tallest building

Chapter 117 Unbridgeable Difficulty

A sudden evening rain completely suppressed the summer heat.

The cool, damp evening breeze carried the fragrance of lotus blossoms, which was refreshing.

Wen Mingqian loved the breeze on summer nights, so he ordered the window to be opened, lay on his pillow, gently closed his eyes, and enjoyed the pleasant fragrance of lotus blossoms.

Aunt Zhang showed off her skills, making a bowl of black-boned chicken and lotus root soup so delicious that you could smell the aroma from a long distance.

Gong Chang'an and Sang Er were almost always by Wen Mingqian's side.

When Zhang Ma brought the soup over, Gong Chang'an immediately scooped half a bowl into a small bowl, cooled it with a spoon, and handed it to Wen Mingqian.

Sang Er pouted and said, "Young Master, why did you take over my chores?"

“Normally you would do it, but now that Mother is ill, I must take care of her myself to show my filial piety,” Gong Chang’an said. “Don’t argue with me now, dear sister.”

"This is a red bean and yam cake sent over from the old lady's side. Madam, please try a bite and see if you can eat it?" Sang Er picked up a piece of cake with a small agate dish and brought it to Wen Mingqian's lips.

Gong Xu was overjoyed to learn that Wen Mingqian had woken up. On his way back from the yamen, he took a detour to buy a bag of water chestnut flour cakes.

Once home, he ignored everything else and went straight to Wen Mingqian's courtyard.

"Master is back." When Zhu Mama saw Gong Xu in the courtyard, she raised her voice to greet him.

"Where is Madam?" Gong Xu asked. "Has she had dinner yet?"

"Madam is inside," Zhu Mama replied, though she didn't really want to talk to Gong Xu.

Gong Xu immediately walked into the house and met Zhang Ma, barely managing to avoid bumping into her.

"What's the panic, sir?" Zhang Ma blocked the doorway completely.

"I heard that Madam has woken up," Gong Xu said. "I've come to see her."

"Master hasn't had dinner yet, has he?" Zhang Ma remained unmoved. "There's still half a pot of soup left in the pot. Let me ladle it out for you."

"Alright, go ahead!" Gong Xu said repeatedly.

"Would you like some pepper in the soup, sir?" Zhang Ma asked, but didn't move. "Would you like a large bowl, a medium bowl, or a small bowl?"

"A small bowl is fine, no pepper." Gong Xu felt he had made himself clear enough.

"Really? Master, you only want a small bowl? That soup is so delicious." Zhang Ma stared intently at Gong Xu with her two old eyes.

"Then...then one medium bowl." Gong Xu's face showed impatience. "Don't ask anymore."

"Alright, this old servant understands." Only then did Zhang Ma slowly step aside.

Gong Xu breathed a sigh of relief and stepped inside.

Wen Mingqian was seen leaning against the headboard, drinking soup.

"Greetings to father."

"Greetings to the master."

Gong Chang'an and Sang Er both stood up when they saw him come in.

"You're awake. Do you still feel unwell anywhere?" Gong Xu ignored the two children and went straight to Wen Mingqian.

Wen Mingqian has clearly lost weight, and wearing a honey-colored gauze shirt makes his skin look even whiter than snow.

Her slender neck resembled a flower stem, and her thick, dark hair was loosely tied into a bun, hanging halfway down her back and neck, giving her an air of sickly beauty and languidness. As if possessed, Gong Xu leaned over and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine now, Master, don't worry. Go and eat!" Wen Mingqian unconsciously leaned back again.

"I'm not hungry yet, but how's your appetite?" Gong Xu asked, staring intently at Wen Mingqian's face.

During the few days that Wen Mingqian was ill, Gong Xu reflected on himself a lot.

He thought that Wen Mingqian's toughness was just a resolute and strong performance when faced with problems, but in reality, her heart was also soft.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen so ill after Gong Chang'an returned.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had wronged Wen Mingqian, and wronged him terribly.

He recalled how, when Song had killed her own son and then framed Wen Mingqian, he had thought she was stubborn and unwilling to back down because of her cold and unyielding attitude.

The Gong family has wronged her for so many years, and she must feel extremely wronged, but you can't see a single tear from her in front of others.

She wasn't heartless; she was just strong-willed.

"Don't worry, sir. I can eat and sleep well now, and I'll be able to get out of bed in a few days," Wen Mingqian said politely.

"Is that so? That's wonderful." Gong Xu held up the water chestnut cake in her hand like she was presenting a treasure. "I bought this for you at Zhuangyuan Bridge. It's still warm."

This was the only thing he remembered Wen Mingqian liking to eat.

"Thank you for your trouble, sir, but I'm already full," Wen Mingqian said. "I can't eat anymore."

Gong Xu was clearly disappointed, but he knew he couldn't force him, so he said, "You've only just recovered, and your spleen and stomach are still weak, so you really can't eat too much."

“Yunying also loves this cake, sir, please take it to her! Tell Zhang Ma to serve the soup over as well.” Wen Mingqian said, giving the guest a hint to leave. “I’m feeling tired now, I need to lie down and rest.”

Song Xiang returned home very late that day, still smelling of alcohol.

His wife, Ge, said to him, "What have you been so busy with lately? Why are you coming home so late every day?"

“You’re just a woman, you should take care of the children, why are you bothering me?” Song Xiang said, “You’re always worrying about nothing.”

"Why do you say I'm worrying unnecessarily?" Madam Ge glared at him. "I've been feeling uneasy these past few days. The news of the Gong family's child being kidnapped by Ma Daguang has been all over the place. You and he have a history of dealings. You wouldn't be suspicious of us, would you?"

"Don't worry, it won't happen." Song Xiang tossed his boots aside and said, "Just live your life in peace."

Even though he said that, Madam Ge still couldn't completely put her mind at ease, and tentatively asked, "So you're saying you're absolutely not involved? And what about Ma Daguang? Has he gone mad with poverty to do something like this?"

Song Xiang let her talk, but did not answer.

He admitted that he was the mastermind behind this incident. He hated the Gong family and Wen Mingqian, and he was determined to seek justice for his sister.

The plan was meticulously crafted, but despite all the calculations, the Gong family brat turned out to be so clever that he managed to escape.

But he wasn't worried that Ma Daguang would implicate him. The reason he dared to use Ma Daguang was because he had leverage over him.

If Ma Daguang doesn't reveal his identity, he will suffer alone; but if he does, his entire family will have no way to survive.

Therefore, even though Ma Daguang was sentenced to eight years in prison, he could only obediently serve his sentence and could not utter a single word about himself.

Shao Si, who was involved in the same case, was sentenced to three years in prison. The two mute men were sentenced to five years and four years respectively.

With this, the case of Gong Chang'an's kidnapping was closed.

But he was still unwilling to accept defeat, and his desire to avenge his sister remained undiminished.

"Just you wait, you'll see," Song Xiang thought bitterly. "One day, I'll make sure you all die by my hand!"