Chapter 3 Returning the Umbrella
East of Wangxian Bridge is a bustling street lined with inns, teahouses, noodle shops, and silk shops. It is named Peach Blossom Street because of a century-old peach tree growing beside the bridge.
The rain has stopped and the clouds have dispersed on Peach Blossom Street, and the number of pedestrians is gradually increasing. Shops along the street are setting up tables and chairs.
She glanced at Wu Lin, who was resting with his eyes closed under the peach tree, and teased, "Wu the fortune teller, you've been sitting here all day without making a single sale. Doesn't your back hurt?"
Under the peach tree sat an elderly man in his sixties, with white hair and beard, wearing a felt hat, and a small stall in front of him.
The blue cloth banner cast a blurry shadow in the slanting sunlight after the rain, and the four golden characters "Iron Mouth, Straightforward Judgment" on it were blurred by the rain.
Seeing that the rain had stopped, Wu Lin put away his umbrella, sat up straight, stroked his beard, and smiled: "What's the rush? Opportunities can't be rushed."
Grandma Sun curled her lip, "All that mysticism, I wonder how many suckers she can fool in a day."
Wu Lin said leisurely, "Sun Guifang, instead of keeping an eye on me, why don't you improve the taste of your restaurant and attract more customers?"
Just then, two women walked down from the bridge. One was slender and graceful, with her hair in a cloud-like style. She wore a light green silk robe with a lotus-colored pleated skirt and a moon-white silk cloak over it. She walked slowly and gracefully, and seeing her made one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.
Another maid, with round eyes, followed beside him, carrying a plain oil-paper umbrella.
After crossing the bridge, the two walked straight towards the peach tree.
Sun Guifang was speechless after his remark, and could only mutter sarcastically, "There really is a sucker here today."
When Wu Lin saw that people were coming, he calmly pulled out two stools from under the table and set them out, inviting the two people to sit down.
"Young lady, your eyes are bright and your forehead radiant; you must be about to experience a turn for the better! May I ask what you wish to have divined?"
Bai Zhi looked at the makeshift stall with suspicion in her eyes.
She quietly tugged at Meng Yutong, who very familiarly told her to take out two strings of cash and place them on the shelf, saying, "Sir, please help me calculate my future."
Wu Lin picked up a copper coin and tossed it onto the wooden plate, chanting, "Kun below, Xun above, the hexagram of Gradual Progress [missing information]. The wild goose gradually approaches the tree, and may find its rafter."
"Young lady," he said calmly, "if your heart has a direction, then just go for it. Fortune's secrets lie in the times; don't worry about what the future holds, for the clouds will part and the sun will shine through."
Meng Yutong was slightly startled and looked up at the sky. When she woke up today, it was still raining heavily outside, and the sky was covered with dark clouds.
In less than half a day, the sky became clear and cloudless, as if a sudden enlightenment had been given.
Yes, since she has already decided to break free from her shackles, why should she be so fixated on temporary gains and losses?
Just focus on the present moment; as for the Ji family's marriage and the clinic's affairs, there's always a way to deal with them gradually. She smiled with relief: "Thank you for your guidance, sir."
Wu Lin pulled a bamboo basket from under the shelf, lifted the coarse cloth on top, rummaged inside, took out a pink plain sachet, and handed it forward, saying, "The time has come, return it to its rightful owner."
Meng Yutong took the sachet. It was a very ordinary sachet, seemingly filled with flower petals. It felt light and airy, and when she brought it close, she could smell the fragrance of peach blossoms.
When her fingertips touched the plain fabric, Meng Yutong's heart skipped a beat.
She sewed this by hand when she was eight years old.
At that time, her mother looked unwell, so she tried to prepare some spices and herbs herself according to medical books, intending to help her mother sleep.
It just so happened that she was passing by this place with her mother that day, and this man told her fortune, saying that she would become a female doctor in the future.
She was delighted and wanted to pay for the fortune telling herself, but she didn't have a penny on her. So the fortune teller asked for the sachet from her waist as payment.
The regrets and setbacks of her past life welled up in her heart. She clutched the sachet tightly, as if she had returned to the time when her mother was still alive.
Her voice was slightly hoarse: "I didn't expect you to still remember me, sir."
Wu Lin leaned against the tree behind him. "The young doctor's cries were so loud, it's hard for me to forget them!"
Meng Yutong couldn't help but smile: "Thank you for keeping this sachet safe for so many years, sir."
"I should thank you for helping me open for business today," Wu Lin said with a wave of his hand and a smile.
After the two said goodbye, Bai Zhi, holding an umbrella, pulled Meng Yutong along and said, "Making two strings of cash with just a few words is so unreliable."
Meng Yutong clutched the sachet in her hand. "Let's go return the umbrella first."
Having been reborn three years ago, she still felt a little unreal. But now, walking along this familiar Peach Blossom Street, she felt inexplicably at peace.
Ahead of Old Wu's fortune-telling stall was an inn. The inn was deserted, and the waiter was wiping the water droplets off the pillars under the eaves with a cloth.
Seeing the two pass by, the waiter draped a cloth over his shoulder and greeted them with a smile, asking, "Would you two gentlemen like to stay at the inn?"
Bai Zhi shook her head and said, "Let's go to Qingfeng Tea House up ahead."
Upon hearing this, the waiter looked disappointed, then tore off the cloth and went back to work.
"Business here used to be good, but I heard that the owner changed and neglected the business, which is why it has declined to this state," Bai Zhi said in a low voice.
Meng Yutong had plans to open a clinic, so she took a closer look at this street-side shop.
She stopped to take a closer look: the inn had two floors, and although the facade wasn't grand, it was neatly maintained. Opposite the entrance was a bright and spacious lobby.
Beyond that was a small, square courtyard paved with blue bricks. In one corner stood an old persimmon tree with gnarled branches and newly sprouted green leaves, with a few tender yellow flowers scattered at its base.
The small courtyard is suitable for drying medicinal herbs.
She looked up and saw that the second-floor corridor was half-open and well-ventilated; if it were partitioned into a quiet room, it would be suitable for patients to recuperate.
The location is decent, but compared to the shops on Yujie Street, the foot traffic is much lower, and the old buildings require a lot of effort to repair.
She looked away and continued walking forward. When she reached the entrance of Qingfeng Tea House, she suddenly heard people arguing inside.
The two looked over and saw a young boy tugging at the waiter's sleeve.
The waiter was not very old, about sixteen or seventeen years old, and was the son of the teahouse owner.
“Brother, he was having tea here yesterday and accidentally dropped his sachet in his room, which is why he sent me here. Please give it to me.”
The shopkeeper looked at the sachet in his hand, then at the boy clinging to him, and said helplessly, "Let that young master come and get it himself. If I give you the sachet, and he comes back to ask for it back, how am I supposed to explain myself?"
The boy persisted, "That sachet really was sent by my brother. Otherwise, look closely, don't I look alike to my brother?"
The waiter shook his head resolutely: "Oh, my little darling, that young master is as beautiful as a crane. How can you bear even the slightest resemblance to him?"
The shop assistant caught sight of Meng Yutong outside the door, his eyes lit up, and he rushed forward to shove the sachet into her hand. "Miss, I saw you yesterday. The young master who lost the sachet even gave you an umbrella. You two must be quite close. I think I should give you the sachet, and you can pass it on to him later!"
After saying that, he ran away in a flash.
Meng Yutong stared at the blue sachet that had appeared in her hand. She looked at it closely and noticed that the bamboo leaf pattern embroidered with silver thread looked familiar. Then she realized that it was Ji Yun's sachet.
It seems that Ji Yun left the sachet at the teahouse. The waiter, seeing her talking with Ji Yun yesterday, mistakenly assumed they were acquainted and gave her the sachet.
She came to the teahouse today intending to leave her umbrella there so Ji Yun could take it when he came back, saving her the trouble of sending someone to deliver it. Unexpectedly, instead of giving away the umbrella, she ended up with a hot potato.
She was at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated.
"Sister, is this really my brother's umbrella? Do you know my brother?"
A childish voice came from below. Meng Yutong looked down and saw the boy standing beside her, his height not even reaching her waist.
The child was thinner than the average child, but his eyes were exceptionally bright and were now darting around, scrutinizing her.
This is Ji Yun's younger brother, Ji Ming.
Ji Ming was weak and frail from a young age, but she had a great appetite. Because of her love for her, she studied many nourishing and flavorful pastries. Therefore, in her previous life in the Ji family, Ji Ming was very attached to her.
Thinking of this, Meng Yutong felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. Since she had resolved to sever all ties with the Ji family in this life, she should not have any further involvement.
She handed the umbrella and the sachet from her bosom to Ji Ming, saying, "I only met your brother by chance, so it would be more appropriate for you to take these items back with you."
"Sister, what's your name?" Ji Ming took the umbrella and held it to his chest, casually stuffing the sachet into his sleeve. He chased after Meng Yutong and said, "I've met all my brother's friends, but I've never met you before, sister."
"I only met your brother yesterday, so we can't really be considered friends." Meng Yutong had already handed over everything and, not wanting to say more, turned to leave.
Ji Ming quickly caught up, looked up at her for a moment, and his face flushed slightly.
My brother is really something. How could he give an umbrella to a woman he doesn't even know? And she's so beautiful. If my future sister-in-law finds out, won't it cause some misunderstandings?
Thinking this, he looked around and, seeing that no one was around, tiptoed and whispered in her ear, "Sister, the waiter just now said that you two seem to have a good relationship. There's something I need to tell you. My brother... is engaged."
He must have misunderstood something. Meng Yutong found it somewhat amusing, turned her head to look at him, and whispered in his voice, "What a coincidence, I'm also engaged."
Upon hearing this, Ji Ming's eyes widened, and he took two steps back, his small face scrunched up in worry. Both of them were already engaged, and this situation only made him more anxious.
"Young Master Ji, my daughter's surname is Meng, and her given name is Yutong."
Bai Zhi thought to herself, "Young Master Ji seems so intelligent and wise, but my younger brother is nothing like him. He's just a simple and honest guy."
"Ah!" Ji Ming clapped his hands suddenly, realizing, "So it's Sister Meng! I've been wanting to meet you for so long. Just as I imagined, you are as beautiful as a fairy from Mount Gusha, gentle and kind!"
Ji Ming's face seemed even paler than before, and his breathing was slightly rapid, but he was too busy talking to notice.
Meng Yutong glanced at him and interrupted, "You came out alone?"
Retrieving the sachet was such a simple task that anyone could have easily done it. Ji Yun entrusted it to Ji Ming, presumably because he disliked Ji Ming's antics and deliberately sent him away.
Ji Ming shook his head and waved to the opposite side of the street. Soon, a young man in a tight-fitting outfit came quickly over. Ji Ming called him "Brother Yunzhou". This man, like Qing Shu, was Ji Yun's personal attendant.
Qing Shu is taciturn and quiet, skilled in calligraphy, painting, and literature, and has some knowledge of medicine. Yun Zhou, on the other hand, is lively and active, and highly skilled in martial arts.
"It's getting late, Young Master Ji, you should head back to your residence soon." Seeing that someone was with him, Meng Yutong bid farewell to Bai Zhi.
"Goodbye, Sister Meng!" Ji Ming waved vigorously at their retreating figures, somewhat reluctant to part.
Bai Zhixin was puzzled and asked softly, "Why didn't Miss send someone directly to the Ji residence? Why go through the teahouse instead?"
The young lady seems to want to avoid any further involvement with the Ji family, but her attitude was quite different yesterday.
Meng Yutong said calmly, "I'm not familiar with Ji Yun, so it would be best to send him back to the teahouse to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings."
Bai Zhi nodded upon hearing this, saying that it made sense.
The two had only taken two steps when they suddenly heard a startled cry from behind: "Young master, what's wrong with you!"
Meng Yutong and Bai Zhi turned around upon hearing the sound, only to see Ji Ming lying on the bluestone bricks in front of the teahouse, his face pale, curled up in a ball, his small body convulsing in pain, clutching his stomach and crying out in pain.
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