Chapter 58 Xi Yunhe: Ten Miles of Magnolias Never Fade

"The general's food cannot contain ginger. I gave the order long ago. Who cooked today's meal?" Inside the General's mansion in Huaihua, Granny Zhuang, leaning on her cane, shouted sternly.

A cook, wearing a turban, stepped out from the crowd with her head down and trembling: "Zhuang, it's me, Aunt Zhuang."

Mrs. Zhuang gave her a deep look, and she didn't seem unfamiliar: "Drag her out until she tells us who ordered her."

Upon hearing this, the cook's knees buckled, and she knelt on the ground, trembling and sobbing as she pleaded, "Aunt Zhuang, I really didn't mean it, please forgive me, please..."

Her words were cut short as a servant gagged her with a white cloth and dragged her out by her shoulders.

"Drag him to the cellar behind the mountain for interrogation, so the general doesn't hear and get upset," the servant instructed as he dragged the man to the door.

The servant quickly responded.

In less than half an hour, the cook confessed that it was Prince Rui.

When this reached Chu Ze's ears, he couldn't bear to see Lu Xiuyi still so dejected, so he couldn't help but tell him: "You've only been sick for a few months, and Prince Rui has already come to the manor. If you continue to be so depressed, I'm afraid that in a few days, our manor will be ransacked. Young master, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Why don't you try to be more cheerful? Since your ashes have been scattered by the wind, you can just pretend that your wife's presence is felt throughout the world. Isn't that the same?"

As if awakened from a dream, the person who had been lying with their back to Chuze twitched their brow and carefully tucked the filigree and beaded Lingxiao gold hairpin they were holding back under their pillow: "Bring me wine, bring me the peach blossom wine that she likes to drink."

Having not uttered a single word for nearly three months, Lu Xiuyi's voice was hoarse and dry. The "she" he was referring to was naturally Meng Yu.

Hearing that he was finally willing to speak, Chu Ze was overjoyed and hurriedly went to get the wine, and also asked someone to prepare some of Meng Yu's favorite dishes.

Inside the Longxiang Pavilion, a gentle breeze blew, and the ground was covered with what looked like a silver veil. Although it was already spring, the night air still carried a slight chill.

Lu Xiuyi had wine and food placed on a stone table in the courtyard, and Chu Ze took a thin cloak and draped it over him.

A gentle breeze blows, the bright moon shines, and the fragrance of peach blossom wine permeates the air, filling the courtyard with its aroma.

Lu Xiuyi toasted the moon with his first cup, and with tears in his eyes, he toasted everyone around him with his second cup. He paused for a long time before drinking it all in one gulp. He then gulped down the third cup directly from the wine pot.

Chu Ze watched quietly from the side, neither speaking nor stopping him, letting him drink all night and then sleep for a day and a night.

When Lu Xiuyi woke up again, he was fully awake.

***

After parting ways with the driver at the ferry, Meng Yuyuan didn't want to go into the shed, but the cold wind blew in her face, making her head ache. She had no choice but to walk over with a heavy heart. Fortunately, there were only women and children inside, and no lewd men as she had imagined. So she rested in the shed for the night with peace of mind.

The next day at dawn, before daybreak, we boarded the ship early.

The sailboat was heading south. Meng Yu disembarked midway and took a carriage to Longtang to rest for a day. When he passed Longxianglou, the aroma of kiln-roasted chicken and crab roe pastry wafted out from the open window, bringing back memories of the past.

The road ahead is uncertain. In the past, Aunt Shen and Huaiyin accompanied her all the way, but now, as she flees again, she walks alone.

A stinging sensation filled her eyes, and the north wind blew in her face. Before the tears could fall, they had already dried. Meng Yu raised her hand to shield her forehead and gazed at the vast sky.

Mother, are you alright?

She then passed through Yongzhou, Yun'an, and Nanying, continuing south until she reached a small coastal town called "Hejiuyun Township," where she had spent almost all of her fifty taels of silver.

Perhaps because it was far from the capital, and having heard that the people of Hejiuyun Township were practical, honest, and not bound by many rules and regulations, Meng Yu decided to settle down there.

She had traveled through wind and rain, her hair disheveled and her face dirty. Although her clothes looked clean, they had turned yellow from not being washed for a long time.

There was still a long way to go to Hejiuyun Township. Apart from the three hundred taels from the An family, Meng Yu only had fifty coins left in her pocket. She was reluctant to spend them. Only when she was thirsty and hungry on the road did she spend two coins to buy a bowl of sour plum soup and five coins to eat a bowl of wonton noodles.

Spring has arrived, and it's nearly noon; the sun is high in the sky, at its fiercest.

After finishing her wonton noodles, she walked a while longer, her legs aching and sore, and the blisters on the soles of her feet hadn't healed before new ones started forming.

Meng Yu had no choice but to find a big tree for shade and rest for a while.

"The sun is curved, and the sunlight shines."

"The mountain river flows eastward, the girl is picking flowers!"

"The crane flies to the heavens beyond the sky, and the magnolias for ten miles will never fade..."

Meng Yu was distressed by the blisters on her feet when a light, melodious voice suddenly came from behind her, singing a folk song.

Looking back, I saw a girl with braided pigtails on the oxcart with a broad smile on her face, glancing occasionally at the young man driving the oxcart beside her.

The smile on her lips was as dazzling as sunlight and as gentle as moonlight.

As if sensing Meng Yu's gaze, the girl stopped singing, turned her head to look over, and their eyes met for a moment. Her gaze slowly moved down and saw Meng Yu's swollen ankle, so she patted the young man's arm.

The young man immediately understood and drove the oxcart toward Mengyu.

When she reached Meng Yu, she jumped off the oxcart and greeted her with a friendly smile in her local accent, "Young lady, are you going to Hejiuyun Township? If so, we can give you a ride."

She smiled sweetly, her eyes brimming with happiness.

He doesn't seem like a bad person.

Meng Yu stared blankly for a moment, then nodded as if possessed.

***

"Xi Yunhe, your name is so beautiful."

Meng Yu smiled, lowered her head, and wrote: "Yours too."

The girl's name is Yun'an. She was born and raised in Hejiuyun Township. The young man is her fiancé. His surname is Cui and his given name is Xun.

Cui Xun was originally a colleague of Yun An's brother. Three years ago, he met Yun An through Yun An's brother. The two fell in love at first sight and their families exchanged betrothal gifts not long ago. Yun An and Cui Xun will be getting married in three months. This trip out of the city is to buy patterns that Yun An likes in another small town.

Meng Yu glanced at the festive items behind her and quickly offered her congratulations.

Yun An smiled and stuffed the five coins back into her hand: "We were just giving you a ride on our way. Your congratulations are considered travel expenses. Besides, you are a young lady traveling alone. You will need money for many things in the future. You can keep this money for yourself."

Meng Yu didn't hesitate. After taking back the money, she lowered her head, picked up her pen, and said, "Thank you."

Brother Yun'an was a teacher at a private school, so she learned to read as well. She glanced down at him and smiled sweetly, "You're too kind."

The two men escorted her into the city. Meng Yu thanked them several times before watching them leave. Looking around, the streets were lined with orderly rows of people, and restaurants, teahouses, money exchanges, and cosmetic shops lined both sides of the street, with shouts echoing through the alleys.

A gentle breeze carries the fragrance of magnolia blossoms into the nostrils.

According to Yun'an, there is a magnolia grove on the outskirts of the city that stretches for ten miles. The crane flies to the heavens and the magnolias there never fade. This is the magnolia grove.

Meng Yu first found a cheaper inn to stay in for one night, and then went to a pharmacy to buy some herbs to apply to her ankles. She rested for two whole days before she recovered. After the blisters on her feet had almost healed, she looked around at several rental houses.

After all, staying at an inn indefinitely is impossible.

The first thing to solve now is where to settle down.

After looking at several rooms, she still couldn't find a suitable one. As darkness was about to fall, she had no choice but to walk back to the inn.

"I heard that General Huaihua, who commands the Western Camp, has gone mad. You've come from the capital; is this true?" At a roadside wine stall, a middle-aged man dressed in silk robes looked around and asked quietly.

Meng Yu unconsciously slowed her pace.

The merchant-looking man opposite him glanced at him, looking surprised: "The capital is thousands of miles away from here, how did you know that?"

The middle-aged man scoffed at him: "Never mind that, just tell me if it's true or not?"

"Of course it's true. How could he not go mad watching his wife perish in the fire? I heard that the emperor was afraid he wouldn't be able to pull himself together, so he had the body burned that very night. But then a gust of wind came and even the ashes were scattered."

"Tsk tsk... That's practically being ground to dust, isn't it? No wonder he went mad."

"Indeed, we thought he was a playboy, but who knew that after taking over the West Camp, he actually defeated the East Camp. Such a talented general was ruined by his love affairs. Isn't that a pity?"

"Forget it, even if they're crazy, we can't possibly be worthy of them. What's the point of saying all this? Let's drink."

The sound of clinking glasses rang out, and Meng Yu gradually walked away.

She had originally planned to treat herself to a roast chicken today to reward herself for her hard work these past few days, but when she passed by the roast chicken stall, she felt heavy-hearted and suddenly lost her appetite.

Back at the inn, I ordered a bowl of porridge and a side dish, ate a simple meal, washed up, and went to bed.

But she tossed and turned until midnight, still unable to fall asleep.

The bed board was a bit uneven, which made her back ache. She had complained to the innkeeper several times, but no one came to replace it. She was angry for a while, but then she thought that you get what you pay for. What good things could such a cheap inn have?

It was only then that Meng Yu realized she had become somewhat spoiled.

She wasn't like this before.

However, after being kept by Lu Xiuyi for more than half a year, she has become so spoiled.

That's terrifying!

The moonlight outside the window was as clear as water and as bright as day. Meng Yu put on her coat, got up, and shook her head, trying to get rid of all those chaotic thoughts.

She stayed on the third floor of the inn. When she opened the window, fresh air rushed in instantly. Looking out from the window, she could see the waves surging and rolling.

Meng Yu took a deep breath and saw lights flickering in the distance, like fishing boats returning safely from their voyages.

My restless heart suddenly calmed down.

Meng Yu leaned against the window and watched until it was almost dawn before yawning a few times. Taking advantage of her drowsiness, she quickly returned to her bed, covered herself with the quilt, and went to sleep.

I slept until noon.

After a quick lunch, Meng Yu planned to go to Hualing Lane in the eastern suburbs to see if there were any rental houses available.

After staying in Hejiuyun Township for a few days, she had a general understanding of the situation there. Although the houses in Hualing Lane were a bit old, the advantage was that government soldiers passed by there every day, so the security was slightly better than in other places.

After comparing various options, Meng Yu decided to try her luck there. If she could find a place to rent, that would be great; if not, she could just get familiar with the area.

But she was lucky; as soon as she reached Flower Bell Lane, she saw a house for rent, a small two-story house with a yard.

The homeowners were a family of four. The husband had made some money in business and wanted to move to a bigger house. However, his wife was reluctant to sell the house, and it would be a pity to leave it empty. Just then, Meng Yu came looking for a place to rent. Seeing that she was gentle and would not damage the house, the family decided to rent it to her on the spot and also gave her some small furniture as a gift.

With these pieces of furniture, Meng Yu saved some money and was naturally very grateful, so she paid half of the rent.

It wasn't until the day she moved in that Meng Yu discovered that her neighbors were actually Cui Xun's family.