Upon hearing this request from Ding Meng, Angel's eyes suddenly widened.
Ding Meng frowned and said, "Is there a problem?"
Angel looked around again: "Are you sure you want to go?"
Ding Meng could only answer honestly: "It's like this. Mr. Ding is a friend of Miss Guan. This time he asked me to come to the second lady to convey the news!"
When she heard that it was Ding Meng's matter, Anji'er whispered: "I can only take you there, but not for too long. It won't be good if my third aunt finds out."
Ding Meng could imagine that Long Lin's status in the official family was definitely not high from any angle. Just like on this occasion, Guan Xinqing's second wife did not show up, which already explains the problem.
Seeing Anji'er leaving with Zulong in the distance, Xin Zhiyao wondered: "Xiao Fei, they two knew each other before?"
Lan Bing had received Ding Meng's spiritual message at this moment, and quickly explained: "Madam, sir, a friend of mine used to be an acquaintance of Miss An. That friend told him that he must pay a visit to Miss An when he comes here."
It seems that this Xin Zhiyao is not a fuel-efficient lamp, and she actually knows about this matter.
Lan Bing didn't dare to hide it and said: "Exactly!"
Xin Zhiyao sighed: "This child is lucky. There are noble people to help him wherever he goes. If your husband's friends hadn't taken action that time, this child would have cried and made a fuss again. Xiaofei, your husband is great, cherish him."
"I will!" Lan Bing replied calmly.
Deep in the official residence, on a wide green lawn, an ancient courtyard stands in the middle. This courtyard looks like an ancestral hall, but it is lifeless after entering.
Before Angel could speak, a female voice came from behind the closed mahogany door on the first floor: "Is she my niece?"
Anji'er actually became honest: "Second aunt, I'm here to see your old man."
The female voice seemed very pleased: "Good boy, come in, the door is open!"
Anji'er slowly entered with Ding Meng, and then Ding Meng saw clearly that this was indeed a large-scale ancestral hall. The hall on the first floor was made of Noxious wood, and there were many religious murals and hangings in the hall.
In the center is a wooden case with a light curtain on it, which displays all Sanskrit scriptures.
Long Lin sat on the floor with her back to the door. She seemed to be a devout religious believer.
When Anji'er and the two stood still, Long Lin turned around. Ding Meng couldn't help but be surprised. Guan Lin's mother had silver hair on her head, and her face looked very haggard and old. She was also wearing ordinary clothes, as if she were wearing a Taoist robe.
type of clothing.
Ding Meng bowed slightly: "Hello, Second Madam, Ding Meng and I are friends. Mr. Ding and Miss Guan are old acquaintances. This time, I have been specially asked to come to pay you a visit."
Long Lin looks absolutely decrepit. From her face, you can see neither an expression of surprise nor any excitement. There is just a very indifferent and calm look. This place is like being in a nearby place.
Outside, the space that excludes the mortal world is completely isolated from the outside world. When people stay here, it seems that there is no joy, anger, sorrow or joy.
"Is it Ding Meng, the wanted criminal in the empire?" Long Lin asked calmly.
Although she is outside the country, she knows a lot about the outside world.
"Yes!" Ding Meng had no choice but to answer bravely. The bad reputation of labor and management still spread far and wide.
Anji'er immediately said: "Second aunt, Ding Meng is also my friend. If it hadn't been for him last time, I would have lost a lot of money!"
Only when she saw Anji'er did Long Lin's old face have a faint smile.
Ding Meng suddenly seemed to realize that Guan Lin was just as innocent and straightforward as Anji'er when she was young. That's why Long Lin preferred the niece of the third wife. The relationship in this wealthy family is really complicated.
"Master, please sit down," Long Lin said.
There was a woven straw tatami on the ground. Ding Meng sat down, but Anjier left on her own initiative. With her status, she couldn't stay here for a long time.
Long Lin did not ask about Guan Lin's matter, but turned around and took out a tea set and put it on the wooden table. She actually made a cup of steaming tea for Ding Meng.
The tea bowl was made of ancient white porcelain. Ding Meng took it and took a sip slowly. The tea was not a good tea, so it tasted astringent and bitter in his mouth.
Long Lin sat down opposite him: "Is it bitter?"
Ding Meng nodded slowly: "Yes!"
Long Lin said leisurely: "A cup of tea brings three tastes to a lifetime. In the end, I haven't woken up from the dream, but the bitterness remains the same."
Ding Meng suddenly felt that Guan Lin's mother seemed calm, but she seemed to be full of sorrow in her heart: "It is really unimaginable that Madam lives in such a place."
Long Lin said: "Mr. Ancestor, your sudden visit must not have brought you good news, right?"
Ding Meng was at a loss for words for a while. The second lady seemed to have the ability to predict the unknown and knew what his intention was. Moreover, he really didn't know how to speak about Guan Lin.
Long Lin sighed slightly: "It seems that what is coming will always come, and what cannot be retained will never be retained."
Ding Meng was also a little emotional. He slowly took out the vial of crystal light from his pocket and carefully placed it in the center of the wooden case.
Both of them sat quietly, no one took the initiative to speak, but time seemed to stand still at this moment.
Long Lin stared at the bottle infatuatedly. After a long time, she slowly stood up, but her expression was still very calm: "When I was young, my father was very strict with me. Regardless of academics or martial arts, I had seven classes in the morning, noon and evening.
Uninterrupted, for thirty years, until I achieved success in my studies..."
Ding Meng didn't answer, he just listened quietly.
Long Lin seemed to be describing a very ordinary thing: "It wasn't until I married into an official family at the age of 45 and gave birth to Xiaolin that I had a little time of my own. Of course, it was a very happy time for me.
…”
Ding Meng could also imagine that Chuangyu Group had just been established at that time, its business was booming, the Long family and the Guan family were a perfect match, Guan Lin had just been born, and everything was prosperous.
Long Lin's tone finally changed: "But I don't want Xiaolin to take the same path. I always feel that freedom is more valuable for a woman. She should do what she likes and pursue what she likes, rather than starting from life.
After coming down, my life was designed and I was imprisoned on a fixed route..."
Ding Meng sighed sadly: "Sometimes the more expectations people have, the more things tend to move in the opposite direction."
Long Lin's eyes fell on the vial on the wooden table again, with a trace of sadness in her eyes: "I didn't expect that incident at Yin Feng."
Ding Meng said: "It's been ten years now, right?"
"Yes, there are still two months and three days left, which means it will be exactly ten years." Long Lin looked a little dazed.
Guan Lin was kidnapped by Yin Feng and separated from her mother for ten years. During these ten years, apart from trying to find her, Long Lin probably spent most of her time in this ancestral hall, chanting sutras and praying for the safety of her daughter.
.
Now the person is back, but he has turned into ashes, and the mother's heart may have died as well.
Ding Meng pondered and said, "Miss Guan's departure is not painful."
Long Lin stared at him: "Oh?"
Ding Meng said: "Mr. Ding later avenged her and helped her fulfill her wish. She only left one sentence in the end. She said she would love you forever!"
No matter how calm Long Lin was, her demeanor at this moment seemed to have aged several dozen years. She was like a dying old woman. It took her a long time before she could say: "Please tell Mr. Ding Meng that I am very grateful to him."
Ding Meng said: "Second Madam, you are so polite. Mr. Ding and Miss Guan are friends."
Long Lin sighed: "It's really her luck that she can make friends like Mr. Ding Meng."
Ding Meng had no choice but to thank him again: "Madam, you are very complimentary."
At this time, Long Lin did something beyond Ding Meng's imagination. She returned to the wooden desk and sat down. She slowly unscrewed the crystal light vial, poured out a small portion of the ashes inside, and poured it in front of her.
In the tea bowl, Ding Meng drank the bowl of tea in one breath under Ding Meng's astonished gaze.
Ding Meng rarely felt frightened, but at this moment he felt an inexplicable chill rising from the soles of his feet.
This is Guan Lin's ashes. Guan Lin's mother drank the ashes of her biological daughter with tea. If he couldn't see through Guan Xinqing's true face before, then he couldn't see through Long Lin in front of him.
Complex existence.
Long Lin and Guan Lin were like a mixture. He seemed to see Guan Lin sneering at him, and he also seemed to see Long Lin staring at him. This was simply a visual and auditory hallucination...
Ding Meng looked moved and said: "Madam, why are you doing this?"
Long Lin was so calm that she said: "Because I love her too, very much!"
Ding Meng suddenly felt a helpless sadness. This mother missed her daughter too much. This longing had penetrated deep into her bones. She could not accept the news of her death, and even couldn't extricate herself.
Ding Meng said helplessly: "Madam, please forgive me and obey!"
Long Lin ignored his words and asked instead: "Are you going to report to Congress this time?"
Ding Meng was completely shocked. Although Zulong's purpose of going to Nuoxing was not a secret, Long Lin, who stayed at home in the ancestral hall, also knew that the power of the official family was too great.
Long Lin sighed: "In the past few years, the empire has been retreating in the frontline theater of the Wochu system, which has caused undercurrents in the Congress. Xin Zhiyao has always obeyed Xin Qing's words. When you go to the Congress, you are actually one of the representatives of the official family. Conservative
The party's camp has been strengthening, and the Radical Party will keep an eye on every newcomer..."
Her words contained a huge amount of information, and it was difficult for Ding Meng to digest them for a while, mainly because he still didn't understand the specific situation at the top of the empire.
Long Lin said sternly: "Mr. Ancestor, I hope you have a safe journey on this trip. If you have a chance to come to Xingwu City next time, I hope you come back alive instead of asking someone to hand me a bottle."
Ding Meng seemed to have realized something. These words were alluding to the fact that this trip would be very unlucky for him, and there would be no return.
As expected, Long Lin continued: "This is my gratitude to Mr. Ding."
It means that you brought Guan Lin's ashes back, so I will reveal some information to you, which can be regarded as a reward for Ding Meng.
