A Beautiful Duchess with a Dark Heart – Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Fengling Ferry was a large wharf on the canal heading north.

The river was wide and could accommodate quite a few ships.

On this day, the Qin family’s fleet arrived here. They needed to replenish supplies and make repairs, so they would stay for a day.

Qin Lianyue was on the third floor at the stern of the ship, having set up a small table where she was brewing tea.

She wore a sable fur hat, a green silk jacket, silk-padded trousers, a gray pleated skirt, and a gray sable fur cloak.

This person in this scene added a touch of elegance to the river.

Her slender hands were busy with the tea set, and she seemed to be enjoying the process very much.

The charcoal stove was boiling water, and peanuts and red dates were roasting on the iron mesh. It wasn’t actually cold, but she still rubbed her hands and breathed on them.

Because she knew this picture looked very beautiful…

On one side of her family’s ship, a large, sleek black ship was docked, looking very impressive. She didn’t know whose family it belonged to.

On the other side was her own family’s boat, and further ahead, another fleet had just docked.

At this moment, there was no wind, and the river was calm. It was a peaceful and beautiful day.

In the past few months, she had tried every means to see Wen Yu.

But the two families were more than a hundred miles apart, and it wasn’t like they could just bump into each other on the street.

She had visited several respectable families as a guest, but she hadn’t seen anyone from the Wen family. Instead, she had heard a lot of discussions about this marriage. It seemed that everyone didn’t know who this Wen Yu was. This made her even more convinced that this was a woman who couldn’t be brought to the table.

She must have burned some high-quality incense in her previous life to have been able to get this marriage.

With her dowry prepared, she practiced calligraphy and the guqin, hoping to show off her skills when she arrived in the capital. She wanted everyone to know that the future Duchess of Jingguo was both talented and beautiful!

She was waiting for the water to boil.

Suddenly, she saw two maids in blue velvet cloaks carrying trays to a room on the third floor of the ship next door.

They knocked gently, and a chubby maid opened the door. “Miss, the sour soup wontons are here! Are they cold?” Her voice was loud enough for even Qin Lianyue to hear.

How rude!

“They’re not cold. We bought them raw and cooked them in the kitchen.” But Qin Lianyue couldn’t hear these words.

The maids entered, and the door wasn’t closed.

After a while, a woman in thin clothing walked out. She glanced around casually and her gaze lingered on the black ship for a moment. Her eyes swept past Qin Lianyue, but didn’t stop.

As if her beautiful picture of brewing tea by the river was very ordinary!

This made Qin Lianyue a little unhappy. The water was about to boil, and she was just about to start…

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she saw a woman in a bright red cloak emerge from the doorway.

That cloak, bright and exaggerated, was particularly eye-catching…

The hand that was about to reach for the teapot stopped.

There was only one thought in her mind: She was so beautiful!

She saw her standing at the doorway, stretching slightly, looking around, then pointing at the wharf and saying something to the people inside before walking towards the stairs.

The woman in thin clothing followed behind.

When she reached the stairs, she slipped… and was caught by the woman behind her.

She turned her face and smiled, looking quite happy!

Qin Lianyue’s gaze followed her, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Look at her vulgar and unsteady manner!

She can’t even walk properly. At first glance, she looks like a nouveau riche merchant’s daughter.

Despite her disdain, the water had boiled, but she hadn’t even started making tea. She turned to A Qin beside her and said, “Go and find out whose ship that is! And also that…” She subtly pointed at the black ship. Its shiny black paint and the gold lines painted on the gunwale indicated that it definitely didn’t belong to an ordinary family.

On the sleek black ship she pointed at, a window was open, and a young man was standing by the window, looking at the river scenery.

He saw the girl who was brewing tea just now, and a smile appeared on his face. A beautiful woman brewing tea by the river was truly a beautiful sight!

But when the girl in the red cloak appeared, his gaze shifted, and then he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Like Qin Lianyue, he watched the red velvet cloak of that person fluttering as she descended from the ship.

On the wharf, a little girl was carrying a basket full of flowers.

The red cloak picked and chose, taking two bunches.

Then she paid, and it seemed she gave a little extra, causing the little village girl to bow deeply, looking very excited.

Then the red cloak said something that made the little village girl blush crimson. She covered her eyes, wanting to look at her but feeling too shy…

As she walked back, the woman in thin clothing wanted to take the flowers, but the red cloak wouldn’t let her, holding them herself as she walked back excitedly.

The young man had never seen a woman like this before.

So unrestrained, so cheerful!

“Go and find out, whose family is she from?” he ordered.

Qin Lianyue had no less than ten cloaks, both thick and thin, but she had never thought of wearing one that was so flamboyant and unrestrained. It seemed that the capital city was also a place where dragons danced and phoenixes soared!

Not long after, A Qin ran back, her face pale. “Miss!”

“Why are you so flustered?!” Qin Lianyue frowned.

“Miss… that ship belongs to the Wen family! Old Madam Wen is taking her family to the capital!”

“The Wen family?! Is she Wen Yu?” Qin Lianyue pointed at the red cloak, her face drained of color.

“It’s very likely, she looks…” A Qin quickly swallowed the words “so beautiful”, but her intention was clear.

Yes, she did it on purpose! She deliberately wanted to make Qin Lianyue unhappy!

Qin Lianyue stared fixedly at that person…

She was walking back, chatting and laughing. To be honest, she looked more beautiful than the flowers she was holding.

Could it be that her cousin agreed to the marriage so quickly because she was beautiful? She started to feel conflicted…

Then, she saw that girl slip again in the same place she had slipped before…

Qin Lianyue almost shouted out, wishing that that bitch would fall into the river!

But she didn’t.

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The woman in thin clothing reprimanded her with a look of disapproval.

But she made a face and entered the room cheerfully.

How could a young lady from a respectable family walk like that? How unladylike!

She has such a petty air about her. Fifth Brother is a young master from a Marquis Household, how could he be paired with such a bitch?!

These words were running wild in Qin Lianyue’s mind, but she couldn’t say them out loud.

The chubby maid had been standing by the ship’s side. She said something, and the red cloak came out again…

The chubby maid pointed at the river…

A water bird swooped down, grabbed a fish, and then flew up into the sky. However, it probably didn’t have a good grip, and the fish struggled, causing it to plop back down.

The red cloak burst into laughter and shouted towards the cabin, “Ah Yu, Ah Yu! Come and see! That silly bird caught a fish, but after flying for a while, it couldn’t hold on and dropped it! Eh, eh, eh? The fish swam to the bottom! Hahaha, what a silly bird!”

The young man on the black ship was still watching the girl who was laughing so hard she was bent over.

At this moment, another woman emerged from the room.

Qin Lianyue’s breath hitched. Ah Yu?! Could she be that bitch?

That’s right, this was Wen Yu.

She was a head taller than Qin Lianyue.

Her skin was snow-white, her eyebrows long and slender, and her eyes were beautiful and cold.

Her pale pink lips naturally exuded an air of nobility… making people feel that she was difficult to approach.

Qin Lianyue’s heart was pounding… she felt a little ashamed of herself for a moment.

The woman who had just come out followed the direction the red cloak was pointing, but the fish and the bird were nowhere to be seen.

A smile also touched the corners of her lips. “What silly bird?! There’s only you, silly girl!” Her slender fingers tapped the red cloak’s forehead.

“There really was! You came out too late! Just wait a bit and see if they come back!”

The chubby maid held out a dark purple sable fur cloak and draped it over the taller woman. “Miss, it’s windy by the river, be careful not to catch a chill.”

Laba, who was standing next to them, rolled her eyes. “What’s this little breeze? When we get to the capital, that’s when you’ll know what wind really is!”

“But Miss won’t be going outside, so it doesn’t matter how strong the wind is!”

“So she’s going to stay indoors all winter?” Laba bickered with Xiao Ji.

Wen Yu listened to their bickering and just smiled without getting annoyed. “Come on, let’s go see Lanzhou.”

“Okay! Oh, we should have bought Lanzhou some flowers too,” Yan Zhu said, following Wen Yu down the stairs to the second floor. They knocked on a door and entered.

In the room, Du Juan and Li Tan were accompanying Liu Lanzhou.

“How’s Lanzhou doing?”

“Miss, Young Master Lanzhou and Ping Ping, An An are all doing well.” Du Juan and Li Tan stood up.

Liu Lanzhou was sitting there, looking relaxed. In the wooden box next to him were his Ping Ping and An An.

“Lanzhou?! Are you feeling dizzy?”

Liu Lanzhou ignored her.

Wen Yu couldn’t do anything about it, so she asked again, “Have you eaten?”

Liu Lanzhou still didn’t speak.

“Have the little turtles eaten?”

Wen Yu saw Liu Lanzhou shake his head slightly.

She was overjoyed, but she didn’t dare show it.

Ever since they set out on this journey, she hadn’t been able to relax. She was afraid that he would be unaccustomed to the unfamiliar environment and fall ill again.

“Li Tan, didn’t you bring food?”

“Miss, I did bring food, but they don’t seem to eat much on the boat.”

“Then go to the wharf and see if you can buy some fresh small fish and shrimp.”

“Yes!”

“Lanzhou, even if you don’t want to eat, you should drink some rice soup and vegetables. You can’t get sick from hunger, you still have to feed the turtles! If you get sick, the turtles will starve, you know?”

Upon hearing this, Liu Lanzhou silently picked up a steamed bun and started eating slowly.

Wen Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

She instructed Du Juan, who was beside her, “When the small fish are bought, give them to Lanzhou and let him feed the turtles. But don’t feed them too much! It’s bumpy on the road, it’s not good for them to eat too much.”

The young man on the black ship was listening to his subordinate’s report. “Your Highness, that family’s surname is Wen.”

“Wen?” This surname was not common, but he felt a bit familiar… Ah! A few days ago, his mother had mentioned wanting to find him a beautiful consort. Could it be…?

Which of those two girls was it? For a moment, he didn’t know which one he hoped she was!

Hehe, so this is what it feels like to have both Ehuang and Nüying. The ancients were right…

That group of people came out, went back up to the third floor, entered the room, and closed the door.

Qin Lianyue watched, the hatred in her heart couldn’t be suppressed. Qi Wu is mine, even if I don’t want him, I can’t let you have him!

She sneered and turned to A Qi. “Tell your brother to come here!”

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I have cervical spondylosis, feeling dizzy…