Chapter 14 Was it just bad luck for her, or bad luck for him, that snow fell that day...?

Since the birthday banquet, she has lived a peaceful and stable life. Early in the morning, she took a car to Jixiang Temple to offer incense to her mother.

Cheng Huaizhu told her about a temple near the Cheng residence, located next to Fantai Mountain. Because it was built in the previous dynasty, although it was not as grand as the large temples, it was extremely quiet and most suitable for quiet meditation and worship.

A few days ago, heavy snow made the mountain roads difficult to travel, and fewer people came to offer incense. The snow covering the eaves made the place look even more solemn.

Leaving the meditation room, I walked along a section of the mountain-climbing corridor as the sun gradually began to set in the west.

The young man in plain robes and blue shirts entered the courtyard. He stood under the eaves, holding the wooden box tightly in his hands, head bowed, looking slightly nervous.

A moment later, someone opened the door, and an elderly woman came out, looking extremely surprised to see him.

"Why is Erlang here? It's so cold outside, why are you standing here without sending anyone to deliver a message?"

Jiang Ce tentatively asked, "Auntie, is my mother here?"

Lanxi led him to sit down on the veranda, placed the hand warmer in his hand, examined it carefully, and smiled with satisfaction after a long while.

"You've grown even more beautifully in the years since I last saw you. You've really matured and are no longer as mischievous as before; you've become much more composed."

Jiang Ce smiled shyly, hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke.

“Aunt Lanxi, my mother…”

Lanxi said, "My wife has taken her medicine and is now asleep. It's getting late, Erlang, you should go home first and come back another day."

"Take medicine?" Jiang Ce grabbed her sleeve and asked hurriedly, "Has my mother been sick for so many days and is she still not better?"

Lanxi patted his hand and said, "It's much better now, so don't worry."

Jiang Ce breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with pleading.

"Then...can I...can I go see her?"

His voice lowered: "Even if it's just a glance from afar, through a screen, and a kowtow."

Lanxi couldn't bear to watch, so she turned her head away and didn't reply to him.

Jiang Ce tugged at her sleeve and pleaded in a low voice, "Please, just one glance is enough."

She sighed deeply, unable to bear it any longer, and patted the boy's shoulder.

Let's go.

Lanxi pushed open the door and entered. Turning around, she saw Jiang Ce standing in front of the door, hesitant to go in, clutching the long crimson ribbon hanging from his waist.

"Alright, the door is open and a draft can get in, come in quickly."

Jiang Ce then stepped through the door.

Through the painted screen, the woman on the couch was not sleeping soundly, her brows furrowed.

Lanxi gently woke her up: "Erlang is here."

She sat up, and Lanxi draped a robe over her shoulders, gesturing towards Jiang Ce behind the screen.

Lady Yu raised her eyes, and the person behind the screen knelt down and kowtowed, refusing to rise.

"Your child greets Mother."

Her voice was soft and gentle, yet calm and indifferent.

"Get up."

Jiang Ce stood up, his long fingers tapping the wooden box and plum blossoms: "Sister Tan said you were ill, and because she was busy at home for Grandmother's birthday banquet a while ago, she didn't have time to come see you..."

"knew."

Lady Yu lowered her eyes, her gentle, pale face calm: "I am much better now, there is no need to worry."

Jiang Ce stood behind the screen, feeling somewhat uneasy. After thinking for a moment, he spoke softly, "I made another mistake after arriving in the capital. Please don't be angry."

Lady Yu leaned back on the pillow and said calmly, "Since His Majesty and the Old Madam have already reprimanded you, what reason do I have to be angry?"

Jiang Ce bit his lip, his voice trembling slightly, "Are you really... not angry?"

“You’re eighteen now, not a child anymore. You hold an important position and are engaged. In a few days, you’ll be a husband and father. If you don’t know how to behave yourself, what’s the use of me saying anything more?”

She always speaks like that, very softly and gently, but rarely with warmth.

Jiang Ce's heart sank.

Silence fell over the room for a moment.

Madam Yu took a breath and said softly, "It's getting late, and the snow might make it difficult to travel. Let's go home. If it gets too late, the old lady will worry."

Jiang Ce asked her, "And what about you?"

She simply said, "Go home..."

Jiang Ce was already prepared when he arrived. This has been the case for many years.

Hearing these words now still makes his eyes sting, and he asks again, "Doesn't this place count as my home?"

There wasn't even a cold reply; it was so quiet that the only sound was the burning of the candlelight.

Jiang Ce suppressed his surging emotions, smiled again, and put down the wooden box and plum blossoms.

He lifted his robe, knelt down, and respectfully prostrated himself in worship.

“I know these two days are the anniversary of my maternal grandfather’s death. I sent offerings to my maternal grandfather’s family before I went to the capital. This is a copy of the scriptures I made. Many plum blossoms have bloomed in the plum garden, and I picked some to bring... I will come to see you again when you are better.”

After saying that, he got up and left.

"The year is drawing to a close, and your elder brother Daoqing is not here. The household affairs are complicated and busy. If there is nothing to do, there is no need to come here."

Jiang Ce paused, his body trembling slightly. He felt a lump in his throat and couldn't say anything. He simply strode out the door.

He suppressed his emotions and hurriedly said, "I understand."

As soon as the person left, Lanxi's eyes welled up with tears, and she could only sigh, "Why did you have to hurt him so much?"

"It's better not to see him. Once I see him, I'll be reminded of those people and those things again." Madam Yu was stunned. She murmured to herself, "Look at him, doesn't he look more and more like his father?"

"Look at these plum blossoms, they're your favorite green-calyxed white plum blossoms." Lanxi didn't say anything, but took the wooden box and plum blossoms and sat down beside Lady Yu's couch.

"Erlang lost his father at a young age, and you are often away from home. How can he not be pitied?"

Madam Yu replied, "His elders are still alive, he has friends, brothers and sisters, and teachers. He has never lacked anything in terms of clothing, food, shelter, poetry, books, etiquette, and music. He lacks nothing..."

Lanxi said, "But parents are parents after all, and no other person or thing can replace them."

"Stop talking." Madam Yu turned her face away and buried her face in the pillow, accidentally knocking the plum blossoms and the wooden box to the ground. The wooden box hit the ground with a dull thud, and the pages of scriptures inside fell to the floor.

Beneath the scriptures was a book. Lanxi picked it up; the book was yellowed and old.

"You've been looking for the sheet music for 'The Orchid Melody,' and it's right here."

"Young man, what a good child you are."

She grew increasingly grief-stricken, curled up, covered her face, and wept bitterly.

"Stop talking..."

The north wind howled outside the window, and the bamboo swayed in the wind. Finally, unable to withstand the wind, it broke, and the snow on the branches and leaves fell with the wind.

The monks swept away the snow, revealing the bluish-gray floor tiles.

Xue Chan walked to the window. The walls and tiles of Jixiang Temple were hidden in the snow, with only a few red and yellow spots showing.

"Is everything served?"

Yun Sheng nodded: "Yes, everything we prepared is under the eaves."

Xue Chan: "Chu Tao has someone prepare the carriage. After Yun Sheng and I finish the offerings, we'll go home."

Hatsune: "Okay"

Xue Chan and Yun Sheng walked out of the door. The monks had already swept away most of the snow in the courtyard, leaving only the winter plum blossoms by the moon gate covered in snow.

She and Yun Sheng climbed the steps and walked several dozen steps to the right to reach the Hall of Rebirth, which was brightly lit by candlelight.

On the altar were two lacquered red memorial tablets for the deceased. Xue Chan took the incense that Yun Sheng had lit, bowed, and then placed it in the incense burner.

Yun Sheng also bowed and helped Xue Chan to her feet, saying, "My wife will be alright."

Xue Chan personally placed sprigs of pine and winter plum blossoms into the vase and whispered.

"I just hope she comes to my dreams often."

Someone opened the window, and a sudden gust of wind swept in, causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker violently and overturning Xue Chan's mother's vase.

Yun Sheng and the monk went forward and closed the window.

Xue Chan hurriedly went to steady the swaying porcelain vase. A porcelain vase in front of someone's memorial tablet was also blown over, rolling along the edge of the table and shattering on the ground.

The porcelain vase shattered at Xue Chan's feet. She took two steps back and realized that the flower branches inside the vase were already withering and had not yet been replaced.

Perhaps it's a spirit tablet that's been offered up, so it hasn't been replaced yet.

"Oh dear, it's broken." Yun Sheng turned around in surprise.

Xue Chan said to the monk, "Little monk, this porcelain vase is now broken all over the ground, why don't we replace it with a new one?"

"good"

The monk left the hall and soon returned with a new porcelain vase, which he placed in front of the memorial tablet. After looking at the tablet, he suddenly remarked with a puzzled expression, "Hmm, this benefactor is rarely late."

Yun Sheng smiled and said, "Perhaps something came up at home, and with the snow these past few days, it's possible that I'm late."

As she spoke, she helped tidy up the memorial tablet. Xue Chan glanced at the tablet and only noticed the character "Yang".

Yun Sheng and the others prepared a lot of pine and plum blossoms, and there were still some left after arranging them in the vase.

Xue Chan looked down at the remaining pine branches and plum blossoms in her hand and handed them to Yun Sheng.

She understood immediately and handed it to the monk, who placed it in front of the empty porcelain vase.

"Miss," Chu Tao walked in from outside. "The carriage is ready. Shall we leave now?"

Xue Chan turned around and smiled, "Let's go."

As the group walked out of the hall, dusk had fallen, and only a few strands of golden and crimson silk remained on the gray-blue sky.

The group escorted Xue Chan back, but as soon as they reached the main hall, it suddenly darkened and snow began to fall, turning everything into a white expanse.

Xue Chan and Yun Sheng walked quickly to the corridor, waiting for their entourage to bring them umbrellas.

She lowered her head, took the lantern from Yun Sheng's hand, and walked gently under the corridor, the snow plum blossoms being swept into the hem of her skirt by the wind.

The snow fell in fine, dense flakes, and in the courtyard in front of the main hall stood a century-old pine tree. The snow piled up on it, making it appear even more verdant and cold.

Xue Chan's gaze followed the pine branches downwards and she saw someone sitting quietly on the Buddha-asking stone beside the tree.

Because of the vast twilight and his white robe and blue shirt, he seemed to blend into the frost and snow, so he was not seen at first. He crossed his arms over his shoulders, his head was lowered so low that he almost buried it in his hair, and he would occasionally reach out to brush his cheeks.

Xue Chan wondered: Was he crying? Or was he simply raising his hand to brush the snowflakes that had fallen on his cheek?

Perhaps because he had been watching for too long, Jiang Ce also noticed the gaze and looked up to find that it had started snowing.

A few steps away, someone was standing there carrying a lantern.

The faint light from her lantern flickered, breaking through the darkening night and snow.

The moisture in Jiang Ce's eyes had long since vanished like wisps of wind, leaving only a thin layer of snow. He rubbed his eyes, and only when he looked more closely did he realize that it was Xue Chan standing on the stone steps.

A silver-white shirt, a sunflower-yellow coat, and a stone-blue skirt.

The evening was quiet, with only the soft rustling of jade pieces falling. The wind and snow left him feeling somewhat lost.

Jiang Ce suddenly wondered, what does this resemble?

Like a lamp.

Like a glass bead lamp he hung on a banana tree, its soft, warm light emanating from the lantern as dusk approached and was about to fall, illuminating a corner in the deep, dark blue twilight.

Xue Chan bowed slightly, bent her knees and nodded, offering a distant salute to him.

Jiang Ce stood up, the snow on his body suddenly falling off. He clasped his hands together, bowed, and returned the greeting.

The dim night obscured his features, and Xue Chan wondered if it was because the Xiangguo Temple was particularly solemn and dignified on a snowy night, or because his clothes were too light-colored, but he seemed rather gentle and soft.

Yun Sheng had already arrived with his men, who were holding umbrellas.

Xue Chan exchanged a glance with her, and she immediately picked up a handful and walked up to Jiang Ce.

"The wind and snow are heavy, my lord, you should use an umbrella to shield yourself from the cold. If you go home in the cold snow, you might get sick."

Jiang Ce looked up and saw that Xue Chan and Chu Tao had already left under one umbrella, leaving only faint shadows in the wind and snow.

He reached out and took the umbrella: "Thank you."

Yun Sheng nodded and left, catching up with Xue Chan.

Jiang Ce opened the umbrella, keeping the wind and snow out of its reach.

"Second Brother Jiang"

He raised his umbrella in response to the sound, and Fang Youxi walked over from the main hall. Jiang Ce chuckled, "You've come to see the princess, haven't you?"

She nodded, her smile still gentle and warm: "I've come to offer incense to Mother. Is Second Brother going home?"

"Yes, I'm getting ready to go back."

Fang Youxi asked him, "Has Brother Jiang gone home?"

Not yet.

She looked Jiang Ce up and down and laughed, "Second Brother, you came on horseback again, didn't you? The snow is getting heavier now, how about I give you a ride?"

Jiang Ce gripped the umbrella handle tightly, smiled, and shook his head: "I'm not used to riding in a carriage; riding a horse is much faster. It's getting late, and I have things to do, so you should head back early."

"In that case, I'll be going now."

The two then parted ways.

The horse-drawn carriage chugged along through the mountains, its wheels crunching over the fresh snow.

Xue Chan was drowsy and leaned against the carriage wall for a short rest.

"Crack!"

She felt as if she was about to be thrown out, and her forehead slammed against the car wall with a loud thud.

"hiss"

Xue Chan rubbed her forehead, her drowsiness dispelled by the sudden movement.

Yun Sheng lifted the carriage curtain and asked the driver, "What's going on?"

The driver, wearing a straw hat, ran up from behind: "It's dark and snowing, so I couldn't see clearly and hit a rock. Now the wheel is off, and it'll probably need to be repaired."

Chu Tao jumped out of the car, looked around at the snow-covered mountain road, and stamped her feet.

"What should we do? It's still quite a distance from home. We can't just leave the girl outside, can we?"

Yun Sheng sighed: "If we don't go back soon, my wife and I will worry."

Xue Chan closed her eyes and covered her forehead.

Is she just unlucky, or is he just unlucky? Why is it that every time they meet, nothing good ever comes of it?

"Ring ring ring"

The sound of a copper bell came through the wind and snow. Hatsumomo said, "It sounds like someone is coming."

Fang Youxi was intently examining the compass in his hand when the carriage beneath him suddenly stopped.

She looked up, and Yuheng beside her lifted the curtain and asked, "Why did you stop?"

"There's a carriage belonging to someone stopped on the road ahead."

Fang Youxi put down the compass and said to the maid sitting beside him, who was tidying up the books, "Yingxing, go and take a look."

Ying Xing got out of the car, walked forward, and met Chu Tao.

"Whose wife is this? Why is she stopped on the road?"

Chu Tao looked apologetic and explained, "We are from the Cheng family in Zhishu Lane. Our carriage hit a rock and we can't move for a while."

Ying Xing: "The Cheng family? Is it Miss Xue?"

Chu Tao nodded, Ying Xing smiled knowingly, and walked back.

She lifted the curtain and said to Fang Youxi, "Miss Xue is ahead. She said the carriage broke down and can't move."

Fang Youxi smiled slightly: "In that case, go and invite Miss Xue to come with us."

When Ying Xing lifted the curtain again, Xue Chan was already in front of the carriage. She was slightly embarrassed and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Fang Youxi smiled and said, "It's better to stay here on this mountain path than to be stuck in the deep night and heavy snow. If we go back too late, Miss Cheng will probably be worried. Come on up."

After Yuheng helped her into the carriage, he got out himself and boarded the carriage behind with Ying Xingyun and the other girls.

The wheels started turning again.

Xue Chan sat beside Fang Youxi, her head bowed in worry.

"Don't worry, I've already sent someone on horseback back to the temple to find them."

The words were soft and gentle, sounding especially warm on the winter night.

Xue Chan sat up straight and met a pair of smiling eyes: "I'm sorry to trouble you with today's matters, Miss."

Fang Youxi thought for a moment and said with a smile, "It's just a small favor. If Miss Xue really wants to thank me... I'm in need of a set of winter-warming paintings, but I find the ones on the market not elegant enough. Why don't you paint one for me so I can pass the time?"

Xue Chan nodded: "Okay."

After she finished speaking, she fell silent again. Fang Youxi didn't say anything, but simply put away the astrolabe in her hand, leaned against the car wall, and closed her eyes.

A little over an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the Cheng residence.

Xue Chan bid farewell to Fang Youxi and entered her home.

The carriage headed towards the Marquis of Wu'an's residence, and Fang Youxi leaned against the carriage wall for a short rest.

Yingxing and Yuheng whispered to each other, "Our young lady seems to be taking extra care of Miss Xue, don't you think..."

Fang Youxi opened her eyes and said helplessly, "I can hear you."

Yingxing smiled, and Yuheng couldn't help but ask her, "Why is Miss Xue treated so specially? Is it because Miss Xue is good at painting, or because she is Jiang Erlang's fiancée?"

The girl lowered her eyes, her smile gentle.

"At first, it was just because someone asked me to, so I took extra care of them."

She lowered her eyes, recalling the few sprigs of pine and winter plum blossoms in the porcelain vase in the Hall of Rebirth, and smiled faintly.

"Now I think that making friends might be a good thing."

A note from the author:

----------------------