Night tour
Jingwan had been in Chaozhou for several months and had learned from others about the status and position of the Feng family in Lingnan.
The Feng family has dominated Lingnan for nearly a century. Although there have been internal disputes, the Feng family has remained steadfast.
In the five prefectures of Lingnan, the Feng family was the most powerful.
Lu Chang's superior, Shangguan Yi, the governor of Chaozhou, left his territory these past two days to attend the 80th birthday celebration of the Feng family's matriarch in Xiangzhou, all for the sake of his own future.
Many members of the Feng family, both direct and collateral, held various official positions in Lingnan. Even those who did not hold official positions engaged in business in various places, firmly controlling the political and financial power of Lingnan.
Unexpectedly, members of the Feng family were coming to Chaozhou to visit him. Lu Chang was somewhat curious about who these visitors would be.
When the guests arrived, Lu Chang was accompanying Jing Wan as she worked on jade carving. He didn't know anything about it, but he was happy to find a book to read beside her.
When the butler came to report, Lu Chang ordered the person to be brought to the hall. He patted Jingwan's head and told her not to come out yet, giving the reason that "what if he is a bad person?"
He coaxed her like a child, but she still listened to him and sat obediently without going to the hall. She got tired halfway through and went back to the small building. Fangjuan brought her some pastries, and she ate a few pieces, so she didn't feel hungry when the sun went down. Only when she asked her cousin did she learn that Lu Chang and the guests were still in the study.
"Young master told us to prepare the food first, so please eat while you eat, young lady, don't wait for him."
Jingwan refused, telling her to keep the food warm: "I'd rather eat with my cousin!"
By the time the guests had left, the moon was high in the sky. Jingwan served Lu Chang some food—she had eaten too many pastries and was feeling quite full.
She sat obediently to the side, not asking her cousin a single question, afraid of delaying his meal. Seeing how well-behaved she was, Lu Chang put down his chopsticks and said, "I'll take you out to play tonight."
After arriving in Chaozhou, Lu Chang did not restrict her freedom; she only needed to tell him where she was going when she went out.
When she went out, servants followed her, and she could freely use the family's carriages. The steward always reminded Fangjuan to bring enough silver, so she didn't have to worry about anything and could leave openly through the main gate, making Jingwan feel that she was indeed the master of this house.
Unlike at the Gao family's house, where I was like a little mouse staying in someone else's house, sneaking around all day, constantly worried about being discovered.
However, Lu Chang was very busy with official business, and after finishing his work, he had many social engagements, so it was rare for him to take her out in the evening like this.
Jingwan picked up another large chicken leg and placed it in her cousin's bowl, but the man picked up the chicken leg, stuffed it into her mouth, and stood up, saying, "Go change your clothes, I'll take you horseback riding tonight."
If there are no special holidays, there is really nothing to do in Jinning City at night. Chaozhou is considered a poor place in Lingnan, and the city is not prosperous. Lu Chang led Jingwan out of the city.
The girl mounted the horse, even more excited than him. The horse overtook Lu Chang, and she even turned back with a boastful smile. If she didn't know where Lu Chang was taking her, Jing Wan would definitely have ridden off first.
Looking at the person with flowing black hair in front of him, Lu Chang thought to himself that he would never let her ride alone again.
They rode along the official road for an hour. Jingwan hadn't ridden a horse like this for many years. After an hour, even her bottom was sore. She frowned and asked Lu Chang how much longer they had to ride.
The man cracked his whip and changed direction, heading up the mountain. Jingwan, however, could no longer ride and dismounted. Lu Chang followed her down and squatted in front of her, saying, "Get on, there's still a long way to go."
It was late at night, and she didn't know why her cousin wanted to take her hiking, but she still thought it would be nice to get out for a walk. Now that there was a reliable and safe "sedan chair" for her to ride in, she didn't hesitate to climb onto her cousin's back and let him carry her.
The sound of rushing water filled my ears, and besides Lu Chang's cypress scent, there was an indescribable fishy smell under my nose.
She heard the rushing sound as she walked in, like the sound of water. The further she went into the mountains, the clearer the sound of water became.
She wrinkled her little nose and asked Lu Chang if he smelled anything strange.
Lu Chang knew what she had smelled, so he deliberately bounced the person on his back, not telling her the truth. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound from the nearby grass and trees, which made the person on his back look at the source of the noise a few more times.
Lingnan is mountainous, and the mountains are teeming with wild animals. Even the most experienced hunters would never dare to walk alone in the mountains at night. Yet the two of them ran with their heads down without even carrying weapons. Jingwan lowered her head and whispered in Lu Chang's ear, "Cousin, are we going to encounter wolves?"
Lu Chang responded in a low voice, "Of course! A few days ago when you went to the street, didn't you see some people who had been bitten by wolves being carried down the mountain for treatment?"
He asked again, "Are you scared?"
Lu Chang was about to say, "If you're scared, hold me tight," but Jingwan said, "I'm not scared at all. I'm very good at climbing trees. I once encountered wolves in Hulao Mountain, and I climbed up the mountain in no time!"
As Lu Chang listened to her proudly recount her childhood, a scene suddenly came to mind: a little girl hugging the trunk of a large tree and climbing up the tree like a squirrel in no time.
He smiled, never expecting her to be so mischievous as a child.
"Fortunately, the wolf pack was just passing by, and there was no shortage of food in the mountains. After they saw me climb the tree, they changed their route and left."
"But wolves aren't always bad. One year I went to a glacier. It was my first time there and I didn't know the way. It was a snow wolf that led me there."
The mountain path was rugged, but Lu Chang walked steadily. Even with someone on his back, he didn't have to catch his breath and listened with great interest to Jing Wan's amazing experiences.
Lu Chang asked her what she was doing at the glacier. Jingwan was silent for a while, but decided to tell him: "I went to find corydalis. At that time, Azhiqi was sick, and the doctor said that only corydalis could save him."
This time, Lu Chang fell silent, but only for a moment. He then asked her, "Does the corydalis flower really exist? I've heard it's a miraculous medicine, but it's only passed down through word of mouth; no one has ever seen it with their own eyes."
There is a legend about the corydalis flower in Northwest China. Its effects are said to be miraculous. It is said that eating it can revive bones and bring dead flesh back to life. Countless people have gone to the mountains to search for it but have not found anything. Many people have also collapsed in the mountains and never woke up again.
Jingwan told him that the snow on the top of Fengyin Mountain never melts all year round, and that violets grow at the snow line.
“They move like glaciers, and they grow in different places every year, so finding them depends on luck. That year I was lucky; a snow wolf led me up the mountain, and I still found it.”
She recalled that past, as if she were on a glacier, every breath so difficult, the fierce wind whipping against her face like being slapped repeatedly.
The snow wolf didn't intend to eat her. It took a few steps forward, then stopped to look at her. As soon as she caught up, it continued walking until it stopped in front of a small flower, sniffed the flower, and then walked away.
It crossed the snow-capped mountains and disappeared without a trace.
"I never imagined that the corydalis would be sky blue. Many people who come looking for flowers have seen it, but none of them would have thought that the flower, named corydalis, is actually blue."
We missed each other completely.
Lu Chang asked her, "How were you so sure it was a violet flower back then?"
Actually, she had thought about this question later, but couldn't figure it out. She could only convince herself with the idea that "the snow wolf wouldn't lie to me." Today, she used it to convince Lu Chang, and she wondered if he would laugh at her.
Unexpectedly, Lu Chang earnestly told her that the Rong people used wolves as their totem, and there were stories of people in the Northwest being saved by wolves. "There are many strange things in this world, and wolves are very intelligent. Perhaps it really is helping you."
Lu Chang's words made Jingwan even more convinced that the snow wolf's guidance was not an accident. It was just a pity that when she returned to Fengyin Mountain later, she never saw the snow wolf again.
“I didn’t dare to give it to Azhiqi at first. I tasted it myself and it was fine, so I fed it to him when no one was looking. The next day, Azhiqi was much better. That’s when I realized that it was the violet flower that could save lives.”
"Cousin, nobody knows I found that magical flower."
Why didn't you tell them?
Why not tell? She remembered the frozen corpses she saw when she came to the glacier, the fact that only one flower was found in the entire mountain, and the wolves killed by the flower seekers... She felt that it was better to let the corydalis remain a legend!
No one knows what terrible things people might do to this mountain for something so distant.
As they talked, Jingwan heard the sound of water getting louder and louder. The mountaintop was cool, and a breeze carried a faint fishy smell. She became increasingly curious about what her cousin was going to show her.
When they reached a flat area, Lu Chang put her down and led Jingwan through the woods. When a corner of a world she had never seen before appeared before them, Jingwan was so surprised that she opened her mouth slightly.
She released Lu Chang's hand, and her soul seemed to be pulled forward. She felt as if she were standing at the edge of the world, and the "bright moon rising over the sea" in the book had become a vast and magnificent painting displayed before her.
It was the first time she had seen the sea, the first time she had seen such a tranquil sea, like a well-behaved baby sleeping peacefully in its mother's arms, having just finished suckling milk and closing its eyes to sleep, with no one daring to make a sound to disturb it.
Light blue, pale blue, dark blue, inky blue... the colors of the seawater are layered and varied, spreading out in layers.
At the end of the sea is an enormous, bright moon. Moonlight spills onto the sea, making it shimmer and sparkle, as if countless fish are swimming silently on the surface, their scales shimmering in the moonlight.
She heard the sound of waves crashing on the shore, and then she realized the source of the crashing sound and the fishy smell—it was the scent of the sea breeze.
The world was vast, and she stood alone before the moon. She closed her eyes, captivated by the view of the sea.
Lu Changxian lay down on the boulder, and Jingwan sat beside him, gazing intently at the sea. After a long while, she said, "This is the first time I've ever seen the sea."
The Northwest has countless rivers, but no sea.
"So beautiful and beautiful..."
She turned around and saw Lu Chang staring at her. Suddenly, she felt a pang of shyness and turned away, no longer looking at him.
The sea view became a mere backdrop, and Jingwan's heart pounded. Noticing movement from the person beside her, Jingwan glanced at him and saw Lu Chang standing up, looking at the full moon in front of him.
Then, he turned to look at Jingwan, the moonlight shining behind him, and her heart beat even faster.
Lu Chang slowly leaned down, placing his right hand beside Jing Wan, getting closer little by little. She closed her eyes, a blush spreading from her ears to her cheeks, and even her breathing was more rapid than usual.
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