Since last night, he had always felt that something was amiss, making his heart hang high and flutter uneasily.
Since he saw that bottle of medicine, Pei Zhaolin felt that the heart that had been hanging high finally landed.
He couldn't explain why his heart was pounding wildly while holding that medicine bottle at this moment.
...Was he ill?
"Is Miss Cui still in the mansion?"
Fu Li was stunned for a moment. Remembering the chat with Ying Lan just now, he shook his head.
"A woman came outside the mansion, saying she was looking for Miss Cui. Even if the young lady is in the mansion, she should be busy at the moment."
"If the young master wants to find Miss Cui, you might as well wait a while."
Pei Zhaolin put the medicine bottle into his sleeve. His eyes narrowed slightly and his brows furrowed: "A woman?"
He had investigated Cui Jintang a few days ago. As an orphan girl, the only woman related to her was Cui Chunniang.
But Cui Chunniang was a gambler.
—
Cui Chunniang knelt down on the blue - brick floor with a thud. Her knees hit the ground loudly, but she seemed used to the pain and didn't even frown.
She was wearing a faded crimson bib - fronted jacket with frayed cuffs. She was like a die that had been rolled thousands of times in a gambling house, with broken edges and corners.
Her hair was in disarray. Her hairpins and ornaments had long been pawned. Only a black ebony hairpin was skewedly holding a few strands of withered hair. Stray hairs hung on her sallow cheeks, and her eyes were blood - red from staying up late.
She looked up at Cui Jintang, and a flattering smile first appeared on her lips: "Good girl, please take me in for the sake of your late cousin! Otherwise, I'll have nowhere to go but death."
Her voice was hoarse, as if mixed with sand, rough and unpleasant.
After saying that, Cui Chunniang actually leaned over to hug Cui Jintang's leg. The black dirt embedded in her fingernails from years of rolling dice left black marks on Cui Jintang's dress.
"There's still that girl A Xun at home waiting for rice soup! Poor girl, she's so hungry that she's almost skin and bones... Can the young lady bear it?"
Tears welled up in her eyes quickly and rolled down onto Cui Jintang's skirt.
Her cries rose and fell, with a singing - like cadence, sounding like a wail and also like debt - collecting.
From beginning to end, Cui Jintang neither scolded nor avoided Cui Chunniang. She just slightly raised her chin, showing a hint of disgust in her eyes.
When she heard the name A Xun, she let out a laugh.
Cui Chunniang cried while carefully watching her expression.
"Didn't you say that you sold A Xun to a brothel to be a prostitute?"
Cui Chunniang wiped her tears with her sleeve, trying to look affectionate, but the calculation in her eyes was very obvious: "A Xun is, after all, the child I gave birth to after ten months of pregnancy. How could I bear to really sell her to a brothel?"
"Please, young lady, give us mother and daughter a bite to eat!"
After saying that, Cui Chunniang kowtowed heavily again, and her forehead hit the ground with a thud.
After three times, there was already blood on the blue - brick floor.
Cui Chunniang wailed loudly, and soon a large number of on - lookers gathered at the entrance of the Pei Mansion.
They gathered in twos and threes, pointing and gossiping about the inside of the Pei Mansion.
A flash of pride passed through Cui Chunniang's eyes.
She seemed not to feel the pain and just rubbed her blood - stained forehead against the tip of Cui Jintang's shoe—
"Good girl, just think of it as your aunt begging you!"
That embroidered shoe suddenly took a step to the side.
A flawless smile hung on Cui Jintang's face as she helped Cui Chunniang up gently.
"What are you saying? You and I are aunt and niece. Naturally, I will help you well, not to mention it's for A Xun's sake."
Her voice was slow, with the words drawn out.
Hearing the name A Xun, a look of uneasiness flashed across Cui Chunniang's face, but it quickly returned to normal.
If she hadn't sold that feverish girl to a brothel back then, she would have starved to death with her!
That girl was good - looking. Maybe she had become the concubine of some wealthy family by now!
Cui Jintang took out her purse. The bulging purse instantly attracted most of the attention.
She handed the whole purse to Cui Chunniang: "I'm in a hurry today. This is all the silver I have."
Cui Chunniang remembered the purpose of her visit today and endured the pain in her heart as she returned the purse.
"Good girl, we're family. Your aunt really doesn't want to be separated from you again!"
Taking in all of Cui Chunniang's unwillingness, Cui Jintang slowly straightened up and showed a look of sudden realization: "I see..."
Suddenly, she opened the bulging purse and scattered the silver into the crowd.
Immediately, there were exclamations, like sharp blades stabbing at Cui Chunniang!
"Reuniting with my aunt today is a good day. Since my aunt doesn't want it, I'll distribute it to everyone."
"You!" Cui Chunniang was furious but had to hold it back.
A woman who grabbed a silver ingot bowed to Cui Jintang: "Thank you, young lady! You're really a great kind - hearted person! I also wish the young lady to live in harmony with her family!"
One led to another. Hearing those words of blessing and seeing those silver ingots, Cui Chunniang was almost fainting!
Cui Jintang beamed and responded kindly one by one.
After listening for a while, she finally called out: "Zhu Er, take aunt back to the courtyard to rest well."
Zhu Er knew that A Xun had been saved by their young lady and was specially raised in the Jinyu Workshop. She didn't have a good impression of Cui Chunniang.
Cui Chunniang was furious and shouted: "I'm your young lady's aunt! What kind of attitude is this?"
Zhu Er sneered with a fake smile.
Having such an aunt was the worst luck for their young lady!
—
"Sister Jintang, please help me think about what gift I should give for grandmother's birthday!"
The birthday of Lady Pei was approaching. Pei Ying had been anxious for several days, and there were dark circles under her eyes.
She lay on the jade table, sighing.
Cui Jintang opened her mouth: "I..."
The next second, Cui Chunniang, who seemed to have popped up out of nowhere, squeezed in with a flattering smile.
"In my opinion, of course, you should give natural red coral! It has a good meaning. You can say it represents good luck and longevity! Most importantly, it's expensive and looks very decent!"
Cui Chunniang was actually forty - five years old, but today she insisted on wearing a pink over - robe embroidered with almond blossoms. The cuffs were tightly tied, squeezing out two and a half rolls of flesh around her waist.
She leaned on the door frame, swayed her hips, and plopped down on the embroidered stool opposite Pei Ying.
The embroidered stool creaked and almost fell apart.
Cui Chunniang started counting on her fingers.
On the contrary, Pei Ying was so frightened by her face painted snow - white with powder that her face turned pale.
She let out a scream and hid behind Cui Jintang, extremely angry: "Who are you! How dare you barge in without any manners!"
But Cui Chunniang didn't care at all. She reached out to smooth her hair, trying to look as dignified as a wealthy lady, but it looked very funny.
"Oh, this is so embarrassing. Miss Pei, I'm Jintang's aunt!"
As she said that, she was about to hit Cui Jintang and complained: "You child, you don't even introduce your aunt..."