Chapter 138: Private Transactions (Part 1)

  Ronghua met Feng Lichang's family in the house. Feng Lichang's family had returned from Meng's house yesterday, and simply replied to Ronghua, but before they could talk in detail, Hou Ye came back, and Feng Lichang's family was a discerning person, so he hurriedly retreated.

  She originally wanted to come early this morning and talk to the lady again, but heard that the lady was going out, so she didn't go to the lady's room. Unexpectedly, it was the lady who sent for her in the end.

  As soon as Feng Lichang entered the house, Rong Hua looked at herself in the mirror and smiled: "I heard that your eldest daughter-in-law is good at hairdressing, ask her to come and dress my hair for me another day."

  Feng Lichang's family suddenly bowed and said, "Yes, I will go back and instruct her to serve you well. She is a meticulous person, madam will definitely like her."

  Rong Hua nodded slightly.

  Feng Lichang's wife was combing Ronghua's hair and mentioned the events of the previous day, "The servant girl went to the Meng family, Mrs. Meng welcomed her out, heard that it was the young lady sending gifts to Sixth Aunt, Mrs. Meng was taken aback for a moment, and said that Sixth Aunt had not returned after going back to serve the old lady, the servant girl asked casually, but didn't know when Sixth Aunt would be able to return home." After pausing for a moment, looking at Ronghua who was listening carefully, Feng Lichang's wife continued, "Mrs. Meng also said that Sixth Aunt wants to go back and fulfill her filial duties, three days later she will send a carriage to pick her up."

  Ronghua nodded slightly.

  The Meng family is indeed such a petty person, with benefits first in all things. If one day Yanhua is harmful and useless to them, they will inevitably kick Yanhua away.

  "Have you seen Sixth Uncle?"

  Mrs. Meng only said that the autumnal equinox was approaching and Sixth Master was in seclusion reading books, so I didn't say anything else and left the gifts before leaving.

  Rong Hua combed her hair and changed her clothes, then called Feng Lichang's home, "I'm going out, you come with me."

  Feng Lichang's family also hastily agreed.

  The young lady finished her first errand and was called in by her elder sister-in-law to comb her hair, which wasn't a task that just anyone could do.

  Now Mrs. Xiao let her follow, which means she wants to keep her by her side all the time. Feng Lichang's family was thinking about it while preparing things with the maid downstairs.

  ……

  Yao Hua was startled and was about to dodge, but then a male voice came from not far ahead: "Second Miss, don't go, I'm just taking a look from afar, I wouldn't dare have any other intentions."

  A soft and humble tone, with a thick nasal sound, spoke of oneself in a lowly manner, begging for pity.

  Yao Hua seemed to be frightened and didn't know what to do, unable to move her feet.

  That man also said: "I personally made a hairpin with silk threads and put it on the tree in front of you, Miss. I hope you can accept it."

  Yao Hua bit her lip and coughed weakly.

  That person hastily said: "Miss, don't be angry, Miss's heart is aching because of the fault of this lowly one. This lowly one doesn't dare to come out and see Miss, only hoping that Miss can let me take a few more glances." While speaking, he leaned in to take a look, and saw that the beauty was like a flower, with a high hair bun, her clothes were like thin clouds, and when the wind blew, it seemed as if they would fly away. That person's heart itched, and just as he was about to speak again, Yuhua had already called for Xiangzhu to come over. Xiangzhu came forward and supported Yuhua, who quickly turned around and walked forward. In the chaos, she accidentally dropped a fragrant handkerchief. Xiangzhu wanted to go look for it, but Yuhua was afraid that Xiangzhu would run into someone, and her own face wouldn't have any dignity left, so she hastily called out to Xiangzhu: "Wait a while before going back to find it."

  Yao Hua hurried back and forth, but her mind kept repeating what that person had said.

  The elegant and refined young master, who was courteous and polite, only wished that she would stay a little longer. His wife had passed away less than 100 days ago, but he came here to wait for her, causing Yuahua's heart to be stirred up.

  Xiang Zhu helped Yao Hua onto a clean stone bench and let her sit before going to look for that handkerchief.

  Yao Hua's soul was still unsettled, but when Ren Si Miss arrived, Yao Hua also endured and didn't say anything. Ren Si Miss walked forward to look at Yao Hua's expression, only to see that Tao Er Miss had a hint of regret in her eyebrows, knowing that the second miss regretted not coming to this side to admire the flowers with her. So she came forward to persuade, "Look, the flowers are blooming so well on this side, why don't you cheer up?"

  Yao Hua forced a faint smile, "But I don't know what kind of flower this is, I've never seen it before."

  Fourth Miss said: "It's also Ziwei, but it's a precious species, I've never seen it before either."

  Jade Hua was slightly stunned, but she didn't expect that this wasn't ordinary either.

  Miss Ssu continued: "I was just teasing you, there's no flower tree on this side. They were only planted recently and each one costs a fortune. Whoever sees them will think they're extremely lucky."

  Yao Hua lowered her head and didn't say a word, as if she didn't understand Miss Ren Si's meaning.

  Miss Tao Si smiled and said: "I wasn't originally going to come over to admire the flowers either, but I was persuaded by someone's persistent efforts. Besides, I know your temperament." Last time at the Xue residence, it was this Miss Tao Er who kindly spoke up for her, so no one asked how Miss Tao Ba ended up falling into the water. According to Buddhist teachings, every event is a result of good karma, and this has also been proven true. Thinking of this, she continued, "I only agreed to come because I wanted to bring you over to take a look at the flowers, after all, we can't let people's efforts go to waste."

  Yao Hua's face turned red again, and she didn't want to listen anymore.

  "Alright, alright, I won't say anything then."

  Yao Hua was about to leave, when Ren Si Miss smiled and said: "Don't take a look? Missing the flowering period is gone, waiting until tomorrow yet unknown what it will be like." As she spoke, her maid presented a brocade box beside her.

  Yao Hua pushed it back and refused to accept it no matter what.

  Fourth Miss intentionally put on a stern face, "Second Miss is this looking down on our family and doesn't want to get close to us?"

  Yao Hua didn't know what to say anymore.

  Xiang Zhu searched around in a circle, but couldn't find the handkerchief. She quietly walked to the bottom of a tree and saw that there were chaotic footprints under the tree, among which one pair was particularly deep. Just as she was about to turn back, she suddenly heard someone say from not far away: "Did you disturb the lady?"

  There was another familiar voice, "That's not true."

  Xiang Zhu couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound, and after a brief glance, all the blood in his body seemed to have been drained away. He stood there for a while before hastily running back.

  Yao Hua got up and wanted to leave, Xiang Zhu hurriedly came forward to support Yao Hua, while Ren Si Niang didn't say anything else and just followed Yao Hua back to the resting room they were in before.

  As soon as the two entered the door, they heard Yanhua talking to someone. Yaohua lifted the curtain and took a look, it was actually Feng Lichang's family, Ronghua's concubine.

  Yao Hua was also stunned when she saw Feng Lichang's family, her expression somewhat stiff. "Why did Auntie Feng come?"

  Feng Lichang's family smiled and said, "The young lady is here to burn incense. I also heard that the second and sixth ladies are on this side, so I came over to take a look." As he spoke, he looked towards Yohua's side, but didn't know who the girl wearing a purple lotus-patterned summer shirt with her mouth raised in a haughty manner was.

  "This is Miss Ren Si, the fourth daughter of Lord Ning."

  Feng Lichang's family went up and paid their respects.

  Miss Ren smiled and said, "Is Miss Ba okay? We haven't seen each other for a long time." After saying this, she went to look at the Feng Lichang family, only to see Feng Lichang's family standing aside with a smile all over his face, as if he hadn't heard her words.

  Miss Ren was taken aback for a moment, glanced at Feng Lichang's home, and suddenly realized that Feng Lichang's family had said, "You mean my wife?"

  This retort made Miss Ren blush, and it was she who didn't know her manners.

  "If I had known Fourth Miss was also coming, I'm afraid my wife would have stayed a bit longer."

  "Has your wife returned home?" Miss Ren Si asked.

  Madam finished her worship in the Golden Temple and returned after adding incense.

  Miss Ren Si said: "Didn't they say that the Golden Temple has not been opened?"

  Feng Lichang's family was slightly surprised, "This slave has never heard of it, the lady just lit the first incense stick in the Golden Temple this morning."

  Miss Ren smiled and responded with a few words before leaving.

  As she walked out of the room, Fourth Miss Ren's face sank as she asked the maid Qingyun beside her, "Why didn't I hear that someone from the Xue family came to offer incense?"

  "The slave also doesn't know."

  Fourth Miss said: "Quickly go and ask who has come and what they know?"

  The azure sky busily arranged for the clever maid to ask, and before long, she came back with the information: "It's said that it's Madame Wu Mu. Because Old Madame Xue has been making offerings on this side, Madame Hou came to burn incense on behalf of the old lady, so the people in the temple invited Madame Hou over."

  Miss Ren couldn't help but panic, "My brother and I gave a lot of rewards, yet why did they still let someone come over? If she really saw us, what would happen? My brother has a reputation to uphold, there was a precedent before..."

  Qing Gong's face changed color, "What about that young lady? The young lady will also marry into the Xue family in the future, at that time in front of her won't it be..."

  She had thought that as a concubine's daughter, Tao Ba would not be highly regarded even if she became the wife of Wu Mu Hou in the Xue manor. But why did she come to offer incense today instead of the old lady? The temple had also deliberately not opened the Golden Hall, specially reserving it for her to light the first incense stick. If she hadn't seen anything, how could the servant following her be so arrogant?

  Fourth Miss said: "Quickly go and call brother to ask clearly, hopefully she didn't see anything."

  ……

  Yao Hua asked in the side room, "When did Eighth Sister return?"

  Feng Lichang's family warmly said: "Also came over and rested for a while after burning incense, just left."

  Yan Hua said: "Just now, Second Sister went out to see the flower tree, didn't she meet Eighth Sister?"

  Yao Hua shook her head and said, "That side is just a piece of flower trees, where are there any people?" After a pause, she said again, "I don't know where Eighth Sister is resting either." Then she went to look at the Feng Lichang's house.

  Feng Lichang's family laughed and didn't say much, "The slave is also staying to clean up, the young lady has been gone for a while, and the slave should go back too."

  "We should also go back."

  Yao Hua also smiled and said, "Why don't Auntie Feng come with us, going to the Hou Mansion is on our way too."

  Feng Lichang's family laughed, "The slave also wants to go back and pay respects to the old lady and the big lady, but there are still many people from the Xue manor outside, how can the slave do this."

  "That's right."

  Feng Lichang's family finally bid farewell and left the house.

  Yao Hua's eyes trembled for a moment, and she quickly glanced at Xiang Zhu. Xiang Zhu understood and followed Feng Mama out.