Chapter 434: Chapter 159: Do Not Deceive People_2
Just as when the ruins of the Lu Family were cleared.
The difference, however, was that the Yang Family had already fallen into decay, leaving nothing but this charred abode and a grave no one mourned. Unlike the Lu Family who still had one of their own.
Qi Yutai... could not erase all traces either.
Lu Tong stood in front of the burnt house for a long time.
It wasn’t until there were faint urgings from the tea garden, afraid that they would linger too long in this place, that Lu Tong finally turned and left with Pei Yunmeng.
Mangming Township remained as tranquil and auspicious as when they had arrived, the charred remains of the Yang Family’s house causing no disturbance here. The street was lined with open-fronted houses, beneath the eaves a group of older women sat under the sun picking tea, selecting tender leaves from the plucked tea to earn their wages.
Surrounding them were baskets for drying tea, and the ubiquitous greenery dissipated some of the earlier gloom, adding a touch of spring warmth. Lu Tong walked beside Pei Yunmeng and heard him say, "It’s getting late, let’s have a meal here."
They had set out early, and it was now past midday. Weary from the journey, they hadn’t even had a sip of water, and then had gone to seek out the Yang Family’s residence. He hadn’t mentioned it before, but now Lu Tong also felt the hunger and thirst and said, "Alright."
There was a teahouse ahead, and just as they were moving forward, suddenly a medium-sized yellow dog darted out from the roadside, likely a watch dog from one of the local households. Before Lu Tong could react, she felt her elbow being pulled, and she was yanked to the side by Pei Yunmeng.
"What are you doing?" Lu Tong frowned.
Pei Yunmeng looked at her with surprise, "Aren’t you afraid of dogs?"
Afraid of dogs?
Lu Tong was momentarily stunned.
Back at the Palace Marshal’s Mansion, Duan Xiaoyan had brought four black puppy litters that caused her to lose her composure. Later, when Pei Yunmeng had asked her about it, she had brushed it off casually, not expecting him to remember.
The yellow dog shook its tail and ran ahead. Lu Tong felt his scrutinizing gaze on her and calmly said, "It doesn’t seem to bite."
Pei Yunmeng laughed.
He said nothing more, and Lu Tong didn’t pursue the subject either.
When they reached the entrance of the teahouse, they saw clearly that it was more like a farmhouse opened up to provide a service, with a flag hanging from the beam of one of the rooms with the word "Tea" written in white on a red background. There was only a lopsided wooden table and a few bamboo chairs housed within, seemingly set out by the homestead’s owners for passersby, to earn a few coins for tea. As such, the setup was quite rudimentary, due to the rarity of outsiders in this area.
A woman wrapped in a yellow headscarf came out, smiling upon seeing them, "Ah, the young master has come again."
It was the same woman who had been at the crossroads when they first arrived in Mangming Township, giving them directions.
Pei Yunmeng sat down in one of the chairs in the courtyard with a smile, handed over a piece of silver, and said, "Would you mind, big sister, preparing some food and tea for the two of us?"
This address of "big sister" clearly pleased the woman, and seeing Pei Yunmeng’s generous tip, she smiled even more broadly, "What trouble? It’s only right. Just don’t disdain our simple food and drink, it’s quite plain." She then picked up a teapot from the table to pour them two cups of hot tea, "Have some tea to moisten your throats first, your meals will be ready in a moment." With that, she turned and headed towards the kitchen.
The courtyard was small but clean and tidy, with several large baskets of fresh tea leaves drying in the sun.
Lu Tong lifted her veil and took a sip from the teacup on the table.
Pei Yunmeng teased, "Drinking so eagerly, aren’t you afraid of poison in your tea?"
Lu Tong instinctively glanced at the teacup in her hand.
The terracotta teacup was larger than those in Shengjing City, rough in texture as if made from ordinary clay, exuding a sense of simplicity. However, the tea was extremely sweet, the green leaves floating in the water infused it with a hint of green, and the aroma was inviting.
She looked at Pei Yunmeng, "So Lord Pei, you didn’t drink just now because you were waiting for me to test for poison?"
He just smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
Lu Tong snorted internally.
The children of the powerful and privileged were always so pretentious. She had only heard of the Emperor inside the Palace requiring Palace Attendants to test his food for poison; she didn’t expect this man to do the same.
With that in mind, Lu Tong didn’t say anything else and only waited for Pei Yunmeng to also take a sip of the clear tea before speaking, "Lord Pei might be disappointed then." She said, with a hint of sarcasm, "I am immune to all poisons. Perhaps after drinking this cup of tea I will remain unharmed, while a single sip by Lord Pei could prove fatal."
Pei Yunmeng: "..."
However, the blood-spattered scene from the imagination did not occur, and after finishing their tea, nothing happened to either of them for a good while.
In the quiet courtyard accompanied by chirping birds, after a moment of silence, Lu Tong placed her empty teacup back on the table and said, "Lord Pei, I don’t understand, you could have told me about the Yang Family’s matter directly last night, so why did you insist on accompanying me to this place today?"