He Hong arrived travel-worn and weary, his black cotton robe torn in several places. After presenting his greetings, Sheng Lao had someone bring a seat and tea for him, while Minglan stood silently at the old lady’s side.
“You’ve grown so much more robust since we last met,” the old lady said with a warm smile, looking He Hong over. “And you’ve gotten so tan.”
He Hong glanced up, and there was Minglan, standing graceful and elegant, even more beautiful than before, her pair of clear, bright eyes shining with vitality. He felt his face flush red and lowered his head to reply, “This time I traveled together with my grandmother’s uncles and older cousins on her side. I learned about many rare medicines and came to understand a great deal about the rules of the medicine trade. It was immensely beneficial to me.”
The old lady nodded slightly and said, “A fine young man should strive to be self-reliant — this is very good of you. I heard from your grandmother that you’ve already registered your name at a medical hall?”
He Hong seemed a little embarrassed and replied respectfully, “It was entirely thanks to my uncles and cousins putting in a good word for me. Truthfully… my own preference would be to continue training from the bottom up. Medicine is unlike ordinary trades — the more experience one accumulates, the better.”
The old lady nodded repeatedly, her smile growing warmer, “You are a hardworking, capable young man — sensible and principled. Your grandmother has raised you well.” As she was speaking, the old lady shifted the topic and said, “The summer heat was heavy not long ago, and now it’s turned cool again rather quickly. Your mother’s health has not been good. I’ve prepared a few things here — take them back for her on your way.”
As she spoke, Nanny Fang directed the maids to carry in a small chest, filled to the brim with precious medicinal herbs, as well as fine gauze and scaled-pattern satin. Seeing this, He Hong’s heart sank. Over these years, he had offered many gifts to the old lady, and she had always accepted them graciously without too much ceremony, merely adding a little extra to his share at the yearly gift exchange. But today… He Hong carefully looked up at the old lady. He saw that her demeanor was as warm and amiable as ever — she said not a single word about the Cao family’s affairs, and He Hong found no opening to raise the matter either.
He had already learned from a letter about the Cao family’s return to the capital. He also knew that his Aunt Cao had intentions for him to marry his cousin Jing’er. In the beginning, his mother had indeed been open to such a match. But times had changed. He Hong had long since set his heart on Minglan becoming his wife. Over these years of interaction between the two families, this had been tacitly understood, left unspoken but agreed upon. Being of an honest and upright nature, he naturally had no wish to go back on this understanding. Then, just a few days later, another letter arrived at home, saying that his cousin Jing’er was willing to become his concubine — but the rest was left unclear, and he was completely bewildered.
After a few more exchanges of conversation, the old lady said she was tired, and He Hong rose to take his leave. The old lady casually said, “Let Minglan see him out.”
He Hong’s eyes brightened. He said his respectful farewells and walked away with his head down, well-behaved. Minglan gave a little curtsy before the old lady, then turned and smiled as she walked He Hong out. Behind them followed Danju and Xiaotao, and they walked along the stone path outside Shou’an Hall heading outward.
“…How have you been lately, Younger Sister Minglan?” He Hong had been holding it in for quite some time before he managed to get even this one line out.
Minglan smiled and replied, “All is well. The Heart-Clearing Glutinous Pill that Elder Brother Hong sent last time agreed very well with Grandmother. I took two of them myself — they were sweet, quite pleasant.”
The girl’s voice was soft and tender, and He Hong immediately relaxed, laughing openly, “I knew you hated bitter medicine the most, so I had quite a bit of licorice and dried plum added into it. If you like it, I’ll send you more next year.”
Minglan covered her mouth with a light laugh, her cheeks flushing the pale pink of a lotus blossom, “Medicine is not meant to be eaten for pleasure — if it’s a craving, you’d be better off with snacks.”
He Hong scratched his head sheepishly, his tanned face looking quite handsome when he smiled, “Next time I want to go take a look at Yunnan and Guizhou. The mountains there are high and the forests dense — perhaps I can find even rarer things. I’m only afraid my mother won’t agree.”
Minglan listened with great admiration. She too wished she could travel and see the world, and she said, “Elder Brother Hong is absolutely right. The renowned physician Zhen Fang of the previous dynasty once said, ‘Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles, call upon all four directions, and only then may one be worthy of the healer’s calling.'”
He Hong’s eyes lit up, and his heart felt greatly comforted. Minglan continued, “And stepping back ten thousand paces — if you misdiagnose high-ranking officials and nobles, you’ll likely only invite blame. Is it not better to train thoroughly from the lower levels first?”
He Hong understood her meaning and couldn’t help but laugh. The mood lightened for a moment. As they neared the inner gate, He Hong suddenly stopped, his lips parting and closing as though he wanted to say something but was holding back. Minglan understood his meaning, and she waved a hand at those following behind — Danju and Xiaotao immediately stepped back some distance.
Only then did He Hong speak. After a long struggle with his expression, he finally said with difficulty, “My cousin Jing’er is one year younger than me. She was sent into exile at the age of ten. I grew up without a father, and my mother only had me at her side, so I treated her like my own younger sister — and nothing more.” His voice was firm, as though he were making a vow.
But Minglan did not respond. After a moment of silence, she said quietly, “Elder Brother Hong had better wait until you’ve returned home before saying anything. Some matters… have little to do with whether someone is like a sister or not.”
He Hong was silent for a moment, then lowered his head and departed. Minglan watched him for a while from behind, then quietly instructed Xiaotao to see him out.
Calculating the time, the old lady had likely gone to the Buddhist hall to recite sutras by now. Minglan went directly back to her own Mucang Study, flung herself onto the bed, and hugged a cool rattan pillow as she lay on her stomach, brooding, staring up at the pattern of “magpies on branches” carved into the top beam. In the outer room, Yancao sat on the wooden kang working on her needlework, and all that could be heard from inside was a soft, muffled “thump, thump, thump” — like fists repeatedly pounding into the bedding.
Minglan crumpled the thin cotton quilt on the bed into a wad and punched it soundly several times. Only then did she feel a bit better. Right now she felt exactly like someone who had bitten into an apple only to find half a worm inside — her chest was so suffocated she could scream, yet she had nothing she could actually blame.
A young lady who had once been pampered, now fallen into poverty and dependent on relatives’ charity, her virtue no longer intact — her upstanding and decent cousin would naturally be her last lifeline! A mother who doted on her daughter would naturally fight with everything she had for her daughter’s happiness! A younger sister with deep sibling affection would naturally want things to go better for her older sister’s family!
Nobody was wrong! Everyone had their reasons! Everyone was pitiable! But what had she done wrong? Why should she have to bear the consequences?! It wasn’t her sister who needed saving! It wasn’t her who had embezzled mining silver at Xiaoliang Mountain and caused the collapse that killed people! And she certainly hadn’t coerced Cao Jinxiu into becoming a concubine either!
Minglan was furious enough to die! The suffocation in her chest — if she could just go outside and scream at the top of her lungs right now, that would be wonderful. But… Minglan buried her face in the brocade quilt again — no, no, no, a young lady of good family absolutely could not do such a thing.
This wretched, godforsaken place!
She was in the middle of stewing in her frustration when suddenly there was a commotion of hurried footsteps in the outer room. Yancao’s voice rang out, “Xiaotao, slow down! What’s the frantic rush! Hey… the young lady is inside…”
Then the curtain over the bedroom door was swept aside in an instant. Xiaotao rushed in, face flushed red and drenched in sweat, dabbing at her cheeks with a handkerchief and gasping for breath in great gulps. Without even catching her breath, she bent down to the edge of the bed and leaned close to Minglan’s ear, whispering a few urgent sentences. Minglan’s expression changed completely — her face drained of color as she said in a low, composed voice, “You didn’t see it wrong?”
Xiaotao nodded vigorously, her chest still heaving dramatically, “Absolutely certain!”
Minglan drew a long, deep breath. Her chest rose and fell with fury — if there had been a sandbag, she would have punched straight through it!
At this moment, Yancao and Danju came in. They looked at the two — mistress and maid — with a measure of bewilderment. “Young Lady, what’s happened?” Yancao asked timidly.
Minglan forced out a smile and replied, “Nothing too serious. Yancao, watch over the room carefully. If Eldest Sister-in-Law or Fifth Sister comes looking for me, tell them I’ve gone for a stroll in the garden. Danju, come with Xiaotao and help me get ready.”
Danju had served Minglan for many years and knew that she always had her own ideas. She said no more and helped Minglan tidy her clothing and freshen her appearance. Xiaotao stood on tiptoe and smoothed Minglan’s hair, neatly combing it into place and straightening the hairpins and jeweled flowers in her bun. Minglan quietly gave Xiaotao a few more instructions, and Xiaotao turned and retrieved a fine gauze veil hat from the cabinet, along with a few items needed for going out, which she packed neatly together into a small, elegant bundle.
Danju, not comfortable leaving Yancao on her own, held back a few steps and quietly gave Luzhi a few more instructions to keep a good watch on the door. Then the mistress and her maids left the room. Midway along the path, Minglan said to Xiaotao, “Take the back garden’s small gate. Tell Old Huang to get the carriage ready for me — now! Quickly!”
Xiaotao acknowledged this and trotted off at once. Danju was greatly startled, “Young Lady, you, you…” Minglan’s face was as composed and still as deep water. She simply looked at Danju once with a penetrating gaze, then turned and walked away. Danju dared not ask further, and hurriedly followed.
There was a small side gate in the back garden that opened directly to the row of outer lodgings. But today was the second day of the Autumn Examination, and the household servants and maids had all gone to the examination grounds to wait on their young masters. The outer lodgings were nearly deserted. Minglan took Danju’s hand and walked briskly, passing through two carved gate arches, and slipped quietly out through the small gate — arriving at last at the gatehouse.
Old Huang had already prepared a sturdy, blue-oilcloth-covered flat-topped carriage. He was an old attendant of the old lady’s, as honest and reliable as they came. Beside him were his two sons, both dependable men. Seeing Minglan’s displeased expression, he asked no questions, simply set down the carriage step-stool and let the young lady board.
“Uncle Huang, to the Peach Grove at the end of the alley!” Xiaotao poked her head out and said softly to Old Huang. Old Huang acknowledged this, then cracked the whip and urged the horses forward. His two sons walked alongside, and the wheels of the carriage rolled off with a rumble.
“Young Lady! You’re going to worry me to death — where on earth are we going?!” The moment they were in the carriage, Danju could no longer hold back the question.
Minglan half-closed her eyes, unwilling to speak. Xiaotao leaned in to answer for her, “Just now, I was seeing Young Master He out the door. While listening to him talk about the scenery outside, I thought I’d walk along a bit longer to hear more, so I accompanied him all the way to the gatehouse. I was just about to turn back when I spotted the Cao family’s carriage waiting outside our estate gate! Last time we went to the He residence, I saw that carriage when we returned — a dull, grey coarse oilcloth curtain, a brown flat-wood frame, and that coachman with the large dark birthmark on his face! Then a half-head poked out from inside — it was that Cao young lady! Young Master He looked quite shocked. I don’t know what the Cao young lady said, but he got into the carriage!”
Danju’s jaw dropped. She blinked a few times and stared blankly at Minglan, “Surely… we’re not going to go after them? That absolutely won’t do!”
Xiaotao’s forehead was still beading with sweat. She tugged at Danju’s sleeve and continued, “At the time I kept my wits about me and had the gatehouse boy Xiao Shun run ahead to have a look. Before long, Xiao Shun came back and said he had spotted from a distance that the carriage had entered the Peach Grove at the end of the alley. I rushed straight back to tell the young lady.”
The Sheng Mansion was in quite a good location — not far away was a small peach grove. It was not particularly orderly, and few visitors went there, but it had a certain rustic charm. Minglan made a quick estimate of the situation: the Cao cousin must have come alone. A cousin pair wishing to meet privately would need a setting of poetic beauty and seclusion. The He family home wouldn’t do, nor would the Cao family home — so that little peach grove was just right.
Minglan counted on her fingers to estimate the time. The carriage ride from the Sheng Mansion to the Peach Grove was only about seven or eight minutes. Both Xiao Shun and Xiaotao were swift runners, and adding up the back-and-forth, the total delay was no more than about half an hour. By the standards of a period drama, the cousin pair would likely have just finished recounting the events of their years apart — and given what she had seen of Cao Jinxiu’s temperament, the time spent weeping had probably taken up no small portion of it.
Danju hesitated and stammered, “…Even so, what does the young lady intend to do once we get there?”
Was she going to catch them in the act? Danju was completely at a loss.
“Nothing in particular.”
The carriage halted. The curtain stirred slightly, and a faint, delicate fragrance of peach blossoms drifted in. Minglan opened her eyes, smoothed the wrinkles in her skirt, and straightened the golden hairpin near her temple. She said coolly, “I’ve had enough of waiting.” With that, she took Xiaotao’s wrist for support and stepped out of the carriage.
— Damn it all! If things were going to happen, better to get it done fast and clean. This drawn-out, dull-blade-grinding torment had gone on long enough! In this ancient era where the average marriage age was sixteen, her youth was extraordinarily precious! There are other flowers in the world — if this won’t work, it was time to move on quickly!
It was now midday, and the late-August sun was still fierce. The Peach Grove was almost empty of people. This section of the grove was located within the inner ring of the imperial city. With the curfew in place for these days of the Autumn Examination, security was especially strict, and idle wanderers were not permitted to move about freely. Minglan wore her veil hat and followed Danju, Xiaotao, and the Huang family’s two sons, walking deeper and deeper into the shaded grove.
Xiaotao was nimble and quick-footed. She hurried a few steps ahead, and after a moment came rushing back. She whispered to Minglan, “The Cao family carriage is on the western side. Young Master He and the Cao cousin are over that way.” Her finger pointed toward a row of tall, dense, leafy trees ahead.
Minglan told the Huang family’s two sons to wait here, then led Xiaotao and Danju forward. A few steps from their destination, they could already hear the faint sound of weeping, accompanied by a man’s voice offering steady reassurance. Minglan immediately ducked behind a large tree.
“…Cousin, Liangzhou was truly no place for human beings. We couldn’t even get a clean drink of water every day! The water pulled up from the wells was brackish and bitter — after drinking just a few mouthfuls, Father’s and Mother’s faces would swell…” Cao Jinxiu’s voice came in a plaintive, sobbing tone. “And that was nothing yet. In the later years, when all the silver ran out, there was no money left to bribe the officials. The family truly had no way to go on, so they… they… gave me away… to a garrison commander of a thousand-man unit stationed at Liangzhou… Cousin, at that point I truly wanted to die and be done with it! But I couldn’t die — if I had died, what would have become of Father and Mother?”
Soft whimpering drifted over. He Hong’s voice murmured low reassurances. Cao Jinxiu seemed greatly agitated — there was a soft rustling sound, as though she were gripping at his sleeve. Through her tears, she said, “Just being able to see you one more time, Cousin, even if I were to die after this, it would be worth it! All these years, I’ve often thought of things from when we were children… I loved the flowers on the pomegranate tree, and you climbed up so high to pick them for me. When you fell off afterward, Auntie was both furious and frightened — but you refused no matter what to admit you’d climbed up to pick flowers for me, insisting you were just being mischievous… And every year at the Lantern Festival, you would make me a little lantern by hand. Sometimes a lotus flower, sometimes a little rabbit… In the depths of the night, the thing I feared most was that you had already forgotten me!”
He Hong’s voice was also somewhat agitated, “Don’t be anxious, Cousin. Sit down properly and talk. Don’t cry anymore — am I not right here? Now that you’ve all returned, things will gradually get better!”
There were a few more low sobs, and Cao Jinxiu seemed to gradually calm herself. Her voice turned hushed and mournful, “Then the amnesty arrived. Father and Mother put together every last bit of silver they had to bring me away from that garrison commander’s household — and he didn’t want me anyway. He said I cried all day, every day, that I was a death’s omen who had wept away all his good fortune! I had thought to die and be done with it, but I feared my parents’ heartbreak, and I also thought that dying without seeing you one more time would not allow me to rest in peace. But now it’s alright — I’ve seen you, Cousin. I can die at peace now…”
He Hong persuaded her again, “Don’t say such things. No more talk of dying — your life is still long ahead of you!”
Cao Jinxiu murmured sadly, “…That Miss Sheng — I’ve seen her. She is both beautiful and gracious, and her family background is excellent too. The old lady is fond of her as well. This is truly well, truly well — your future is settled, Cousin. Miss Sheng is gentle and clever; she will surely care for Auntie and for you with great devotion in the years ahead… My mother wants you to take me as your concubine — how could I dare harbor such hopes. I am no longer clean; I am a wilted flower, a broken branch. Let me just be your lowly maidservant, Cousin! I’ll serve tea and water for you and Miss Sheng, be your errand girl — as long as I can see you every day, that will be more than enough…”
Danju’s face flushed crimson with indignation. Xiaotao gently ground her teeth together, barely restraining herself from lunging forward to take a bite.
Through the gently shifting branches, Minglan saw that Cao Jinxiu had already rested her head on He Hong’s shoulder. Her body, as slight and frail as a leaf about to fall, trembled constantly — like a helpless child weeping softly. He Hong let out a heavy sigh, one hand lightly stroking her back as he continued to comfort her, saying something in a low voice — “…Younger Sister Minglan is a good person…”
Xiaotao was shaking with anger and could no longer endure it. Putting too much force into a step, she snapped a branch underfoot with a sharp crack. He Hong and Cao Jinxiu both let out startled cries and turned their heads toward Minglan’s side.
“Who’s there?” He Hong called out loudly.
Danju shot Xiaotao a fierce glare. But Minglan did not panic. She straightened her clothing slightly, then stepped out from the trees with composure and stood gracefully before He Hong and Cao Jinxiu. Xiaotao and Danju also came out with lowered heads.
He Hong saw Minglan, and his face cycled through shades of white and red. After a long, dazed moment, he finally said, “Younger Sister Minglan… what are you doing here?”
Minglan waved a hand at those behind her, and Xiaotao and Danju stepped back, leaving just the three of them in this patch of shade. Minglan glanced at the wet tear stains on He Hong’s chest and made an effort to pull a smile onto her face. “I had some business to attend to outside. Passing through the Peach Grove, I happened to spot the Cao family’s carriage and thought I’d come in and say hello — I didn’t expect Elder Brother Hong to be here as well.”
With this light and casual remark, He Hong was immediately flustered and at a loss. He said awkwardly, “You… you heard everything?”
Minglan smiled still, “Not very much — perhaps just under half of it.”
The late-summer light filtered down through the tree branches and fell across Minglan’s face, which was as exquisitely fine as white jade, almost translucently pale, as though the slightest touch might break it — radiating a breathtaking, crystalline luminance. She was strikingly beautiful, and a pair of eyes that were unusually dark and quietly still.
He Hong’s thoughts went hazy. He was well aware that his heart was set on Minglan. He was fond of her warm and steady nature, her playful personality, and he hoped to marry her and live a happy life together. Yet at this moment, he glanced to one side, and there was Cao Jinxiu — trembling like a leaf blown from its branch in the wind, dark-complexioned, gaunt, sickly, withered. The charming little cousin he had remembered had been reduced to this state, and he couldn’t help but feel his heart ache for her, caught painfully between two impossible choices.
Cao Jinxiu saw the expression on He Hong’s face. With a cry of despair, she flung herself down at Minglan’s feet. Tears streamed in strings from her eyes, and her lips parted and closed as she said in a voice full of grief, “Miss Sheng! Please do not blame my cousin — it is I who acted without propriety. I knew today that my cousin would come, so I had someone watch the pier and then followed behind him. My cousin’s heart is only for you — his heart holds no one but you!”
Minglan nodded and replied calmly, “This is a matter between your cousin and myself. You, as an unmarried young lady, should be careful with what you say and not speak carelessly — such words only bring trouble to others needlessly. Now, please rise first. If someone were to see this, they would think I was bullying you.”
Cao Jinxiu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly nodded, yet made no move to rise. She kept apologizing over and over, “What you say is right, Miss Sheng — it is all my fault! I am a wilted, broken woman, not like Miss Sheng who is educated and reasonable. Please do not be angry with me!”
He Hong hurried forward to help Cao Jinxiu to her feet, but Cao Jinxiu instead grabbed hold of Minglan’s skirt and continued to plead, “Miss Sheng, look at me — there is nothing about me that can compare to you. Please take pity on me! …All these years, I lived as though not truly alive, thinking of ending it more than once. It was only the thought of seeing my cousin that kept me living to this day. I beg of you, I beg of you…”
Cao Jinxiu’s voice was so small as to be nearly inaudible, yet suffused with boundless sorrow and anguish. The gaze she turned on He Hong was like that of a ghost in the underworld yearning toward the world of the living. He Hong had always been soft-hearted and couldn’t help his eyes growing damp. The look he turned on Minglan seemed to carry a silent plea, and he faltered, “…Younger Sister Minglan, you see — Cousin, she…”
He Hong could not continue, for Minglan’s pair of eyes were watching him quietly and without a word.
Minglan felt a surge of blood and heat in her chest. At this point, the entire situation seemed arranged so that if she refused Cao Jinxiu, she would appear to be a terribly cruel person. Minglan stepped away a few paces and stood beneath a cool patch of shade. She looked at Cao Jinxiu, who was still prostrate on the ground, and said evenly, “Cousin Miss, please stop crying. I have a few things I’d like to ask you… I heard from Elder Brother Hong that you still have two older half-sisters and a younger half-sister on your father’s side. How are they faring now?”
Cao Jinxiu looked up blankly, truly not knowing Minglan’s intent. The question was genuinely difficult to answer. After a long moment of thought, Cao Jinxiu said with difficulty, “They… they’re all fine. They didn’t come back — they stayed in Liangzhou.”
He Hong started and pressed, “Why did they stay in Liangzhou? Your father and mother both returned — what are they doing there?” Cao Jinxiu’s voice was thin as a mosquito’s hum, “They… were also all given in marriage.”
He Hong immediately understood what had happened, and the color of his face shifted yet again.
Minglan struggled to hold back the torrent of rage threatening to burst forth, forcing herself to stay composed, “Cousin Miss, I know you are truly pitiable. But I think there may be others even more pitiable than you. Although your marriage was unfortunate, you at least have parents who care for you — who spared nothing to bring you home. How can you speak so lightly of dying? But what about your sisters? They are daughters of concubines. When the Cao family was prosperous and thriving, they may not have enjoyed the same things you did as the eldest legitimate daughter — yet when the family fell, they bore the same suffering. And now they have been left behind in Liangzhou, serving as concubines to others. Their hardships go without saying, and they have not a single family member nearby — if something were to happen to them, there is no one to ask after them. To be honest, I feel they are more pitiable than you. Not to mention the widows and orphans of Xiaoliang Mountain — what would Cousin Miss say?”
Cao Jinxiu’s face flushed scarlet as she was called to account. She stole a glance at He Hong, feeling uneasy at heart — her mother had never been kind to the concubine-born daughters. He Hong had seen this firsthand since he was young. And indeed — He Hong’s expression was visibly displeased.
“The family truly had no money left, and Father and Mother… were also very remorseful and troubled by it. But… all of my sisters’ husbands are good people.” Cao Jinxiu could only mumble this much in response. Then she again flung herself before Minglan, whimpering and weeping, her body trembling slightly, “Miss Sheng, I often heard the He family old madam and my aunt praise you, saying you are kind-hearted and virtuous, that you regularly give to charity. Please treat me as you would a beggar on the side of the road and take pity on me! I won’t compete with you for anything — and I am in no position to compete. I only beg to be near my cousin…”
“No.” Minglan shook her head. Firmly. Slowly. Both He Hong and Cao Jinxiu were startled — they had not expected Minglan to be this resolute.
Minglan looked steadily at Cao Jinxiu, her voice clear and cool as a mountain spring, “Miss Cao, have you ever seen a charitable person who gives away their entire livelihood to a beggar?” She turned her face to He Hong and said word by word, “To a woman, her husband is her everything. What woman would give her husband away out of pity for another woman?!” Unless she were a saint of the highest order.
He Hong’s face flushed a deep red all at once. Before Minglan’s unwavering, sincere gaze, his heart was flooded with a mix of shock and alarm. Cao Jinxiu’s lips trembled, “…But what I ask for is merely…”
Minglan raised a hand gently to cut her off, “Cousin Miss, please stop deceiving yourself. You are not an ordinary maidservant, nor an ordinary concubine. You are the cousin who grew up alongside Elder Brother Hong.”
Cao Jinxiu’s face turned white as a sheet. Minglan continued, “I am a very ordinary person with very earthly desires. I too hope for a harmonious and beautiful life, for a smooth and contented existence. But if, while I am managing the household, tending to elders, and raising children, my husband is with someone else confiding in her about pomegranate blossoms and lotus-flower lanterns and little rabbit lanterns from their childhood — then wouldn’t I be ridiculous? What would I be — a decorative piece?”
He Hong, hearing this, felt another wave of awkwardness and took a subtle step or two away from Cao Jinxiu.
“You would never be a mere decoration! My cousin’s heart holds only you!” Cao Jinxiu cried out desperately.
Minglan stopped her with a single line, “As long as you are here, I am nothing but a decoration!”
Having poured out all the frustration in her heart in one breath, Minglan looked straight at He Hong with steady eyes and spoke gently, “Cousin Miss is truly pitiable. But I ask Elder Brother Hong this: is taking her as a concubine really the only way to look after her? If you choose not to marry her, does that mean Cousin Miss simply cannot go on living? You told me just a while ago that you regard her as your own younger sister — I remember it. Then I ask that you treat her as truly your own younger sister. Find her a good family to marry into. Prepare a dowry for her. Stand behind her at her husband’s household. Would that not work?”
He Hong’s heart was profoundly moved, and a sudden clarity broke through the fog in his mind. He had been so muddled by Cao Jinxiu’s weeping and pleading. Now that he thought about it — was this not exactly so?
Cao Jinxiu was so urgent with desperation that tears streamed down her face in glittering drops, ready to fall. She looked from He Hong, who had gone silent, to Minglan, whose face held an expression of firm resolve. Her eyes grew wider and wider, and her grief seemed so acute she might faint. Her body turned alternately cold and feverish. Then she saw Minglan walk toward He Hong and stand before him, looking sincerely into his eyes. With genuine, measured sincerity, she counseled:
“Elder Brother Hong, I am not threatening you. Think it through carefully. If your heart is truly with Miss Cao, I will bear you no resentment. These years, the He family’s old madam and yours have extended much assistance to us, and you yourself have treated me well — the friendship between our families will remain as it was. I have only one thing to say: if there is to be me, then there cannot be Miss Cao. Secondary wives, concubines, maids — absolutely none of them will do! After the wedding, it would be best for Cousin to see your face as little as possible. Anything that needs to be said should come through me instead — so that there can be no question of appearances!”
Having said these words, Minglan felt completely drained. She gave a small bow in He Hong’s direction, then turned to Cao Jinxiu and performed a polite, courteous greeting. After that, she said not another word — simply turned and walked away without looking back.
As soon as she was gone, Minglan could no longer hold herself together. She used her sleeve to scrub hard at the dampness on her face, working to swallow back the tears before Xiaotao and Danju could see, wiping her cheeks dry. Then she raised her head to meet the sunlight, put a smile on her face, and walked on. Everything was fine.
…
On the western side of the Sheng Mansion, in the main room of Shou’an Hall, all the doors and windows were shut tight. There were only two people in the room.
A sharp crack — a disciplinary ruler was slammed to the floor. Minglan knelt before the old lady, drew back her left hand — red and swollen from the strike — and bore the pain in silence, her head bowed without a word.
“How dare you be so bold! Do you think I won’t discipline you?!” The old lady rested against the arhat bed, heaving with breathless anger.
“Your granddaughter would not dare,” Minglan said quietly.
“You, you…” The old lady pointed at Minglan, at a loss for words, then snapped, “Is that how afraid you are of never being married off?! That you’d scramble over yourself to compete with someone like that?! Who are you? Who is the Cao family? That Cao Jinxiu — she isn’t even fit to carry your shoes!”
Minglan paused a moment, then said, “Miss Cao is indeed a pitiable person.”
“Oh, so you’re being kind-hearted now?!” The old lady gave a cold laugh.
“No. Your granddaughter is a selfish person.” Minglan lifted her head and replied clearly, “No matter how pitiable Miss Cao may be, that does not mean your granddaughter should yield! If she wants to enter this house — she can dream on!”
Only then did the old lady’s anger subside a little. She slowly evened her breathing and said, “Why are you being so obstinate?! Without that He butcher, do we have to eat pigs with fur still on them? This old woman of yours isn’t dead yet! Before I close my eyes, I will find you a proper and fitting husband!”
A bitter smile drifted across Minglan’s face. She slowly placed her hand on the old lady’s knee and said, “Grandmother, where in this world is there a husband who is perfect in every way? Where is there a truly fitting and comfortable place to marry into?!”
The old lady was deeply shaken, but stubbornly glared at Minglan, “You really think so highly of He Hong?”
“No — he is not the best.” Minglan’s manner was unusually calm, her gaze fixed directly on the old lady. “These years, Grandmother has looked into how many families for your granddaughter’s marriage. Yet in the end, you still favored the He family. Why was that? Because you yourself know that Elder Brother Hong is truly an upright and principled gentleman — self-reliant and resilient, warm and dependable. He vowed from a young age never to take concubines. You looked and considered, and still felt Elder Brother Hong was the best choice — was that not so?”
The old lady was momentarily at a loss for words and turned her face away in irritation.
Minglan gently placed her hand on the old lady’s knee, her voice catching with a sob, “That year when I moved to Mucang Study, Grandmother, you said — there is no one who can shield your granddaughter from the wind and rain for a lifetime, and your granddaughter took those words to heart. …Now, the wind and rain from outside have broken through into the room. Grandmother fears your granddaughter will be hurt, and wants to close the doors and windows to keep the wind and rain out on her behalf. But that cannot work. Why should it? Why should we be the ones to give ground?!”
Minglan’s voice suddenly became fierce, her words striking like a hammer blow on iron, ringing with absolute determination, “People live an entire lifetime, and there will always be unfair hardships and rough patches along the road. One cannot simply take a detour around every ditch and hollow one sees! I want to try crossing over them — to fill them in with earth and sand, to lay stones across and level the path. Perhaps once I’ve crossed, the way ahead will open up! How can a person simply give up on a match that took so much careful searching, just because of one difficulty that doesn’t go as hoped?!”
The old lady’s heart was shaken with extraordinary force. Her aged eyes blurred with the haze of tears as she gazed at the girl she had raised with her own hands — not knowing when this child had grown so brave and resolute. This was the very quality she herself had lacked. She had once been too quick to give up. These words, spoken in full, caused even the old lady to waver, “Do you think… it can work?”
Minglan shook her head, her gaze perfectly clear. “It’s hard to say. Perhaps Elder Brother Hong will prove worthy of Grandmother’s hopes — but perhaps Elder Brother Hong’s heart lingers with Miss Cao. If that is the case, then I will accept my fate. Man proposes, Heaven disposes. Your granddaughter has done her best — the rest is left to fate.”
The old lady sank back onto the arhat bed, silent for a long time.
Minglan saw the defeated expression on her grandmother’s face and could not bear it. She braced herself on the edge of the bed and slowly climbed to her feet. Her knees burned with a scorching, stinging pain, almost making her gasp for breath. She gritted through it, sat down beside her grandmother, and smiled as she gently counseled:
“Grandmother, actually things are not as bad as all that. Elder Brother Hong goes without saying — He family Auntie is in truth also a kind person, just a little too easily swayed by others. If I were to marry into another family, who knows how many strange and trying characters your granddaughter would have to contend with! But if I marry Elder Brother Hong, I would only need to contend with one household. The Cao family is nothing to worry about — no power, no influence, no money, no connections. If they behave themselves, give them a sum of silver to send them back to their hometown, and let the Cao family’s sons study and farm. If they refuse to give up and keep clinging to the He family trying to take advantage, your granddaughter is not without her methods. I have a loving and devoted grandmother to watch over me, a father and elder brothers who are advancing well in official careers, and sisters who have married into prominent houses — what is there to fear?! He family Auntie is sickly and cannot manage household affairs, but with the He family’s old madam present, I can take charge of the house from the day I enter the door. A soft-hearted mistress is not necessarily a bad thing — once I’ve put the He household in proper order and stopped Cao family people from coming and going as they please, I’ll arrange for the maids and matrons attending to Auntie to speak reason to her day and night. Over time, persistent drops wear through stone. I don’t believe He family Auntie will hold so rigidly to this forever! …If I’m afraid of even this much, then I’m simply unfit to live. Grandmother can trust that your granddaughter still has that much capability.”
After much persuasion, the color gradually returned to the old lady’s face. She looked at Minglan’s pale but resolute expression and sighed deeply. Rubbing Minglan’s head, she sighed, “I always thought of you as a small child. It seems you worked all of this out long ago. And what next — just wait like this?”
Minglan let out a soft sigh, a look of helpless resignation on her lips. “Today your granddaughter said some very bold and decisive things! If the He family has intentions, there will be word within a few days. Let us wait… ten days. If there is no news after ten days, then please find Minglan another match, Grandmother. It is true that this world holds more than one family with a worthy son.”