lcionline Chapter 539 Sun Miaoqing
Chapter 539 Sun Miaoqing
The person who came was Sun Heyin.
"I heard that you spent all your money in search of a soulmate?" Sun Heyin's eyes were filled with a smile.
An Lingrong held up a cup of tea and handed it to her. "How else can I lure you out? I sent people to track you down and know you've returned to Suzhou City, but I don't know your current name. After much thought, this is the quickest way. You're the best at playing the guzheng."
Upon hearing this, Sun Heyin suddenly leaned forward and placed her bare hand on An Lingrong's fingertips: "Thank you for coming all the way to see me."
An Lingrong took her slightly cold hand in hers and smiled gently, "I'll always be worried if I don't see you with my own eyes."
"Thank you so much for saving me and my aunt."
"It's all in the past, let's not talk about it!"
"Yeah." Sun Heyin responded softly, and when she lowered her eyes, her eyelashes cast a light shadow under her eyes.
An Lingrong suddenly remembered something: "Oh, where's the madman?"
Sun Heyin asked doubtfully, "Crazy? Who?"
"Just...your childhood sweetheart!"
"...You ask him to escort me back. After I recover from my injuries, let him join the army!"
"Good!"
The river breeze blew in through the curtains, gently blowing past with the coolness of water vapor.
The two chatted for a while, then walked out of the pleasure boat together and came to another flower boat moored on the shore.
Although this boat was much simpler than the Zuiyuexuan, it exuded elegance in every way. The hull was painted a pale blue, with a few strings of wind chimes hanging from the eaves. Fresh vines clung to the carved railings at the bow, their purple blossoms trembling in the breeze.
A young woman in a lilac dress was trimming branches at the door. She looked up at the sound of footsteps and smiled with surprise. She put down her scissors and quickly stepped forward: "Greetings to the Queen!"
An Lingrong raised her hand and helped her up with a smile: "Miss Baizhi, long time no see."
Bai Zhi smiled brightly, her eyes and eyebrows revealing joy: "I have heard that a wealthy young man from the capital has come to Zuiyuexuan, and it was very grand. I didn't expect it to be you! You are so handsome in this outfit."
An Lingrong gently waved her round fan, a sly glint in her eyes: "There are many things you haven't thought of."
Sun Heyin asked, "Baizhi, is dinner ready?"
"It's ready. I wanted my aunt to eat first, but she insisted on waiting for you."
"Okay!" Sun Heyin looked at An Lingrong: "Sister Rong, come on!"
Sun Heyin led An Lingrong inside. The window of the inner room was half open, and a breeze blew in slowly, carrying the fresh scent of the lake.
A woman in plain clothes was leaning on a soft couch by the window, absorbed in a book. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting dappled shadows on her body, making her skin appear creamy and smooth, and she exuded a gentle and tranquil aura.
Sun Heyin walked over quietly and took the book from her hand: "Aunt, take a break, it's time to eat!"
This person is Sun Miaoqing.
She raised her head and smiled gently, her eyes and eyebrows filled with warmth: "Okay."
As her eyes wandered, she noticed An Lingrong, stood up and asked, "Who is this..."
Sun Heyin quickly stepped forward to support him: "Aunt, this is my close friend, who came to visit you specially."
Sun Miaoqing stood up and bowed in a standard manner: "Greetings, young master. My humble abode is simple, I hope you will not mind."
Her every move and gesture vaguely showed the demeanor of a lady from a noble family, but her eyes were as clear as a newborn baby.
An Lingrong quickly responded, "No, no, I'm sorry for interrupting you."
Dinner was porridge with some side dishes, and Baizhi also specially steamed some sweet osmanthus cakes.
Sun Miaoqing picked up a piece with her silver chopsticks and placed it on An Lingrong's plate, smiling broadly, "Young Master, try it. This is Bai Zhi's specialty."
That look was as if she was just the mistress of an ordinary family entertaining distant guests.
"Thank you!"
After dinner, An Lingrong and Sun Heyin strolled to the shore, Liu Zhu followed beside them, and Shen Yunfei followed a few steps behind.
Amidst the rustling willow catkins, An Lingrong gazed at the shimmering lake and whispered, "Your aunt looks well."
Sun Heyin broke off a willow branch and played with it in her hands. "Thanks to you for risking your life to save her. Bai Zhi has taken good care of her over the past six months, and my aunt can now read and write."
She paused, her voice lowering, "It's just... now she only recognizes me and can't even remember who she is."
An Lingrong nodded: "That's best!"
"Yes!"
Tired of walking, the two found a tea stall to sit down.
An Lingrong suddenly asked, "What are your plans for the future? You can't hide among these flower boats forever."
Speaking of this, Sun Heyin also sighed: "Now my identity cannot be exposed. The mixed crowd on the flower boat can conceal my identity very well."
"Have you forgotten my current identity? If I want to protect you, isn't it just a matter of a word?"
"I know, but I don't have any survival skills. Apart from my tricks in the entertainment industry, I really can't think of any other way to make money to support my aunt."
An Lingrong followed her gaze.
As the sky grew darker, the girls on the flower boats had already started their busy day.
Someone was tuning a pipa, and the clear sound created ripples on the lake; someone was singing towards the lake, and the humming sound drifted everywhere; further away, two young dancers were practicing dancing on tiptoe, their crimson sleeves fluttering in the wind, like butterflies with broken wings.
"I've been here for a few days now, and I think these women are quite talented. They're proficient in everything from playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, and making tea and making incense. If they could leave here and find a decent living outside, they would probably be able to support themselves."
"That being said, no one is willing to hire them."
Shen Yunfei had just bought a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts from a vendor on the shore and was placing them on the table in front of them. Upon hearing this, he asked without hesitation, "How is that possible?"
An Lingrong and Sun Heyin looked up at him at the same time, with similar surprise in their eyes.
Shen Yunfei said seriously, "I specifically asked Mother Zhao about the painting 'Plum Blossoms Blooming in the Snow' in the main hall of Zuiyuexuan. It's the work of Miss Qianhong. The plum blossoms are painted with great vigor and power, and the shades of ink are just right. It's in no way inferior to those so-called famous artists in the capital. If such a talent were in the capital, I'm sure all the mansions would be vying to hire her as a female tutor."
He added, "A year ago, my family sought a female tutor for my niece, but the one they chose wasn't even half as talented as Miss Qianhong."
Sun Heyin sighed deeply. "Mr. Shen, that's easy to say. But none of us have household registration. We can't even leave Suzhou City. Where can we go to make a living? Take Baizhi, for example. She grew up on a flower boat and learned medicine from the people there. They could even cure my aunt's illness, but no clinic would dare take in a woman of unknown origin."
An Lingrong was startled when she heard this: "Why don't you have a household registration?"
Sun Heyin's eyes gradually dimmed. "Some of these sisters are the families of officials who were convicted of crimes. They were stripped of their official titles after being confiscated and sent to the Jiaofang. These people are registered with the government and can only make a living on the boats for the rest of their lives. Some are fatherless and motherless and are unwilling to rely on relatives, or they are poor people who have been bullied by their husbands' families and can't survive."
Her voice choked as she looked at the two little girls practicing dancing at the bow. "Others were born to women on flower boats, or were abandoned babies that floated here in wooden basins. They were born without household registration."
Suddenly, a silver bell-like laughter came from the distance. The two little dancers were correcting each other's movements, and their tender faces were completely unaware of the cruelty of fate.