amaotonovel Chapter 330 Passing by
Chapter 330 Passing by
Chapter 330: Passing By
Chapter 330
Outside the gate, the Marquis's guards had already prepared a carriage. Of course, this wasn't one of the Marquis's own carriages, but one hired by the guards from a caravan. Coincidentally, the caravan was heading towards Ping'an County. This way, they could both stay on the right route and ensure the safety of Lu Zhaozhao and the others. It was the Marquis's best interest.
Lu Zhaozhao didn't think so. She wore a veil brought by her maid, her head bowed low, her face shrouded in white veil. This prevented anyone from seeing her features or her expression. One by one, wooden boxes were loaded onto the carriage, and the Lu family's servants followed in a noisy, two-and-three-foot pattern. Lu Zhaozhao didn't dare raise her head, feeling the urge to point fingers at her, and her anger grew even stronger.
But this was just her imagination. In reality, this alley was home to the residences of powerful nobles, and ordinary people rarely came here. And those nobles' homes were always strict, so naturally, the people there wouldn't gather to watch her excitement.
Before finally boarding the carriage, she glanced at the mansion, the magnificent gate before her, and the house she had longed for. When she first arrived here, she had been determined to establish herself in this prosperous capital and become a leader. She had never imagined that one day she would be driven out in such a humiliating way. She gritted her teeth inwardly: This humiliation, she would never forget!
The carriage swayed slowly through the streets and alleys of the capital and slowly drove out of the city. This scene attracted curious glances from passers-by and they whispered about it.
"Look at the palace guards at the back. They seem to be from the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery's Mansion. But why does this carriage belong to the Bai family caravan? Could there be some dispute between the Marquis' Mansion and the Bai family caravan?" A middle-aged man in coarse linen clothes nudged his companion beside him with his elbow and said with a puzzled look on his face.
The companion shook his head. "I don't know, but it shouldn't be like that. The Marquis' Mansion is so glorious, how could it have anything to do with a mere merchant caravan? Perhaps the carriage is carrying the Marquis's belongings."
"That makes sense. Well, forget it, what does this have to do with ordinary people like us? Isn't your wife calling you to go home for dinner? Go back quickly, it's time for me to go too." The middle-aged man waved his hand, turned around and squeezed out of the crowd, and his figure quickly disappeared in the bustling street.
A gust of wind blew by, carrying his words clearly to Lu Zhaozhao's ears. Although hidden in the carriage, invisible to those outside, she felt a pang of anxiety, as if her whole body was being roasted on a fire. Humiliation and resentment filled her heart, and her hatred grew stronger. Her nails dug into her palms, leaving white marks.
Lu Zhaozhao didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the carriage drove out of the busiest street and the people around them stopped looking at them curiously.
"Look where we are now?" she asked the maid who was huddled at her feet.
The maid was so frightened by her hideous and distorted face that she dared not breathe. When she heard the question, she quickly stood up, drew aside the curtains, looked outside, and said, "Miss, maybe we are about to leave Jingque Street."
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed the second half of the sentence, "Once we leave Jingque Street, there will be fewer people and no one will talk about us," for she was afraid that Lu Zhaozhao would know that she had also heard those discussions and would vent her anger.
Lu Zhaozhao didn't bother to pay attention to the maid. After hearing this, she thought to herself, I don't know when I will come to the capital again, so I should take one last look at the capital's most prosperous streets. Then, she gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked out.
.........
As for Luo Shuiyao, she was going to Qingyu Tower today, so she dressed very simply, wearing a cloth shirt and skirt, and only tied her hair with a wooden hairpin. This outfit made her beautiful face look even more extraordinary.
After tasting the desserts made by Dujuan and the others, she recalled the flavors she had in her past life and offered some suggestions before leaving the Jade Tower. The weather was gradually warming, and the streets were crowded with vendors. April was the season of bloom, and many people were selling flowers on the street. She stood beside a bouquet of golden flowers, gently sniffing the fragrance, finding it particularly unique and deeply pleasing.
"Miss, this flower is called yellow cypress flower. It not only has a fragrant smell, but can also be used to make flower cakes, which taste delicious. How about we buy some and take them back and make some for you to try?" Chuntao suggested when she saw that Luo Shuiyao liked this flower very much.
Because she had made a mistake last time by acting on her own initiative, Luo Shuiyao had sent her to Qingyu Tower to help. Today, when Luo Shuiyao came to Qingyu Tower, she quickly stepped forward and sincerely admitted her mistake. Seeing that she had indeed recognized her mistake and that the Luo residence also needed help, Luo Shuiyao decided to take her back.
Chun Xing, on the other hand, was a greedy girl. When she was about to leave Qingyu Tower, she looked reluctant to leave. Luo Shuiyao found it funny and asked her to finish the remaining dessert before coming back. So now she was just with Chun Tao, and the two of them were strolling around the street casually.
When Luo Shuiyao heard her say this, she recalled the flower cakes she had eaten in her previous life and nodded, "Okay, buy a bunch and put them on the carriage, and we'll go back and make flower cakes to eat."
Chun Tao responded, paid the flower shop owner, and then walked towards the carriage with the yellow cypress flowers in her hands. Because the carriage was not far away, she felt safe to leave Luo Shuiyao behind for the time being.
Watching Chuntao's bounding figure as she left, and then glancing at the colorful flowers around her, Luo Shuiyao felt a sense of relief. But at that moment, she suddenly felt a sinister gaze. She turned around blankly, only to see a few carriages and a team of palace guards. Apart from that, she saw nothing unusual.
The street was bustling with people, and maids, servants, guards, and the like blended in among the crowd, making them inconspicuous. Luo Shuiyao caught a glimpse of the Marquis's guards, but paid them no attention, thinking they were just errand boys. She glanced around, finding nothing unusual, and turned to look in the direction of the carriage. Seeing Chuntao still hadn't returned, she couldn't help but touch her belly.
It was past noon. Since arriving at Qingyu Tower, she had sampled some delicious desserts, but too much was enough to make her feel sick. To savor each dessert's unique flavor, she took only a small bite. Suddenly, she smelled the aroma wafting from the nearby Yangchun noodle stall, and her appetite was piqued. Furthermore, the stall was close enough that from there she could both see what was going on at the flower shop and keep an eye out for the carriage. So, she decided to go sit there for a while.
She was completely unaware that the moment she turned around, a corner of the carriage curtain was lifted up, and a pair of resentful eyes stared at her back, with hatred surging in their eyes.