“Which Chun?” An Jiu remembered her crying heartbrokenly last time.
“It’s Chun Meng!” Hua Rongjian glanced back into the room. “There aren’t many of you Mei clan left, are there? Who’s inside?”
An Jiu seemed not to hear him. “Would your eldest brother harm your sister-in-law?”
She recalled that Hua Rongtian’s first wife was a spy sent by the emperor, who ultimately fell deeply in love with him and refused to do anything against him, even at the cost of her life. If a specially trained shadow agent could be so loyal, An Jiu had reason to worry that Mei Jiu might become the second such case.
“My brother isn’t that kind of person,” Hua Rongjian said confidently. “After his first wife passed away, he was depressed for a long time. People say the Hua family only produces passionate lovers. Just like my father, who has only loved my mother all these years, and my younger brother, who still pines for his childhood sweetheart.”
Hua Rongjun had been betrothed since childhood, back when the Hua family wasn’t as powerful as today. Thus, an alliance with the family of the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor wasn’t an issue then. The Grand Tutor had risen from Jiangning Prefecture and was quite renowned, with students from all over the world. Although he never held real power, his connections were not to be underestimated. Now that Hua Rongjun was of marriageable age, Minister Hua still didn’t dare to let him marry.
Hua Rongjian continued, “My brother’s childhood sweetheart is the granddaughter of the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor. Moreover, the Grand Tutor was also my father’s teacher…”
Given their already close relationship, how could the emperor allow the two families to be united through marriage? As long as the Hua family didn’t fall, Hua Rongjun’s marriage would eventually have to be called off.
An Jiu wasn’t interested in this. She thought, if the Chief Minister Hua was truly so devoted, you wouldn’t exist!
An Jiu felt unexpectedly uncomfortable and fell silent.
After half an hour, Mei Yanran finally emerged.
Seeing her red eyes, An Jiu asked nothing and simply said, “Let’s go.”
“Hey, weren’t we supposed to go drinking?” Hua Rongjian complained.
An Jiu hesitated.
Mei Yanran said, “If you have plans, go ahead. Don’t worry about me.”
“Alright then,” An Jiu sighed.
The three left the mansion together. Hua Rongjian and An Jiu boarded a carriage, while Mei Yanran returned to the palace alone.
The carriage carried the two to the poor district. Hua Rongjian leaned against the window, no longer his usual lively self.
After a while, the carriage stopped in front of a residence. Hua Rongjian didn’t get out, peering through the bamboo curtain at the tightly closed gate, his brows gradually furrowing.
This was Lu Danzhi’s home. An Jiu had visited once with him before.
Lu Danzhi’s death changed Hua Rongjian’s life. He probably didn’t like coming here. An Jiu said, “I know a quiet place.”
Hua Rongjian raised an eyebrow. “Let’s go then.”
An Jiu knocked on the carriage wall and told the driver where to go.
“Once when I was wandering around, I found a nice wonton place here,” An Jiu explained.
“There’s a decent wonton stall in this area?” Hua Rongjian was skeptical. In such a poor place, having meat broth would be considered good, let alone wontons!
Hua Rongjian usually loved to wander around. The driver was familiar with all the streets and alleys in the city, and they arrived at the intersection by the river in about the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
The carriage couldn’t go further, so An Jiu dragged Hua Rongjian out and they walked towards Wu Lingyuan’s wonton stall.
Before they arrived, a rich aroma wafted towards them.
Hua Rongjian looked incredulous.
An Jiu was also surprised by the smell. Last time, Wu Lingyuan had used lard to imitate pork, with a few stale wontons floating in bland soup. How could there be such a big change in such a short time?
Turning a corner, An Jiu saw a man in a long gray-white robe lying by the riverbank under a willow tree. His face was covered with a book of “Great Compassion Mantra,” and he held a fishing rod, looking completely at ease.
The stall still had the same old tables and stools, with a pot of steaming soup on the charcoal stove beside it.
Hearing footsteps, Wu Lingyuan’s ears twitched. His slender hand removed the scripture from his face as he asked with a smile, “Is that my benefactor?”
An Jiu sat on a stool behind him and grunted in affirmation.
Wu Lingyuan got up and secured his fishing rod. “I’ve prepared everything for you, benefactor.”
Seeing his handsome appearance marred only by lifeless eyes, Hua Rongjian guessed at his circumstances and asked, “Do you have any wine?”
Wu Lingyuan shook his head. “I can send someone to fetch a jug. Please wait a moment.”
An Jiu held out her hand to Hua Rongjian. “Give me some money.”
Hua Rongjian took out his purse and placed the few silver pieces he had left in her hand.
An Jiu passed them to Wu Lingyuan.
“How could I take money from my benefactor?” Wu Lingyuan hurriedly refused.
“It’s not my money anyway. The person next to me is so rich he only has money left. No need to save on his behalf,” An Jiu said.
Wu Lingyuan smiled. “Then I’ll humbly accept.”
As Wu Lingyuan left, Hua Rongjian relaxed unconsciously at his faint smile and remarked, “This man is no ordinary person.”
An Jiu went to the stove and lifted the pot lid. A mist of chicken-scented steam rose to her face. “Compared to you, who isn’t ordinary?”
“I came to you for conversation and comfort, not for you to annoy me,” Hua Rongjian said, displeased.
“If you want to hear nice things, you can pay someone to flatter you. I only have truth here,” An Jiu said as she ladled a bowl of chicken soup for Hua Rongjian.
Seeing her scold him while still serving him soup, Hua Rongjian felt a warmth in his heart. He took the bowl and drank a couple of sips, praising, “Not bad, quite delicious. This is pheasant.”
After he had drunk most of the bowl, he noticed An Jiu wasn’t drinking. “Why aren’t you having any?”
An Jiu was silent for a moment. Seeing he was fine, she finally ladled a bowl for herself. “One must be careful when out and about.”
Especially in places she had visited before.
Hua Rongjian’s face immediately darkened. “Mei Shisi, you are… are…”
He couldn’t find the words to describe her!
After they finished the soup and chatted for a while, Wu Lingyuan returned with two jugs of wine.
“Would you like to have some wontons before drinking?” he asked.
The earlier bowl of soup had whetted their appetites. Hua Rongjian said, “Sure.”
Wu Lingyuan washed his hands and began to roll out the wonton wrappers and fill them. Despite his blindness, he worked quickly, wrapping twenty or thirty wontons in no time.
Noticing no one else around, Hua Rongjian couldn’t help asking, “Do you get any business here?”
Wu Lingyuan replied, “Yes, many boats dock here in the morning. I’m busy for about an hour each day.”
“No one causes trouble?” Hua Rongjian asked.
Wu Lingyuan put the wontons into the pot. “People here are simple and kind-hearted. I often teach the children to read. They frequently bring me food. No one would cause trouble.”
The local ruffians didn’t come to this poor area. He prepared a portion for An Jiu every day, and if she didn’t come, he would give it to the neighbors.
Two steaming bowls of wontons were served.
An Jiu took a bite and was surprised to find that Wu Lingyuan’s culinary skills were indeed excellent. The wontons were delicious and flavorful, with smooth and refreshing wrappers and meaty fillings that weren’t greasy but had a good texture.
Hua Rongjian finished one bowl and asked for another. His earlier worries were momentarily forgotten, and even the wine became an after-meal treat.
After eating, Hua Rongjian inquired further about Wu Lingyuan’s background.
It turned out that Wu Lingyuan was from a noble family of the Tang Dynasty. When Tang fell, his family moved south. Wu Lingyuan had come to the capital for the imperial examinations but unfortunately developed an eye disease and didn’t return home. His parents had long since passed away, so he decided to live out his days here.
Hua Rongjian sighed, “I’ll find a doctor to examine you tomorrow.”
Then he turned to ask An Jiu, “What about Doctor Mo?”
“He’s currently troubled by love,” An Jiu said.
Hua Rongjian asked with interest, “Which love affair?”
“Does he have many?” An Jiu raised an eyebrow.
“How would I know? That’s why I’m asking you!” Hua Rongjian scoffed.
Those who didn’t know Mo Sigui thought he was a divine doctor who saved lives. Those who knew him slightly believed he was indifferent and cold in matters of the heart. Only people like An Jiu knew what kind of person Mo Sigui truly was.
“He’s infatuated with a woman who doesn’t like him,” An Jiu said.
Hua Rongjian looked at her with disdain. “How boring.”
However, he believed that stripped of all the exciting details, what An Jiu said must be the truest account.
Having lost interest in this topic, Hua Rongjian dragged Wu Lingyuan off to go fishing.
An Jiu sat on the stool, watching Hua Rongjian’s back. She realized he had grown taller and thinner. Hua Rongjian was usually a very cheerful person, his smile like warm sunshine. Such a person shouldn’t become melancholic.
Thinking this, she suddenly felt some resentment towards Chu Dingjiang’s actions back then, but immediately found this feeling strange. With countless lives on her own hands, what right did she have to criticize Chu Dingjiang?
The two stayed at the wonton stall until sunset, then left along the riverbank carrying two jugs of wine.
“How about we fight?” Hua Rongjian suddenly suggested.
“Heh,” An Jiu squinted at the golden-red horizon. “You’d better stick to drowning your sorrows in wine. If we fought, I reckon tomorrow someone would find the second son of the Hua family’s body dumped in the river.”
“…”
Hua Rongjian sat down by the riverbank, opened a jug, and took a long drink.
An Jiu sat down beside him.
“Lu Danzhi said I’m not twenty-six years old,” Hua Rongjian wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, resting one hand on the jug’s mouth as he turned to look at her. “I lost my memory as a child, supposedly due to illness. But considering various circumstances, I can’t help but suspect that the real Hua Rongjian died for some reason, and I was brought in as a replacement.”
An Jiu remained silent. The truth was close to his guess, but he would probably never guess that it was the real Hua Rongjian who had arranged it all.
She knew the truth but couldn’t tell Hua Rongjian. Seeing him like this, she couldn’t say anything.
“But I look very much like my elder and younger brothers, and my parents treat me well,” Hua Rongjian said, doubting his mother. She pampered him too much, unlike her strict treatment of his brothers. If he hadn’t been so spoiled from childhood, perhaps he wouldn’t have wasted his days as he did before. “Don’t mothers usually favor their youngest child? Why does Mother pamper me so?”
Lady Hua also doted on Hua Rongjun, but unlike with him, she often restrained Hua Rongjun. Before Lu Danzhi’s words, he had only felt that his mother loved him more than his two brothers, but now it seemed that might not be the case.
“Am I being unfilial for doubting my mother?” Hua Rongjian looked at her, his eyes reflecting the rippling waves, seeming about to overflow with tears.