bookcurios Chapter 214 Cousin
Chapter 214 Cousin
After returning to Tushan Mansion, the two of us sneaked back to his room under the cover of night.
Although I knew that his memories had been erased and that he was not a human being but a puppet formed from Tu Shanjing's blood and essence, after what happened on the mountain, I still couldn't look him in the face. I felt a little guilty after a momentary impulse, so I lied that I was tired and got into my bed early.
He silently used his spiritual power to heat the water in the bathtub and took a bath in the dark. I fell asleep in a daze amid the occasional sound of water.
The next morning, just as Jingye and I were pretending to wash his face and comb his hair, Ruiyang suddenly pushed the door and hurried in.
Jing Ye was startled and said angrily, "You didn't even knock before coming in. Have you forgotten the rules?!"
Ruiyang scratched his head and laughed: "Oh, sister, I'm just anxious! Besides, he's not the real young master, so you can just let go of the rules!"
Jingye pursed her lips and tapped his forehead: "You, you are starting to be clever! Tell me, what's the matter that makes you so anxious?"
Ruiyang looked at me and replied, "It's Sister Lanxiang. Today, a man named Bai Lifeng came to ask for a meeting. He said he was my cousin from my hometown. I dared not neglect him and invited him to the reception room first. So, I hurried over to invite Sister Lanxiang."
The puppet was wiping his face with a towel. He paused when he heard this, and looked at me together with Jingye.
Because Xiao Hui had helped me to breathe easier before, I had some idea in my mind, so I smiled at them and said, "It's okay, I'll go take a look and be back soon." Then I handed the comb in my hand to Jingye.
Ruiyang went out and led me to the guest room, and pointed inside: "Look, girl, the person is sitting inside now."
I nodded. "Thank you. Go ahead and do your work. Let's talk for a while. I'll come find you if I need any help."
Ruiyang smiled and said, "Okay! Then girl, please go in. I won't bother you anymore. If you have anything, please find me at the door of the study." After that, he turned around and walked away.
I took a deep breath, cheered myself up, walked up and knocked on the door.
"Coming, coming!" A man's voice came from inside the door, followed by hurried footsteps.
With a creaky sound, the door opened and a man wearing a square scarf and a coarse brown gown walked out.
I think he doesn't look very old, but considering that this fairy clan is hundreds of years old and looks similar, and he is my cousin, he must be around 500 years old.
He has a pair of triangular eyes, which are not like mine, but his nose is very straight, and you can vaguely see the outline similar to mine, and his skin color is also relatively white among his peers. He has a pair of thin lips in dark red, no beard, two faint dark circles under his eyes, and a few faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
When he opened the door and saw me, he smiled happily: "Hey, sister, it's been a long time since we last met! Girls change a lot when they grow up. Have you become so beautiful now?"
I was afraid that if I said too much, I would make mistakes and expose my flaws, so I just smiled and said, "Okay, okay. You have come from afar, and I am sorry for not welcoming you."
He stepped aside to let me in, and continued, "No, no, no, my previous letter didn't mention the specific date of arrival. My dear sister, you are very busy, so it's not considered as neglecting you! Come in and sit down!"
I wondered what he was here for and followed him in.
He sat on the chair, picked up the teacup and blew on it, his smile deepened with wrinkles at the end of his eyes: "Wow, this Tushan Mansion is really magnificent! I've never even seen it, let alone lived in it! And this tea," he took a sip and inhaled because it was so hot: "Good! Good tea!"
Seeing that he was not serious, I didn't want to talk too much, so I said calmly: "If you like it, I'll ask them to pack ten boxes for you to drink slowly at home."
He narrowed his eyes and said, "Hey~ Don't rush me to leave! I've come all the way here, shouldn't I catch up with my sister?"
I sneered, "Excuse my rudeness, but I had a head injury a few years ago and have completely forgotten the past. I'm afraid I don't have many old stories to talk about with you."
He was startled, stood up and asked, "What happened?! But the master in the mansion treated you badly and beat you to punish you?! Brother, go find them and stand up for you!"
I waved my hand: "No need, the master is very kind to me, it's just an accident. But I have no other relatives, and now I have lost my memory, I am afraid no one can recognize my brother."
He sat down awkwardly and sighed, "Oh, it's all because of our bad luck. We have fallen into poverty, otherwise we wouldn't have sold such a young sister to be a slave." He took out a contract from his sleeve and unfolded it on the table, and then said, "Both your parents are gone. Dad left this contract to me before he left, asking me to keep it well and take you home when you are old enough. Oh, by the way, I held you in my arms when you were a child. I remember your calves were chubby and there was a mole on your thigh!"
I heard him reminding me in various ways that his contract was genuine, so I leaned over to look at the contract. The seal was indeed the seal of the Tushan family. There was indeed a small mole on my thigh, and I was afraid that only Tushan Jing had seen it. It seemed that the identity of the man in front of me was genuine, and he was not living well, but I didn't know if he was just here to ask for money.
When he saw me looking up at him, he cleared his throat and said, "Sister, are you rich now? I heard the guard at the door was very attentive and offered me water when he heard that I was your brother, saying that you are the favorite of the second young master!" After that, he looked me up and down and said softly, "I see that you are still dressed like a girl. Your young master——"
I didn't want to argue with him anymore, so I interrupted him and said, "Young Master is usually very humble to others. I just don't know what your intentions are for this trip, brother? There are many errands in the mansion now, so you might as well speak up if you have anything to say."
He rubbed his hands and smiled flatteringly, "Yes, yes, it's all my fault. I haven't seen you for a long time, and you've grown up to be so... pretty. You've been talking too much, hehe. Well, in previous years, you always sent some money home before the New Year, but you didn't this year, so I've been thinking about it. It just so happened that when I went to help out with Grandma Wang in the town during the New Year, I heard her say that you were actually meant for me by my parents. My brother is already an adult, but he still hasn't found a wife, and I was worried about you, so I came all the way to see you..."
I was secretly surprised. What a guy, he not only wants money, but also people.
He leaned closer to me and whispered, "My dear sister, please don't think that I am poor. If you ask me, it is better for us to be family. We know each other well and are even closer relatives. You said that this is a glamorous world outside. The Tushan family is rich and powerful. It is not a trivial matter for their young masters to play with a few women. A contract does not break up a marriage. I have asked someone to find out about this. You might as well leave that young master tomorrow and go back with your brother--"
With a bang, the door was opened with great force. The puppet stood at the door, looking intimidating without even getting angry. He said to the person in the room, "Lanxiang, the errand is waiting for you. What took you so long?!"