Chapter 337 The Ending (Part 2)
Shuixian spent three days tidying up everything in Lingnan perfectly.
On the first day, she and Madam Lin locked themselves in the accounting room and stayed there for the entire day.
Several thick ledgers were spread out on the table, showing Lin Niangzi the inflows and outflows, inventory lists, and outstanding orders. Shui Xian pointed them out one by one and explained the key points in detail.
"There are still two years left on the contract with Mr. Chen, a merchant from Nanyang. He is a fairly trustworthy person. I have written down the rules for delivery and inspection on this piece of paper. Just follow them."
"I've also made a list of my old contacts who collect medicinal herbs, including which villages they live in, their temperaments, and what to be careful about when buying them."
At first, Madam Lin tried to remain calm and listen and take notes, but as she listened, her eyes became redder and redder, and she finally couldn't hold back her tears and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes.
“Our benefactor…you…you’re gone, what are we going to do? This shop, this business, you single-handedly built it up, we…”
Shui Xian grasped her trembling hand, looked at Lin Niangzi, and also at the several embroiderers who had rushed over upon hearing the news and were silently wiping away tears outside the door.
"The shop is still there, you've learned the skills, I've paved the way for you, and I've established the rules."
"You have to walk your own path."
"Remember, a woman stands on her own two feet, not on a savior or by relying on a person. She stands on her own two hands, her own spirit, and... the bond that helps each other stand up."
"I'm leaving, but the shop is still here. You are the owners of the shop."
The next day, Narcissus withdrew most of her savings from the past few years.
Calculate each and every single one clearly.
She packed the largest portion into an unmarked blue cloth bundle and quietly placed it under the porch of the orphanage in the city, where abandoned infants and orphans were raised, late at night.
She divided the other portion into several smaller portions, wrapped each portion in oiled paper, and sought out a highly respected and fair old tutor in the city.
She handed the money and a written charter to the old tutor, entrusting him with its safekeeping and operation.
The charter states that the money is specifically for assisting women and children in the local area and surrounding villages who are in distress, and it must be used effectively.
"I... will certainly not fail your trust."
The old tutor tremblingly accepted it, looking at the calm woman before him. Although he did not know her true background, he was deeply impressed by her demeanor.
The remaining loose silver coins and a few easily portable silver notes were carefully kept by Shui Xian, more than enough for her journey home.
On the third day, she summoned the broker and the village head, and in front of everyone, she officially transferred the shop's property deeds and land deeds to the joint names of Lin Niangzi and the other two embroiderers who had followed her from the beginning.
The procedures were completed cleanly and efficiently, leaving no room for complications.
"benefactor……"
Lin Niangzi held the few light yet heavy sheets of paper, sobbing uncontrollably.
She knew that this was not just an industry, but also hope; it was a real path that the Fairy Maiden had left for women like them, who were like duckweed, so that they could walk on it.
Narcissus smiled slightly, said nothing more, turned around and went back into the house to pack her simple belongings.
They came in a single trunk, and they left in the same single trunk.
There were a few more interesting little items collected along the way, several notebooks filled with notes, and all the letters the children had sent over the years.
As dusk fell, she locked the courtyard door for the last time and handed the key to Lin Niangzi.
Without disturbing too many people, he simply waved to Madam Lin and the others who had been escorted to the alley entrance, and then boarded a hired, ordinary blue-painted carriage.
The carriage left the small town and headed towards the official road.
As the carriage curtain fell, Narcissus took one last look at the small shop. As the carriage gradually moved away, the shop became blurred in the magnificent sunset of Lingnan.
She did not head directly north to return to Beijing.
Instead, they detoured westward and went to the grasslands.
Upon hearing the news, Tuoba immediately dispatched his clansmen on horseback to meet him at the border.
Now, Tuoba has gradually taken over most of the tribe's affairs. In his every move, he has lost some of the unruly and unrestrained spirit of the past and gained more composure, but the brightness in his eyes has not diminished at all.
That night, the tribe lit a grand bonfire, and the aroma of roasted whole lamb mingled with the rich flavor of mare's milk wine, drifting under the vast starry sky of the grassland.
The people sang and danced, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
After a few rounds of drinks, Tuoba pulled Shuixian away from the noisy center and sat down on a quiet grassy slope.
The light from the distant campfire illuminated half of her face. She held the wine, tilted her head back, and took a big gulp, then nudged the narcissus with her elbow.
"Are you really willing to give it up?"
She asked, her eyes gazing at the starry sky, but her voice lowered, "These past five years have been vast and boundless, I've been free to do whatever I wanted and go wherever I wanted."
"Are you really willing to go back like this? Back to that square world, back to all those countless rules?"
Narcissus also took a sip of wine.
The liquor on the grassland is very strong, burning from the throat all the way to the stomach, yet it makes one's mind exceptionally clear.
"It's not about whether I'm willing to give it up or not."
She said slowly, "Is it necessary or not?"
Shui Xian turned her head to look at Tuoba's profile illuminated by the firelight: "In these five years, I have learned that I can make a living with my own hands, see the vast world, help some people in need, and even... unintentionally change the fate of a few people."
"That's enough."
Tuoba was silent for a moment, then suddenly leaned closer, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of mischief.
"To be honest, that... emperor... tsk tsk."
Narcissus looked up at her.
Tuoba smacked his lips: "Last year, my mother represented the tribe to pay tribute in the capital. When she came back, she told me that she had paid close attention to the banquet at the palace."
"It's been five years, and the Emperor's side is completely empty... there's not a single person there. Not to mention concubines, I've even heard that slightly younger palace maids aren't allowed to serve him."
“Those old ministers tried every trick in the book to suggest selecting candidates for the imperial concubines, but he scolded them all away.”
The night breeze swept across the meadow, carrying faint sounds of singing and laughter from afar.
Narcissus remained silent for a long time, only taking another sip of wine.
The strong liquor went down my throat, but this time it didn't seem to burn as much. Instead, it turned into a warm current that quietly seeped into my limbs and bones.
The next morning, Narcissus took her leave.
Tuoba escorted her to the border of the tribe.
"Here, take this."
Tuoba took out a small leather bag from his pocket and stuffed it into Shuixian's hand.
The narcissus flower opened, revealing a natural gemstone the size of a pigeon's egg, uncut and translucent, which, in the morning light, displayed a deep and ever-changing blue-purple hue, as if the night sky of the grassland from the previous night had been frozen within it.
"These are gems that can only be found on the sacred mountain of our grasslands, and they are said to protect the soul."
Tuoba looked at her with sincere eyes.
"According to the rules of the grasslands, this stone is to be given to the most important friend."
"Sister, if you're unhappy or feel stifled in the palace, you can come back anytime. There will always be a tent for you on the grasslands, with wine and meat!"
Narcissus nodded emphatically: "Okay."
The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.
Tuoba mounted his horse, waved casually to Shuixian, and then spurred his horse toward her tribe and her responsibilities.
Narcissus watched her departing figure until it blended into the golden light of the grassland in the early morning before turning around and getting into the waiting carriage.
Leaving the grassland, Narcissus traveled north at a leisurely pace.
She didn't linger in any of the towns she was once familiar with; she just passed through.
A few days later, she chose to rest in a quiet, nameless town by Taihu Lake.
The inn is built right by the lake; opening the window reveals the vast and tranquil waters.
On the night of her arrival, she took a bath and changed into a clean, fine cloth dress.
Then, from the bottom of the chest, take out a flat wooden box wrapped in plain brocade.
Upon opening the wooden box, one finds a piece of uncarved Lingnan green jade pebble, its texture warm and smooth.
Beside it, there were several carving knives of different sizes.
She lit the candle and then picked up the finest carving knife.
The flickering candlelight illuminated her lowered eyes and slightly pursed lips.
After an unknown amount of time, she stopped what she was doing and gently blew away the jade dust.
A small personal seal lies quietly in the palm of my hand.
Only one character is engraved on the seal face.
Return.
The characters are elegant and graceful, with flowing strokes, and the last stroke ends with an upward curve.
It resembles a bird spreading its wings, or the moon shining brightly after the clouds have parted.
She examined it quietly for a moment, then took the inkpad and pressed it onto the white paper.
The vermilion mark was extremely clear.
Narcissus wiped the seal clean with plain white silk and put it into a small brocade pouch, also made of plain brocade.
Then, she walked to the window, and softly called out into the deep night:
"Someone come here."
Almost the instant she finished speaking, a dark figure drifted down from the eaves, knelt on one knee on the ground outside the window, bowed his head and clasped his hands: "Your Majesty."
This person was none other than Emperor Zhaoheng's most trusted bodyguard.
Since Shui Xian left Lingnan, she has never deliberately concealed her whereabouts. These people followed her like a shadow, silently protecting her from afar and also silently passing on messages.
Narcissus handed the small brocade pouch out the window.
The leader of the secret guards raised both hands above his head and respectfully accepted it.
"Bring this to the Emperor."
The sound of narcissus came through the window.
The leader of the secret guards clutched the brocade pouch tightly in his hand and kowtowed deeply: "Your subordinate obeys!"
He stood up, his figure flashed, and he sped away into the thick of the night.
After seeing off the guards, Narcissus did not immediately return to her room.
She walked out of the inn alone, followed the path along the lake shore, and slowly climbed a low hill behind the inn.
The mountain path was rugged, and dew dampened her skirt, but she was completely unaware.
When we reached the summit, a sliver of white had already appeared on the eastern horizon.
She gazed into the distance.
Below us lies a sleeping town, and ahead stretches a vast, boundless lake.
Further away, the mountains appeared dark and indistinct, their outlines gradually becoming clearer in the brightening light of the sky.
Five years have passed, like the tide receding and then surging back in my mind.
She has seen the misty rain of Jiangnan, witnessed the desolate smoke of the Northwest desert, tasted the cloyingly sweet lychees of Lingnan in the height of summer, and drunk the fiery liquor that burns the lungs on the grasslands.
In the fishing village, she helped fishermen who had their wages withheld by the boat captain to calculate their hard-earned money, and she rescued a trafficked girl from human traffickers and escorted her thousands of miles back to her parents...
She did a lot of things.
Some achieve great things, but most remain unknown.
But she lived an incredibly fulfilling life during those five years.
The morning breeze caressed my face, bringing the freshness of the lake water.
Narcissus took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
That place in the palace was once the ladder to revenge after her tragic death in her previous life, and the high branch she was forced to cling to when she struggled to survive in this life. Later, it became the magnificent cage she tried her best to escape.
But now, it's just the place she chose to belong.
As dawn broke through the clouds, countless golden rays poured down, illuminating the lake, the mountains, and the resolute face of the woman atop the mountain.
Ahead lies responsibility and concern.
And she was already ready.
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