Chapter 45 Desolation "Such a good person, dying on his wedding night..."
Ruan Yang's days in the nunnery were simple and peaceful. Her three meals a day consisted only of rice, steamed buns, and some vegetables. Although it was hard work, she was in a good mood and had plenty of free time.
After watering and pruning the flowers in the courtyard in the morning, she would go with Abbess Jingci to the Buddhist hall to chant sutras and copy Buddhist texts. After lunch, she would go up the mountain to chop firewood and wash clothes for the nuns in the nunnery. At night, she would leave a lamp and books for company, and when she was sleepy, she would go to bed to rest.
Nearly two years have passed, and the old wounds have slowly healed. She has also grown from a young woman who had just reached marriageable age to a young woman in her early twenties.
Autumn in Sichuan is not as cruel as in the north. After an autumn rain, Ruan Yang put on a bulky gray-blue long gown. Her small, fair face was hidden under her hat, with her dark eyebrows, red lips, and black hair peeking out, like a pure and proud red plum blossom in the snow.
She carried two buckets of clothes to the riverbank, applying soapberry to the clothes while using a mallet to beat out the dirty water. The old nuns, seeing that this girl was diligent and not spoiled, also liked to gossip with her.
"Miss Yuanyuan, you're up so early today?"
Ruan Yang found it inconvenient to use her real name, so she casually chose a nickname for others to call her. In the past two years, she has gotten used to being called Yuan Yuan.
Ruan Yang put the wrung-out clothes into the bucket, subconsciously rubbed her sore back, and smiled, "I went to bed early yesterday, so I'm not feeling lazy today."
Seeing Ruan Yang rubbing her lower back, the old woman sighed, "Alas, now that you've started your period, you shouldn't go into cold water. If you develop a chronic illness, you'll suffer when you get older."
"You are young and beautiful, and you will have to leave this place to find a good husband sooner or later. If you don't get pregnant within two years of arriving at your husband's family, you will be drowned in the spittle of the neighbors."
"It's only been two years and you're already being criticized by your elders?"
Ruan Yang suddenly realized that she and Ning Xian had been married for almost seven years, spending every day together "inseparable," yet they hadn't seen a trace of a child.
Ruan Yang didn't really care. She had no plans to remarry, nor did she think about what it would be like to become a mother.
A few years ago, I secretly drank a contraceptive decoction, but after I stopped taking the medicine, I didn't see any effect.
So, is the problem with her, or with Ning Xian?
Ruan Yang sat on a rock, staring blankly at the shimmering water. The nuns in this temple were the most well-informed, knowing all the gossip from all over the world. They would talk about everything from the Wang family's wife in the next village who had run away with someone to which concubine in the Daye Palace had given birth to the imperial heir.
But so much time has passed, and she hasn't heard the nuns mention anything about Ning Xian, the new master of the North. Ruan Yang only knows that Ning Xian took in quite a few concubines in the half month after she left.
Ning Xian could never remain chaste. If he couldn't remain chaste, then why hasn't he had a child after all this time?
Ruan Yang propped her chin on her hand and asked with a knowing smile, "I've heard that the new ruler of the North has taken many concubines, but why is he still childless?"
The nun was taken aback and said, "Where? I heard that after the First Madam mysteriously disappeared, the new ruler of the North was not worried at all. On the contrary, he indulged in revelry every night. The most favored among them was Lady Jinlian. Not only did he vacate the house where the First Madam used to live, but he also rewarded her family with a thousand taels of gold and a large land."
"Just a few months ago, I heard that Lady Jinlian is pregnant."
Ruan Yang paused, then began to pound the clothes on the stone slab.
She snorted softly, originally thinking it was a terrible retribution befalling Ning Xian, but it turned out she was overthinking it.
The nun continued, "Lady Jinlian is arrogant because of her favor with the emperor. The lives of her maids and guards are like weeds in her eyes. The new master doesn't get angry and just indulges her, letting her kill and punish at will. What a tragedy..."
As Ruan Yang poured out the last batch of laundry water, she picked up the wooden bucket and chuckled softly before leaving, "This couple has always been like this; they're just birds of a feather."
"Huh? How did you know? But I think the new masters of the North are very good. No matter what, at least they have made sure that the people who used to go hungry are well-fed, clothed, and able to live and work in peace."
Ruan Yang didn't hear what the nun said afterward. Instead of feeling jealous or regretful, she felt a great sense of relief. So many years had passed, and Ning Xian had the woman and child he loved. He probably wouldn't bother her anymore, right?
Ruan Yang gave a weary smile: "I guessed it, I went back."
The nun smiled and said loudly, "Yuanyuan, even after you leave our nunnery, you must come back to visit often and not forget your sisters."
Ruan Yang turned around and smiled, saying, "I'd like to stay here, but I don't know if the nun would be willing to continue taking me in."
The nun helped her carry the wooden bucket: "Look at what you're saying, you really don't plan to get married in this lifetime?"
Ruan Yang smiled and said, "Being married isn't all that great. It's not as comfortable as living on your own."
"Well, that's true, but if you marry a responsible person with good character, you won't have to worry about being wronged after the relationship ends. Look at General Lu, he's perfect in every way. These past few days, nobles from Sichuan and Chongqing who want to marry into the Lu family have been practically wearing down the threshold of the Lu family."
"Has he found someone he likes?" Ruan Yang asked curiously.
After saying those heartless words, Lu Wenjin never came to see her again.
Everyone has a new life now, Ruan Yang thought, and that's good.
Looking back a few years later, she wouldn't know that if time had stopped here, it would have been the best ending for them.
The nun muttered to herself, when a woman ran up to the group with a beaming smile and said, “We have a great celebration in Bashu! Someone from the Lu family is getting married! I heard that the Lu family is going to be very generous this time. They not only donated to help many refugees, but the nuns in our nunnery will also benefit a lot. There are some celebratory fruits on display in the front hall.”
Everyone dropped what they were doing and gathered together, asking in surprise, "Really? Which girl is it? How did they decide on a date so quickly? Could it be love at first sight?"
Ruan Yang was slowly pushed out of the crowd. She lowered her raised sleeves, silently turned around and went back to the river to retrieve her clothes.
Her reflection was mirrored on the shimmering water, which was icy cold, much colder than before.
In the evening, when Ruan Yang returned from chopping firewood on the mountain, it was almost completely dark. She put down the pile of firewood, which was taller than her, and her whole body ached so much that she couldn't straighten up.
However, surrounded by twinkling fireflies and the occasional fragrance of flowers, bathed in the crimson sunset, all fatigue vanished instantly.
"You're finally back! The food's all cold. Come and eat!"
When her roommate noticed that Ruan Yang was acting strangely after returning from washing clothes that morning, as if she had been injected with chicken energy and kept working on her chores, she asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is something on your mind?"
"Oh dear, what happened to your eyes?"
Ruan Yang shook her head: "It's just the wind, don't worry about it, it'll be fine in a bit."
"Are you feeling bad?"
Ruan Yang turned her back, drew a bucket of well water to wash her face. Water droplets clung to her face, just enough to cover the tears that were quietly rolling down her cheeks. She shook her head and sighed, "I fell on the way back. The wound is a bit bad. I'll put some medicine on it later and it'll be fine."
"Oh...I see. Well, you go ahead and eat. I'm going to worship the Moon Goddess with the others. Come join us for moon-viewing later!"
"Okay!"
Ruan Yang answered absentmindedly, forgetting that today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunion. She was all alone in the courtyard. After Ruan Yang silently finished her meal, the full moon was already high in the sky.
The moonlight streamed down, and laughter echoed from behind the wall next door, making her seem all alone and particularly lonely.
Ning Xian is no longer alone. She should be happy that Lu Wenjin is getting married. What does it mean to sit alone on a small stool crying like this?
Ruan Yang looked up at the hazy moonlight overhead, breathed on the dampness of the maid's breath, got up to boil water for a bath and change clothes, recited a scripture before going to sleep, and then covered herself with the quilt and fell asleep.
At midnight, the dew grew thicker and the temperature dropped sharply. The aunt in the next bed was sleeping soundly, snoring loudly in the courtyard. Ruan Yang hadn't been sleeping well lately, so when she heard the snoring, she simply put on her clothes and went out.
Ruan Yang carried the lantern down the steps. On both sides of the quiet path, the water vapor condensed on the branches and leaves slowly rolled down, and the candlelight shone on the watermarks left by her feet, emitting a shimmering golden light.
Before she knew it, Ruan Yang had arrived at the gate of Jizhao Nunnery. She saw several nuns on night watch huddled together, their eyes darting around as if they were afraid of something.
Ruan Yang stepped forward and asked, "What happened? Why are you so panicked?"
The crowd was already on guard, and they were startled when they saw Ruan Yang. One of the bolder ones sighed, "Wasn't the Lu family celebrating a wedding today? Lu Lang was supposed to be happily welcoming his bride, but who would have thought that during the toasts, a group of highly skilled bandits suddenly broke in, beheaded the groom on the spot, and then went to the next house to burn, kill, and plunder."
"The poor wife was so frightened by the sight of blood flowing like a river that she went insane."
The nun patted her chest and said regretfully, "What a good man Lu Lang was, to die on his wedding night. Tomorrow, the red silk in the Lu mansion will be replaced with white banners."
"Maybe we shouldn't defend this place anymore. What if those bandits manage to get here...?"
Ruan Yang's head was buzzing. She pressed her palms to her temples, and the lamp pole in her hand fell to the ground with a thud. Lu Lang... which Lu Lang? What bandits dared to trespass into the general's mansion?
"Is everything you said true?" Ruan Yang asked, biting her lip.
"Human life is at stake, how could I joke about it? It happened before evening. □□ had just returned from the Lu family's debt settlement on Qingliu Street. She said it herself. At that time, her clothes were still stained with a lot of blood, and she is cleaning them in the house now."
Her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground, her whole body going numb. Her worst fears had come true; Lu Wenjin was now...
His mother, his sister, and his newlywed wife...
Ruan Yang dared not think any further. She supported herself with the arms of others to get up and stumbled as she ran outside.
She was going to the Lu family to personally resolve the trouble she had caused.
Seeing that Ruan Yang had suddenly become absent-minded, the nuns exchanged glances and then called out loudly, "Miss Yuan Yuan, where are you going? It's dangerous outside, come back quickly!"
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