He spoke: “Whether alive or dead, Third Sister being out there alone – without wisdom or skills to rely on – likely won’t end well. I now consider her dead. Whether it’s merit-making or memorial services, it’s just doing what we can. Don’t tell Second Aunt about this; she couldn’t bear it.”
Xiang Lan nodded, letting out a gentle sigh.
For a while, they engaged in casual conversation. Lin Jin Lou shared interesting experiences from his travels, then said: “I have something to show you.” He instructed servants to bring a box. Opening it revealed stacks of papers – correspondence and unmounted calligraphy and paintings. Xiang Lan was shocked to discover these were letters and artwork from her previous life’s grandfather and father. She looked up sharply at Lin Jin Lou.
Lin Jin Lou explained: “Master Shen’s calligraphy was excellent. I kept some letters as writing samples. After the Shen family’s downfall, most correspondence with them was burned, but the elders forgot I had these. Over time, I forgot too, and they gathered dust in this box. I only rediscovered them while cleaning my study recently.”
Watching Xiang Lan examine the letters, tears gathered on her lashes. Lowering her eyes, she clutched the letters and said: “Give them all to me. They’re the only mementos left…”
Lin Jin Lou watched her silently. Xiang Lan looked up: “Would you like to hear about my connection to the Shen family?”
Lin Jin Lou started, then nodded.
“In my previous life, I was the Shen family’s eldest granddaughter, named Jia Lan. When I told you before, it wasn’t just an absurd joke.”
“Really?”
“Yes. When my Grandfather was convicted and our family fell overnight, by the time I received news the next day, my husband’s home was already surrounded by soldiers. In prison, my mother and sisters were in another cell. I dared not call out. The jailers were harsh, so I could only look back longingly. In my naivety, I thought I’d see my family again – little did I know that glance would be our final farewell.”
“I heard the Shen women took their lives in the Teaching Institute… You weren’t sent there?”
“No, I was exiled with my husband’s family. I remember hearing Grandfather and the others were executed at the Noon Gate that day. The sky was gloomy, and my tears never dried. Later, resting at a dilapidated Guanyin temple, I knelt before the Bodhisattva and sincerely vowed that whoever would collect my Shen family’s remains and give their souls a resting place, I would serve them as a slave in my next life to repay the debt.” She looked at Lin Jin Lou and sighed deeply, “I didn’t understand why I became a maid in your family this life until I saw your family’s graves and finally realized.”
“What happened then?”
“My husband from that life died of illness on the journey. Soon after, I too died of poverty and sickness on the road.” Xiang Lan hesitated, ultimately not revealing that Song Ke was Xiao Hang. “When I next opened my eyes, between consciousness and unconsciousness, I had become the Chen family’s maid. Sometimes when I recalled my previous life, I wondered if I’d just had a very vivid dream that I believed was real.”
“I see.”
“You believe me?”
“Of course. I believe everything you say.” Lin Jin Lou looked at Xiang Lan with absolute conviction. He thought to himself: no wonder Xiang Lan specifically paid respects at the Shen family graves and knew their history so well, and her calligraphy and painting style matched Grand Secretary Shen’s – only someone personally taught by him could achieve such authentic mastery. He had wondered how parents like Chen Wan Quan could raise such a daughter – refined in arts, needlework, manners, bearing, and conduct. Now he understood why. Some minor officials’ daughters who rose in status, or servant girls pretending to be young ladies, might imitate appearances and lifestyle, but the cultivation of a great family spanning centuries was in the blood and bones – mere surface imitation could never truly replicate it.
Hearing Lin Jin Lou’s words, Xiang Lan managed a smile and slipped her small hands into his, as if drawing strength from him: “At first, I thought if Grandfather and the others were reborn like me, we might meet again in this life. Later I learned of the confusion between lives, and how vast the human sea is. Life is truly unpredictable – those together in a previous life might not recognize each other in this one, and even if they do meet, who knows if it’s fortune or misfortune? I only regret never seeing my closest family one last time.”
Seeing Xiang Lan gazing melancholically out the window, her brows clouded with sorrow like a dew-laden lotus, Lin Jin Lou felt indescribable emotions. Xiang Lan had shared her most secret past with him, showing complete trust. He felt both heartache and relief, drawing her into his embrace. After a while, he said: “Whether you were born a maid or a Shen family lady doesn’t matter to me. You’re just you – my wife – nothing else matters. But it pains me that you’ve suffered so much. The Shen family’s downfall remains taboo, though the Crown Prince privately remarked that the punishment was too harsh. When the new emperor ascends, he’ll surely restore the Shen family’s reputation.”
After he finished speaking, Xiang Lan remained motionless for a long while. When he looked down, he found her quietly nestled in his embrace, face streamed with tears.
Lin Jin Lou wiped her tears with a handkerchief and gently rocked her. Looking out the window, he noticed the sky had darkened – it was time to light the lamps. He said: “It’s the Ghost Festival today. Want to go out? The temple fair is quite lively.”
Xiang Lan spoke hoarsely: “But it’s crowded outside, I might get jostled…”
“How could I take you somewhere crowded? Come, I’ll show you somewhere special.”
He ordered preparations while Xiang Lan, still melancholic, welcomed the idea of going out to clear her mind. They both changed into outdoor clothes. Xiang Lan took a sedan chair through the manor’s side gate, passing through bustling market streets with endless vendor calls, until they reached a small hill nearby. Lin Jin Lou had already ordered guards to clear the path.
Xiang Lan alighted, and Lin Jin Lou took her hand as they climbed the stone steps together. Soon they reached a pavilion on the hillside. Ling Qing, Ling Su, and Xue Ning were already there. Red candles burned in holders, delicate palace lanterns hung overhead, thick brocade cushions covered stone benches, and a gilt silver incense burner with beast-ear handles released smoke from mosquito-repelling incense cakes. Seasonal fruits and various sweets were arranged on small imperial porcelain plates – almonds, Pinellia, aromatic preserved fruits, olives, mint, cinnamon, yam cakes, water chestnut cakes, toad pastries, sheep’s milk cheese, rose preserves, and more. When Ling Su saw them arrive, she quickly prepared hot tea, its fragrance filling the air with steam. At Lin Jin Lou’s wave, all three servants quietly withdrew.
“How is it? Not bad, right? I’d planned to bring you here for moon-viewing on the Ghost Festival.”
“It’s truly wonderful,” Xiang Lan nodded.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, hearing only autumn crickets. Below the hill lay the bustling market, bright as day with lanterns and endless streams of people. The sky hung low, night thick and impenetrable, with scattered stars twinkling and an icy moon like a jade plate on the horizon. Heaven and earth reflected each other, creating an otherworldly feeling. Though clearly in the mortal world, they stood apart from it – in this small space, it seemed only they existed in the universe.
Lin Jin Lou embraced Xiang Lan, and she rested her head on his shoulder. They remained silent, both immersed in this intimate moment of wordless understanding.
Soon, faint opera singing reached their ears. Lin Jin Lou frowned and said: “Past this pavilion up ahead is the Moon-Viewing Tower. Some officials must be enjoying the moon there and called for performers.”
Xiang Lan smiled: “The singing is beautiful – it’s the ‘Keeping Dreams’ scene.”
Lin Jin Lou rubbed his nose, muttering: “Why must they sing this one?” After “The Tale of Scholar Lan Xiang” spread among common people, someone expanded the original twelve scenes to eighteen, adding several plot points – including a romance between Xiang Lan and a young scholar, with Lin Jin Lou breaking up their relationship to save Xiang Lan’s father and using this to force her into his household. The revised version, renamed “The Fate of Lan Xiang,” with its elegant lyrics and moving melodies, became wildly popular. When Lin Jin Lou learned of this, he was furious for days, yet now the opera was more famous than the original “Dream of Mandarin Ducks.” Xiang Lan suppressed a smile: “The revised version isn’t entirely untrue, Master needn’t be troubled.” Lin Jin Lou grumbled: “If I find out who made up these stories, I’ll destroy them!” Seeing Xiang Lan’s suppressed smile, he grew more irritated. The current scene, “Keeping Dreams,” is depicted when Lin Jin Lou forces Xiang Lan to become his concubine.
The melodious singing seemed to express all her past grievances upon entering the household. Hearing it now brought memories flooding back like the tide – becoming a maid in the Lin family, facing cruel masters, constant difficulties, parting from past love, becoming a concubine to save her father, facing false accusations, acting against her heart. Each time she reached her limit, thinking she couldn’t go on, she shed many tears and did foolish things, yet found the strength to continue. Step by step through blood and tears, she grew steadier, maturing with each hurdle overcome, finally shedding her rough edges and transforming her crude, proud heart into a precious pearl, returning to the beginning to view the world with the greatest kindness, humility, and harmony.
Lin Jin Lou suddenly asked: “The way I treated you back then – I was truly awful.”
Xiang Lan turned to look at him in surprise, his face flickering in the candlelight. She said: “I’ve gradually forgotten how badly you treated me before.” She took his large hand and placed it on her abdomen, looking into his eyes. “The future stretches long ahead, and besides, we have him now.” She smiled with acceptance and freedom: “All those past hardships were just because my karmic obstacles weren’t cleared.”
This gentle smile was more soul-stirring than any bright grin. Lin Jin Lou’s expression changed, showing touches of emotion, sadness, and joy. He stared directly into Xiang Lan’s eyes as if trying to see into her soul, to engrave her in his very bones.
Holding her hand, he said: “Come with me.” He led her outside the pavilion where servants presented a tray. “Today’s custom is to float lotus lanterns on the river, but since there’s no river here, let’s use these instead – they’re sky lanterns for prayers and dispelling misfortune.” The lantern was made of red paper, nearly half a person’s height, quite large. They held it together as Lin Jin Lou lit the oil paper inside with a flint.
The inner light flickered, making Xiang Lan’s jade-like face glow, her starry eyes rippling, her cheeks flushed like peach blossoms. Lin Jin Lou almost fell into a daze before coming to his senses and saying: “Let go.” They released the lantern, watching it float skyward, then lit another together.
They lit ten lanterns together, then had the guards and maids light over forty more. In the moonlight like flowing water, casting silver light everywhere, the sky lanterns rose into the night sky, twinkling like golden stars – a magnificent sight. Many commoners at the foot of the hill stopped to point and admire.
Xiang Lan exclaimed in wonder, unable to stop looking up.
Lin Jin Lou smiled and asked: “Do you like it?”
Xiang Lan nodded.
Lin Jin Lou took out a white lantern: “This one is for the deceased. Write whatever you want to tell your previous life’s family – they say the spirits below will see it.”
Xiang Lan took up the brush, thought for a moment, and then wrote swiftly. Though her heart turned a hundred times, she wrote only a few lines: “Though separated by life and death, I remember you with bone-deep longing, tears flowing. We may never meet again in this life or the next, but I will never forget. I am well; please take care.” Then she lit this lantern herself, and together with Lin Jin Lou, they sent it skyward.
Xiang Lan watched the lantern float further away as the night wind stirred her hair loose.
Lin Jin Lou draped his cloak over her shoulders, held her as they gazed into the distance, and asked: “What did you write?”
“Nothing much, just that I’m doing well now and hope they are too.”
“Do you feel better?”
“Yes, much better.”
“Then from now on, have no more regrets. Let this be your farewell to your previous life’s family. Whatever happened before – wind, rain, or sorrow – let it all go… You have me now.” Lin Jin Lou lowered his head to kiss her forehead.
Xiang Lan felt something caught in her chest. Past feelings and memories suddenly seemed very faint, fragile enough to shatter in the wind. She had so much to tell Lin Jin Lou, but the words caught in her throat, leaving her only able to stare at him.
Lin Jin Lou spoke solemnly in a steady voice: “I ask for nothing more.”
She too asked for nothing more.
She looked at him as they faced each other in silence.
In this space between heaven and earth, everything was vibrant – full of sky lanterns, opera singing, nature’s sounds, and the bustling crowd at the market below, all the smoke and fire of the mortal world. Yet the whole world was also perfectly still – quiet as mountains, quiet as the verdant peaks, quiet as autumn wind, quiet as the frost-like full moon in the treetops. All things had reached nirvana, entering a realm beyond life.
The wind stirred Xiang Lan’s clothes and skirts, making her momentarily bewildered, unable to distinguish dream from reality, past life from present, unsure where she was. Yet in all directions, only this one person filled her vision, leaving no room for anything else. In a state of complete unity between self and others, her heart continuously called out her beloved’s name.
(The End)