Chapter 91 The two brothers each celebrate their own Lunar New Year's Day...

Liang Ye's breathing quickened. He held Shanhe in his arms, the girl's soft body radiating warmth through her clothes. The familiar scent of osmanthus hair oil lingered in his nostrils, yet a pang of sorrow welled up in his heart, rising directly to his eyes. For a moment, he even wanted to shed tears.

He Niang tilted her head back and smiled at him, her eyes filled with tender affection. The man before her was the one she had fallen for when she first fell in love, the patron who had rescued her from the brothels. She still remembered that first night they met; he was slightly drunk, his large hand caressing her slender neck, his eyes brimming with unyielding tenderness. He had cleared her name of her lowly status, he had given her a place to stand. Even though she later learned that he had done so for Xue Shanhe's sake, she was already deeply in love. He Niang was a woman of principle; she loved him, but knew she could never be his wife. Therefore, she only wanted to stay by his side forever, even if it meant spending her life as a maid. She hoped that her carefully nurtured love could find a happy ending.

She called softly, "A-Ye," and reached out her hand, trembling slightly, towards his belt.

Liang Ye tensed instantly. He abruptly opened his drunken eyes, pushed the person in his arms away several steps, and shouted sharply, "Who is it?" He blinked hard, and Xue Shanhe in front of him instantly became a double image, his features blurred and indistinct. A buzzing sound rose in his head again, one after another, like the clamor of cicadas on a summer night, noisy and clamorous. Liang Ye rubbed his forehead, leaned against the wall, and blurted out, "Get out!"

He Niang stood frozen in place. As she took a step forward, Liang Ye staggered back a step.

She was a little scared: "A-Ye, what's wrong with you?"

Liang Ye roared, "Get out! Who are you? You've appeared in my dreams time and time again disguised as Shan He! Who are you?!" Before he finished speaking, he slumped to the ground, leaning against the cold wall, panting heavily. Overwhelmed by the alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot, and he saw double images before him. The dressing table was heavy, the moon-shaped window was heavy, even the graceful figure standing there seemed to be two separate entities. Liang Ye thought: This isn't reality, it's a dream. He's fallen into a nightmare again. A deep sorrow filled Liang Ye's heart. Since Shan He's death, he often felt disoriented and frequently dreamed of her. But in his dreams, she never appeared, only leaving a shadow. She was either standing by the window or outside the door. The most terrifying dream was when he dreamt he was sitting at his desk reviewing official documents, and suddenly Shan He hugged him from behind, calling his name repeatedly. He was stiff and unable to move, unable to turn his head back. He could only hear Shanhe calling his name again and again: "Liang Ye! Liang Ye!" He couldn't help but reply to her: "Shanshan, what's wrong?" Shanhe's voice immediately became shrill: "Liang Ye! It hurts so much! The fire is burning my chest!" He was startled awake and realized that he had just dozed off at his desk, and his body was already soaked in cold sweat.

Huai Song stood under the porch and saw that Cheng Min and Cheng An had gone back to their rooms to rest. He was about to turn around and go back to his room when the sliding door was pulled open from the inside. He Niang came out in fright. Huai Song glanced inside and saw Liang Ye sitting against the wall with his knees drawn up to his chest, his head drooping between his knees, as if he were fast asleep.

Huaisong gently closed the door, then immediately pulled her to a corner and asked in a low voice, "What happened? He didn't touch you?"

He Niang shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.

"Why are you crying? Did he recognize you?"

He Niang shook her head again.

Huaisong scolded again, "If you didn't recognize me, why are you crying? Go back right now!"

He Niang murmured, "Huai Song, I'm scared..."

"What are you afraid of? Huh? You don't want to be my woman anymore? You don't want to step on Cheng Min's head and avenge your sister? He Niang! If you continue to be cowardly and degenerate, you'll be a lowly maid for life! Xue Shanhe ran away, but sooner or later there will be another Xue Shanhe! You'll neither gain my favor nor avenge your blood feud! In a few years, you'll be lucky if I just marry you off to a servant!" Huai Song narrowed his eyes, his tone gradually becoming ruthless, "He Niang, show me the same decisiveness you had when you killed Xue Shanhe!"

The last sentence made He Niang shudder. She hurriedly nodded, "I know, I know all this! But, the master is like he's having a nightmare right now, he won't touch me."

Huaisong took out a packet of medicine powder from his pocket and put it into He Niang's palm: "Put it into the hangover soup and coax him to drink it."

He Niang's hands trembled as she asked, "What is this?"

Huaisong said, "Don't worry, just give him the medicine to fall into a deep sleep. When you wake up in his bed tomorrow morning, everything will be fine."

He Niang looked down at the packet of medicine powder.

Huai Song said urgently, "Hurry up! What are you dawdling for! It's only a rare opportunity for Granny Wei and those two Cai to stay up all night at the new house, and I've already sent Cheng Min and Cheng An away. If you keep dawdling, what other chance will you have!"

He Niang bit her lower lip until it turned white before she seemed to make up her mind and turned to go into Liang Ye's room.

Huai Song stood there, coldly watching He Niang's retreating figure, a slight smile creeping onto his lips. He lingered under the porch for another incense stick's time, and only returned to his room when He Niang showed no further signs of coming out. Passing by Er Cheng's room, he peeked through the crack in the door. Cheng Min was already snoring, and Cheng An was muttering in his sleep, the room reeking of alcohol. Huai Song went back to his own room. Huai Feng had just returned from relieving himself, pulling up his trousers, and smiled at him: "Huai Song, thank you for your help today! Cheng Min and Cheng An were busy with social engagements, so it's all thanks to you taking care of Master. Is Master asleep now?"

Huaisong forced a friendly smile: "I've already gone to bed. Judging from your appearance, you must have won money tonight?"

Huai Feng burrowed into the covers and chuckled, "Not much, just a little over an ounce!"

Huaisong chuckled, "That's not much! It's two months' salary." He walked to the table, used silver scissors to trim the candle wick, opened a well-worn book, and began grinding the remaining ink.

Huai Feng dozed off: "Still studying on New Year's Eve?"

"I can't sleep, so I'm just reading for fun. Look, you're yawning, go to sleep."

Huai Feng lay down properly, covered himself with the quilt, closed his eyes and said in a calm voice, "Huai Song, you love reading so much, why don't you let me see your literary talent and give you some pointers? Maybe I'll see that you are outstanding in your studies and send you to take the imperial examination..." His voice grew softer and softer, until he finally fell asleep and never made a sound again.

Huai Song's hand trembled as he ground the ink, noticing that Huai Feng had already begun to snore softly. He lowered his gaze to the curled pages of the book, listening to the rising and falling sounds of firecrackers outside, and suddenly felt that the surroundings were so quiet that he had the illusion of utter silence. After grinding the ink, Huai Song unfolded a sheet of paper, picked up his brush, and began to write.

He Niang woke up very early, or rather, she hadn't slept at all. When she returned to her room last night, Liang Ye was already drunk and drowsy, yet he still didn't treat her as Shan He, only as a maid, letting her serve him. He Niang was disheartened. She didn't know what was wrong with her compared to Xue Shan He, and she couldn't understand why Liang Ye didn't like her when she was He Niang, and why he still didn't like her when she was disguised as Xue Shan He? Did Liang Ye not like Xue Shan He? Then why was he so obsessed with Xue Shan He? Why was he so emaciated because of her?

As dawn broke, several birds perched on the branches, chirping incessantly. Liang Ye groggily awoke, his mind still reeling from the pain. He sat up, rubbing his forehead, and suddenly realized someone was lying beside him. He Niang was asleep inside, her large, watery eyes looking at him timidly. She clutched a corner of the quilt, pulled it up slightly, and said timidly, "Master..."

Liang Ye froze, then asked coldly, "What are you doing here?" He threw off the covers and got up, only to see his and He Niang's clothes scattered on the floor, a jumbled mess stretching from the bedroom door to the canopy bed. Liang Ye felt his blood rush to his head, veins bulging on his forehead, and his voice grew even colder: "Put your clothes on! Get out!" He picked up an outer robe from the floor, loosely draped it over his shoulders, and just as he pushed open the door, Wei Mama, Er Cheng, Er Cai, and Er Huai, who had been waiting at the door, all stood up with smiles and greeted him with New Year's greetings.

Granny Wei led the crowd and knelt down first: "This old servant and the servants kowtow to Master! We wish Master a peaceful and healthy new year, and happiness every day!" The crowd in front of her knelt down in a dark mass.

Liang Ye's lips twitched, and he uttered a hoarse "reward" as if accepting the gift. Granny Wei and the others rose, only to see He Niang standing behind Liang Ye, draped in her nightgown and with disheveled hair. Everyone's eyes widened, and they gasped.

“Granny Wei,” Liang Ye said impatiently, “take her away.”

He Niang came out sobbing and said cautiously, "Sir, I..."

"Get out." He said expressionlessly.

Seeing Liang Ye lose his temper, everyone dared not disobey and remained silent. Granny Wei's face had already hardened; she stepped forward, grabbed He Niang's arm, and dragged her back to her room. Cai Xiang and Cai Ping lowered their heads and went inside to clean up the mess, while Cheng Min and Cheng An exchanged glances. Liang Ye strode to the main hall, propped his forehead on his hand, and sat down in a round-backed chair, his eyes lowered in thought. Cheng Min hurriedly brought over a censer and asked softly, "Master, we still need to go to the Shi and Meng residences later to pay New Year's respects to your uncle and concubines."

Liang Ye slowly hummed in agreement. Suddenly, he abruptly asked, "How can one determine if a woman has lost her virginity?"

Cheng Min was startled and said cautiously, "What is the master going to do..."

"I was drunk last night, and I don't recall ever seeing her, let alone touching her." He desperately tried to recall the events of last night, only remembering vaguely seeing Shanhe, which he later realized was just a dream. He Niang impersonating Shanhe? Liang Ye seemed to wake from a deep dream, and he added, "Tell Caixiang to ask what exactly happened last night."

Cheng Min accepted the order and left.

Liang Ye narrowed his eyes. He only remembered the shadow of Shan He from last night—was it He Niang, or a dream? Liang Ye wasn't sure. The nightmares of the past few days had left him shaken, and he was also somewhat confused. Liang Ye raised his voice, "Cheng—" He didn't finish the word "Min" because he remembered that he had just instructed Cheng Min to handle He Niang's matter, and that Cheng Min was supposed to go to Jinling to find Liang Shao tomorrow. A thought flashed through his mind, and he called out, "Huai Song, come in."

Huai Song held his breath and walked in with his head bowed.

Liang Ye glanced at him briefly: "Where's Cheng An?"

Huaisong replied respectfully, "Cheng'an has gone to harness the carriage."

Liang Ye gave a long "Oh" and then fell silent.

Huai Song lifted a corner of his eyelid to steal a glance at Liang Ye's expression, and cautiously asked, "Sir, is there anything you need?"

Liang Ye paused for a moment before asking, "Is the lamp oil we offered to Lady Xue last time still safe?"

Huaisong counted on his fingers: "It's been exactly thirty-five days since my wife passed away. The last time we offered sacrifices was half a month ago. We've been busy with the New Year celebrations these days, so I haven't been able to visit her again. But when we offered sacrifices half a month ago, all forty-nine ever-burning lamps were made with the finest quality oil, just as Master instructed, and the lamps were polished to a gleaming shine." As Huaisong replied, he secretly wondered why Liang Ye had suddenly asked about this matter.

Liang Ye nodded: "After you return from those two mansions this afternoon, invite Master Ma over."

"Master Ma?" Huai Song exclaimed in surprise. He had previously invited Master Ma to suppress the evil spirit of the old man from Jingji County. What was the reason for this now? Huai Song pondered slowly, but his face remained impassive. He quickly bowed and said, "In that case, I will go to Master Ma's house now to invite him. Otherwise, when we go to pay New Year's visits and worship Buddha later, we won't be able to find him."

When Liang Ye returned in the afternoon, Master Ma was already waiting in the main hall. The two chatted and laughed for a while, and then Liang Ye made no attempt to hide his feelings, saying in a deep voice, "Master Ma, I invited you here today for the sake of my concubine who passed away a month ago."

Master Ma hurriedly bowed and said, "My lord, please accept my condolences."

Liang Ye sat back in his armchair, his gaze fixed on the winter plum blossoms blooming in the cold outside the window: "Lately, I haven't been sleeping well at night, and I keep dreaming about her. I would like to ask a master to help me find out the reason."

Upon hearing this, Master Ma immediately asked Liang Ye for his and Shan He's birth dates and times. He then took out his bronze incense burner and respectfully offered three sticks of incense. Master Ma knelt and calculated for a moment, then opened his eyes. Seeing the wisps of smoke lingering, his face immediately darkened. Master Ma said coldly, "Lord Shaoqing, the Lady Xue you worship has long since passed away. The one who truly haunts your dreams is probably someone else."

Liang Ye immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

Master Ma pondered for a moment and said, "I'm afraid it was caused by that disaster in Jingji County."

Liang Ye frowned and asked, "Didn't we ask a master to seal that person's path to life last time, preventing him from being reborn?"

Master Ma lifted his eyelids: "Since then, has Lord Shaoqing taken another life?"

Liang Ye's left hand, which was resting on the armrest, suddenly tightened. He squinted and said, "It was not I who killed him, but the law of the Great Yan clearly stipulates the punishment."

Master Ma put away the incense burner and said slowly, "This is it. Those wandering souls believe they were wronged, so they come to haunt you. Did you see your wife's face clearly in your dream, sir?"

Liang Ye slowly shook his head.

Master Ma continued, “Did it speak to you, sir? Lord Shaoqing, true deceased people don’t usually speak when they appear in dreams. If they do speak, it means they are lacking food and clothing in the afterlife. I think that after Lady Xue’s death, you wouldn’t have lacked her offerings. Therefore, the one who spoke to you in the dream was not Lady Xue herself.” He put his satchel, which contained ritual implements, back on his back. “Evil spirits often impersonate the deceased to entice the living to respond. If they don’t respond, so be it; but if they do, they will haunt you relentlessly.”

Liang Ye suddenly felt a cold sweat break out. He remembered Shan He, whom he had dreamt of that day while working at his desk, hugging him from behind and saying, "The fire is burning my chest." How could it be burning? And how could it be his chest? Shan He perished in the fire; she should have felt the burning pain all over her body. Burning, chest pain... Liang Ye's starry eyes sharpened.

It was clearly the pain of branding!

As he was deep in thought, Huaisong stood under the eaves and said respectfully, "Master, Caixiang has gotten the answer to He Niang's question."

Master Ma withdrew to the side hall, and Huaisong entered, bowing his head as he replied, "Master, He Niang said that last night, because Caixiang, Caiping, and Granny Wei were staying up late to celebrate the New Year at the new house, she came to serve you as you settled into bed. She said that you were very drunk last night and kept calling out Madam Xue's name. When you saw her, you mistook her for Madam Xue, and that's why... that's why..."

Liang Ye interrupted him: "I know."

Huai Song leaned closer and whispered in Liang Ye's ear, "Granny Wei has examined her; He Niang is no longer a virgin."

Liang Ye's long, relaxed eyebrows gradually furrowed.

*

Shanhe slept with Qingyue again last night. When she woke up this morning, Qingyue was already up. Shanhe's new winter clothes, made for the New Year, were drying in the incense burner—a light pink cotton-padded jacket paired with a soft, floral-patterned cotton skirt, and a warm, delicate fragrance wafted from them. She propped herself up, changed, and dressed. As soon as she stepped out of her room, she heard Miao'er's clear, bright laughter coming from the courtyard, occasionally mingled with Liu Liu's cheerful barking. Shanhe went downstairs, holding onto the railing, and saw Liu Liu with a red paper embroidered ball around its neck. The fluffy ball bounced in the morning light, swaying with it. Miao'er and Qingyue, both dressed in colorful clothes and adorned with bright hairpins, stood side by side, one holding a steaming cake, the other a small glutinous rice ball, symbolizing good fortune, advancement year after year, and family reunion. Liang Shao stood beside them, saying something witty that made them cover their mouths and laugh.

Upon seeing Shanhe arrive, Qingyue and Miao'er hurriedly presented bowls and cups and bowed, exchanging New Year's greetings with Shanhe first. Only then did Liang Shao and Shanhe exchange New Year's wishes. After breakfast, the group tidied up the house and then drove the pre-rented blue silk carriage to Jiming Temple to offer incense.

The carriage rumbled along the cobblestone road, and Miao'er was stroking and playing with Liu Liu's soft fur. Suddenly, she heard Shan He whisper about her agreement with Liang Shao the night before, and Miao'er exclaimed, "What? Remarriage?"

A soft cough came from outside the carriage curtain.

Miao'er lowered her voice: "My lady, have you thought this through? Didn't you want to divorce him back then?"

Shanhe twisted her fingers: "We had a heart-to-heart talk last night, and I believe he was telling the truth this time. Actually, he had been secretly taking care of things for me all along, but I just couldn't get over my knot in my heart, which is why I resolutely left him. Last night, I explained things to him clearly, and he understood my pain, and I understood his difficulties as well."

Miao'er stroked Liu Liu's fluffy fur and frowned, saying, "These days, I've come to realize that Second Master Liang is a kind-hearted person."

A soft laugh rang out from outside the carriage curtain.

Miao'er raised her voice: "I haven't finished yet!" She turned to Shanhe and continued, "But, Second Master has a title and serves in the army, how can he stay in Jinling for long? What if Master Liang asks about it?"

Before Shanhe could answer, Liang Shao, the driver, spoke up, saying seriously, "If you are willing, you can come with me to Beichuan to settle down. If you are not willing, I will resign from my military post and come here to live as a farmer. My elder brother is busy with his official career in the capital, and he has no time to care about either Beichuan or Jinling. After some years, when Shanshan and I are settled, he will naturally have nothing to say. Not to mention that Shanshan and I are destined by fate, arranged by our grandfather before his death."

Miao'er and Qingyue exchanged bewildered glances. Just as Miao'er was about to speak, the distant, resonant sound of the bell from Jiming Temple broke through the mist. Once the carriage had come to a stop, the three of them alighted together, while Liang Shao went to settle the horses and carriage. As they entered the main hall, the air was thick with the scent of sandalwood. Shanhe and the other two knelt on prayer cushions, bowing devoutly. Looking up, they saw Liang Shao standing under the prayer tree outside the hall, his gaze piercing through the wisps of incense smoke, landing gently on them.

Qingyue whispered, "Second Master's expression is very different from before."

Miao'er asked, "What was it like before?"

Qingyue replied, "I've rarely seen such tenderness before."

Miao'er then fell silent.

Shanhe lowered her eyes, picked up the divination stick container, and gently shook it. A bamboo stick fell to the ground with a thud. She picked it up, examined it closely, and read: "When the swallows return to their old nests, the moon shines brightly on the new branches... This is a good omen."

Upon hearing this, Miao'er sighed, "Even the Bodhisattva has granted my request, so what else can I say?"

Shanhe smiled slowly.

The three of them each drew a fortune stick and came out of the hall, where they saw Liang Shao bending down to teach Liu Liu how to shake hands and roll around. Seeing them approach, he took out an oil paper package from his pocket, his eyes smiling: "I saw some sweet taro sprouts outside the temple just now, they're still warm, you can try some."

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Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, this part of the plot was really hard to write [crying emoji]. I'll continue updating tomorrow.

In short, the castle that the older brother built is about to crack and collapse little by little.