Chapter 68 They're Back: Parents are finally back.

The corner was narrow and cramped, with large and small baskets piled up to the brim, making the light somewhat dim. Lin Wen'an leaned back against a bulging burlap sack of hay, his back against the plaster wall. Above him was a shelf pillar, from which hung two bamboo baskets, their contents scattered with Ruyi's newly made lard candy.

The sugary smell was pungent, soaking into the oiled paper. The cloying sweetness mixed with the strong peach kernel and safflower scent of Taiyi paste lingered in the cramped space, making it quite unpleasant to smell. But Lin Wen'an remained motionless. Ever since Yao Ruyi sneakily pulled him in and pushed him to sit on the sack of straw, he hadn't moved an inch.

Obediently, I stretched out my arms and let her do as she pleased, obediently having sticky, smelly ointment applied to both arms. When it was almost finished, I looked up at her and found that she also disliked the smell, constantly wrinkling her nose and trying to endure it. After a while, she couldn't help but say, "It stinks."

Lin Wen'an couldn't help but laugh.

That's the good thing about Ruyi; she can laugh when she wants to laugh, complain when she wants to complain, and never bottle up her unhappiness. Even if she does hold it in for a while, she'll still solemnly say the next day, "I was angry yesterday."

"I'm not angry today, but I was definitely angry yesterday, and I have to say it."

She was as clear as a piece of crystal, never pretentious.

That's good. Lin Wen'an sometimes felt that many of his principles of life were taught to him by Ruyi. A while ago, he and she were scolded by their husband, and he felt uncomfortable for many days. He couldn't lift his head when he saw his husband and was full of shame.

But Ruyi recovered the next day and excitedly took some treats to coax her grandfather. Even though Grandpa Yao ignored her, she did not get discouraged and tried to coax him in different ways every day.

Only when her husband couldn't take it anymore did she squat down, rest her head on his knees, and softly explain, "Grandpa, I was wrong. I was wrong for not telling you first, but it was the first time I'd ever thought of doing this. Please forgive me for my mistake, why keep sulking? But... I don't think I was wrong about those things you said about etiquette."

“In the past, not only me, but all women in the world were too bound by those etiquette rules. So when I broke off an engagement, I couldn’t stand the gossip. Now I think, what are these so-called etiquette rules anyway? I haven’t stolen or robbed, yet I’m bound by shackles and can’t act according to my heart. What’s the point? Didn’t you always advise me not to pay attention to other people’s gossip before? Why have you changed your mind now?”

The man was taken aback by her words, a hint of pain appearing on his face. He looked at Ruyi again, not knowing how to answer for a moment. In the end, he could only reach out and hold her hand, letting out a deep sigh.

Yes, Ruyi was once too bound by propriety. He raised her to be too obedient, too well-behaved, with an overly strong sense of morality and self-respect. That's why she suffered so much because of the malicious words of others. How could he forget? The one who was maliciously criticized, insulted, and slandered, and who eventually withered away...

She's his granddaughter...

Yao Ruyi looked up at him and gently advised, "I know you mean well. You're worried that I'm giving my heart away so easily, and what if it's not Lin Wen'an, but a bad person? A young lady should cherish herself, right? But you must have seen it too: so many talented students came and went from the Imperial Academy before, and I never fell for any of them. Father, I'm not stupid."

At that time, Lin Wen'an was also in the courtyard playing chess with his teacher. When Ruyi came over to talk to his teacher, he walked away a few steps to avoid suspicion, and hid in the corner with his back to them. When he saw Yao Deshui open his mouth to nibble on the leaves in the vegetable garden, he squatted down, picked up the little donkey, and stroked its fur casually.

But Ruyi spoke frankly, without lowering his voice, so a single sentence carried by the wind froze his hand that was stroking Yao Deshui's fur in mid-air.

He heard her say:

"If it weren't for Lin Wen'an, I wouldn't want it."

She said those words so earnestly and casually, yet they must have shaken him to no end. He forced himself not to turn around and look at her, but... in the end, he couldn't help but feel the flutter in his heart, and could only absentmindedly rub Yao Deshui's head again and again.

It wasn't until Yao Deshui had been kneaded into a puffed-up donkey and started scratching its hooves angrily that he realized what he was doing and quickly smoothed out its mane.

At this moment, thinking of Yao Deshui's appearance, Lin Wen'an couldn't help but smile again.

Yao Ruyi really didn't understand what was so funny about him applying a smelly ointment. After finally managing to finish applying it while holding her breath, she put a finger to her lips and shushed him, her expression extremely serious. Then she crouched down, holding onto the shelf, and tiptoed to the shop entrance, peeking half her head out to look into the courtyard.

Although Grandpa Yao had been mostly coaxed back by her, he still couldn't help but twitch his eyebrows and glare at her whenever he saw her being all lovey-dovey with Lin Wen'an.

Yao Ruyi asked helplessly, "Didn't you already agree?"

Besides, Uncle Lin has already gone to find a matchmaker to make up for the lack of proper etiquette, so why is it still not allowed?

To everyone's surprise, Grandpa Yao started acting like a liar and pretending to be stupid: "What did I promise? I don't remember. I'm old and my memory isn't good. Let go of my hand!"

Yao Ruyi was furious.

But there's nothing she can do; after all, he's her grandfather, and even if he's unreasonable, he's still her grandfather.

Seeing that Grandpa Yao and Tie Baojin were not there, and the courtyard was as quiet and peaceful as ever, with only Cong Xin pruning the cucumber trellis, she finally relaxed her shoulders and squatted back the way she came.

She leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing softly against his earlobe: "I'll go out first. You can come out after the ointment has dried completely, then Grandpa won't find out."

Lin Wen'an nodded.

She crouched down and turned around, but after taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and turned back.

Lin Wen'an remained seated, assuming she had something to say, and looked up at her with a puzzled expression. Unexpectedly, she craned her neck and glanced out the window a few times like a thief, and seeing that no one was passing by, she took a few steps closer to him, bent down, smiled brightly, and whispered, "I can't resist anymore, let me give you a kiss!"

Before he could finish speaking, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him on the cheek. Not content with that, while Lin Wen'an was still dazed, she grabbed his collar and snapped at him, "Why have you been avoiding me these past few days? You won't let me hold your hand, you won't let me hug you, it's so mean! Try avoiding me again..."

She held her hand horizontally, making a gesture as if to slash across his neck, and let out a snort.

Lin Wen'an was stunned by her kiss, his heart almost leaping out of his throat. Seeing his reaction, she couldn't help but chuckle, feeling satisfied and triumphant as she leaned closer. This time, her touch became even gentler and more reluctant, like a kitten quickly pressing her lips to his: "I'm leaving!"

He then ran off happily, as if he had gotten a great deal.

Lin Wen'an stared at the figure disappearing by the doorframe, remaining frozen in place for a long while. Only then did he slowly raise his hand, his fingertips gently touching his cheek, then his lips.

After being physically reprimanded by his teacher, Lin Wen'an kept his promise and vowed not to overstep his bounds before the formal engagement. Meanwhile, his father, Lin Zhu, was also trying his best to make amends. While everyone was celebrating the upcoming imperial examinations, he quietly invited the famous matchmaker Ning from Bianjing to send a pair of golden geese to the Yao family to propose marriage.

Upon seeing the matchmaker and the pure gold goose that had been brought, Yao Qizhao's expression finally softened, after all the food and kind words Ruyi had used to offer him.

Ruyi's words make some sense, but... this is the right way to do it!

Now that the marriage certificate has been exchanged, it has been taken to have the horoscopes matched and an auspicious date chosen. The two of them have finally taken a big step forward in their relationship. They thought that since they were about to get engaged, the gentleman would agree, but he was still keeping a close eye on them. Even when the two of them were having a serious conversation about compiling books, the gentleman would walk by the window with his dog, very "casually".

Sometimes he would whistle, sending Tie Baojin to sniff out the smell and check on them.

These past few days, Lin Wen'an continued his usual comings and goings, but he remained on edge. Occasionally, when they were alone, Ruyi would wink and try to secretly take his hand, but he would instinctively flinch.

Unexpectedly, Ruyi remembered this little bit of evasion.

That's why this "outburst" happened today.

Lin Wen'an was also very troubled by this. On one hand, his teacher was still eyeing him covetously, and he could not disobey his promise to his teacher. On the other hand, there was Ruyi's words, and he seemed to be unable to disobey either side. However, according to his father, the most auspicious day for the engagement should be set in June, which means he would have to wait for more than sixty days.

How are we going to get through this until summer?

Lin Wen'an sat there, his brows furrowed, pondering for a long time. Suddenly, he heard voices outside the window. It was Yao Ruyi talking with Zhou Jumu and his apprentices. He got up and went to the shop window to look at her.

She stood at the entrance of Zhixingzhai, a large stack of blueprints rolled up in her hand, gesturing to Zhou Jumu with her face upturned. She was not tall, but she was full of energy. Sometimes she would stand on tiptoe and draw a large circle with both hands; other times she would jog a few steps, pointing to the corner of the old eaves and saying something.

The slanting sunlight shone on her temples, making a few stray hairs gleam, and even her brows seemed to be illuminated by the spring sunshine, radiating vitality. Zhou Jumu listened intently to her words, nodding all the way. The master and his disciples followed her, taking steps, and entered the gate of Zhixingzhai.

The alleyway was suddenly empty.

Wang Yongzheng arrived incognito. The dignified prefect was all alone, wearing only a simple coarse cloth robe. He strolled into Yao's General Store with his hands behind his back and saw his friend leaning against the window, gazing intently at the empty alley. He walked over to his side and peered in the same direction, but saw nothing. He asked with a puzzled look, "What's so interesting about this alley?"

Lin Wen'an then noticed that there was someone next to him. He tilted his head and looked at the deserted alley again before raising an eyebrow and smiling as he replied, "It's beautiful. How could it not be beautiful?"

Wang Yong curled his lip.

"What are you doing here?" Lin Wen'an withdrew his gaze.

Wang Yong gestured towards the alleyway and lowered his voice, "The Emperor is outside. His Majesty and His Highness Prince Lu are going on a spring hunt at Yujin Garden in disguise, and they've invited you to come along."

Lin Wen'an hesitated for a moment. Yujin Garden wasn't far, just outside Nanxun Gate, so it wasn't too troublesome. He wouldn't bother going to remote mountain forests like Chenliu. He only asked one more question: "Has martial law been declared?"

Wang Yong shook his head and laughed, "Of course not. Don't you know the Emperor's temperament? If he wanted to expel the people so that he could enjoy himself alone, why would he need to come out in disguise?"

Lin Wen'an had also thought of that, and nodded, "Then let's go together."

Yujin Garden was located outside Nanxun Gate in the south of the city. It was originally an old garden of the Later Zhou Dynasty and was expanded during the reign of Emperor Taizu. Afterwards, it became a place for emperors to go on excursions, hold banquets, and observe the harvest. The garden had animal enclosures and bird cages, where rare and exotic animals such as the Suanni from India and the domesticated elephants from Jiaozhi were kept.

However, Yujin Garden was not some mysterious royal garden. After the emperor ascended the throne, he decreed that the royal Yujin Garden, Qionglin Garden, and Yichun Garden would be open to the common people on major and minor festivals such as the Shangsi Festival, Hanshi Festival, Qingming Festival, and Buddha's Birthday, allowing tourists to enjoy the spring.

Not to mention Jinming Pond, which was originally a royal pond. Except for the few months each year when the navy was trained for military exercises, it was also used by the people to play in the water and race dragon boats in spring and summer, and to play ice games and practice poker in autumn and winter.

The difference between the Emperor and the late Emperor lies in this: when he was the Crown Prince, he had sneaked out of the palace many times to witness the hardships of the common people and their lives. He felt more pity for the common folk than for officials and gentry.

During the palace coup, the officials of the Crown Prince's palace were brutally massacred by the Prince of Jin's rebel faction. However, many people in Bianjing secretly passed messages to the imprisoned emperor. Some even risked their lives to secretly open cellars to shelter and provide relief to the Crown Prince's officials.

After ascending the throne, the emperor did not forget his loyal subjects. He opened all his gardens and imperial parks to the public and allowed people to set up stalls and do business near the imperial streets and palace gates, never forbidding the imperial guards to drive them away. Even when people threw chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep over the palace walls in an attempt to cheat him out of his money, he tolerated it.

However, this made his safety a great concern. There had been instances of people from the Liao and Jin dynasties taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble. On one occasion, the assassin had even infiltrated the Forbidden City. Fortunately, although the Emperor was fat, he had practiced Taizu Changquan (a style of martial arts) since childhood and was an extremely agile fat man. He nimbly dodged the first sudden attack, and the assassin was quickly captured by the Imperial Guards.

Upon hearing that he had once again slipped out of the palace incognito, Lin Wen'an began to worry. He carefully inquired about the number of people the Emperor had brought, and seeing that the prepared manpower was sufficient, he nodded, went back to his room, and changed into a narrow-sleeved Hu-style robe suitable for riding. Before leaving, he also gave instructions to the little maid Yueyue had brought, who was staying at home to watch the house. He asked where Yueyue and her father had gone, and upon learning that they had gone to several temples to consult with high-ranking monks about auspicious dates, he nodded and went out with Wang Yong.

Just as he stepped out, he remembered Ruyi and worried that she would be worried. So he called out to Xiaoshitou, who was running over excitedly to play, pointed to Zhixingzhai, and told him to go and tell his sister Ruyi that he had been ordered to attend to her for the next two days and would not be coming back for the time being.

Little Stone glanced at Wang Yong, showing great insight, and without asking any questions, obediently agreed.

It's finally time to leave.

Seeing him dawdling back and forth, Wang Yong couldn't help but shake his head: "Lin Mingzhi, when did you become so long-winded? You take forever to explain even a single sentence."

The sun was blazing today, and Lin Wen'an was slowly putting on her glasses. Through the lenses, she gave him a cool glance and said, "I'm getting engaged."

Wang Yong was baffled. Who asked you that?

Lin Wen'an fastened the silver chain hanging behind his ear, straightened his cuffs, and said indifferently, "Someone like you, whose wife is too lazy to care about you when you go on a long trip, would never understand."

Wang Yong was greatly alarmed, as if his tail had been stepped on, and his voice rose with anger: "Who said my Xiu-jie doesn't care about me? Besides," he pointed to the alley entrance, "is this what you call going on a long trip? We're going to the outer city, to Nanxun Gate! Not to Nan Jian Prefecture in Lingnan, can this be called going on a long trip??"

Lin Wen'an didn't answer, but only glanced at him sideways, looking as if it were a matter of course that "leaving home means going on a long journey," and then walked forward leisurely.

Wang Yongli stood there grinding his teeth for a while, glaring at his retreating figure. Undeterred, he called out to a lazy bum squatting in the alleyway, waiting for work in the sun. He gave him twenty coins, gritting his teeth as he instructed:

"You! Go to the Wang family in Huimin Lane and tell my wife that I have been ordered to attend to her these past two days and will not be returning home! Tell her not to worry!"

The idle man responded with a humbly reply.

Wang Yong then angrily strode off to catch up with Lin Wen'an, who had long legs and could walk a long way in just a few steps.

Damn it, this guy isn't even waiting for him!

*

Inside Zhixingzhai, Yao Ruyi had just finished listening to Xiao Shitou's words and was about to ask a few more questions when someone outside shouted, "They're back! The ship returning from Guizhou has arrived at the dock!"

Yao Ruyi and Xiao Shitou were both startled and ran outside immediately.

The doors and windows of every house in the alley opened one by one, and people poured out. When they saw that the person who came to deliver the news was someone that Granny Xue had left at the dock, they immediately believed it and forgot about everything else. Aunt Yu took the lead and said that she would go to the dock with Granny Xue to pick up Sister You and her husband. What other neighbor would not go?

So everyone rushed together, harnessing their horses and carriages, and embraced Granny Xue and Jasmine, who had already started crying upon receiving the news. The group hurriedly headed towards the Shuimen Wharf.

In previous years, the Bian River would have been very high in April, but this year it was mostly dry. The cargo boats were blocked by yellow mud when they lined up to pass through the water gate. The laborers at the water gate kept digging and clearing the mud, and the boats moved very slowly, inch by inch.

On the crowded ship roofs, colorful flags hung limply. More and more people gathered on the dock, creating a noisy scene where you almost had to shout to talk to the person next to you.

The crowd gathered almost instantly. When Yao Ruyi and her party arrived at the dock, all they could see were colorful banners, red ribbons, and throngs of people, turning the usually dusty dock, which was always piled with various cargo boxes, into a bustling market.

Even street vendors came upon hearing the news, and the river breeze carried the aroma of fried dough sticks, the steam of steamed cakes, and the fresh, slightly astringent scent of freshly picked willow branches and pomelo leaves.

"Look, they've lowered the anchor and started building the sampans!"

Someone shouted excitedly, and the crowd on the shore surged forward immediately. The soldiers and porters who rushed over could not stop them. As soon as someone stood on the bow of the first boat, someone shouted names at the top of their lungs, and soon shouts rose and fell.

Jasmine was small, and Granny Xue was old, so Master Meng carried her on his shoulders. The little girl gripped Master Meng's hair tightly with her two small hands, her little body taut, her big eyes unblinking as she anxiously searched among the large ships, her little face filled with both anticipation and anxiety, wondering which ship her parents were on.

To be honest, she hadn't seen her parents for almost half a year.

Guizhou is far away, so news from my parents has been intermittent. In the past six months, they have only written two letters back: one to let me know they were safe in Guizhou, and the other on their way back.

She hadn't been separated from her parents for this long since birth. She'd forget about it while playing and having fun, but in the quiet of the night, nestled against her grandmother, she couldn't help but miss her mother's scent and ask, "Grandma, will Mommy and Daddy die?"

Naturally, Granny Xue would scold her: "Pah, pah, pah, don't talk nonsense."

Jasmine dared not ask any more questions, but she dreamed countless times that her parents were being held captive by monstrous, blue-faced demons with swords and spears, who said they would never come back and that she should listen to her grandmother and not be naughty.

She would often wake up sobbing, and afraid of waking her grandmother, she would bury her face in the pillow and cry.

By this time, many people had begun to disembark. The doctors and folk healers who disembarked all looked extremely tired and disheveled. For some reason, the bustling noise on the shore gradually subsided as these figures appeared, with only a few suppressed sobs occasionally heard.

The physicians and their wives, and the young students who had left with such high spirits, are now mostly emaciated. Many have sparse, graying hair, haphazardly tied in buns; even the young ones have glaring patches of white hair on the back of their necks. A few others have unshaven beards, their coarse clothes wrinkled like pickled vegetables, and one leg drags weakly on the ground, requiring their companions to support them to walk.

Jasmine looked at each and every one of them, one after another, their faces weathered, dark, and gaunt—all resembling their parents, yet none quite. Several ships ahead had already emptied of their passengers, but she still hadn't seen them.

She felt like crying, and Master Meng seemed to sense her increasingly tense body, so he gently comforted her, "I'm afraid it's just in the future, don't worry, don't worry."

Yao Ruyi was also very anxious, standing on tiptoe. Finally, the sixth boat arrived. She seemed to see a familiar figure, but it didn't quite look like her. She wanted to shout it out, but then swallowed it back. She squinted and stared hard, then tugged at Aunt Yu next to her: "Auntie, look... does that look like Sister-in-law You?"

“Where…where…” Aunt Yu also looked around and saw a young couple helping each other off the sampan, which Ruyi was pointing to in the distance. She was stunned.

The couple, both thin and dark-skinned, had sallow complexions and sunken eyes. A few strands of white hair peeked out from under the blue headscarf of Sister You. She clutched her bundle and medical kit tightly, her back still straight. Physician You was even thinner; his worn-out robe hung like a bamboo pole, his beard, untrimmed, was a tangled mess of white hairs, and his face was etched with weary wrinkles. Only his eyes, deep in their sockets, still held the calm brightness of a healer.

"Yes! It's them!"

Aunt Yu was certain. She almost jumped up, waving and shouting, "Qinglang! Qinglang! Doctor You! Here! We're here!"

Jasmine immediately turned her face at the sound, and the moment she saw her parents clearly in the crowd, the little girl could no longer bear it. She opened her arms in their direction and burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

Upon seeing this, Master Meng took advantage of the soldiers' inattention and, carrying Jasmine, rushed into the crowd.

Sister-in-law You seemed to sense something as well, and she and Physician You stood blankly in the crowded throng, looking around.

Master Meng was already shouting and he rushed forward, pushing and shoving his way through the crowd.

Upon seeing the figure rushing towards her, Sister You's chapped lips trembled involuntarily. She quickly opened her much thinner arms and tightly embraced her daughter, who was about to pounce on Master Meng's shoulder.

The familiar embrace made Jasmine cry even harder, her shoulders heaving violently. All the thoughts, worries, and fears that had accumulated in her heart for half a year poured out without reservation at this moment.

Dreams are all lies. I'm not dead, I'm perfectly fine.

My parents are finally back.

————————

At Wang Yong's home,

While eating grilled fish alone at home, Madam Wang inexplicably received a message.

Not coming back? Great! That means no one will be competing with her for the fish!

Madam Wang continued to eat and drink to her heart's content.