Chapter 184.2
Chapter 184.2
Zhen Ping failed the provincial exam and was never able to recover after this setback. After trying for many more years and failing repeatedly, he became convinced and completely gave up on the imperial exam.
This bracelet was prepared by Old Lady Zhen more than ten years ago. She took all her dowry to a pawn shop and had a golden bracelet made, with Yao shi's maiden name engraved on them——Yao.
This bracelet had been lying under Old Lady Zhen's pillow for more than a decade. From time to time, Old Lady Zhen would take it out and touch it.
Zhen Ping always knew that his mother had a precious box she had been keeping all these years, but he didn't know that it was actually a wedding gift for Yao shi.
Of course, when Yuexiu married into the family, Old Lady Zhen didn't mistreat her. She borrowed some money for Yuexiu to buy a set of golden head ornaments.
Only, the feelings behind it were different after all.
Yao shi had been holding herself back from crying since entering the room, but now she really couldn’t help it. She hugged Old Lady Zhen's hand, and tears started rolling down her cheeks!
Old Lady Zhen was frightened, "Why is Yao’er crying? Don't you like the bracelet? Mother, mother will buy you a new one!"
Yao shi shook her head with tears in her eyes, "No... I like it very much... I really like it... Thank you, mother... I’m so happy..."
Old Lady Zhen waved her hand, "Alas, what is there to be happy about a single bracelet? Once Ping’er comes back as a Lord Juren, you’ll then be a Juren's wife and receive a lot more jewelry!"
Yao shi continued to chat with Old Lady Zhen for a while.
When Old Lady Zhen was finally sleepy, she took Yao shi's hand and fell asleep holding it.
Yao shi stayed in the room until Old Lady Zhen was snoring, then she gently took out her hand and tucked Old Lady Zhen’s hand back into the quilt.
During the whole process, Zhen Ping, who was also in the room this whole time, was neglected by his mother.
"Let’s go out and talk." Yao shi wiped her tears and said to Zhen Ping.
Zhen Ping drew up the curtain to let Yao shi go out first, and then followed her out.
The two people came to the main room.
There was warm tea in the main room, but there was nobody there.
Yao shi thought Yuexiu must have prepared it, put it down on the table and then left.
Zhen Ping took a deep breath and said to Yao shi, "Let’s take a seat."
Yao shi shook her head, "I have to go. Here."
She said, and took off the bracelet.
Zhen Ping grabbed her hand quickly. He meant to stop her, but when he realized that his actions were inappropriate, he quickly let go again, "I'm sorry… I…"
"It's okay." Yao shi shook her head slightly.
She knew very well that he wasn’t a frivolous person.
Zhen Ping said, "The bracelet is for you, please take it. Only when you accept it will my mother feel at ease. Otherwise, if you give it back to me and she finds it at home, she’d be stimulated again."
Yao shi thought about it and didn't insist.
"I'll see you off." Zhen Ping could see her intention of leaving.
"No need." Yao shi responded.
Zhen Ping said with a smile, "It’s not that. That bolt is broken, even Yuexiu can't open it by herself. Your strength may not be able to open it either."
Yao shi no longer refused.
Together, the two people stepped into the corridor and headed for the front yard.
The house was quiet.
Zhen Ping suddenly said, "Actually, I didn't think that my mother had been longing for my success in the imperial exam deep down. She told me then that if I no longer want to, I don't have to force myself to continue taking the exam. She said I don't have to study for us to live. I thought she meant it..."
Today, after listening to his mother's words, he realized that apart from having Yao shi as her daughter-in-law, seeing her son winning top marks in the imperial examination was another unfulfilled long-cherished wish of hers.
He felt guilty.
Yao shi asked him, "What did you do after you failed to pass the exam?"
Zhen Ping smilingly replied, "I've done everything. I worked as a teacher in a private elementary school, as a bookkeeper in an inn, and as a porter at a dock... Now I have a little tea business."
He continued, scratching his head, "In fact, our life is not as difficult as it might seem in your eyes. Business has been good in the past two years. I already bought a house on the eastern street and we will move there next month."
"That’s great." Yao shi sincerely said.
After that, there was another silence.
Yao shi opened her mouth to speak first, "My eldest brother..."
Zhen Ping waved his hand and interrupted her with a smile, "It's all in the past."
Yao shi said with guilt, "I'm really sorry."
Zhen shi had only one son, Zhen Ping. It was conceivable what kind of heartache the Old Lady had suffered when Zhen Ping was discarded by the Yao Family and even had his legs broken by Yao Yuan.
But now that she had dementia, she forgot all about it.
So she forgave her.
Yao shi felt a lump in her throat again.
"Here we are." Zhen Ping said and glanced at Yao shi whose rim of eyes were red at a glance. He lowered his head, saying, "I'll open the gate."
The two people didn't say anything they shouldn't have.
This might be their last meeting in this life.
There were just really some things that once missed, it meant you missed it forever.
There was no possibility of starting all over again.
However, just as Zhen Ping was about to unbolt the gate, the sound of a carriage came from the outside.
"Here?"
"Yes! It’s here! I heard that man say it with my own ears!"
It was Marquis Gu and Gu Chenglin’s voices!
Yao shi’s expression changed in an instant!
Although Zhen Ping didn't recognize their voices, he somehow felt that the other party was furious. His action of unbolting the gate paused and he looked back at Yao shi.
Yao shi truly didn't expect that his conversation with Zhen Ping in the restaurant would be heard by Gu Chenglin.
Much less Gu Chenglin bringing Marquis Gu to catch her having an ”affair”!
Yao shi suddenly realized that it might not be that simple.
She asked Zhen Ping in a low voice, "Why did you go to that restaurant today?"
Zhen Ping mused before answering, "A customer asked me to go there to discuss business, but it's strange because the other party didn’t come in the end. "
Yao shi said, "Is it a recent customer?"
Zhen Ping replied, "That's right. What's the matter? Is there something wrong with that customer?"
At this point, it didn’t make sense if Yao shi couldn’t guess that Concubine Ling was the one behind this.
"I don't have time to explain it to you now. Is there a back door?" She asked.
Marquis Gu must not see her here, or Marquis Gu would kill Zhen Ping!
Zhen Ping said in a dilemma, "Yes, but there are piles of firewood there. You have to move the firewood first before you can open the door..."
"Hey! Open the gate! Somebody inside, open this gate quickly!" Gu Chenglin began to bang on the gate panel then said, "Huang Zhong, kick this gate down!"
Yao shi was looking for a room to hide in when the gate was kicked open with a bang!