Chapter 74 Complaints: The small workshops in Chang'an use such ruthless ingredients.
Changsun Qingjing calculated the time it took for the white falcon to make its two round trips, but it didn't seem to add up; then he saw that A Cai was carrying a bundle of scrolls, which he figured the frail white falcon couldn't possibly have brought back.
So she asked, "Did my brother send a messenger to deliver the message? Bring him to me to claim my reward!"
A-Cai shook her head: "It's not a member of the Gao family, it's Young Master Minxing."
When Changsun Minxing was mentioned, Acai's face flushed slightly.
Changsun Qingjing took the bundle of scrolls and hurriedly asked, "Where is Minxing now? Why didn't you bring him to see me?"
“He said that he was a man and came to the silkworm house alone, and he was afraid of offending the silkworm god, so he didn’t come to see you. I originally took him to see the young master, but he saw the young master working with the farmers, so he said it was inconvenient to disturb him. He went to the countryside first to chat with a few idle men, and we’ll meet again when you’re done with your work,” A-Cai replied.
"He went to chat with idlers?" Changsun Qingjing almost laughed out loud. "What could such a refined and handsome man like him talk about with country bumpkins? Are you deaf or something?"
She really couldn't imagine what topics Changsun Minxing and the farmers could chat about.
“I don’t understand either.” Changsun Qingjing shook his head.
The master and servant then discussed the elusive Changsun Minxing and his extraordinary book.
Changsun Qingjing solemnly asked the woman who taught her how to make silkworm-rearing tools for a moment's leave and hurriedly read the letter.
"...The pepper aroma is pure, and it must be quite expensive. Mother said that Daxing has enough spices at home, so don't send your husband's family's spices back casually next time, lest you be looked down upon. Aunt is very satisfied with the baby's clothes and praises you to everyone for thinking of the whole family... If it's a boy, we plan to name him 'Xingshi'. Mother's illness didn't relapse this winter, but she's worried about you. Sometimes she sits in your original room for half a day, but her eyes are just red, she doesn't cry... Go and busy yourself with the preparations for welcoming the emperor!... Don't argue with him! What's the point of winning an argument?... The thanks from the ladies Yan, Cui, Wang, and Lu are attached at the end of the book, you can read them slowly."
Changsun Qingjing smiled and continued reading, but his impatience was evident in the second letter.
Changsun Wuji's face, full of complaints yet warm-hearted, leaps off the page.
"We were very worried about your handling of the emperor's surprise visit incognito. Fortunately, you and your husband handled it well... Are you sure you can order Anye around at will? Be careful in everything. The thought that you might move your whole family from Henan to the more distant Hedong makes your mother feel very sad."
Thinking of her mother's melancholy face, Changsun Qingjing's heart sank. She tried to find some clues between the lines that her mother was no longer worried about her, but unfortunately, she found nothing.
Upon reaching this point, Changsun Qingjing took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and the smug smile on that face seemed to vividly appear before her eyes. She shook her head helplessly and continued reading.
"Since we don't have paper rhyme books, I've brought you two walking rhyme books. Ever since my uncle was demoted to Lingnan and Master Lu Fayan passed away, Minxing has been in a daze. His mother often weeps in front of our mother, fearing that he too might become depressed. Dazhi and I have decided privately that if Minxing has any unusual ideas that can help him distract himself from his worries, we will do our best to help him fulfill his wishes. Minxing plans to stay in Luoyang for a while, meet people from all over, and correct his elegant pronunciation and fanqie (a method of indicating pronunciation), which will be a good way to clear his mind. Could you find a place for him to stay temporarily? If you move your whole family to Hedong, remember to write to me. I am writing to inquire about your well-being. Yours truly."
He added a line of small print that he was too lazy to re-copy into the main text: "If Li Shimin does anything strange, he should let me know first. Don't mind my complaints; I'm more reliable than others when it comes to handling things."
"I miss you all so much," Changsun Qingjing murmured to himself, carefully putting away the letter and instructing Acai to store all the scrolls and books that Changsun Minxing had brought in the villa's study.
She returned to the silkworm rearing room, her expression somewhat dazed. She missed her brother who would satisfy any unreasonable and domineering demands of his sisters, even if it meant bearing the burden of ridicule; she missed her mother, who was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, and who always paid attention to her daughter's new family situation; she missed her aunt, who would never see her uncle again but remained loyal to the Gao family; she missed Dazhi and Dahui, who treated her like a sibling and were full of loyalty and righteousness; she missed the gentle and refined Mu Boxiu and his bookstore that encompassed the universe; and she missed Daxing, where the sky was slightly gray and yellow, yet the emperor denounced it as a place of decay.
But she was from Luoyang, a Luoyang native whose hometown was Chang'an.
The splinters of the bamboo frame pricked her finger, and while she was still confused and unaware, the girl next to her was so frightened that she quickly found a silk handkerchief to bandage it.
"It's alright, a mountain breeze will do the trick." Changsun Qingjing said dismissively, picking up a few bamboo poles and continuing to work on making silkworm trays in February, which would be used to fix the thin paper pieces to the mulberry grove.
"Is something on your mind, my lady?" the girl bandaging Changsun Qingjing asked boldly.
“Yes,” Changsun Qingjing replied, “I just received a letter from my brother. He went to great lengths to find a bunch of strange and precious treasures that I wanted to admire. The letter was full of complaints. The more he complained about my meddling, the more he took care of everything for me, the happier I was. Alas, I miss my mother and brother so much.”
The young woman covered her mouth and said, "Why not let my husband take his wife back to his hometown?"
This is an ordinary girl who has never left her hometown since birth. She only knows that she and her sweetheart are only one village apart, and even after marriage, she is not far from her parents, so she does not understand the hardships of traveling and working.
The ladies looked at each other and smiled, their faces beaming.
Author's Note: Every single one of those scoundrels with names in this chapter deserves a kowtow from Zhang Liang [please].
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