The flowers shone bright; the moon was dim, veiled in light gauze.
The soft red curtains stirred over the bed, brushing against panic and lingering tenderness.
The breath of the man beside me was warm.
Familiar, yet strange.
I gently closed my eyes.
Since I had married him, the rites between husband and wife were naturally unavoidable. Though it had come a little sooner than I had expected, I had no reason to refuse him. Those honeyed, passionate phrases I had read in my boudoir flowed past my ears like water, tinting my heart with crimson.
He fumbled to undo the frog buttons at my breast—
But urgent knocking sounded from outside the door.
“Second Master! Second Master!”
A woman’s voice.
It was not Hehua, nor was it Xiao Yin.
Cheng Huaishi paused for an instant. After thinking it over, he still rose, smoothed down his clothes, and opened the door. I also got up from the bed, reached out to touch my face, and did my utmost to calm myself. At this hour, supper had not yet passed; perhaps the Old Madam had sent someone to summon us.
The door opened. Standing before us was an unfamiliar young woman, her hair in twin buns, white velvet flowers pinned in it, dressed as a maidservant.
I had been here for some days, but had never seen her in the manor. Presumably, she was not from the Cheng household. Yet she seemed very familiar with Cheng Huaishi.
“Second Master,” she sobbed, “half an hour ago, our young lady was taken away by a group of people! She instructed Rong’er not to tell you, but Rong’er is truly worried sick. Second Master, you are the most warmhearted of men. Apart from you, who else in Yangzhou City can save our young lady…”
So she was a maid from the Xun household.
Miss Xun had met with trouble and had come to Cheng Huaishi for help.
Such things, I imagined, had happened more than once or twice.
So much so that the maid entered the Cheng manor and found her way to the west courtyard to knock on the door with practiced ease.
The amorous softness on Cheng Huaishi’s face faded. He frowned. “I don’t know whether it’s people from the East Depot, or those rabble once under Prefect Liu… To strike at a weak woman time and again—such men are truly rats!”
I glanced at the girl, then at Cheng Huaishi, and said, “Since Miss Xun is in difficulty, Second Master should go.”
Cheng Huaishi clasped my hand, guilt showing on his face. “I truly cannot bear to let Madam be frightened again—”
The maid grew anxious and choked out, “If even Second Master cannot be relied upon, what is our young lady to do? When Old Master was alive, he often praised Second Master as a pure stream among scholars, a rare man of loyalty and righteousness. Even if Second Master does not care for our young lady, do you no longer care for the bond of teacher and student you shared with Old Master…”
Hehua came over and bowed. “Second Master, the Old Madam instructed that you must not go out again these next few days. You should remain in the manor and study in peace, so as to prepare for next year’s spring metropolitan examination.”
Cheng Huaishi was caught in a dilemma.
I said softly, “Go. I will find a way to explain things to Mother. You have run about for Lord Xun’s matter for so long; if you were to wash your hands of it now, I imagine your own heart would not let you rest.”
He nodded. “Madam understands reason and knows the greater good. Your husband is grateful.”
With that, he left with the maid like a gust of wind.
I stood beneath the eaves, watching his figure vanish into the night.
Xiao Yin said, “Miss has such a good temper, but the people of the Xun household really don’t know what’s good for them. How long do they intend to keep burdening our young master-in-law? What do they mean, saying no one but him can be relied on? Our young master-in-law isn’t the Xun family’s son-in-law…”
I ordered her to watch her tongue.
Only then did she purse her lips and fall silent.
That girl Xiao Yin was wholly devoted to me, but she could not keep her temper.
I sighed and said, “Xiao Yin, Second Master and I are husband and wife. I ought to know him, understand him, and trust him.”
Hehua silently draped a lined robe over my shoulders and said, “The kitchen has sent word that the meal is ready. Second Young Madam, please go to the north courtyard for supper.”
The north courtyard.
All sorts of dishes filled the table.
The Old Madam sat in the center. The Eldest Young Master and his wife sat to her right, and Qingshi sat to her left.
Seeing me come in, the Old Madam smiled and said, “Sangyu, where is Huai’er? I was just saying we should send a servant to call you two. Then I thought you young husband and wife had finally reunited after so much difficulty, and ought to be allowed to talk a little longer.”
I walked to the seat beside Qingshi and sat down. “In answer to Mother, Second Master has returned after going through great danger, and his schoolmates and friends naturally wanted to call him out for a gathering. He entrusted me to apologize to Mother on his behalf. He cannot accompany Mother for supper tonight.”
When the Eldest Young Master, Cangshi, heard this, it was as if his anger, with nowhere to go, had finally found an outlet. “Those disreputable friends Second Brother has made outside are truly a disorderly lot. After causing such a great commotion in Yangzhou Prefecture this time, who knows what trouble he’ll stir up in the future!”
Qingshi said indignantly, “Eldest Brother, don’t speak like that. If Second Sister-in-law had not known Director Feng, I’m afraid losing your post would have been the least of it. You say Second Brother harmed you, but was your office held by Second Brother on your behalf? Were those canal troops withdrawn by Second Brother on your behalf?”
The Eldest Young Madam wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and said, “In this household now, what are we even allowed to say? Even Little Sister has learned to bend with the wind.”
The Old Madam slapped the table.
Everyone fell silent.
At the dinner table, each person harbored their own thoughts, and the meal was finished in gloom.
At the end, the Old Madam said, “The Qin family’s eldest young master has had a servant deliver an invitation, saying he wishes to congratulate Huai’er on his safe return and will host a banquet at his residence tomorrow. The Qin family has always had some friendship with ours; this is their goodwill, and we cannot decline. Tomorrow, you will all go together.”
“Yes,” everyone answered in unison.
The Old Madam called me back. “Sangyu, though it is said a wife takes her husband as her guide, you should also advise Huai’er to settle his mind. As the saying goes, a virtuous wife brings fewer misfortunes upon her husband.”
I hurriedly lowered my head. “Mother is right.”
After the banquet dispersed, I had just walked to the corridor when I remembered I had left my handkerchief behind. I turned back to fetch it, only to hear the voice of Granny Zhao, who served beside the Old Madam.
“Old Madam, the Zhu family of Dongchang Prefecture has sent a letter, saying they wish to borrow a sum of money.”
The Old Madam said nothing.
Granny Zhao continued, “At first, everyone thought Second Master was gone, and there was no suitable bride to be found in such a short time, so Old Madam took her into the family. Now Second Master has returned, and however one looks at it, a girl from a small household is still lacking somewhat. The Zhu household did not send even a blade of grass as dowry. The girl has only just been married not long ago, yet they do not ask how their daughter and son-in-law are faring. They open their mouths and ask to borrow money. It is truly improper. Are they marrying off a daughter, or selling one?”
I was mortified.
I could never have imagined that Father would be so muddleheaded.
How could he even bring himself to make such a request?
Then I heard the Old Madam say, “However much they want, give it to them.”
No longer in the mood to fetch my handkerchief, I returned to the west courtyard in a daze.
Only after I reached my room and closed the door did my tears fall.
The journey by boat had been perilous all the way, and only after ten thousand difficulties had I reached Yangzhou. In my husband’s household, I did not dare put one foot wrong, yet Father had never once asked whether I lived or died. Now that I had finally settled down with such difficulty, he had come to shame me like this.
How was my husband’s family to think of me?
I sat there in a daze for a long while, still unable to let it go. I called Xiao Yin over and handed her this month’s allowance. “Tomorrow, go to the ferry and entrust someone to bring this money back to the Zhu family. Tell them that if they have any difficulties in the future, they must not mention them to the Old Madam. I still have to conduct myself in this household.”
Xiao Yin’s eyes reddened. “The Zhu family has its ancestral recipe for flower-brewed wine. How could they have fallen to such a state? They merely want to squeeze some profit out of Miss and fatten themselves!”
I waved my hand, signaling for her not to mention it again.
My stepmother, Lin Yue, was full of schemes.
But Father was Father after all. He was getting on in years, and I could not harden my heart enough to ignore him.
My thoughts ran wild, and in the end, I only made myself heartsore for a while.
When the third watch came and Cheng Huaishi still had not returned, I finally had Hehua put out the lamp.
I got onto the bed and tossed and turned.
Was Cheng Huaishi safe tonight?
Just who had taken Miss Xun away?
Feng Gao had already returned to the capital. Besides, he had promised me that this matter was settled. He should not go back on his word.
The pillow was cold, the quilt chilled.
At the fourth watch, I heard a sound and thought Cheng Huaishi had returned. I sat up, only to realize it was the wind.
At the fifth watch, I slept lightly for a short while.
In my muddled dreams, I seemed to be sitting on a boat, and Cheng Huaishi was the one at the helm. A great wind blew past; I fell into the water and was swallowed by the icy river. I cried out desperately, “Huaishi! Huaishi!”
When I woke, tearstains still lingered at the corners of my eyes.
Wu Bi was already waiting outside the door.
“Second Young Madam, the accounts with Guangling’s Huiming Teahouse were arranged the day before yesterday to be checked today.”
I remembered the matter.
Since the accounts had passed through my hands, I naturally ought to go and check them.
Huiming Teahouse, located below Guanyin Mountain in Guangling, was a major client of the Cheng family.
After washing and dressing, I left Xiao Yin in the room, brought Hehua with me, and followed Wu Bi out of the manor. We boarded a carriage and headed toward Guanyin Mountain.
By the time the accounts were checked, it was already noon.
The shopkeeper of Huiming Teahouse settled the silver without hesitation.
I thanked him, and we started back.
The weather had grown cold, but pilgrims coming to Guanyin Mountain still streamed in endlessly.
Hehua said, “Second Young Madam, would you like to go to the summit and offer a stick of incense?”
I shook my head. “What is fated to be mine will always come. What is not fated to be mine is useless to ask the gods and Buddhas for. Everyone prays to the Bodhisattva; how could the Bodhisattva possibly attend to them all? It is better to spare the Bodhisattva some worry.”
Wu Bi laughed. “Second Young Madam is truly clearheaded.”
No sooner had he spoken than the carriage passed by a dense wood. Several men suddenly burst out from the shrubs and surrounded the carriage.
Each of them was broad-backed and stout-waisted, their faces covered with black cloth.
Wu Bi hurriedly led several young servants to fight them off.
Without a word, Hehua pulled me and ran.
Thorns slashed my arm, and blood flowed down.
Vaguely, I saw a figure in a blue robe leap past.
The mountain kites cried overhead.
In my heart, I worried whether the banknotes collected today could be kept safe.
The Old Madam trusted me and let me manage the Cheng family’s business. If something went wrong, how could I face her?
Two masked men caught up. Hehua shoved me away and blocked them herself.
My foot slipped.
A man caught me in his arms, and together we rolled down the hillside…