Jinyi Spring

Chapter 110 Confession Rejected
Starting last year, a little bird, seemingly out of nowhere, happened to land in this small courtyard, playing with her, praising her beauty, and begging for food...

Qingxin liked it very much, so she named it "Qiao'er".

She knew this bird must have an owner, so she would play with it when it came, and wouldn't stop it from leaving if it wanted to...

But to my surprise, it was his.

Those usually calm and even eyes suddenly widened, and a flush quickly spread from her pale neck to her cheeks.

"He, he raised her? Qiao'er..." The voice trembled softly, as if every word was filled with a sense of bewilderment and a fear of destiny.

Xiao Henian felt a mix of emotions; such a beautiful couple...

He gave a wry smile. "Unbelievable, isn't it? In this vast world, the little thing actually found its way here from the capital and is so close to my junior sister."

"Is he married?" Qingxin's throat tightened, and she used almost all her strength to ask the question that had been buried in her heart for many years, a question she felt she was no longer qualified to ask.

Seeing her brother shake his head, she felt as if all her strength had been drained away, and tears streamed down her face. It wasn't sadness, but a kind of heartache and pity bordering on despair.

"Why bother?" She closed her eyes, her voice breaking. "Why bother... to suffer for the rest of my life..."

Xiao Henian sighed, "It's not just me who cares about my sister, there's the First Prince, him, Princess Changning, and Duke Ming. Duke Ming has always disbelieved that you would give birth to 'Red Hare,' saying there must be more to the story."

"Junior sister, the past is the past. Dwelling on it will only hurt yourself and those of us who want you to get better. So you must live well, relax, take care of your health, and wait for us to find out the truth and avenge the little princess."

Qingxin stared at him blankly for a long while before slowly nodding.

She didn't speak, letting her tears flow silently.

In the tearful eyes, there was no longer a deathly despair, but a surging wave of pain and struggle, and a faint trace of emotion forcibly ignited.

A little over fifteen minutes later, footsteps sounded outside the window again.

Qingxin quickly wiped away her tears.

It is Jing'an.

She lowered her eyes and said, "This humble nun has searched the entire library and storeroom, but has not found this item. It must have been stored with the First Prince back then. I wonder if it is still there now."

Qingxin and Xiao Henian were extremely disappointed.

Jing'an walked to the window, and Xiao Henian walked to Qingxin's side. "What are the characteristics of that bead?"

Qingxin pondered for a moment and said, "That was my dowry. I wore it on my wrist after I became pregnant so that I could take it off at any time to pray for the child in my womb."

“I remember clearly, it was Hetian jade, slightly larger than a pea, with a few strands of dark green in the light green color… Amitabha, there is still hope.”

Xiao Henian sighed in despair. Could a simple string of beads still be there after fifteen years?

He then said, "After the New Year, I will go to the palace and ask the Crown Prince to look for it."

Suddenly, Jing'an, who was by the window, spoke up, "Jingci is here."

Xiao Henian quickly sat down on the chair, and the turmoil and pity in his eyes just now disappeared in an instant, leaving only a gentle calm.

Qingxin lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips gently brushing the cool Buddhist beads on her wrist. When she looked up again, only a faint weariness remained on her face.

Jingci pushed open the door and entered, putting her palms together in a gesture of respect, saying, "Master Fa, the vegetarian meal is ready."

She was taken aback when she saw that Qingxin's eyes were slightly red and her eyes were still wet with tears. Since Qingxin became a nun, she had occasionally shown grief in the first two years, but she had gradually become quiet and withdrawn. The light in her eyes had also gradually gone out like a candle flame, and she had not seen any ripples in them for a long time.

It's been a long time since I've seen you like this.

Xiao Henian said gently, "Look at you, you get so sad just talking about His Highness the First Prince. Don't worry, His Highness has grown up and the most difficult years are over."

Qingxin lowered her eyes and clasped her hands in prayer, a hint of shame in her voice. "It is because this humble nun's cultivation is not deep enough, and her worldly heart is not yet pure. Amitabha! I thank the Empress Dowager for her compassion in raising a motherless child to adulthood; it is an immense blessing..."

After paying their respects to the Bodhisattva and donating money for incense oil, Feng Chuchen and his companions went to the vegetarian dining hall for a meal.

Feng Buji ate the Luohan noodles, lotus tofu, and vegetarian spring rolls as he wished, and the group then went to the plum grove behind the temple to admire the plum blossoms.

The plum grove spans several acres, with millions of red plum blossoms blooming in unison, like surging red waves, layer upon layer pressing towards the sky. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the blossoms, casting shimmering spots of light in the grove, adding a touch of warmth.

As the wind blew, the petals fell like red rain.

There weren't many tourists, and I strolled quietly through the sea of ​​flowers. Occasionally, the deep sound of a bell would break the silence of the woods, startling a few roosting birds.

Gazing at the vibrant sea of ​​flowers before her, Feng Chuchen recalled the old plum tree with its gnarled, dark trunk in the reed marshes. It stood alone and proud, piercing the frigid air, facing the heavens alone.

If this patch of plum blossoms represents perseverance, then the old plum tree represents never compromising...

Suddenly, a child's voice broke Feng Chuchen's reverie.

It was Feng Buji, carrying a sense of joy.

"Lord Ming, we've run into each other again."

Ming Shanyue never expected to run into him again.

"skillful."

Even a single word can convey joy.

Feng Chuchen nodded to him and pulled Feng Buji away, who still wanted to say a few more words.

Peony took the opportunity to roll her eyes at Guo Hei, then quickly left.

As soon as the group stepped out of the plum grove, a small black bird flew out from a Zen temple, circled once above Feng Chuchen and the others, and then landed.

"Miss, Little Feng Feng, Amitabha, Little Ming Ming, Little Aunt, even the lotus cannot compare to your beauty..."

He shouted incoherently, as if he wanted to say everything he had learned.

Feng Buji recognized the voice as Ah Xuan's and raised his hand high.

Ah Xuan fell into his hands.

He said happily, "Come on, let's go home."

The group left the temple, found Uncle Wu, and got into a mule cart.

Ah Xuan didn't want to go home with them, so he spread his wings and flew away.

Enraged, Feng Buji lifted the carriage curtain, stuck his head out, and shouted, "You wicked Ah Xuan, next time you come to my house, I'll definitely flick your forehead twice!"

Xiao Henian, who was about to board the car, looked at this scene in surprise. Ming Shanyue said that Ah Xuan also liked to visit Doctor Feng's house. Was this the one? Unfortunately, he didn't see Doctor Feng.

When I got home, the streetlights were already on.

Mu Jin smiled and said, "The food is almost ready. The neighbors next door have already started moving some small things to their new house. They said they will officially move on the 16th and vacate the house on the 18th."

Pointing to a flower that hadn't been there before, he smiled and said, "Young Master Shangguan came yesterday afternoon and brought this pot of peonies, saying it was a top-grade variety, and that he had finally managed to get it from the Prince Consort..."

The peony resembles a small tree with several thick branches from the base. Each leaf is plump and glossy, and the large flowerpot containing it is as big as four buckets.

Although it hasn't bloomed yet, you can tell that this peony is worth at least several hundred taels of silver, or even over a thousand taels.

It was given to him by Shangguan Ruyu, or rather, he asked Shangguan Yunqi for it.

Feng Chuchen felt very uncomfortable with this behavior of rich people forcing gifts on poor people.

She said with a stern face, "This potted plant is worth a thousand taels of silver, it's too precious. We shouldn't accept gifts without merit; he can return it to you another day. Remember, if I'm not here, you are not allowed to accept anything he gives you." Seeing Feng Chuchen's sudden change in expression, everyone was too frightened to utter a sound.

Feng Buji followed her into the house and asked, "Sister, why are you suddenly being so polite with Brother Shangguan? You're his master, isn't it only right for a student to occasionally show respect to his master?"

Feng Chuchen hugged her younger brother, saying, "I'm not his master, so we can't accept gifts that are too expensive; we can't repay them."

The next morning after breakfast, Feng Chuchen took Banxia to the clinic to keep busy, while Wang Aunt and Song Sister-in-law, who had been on duty for several days, went back to their rooms to rest.

There was a pregnant woman in the delivery room; her cervix was dilated to two centimeters, and she could give birth as early as tonight.

Nowadays, "how many centimeters dilated" has become a common method used by Tongji Women and Children's Hospital to determine the progress of labor.

Around noon, Peony came over to report, "Miss, Young Master Shangguan has arrived."

Feng Chuchen didn't even look up. "Just say I'm busy, tell Buji not to stay for dinner, and ask him to take that pot of peonies back. Don't accept gifts without doing anything in return, and tell him not to give gifts casually in the future."

Peony didn't move her heels. "Miss, is this alright?"

Feng Chuchen said coldly, "Men and women shouldn't touch each other. It's unbecoming of him, a mere young man, to keep coming to our house without a reason. Tell him not to come here again unless it's important; he's damaging my reputation..."

He paused, then added, "Don't come if you need anything; just have a servant come and tell them."

Peony opened her mouth. Wasn't Young Master Shangguan a young lad before?
Without daring to ask, she turned and left, her footsteps very light.

Shangguan Ruyu and Feng Buji were talking in the main hall.

Peony hesitated before saying, “My young lady is busy right now. She said… she asked Young Master Shangguan to take that pot of peonies back. I can’t accept such a generous gift without having done anything for her.”

Shangguan Ruyu blushed deeply. Even if he was slow to realize, he knew that Feng Chuchen was unhappy with him and was deliberately avoiding him.

He asked, "Have I offended Miss Feng?"

That's right... but Peony didn't dare say it directly.

Shangguan Ruyu then looked at Feng Buji, "Where did I offend your sister?"

Feng Buji didn't know either.

Whatever the reason, if my sister says we can't accept it, then we can't accept it.

He could only explain, "My sister said that men and women shouldn't be too close... Brother Shangguan, you've already learned the surgery you were supposed to learn, so there's no need to send us big gifts anymore. We'd feel pressured to accept them."

After saying that, he shrank his neck.

Shangguan Ruyu shook her head. "It can't be either of those two reasons. Miss Feng is free-spirited and never cares about reputation, otherwise she wouldn't have opened a clinic like this. As for her teaching me surgery, there's still a lot I haven't learned."

He stood up and walked outside, his voice rising, "I want to see her and get to the bottom of this."

Duan Yan and Feng Buji followed closely behind.

The side door was tightly closed, and Shangguan Ruyu reached out to push it open.

Duan Yan stopped him, saying, "Second Master, that's the delivery room. You can't go there."

Shangguan Ruyu kicked him, "Where I go is none of your business, you servant?"

Duan Yan grabbed his clothes with both hands and knelt down.

Upon seeing this, both guards knelt down as well.

"Second Master, if you go over there, I will lose my life."

Feng Buji walked around to the front to block the side door, and said with his arms outstretched, "Brother Shangguan, please don't make things difficult for us."

Although he didn't think his family's clinic was unlucky, he knew that if Shangguan Ruyu went there, his sister wouldn't be able to explain it to Princess Yanghe's mansion.

There was quite a commotion at the house, and two women who had just given birth came out to see what was going on.

"what happened?"

"It looks like they're fighting."

Feng Chuchen quickly explained, "It was my cousin who came to visit, and he was talking a bit loudly."

She walked to the side door, opened it, went through, and then closed it again.

She didn't look at Shangguan Ruyu and walked straight to the east wing.

Shangguan Ruyu followed closely behind.

Feng Chuchen had her back to the door when she heard Shangguan Ruyu's footsteps enter the room.

He said coldly, "Young Master Shangguan, your loud noise has tarnished your dignity as a young master and also affected my reputation."

Shang Gongruyu's voice was urgent, "I just want to know, where did I offend you? If I'm wrong, tell me, and I'll definitely correct it."

Feng Chuchen was also feeling bad, but she still didn't turn around.

“You’re not wrong. It’s just that you come to my house so often that the neighbors and the women in the clinic who are pregnant have noticed, and the gossip is quite unpleasant. There’s a difference between men and women, so we have to avoid you.”

Shangguan Ruyu interrupted her, "Every time I come, I bring my carriage directly into the courtyard so no one can see me. I don't care about reputation or empty fame, and neither has Miss Feng."

Feng Chuchen retorted, "Who said I don't care? I still want to get married."

These words were like a spring breeze across a frozen lake. Shangguan Ruyu's eyes suddenly lit up, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Miss Feng has finally decided to get married. She thought she would have to wait a while longer, but today is the perfect opportunity to express her feelings.

He cleared his throat and softly uttered the words that had been hidden in his heart for so long, "Miss Feng, will you marry me? My parents have always liked you. Give me some time, and I will definitely be able to persuade them to agree to let me marry you in a grand and glorious way."

Her voice was both eager and clumsy, and her cheeks were as red as the morning sun.

"If you grant me this promise, I will repay you with the rest of my life. From this day forward, through green hills and clear waters, through the changing seasons, wherever your eyes fall and your heart desires, I, Shangguan Ruyu, will be by your side..."

Feng Chuchen was extremely surprised. Did this child really have such thoughts?
And the words were so moving...

However, let alone the fact that she doesn't want to get married right now, even if she were to get married, she wouldn't marry Shangguan Ruyu. It's not just because the two of them are incompatible, but also because of the insurmountable class divide, and even more so because he is Shangguan Yunqi's son.

The story of the eldest aunt and Shangguan Yunqi is already a tragedy; how could we allow such a tragedy to continue into the next generation?

Feng Chuchen turned her head.

This is an exceptionally handsome man, with a tall and straight figure like bamboo, and a refined and elegant appearance like a celestial being from a painting, his eyes filled with starlight-like anticipation.

Feng Chuchen sighed inwardly, but still said, "There is absolutely no possibility between us. You are not the right person for me, and I am not the right person for you. Don't let a moment of impulse ruin your life. Please go back."

Shangguan Ruyu was filled with disbelief. So many noble ladies wanted to marry him, how could Miss Feng, who had always been close to him, have no feelings for him at all?

He growled resentfully, "What's wrong with me? Tell me, and I'll change it until you're satisfied."

His confidence and pride vanished, leaving him feeling utterly humbled.

Feng Chuchen shook her head, her eyes filled with determination. "Old habits die hard. You'll never become the man I want, and I'll never become the woman you want. Go, take your Peony with you."

"If there are any problems with the surgery, you can have your servant come to me, and I will tell you everything I know. If there is nothing else, please focus on practicing your skills, Young Master Shangguan. You are already twenty-one, and Her Highness the Princess is quite anxious about your marriage. Marry a wife as soon as possible to put your elders at ease."

Shangguan Ruyu trembled with anger, her delicate features contorted in pain.

He had never been rejected so bluntly before; it was an absolute humiliation!
(End of this chapter)