Chapter 362: Inviting Lord Zhou to a Banquet in a Jar

  The ancients said: "Men and women should not touch when giving or receiving things."

  The ancients also said: "Only petty people and women are difficult to support."

  The ancients also said: "Men and women have their differences"

  "But these ancient people have nothing to do with me" Tang Guan stroked his chin, gazing at the little girl in front of him.

  The little girl saw the magnificent Tang crown staring at herself and involuntarily lowered her head a few points.

  "Is this really the legendary transmigrated otaku with three treasures: talent, looks and a loli?"

  "Now that I have both talent and looks, yeah, it must be like this, this is definitely a loli." Tang Guan thought to himself for a moment without shame.

  "Ah, hello, Loli, I'm Tang Guan, your brother." Tang Guan unconsciously blurted out as he thought of something obscene.

  "You're talking nonsense! You're not my brother, and I'm not Lori, my name is Lin Yuxun!" The little girl retorted, lifting her head in response to Tang Guan's sudden words, but she had no idea what "Lori" meant.

  "Oh, so your name is Lin Yuxun" Tang Guan suddenly smiled slyly, kids are indeed easy to coax.

  "You..." Lin Yuxun's face turned red with anger, her eyes wide with tears as she stared at Tang Guan.

  "What's wrong with me? Are you very hungry?"

  Lin Yuxun nodded first and then shook her head.

  "What's the point of stealing chickens?" Tang Guan was even more curious, didn't expect that strange things happen every year, and crossing over is particularly frequent. He had a general understanding of this Tang Fu, and the Tang couple were not harsh or stingy towards their servants. Moreover, this was the Tang Dynasty, and the status of servants was not like the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties where they were called slaves or maidservants. At most, they would be given a sentence or two of "Lang Jun Lao Ye", and if they were unhappy, they would just sulk in silence.

  "My mother is ill... I want her to eat more..." Lin Yuheng's voice was low and husky, and as she spoke, tears finally rolled down, washing away the dust on her face and revealing exceptionally tender skin.

  "Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore. How long have you and your mother been working here?"

  Lin Yuxun didn't respond again, and instead choked back a sob. Tang Guan shook his head and said, "Take me to see your mother, I'll get a doctor to come take a look at her illness."

  "Please...please forgive me" Lin Yuxun replied with a sob, her appearance was also pitiful and sad.

  "Road sees injustice, a loud cry!" Seeing her appearance, Tang Guan's heart suddenly echoed the heroic song, and at the same time, he was even more curious about the origin of this girl. Tang Guan didn't know that coincidentally, she had also arrived at the Tang Mansion on the same day he crossed over.

  "Alright, I won't tell others that you stole the chicken, little girl. Take me to see your mother." Tang Guan's expression turned serious.

  Lin Yuxun squeezed the chicken leg behind her back again and looked at Tang Guan. She couldn't resist the temptation, so she nodded slightly.

  Tang Guan's face lit up with joy, and he let Lin Yuxun lead the way in front of him. The two of them then walked through the corridor and stopped in front of a side room guest house.

  "Servant's quarters? She isn't a servant, is she?" Seeing the building, Tang Guan, who was well-read in classics, immediately realized that his guess was wrong. Servants had their own houses and couldn't live together with guests.

  "Mother, I'm back." Lin Yuxin wiped away the tears on her face before pushing open the door with Tang Guan.

  A series of light coughs came in, Lin Yuxun hastily ran in and comforted the person on the bed.

  Tang Guan only then saw clearly that there was a middle-aged beautiful woman lying on the bed, compared to his own mother, she was breathtakingly beautiful, but her face was pale.

  "Beauty is short-lived." He thought of his robust mother, and then compared her to the beautiful woman in front of him, who looked like she was at the end of her tether. Tang Guan couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

  This person was none other than Lin Mu, who had brought Lin Yuxun to the Tang Mansion on the day that Tang Guan crossed over and woke up. At this time, her complexion was even worse than it had been then, pale to the point of being almost transparent, and she was also having some difficulty breathing.

  Mrs. Lin gently stroked Lin Yuxun's head, turned her head and saw Tang Guan standing there, took a fright, then regained her composure, looked him up and down, and smiled slightly.

  She was originally a talented lady, later married to an official who was appointed as the governor of a province, and had seen the world. At this time, she suddenly spoke out: "Young master, you have grown up so big"

  Tang Guan heard the words and couldn't help but be curious, this mother and daughter were in the guest room, they must be guests at home, and seemed to know themselves, so he immediately paid his respects: "Madam, I pay my respects"

  Lin's mother had a hint of unusual color in her eyes, "I heard from Wang that you, Lang Jun, have recovered from your serious illness. I'm not feeling well and can't get up to congratulate you."

  Listening to the woman's speech, her logic was clear and her voice was gentle. Tang Guan immediately realized that this was not a servant in his household, but rather someone who addressed him as an equal, showing her caution. He said: "I didn't know when you and your sister arrived at my humble abode, I wasn't able to come and pay my respects, it's my fault."

  Lin Mu heard his words, and was even more astonished. At the time of Tang Guan's birth, she had also come to pay her respects to Mrs. Tang, and had even personally held this boy in her arms. She hadn't expected him to be an idiot, and even less had she expected that after recovering from his illness, he would seem as if he hadn't wasted eight years at all, with a demeanor and speech that was full of the elegance of a scholar.

  "I... I am not your sister" Lin Yuxin listened to the conversation between the two, seeming to understand but not quite, but then heard Tang Guan say that she was his sister, and immediately became angry, interrupting him.

  "Ah-choo! Cough it out!" Lin Mu's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she lightly scolded her daughter. As a widow with no one to rely on, she had to be mindful of others' faces, whether she lived or died. She herself was a dying person and didn't care about anything anymore, but Lin Yu Xun was still young, and if she were to offend Tang Guan, it would be hard to get out of trouble.

  "Don't get agitated" Tang Guan hastily stepped forward to comfort him.

  Lin's mother saw that Tang Guanhai was not angry, and seemed to have no young master's airs, so she put her mind at ease and smiled: "Xun'er is spoiled, I am a widow and an orphaned mother, it's actually laughable for the young lord to see"

  Tang Guan's eyelid twitched at the words, widow, orphan, and widowed mother. A few words made him think: "Dream of Red Mansions? Is a Lin Daiyu falling from the sky?"

  At the same time, it is clear that the mother and daughter in front of them are here to seek refuge. The ancients valued loyalty, filial piety, righteousness, and integrity, with righteousness being the third most important virtue, showing its significance. It seems that something must have happened to the friend who was good to Old Dad, such things often happen in troubled times, and even in these peaceful years, they still occur from time to time.

  At once, Tang Guan guessed the situation to be about 80 or 90 percent accurate. This is the benefit of reading books. The principles in books only become stagnant water when they fall into the hands of people who memorize them mechanically, but when they fall into the hands of clever people like Tang Guan, they become a golden house. Moreover, he has lived two lifetimes and his temperament is not that of an eight-year-old child.

  "Daughter... you eat..." Lin Yuxun didn't get hurt by her mother's scolding, instead she saw her mother panting heavily and anxiously stretching out a hand that had been hidden behind her back.

  "Where did you get this?" Lin's mother asked her daughter sternly after seeing the object Lin Yuxin was holding out.

  "Ah... Ah..." Lin Yuxun was also in a hurry, her mother's heart was anxious and she had stolen the chicken, but she was still young and innocent, and at this moment, she didn't know how to answer.

  "It was I who gave it to my sister. My sister's filial piety is commendable, saying that she wanted to send it to Mrs. Lin first." Tang Guan stepped forward to mediate the situation.

  Lin's mother heard this and slightly shook her head, "Xun'er, when living in the world, one can lower their head but cannot bend their waist."

  "Mother... Xun Er knows." Lin Xun Er's big eyes welled up with tears again, and this time they couldn't be stopped.

  "This made Tang Guan sigh, 'The women of this era are indeed very strong-willed, no wonder the emperor is about to become a woman'"

  "Cough...cough, young master, in the future, Xun'er will still have to rely on your care"

  "Madam has given the order, I dare not disobey." Tang Guan was also shocked by the sorrow of this mother and daughter. The world is full of hardships, every era has its own difficulties.

  Lin's mother smiled and nodded, saying to Lin Xiang: "Xiang, you go out for a while, I have a few words to say to your brother."

  Tang Guan's heart moved slightly upon hearing the words, and he felt a little curious. Lin Xun'er glanced at Tang Guan before reluctantly walking out, leaving only Tang Guan and Madame Lin behind.

  Tang Guan remained silent, unsure of what she wanted to say. After a long while, Lin Mu finally spoke in a hushed tone: "Young master, I'm afraid I won't make it through this winter."

  "Madam, why say such a thing? Our Tang family may not have anything else, but we are not lacking in gold and silver. There must be a way to treat you."

  "Ah," Lin's mother couldn't help but smile, "You really are just like your father when you talk."

  Tang Guan was taken aback by what he heard and waited for the next part.

  "Life and death are predetermined by heaven, I know that my own life is not long, I want to ask you for one thing, young master."

  "Please say, madam."

  "Cough... I won't hide it from you, Xun Er was born into a noble family, spoiled and pampered. After my death, she'll be left alone in this world..."

  Tang Guan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, "This is totally a deathbed entrustment, this plot twist is too cheesy"

  "Mr. Tang is a righteous man, able to take in an orphan and widow like us is already a great virtue, I only hope that after my death, young master can properly care for Xun'er, even if it's as a servant or maid, let her avoid being bullied by others."

  Lin's mother spoke in a warm and gentle voice, with an appearance of a beautiful woman in her twilight years. At first, Tang Guan listened with indifference, but later he couldn't help but become serious. The words of a dying person are always good; this is something that can't be learned from books.

  "Ma'am, please rest assured, as long as I, Tang Guo, am here, no one will dare to bully Xun'er sister." Tang Guo immediately responded with a brave young man's demeanor, which made Lin mother feel slightly relieved.

  Ancient people valued their promises and credibility, anything they agreed to do was something they could accomplish. How could Lin's mother's request be excessive? Tang Guan, as a young literary man of the 21st century with a strong sense of justice, immediately promised when he saw this situation.

  "Why don't you let her be your maid first? Xun'er is knowledgeable about poetry and books, and with time, she can also help the young master with some trivial matters." Lin's mother saw Tang Guan's sincere expression and opened her mouth again, and what she did was actually intentional.

  It is said that people gather and disperse, their feelings will inevitably fade. The mother-daughter relationship is naturally unbreakable, but if she stays with Lin Xun'er all the time, after her death, young Lin Xun'er may not be able to accept it.

  Women are divided into wives, concubines, maids and prostitutes. The status of a maid is only slightly higher than that of a prostitute who serves thousands of men on horseback and tens of thousands of men on foot. Upon hearing Lin's mother say this, Tang Guan immediately responded: "No way!"

  Lin Mu was shocked by what he said, and Tang Guan suddenly changed his face when things were going well.

  "How can we let Xun'er become a maid? Since Xun'er understands some poetry and books, why not have her be my study companion? If there's a good opportunity in the future, I'll find her a good husband." Tang Guanzhen had a resolute expression on his face, looking very great and glorious and correct, but who knows what he was really thinking.

  "Haha, this Yu Hang is indeed a good family of mine, don't worry" Tang Guan's facial expression remained bright and upright as he gazed at the stunned Lin mother, but his heart was filled with lust.

  Lin's mother suddenly had a blush on her pale face, and she immediately wanted to struggle up, "Lang Jun's great kindness, I will repay it in the next life by being an ox or a horse."

  It was clear that Tang Guan's words far exceeded Lin Mu's expectations. She didn't expect him to have such a kind heart at such a young age.

  "Please don't worry, I will report back to you like I would to my own parents."

  Lin's mother was overjoyed and hastily called Lin Yuxun to come in. Outside the door, Lin Yuxun heard her mother's call and also ran in, seeing her mother with a joyful expression, feeling slightly curious.

  "Xun'er, go and kowtow to your sick brother."

  "Stop it, stop it!" Tang Guan immediately interrupted, although he had always fantasized about being in a high and powerful position, with thousands of people kneeling down, but this was not the time.

  Although Tang Guan tried to stop her, Lin Yuxun listened to her mother's words and immediately knelt down in front of Tang Guan.

  "Xun'er, from now on you must take good care of your sick brother, understand?"

  "Mother, where am I going?" Lin Yuxin was shocked upon hearing this. Although she was young, she also sensed the farewell intention in her mother's words.

  Lin's mother also softened her heart and said softly: "It's still here, you go with your sick brother to read books during the day, and come to me when the sun sets."

  Lin Yuxun heard this and her fear slightly dissipated, lightly nodding her head, knowing that her mother had not abandoned her. On the other hand, Tang Guan's face was expressionless, but in his heart, he stumbled "Damn it, I thought you were going to give me a night service"

  (Recommend some collections for the judges, and give them a boost)