Chapter 117
Chapter 117: Do They Look Alike?
The Luo family’s Old Madam, supported by Third Madam and the Eldest Young Madam, got down from the carriage.
Luo You hurried forward and bowed respectfully: “Grandmother, why have you come?”
He added: “The weather is so hot. You should not have come down the mountain to see your grandson off. If you catch heatstroke, your grandson will be terribly guilty.”
He meant every word.
Grandmother had always treated him well. The year before last, his wet nurse Nanny Fan’s husband had been tricked outside and almost had to shoulder a huge debt. After overhearing this, Luo You told Grandmother.
He told Grandmother that he did not want Nanny Fan to leave. Nanny Fan had always been very good to him, and her husband’s trouble should not drag her down.
Grandmother sent Nanny Sheng to handle it.
The other side was a rogue who bullied humble servants but feared the Old Madam of the Marquis Manor.
After paying some money, the matter was quickly settled. The stewards of the manor were never even disturbed, and Nanny Fan did not have to be punished.
If it had been his mother instead, she would definitely have driven Nanny Fan out first to avoid future trouble. Even if Nanny Fan’s husband had been framed, he had still caused trouble, and Mother would not have tolerated it.
Luo You had always felt grateful that Grandmother had secretly helped him. Because of that, he also worried about Grandmother’s health.
[How can they say I do not understand filial piety? I understand it very well,] Luo You thought at that moment.
Qiu Shi Dong, his uncle’s friend, had no right to accuse him of lacking filial piety.
[What does this Qiu know, anyway?]
“You are going off to study. How could Grandmother not see you off?” the Old Madam said kindly. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Luo You’s forehead.
She reminded him: “From now on, you must work hard and strive to improve, but do not push yourself too much. You are still young. Even if you only become an official at thirty, you will still have great prospects. You must not stay up late every night with the lamp, reading until you ruin your health.”
After she finished her careful advice, she asked the steward beside her, Nanny Sheng, to bring out an embroidered pouch for Luo You.
The embroidered pouch was very light. Inside was a silver banknote.
Luo You took it and bowed again: “Thank you, Grandmother.”
Once they finished their polite greetings, the people from the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor also stepped down from their carriages. The Zhou family members followed after them.
It was lively and crowded, but the people of the Luo family all turned their eyes in the same direction, looking at Madam Bai.
Why was she here?
The Old Madam also narrowed her eyes and looked over.
The Marquis of Zhen Nan, Luo Chong Ye, saw Madam Bai and Bai Yu Lin and was instantly furious. When he saw Qiu Shi Dong, he frowned a little.
Luo Chong Ye had met this man before and had some impression of him. He was one of Bai Yu Lin’s close friends and did business.
Merchants were low and humble. Even if one looked decent, there was nothing about him worthy of Luo Chong Ye’s notice.
He watched, and the other people from the Marquis Manor also watched.
Luo You turned his head at the same time.
“What are you doing here? Why did you come out in this heat?” Luo Chong Ye asked Madam Bai.
Seeing so many people from the Marquis Manor, and even the steward, Madam Bai first felt a stab of panic.
The panic only lasted for a moment. Her face quickly showed a sorrowful look instead: “My son is going to study. How can I not come see him off?”
“You are still ill…”
Seeing that Luo Chong Ye had not yet grasped the key point, Luo Ning stepped forward a few steps and said: “Mother, this morning we sent someone to ask you to get up and see A’You off. But Nanny Zhen on your side said you were too sick to get out of bed. How is it that in the blink of an eye, you have braved the heat and come all the way outside the city?”
She added, as if puzzled: “If you wanted to see A’You off, why not do it at the front gate at home?”
Madam Bai’s face stiffened. “I am his mother. Since when has it been against the law for me to choose when and where to see my own son off?”
“That reasoning does not hold. Mother, ask others if what you are saying sounds believable,” Luo Ning said.
Bai Yu Lin gave a small laugh and stepped in front of Madam Bai. He said to Luo Ning: “A’Ning, it was your uncle who wanted to send A’You off alone.
“Yesterday when I visited, things got a bit unpleasant. I was afraid your brother-in-law would brood over it, so I decided to wait for A’You here instead. I did not want you to misunderstand.”
He added: “Your mother is in very good health. Others are slandering her by saying she has gone mad. I only asked her to come so we could send A’You off together.”
Everyone looked at him.
Luo You’s brows furrowed again.
Before he could speak, Luo Ning said: “Uncle, you are deliberately offending my father. What do you mean by being afraid he will ‘brood over it’? You are trying to shift the blame and make it sound like my father is narrow-minded.”
When Luo Chong Ye heard this, he felt very pleased.
He had almost been muddled by Bai Yu Lin’s words.
Bai Yu Lin’s face was embarrassed. “A’Ning, I…”
“You offended my father, and instead of trying to make peace, you secretly came to see my brother. Uncle, are you trying to teach my brother to be unfilial?” Luo Ning asked again.
Luo You could not help cutting in: “That is exactly right.”
He went on: “My mother’s illness is so serious, yet Uncle and Cousin keep saying there is ‘nothing wrong.’ They clearly refuse to face the illness. If they were not making trouble, my mother’s sickness would have been cured long ago.”
He added: “I have tried to persuade Mother to rest and heal, but they will not listen. They even brought in an outsider to scold me for not being filial. This is outrageous.”
As he spoke, he pointed at Qiu Shi Dong.
Everyone from the Luo family turned their gaze on Qiu Shi Dong.
“Who is he?” Third Madam asked with a smile.
“He is my friend, and just happened to be passing by,” Bai Yu Lin said. “He has never met such a good student before and wanted to see A’You.”
“And who is your friend? What is his name?” Luo Ning asked with a smile. “Uncle, is that something you cannot say?”
“How could that be? He is a salt merchant from Huzhou named Qiu Shi Dong,” Bai Yu Lin replied.
Luo Ning looked surprised. “Is he the Master Qiu who was once engaged to my mother?”
Everyone from the Marquis Manor was stunned.
It was as if someone had struck Luo Chong Ye. He stared in shock at Luo Ning, then at Bai Yu Lin and Madam Bai.
Bai Yu Lin, Madam Bai, and even Bai Ci Rong all looked clearly flustered. Qiu Shi Dong’s expression also flickered for a moment, but he quickly grew calm again.
“That was only a rumor…” Bai Yu Lin began.
“If it is only a rumor, then send someone to the Government Office in Yuhang to check the eight-characters betrothal card from back then. Would that not make everything clear?
“I heard Nanny Zhen complaining that if Madam had not married into the Luo family but had married into the Qiu clan in Huzhou, her days would be richer and more comfortable than now. She even said the Luo family depends on Madam,” Luo Ning said.
Madam Bai’s cheeks flushed red. “You are talking nonsense. Nanny Zhen would never say such things!”
“She said it in private. Many servants know, but no one told you,” Luo Ning said.
Luo Chong Ye looked at Qiu Shi Dong.
The people of the Luo family also examined him. Their eyes were all different now.
“Yes, back then there really was such a thing,” Qiu Shi Dong said with a smile. “But at that time my health was poor. I was afraid I would drag someone down, so I took the initiative to withdraw from the engagement.”
“What year was that?” Luo Ning asked.
“…” Qiu Shi Dong fell silent.
In the current dynasty, when a man and woman got engaged, they had to report it to the Government Office, because there was often quite a lot of money involved.
Later, when they wanted to break off the engagement, they could not simply take back the Eight-Characters Betrothal Card and be done with it.
The betrothal gift money had to be returned, and they had to go to the Government Office to cancel the Eight-Characters Betrothal Card before the matter was truly over.
Even if it had been more than twenty years ago, the Government Office might still have the case on file.
If he made up a year at random and it did not match, it would only arouse more suspicion.
“It has been too long. I do not really remember,” Qiu Shi Dong said with a smile.
“It was all something from decades ago. Niece, do not think too much about it,” Bai Yu Lin added. “We just happened to meet today, that is all.”
“I see,” Luo Ning said, drawing out her words.
Her tone carried a deep meaning.
Luo Chong Ye’s face kept changing. One by one, the people of the Marquis Manor all did their own silent calculations in their hearts.
“I find this Master Qiu looks very familiar,” Luo Ning said with another smile.
“Maybe he just has a friendly face,” Bai Yu Lin said.
Luo Ning turned and asked the Marchioness: “Mother, do you think he looks familiar? His forehead looks a bit like Cousin’s.”
Everyone looked from Qiu Shi Dong to Bai Ci Rong.
The Old Madam’s face grew a little pale, but she worked hard to hide it so no one could see.
“He does look somewhat similar,” the Eldest Young Madam said. “He also looks a bit like someone else.”
Third Madam laughed and asked: “Does he look like the Eldest Young Master?”