Chapter 104 Inquiring
The rainy weather usually made people feel melancholic and worried.
Those who liked to enjoy, could watch the rain in front of the window and could also read a book on the bed or sleep and roll lazily. Those who liked to be in profound thoughts could take a stroll in the rain with or without an umbrella. While they feel the cold rain gently smack their cheeks, they could shake off the loneliness on their body.
Shu Huan obviously belonged to the former and Zhang Hanfang was more likely to belong to the later under the condition that she hasn't been drenched by the rainstorm. When the appearance had already became so embarrassed that one was unable to maintain the normal decency, who still had the mood to care about the elegant demeanor and sentiment?
Hence, Zhang Hanfang rushed flustered and exasperated into Heavily Scented Building. As she threw things, she groaned, "Boil water, bring clean clothes, I want to bathe! Be fast!"
The reason that she was angry was not only because of the rain. She was more vexed, and it was hard for her to take that a strange feeling was born for someone she should hate to the bones. It felt like her own face had been fiercely whipped by a whip!
After she had thrown everything that was at hand's reach, she looked around. She saw the two oil-paper umbrellas that Mingluan hung under the porch. She immediately lifted her wet skirt, rushed over and wanted to break and tore them into pieces. However, when her fingers had just touched them, she suddenly hesitated. That clear and sweet voice of Meijing still lingered in her ear, "This rain came suddenly. Second young master let me send the umbrellas down…"
Gu Xiran, he saw everything and personally let a maid sent her an umbrella…
Also, the scene of him sitting in front of the window and the tiny movement of pouring the spoilt tea repeatedly played in her mind….
Zhan Hanfang's face burned once again. The fingers resting on the surface of the umbrella also seemed to have caught flames. She quickly retrieved them.
Mingluan looked at a side at her. She (M) saw that her (ZHF) turned red for a moment and then pale. She only truly thought that she (ZHF) got ill. However, she had been berated before. Now, she didn't dare to say anything anymore. She just wanted to sneak away and go find her (ZHF) nanny, nanny Guan, to come persuade her. who would've thought that she just turned when she (ZHF) said, "Put these umbrellas away first. Where is my bath water? Why hasn't it been brought over yet?!"
When the other people in the room saw that she had calmed down a bit, they sighed from relief as a group. Only now did the one who had to bring the ginger soup, went to bring it. The one who had to hand the hot towel also handed it. Everyone began to be busy.
Let's not talk about Heavily Scented Building anymore. Let's talk about Lotus Pavilion. After Shu Huan drank tea and chatted with Gu Xiran, she suddenly remembered something. She called Meijing to go find Ranmo.
Meijing hasn't entered yet when Gu Xiran raised an eyebrow first and asked, "Why do you look for him?"
"Shang Xin's matter." Shu Huan thought for a moment and said, "I just got to know that her real name is Jiang Yuqing, but she still refused to talk about anything else. She only begged me to accept her as my maid."
"You want to investigate her identity?"
Shu Huan nodded and said a bit dimly, "Originally, I didn't have to be so cautious. I also didn't have the curiosity to explore about her privacy, but her experience was too bizarre. She also knows how to write. I'm afraid that her identity would be a bit troublesome. If we bring her back without investigating, not to mention being caught unprepared when trouble comes at the door, perhaps it would give another the excuse to harm me. In the end, perhaps I may not even be able to protect her."
Living in this kind of environment, it wasn't considered much even if she left a thousand wits. But it would be very tiring in the long run.
Gu Xiran suddenly reached his hand over and grabbed her hand that was resting on the table and whispered, "I'm also here."
It wasn't some sweet words or a pledge of undying love. Even his tone was faint, but it had an unquestionable seriousness, making Shu Huan's nose itch a bit. Just when she lowered her head to hide it, Meijing pushed the door and entered. She smiled, "Second young mistress called me?"
Shu Huan hasn't spoken yet when Gu Xiran said first, "Bring another pot of tea."
Meijing promised and went away with the teapot.
Shu Huan looked at him puzzled. He said, "Ranmo will go back with little fourth tomorrow. I don't know how long it would take to check her identity. It's better I ask Du Qiu. Fortunately, Shang Xin is still young. It is impossible for her to leave her native place and walk far away. Since we found her on the mountain, then we can investigate the villages within fifty miles of the mountain."
"Right," Shu Huan laughed. "I didn't think it thorough."
After the two chatted for a while, the rain had gradually stopped. After they enjoyed the scene of the rain for a while, they went to Double Ninth Yard together. Gu Xiran went to have a talk with Du Qiu. Shu Huan was following her routine. Every afternoon, she would learn needlework from mother Du.
—
Early in the morning of the next day, she got everything ready for Gu Xihe to bring back to show filial piety. Then, she rushed to send him out. After that, the housekeeper of the resort came to ask about what the purchase for the Mid-Autumn festival and he also said that he didn't know whether young master and miss Zhang would go back to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival or not. Without knowing that, he couldn't prepare the things.
This kind of thing should be waited for Zhang family to sent someone over to inform. It was not right for Shu Huan to ask. It would be like she wanted to drive them away. Although, she truly thought like that deep in her heart, she could only let the housekeeper prepare the things with the mind that they weren't leaving.
She was busy till noon. She just only ate two spoons of rice; the tea and flower shopkeeper of the city came. In accordance with the premise of Ranmo, they brought people to come pick the flowers and plants of the resort. Although, she had to avoid arousing suspicion (men and women couldn't be together alone) and didn't had to go out to greet the people, it was necessary to restrict the maids from going everywhere. With this fuss, this day had passed without her knowing.
Gu Xiran had also been busy for the whole day outside. When he returned to the room while stepping in the moonlight, he brought back a look of contemplation.
Seeing him like that, Shu Huan's heart felt a bit uneasy, "Is something the matter?"
"The matter of Shang Xin," As Gu Xiran talked, he stretched and fell on the bed. "So exhausting."
Shu Huan was a bit startled when she heard that. She walked to the edge of the bed and pushed him, "You found out about Shang Xin's matter so fast?"
"Mm." Gu Xiran frowned slightly. He put both hands behind his head, looked at her and said, "There aren't many villages nearby. Du Qiu is very fast. Moreover, Shang Xin's matter…"
"What?"
"Was very easy to find out."
Easy to find out meant that the matter was bound to have some out of the ordinariness that would make it easy for people to remember.
Shu Huan was anxious to hear what he had to say next. She pushed him and urged, "Tell me quickly. Don't keep me in suspense."
Gu Xiran sat up and reached his hand out in front of her, "Tea!"
"You…," Shu Huan was helpless at his shamelessness. She could only go pour tea and hand it over to him, "Can you talk now?"
Gu Xiran slowly drank the tea and thought about it, "Her matter is not easy to tell."
Shu Huan raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt him and waited for him to continue.
It turned out that Du Qu found out that Shang Xin's home was at Shadow Moon village twenty miles away from the resort. Her father was a poor scholar. After he married, he lived together with his younger brother and didn't separate the branch of the family. When she was four years, her mother passed away from an illness. Her father hadn't married again and had raised her up as a single father. Until the end of autumn of last year, he was so exhausted that he also fell gravely ill and never recovered. Finally, because the house didn't have money, he was hastily buried. She could only live with her uncle.
Talking till here, Gu Xiran frowned slightly as if he didn't know how to continue.
Shu Huan said hesitantly, "Could it be that experience afterwards was more miserable?"
Gu Xiran glanced once at her and nodded silently.