Perfect Match – CH 010

Chapter 10

The estate Old Madam Lin had designated for Deng Ruyun had been purchased only a few days prior, in the countryside of Tongguan County, north of Xi’an Prefecture.

Deng Ruyun took the money and left the city the next day with Linglang and Xiuniang.

Xiuniang was sullen the whole way. “They did something wrong, and we are the ones being punished? What kind of logic is that?”

Deng Ruyun, however, did not care. She held Linglang on her lap and spoke only to Linglang.

“Auntie has money now. Once Linglang recovers, Auntie will hire a private tutor for her to study at home, alright?”

Little Linglang did not respond. The little girl seemed to understand nothing, yet also everything. She quietly leaned against Deng Ruyun’s chest.

Years ago, after her eldest brother went missing in the border region, her sister-in-law refused to believe it and went to search for him herself. But what she found was her brother’s unrecognizable body buried under the yellow sand.

Her sister-in-law was overwhelmed with grief and resentment, and then she fell ill on the way and died not long after returning.

Linglang lost her parents when she was just one year old, and the little girl grew up with her aunt.

Deng Ruyun herself did not mind suffering losses, but if she could not support her family, Linglang would inevitably fall into her predicament as well.

Nothing else mattered; her first priority was to support her family.

As they spoke, the coachman suddenly pulled the horse to a stop.

“What’s wrong?” Deng Ruyun asked.

The coachman laughed. “Madam, we’ve met the General!”

Upon hearing this, Xiuniang’s eyes lit up.

“Could the General be here to pick us up? Does that mean we do not have to go to the countryside?”

But Deng Ruyun did not think so.

However, since she had met him on the road, there was no reason not to see him off.

She bowed and got out of the carriage. The yellow sand swirled around her, making it hard to open her eyes.

She could only turn sideways, carrying Linglang with her, and got out to greet him.

There was a small teahouse by the roadside, offering water and tea to passersby. Deng Ruyun, carrying Linglang, saw him emerge from the teahouse.

He wore a dark blue brocade robe, tall and imposing, his black boots treading the sand and dust.

As he stepped out, Deng Ruyun’s coachman quickly stepped forward to bow.

He seemed quite surprised to see his coachman and asked gently, “What are you doing here?”

He was always kind and gentle to his servants, rarely harsh, so the coachman was also at ease and smiled.

“How could you forget, sir? I was ordered to take Madam to the estate to the north.”

Upon hearing this, Deng Ruyun, standing behind the carriage, noticed his previously gentle expression soften, his eyes becoming distant.

“I see.” His gaze swept lightly over Deng Ruyun’s carriage before returning to his own, saying only indifferently.

“Then go quickly, so she does not have to get out of the carriage.”

He only used the word “she,” without any other form of address.

Having said that, he clearly did not intend for Deng Ruyun to get out of the carriage to meet him; he had already mounted his horse.

“I have other matters to attend to; I’m leaving.”

These words were spoken towards the carriage, a way of saying goodbye to Deng Ruyun.

With that, he did not linger, whipping his horse and riding away.

The sound of hooves thundered, disappearing into the distance in an instant, raising only a cloud of yellow dust.

Deng Ruyun, holding Linglang, stood by the carriage, silently watching the direction he had gone.

The coachman was somewhat bewildered, but when he turned around and saw that his mistress had already dismounted and was waiting by the carriage, he was even more surprised and at a loss.

He swallowed hard. “This… Madam, would you please sit down and have a bowl of tea before you go?”

Deng Ruyun smiled gently, shook her head, and looked away from the road he had ridden away on.

“No need. It’s getting late; let’s continue our journey.”

She handed Linglang to Xiuniang to carry back to the carriage and then got in herself. The coachman dared not say another word and immediately drove away from the teahouse.

He headed south back to Xi’an, while she went far north.

An unexpected, brief encounter, ending in parting ways.

Actually, this was for the best. For the next three years before the contract ended, she and he, this “contractual couple,” would probably never see each other again.

… …

The journey northwards, traversing mountains and rivers, thankfully reached Tongguan County before sunset.

But the carriage was inexplicably bumpy, and Xiuniang, carrying Linglang, nearly fell off the bench.

Deng Ruyun asked, “What’s wrong? Is the road difficult?”

The coachman quickly apologized, “I did not see anything just now and fell into a ditch.” But as he spoke, his voice lowered, and he added, “Why do I feel like someone’s been following us all this way?”

This question caused a moment of silence in the carriage.

Xiuniang was initially afraid, but then she thought for a moment and said, “We just set out and encountered the General. Could it be that the General actually sent people to escort us along the way?”

Deng Ruyun saw Xiuniang blinking at her and knew she probably wanted to say something comforting. But given Teng Yue’s attitude towards her, why should Xiuniang try to make amends?

She smiled at Xiuniang. But if it was not Teng Yue’s people, then who was following them?

Deng Ruyun suddenly thought of something and immediately called the coachman, “Are we not nearing Tongguan County? Let’s go to the county town first.”

The county town was not far. The carriage entered the town, and the bustling crowds made the feeling of being followed dissipate.

“Perhaps I’m overthinking it,” the coachman said, scratching his head.

Deng Ruyun remained silent, letting Xiuniang get out of the carriage to buy some food for Linglang by the roadside. They did not linger, arriving at the estate below before nightfall.

The estate was indeed newly purchased, with only the old lady temporarily managing it. The estate was not small, but it was largely unrenovated. Upon her arrival, the steward quickly prepared a decent room for her.

Deng Ruyun said there was no rush and only inquired about the people working on the estate.

The steward, surnamed Lu, said there were few servants on the estate. Seeing that the lady traveled lightly with only her child and the coachman, he said, “If Madam feels uneasy, you can find a few tenants to guard the estate at night.”

Deng Ruyun immediately agreed, “I just passed through the county town and heard that there are roaming thieves outside the city, seemingly in our vicinity. Please, Steward Lu, find a few strong and capable tenants.”

Steward Lu was an honest man. Hearing this, he immediately went to find men for Deng Ruyun. He soon found four or five farmers, told them they would patrol the estate that evening, and offered them two meals. The farmers readily agreed and stayed that night.

Fortunately, this new estate did not occupy a single plot of land; there were about ten other households nearby, making it a small estate. Some of these households were wealthy, but most were inhabited. There was also a large, imposing house that seemed to belong to a local wealthy family.

Deng Ruyun asked Steward Lu, who confirmed that the family, surnamed Zhou, was indeed local. “However, they’ve been running a grain shop for the past few years, and business is quite good. Not only is the old house newly renovated, but Madam Zhou just gave birth to twins last month, a boy and a girl. The whole family is celebrating, and they will be having a full-month celebration in a few days.”

Deng Ruyun’s heart stirred upon hearing this.

Although Old Madam Lin had told her to stay at the estate for a while, given Teng Yue’s attitude, she feared she’d be staying for a year or more without anyone asking her to return.

In that case, cultivating relationships with the neighbors would make life easier. Not to mention, if anything dangerous happened, she could find shelter.

Deng Ruyun, feeling she needed to plan ahead, immediately summoned Steward Lu, saying, “Steward Lu, could you please make a trip to the county town tomorrow to prepare a celebratory gift for the Zhou family’s full-moon celebration?”

… …

The evening passed uneventfully. The tenants, who came to keep watch, brought their children to join in the meal. Deng Ruyun did not mind, telling the cook to prepare plenty. Linglang, no longer confined to Liumingxuan’s small courtyard, played with the tenants’ children again, her previously sickly face showing more spirit.

The next day, Steward Lu went to the county town to prepare the gift, but when he returned, his expression was somewhat strange.

Linglang was in the courtyard showing the tenants’ children the rabbit lantern she had brought from town, and the children were utterly delighted.

Seeing Steward Lu return with a strange expression, constantly glancing back at the gate, Deng Ruyun asked him if something was wrong.

“I just returned and saw some unfamiliar faces moving around the village. I asked them, and they said they were here to work. I have not heard of any work to be done…”

“How many were there?” Deng Ruyun immediately asked.

“About five or six.”

Deng Ruyun paused. Xiuniang, who was beside her, also sensed something was wrong. Steward Lu turned to the other side, and she quickly asked Deng Ruyun.

“Miss, it felt like someone was following us when we came, and now strangers are wandering around the village. This is not right.”

Deng Ruyun knew something was amiss. She heard Xiuniang say fearfully, “Should we go back to Xi’an?”

“It will take at least half a day to get to Xi’an Prefecture from here. Who can guarantee the journey’s safety?” Deng Ruyun shook her head.

“Then…then let Steward Lu go back to the Teng family and call some servants and guards. The General is there too, and he has his personal guards with him!”

With servants, guards, and even personal guards, no one would dare to do anything to them, Xiuniang thought.

But when she said this, she saw the young lady shake her head again.

Deng Ruyun smiled helplessly.

“Tell me, Xiuniang, if you sent a little maid out, and she immediately rushed back, saying there were snakes outside that would bite, and demanding that you send someone to catch them, would you believe her?”

Xiuniang immediately said, “Then she must be trying to come back, making up lies…”

Before she finished speaking, Xiuniang froze.

“But, young lady, how can this be the same? You’re the madam; how can you compare yourself to a lowly maid?”

So, did that mean she really was the lady of the Teng family, Teng Yue’s wife?

Deng Ruyun did not say that. She simply shook her head again. “Going back is impossible. The mansion will not send anyone reliable.”

Just Nanny Wei would probably already turn away the people she sent for help. Even if Old Madam Lin knew, she would probably just think she was scared and send a couple of servants to keep an eye on her; that would not solve anything.

As for Teng Yue… he probably did not even want to hear about her, let alone send troops?

But Deng Ruyun had Xiuniang and Linglang with her; this matter could not be delayed.

She thought carefully for a moment, then suddenly called Xiuniang.

“Go find Steward Lu and get the celebratory gifts. We are going to the Zhou family next door.”

*

In a ravine not far from the estate.

The second-in-command had been feeling incredibly stifled these past few days.

This was his first job, tasked with assassinating a wealthy woman from a noble family. However, such women rarely left their homes, and when they did venture out, they were always accompanied by servants, leaving his brothers with no opportunity to use their skills.

Just as the second-in-command was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Madam Deng at the estate, he was overjoyed. But Madam Deng was incredibly wary. First, she hired many tenant farmers to guard her estate. Then, sensing something amiss, she began communicating with the Zhou family next door, persuading them to send men to patrol the estate.

The second-in-command was seething with rage, completely unsure how to proceed, when news arrived from the Baifeng Mountain stronghold.

The news was carefully relayed by his elder brother’s confidant, saying that his brothers’ repeated thefts of military supplies being transported to the border by the imperial court seemed to have put them under surveillance.

The source of the information was not explicitly stated, but it was said that General Teng Yue of Ningxia had returned to Xi’an Prefecture with his troops some time ago. The supplies he had lost earlier were precisely the military provisions given to him by the imperial court. He was likely back to suppress bandits.

“What does the eldest brother mean?”

The confidant replied, “The eldest brother means that Teng Yue’s wife cannot be killed now, but she must be captured alive. If Teng Yue really comes to the mountains, we will put his wife out there and see if he wants to gain merit by suppressing bandits or if he wants his newlywed wife.”

The second-in-command laughed upon hearing this.

“Before, I had to kill her secretly, which made me hesitant. Now, I’m completely at odds with Teng Yue, so I do not have to hold back anymore; I can act directly.”