Chapter 28 The sachet
The wind of this night was particularly violent. When it was in the middle of the night, it began to rain. The raindrops hit the window and the plantain in the yard, making miserable sounds.
Shu Huan’s sleep had always been good. She belonged to the kind of person that would fall asleep very quickly when her head touched the pillow. However, tonight she didn’t know whether it was because the rain was too heavy or that the porcelain pillow underneath her head was too hard, in short, no matter how she slept, it felt uncomfortable. She turned around for the whole night. When the sky got a bit light, she couldn’t lie down anymore. She quietly rolled out of bed and pushed the window open.
Fresh air with drops of water imdiately blew in and reduced her tiredness and sleepiness by half.
Shu Huan then propped up her chin at the window and stared at the lotus pond outside.
The raindrops dripped down the leak. From ti to ti, they would fall into the tank and frighten so red dragonflies.
She was just starting to find it interesting, when she suddenly felt sothing heavy on her shoulder. She turned and saw that Gu Xiran had gotten up and put a coat on her shoulder.
"Where did you go last night?"
Shu Huan moved her eyes away, "Didn’t go anywhere. Just took a walk in the residence."
Gu Xiran frowned slightly. Suddenly, he pulled her sleeve and sniffed, "What kind of scent is this?"
Shu Huan laughed, pulled back her sleeve and answered, "I don’t understand about fragrances. You ask , how would I know? Presumably, it’s the fragrance that concubine Yun burned yesterday. It was sweet and pleasing to sll, but I also don’t know the na of that fragrance."
"Yun Yan?" Gu Xiran raised an eyebrow with an expression of wanting to say sothing but hesitated. He walked to the incense burner and looked at it. He shook his head and said, "It’s not this scent."
Shu Huan was surprised. She took two deep breaths. Suddenly she rembered that this was the scent of Wonderful Redwood of Yingge. It was cool and elegant and not sothing other fragrances could mask. No wonder there was a quote that was called "Redwood perfu to dye clothes"!
The two just said a few words when they were interrupted by a maid. After, they washed up, Shu Huan went to old madam’s to pay her respects in the rain.
This was a rule that even thunder couldn’t break not to ntion rain. Even if it was snowing or knives pouring down, she couldn’t not go. However, the mood of walking slowly in the rain with a paper umbrella was very classical. It was just that they didn’t have shoes for the rain. The embroidered shoes were soaked and felt uncomfortable.
Old madam had probably beco accustod to her (SH) early retreat. Plus, the fact that recently there wasn’t any news that Gu Xiran’s illness got worse, so, she probably thought that this granddaughter-in-law wasn’t too unlucky. Hence, she turned a blind eye and wasn’t as stern as before. Therefore, after she paid her respect and had breakfast with old madam, she ca out of Pine Crane Hall.
The surprise was that when she walked to the entrance, she was called by Gu third miss Gu Xuan. She timidly handed her a pair of shoes and said in a low voice, "Tomorrow is second big brother’s birthday. I think that he presumably doesn’t want people to go bother him because he needs to take care of his health. I need to bother second sister-in-law to give these shoes for him. It’s my kind feelings for him."
Shu Huan took over the shoes and looked at them. She saw that the stitches were ticulous and well-shaped. Although, she didn’t know embroidery, but she could see that this was done with the heart. She couldn’t help but thank her in Gu Xiran’s stead and laughed, "If you have free ti tomorrow, you can co over for a while. Your second big brother is already bored from taking care of his health. If he had soone to talk to, his mood will turn brighter."
Gu Xuan accepted with lowered head. Then, she didn’t spoke anymore.
She could see that this little girl was shy and introverted. Shu Huan didn’t take her for a chat. After saying goodbye, she went straight to Plum Flower Pavilion.
When she returned to the yard, she explained the matter of the shoes to Gu Xiran. After that, she went to concubine Yun’s West Chamber for the first ti. She also had no other way. Ever since young, only her parents celebrated birthdays with her. She had never planned a birthday for another. She had to ask concubine Yun how to do it to avoid that there are so cumberso rules that she didn’t know about and to avoid doing a bad thing with good intentions.
Concubine Yun seed to be very leisure. She smiled, "Second young mistress doesn’t have to worry about this matter. In the past, on this day, old madam would send a festive dinner over. The other yards would also send so things. However, they knew that second young master was ill and likes it to be quiet, so most of them didn’t co to visit. Those who ca would just accompany second young master to eat so bites and sat for a while. You can just let the maids prepare so good tea and treats."
It seed that there was nothing for her to do.
Shu Huan said that she got it and wanted to leave. She didn’t expect that concubine called her to stop her from leaving. She said with hesitation, "Second young mistress, please give a mont. Yan has sothing to say."
"What?"
Concubine looked at the maid at her side Xiangqian.
Xiangqian very tactfully said that she was going to get tea and went out. Liangchen and ijing also knew the rules. They also went out and even closed the door for them.
Shu Huan felt sowhat uncomfortable with this situation. It was so secretive that she felt there was so conspiracy, making her couldn’t help but to be vigilant.
Concubine Yun was also not in a hurry to talk. She first invited her to take a seat. She added incense to the incense burner. After that she picked up the tea. Then, she hesitantly pulled a sachet from her sleeve, put it on the table and gently pushed it to her (SH).
"What is this?" Shu Huan frowned. She picked up the sachet and looked at it. "The birthday gift you want to give second young master?"
Although, she asked, she herself felt that it doesn’t seem to be the case.
There was a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the water embroidered on the sachet. The embroidery thod was very fine, but the material used was obviously rough material. It seed to be made from those cheap red cloth. Concubine Yun would never give this kind of thing to Gu Xiran. Also, even if she wanted to give it, she would certainly not let her (SH) give it instead.
Concubine Yun was sowhat puzzled at her reaction. She lowered her voice and said, "Second young mistress, look once again at it. Do you really not recognize this thing?"
This was strange. Should she have recognized it?"
Shu Huan didn’t have the patient to play riddles with her and put the sachet on the table. She said, "I’ve never seen it before."
Concubine Yun didn’t spoke. Her gaze just fixed on her (SH) face.
Concubine Yun never had this kind of behavior before. Usually, she always avoided Shu Huan’s gaze and tried not to look at her (SH) eyes. Therefore, Shu Huan beca more puzzled, "If you have sothing to say, just be more direct."
Only now did concubine Yun lower her gaze and smiled slightly, "It’s who was rude, second young mistress."
While talking, she picked up that sachet and said faintly, "I sent people to buy this sachet from a young scholar for five silver liang. This scholar happened to be a close neighbor of you before you married. The one who taught you to read..."
Speaking till here, she paused. She raised her eyes and looked at Shu Huan, "Now, did second young mistress rember sothing?"
Mandarin ducks playing in the water embroidery, young scholar, close neighbor, taught to read...
When these clues were put together, even if Shu Huan was very stupid, she could guess the origin of the sachet.
This sachet must’ve been personally embroidered by the original owner. She (SH) didn’t know whether she wanted to express her feelings or her gratitude to give such an amorous thing to that scholar. Perhaps, it was given before she married. No wonder concubine Yun bought it so eagerly.
The question was naturally why it was so coincidentally!
She said that an old scholar taught her how to read. Suddenly, a young scholar appeared that received a sachet from the original owner.
Was it a sham?
Unlikely. Concubine Yun didn’t know that she wasn’t the original owner. What was the use of using a sham to muddle her (SH)?
What made her more dejected was Huiyun!
When she said that she had learned to read from an old scholar, she had only said that to Huiyun. She didn’t know whether it was because the walls have ears or that Huiyun said it inadvertently or intentionally...
While the room was silent, concubine Yun said, "Second young mistress rembered? This is a sachet you personally embroidered. You shouldn’t not recognize it. Besides, madam-in-law told be that you studied two years with that scholar..."
This was ant to threaten her!
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