Denghuaxiao Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Hairpin

 Back to the inn, it was almost evening.

Yin Zheng went downstairs to get hot water, while Lu Zhuo sat in front of the long table in a daze.

 There is a wooden screen placed where the long table is connected to the back room. It depicts a dusk and autumn scene in the courtyard splashed with ink and ink. Lu Zhuo stared at the screen in trance, looking at it, and slowly stretched out his fingers to trace the clusters of blooming hibiscus branches in the painting.

Today, the new eldest grandma of the Ke family also has a silver hibiscus flower in her hair.

 Lu Rou's face flashed in Lu Yan's mind.

There are three children in the Lu family, Lu Rou is gentle and bright, Lu Qian is smart and stubborn, and she is the youngest. Although her father says he is strict, in fact he always treats her pampered.

The family is poor, but they have no worries about food and clothing. Lu Rou was several years older than Lu Zhen. When Lu Zhen was still an ignorant girl, Lu Rou was already very beautiful.

Mother took out a silver hibiscus hairpin inlaid with gems from the dowry box and tied it on Lu Rou's hair. She also chose a jade-blue plain dress for Lu Rou to put on, hoping for a spring viewing party by the Linfang River. My daughter is the prettiest one.

Lu Tong looked at the eldest sister who was very different from the past. He tugged on the corner of his mother's skirt and pointed at the hibiscus flower hairpin on Lu Rou's head: "Mom, I want that."

"This won't work." Mother smiled and said, "You are still young, so you don't need it now. When we grow up, mother will pick something else for you."

　　She was young at that time and relied on the favor of her family to feel confident. She refused to give up: "I want the sister!"

Until her father came into the house and saw her acting like this, he became angry and punished her not to go to the flower viewing party and to copy the book at home a hundred times.

She was alone at home, crying and copying books. At noon, she was hungry and wanted to go to the kitchen to get the remaining pancakes, but suddenly she smelled a strange aroma.

Lu Rou walked in from the door, holding a roast chicken wrapped in oil paper in her hand. Her new skirt was stained with some river mud, and her forehead was shiny with sweat.

She was stunned: "Why are you back?"

Lu Rou pinched her face and said, "If I don't come back, my eyes will be swollen like walnuts." She opened the paper bag for her, tore off the largest chicken drumstick and handed it to her mouth, "Crying bag, eat it quickly. .”

“Didn't Mom say that I want to show you my future husband today?” She asked vaguely as her mouth was stuffed with oil. Changwu County is too small, and most of the neighbors know each other well. People often take advantage of the spring party to meet their future son-in-law or daughter-in-law early.

Lu Rou blushed and said, "What do you know?" After a pause, she smiled and said, "My husband is not as important as my sister."

 She felt extremely proud.

Lu Rou touched the flower hairpin on her head again: "After night, when mother goes to bed, I will give this flower hairpin to you. You hide it and don't let mother know about it. A flower hairpin is worth your crying."

She was eating roast chicken in her mouth, holding it with short hands, and then looked at the hibiscus flower hairpin, which looked really good on Lu Rou's head, and said: "Forget it, you can keep it for me for now. I will ask you again one day." discuss."

Lu Rou was almost amused by her and joked with her: "Then you have to hurry up, otherwise you won't be able to get me married even if you want to."

Hearing this, she was inexplicably unhappy and deliberately rubbed her oiled hand on Lu Rou's face: "Then wherever you marry, I will follow you. You are my sister anyway!"

 The door was pushed open, and Yin Zheng walked in carrying a basin.

Lu Zhen raised his eyes, and the gentle scent of lychee paste from his eldest sister seemed to still linger on the tip of his nose. In a blink of an eye, there was only a cold screen in front of him.

Yin Zheng brought the basin to the table and turned to close the door. Lu Yan picked up the handkerchief and wiped the red rash on his face little by little.

“Girl,” Yin Zheng asked cautiously, “Today, you said that the eldest girl was killed by the Ke family?”

Lu Zhen was silent for a moment before speaking: "When we were in Changwu County, our neighbors said that when the Lu family received the news of Jingzhong's death, when was it?"

Yin Zheng thought for a while: "It's March."

“That's right.” Lu Yan said calmly, “But today the Ke family said that Lu Rou died in the summer.”

Yin Zheng was startled and looked at Lu Zhuo in astonishment. Lu Yan's eyes were cold.

Today, Mrs. Ke was so irritated by her that she made a mistake and said, "If she hadn't jumped into the pond and ruined the feng shui of my new house, why would I have spent so much money to fill the pond and plant peonies instead? It's a pity that my newly bloomed red pond "蕖...", which immediately made Lu Zhuo suspicious.

Lotus flowers don't bloom in March, and no matter how long the journey from the capital to Changwu County is delayed, it can only take more than a month at most. It couldn't be that Lu Rou died in the summer of the first year and the news didn't reach Changwu County until the next year. What's more, Lu Qian had not yet entered Beijing that summer.

 Two pieces of news, one of them must be lying.

Lu Qian came to the capital only after hearing the news of Lu Rou's death. If Lu Rou was still alive at that time, why do people in Changwu County now say that the letter contained the news of Lu Rou's death? Could it be that the Ke family knew that Lu Rou would die?

Still, the Ke family originally wanted to send the Lu family away with the news of Lu Rou's death, but they did not expect that the persistent Lu Qian would go to Shengjing alone to inquire about the news in person.

Or maybe the letter Lu Qian received was not news of Lu Rou's death at all?

The truth is so confusing that Lu Zhuo doesn't believe a word Mrs. Ke said. Lu Rou failed to seduce the prince of Taishi Qi's house, but the Ke family won the favor of Taishi Qi's house a year ago, and the porcelain business prospered. No matter how you look at it, it's a bit too much of a coincidence.

She wants to stay in the capital, stay here, and find out what happened to Lu Rou and what caused the disaster in the Lu family.

besides…

　　Take back the hibiscus flower hairpin that was worn on the head of the bride of the Ke family.

With the last red mark wiped away, Yin Zheng looked at the fair face of the person in the mirror, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke: "But girl, before that, there is something else I need to remind you."

She sighed: "We are running out of money."

 As night falls, the lights are on in Ke's mansion.

Ke Chengxing opened the bamboo curtain and stepped into the hall.

The maid next to Mrs. Ke saw him, her smile was extraordinarily beautiful, she said "Sir" and poured tea for him.

Ke Chengxing is now standing nearby. Unlike other merchants, his facial features are handsome and well-maintained. His honey-colored silk trousers make him more elegant. Now that Kejiayao's porcelain business is doing well, he is always the one who attracts attention at the Chamber of Commerce's entertainment table, with many girls throwing themselves at him.

Mrs. Ke also noticed the maid's smile. She frowned and backed away. She looked at Ke Chengxing who was sitting at the table picking chestnuts and said, "You came back late today."

 “Let's have wine.” Ke Chengxing disagreed.

“Smells so drunk, Mr. Qin is making trouble again.”

Hearing this, the smile on Ke Chengxing's face disappeared a little. Mrs. Qin was his bride, she was aggressive and overbearing, and she controlled him very tightly, which was really annoying. Whenever this happens, Ke Chengxing misses his deceased wife's tenderness.

Just when he remembered Lu Rou's name, Ke Chengxing heard Mrs. Ke say: "Today, Lu's cousin is here."

Ke Chengxing was startled: "Lu's cousin? Where did Lu's cousin come from?"

"You haven't heard Mr. Lu mention it?" Mrs. Ke was a little suspicious. She told her son what happened to the Ke family during the day, and then said: "I think this person came here strangely. Later, someone was sent to follow him, but he Lost the person."

Ke Chengxing thought about it carefully and shook his head: "After I got married to Mr. Lu, I never heard her say anything about a cousin. She must be a liar who came here to blackmail me."

Mrs. Ke's expression flashed: "Somehow, I always feel uneasy in my heart. In the final analysis, you shouldn't have done anything about Lu's matter...it's not clear now."

Hearing this, Ke Chengxing also became nervous: "Mom, will something happen?"

Mrs. Ke waved her hand: "I have sent people to Changwu County to inquire about the news and see if there is a person named Wang Yingying."

She stared at the tea cup in front of her and her tone gradually became serious: "What's really wrong? There's a tall support in front of me. What's there to be afraid of? The Lu family can't stir up any trouble."

 (End of this chapter)

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