Chapter 17: Reunion
The diamond-patterned bronze mirror, originally part of the bedroom, had been carelessly forgotten on the corner of the table by the windowsill. At first, it had shone brightly, easily capturing the travel-weary, gaunt, and haggard figure of the person in the mirror. Day by day, the dust of time accumulated, and the yellow light it reflected gradually dimmed. After wiping it with a worn handkerchief and taking a closer look, the person in the mirror seemed older, still thin, but the light in his eyes was brighter than before.
Zheng Sirui washed her hands, applied osmanthus oil, and then used a hairpin to hold her hair in place. She then used the mirror to adjust her hair. She had obviously come to Beijing to study, but she seemed to be busier than she had been in Jinling. In the past year, she hadn't had the time to look in the mirror. In the past, she would occasionally style her hair in a fashionable way, picking small flowers with Yanru to insert them. But now, she was too lazy to do anything else, and would just hastily style her hair into a bun after washing and combing her hair in the morning. Some of her close classmates often joked, "Student Zheng dresses like a Taoist nun all day long. It's a waste of her fairy-like face."
There was no way; she simply didn't have the leisure to dress up. The Guanyan Academy in the capital had fewer rules than the Qiushui Academy, and students could wake up half an hour later each day, giving them more free time. However, the girls who studied there were often from prominent families. Like father and daughter, like daughter, daughter; the children of today's court officials were inevitably steeped in poetry and literature, exceedingly intelligent. Zheng Sirui had excelled at Qiushui Academy, consistently topping every quiz. But at Guanyan Academy, her grades were like pearls from Hepu River lurking in a box of Dongzhu pearls. Whereas she had once been plump and full, she now fell flat on her face, tumbling into the middle of the pack. Because of this, she grew increasingly anxious, going to bed later than at Qiushui Academy and waking earlier. Three or two nights out of seven, she would drift off to sleep while studying, her eyes drooping, her head lowered, and she'd fall asleep on her desk. When she woke the next day, her shoulders and legs were sore, her neck stiff, and she had to scream to move.
Although she longed to immerse herself in books and ink for twelve hours, the cost of living in the capital was enormous. Even though she ate, drank, and slept in the academy, her daily expenses still required some money. Furthermore, the tuition for Guanyan Academy was borrowed from Master Guan Lu, a considerable sum. Therefore, she had to find some free time to earn a living. At first, she worked as a handyman, but later a kind-hearted classmate, impressed by her good math and accounting skills, recommended her to work as an accountant in several of her family's shops. Her classmate's mother, now the head of the household, felt that she was reliable, honest, trustworthy, and quick-witted, so she asked her to help collect rent and handle taxes for the tenant farmers at the end of each month. This, combined with her time, helped her make ends meet, temporarily ending her financial constraints. On her day off, she bought some ice flakes according to her ability and sent them to her classmate's home along with the account books she had settled, to express her gratitude. The classmate's mother seemed very fond of her and invited her to lunch with her, even sending a carriage for her return.
A classmate and her brother sent her out, and took the opportunity to visit her family's garden. While they were walking, her classmate disappeared, and her brother followed her, chatting with her about all sorts of things. Then the topic changed, and she talked about some girls in Guanyan Academy in the past, whose families were too poor, and in order to make money while studying, their grades fell sharply. Later, they got together with rich boys, no longer had to worry about food and clothing, and their lives became much better, so they could finally settle down to study. Afterwards, the classes at the academy were closed, and those girls simply married into the families of the young masters. Zheng Sirui understood what he meant, and thinking of the past with Lu Zhiling, she smiled with relief, and said that she suddenly remembered that she had something to do, so she didn't need to take a carriage, and could just walk there slowly. Then she happily strode over the high threshold with her head held high.
"I'll have to find a new path from now on." Zheng Sirui felt a little regretful, as she could no longer do any good work from now on. Once bitten by a snake, you'll be afraid of the rope for ten years. Her past love affair made her like a frightened bird. Compared to the tears and heartbreak brought by the unfaithful person, the gossip and finger-pointing of the entire academy at that time made her even more panicked. Even after leaving the academy, for a long time, she could still hear people laughing in her dreams at her overestimating her abilities, pretending to be a lady, and biting off more than she could chew. "Life is a dangerous journey. As a woman, you must cherish your reputation and never let yourself be tainted by rumors again. Since they have such thoughts, I should stay away from them. There are so many jobs in the world. I can read and work, so how can I starve to death?" Zheng Sirui persuaded herself and simply stopped thinking about it, returning to the academy peacefully.
The streets of the capital city were bustling with activity every day. Looking up, one could see shop signs fluttering in the wind, soliciting customers from high above. Glancing down, pedestrians rubbed shoulders, their straw sandals, cloth shoes, and embroidered shoes juxtaposed against each other. She followed the crowd, amidst the hustle and bustle, the clamor of hawking and bargaining, and suddenly interrupted with a sentence:
"Si Rui! Zheng Si Rui!"
Someone called her name, and Zheng Sirui subconsciously turned around to look. She saw the oil-painted carriage she had just passed by stop behind her. A bright red figure suddenly jumped out of the carriage and rushed straight towards her. Zheng Sirui looked closely and couldn't help but feel surprised and happy: "Yanru! Why are you here!"
Yanru looked at her friend in disbelief after not seeing her for a year or so. Zheng Sirui's departure was very sudden. The night she returned from Lu Tianwen's study, she stared blankly at the candlelight all night. She disappeared the next day, came back to pack her things on the third day, and left the room early on the fourth morning without even a word. It was so mysterious and confusing. Yanru was in love with Ji Mingxiu at the time, going out together, enjoying the honor and flattery of being the goddess of painting. She just thought Zheng Sirui was taking a leave of absence because she was too embarrassed to study, and didn't take it too seriously. A month later, during the monthly holiday, Ji Mingxiu was busy, and she happened to remember this matter. She went to the Zheng family's shabby house to look for Zheng Sirui, only to find out that she had left Jinling. As for where she went, Zheng's father said lightly that Sirui had gone to live with relatives in another place. Who would have thought that after more than a year apart, the two would actually meet on the streets of the huge capital. They screamed and jumped around for a while, and Yanru tightly grasped Zheng Sirui's hand: "Why are you here? Did you marry here? Why didn't you even write a letter and go home for the New Year?"
Zheng Sirui felt somewhat sorry for Yanru. Her father had told her to keep her going to the capital to study a secret. Firstly, the three members of the Zheng family never liked to publicize, and secondly, this matter was inextricably linked to Lu Zhiling. The more people knew about this, the easier it would be to stir up unnecessary trouble. She hadn't informed Yanru when she left, and now she just wanted to say a few words to brush it off: "I'm not married, not married. A cousin of mine has some connections in the capital and sent me here to study. Hey, what are you doing here? Are you here to play?"
She's here to study, too? Could she possibly have such connections? Thinking that Zheng Sirui had arrived in the capital a year earlier than she had, Yanru felt a little awkward. She looked her up and down, seeing that her clothes and appearance were exactly the same as before, without catching any trace of wealth, Yanru relaxed for the moment: "No, I'm here to study, too. You should know Guanyan Academy. The teacher who runs it used to be the chief academic officer of the Imperial College."
"Yeah!" Zheng Sirui jumped up, "How could I not know? I'm watching the inkstone too!"
Yanru felt a little jealous. Ji Mingxiu had said that this was the most difficult and most prestigious women's academy in the capital, requiring only exceptional academic performance, unusual family background, and exceptional talent to attend. Ji Mingxiu had gone to great lengths to secure a spot, yet Zheng Sirui, whom he met randomly on the street, could be Guanyan's disciple? But the joy of reunion overshadowed her complicated feelings. Yanru rubbed her nose and took Sirui's hand as they walked towards the carriage. "That's perfect! We can go to school together again! You take my carriage, and we'll go to the academy together."
"Your carriage?" Zheng Sirui climbed aboard and noticed the driver looked familiar. She seemed to have seen him somewhere before. Her mind was still searching, and Yanru boasted, "This is Wang'er, who was with Ji Mingxiu. Ji Mingxiu, do you remember him?"
"I remember." Zheng Sirui tasted the scent of adultery between a man and a woman, and she cried out in her heart that something was wrong. Sure enough, as soon as they sat down in the carriage, Yanru told Zheng Sirui everything about her and Ji Mingxiu. When she talked about "The Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring" and the banquet, she was arrogant and proud, wishing that everyone on the street would know that the peerless beauty who was now parading in the streets was the unique goddess of painting in the heart of the master of painting; when she talked about Qi Fengning, she was worried and worried, hugged Zheng Sirui and cried loudly, denouncing the evil deeds of the fierce woman. Zheng Sirui was extremely moved by this scene and asked in surprise: "What? She hit you again?"
Yanru was slightly stunned, her eyes rolled around, and her head softened: "Yeah."
"That's too much!" Zheng Sirui, who hated evil, couldn't help but feel sorry for her friend after hearing Yanru's side of the story. "Why did she hit you? In my opinion, the one who deserved it the most was her husband. He hurt his wife's heart, and then you. If I were her, I would definitely beat that Ji Mingxiu up. Ideally, I'd cripple his legs, make him bedridden for the rest of his life, and never be able to go out and flirt with people again, ruining the lives of innocent girls."
"Why are you so cruel?" Yanru was dissatisfied with Zheng Sirui's words. "I don't allow you to curse him like that. He's very good. He painted me in his paintings, introduced me to many celebrities in Jinling, rented a house for me to live with, and even sent me to school in the capital! He treated me really well, Sirui. You used to say that you admired knowledgeable and talented men. Why are you so cruel to him?"
Zheng Sirui said earnestly: "Yanru, wake up a little, don't be sad about his failure, and don't think he's good anymore. That's how men play with people's hearts. He doesn't love you."
"No!" Yanru said firmly, "He loves it so much!"
[Random Thoughts]: Zheng Sirui and You Jie haven't seen each other for a year, and I've also been away from everyone for a week. There's still one more tomorrow~ I hope everyone can support me~
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