Chapter 45

Chapter 45

When daybreak arrived, the food delivered by the servant girls were still the original congee and simple vegetable dishes. Even the good-tempered Lan Qu had the urge to kill people.

Zhang Lin stood in the courtyard of You Nian Pavilion listening to the negative sounds coming unceasingly from Lan Wu’s mouth. He couldn’t help feeling injustice for young miss. She clearly was Lan manor’s legitimate daughter, but she was neglected from an early age. Now finally the general paid attention to young miss but he didn’t expect the old Madame and An yiniang to be so restless.

The fifteen people who recently became guards in You Nian Pavilion admire this young miss, who may be very young age but the ability was not small, more and more. Especially as young miss did not put on any airs with them. She will care about them and respect them. They truly regard young miss as their master. Now their master is being bullied, these guards, who are much older than Lan You Nian, all had the urge to charge out. Although the manor did not reduce their meals, food that was deducted from the master was even more unacceptable.

Perhaps because she really couldn’t stand Lan Wu’s nagging, Lan You Nian put down the tableware in her hands, “Lan Wu, say what you want to do?”

“Kill them all! No, rape them, no, kill first then rape, no, rape first then kill!” Lan Wu’s hands gestured various poses. Zhang Lin and the guards closer seeing this all blushed and looked at Lan Wu with a bit of fear.

Meanwhile, An Er, using qinggong to rush over, had coincidentally just heard Lan Wu’s words. With one stagger, he fell from the wall. Within moments, all the guards flew over, ready to subdue the enemy who broke into You Nian Pavilion. But how could the skills of Feng Yi Xuan’s people be weak? After several rounds, An Er separated himself from the guards’ encirclement.

“Withdraw!” When Lan You Nian realized who it was, her voice sounded.

After the guards backed away, An Er came to Lan You Nian’s side with a bootlicking smile. But that smile would be better if he didn’t smile at all. Have you seen a woodblock smile? An Er looked at the Miss Lan in front of him who didn’t seem to be moved by his smile, so he obediently put the food box in his hands on the stone table.

“Miss Lan, this is instructed by master,” Although An Er wanted to say a few more words to show his face more in front of Lan You Nian, that way in the future he will have a backing, but looking at Lan You Nian’s two servant girl’s nervous treatment and the valiant words he just heard, An Er knew his place and flew away.

Although Lan Wu and Lan Qu did not know when young miss became acquainted with such a man, moreover, were baffled by the master the man spoke of, but they understood their own duty. What they should know, young miss will definitely not hide from them, so Lan Qu and Lan Wu did not ask, instead opened the food box.

When they saw the exquisite and rich breakfast, Lan Wu and Lan Qu still felt a little oppressed. After all, those who had such a cook must have an extraordinary ident.i.ty. But the two only arranged the dishes without a word.

“Let’s eat together!” Lan You Nian said. Although this morning there was the guards’ breakfast, there was no breakfast for Lan Wu and Lan Wu. This was not the first time the several people sat down at the same time to eat, so it was nothing they were unaccustomed to. Or it should be said that it has changed from the not used to in the beginning to being accustomed to it now. But Zhang Lin and the others watched with shock in their eyes. After all, the status gap was plain to see but young miss can eat with servants on the same table. How many young misses of aristocratic family can do this?

Breakfast was eaten very quickly, or it should be said that Lan You Nian deliberately ate very quickly. Meanwhile, Lan Wu and Lan Qu have served their young miss for many years, they’ve already gotten used to young miss’s habits, so they knew that young miss had something to do, so naturally the speed in which they took their meal was much faster.

After Lan Qu cleaned up the dishes on the table, Lan You Nian got up and placed the breakfast sent from the manor on the stone table.

“Zhang Lin,” Lan You Nian softly summoned.

“Young miss,” Zhang Lin stood in front of Lan You Nian respectfully.

“Accidentally pa.s.s by from in front of General Lan. Remember, it is unintentional, but you must let General Lan see you. Do you understand?” Lan You Nian held the spoon stirring the white porridge in the bowl.

“Yes!” After he finished speaking, Zhang Lin left. He already knew what young miss wanted to do. Hmph! Young miss does not act, they think that You Nian Pavilion was afraid of them?

Lan Jian Jun had the habit of practicing swords every day at daybreak. So, Zhang Lin did not need to inquire to know where Lan Jian Jun was. As he expected, when Zhang Lin deliberately came to the training area in the backyard, Lan Jian Jun was, in simple blue robes, brandis.h.i.+ng a long sword.

In the backyard in the place for sword practicing, it was not only where Lan Jian Jun exercised with the sword at daybreak, but it was also the place where all the guards of the manor practiced martial arts. Therefore, it was not unexpected for Zhang Lin to appear here. Moreover, there were other guards working out. Only the place where Lan Jian Jun practiced the sword was separate, while the place where the guards practiced the sword was next to it.

Zhang Lin knew that he was now following the young miss. Based on general’s guilt and favor towards young miss, when he sees him, he will definitely think of the young miss. Then it was very likely that he will go to young miss’s place, then…

When Lan Jian Jun saw Zhang Lin, he did think of that daughter he owed; he thought about the daughter’s alienation of him now. Just thinking about it, he no longer had any interest in sword practice and put down the long sword. Lan Jian Jun walked next to Zhang Lin and crossed a few moves with Zhang Lin.

“Has Nian’er been well these few days?” Lan Jian Jun asked while crossing techniques with Zhang Lin.

Zhang Lin deliberately flashed and did not receive Lan Jian Jun’s move. But fortunately, both of them were just working out. There was no substantial damage. But Lan Jian Jun still could sense Zhang Lin’s unnaturalness.

“Young miss is all well!” Zhang Lin said with a serious face.

Although Lan Jian Jun was skeptical but did not know what actually happened, so he received the towel from the waiting hands of Uncle Lan and wiped his sweat, “You continue practicing!”

“Since Master is worried about young miss, why not go and see?” Uncle Lan said earnestly.

“Uncle Lan, you don’t know, Nian’er doesn’t want to see me at all. If I go, I’m afraid I will make her unhappy. In the end, I have wronged Nian’er that child,” Lan Jian Jun stood in the cold wind of daybreak, sorrow flas.h.i.+ng in his eyes.

“Can master listen to this old slave say a word?” Uncle Lan placed the cloak in his hands onto Lan Jian Jun’s back, just like when Lan Jian Jun was still a child, taking care of him.

“What is Uncle Lan saying? In my heart, Uncle Lan is like an elder,” Lan Jian Jun’s father did not love him. The old Madame never cared about him before. She only used him as a tool to compete for favor. When he was a child, it was Uncle Lan who was such a good elder to himself.

“Master has indeed done something wrong. Young miss is borne by Madame who fought with her life to give birth. But this matter can’t be blamed on the young miss. At that time, young miss was just a child,” Uncle Lan when speaking of this matter couldn’t help a sigh, “Since Master feels you have wronged the young miss, as this old slave can see master really likes young miss, then master should pay more attention to care about young miss. No matter what, blood is thicker than water. Young miss has suffered so many years of bitterness, master cannot, because of young miss’s cold-shoulder, give up. Otherwise, master may not be able to become father and daughter in this life!”

Listening to Uncle Lan’s words, Lan Jian Jun only felt that what Uncle Lan said was true. Since he wanted to compensate this daughter, then he could not give up. That was his own daughter ah! He disregarded her for thirteen years, while now he has been given the cold shoulder for merely a few days, he already felt so hurt, then his daughter before….

“I know. Uncle Lan, there’s no need to prepare breakfast in the room. I will go to Nian’er’s place to eat,” As soon as Lan Jian Jun finished speaking, he headed to You Nian Pavilion by himself.

“Young miss, General Lan is coming,” Lan Qu arranged the plain congee and little dishes and said to her own young miss with a bit of gloating.

Lan Jian Jun arrived in You Nian Pavilion. He looked at the courtyard that has taken on a completely new look in just a few days. The treasures and exotic flowers were arranged naturally inside. It was decorated elegantly without losing serenity. It seemed that you can feel the tranquility when you enter here.

In the pavilion of the courtyard, with her back facing him sat a pet.i.te girl. She looked so small and so frail. Lan Jian Jun didn’t know why, seeing his daughter’s so serene but desolate back, his eyes actually reddened.

Lan You Nian put down the chopsticks that she didn’t actually eat with, stood up, and slightly bent over, “General Lan.”

Lan Jian Jun recovered his own gaffe, a.s.sumed familiarity and said, “Nian’er is using breakfast?”, especially hoping he can get a little closer to his daughter.

“Yes!” Lan You Nian replied. Concerning Lan Jian Jun’s gaffe from moments before, she saw with her eyes, but there is not any consolation. After all, she was not the Lan You Nian who longed for a little bit of fatherly love.

“Your father has not used breakfast. How about we use it together!” The dignified General Lan, at this time, used a slightly cautious tone as he asked the girl sitting on the stone chair.

“Lan Qu, go add a pair of chopsticks!” Lan You Nian said to Lan Qu. Lan Qu complied, laughter flas.h.i.+ng in the eyes. Young miss can be really lazy. She didn’t want to go fight with the old Madame so instead, let General Lan come. Young miss was just happy to watch the show.

For being able to take breakfast with his daughter, which was such a common thing, but Lan Jian Jun was obviously very happy. But when Lan Jian Jun picked up the tableware prepared to eat and saw the pitiful things on the table that could hardly be considered a breakfast, he was enraged. Not even the most common grain of rice can be seen in the simple congee. Those small dishes of green vegetables were clearly not fresh. But the daughter he wanted to spoil in his heart actually could eat it with relish, even eating it so elegantly.

Lan Jian Jun was originally hot-tempered. He pulled Lan You Nian behind him and swept the congee and vegetarian dishes on the table to the ground.

Lan You Nian seemed unable to see Lan Jian Jun’s rage and leisurely sat down, “General Lan, what is your meaning?”

“Is this what the manor gives you?” Lan Jian Jun really lost his temper. He believed that after he declared Nian’er’s ident.i.ty to the entire manor on that day of return, these people should know how to act properly. They should know who is the master in this Lan manor. But he didn’t expect, in these few days, these people dared to have other ideas right under his eyelids.

“What? General Lan broke my teacup,” Lan You Nian bent down to pick up the broken pieces.

“Hasn’t young miss eaten this all the time? The one this morning is considered good,” Lan Wu also understood what young miss wanted to do, so she started to add to the fire.

“Didn’t I say if there is anything to find this general?” Lan Jian Jun said in in furious tones but did not vent his anger on Lan Wu and Lan Qu. Lan Jian Jun understood that Lan You Nian valued these two servant girls.

“Ha” Don’t know why but Lan Wu who was originally acting suddenly started crying, “Find the general? Then when the young miss toed the line between life and death so many times, where was the general?” Lan Wu remembered young miss’s pain when the poison acted up every month, remembered young miss establis.h.i.+ng her forces, wandering through the forest of blades and a hail of arrows. Don’t know why but she felt heartache for her own young miss.

“Lan Wu!” Lan Qu scolded, quickly cut off Lan Wu from blurting out anymore unrestrained words. She knew Lan Wu’s heart felt for young miss’s grievances and injustice. When does she not feel the same? But their young miss was resilient and does not need these. Their young miss was the best, even without a father’s protection!

Lan Wu also knew she committed a wrong, anxiously glanced at Lan You Nian. Seeing Lan You Nian didn’t seem to show any signs of anger, only then did she dry her tears and stood behind Lan You Nian, holding her tongue.

Lan Jian Jun looked at his daughter with wide eyes. His mouth opened and closed many times, but he didn’t know what he should say. He knew this servant girl did not lie, but he just thought his Nian’er maybe only lived poorly but didn’t think it was so severe.

“Let’s go to daddy’s place for breakfast!” Lan Jian Jun wanted to say sorry but found he was undeserving. He wanted to comfort his daughter by saying that he will not be the same in the future, daddy will protect you, but found he was not qualified at all.

“No need, I have already eaten enough!” Lan You Nian did not lie. She was really full, but it was not eating these but eating the meal sent by Feng Yi Xuan. However, when Lan Jian Jun heard this, his heart was distressed. Seeing his daughter eat so little, his heart became more and more oppressive.

“Go investigate. I have to see just who is doing this!” Lan Jian Jun pa.s.sed the orders down. He didn’t use breakfast; he just waited here.

Lan You Nian looked at the pieces on the ground in total disorder. The corner of her mouth outlined a sneer. It really is such a crude trick that is too low to be seen in public.

yiniang-stepmother/concubine

qinggong-martial ability of lightness of step

the forest of blades and a hail of arrows-metaphor for overcoming many hards.h.i.+ps