait, I scold you? Yuanyuan, how could I be willing to scold you?"
This surprise fell from the sky and made her head feel dizzy. Tangyuan's voice trembled as she said, "I can hear the miss's heart, but every time I hear her heart, it comes from the opposite direction."
"Opposite?" Tangli repeated her words blankly.
Tangyuan nodded in agreement and explained, "It's like a miss praising the slave for being cute, but what the slave hears is that the miss is scolding the short winter melon."
Tangli laughed angrily when she heard this. She understood immediately. Tangli really admired the rules. She admired the rules for being able to come up with so many weird ideas to improve the difficulty of the different world. It was a thanks to her for racking her brains. She was wondering where the difficulty was hidden, but it turned out that it was within herself!
While she was shocked, she also felt sorry for Tang Yuan.
She looked at Tang Yuan attentively, with a serious look on her face, without a hint of laughter, "Yuan Yuan, the words that come out of my mouth are told by my heart. So the voices you hear in your heart are all caused by strange illness, I have always been sincere to you, and from the first moment I saw you, I knew you were the one I wanted."
"Thank you for not alienating me or fearing me because of your strange illness, Yuanyuan, thank you very much."
Tangli now has another understanding. She believes that the increased difficulty of the rules is not set up for herself, but more like torturing the heroine. She learned the plot in the last other world, and in this other world, there are sarcastic voices again. This is not making things difficult for her at all, it is completely challenging the relationship between them.
Fortunately, no matter what twists and turns occur, she will choose her without hesitation.
Just like 001 said, they have always been going in both directions.
While she was working hard to complete the task just to meet her, she was also trying her best to get closer to her.
Rules, let me see how you win now.
Tang Yuan had no time to speak, that was because Tang Li had already lowered her head and kissed her.
"Hold me."
"Never let go."
Tangli's kiss became more and more fierce, enough to make her almost breathless.
The corners of Tangyuan's eyes and brows were filled with emotions, and she sighed: "I won't let go."
Finally, I realized that my inner voice was false.
It's too late for me to be happy, so how can I be willing to separate from the miss?