Chapter 82: The warmth of Fang Mansion melts the frost, and old things bring back memories of old friends
The golden glow of the setting sun filtered through the old locust trees in the alley, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone pavement. Xiaoyanzi, holding Ziwei's hand, walked briskly, her silvery laughter dispelling the chill of the street. Jinsuo, clutching the bag that had been snatched and then found, followed closely behind. He couldn't help but take in the blue-brick, black-tiled mansion before him. The vermilion-lacquered gate, with its plaque reading "Fang Mansion" and its bronze animal heads, exuded the elegance of a scholarly family.
"We're here!" Xiaoyanzi stopped, turned around and smiled at Ziwei, "This is my home. Isn't it much more pleasing to the eye than the Liang Mansion?"
Ziwei looked up at the magnificent yet unassuming mansion, feeling increasingly uneasy: "Xiaoyanzi, is this too much of a disturbance..."
"Don't be polite!" Little Swallow pulled her up and knocked on the door without hesitation. "My parents are very hospitable. They must be very happy to see such a gentle girl like you!"
The door opened quickly, and when the housekeeper, Uncle Fu, saw that it was Xiaoyanzi, a smile immediately spread across his face. "Miss, you're back! The master and mistress are waiting for you for dinner." His eyes swept over Ziwei and Jinsuo, and although he was a little surprised, he bowed respectfully. "Who are these two?"
"They are my friends from Jinan. They have run into some difficulties and want to stay with us for a while." Xiaoyanzi walked in familiarly. "Uncle Fu, please quickly arrange two clean guest rooms for my two friends and prepare some hot water and snacks. They must have worked hard on their journey."
"Yes, Miss." Uncle Fu responded and quickly told the maid to lead the way.
Passing through the crabapple-filled courtyard, Ziwei and Jinsuo cautiously followed Xiaoyanzi into the main hall. The room was warm and inviting. A graceful woman in a moon-white skirt sat at a rosewood table, embroidering. Upon seeing them enter, she immediately put down her needlework and stood up. It was Xiaoyanzi's mother, Li. Next to her sat a middle-aged man in a turquoise robe, his face elegant. It was Fang Zhihang.
"Mom, Dad, I'm back!" Xiaoyanzi rushed to Li's side and affectionately took her arm. "Let me introduce you, this is Ziwei, and this is her maid Jinsuo. They came to the capital from Jinan on business and have nowhere to stay for the time being, so I brought them back!"
Li's gentle gaze fell on Ziwei. Seeing that she was wearing thin clothes and looked tired, she quickly stepped forward and took her hand. The warmth of her palm warmed Ziwei's heart. "Come in and sit down. This child looks cold. You just came from Jinan? You must have had a hard journey." She turned to the maid and ordered, "Quickly, bring me my lilac-colored jacket and some hot soup."
Fang Zhihang also put down his book and looked at Ziwei. Seeing that although her face was frosted, her demeanor was elegant, he nodded slightly and said, "Since you are Xiaoyanzi's friend, you can stay here with peace of mind. If you have any difficulties, please tell us slowly. We will definitely help you if we can."
Ziwei was somewhat bewildered by this sudden warmth and quickly knelt down to greet him. "Uncle and aunt, how are you? I am Ziwei. Thank you so much for taking me in. It's just a chance encounter, and I'm sorry to bother you..."
"Don't say that." Li pulled her to sit down and looked at her pale face carefully. "You look so frail. You must have suffered a lot on the road. Let's get well first, then we can talk about other things, okay?"
At this time, Xiao Jian came back from outside, dressed in a blue shirt and looking dusty. When he saw Ziwei in the hall, he was slightly startled, then looked at Xiaoyanzi with understanding. Xiaoyanzi winked at him, and he walked forward and nodded gently to Ziwei: "Since you are my sister's friend, there is no need to be restrained."
Ziwei looked at the harmonious family before her: the refined man, the kind woman, the steady brother, the lively sister. Her uneasiness gradually dissipated, but her eyes couldn't help but warm. She had never imagined that in the capital, where she had no relatives, she would actually meet such a kind family.
The maid quickly brought hot ginger soup and exquisite snacks. Li personally handed the ginger soup to Ziwei and said, "Hurry up and drink some to warm yourself up. Your lips are frozen purple." She also asked Jinsuo to sit down and eat with her, "You are all good children. Don't stand anymore."
Ziwei held the warm ginger soup, the warmth flowing from her fingertips to her heart, and whispered: "Thank you, auntie, you are such a kind person."
Xiaoyanzi was enjoying her meal. Seeing Ziwei only taking small sips of the soup, she pushed the osmanthus cake in front of her and said, "Try this! My mother's osmanthus cake is amazing! It won't keep you cold after eating it!"
Ziwei took a bite of the sweet osmanthus cake, the sweet and soft taste melted on the tip of her tongue, but tears fell uncontrollably. Jinsuo quickly handed her a handkerchief, she wiped her tears, and smiled embarrassedly: "I haven't eaten something so warm in a long time..."
Mrs. Li patted her hand lovingly, "Silly child, from now on, whenever we have a bite to eat, you'll have one too." She looked at Xiaoyanzi, "Is your friend from Jinan? She has a very gentle accent."
"Yes, mother," Xiaoyanzi rushed to say, "Ziwei said she came from Jinan to look for her father." She secretly winked at Ziwei, indicating that she didn't need to explain in detail.
Ziwei understood, lowered her head and whispered, "Well, my father...left home early in life. I came to the capital to look for him at my mother's command, but there are so many people around that I haven't found any clues yet."
Fang Zhihang sighed when he heard this: "The capital is so big, it's not easy to find relatives. If there are any clues, perhaps we can help find out."
Ziwei hesitated for a moment, then pulled the half-piece of mutton-fat jade from her bosom and gently placed it on the table. The jade pendant had a soft, smooth texture, delicately carved with a lotus pattern. It was broken in the middle, its edges rubbed smooth. "This is a token my father left behind. Mother said that with this, we might be able to find him." Her voice trembled slightly. "And there are also some letters from Mother... Mother left behind."
Xiaoyanzi looked at the familiar jade pendant, her heart aching—it was this very jade pendant in her past life that had brought her so many joys and sorrows. She suppressed her surging emotions and smiled, interrupting, "This jade pendant is so beautiful! The lotus carved on it is so lifelike!"
Xiao Jian also looked at the jade pendant, his eyes fixed slightly, and then he looked away calmly.
Li picked up the jade pendant and examined it carefully. "This jade is quite good. I guess your father was a refined man." She gently placed the jade pendant back in Ziwei's hand. "You must keep this token carefully and don't lose it again."
"Yeah." Ziwei carefully put the jade pendant close to her body, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the cold jade face. It was the only connection between her and her father.
At dinner, Mrs. Li had the kitchen prepare several Jinan-style dishes. Ziwei's eyes welled up again as she looked at the familiar sweet and sour carp and fried squid on the table. Xiaoyanzi, knowing she was homesick, kept serving her food, "Eat more! Just like you're back home in Jinan!"
After dinner, the maid led Ziwei and Jinsuo to the west wing. The room was clean and elegant, covered with soft cotton mattresses. A pot of blooming wintersweet flowers stood on the table, its fragrance pleasant. The maid brought them brand new bedding and several well-fitting dresses, all prepared overnight by Li.
"These... are too expensive..." Ziwei looked at the dresses made of high-quality materials and felt a little uneasy.
"Here," Xiaoyanzi stuffed the dress into her hands. "Your clothes are all worn out. How can you go out? I'll take you to buy some new ones tomorrow. We girls should dress beautifully!" She also brought a box of vanishing cream from her room. "This is for you. It's for your face. Look at how dry your face is."
Jinsuo helped make the bed, her eyes red: "Miss Xiaoyanzi, you and your uncle and aunt are such kind people... We don't know how to repay you..."
"What's there to repay?" Xiaoyanzi sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her feet. "Meeting is fate! I felt a strong connection with Ziwei the moment I saw her, as if we'd known each other for a long time." She looked at Ziwei with sincere eyes. "Ziwei, just live here peacefully. When you find your father, we can talk about other things, okay?"
Ziwei looked into her bright eyes, which contained no ulterior motives, only pure kindness. She nodded, her voice choking with sobs, "Xiaoyanzi, thank you... thank you so much..."
After Xiaoyanzi left, Jinsuo breathed a sigh of relief and helped Ziwei sit down: "Miss, we finally don't have to sleep in the dilapidated temple. The Fang family is really good people."
Ziwei walked to the window, gazing at the bright moonlight in the courtyard, and gently stroked the jade pendant in her arms. "Yes, meeting Xiaoyanzi is our good fortune." But she wondered if this good fortune would help her find her father. She pulled her mother's letter from her bag and carefully read it in the moonlight. The handwriting was elegant and beautiful, and every word was filled with longing for her father. She was determined to find her father and fulfill her mother's last wish.
Meanwhile, Xiaoyanzi returned to her room, the smile on her face gradually fading. Xiao Jian walked in with some soothing soup and saw her sitting by the window in a daze. He whispered, "Still thinking about what happened during the day?"
Xiaoyanzi nodded and took the bowl of soup: "Brother, do you think Ziwei can find her father? She is really suffering."
Xiao Jian sat down beside her, his eyes calm. "Everyone has his own destiny, but we'll help if we can. It's just..." He paused. "The palace is different from the common people. There are too many things involved. You have to be careful."
Xiaoyanzi knew what he meant and said softly, "I understand. I won't act impulsively. But I can't just watch her suffer. Brother, she's a good girl."
Xiao Jian looked at the determination in his sister's eyes and sighed, "Since you've decided to help her, you have to think carefully. Don't let yourself get involved."
"I know." Xiaoyanzi sipped her soup, but she was already thinking about how to help Ziwei find her father without exposing herself. She had avoided the palace road herself, but for Ziwei, she had to face those familiar people and things again.
The moonlight outside the window, like water, quietly sprinkled across the courtyard of the Fang Mansion, illuminating the two girls' very different thoughts. One immersed herself in the temporary warmth of stability, full of hope for the future; the other, beneath the surface of warmth, began to quietly plan her future to protect this hard-earned fate.
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