Seeing my mother
It was already afternoon when Cheng Yayin and Qi Sheng entered Ganye Temple. There were not many pilgrims in the temple. They found a novice monk and explained their purpose. The novice monk looked embarrassed and asked them to wait while he went to find the temple priest.
When the temple keeper arrived, he politely declined their visit, saying, "Donor Yue is practicing in seclusion here, and no one else should disturb him."
Cheng Yayin felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, and her expression became dejected. Qi Sheng stepped forward and said confidently, "We are her daughter and daughter-in-law, how can we be considered outsiders? It's almost the end of the year, and the mother-in-law can't come out. We came to give her some daily necessities and to visit her. Will the Buddha blame her for this? That would be too inhumane."
The temple keeper said, "Amitabha, benefactor, please be careful with your words. Your old master often comes to visit you, and you will have no worries here. Your food and daily needs will be taken care of. Don't worry, and go back."
Cheng Yayin frowned when she heard this: "Didn't they say that mother is in seclusion here and no one can disturb her? How can father visit but daughter can't? What's the logic behind this?"
Qi Sheng also said, "Your temple has very strange rules. I've never heard of a temple that closes its doors and windows to pray, not even allowing family members to see it. I think you are a bunch of thieves. You used sweet words to deceive my mother-in-law so that the Cheng family would regularly offer incense to you! If you don't let us see you today, don't blame me for being rude."
Seeing that she was ready to fight, the temple keeper was at a loss and could only say, "Don't be embarrassed, benefactor. This is not our temple deceiving you. This... this is all the intention of benefactor Yue."
When they heard this, they looked at each other.
The temple keeper persuaded the two to leave after much persuasion. When Cheng Yayin left Ganye Temple, her eyes were red and she looked depressed. She muttered to herself, "Did I do something wrong to upset my mother, so she won't see me?"
Qi Sheng put his arm around her shoulders and soothed her gently, "Don't listen to that monk's nonsense. How could a mother be so angry with her daughter like that? There must be a misunderstanding. If you don't believe me, I'll go ask my mother-in-law myself and we'll find out."
"Why? The monks in the temple won't let us in at all."
"I'm not going through the door." Qi Sheng looked back at the towering walls of Ganye Temple, a smile on his face, "These walls can't stop me."
Cheng Yayin hesitated and said, "Isn't this a bad idea?"
"What's wrong with that? Don't you want to know what your mother really thinks?"
Cheng Yayin wanted to know, so she had no choice but to agree to this rather unkind approach. The two agreed to wait until dark before taking action, and they each returned to their respective homes to prepare.
Cheng Yayin returned to Pei Mansion with a lot on her mind. When she got off the carriage, she saw Jian Zhu standing at the gate of the mansion, talking to an old man who was about fifty years old. The old man looked unfamiliar and was not from the mansion. When he faced Jian Zhu, he had an attentive smile on his face. Jian Zhu's expression could not be seen, but from his back, she felt that he seemed to be saying something seriously.
Hearing the sound of the carriage, Jian Zhu turned around and saw Cheng Yayin. His face immediately changed, as if he was a little nervous. He pushed the old man behind him and stepped forward to block Cheng Yayin's sight. He said, "Madam is back. The master is waiting for you to have dinner together."
Cheng Yayin nodded and asked casually as she walked towards the gate, "Who was that person you were talking to just now?"
Jian Zhu paused, then said with a forced smile, "Madam, that's my cousin from my hometown. It's almost Chinese New Year, so he came to give me some local specialties."
Cheng Yayin said nothing and went straight into the mansion.
On the way to the dining room, Yixing wondered, "Jian Zhu's cousin looks familiar to me. Have I seen him somewhere before?"
As soon as she said that, Lan Yue immediately agreed, "I think he looks familiar too. I thought I was overthinking it. Since you think so too, Yixing, could it be that we've met somewhere before? That shouldn't be the case. How could we have met Jian Zhu's uncle before?"
Cheng Yayin paused and looked back at the door. The old man hadn't left yet, and Jian Zhu was talking to him. She whispered to Yixing, "Go and listen to what they're saying."
Yixing took the order and left.
Because of this incident and what they were going to do that evening, Cheng Yayin was very worried during dinner. Pei Songsheng asked her worriedly if she was feeling unwell. For some reason, Cheng Yayin subconsciously didn't want to tell him the truth, so she lied and said that she and Qi Sheng had eaten some snacks while hanging out outside and she was not hungry now.
She ate a few mouthfuls of food quickly and said she was going to take a nap. Pei Songsheng was a little worried about her, but he had to go to the government office that afternoon because of something important. He told her to rest well and to tell her if she felt unwell.
Cheng Yayin asked him to get busy, but before he left, she hesitated for a moment and said, "I have an appointment with my sister-in-law to go to the moat to watch the lanterns tonight, so I will be back a little late. If you want to go home first, you don't have to wait for me. Have dinner first."
Pei Songsheng nodded and said, "I'll pick you up and take you home in the evening."
"No need." Cheng Yayin said immediately, "There are always some girlish things that need to be said between my sister-in-law and me. It would be inconvenient for you to go."
Pei Songsheng remained silent. He approached her, gently pinched her nose, and said, "You've been ignoring me lately."
"Since this is my sister-in-law's first time in Beijing, I have to show my hospitality." Cheng Yayin wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her forehead against his chest, rubbing it soothingly. "After the New Year, when they return to the northwest, I'll make it up to you."
"Then I'll withdraw some money in advance." Pei Songsheng leaned over, his refreshing and pleasant scent enveloping Cheng Yayin. He kissed her, holding her lips and rubbing them. Cheng Yayin closed her eyes, gently parting her lips as he pressed them together, eagerly sucking his tongue.
Pei Songsheng felt that something was not quite right with his wife. In their usual intimacy, she was always the one who talked a lot but did little. She sounded aggressive but was actually very timid and had a small appetite. She was always made to blush by his teasing. But today, she was particularly proactive and eager to get intimate with him, with a desperate determination, as if she had a huge fear hidden in her heart that she wanted to forget temporarily.
Pei Songsheng frowned and moved a little distance away from Cheng Yayin, concentrating to see her expression clearly. Cheng Yayin, however, looked normal, as if everything just now was just an illusion. Aside from her faster breathing, there was nothing unusual. Pei Songsheng wanted to ask something, but she turned him around, pushed him away, and walked out. "Let's go quickly, don't delay the important matter."
The matters at the yamen really couldn't be delayed, so Pei Songsheng had to go out first, thinking that he would ask her in detail when he got home in the evening.
As soon as Pei Songsheng left, the smile on Cheng Yayin's face instantly disappeared. She returned to her room, heavy-hearted, and sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought. After a while, Yixing returned, his face also solemn, and reported to her the conversation between Jian Zhu and the old man.
"I hid behind the door and heard Jian Zhu talking to that person. 'Didn't I tell you to stay in the manor and not come to the capital without a reason? How dare you return without telling me? And you happened to be seen by my wife. If anything goes wrong, my wife will not forgive you.'
"Then the man said, 'Manager Jian, please allow me to report that I just wanted to come back before the New Year to clean the ancestral home and pay my respects to you, Master. I didn't expect to run into you, Madam. But Madam has never seen me, so there shouldn't be any problems.'
"Jian Zhu was a little angry and said that although the lady had never seen him, the two girls beside her had seen him. She told him that there was no need to greet the adults and that he could leave immediately after sweeping the ancestral house."
After saying this, the two maids were both surprised and puzzled. Lan Yue said in surprise, "It sounds like that old man doesn't seem to be Jian Zhu's uncle. Why would Jian Zhu lie to us? What do those words mean? It seems like they are hiding something important from the young lady."
"Yes, Miss, do you have any idea?" Yixing looked at Cheng Yayin.
Cheng Yayin's mind was in a mess, and she murmured helplessly: "I don't have any clue, I don't know anything..."
Although she was completely bewildered and unsure of what to do, she still had to do what needed to be done. After sunset, Qi Sheng came to the house to pick up Cheng Yayin. She had even changed into a formal, short-sleeved outfit, looking even more sharp and dashing.
She looked like she was ready to do something big, but Cheng Yayin looked listless. Qi Sheng was startled to see her pale face and asked, "What's wrong? It's only been a few hours since we last met, why do you look like you've lost your soul?"
Cheng Yayin forced herself to cheer up and joked it off: "This isn't the first time I've done something sneaky like this, so I'm a little nervous."
Qi Sheng smiled brightly: "This is not stealing at all, we are just looking for the truth. Don't worry, with my sister-in-law here, nothing will go wrong."
By the time the group arrived at Ganye Temple, it was already pitch black. The night sky was dotted with stars. Qi Sheng circled the temple, determined that the pilgrims' accommodations were in the eastern wing, and then, finding his spot, he climbed the wall like a nimble cat under the cover of darkness and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Cheng Yayin stayed in the carriage, waiting anxiously.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, she heard Lan Yue's voice outside. Cheng Yayin immediately opened the curtain and looked out. Qi Sheng had returned. Perhaps because of the darkness, her expression seemed much more solemn than before. Cheng Yayin couldn't wait to ask, "Sister-in-law, have you seen mother?"
Qi Sheng didn't answer. He got into the carriage without saying a word and said to the driver, "Let's get out of here first."
The driver immediately drove off. As the carriage jolted slightly, Cheng Yayin's heart grew increasingly anxious. She asked Qi Sheng, "Sister-in-law, have you not found where mother is?"
Qi Sheng shook his head and said seriously, "I met my mother and explained my identity to her. When she found out who I was, she burst into tears."
Cheng Yayin's heart ached when she heard this. Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked, "Have you asked your mother why she's been stuck in the temple for years? Doesn't she miss her husband and children?"
"I asked, but my mother..." Qi Sheng looked puzzled. He took out a piece of letter from his sleeve and handed it to Cheng Yayin. "She didn't tell me anything. She just wrote this note and asked me to hand it to you personally."
Cheng Yayin took the note, unfolded it, and glanced at it. She felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave and her whole body trembled.
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