Duke Yu Wu Shundao had joined the army in his youth, following the Great Ancestor in battle campaigns. Brave and intelligent, he was highly valued by the Great Ancestor. Decades ago, when he was by the Great Ancestor’s side, he was still a handsome young lord in his teens, standing out among the rough soldiers. Many uncles and elders wanted him as a son-in-law.
But even after the Great Ancestor pacified the realm, Wu Shundao remained unmarried at just nineteen. The Great Ancestor jokingly said he loved long spears more than young ladies, as he spent his days polishing his red-tasseled spear among the soldiers, showing no interest in young women like other men his age.
Single men often live rough lives, especially during wartime. But even after the realm was mostly pacified and others were rewarded with high positions and mansions, this young general still showed no interest in women. Only when the Great Ancestor, now Emperor, sent him to quell rebellions did excitement appear on his face.
His fellow soldiers, who had watched him grow into a young man, thought his marriage would take years to arrange. Unexpectedly, that year, when ordered to suppress a rebellion in Kun Prefecture, he returned with a lady. After reporting to the Emperor, he immediately married her.
For this woman, he changed his previous careless ways, asking the Emperor for a beautiful mansion with a garden. He carefully brought his new wife in, like a precious flower transplanted from elsewhere.
His colleagues heard that his wife was from the Pei family, a prominent clan in Kun Prefecture, but didn’t know why he had brought her back so directly. Wu Shundao didn’t say, and no one asked. There were vague rumors that Madam Wu had been married before and was a widow.
However, anyone who met Madam Wu praised her as chaste, graceful, and gentle as water. Apart from being two years older than Wu Shundao, her appearance and demeanor matched him well. For many years after, people would sincerely speak of Wu Shundao and his wife as a loving couple.
Unfortunately, true love in this world rarely lasts. When their second daughter was seven, Madam Wu fell ill, lingering in bed without recovery until she passed away.
Even after many years, even after burning incense before Buddha for several years, when thinking of the woman who had captured his heart in youth and been his partner for over a decade, Wu Shundao’s eyes still filled with pain and longing.
“My wife was a gentlewoman. Though physically frail, her spirit was incredibly strong,” Wu Shundao spoke softly of his long-deceased wife, his hand caressing his daughter’s head even more gently.
“Although my wife couldn’t see those things, her mother could. So when Zhen’er showed this ability, she was calmer than I was. For several years after, she protected and guided Zhen’er. It’s funny, I’m a general who protects the country, a brave man, but whenever Zhen’er encountered those things, the first person she wanted to rely on wasn’t me, but her mother.” Wu Shundao laughed softly at this point, though it was hard to tell if it was bitter or nostalgic.
“My wife was a brave person. While she was alive, she protected Zhen’er well. Those things… to be honest, even I found them frightening at first, but she didn’t. She always bravely protected Zhen’er in front of them. Before she died, she told me to take good care of our two daughters, especially Zhen’er… but I failed to meet her expectations.”
Wu Shundao rubbed his face. Mei Zhuyu sat quietly before him, listening. When Wu Shundao’s voice deepened and suddenly stopped, he didn’t say anything, just waiting for him to gather himself.
After a long while, Wu Shundao continued: “It wasn’t long after my wife passed away. I was in a daze during that time and neglected Zhen’er. She… she encountered those things, maybe out of fear, or maybe forced by those creatures, somehow fell from a high building. When I arrived, she was barely breathing.”
“At that time, she was so small, just like now, a tiny bundle that could completely curl up in my arms.” Wu Shundao’s hands began to tremble. Those hands, covered in thick calluses, that had wielded spears and killed countless enemies, now trembled as they gently caressed his little daughter’s soft cheek.
“I thought Zhen’er wouldn’t survive, but that day, I saw with my own eyes that cat spirit take the dying Zhen’er away. When Zhen’er reappeared, she had recovered but had also become a non-human creature like them. She could turn into a cat; I’ve seen her cat form. She was still young then and sometimes couldn’t control it well. I don’t know exactly what happened during the time she disappeared, I only know that she’s my daughter, and she came back safe and sound. That’s enough.”
“I’ve also seen the cat spirit who took Zhen’er away. He suddenly appeared in my room one night. He told me he saved Zhen’er to repay a great debt to my wife. He also said he was about to leave, and as a price for Zhen’er’s resurrection, she might need to bear some responsibilities.”
At this point, Mei Zhuyu suddenly asked a question, “That… cat spirit, was he the previous Cat Lord of the spirit market?”
Wu Shundao looked up and examined his seemingly ordinary son-in-law, seeing his calm face but with emotions in his eyes that Wu Shundao couldn’t understand. Unable to comprehend, Wu Shundao just nodded: “Yes, he told me he couldn’t stay in Chang’an anymore. I never saw him again after that.”
Mei Zhuyu closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at the little girl in Wu Shundao’s arms. She had just turned over, her thin summer jacket riding up to expose a bit of white belly, like a little frog. Mei Zhuyu’s gaze softened, and he lowered his head, saying quietly, “I see.”
“So, is Your Grace the only one who knows about Madam’s identity?”
Wu Shundao nodded, “Yes, my elder daughter doesn’t know. For Zhen’er, it’s not good if too many people know about this. But how did you find out? Did Zhen’er tell you?”
Mei Zhuyu shook his head: “No, I discovered it by chance.” He paused and then said, “I’ve been able to see non-human creatures since childhood. I once cultivated in a Daoist temple and can be considered a Daoist priest. I have some experience in dealing with evil spirits and monsters.”
Wu Shundao’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Mei Zhuyu with a new perspective. Then he smiled, patting Mei Zhuyu’s arm, saying with gratification and joy, “Good! Good!”
Master Jinyan was indeed right! Wu Shundao thought. No wonder Master Jinyan had that assessment. There was this connection. It seems this son-in-law can indeed help his daughter overcome her tribulations! At once, Wu Shundao felt greatly relieved, and his gaze towards Mei Zhuyu became much warmer.
The next morning, when seeing them off, Wu Shundao personally handed his daughter to Mei Zhuyu, still looking very pleased.
“I entrust Zhen’er to you. Please take good care of her,” Wu Shundao said very solemnly, looking at his still-tiny daughter.
Holding the little girl, Mei Zhuyu’s expression and tone were as serious as they had been at the wedding banquet, “I will. No matter what happens, I will protect her.”
On the way back, the little girl was much quieter, though not because she had finally become obedient. She was drowsy the whole way and eventually turned back into a kitten. Midway through the journey, Mei Zhuyu felt something loosen in his arms, and a small cat fell onto the horse’s back. He quickly scooped it up before it could roll off.
Stroking the kitten’s head, Mei Zhuyu somewhat understood that she might be about to change back. Realizing this, he felt relieved.
The ruthless Daoist Master Mei wasn’t afraid of naughty children, but he was at a loss with his wife turned into a naughty child, unwilling to hit or scold her.
Back home, he placed the cat in a pile of blankets on the bed. Mei Zhuyu sat by the bed, lowering his head in thought. He looked at his fair, slender left hand, where the palm lines were slightly offset by a pink mark—a lingering scar. He clenched his fist, concealing all emotions in his eyes.
That night, it was again past midnight. Mei Zhuyu sat by the bed, one hand supporting his forehead as he slept, the book in his hand having rolled onto the floor. Suddenly, he awoke with a start, opening his eyes to see the scattered book on the ground. He bent down to pick it up and put it aside, then turned his head to see a pair of smiling eyes.
His wife had recovered, lying on the bed watching him, one hand propping up her head. Her naked body was covered by a thin blanket, presenting a seductive scene of ‘jade body reclining’.
Mei Zhuyu paused, then showed some joy, “You… are you alright now?”
Wu Zhen suddenly pulled her husband down onto the bed, with a deft turn, she climbed on top of him, pinning him firmly to the bed.
“Why didn’t you sleep in bed? You’re amazing to be able to sleep sitting by the bedside,” Wu Zhen scratched her husband’s chin, where there was a bit of blue stubble, slightly prickly to the touch.
Mei Zhuyu looked somewhat tired, but seeing Wu Zhen recovered, his eyes were bright, making Wu Zhen’s eyes brighten as well as she looked at him.
A moment later, Mei Zhuyu tried to move away, somewhat awkwardly holding her hand under the blanket, and advised while avoiding eye contact, “You’ve just recovered, and your previous injuries haven’t fully healed. For now, we shouldn’t…”
Wu Zhen boldly felt her husband’s ‘actions contradicting his words’, one hand propped on his chest as she smiled brightly and suggestively at him, her soft parts right before his eyes, being squeezed…
Not knowing where to look, Mei Zhuyu tried to get up, only to be pushed back down with a thud.
“I don’t care, I want to,” said the shameless elder sister Wu Zhen, already reaching to open her husband’s collar.
Mei Zhuyu thought: It seems the grown-up little girl is still willful.
So that night was once again a night where the wife complained about her husband’s too-strong grip.
In the morning, they were as usual woken by the endless sounds of bells and drums. Wu Zhen reached out to rub her waist, suddenly realizing that her husband beside her hadn’t gotten up. He was rarely still groggy, showing a bit of just-awakened confusion.
Wu Zhen watched him for a while, then rubbed his chin to turn his face towards her, suddenly asking, “Husband, what do you think about me giving you a daughter?”
Mei Zhuyu was startled awake. After a moment, he asked, “Do you remember what happened yesterday?”
Wu Zhen was taken aback, her expression flawless, “Yesterday? What happened? I only remember feeling dizzy after you made me drink that awful talisman water, I don’t remember anything else.”
Mei Zhuyu carefully observed her expression, seeing no flaws. Thinking she might truly not remember what happened after she turned small, he said carefully, “Having a child is very difficult, let’s just let nature take its course.”
Wu Zhen suddenly burst into laughter, leaning in to plant a big kiss on his cheek, teasing, “Did I scare you when I turned into a little girl~”
Mei Zhuyu: … So she does remember.
Wu Zhen continued laughing: “I’m sorry, I was a bit of a handful when I was little. You’ve had a hard time, husband. Forgive me for the sake of how cute I was?”
Mei Zhuyu held her hand that was pinching his chest under the blanket, somewhat helplessly, “Alright.”