The early summer rain carried some of May’s coolness, unhurriedly without any signs of stopping anytime soon. The leaves on the tree outside the window were washed anew and clean. The early summer rain was less lingering than spring rain, instead with an extra degree of fervor. It was less noisy than the summer rain, instead it was a little more refres.h.i.+ng. It was less mature than the autumn rain but had a little more youthfulness.
Lan You Nian looked at the falling rain shower outside the window. Just like a few years ago, there was an impulse to be out in the rain, but just as she came to the inner room’s door and haven’t yet left the pavilion-tower, Lan Wu and Lan Qu were already standing there, each wearing an expression of ‘I caught you’.
“Young miss….” Lan Qu’s helpless voice drifted. All the time, young miss was like an elder who experienced the vicissitudes of the world, but this willful personality without any self-love was like a real little girl, but this also made others worry.
“Mm, I wasn’t thinking about going out into the rain!” Lan You Nian smiled. Although she had such an idea, she also knew how her body is now. She isn’t someone who didn’t care for herself.
“Really?” Lan Wu clearly didn’t believe her. It really is that the young miss never takes her own body seriously. Have you ever seen someone who already endures deadly poisons in their body but never worries about finding an antidote, as if it doesn’t concern her? Fortunately, the eldest young master (Gui Yi) and young miss’s s.h.i.+fu have been developing an antidote. Otherwise, relying on young miss’s temper, it would be bad.
“I heard that An yiniang pa.s.sed out last night?” As Lan Yo Nian reached out the palm of her hand catching the cold raindrops, she remembered the present she gave An yiniang last night.
“Yes! I heard the scare wasn’t light! But this matter isn’t known by others, except for the housekeeper of the manor. Zhang Lin said that the body was handled by that housekeeper.” Lan Wu was excited as she remembered secretly watching An yiniang’s expression of being frightened to near madness. Anyone who bullied her family’s young miss she will not let go of them.
Lan You Nian was silent. Although An yiniang’s methods were ruthless, even killed plenty of people, but never actually touched her outright. All she did was used some means or let others do it. This time sleeping together with a veritable dead body, An yiniang surely felt pretty good.
“What is Mo Xian gege doing?” Lan You Nian recalled the brother who ran to her courtyard whether it’s for something or nothing at all and was prepared to go to see her older brother’s courtyard. After all, since she entered Lan manor, she has never gone to see older brother.
Lan Qu went out to ask. “Young miss, today young master Lan was summoned by old Madame. I heard that it was to pay morning respects!”
“Since today’s weather is pretty good, let’s go pay respect to old Madame!” Lan You Nian said. Lan Wu and Lan Qu looked at the rain shower outside. They couldn’t see where the weather was good.
When the few people arrived at old Madame’s courtyard, w.a.n.g mama blocked Lan You Nian and the others outside the house, “Third young miss, please let this old slave go in to pa.s.s you through!”
Lan You Nian nodded and knew she has encountered someone trying to put her in her place. It seems that she will be outside for a while. The rain outside is so big and her body wasn’t good either; Lan You Nian did not like this old Madame more and more. Sure enough, a fellow of no elderly respect.
“Does General Lan know that older brother came to pay respect?” Lan You Nian knew that Lan Mo Xian is surely receiving oppression, not to mention An yiniang and Lan Ya Ya are inside as well. Lan Jian Jun sincerely liked this son. If he knew, he will definitely come.
“General Lan does not know,” Lan Qu said in a low voice, then glanced at her family’s young miss countenance and suddenly understood, “I’ll let Zhang Lin do it!”
Seeing Lan Qu slowly withdrew, Lan You Nian and Lan Wu looked at each other. Both of them revealed an expression of smugness, like a mischievous child. Perhaps only at the side of the people who truly loved her, Lan You Nian will show her true self.
Under the flurry of the cool breeze, Lan You Nian’s originally pallid face was even more pale, adding on to that frail little body. Looking from afar, there was a kind of delicate and pitiful air around her. Lan Jian Jun heard his son was summoned by the old Madame and knew that the old Madame was making things difficult for his son again. His son will consider his own face so will definitely not do anything too over, but he watched this child grow up. He was like his own biological son. When Lan Jian Jun hurried to old Madame’s courtyard, he saw his own daughter standing in the wind and rain, with the pitiful appearance like she was on the verge of collapse.
“Nian’er!” Lan Jian Jun came to Lan You Nian’s side and tilted the umbrella in Uncle Lan hands to block the cold wind that was blowing, “How come you are here?”
“General Lan!” Lan You Nian gave a curtsy. Lan Wu immediately answered, “Young miss came to pay respect to old Madame. But after waiting in the rain for so long, still doesn’t allow young miss to go in.”
Lan Jian Jun pulled up his daughter’s hand to walk inside the house, but his daughter’s hand was as cold as ice. This made Lan Jian Jun feel guilty again. Lan You Nian looked at the hand that was being held by Lan Jian Jun. Her eyes flas.h.i.+ng with bewilderment. This kind of feeling was the same as the feeling her Dad gave her.
“Master!” w.a.n.g mama gave a courtesy bow. When she saw Lan You Nian, she s.h.i.+vered slightly. She didn’t expect that not only did she not successfully give third young miss a hard time, she actually drew the master here. Now, how can the old Madame make things difficult for the eldest young master?
“w.a.n.g mama has grown old that it takes so long to pa.s.s the message through. It seems to this general that w.a.n.g mama doesn’t need to continue to stay in Lan manor!” Lan Jian Jun’s expression looking at w.a.n.g mama was unkind.
“Master, this old slave didn’t make things difficult for third young miss ah, master!” w.a.n.g mama knelt down and shouted. She relied on Lan manor’s money to support her home. She was one of old Madame’s people. In Lan more, she lived very well, ate well, drank well, even has face.
“What happened?” The sound of old Madame’s voice filled with dissatisfaction drifted out.
Lan Jian Jun pulled Lan You Nian into the inner room. For the first time he didn’t give the old Madame a good look, “Mother, Nian’er’s body isn’t well, but she still came over to pay respect. How can you let her wait so long in the cold and rain?”
As soon as Lan Mo Xian heard his younger sister actually waited for a long time outside, he could no longer hold back the rage he suppressed for a long time. He could endure old Madame’s oppression. After all, it was just listening to a few ugly words, do some boring things that’s all. But his younger sister was different. She was the true rightful legitimate daughter of Lan manor. The old Madame really oversteps her bounds.
Because Lan Mo Xian can’t do anything to the old Madame, so instead gave a kick to the w.a.n.g mama behind him, “If Nian’er meimei gets sick, you this old slave doesn’t need to live!”
w.a.n.g mama cried out as she was kicked to the ground. The old Madame suddenly became even more angry. Were they all going to rebel? It’s all this unlucky star’s calamity. Moments ago, this Lan Mo Xian was still good. No matter what she said, he didn’t refute. As soon as this unlucky star came, he actually dares to hit people.
“Lan Mo Xian, you struck this old woman’s slave in my own house, where do you put this old lady!” The old Madame scolded.
“Good slap!” Lan Jian Jun’s words made the old Madame’s face become extremely ugly. The old Madame had no children. Relying on this child pa.s.sed onto her, she steadily sat on the seat of the old Madame of Lan manor. Due to Lan Jian Jun’s status, the old Madame had plenty of face outside. Now the old Madame’s only support was Lan Jian Jun. Whether or not it was sincere, what she cared about the most is Lan Jian Jun.
But Lan Jian Jun’s words just now was like slapping her face. Although her son wasn’t close to her, but he was very respectful, but now… The old Madame felt a little panicked. If this son was no longer respectful to her, then she will not have any prestige in Lan manor in the future. In the future, those old ladies outside, who knows how they will ridicule her, no, absolutely not!
Lan You Nian saw the old Madame’s look very clearly. To hurt someone, not only did you need to hurt their body, but also their heart. What they cared most about, what they were concerned the most about, just destroy it. That was the real torture for others. What the old Madame cared the most about is reputation and status and this son, that’s all.
And An yiniang, Lan You Nian looked at the ugly expression of An yiniang sitting beside her. An yiniang this person really loves Lan Jian Jun, and then besides that, she was concerned about her three children, wu, what should she destroy first? Better if it was one by one then.
An yiniang didn’t know why but she felt a cold air rising up her back. When An yiniang looked up and saw Lan You Nian staring at her like she was staring a dead person, that look made An yiniang feel a burst of panic. Remembering last night’s corpse, her intuition told her this can’t escape connection with Lan You Nian, but does Lan You Nian really have such great ability?
“My son, when did you become like this? Do you not have this mother of yours in your eye?” The old Madame used filial piety to pressure Lan Jian Jun.
“Mother, this son does not provoke mother to be angry. Mo Xian is Lan manor’s legitimate son. Teaching a lesson to a slave, he has every right,” Lan Jian Jun countered, just like in the past with the same att.i.tude of refusing to take in any concubines.
“Master, old Madame doesn’t have any intention of blaming the eldest young master. Why doesn’t third young miss persuade the master, a peaceful family will proper ah!” An yiniang didn’t forget to bring Lan You Nian into this at this time.
“Who let you speak? Is this the att.i.tude you should use to talk to Nian’er?” Lan Jian Jun tossed An yiniang a glare. It was just this once glance that made An yiniang’s face pale. The little person in Lan You Nian’s heart laughed. Look, no matter how vicious a woman was, after being yelled at by the man she loved, she will definitely be hurt.
An yiniang looked at the man in front of her. She still remembered the first time she saw this man, she instantly fell in love with him. She longed for this man to look at her with the same look in his eyes as he looked at his wife, but he didn’t. So, she exhausted every means only to be a concubine, just to stay by this man’s side. But after so many years, that woman is already dead, she gave birth to three children for him, but this man’s heart, even his eyes, still didn’t contain her. An yiniang felt that she was like a joke.
“Jian Jun, no matter what An-niang is your wife. For you, for this family, for the children, she busied for so many years. How can you listen to other people’s provocations and treat An-niang like this!” The old Madame deliberately glanced at Lan You Nian when she mentioned provocation.
“Old Madame said something wrong. An yiniang isn’t a wife but merely a concubine!” When Lan You Nian mentioned concubine she saw extreme hatred flash across An yiniang’s eyes.
“You unmannered thing, did I let you speak?” Right now, the old Madame was angered just seeing Lan You Nian. Hearing Lan You Nian’s words, she felt uncomfortable. She felt that her son was now so unfilial, it was all because of Lan You Nian’s provocation.
“It seems that mother is unwell today. Then, son will take Mo Xian and Nian’er back,” Lan Jian Jun tugged Lan You Nian and lifted his feet to go outside the door, but he suddenly remembered something and stopped. To the old Madame in the inner room he said, “Since mother doesn’t like Mo Xian and Nian’er, from now on, it isn’t necessary for them to come to mother’s place.”
When they were out of old Madame’s courtyard, Lan You Nian wrestled out her own hand. She felt a bit conflicted right now. On one hand, because it wasn’t her own people’s closeness, she really wants to kill someone. On the other hand, she seems to slightly feel Lan Jian Jun wasn’t so bad.
Lan Jian Jun sighed in his heart. Of his daughter’s abhorrence of him, he knew more or less, so although his heart ached, but it wasn’t that difficult to accept. He will be a good father in the future. No one can hurt his daughter.
“Nian’er, your grandfather had someone come over and said he wants you to go to He manor to play, are you willing to go?” Lan Jian Jun put away his serious expression from the battlefield and asked gently.
After Lan Jian Jun’s reminder, only then did Lan You Nian remember that she really should go to grandfather’s place to look around. After all, this elder sincerely liked her. And she truly regards Tutor He as her grandfather.
“En, will older brother be going together?” Lan You Nian knew that grandfather really likes Lan Mo Xian. Lan Mo Xian was also very close to Tutor He.
“No, there is still a lot of things to deal with in the military. It will be good that Nian’er goes to play,” Lan Mo Xian tilted the umbrella towards Lan You Nian, “Want older brother to pick you up tonight?”
“I can come back myself,” Lan You Nan refused Lan Mo Xian’s good intentions. After all, Lan Mo Xian was now very busy. She was not a feeble female without any ability.
Watching Lan You Nian’s figure from the back, Lan Jian Jun said to his son, “Mo Xian, do you think in this life your father will ever hear Nian’er call me father?”
“Whether Nian’er meimei calls you father or not, she is your daughter. Father must never let Nian’er meimei be disappointed again…” Although Lan Mo Xian felt much respect for his father, but at the same time, his heart ached for his own younger sister.
“Father will never again…” Lan Mo Xian heard the sigh of his father walking in front of him.
yiniang-concubine/stepmother
gege-older brother
meimei-younger sister
