Chapter 71: Two Promises
Chun Tian brought Shanshan to Blind Alley.
The courtyard gate was slightly ajar, and the house lay quiet. No one was inside, not even Chasing Thunder. Chun Tian stood still for a while beneath the eaves. Brick and tile, tree and stone, everything remained just as before. The jujube tree had once again scattered leaves across the yard in melancholy disarray. The west wing’s doors and windows were tightly shut, but one of the east wing windows was left half-open. On the windowsill rested a gleaming, freshly-sharpened arrow, catching her eye with an unexpected jolt.
Ah Huang darted out from the main hall when it spotted her, barked twice at Shanshan, then happily wagged its bushy tail and trotted in cheerful circles around Chun Tian, rubbing eagerly against her legs.
“It still remembers you, jiejie,” Shanshan whispered, peeking from behind her. “But it’s being fierce to me.”
“Ah Huang just bullies strangers.”
She crouched down, took a strip of dried meat from the little basket Shanshan carried, and fed it to Ah Huang. Then she gently closed the door behind her and stepped out to visit the neighbors.
Back when she’d lived here, the aunties and grannies next door often came by for a chat. Now, seeing her return dressed in fine robes with a clever young maid in tow, they were delighted and bustled over with warm greetings. Auntie Huang at the alley entrance held Chun Tian’s hand and spoke with her at length, ending with: “Li Wei and Changliu left early this morning carrying a whole basket of paper offerings. I reckon they won’t be back for a while. Little Lady, why don’t you come wait at my house and have some tea?”
So they’d gone to visit Madam Li.
Chun Tian politely declined with a smile, spoke with the neighbors for a while longer, and then took Shanshan to the longevity shop to buy incense and offerings. Together, they headed for the outer city to pay respects at the gravesite.
Outside the city, the wind was thin and the earth lay quiet. Grass had withered, trees were bare, and fallen leaves in mottled hues blanketed the path like a brocade. Every step crunched with a crisp sound.
Madam Li’s gravestone was still fresh, but it had been carefully tended, clearly someone had been visiting regularly. Before the grave burned faint incense and paper offerings. A few of her favorite treats were laid out neatly. Li Wei and Changliu knelt beside the tomb, pulling weeds from the soil and clearing fallen leaves. They spoke to one another in gentle tones, at first not noticing Chun Tian’s presence. Only when she drew nearer did they realize someone had come.
She, too, was now dressed in finery, glistening hair ornaments, flowing silks in bright, delicate fabrics, which Shanshan now lifted carefully to keep the fine skirt hem from getting snagged in the grass, as it could not stand being dragged through the dirt.
“Changliu,” Chun Tian smiled and called out to him.
Father and son turned their heads from where they crouched among the weeds, their faces still soft with warmth. Li Wei rose slowly as he straightened his back, his gaze gentle. But Changliu’s face lit up with surprise, and he ran up to her, tugging excitedly at her sleeve. “Chun Tian-jiejie! You’re here!”
She reached out and measured the top of his head against her chin, laughing with curved eyes, “You’ve grown so tall.”
“Jiejie just hasn’t seen me in ages!” Changliu stood on tiptoe to get closer to her eye level, pride in every word. “I’ve grown inches! Last year’s clothes don’t even fit anymore.”
“That’s amazing,” Chun Tian chuckled. “At this rate, you’ll be taller than me by next year.”
She placed her basket in front of the grave, bowed three times, then took out the incense and paper offerings and said with a smile, “If Madam could see how tall you are now, she’d be so happy.”
“Father says one day I’ll be as tall as him.” Changliu set down the incense and bowed solemnly. “Mother, Mother, look! Chun Tian-jiejie came to see you too.”
“How come you are here?” Li Wei said, brushing the dirt from his hands and coming closer. He stood so the wind wouldn’t blow out the flame as she lit her offerings. “No one was home, I figured you heard we came out here.”
“Auntie Huang said as much.” The flickering firelight played gently over her features, giving her face a soft, serene glow. Chun Tian added in a low voice, “Mother was ill a few days ago, so I stayed to care for her. That’s why I came late.”
Li Wei paused, then nodded. “It’s all right.” After a moment, he asked, “Is Xue-furen feeling better now?”
Chun Tian nodded. “Much better.”
Li Wei told Changliu, “Take your jiejie to sit over there for a bit. Let Papa finish up here.”
Changliu nodded earnestly and tugged on Chun Tian’s sleeve. “Jiejie, the grass here is all messy. Let’s tell Mother first and go play outside.”
Li Wei had spent the better part of the morning tending to the grave, and by now, Madam Li’s tomb was fully cleared and newly ordered. From where he knelt, the faint voices of Chun Tian, Changliu and Shanshan carried over in the breeze. He uncorked a flask of plain wine and poured a slow libation over the mound, then squatted before the gravestone, his fingers pressing lightly to the stone’s surface, as if in silent conversation.
When Chun Tian and the children came back to him, they found Li Wei sitting alone in front of the grave. His hands were caked with dirt, resting on his knees.
His face was quiet, his gaze distant, neither grief nor joy showed in his expression. He sat like a carved statue, stone still among the dry grass and windswept earth, the blue sky and the cold air casting him into stark relief.
And in that moment, Chun Tian thought: I really can’t let him go.
“Papa, are you tired?”
“A little,” Li Wei said, rising to his feet. “Say a few more words to your mother, then we’ll head home.”
Chun Tian silently pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and offered it to him, glancing at the dirt smeared on his fingers. He shook his head, didn’t take the handkerchief, and instead used a fold of his robe to clean his hands.
After the rites were finished, the group made their way back. Behind Li Wei, Chun Tian and Changliu chatted in light, clear voices. The boy led the way with Chasing Thunder in tow. At the alley gate, he turned to her and said, “Come in for some tea, jiejie.”
Chun Tian glanced at the sky, hesitating. But Changliu tugged her sleeve again. “Jiejie, come to our house.”
She looked at him, then at Li Wei, and finally said to Shanshan, “You head back first. If furen asks, tell her I’ll be home shortly.”
Shanshan nodded and ran off. Changliu, eyes bright, wordless now, simply took Chun Tian’s hand and led her home.
The tea room was just as it had been: simple, familiar. The faint scent of medicine had faded. A little clay stove was lit beneath the kang bed, and on the table sat a few shiny, ripe oranges. Li Wei crouched before the stove, watching the water come to boil. Chun Tian sat behind him, half-perched on the warm kang bed, legs dangling over the edge. Softly, she asked, “That day, when did you leave?”
“I went straight to Madam Lu’s place to fetch Changliu,” Li Wei said without turning. “Why? Did you need something that day?”
“No,” she replied.
He turned and poured her a cup of tea. “I heard you call her ‘Mother.’ Has it been going well with them?”
She focused, then nodded slowly. “Very well. She treats me very well.”
Li Wei looked at her and silently passed her the tea. She bit her lip, lashes trembling, eyes hidden beneath the thick fringe.
“One day you were always going to have to face them,” he said gently. “Those worries of yours, those people and things in Chang’an, they weren’t as frightening as you thought, were they?”
Not so frightening, no. She realized she was capable of handling it. But if given the choice, she wouldn’t want to face it all alone.
Just then, Changliu ran in from the main hall, arms full of heavy, half-ripened pomegranates. “Chun Tian Jiejie, let’s eat some pomegranates!”
She smiled, catching one in her arms. “Such big pomegranates! Where’d you get them?”
“Madam Zhou gave them to us! Huaiyuan da-ge is getting married soon!” he beamed. “In a few days, she invited Jiayan and me to sleep in the new bridal room. You and Papa came back just in time, we can all go to the wedding together!”
Chun Tian’s eyes widened. “Huaiyuan-gege and Shu’er-jiejie are really getting married?”
“Yes. It’s set for the fifteenth, just a few days from now,” said Li Wei. “A trade caravan from the Western Regions brought back a batch of big Kucha pomegranates. The Zhou family used them to decorate the bridal chamber. These extras were gifts for the children.”
He added, “I saw Huaiyuan yesterday. He asked if you were back. If so, he hoped you’d accompany Shu’er during the wedding. Would you be willing?”
“I am willing,” Chun Tian lit up, embracing the pomegranates with glee. “I have to go see Shu’er-jiejie! This is such good news.”
Then she asked, “Wasn’t the wedding supposed to be at the end of the year? Why move it up?”
“Old Madam Fang took a fall in the courtyard last month,” Li Wei explained. “She’s not doing well. They were worried she might not make it to year’s end, so both families decided to hold the ceremony early.”
Chun Tian had met the Fang family’s Old Matriarch once, white-haired, sharp-eyed, always laughing with the children. The news brought a tinge of sorrow to her joy. “I remember talking with Granny just around this time last year. I’ll go visit her.”
Then, she looked at the father and son before her, and after a pause, she spoke solemnly: “In ten days or so, I’ll be leaving with Mother. We’ll return to Chang’an.”
Both father and son went quiet.
Changliu furrowed his brow, eyes filled with reluctant sorrow. “Jiejie…”
Chun Tian saw Li Wei’s face calm and unmoved as he peeled the pomegranate seeds for them both. A quiet ache stirred in her chest. She exhaled softly and smiled brightly as she turned to Changliu. Your jiejie didn’t do right before, hiding things from everyone. I actually have a mother, and family back in Chang’an. I ran away by myself… and now my mother has come all the way to Ganzhou to find me.”
Changliu pursed his lips and said obediently, “I know. Father said you came from an important family in Chang’an.”
“No,” Chun Tian tilted her head, accepting the dish of glistening pomegranate seeds that Li Wei pushed over. “My family’s just an ordinary one. It’s just that my mother remarried into a noble household later, it has nothing to do with me.” She smiled again. “While I’m still in Ganzhou, I should visit you more often.”
Changliu was quiet, then seemed to remember something. “I still have the little pony I wanted to give jiejie! It’s grown up now. Uncle Guang took it to the stables.”
“Oh?” Chun Tian laughed. “Is it a red one? Your father told me about it, said it was beautiful. I must take it back to Chang’an with me.”
“I’ll bring it back for you another day,” Li Wei said suddenly. “There’s not much here in Ganzhou that’s worth bringing back.”
“No need.” She forced a small smile. After a moment, she added, “This is already more than enough.”
After a little while, she glanced at the darkening sky and said, “It’s getting late. I should head back. I’ll visit again another day.”
Father and son walked her out together, side by side along the narrow alley of Blind Alley.
The alley was filled with the scents of daily life, persimmons drying outside every door, smoke curling up from kitchens, the fragrant smell of lamb stew drifting along the wind.
Chun Tian took a deep breath. So did Changliu. The two walked shoulder to shoulder, their eyes meeting as they laughed, “Smells so good.”
“That must be Grandpa Scholar’s place,” Changliu grinned. “But his lamb stew isn’t as good as Father’s.”
Chun Tian nodded in firm agreement.
At the mouth of the alley, a fine, elegant carriage had already been parked. Shanshan sat waiting with the coachman, and upon seeing Chun Tian, she lifted her skirts and ran forward. “Madam asked me to fetch you home. The carriage couldn’t get in, so I waited here for you.”
Chun Tian turned to say goodbye. “You two should head back.”
Li Wei called after her as she turned to leave. “The day after tomorrow, the caravan families are coming by to drink. You should come too.”
He added, “It’s just a small gathering, say farewell before you go.”
Chun Tian nodded and pressed her lips together. “Alright.”
When she returned to the guest manor, Xue furen had already laid out the evening meal. Seeing Chun Tian and Shanshan return, she greeted them with a gentle smile. “Back already? Was it cold out? Were your benefactors well?”
A maid immediately stepped forward to help Chun Tian change and wash up. The room was filled with the scent of warm water and tea.
Surrounded by attentive maids, Chun Tian took the warm tea her mother offered. Looking closely, she thought Xue furen’s complexion had improved a little. She accepted the cup. “The sun was out today. It was fairly warm.”
She hesitated a moment, then added, “Li Wei and Changliu are both doing well.”
“I should go visit to thank the benefactors in person,” said Xue furen, smiling. “But you insist I stay in.”
“It’s nothing, really. I just wanted to see them,” Chun Tian replied. “Ah-niang can go once you’re feeling better.”
“We must still prepare a proper gift for your benefactor,” Xue furen mused aloud. “I wonder what the benefactor likes…”
“Ah-niang, just call him Li Wei.” Chun Tian felt awkward, helpless. “He’s just Li Wei.”
“That won’t do. He’s older than you,” Xue furen said, still smiling as she took her daughter’s hand and led her to the table. “Come. Let’s eat first.”
Since the day she’d collapsed in worry and coughed up blood, Xue furen had grown even colder toward Prince Jing, but even more attentive to Chun Tian. They ate and slept together; perhaps it was the fear of losing her again, or a deep-seated guilt. Whatever it was, she tried to make up for everything, tending to her in every small detail, even down to each strand of hair.
She had once been resigned, as if her heart had died. But after washing her daughter’s hair, seeing the scars along her back and shoulders, combing through those locks that couldn’t be gathered into a proper chignon, after hearing offhand mentions of sleepless nights under open skies, curled up against the cold, something had awakened again.
That heart, once frozen, was gathering strength again. She now understood what it was.
She had lived too long letting others make the decisions for her. But now, at last, she understood the road ahead. She had already betrayed her husband. She would not, could not, fail her daughter again.
The table was filled with lavish dishes, and maids stood ready at every side, there was no need for Chun Tian to lift a finger. Seeing her mother bustling about, Chun Tian could only smile and go along, despite the quiet helplessness in her heart.
One of the dishes placed before her was a colorful flower cake, finely crafted with meticulous care. Xue furen had ordered it specifically for her. “Mother remembers you loved these when you were little,” she said with a bright smile, lifting a piece with her chopsticks and holding it to Chun Tian’s lips. “I had the kitchen make them just as Niuniu liked, Niuniue try some.”
But the moment Chun Tian saw the cake, her expression abruptly changed. She turned her head away and gently pushed the cake aside.
Xue furen hadn’t expected this reaction. She paused, hand still in the air, watching her daughter’s face, now pale, and found herself flustered and at a loss.
Chun Tian quickly explained, “I think I just had too much when I was young. I got tired of it and I haven’t liked it since.”
“Alright, alright. Then we won’t eat it. I’ll have someone take it away.”
Perhaps it was because they hadn’t lived together in many years, her daughter had quietly grown up, become independent and strong-willed. But as a mother, she still remembered her child as she was long ago.
“Ah-niang.” Chun Tian tugged gently at Madam Xue’s sleeve to soften the moment, “I still like fish, but I hate picking out the bones. Will you help me?”
Madam Xue immediately smiled and rolled up her sleeves. “Of course. Mother will pick out the bones for you.”
—
Back in Blind Alley, Helian Guang had dropped by to speak with Li Wei.
Since stepping away from the caravan teams, both men had been busy with other things, Helian Guang especially, scouting the horse markets for fine colts, with hundreds already moved into Eagle’s Nest Ravine. There was still hiring to be done, stables to build, a hundred pressing matters at once.
“The official pastures across Hexi are all expanding,” Helian Guang said. “If war breaks out, the number of horses we’ve got will be far from enough. We’ve got to stock up while we can.”
Li Wei thought for a moment. “Most of the good horses in the market are Hequ breeds. They’re not bad, but if we’re facing the Turks in an open field, I worry they won’t hold up. They’re not as hardy as Qinghai steeds.”
“Your Chasing Thunder is a Qinghai steed, isn’t it?” Helian Guang chuckled. “He’s carried you back and forth to Dunhuang ten times over and never tired. But those horses are all in Tubo hands, hard to come by.”
“There are still Tuyuhun people living near Qinghai Lake,” Li Wei noted. “Some of them have come under Tubo control, but I’ve heard they hunt wild horses in the southern Qilian Mountains and quietly sell them to local ranchers.”
“I’ll go ask around,” Helian Guang replied. “Winter’s nearly here. If we wait until spring, it’ll be too late.”
Li Wei poured him a cup of tea, gave him a sidelong glance, and smirked. “You sure you can leave town? Now that someone’s constantly by Mingyue’s side?”
At this, Helian Guang scowled. He drummed his fingers against the table, saying nothing.
“I thought by now you two would’ve figured things out,” Li Wei went on, “but I didn’t expect a Cheng Yaojin1 to show up midway. If you don’t move fast, you’re going to lose her.”
Helian Guang shoved aside the tea, uncorked a wine flask, and took a swig. After a long pause, he finally eased his brows. “If she’s willing to sleep beside me, I won’t count it as a loss.”
Li Wei, sitting close by, noticed a faint scratch behind Helian Guang’s ear, clearly the aftermath of a quarrel, and shook his head. “Don’t push her too far. She’s not like other women.”
Helian Guang’s amber-brown eyes flicked toward him. “She’s stubborn as a mule. But even if she were a steel rod, I’d grind her down into a needle. That said, you’ve seen it. That cousin of hers, childhood sweetheart, made promises when they were young, he’s been hanging around every day, making a show of affection. I can tell she’s wavering. She might just leave with him.” Distraught, he rubbed his temple and sighed. “You got any advice?”
Li Wei smiled faintly. “That mess? I’m not touching it. I’ve always thought of her like a sister. If I didn’t know your intentions, I would’ve stepped in long ago.”
Helian Guang let out a bitter laugh. “You Han people always talk about fate. I used to scoff at that. But now? Now I wish it had been me who went to the frontier post, and my brother who went to the horse ranch. If I had met her earlier, maybe things wouldn’t be so tangled now.”
Hearing this, Li Wei’s hand paused mid-motion. He took a sip of wine and said quietly, “It’s all fate.”
Seeing Li Wei’s gaze drift into the distance, Helian Guang temporarily set aside his own troubles. “What about you? What will you do now? Madam Li is gone. It’s just you and your son at home, quiet and empty. You ought to marry again. Now you’re both the father and the mother, doing the cooking and laundry yourself. That’s no way to live.”
Li Wei shook his head with a dry chuckle. “You make it sound like the purpose of marriage is just to have someone do your chores. These things are small matters. I’ve been away long enough; I’m content just to spend more time with Changliu. The rest, I can ask Auntie Zhao to come help again.”
Helian Guang gave a low laugh. “If I could marry Mingyue, I’d gladly do the chores every day.” He recalled something. “Remember that landowning gentleman in Huayuan Township, Suzhou Prefecture? His daughter was widowed young and lives with her elderly father. A few years ago, she seemed to have some interest in you. A couple of months back, somehow he heard Madam Li had passed. He showed up at your house to find you, not finding you, he came to me for news. I figure he wants to marry his daughter to you.”
Li Wei shook his head, his eyes narrowing slightly, lost in thought. After a moment, he replied flatly, “We’ll see.”
—
That day, Li Wei invited the old caravan team over for drinks and hired a few women skilled in banquet preparation to help in the kitchen. With no mistress in the house, he asked Lu Mingyue to oversee the arrangements.
Lu Mingyue arrived early with Jiayan to help. An Jingran pulled up in a donkey cart, smiling as he bowed to Li Wei. “I’ve brought Mingyue and Jiayan.”
Li Wei watched him lift the carriage curtain, help Mingyue down, set up the footstool, offer a handkerchief, speaking gently, attentively, managing every detail. After settling both Mingyue and Jiayan into the house, An Jingran lingered with final reminders: “Don’t tire yourself out. I’ll come back to pick you up after I finish things.” He turned to Jiayan: “Uncle will get you that pony whip tonight, so behave today. Don’t make your mother angry again.”
Lu Mingyue hastily shooed him off, while Jiayan nodded eagerly. “Uncle, come early tonight! I’m going riding with Guang-shu tomorrow!”
An Jingran waved cheerfully and took his leave.
Lu Mingyue watched him go. Turning back, she saw Li Wei watching her with a grin and immediately flushed, raising her brows. “What are you smiling at?”
“Your cousin seems quite the gentleman,” Li Wei replied with a smile. “We’ve known each other for so many years, and you never mentioned such a close cousin.”
Mingyue pursed her lips. “We grew up together. When my family was disgraced, he was away. We never got to say goodbye. I nearly forgot about him until a few months ago, someone knocked on my door and it was him. Turns out, his mother’s family had their own troubles these past years. Things only got better recently, and with someone from his hometown traveling west, he came along to find me.”
Li Wei saw Jiayan dash inside to play with Changliu and casually asked, “Let me guess, childhood friends, and maybe even a betrothal arrangement?”
Lu Mingyue’s face turned red instantly. She glared at him. “Helian Guang told you, didn’t he?”
Li Wei didn’t confirm nor deny. “He came all this way to see you, and hasn’t left since. So what are you planning?”
Lu Mingyue bit her lip but said nothing.
Li Wei sighed. “You’re really going to return to Gusu?”
With a wave of her hand, she walked toward the kitchen. “Eventually, I’ll have to.”
The kitchen was already busy. Mingyue was directing the women hired to prepare the feast. Just then, Chun Tian entered with Shanshan behind her, followed by two servants carrying food boxes and pastries.
Mingyue quickly went up to greet them, eyes full of warmth. Seeing her glance between herself and the servants, Chun Tian immediately bowed slightly. “It was wrong of me to keep things from you before, Madam. Please don’t be offended.”
She added, “My mother heard I was coming and insisted on sending some fruit and pastries. I couldn’t refuse.” She handed the box over.
Mingyue took it with a laugh. “I only regret that last year you sold those embroidered handkerchiefs to the shop for such a low price. If I’d known they were made by a noble young lady’s hands, they’d have gone for ten times that!”
“Thank you, Madam Lu.” Chuntian was still sincerely grateful for Mingyue’s kindness back then. Seeing the flurry in the kitchen, she rolled up her sleeves. “Let me help you.”
Mingyue chuckled. “We’ve got enough hands in here. I’m just supervising. You go play, Changliu and Jiayan are inside.”
After a few more exchanged words, Mingyue gently nudged her toward the inner rooms. Shanshan stayed behind to help where she could.
In the side room, Li Wei and Jiayan were playing a game of shuanglu (backgammon). Changliu was watching from a small bench nearby. When Chun Tian entered, he immediately made space beside him and called out, “Jiejie, come sit here!”
The two at the game board were fully focused on dice and moves. Li Wei was leaning close to the table, and happened to look up just then. He nodded at her with a smile, simple and soft. She felt as though the gleam in his dark eyes had wrapped her whole being in quiet, luminous warmth. And in that moment, her heart skipped wildly, scattered, tumbling like petals in the wind.
Chun Tian sat down beside Changliu, the two of them watching Jiayan toss the dice. The board was a disaster for Li Wei, his white pieces were in tatters. Changliu explained excitedly, “Just now Jiayan rolled the dice and knocked out several of Papa’s pieces. Jiayan didn’t even admit it, but now Papa’s definitely losing.”
Jiayan was smug. “Double-six is all about luck. If Li-shu’s pieces got knocked out, that’s just fate.”
Changliu nudged his father. “Papa, put Jiayan in his place!”
Jiayan snickered, moved a few steps, and lifted his chin. “Li-shu, you always used to beat me. But this time I’ve got you pinned, you’re not getting back up from this!”
That offhand comment struck both adults at the table. Li Wei looked down at the board, gently rubbing the smooth piece between his fingers, and smiled faintly. “Seems I’ve truly lost this round. Then I’ll concede defeat, gracefully and willingly.”
He handed the piece to Chun Tian. Then he stood and stepped outside. “I’ll go check on things outside. You all take turns playing.”
The cold white chess piece had been warmed in his hands and Chun Tian’s fingertips felt scalded.
As midday approached, more guests arrived. Huaiyuan showed up as well, though Shu’er was absent. When Chun Tian asked, Huaiyuan looked a little embarrassed, but couldn’t hide his pride: “She’s been staying in for the past few days. But we’ve agreed, on the big day, you have to come early. On the way there, give me a hand, alright? Don’t trip me up too much ah.”
Chun Tian couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll be sure to help.”
The old caravan team arrived, more than ten men and women. The banquet was set up in the side room, everyone sitting around sharing drinks and roasted meats, the air full of hearty laughter and warm camaraderie. Lu Mingyue was bustling back and forth, carrying a platter of fish into the room. The moment she lifted the curtain, the scent of wine and meat rushed out and hit her square in the chest. Her stomach turned violently. It took all her effort to suppress the rising nausea. Still, she smiled and delivered the dish.
Helian Guang caught the pale hue of her face and leaned over to Jiayan. “Go pull your mother to sit and rest. She looks worn out.”
Jiayan leapt off the couch. “Mama, Mama! Come sit!”
Mingyue waved her hands. “I’ll rest in the kitchen. You drink and enjoy yourselves.” And with that, she fled the side room.
Chun Tian was sitting by the window with Changliu when she saw, through a narrow gap in the frame, Lu Mingyue outside bent over, her breathing suddenly labored. Concerned, Chun Tian quietly excused herself and followed her out.
Behind the kitchen house, she found Lu Mingyue hunched over, hand to her chest, retching dryly. Alarmed, Chun Tian rushed to her side and steadied her. “Madam Lu, are you feeling unwell?”
Chun Tian was still too young and naïve to think much of it, she simply assumed Mingyue’s health had taken a turn. But Mingyue, who had already borne a child, suddenly realized something. As her body tensed with a chill, her face went deathly pale.
Her body swayed suddenly, as if she were about to collapse, Chun Tian quickly caught her. Seeing the confused clarity in the young girl’s eyes, Lu Mingyue forced a smile and patted her gently. “It’s nothing. I just ate something bad last night. My stomach’s upset, that’s all. A bit of water and I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll get some water for you. Please rest here.” Chun Tian helped her sit under the eaves and quickly called out to Shanshan.
Shanshan returned holding a cup of warm tea. Lu Mingyue took a sip, then forced a wan smile. “I just remembered there are things to take care of at home. Don’t tell the others, I don’t want to ruin the mood. If Jiayan asks, just say I had errands to run.”
Chun Tian nodded. She watched as Lu Mingyue slowly rose, unsteady on her feet, and walked off without turning back. Turning to Shanshan, she asked softly, “Shanshan, didn’t you think something was odd about Madam Lu?”
Shanshan blinked and leaned in to whisper, “Jiejie, Madam Lu is going to have a baby.”
Chun Tian laughed, tugging lightly at the girl’s braid. “What nonsense are you spouting now?”
“Shanshan is not making it up,” Shanshan pouted. “I once broke Mi furen’s stone sugar and she got so mad she kicked me out to be sold. Back then, she looked exactly like Lu furen, she felt sick all the time and wanted to throw up. She was pregnant then. Just now I sat with Lu furen and she kept holding her chest like she was hurting.”
Chun Tian had seen pregnant women in the neighborhood before. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed plausible, but she still brushed it off. “You’re imagining things. Lu furen just has an upset stomach.”
Shanshan pouted. “Okay then…”
After the banquet, the men lingered in the side room, drinking and chatting. Chun Tian, Shanshan, Changliu, and Jiayan played a few more rounds of backgammon before saying their goodbyes.
“I’ll walk you out,” said Li Wei, rising from the table to follow her out.
The three of them, Chun Tian , Shanshan and Li Wei, walked quietly down the alley, each seemingly lost in thought. At the alley’s end stood a luxurious carriage. Li Wei watched the girls board, and as the wheels began to turn, Chun Tian lifted the curtain and looked at him wordlessly.
He gave her a soft smile, nodding once before lowering his eyes and turning back toward the house.
His gaze was always sincere and calm. Except for that one night in Yiwu, when wine had unraveled all restraint, he had never placed any demand or expectation upon her.
“Li Wei.”
Suddenly, she threw open the curtain and leapt from the moving carriage, startling both the driver and Shanshan. Stumbling slightly, she gathered her skirts and ran toward Blind Alley.
Li Wei heard the commotion and turned just in time to see her rushing toward him, breathless, cheeks flushed, eyes radiant.
She stopped just short of him. Before he could speak, she blurted, “Just now at the table, I heard people say that matchmakers have already come for you. That several of them were turned away.”
Li Wei looked at her, expression unreadable. Then he nodded.
“I know you still miss Madam Li.” Her breath was short, her face brilliantly beautiful. “But, but…if not now, then what about later?” she asked, locking her gaze onto him.
His body went tense, his voice slightly hoarse. “What are you saying?”
“I mean in…in the future.” She suddenly stammered, but clenched her fists and made up her mind to stop fighting what her heart screamed for, “ I’ll go back and bury my father. I’ll visit the Prince Jing’s residence. I want to meet my little brother. And once all that is done… maybe I’ll have time to return and visit Changliu again.”
She tilted her head up, fearless, meeting his gaze. “And if we meet again after that…”
She had tried to let go so many times. But the truth was: since they met, she had never really been able to.
Footnotes:
- Cheng Yaojin: often depicted in Chinese folklore and popular culture as a somewhat inept and bumbling warrior who sometimes shows up at the right place and right time to save the day, kind of like a white knight. Used to describe a situation where someone shows up unexpectedly and disrupts a plan. It is also used to describe an unwelcome busybody who shows up where he/she is not wanted. ↩︎
TN: Hi everyone!! Hope everyone is well! I am finally back from hiatus for this novel and plan on mass releasing the rest of the chapters soon! I had moved recently, hence the slight delay.
Announcement: We have set up a kofi and patreon account! If you would like to support us or get early access to advance chapters to my current works, those options are available for you (in support us page)! I have just added a patreon tier for Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examinations in which patreons can have access to a google document with ALL of my advanced translated chapters for the novel. Since I am a grad student, there should usually be at least 10 advance chapters in the document at a time, but depending on my schedules, there may be fewer or more. I’m currently extremely busy, but I have translated out some new chapters for you all! But, I will still post each week with the same schedule. Thanks!
Twin Dragons Translations 