Lovely Blossoms

"Who's out there Quan?" Elder Ruolan asked her maid hearing bustling coming from outside.

Quan quickly headed to the entryway and checked.

"It is Master Zhiqiang and the Fourth Miss," Quan said when she returned. She knew very well that Elder Ruolan hadn't realized that it was the Fourth Miss in the room earlier that day, but she was tired of trying at this point. Lady Meirong was an awful lady that made anyone who got in her way miserable. She had done her best at letting Elder Ruolan know that something strange was happening earlier, but that was as far as she was willing to go. Lady Meirong had made it very clear that things would get harder for her if she continued to meddle.

"The Forth Miss?" Elder Ruolan pushed herself out of her chair. She was unsteady so Quan quickly came to help her find her bearings. "Take me out there. Quickly. "

Quan proceeded to escort Elder Ruolan out of her main quarters. They settled into a sitting area and waited for Master Zhiqiang and the Fourth Miss to be announced. It wasn't long after that a maid brought them inside.

Elder Ruolan had blurry vision, she could barley see two feet in front of her, but she had always had a knack with auras. She could tell when someone was hostile, and could almost always pick out the presence of those she knew well, so she instantly knew that her son was very angry. The Fourth Miss is what alarmed her however. She knew instantly that was the familiar presence she had seen earlier, the one she couldn't pin point. Of course it made sense now. Prince Xiaowen had that presence.

"What's the matter son?" She asked anxiously.

"Did you tell this child that she would have to marry Lord Heshing or be beaten until she was willing?" He asked pulling Fen Hua in front of him.

Fen Hua stared blankly at Elder Ruolan. What the heck was she supposed to do? How had she even gotten herself into this crappy situation. All she wanted to do was work on embroidery so she could find a way to leave this place, now suddenly she's engaged to an old man and being stared at by her father in a very strange and uncomfortable way, and now dragged to an Elder Ruolan's quarters as an interrogator.

"This child?" Elder Ruolan asked suddenly realizing her mistake. "This is the child she wants to marry off? And to Lord Heshing? Isn't he nearly seventy by now? How could I suggest such a thing?"

Fen Hua stared incredulously. This old lady was a liar!

"If that's not the case then why would she believe such a thing to be true?"

"There was a misunderstanding Qianger," she said soothingly to Baek Zhiqiang. "I did not know it was the Fourth Miss that she was speaking of, and I certainly had no idea it was Lord Heshing that was being proposed as a husband. The very idea is..."

"What kind of misunderstanding could there be?" Fen Hua asked someone angrily. How could she sit there and lie like this. The old lady had obviously looked directly at her before she said what she said earlier. "Didn't you tell Lady Meirong that if I didn't do as I was told I should be beat until I was willing?"

Elder Ruolan was shocked by the outburst of the young woman before her. Even more shocked by how lively and healthy she truly sounded. Could this actually be the poor child that had been wilting away since the death of her mother?

"Child I could not see you sitting there. My eyes are no good." She smiled a tender smile. "I wish I could see you, your mother was quiet beautiful, I imagine you are as well."

Fen Hua was flabbergasted by the seemingly pleasantness of this Grandmother. She didn't even know what was up or down anymore. Did she have this whole family wrong? Did these people actually care about Fen Hua?

"This is true, my mother's eyes get worse every year. How could that woman suggest such a thing?" Zhiqiang asked allowing his anger to subside towards his mother. He had barley believed she could be involved, she had always been a very caring and loving mother to him, much more selfless then he ever would be.

Elder Ruolan shook her head. "You know that she is willing to do anything to bring this house back it's former status."

Zhiqiang took a seat next to his mother. He looked very much like a boy next to her. Somehow desperate and needy. She reached out a weathered hand and patted his head.

"I don't know how to deal with that woman anymore. How much do I have to do to make up to her?" He stared at his mother with pleading eyes. He was at his wits end as well.

Elder Ruolan kept her eyes on Fen Hua. She imagined she had no idea why her father would need to make up to Lady Meirong. How was she supposed to know that Lady Meirong had lost a son, a son that no-one, not even her own daughters, knew about. The night that Zhiqiang brought Chunhua to his bed caused the disaster. It was not common practice for a woman to talk about things that happened with a man and woman, but that night was a hard night for all of them. It was bad enough that Chunhua cried four hours afterwards, but then for Zhiqiang to head to Lady Meirong's quarters to continue.... it was too much for Lady Meirong. She was unable to handle the stress of having Chunhua in her home then to have a husband who would dare come visit her with such ideas after being with that woman...No woman should have to deal with such a thing. The child who had been kept a secret for his protection had been born still born at only five months.

It had always been easy to see why Lady Meirong hated Chunhua. Not only did they lose their status, she had lost her hope for the future, a son.

Elder Ruolan rubbed her brows. She was getting to old to handle the weight of the sins in this family. If he would have just left Chunhua be. She had never wanted to be here in the first place. He should have known that it could only end in disaster.

But it wasn't this child's fault. Through all of this, this child was innocent. She didn't deserve Lady Meirong's anger.

"Come sit down child. You won't be forced to marry Lord Heshing. Your father would never allow that. Don't be scared."

Fen Hua was struggling with what was happening. She hesitantly took a seat on the opposite side of the mother son duo so she was facing the both of them. She felt it was better then the alternative of sitting next to them.

"I'm sorry Fen Hua," Zhiqiang said with a sigh. He straightened himself up, he'd been leaning on his mothers side. "I will put an end to this. You don't have to worry anymore."