Footsteps and voices sounded outside the room. Pu Zhu turned her head, and the indifference that had been in her eyes a moment ago vanished, replaced by a sweet smile. She rose to her feet and went to meet the newcomers. “Zhang A’mu, you’ve come back from the front? Is there anything I can help with? A’mu, just give the word.”

Zhang Ao said, “Poor child, you work from morning to night at home without a moment’s rest. Here with me, you should just relax!”

A’Ju carried in a large wooden bucket that had held rice—now empty, stacked full of used bowls and dishes.

Pu Zhu offered to help wash the bowls, and as expected, A’Ju pushed her away and pointed again at the stove.

Pu Zhu had no choice but to sit back down as the fire-tending girl, watching the others bustle about tidying the kitchen, when suddenly she heard a clamor of voices and horses from the direction of the relay station’s main gate. She knew it was the Honglu Temple party setting out to continue westward.

Zhang Ao wiped down the stove, and in a boastful tone said quietly, “I bet you don’t know why that party of capital envoys is heading out through the pass? Let me tell you ahead of everyone else. The Great Princess on the western Di side is sending people into the pass—they’ve gone out to escort them.”

The women helping with chores pressed her with curious questions.

Zhang Ao said, “The attending officer just told me, and told me to hurry and stock up on provisions. When the two groups combine, who knows how many people there’ll be. If we don’t prepare early, it’ll be a mad scramble. What a spectacle! In all my years of work, I’ve seen plenty of people come from beyond the pass—never mind envoys, I’ve seen more princes of all ranks than I can count—but this is the first time I’ve seen the court send officials specifically out through the pass to receive someone.”

One of the helping women asked, “This Great Princess—could she be the daughter of the current Old Queen Mother?”

The Dowager Empress Jiang had already become a legend among the common people. Ordinary folk spoke of her not as the Grand Empress Dowager, but reverently as the “Old Queen Mother.”

Zhang Ao nodded. “That’s right—she is the Old Queen Mother’s daughter, and the current Emperor’s aunt. When the Great Princess went beyond the pass to make an alliance marriage, this relay station hadn’t been built yet, and this town didn’t exist either. I’d only been married a couple of years and was out farming the land near Yumen with my husband. When I heard the Great Princess was coming through and would be stopping for a night before heading out through the pass, I rushed over to see her, but I was too late—by the time I arrived, she’d already gone. I heard from those who made it in time that she had an endless procession of riders before and behind her, a train so long you couldn’t see the beginning. The Princess’s carriage was in the middle, and just then a gust of wind blew by, lifting the curtain, and you could see a person sitting inside—upright and dignified.”

The helping women listened avidly and pressed for more. “Could you see what she looked like?”

“Her hair was long and black, her face snow-white. Though I only caught that one glimpse of her, her looks and bearing were like seeing a celestial maiden—a pity I didn’t get to see her. This time, I don’t know who’s coming, but they must be someone important to her. When they arrive, I’ll make sure to get a good look.” Zhang Ao’s voice was full of regret.

“It’s a sad thing too—even though she’s the Old Queen Mother’s daughter, she still had to go beyond the pass to marry a stranger in a foreign land, unfamiliar with the people and the place. Once she left, I’d wager she could never come back. I’ve also heard that those people eat raw meat and drink raw blood—never mind that—but when a father dies, the son marries his stepmother! Animals! Simply inhuman!”

“Isn’t that the truth! When you think of it that way, even though we eat sand out here every day, as long as the Di people can’t break through the Great Wall and we have enough to eat, life is bearable. Truthfully, if things were that way, I wouldn’t want to trade places even if I could…”

Zhang Ao and the helping women chattered back and forth without pause.

Pu Zhu listened quietly, saying nothing.

A’Ju worked and glanced up at her from time to time.

The sky gradually brightened. They kept busy until the Hour of the Snake, and finally the kitchen work was done.

Pu Zhu fetched the padded jacket and helped A’Ju put it on. This time A’Ju didn’t refuse, and let her help. The two left the relay station to head back, and had only gone a few steps when a familiar courier came riding in from the direction of the prefectural city. Seeing the two of them, he called out, rode up ahead, and pulled a lotus-leaf wrapped package from his bag, handing it to A’Ju, then said to Pu Zhu: “The white aloeswood that was missing from the last list your A’mu gave me to bring—I finally managed to buy it all at the pharmacy this time. It wasn’t cheap though. Is her health all right? Why does she always have me bring these things?”

A’Ju, hearing that it had finally all been procured, quickly took it from him and made a show of thanks.

The courier was busy, said a few words in passing, and left.

A’Ju opened the medicinal package and checked through everything one by one: gleditsia pods, angelica root, wild ginger, white hibiscus powder, cold water stone, and the white aloeswood that had been out of stock for half a year and had finally arrived. She packed each item into small separate bags. She picked up a piece of white aloeswood and sniffed it—though only mid-grade, finding it in a place like this was no easy feat—and a slight look of pleasure crossed her face as she carefully wrapped it back up.

Pu Zhu watched, her heart in turmoil.

A’Ju was not sparing the expense of constantly asking the courier to bring these things from the prefectural city because of any illness. They were to grind and toast with blue salt to make the tooth-cleaning fragrant salt that Pu Zhu had used to wash and rinse since childhood.

The fragrant salt made from this formula, used year after year, would keep the teeth fragrant and lustrous and white. It was naturally labor-intensive and costly, originating from an imperial physician’s prescription that had spread among the general populace—only wealthy households used it.

All these years, except for right when they had first arrived here and conditions made it truly impossible, once they had settled in, no matter how difficult things were, other expenses could be cut, but not this one. A’Ju would insist on saving up the money herself to make it. When they moved to Fulu Zhen last year, there was only coarse blue salt available here, which A’Ju found rough but usable. Yet A’Ju was unwilling, and still found a way to get acquainted with this courier who regularly traveled between the prefectural city and here, and once familiar with him, entrusted him to bring these medicines from the city.

“A’mu, why go to the trouble and expense of buying all this?” Pu Zhu couldn’t help saying. “I don’t want you to tire yourself out so. Blue salt is enough.”

A’Ju shook her head disapprovingly, and gently tapped the spot on Pu Zhu’s cheeks where her two dimples were, then made an expression of showing her teeth in a smile, and then a gesture expressing admiration.

She was saying that her smile was beautiful. That she loved to see her beautiful smile.

Her eyes couldn’t help but grow warm again.

Yang Hong was going to be in trouble soon. And it was because of Yang Hong’s troubles that, in her previous life, she had lost her Ju A’mu—the last family member she had in this world.

In the long years that followed, whenever she felt lonely and adrift, she would always think of her Ju A’mu.

If she had always been there, at her side, then perhaps those ten years that came after would have been happier ones. At the very least, when she was tired and weary, there would have been someone to hold her, to let her lean against their chest and rest in peace.

Yang Hong’s disaster began with a bribe.

The annual performance evaluation was approaching again.

The He Xi Protector-General Liu Chong’s birthday was coming, and his aide’s wife was greedy. Zhang Shi had worked her connections, offering bribes to have someone introduce her husband to Liu Chong, to bypass the superior officer who was suppressing him.

Indeed, the objective was achieved. Liu Chong consequently took notice of Yang Hong, inquired into his affairs, learned he was quite capable and could rally the garrison soldiers, and promoted him out of turn, directly elevating him to the position of commandant.

This should have been good news, but at the time, no one could have imagined that just a few days into the celebration, disaster would strike.

Liu Chong’s grandfather had been one of the founding meritorious subjects as well. Dissatisfied with his position today, over the past two years he had secretly been in communication with the equally ambitious royal clansman, the Prince of Tianshui, and they were plotting to defect to Dongdi, use He Xi as their base to launch a major uprising and march on the capital. They needed to recruit capable men—which was also why Yang Hong had been so swiftly promoted. Now everything was in place; they had arranged to act within this period. But unexpectedly, on the eve of the uprising, it was swiftly suppressed.

Yang Hong, muddled and confused, was summoned on the day Liu Chong launched his rebellion. Before he could even understand what was happening, he had become an accomplice—the charge made solid, impossible to argue against with a hundred mouths.

Given the gravity of the matter, the court subsequently dispatched a special envoy to oversee the case.

That special envoy was none other than the reigning Crown Prince, Li Chengyu.

Unfortunately, at that time, she and Li Chengyu were still strangers, and she could do nothing to help.

Liu Hong was executed. Zhang Shi went mad and drowned herself with her child in her arms. The Yang family was utterly destroyed. As for herself and A’Ju, though they were not implicated at the time, they were once again left homeless. Fortunately, the relay station keeper took them in, so they still had a place to shelter. A’Ju worked herself to the bone. Two months later, one morning before dawn, she went to fetch water as usual, carried the last load, and never came back.

At the time, Pu Zhu had been in the stable cutting grass. Seeing that A’Ju was long overdue, she went to look for her, and found her collapsed by the well, her water bucket overturned beside her.

Water had spilled everywhere, pooling beneath her, soaking her clothes. No matter how Pu Zhu called to her and shouted at her, she never woke again.

Her Ju A’mu had simply been worked to death.

The most bitter irony was that just three days later, she received the news. Her grandfather’s name had been cleared of charges, and she was summoned to the capital.

Pu Zhu blinked, and immediately smiled for A’Ju to see.

The young girl was dressed in coarse clothing, yet her hair was dark as clouds, making her pearly teeth all the more white as jade, her smile dazzling beyond compare.

A’Ju was deeply satisfied. She took Pu Zhu’s hand and led her onward toward the Yang family home, just as though Pu Zhu were still the little girl who had first come here all those years ago, knowing nothing, just silently gripping A’Ju’s sleeve and crying.

Pu Zhu let herself be led obediently back to the Yang family home.

How fortunate—in this life, she had been given the chance to be reborn and start over!

This time she would not repeat her past mistakes and flash out like a spark from the stove, its light trail gone in an instant.

Not only would she reclaim her original position and hold it for the long term—she would also retrieve her father’s remains, and protect A’Ju.

Yes. Now it was her turn to protect her—this person who had sheltered her with wings that were not plentiful but were entirely her own, right up to the last moment of her life.

And Yang Hong too—he had given her his wholehearted care. In her previous life she hadn’t known, so there had been nothing she could do. But now that she knew, how could she possibly stand by and watch him die?

……

They soon arrived at the Yang family home. Old Lin Shi was in the courtyard pulling out firewood. Hearing the sound of the two of them opening the door and coming in, she turned and fixed her eyes on the things in A’Ju’s hands, recognizing them as supplies for making the tooth-cleaning fragrant salt.

Spending money just to give Pu Zhu something to rinse her mouth with every day. In the past, whenever she saw it, she would always get in a few mocking words. But today she said nothing, didn’t assign any chores either, just curled her lip and turned back to pulling out firewood.

Pu Zhu knew this meant Yang Hong had returned home. Not seeing him, he must be inside his room.

Indeed, she could hear the sound of husband and wife talking coming from within, as if they were quarreling.

Old Lin Shi’s expression grew tense. She hurried to the doorway, pressing her ear against the door.

At first the voices inside were soft, but gradually grew louder. Worried that Zhang Shi was getting the worse of it, Lin Shi wanted to go in and mediate, but didn’t dare. When she finally heard clearly that Yang Hong was in fact scolding Zhang Shi for mistreating the daughter of his benefactor, she turned around hastily and gestured frantically at Pu Zhu, ordering her to go in and help settle the quarrel.

Pu Zhu walked in, and through the curtained doorway, she heard Yang Hong raging inside: “When I was on patrol duty at the border and encountered a large Di force, if Pu Gong hadn’t gotten advance intelligence of the unusual movement and arrived in time to rescue me, my head would have long since become a trophy hanging from a Di warrior’s waist! You were already married to me then—that you didn’t become a widow is entirely thanks to Pu Gong’s grace! I hear you’ve been sending her to wash clothes in the frozen river in a blizzard? How old is she? Your own son is flesh, but another person’s daughter is just mud? My salary has been cut, yes, but can one more mouth to feed really bankrupt you? If you dare treat her like this again, I’ll divorce you!”

On the bed, the child was startled awake and began to cry loudly. Pu Zhu was just about to go in and mediate when Zhang Shi had already picked up the child, rocking it to soothe it, and said: “All right, all right, I know. I was muddled for a moment. From today on I’ll treat her like my own daughter! Look, your son is watching you—you’ll scare him being so fierce!”

Zhang Shi’s methods of handling her husband were quite skilled too. With his wife being like this, Yang Hong’s fury could no longer erupt, and after a few more warnings, seeing her answer meekly to everything, he let it go.

Pu Zhu had come in to mediate the quarrel, but since husband and wife had stopped arguing, there was no need to go in anymore. She turned and was about to leave, when suddenly she heard Zhang Shi say: “Isn’t it time for the performance evaluation again this year? I have something to discuss with you. Liu Protector-General’s birthday is coming soon. I hear the aide’s wife is greedy for money. Back when we lived in the prefectural city, I knew an old woman who serves that woman. She’s agreed to help—have the aide’s wife acknowledge you as a distant relative, so the aide can use this birthday celebration for Liu Protector-General as a chance to introduce you. If it works out, you might turn your fortunes around from here, and that commandant can’t oppress you anymore.”

Yang Hong paused. “Where would our family get that kind of money?”

Zhang Shi said: “We have some savings from before. If that’s not enough, we can borrow from a moneylender. As long as the plan succeeds, what’s there to worry about repaying? Let’s take the gamble. The aide is henpecked—he’ll definitely listen to his wife.”

Yang Hong shook his head. “Absolutely not! You’d borrow that kind of money? Interest on interest—in one year, a hundred coins becomes ten thousand! So many people have lost their wives and children because of loans like that! No need for this!”

Zhang Shi kept trying to persuade him, but Yang Hong was firm: “I forbid you to bring this up again! Even if things aren’t as good as before, we’re not starving. Let me do another year, and if I’m still being suppressed by the commandant, we’ll talk then!”

Zhang Shi fell silent and began talking to her husband about other things.

Pu Zhu withdrew and returned to her own room. After a while, someone came to the door calling for Yang Hong about some business, and Yang Hong went out.

The moment he left, Zhang Shi called Old Lin Shi into her room and shut the door.

Pu Zhu quickly came out, casually picking up the broom leaning against the wall, and while sweeping the courtyard, slowly edged toward the door, finally stopping, holding her breath, and pressing her ear to listen to the faint voices drifting out from inside.

Sure enough, just as in her previous life, Zhang Shi had not easily abandoned her plan.

She instructed Old Lin Shi to take a relay carriage to the prefectural city tomorrow and find the old woman surnamed Huang in the aide’s household.