Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Bad Luck

Lu Jin knew that Madam of Ding’an disliked her.

Although her surname was Lu and she was a descendant of the Lu family, the Duke of Ding’an’s Residence only belonged to the eldest branch. In Madam of Ding’an’s eyes, she was here to freeload.

Because Old Madam was present, she maintained a facade of courtesy on a daily basis. However, once she was offended or unhappy, she couldn’t hide her displeasure towards Lu Jin.

“Every day she calls me ‘mother’ so affectionately, telling me all the bad things about our family but not a single good thing about her own in-laws. ”

“She even wants me to comfort her! Comfort her? She’s just gloating about her good daughter-in-law! I’m the one who’s a laughingstock!”

“My poor San Niang…”

Lu Jin lowered her head and listened to the scolding, and she even had to cry with Madam of Ding’an over the deceased Third Miss Lu. She didn’t return to her own courtyard until the lamps were lit.

The maid Yaoqin was indignant: “The Madam herself missed the opportunity, how can she blame Miss?”

“I have to rely on her now, so I’ll endure her anger. “Lu Jin’s expression was calm as she looked at her youthful and beautiful face in the mirror. “When she has to rely on me in the future, I’ll get my revenge. ”

No matter what Madam of Ding’an said, it was still useful. She couldn’t be offended. But that Zhuang, she actually recognized the palace flower bestowed by the Empress. Even though she wasn’t present, she could guess that the Empress herself didn’t know the special features of the palace flower. Otherwise, she would have pointed it out herself, instead of needing someone else to do so.

I wonder which skillful and unassuming palace maid made it.

Zhuang is really lucky.

Of course she’s lucky, otherwise how could she marry Zhou Jingyun? Lu Jin looked at the mirror and couldn’t help but turn around, looking at Zhou Jingyun, who was standing in the room talking to a woman.

“My Lord, have you forgotten my sister?” She asked with tears in her eyes, feeling a surge of heartache.

Zhou Jingyun frowned: “What nonsense are you talking about? Isn’t your sister right here?”

He looked at the woman beside him.

Lu Jin looked at the woman and hurriedly rushed over with joy, “Third Sister—”

Third Miss Lu chided: “Don’t talk to the My Lord like that. ”

Lu Jin stood beside Third Miss Lu and looked at Zhou Jingyun: “The My Lord won’t blame me. “She then sniffed, “My Lord, why did you only come back now?”

Zhou Jingyun looked at her: “Why are you crying? I’m back now. “He said, reaching out to wipe her tears.

Lu Jin looked at the hand reaching out to her, her heart pounding as she wanted to hold it. But out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw someone standing outside the door.

She looked over instinctively and saw Zhuang Li holding a lotus bud, looking at her.

“Little Sister is here? Take Xueliu back. “She said.

Lu Jin grabbed Zhou Jingyun’s arm and stomped her foot angrily: “My Lord, look at what she’s doing!”

Zhou Jingyun frowned and scolded: “What are you talking about, taking Xueliu back? What nonsense! It’s not your place to speak in this household!”

Lu Jin shook Zhou Jingyun’s arm: “She’s also bullying Mother—”

Zhou Jingyun was furious: “You wretch, how dare you— Someone, slap her—”

As Zhou Jingyun’s words fell, Lu Jin saw Zhuang Li outside the door raise her head and fling the lotus bud.

The seemingly soft lotus bud suddenly transformed into a wooden mallet, smashing straight at her. Lu Jin instinctively closed her eyes and screamed, sitting up abruptly.

The night lamp flickered dimly. Yaoqin, who was sleeping on the footrest, hurriedly got up and called out, “Miss. ”

Lu Jin covered her face with her hand, her heart pounding, her expression dazed.

“Had a nightmare?” Yaoqin said, reaching out to pat her.

A dream? Lu Jin looked at the bed curtains and Yaoqin, her expression relaxing. Recalling the dream, she felt both joy and anger. Joy at dreaming of Zhou Jingyun, anger at dreaming of Zhuang Li, and Zhuang Li even hitting her.

Yaoqin exclaimed beside her, “Oh dear, Miss, did you poke your own face? There’s a red swollen mark. ”

Lu Jin instantly felt a burning pain on the face she was covering. Thinking of the scene in the dream, it was as if she had really been hit.

Scolded by Madam of Ding’an during the day because of Zhuang Li, and then beaten by Zhuang Li in her dream at night, how unlucky!

Lu Jin pounded the bed hatefully: “Light the calming incense. ”

The night returned to silence, with occasional chirping of insects and birds in the courtyard.

Zhuang Li sat on the soaring eaves, overlooking the Duke of Ding’an’s Residence.

There were no bird songs or insect chirps in dreams. No matter how lively the scene, it was silent. Moreover, time and place were chaotic in dreams, making it extremely easy to get lost and trapped.

Therefore, she generally didn’t enter other people’s dreams, and when passing through them, she would pretend to be nonexistent.

But seeing herself mentioned in the dream, she couldn’t help but go in and take a look.

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She didn’t expect that Lu Jin was actually targeting her and even wanted Zhou Jingyun to hit her.

Really unlucky.

What to do when encountering unlucky things? Of course, it was to disgust others a little. She couldn’t just turn a blind eye and pretend she didn’t know, right?

Zhuang Li rested her chin on her hand and looked at the street.

This was the street outside the Duke of Ding’an’s Residence in his dream, with the Imperial City at the end.

But the Duke of Ding’an, riding majestically on his horse, only kept pacing in place, never reaching the Imperial City ahead.

Zhuang Li sat down by the roadside, sighed softly, and watched the Duke of Ding’an busying himself in his dream, beating dogs and scolding chickens, until the surrounding streets began to distort, and the people on the street began to retreat and fade.

Zhuang Li closed her eyes.

The sound around her was no longer muffled as if by a layer of cloth. There was the wind blowing the bed curtains, the chirping of birds, and the soft sound of footsteps, gradually increasing from the courtyard to the room.

Zhuang Li turned over, opened her eyes, and looked at the faint morning light on the bed curtains.

A new day had arrived.

When daylight broke, the servants’ quarters in the Duke of Ding’an’s Residence had become quiet.

The servants had all gone to their respective duties and wouldn’t return until nightfall.

Of course, there were occasional one or two who sneaked back to be lazy. But this time, they were out of luck. Just as they sat down, they saw a young master in brocade robes enter with two or three servants, scaring them into kneeling hurriedly.

Lu Wenjie didn’t even see these people. He pinched his nose with one hand, his face full of impatience as he urged, “Where is it?”

A servant ran to the door of a low house and kicked it open, “Young Master, here. ”

Lu Wenjie pinched his nose and ducked inside. The room was cramped, but it was tidy. There was a vase on the table with a pink lotus bud in it, adding a touch of color to the dim room.

But that was all. It wasn’t particularly stunning, and it looked a bit ugly upon closer inspection.

The vase, however, was quite valuable and expensive. It should be from Grandmother’s room, Lu Wenjie recognized it.

“Is this the thing?” Lu Wenjie asked, frowning.

The servant had already picked up the vase as if presenting a treasure: “Yes, this is it, it can bring the dead back to life!”

Lu Wenjie wouldn’t have taken things like a Bodhisattva bestowing a flower to bring the dead back to life seriously in the past.

But desperate times called for desperate measures. The Li family even went to the Jinshui River to summon souls. What if this lotus bud really worked?

If Li Shilang was cured, he would definitely become a honored guest of the Li family.

Lu Wenjie took the lotus bud from the servant and shook it in his hand.

“Shilang, I’ve come to save you from the clutches of the female ghost—”

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Shangguan Yue stood outside the Li Residence, adjusting his robes.

In addition to bringing a cartload of gifts, he also brought seven or eight prodigal sons.

“Although Grand General Li is unreasonable, Li Shilang is a brother I’ve played with. I have to visit him. “Shangguan Yue said righteously, “This is the moral thing to do. ”

Then he looked at the others.

“If Grand General Li makes a move later, remember to run with me. ”

The prodigal sons following him looked like they were eager to watch the drama unfold.

“Don’t worry, Young Master. “”We’ve got your back. “”If your legs get broken, I’ll carry you. ”

They chatted and laughed, escorting Shangguan Yue forward to present his visiting card. Although the gatekeeper looked unfriendly, seeing this group of prodigal sons, all from reputable families, he couldn’t chase them away. He could only open the gate and was about to announce their arrival when he heard a commotion from inside.

“Quick, get a doctor! Tenth Young Master is not well—”

These words made the laughing prodigal sons stunned. No way, so unlucky?

They hadn’t even entered yet. They couldn’t help but look at Shangguan Yue. Should they run now?