As a woman who loved life and enjoyed gossip, Mudan felt somewhat disappointed because she hadn’t had time to see the person’s face before they were whisked away by their entourage. The novice led Mudan and the others forward again. As they turned a corner near the hall, Mudan saw a figure quickly dart past a moon gate not far away. Then a fat monk approached them, smiling broadly and bowing to Madame Cen with an “Amitabha.”
Madame Cen returned the bow, smiling, “Master Huisheng.”
Monk Huisheng glanced at Mudan and smiled, “This old monk heard that the female benefactor wishes to recast the Buddha’s golden statue?”
Madame Cen replied, “That’s right.” This October, He Zhizhong, Dalang, and Erlang would be sailing out to purchase goods. Mudan’s marriage was still unsettled, and Wulang’s wife was expecting a child. It was necessary to pay respects to Buddha and pray for everyone’s safety and well-being.
Monk Huisheng took the opportunity to praise Madame Cen and began discussing Buddhist teachings with her. Seeing Mudan looking bored beside them, he smiled and said, “There’s a pond for releasing animals just beyond the courtyard wall. It has over ten aged red carp and two Huating cranes. Everyone loves to go see them. Would the young benefactor like to take a look?”
Mudan wasn’t particularly interested in red carp or Huating cranes, so she just smiled and asked, “May I ask Master, are there any peonies or tree peonies in the temple?”
Monk Huisheng smiled, “Yes, there are. Near the release pond, there’s an old peony tree. This spring it bloomed with over a hundred flowers, with colors ranging from true gradient to reverse gradient, light red, light purple, purple-white, and even multi-layered blooms. Unfortunately, it’s not the flowering season now. Does the young benefactor still want to see it?”
Hearing about such flowers, Mudan’s eyes lit up, and she looked expectantly at Madame Cen. Madame Cen had been to that place before and knew it was nearby. Thinking that a shout would be enough to be heard, she smiled and said, “You and Yuhe go. I’ll finish talking with Master Huisheng here and then send Madam Feng to call you back.”
The young novice immediately led Mudan and Yuhe through the moon gate to the adjacent area. They saw an exquisite small courtyard with a small pond in the center, surrounded by weeping willows. In the corner, several crape myrtles were in full bloom, and two cranes were dozing under the trees. The peony was planted near a pavilion.
A man wearing a brown-black round-collared robe sat in the pavilion with his back to them. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head and smiled gently at Mudan. It was Li Xing.
Yuhe blinked, carefully observing Mudan’s expression. Mudan looked at the young novice, who put his palms together and kept his eyes lowered, saying, “This humble monk will go get some fish food for the benefactor.”
Mudan hesitated for a moment before walking towards Li Xing, smiling and curtsying, “Cousin, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Li Xing didn’t answer immediately. He first carefully examined Mudan, noting her crimson silk narrow-sleeved short jacket and matching eight-panel long skirt. Her hair was styled in a loose bun, adorned with a jade-inlaid dragonfly hairpin. Her complexion seemed much rosier than before, and her smile was brighter. As she drew closer, a faint scent of lotus clothes wafted to him. He took a deep breath of the fragrance emanating from Mudan before saying, “I didn’t expect to see you here either. It’s been a long time.”
Mudan smiled, “Not that long, just over half a month.”
She remembered how long it had been since they last met! Li Xing’s eyes brightened, and his lips moved, but seeing Yuhe’s displeased expression nearby, he adopted a casual manner: “Prince Ning’s wife is due to give birth in a few days. Prince Ning came here specifically to donate medicines and grain to the sanatorium, visiting the sick and sudden beggars. I happened to have a batch of medicines on hand, so I was also summoned to bring them. After finishing, I left with the others and happened to catch a glimpse of you and Aunt.”
Mudan then realized that the person in the silver-white robe earlier was Prince Ning and that the small courtyard was the sanatorium commonly set up in temples to accommodate and treat patients, beggars, disabled people, and orphaned and destitute children.
Li Xing smiled shyly, “I have a couple of things I’d like to say to you, so I asked Master Huisheng for this convenience.” He had originally planned to wait until things were settled before speaking to Mudan, but thinking of what his mother had said to Madame Cen last time, and the He family’s changed attitude towards him, he felt uneasy. Everything seemed ready, and now that he had coincidentally met Mudan, he couldn’t resist wanting to share his plans with her.
Mudan’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up at Li Xing and smiled graciously, “Cousin, if you have any instructions for me, please feel free to say them. If I can do it, I certainly won’t refuse.”
Li Xing’s eyes shone brightly as he looked at Mudan, not minding Yuhe’s presence: “It’s not an instruction, and I’m not asking you to do anything… The pearl I bought with my Uncle’s help last time hasn’t been sent yet, and I’ve also achieved a few minor accomplishments. I’m just waiting for the Princess to have a safe delivery, then I’ll take the opportunity to ask His Highness for a favor.”
Was this a roundabout confession? In her two lifetimes, Mudan had never encountered such a situation. Despite her thick skin, faced with Li Xing’s intense gaze, she couldn’t help but blush slightly. Pretending to be naive, she smiled and said, “Danniáng wishes you a prosperous future in advance, Cousin.”
Seeing a hint of pink suddenly appear on Mudan’s snow-white skin, making her look enchantingly beautiful, with her eyes half-lowered and long, thick eyelashes trembling slightly, not daring to look at him, Li Xing’s heart sweetened. He felt that although Mudan didn’t say anything outwardly, she had understood his meaning.
But he was also worried. Princess Ning’s condition was not good, which was why Prince Ning had come here to donate gold, silver, grain, and medicines, and to visit the patients and beggars in the sanatorium, hoping to receive Buddha’s blessings for a smooth delivery. Prince Ning and his wife were deeply affectionate, and he hoped the Princess would have a smooth delivery. If anything went wrong, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to speak up, and he would have to bide his time. At home, it was clear that they were no longer willing to let him be—Madam Cui was already looking for suitable matches for him among daughters of officials and scholarly families and had even sent his servant to inquire about his activities outside.
Mudan’s heart softened. Free love, though not rare here, was not common either. The Li family and the He family were not close relatives, but distant cousins separated by several generations, so there was no concern about the taboo of close-kin marriage. Li Xing was a good person who treated her and the He family well. When faced with such situations, he could think of ways to deal with them and work hard to solve problems. He was a very good marriage prospect.
She also had good feelings towards Li Xing, but they were limited to just that—good feelings. If they had more time and opportunities to interact, perhaps they would truly fall in love. But should she rely on Li Xing’s merits to ask for favors, making him do something that his whole family and superiors disliked? Not to mention in this society where parents and clan held such important positions, even in modern times, how many marriages disapproved by parents ended up happy?
If she married him, it might be fine if everything went smoothly, but what if they encountered difficulties? Would he resent her? Would he regret his impulsive decision? But if she missed this chance with him, who would she meet in the future? Maybe he wasn’t the kind of person she imagined him to be. Mudan’s previously well-maintained calm was completely shattered by this subtle confession, and for a moment, she felt quite conflicted.
Both harboring their worries, they fell silent, and the atmosphere suddenly cooled. Yuhe, having understood Li Xing’s intentions from his earlier words, found herself much more favorably disposed towards him, hoping the two would settle things quickly. Seeing them standing a step apart, both looking down at the ground and saying nothing, she assumed they were both extremely shy, especially Mudan with her thin skin, too embarrassed to say anything in her presence. She decided to give them some privacy and coughed lightly, saying, “This servant will go see if Madam has finished talking.”
Li Xing was eager for her to leave quickly, but Mudan hesitated before stopping her: “No need, we’ve been here for a while. Madam will probably send someone to call us soon.”
Li Xing was slightly disappointed but said insincerely, “Yes, no need to check. Since we’ve met, I’ll go pay my respects to Aunt.”
Yuhe, seeing this, though she didn’t go to find Madame Cen, stood further away to give them space to talk.
Li Xing gathered his courage and said softly, so Yuhe couldn’t hear, “Danniáng, what do you think? Don’t be afraid, just tell me anything. I’ll always treat you well…”
Mudan knew she couldn’t avoid this today. Even if she had to refuse, she needed to make things clear before Li Xing used his merits to ask for favors, to avoid misleading him later. She bit her lip and looked up at Li Xing, saying, “Cousin, you know I’ve just been through a marriage where the families weren’t well-matched. My in-laws disliked me greatly, mainly because they felt I couldn’t help advance my husband’s career. I know how difficult and embarrassing life can be in such situations. Although I know you… but married life isn’t just about two people. I don’t want to live that kind of life again, nor do I want to be looked down upon. I don’t want to become a burden to you either; that would be very tiring. Cousin should prioritize his career.”
The light in Li Xing’s eyes gradually dimmed. He knew Mudan was speaking the truth. Between parents and the woman one admires, who is more important? Neither can be given up easily. His parents had high expectations for him, and even if Prince Ning agreed, they would likely be very disappointed. They wouldn’t do anything to him directly, but they would certainly take out their frustrations on Mudan indirectly… He had been too eager, he shouldn’t have told Mudan about this in advance. He should have waited until everything was settled before speaking.
After all, she couldn’t get married immediately, and he couldn’t marry right away either, even if he found a match.
Li Xing’s mind raced through a thousand thoughts before he finally suppressed his emotions. He smiled faintly, no longer mentioning the matter, and instead asked, “What brings you here today?”