Le paysage est comme une peinture

Chapitre 19

The girl in red breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and murmured, "My dear sister-in-law, you scared me to death. If something had happened to you, not to mention Shun-ge'er, how could I explain it to Brother Gao?" After saying this, she exaggeratedly patted her chest, blinked her eyes, tilted her head, and asked, "The old friend you mentioned, wouldn't it be that Miss Yu you keep talking about?"

Qingdai looked at Youtong for help, unsure how to answer.

You Tong chuckled and interjected, "The Miss Yu that this young lady is talking about, could it be the Miss Yu You Tong who has been the talk of the town recently? It's not the first time someone has said that I look like that Miss Yu."

The girl in red was taken aback, then feigned sudden realization, pointing at You Tong before stammering, "You...you...you're the ninth young lady of the Cui family..."

You Tong nodded with a smile, while Qing Dai looked bewildered. The girl in red feigned curiosity, saying, "Everyone says you look like the eldest daughter of the Yu family. I never expected even Qing Dai would mistake you for her."

After saying that, she added with undisguised envy, "You have no idea how much all the young ladies in the capital envy you. Ever since Miss Yu passed away, so many people have wanted to marry into the Xu family but failed. But you beat them to it, and they're all furious. A few days ago, several young ladies even went to the Cui residence to cause you trouble. The second madam of the Cui family said you weren't there, and everyone thought it was just an excuse, but it turns out you really weren't there."

The girl in red spoke like a machine gun, and was straightforward, somewhat similar to Wen Yan. Although she was direct, she was not off-putting.

Upon hearing Xu Wei's name, Qingdai looked puzzled and couldn't help but glance at Youtong. Youtong smiled but remained silent, a rare hint of shyness on her face. Qingdai, being an experienced woman, felt a slight unease. Although she didn't understand what had happened in the past year, seeing that Youtong's complexion was better than before, she was relieved.

The three chatted for a while, and then You Tong learned the identity of the girl in red. It turned out that her name was Gao Yazhu, and she was the illegitimate daughter of Gao Heng's second uncle. Because the second master of the Gao family only had this one daughter, he usually doted on her, so her clothes and appearance were the same as those of the legitimate daughters of ordinary families.

Gao Heng did not take up an official post; he only helped manage the shops in the mansion. He only arrived in the capital last month. After Qingdai followed him there, she did not go to the capital but stayed at the Gao family's villa outside the city. This is why Qingdai has not heard any news about Youtong.

With Gao Yazhu and the maids present, there were many things the two couldn't discuss, so You Tong could only smile and invite them to sit for a while at the Cui family's villa. Gao Yazhu, who had been looking for someone to talk to, naturally had no reason to refuse.

The next day, the two of them indeed came to visit the villa. Gao Yazhu was lively and skipped around looking at everything as soon as she entered the villa. The Cui family was the most powerful family in the dynasty. Although the villa was not large, every piece of furnishing and decoration was unique and ingenious, leaving Yazhu speechless with amazement.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Youtong had Huiying and Huiqiao lead her around for a walk, and then pulled Qingdai into the house. After dismissing the servants, Youtong closed the door. As soon as she turned around, she saw Qingdai kneel down on the ground with a thud, her body went limp, and she collapsed, calling out, "Miss---" Her throat tightened, and tears fell again.

You Tong quickly stepped forward to help her up, pulled her to sit down on a low couch nearby, and whispered, "It's not easy to see each other now, you should be smiling, why are you crying?" As she spoke, her own eyes began to sting.

"This servant thought you..." Qingdai quickly slapped herself again, angrily saying, "Look at what nonsense I'm spouting! Miss, you're so lucky, how could anything happen to you? I just—I couldn't find anyone when I looked back, and nothing in the room had been touched, so I started having all sorts of wild thoughts. Oh, right—" She quickly took out a purse from her bosom and handed it to Youtong, whispering, "Miss, please check carefully and see if anything is missing."

Youtong took the purse with a puzzled look, took out the contents, opened it, and was stunned, muttering, "This is—"

“These are the things you left in Huzhou City. Besides these large silver notes and house deeds, there are also several antique paintings and calligraphy that were later transported from the villa. I have made a list of them all, and they are now stored in Longxing Money Shop in Huzhou.”

You Tong felt a warmth in her heart. When Cui Weiyuan kidnapped her, aside from a few silver notes hidden in her personal clothing, her remaining possessions were either in a secret room under the pond at the estate or in her small courtyard in Huzhou. These odds and ends could easily amount to tens of thousands of taels of silver, yet Qingdai had been carefully preserving them for her. Although You Tong had prepared a dowry for her when she married, it was nothing compared to these things, yet Qingdai showed no greed whatsoever. Thinking of Bai Ling's betrayal and comparing it to Qingdai before her, You Tong was overwhelmed with emotion.

The two inevitably began to talk about what had happened since their separation. Qingdai had already inquired about Youtong's current identity from Yazhu, and even knew a little about the entanglement with the Shen family's marriage and Bai Ling's fall from the mountain. When Bai Ling was mentioned, she couldn't help but feel angry and anxious, saying, "I didn't expect that little hussy to be such an ingrate. Miss, you have to be careful. Since she can accuse you of pushing her down the mountain, she might stand up and testify against you in the future."

You Tong sneered, "How could I be afraid of her? I'm only letting her go now because she's served me for so many years. If she really wants to repay kindness with enmity, don't forget that her indenture is still in my hands."

These two maids were her confidantes; otherwise, she wouldn't have specifically taken only the two of them with her when she faked her death. But whether she had foreseen it or not, she only returned Qingdai's indenture when she had a sudden thought, while Bailing's indenture remained buried under the pond in the estate.

40 Before returning to Beijing

Qingdai was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. After Cui Shi passed away, Youtong returned the indenture to her, so she assumed that Bai Ling was already free. She was surprised and delighted that Youtong had such a trick up her sleeve. She said, "Fortunately, Miss was prepared. In that case, even if Bai Ling has the support of the third young master of the Shen family, we are not afraid. Her testimony is unreliable as a runaway slave who betrayed her master."

You Tong could only smile bitterly and shake her head, saying, "It wasn't that I was trying to protect her. According to Mother's wishes, she was originally supposed to be released when she turned fifteen. But then the incident happened where the Third Master of the Tong family wanted to take her as a concubine. I was afraid she would be deceived, so I kept her indenture, intending to return it to her when she got married. I never expected... that day would never come." Her voice was filled with helplessness as she spoke. Perhaps, from the moment she stopped her from marrying the Third Master of the Tong family as a concubine, Bai Ling had already harbored resentment towards her.

Seeing this, Qingdai also sighed. Having been by Youtong's side for many years, she naturally knew what she was thinking at this moment. The harm caused by Shen San, who burned down Youtong's manor, was far less than that caused by Bai Ling's betrayal. It was only because Bai Ling had taken care of her for nearly ten years that she could not bring herself to do it, so she placed all her hatred on Shen San.

Not wanting to make the atmosphere too heavy, You Tong smiled and changed the subject to Qing Dai's life after marriage. Yesterday, she had vaguely guessed from Ya Zhu that Qing Dai had a son, so she asked about it now. As soon as Qing Dai mentioned her son Shun Ge'er, her face immediately softened and showed a kind expression. She smiled and said, "He's only been two months old, and he's already such a little devil. I actually gained some weight during my pregnancy, but I lost it all after I finished my postpartum period. It's all because of him."

Upon hearing this, You Tong's heart skipped a beat. Qing Dai had only married into the Gao family last July, and it hadn't even been a year yet. How could her baby already be over two months along? Could it be premature? She couldn't help but stare intently at Qing Dai's face, her expression questioning. Seeing the intensity in her gaze, Qing Dai knew she couldn't hide it from her, so she lowered her head and smiled bitterly, "I was supposed to give birth in June, but I accidentally fell and went into premature labor."

Although she didn't mention the behind-the-scenes dealings, how could Youtong not guess the sordid affairs within this deep mansion? Qingdai, a concubine, became pregnant not long after entering the household; it was already difficult enough to keep the child alive. But with so many years to go before the child grew up, how could she possibly survive?

Perhaps sensing Youtong's concerns, Qingdai quickly comforted her, "Miss, you don't need to worry about me. Ever since the baby turned one month old, the old lady had Master bring me and the baby to the capital. All the servants and maids here were carefully selected by Master; they are all trustworthy old people."

Youtong nodded, but was still worried, and added, "It's better to be safe than sorry. Especially be careful about what the child puts in her mouth; do as much as you can yourself as possible..."

Qingdai had lived in the Gao family for nearly a year and had personally experienced these things, so she probably knew more about them than Youtong did. She didn't need Youtong to remind her. However, seeing how meticulously she instructed her on every matter, she was deeply moved and agreed with each one with tears in her eyes. She then said, "Miss, you should also think more about yourself. I heard that you are engaged to General Xu again. Is that true? Isn't that all that effort for nothing?"

She was unaware of the relationship between You Tong and Xu Wei, only thinking that fate was playing tricks on them, and that the marriage her young mistress had just escaped had been brought back to her, so she couldn't help but sigh. Seeing her sighing, You Tong felt quite embarrassed, and blushed for once, whispering, "Xu...Xu Wei recognized me a long time ago."

Qingdai was greatly surprised and failed to detect the shyness in Youtong's words. She hurriedly asked, "What should we do? What if General Xu recognizes you?" She suddenly realized, "Then he will propose marriage to the Cui family. Wouldn't that mean... Miss!" Qingdai was both surprised and delighted, her face beaming with undisguised joy. "General Xu is truly devoted to you. Miss, you are blessed."

You Tong smiled but didn't speak, though her expression betrayed her feelings. Qing Dai had never approved of her remaining single, but now that she finally had someone to rely on, she felt relieved. The two chatted for a while longer, reminiscing about what had happened since they last met, and then about Qing Dai's son, Shun Ge'er. They were filled with laughter and joy, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The next day, it was Youtong's turn to visit the Gao family's villa, and she finally saw Qingdai's son, Shunge'er. He was Gao Heng's only son, so the entire Gao family valued him highly, and Qingdai's status rose accordingly, gaining considerable prestige within the household. Gao Heng had gone to the capital on business and hadn't been at the estate for the past few days, which was why Youtong dared to come; otherwise, it wouldn't be good if he saw her.

Although Shun-ge was born two months premature, he was well-cared for. His little face and arms were round and chubby, with big black eyes and snow-white skin. He was a little golden boy, like a porcelain doll. Whenever he heard someone talking around him, he would cleverly turn his head and occasionally make "ee-ee-ya-ya" sounds, which were very endearing.

You Tong touched his soft arms and legs, not daring to hug him. She just lay in front of the cradle, smiling and teasing him. Shun Ge'er seemed to sense her affection, laughing so hard that drool dripped from his mouth. The maids and nannies serving in the mansion did not know You Tong's identity. Seeing her playing so intimately with Shun Ge'er, they were initially going to politely stop her, but seeing that even Qing Dai was just watching with a smile, they made up their minds and simply stood by, not daring to say anything.

Before leaving, Youtong took a purse from her bosom and stuffed it into Shunge'er's small quilt, saying it was a gift for their first meeting. Qingdai knew she couldn't refuse, so she accepted it with a smile and then personally saw her out the door. When she returned to her room, she heard several maids and nannies exclaim in surprise. She quickly went into the room and saw that the purse contained a small gilded cloisonné jade Buddha. The jade was a clear, bright green with excellent translucency, even better than the jade pendant that Old Madam Gao had bestowed upon her at the full moon celebration.

"Miss Cui, you've really gone all out."

"That's right..."

Qingdai stepped forward and gently stroked the jade Buddha, tears welling up in her eyes.

Because of Qingdai, life at the villa wasn't so difficult. They would often meet up for a walk and a cup of tea, as if they had returned to their days at the farm in Huzhou. The only difference was that Bai Ling was gone, but Shun Ge'er was here.

This continued until the end of June, when the weather became increasingly hot. It was still relatively mild in the villa, but Wenyan in the capital couldn't stand it and kept pestering the Second Madam to come to the villa to escape the heat. The Second Madam was afraid that she would get too close to Youtong, so she agreed verbally, but then secretly sent her to another villa outside the city, which was even further away from Youtong.

The situation in the capital was unstable, with the Grand Princess and the Empress Dowager at loggerheads. Xu Wei, the General of the Imperial Guards, was also in a difficult position, constantly busy at his post. He had no time to visit You Tong, only sending a letter every few days to inquire about her well-being. You Tong knew he was busy and didn't bother him. In her letter, she simply told him to rest well and, following Qing Dai's example, made several sachets, filled them with calming and soothing spices, and sent them to Xu Wei.

The villa, however, began to bustle with activity. Most of the women from the powerful and wealthy families of the capital, unable to bear the heat, flocked there to escape the summer heat. With so many people coming, it was inevitable that they would wander around, and many ladies and young women, having long heard of "Miss Cui Jiu's" reputation, came to visit. Although You Tong disliked dealing with them, she patiently exchanged pleasantries with them. This wasn't the first time she'd done something like this. Back in Qiantang, everyone in the city praised the eldest daughter of the Yu family for her generosity and poise; now in the capital, she handled things with equal ease.

You Tong was already quite beautiful, and her demeanor was also graceful and poised. The ladies and young women who had initially been somewhat scrutinizing her had all relaxed their guard and were now only thinking of making friends with her, so that they could have some goodwill to maintain if she became the young mistress of the Xu family in the future. However, there were still one or two who were quite hostile towards You Tong, their words dripping with sarcasm. You Tong simply ignored them, no matter what they said, she maintained a smiling face and paid them no heed.

No one knew how Xu Wei had "chatted" with Shen San, but from that day on, he stopped visiting the villa. Huiying and Huiqiao were puzzled but also secretly relieved. It was fine before, but now the villa was bustling with people. If someone saw them and then exaggerated the story, how would they handle the situation?

As for the Cui family, the Second Madam somehow relented and sent word that she would bring Youtong back to the capital by mid-month. Youtong was still wondering why the Second Madam had suddenly changed her attitude when Xu Wei's letter arrived, saying that the engagement would be finalized by the end of the month. Youtong suddenly realized what was happening, and was both amused and exasperated. What she was slightly puzzled about was that, although the Second Madam hadn't treated her very well before, she had at least been polite on the surface; why had she suddenly become so unfriendly?

Upon learning that Youtong was about to return to the capital, Qingdai was quite disappointed. Youtong didn't know what to say to comfort her, so she just smiled and told her to visit the Cui family after she came to the capital.

Although there were still many days before they returned to the capital, the maids were already impatiently starting preparations for their journey. While the estate was quiet, it was rather boring, nothing like the allure of the bustling capital.

If anyone was happiest about You Tong's return to the capital, it would undoubtedly be Liu Zhuangtou's wife. Ever since You Tong came to the manor, she had been relieved of her duties, and the servants in the manor had taken the opportunity to kick her while she was down. She had been ridiculed countless times these past few days. Now that the formidable Ninth Miss had finally returned to the capital, her bad luck was finally about to end.

Just as everyone was calculating their return to the capital, Cui Weiyuan arrived. However, he was not there to bring Youtong back to the capital. He only said that he had official business, but he did not say what it was. He did not stay at the estate during the day, only returning occasionally at night, but he did not meet with Youtong.

Ever since learning that Cui Weiyuan had stood in the courtyard all night, Youtong had more or less guessed his thoughts and was very careful with her words and actions, trying to avoid contact with him as much as possible. She had initially harbored some resentment towards Cui Weiyuan, having tried many ways to oppose him during her year at the Cui residence, but now, looking back, she realized he had treated her quite well. More importantly, now that she could reunite with Xu Wei, Cui Weiyuan could ultimately be considered a "hero."

Accompanying Cui Weiyuan out of the capital were many palace guards. They didn't live at the Cui family villa, but during the day they would secretly inquire about who was going on in the vicinity. Not only the servants in the mansion, but even You Tong's curiosity was piqued, though she didn't dare to ask casually.

41. A sudden change occurred.

Because of Cui Weiyuan's presence, several villagers with daughters in the village became restless and tried to find excuses to bring their daughters to their courtyards. Unfortunately, Cui Weiyuan was mostly away during the day, and the village was strictly managed at night, prohibiting them from moving around freely. After several days of trying, they didn't even get to see Cui Weiyuan and were ridiculed by others. Only then did they settle down.

You Tong's courtyard was quiet, but because she had made a scene when she first arrived at the villa, she had given everyone a hard time, so the servants in the villa were a little scared and dared not disturb her. Usually, apart from her two personal maids, Hui Ying and Hui Qiao, only Hong Yun and Hong Ye dared to walk around in the outer courtyard.

Since she had arranged to return to the capital the day after tomorrow, and feared that she would not be able to see Qingdai again in the future, Youtong had been staying at the Gao residence for the past few days, only returning to the manor when it got dark.

That day, Gao Heng suddenly sent a message saying he was coming back. You Tong was afraid of running into him, so she took her leave and returned to the manor in the middle of the day.

Although the courtyard where they lived was at the foot of the mountain, it was still extremely hot during the day.

Seeing that the doors and windows were closed, Huiying was worried that Youtong would get too hot if she went inside, so she quickly went inside to open the doors and windows.

You Tong and Hui Qiao followed behind, talking as they walked into the house.

Upon entering the room, she immediately sensed something was wrong. Looking up, Huiqiao was horrified, her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Huiying stood ramrod straight at the window, her neck craned high, motionless, her eyes glazed over, her face deathly pale. But what was most frightening was the long sword resting on her neck, trembling and gleaming with a cold light, sending chills down one's spine.

"Close the door."

A young woman with long hair and a red dress emerged from behind Huiying. She had fierce eyes and a sword in her hand, and it was clear that she had some martial arts skills.

Seeing that Huiqiao was already so frightened that she was about to collapse to the ground, Youtong knew that she couldn't be relied on at this moment. She could only pretend to be panicked and turned around to close the door. She then pulled Huiqiao and sat her down on the chair by the door. In a trembling voice, she asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Please don't hurt anyone!" The young woman glanced at her coldly but didn't approach. With a slight flick of her longsword, she drew a bloody line across Huiyang's neck.

Huiying screamed, and bright red blood immediately began to flow down.

Huiqiao, who was standing to the side, was so frightened that she fainted.

You Tong knew something was wrong, but couldn't think of a solution for the moment, so she could only call out along with Hui Ying, and then stared at the young woman with a look of fear on her face.

The woman's face showed a contemptuous and mocking expression as she coldly asked, "Where is Huo Weiyuan?"

You Tong's heart skipped a beat. Was this actually a grudge she had made with Huo Weiyuan?

It's unclear what her relationship with Huo Weiyuan is.

Suddenly, he remembered that Huo Weiyuan and his group had been mysteriously searching for someone these past few days. Could it be that they were looking for the person in front of him?

Thinking of this, You Tong subtly sized up the young woman.

She was about seventeen years old, and quite pretty, but her eyebrows and eyes were rather sharp, and she looked like she had a bad temper.

Although she was dressed as a female knight-errant, her exposed face and hands were very fair and delicate, and her posture was very graceful. Her whole demeanor was like that of a young lady raised in a wealthy family.

You Tong saw that she had attacked people without saying a word, which was truly ruthless. At present, besides Huiying being held hostage, Huiqiao was not only unable to handle things, but would probably also be a hindrance.

She could protect him for free, but if she angered this little devil in front of her, Huiying's life might be in danger.

Although she didn't have a deep affection for these two maids, You Tong couldn't bear to watch them be killed.

She stared at the woman's hands and feet for a while and concluded that her martial arts skills were not high. At most, she was just a little more agile than the average person. However, because she had the upper hand and held Huiying's life in her hands, Youtong was somewhat hesitant to act rashly.

If she makes a move, that woman will definitely target Huiying. Unless she kills her with one blow, Huiying's life will be in danger.

Judging from the tone of her words, she seemed to know Huo Weiyuan. If she really was the person Huo Weiyuan was looking for, then her identity must be extraordinary.

Not only did she reveal that Bai only knew martial arts, but she also killed this woman, which would be difficult to explain to Huo Weiyuan.

For a moment, her mind raced with countless thoughts, but she rejected them all.

The woman stared at her scrutinizingly for a long time before suddenly saying, "You are Huo Weiyuan's sister."

She was indeed beautiful; no wonder even Xu Wei was captivated by her.

You Tong was so frightened that she trembled and dared not speak. She curled up and looked at her timidly with a look of fear on her face.

Seeing this, the woman sneered twice, her face full of disdain, and said impatiently, "Where is Cui Weiyuan?"

You Tong said in a trembling voice, "Fifth Brother hasn't gone to the camp during the day."

"Is he at the camp?"

The woman stomped her foot in anger, her face contorted with resentment. With a flick of her wrist, she brought the long sword closer to Huiying's neck, terrifying Huiying so much that she didn't dare utter a sound. She threatened, "You—you immediately call Huo Weiyuan back to me!"

She glanced at the hourglass in the room and said, "I'll give you half an hour. If you can't make it in time, you'll be collecting those two girls' corpses."

After saying that, he slashed Huiying's shoulder again.

Blood spurted out immediately, and Huiying could no longer hold back her sobs. The woman kicked her hard and yelled, "What are you crying for? I'll kill you if you cry again!"

Huiying immediately stopped talking, but tears still streamed down her face.

You Tong felt a pang of pity, but she couldn't worry about that now. She glanced at Hui Ying with concern and said to the woman, "There's some hemostatic medicine in the cabinet. Wait for me..."

Before she could finish speaking, the woman impatiently interrupted her, "Why are you talking so much nonsense? Hurry up and leave."

Helpless, You Tong clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her anger, turned her back, and slowly walked out the door.