The setting sun bled like blood, and mealtime arrived on schedule.
The people of Hongshupo, sitting obediently at the dining table waiting for dinner, witnessed their master and mistress return hand in hand, bathed in the afterglow of the sunset.
Both of them wore a blush, their lips curling upwards involuntarily.
Old Granny Wu leaned sideways and whispered to Granny Zhong beside her, "Your mistress's face will be better soon."
Granny Zhong nodded, but her tone was a little indignant, "Mistress has already been to the county town twice, and if it doesn't get better, I'll curse those doctors for being useless."
Old Granny Wu was taken aback, then chuckled heartily.
Lu Hua had never seen her elder brother and sister-in-law so shy. Although she was only ten years old, her intuition told her that her little nephew (or niece) would appear soon.
Lu Ye and Bai Sheng sat at the dining table eating. Their eyes met and lingered, creating an almost tangible connection.
To the extent that they didn't hear anything their third younger sibling was saying. Tonight, the three children felt utterly ignored by their elder brother and sister-in-law.
Apart from Hu Da Niu, everyone else at the table was single. A casual glance at their master and mistress was enough to make their hearts ache. Well, those without wives were not meant to have eyes.
Tian Guihua and Liu Shi were both experienced. They understood the silent communication between their master and mistress.
Yang Shi and Hu Da Niu had a very good relationship, so they understood even better.
During dinner, everyone's attention was drawn to their master and mistress, except for Du Min and Feng Pingyuan.
Du Min had been restless all day. She really wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Old Granny Wu alone, but Granny Zhong was too clingy with her best friend, so Du Min had no chance to approach her.
If she deliberately pulled the Guoshi aside to talk, it would easily arouse suspicion from others, and she couldn't risk it.
After the evening chat, everyone returned to their rooms to sleep. Du Min remained sitting outside the thatched shed, still preoccupied.
Ten years. She had transformed from a naive girl into a weathered woman. "Old Granny Wu" would surely not recognize her.
But she had always recognized "Old Granny Wu."
She never expected that the Guoshi—Old Granny Wu—was still alive, let alone that she would come to Hongshupo.
But why did she suddenly come to Hongshupo?
Du Min planned to find Old Granny Wu in the middle of the night. She really didn't want to wait any longer; she had too many questions that needed answering.
"Miss, this old woman can't sleep. Can you accompany me for a walk?"
A voice came from behind. Du Min turned her head and saw Old Granny Wu!
"Okay, Old Granny Wu, I'll accompany you... for a walk." Du Min glanced around, then supported Old Granny Wu's arm and walked towards the sand dunes away from the residential area.
After walking a considerable distance, Old Granny Wu noticeably lowered her voice and asked, "Miss, do you know me?"
Du Min was startled, "Granny, how... how do you know?"
Old Granny Wu chuckled, "Ever since Feng'er and I came to Hongshupo, your husband and wife's gazes have been strange. Today you've been staring at this old woman all day. Others might not notice, but you can't hide it from me."
Du Min was somewhat excited. She cautiously looked around and lowered her voice respectfully, "This is Du Ruo Nan, the legitimate eldest daughter of Du Chang Jun of Jingzhou, paying respects to the Guoshi!"
"You are Du Chang Jun's legitimate eldest daughter? Xue Sheng's cousin?" Old Granny Wu was clearly surprised to encounter an old acquaintance in Hongshupo. Back then, she had heard that the Du clan had been wiped out and thought that no one from the Jingzhou Du clan remained.
Du Min's eyes were tearful, and she trembled, "It is indeed this humble one. Ten years ago, Jingzhou fell into chaos. My Du mansion was surrounded by troops, and my parents and relatives were all killed. Pingyuan Ge went to save me, and with the chaos, he escaped with me.
We changed our names and lived in hiding, drifting everywhere. Fearing pursuit, we ended up in this great desert. Later, our only child was killed, and we nearly died of thirst. Fortunately, we were taken in by the kind master and mistress."
Listening to Du Min's account, Old Granny Wu thought she probably didn't know that the mistress she spoke of was the person they were looking for, but that was understandable.
Ten years ago, Sheng'er was only five years old. Later, her appearance was disguised with the Zhen Qing Man Tuo Gu. Naturally, Du Min wouldn't recognize her now.
However, fate is truly marvelous. Who would have thought they would meet here by chance?
"Miss Ruo Nan, what are your plans for the future?"
Du Min sighed, "Guoshi, please still call me Xiao Min. I haven't used the name Ruo Nan for a long time.
When my husband and I were in desperate straits, the mistress and master gave us a chance to live. My husband and I will be their lifelong servants.
However, I will not give up searching for my cousin. When life gets better, I will ask the mistress for some time to go out and look for her."
Old Granny Wu said, "Ten years ago, she was only five years old. You cousins haven't seen each other for so many years. Even if you go out to find her, how will you recognize her?"
"This..." Du Min hadn't thought of this, but no matter what, she wouldn't give up searching. When she was little, she had promised her cousin that if her cousin ever got lost, she would never give up searching for her.
Old Granny Wu chuckled, "Does young Miss Xiao Min know why this old woman came to Hongshupo?"
This was also Du Min's question, "Has Old Granny Wu encountered difficulties? So she's temporarily staying here?"
Old Granny Wu turned and sat on the sand dune, gesturing for Du Min to sit down. Looking at the hazy hills in the distance, she let out a long sigh, "During the great chaos ten years ago, your cousin disappeared. Feng'er and I wandered the Great Xia kingdom for ten years, traversing every inch of its land, all to find her. We wouldn't have stopped if we hadn't found her."
Du Min was greatly shocked. She grabbed Old Granny Wu's arm and asked anxiously, "Guoshi, you mean—you—you've found Xue Sheng? Where... where is she?!"
Old Granny Wu raised her hand and made a "hush" gesture, whispering, "Xue Sheng is also fifteen this year. How many fifteen-year-old young ladies are there in Hongshupo?"
"Fifteen years old... could it be the... the mistress?" Du Min was incredulous. "This... this is too much of a coincidence!" No wonder she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness the moment she saw the mistress.
Old Granny Wu smiled and nodded, "Precisely."
"But why is Xue Sheng's face disfigured? I heard someone poisoned her..." Du Min remembered her cousin as a beautiful and exquisitely carved child in her youth.
Old Granny Wu smiled, "That is the Zhen Qing Man Tuo Gu that this old woman planted on her to protect her. If she meets someone who truly loves her, the Gu will be lifted quickly. If not, that face can protect her from harm."
"So that's how it is," Du Min suddenly understood.
Old Granny Wu sighed, "This might be fate. However, for Xue Sheng's safety, we must pretend not to know each other for the time being. Young Miss Xiao Min, no matter how excited you are, you must not show it in front of Xue Sheng. Although ten years have passed, it is still not the time for us to acknowledge each other."
Du Min clasped her trembling fingers, "Old Granny Wu, rest assured, I will remember."