Chapter 24 Like a Dream (Part 4) "Brother."

Ye Xingjian was speechless, taken aback by her confident retort. Her naiveté was both bitter and poignant.

He shifted his gaze, took out a Buddhist scripture from his robes, and handed it over, saying, "I happened to acquire an ancient rubbing of the Lingfei Sutra the other day. I thought that since you practice calligraphy, you might be able to study it for a while."

Ye Mu took it, "Such a small matter, Zijing can just pass it on, why did you need to make this special trip, brother?"

Ye Xingjian's thin lips moved slightly, but before he could answer, Ye Mu suddenly realized, "I understand, brother is afraid that this scripture will fall into my father's hands, so he would feel more at ease handing it over to me, right?"

She nudged his arm affectionately with her elbow, "Brother is so thoughtful."

The soft touch on his arm was fleeting. Ye Xingjian's throat tightened slightly. "The Ministry of Personnel issued the appointment document this morning, appointing me as the Vice Prefect of Suzhou. I will be setting off to take up my post in half a month."

He paused slightly at this point, then said, "The journey is long and arduous; it will take approximately two years to return."

The smile in Ye Mu's eyes froze instantly.

She remembered clearly that in her previous life, her brother was sent to Suzhou after she got married, but now, at this time, it had been moved up so much.

Ye Mu asked, puzzled, "Didn't you just get promoted to clerk, brother?"

"I requested the transfer myself," Ye Xingjian said. "The Wusong River breached its banks this summer, leaving countless people starving, and we are in dire need of manpower."

"Brother is confused!" Ye Mu blurted out. She couldn't bring herself to say that her brother was acting in the name of the country and the people. Even though she understood that her brother cared about the common people, he was the brother she had relied on since childhood. He had suffered so much in his previous life, and she wanted him to have a more carefree life in this one.

"What is the state of the Wusong River now? Why would someone as refined and noble as you, a scholar, bother to wade into those muddy waters?"

She took a step forward, her face filled with deep worry. "I heard Father say the other day that several officials involved in disaster relief have fallen ill over there. If..."

Just then, the soft tinkling of jade pendants was followed by a delicate voice from behind, "So this is where Brother Jian is. I've been looking for you for ages."

Su Yao, supported by her maid, gracefully approached. Her apricot-yellow skirt with gold embroidery shimmered in the morning light. Her gaze swept over Ye Xingjian for a moment before turning to Ye Mu. "Fourth Sister is here too? I was just paying my respects to my aunt when we were talking about Brother Jian's assignment to a post outside the capital."

She moved gracefully to stand beside Ye Xingjian. "My aunt is very distressed. She said that Suzhou is currently plagued by epidemics. She thought that the family's herbal medicine shop happens to have some medicine that is suitable for the disease. Let's get it for Brother Jian tomorrow."

This means I'll have to come again tomorrow.

Ye Mu pouted. Ye Xingjian glanced at her and found it a little funny. He had watched her grow up and could tell what she was thinking at a glance. Whenever she was unhappy, she would always unconsciously pout like that.

"Sister Yao is so thoughtful." He subtly tucked the handkerchief in his hand into his sleeve and walked to Ye Mu's side. "We're traveling light, so bringing medicinal herbs would be inconvenient. The court has already allocated the herbs, and they can all be purchased in Suzhou Prefecture."

Before Su Yao could speak again, he turned to Ye Mu and said gently, "Aren't we still going to Baoxiang Temple? If we delay any longer, we might miss the vegetarian meal. Don't you love the vegetarian tofu at the temple the most?"

"Fourth Sister is going to Baoxiang Temple?" Upon hearing this, Su Yao immediately replied, "I also want to go to offer incense and ask Brother Jian for a peace charm. Why don't we go together?"

Just as he feared, Ye Mu had no reason to refuse and had to agree.

Ye Xingjian went to the Hanlin Academy, and the two of them boarded a carriage and traveled together.

As soon as she sat down, Su Yao asked softly, "Fourth Sister, did I do something wrong to upset you? I feel like you're hostile towards me."

"Sister, don't overthink it." Ye Mu smiled. "I'm not good with words, and I didn't mean to be disrespectful. You can find out by asking around the manor. I also often argue with my second aunt. I'm not exactly a good person. I hope you can forgive me."

That was the end of it.

Just before boarding the carriage, she deliberately went back to the courtyard to carefully put away the scriptures given to her by her brother, and also took two account books, just to avoid such idle chatter.

She truly felt no affection for Su Yao, not entirely because of her illicit affair with Jiang Si in her past life—a man who could be taken away so easily—but also because after they took her child, the infant died unexpectedly in just six months.

How could she not hate that?

Seeing that she had no intention of starting a conversation, Su Yao wisely kept quiet.

As the carriage traveled through a narrow alley in the south of the city, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead. The wheels came to a halt, and the coachman reported from outside, "Fourth Miss, there's been some fighting ahead. It looks like a few street thugs are beating up a scholar. Should we take a detour?"

"Save them." Ye Mu, still looking down at the ledger in his hand, gave the order without raising his head.

Su Yao frowned and gently covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. "Why should you get involved in such a filthy place, sister?"

"Accumulate good deeds in secret."

Su Yao chimed in, "I've heard that you have a monk master who listens to Buddhist teachings every day; no wonder you're so kind."

She became interested as she spoke, "I suppose she must be a virtuous person who is very strict with the precepts, so that my sister can be so prudent and mindful at such a young age. I am very curious and would like to pay my respects and absorb some of her pure spirit."

Ye Mu's fingers paused slightly as he held the pen, "Miss Su..."

She was getting impatient and finally looked up, her clear gaze landing on Su Yao's face. "You don't need to beat around the bush like this. You've repeatedly tried to get close to me under various pretexts, but all you've been thinking about is getting closer to my brother."

Su Yao hadn't expected her to be so direct, and her smile froze slightly. She tried to get closer, "Sister, your insight into people's hearts is truly admirable. In the manor, I've noticed that Brother Jian listens to Sister Mu the most. If you could put in a good word for me with him..."

"I advise you to give up on this idea." Before she could finish speaking, Ye Mu picked up the end of his pen and drew a line, blocking Su Yao's attempt to move forward and freezing her in place. "You have no chance. My brother, Ye Xingjian, will never be interested in you."

"Fourth Sister's words are a bit too resolute," Su Yao said, her pretty face flushing. "Why are you so certain?"

“Because,” Ye Mu looked directly at her, his gaze unwavering, “I will stop you.”

Their eyes met, and the air suddenly seemed to freeze. The bustling city outside the carriage curtain felt like a distant memory.

Ye Mu lowered her long eyelashes slightly. She knew Su Yao had this intention in her past life, and even her aunt had repeatedly tried to match them up, both openly and secretly. At that time, she only felt that Su Yao was gentle and quiet, and that she and her brother looked like a perfect couple. Their family backgrounds were also comparable, so she was willing to give them her blessing.

At that time, she would always make a point of arranging for the two of them to be together at poetry gatherings and tea parties, and then find some excuse to leave them alone, to enjoy the flowers under the eaves or to savor the tea in the pavilion. She created countless such chance encounters for them.

But her brother always remained indifferent, always using the excuse of being busy with household affairs to avoid the matter. Later, she got married, and her brother was transferred to Suzhou, so the matter was gradually put aside. Only Su Yao remained unmarried for many years. She always thought that her brother had hurt her heart, and she felt guilty. So she treated her more and more affectionately and invited her to stay at her home for a while.

Who would have thought that this was like inviting a wolf into the house?

Even worse, after her brother's legs were crippled, Su Yao, as the new bride of the Jiang family, went to her brother and mocked him, saying, "If you had agreed to the marriage back then, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Ye Xingjian, this is the retribution for your contempt for me."

Now that Ye Mu has been given a second chance at life, he will never allow this venomous woman to get even half a step closer to his brother.

“Miss Su,” Ye Mu exerted a little force with his wrist, pushing the pen forward, “Even if every woman in the world could be my sister-in-law, it would never be you.”

"You!" Su Yao's chest heaved with anger. She decided to stop pretending. "Fine, fine, so this fourth young lady of the Marquis's mansion, you've forgotten your place after managing the accounts for a few days? Right now, the old lady is unwell and bedridden. My aunt is in charge of the household affairs. Your mother's little bit of power is nothing but sand slipping through my aunt's fingers. With just a few words from me, your mother can forget about having a good life in the mansion."

"I don't think you have that much ability."

Ye Mu put down his pen, his eyelashes slightly lowered. "If you want to humiliate yourself, go ahead and try."

"Ye Si Niang, you're too arrogant! I'd like to see how you're going to stop me from entering the Marquis's mansion!" Su Yao was trembling with anger. She suddenly stood up, her head almost hitting the roof of the carriage. She flung open the curtain and shouted to the maid beside the carriage, "Shuang Yue, let's go! We'll go to Baoxiang Temple ourselves!"

The carriage curtain slammed shut, and Ye Mu raised an eyebrow, finally some peace and quiet.

A moment later, the coachman's respectful voice came from outside the carriage curtain, "Fourth Miss."

"Is the chaos over?"

"It's settled. The government officials have arrived and locked up those ruffians. But the scholar insisted on coming to thank his benefactor."

"No need."

Before Ye Mu could finish speaking, a pleading voice was already close to the carriage, "My benefactor, young lady, is so righteous that I will never forget it. Please, young lady, save me completely. I am Jiang Si. I came to the capital for the autumn imperial examination, but unfortunately, I encountered bandits on the way and lost all my money. Now I have nothing left, not even a roof over my head. I beg you, young lady, to lend me a place to stay for the time being. If I rise to prominence in the future, I will repay your kindness with all my might."

Jiang Si?

Jiang Si!

Ye Mu's fingers tightened suddenly as she held the account book. How could it be him? How could they have met so early? It was a full three years earlier than she remembered when they met.

He's still so shameless. She's already getting entangled with him after saving him once. Why should she keep saving him?

Ye Mu didn't want to have any further entanglement with this person, so he raised his hand and tapped the carriage wall with his finger. "Uncle Wen, drive, let's go."

The dark blue carriage curtains swayed slightly, and a hand with distinct knuckles lifted a corner of the curtain. Ye Mu lowered her eyes and met a pair of dark eyes.

"Fourth Sister".

Ye Mu was startled by the sound, a chill ran down her spine and she shuddered. How did Jiang Si know her nickname at this time?

"Help."

Life is but a fleeting dream, and worldly affairs are like the wind in the breeze.

He rarely called her that in his previous life.

Except when I'm trying to coax her.

He coaxed her to ask her elder brother for money, coaxed her to remove her hairpins and jade ornaments and give them all to him, coaxed her to learn the ways of a courtesan and shed her noble demeanor as a noblewoman, so that she could please him under the red silk curtains.

He only coaxes her when he's pretending to love her; there's no sincerity in his casual tenderness.

Ye Mu leaned forward, pressing the tightly clenched ledger against Jiang Si's chin, forcing Jiang Si to look up. His eyes were too innocent, not yet tainted by worldliness and lust for power, unlike someone who had been reborn.

Ye Mu's voice was hushed, like snow falling into a cold pool, "Who gave you permission to call me that?"

Jiang Si tilted his head back, revealing a slender neck emerging from his disheveled blue robe, like a bamboo splintered in frost. Several scars were clearly visible on his collarbone, which, when slanted by the morning light, resembled flaws in cold jade or the first glint of a thin blade.

Ye Mu stared at this physical appearance, inwardly sneering. It has always been said that beautiful women bring disaster, but little did she know that handsome men can also be incredibly alluring. In her past life, she was deceived by his appearance as a down-on-his-luck scholar, helping him climb the ladder of success, but in doing so, she paved her own way to the underworld.

Ye Mu slowly moved the ledger up his throat, her pressure not light, leaving deep red marks. "If you don't speak, I'll take you to the authorities and lock you up with those hooligans."

Jiang Si's Adam's apple bobbed laboriously under the weight of the account book. "I just happened to hear what that girl said. When she and her maid walked out of the alley, she said loudly, 'Ye Si Niang is so bullying.'"

Ye Mu felt a little relieved; so that's how it is.

She didn't lessen her grip on his wrist, the sharp corners of the ledger almost digging into his skin. "So, you can learn to use it?"

"I dare not." His posture of being forced to look up was truly pathetic. "I was really desperate and had no other choice but to resort to this tactic. Since you are willing to send someone to rescue me, you must be a kind-hearted person. I am willing to sign a contract to repay your kindness. I only ask for a place to stay and wait for the autumn examination."

"Since you heard her say I'm a bully, how can you still think I'm kind-hearted?" Ye Mu asked indifferently. "Isn't that a contradiction?"

“If what you say is true, young lady, you would not have ordered people to disperse those thugs and rescued me from my predicament. It is easy to say but difficult to do. Your actions are already a good deed.”

It's easy to say, but hard to do. So he knew that talking was easy but doing was hard. Ye Mu snorted coldly, took back the ledger, and looked down at him condescendingly, "Jiang Si, stop with your nice words. You've got the wrong person. I have absolutely no interest in your future."

As soon as she finished speaking, she sat up straight and nodded slightly to Uncle Wen outside. Uncle Wen understood and pulled Jiang Si away from the carriage shaft.

“Young lady! Young lady! Although I come from a humble background, I am still a top scholar! If I ever have the opportunity to rise in the world, I will never forget your kindness today. If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to our county to inquire…”

"Your future is bright, and you wield immense power, but what does that have to do with me?" Ye Mu suddenly interrupted him. The carriage curtains fell, the wind blew, and through the gaps, she saw him wagging his tail and begging in front of the carriage. "Uncle Wen, give him two taels of silver."

The coachman threw silver in response, and the broken pieces rolled onto the bluestone with a crisp sound.

Jiang Si was stunned. "Miss, I am not a beggar..."

"If you don't want it, then get lost," Ye Mu said. "Take another half step, and what's hanging over your neck won't just be the ledgers anymore."

The carriage rumbled to life, leaving the frozen figure in the blue robe far behind.

What a bad day! All I've run into are annoying people. Ye Mu disgustedly threw the account book and ink brush on the stool and sat a little further away.

She pondered quietly in the car. In this life, many things were different from the trajectory of her previous life. The old lady had always been in good spirits and had been in charge of the household affairs until the Marquis's mansion collapsed. However, in this life, she had been bedridden since the Dragon Boat Festival competition that year, with her condition fluctuating. Was it because of her interference?

Why did Jiang Si's storyline emerge three years ahead of schedule? Her actions only affected the Marquis's mansion, so why did it involve the person she least wanted to meet?

Ye Mu frowned, puzzled. Hearing the approaching sound of the ancient Baoxiang Temple, the wheels gradually slowed down and finally came to a stop.

Pilgrims gathered on the stone steps of the mountain gate, shoulder to shoulder, a stark contrast to the quiet scene of the beginning of autumn in previous years. Wen Bo couldn't help but wonder, "Strange, the temple has never been this lively at this time of year in previous years."

Every year at the beginning of autumn, Ye Mu would go to Baoxiang Temple alone to offer incense. In the past two years, he had even dismissed his personal maid. He would go to worship the Bodhisattva and then return home. Wen Bo had long been accustomed to this peaceful scene.

Just as I was wondering, I saw several ordinary-looking pilgrims discussing with radiant faces, “This master is truly efficacious. I was fortunate enough to meet him at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou two years ago. He only said ‘Good fortune in the southeast,’ but I never expected that after returning home, I would be appointed as a royal merchant in charge of textile manufacturing in Suzhou and Hangzhou.”

The old woman carrying the food box next to her nodded repeatedly, "Isn't that right? Five months ago, my son specially took me to Xiaoputuo Temple to listen to the monk chanting sutras and praying for blessings. His appearance was so solemn and dignified. After we returned home, my husband, who had been bedridden for half a year, actually got better!"

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Ye Mu stepped forward slowly and asked softly, "May I ask which master you are referring to as having such a character?"

The merchant immediately turned around, his eyes still filled with reverence. "Young lady, you don't know? This is Master Wenkong from Baoxiang Temple! Today is his first return to the temple after eight years of wandering, which is why believers from all directions have come to share in the Buddhist blessings."

Upon hearing this, Ye Mu's heart skipped a beat.

"Miss, you've arrived." The novice monk who used to sweep the gate had grown into a young monk. Seeing her, he quickly greeted her with a beaming smile. "Brother Wen Kong has returned. He's going to interpret fortune sticks for worshippers in front of the hall today. Since you're here, why don't you go and get one too?"

Ye Mu did as instructed and went. When she returned with the fortune slip, a long queue had already formed at the fortune-telling area, with worshippers holding their fortune slips and eagerly waiting.

Ye Mu stood on the outskirts of the crowd, his gaze passing through the swirling smoke and settling on the ochre-colored figure. Wen Kong was bowing his head to interpret the fortune sticks for the believers. With his eyes lowered and his profile in the smoke, he appeared even more serene, like an ancient Buddha immersed in incense.

She was somewhat dazed, unable to recall what the quiet, humiliated little novice monk in the courtyard looked like eight years ago. It seemed as if this person was born to be like this, sitting serenely outside the mortal world, receiving incense offerings from all directions, and being looked up to by all beings like stars surrounding the moon.

The mountains and rivers are long and the hardships he endured back then seem to have turned into wisps of smoke before his eyes, rising and swirling until they finally dissipate.

Suddenly, without warning, he looked up from behind the myriad swirling incense smoke.

In an instant, the chanting in the hall receded like a tide, the pilgrims became mere shadows, and the sounds of the believers' prayers faded into the distance. Ye Mu stood there, stunned.

His gaze gently fell upon her, like a bird perching on a branch. Although it was a desolate autumn season, she felt as if it were springtime, with butterflies fluttering about. His eyes seemed to hold the last vestige of green in the capital, whistling towards her.

Ye Mu was momentarily speechless, as if she had the illusion that the incense burning throughout the hall was all waiting for this unparalleled reunion.

It seems that not everyone I met today was someone I disliked.

Ye Mu didn't know whether to wave her hand or lower her head; neither seemed quite right. The tense atmosphere she had shown towards Su Yao and Jiang Si in the carriage was completely gone. Even she herself was surprised. Why was her mouth so dry? Why was her face so hot?

Just as her fingertips trembled slightly, about to lift but not quite, Wen Kong calmly lowered his eyes and continued to interpret the fortune for the next worshipper.

The ochre-colored figure sat still as before.

Ye Mu was stunned. Could that breathtaking eye contact have been just a fleeting glance from him? Had he forgotten that he had hooked his little finger around hers and said he would tell her about his past when they met again? Could he have completely forgotten who she was?

That makes sense. In eight years, she has grown from a chubby little girl into a young woman of marriageable age. She has grown taller and her features have matured. Ye Mu pulled his hand back from mid-air and touched his own cheek. With almond-shaped eyes, peach-like cheeks, and a smooth, delicate nose, she was quite pretty. It was not surprising that he could not recognize her at first glance. Once he got closer and said a few words, he would definitely remember her.

As the sun rose higher, the pilgrims ahead of him, having received some guidance, happily dispersed one by one. Ye Mu waited in line for quite some time before it was finally his turn.

She stepped forward and gently placed the bamboo skewer on the table, calling out to him excitedly, "Master."

Wen Kong nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the divination slip, his voice calm, "What does the female benefactor wish to ask for?"

Female benefactor?

Ye Mu curled his fingertips slightly. Indeed, it was a sacred place in Buddhism, and he couldn't very well show off his familiarity in public.

"I would like to ask whether this year's farm harvest will be good. Please interpret this divination slip for me."

The divination slip reads: "A dragon lies dormant in the abyss, but is stirred by thunder. Prosperity and decline are in your own hands; do not ask ghosts or gods." Wen Kong did not raise his eyes, but placed the slip back on the table. "This divination slip indicates that difficulties lie ahead. You must wait for the clouds to part and the moon to shine. As for the matter of your family's estate, rumors can be dispelled; it is up to human effort."

His words were casual, and his tone was no different from that of other worshippers. However, the fortune slip was quite interesting. Ye Mu asked a few more questions, "The autumn harvest is approaching, and we haven't heard anything unusual about the estate. Could it be that Master has misinterpreted it?"

"The divination indicates a divine secret, which is not limited to one time or place. Since the female benefactor spoke of the autumn harvest, she should be more vigilant at all times and nip problems in the bud."

“Let’s believe what Master says,” Ye Mu picked up the fortune stick and stared at it, “What if this fortune stick is for the old friend I’m asking about?”

"Then please go to the hall and draw another fortune stick for this humble monk."

The repeated use of "female benefactor" annoyed Ye Mu, but she was still persistent, so she simply introduced herself, "Master, I am Ye Mu, the fourth young lady of the Yong'an Marquis's mansion."

Her almond-shaped eyes were fixed on him without blinking, trying to find a clue in his calm expression, but her eyes were too deep to see through him, and she could not see any change in his expression.

Sunlight streamed through the swirling incense smoke, casting dappled shadows on his ochre robes.

Wen Kong remained unmoved by the winds, raised his eyes to look at her, and seemed to just remember, "Amitabha, it is Young Benefactor Ye. It has been many years since we last met. You have grown up so much."

These words sounded polite, but they were more hurtful than being told outright that one didn't know someone. All the anger turned into a sour feeling that rushed straight to the tip of one's nose.

But having lived a second life, she was no longer a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, and she could no longer bring herself to ask such pressing questions.

Ye Mu straightened his back, forcibly suppressing his aching feeling, "Master is a busy man and doesn't remember someone as insignificant as me, which is quite normal."

Her voice was relatively calm when she finished speaking, but she couldn't stop the tears welling up in her eyes. She hurriedly lowered her eyes, cursing herself for being so weak. How could she cry at her age? She forced a smile and said, "The divination has been resolved, so I won't bother Master any longer."

Ye Mu turned and left, her hand still wiping away tears, but when she encountered the monks in the temple, she still bowed respectfully and put her palms together. Wen Kong watched her quietly for a while.

She was indeed different from when she was young. Her jade-like neck was slightly lowered, and her hair was flowing gracefully. When she stood there and looked over, she had a dignified and noble air that made her impossible to ignore.

"Master, you've been holding my fortune stick for so long, is it so hard to interpret?" the next worshipper asked anxiously. "Is there some great calamity ahead?"

Wen Kong snapped out of his daze and shook his head.

-

As Ye Mu climbed into the green-curtained carriage, he caught a glimpse of the wolf-hair brush and account books on the small table. New and old grudges surged into his heart, and even the bamboo stick in his hand seemed to exude bad luck.

Ye Mu grabbed the account book and threw it out the window, but just as it was about to slip from his grasp, he snapped it back. No matter how angry he was, he couldn't lose it; the silver ingots were the real deal.

Ye Mu suppressed his emotions as he returned to the manor. As soon as he stepped into his courtyard, he saw Madam Liu rushing over with the head maid, her brows furrowed with anxiety.

"Fourth Sister, you're finally back!" Liu grabbed her hand, her fingertips icy cold. "Just now, a messenger came from the farm on the outskirts of the capital, saying that they were suddenly attacked by rice borers. The swarms of flying insects covered the sky and were about to devour the ripening millet."

Ye Mu's heart sank suddenly. Had his master really been right?

The emotions she had felt at Baoxiang Temple were instantly overwhelmed by this sudden bad news. She grasped her mother's trembling hand and said calmly, "Mother, don't panic, tell me slowly. Which estate is it? How bad is the disaster? Has the estate manager taken any measures?"

"It's the largest village in Dongji Mountain!" Liu said rapidly. "The village head said he's never seen such a severe insect plague at this time of year before. It came so suddenly and fiercely. Right now is the grouting season, if..."

Before the words were finished, another series of hurried footsteps sounded outside, and the gatekeeper rushed in carrying a bamboo tube covered in mud. "Third Madam, Fourth Miss, another urgent message has arrived from the manor!"

Ye Mu took the bamboo tube, deftly pulled out the letter, and unfolded it. The handwriting on the paper was messy, indicating that it was written very quickly. In addition to describing in detail the devastation caused by the insect plague, it also mentioned at the end that...

"Rumors have begun to circulate among the villagers," Ye Mu read aloud in a low voice, "saying that the Marquis's mansion has committed unrighteous acts and angered the heavens, which is why this insect plague has been sent down as a warning."

Hearing this, Liu was puzzled. "What makes you say that? The Marquis's manor has always been generous to the peasants. In years of disaster, they always open the granaries to reduce taxes. Two years ago, when there was a flood, the land rent was halved. Before that, during the year of severe drought, they even set up soup kitchens to provide relief. With such compassion, how could such malicious words be spread?"

Ye Mu didn't understand where the rumors came from, but he couldn't delay any longer. "Mother, time is of the essence. Please give the order immediately to prepare sulfur, saltpeter, and other insect repellents, and to dispatch more capable people. I'll go to Dongji Mountain right now."

"How can we do that?" Madam Liu anxiously grabbed her daughter's sleeve. "That place is not only far away, but it's also in a mess right now. What if something goes wrong? Why don't we send a few people to check first?"

“It is precisely because of the chaos that we must go in person. Since the villagers have doubts, how can we reassure them by just having servants relay messages? Only when the master himself goes to investigate the disaster and dispel the rumors can we stabilize the situation.”

Ye Mu said, "Besides, this estate was only handed over to us by my aunt this year. It has been fine in previous years. If something goes wrong in our hands, I'm afraid my second aunt will make a big fuss about it."

Seeing this, Zijing, who was standing by, stepped forward and curtsied: "Third Madam, rest assured, this servant will follow Fourth Miss closely. Although Fourth Miss is young, she has helped with accounting and other affairs all these years, and she has handled everything perfectly. Who in the mansion doesn't praise Fourth Miss for being decisive and responsible?"

That's true. Everyone in the manor knows that although the Fourth Miss is young, she is decisive in her actions and has more courage and boldness than many men.

The gatekeeper nodded in agreement, "Yesterday, I heard from the young men in the outer courtyard that when Fourth Miss dealt with those two old women who were withholding her monthly wages, her aura was even more intimidating than that of the housekeeper. To have such skill at such a young age, she will surely be able to support the household in the future. I think only Fourth Miss can handle this matter."

Seeing that everyone trusted their daughter, Madam Liu finally relented, "Alright, you can go, but be sure to bring enough people with you and be careful in everything you do."

Ye Mu immediately changed his clothes, choosing a neat pale yellow narrow-sleeved pleated skirt, and covered it with a dark blue vest. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had gathered two experienced stewards and twelve guards, and loaded four blue-curtained carriages with prepared ashes, tobacco, and other supplies, heading straight for Dongji Mountain Villa.

The carriage bumped along for nearly two hours. By the time they reached the village entrance, the sun was already setting. They saw swarms of rice borers covering the sky in the fields, and the millet and sorghum were flattened. The villagers gathered on the field ridges, looking panicked. Several old farmers were trying to swat them with bamboo brooms, but it was a drop in the ocean.

Before the carriage had come to a complete stop, Ye Mu jumped off the carriage shaft. The rustling sound of her gnawing on the millet was incessant, making her ears tingle.

She found Village Head Li Laowu in the field, who was driving away locusts. "Village Head Li, when did the locust plague start?"

Old Man Li turned around and saw it was her. He was stunned for a moment, then quickly bowed. “Fourth Miss, you are of noble birth. How could you come to such a dirty and messy place? Although the insect plague is fierce, we will do our best. How could we dare to trouble you, Miss?”

Ye Mu waved his hand, "No need for official language, in which field did the insect infestation first appear?"

"The insect infestation started three days ago. It began in the low-lying area to the south. At first, there were very few insects, and we didn't take it seriously. We've had small insects before, and we just sprayed some pesticide and that was it. But we didn't expect that the next day, the insects were everywhere in the fields."

Ye Mu strode towards the southern edge of the field, her pale yellow skirt brushing against the fallen sorghum and startling a few flying insects. Zijing quickly raised her sleeve to shield her, but Ye Mu stopped her with a raised hand, saying, "No need."

She crouched down, picked up a clump of soil, and examined it closely with her fingertips. Then she broke off half of a hollowed-out rice stalk. The insect damage was neat and clearly spread from south to north.

Suddenly a villager exclaimed, "Fourth Miss, be careful! That spot was just sprayed with pesticide!"

Ye Mu seemed not to hear, instead lightly touching the ulcerated part of the leaf with his fingertips and sniffing it closely. "The amount of sulfur is insufficient, and the tobacco water is too diluted. This kind of superficial treatment is hardly effective in repelling insects."

“Ah Jing, call a few people,” Ye Mu stood up, “and fetch the tobacco we brought.”

The surrounding villagers also gathered around, whispering among themselves, their eyes sweeping over Ye Mu's slender figure and gorgeous skirt, clearly not believing that this noble lady could have any real skills.

As the wooden bucket was brought over, Ye Mu rolled up her sleeves, picked up a ladle, and was about to splash the thick, brown medicinal liquid when a shirtless farmman suddenly stepped forward, his thick arm sweeping across the field, and his voice boomed like thunder, "What are you doing! What do you know about farming, you little girl? Farming isn't like embroidery!"

Ye Mu's wrist was forced to hover in mid-air. Her gaze swept over him, then over the hesitant faces around her. "So, are all you experts in agriculture just going to let the pests spread for three days, using the wrong medicine and failing to do your best, gathering here to sigh and lament, completely helpless?"

Ye Mu's voice was calm, yet it made people's faces burn even more than a stern rebuke. Zhuang Han's momentum faltered under her gaze, and he opened his mouth but couldn't find a word to reply.

"Two ounces of tobacco bones, half a qian of sulfur, and three qian of realgar. This prescription is recorded in the *Qimin Yaoshu*. Pour boiling water over it and let it cool before applying," Ye Mu ignored him and, while sprinkling the mixture onto the rice plants, turned to the villagers and raised his voice, "But books are ultimately lifeless. Look, everyone, the tobacco bone solution should be as thick as lacquer, and the sulfur should be as fine as powder. What you applied before was just water mixed with a little soot from the bottom of the stove. How could that possibly work?"

In a short while, the moths collapsed upon contact with the medicine, falling to the ground like black snow.

The whispers around them suddenly ceased.

Ye Mu then looked at Li Laowu, "Head of the estate, you've been in charge of the estate for many years, how could you not know the prescriptions in 'The Essential Techniques for the Common People'? Moreover, I have thirty catties of tobacco bones and twenty bags of sulfur stored in the estate's storeroom from last year. I saw them with my own eyes when I inspected the estate in May; they were all stored in the east storeroom. Now that the insect infestation is raging, why haven't you opened them and used them? Is it because the medicinal materials were lost, or because you failed to manage them properly?"

"Fourth Miss, please don't blame the head of the manor." A young man stepped out from the crowd. "The paper says this is divine punishment, and medicine is useless."

"What paper?"

Zhuang Han hurriedly pulled out a crumpled piece of yellow hemp paper from his bosom. On the paper were written crookedly the eight characters "The Marquis's Mansion has lost its virtue, and Heaven has sent down disaster," with crude ink.

"When was it discovered? Where was it obtained?" Ye Musheng asked coldly.

"Three days ago, every household had one slipped under their door. At first, we thought it was just a child's prank, but who knew that the next day a plague of insects would break out..."

"Isn't this just some worthless piece of paper that some petty scoundrels would use to block the door in the middle of the night?" Ye Mu sneered. "The Marquis's mansion has all the account books for rent and tax reductions over the years. Two years ago, in the dead of winter, they even allocated five hundred taels of silver to rebuild the granary. If this is considered unrighteous and immoral, then I'd like to ask you, what is benevolence and what is virtue?"

An old farmer pointed shakily to the southeast, "Fourth Miss, that's the graveyard of Fourth Master..."

Ye Mu looked in the direction he pointed, and saw paper money faintly floating among the desolate graves. "Go on," he said.

"Two weeks ago, lightning struck the ancient locust tree, and some people said it was because it disturbed the peace of our ancestors."

"Absurd!" Ye Mu's voice was like shattered jade. "Fourth Uncle's grave was moved to the ancestral mausoleum five years ago. The clan chief personally oversaw this matter back then. When did it become the place for outsiders to make wild guesses?"

Her gaze swept over the crowd. "Do you all know why the pest infestation is so severe in Nanwa alone?"

Before anyone could answer, she had already lifted her skirt, squatted down, and used a nearby stick to dig open the ridge between the paddy fields. "Come and see!"

Among the turned soil, there were countless tiny insect eggs, each the size of a grain of rice, piled up like white rice grains. "The Nanwa area is low-lying and has been flooded for a long time, making it a perfect breeding ground for rice borers. If the ditches had been dug earlier, we wouldn't be in this situation today."

Li Laowu, his face filled with shame, knelt down on the ground, "It was my negligence..."

“It’s too early to apologize now,” Ye Mu pulled him up. “You will immediately lead people to open the warehouse and prepare the medicine according to my prescription. A-Jing will lead people to count the affected fields, and the rest of you will follow me to save the crops. Anyone who participates in pest control will receive an extra thirty coins per day, and their three meals will be provided by the Marquis’s mansion.”

A barefoot man, with his neck stiff, asked, "Young lady, you have no proof. How can we believe you?"

Ye Mu took out a pair of tokens from his sleeve, stood on the ridge of the field, raised them high, and shouted, "Seeing this token is like seeing the head of the household. If you are short even a penny, you may go to the government office and beat the drum to appeal!"

As the setting sun cast its golden-red glow across the ground, Ye Mu stood atop a high ridge, her skirt already stained with mud. The hem of her dark blue vest was lifted by the evening breeze, and the sunset glow gilded her with a hazy, rosy hue. A few stray strands of her hair clung to her sweat-dampened forehead and cheeks, which, far from making her look disheveled, added a touch of resilience.

"Those who save the crops will be exempt from 60% of their rent and taxes after the autumn harvest. But if anyone hesitates now and waits until there is no harvest, don't blame the Marquis's mansion for demanding compensation according to the contract, without showing any mercy!"

The fields fell into an instant of stillness, broken only by the sound of insects flapping their wings like tearing silk.

The villagers looked at each other in dismay. A 60% tax exemption was an unprecedented honor for the generations of farmers who had toiled in the land.

The shirtless farmhand slammed his hoe into the ground and shouted, "I, Zhao Tieniu, will fight Fourth Sister!"

As if waking from a dream, everyone rushed to their homes to fetch gourds and hoes, and in an instant, they were in a frenzy.

Ye Mu called over several strong young men and pointed to the silted-up irrigation ditch in Nanwa, saying, "It must be cleared within two days to allow the floodwaters to flow through, otherwise the insect eggs will regenerate in the water, and all our previous efforts will be in vain."

For the next few days, Ye Mu stayed at the manor, supervising the preparation of medicine in the morning, personally inspecting the fields at midday, and calculating losses at night. He was so busy that he had no time to spare.

At first, the villagers had doubts, but seeing that she ate coarse food and drank well water with everyone every day, and that she commanded with composure and had a natural air of authority, they all abandoned their contempt and worked hard to save the crops.

On the fourth day after Ye Mu saved Tian, ​​distinguished guests also arrived at the Hou family's residence.

The old lady leaned against the brocade cushion. Upon hearing the announcement, her cloudy eyes lit up slightly. "Please come in quickly."

Wen Kong lifted the curtain and entered, approaching and bowing with his hands clasped in greeting. His figure was like a solitary pine tree. "Eight years have passed since we parted, and the old lady is as healthy as ever. It is the Bodhisattva's mercy that has saved her."

"I'm old and useless now, I'm just getting by." The old lady ordered the maid to serve tea, her gaze tracing his features closely. "When you came to teach Fourth Sister to write back then, you were just an old woman with a shoulder-high frame. Now you have such a dignified appearance that I hardly recognize you."

Wen Kong lowered his eyes and said, "When I was traveling far away, I often remembered the old lady's care for me back then."

At that time, he taught Ye Mu to write, and the old lady would secretly send people to give him extra money.

"That was Ye Mu who begged me to give it to you," the old lady said with a smile. "That child looks naive, but she is very thoughtful. Seeing that you always wear that old monk's robe, and your fingertips are frozen red in the cold winter, she secretly gave you half of her own allowance. She then pestered me to say that it was my idea, afraid of hurting your feelings."

"The Fourth Sister is kind and benevolent." Wen Kong looked down at the tea leaves in the teacup, watching them rise and fall.

"You haven't seen her since you came back, have you? She's grown into a stunning beauty. If you ask me, there aren't many in the entire capital who can compare to Fourth Sister. You probably wouldn't recognize her if you saw her."

The old lady suddenly frowned. "That's strange. This girl used to visit me every morning and evening without fail, but lately I haven't seen her at all. I wonder what she's been busy with these past few days."

“Our fourth young lady is quite capable.” Madam Zhou carried a bowl of soup, lifted the curtain and came in, her lips laced with sarcasm. “There was a locust plague at Dongji Manor, and she, an unmarried young lady, actually went to suppress it herself. She hasn’t returned for three or four days. There are many young men in the manor, but she’s not afraid of being criticized.”

She placed the medicine cup on the small table beside the couch, saying, "Outsiders who don't know the situation might think that our Marquis's daughters are so uncouth."

"A locust plague?" The old lady's eyes narrowed. "Such a serious matter, and no one came to report it to me! Do they really think I'm senile, that I can't even hear about what's happening in the manor or on the estate?"

Overwhelmed by anger, she coughed violently, her body trembling. Zhou rushed forward to pat her back, but the old lady pushed her away. Her wrist was thin and withered, but her strength was great, startling Zhou so much that she withdrew her fingers.

Seeing this, Lin Mama, a trusted servant standing by the bedside, stepped forward at the right moment, curtsied, and said gently, "Madam, please calm down and take good care of yourself. It was the Fourth Miss who specifically instructed me before she left not to bother you. She will return and report to you in detail once she has taken care of things. I'm afraid that telling you in advance will only cause you worry and distress."

Seeing that the old lady's breathing had calmed down a bit, Lin Mama continued, "Please don't worry, Madam. Yesterday, a messenger from the estate sent word that Fourth Miss has handled the situation well, and the disaster is under control with great promise. Furthermore, when Eldest Young Master came to pay his respects this morning, he specifically instructed me to tell him that he would personally go to the estate to take care of things after he finished his official duties this afternoon. If everything goes smoothly, he will escort Fourth Miss back to the manor first thing tomorrow morning, and you will definitely be able to see your two well-behaved grandsons."

The old lady sat up straight with Lin Mama's help, finally letting out a long sigh. Her expression was helpless, yet tinged with pride. "Fine, fine, that girl Fourth Sister is just naturally stubborn. Once she's made up her mind, let alone her mother, even this old man like me can't stop her."

“Mother, you are the pillar of this household. You should offer some advice when necessary,” Zhou Shi said, gently bringing the lukewarm medicine to the old lady’s lips. “The estate is a mixed bag, full of rough and uncouth men. Fourth Sister, an unmarried young lady, is always showing her face in public; it will inevitably damage her reputation. And Third Sister-in-law, she just lets her do as she pleases. Once a young lady’s reputation is tarnished, how will she find a husband in the future?”

"Advise her to stay in her boudoir and watch the fields fail and the farmers become homeless?" The old lady didn't drink her soup, but took the medicine cup and looked at Zhou Shi. "Fourth Sister went to a dangerous place to save the family from trouble. Any truly discerning family would praise her for being worthy of the Marquis's name. Who would look down on her? What can you do besides spouting sarcastic and cryptic remarks here?"

In her early years, the old lady could turn a blind eye to Zhou's unseemly remarks out of consideration for her junior status, and simply pretend not to hear them.

Over the years, the old lady had watched with a cold eye as Zhou Shi raised her children to be increasingly unruly. Wen Ge'er was neither good at literature nor martial arts, yet he always loved to talk big in front of others, all talk and no action; Qing Jie'er had been worn down to the point of having no opinions of her own, and when faced with a problem, she would only shrink back and lower her head, speaking in a voice as soft as a mosquito, without any of the demeanor of a noble lady. The old lady's tolerance had gradually worn away.

"Instead of wasting your time gossiping about your niece, you should think about how to raise your own children properly," the old lady waved her hand wearily. "Go down, I don't need you to serve me here anymore."

Zhou bit her lip, filled with resentment, and knelt down to retreat.

But she didn't go far. She waited under the wisteria trellis in the covered walkway, her gaze fixed on the two or three sparrows hopping around below the steps. She thought about what happened eight years ago. That day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the woodshed was stuffy and hot. Mr. Chen's sweaty back was pressed against her. Just as they were getting emotional, a gray shadow suddenly swept past the window. When she chased after it, she only saw the gray corner of a garment swaying at the side gate.

She sent her servant to give chase, but the monk had hidden inside the Xie family mansion. Little did she know that this poor monk was actually the young master of the Xie family.

Fortunately, after the old lady learned of his identity, she stopped letting him enter the manor to teach. Later, she heard that this person was traveling all over the world and his whereabouts were unknown, so she gradually felt at ease. Unexpectedly, eight years later, this person returned.

Zhou's heart churned with unease, fearing that the little bald monk might utter a single inappropriate word in front of the old lady.

After waiting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she saw the monk emerge from the old lady's room and walk slowly along the bluestone path. She composed herself, straightened her sleeves, and stepped out from under the shade of the flowers.

"Master Wen Kong, please wait."

Wen Kong stopped, turned around, and clasped his hands together, "Second Madam."

Zhou adjusted her apricot-yellow silk skirt, the jade bracelet on her wrist clinking softly. Feigning familiarity, she said, "Many years have passed since we last met. Master has traveled far and wide; I'm sure you've seen many strange and wonderful things?"

"What this humble monk sees is nothing but the myriad forms of sentient beings."

“Then…” Zhou took half a step forward, “Does Master still remember the Dragon Boat Festival eight years ago? I lost a jade pendant that day, and Master left in a hurry. The servants were ignorant and mistook you for a thief. I have always owed Master an apology over the years.”

"Madam need not worry about worldly affairs."

Seeing his distant tone, Zhou decided to be more direct, "Master, you left in such a hurry that day, did you encounter something amiss?"

A gentle breeze swept through the corridor, and wisteria blossoms fluttered down onto Wen Kong's shoulder. He lowered his eyes and brushed away the fallen petals. "There's nothing wrong with it. It's just that when I passed by a shed, I heard two stray dogs fighting and biting each other. The stench was overwhelming, so I took a detour."

Zhou's face turned deathly pale, but she couldn't refute it. She forced a smile, "Master is really..."

"If Madam has nothing else to say, this humble monk will take his leave."

As Zhou watched that solitary figure disappear outside the moon gate, her jaw tightened.

-

As dusk settled, lights began to twinkle in the village.

Ye Mu had just finished calculating the day's expenses for medicine and labor with the two stewards and was rubbing her throbbing temples when she heard the sound of horses' hooves outside the courtyard. She stepped out of the room and saw Ye Xingjian dismounting. He was still wearing his dark official robes, looking travel-worn and tired, but his expression softened instantly when he saw her.

"Brother?" Ye Mu was both surprised and delighted, lifting her skirt and quickly stepping forward. "Why are you here?"

"After finishing my business at the government office, I came to see you."

Ye Xingjian approached and, in the dim light of the corridor, carefully examined her. She seemed to have lost some weight in the few days since he last saw her; the hem of her skirt was stained with dried mud, and her hair was a little loose, but her eyes were still astonishingly bright, as if they were filled with stars.

"Fourth Sister." He imagined tidying her hair behind her ear, just like he did when she was little, but with a guilty conscience, he could only take off his dark blue cloak and toss it to Zijing, who was standing to the side. "The night dew is heavy, put this on your young lady."

"I was inside, it wasn't cold," Ye Mu said with a smile, pushing him away and leading him inside. Her tone became lighter. "Brother, you've come at the perfect time. You can have dinner with me."

The manor was simple, and the dinner was also simple. On the wooden table was only a dish of pickled vegetables, half a bowl of cabbage, and two bowls of brown rice. Ye Mu ate with relish and told Ye Xingjian about the progress. "The pest infestation has been controlled by 70%. It will be completely eradicated in two more days. It's just that we don't know who spread those rumors."

Ye Xingjian paused in his chopsticks. "The simultaneous occurrence of the insect plague and the rumors is too much of a coincidence. This person is not only familiar with farming, but also understands human nature and knows how to use natural disasters to create man-made calamities. You just said that the farmers all received yellow papers. Do you have any?"

“Yes.” Ye Mu took out the crumpled piece of yellow hemp paper from his sleeve and spread it out under the oil lamp. “Brother, look at this paper. It’s of poor quality, the lowest grade of stuff from the marketplace. The ink is uneven, and the characters are crooked. The writer obviously doesn’t write often.”

She pointed her finger at the character "侯" (Hou), "This stroke and the dot look like..."

“It’s like copying the same thing.” Ye Xingjian interjected, taking the paper and rubbing the rough surface between his fingertips. “Although this paper is of poor quality, it is not commonly found in the outskirts of Beijing. It looks like the fire-resistant wallpaper produced in Yongzhou in the south. Because it was heated unevenly during baking, it is brittle and hard with slanted patterns.”

"In that case, we only need to find out who in the village has used Yongzhou paper recently, or who has people from Yongzhou in their family, and we can find some clues."

Ye Mu said, "Farmers cherish money and have to be careful with every penny. They would never spend money to buy extra paper. Most of it is just old stock at home that they can use whenever they want."

Ye Xingjian nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on her lips, which were still damp with rice. "Tomorrow I will accompany you to visit the villagers."

"Brother, you don't need to go to the government office to work?"

"I've already taken a ten-day leave." His voice softened unconsciously. "I'm being transferred to Suzhou Prefecture in ten days, so these days are a good time for handover and rest."

Ye Xingjian's fingertips curled slightly inside his sleeve, but he didn't raise his hand. "I just need to send someone back to the manor to deliver a message that I won't be going back tomorrow."

"It's so good to have my brother here." Ye Mu's eyebrows curved into crescent moons, and the white grain of rice on her lips trembled gently with her smile, like the unmelted snow on the branches in early spring. "He's been a great help as soon as he arrived."

Ye Xingjian paused for a moment, then finally reminded him, "There are grains of rice on your lips."

Ye Mu was taken aback at first, then extended her pink tongue and deftly rolled it up, the grain of rice disappearing between her rosy lips. She looked up at him and smiled, her lips still glistening with moisture, exuding a natural charm.

Ye Xingjian felt something wet, warm, and soft gently lick his chest, a tingling sensation shooting down his veins and igniting a small fire in his abdomen. He hurriedly lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting shadows beneath them, the image of that lively, pink tongue lingering in his mind.

Even as night fell, the memory lingered on my hard couch.

There were no extra guest rooms on the estate, so Ye Xingjian stayed next to Ye Mu, separated only by a wall. She could clearly hear the sound of water, which meant that Zijing was helping her wash up. "These past few days, although it's cool in the mornings and evenings, the midday sun is very strong, and Fourth Sister's back is sunburned..."

"Keep your voice down, this is nothing to make a fuss about."

The candlelight flickered, and the sound of water from next door gradually subsided. Ye Xingjian tossed and turned, the intermittent sound of water still seeming to drip in his ears, making his chest feel restless and agitated.

Ye Xingjian suddenly sat up and took out a plain handkerchief from a hidden compartment in his bag. It was the one Ye Mu had used to wipe his sweat. The corner of the handkerchief was embroidered with a small character "Mu" and had been worn and frayed.

He placed a handkerchief under his pillow, covering his face with it. The faint scent of gardenias lingered around his nose. Ye Xingjian closed his eyes, imagining in the darkness her hair blowing in the wind, her eyes curving when she smiled, her lips still damp with rice, and the tip of her tongue. He could almost see her after her bath, her hair still wet, the spring-like beauty of her hair, the water droplets sliding down her slender neck into her collar, disappearing into her glistening cleavage.

As his breathing quickened, Ye Xingjian finally relented and reached out to grasp his own hand. The scent of gardenias on the handkerchief became her phantom, and her delicate hand timidly and awkwardly brushed against his.

Ye Xingjian tilted his head back like a dying crane, fine beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, disappearing into the pillowcase along his temples.

Just as his consciousness began to fade, a soft knock came from the other side of the wall. "Brother, were you calling me just now?"

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Author's Note: A long and satisfying chapter! Thank you for reading and adding it to your favorites!