Jiang Changyang playfully bumped Rong Pan aside with his shoulder and said with a smile, “I happen to have some free time these days. After the Fen Princess’s banquet, how about I invite you all to stay at Fang Garden for a few days?”
“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Rong Pan exclaimed excitedly. “Just the other day, I was saying that with this hot weather, we should go stay at the estate to cool off. But Li kept saying it would be too quiet if just Ah Xin and I went, and he was also worried that Ah Xin couldn’t handle the bumpy journey. Anyway, since Ah Xin has to attend the Fen Princess’s banquet, we’d be delighted to stay with you afterward.” As he spoke enthusiastically, he stole a glance at Madam Bai, who was looking down and fiddling with the tassels of her fan, ignoring him.
Rong Pan casually inched closer to her and said with a fawning smile, “Ah Xin, I think it would be better if we went earlier. That way, you could rest for a few more days, and by the time of the official banquet, you’d be in high spirits.”
Madam Bai replied, “I want to bring Ah Jing along.”
Rong Pan hesitated, scratching his head, but finally said, “Alright.” Then he looked at Jiang Changyang somewhat awkwardly and explained, “Ah Jing’s grandmother is worried that he’ll bother Ah Xin and affect her rest, so she’s keeping him confined.” He then turned to Nian Yu and said, “Go inform the old madam that Ah Jing’s Uncle Jiang from the Jiang family is here, and have him come to see the guests as soon as he wakes up.”
Listening to this, Mudan gathered that Madam Bai and the Marquis of Chu Zhou’s wife must have had another disagreement over Pan Jing’s upbringing. Fortunately, whereas Madam Bai used to fight this battle alone, now she had Rong Pan to help her. Otherwise, Madam Bai wouldn’t have made such a request regarding Pan Jing. Although conflicts weren’t good, from another perspective, it seemed the relationship between these two had reached a new level. So, Mudan was genuinely happy for Madam Bai.
Not long after, Nian Yu returned with Pan Jing, accompanied by an unfamiliar woman in a blue short jacket. Upon seeing Mudan and Jiang Changyang, Pan Jing smiled shyly. No matter how Mudan tried to coax him, he clung tightly to Madam Bai’s side, gripping her clothes without budging. He didn’t greet anyone, just pressed his lips together in a smile.
Nian Yu reported, “We heard it was quiet outside the gauze curtains and thought he was asleep. When the old madam heard my message, she sent the wet nurse to check, and he was lying there with his eyes wide open, staring at the canopy. We don’t know when he woke up, but he had been very still the whole time.”
Madam Bai gave the woman a stern look and asked Pan Jing gently, “If you were awake, why didn’t you call for your nurse?”
Pan Jing whispered, “I didn’t want to sleep. I hadn’t fallen asleep at all. Grandmother said that when it’s time to do something, you have to do it even if you don’t want to, and you’ll get used to it eventually.”
Madam Bai felt very uncomfortable seeing such a good child turn into someone so shy, introverted, and timid. Was it really necessary to constrain him so much from a young age out of fear he might turn out like Rong Pan and become another wastrel? Nevertheless, she set aside her concerns for the moment and bent down to coax Pan Jing gently, “This is Aunt Dan, who brought you the little doll to play with. Do you remember? If you greet her and Uncle, they’ll invite you to play at their estate. You can ride horses, play with big black dogs, catch little fish in the river, and they have lots of delicious food – they can make anything you want to eat…”
After a long hesitation, Pan Jing finally lowered his head and said softly, “Aunt Dan, Uncle.”
Rong Pan exaggeratedly cupped his ear and leaned towards him, saying, “What did you say? We can’t hear you. Speak up a little!”
Madam Bai encouraged Pan Jing, “See, even your father says he can’t hear you. Call out to them so they can hear how loud your voice is!”
Pan Jing stole a glance at Mudan and Jiang Changyang, then, red-faced, gathered his courage and called out loudly, “Aunt Dan! Uncle!”
Everyone praised him enthusiastically. Jiang Changyang walked up to Pan Jing and crouched down to meet his eyes, saying kindly, “Ah Jing, you called out so well. Uncle formally invites you to come play at our estate with your parents. How does that sound?”
Pan Jing blushed and turned to bury his face in Madam Bai’s embrace. She gently pulled him towards Jiang Changyang and encouraged him softly, “Ah Jing, Uncle is treating you like a grown-up. Remember what Mother told you about how to respond when someone invites you to their home?”
Pan Jing looked at Jiang Changyang, who was still patiently crouching before him with a friendly smile. Finally, the boy put on a serious face and said solemnly to Jiang Changyang, “Thank you, Uncle. Ah Jing will come.”
Jiang Changyang patted his shoulder lightly, as if addressing an adult, and said with a smile, “Ah Jing is so sensible and polite.” Pan Jing smiled shyly, his demeanor much more relaxed now, no longer as stiff as before.
Mudan watched this scene with a smile, feeling she had much to learn from Madam Bai. Jiang Changyang’s attitude towards Pan Jing filled her with even more hope and anticipation for their new life together. She was certain that together, they would build a wonderful home.
Once Pan Jing relaxed, he quickly revealed the innocence and charm of a child. He climbed up and down, playing hide-and-seek with Mudan. After several failed attempts, he even tried to hide under Madam Bai’s skirt. Rong Pan grabbed him by the collar and tossed him out, only for Jiang Changyang to catch him in mid-air. Excited and covered in sweat, Pan Jing clung to Rong Pan and Jiang Changyang, shouting, “Again, again!”
The two men laughed as they tossed him back and forth, with Pan Jing letting out joyful shrieks. The woman in the blue short jacket turned pale with fright and whispered to Madam Bai, “My lady, please stop them. If something goes wrong, it won’t be a laughing matter.”
Madam Bai replied coolly, “He’s a boy, not a girl. If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility. It won’t implicate you.” She then ignored the woman and turned to Mudan, fanning herself as she spoke softly, “At least now he’s acting a bit more like a child. Before, I had no real reason to keep him by my side all the time, but now that I’m pregnant, I have plenty of excuses to keep Ah Jing away from us. We’ve dismissed his former wet nurse, saying she was too indulgent, and hired this one instead. I can’t pinpoint exactly what’s wrong with her, but something doesn’t feel right.” She gave a bitter smile. “I’m not one to spoil children, but you have to consider the circumstances, don’t you? Being strict all the time isn’t always the best approach.”
Rong Pan seemed to sense something and turned back to look at Madam Bai with a somewhat melancholy expression, then smiled at her ingratiatingly. Mudan noticed this and advised her, “Things will get better. Look how much improvement there’s been already compared to before. You should talk to him more about these issues. Having more perspectives is better than keeping everything to yourself – it’s not good for either adults or children. If you want to be with your child, visit more often. There’s no shame in being a bit thick-skinned for your child’s sake. They can’t very well turn you away, can they? With a mother by his side, a child will naturally become braver and develop faster in every way.”
Madam Bai was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, “Now I understand why Huan enjoys talking to you. No matter what the issue is, after hearing you speak about it, it feels like there’s always a solution like it’s not a problem at all.”
Suddenly, a servant came in, bowed, and said, “Magistrate Liu has arrived. He heard that the Princess has already left but still insists on coming in to apologize to the lady.”
Rong Pan laughed, “Forget it, what does he need to apologize for? Let’s not make things complicated if we meet. You all stay seated; I’ll go take care of it.” With that, he followed the servant out.
Everyone assumed he wouldn’t be gone long, but after two cups of tea had been drunk, he still hadn’t returned. A servant came in to report, “He left with Magistrate Liu. When the magistrate arrived, the man who had collided with the Princess’s carriage was still lying in the street wailing, with many people gathered around to watch. He felt it wasn’t appropriate, so while it was still early, he asked the young master to bring a couple of men to help take this person to the infirmary and have a doctor examine him and treat his injuries. The young master couldn’t refuse, so he went along. He asked me to apologize to the guests on his behalf.”
Madam Bai asked the servant, “Didn’t Magistrate Liu bring his people? Did he seem angry?”
The servant replied, “He only brought Qiu Shi with him. He didn’t seem particularly angry. As soon as he saw the young master, he bowed and said he wanted to apologize to you but didn’t say anything else.”
Seeing that she couldn’t get any more information, Madam Bai dismissed the servant.
The group looked at each other in confusion, wondering what game these two were playing. One commits evil in public, while the other performs good deeds openly – it seemed like they were working against each other. The fact that Liu Chang would do something good was truly unexpected. Based on Mudan’s understanding, he must have had an ulterior motive. Just think about it – she found Qing Hua’s behavior irritating now, let alone Liu Chang’s. Yet Liu Chang was going around cleaning up after her, not out of concern for her or fear that she might eventually be punished, but purely to make himself look good by contrast. The roles of the great benefactor and the great villain were clear for all to see.
Rong Pan returned nearly an hour later. Without mentioning Liu Chang, he hurriedly called for a meal to be served, complaining in a low voice, “We were supposed to have a nice meal together, but look how late it’s gotten with all these delays.”
The group continued to chat and laugh until the evening drum sounded, at which point they finally ended the meal. Rong Pan escorted Jiang Changyang and Mudan to the door, where he whispered to Jiang Changyang, “Liu Shu knows it was you who ransomed those people. He’s a petty and vindictive person – he might not cause trouble for you directly, but he’ll find ways to make things difficult for Maya.” He looked at Mudan with a pained expression and rubbed his head. “I’m caught in the middle and it’s very difficult. When I help you deceive him, I feel guilty towards him. Then I do a few things for him, and when he finds out, I have to persuade him and then come to warn you – I feel like a small-time schemer.”
Jiang Changyang smiled faintly. “I understand your predicament. We truly feel bad for causing you so much trouble today. But it’s impossible not to ask for your help – who else would be as suitable? In a couple of days when you come to our place, why don’t you bring Maya along to our garden?”
Rong Pan gave a bitter laugh and punched Jiang Changyang’s shoulder lightly. “After we return from your estate, I’ll be starting at the Court of Imperial Entertainments. From then on, I’ll have to report for duty morning and evening, and won’t have the same freedom and leisure as before.”
Jiang Changyang said, “That’s a good thing. You’ve finally decided to put those lazy bones of yours to work.”
Rong Pan lowered his voice and said, “I can’t be in a position where I don’t even have the right to speak in front of my parents, where I have no say in how my son should be raised. I’ve only just realized that I’ve been wasting my life all this time.” He added in a low voice, “I also want to avenge my brother.”