C89

September 2nd

A sliver of white had just appeared on the horizon, but a drizzling rain that was like smoke and mist floated about. Jin Lan listened to the faint rustling outside the window, and a sense of loss appeared in his eyes.

Mama Tang inserted a Jade Embedded Pearl and Eight Treasures hairpin into the profound black hair of the Jin Lan. Wan Ju opened the curtain and entered the room, "Miss, the wife is here."

Jin Lan was startled. He hurriedly got up and went to greet her. "Mother."

Madame SHen quickly stepped forward to help Jin Lan up, and then pulled her little hand to sit on the soft bed. Only then did she carefully observe her daughter's makeup today.

Inside, there was a pink silk jacket with white plum stripes, a silky silver crabapple dumpling, and a silk hairpin. There were also two fingernail-sized crabapple silk flowers in her hair. There was a trace of elegance in her delicateness that caused people to be unable to resist the urge to ache for her.

But when she thought about how her daughter was about to go to that dangerous place, Madame SHen did not sleep for the entire night.

"Mother." Jin Lan looked at the bruises on Madame SHen's eyes and felt uncomfortable. He then turned his body and nestled into her embrace, "At most spring, Lan Er will be back." It was a word of consolation, but it was also a tone of certainty.

Madame SHen embraced Jin Lan's soft body and let out a long sigh in his heart. When he thought about his daughter's intelligence, his expression recovered a little. After thinking for a moment, he made Jin Lan sit down. Then, he took off his Jingtai Blue Enamel Silk Twined Flower Bracelet and placed it on Jin Lan's right hand.

Jin Lan looked at the bracelet in surprise. "Mother, the old lady gave me a lot of jewelry a few days ago. Mother should still wear this bracelet." As he spoke, he was about to pull out the bracelet.

This was the bracelet that her mother always wore, it was a rare sight for her to take it off. Hearing Hui Xiu say that this bracelet was her mother's favorite item before leaving the pavilion, but now it was in her hands.

Madame SHen hurriedly held Jin Lan's hand, and laughed: "Mother, isn't that yours? Could it be that Lan Er loathed the fact that the bangle design was old? "

After nearly twenty years, no matter how carefully one took care of the old objects, it was still difficult to hide the traces of the erosion of time.

"How could that be?" Jin Lan shook her head, her clear eyes looking at the Madame SHen, and said seriously: "This is my mother's beloved item, a noble does not steal from others, what if Lan Er accidentally loses or breaks it?"

Madame SHen was amused by Jin Lan, and a smile appeared on his face. He reached out to pinch the tip of her nose and said: "Little Gu Ling Jing, you've only known a few words, and yet you're already biting your tongue like that. It's clear that you're unwilling, but you're still taking advantage of me." Even though he said that, he did not loosen his grip on Jin Lan, "You should take this bracelet with you. It is empty inside and contains a note worth a thousand taels of silver. This time, you have travelled thousands of miles to the capital, and your mother cannot stay by your side. You should keep the silver notes well.

Jin Lan couldn't help but be stunned, she didn't think that this bracelet would hide such a large sum of silver. Although her Ye Family was abundant, even in her previous life, she had never taken out more than a thousand taels of silver at once. "Mother, this silver …" Could it be from the public?

Madame SHen saw through Jin Lan's thoughts and couldn't help but laugh. He said softly: "These are the silver from my private bank, they have nothing to do with each other. Don't worry."

Jin Lan was relieved when he heard this. The accounts of the officials were reported to the old lady every month. If the old lady knew that her mother had given her so much money in private, it would bring her quite a bit of trouble.

"Alright, it's getting late. I still have to say my goodbyes to the old lady and your father." The Madame SHen patted Jin Lan's small hands, and said with a sigh: "You have to be more careful on the road. Your body is weak, and you can't take the torment." As he spoke, his eyes turned red.

Seeing that, Jin Lan hurriedly agreed and changed the topic. The mother and daughter duo spoke for a while, before standing up and leaving Jiayu Hall to bid their farewells to the old lady. Not thinking about Ye Lin, Ye Jinwei, Concubine Shao and Ye Yu were all there.

The whole family gathered together for a rare meal, and after happily having their breakfast, Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei set off.

At this moment, the sun had risen and the drizzling rain had stopped. The bright sunlight shone down from the sky, and the temperature was cool and pleasant.

The Ye Mansion gate opened, and the leader of the carriage was led by two chariots, followed by three ordinary green carriages, and finally by over ten wooden flatcars. Other than the maids that served closely behind them, the group also had two Female Cook s and a doctor, as well as more than twenty of Ye Lin's bodyguards, who surrounded the two carriages in front of them in three layers. The clatter of horses' hooves, the rumble of wheels, and the noise of the road headed for the pier.

The commoners on the street opened up a path and stretched out their necks in curiosity, gathering in groups of twos and threes to watch the show.

"Oh, isn't this Ye Family's carriage?"

"Truly impressive!"

"With such a great position, where can we go?"

"It looks like they're going to the dock. Who's in the car?"

Jin Lan sat upright in the carriage, the noise beside his ears unable to arouse her curiosity. His white hands folded on his lap, and the fingertips of his left hand lightly traced the Jingtai Blue Bracelet on his right wrist. However, his heart was unable to calm down like a raging river.

What would happen after she left, was no longer something she could anticipate or control.

However, no matter what happened, she would return safely.

Definitely, definitely, must come back!

The carriage did not travel very fast, and had to wait for more than two hours for the horse carriage with the birthday present before they arrived at Yangzhou Pier.

Due to the drizzle of early morning, the river was now suffused with a faint mist. From afar, it looked like smoke was drifting along the river, making the scenery extremely elegant.

At the edge of the dock, there was a three-masted red lacquer sailboat and a few small boats. Steward Li had already arranged for people to wrap a long tent around a path and two maids stood by the red lacquer ladders, ready to help them board the boat.

The horse carriage stopped in front of a clean clearing, and the servants came to and fro to carry the chests of the vans onto the boat, Steward Li went to pay respects to Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei, "First Miss, Second Miss, the boat has been prepared, please board the boat."

Jin Lan stepped off the horse carriage with Wan Ju supporting him, and then gently got off the carriage. With Si Ling leading the way, he steadily landed on the ground.

Ye Jinwei turned his head back to look at Jin Lan, and with a snort, she raised his head and walked along the path towards the side of the boat.

Jin Lan felt that it was funny and infuriating, he was too lazy to bother with her, he just glanced at the things they greeted and got on the boat with Ye Jinwei.

The three-masted red lacquered sailboat was divided into two decks. The rough maidservants lived on the lower decks and the two of them prepared three rooms connected to each other, one on the left and the other on the right.

Wan Ju and Bi He, as well as the Mama Shang, shared a room with Jin Lan. However, since it was night time for Jin Lan to stay up, it did not feel crowded. Ye Jinwei's side was also arranged in this way, and inside the small boat, there were guards as well as laid out birthday presents and big items.

After getting on the boat, Jin Lan's mood gradually improved. She sat by the window and lifted the bamboo curtain a little to look at the riverbank outside. Her nose was filled with water vapor. Wan Ju and Bi He were in their room cleaning and counting boxes and cages. Although the birthday present and most of the treasures were on the boat, they still carried some precious things with them.

Mama Shang placed the red lacquer on a plate, and placed the piping hot sugar bird nest soup on top. She then lifted the flowery curtain hanging on the plate and entered the room, "Miss, please eat something to rest your stomach. Steward Li said that we have less than an hour before we set sail."

He was indeed a little hungry now, so he nodded his head slightly and said to Wan Ju and Bi He: "You guys are tired from the journey, you should go and rest first. It's enough as long as Mama Shang is here."

The two of them looked at Mama Shang and increased their speed. They finished counting the boxes, bent their knees, and left.

After eating half a bowl of Swallow's Nest soup, Jin Lan placed the silver spoon down, used a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth, and then softly said to Mama Shang: "Mama, sit."

The Mama Shang replied as she half sat on the small Wooden Pellet beside him. Her expression revealed a rare trace of apprehension.

Jin Lan looked at her for a bit, then the corner of her mouth suddenly curled up. With a smile, she slowly spoke: "Since Mama chose to believe me, why are you still so nervous?"

Mama Shang's face stiffened. She opened her mouth but did not know how to reply.

Jin Lan just spoke, he did not have any intentions of teasing her, but seeing her like this, he did not continue, and reached his hand into his waist pouch and took out a folded four-sided object, "Mama, what is this?"

Mama Shang looked up and couldn't help but to be startled. After looking carefully again, her eyes suddenly stared wide, "This, this is..."

Even if the light in the cabin wasn't as bright as the light outside, it was still enough for people to read the words written on it. Jin Lan lightly shook the Xuan paper in his hand, "I've already done what Mama asked me to do. I hope Mama does not go back on her words." Saying so, he handed the Xuan paper to her.

Mama Shang shakily extended his hand, but just as she was about to touch a corner of the xuan paper, she withdrew it as fast as lightning. She swallowed a mouthful of foam and said with difficulty: "This indenture contract, I think it's better for young lady to keep it first."

Glimmers danced in Jin Lan's eyes, then she shook her head and said, "Mama, there's no doubt about it. Since I'm giving it to you, I have my reasons, you can just keep it."

Someone like the Mama Shang, who was proud and arrogant, would lower herself to her because she needed help. However, she would still hold back in her heart. What she wanted was wholehearted loyalty.

Mama Shang looked deeply at Jin Lan, and extended his hand to take the thin indenture contract. He then quickly swept his eyes over it, and folded it into his sleeves. She got up and curtsied for Jin Lan, "Your servant will never forget your kindness for the rest of my life. I will never go back on my word regarding anything that I've promised. Otherwise, thunder will strike the heavens, and I will die a horrible death!"

Hearing Mama Shang's venomous oath, Jin Lan blinked his bright eyes, and his tender lips slightly parted. "Why does Mama need to make such a venomous oath? If you truly treat me well, then I will not let you down. Come to think of it, I have seen Mama's daughter before. "

"What?" Mama Shang's body trembled as she stared at Jin Lan in disbelief. She cried out involuntarily: "Miss has seen this servant's daughter?"