“You’re thinking too simply about this.” Yunyi sighed, “Your mother is determined to have you marry a lady from a prestigious family. How could she accept me? If I truly married into your Du family, it would be one thing for me to suffer, but I fear even my father wouldn’t have good days. Father worked so hard to raise me, treating me as his own daughter. How could I let him have no peace in his old age?”
“That won’t happen, Meixue. I’ll protect you and Uncle Wu. I won’t let you be wronged. If really…” He hesitated for a moment, then gripped Yunyi’s hand tightly, “If it really doesn’t work, we’ll move out and live separately. That way there won’t be any problems. Meixue, believe me, I’ll do everything I can to treat you well!”
Yunyi could see that he truly liked Meixue. If Meixue were still alive, and if he didn’t have such a domineering mother, they would indeed make a good couple. But unfortunately…
“I know you’re very good, but… I’m sorry!” With these three words, she withdrew her hand from his reluctant gaze.
Du Ruhui endured the wrenching pain in his chest and said in a trembling voice, “Really… you won’t give me even a single chance?”
Yunyi sighed, “Rather than living in pain for decades to come, it’s better to sever everything while the hurt isn’t too deep. This way it’s better for you… and for me!”
Du Ruhui couldn’t control the sadness in his heart and shouted, “No! I don’t want to sever it!”
His voice attracted the attention of passersby, who looked at them both curiously. Du Ruhui paid no attention to this, only staring at Yunyi, “Meixue, give me one more chance, please?”
Yunyi said helplessly, “I’ve made myself very clear. I won’t step through the Du family’s door, and I won’t marry you. In the future… let’s not see each other again. Don’t follow me anymore!”
This time, Du Ruhui didn’t chase after her. He just stared unblinkingly at Yunyi’s departing figure until his eyes became unbearably sore, then painfully closed them. A transparent drop fell to the ground, followed by more drops falling on the dry earth.
“It’s raining!” Someone shouted. The pedestrians on the road quickened their pace in unison, wanting to reach home before the rain got heavy. Only Du Ruhui remained standing there in a daze, letting the gradually intensifying rain soak his body.
Just then, Madam Du appeared before Du Ruhui. The steward held an umbrella for her while carrying another umbrella in his other hand. “It’s raining. Come home with Mother.”
Looking at the umbrella the steward offered him, Du Ruhui didn’t reach for it. Madam Du sighed, “How long do you plan to stay angry with Mother? You must know that no matter what Mother does…”
Before she could repeat her previous words, Du Ruhui said, “I won’t go back.”
Madam Du was stunned, then scolded, “Are you crazy, child? If you don’t go home, where will you go?”
Du Ruhui wiped the tears from his face, “The city gates aren’t closed yet. I’ll leave the city now and head to Luoyang to prepare for the imperial examination. I hope by the time I return, Mother will have thought it through.”
“Didn’t we agree you’d go tomorrow? Besides, you’re rushing off now without preparing anything, and it’s raining—how can you travel?” As she spoke, she stepped forward to pull Du Ruhui, “Be good, listen to Mother and go back first. Whatever it is, we mother and son can discuss it slowly. Look, you’re all soaked. Hurry back and change clothes so you don’t catch cold.”
Du Ruhui shook off her hand and said coldly, “My mind is made up. Please tell Father for me that I’ll write home after I reach Luoyang.”
This time, Madam Du heard that he wasn’t just being petulant and immediately became anxious, “No, it’s thousands of miles from here to Luoyang, and you don’t have much money on you. How can you go?”
“I’ll find a way myself. You don’t need to worry.” With that, he left in the rain, leaving Madam Du stamping her feet in frustration.
The steward said helplessly, “Madam, what should we do? Are we really going to let the young master leave like this?”
Madam Du bit her silver teeth slightly, “He’s trying to force me to let that wild girl through the door. Wishful thinking!”
“But the young master, he…” Before the steward could finish, Madam Du was already shouting through the rain curtain, “No matter what you do, I will never agree to your marriage with that wild girl. Never!”
She had waited so many years, finally getting the chance for the Du family to climb up and approach the truly unreachable Du family. She would never give up for a Wu Meixue. Ruhui was born from her ten-month pregnancy—she believed he would eventually understand her painstaking efforts and realize that the choice she made for him was the best.
Du Ruhui heard these words. He didn’t speak or turn back, just continued forward in the rain. When he passed a stall for writing letters, he suddenly stopped, then turned and walked up to the middle-aged scholar who was packing up his things, “I want to write a letter.”
“Sorry, I’ve already closed up shop. Please come early tomorrow.” The stall did have some rain protection, but it wasn’t very effective—raindrops kept falling, wetting the papers the scholar hadn’t finished putting away.
Just as the middle-aged man finished speaking, a piece of silver about the size of a little finger was placed on the table, making his eyes widen. Usually, writing a letter only earned a few coins, but this piece of silver was worth several hundred coins.
Thinking of this, he wiped the rainwater from the table with his sleeve, then took out a clean sheet of paper from below, placing it where the rain couldn’t reach. He then took out his brush and inkstone, saying ingratiatingly, “What would you like to write, young master?”
“I’ll write it myself. You just need to help me deliver it to the Wu family on Changshi Lane.” Faced with Du Ruhui’s request, the middle-aged man said, “Are you referring to Wu Laosan’s house?” In Changshi Lane, there was only one Wu family household—Wu Laosan’s.
“Correct.” Du Ruhui said while picking up the brush to write on the paper. The middle-aged man helped shield him from the rain blown in by the wind. Even so, several spots on the paper had ink that spread from getting wet, though it didn’t affect much.
When handing him the letter, Du Ruhui instructed, “Remember, you must deliver it to Uncle Wu personally and tell him this letter is for Meixue.”
The middle-aged man said eagerly, “Yes, I’ll remember. Rest assured, young master, as soon as the rain stops, I’ll deliver it immediately. I guarantee there won’t be any delay.”
Du Ruhui nodded and left the stall, continuing toward the city gate. The middle-aged man quickly put away the silver, then seeing him getting soaked in the rain and feeling somewhat sorry for him, remembered he had an old umbrella and shouted, “Young master, I have an extra umbrella here. Take it to shield yourself from the rain!”
He called out several times but Du Ruhui didn’t turn back, so he gave up, shaking his head, “What a strange person!”
As for Yunyi, when she was halfway there, it suddenly started raining. She originally wanted to take shelter and wait for the rain to lighten before continuing, but it kept getting heavier with no sign of clearing up anytime soon, not knowing when it would stop.