Shen Mi said: “The Mountain Chief has a fondness for collecting gold and stone artifacts. It’s said he has a whole room of gold and stone seals. These ones he brings out to use may not be all of them. We can’t possibly get all his seals through just a few meal deliveries.”

Tie Ci nodded.

Shen Mi was busy and needed to hurry ahead. Today, taking advantage of going down the mountain, he had also taken on several delivery orders – helping a steward’s wife buy colored thread, helping the academy affairs office purchase some pastries. He had to run to several shops, so after speaking hurriedly, he wanted to leave first.

Suddenly there was some commotion ahead, with someone shouting: “Shen Mi, Shen Mi!”

Shen Mi thought someone wanted him to buy something, so he hurried over carrying his large and small packages, but heard everyone saying: “What a coincidence, your mother came to see you. If we hadn’t met on this mountain path, you probably would have missed each other.”

Shen Mi looked up and saw his mother and sister walking toward him, supporting each other and breathing heavily.

Behind the crowd, Tie Ci, who was eating pastry, paused.

In front of the crowd, Shen Mi’s mother and his sister were still dressed very neatly. Facing Shen Mi with smiles, she said: “Mi’er, you haven’t been home for so long. Mother was worried, so I came to see you.”

Shen Mi was only stunned for an instant, then handed the boxes to the mountain children, took his mother and sister by the arm, and said: “In that case, I won’t go down the mountain. I’ll accompany Mother for a walk around the academy.”

Shen Mi’s mother said: “I hired a carriage, still waiting at the foot of the mountain. Seeing that you seem to have business down the mountain, I can take you along. After you finish, we’ll return to the academy. The carriage is spacious – you can also invite your fellow students to ride together.”

But a student nearby said in surprise: “Shen Mi, everyone says your family fell into ruin, which is why you engage in merchant activities at the academy, earning money from teachers and fellow students. But looking at your mother and sister’s dress and bearing now, your family doesn’t seem to lack money. So why would you need to…”

Shen Mi had fallen into the marketplace and been polished into a smooth character. After returning to the academy, he completely changed from his previous aloof demeanor, cultivating good relationships in all directions. However, some former classmates inevitably felt he lacked his previous integrity, tainted with the smell of copper, which was quite regrettable. But hearing his family had declined, they thought struggling for livelihood was understandable. Now seeing Shen Mi’s mother and daughter dressed exquisitely and acting extravagantly, they couldn’t help but have questions.

Shen Mi’s mother said in surprise: “What merchant activities?” She looked down and saw the boxes and bags Shen Mi had been carrying, carefully examining them – clearly all from different households’ containers – then looked up at Shen Mi.

Shen Mi smiled: “Mother, don’t overthink it, it’s…”

Someone else interrupted him: “Madam Shen, you don’t know – Brother Shen is remarkably talented. While studying at the academy, he also operates some… delivery business, leading a group of poor students and mountain children to fetch meals for fellow students and help teachers’ families and classmates with shopping down the mountain. Oh, he rarely delivers personally – most of the time it’s those pitiful mountain children running errands while he sits and collects commission, haha, truly a profitable way!”

Madam Shen’s eyes widened in shock at first, then her whole body began trembling. She was examining those boxes, and hearing the rest, suddenly hurled the box in her hand: “Shen Mi! You disappoint me so much! Have you forgotten your origins? Have you forgotten the Shen family’s ancestral teachings! Engaging in merchant activities is already debasing yourself, yet you also act like a moneylender, collecting commission from children? How is your behavior any different from those lowlife scoundrels!”

Shen Mi’s sister also stared wide-eyed, looking at those children about her age, grabbing Shen Mi’s sleeve: “Brother, brother, do you really take these children’s money!”

The scholar who had spoken earlier exchanged glances with his companions and smiled.

Shen Mi engaging in merchant activities at the academy was thriving – earning money while pleasing teachers. There were even rumors he was well-liked by academy affairs staff who intended to promote him to the student council. Many had long been displeased with this.

The wooden lunch box hit Shen Mi’s arm. He instinctively dodged slightly, thought for a moment, then went to pull his mother: “Mother, please come down the mountain with me first, and let me explain everything in detail…”

Shen Mi’s mother: “Kneel down!”

Behind the crowd, Tie Ci watched with arms crossed.

Shen Mi paused but didn’t kneel. He continued pulling his mother’s sleeve, using more force: “Mother, please come with me…”

Madam Shen suddenly pulled out small scissors and with a snap cut through her sleeve. Turning around, she rushed toward the cliff beside them: “Husband! I failed to properly educate our child and have no face to live in this world!”

Everyone cried out in alarm. Shen Mi’s agonized scream was heart-wrenching: “Mother—”

He desperately rushed forward.

A figure flashed, and Shen Mi’s mother suddenly disappeared. Everyone’s alarmed cry was cut off halfway, and they looked around bewildered. Only Shen Mi, unable to stop his momentum, stumbled forward a few steps and let out another cry: “Your High… Heaven! Please show mercy!”

Not far from the mountain path was a cliff. Somehow Tie Ci and Shen Mi’s mother were now standing at the cliff’s edge, with Tie Ci holding the back of the woman’s collar and pushing her outward. Half of the mother’s body was already hanging over the cliff.

Everyone was so shocked they didn’t dare make a sound.

What kind of operation was this? Saving someone then pushing her toward the cliff edge?

Tie Ci held Shen Mi’s mother by the collar. The mountain wind couldn’t disperse her cold voice: “Madam Shen, do you still remember me?”

When Shen Mi’s mother opened her eyes, there was an abyss beneath her feet. Startled, she slipped forward, loose stones falling with rustling sounds. Terrified, she frantically grabbed backward, no longer remembering she wanted to die.

She looked at Tie Ci in panic, and after a long while barely recognized who she was: “You are…”

“I really hate people who threaten others with death at the drop of a hat.” Various chaotic scenes flashed through Tie Ci’s mind. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the coldness in her gaze was even more intense. “Most of the time they don’t really want to die – they just use it as a foolproof method to threaten those who love them. It works every time, making them addicted to dying. But if you actually made them die, they absolutely wouldn’t be willing.”

“You…”

“Look at the abyss beneath your feet. Are you afraid? Panicked? Desperate?” Tie Ci said. “Do you know that your son, whom you think is just studying peacefully at the academy, has also stood above such an abyss, has also carried heavy loads walking mountain paths, has also groped alone in the dark night, then lit up a whole room for you mother and daughter.”

Shen Mi stood a zhang away, suddenly his eyes became moist.

Tie Ci, holding Shen Mi’s mother, turned to look at Shen Mi.

“Shen Mi, I won’t overstep my bounds. Today your mother and sister are both here. Will you continue the facade, protecting them from wind and rain, or choose to speak openly about everything? You decide.”

You decide.

Be a saint or a living person.

I won’t interfere with your freedom.

But if you still want to continue being a saint, then sorry, I can’t afford you.

Meeting her gaze, Shen Mi raised his head. Being intelligent, he instantly understood the Crown Princess’s meaning.

Some mercy is just indulgence. No one should be protected from knowing the world and remaining forever naive.

If such a person stayed by her side, it would be a hidden danger.

After a long silence, he smiled.

“Brother Eighteen, I wanted to pull Mother aside earlier, but only to speak privately where mother and son could clarify things.”

In the days since returning to the academy, he had already thought this through.

Choosing to bear everything alone would eventually be exposed, and wouldn’t that also be a blow then? Since they’re family, they should bear things together. Mother wasn’t born a hothouse flower either – why should he stubbornly insist on blindly bearing everything alone, moving himself in the process?

He just hadn’t had a chance to go home and mention this matter, and today very unfortunately ran into this situation.

Tie Ci nodded with satisfaction.

Shen Mi was intelligent, polished smooth and clever by marketplace experience, yet hadn’t lost his nature. She didn’t want to lose such a talent.

“In that case, I’ll help you once more.” Tie Ci said. “If Shen Mi is at fault, it’s only in being willing to suffer alone while protecting you mother and daughter from worry.”

Dan Shuang stepped forward – she had been unable to restrain herself for a while.

“I heard you weren’t born into a wealthy household either. How did you end up being supported without knowing anything? If your family was convicted of crimes, how could it be that no one fell into slavery? You and your daughter are both fine – so who fell into slavery? Haven’t you thought about it?”

Shen Mi’s mother suddenly raised her head, her expression shocked.

“To prevent you from falling into prostitution, he was registered as a slave, withdrew from school, worked as a cart driver, as a peddler, as a servant, learned to be a coroner, mingling with those rotting corpses and greasy filth, mixing in the marketplace, becoming the kind of person you and your daughter never thought about, the kind you’d cover your noses and avoid when you saw them.”

“Then with money earned from menial labor, he created the same worry-free life you had before. Spoiling you to remain precious, eating tofu requiring bird brains as accompaniment, hiring large carriages you could sleep in when going out, buying fresh fabrics whenever you wanted, having servants at your beck and call, feeling not a trace of decline. And he told you this was prize money from excellent academic performance at the academy.”

“Do you know that every coin you spent on fabrics and ornaments was stained with your son’s sweat and blood?”

Shen Mi’s mother’s expression grew increasingly confused with each sentence, even forgetting she was at the cliff’s edge, instinctively stepping forward.

Tie Ci quickly pulled her back and pushed her onto flat ground.

“I really don’t know whether to call you naive or childish, actually believing all of Shen Mi’s comforting explanations. The academy isn’t a charity – would it support your son and your whole family?”

“If not for these merchant activities you look down on, you’d probably be like those neighborhood women now, buried in embroidery work and household management every day, unable to be here seeking death and teaching your son lessons.”

Tie Ci had another half piece of cloud cake in her other hand, which she casually put in her mouth and ate, then turned to go down the mountain.

“Shen Mi, let’s go. Since we took the order, we should complete it properly. As for your mother and sister, don’t worry – they have a large carriage to ride.”

Shen Mi bowed in acknowledgment, picked up the box from the ground, blew off the dust, and walked past his mother with his head down.

Tie Ci led him past the group of students from earlier, smiling: “If I were you, I wouldn’t dare say a word. Reading at the academy every day yet can’t outperform someone who dropped out and restarted while managing business and supporting his family – I’d be too ashamed to face anyone.”

The group blushed and stepped back, no longer daring to speak.

Qi Yuansi and others stood to the side watching, their expressions complex.

Shen Mi walked a good distance without looking back, but suddenly footsteps hurried up from behind.

It was Shen Mi’s mother, grabbing hold of Shen Mi, looking at him, wanting to say something but unable to speak for a long time.

Shen Mi didn’t look at her, smiling: “Mother, is that your carriage waiting? Let me escort you over.”

Shen Mi’s mother glanced at the sturdy, well-appointed carriage, her face suddenly flushing red. She walked over silently, said something to the driver, and the driver drove the carriage away.

Shen Mi wanted to persuade her – after all, it was still far to Ziyang County, and without a carriage it wouldn’t work.

Shen Mi’s mother said: “I… I’ll accompany you to town and hire another carriage there.”

After that, mother and son didn’t speak. Shen Mi’s mother’s gaze kept turning to her son’s hands, and the more she looked, the lower her head hung.

Before, when she’d asked about the many calluses on her son’s hands, he said they were from practicing calligraphy. But looking at other scholars now, who among them had so many calluses and small scars?

The young girl beside her suddenly tugged at her mother’s sleeve, saying timidly: “Mother, I can’t walk anymore…”

Tie Ci glanced at those mountain children – some were also girls about her age, walking these mountain paths as if on flat ground, still carrying baskets.

Shen Mi’s mother said softly: “Come, Mother will carry you.”

But Shen Mi had already walked over, smiling: “Big brother will carry you.”

Shen Mi’s mother watched her son carrying his sister, walking lightly and skillfully, clearly accustomed to mountain paths.

She suddenly remembered how sickly and weak he was as a child. Forget mountain paths – even flat roads tired him after a few steps, and he always wanted her to carry him.

When had the soft, whispering child who clung to her back grown such a strong spine?

He had silently carried them mother and daughter forward, and what had she been doing then? First immersed in grief over the family’s downfall, unable to get up, ruining her health, then becoming a soft vine clinging to him for survival, never straightening her back to truly be a good mother.

Shen Mi’s mother’s fingers dug deep into her clothing.

Tie Ci watched coldly, thinking there was still hope.

Such scenes always reminded her of some unpleasant past events. She quickened her pace.

Soon they reached town. Shen Mi still had business to do, so he directly helped his mother hire a small carriage to send them back.

Shen Mi’s mother also couldn’t face her son for the moment. Only before getting in the carriage did she hesitate and say: “When you have time, come home once. Mother has things she wants to say to you.” Looking at the sky, she added: “But no need to rush these few days – there will likely be heavy wind and rain.”

Shen Mi respectfully agreed. Watching the carriage curtain drop, he was about to turn around.

The curtain suddenly lifted again, and Shen Mi’s mother said behind him: “I saw paper slips in your bag with embroidery patterns people requested. Earlier passing through the market, I saw those patterns aren’t as good as Mother’s. Next time if there’s such work, you can have someone bring it down the mountain to Mother.”

Shen Mi turned around, his eyes crinkling with a gentle smile: “All right, Mother.”