GBP Chapter 2003 Before Heaven
Chapter 2003 Before Heaven
"I...I'm here to deliver a message!"
The little beggar's voice, though as faint as a mosquito's buzz, was like a thunderclap, exploding in the silent snowy night.
Li Xiangnan turned around abruptly and rushed back to the little beggar in three quick steps.
He never expected that his provocation would actually trick the child into revealing his purpose for coming here!
It seems that this little beggar is indeed frightened by the people surrounding him, and his potential can only be unleashed in an emergency.
Cheng Kui was also stunned, and unconsciously loosened his grip on the little beggar's hand.
"What message are you delivering? Who are you delivering it for?" Li Xiangnan had already squatted down, his voice filled with tension.
The little beggar, trembling, pulled a palm-sized oil paper packet from deep inside the lining of his tattered cotton-padded coat.
The oil paper was carefully folded into a square, its edges worn and frayed, as if it had been hidden away for a long time, yet it was tightly bound with thin hemp rope.
He held the oil paper package above his head with both hands, his lips trembling from the cold: "Please...please give this to Dr. Li Xiangnan...it's...a sister asked me to deliver it!"
"Sister?" Li Xiangnan's heart tightened. "I am Li Xiangnan. What kind of sister are you talking about?"
"A very...very beautiful and kind older sister!" The little beggar tried hard to recall, tears welling up in his eyes: "She often wore a white cotton-padded coat and a red scarf this winter...her eyes were big and bright...she had a very heroic air about her, but she spoke very gently..."
White cotton-padded jacket, red scarf?
Li Xiangnan's hands trembled slightly.
The figure that rushed in last night, those eyes that shone frighteningly bright in the snowy night, now seem so close!
Shangguan Wanqing?
He took the oil paper package; it felt quite heavy.
The paper wrapping was very thick and waterproof; you could feel another layer of fabric inside through the paper, which showed some attention to detail.
The courtyard was suddenly filled with people, yet it was so quiet that only the soft rustling of falling snowflakes could be heard.
Li Xiangnan finally untied the hemp rope and peeled off the layers of oil paper.
The innermost layer was indeed a piece of moon-white silk cloth, with a delicate texture, clearly made of high-quality material that ordinary families probably couldn't afford.
The silk cloth was folded neatly at this moment, with the edges aligned, showing that the person who folded it had put a lot of care into it.
He took a deep breath and carefully unfolded the silk cloth.
He was stunned, and a bellyful of doubts exploded within him.
There were no words on the cloth.
Only withered plum blossom petals lay quietly in the center of the silk cloth.
The petals were severely dehydrated, curled up inside, and their color had become dull. Fortunately, the five petals were still intact, making it possible to recognize them as plum blossoms.
These should be a type of wild plum growing on the western hills.
Li Xiangnan was stunned.
The people around were also dumbfounded; everyone was completely baffled.
"What...what is this thing?" Song Ziming scratched his head. "Why are they flower petals? What kind of message is this?"
Song Yi patted Qin Ruobai's hand, signaling her to calm down. She then squatted down to take a closer look, turned her head, and shook her head, indicating that she didn't know either.
Li Xiangnan didn't speak. He gently picked up a petal and examined it carefully in the light of the lantern under the eaves.
The light shines through the petals, which are as thin as cicada wings, and you can vaguely see extremely fine marks on the back.
"Bring me a lamp!" Li Xiangnan hurriedly got up, carrying a cloth bag and striding into the house.
"Get the lamp! Get the lamp!" Wang Defa rushed over and ran to the five-drawer cabinet in the main room to get the kerosene lamp.
The crowd then rushed into the house. Cheng Kui smiled approvingly, helped the little beggar up, and led him into the house without any disgust at the dirt on his hands.
Zhu Qiuju quickly grabbed a small stool for him to sit on in front of the stove to warm up.
Li Xiangnan took the lamp, sat down at the octagonal table, and brought the flower petals close to the flame.
He dared not get too close lest he set the petals on fire, but enough light could penetrate through.
On the back of the petal, a line of small characters was written in an extremely fine pencil.
The handwriting is neat and beautiful, but because the ink is so light and the characters are so small, it is impossible to see them at all unless you look at them up to the light.
Shangguan Wanqing had clearly taken precautions against being spied on.
Li Xiangnan held his breath, trying to decipher each word one by one.
"Your father is suspicious and may have gone into the cellar. Do not come looking for him. The banquet is dangerous; proceed with caution. If you see the plum blossoms bloom again, it will be the time for our reunion."
Boom.
Li Xiangnan's hair stood on end instantly.
He stood up, his scalp tingling, and his hands, holding the flower petals, trembled violently.
He really believed it!
However, there was no signature, but at the last moment, there was a dried tear stain that blurred a small patch of ink.
He was very familiar with the handwriting.
He hurriedly pulled out a stack of letters from his pocket; they were the intelligence that Guan Wanqing had given him that night when she came to deliver the message.
The handwriting on it is neat and tidy, with a unique feminine grace.
A comparison of the two confirms that it is indeed Shangguan Wanqing's handwriting!
And now, with these words, on such a fragile petal, she has written this final message.
"The father already has doubts."
It seems that her father, Shangguan Wuji, has become suspicious.
"Fear of entering the cellar."
I'm afraid I'll be locked in a cellar?
Do not come looking for me.
Don't go looking for her.
"Be cautious when feasting."
The banquet tomorrow may be dangerous; please be very careful.
If you see the plum blossoms bloom, it will be time for a reunion.
If we can meet again, we only need to wait until the plum blossoms bloom again next year.
Every word was like an icicle, piercing deeply into Li Xiangnan's heart.
He seemed to see the girl locked in a dark, damp cellar, writing these words on the thinnest petals with the faint light of an oil lamp, using the finest pencil!
She couldn't write too much, nor could she write too obviously; she could only convey the message in this subtle way.
That tear stain clearly indicated that her emotions were not at peace!
But here comes the problem!
Li Xiangnan sensed something was wrong.
There are three parts here.
The first one is "父已疑恐入窖勿来找". This is clearly the word "恐" which means "fear" or "fear". It means that the matter has not yet happened.
As for the matter of the banquet, Wanqing had already told her that night. Why would she go to the trouble of having this little beggar deliver the message?
Moreover, the items given away were duplicates!
The last sentence says that if we want to meet again, we must wait until next winter when the winter plum blossoms are in full bloom.
Could Shangguan Wuji really be so heartless as to lock his daughter in a cellar for a whole year?
How cruel must this father be?
Something is wrong!
Moreover, and more importantly, he had been to the Shangguan family's manor, where there were a whole bunch of servants; it was not a place a little beggar could come and go as he pleased!
If Shangguan Wanqing is really in the cellar, then the little beggar would have even less reason to come and go as he pleases!
Something is wrong here!
"Brother Nan, whose letter is it?" Song Ziming suddenly asked.
Li Xiangnan closed his eyes and took a deep breath: "It's Wanqing, Shangguan Wanqing's!"
"What?!" Song Yi exclaimed in surprise, "You mean..."
She took the petal, glanced at it, and her expression changed slightly as she said, "She was locked up in the cellar by her father, Shangguan Wuji, for informing us?"
Lin Youwei covered her mouth, her eyes instantly turning red.
Lin Chuqiao and Lin Muyu exchanged a glance, both puzzled. Who was this Shangguan Wanqing? Why did they look at each other like that?
Qin Ruobai gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her face pale.
Everyone in the room who knew that Shangguan Wanqing had risked her life to deliver the message felt their hearts sink.
Cheng Kui slapped his thigh in regret: "Oh, I... I treated this child like that just now..."
He looked at the little beggar with eyes full of guilt.
However, Li Xiangnan was still full of doubts. He turned to the sitting little beggar and asked, "Child, tell me, when did that older sister give this to you?"
"Ten...ten days ago!"
"???"
Ten days ago?
Did Shangguan Wanqing already foresee that something bad was going to happen to her?
This is how the same thing?