Perfect Match – CH 035

Chapter 35

In the flickering light, Deng Ruyun’s hand holding the book paused.

She did not speak for a moment. Xiuniang, thinking she had not heard her clearly, smiled and went to her side, looking into her eyes.

“The general treats you completely differently now. He probably has feelings for you…”

The girl used to adore him, secretly following him, secretly picking up the arrows he shot, and secretly collecting them until her basket was full.

But back then, the young girl dared not utter a word of her budding feelings. Such an eloquent person, in his presence, was like a gourd with its mouth sawed off, only able to blush, but she knew nothing of it.

Later, he was promoted and left Jinzhou, and the Deng family suffered misfortune. She never heard the girl mention a single word about him again. Even after she unexpectedly became his wife, the girl never revealed a trace of affection, as if her fervent love for him had never happened.

She did not speak of it, and Xiuniang did not want to, but she still felt a pang of pity for her and also a glimmer of hope.

These past few days, she had clearly noticed that General Teng’s treatment of the young lady was changing day by day, especially after seeing this entire row of medical books and pharmacopoeias today.

If the general did not care about the young lady, why would he prepare these things for her?

As Xiuniang spoke, a smile played at the corners of her eyes; she wanted to tease the young lady and see her reaction.

But before she could finish speaking, Deng Ruyun suddenly stood up.

Xiuniang was startled, and looking at her again, she saw that in the flickering lamplight, her face had completely darkened.

A crackling sound came from the lamp wick, and Xiuniang fell silent but then heard her say in a rarely serious and cold voice, “There’s absolutely no such thing. Do not talk nonsense like that again.”

After saying this, she immediately closed the medical book in her hand.

The breeze from her action dimmed the lamplight on the table for a moment, and the atmosphere in the room became low and oppressive in the silence of the winter night.

Xiuniang could no longer discern her young lady’s expression. She saw her young lady say nothing more, put all the medicine books back on the shelf, turn, and leave the room, heading to the side courtyard to make medicine.

Xiuniang froze, standing before the hidden door leading to the side courtyard, lost in thought for a long while.

That night, some trouble arose in the army. Teng Yue led his men out, then sent a messenger home saying he had gone to the garrison and would not be returning that night.

After nightfall, a strong wind swept through the city. One of the lanterns under the eaves was blown out, but the wind was too strong for the servants to relight and hang it up. The gloom seemed to be enveloped in the wind, permeating every corner of Liumingxuan.

The general had not returned. The young lady made medicine in the side courtyard until very late before returning to her room to rest. Xiuniang wanted to say something to her, but she seemed in low spirits, only giving a few instructions on how to make and sell medicine, and then said nothing more.

The north wind did not subside much until the early morning of the next day, but the general still had not returned. Xiuniang went with her young lady to the small courtyard in the east of the city.

Deng Ruyun first summoned Changxing and had them list all the private tutors nearby; those with many students, she would not consider.

Two elderly scholars, with high tuition fees but few students, were among those Deng Ruyun planned to visit with Linglang sometime, but today she could only send Changxing to deliver their invitations and wait for their reply.

After inquiring about this matter, she checked her grandmother’s pulse and, finding her grandmother well, began tending to the herbs in the courtyard.

Aunt Juan spoke a few words to her first, then turned and called Xiuniang aside.

“Why does Yunniang seem so quiet? Did something happen at the Teng family’s?”

Nothing happened at the Teng family’s, but Xiuniang lowered her head. “It was something I said wrong that made her become like this.”

Aunt Juan was surprised. Yunniang was never one to hold grudges. She quickly asked Xiuniang what she had said, and Xiuniang recounted the events of the previous day.

Aunt Juan listened for a moment, then fell silent.

Turning back to Xiuniang, she said, “You really should not have said that.”

Xiuniang’s eyes showed a hint of grievance, and Aunt Juan sighed deeply.

Her gaze fell on Deng Ruyun, who was squatting in the courtyard, sorting herbs. The bright sunlight made it hard for her to open her eyes, but she still carefully counted and bundled the herbs drying on the stone slab, as if she were supporting the Deng family through their difficult times, trying to make their lives better day by day.

Given her current situation, all she wanted was to support her family; she did not want to think about anything else.

“Those things are long gone in Yunniang’s heart. If Yunniang does not mention them, why should we?”

She watched Yunniang’s busy figure and asked Xiuniang.

“If you had once loved a young general so much, and he never knew, never reciprocated, and now you’ve signed a contract to become his contractual wife, but within that contract period, he has feelings for you, how would you feel?”

Aunt Juan had not received much education and was not particularly clever, but Yunniang was indeed the child she had nursed, the young lady she had watched grow up. She knew perfectly well what Yunniang’s feelings were.

Aunt Juan sighed softly as she spoke.

“Yunniang is not one to break contracts. Given the circumstances, she was genuinely grateful to Old Madam Lin for helping us. Therefore, she only wants to fulfill the contract according to Old Madam Lin’s wishes. Do you think Old Madam Lin would want General Teng to have Yunniang on his mind?”

Aunt Juan’s series of questions completely unnerved Xiuniang.

“I know, it’s my fault. I should not have brought it up,” she said, hanging her head in annoyance. “Why was I so stupid to tell Miss this?”

Aunt Juan patted her shoulder, telling her not to worry too much. “We cannot control what the General does. What happens in the future is up to fate. We can only hope Yunniang is happy.”

But even she might not be able to completely follow her heart.

Otherwise, why had she not wanted to speak since last night?

Aunt Juan thought for a moment, then made Deng Ruyun a cup of tea and brought it to her.

Deng Ruyun, having finished tidying the herbs, stood up. Seeing Aunt Juan bring her tea, she smiled and said, “Perfect timing!”

“I was thirsty, and you’ve brought the tea right to my lips.”

But after taking a sip, she blinked. “Aunt Juan, when did you buy such fine tea? Do we entertain guests here so often?”

Aunt Juan smiled but said that she had not bought the excellent tea. “General Teng had it delivered.”

Upon hearing this, Yunniang froze.

Aunt Juan continued, “Now I truly believe you can see a person’s character in small things.”

“Some people of bad character, even if they want to be kind, will still reveal their contempt, crudeness, and selfishness in subtle ways, while those of good character, even in ordinary interactions, their words and actions warm the heart, even if it’s just casually offering a packet of tea.”

After saying this, Aunt Juan knew she had said enough. She smiled, gently touched Deng Ruyun’s stray hairs, and took away the herbs Deng Ruyun had just prepared, leaving her alone under the eaves, holding her tea and lost in thought.

The tender green tea buds swirled gently in the steaming water.

As Deng Ruyun heard Xiuniang’s words from last night, Aunt Juan’s words echoed repeatedly in her ears—

Teng Yue must be like this.

Did she not already know what kind of person he was? Was he not always considerate, gentle, and kind in his interactions with others?

Such a person always noticed the needs of others, and whenever he had free time, he would readily help them with their tasks.

He treated his comrades, relatives, and servants this way; not to mention, she was, after all, just a wife in his eyes. If he treated everyone like this, how could he not treat his own wife well?

He took good care of her, his “wife,” but what did that have to do with whether he had her in his heart or whether he liked her?

This was just Xiuniang overthinking things; perhaps even she was overthinking things.

He really had no reason to like her, and since she took the money from Old Madam Lin, she would certainly complete the contract for Old Madam Lin.

She took money; she’d do her job.

The fragrance of medicine wafted through the courtyard. Deng Ruyun took two deep breaths of the familiar and comforting scent, then looked up at the distant sun, feeling it had become brighter.

She needed to properly supply medicine to Cixin Hall.

Earlier, Deng Ruyun had given Xiuniang one hundred taels of silver to Aunt Juan. During the meal, Deng Ruyun inquired about the progress of the medicinal herb procurement.

Aunt Juan told her not to worry; just focus on making the medicine. “I’ve been living in Xi’an Prefecture for half a year now, and I am slowly figuring out the ins and outs of the medicinal herb market. I guarantee we will get a good batch of high-quality, inexpensive medicine this time.”

Deng Ruyun smiled and nodded, saying, “Alright, just make sure they do not try to cheat us because we have an outsider accent.”

Aunt Juan quickly replied that she could not be cheated, adding, “I feel like we will soon have enough money to open our own small pharmacy. If we can keep the pharmacy open in Xi’an Prefecture, we will be rich in the future.”

She became cheerful as she spoke, saying that she had recently heard that land prices in several counties surrounding Xi’an Prefecture were much lower, and the distance was not too far.

She said to Deng Ruyun, “That couple, Deng Yaocheng and his wife, will eventually return to Jinzhou. We do not need to live with them under such duress. After you come back in a couple of years, we will stay in Xi’an Prefecture to do business, buy a small house in a nearby county, and live there. That way, we can take care of the business and stay far away from them. Would that not be more comfortable?”

This plan was exactly what Deng Ruyun had been planning.

The aunt and niece talked about doing business, making money, and buying a house to settle down, and their meal became much more enjoyable.

However, just as they finished eating, before the table was even cleared, Teng Yue suddenly arrived.

Seeing him travel-worn, Deng Ruyun was surprised that he had not gone home. He had come to the east of the city, and she heard him call out to her with a smile.

“Is there any rice left? Give me a bowl, too.”

It turned out he had not eaten yet.

Deng Ruyun quickly served him some leftover rice, but Aunt Juan felt it was not right to let the general eat leftovers. “I will make the general a bowl of noodles,” she said.

Aunt Juan called Xiuniang away, so Deng Ruyun did not need to do much.

Teng Yue looked at her and asked how she slept last night, given the strong wind.

Deng Ruyun gave him a few casual replies, but noticing his gaze lingering on her, she felt slightly uncomfortable and made an excuse to go about her business.

Although Teng Yue wanted to talk to her more, he did not want to bother her. Instead, he saw her grandmother sitting under the eaves, basking in the sun, with little Linglang sitting on a stool beside her, her head buried in her great-grandmother’s arm, chattering away.

Seeing the old woman and the young girl sunbathing in the courtyard, Teng Yue could not help but smile.

He had actually gone home, but it was quiet and deserted. He figured the small courtyard in the east of the city must be lively, even if he just came to eat some leftovers with them.

And now, sure enough, it was.

Aunt Juan kept bringing him large bowls of meat-based noodles, and Teng Yue thanked her profusely, feeling warm all over after eating.

He wanted to call Yunniang over to talk, but she had mysteriously disappeared.

But then he saw Linglang take a calligraphy practice book from the room and place it against her great-grandmother. “Great-Grandma, let’s teach Linglang a few new characters today.”

Great-Grandma, whether she understood the little one or not, simply smiled and nodded with loving eyes.

Linglang skillfully turned to a page, leaned over the small table beside her, traced the character once, and then carefully copied it onto a large sheet of paper. The paper was large, and the characters were large too, about the size of a child’s palm.

Then the little girl held the large character up to her great-grandmother’s face.

“Great-Grandma, what character is this?”

The old grandmother looked at it slowly, and little Linglang was not in a hurry, just holding up her little arm, waiting for her to see it clearly.

After several breaths, when Teng Yue saw that Linglang’s arm was almost wobbly holding the paper, the old woman spoke.

“Ephedra is pungent and warm, used to clear the lungs and relieve exterior symptoms.”

An irrelevant answer. But Teng Yue noticed the little girl repeating the words twice, then asked, “Grandma, say it again.”

The old woman thought for a moment, then said, “Cinnamon twigs are sweet and warm; they help yang and unblock the meridians.”

After saying this, little Linglang repeated it a few times. Then, Teng Yue saw her suddenly jump and loudly ask her great-grandmother.

“So this big character is ‘warm,’ right?”

She asked, and the white-haired old woman nodded with a smile.

Teng Yue saw little Linglang also smiling, repeatedly reciting the character “warm,” thus memorizing it, and then copying it back and forth on the small table to reinforce her memory.

Teng Yue could not help but walk over, squatting down and asking Linglang in surprise.

“Is this how you usually learn to read?”

Little Linglang, seeing that it was someone else’s uncle, did not really want to talk to him, only nodding.

Teng Yue asked again, “Linglang wants to study so much; did your aunt not send you to a proper school?”

Linglang replied, “Yes. My aunt found me a private school.”

But as she said this, her little mouth twitched slightly. “But I got into a fight with some naughty boys at school. I could not beat them, so I cannot go to school anymore.”

Teng Yue was surprised.

He did not know why Deng Ruyun had sent Linglang to that chaotic private school, but he suddenly remembered the injuries on the girl’s face and ears when he first met her.

So, was that why she had to bring Linglang to the Teng family back then?

Seeing the lingering red marks on the girl’s fair ears, Teng Yue felt a pang of heartache.

“Then how about your uncle take you back and find you a proper teacher?”

But Linglang shook her head.

“My aunt is finding me a new teacher. In a few days, I can start studying at his house. He only teaches one student at a time.”

Teng Yue immediately understood who the little girl meant by “new teacher.”

Could Yunniang not afford a private tutor? She could only let Linglang study with the same teacher as others.

How could the little girl endure being out in the wind and rain?

Teng Yue turned to find Deng Ruyun, who happened to be walking by.

“Has the general finished eating?”

Teng Yue did not answer the question, only saying, “You could not afford tuition; why did you not tell me? Linglang is a young girl; is it not only right that she has her own tutor at home?”

Deng Ruyun was stunned by his words, and after a moment, she said, “Actually, Linglang is still young. I was thinking of letting her learn a few characters, and we can talk about it more when she’s older.”

But after Deng Ruyun finished speaking, she saw the man’s face darken.

Teng Yue’s face darkened. Once more, she had not been honest with him.

Clearly, she also wanted Linglang to learn to read and write and go to school. She’d already enrolled her in a private school and found a tutor, but now, in front of him, she only said Linglang was too young, and they should talk about it in a few years.

She was lying again, deceiving him again.

Hearing her say this, Teng Yue immediately turned and picked up the child.

He carried Linglang out.

Deng Ruyun was startled and quickly followed, “General, what are you doing?”

Teng Yue replied, “The child is of school age. It’s not right that you, Yunniang, are good at studying but don’t let your niece study.”

He said this on purpose, and it truly left Deng Ruyun speechless.

But Teng Yue was indeed taking Linglang away. He took the child back to the Teng Mansion that very day, and Deng Ruyun had no choice but to go back with him.

The three of them had just arrived at the entrance of Liumingxuan when they saw Teng Xiao approaching. Teng Xiao saw her brother carrying a petite and pretty little child as she approached for a closer look.

Linglang was not afraid of people at all. Not only was she unafraid, but seeing Teng Xiao’s curiosity, she blinked her big eyes and recognized her.

Teng Yue put her down, and she formally bowed to Teng Xiao.

“Aunt Xiao.”

This surprised not only Teng Yue and Teng Xiao but even Deng Ruyun, who was amazed by the little girl’s quick wit.

Teng Xiao was overjoyed and would not let go of Linglang.

Linglang laughed and joked with her, calling her “Aunt Xiao” sweetly.

Teng Yue waved his hand, dismissing his sister.

“Take Linglang to your Chengfeng Garden first. I have something to say to your sister-in-law.”

The atmosphere between the two was tense, and Teng Xiao noticed it.

She simply said, “Let Linglang stay with me tonight. My courtyard is quite empty anyway.”

Linglang did not object, only blinking at her aunt.

Deng Ruyun felt it was inappropriate and wanted to say no, but was turned back by unfriendly glances from those around her.

She could only let Xiuniang go to Chengfeng Garden with Linglang.

Once they left, only Deng Ruyun and Teng Yue remained.

The man did not say a word, only stared at Deng Ruyun for a couple of moments, then turned and went back into his room in the courtyard.

Deng Ruyun felt guilty under his gaze, but instinctively she did not want him to focus too much on her family matters, especially after what Xiuniang had said last night…

Feeling somewhat unsure what to do, she followed him into the room.

The man had already drunk half a bowl of cold tea. Seeing his wife enter without speaking, he had no choice but to speak first.

He took a deep breath and said…

“I received a letter from Mother this morning. She asked me to urge my younger sister to go to school. But you know my sister’s temperament; she finds other people’s schools very uncomfortable. But learning teaches manners, and girls should also study; she cannot let her studies be neglected.”

He looked at Deng Ruyun and said, “I think it does not matter where she studies, so why do we not hire a tutor at home and have Sister Xiao and Linglang attend school together?”

After he finished speaking, he asked her, “Is that alright?”

Deng Ruyun had initially thought it inappropriate that he had brought Linglang home like that, intending to hire a tutor for her separately. But hearing his words now, she understood.

It turned out he had already received a letter from Old Madam Lin and was planning to hire a tutor for Teng Xiao at home.

Linglang going along was just a supplementary benefit.

Thinking this, Deng Ruyun remembered what Aunt Juan had said earlier that day.

Just like the tea he delivered to the small courtyard in the east of the city, helping Linglang with her studies was merely a convenient favor.

As long as he did not like her, their relationship should not have any deeper implications…

Thinking this through, Deng Ruyun breathed a small sigh of relief. Seeing Teng Yue’s somber expression, she felt a little embarrassed.

She poured him a bowl of tea; since he liked cold tea, she simply poured it for him and handed it to him.

Then, she nodded slowly, accepting his kindness.

“That will do, I think.”

Teng Yue almost laughed at her expression.

But he suppressed a laugh, still staring at her with a cold face.

Deng Ruyun felt uneasy under his gaze, as if he had arrows in his eyes, ready to shoot her.

She could only change the subject.

“General, did you travel all night? Why not change your clothes?”

She was not wrong; Teng Yue was covered in dust from riding, and he certainly needed a change.

He stood up and walked towards the clothes rack.

Deng Ruyun had not helped him change clothes before; he usually did it himself. But this time, she did not wait for him to lift a finger and helped him change.

He did not refuse, reaching out his hands as she asked. However, he was too tall, and Deng Ruyun had to stand on tiptoe to change his clothes.

Even after she changed his clothes, he remained silent, as if she owed him a fortune.

Deng Ruyun was not very good at serving people. Seeing that he still did not speak despite her efforts, she did not bother to continue.

She thought to herself, “If he does not want to talk, he does not want to talk. He’s unhappy anyway; he might not stay at Liumingxuan tonight.” He would go stay in the outer courtyard, letting her sleep peacefully alone—would that not be more comfortable?

Deng Ruyun thought this was fine, but to her surprise, after dinner, he showed no intention of going to the outer courtyard. Instead, he washed up early in his room and went to the daybed to read.

Deng Ruyun thought, “Let him read, let him read. Given how angry he was today, he definitely will not drag me to bed tonight. That’s a relief.”

But after she finished washing up and got into bed, the man closed his book, blew out the lamp by the bed curtains, and pulled her into his arms.

Deng Ruyun was stunned. Had he not stopped talking to her? Why was holding her to sleep a routine?

But as soon as this thought crossed her mind, she saw the man directly take off his thin shirt and throw it aside.

Deng Ruyun’s mind went blank. Seeing her clothes disappear, she still could not understand how things had turned out this way.

But his temper was truly fierce today, burning away all his patience. He merely lightly caressed the wound on her waist twice before sliding his hand down her soft line into the dense undergrowth.

The moment his rough fingers, calloused from years of wielding weapons, moved across the river valley, Deng Ruyun felt her feet being grabbed by a ghost.

She struggled frantically to escape, but the ghost holding her feet would not loosen its grip.

He simply dragged her down the river valley, and in just a few breaths, he pulled her into a pool of stagnant water. Without another word, the man entered her territory alone.

Deng Ruyun trembled. He just watched her, his movements shifting rapidly, gently, and forcefully, like lightning striking a chord within a tent, leaving her completely disoriented.

Deng Ruyun did not want him to see; she just wanted to turn her face away, but he insisted on looking, wanting to see her expression clearly with every movement.

He placed a pillow behind her back, leaving her half-sitting with nowhere to hide, his movements never stopping. When he saw she was about to give up, her trembling eyes revealing a hint of pleading, he finally brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

This person, who had not spoken a word all night, finally spoke in a low, chuckling voice.

“Yunniang, remember to tell the truth more often and lie less in the future.”