La luna brilla intensamente sobre las montañas desiertas y las flores llenan el cielo

Capítulo 3

But things weren't as simple as Feng Ning had imagined. When she woke up again, apart from Xiao Qing taking care of her, no one else came to visit her, not even the strict Granny Yu. When asked, Xiao Qing only said that the Second Master was busy, the Third Master was busy, the Eldest Master wasn't home, Steward Tie was busy, Granny Yu was busy, everyone was busy.

With so many people around, not a single one came to see her? Feng Ning felt very disappointed, but what could she do? She was seriously injured, and even the slightest movement would cause her to have a splitting headache. She could only stay in this room alone, and most of the time she would just lie in bed and sleep.

Xiaoqing brought her food and medicine on time and took Dr. Chen to her follow-up appointments, but that was all; she was dutiful but not enthusiastic. Fengning had a lot of time to herself, so she started to overthink things. How annoying must she be to make this family so disgusted with her?

Xiaoqing told her that her family was the Feng family of Huzhou. The Long and Feng families had been friends for generations, so the old man had arranged marriages for his unborn children and grandchildren. Feng Ning had been married into the family for less than three years.

Since they are from families with a long history of friendship, why do they dislike her so much? Could it be that she has not conceived in three years, so her husband's family is unhappy with her? Feng Ning thought about it and felt that this was very likely.

A little over a month later, Feng Ning was able to get out of bed and walk around. During that month, she didn't see anyone except Xiao Qing and Doctor Chen. However, after several attempts, she managed to get some clues from Xiao Qing.

It turns out that the Long family's parents were both deceased. The eldest brother, Long Da, was a military officer serving in the imperial court, spending half the year away from home. Long Da was married, and because the couple had a deep affection for each other, he always took his wife with him when he went out. At this moment, neither of them was home. Long Er was in charge of the family business; in other words, he was a businessman. He managed all of the Long family's assets, such as farmland, shops, restaurants, and so on.

What about her husband, Long San? Feng Ning wondered. Her two older brothers were so capable, her husband couldn't be too far behind, could he? Although Feng Ning had no memory of him, she still favored her husband. But what Xiao Qing told her was, "I don't really know what Third Master does. Anyway, he's often not at home, but he has a lot of friends and often invites people to visit the mansion."

He's rarely home, yet he frequently invites friends over? It sounds like he's a spendthrift. Feng Ning thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile, "Her unpopularity might have something to do with her husband."

"How is my relationship with my husband?" Although the question was strange, Feng Ning didn't feel embarrassed at all. She didn't remember, so of course she had to ask.

Fortunately, although Xiaoqing wasn't particularly close to her, she didn't seem to dislike her as much after spending time together. In Xiaoqing's words, the lady was quite different after her injury, so Xiaoqing was willing to answer some of Feng Ning's questions. As for the matter of their marital relationship, Xiaoqing said, "The lady and the third master aren't particularly close."

"He's not even close to me when I'm injured or sick, and he doesn't even come to see me?" This fact made Feng Ning very resentful.

Xiaoqing felt a pang of pity at the desolation and hurt in her voice, so she said, "Third Master was also injured before Madam and remained unconscious. It was only after Granny Yu took him to Baiqiao City in Yunwu Mountain for medical treatment that he was cured."

Feng Ning, in a moment of urgency, interrupted her and asked, "What kind of injury did he suffer?"

"Third Master was injured by villains outside and fell off his horse, hitting his head."

Feng Ning raised her eyebrows slightly. It seemed that they were indeed destined to be husband and wife, as she had also bumped her head.

"Does he still remember things? Does he remember me?"

“Madam need not worry. Third Master is much better now. He can run and jump around, and his mind is undamaged. On the day Madam woke up, Granny Yu and Third Master had just returned, so there were many things to take care of, and he was indeed very busy.”

Feng Ning harbored deep resentment towards this husband she had never met. Her mind was blank; her situation was utterly desolate. The Long Mansion was so vast, yet she had no one to confide in. A husband should be someone to rely on and accompany her, but it turned out he was a spendthrift who spent his days out partying, causing trouble and getting injured, and now he hadn't even come to visit her.

If their relationship was already bad, why did she stay in this place where everyone disliked her? She now felt she shouldn't be the kind of person who swallowed her anger like that. Could it be that the Long family was afraid of damaging their reputation, so they had been coldly abandoning her here instead of divorcing her and letting her return to her hometown? Or perhaps, her family couldn't accept her either, and she had nowhere else to go?

The only thing Feng Ning could do after getting out of bed was to wander around the courtyard. Firstly, it would be good if she could meet someone to chat with and learn about her situation. Secondly, people are alive, while things are inanimate. If she understood the layout of the house and the arrangement of the courtyard, she could roughly understand the power structure and interpersonal relationships within the family. Sometimes, what you can't get from people can be gleaned from things.

Feng Ning didn't know why she thought that way, but she instinctively walked out of the courtyard and found that the small courtyard where she lived was located in a secluded corner. It seemed that she was indeed an abandoned woman.

She walked along the stone path and garden corridor, and soon discovered the layout pattern of the house. She strolled slowly and leisurely, even kicking a fallen leaf and picking a handful of flowers. She had been confined to the bed for a long time, and now that she was out of bed, she felt as if she had been reborn.

She encountered some servants on the road, who merely gave her a perfunctory bow and turned to leave without uttering a word. Feng Ning shook her head; it seemed she was thoroughly unwelcome. Finding someone to chat with would likely be quite difficult.

After turning two corners, Feng Ning finally realized she was being followed. It wasn't alone; it was a group working together, changing watchers every so often to avoid detection. But wasn't this her home? She was being monitored. Feng Ning felt extremely annoyed, maliciously wondering if mere surveillance was enough, and whether they should lock her up.

She quickened her pace, determined to explore the entire mansion today. Ahead was a large courtyard, seemingly housing the storeroom and the main kitchen. It wasn't mealtime yet, but the aroma of steaming buns wafted from the kitchen. Suddenly, Feng Ning's stomach rumbled. She went into the kitchen and, lo and behold, no one was there. But on the stove was a large steamer, hissing and steaming. Feng Ning opened it and saw a basket of plump, round, white buns, their enticing aroma practically beckoning her to appreciate them.

Since that was the case, Feng Ning unceremoniously pulled out a large bowl, grabbed a small, plump bun, and stuffed it into her mouth while exhaling. The scalding meat juice made her jump, but the delicious taste made her eyes light up. She heard voices coming from outside the door, heading this way. Feng Ning quickly filled the whole steamer with small, plump buns into the large bowl, covered the steamer again, and then sneaked out through the back door.

She entered through the front door and exited through the back. The servant who had been following her lost sight of her in the blink of an eye. Feng Ning quickly turned two corners, completely shaking him off. Then, she ate her steamed buns, feeling a little better.

Wandering to a two-story covered walkway, I saw that behind the upturned eaves and green tiles, lush bamboo and swaying flowers and plants surrounded the area. What a beautiful view!

Feng Ning immediately fell in love with this place. She looked around and saw the garden and rockery guarding the left, and the pond and pavilion standing on the right. A single path led to the building. She didn't know how she understood it, but she knew that these beautiful scenes were arranged according to the method of ingenious formation. Behind the rockery, pavilion, bamboo and trees were defensive devices. They looked beautiful on ordinary days, but once an enemy invaded, these buildings, decorations and furnishings would be deadly defensive mechanisms.

Feng Ning stuffed a steamed bun into her mouth. How did she know all this? She should know her name, her past, who her friends were, what kind of person her husband was, where her family was, and what had happened to her. But she knew none of these things.

She was lost in thought, wallowing in self-pity, when a cold voice suddenly came from behind her: "This is not a place you can come to."

Feng Ning turned around, holding the bowl of steamed buns, chewed hard, and swallowed the bite. She looked closely and saw that the person speaking to her was a young man in his early twenties, with bright eyes and a slender figure. He wore a lake-blue robe with a light white belt, a jade pendant cinched at his waist, and had a scholarly air about him. His bright eyes revealed shrewdness. At that moment, his face was filled with displeasure.

Feng Ning took a step back, her mind completely blank, without a single recollection of this person, yet it was clear he recognized her. Feng Ning instinctively hugged the bowl of steamed buns tighter, scrutinizing the man intently.

A look of surprise flashed in the other person's eyes. They clearly hadn't expected Feng Ning to turn around like this. They had never seen anyone carrying a bowl of steamed buns around like this before, let alone wandering around here.

Feng Ning's silence and scrutiny made the man narrow his eyes slightly, and he said again, "This is not a place for you." Feng Ning looked blankly at him, and the man glanced at the bowl she was holding and said slowly, "What, have you really forgotten everything?"

Feng Ning followed his gaze to the steamed buns and replied, "I still remember that you have to eat when you're hungry, but I've really forgotten about the people and things in the manor."

The man scrutinized her expression, as if trying to ascertain the truth: "Think carefully about who I am. If you answer correctly, I'll consider what you asked me for before."

His tone was suggestive and affectionate, and he even said that she had asked him for something. Feng Ning was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Is this my husband?" The man's face immediately darkened, and his eyes were full of disgust and sarcasm.

Feng Ning finally understood: "Oh, so that's not it." She was angry and shouted, "Second Uncle is Second Uncle, why are you making such a fuss and being so disrespectful to your own sister-in-law?" She couldn't help but glare at him.

Long Er sneered: "Sister-in-law, you've just recovered from serious injuries, but you seem to be in good spirits."

Feng Ning was very unhappy: "Fortunately, glaring at people doesn't take much effort."

Long Er was taken aback by her reaction. After thinking for a moment, he said in a calm tone, "It's better to focus on recovering from your injuries. I told you before that you can't come here."

"I want to talk to my husband." Feng Ning felt full of questions. No matter what, her husband should be the closest person to her. Even if their relationship wasn't good, they were still husband and wife. She wanted to talk to her husband first and find out what to do so that they could discuss it.

Long Er was stunned again, lowered his eyes and said, "Your relationship with the third brother is not harmonious. Before you were injured, you often came to talk to me..." Before he could finish, Feng Ning interrupted him: "Second Uncle, are you saying that I am unfaithful and that you seduced me? So that's why the people in this house don't like me?"

She frowned, but her words stunned Long Er. "So, this woman's been hit and she's lost her mind? Or is she feigning madness for some other purpose? And even if she's foolish, she herself says she's unfaithful, so why does she claim he seduced her? Does he seem like such a blind and uncalculating man? If he were interested in her, the third brother wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself to marry her."

Feng Ning observed his expression and finally confirmed that this was not the case. She patted her chest and said, "Thank goodness, I'm not a bad woman. Second Uncle, you should think carefully about what you say in the future, or you'll ruin a young lady's reputation."

Long Er's eye twitched. Who was talking without thinking?

Seeing that Long Er had no intention of taking her to find her husband, Feng Ning didn't insist. She said, "Second Uncle, you can continue your stroll. I'll go find my husband somewhere else." With that, she picked up her bowl and left, stuffing another bun into her mouth as she walked, muttering to herself, "It's a bit cold. What a pity. It's more fragrant when it's hot."

After she walked away, a guard jumped out and bowed to Long Er to apologize: "She ran into the kitchen, and Li Ke lost her."