tallest building

Chapter 3 An old friend returns

Wen Mingqian sat in the car with the curtains drawn.

You can hear waves of guests arriving outside, and some of their voices haven't changed even after many years.

“Mother, I dreamt of Hui Niang last night,” her son, Gong Chang’an, leaned closer and whispered, resting his head on Wen Mingqian’s shoulder.

“Ah Hui always longed to return to the capital, but unfortunately she couldn’t wait.” Wen Mingqian squeezed his son’s hand. “But she would definitely be happy to know that we’re back.”

Ahui is Wen Mingqian's personal maid, and has served him closely since she was a child.

Later, when Wen Mingqian went to Shuangxi, she accompanied him. Unfortunately, she contracted a seasonal illness last year and never recovered, passing away at a young age.

"Mother, are we going to see a lot of people later?" Gong Chang'an asked again.

"You'll be meeting a lot of people, aren't you afraid?" Wen Mingqian asked his son gently.

Gong Chang'an shook his little head: "We're barefoot, so why should we be afraid of those who are wearing shoes? Besides, we have Zhang Ma, who is worth a million men by herself."

Zhang Ma was the old woman who drove the carriage outside, and also their only servant.

Wen Mingqian chuckled and scratched his son's cheek. The soft footsteps made her expression shift slightly, and then she smiled and said, "It's Aunt Song."

She spent nearly two years with Madam Song, who treated her, the mistress of the house, with great respect and would attend to her for a long time every day.

At that time, Wen Mingqian was quite aloof and never took this concubine seriously. He took her attentiveness and kindness for granted and never made things difficult for her.

Unexpectedly, he later fell into her trap.

Song had already seen the dilapidated carriage and the clumsy Zhang Ma, as well as the groups of people watching the commotion at the street corner.

Suppressing her disdain, she stepped forward and said softly, "I was unaware of your return, Madam. I have been quite impolite. Please forgive me."

"Aunt Song, there's no need for such formalities. We're family, after all." Wen Mingqian got out of the car with the hand that Zhang Ma handed him.

She wore a moon-white dress with a black gauze overlay, and her long black hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin. She wore no superfluous adornments, truly embodying the image of a recluse.

When Song's eyes met hers, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Seven years have passed, and Wen Mingqian's appearance has not changed much, except that he is a little thinner than before. However, his complexion is very good, and he does not look bitter or haggard.

But those eyes had completely changed. They were no longer as clear and bright as before, nor as aloof and proud. They were more like an ancient well under the moon, deep and still, their depths unfathomable.

In Wen Mingqian's eyes, Aunt Song was much plumper than before, dressed in a rich and gorgeous manner, and her every move was more dignified and proper. If you didn't know her, you would inevitably mistake her for the legal wife.

At this moment, Granny Yang said with a forced smile, "Madam's return was so sudden that the family was completely unaware. Otherwise, we would never have been so rude; we would at least have gone out of the city to greet her."

Zhang Ma immediately retorted, "What kind of talk is this? What do you mean by 'Madam's return was sudden'? Shouldn't you say that Madam should have returned a long time ago? Madam didn't complain about your gifts, yet you, this old hag, are just showing off your glib tongue!"

Granny Yang was stunned by her scolding. Servants in these wealthy and powerful families considered tantrums shameful and were more adept at making veiled accusations and speaking with hidden meanings.

When you first encounter someone so uninhibited, you don't know what to do.

Butler Chen gave her a wink, signaling her to shut up. That old shrew, Zhang Ma, didn't care about the occasion or her reputation. She just kept yelling and cursing loudly, completely lacking in manners.

Such a person is like dog shit; it's best to stay away from her and never pay her any attention.

“Zhang Ma, tone down your temper. We have guests at home today; don’t let people laugh at us,” Wen Mingqian said to Zhang Ma, but there was no blame in his tone; it was just a perfunctory remark.

Aunt Zhang readily agreed and then carried Gong Chang'an out of the car.

Once in the sunlight, everyone could see clearly that the child was truly adorable and endearing. Even though his clothes and appearance were nothing special, it was impossible not to take a second look.

“Chang’an, this is Consort Song,” Wen Mingqian said to his son. “We’re not in the capital, and we’re very grateful to her for serving Master.”

"Auntie, you've worked hard." Gong Chang'an looked at Song Shi with innocent eyes and a sweet smile.

For a moment, Song was dazed as she looked at his face.

At that time, Wen Mingqian was already seven months pregnant. The old lady and the eldest and second masters had already discussed and decided that she would return to her hometown after giving birth.

Wen Mingqian, however, was unusually stubborn. She insisted on either setting off immediately or going to court to bring the matter to justice. She refused to admit to the crime of poisoning her illegitimate son.

However, Gong Xu was already convinced that she was the murderer, and the Gong family would never allow the matter to escalate, so he had no choice but to give in to her and let her set off with her seven-month pregnancy.

Aunt Song thought that the bumpy journey of nearly three thousand miles would surely cause Wen Mingqian to have a premature birth.

If medical care is inadequate on the road, it could potentially lead to the death of both mother and child.

Even if the child barely survives, Shuangxi is a harsh and cold place, how can it be raised to adulthood?
Unexpectedly, despite being born prematurely and struggling to make ends meet, Wen Mingqian still managed to raise the child so well, which made her feel truly resentful.

"Madam, all the guests have arrived," the butler reminded her. "Let's go in quickly!"

A single sentence reminded Aunt Song, and she quickly smiled demurely and said, "Madam, Fourth Young Master, please return to the mansion! Master is on official business at the yamen and will not be back until tonight."

As he spoke, he reached out to try to help Wen Mingqian up.

Wen Mingqian remained expressionless, naturally extending his hand to grasp it gently and offering a smile: "You've worked hard all these years managing the household affairs and relieving the master's burdens."

"I really have no merit to speak of, but to receive a word of praise from you, Madam, makes me feel very honored," Madam Song replied naturally.

Upon entering, Madam Song asked, "Where would you like to stay, Madam? It should be the main room, but Master has converted half of it into a study, making the bedroom rather cramped. Therefore, I would like to ask for Madam's opinion."

“In that case, let’s clean up Lingyue Pavilion. I’ve been living there except for the main house during the winter. Besides, the weather is getting warmer now, so it’s perfect to stay there.” Wen Mingqian answered casually, but those who knew the situation couldn’t help but feel a chill.

No one has lived in Lingyue Pavilion for years, except for the occasional night watchman.

Seven years ago, Wen Mingqian's maid, Ashou, hanged herself there.

She was Wen Mingqian's confidante and came with Ahui as part of her dowry.

Song's son, Gong Kang'an, was poisoned to death on his first birthday.

Someone testified that Ah Shou gave him a piece of rose cake, which he did not finish eating. He threw the rest to the dog, which ate it and was soon poisoned to death.

It's obvious that the cake contains a deadly poison.

When everyone searched for Ah Shou, they found her hanged in her bedroom.

It was obvious that he committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

Everyone then understood that Wen Mingqian, as the mistress of the house, both hated Song's favor and was jealous of her giving birth to the eldest son.

So he ordered his trusted maid to poison the illegitimate son and kill him.

Ah Shou dared not disobey his master and could only do as he was told. But after killing someone, he was filled with fear and shame, so he simply chose to end his life.

(End of this chapter)