A life of two souls traveling through time

Dusk drifted across the bluestone slabs, and the water beneath the stone arch bridge shimmered with a shimmering golden hue. The lingering glow of sunset swept over the eaves, smearing them in a gentle haze. Sparrows, returning late, circled and hopped among the dark tiles. The town, far from quieting as the dusk fell, became even more lively. In the streets and alleys, people came and went in front of the restaurants. Peddlers, contentedly carrying empty loads, headed out of town, the barking of dogs echoing along the way. Neighbors exchanged pleasantries and jokes, and the occasional sound of children playing could be heard. Wisps of smoke drifted from the chimneys of every rooftop, and soon the aroma of food filled the air, awakening the appetites of those who craved it and drawing the children back home from their playful outings.

As night fell, the lights in the Lin Mansion to the west of the town came on. Several strings of red lanterns in front of the door reflected golden scales on the river beside it, but the mansion was still dull and silent.

Da da da

"Shut up!"

With the sound of horse hooves, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the Lin Mansion. The driver tightened the reins and hurriedly placed the horse stool on the ground. Then he lifted the curtain and said to the inside, "Master, we're home."

At the same time, the gate of the Lin Mansion creaked open suddenly, and the housekeeper led two servants to greet them hurriedly. They said respectfully to Mr. Lin, who was being helped out of the carriage by the driver, "Master, you are back."

"Well, how is your family these days?" Mr. Lin did not stop and went straight into the mansion while asking questions.

"Don't worry, sir, everything is as usual." The butler who followed closely behind replied.

"How is Madam's illness?" Mr. Lin put his hands behind his back and continued to walk towards the backyard.

"Madam's condition has improved. The doctor came again three days ago and prescribed another prescription." The housekeeper said as he handed the prescription forward.

"I didn't realize that the female doctor was quite capable. I will definitely reward her handsomely next time." Mr. Lin took the prescription and stopped. He looked at it carefully for a moment in the light of the lantern in the corridor before giving further instructions.

"Don't worry, Master. I've already paid for the consultation. I'll make up the reward once Madam recovers." The housekeeper smiled and added, "By the way, Master, the eldest young master sent a letter yesterday. I've left it in the study."

Mr. Lin responded without saying anything else and quickly walked into a yard. Seeing that the house was pitch black, his eyes couldn't help but darken.

"Madam has just taken her medicine and may have gone to bed." Although Mr. Lin remained calm, the housekeeper following behind him could clearly feel the heavy atmosphere, so he hurriedly spoke cautiously.

"Send dinner to the study." After a long silence, Mr. Lin said this lightly and turned to leave.

Bang! Bang!

"Close doors and windows to prevent theft!"

As the hour of Hai arrived, the town gradually fell into silence in the night. Two crisp clapper sounds were heard in the street, and the night watchman announced the time of the second watch.

The candlelight in the Lin Mansion's study flickered. Mr. Lin heard the distant night watchman's call outside and immediately put down the account book in his hand tiredly. As he raised his hand to rub his eyebrows, he suddenly smelled an alluring scent of perfume. He subconsciously raised his eyes and glanced towards the inner room. He was surprised to see an enchanting woman leaning on the couch. She was very seductive under the hazy green gauze curtains.

"Who are you?" When Mr. Lin saw this, his expression froze and his pupils dilated slightly, but he quickly came to his senses. His trembling knuckles suddenly tightened and he asked coldly with a bit of caution.

The enchanting woman hiding behind the curtain just chuckled, then stood up on her own, and slowly took off her coat to her shoulders in front of Mr. Lin. Her skin was fragrant and dewy, and she was willing to take off, her eyes were full of charm, and the crimson bellyband was faintly visible on her enchanting figure, showing her charm to the extreme.

The little bit of rationality that Mr. Lin had finally recovered was instantly swallowed up by the beauty before him. His throat rolled twice, and his steps were uncontrollably heading towards the inner room. When he lifted the green gauze curtain, the enchanting woman quickly gathered her coat around her shoulders, glared at him, and turned around to hide behind the curtain.

Mr. Lin had been bewitched to the point of losing his mind, and he naturally regarded her temper as fun, which made him even more lustful. He unconsciously took off the mask that he usually wore seriously, and his turbid eyes were full of lust. Just as he forcefully pulled aside the curtain and pounced on the enchanting woman, a handful of powder suddenly sprinkled towards him. Mr. Lin had no time to react and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Hmph, dealing with such a sanctimonious hypocrite is easy for me!" Honghua straightened her clothes, a look of contempt on her face, snorted coldly, then kicked Mr. Lin who was lying on the ground. Seeing that he was unconscious, she sat back on the couch with peace of mind. Then, she suddenly heard footsteps outside. She hurriedly waved her sleeves, and the candle in the study went out.

Seeing that the master had blown out the lights and gone to bed, the housekeeper outside the house did not knock on the door again and left quietly.

Two days later, a group of people suddenly gathered at the town entrance. They pointed at a notice posted on the wall in front of them and discussed it:

"This is actually Mr. Lin's personal confession? Could it be fake?"

"I dare to ask, who in this hundred-mile radius would dare to frame Mr. Lin? I heard that there's an identical poster posted in front of the Lin Mansion, and the door is tightly shut, and no one has come out to defend themselves. It must be true."

"It turns out that Madam Lin has been abused and tortured by Mr. Lin since she was married into the Lin Mansion. She became insane because she could not bear the long-term humiliation. Alas, Madam Lin is really pitiful!"

"Yes, I never thought that this kind-hearted man, whom everyone respects, would behave like a beast at home. It's true that you can only judge a person by his appearance but not by his heart!"

"Now that he's willing to write this confession and publicly expose it, and has also agreed to divorce Madam Lin, he can be considered to have a change of heart."

"Humph, even if you have a change of heart, you can't hide this sanctimonious face."

"The Bai family's daughter was tortured in the Lin residence, but the Bai family didn't go to the Lin family to make trouble?"

"Do you think the Bai family truly loves their daughter? When Mr. Lin fell in love with the Bai family's daughter, I heard that the shopkeeper Bai agreed without hesitation. He had the heart to let his daughter marry an old man of the same age as himself. What was he after? Wasn't it all about money?"

"I also heard that the day before the Bai family's daughter got married, Shopkeeper Bai paid off all the debts he owed to the gambling house. Later, it was thanks to the influence of the Lin family that the bookshop was able to revive."

"I heard that after Madam Lin left the Lin Mansion, she never returned to the Bai Family and her whereabouts are unknown."

"Really? Oh, that's really pitiful. Where can a helpless woman go? Will she commit suicide?"

At this time, Honghua drove his carriage past the town entrance, glanced at the crowd still chattering, and then curled his lips in indignation: "We can't kill him immediately, it really makes it easy for that hypocrite!"

"No matter what, even if Mr. Lin's reputation is half ruined now, he is still an important local squire and has close relations with the government. If something happens to him at this time, it will be bad for Bai Niangzi." In the carriage, Si Yao heard Hong Hua's words and sighed helplessly.

"I will be very satisfied if you can help me walk out of the dark Lin Mansion in broad daylight and regain my freedom!" A graceful lady was sitting next to Si Yao. She frowned slightly, tears in her beautiful eyes, and said gratefully.

"What are your plans next?" Si Yao looked at her quietly for a moment before asking.

"Let's get away from here first, the farther the better. From now on, I don't want to have anything to do with this place anymore." The woman lowered her eyes slightly. After a long moment, a look of tranquility appeared on her face. Then she smiled with relief and said, "If fate allows, I'd like to find a quiet temple, stay by the Buddha's lamp, and spend the rest of my life in peace and tranquility."