Chapter 3 Older Brother

  "It's just a set of jewelry boxes, do you have to be so moved?" Bai Zhenxuan looked at the white cloud warmth in his arms with tears and laughter, his eyes full of love and doting.

  My sister is really beautiful. Her face is like a mixture of flower powder and rouge, evenly blended, as if it would break with one touch. Her lips are like vermilion, her eyes shine brightly, and her whole body emits a refreshing aura. With such heavenly beauty and lovely appearance, I'm afraid she's the reincarnation of Du Liniang who has fallen into the White family. I really don't know which young master from which family will be lucky enough to welcome this beauty home in the future.

  Bai Yun's gentle voice calling out "Ge Ge" was even clearer than the sound of a yellow oriole, she looked up at Bai Zhenxuan with her head tilted back, unwilling to let go.

  In my previous life, my brother took Father's place in the army and ended up dying in battle. At that time, I was suffering mistreatment at the Zhang family's house. When I heard this news on my sickbed, it was like frost falling on a flower, adding another layer of snow. My illness suddenly became several times more severe.

  After that, she was often depressed and unhappy in bed, and the cold treatment she received from the Zhang family made her miss her brother who had cared for her in the past.

  Looking at the Zhang family, Zhang Nai Chun and Zhang Si Ying were siblings with a deep relationship, their blood ties were strong. She felt her heart racing, her father was unreliable, but if her brother was still around, he would not have let her be humiliated in the Zhang household. If her brother was still around, no matter how great her grievances, she would have had someone to rely on.

  All the heartache and longing for my brother in my past life have turned into a heavy hug this morning.

  How could she not be heartbroken when her brother, who was as elegant as jade on a mountain peak, died miserably on the battlefield?

  Brother is a filial son, replacing his father in the army, but what kind of father is worth brother's sacrifice?

  Just thinking of her father, she heard Bai Yushu's voice behind her: "Anuan, you finally got out of bed?"

  The words unexpectedly contained a lot of sympathy and indulgence, causing Bai Yun's back to stiffen involuntarily.

  She leaned in Bai Zhenxuan's arms for a long time without turning her head back. She didn't know how to face her father, a greedy and indifferent father. Not to mention that her father had married her off to Zhang Nai Chun for 100,000 taels of betrothal gifts, and had only given her two books as dowry, making her unable to hold her head up in the Zhang family for a long time. Just talking about her mother's death made her hate her father.

  In her previous life, Zhen Niang told her that her mother, who had been ill for a long time, suddenly died violently, and it was very likely that she was poisoned to death by her father.

  Although this was just a guess by Zhen Niang, the miserable scene of her mother's death was something she had witnessed with her own eyes. Seven orifices bleeding, face dark purple, what else could it be if not poisoning?

  Although she was only five years old at the time, her mother's appearance when she died was etched in her mind and could not be shaken off for a lifetime. As a result, for a long period of time afterwards, she had nightmares every night, and it was only by lighting palace lanterns in her room every night that her nanny could get her to sleep peacefully.

  Less than a hundred days after his mother's death, his father remarried, marrying the younger sister of Yongding Prefecture Lu Ziyun. A year later, she gave birth to a pair of twins.

  Her father quickly found a new partner after her mother's death, but she grew up in a melancholy and unhappy state without her mother to take care of her marriage, eventually ending up with an unsuitable husband, living an unfulfilled life, and dying a miserable death on her sickbed.

  After marrying, Zhen Niang mentioned her mother's death, always covering it up and stopping abruptly. Only after repeated questioning did she reveal her own speculation. Her mother's death was likely related to her father. Although her mother had been ill for a long time, it wasn't a fatal illness, and her sudden death was highly suspicious. The appearance of her mother at the time of her death looked like poisoning, and only her father was present when she died.

  "That day, I was serving medicine to the mistress when the master suddenly appeared and snatched the medicine from me, saying he would personally deliver it to her. Afterwards, the mistress suddenly died. If only I had followed the master to the mistress's room at that time, perhaps she wouldn't have died..." In her past life, Zhen Niang always spoke of this matter with self-reproach and tears streaming down her face.

  She served as a maid in the Bai family from her youth to middle age, and when her mother was alive, she took care of her mother with meticulous care. After her mother passed away, she continued to take good care of Bai Yunnuan as he grew up, which is already extremely rare. How could Bai Yunnuan blame her?

  Even towards her mother, she only had a heart of gratitude and no resentment.

  In her previous life, Bai Yunnuan carefully thought through the events surrounding her mother's death and was deeply convinced of Zhen Niang's conjecture. What puzzled her, however, was the attitude of her uncle's family.

  When my mother died, my two uncles came to the mourning hall and cried out loud, turning the Bai family upside down. It seems that they were also quite suspicious of the cause of my mother's death. Later, I don't know what my father showed them, but they suddenly stopped making a fuss and agreed to let the Bai family hold the funeral.

  After his father remarried, he basically cut off contact with his two uncles. Until Bai Yunnuan got married, the two uncles only sent someone to send gifts and did not visit.

  Bai Yun was still trapped in the chaotic memories, and her father's voice rose again: "Thirteen years old, still drowning in your brother's arms, what kind of dignity is this?" Although it was a scolding word, there was no hint of blame.

  But the warm words in her ears were particularly heart-wrenching. For the death of her mother, for her own unfortunate marriage, this life, Bai Yunnuan was destined to not be able to connect with her father Bai Yushu.

  Bai Zhenxuan gently pushed away his sister, patted her head and whispered in her ear: "Father and mother have arrived. On the first day of the first month, don't be childish, show a smiling face and get a good omen."

  Bai Yun warmed up and turned around.

  Only saw the white jade-like book eyebrows clear and beautiful, with a noble and elegant demeanor, wearing a simple yet refined outfit, strolling over from the nine-turn corridor. By his side was his mother, both of them matching perfectly in appearance and attire.

  Looking at the happy smile in her mother's eyes, Baiyun thought that perhaps the hardships of their past life would not be repeated in this life, but looking at her father's eyes was still a mix of emotions.

  The father and mother walked up to the brother and sister, looking at their own son and daughter who were both wearing new clothes, which made their elegant appearance even more outstanding. Bai Yushu and Bai Jiangshi exchanged a glance and smiled with satisfaction.

  The smile of father and mother fell into the warm eyes of the white cloud, which was even more unbearable. What kind of preferential treatment did the Luo family give to Father that made him able to ruthlessly kill his loving mother? Vaguely remembering the past life, when Madam Luo entered the door, she indeed brought a dowry with a price that was not cheap. When the Zhang family came to propose marriage, Father also opened his mouth wide and asked for 100,000 taels of betrothal gifts at once.

  As a family of book collectors, the fragrance of books cannot cover up the stench of corruption. I wonder if our ancestors Bai Xian and Mei would jump out of their coffins if they knew about this.

  Seeing his little daughter's serious face, looking at him with disgust, Bai Yushu slightly frowned and smiled: "Anuan, why are you staring at your father like that? Is the daze from waking up not gone yet?"

  Her brother and mother also looked at Bai Yunnuo with a teasing expression after hearing their father say so, and it was only then that Bai Yunnuo realized she had lost her composure.

  At this time, a servant wearing a plain silk gown and a leather hat walked over with big strides, bowed his head and said: "Master, madam, young master, miss, the carriage is ready, you can depart."

  Bai Yun warmly recognized this as her father's little servant Qin Xiao (this character is pronounced with a jiao sound, hehe).