The Seventh Year of Shenchu
Don’t be shy
Zhen Wenjun lingered at the jade stall a while longer, inquiring seriously about the quality and provenance of many jade pieces from the shop owner. Eventually, she selected a delicate, smooth piece of yellow-white jade.
The shop owner said the jade was named “Junzi” and was most suitable as a gift for a young man. Zhen Wenjun was very pleased. After asking the price, she emptied all her small silver pieces, but she was still short by two liang (a traditional Chinese unit of weight, approximately 31 grams).
“Sister Lingbi, could you lend me some money first? I promise to repay you later,” Zhen Wenjun asked, pulling Lingbi aside.
Lingbi untied her embroidered purse from her waist and handed it to her:
“Don’t just ask for two liang. Whatever amount you need, as long as I have it, it’s yours.”
“No, no, just two liang will do.” Zhen Wenjun didn’t take more than she needed from the offered silver. She counted out two liang of silver and returned the embroidered purse to Lingbi. Lingbi, holding the purse, never took her eyes off Zhen Wenjun’s face, watching her carefully inspect the jade to ensure it was intact.
Zhen Wenjun didn’t question Lingbi’s anxious search for her, nor did she overly explain her sudden departure, as if everything was perfectly normal and reasonable.
Holding the jade she had bought, she returned to the carriage. Lingbi asked if she wanted to browse some more, but she shook her head:
“Let’s call it a day. I’ve spent all my silver, and it’s getting cold. Let’s head back.”
Lingbi, always following her lead, instructed the coachman to drive them home.
Before getting into the carriage, Zhen Wenjun discreetly glanced around the surrounding tea houses and taverns. She noticed that the people who had been sitting upstairs drinking when they first arrived were still there. They were using their bowls as a pretense to block their gazes, pretending to look down the street while actually focusing solely on the carriage.
As she had suspected, Wei Tingxu’s audacious presence in Taojun City, and her confidence in residing in a simple courtyard, indicated that the Wei family’s influence in the city was far more extensive than it appeared. The tea houses, the street, the city, and the common people—what seemed ordinary was actually a meticulously woven web. This was her first outing, and Lingbi must have been on guard. Just like Wei Tingxu gave her apparent freedom without restrictions, in reality, she was secretly observing to see what she would do. Lingbi didn’t follow her closely after they left, even allowing her an opportunity to leave alone—this was another ploy.
Given such a prime opportunity, if she were a spy, she would definitely inform the Qingliu faction—this was what Lingbi thought.
If they caught her red-handed, they would kill her on the spot—that was likely Wei Tingxu’s instruction.
I’m not that foolish, Zhen Wenjun thought to herself with a silent laugh.
When buying the jade, Zhen Wenjun spent all her money to let Lingbi know she had no plans to escape. Escaping would certainly require funds, and she was penniless, not even tempted by the silver Lingbi offered her. It seemed she was resolute in staying here for the long term.
Zhen Wenjun held the yellow jade in her hand, feeling it gradually warm in her palm: You would test me, and naturally, I would test you. You lost this round.
After purchasing the jade and returning, Wei Tingxu and Xiaohua had not yet come back, so Zhen Wenjun wandered around the courtyard. She talked to Lingbi about the herbs, explaining their uses, and picked some to save for Tingxu:
“Her neck wound might leave a scar. Sister Tingxu, with her flawless skin like jade, shouldn’t suffer such a grievance. Sister Lingbi, why don’t you take these and let her try them?”
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Lingbi asked, “Why don’t you wait for her to come back and give it to her yourself, young lady?”
Zhen Wenjun pursed her lips into a smile, slightly shy yet exuding true sincerity: “I have just reunited with Sister Tingxu, but after so many years, there is inevitably a bit of estrangement. Aren’t you always by her side, Sister Lingbi? Now, taking care of me must be a grievance for you. You should return to her side in the future, so she doesn’t forget your goodness.”
“Please don’t say that, young lady. How could it be a grievance for me to serve you? I didn’t expect you to be so considerate, young lady. Lingbi is truly grateful. No wonder the lady has been thinking about you all these years. Please don’t feel shy, the lady is very fond of you.” Lingbi took the medicine, her watery eyes filled with gratitude and comfort. “I will keep these herbs for now, thank you very much, young lady.”
“Sister Lingbi, there’s no need to be so polite. I got up early this morning and now I feel a bit tired,” Zhen Wenjun said with a yawn, “I’ll go take a nap.”
Lingbi helped her make the bed and, as she walked out the door, glanced up at the lush canopy of trees. The branches swayed gently, as if moved by the wind. She knew the shadow guards were all there, so she left with peace of mind to attend to her tasks.
Passing by the brazier along the corridor to warm herself, Lingbi recalled being tricked and wondered if the medicinal patch had been poisoned. Feeling frustrated and stifled, she casually threw the patch into the fire, burning it completely.
While Lingbi was feeling upset, on the other side, Zhen Wenjun, having won a move in a game of chess, felt a bit smug. Moreover, with Wei Tingxu not around, she felt much more relaxed and soon fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She slept until it was dark and woke up feeling completely refreshed.
Lingbi informed her that Wei Tingxu had returned, so Zhen Wenjun took the gift for Ah Liao and went to the main courtyard to find her.
Lingbi knocked on the door, but although Wei Tingxu was inside, she didn’t respond immediately. Zhen Wenjun pricked up her ears and heard the sound of bamboo slips being put away. Only after the tidying noises stopped did Wei Tingxu say:
“Come in.”
Zhen Wenjun entered the room and sweetly called her “Sister.” Wei Tingxu removed her heavy fur coat and draped a shawl over her shoulders, a smile forced under her weary expression:
“How has your day been, Sister Wenjun?”
As Xiaohua folded the fur coat, a waft of Wei Tingxu’s woody fragrance mixed with an unmistakable scent of blood drifted over. Zhen Wenjun, standing not far away, inevitably caught the scent. She didn’t try to hide her reaction, hesitating for a moment before refraining from immediately approaching Wei Tingxu with affection.
Wei Tingxu noticed her hesitation and hugged a hand warmer brazier to her chest: “I encountered a few ruffians while out today and got a bit of blood on me while dealing with them. Please don’t mind it, Sister.”
“Of course I don’t mind… Were they the people from the Xie family you mentioned again?”
Wei Tingxu nodded, “It seems so. The remnants of the Xie family are still in Taojun City, seemingly searching for someone. After being discovered by Xiaohua, they were dealt with on the spot. Now, there are no more Xie family spies in the city, and our future travels should be smoother.”
No more Xie family spies? How could the Qingliu people be so useless, dying off just like that? Zhen Wenjun gritted her teeth in frustration. If no information could get out, the Xie family might think she was dead too, which would be a huge injustice to her mother. Now, she was finally beside the much-coveted “Wei Zizhuo”!
She managed to force her facial muscles into something resembling a smile and sighed, “Sister, you face perils every day in these treacherous waters, constantly surrounded by danger. I wish I knew how I could share some of your burdens.”
With both hands on the spokes of the four-wheeled cart, Wei Tingxu pushed herself forward, moving the cart closer to Zhen Wenjun. Beneath the fur collar, the scar from Jiang Daochang’s twin blades remained a glaring, swollen red wound, creating a striking contrast against Wei Tingxu’s pale, exquisite face, forming a picture of breathtaking beauty.
No matter how ordinary the place, as long as this woman was present, it resembled a masterpiece meticulously painted by a grandmaster.
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“As long as you take good care of yourself, that would be a great help to me,” Wei Tingxu raised her hand, and Xiaohua placed a palm-sized, exquisite wooden box into her hand, giving Zhen Wenjun a glare in the process.
“I have to stay here for a while longer and feared you might get bored at home, so I went out today to find you a little trinket to amuse yourself.”
“This… is for me?”
Wei Tingxu’s smile was gentle and graceful, her eyes unwilling to leave Zhen Wenjun’s face for even a moment. She said with vibrant enthusiasm:
“Open it and see.”
Zhen Wenjun carefully opened the wooden box, revealing an object that was smooth as silver yet harder than copper. The object was round with several nearly imperceptible seams, indicating it was made of interlocking parts. At its center was a red ring, which she curiously touched. Suddenly, the sphere expanded, growing to the size of a human head. The previously invisible seams now appeared as patterns on its surface.
“What is this?” Zhen Wenjun exclaimed in surprise, turning it over to find a groove at the bottom of the sphere.
“It’s called ‘All-Encompassing’,” Wei Tingxu said. As she spoke, Xiaohua perceptively handed over an oil lamp. Wei Tingxu placed the expanded sphere over the lamp, “It needs nothing more than an oil lamp to play with.”
As the sphere heated up, its silvery surface began to reveal different colors. The dark patterns transformed into a myriad of hues, gradually resembling the evening sky. In an instant, the scene shifted to a starry night. Zhen Wenjun watched in awe, pressing her fingertips against the twinkling stars and marveled:
“How could such a wondrous thing exist in the world!”
Xiaohua, with a cold expression, said, “The lady traveled two hundred li (approximately 100 kilometers) just to find this thing and even encountered danger.”
Zhen Wenjun was taken aback and asked with concern, “Did Sister get hurt?”
Wei Tingxu shook her head, “No one could harm me. It displays its wonders when placed over the oil lamp, and to retract it, simply remove it from the lamp and let it cool.”
Zhen Wenjun was so enamored with the “All-Encompassing” that she couldn’t put it down. Wei Tingxu instructed Lingbi to carry it to Zhen Wenjun’s room.
Before leaving, Zhen Wenjun handed a piece of yellow jade to Wei Tingxu: “Time was short, and I didn’t know what Ah Liao would like, so I picked this because it looked nice.”
Wei Tingxu held it in her hand and said, “I mentioned it casually, but I didn’t expect Sister to take it to heart. Sister made a good choice; Ah Liao will definitely like it.”
Back in her room, Zhen Wenjun looked at the object, feeling utterly helpless, pondering over how to contact the Xie family and how to shake off the spies Wei Tingxu had placed around her. The charcoal fire had gone out, leaving her hands and feet cold, but she didn’t even notice. As the night grew deeper, Zhen Wenjun stood up and stretched lazily. Unable to come up with a good plan for the moment, she realized that acting rashly might alert the enemy, doing more harm than good. She ate the snacks Lingbi had brought earlier, planning to take a warm bath in the hot spring and then sleep soundly, intending to deal with Lingbi tomorrow.
Taking the new jacket Wei Tingxu had prepared for her, she walked towards the hot spring in the backyard under the moonlight. She placed her clothes by the poolside and, the moment she immersed herself in the hot spring, felt as if her skin and flesh melded into the warmth, shivering from the comfort.
Tonight’s moon was exceptionally bright. Zhen Wenjun swam back and forth twice, feeling quite happy. When she looked up at the moon, she thought of her mother, and suddenly, this happiness was overshadowed by a sense of guilt.
Just as Zhen Wenjun was about to finish her bath and get out, she suddenly heard footsteps outside the fence. Startled, she turned her head and, through the hot steam, saw Xiaohua carrying Wei Tingxu as they walked in.
“This… I didn’t know Sister was coming to bathe, I’ll leave right away.” Zhen Wenjun covered the small mounds in front of her chest, kicking her feet as she tried to swim towards the clothes on the shore.
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Xiaohua carried Wei Tingxu to the edge of the pool, sat her down, and then neatly folded her shawl before leaving.
Wei Tingxu was wearing only a semi-transparent silk dress. The steam quickly clung to the dress, causing it to stick to her exquisite jade-like body, outlining the shape of her figure.
Zhen Wenjun dared not glance sideways, reaching out to grab her clothes, intending to roll them up and leave.
Before she could touch her clothes, the back of her hand brushed against something warm.
Wei Tingxu held her hand.
This…
Zhen Wenjun had never expected Wei Tingxu to say this:
“Back then, little sister Wenjun always pestered me to bathe together. How is it that just a few years later, you’ve become so shy?”
