Chapter 28 Encountering Danger in a Difficult World
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The preface to the article arrived hastily; the hem of that moon-white brocade robe was already wet from the rain, with shallow and deep water stains clinging to her ankles.
The once-proud young master was now soaked to the bone, but he didn't care at all, carefully protecting the oil paper package in his arms.
"Young Master Wen the Second".
The text reveals the person behind it. The old nanny in front of me works at Tinghe Pavilion.
Why are Lin Xihe's acquaintances here?
The young man slightly raised his hard chin as a response. He passed by the old nanny, his indifferent gaze falling on her hand.
Those were Lin Xihe's embroidered shoes; he would recognize them even if they were reduced to ashes.
A sliver of morning light caught his eye, and Wen Zhixu abruptly stopped: "Granny Li, is your young lady here?"
The old nanny was very pleased. The noble second young master was not as domineering as rumored, and actually addressed her politely—even though her maiden name was Yan.
"Second Young Master, Miss is waiting for the porridge to be served. Please also offer some incense."
"I see." The young man nodded and walked away, heading straight in. He seemed to know the layout of the nunnery as well as his own backyard.
The abbot inside the temple was chanting sutras, the faint sounds of Buddhist chanting washing away worldly troubles.
Huixin and Huici recited the words, each with their own worries in their hearts.
One of them was thinking: After her daughter has finished playing in the back mountain, will she be able to see her? She wants to talk to her.
Another thing she couldn't understand was why her son would eat those incredibly sour candied hawthorns—he had been a picky eater since childhood, refusing sour foods and preferring sweet ones, and his diet was very bland, just like his personality.
As the sun rose high in the sky, smoke rose from the temple's kitchen.
After interpreting the fortune sticks for the worshippers, Huici walked into the kitchen and was greeted by a solitary figure.
The tall man was huddled on a small stool, his cheeks smudged with ash. He held a folding fan in his hand, idly fanning the stove opening.
Huici stood frozen by the door.
"Mother." Wen Zhixu's call was interrupted by the rough voices outside.
The coachman from the Lin family shouted, "See that? These wheels need to be replaced with the ones from our Lin family! Top-quality hardwood wrapped in iron, they're expensive! That's why my young lady doesn't complain about the bumpy ride when she goes out—of course, she still wears extra cushions!"
“My second young master didn’t complain of pain.” Madam Wen, a virtuous woman, smiled shyly upon hearing this. She had heard that the previous coachman had run over Miss Lin, and the second young master had been furious and dismissed him.
As fellow coachmen, the two had crossed paths many times in front of the mansion. The coachman from the Lin family familiarly tapped the other on the forehead: "When we're on duty, we must always consider the feelings of our masters first."
The new coachman at the Wen residence took it to heart and scratched his head, humbly asking, "How many cushions did your young lady use?"
The coachman from the Lin family stretched out both hands, wide open: "Ten!"
Inside, Wen Zhixu, who was fanning himself, paused slightly, almost thinking he had misheard.
Upon reflection, it really did seem like something she was capable of doing.
Why didn't she just move the mattresses onto the carriage? There were ten cushions.
As Wen Zhixu was thinking, the old nanny from the Lin family rang out again: "Make way, everyone, clear a sunny spot. I need to air out Miss's bedding!"
Immediately afterwards, the sound of patting the mattress came from inside. The old nanny patted it vigorously and ordered, "Lin Da! Be quick and clean the carriage inside and out! The carriage floor is covered in mud, be careful not to get the young lady's mattress and cushions dirty!"
Wen Zhixu paused in fanning himself: "..."
Well, he underestimated it.
The atmosphere became subtly awkward.
Huici was able to see the fan clearly: the brushstrokes were sparse, outlining a dark, ghostly face.
...like the Black Impermanence who slipped out of a storybook.
Huici was silent for a moment when asked about her son's taste.
“Ahem,” Wen Zhixu noticed his mother’s gaze and explained in a low voice, “I found this fan.”
One day, he picked up the fan at the foot of the courtyard wall—without thinking, he could almost picture Lin Xihe jumping up and down in a fit of rage, throwing the fan into his territory.
“Benefactor Wen, you don’t need to do these things.” Hui Ci hardened her heart and spoke in a tone that was meant to drive the guest away.
The image of the female ghost on the fan entered Wen Zhixu's mind, and he inexplicably recalled the way Lin Xihe called him "father" in a coquettish manner—who could blame her for having such a loud voice that it could clearly drift into the Wen mansion even through a wall.
As if by some strange twist of fate, the first sentence in the preface read: "Mother."
The herbal medicine was boiling, and the rising steam made his eyes red. From Huici's perspective, it looked like her son was crying.
Before leaving, she said softly, "Leave the medicine; I'll drink it."
Wen Zhixu squatted in front of the dying fire, and after a long while, the corner of his mouth slightly twitched.
It turns out that Lin Xihe's straightforward way of coaxing people really works.
Three poles in the sun.
Huici drank the medicine that her son had personally prepared.
On the way down the mountain, the young nuns no longer carried porridge buckets down as they used to.
The carriage from the Wen family's residence was carrying two large porridge buckets.
Upon arriving at the porridge distribution point, the long-waiting refugees rushed forward amidst the gentle steam rising from the porridge buckets.
Wen Zhixu stood quietly not far away, his gaze sweeping back and forth, but he did not see any familiar figures.
This girl is really unreliable. She tricked her dad into coming to get porridge, but actually ran off to play.
I heard Huixin said she ran to the back mountain. She was originally a wild monkey, so returning to the forest is a good fit for her.
The last refugee scraped the remaining rice out of the bucket.
The coachman cleaned the carriage and respectfully welcomed the second young master aboard.
Wen Zhixu, however, caught up with the group of nuns and tried to snatch the porridge bucket from Huici's hands.
The refugees standing nearby were greatly shocked: Had the world outside become so difficult? Even a young master from a noble family with such good looks had been reduced to fighting for porridge?
Huici stopped him from taking it, and instead struck him on the back with a palm strike.
Wen Zhixu then went to the back of the line to snatch the porridge bucket from Huixin.
wisdom:"……"
The pampered young master, unconcerned about the dirt, strode briskly to the front of the group, head held high, with two large buckets hanging from his elbows, adopting the posture of a leader.
The coachman had no choice but to turn his horse around. Was the second young master planning to become a monk? If that were the case, he could make other plans after receiving the severance pay from the Wen family.
The carriage stopped under the green pines of Shushi Temple, next to the carriage of the Lin family, and the horses lowered their heads to graze.
The old woman stood at the door, clearly having been waiting for a long time.
Upon seeing that it was the Second Young Master Wen, the old woman looked disappointed.
Wen Zhixu handed the wooden bucket to the servant, stroked the horse's mane, lightly kicked the tender grass with his toes, and casually chatted with the horse: "Eat here, there's plenty of grass here."
Wenba and the driver squatted on the ground to inspect the wheels of the cart.
Suddenly, Wen Ba felt a kick in the butt. He looked up and saw the Second Young Master's face.
The second young master gestured towards him with his lips.
Wen Ba: "?"
The second young master frowned, glared at him, and his face turned extremely ugly.
Wen Ba: "..."
It's so hard to guess what my master is thinking!
Wen Ba turned to the side and said to the old nanny with a smirk, "Nanny Yan, when are you setting off? We'll go back together in two carriages, so we can keep each other company on the way."
Wen Zhixu gripped the fan handle hidden in his sleeve, thinking to himself: Who wants to go back to the mansion with that Lin fellow! I only asked you to ask the Lin family when they will depart.
Upon hearing this, Granny Yan's brows furrowed a few more times, and worry crept over her: "My young lady hasn't come down the mountain yet. She said she was going to get some porridge."
"This is what playful people are like," commented Wen Zhixu.
Granny Yan was displeased. So what if he was the esteemed Second Young Master Wen? Her young mistress wouldn't tolerate any outsiders' criticism. She said, "Miss didn't go up the mountain to play! She has important business to attend to!"
Serious business? How could frivolous people have serious business? These servants are truly protective of their master.
Wen Ba was speechless. Even he wondered what serious business could be on the mountain besides playing?
After the rain, the sun couldn't dry the slippery mountain road.
Wen Zhixu said leisurely, "It's cold up in the mountains. If she goes too far, not to mention a girl, even a strong and healthy woodcutter or herb gatherer would easily catch a disease."
Upon hearing this, Granny Yan became even more anxious: "What should we do! Miss has just recovered from a serious illness; her body can't take this!"
Wen Zhixu's brow twitched. How come the Lin Xihe the servants were talking about was different from the one he knew? Thinking of the sheer strength with which Lin Xihe had climbed over the wall, stepping on the maid, she must have been made of iron!
"Something's wrong! Something's wrong!" Shouts came from the mountainside, and everyone turned around.
He was a servant of the Lin family. He was only two years older than Lin Pinyan. Hearing that the young lady had gone to Yueling Mountain, he insisted on coming along. Lin Xihe took pity on him and brought him along as well.
"What kind of behavior is this, all flustered and disrespectful?" the old nanny scolded, then, seeing that no one was behind him, she hurriedly asked, "Why did you come down alone? Where are Miss and Qingwu?"
The servant's face turned ashen, and he spoke haltingly: "There are snakes on the mountain, and I've become separated from my mistress."
"You!" The old woman was furious and raised her hand to chop the little devil's head.
Everyone knows that snakes are common in the mountains during spring.
Wen Zhixu grabbed the servant by the back of his collar, "She was bitten by a snake?"
“…No, not at all.” The servant felt embarrassed and glanced at Wen Zhixu, whose face was as cold as ice and who was speaking incoherently. “Sister Qingwu was so frightened that she screamed. The young lady went up and kicked the snake’s head, flattening it. She then used a branch to poke the snake and wave it in front of my eyes…I’ve been afraid of snakes since I was a child. I ran down the mountain in a panic.”
With a thud, the servant knelt down straight, and Chong Wenzhi kowtowed repeatedly.
That woman, afraid of insects but not snakes? Is that reasonable? It made him worry for no reason. Wen Zhixu didn't linger, and lifted the curtain to sit in the carriage in front of everyone.
"Return to the residence."
The carriage had only traveled a few meters when the wind blew through the curtains, carrying in the voices of an old nanny scolding a servant.
"How could you abandon the young lady? Go up the mountain to find her now!"
“Miss has already retrieved the Flower Stamen Stone; I reckon she should be on her way down the mountain.”
"That's no excuse for abandoning Miss!"
The old woman lost her usual composure, her shout shaking open the temple gate. The abbess, dressed in a nun's robe, bowed to her and asked, "Amitabha, what brings you here, benefactor?"
"...Flower Stamen Stone?" Huixin, who was behind the abbot, rushed to Granny Yan and asked anxiously, regardless of what her master thought of her, "What does He'er want with this?"
The old woman had no choice but to tell the truth: "Miss found a sparrow with an injured wing. She sought out a renowned doctor to treat it, but the doctor's prescription was missing a crucial ingredient: flower stamen stone. Miss searched every pharmacy in the entire capital city, but couldn't find it..."
The nun in the nunnery certainly knew about the Flower Stamen Stone.
Huixin's face turned deathly pale, and she exclaimed, "The herb gatherer who went into the mountains last month fell to his death!"
The nuns in the temple participated in the search and rescue, and found the body of the herb gatherer below the Huaruishi Cave.
An unexpected gust of wind carried only a few words into the carriage of the Wen family.
The driver only caught the end of the sentence and muttered as he drove, "That Miss Lin is really something. If there's no medicine, she should just wait. Why does she have to go up the mountain to be a herb gatherer? It's so dangerous!"
"Stop the car," the aristocratic young man inside said.
The coachman was trembling with fear: "Second Young Master, is it because the mountain road is uneven and the carriage is swaying? Next time, I will prepare a few more soft cushions..." Just like Miss Lin, he spread all the pillows and blankets from the bed into the carriage.
“There won’t be a next time,” Wen Zhixu said coldly.
The driver was puzzled.
Of course, he didn't need to figure out what the second young master was thinking, after all, this was the last time he would work for the Wen family.
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