The Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for family reunions, might be just an annual celebration for others. But for Yang Yucheng and the others who had experienced life and death separations and profound sorrow, being able to gather together peacefully was immensely precious. Everyone’s face radiated with happiness as they admired the moonlight, ate mooncakes, drank Jinhua wine, and enjoyed the festive, lively atmosphere amid the noise.
Zhao Ling chatted with Old Master Lü while drinking: “Tomorrow I’ll visit Tang Daishan to return his sword, and I’ll invite him to have lunch at Thirteen Mountain. In the afternoon, we can go over the accounts from these past years with him. The day after tomorrow, we’ll go around the city. Since the harvest is poor this year, we might be able to acquire a few vacant shops. In a few days, we’ll visit those village heads outside the city whom you’re familiar with. If anyone is selling land, please ask them to spread the word and help mediate. Since I’ve decided to stay, we need to make proper plans.”
Yang Yucheng and the others, being Shaanxi natives, were naturally pleased not to have to leave their homeland. San Fu even said, “Ninth Master has given me a lot of money, and I don’t know what to do with it. Old Master Lü, why don’t I put the money in your hands, and you can help me invest in some farmland?” Then he mumbled softly, “Now that we don’t have to live each day with our heads on the line, I… I want to take a wife, to continue my family line… my entire family starved to death!”
Everyone fell silent.
“Sure!” Zhao Ling said with forced casualness, “Any of you who want to buy property or take a wife, bring out your money and ask Old Master Lü to plan for you.” He added, “In his day, Old Master Lü was a head shopkeeper, skilled at making money.” He was trying to lighten the mood.
“I don’t deserve such praise,” Old Master Lü hurriedly said. “What’s this ‘Old Master Lü’? That’s just what outsiders call me. For the Ninth Master to address me this way is too much honor. Just call me Ping’an.”
“The Ninth Master can call you that, but we wouldn’t dare,” Yang Yucheng joined in the banter, laughing heartily. “You’re older than us, so we’ll call you ‘Uncle Ping’an’!” He continued, “And don’t be so formal with us, calling me ‘Young Master Yang’ and such. You know very well what my background is, don’t you? Wouldn’t that be making fun of us? If you truly consider me one of your own, just call me Yucheng.”
Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere grew lively again.
Old Master Lü, being a worldly man, smiled and said, “Alright, since you recognize me as your uncle, I have no reason not to recognize you as my nephew.”
Everyone laughed again, feeling as if they had suddenly grown much closer to each other.
Old Master Lü took the opportunity to suggest going to Guangren Temple to see the lanterns: “…It’s rare for you to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival in Xi’an Prefecture. It’s a pity that the harvest is poor this year; otherwise, you could have witnessed the magnificent spectacle of Chang’an Street adorned with lanterns like trees of fire and silver blossoms.” He seemed somewhat reluctant to end the joyous occasion, wanting to prolong the festive atmosphere.
A-Sen was the first to jump up, clapping his hands in approval: “I want to go too, I want to go too!”
“Great!” Zhao Ling was also in high spirits. “Then let’s all go see the lanterns!”
A-Sen cheered.
Even Zheng San Niang, sitting on the steps holding her sleeping son, showed a look of anticipation.
But Fu Tingyun seemed somewhat dejected.
By this reckoning, Zhao Ling would be busy until the twenty-fifth of the eighth month.
What about her concerns?
She stood up with a smile: “Then I’ll stay home and watch the house!”
“How can that be?” Madam Lü smiled. “If someone needs to watch the house, let me stay behind! It’s rare for all of you to be here, while I can see the lanterns every year.”
Zheng San Niang also suppressed her desire and hurriedly said, “I’ll stay home instead! It’s a good opportunity to look after Lin Chun.”
The courtyard fell silent, as if silently urging Fu Tingyun to join them.
Fu Tingyun knew she was being a dampener, but she truly wasn’t in the mood.
So she smiled at Madam Lü and said, “I’m too tired today. I’ll go out with everyone another day.”
Madam Lü was about to say something when San Fu laughed awkwardly: “Since Miss Fu is tired and staying home, I’ll stay behind to watch the gate. That way, no one can take advantage of the situation to sneak in and steal things.”
“Let’s do that then!” Zhao Ling decided before anyone else could speak. “We’ll go out for a stroll while Miss Fu rests.” His tone was flat, the joy that had been evident in his words earlier suddenly much diminished.
Seeing that Zhao Ling had spoken, Yang Yucheng and the others no longer insisted.
Madam Lü glared at Old Master Lü.
Old Master Lü widened his eyes, uncomprehending.
Madam Lü ignored her husband but couldn’t say anything more. She smiled and called to Zheng San Niang: “Then let’s quickly tidy up the house so we can go see the lanterns together.”
Zheng San Niang and Lu Wei became excited. Madam Lü led Zheng San Niang to help Fu Tingyun wash up, while Lu Wei cleaned the courtyard. San Fu and Shi Zhu helped move the tables and chairs back to the side rooms. Everyone quickly got organized, leaving San Fu to watch the gate as they all went off to Guangren Temple to see the lantern festival.
The courtyard grew quiet, but Fu Tingyun tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
She got up and propped open the window.
The moon in the night sky was round and bright, its clear light pouring in like flowing water, soft and serene.
How was her mother doing?
By her calculation, Seventh Sister would be getting married in about a month.
Hopefully, her situation hadn’t caused any delays.
Thinking of this, her mood became downcast.
If nothing had happened to her, she would now be on the way to her wedding.
Then again, if nothing had happened, she wouldn’t have met Zhao Ling.
With this thought, her mood immediately brightened.
But in an instant, Fu Tingyun’s mood soured again.
This Zhao Ling wasn’t he usually cold and aloof, appearing interested in nothing? How was it that upon hearing about the lantern festival, he ran off faster than anyone? He didn’t care whether he was still injured or whether he needed to wake up early tomorrow to meet that Tang Daishan…
She sighed deeply, feeling somewhat desolate.
Seeing the beautiful moonlight, she turned to get some incense and candles and went to the courtyard to worship the Moon Goddess.
“May the Goddess bless my mother with good health, my father with success in all endeavors, my brother with honors in the provincial examination, my sister-in-law and nephew with freedom from illness and calamity,” she prayed with hands pressed together and eyes closed. Thinking of him whose body had still not fully recovered, her tone faltered, and her voice lowered several degrees. “May the Goddess bless Zhao Ling… to be free from disaster and difficulty… to walk the right path from now on… and to have smooth sailing…”
Suddenly she sensed an unfamiliar presence behind her, as if someone had intruded.
Her flesh crept with goosebumps, and she silently regretted her situation. She quietly opened her eyes and grabbed the lit incense, thinking she might throw it at the person’s face and seize the opportunity to run back to her room… Then she spun around, only to see someone she never expected to appear at this moment… She was greatly startled.
“You, why are you here?” Her almond eyes widened. “Didn’t you go to see the lanterns?”
Zhao Ling hadn’t expected Fu Tingyun, who had been quietly worshipping the Moon Goddess, to suddenly turn around with incense in hand, looking at him warily as if he were her enemy. He was dumbfounded and, after a while, finally said, “I’ve seen many lantern festivals. I just went to accompany them. Having seen enough, I naturally came back.”
“You scared me to death!” Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but complain. “How do you walk without making a sound?” She reinserted the incense, dusted off her hands, and asked, “Where are the others? Have they all returned? I thought you wouldn’t be back until at least the third watch.”
“They’re still viewing the lanterns,” Zhao Ling said. “I came back first.” He added, “It gave San Fu a chance to go out and enjoy himself.”
So that meant there were only the two of them in the house!
For some reason, Fu Tingyun’s heart pounded fiercely.
“Would… would you like a cup of tea? I’m very good at brewing tea… My grandmother’s tea was always brewed by me…” She stuttered slightly.
“Sure!” Zhao Ling replied. “Then, shall I bring out a chair? The moonlight tonight is quite nice.” His voice betrayed a hint of hesitation.
He had agreed to let her brew tea and even offered to bring out chairs…
Fu Tingyun’s heart swelled like a billowing sail, too full to notice Zhao Ling’s unusual manner. She happily went to boil water, found the Longjing tea that Old Master Lü had brought earlier, and took out her foliate-patterned famille-rose teacup. Meanwhile, Zhao Ling had already brought out two chairs and placed a small table in the center of the courtyard. Fu Tingyun warmed the teacup, poured the first brew, and brought it over: “This is Longjing tea from after the Grain Rain. Please make do with it, Ninth Master!”
Longjing tea picked before the Qingming Festival was the best, that picked before the spring rains was second best, and Longjing picked after the Grain Rain was no longer of premium quality.
The two sat on either side of the small table.
Zhao Ling inhaled the tea’s fragrance, sipping it in small mouthfuls: “Considering that many people don’t even have water to drink, anything tastes good!”
Fu Tingyun smiled.
Seeing he had drunk half, she rose to refill his cup.
Zhao Ling, however, was examining the teacup in his hand: “I thought you would prefer wucai.”
Both wucai and famille-rose porcelains were brightly colored, though famille-rose was comparatively softer in tone.
Fu Tingyun said, “Actually, I prefer blue and white porcelain.”
Zhao Ling was somewhat surprised.
Fu Tingyun thought of the teasing among her sisters before, and couldn’t help but lower her head in embarrassment.
Zhao Ling realized he had asked something he shouldn’t have and hurriedly said, “This was bought by Old Master Lü, wasn’t it? Tomorrow I’ll bring back a set of blue and white porcelain for you.”
Fu Tingyun’s nose tingled slightly with emotion.
He was always like this… finding ways to spare her embarrassment…
“No,” she hesitated, “I also like famille-rose,” she said, somewhat disconnectedly. “Among my dozen or so sisters… they all had slender eyebrows and delicate eyes, gentle and beautiful. Only I… as you’ve seen… they said… If I were a flower, I would be a peony… if I were silk, I would be Shu brocade… if I were porcelain, I would be wucai…” Her voice grew softer as she spoke, her tone increasingly dejected. “Grandmother said that things that withstand the test of time are truly good things… but even in a half-new, half-worn garment, I still look… too conspicuous…”
Zhao Ling was astonished and couldn’t help but examine Fu Tingyun.
Having exchanged silk garments for cotton, removed her jewels and precious stones, Fu Tingyun wore only an ordinary white cotton blouse. In the moonlight, she was like a jade figurine, her radiance impossible to conceal.
He thought of the blue sapphire earrings that had swayed beside her ears… and felt a warmth in his heart.
“This is quite nice too!” he said softly, a strange emotion flowing through him.
“Ah!” Fu Tingyun looked up in surprise, her face full of disbelief as she gazed at Zhao Ling.
“I hear that nowadays Shu brocade sells for fifteen taels of silver per roll,” he said somewhat uncomfortably. “Blue and white porcelain has long gone out of fashion in the capital.”