As the wine flowed and spirits rose, Pan Rong, with bleary eyes, asked Mudan, “Miss Dan, do you have any musical instruments here?”
Mudan shook her head. “No.” When it came to music and dance, she had only ever been a spectator, never a participant.
Pan Rong sighed in disappointment and seriously suggested, “In the future, you should have some skilled singers and dancers in your Fang Garden.”
Mudan just smiled without responding. Madam Bai frowned and said, “If Dan were a man, that might be fine. But she’s a woman; there’s no need to make things so complicated.”
“I was just saying. It’s up to her whether to listen or not. I don’t understand business matters anyway,” Pan Rong, feeling deflated after being immediately rebutted by Madam Bai, frowned and downed a large cup of wine in one gulp. He looked at Jiang Changyang and said, “Chengfeng, play your leaf whistle for us to hear, and I’ll sing for everyone. We’ll entertain ourselves.”
Jiang Changyang secretly glanced at Mudan, noticing that she was focused on talking with Madam Bai, seemingly not having heard Pan Rong’s words or showing any interest in hearing him play the leaf whistle. Feeling a bit dejected, he was reluctant to comply.
But he couldn’t resist Pan Rong’s pleas, with Ying Niang and Rong Niang egging him on from the side, and Wu Xilian saying, “I’ll keep the beat for you.”
The more she didn’t want to hear, the more he wanted her to listen. After a brief consideration, Jiang Changyang agreed. Pan Rong quickly sent someone to pick bamboo leaves and boasted to everyone, “You don’t know, but Chengfeng has been excellent at playing the leaf whistle since he was young. Back then, among our group of friends who often played together…” He paused briefly, glancing at Madam Bai, then continued, “No one could play as well as him, and no one could sing as well as me. Today, we’ll give you a treat.”
Soon, Tao brought back some bamboo leaves. Jiang Changyang chose two and played a lively tune, which everyone enjoyed. Pan Rong smiled and said, “Chengfeng, you’re playing well, even better than before. Let me sing too, and you can see if I’ve gotten worse.”
He cleared his throat, furrowed his brow, closed his eyes, and began to sing: “What night is this, that we push off in midstream? What day is this, that I am with my prince in the same boat? Though I am ashamed to be loved, I do not reject the shame. My heart is troubled and ceaseless, that I have come to know my prince. The mountain has trees, the trees have branches, my heart delights in you, but you do not know…”
As soon as he started singing, everyone except Jiang Changyang was surprised. Pan Rong’s singing voice was completely at odds with his appearance. Though he was handsome and well-dressed, he had a very charming, slightly hoarse voice with a tinge of desolation. He sang with great emotion, his voice filled with sorrow and melancholy.
Wu Xilian was so captivated that she forgot to keep the beat. While Mudan was impressed, she noticed that Jiang Changyang had furrowed his brow, looking uneasy and occasionally glancing furtively at Madam Bai. Mudan looked over and saw Madam Bai sitting expressionless, her eyes lowered to the wine cup before her, gripping her chopsticks so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
“Though I am ashamed to be loved, I do not reject the shame…” Pan Rong sang the verse for a second time when the crisp sound of breaking glass interrupted his song. Jiang Changyang had stood up, knocking over his cup, and said in a deep voice, “It’s getting late. Second Brother, we should head back.”
Pan Rong seemed to wake from a dream. He opened his eyes, which were filled with tears. “Yes, we should go back.” He grinned and downed another cup of wine, secretly wiping away his tears with his sleeve as he raised it. He sidled up to Madam Bai with a sheepish look, “My lady, did your husband sing well?”
Madam Bai replied expressionlessly, “You sang extremely well, excellently.”
He sighed, “Even if I sang well, I didn’t see you smile. I guess I didn’t sing that well after all. Did you like it? Shall I sing it again for you, Ah Xin?”
“You’re drunk. We’re guests here,” Madam Bai pressed her lips together, almost raising her hand to push him away. She looked at Nian Yu and said in a low voice, “Take Ah Jing down.”
Jiang Changyang quickly stepped forward to pull Pan Rong away, half-supporting and half-dragging him. He whispered, “Second Brother, the children are here. Don’t let them laugh at you.”
Pan Rong leaned on Jiang Changyang’s shoulder, laughing loudly. He looked askance at the pale-faced Madam Bai and said, “Ah Xin, Ah Xin, I’ve embarrassed you again. In this state, even my son can’t bear to look at me. He’d be ashamed of me.”
Jiang Changyang and Wu San quickly wedged Pan Rong between them and forcefully dragged him out. For a while, everyone could still hear his laughter and questions: “Ah Xin, why did you leave without me this morning?”
The sudden turn of events left Rong Niang and Ying Niang sitting awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Mudan quickly gestured for them to leave and signaled for the others to withdraw as well. In an instant, the once lively hall was left with only Mudan, Wu Xilian, and Madam Bai.
Madam Bai sat rigidly, staring blankly at the flickering candle flame before her, silent for a long time.
Mudan instinctively felt that Pan Rong’s choice of song was far from simple. His tearful expression earlier was certainly not an act, Jiang Changyang’s worry was genuine, and Madam Bai’s current state was quite concerning. But she couldn’t ask anything. She could only hold Madam Bai’s hand and comfort her, “Ah Xin, he’s drunk. All men are like this when they’re drunk. I’ve seen worse than this; he’s quite mild. Don’t be angry.”
Wu Xilian nodded quickly, “That’s right. My father and brothers often act crazy when they’re drunk.”
Mudan smiled and said, “Exactly. It turns out he was upset that you left without him this morning, but he held it in until now. He even sang for you, and quite well too. I never imagined he could sing so beautifully.”
Madam Bai sighed softly, giving a bitter smile as she stood up to leave. “I don’t mind. Dan, thank you for your generous hospitality today.”
Mudan said, “Why don’t you and Miss Seventeen stay at Fang Garden tonight? Let them go back on their own. You can return tomorrow morning.”
Wu Xilian seemed tempted, but Madam Bai firmly replied, “No, since he’s drunk, I should go take care of him. I can’t leave him to Jiang Chengfeng.”
As Mudan tried to persuade her further, Madam Bai smiled faintly, “Dan, don’t worry about me. It’s not a big deal.”
The night was moonless, and it was pitch black outside Fang Garden. Mudan ordered more than ten torches to be lit and handed to Wu San’s men to light the way. Pan Rong was so drunk that he couldn’t ride a horse and had to be carried in a sedan chair by four servants. Compared to his earlier earth-shattering cries of “Ah Xin,” he was now completely silent, curled up motionless in the sedan chair.
Madam Bai approached with a stern face, but upon seeing his condition, she still had Nian Yu fetch a cloak to cover him, her expression remaining cold. In the torchlight, Mudan saw Pan Rong’s eyelashes flutter slightly, his eyes opening a crack to gaze at Madam Bai. Feeling Mudan’s gaze, he looked over indifferently before slowly closing his eyes again.
What was going on with this couple? Mudan wondered as she watched Madam Bai sitting stiffly on horseback and Pan Rong pretending to sleep in the sedan chair. Pan Rong didn’t seem heartless towards Madam Bai, and she didn’t appear ungrateful, so why had things come to this? Pan Rong was unhappy, Madam Bai was unhappy, yet they remained bound together.
Jiang Changyang rode over on his horse and said loudly, “Miss He, go back inside. I’m here, so don’t worry.” Then, in a voice only the two of them could hear, he said softly, “It’s late, the dew is heavy, and the wind is cold. Go inside.” Without waiting for her response, he urged his horse forward, loudly instructing everyone to hold the torches steady, take care of the women, and tell the sedan chair bearers to walk carefully.
The night passed uneventfully. Early the next morning, Nian Yu rode over on horseback to bid farewell to Mudan on behalf of Madam Bai and Wu Xilian: “The Young Master caught a cold last night and couldn’t stay here long. They’ve already gone to the city. The Madam couldn’t come to say goodbye in person, so she sent me to apologize to Miss He.”
Mudan quickly replied, “No need for formalities. Did your Young Master catch a cold on the way? Is it serious? Is your Madam alright?”
Nian Yu sighed and forced a smile, “Don’t worry, it’s not too serious. Our Young Master isn’t always like this; he usually shows consideration for the Madam’s face. It’s just that his temper has been a bit strange these past two days. It will pass in a couple of days.” She paused, then said worriedly, “Miss He, if you have time, could you perhaps invite our Madam to chat or play together more often? Yesterday, I saw that she enjoyed herself here quite a bit.”
Mudan readily agreed, “Of course. Please also convey my message to your Madam and Miss Seventeen. Invite them to come and play whenever they’re free. They’re always welcome.”
Nian Yu replied happily, “I’ll pass on your message.”
Several days passed in a blur. During this time, Jiang Changyang didn’t visit again, nor was there any news from him. Mudan was busy all day long, often working tirelessly during the day and falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow at night. She felt that time was passing incredibly quickly.
As the day to return to the city approached, Mudan had to visit the seedling garden again to have a thorough discussion with Gardener Li, entrusting him to take extra care of the garden. She couldn’t understand most of Li’s gestures and had to guess, making communication very difficult. She tried to communicate with Li through writing, but when Li saw her written words, he just kept shaking his head, indicating that he couldn’t read. Mudan was at her wit’s end, frustratedly scratching her head. In the end, she had to leave Yuhe at Fang Garden to keep an eye on things.
As they passed by the Jiang family estate, Mudan couldn’t help but look back. To her surprise, she noticed that the area outside the estate was no longer as quiet as before. She could vaguely see many horses tied to the willow trees, and quite a few people coming and going.
Ying Niang and Rong Niang were very curious and asked Madam Feng in a low voice, “Madam, is this the Jiang family estate?”
Just as Madam Feng was about to answer, they heard someone shouting from afar, “Second Young Master, please be careful! This purple stallion is unlike ordinary horses; it’s very skittish around strangers.”
A harsh voice rebuked, “You dog, it’s my horse to ride. Mind your own business!” Then came the sound of rapid hoofbeats as three riders on horseback galloped out from the side road of the Jiang estate onto the main road, racing towards Mudan’s direction. The lead horse was indeed Jiang Changyang’s purple stallion, but the rider was not Jiang Changyang. Instead, it was a young man about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a jade-colored brocade robe with floral patterns and a small golden crown on his head. His skin was like jade, but his face was full of anger.
Mudan quickly signaled for everyone to move aside and make way for him.