Chapter 48 - The incident at the restaurant
Chapter 48 The incident at the restaurant
The steps in front of Plum Flower Pavilion’s main chamberwas usually the place where Liangchen and Meijing would sit when they were idle.
On the afternoon of this day, it was quiet. The two stayed outside as usual. Inside the chamber burned the incense Sweet Dreams. Gu Xiran was taking a nap at this moment, while Shu Huan sat in front of the window and with the help of the sunlight, she polished the eighteen rose beads that she carved from a piece of Horn Agar.
It was said to be beads, but only the lower part was sleek like a bead. The upper half had been carefully carved into a rose by her. If it wasn’t because the shape and the size of the petals weren’t the same, it could have looked like a small water lily when placed on the table.
The texture of Horn Agar was harder than the Wonderful Redwood of Yingge. Don’t take that these beads are small; it was very difficult to carve them. She had used five days to carve these eighteen rose beads. Presumably, it would take another two days to polish and decorate them. Then, she still had to make a hole at the bottom for the thread….
She worked so hard not because she wanted a bracelet. It was that Gu Xiran threw a small bag at her that contained a piece of agarwood that she didn’t know where he got it from. She didn’t know the classification, so, she turned to the books to compare it. Gradually, she began to like this special material that had a faint fragrance on it. Even her style and artistic mood got motivated. It happened that she had nothing to do. She used the small agarwood to carve something as practice. While she was at it, she could also make time pass faster. Anyway, she had always liked to do manual work.
After polishing one rose bead, she felt that she had sat for a long time. Her neck was also sore. She stood up and walked two steps. She also put the waste of the agarwood into the incense burner. Then, she took out a bunch of silk threads. She held them and walked to the outside because she wanted to teach Liangchen and Meijing how to make a Chinese decorative knot.
When she walked to the door of the main hall, she heard low voices coming from the outside…
“Did you see wrongly? How could it be our second young master?”
“I didn’t say it was our second young master. It was that those who had seen second young master said they look very alike!”
“Looking alike is just looking alike. There are many people in this world who looks alike. As long as it has nothing to do with us, we shouldn’t bother ourselves.”
“Big sister is right.”
“…”
Such dialogue without head and without tails made Shu Huan puzzled. She couldn’t help herself from asking, “Who looks like second young master?”
Liangchen turned around. When she saw that it was her (SH), she quickly stood up and said, “Second young mistress.”
Meijing laughed, “Just now old madam asked me over to ask about how second young master and mistress are doing. When I came out of Pine Crane Hall, I saw big sister Zisu and Fuling holding a portrait and talking about it. I went over to ask. They say that it was an official wanted poster distributed in the city and brought in by the servants. They didn’t expect that the person painted in the wanted poster looked about seventy percent like second young master!”
Shu Huan’s heart jumped two times and quickly asked, “Where is that wanted poster?”
Meijing answered, “The two big sisters took it inside to let old madam take a look. Because of this, big sister Fuling even rushed out to ask me if second young master had been to the outside these past days.”
Shu Huan’s heartbeat turned faster. There was even sweat in her fists. She forced herself to be calm and asked, “How did you answer?”
Meijing didn’t feel that there was something wrong. She still smiled, “I said that with such a body like second young master’s, how could he go to the outside? At most, he would take a walk in the garden these days.
Shu Huan let out a sigh of relief.
Even though they went out the whole day on Gu Xiran’s birthday, fortunately, the prevention was well done. Concubine Yun had sent all the maids to their room. If there was nothing, she didn’t call them out. She said that they shouldn’t make noise since second young master was feeling unwell and was resting. Hence, even if Huiyun revealed a mishap, Liangchen and Meijing, the two relatively innocent and young maids didn’t discover anything. Even if they saw him leave, they thought that he had long returned.
She calmed down and asked, “What happened after?”
Meijing shook her head, “After that, I came back. However…”
She seemed to hesitate slightly speaking of this. She knew that Shu Huan and Gu Xiran didn’t like it when the maids gossip. Therefore, she was afraid that if she said more, she would get the dissatisfaction of Shu Huan. Until when she carefully looked at Shu Huan’s face and felt that she (SH) didn’t have any dislike, she continued, “I saw big sister Zisu go to Glorious Building where master lives.”
Shu Huan nodded. She had dismissed the thought of teaching them to make the Chinese decorative knot and went back into the room. She guessed that after the incident at the restaurant, that fat man couldn’t swallow the humiliation and went to ask his county magistrate brother-in-law to distribute the wanted poster…
She looked at Gu Xiran who was lying in bed and still taking a nap. Just when she wanted to go wake him up to discuss a countermeasure, she didn’t expect that she hadn’t taken action yet when Liangchen came in and said to her, “Second young mistress, big sister Yuntan came. She said that old master asked second young master to go over to ask something.”
So fast! There was not even time for a reaction!
Shu Huan frowned slightly, said that she got it and went to wake up Gu Xiran.
She couldn’t say much in front of the maid. When she helped the still not awake Gu Xiran dress up, she whispered in his ear, “The incident at the restaurant had been found out.”
She saw that the hazed eyes of Gu Xiran immediately brighten up. He didn’t ask more and nodded at her. He asked Liangchen to bring tea to rinse his mouth. Then, he grasped Shu Huan’s hand. “Go with me.”
“Me?” Shu Huan was a bit surprised. What was the use of her going? Her lies and acting were definitely not to the point of perfection. In case she panicked and showed something on her face, it would be troublesome.
Gu Xiran’s body suddenly went soft and half-leaned on her. He said weakly and without strength in her ear, “This master’s body is weak. Of course, I had to trouble wife to support me to go over there…”
“…”
Shu Huan was speechless. This person’s “illness” truly come and go when he wanted! However, what was more convincing than being seriously ill and unable to go out? It was just that her heart was flustered and she was afraid that there was not only one wanted poster. Then, not just Gu Xiran, even she and Gu Xihe wouldn’t be able to escape!
As if he sensed her nervousness, Gu Xiran whispered, “Don’t worry. When we get there, I will handle everything. You have to just act according to the situation.”
Shu Huan nodded and didn’t object.
The mess was created by all of them. She couldn’t let Gu Xiran bear it alone. If nothing would happen, then she would thank god. If something happens, then she wouldn’t feel guilty if the two of them are punished together.
While she was in deep thoughts, she supported Gu Xiran to the outside. Fortunately, this guy didn’t go overboard with pretending to be ill. Aside from panting, his pace was still stable. He didn’t put his whole weight on her. Seeing them come out, Yuntan quickly come to help her support him. She said, “Second young mistress, you just got well. Don’t overexert yourself.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m already much better. I don’t know the way. You should walk in front to lead. Don’t let master wait to long,” While speaking, she supported Gu Xiran alone and went out.
When she looked back, she saw that concubine Yun came out after hearing the movements in the yard. There was worry in the eyes she looked at them with.
Shu Huan thought a bit before asking Gu Xiran in a low voice, “Should we bring concubine Yun with us?”
Gu Xiran glanced at her with a bit of surprise. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded, “Alright!”
After all, concubine Yun was a thoughtful person. They also didn’t hide the matter of that day from her. With her helping them with the story, it would be more compact and without any holes.