Chapter 29: Jade Rabbit takes drastic measures. Why am I your fellow traveler, and...
In the dark night, the gas lamp on the wall provides a faint light.
Adrian Moran's mind kept reappearing the face of the young man named Wickham, who had just met him. The face was uneven and had several scars running through it. He seemed unable to say anything, and could only make a hoarse hoarse sound like a devil from hell.
Looking down at the torn pieces of paper on the table, he wished he had never seen those words, never spoken to that person. Unfortunately, the words on the paper were already deeply engraved in his mind, making it impossible for him to think about anything else.
"Sir, you must be curious about how my face became like this?"
"I used to be handsome and lovable, but now I have nothing! It's all thanks to that lady. Yes, the one you're thinking of right now, Miss Alice!"
"Impossible? Why not? Who else could it be but her? That violent lunatic! She destroyed everything I had!"
"Slander? Look, sir! Look, this is the bottle she used to give me medicine, and this is the knife she used to cut my face. They should look familiar, right? These are all her things... Yes, even if I submit this evidence to court, I can't even summon her, but you know that."
"Picked it up or stole it? Sir, not to mention that you are a clergyman, slandering an innocent person like me out of thin air, isn't that a crime? And I am just a person who has lost my appearance and voice. How could I steal a medicine bottle that only belongs to the upper class? Even if I picked it up, there would not be such a small coincidence."
"Sir, you clearly already believe it. Don't resist the voice in your heart."
"A good person? With a kind heart, doing good deeds? Hahahaha, sir, this is the most ridiculous joke I have ever heard in my life. I can see that this lady must have a greater purpose. Who knows what she wants to gain from this? Money? Fame? Please forgive me for my offense, but she has deceived your trust and feelings."
"Okay, sir, just think of it as me lying to you. As long as you can convince yourself..."
In front of him lay a glass medicine bottle, identical to the two in the next bedroom. He used it daily these days, taking nourishing medicine. He didn't need to compare them carefully; he already knew the intricate and unique patterns on it just by touch. As for the knife, he had seen it on the counter of a Bond Street pharmacy before.
The nerves in his brain were throbbing, urging him to rest quickly, but he didn't dare lie down on the bed, fearing that once he fell asleep, he would see the lady he couldn't face in his dreams, just like he did every day during this period.
The next day, the man showed up at the church with a sleepless face. Today was Sunday and he had to preside over the service.
With John as her "messenger," Alice easily obtained all the information about her master. Entering the church chapel, she noticed that the man looked even more haggard than the last time he fell ill, like the jade glass used to entertain the immortals at the Heavenly Palace's Peach Banquet—beautiful yet fragile.
She hadn't been wrong about Wickham; he truly understood human nature. He could pierce a man's most vulnerable and painful spot for her, which was a way of making the best use of his resources. She was very satisfied.
"You want me to be your fellow traveler? There's no such thing as that," Alice whispered to the gentleman at the pulpit. "Why don't you stand by my side?"
She casually played with the delicate glass bottle bearing her mark, the brown pills rolling around inside, making a clattering sound like dice. If this game were a gamble, she was destined to be the winner.
"Mr. Adrian." She stood up and called out to the man who was trying to escape after church, and handed him the medicine bottle. However, he seemed to feel that it was too hot and subconsciously took a step back.
After staring at the medicine bottle for a while, he looked at Alice, who looked calm, but was hesitant to reach out to take it. Complex emotions flashed in his clear blue eyes.
She reached out to grab his hand, but was also dodged. The man in front of her seemed to have transformed into a mimosa, sensitive to the slightest stimulation and able to respond.
That's quite a big reaction, Alice thought to herself.
"Mr. Adrian, why are you suddenly avoiding me like the plague?" She pretended to be confused.
"I'm sorry, Miss Alice, I just didn't sleep well last night." The man didn't dare to look her in the eye. He just rubbed his eyebrows and lowered his eyes to hide his emotions.
"Mr. Adrian, this is the new medicine I made for your health using the herbs I bought yesterday. You must have a good rest and don't let my kindness down." Alice handed it out again, and the man finally reached out to take it, holding it tightly in his palm, and pressing out intricate patterns.
"I came to deliver the medicine this morning to tell you that you don't have to take me home tonight. Jane is getting married next week, and her sisters will all be here at noon, so I will close the store early." Alice said while watching the man's reaction.
"Yeah." He only responded softly.
"Charles has always said that you are the benefactor of their smooth wedding. He wants to write the invitation himself and invite you in person."
"Yeah." He still said.
"Mr. Adrian, don't you have anything to say to me?" Alice threw out a fuse.
The man finally raised his eyes, looked into the lady's eyes that seemed to be hiding something, and finally said, "No, no."
After a pause, he added, "I hope you have fun."
"Of course I do," Alice replied with a smile.
"Jane! This is a wedding gift from me. I decorated the lace on the hat carefully. Do you like it?" As soon as I entered the door, I saw Catherine surrounding Jane and excitedly showing her the gifts she had prepared.
"I like it. Thank you, Catherine." Jane said gently, very happy to receive such a gift with her sister's sincere blessing.
"Catherine! How could you give me the same gift as me!" Lydia jumped up and shouted, turning around and running to the second floor, shouting as she ran, "Jane, wait for me to get it from the bedroom! The hat I made is the most beautiful, and you have to wear mine on the first day of your marriage!"
Jane shook her head helplessly and could only wait for her other sister who was determined to compete, thinking about how to mediate.
Mary silently took out the "Marriage Handbook" which she had compiled from various books and said: "Jane, if you encounter any troubles after marriage, you can look through this handbook to find a solution."
"Mary, this is a great gift, thank you, I think it's just what I need." Jane carefully put the gifts from her sisters together.
When Lydia came downstairs with the hat, she immediately quarreled with Catherine. Jane kept saying "They are all beautiful" and "I like them all the same", but she couldn't persuade them. Instead, she pestered Jane to choose her "favorite" to prove her skill.
Alice and Elizabeth watched the show from the sidelines. They had already given their gifts: Alice simply gave a considerable sum of money so that Jane would not be constrained by financial constraints in her married life; Elizabeth gave Jane an exquisite piece of jewelry and a dress she had sewn herself so that Jane could wear it on her honeymoon.
Finally, the servants brought lunch to the table, and the two of them calmed down.
At the dinner table, the three young Bennetts discussed the recent expansion of Tzu Chi Pharmacy. Of the three younger children, only Mary listened intently. The other two were already discussing how they would spend their newly acquired dividends, their conversation growing increasingly excited, with none of the bickering they had just experienced.
Suddenly, Alice called out, "Catherine, I'm planning to open two more Tzu Chi pharmacies in London. I'm going to hire local staff based on the same model as the first one. Would you like to go and do the rounds?"
"Me?" Catherine was suddenly confused. "Can I do this?"
"Of course, you can trust your intuition." Alice could see that her sister had been living entirely on intuition since she was a child, and she was living a good life.
"Why are you like this! I've lived here for so long and you've never let me take charge of anything. As soon as Catherine comes, you give her the management rights of two stores!" Lydia started making a fuss before the person concerned agreed.
"I promise." Catherine was so inspired that she immediately agreed.
Lydia even insisted on managing the store, regardless of whether she was really interested or not.
"Lydia, you have another mission," Alice said simply. "Once those two Tzu Chi pharmacies are open, you should host more salon parties at home and invite the ladies of the upper class to attend. Elizabeth will join you, and Jane can come too if she has time. You must spread the word about our pharmacy."
When Lydia heard that she could hold more parties on her own, she immediately became happy and looked at Catherine with a hint of showing off.
Mary had stopped eating and turned to Alice, waiting with some anticipation and anxiety for a task that she might also have.
"Mary, you don't need to be too involved in the operation of the pharmacy." After hearing the first half of the sentence, Mary lowered her head, holding her glasses.
"There's a job that's suitable for you. You can teach the people in the Tzu Chi Hall some textbook knowledge every day, and occasionally chat about our pharmacy." When she said this, Mary's eyes lit up opposite her.
"First, teach those who want to learn at the Tzu Chi Hall in St. George's Church." The next day, Alice and Mary met with Adrian Moran and discussed having Mary teach the poor here for free. "Once another Tzu Chi pharmacy is opened, we can let her teach in other churches."
"This is a good thing." After saying the word "good thing", the man paused noticeably and continued, "I'll go talk to the other parish leaders. I don't think they'll refuse."
After saying this, he said goodbye and left, saying that he wanted to discuss this matter.
When it was time to send her home, the man no longer appeared at the door of the Tzu Chi Hall.
However, as she and Mary walked home, there were several little tails following them from a distance. If she had not had a keen hearing and was not familiar with the gentleman's footsteps, she might not have noticed it.
Alice wanted to catch the man who had been disappearing so often lately, but as soon as she turned back, he quickly backed away, making him slippery. But she didn't want to reveal her identity as a fairy in the street, in front of Mary and the passersby. The little magic power she had recovered wasn't enough to cover such a long distance and area for her to perform a deception. Otherwise, she really wanted to catch the fleeing man.
"Just wait!" Alice cursed.
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Author's Note: Awarding Adrian Moran the Cold Face Washing Underwear Junior Medal
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