Chapter 19 If the cousins don't do their jobs properly, they won't be able to afford food for the entire household...
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the sky was just beginning to lighten. Songlan was dozing off when she heard a faint noise coming from inside the bed curtains.
She gently lifted the gauze curtain, and Meng Lingyao had already sat up. Her black hair was loose, with a few strands wrapped around her snow-white neck, like ink staining a plain silk. Her eyes still held a drowsy look, as if she were about to wake up.
Songlan subconsciously softened her voice, "Miss, it's still early, you can sleep a little longer."
"I can't sleep. I'd better get ready and leave as soon as possible."
Bowing down to hang up the gauze curtain, Songlan smiled and said, "Miss is still like she was when she was a child, always looking forward to visiting the Commander's house."
Meng Lingyao's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Indeed, my maternal grandparents' house is the most fun."
Once everything was in order, Meng Lingyao put on an apricot-colored brocade cloak and stepped out of the courtyard. The Meng family's carriages and horses were ready in advance, and she traveled with her parents towards the commander's residence in the east of the city.
Meng Lingyao's maternal grandfather held the official rank of a third-grade commander, leading a battalion of troops. He had three sons and one daughter. The only daughter was Meng Lingyao's mother, and it's easy to imagine how much she was pampered from a young age.
As her mother's only daughter, she was treated like royalty at her maternal grandparents' home.
Perhaps because her father and three older brothers were all martial artists, Madam Zhong chose the quintessential scholar Meng Yan from among the many suitors.
When she was a child, Meng Lingyao loved to hear her uncles tell the story of how Meng Shaoqing overcame numerous obstacles to finally bring the Zhong family's precious daughter home.
As for who those five checkpoints and six generals were, there's no need to ask.
As he was reminiscing, the gates of the commander's mansion came into view.
At the entrance, two young men dressed in brocade robes had been waiting for some time. As soon as the carriage came to a stop, the two men quickly stepped forward. They were the twins from the youngest uncle's family—Zhong Dingming and Zhong Dingyao. Although they were only seventeen or eighteen years old, the boys had already grown into men with broad shoulders and backs, standing on the steps like two tall and straight pine trees.
"My cousin is here!" Zhong Dingming's eyes lit up, but he immediately took a half step back, just like a mouse seeing a cat.
Meng Lingyao raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Happy New Year to my two cousins."
Zhong Dingyao was more composed. He greeted the Meng couple, who had gotten out of the car behind him, and said, "Grandmother has been talking about this since dawn. Please come in." He then stepped aside to make way for Meng Lingyao, always keeping a distance of three feet from her.
It's not that I don't like this cousin. They are about the same age and have often played together since they were little. When my cousin was little, she was very cute and had a sweet voice. Whenever we played games, she was always the bride, and the rest of us would fight to be the groom.
Unfortunately, he has a really bad temper.
Zhong Dingyao thought expressionlessly, "They're always the ones who get into trouble and get punished. And they're so spoiled. If you mess up even a single strand of her hair, she'll burst into tears, as if she's suffered some great injustice. That's why they get beaten by their grandfather so many times."
Only that stupid kid Zhao Xu could put up with her temper. That kid has been gone to the Northern Desert for so long and hasn't come back yet; I wonder if he died out there.
Passing through the hanging flower gate, a familiar scene came into view. The commander's mansion was not as exquisitely decorated as an ordinary official residence, but rather as straightforward and grand as its owner. In the courtyard, there was a stone target with a lock, and hanging under the eaves were not ordinary paintings of flowers and birds, but several gleaming swords.
"Yaoyao!" Grandmother's loud voice came from the main hall. Although the old lady was over sixty years old, she was more energetic than a young person and rushed into the courtyard to greet her.
Just as Meng Lingyao was about to bow, she was pulled into a hug. "Quickly let your grandmother see if you've lost weight again?"
“Mother,” Madam Zhong couldn’t help but exclaim, “she’s practically wrapped up like a ball.”
"Don't talk nonsense, our Yaoyao is so thin she's practically a reed." The old lady glared at her daughter reproachfully, her rough hand stroking her grandson's cheek. "Don't be afraid, tell your grandmother, is your mother forcing you to learn those ridiculous rules again?"
“My mother treats me very well.” Meng Lingyao smiled and took her grandmother’s arm. She glanced at the tall figures in the hall looking out and couldn’t help but chuckle. “My uncles are still so energetic.”
Just then, a small figure emerged from the crowd and hugged Meng Lingyao's waist. "Cousin—"
It was her fourteen-year-old cousin, Zhong Jingshu, the only girl in the Zhong family of this generation. Surrounded by burly men, she was like a lamb that had wandered into a pack of wolves.
"Cousin, you've finally arrived!"
Meng Lingyao smiled and pinched her rosy cheek. "What's wrong? Did your cousins bully you again?"
“They wouldn’t dare, it’s just…” Zhong Jingshu pouted, “It’s just too smelly.”
"Zhong, Jing, Shu! You're talking nonsense!" Zhong Dingming glanced at Meng Lingyao, jumping up and down in a panic. "When have I not bathed? I even used incense!"
Zhong Jingshu made a face at him, "You washed up, but you're still covered in sweat after wielding a spear and sword."
"you--"
Amidst their bickering, the group had already entered the main hall.
As soon as Meng Lingyao entered the door, she saw her three maternal uncles standing in the hall like three iron towers, with her aunts standing on one side and several cousins behind them, all of them tall and strong men. In the middle, her maternal grandfather sat in a round chair. He was nearly seventy years old but still had a robust figure and piercing eyes.
Upon seeing his daughter and her family, he couldn't suppress a smile on his usually serious face. "You're here, it's good that you're here. Please sit down and rest."
Madam Zhong pulled Meng Yan forward to greet them. Meng Lingyao sat beside them, talking with her maternal grandmother and several aunts.
The main hall of the Zhong family home is already quite spacious, but it still feels cramped at the moment.
No wonder her maternal grandfather always said that the training ground at home was almost not enough. Meng Lingyao looked around and felt that her cousins were even stronger than when they last came.
At lunchtime, three tables were set up in the hall. Meng Lingyao sat at the women's table, watching her cousins across from her stealing glances at her before hurriedly lowering their heads. She couldn't help but wonder if she had gone too far in the past. After glancing around a few more times, she noticed that the number of people didn't seem to match up, and turned her head to ask, "I don't seem to see my eldest cousin."
Zhong Jingshu leaned over and replied, "My eldest cousin went to inspect the military camp with the Commander-in-Chief and said he won't be back until the fifth day of the month."
"I see." Meng Lingyao nodded. "My cousin has really worked hard."
“Indeed.” Zhong Jingshu imitated her eldest cousin’s serious expression and said in a serious tone, “If we don’t do our job properly, we might not be able to afford to feed all the good-for-nothings in the manor.”
These words made all the women at the table burst into laughter.
The gluttons at the next table were clueless and kept casting puzzled glances at them.
After lunch, Meng Lingyao, as usual, went to rest in the courtyard where her mother had been married. The house was located on the south side and was quite different from the rest of the Zhong family mansion. It was elegantly decorated, with lush flowers and trees, and exquisite details everywhere. An old plum tree was planted outside the window, and under the window was the embroidery frame that her mother had used when she was a girl. Even the lotus pattern on the curtains was painted by her maternal grandmother.
Upon seeing her, Meng Yan's face lit up with nostalgia, and he pulled his wife along to reminisce about the past.
Meng Lingyao naturally wouldn't disturb her, and leaned against the soft couch, having a sweet dream.
Not long after she woke up, the nanny from her maternal grandmother's room came to deliver a message, asking Meng Lingyao to come over.
When she arrived, both her maternal grandparents were sitting in the main hall.
Her maternal grandfather beckoned to her, looked her up and down, and said with a touch of tenderness in his eyes, "Yaoyao is a young lady now."
"Yes," Grandmother sighed, "She'll be married off to someone else's family in a few years."
“Grandmother—” Meng Lingyao nestled on her lap and said coquettishly, “It’s still early.”
"Yes, yes," the old lady replied with a smile, "No rush. However, some things should be prepared gradually."
“Exactly!” Grandfather chimed in, his voice booming. “Although your father was a civil official, as my grandson, he is also a daughter of a military family, and should have some spirit in his bones.”
As he spoke, he took something out of his sleeve. "This is for you. Keep it safe."
Meng Lingyao took it and saw that it was an exquisite dagger, with beautiful patterns engraved on the scabbard. Before she could even thank her, her grandmother scolded, "The old man is here again! What are you doing giving this to a young lady?"
The commander didn't take it seriously, stroking his beard lightly, "What's wrong with a woman carrying a small knife for self-defense? Although the capital is safe, it's hard to guarantee that there aren't any villains."
Grandmother glared at him, then ordered someone to bring out a jade bracelet of excellent quality. She took Meng Lingyao's hand and said, "This is a pair of twins that I asked someone to bring back from the south. One for you and one for Jingshu."
The bracelet was entirely emerald green, with a warm and lustrous texture, and shimmered softly in the sunlight. Meng Lingyao couldn't refuse, so she thanked her and had her grandmother put it on her wrist.
The old lady looked on with a smile, "This is what a young lady should wear." Seeing that the old man was about to speak again, she added, "What your maternal grandfather said is not without reason. It's always good to keep it for self-defense. Even future husbands can be beasts in human form, just like Lu Heming. To outsiders, he seems like a good young man, but behind the scenes, he is a tyrannical man."
Grandfather nodded, "Just be careful not to hurt yourself. If you don't know how to use it, have your mother teach you."
Meng Lingyao carefully put away the dagger, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Did you also give my mother a gift before her wedding...?"
The commander coughed lightly. The old lady smiled without saying a word, only gently patting her hand, "Go and play with Jing Shu."
Meng Lingyao: "..."
Understood.
As is customary in previous years, the Meng family would stay overnight at the Zhong residence. After dinner, servants brought tea and refreshments.
Grandmother sipped her tea and said, "The weather seems fine tomorrow, why don't we go to Ci'an Temple outside the city to offer incense?"
Meng Lingyao paused slightly in the hand holding the cup.
Ci'an Temple—wasn't that the place where Zhou Yizhi and the young monk had mingled in her dream? She hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Grandmother, I've heard that Yunqi Temple in the south of the city is even more efficacious..."
“Cian Temple is so peaceful,” my grandmother said with a smile. “Before the New Year, I heard from Madam Jian that a new monk who can preach the sutras has come to the temple. He preaches the Lotus Sutra very well. I would like to go and see him.”
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Meng Lingyao didn't want to persuade her again, so she said, "In that case, I'll go with you."
Very well, this is a good opportunity to go to Ci'an Temple to investigate. If we can find any clues, that would be even better. We can expose it as soon as possible, so that Zhou Yizhi won't deceive other girls again.
The next morning, the distant sound of the bell from Ci'an Temple echoed down the mountain, creating a serene and solemn atmosphere. Meng Lingyao helped her grandmother down from the carriage. The chanting of monks filled the air, and incense smoke swirled around them, truly giving the place the feel of a tranquil Buddhist sanctuary.
Only the three large characters "Cian Temple" at the entrance were exactly the same as in her dream.
The main hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood as Grandmother devoutly offered incense and donations. Meng Lingyao followed behind, her gaze sweeping across the hall. The monks in their robes all had bowed heads and looked meek, no different from those in an ordinary temple.
"Grandmother, I would like to go to the back mountain to see that century-old Bodhi tree, is that alright?" Meng Lingyao asked gently.
“I knew you young people didn’t like listening to sermons,” the old lady gently tapped her nose. “Go on, let Songlan and the others keep you company. Don’t go too far.”
"Ai."
Meng Lingyao, accompanied by Songlan and Cangdian, walked along the bluestone path towards the back mountain. Following the scene from her dream, the further they went, the fewer the pilgrims there were, and the more tranquil the surroundings became. Turning a corner, they suddenly saw a young novice monk sweeping the floor ahead.
The man's back was thin, yet his posture was slender and upright. When he turned around, Meng Lingyao was stunned.
Although her skin was a bit darker, her delicate features clearly belonged to Shen Xiaoshan, who had visited her home to pay New Year's respects just a few days ago!
"Shen Xiaoshan?" she blurted out.
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