Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 386 A Tug-of-War
Yan Ciwan turned to look at Qiu Shuang, who immediately said, "The Emperor has instructed that everything in this house belongs to Lady Ning, including the items in the storeroom."

Since the emperor had said so, Yan Ciwan decided to stop caring.

An hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the Xiao residence.

Xiao Wang, knowing that Yan Ciwan was coming, waited for her at the door in advance, with his steward Xiao Zhong following behind him.

They helped Yan Ciwan out of the carriage, and then had the servants carry all the gifts that Nie Xiayun had brought into the mansion.

Xiao Wangchong Nie Xiayun said, "Madam, you are too kind. It is already an honor for us that you can come to our home as guests. There is really no need for you to go to such lengths."

Nie Xiayun smiled and said, "It's just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it."

The group entered the Xiao residence. Xiao Wenyi happened to be on leave today and was at home. He received Yan Ciwan and Nie Xiayun in the flower hall, and then they went to visit Xiao Zeming, who was recuperating from his injuries.

Xiao Zeming had injuries on his forehead and arms, but fortunately they were all superficial wounds. As long as he applied the medicine on time every day, he would recover in a while.

Taking the opportunity, Yan Ciwan inquired about the process of the fire at the Fu residence.

Xiao Zemin sat in the chair, leaning against the cushion, and slowly said, "Yesterday, after Dalang and I finished paying our respects, we had just stepped out of the mourning hall when we suddenly heard someone shout that there was a fire. Then we saw smoke coming out of a house next door. We were startled and quickly called for people to put out the fire."

Yan Ciwan listened intently: "And then?"

"The fire spread very quickly, and the mourning hall was about to catch fire as well. We had to run outside as fast as we could. There were many guests at the time, and everyone was trying to escape. The scene was extremely chaotic. My brother and I were separated by the crowd. I accidentally fell and scraped my arm and forehead."

Yan Ciwan suddenly realized that this was how Xiao Zeming got his injuries.

"When I ran out of the Fu residence after everyone else, I saw my eldest brother searching for me everywhere. Not long after, my sixth brother also arrived."

Yan Ciwan asked curiously, "How did General Fu's father die?"

“The house that caught fire was very close to his home. He already had difficulty walking, and at that time he was devastated by the loss of his grandson and couldn’t even eat. He was too weak to escape in time.”

"Isn't anyone going in to save him?"

"General Fu ignored everyone's advice and rushed into the fire to save his father, but unfortunately it was too late. By the time he carried his father out, his father had already suffocated from inhaling too much smoke."

Xiao Zeming sighed deeply as he said this, feeling quite regretful.

Yan Ciwan then asked, "Has the cause of the fire been found?"

"I heard that it was because a maid accidentally knocked over the oil lamp. There was a lot of paper money and hemp in that room, which was originally intended to be used on the day of the funeral. Unexpectedly, an accident happened. The paper money and hemp burned very quickly and burned the whole room up in an instant."

Yan Ciwan pressed on, "Where is that maid?"

Xiao Zeming sighed, "I don't know. Perhaps she was burned to death. Even if she survived by chance, she made such a big mistake that she certainly wouldn't survive in the future."

After visiting Xiao Zeming, Yan Ciwan was about to take her leave when Xiao Wenyi suddenly called her back.

"If Madam Ning is not busy, would you please have a cup of tea with this old man?"

Yan Ciwan realized that he wanted to talk to her alone, and since she also had something she wanted to ask him, she readily agreed and then spoke to Xiao Wang.

"Could you please accompany my grandmother for a stroll in the garden?" "Sure."

Xiao Wang glanced at his grandfather. He could roughly guess what his grandfather wanted to say to Yan Ciwan, but he knew that Yan Ciwan could handle these things on her own, so he had nothing to worry about.

Yan Ciwan followed Xiao Wenyi to the tea room.

The two sat facing each other across the table. Xiao Wenyi opened the tea canister, scooped out tea leaves, and spoke while rinsing the tea.

"These past few days, Liu Lang has been coming to your residence every day to bother you, causing you a lot of trouble, hasn't he?"

Yan Ciwan smiled and said, "No, I'm very happy that Xiao Liu came to see me."

Xiao Wenyi gave her a deep look: "What do you think of Liu Lang?"

"Gentle and refined, considerate and thoughtful, he is a very good husband."

"Actually, Liu Lang isn't as good as you think. Because of his poor health, he lived in a Taoist temple in the mountains with Master Mo Wendao from a young age, which fostered his carefree habits. Later, when he returned to the Xiao family in Dongdu, he found it very difficult to adapt, but he endured it without showing it so as not to cause trouble for his family. Later, he was sent to Chang'an, and I personally taught him his first lessons. That's when I discovered that this child is exceptionally sensitive. You think he's thoughtful and considerate because he tries his best to do everything perfectly. He believes that only in this way can he prove that he is worthy of the Xiao surname."

Yan Ciwan hadn't expected this to happen. She asked, "Is it because of his background?"

"Yes, he was brought back from outside by my son. He lost his mother at birth, and given his mother's background, his family didn't initially look up to him. The reason I agreed to let Master Mo take him to a Taoist temple in the mountains to cultivate for a few years was to provide him with a more comfortable environment to grow up in. With so many people in the Xiao family, there will inevitably be some gossip, and if he hears it, he will definitely feel bad."

Yan Ciwan sighed, "It's truly admirable how much effort Xiao Gong put into this."

"Liu Lang is a very sensible child, but precisely because he is too sensible, it is easy to forget that he is only nineteen years old. The reason I am rambling on to you is to let you know that Liu Lang is not as good as you might think."

Xiao Wenyi poured two cups of tea and pushed one of them in front of Yan Ciwan.

Yan Ciwan understood his implied meaning and asked directly, "Does Lord Xiao not want me to continue associating with Xiao Liu?"

Xiao Wenyi smiled helplessly: "That's not what I meant. You are Liu Lang's savior, and you have a life-or-death bond between you. How can you give up such a precious friendship so easily? I hope you can see your own hearts clearly. If you only want to be friends, then keep your distance and don't cause any other trouble."

“Master Xiao, I’m a straightforward person and I like to speak my mind.”

Xiao Wenyi raised her right hand, indicating that she should speak freely.

Yan Ciwan said, "I like Xiao Liu, and I don't want to just be friends with him."

Xiao Wenyi was stunned.

Having lived to this age, he had seen a lot, but he had never met a girl as bold as Yan Ciwan.

It took him a while to come to his senses, and he said, "Since you have feelings for Liu Lang, why are you entangled with other men?"

Yan Ciwan frowned: "May I ask which man you are referring to?"

Xiao Wenyi lowered his voice: "Naturally, it's the one who gave you the house."

Yan Ciwan suddenly realized: "You mean the Emperor..."

Xiao Wenyi coughed loudly, interrupting her.