Chapter 25 Second Master Liang Respectfully Wishes Second Madam Liang a Happy Birthday…

Because Liang Ye had matters to discuss with Liang Shao, the trip to Pingkang Ward had to be put on hold. Fortunately, Shanhe had never wanted to go anyway.

At this moment, the two Liang brothers went straight to the study to discuss secret matters. Shanhe brought in tea, then retreated to her bedroom, poured herself a cup of Qinglu tea, and leisurely sipped it while thinking about how to coax Liang Shao into writing the divorce papers. Not long after, Qingyue came in carrying several pieces of clothing, and said with a smile, "I just went to the laundry room to get some clean clothes for Second Mistress and Second Master. I've packed them up now, and we'll take them all on the boat tonight."

Upon hearing this, Shanhe put down her cup and got up, sitting down with Qingyue on the edge of the couch, slowly tidying up their luggage and packing their bags.

Shanhe asked, "What about Suiming and Suiwen?"

Qingyue smiled and said, "Lantaixuan is packing her things to go to the capital. There are many things she doesn't understand, so she borrowed the two of them to help her. I'll take care of you for now."

Shanhe nodded: "Alright, alright. Although they are sincere to me, they have grown up in the Liang family since childhood and have received their kindness. I can only tell you about my affairs. This time, when we go to the ship for a farewell banquet to send off my elder brother, it means we are really leaving. If we bring them along, I'm afraid it will be inconvenient at the last minute, and we won't be able to leave cleanly."

Qingyue pursed her lips and pondered for a moment before saying, "Second Madam wants to keep them all in Shuyu Pavilion?"

Shanhe shook his head and said, "No, only keep one. Keeping both would be too conspicuous, and Second Master would become suspicious."

Qingyue's eyes lit up: "Then let's keep Suiming here. She's thoughtful and handles things properly; it's not easy to fool her. Letting Suiming stay at Shuyu Pavilion to look after the rooms is a reasonable arrangement."

Shanhe pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "Just now, Second Master said he wanted to prepare a room for me to use as a painting studio. I'll have Suiming stay here these next few days to prepare the servants' quarters on the south side of the west wing. Later, I'll draft a list and ask her to oversee the purchase of all sorts of painting supplies to put in there." As she spoke, Shanhe's eyes grew even more indifferent: "Speaking of which, it really seems like I'm going to be living here for a very long time..."

Hearing the words "painting room, etc.", Qingyue couldn't help but sigh. She still took Shanhe's hand and patted it gently. The two sat facing each other, their furrowed brows clearly visible. Shanhe smiled bitterly, "It'll be alright soon, everything will be alright."

"Everything will be alright once we leave here."

Everything will be alright. After leaving the Liang family, she and Qingyue returned to Jinling, rented a small courtyard with the 180 taels of silver, and started living a vibrant life. Thinking of this, Shanhe felt her heart pounding like a drum. A free and unrestrained life, without having to consider anyone's feelings, without so many worries weighing on her mind. She only needed to live a pure, clean, and unburdened life, without worrying that her background would ruin anyone's life, without being troubled by unfulfilled debts of gratitude. She lived only as Xue Shanhe, not as Liang Ersai, nor as the daughter of a disgraced official, simply as Xue Shanhe.

Shanhe slowly smiled, her eyes and brows beaming with a gentle, warm smile that held boundless hope and longing. This smile spread and gradually crept onto Qingyue's face as well.

The snow in Jinling, the misty waves on the Qinhuai River, and every blade of grass, every tree, every flower on Danfeng Street all appeared before her eyes, as if time had stopped two years ago, when she was the only daughter of the Xue family in Jinling, and nothing had happened.

At that moment, a commotion arose in the courtyard, pulling Shanhe and the other person out of their thoughts. They saw Liang Shao leaning half his body into the house and laughing, "What are you two laughing about? Why are you being so mysterious? Tell me about it."

Liang Ye stood under the eaves and urged in a low voice, "Ah Shao, we need to hurry."

“I know, I’m coming.” Liang Shao turned to look at Shanhe. “I’ll have to trouble Second Madam to take care of the luggage for the ship. I’m going out with my elder brother now, and we’ll be back before dusk. You wait for me at Shuyu Pavilion, and we’ll board the ship together.” With that, he tossed a bunch of small keys over, which landed steadily on Shanhe’s lap. Liang Shao’s voice, however, was not as warm as before, but rather somewhat cold: “The key to the lacquered box, your things are inside.”

Shanhe held the key in her palm, looked up at him and said, "Since you went out with my elder brother, have someone from his side go back to Lantai Pavilion and tell Suiming that once you've finished dealing with things there, come back as soon as possible. I have something to say to her."

"What are you saying? Is it serious? We're pressed for time today. If it's not serious, we can talk about it once we're on the boat."

Shanhe tilted her head slightly and smiled, "I'd like Suiming to stay at Shuyu Pavilion this time, clean up that room, and buy some painting supplies to put in it. Does Second Master think that's important?"

Liang Shao laughed heartily: "That is indeed an important matter. I will speak with her personally when we arrive at Lantai Pavilion."

Then Liang Ye's voice came: "In that case, just bring her back."

Liang Shao laughed: "It's not that important."

Shanhe heard a soft "heh" laugh.

The Liang brothers, Shao and Ye, were on some unknown business. They first returned to Lantai Pavilion to retrieve gifts, contracts, and other items, then each rode out through the main gate on a horse. Cheng Bao followed them, while Cheng Min stayed behind to help pack at Lantai Pavilion. Because of the many tasks, he also summoned several unfamiliar servants who usually waited outside the second gate to come into the garden and help carry things. Logically, Shan He should have helped with the arrangements, but since it was her brother-in-law's room, her enthusiasm would only invite criticism. Therefore, she stayed in Shuyu Pavilion to tidy up her own quarters and assigned four other maids and servants to help. Even so, the Liang family's backyard remained in chaos throughout the afternoon.

Meanwhile, inside the Shuyu Pavilion, besides Shanhe and her maid Qingyue, there were four other maids who did menial tasks such as sweeping and carrying. After tidying up Shanhe and Liang Shao's belongings, they had nothing else to do. Shanhe gave each of them a string of cash and sent them off to play.

For a time, only Shanhe and Qingyue remained in the pavilion.

The master and servant went together to Liang Shao's study and easily found the carved lacquer box. After opening the box, they found that there were indeed only Shanhe's two bundles inside, as well as the relics that Old Master Liang left for the second branch of the family.

Looking at the few silver notes and land deeds, Shanhe felt a pang of bitterness in his heart, but he still took out the bundle and left the Liang family's belongings untouched.

After closing the trunk, Qingyue placed the bundle on the desk in the study and asked in bewilderment, "Why is this one bulging?"

Shanhe looked and saw that the bundle on the left was indeed bulging. After opening it, he found an extra treasure box inside.

The box was placed crookedly, as if it had been hastily shoved in. Inside, a brand-new set of twelve kingfisher feather headdresses lay gleaming. Qingyue had no idea where they came from, but Shanhe frowned.

These are the latest seasonal items from Yunxiufang on Nanqing Street.

Yesterday at Yunxiufang, both she and Liang Shao spotted this set of jewelry at first glance. Liang Shao had just told the shopkeeper that he wanted to take a closer look when Shanhe tugged at his sleeve and shook her head.

Liang Shao laughed: "A complete set of headdress, making you look neat and presentable when you go out. The scattered hairpins and earrings are matched separately, so it looks like a casual outfit, not stingy at all."

How could she not understand? Wealthy ladies and noblewomen from distinguished families always wore matching sets of jewelry, clothes, and shoes. Occasionally, they would wear a new hairpin or change into a new pair of embroidered shoes, which was considered a clever touch. Only those who were neither high-class nor low-class, had to match a single hairpin with several outfits, which made them look timid at first glance.

However, she was no longer someone who could afford a complete set of jewelry. Such a set of jewelry wasn't a reflection of wealth or status; it indicated one's social standing. Only wives and ladies from respectable families, ideally with fathers and husbands holding official positions, could afford to wear it. She couldn't afford it, and after leaving the Liang family, she was even less qualified to wear it.

Seeing that she was still unwilling, Liang Shao whispered in her ear, "What are you afraid of? It's not like you can't afford it. I even think it's not good enough for you."

Shanhe said, "It's better to keep a low profile during the mourning period for our grandfather."

Liang Shao pursed his lips but didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up a delicate plum blossom hairpin from the side. It was a pity that the plum blossom hairpin was all alone, ultimately making it seem "stingy".

As her thoughts returned to normal, Shanhe suppressed her sorrow and was about to close the box when Qingyue whispered, "Second Madam, there's a wad of paper slipped inside."

Sure enough, a neatly folded piece of paper was tucked under the kingfisher feather ornament. Shanhe took out the paper and read it carefully. Qingyue also came over; she couldn't read, so she asked, "What does it say?"

Shanhe then read aloud softly: "Shanhe's Adornment: My grandfather recently passed away, and the entire household is in mourning. Upon inquiring with the steward, we learned that Shanshan's birthday falls within the forty-ninth day after his death, making it impossible to hold a proper celebration. However, the proper rites cannot be neglected, so we offer this gift as a token of our remembrance. Therefore—"

Upon reading this, Shanhe bit her lip and remained silent, but her eyes reddened.

Qingyue asked urgently, "What does it mean?"

Shanhe smiled through her tears and said, "It is said: Second Master Liang respectfully wishes Second Madam Liang a happy birthday and eternal youth. He specifically instructs: Do not let the clan elders and eldest brother know, lest it cause further sorrow."

Qingyue paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, saying wistfully, "It's a wonder Second Master, with his domineering nature, could do such a thing. Although the 49th anniversary of his death has long passed, it hasn't even been a year yet. He can't wear such a luxurious headdress for a while."

Shanhe murmured, "Yeah, only he would do something like that..."

He was the one who argued with the old man for two years; he was the one who personally attended to the old man's needs during his final moments; and he was the one who bought him the fine hairpins during the year-long mourning period. Was this filial piety or unfilial piety? Shanhe couldn't say for sure. There are many kinds of filial piety in this world, and Liang Shao's was certainly somewhat contrary to what is respected by the world. However, Shanhe understood him somewhat. To observe three years of mourning for the sake of the deceased's dignity and respect was truly inhumane. With this kind of filial piety, it would be better to do more while the deceased was alive, so that the deceased could be happier. After the death, to properly conduct the funeral and kowtow properly is always better than years of abstinence. Shanhe suddenly felt that after spending so much time with Liang Shao, she herself had become somewhat "unorthodox."

After closing the treasure box, Shanhe did not leave immediately. Instead, she took out a piece of paper, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and began writing a list of painting supplies. Qingyue put the two bundles back in her room and added them to her luggage to avoid arousing Liang Shao's suspicion. Then she called her maid to listen carefully to Shanhe's instructions before leaving alone, her whereabouts unknown.

The list was completed in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Dusk was still far off, and Shanhe sat blankly behind her desk, unconsciously recalling that night when she and Liang Shao had sat in this very armchair, dozens of land deeds under Liang Shao's name pressed beneath her. And those land deeds and field deeds he had promised to give her—a few days later, a clerk had been summoned to write the seals, and she had signed her name and affixed her seal; now they were all her, Xue Shanhe's, private property.

But how did it end up like this?

It seems that once a person takes that first step, they can never stop. If he hadn't given her the divorce papers, if they had lived peacefully as an ordinary couple for those two years, if she hadn't gone to Danxia Painting Studio, if Wu Tianqi hadn't said those words, if he hadn't forced her, if she hadn't asked Liang Ye for help that day… Shanhe knew that with her personality, she would definitely have stayed. But there were too many "ifs," so her departure was inevitable. From the very beginning, from the first day Liang Shao and Xue Shanhe's fate was sealed, departure was inevitable. Heaven is silent, but it will push anyone and anything toward its predetermined inevitability. And in this inevitability, the little bit of affection that has quietly grown from flesh and blood over the years seems so foolish and out of place.

So Shanhe took out a new cloud-patterned letter. She knew she was a fool and a weak person.

She copied the property transfer deed written by the scribe that day, rewrote it to return the land deeds to Liang Shao, took out ink to stamp her fingerprint, folded it up, put it in an envelope, and placed it in a carved lacquer box.

Now, everything should be settled properly.

Shanhe rose and slowly walked through the study, taking one last close look at the furnishings. Several sharp weapons lay across the iron sword guards, and stacks of military books were piled high on the dark wood bookcase. High above the center hung the two characters "Qing Shuang," written by the late Old Master Liang. Beneath the "Qing Shuang" plaque lay Liang Shao's Qing Shuang sword, which he would never normally display, gleaming with a cold, sharp light. It was said to have been forged by the previous head of the sword-making family. Before the Qing Shuang sword, the four treasures of the study were neatly arranged on a large sandalwood table, and beside it, several scrolls of maps leaned against a painting vat, only slightly worn at the edges. Shanhe had never really looked at this room much before, but standing here for the last time today, she felt a strange sense of familiarity, a feeling of melancholy washing over her.

Overwhelmed with grief, she licked her brush again, picked up the ink, and wrote:

Two springs have passed since we were joined in marriage, and today I cut the silken thread to bind us. I will not allow even the smallest speck of dust to obscure the path to heaven, for each pearl in the vast ocean shines with its own preciousness.

It was also folded up and hidden in a carved lacquer box.

Looking up, the sun was already gradually setting in the west.

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Author's note: Almost there, almost there, I'm leaving.

The next chapter will be a short, chubby chapter to meet the word count for the rankings.