Chapter 50. She deceived him, manipulating him at will...
In the spring of Jiangnan, the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers.
Shen Yunzhi got up, washed and dressed, and then went out to run errands.
She had previously found a nice courtyard house in this small county town, and because the price was reasonable, she readily agreed to pay the deposit.
Today is the agreed-upon day for handing over the property.
When Shen Yunzhi arrived, the matchmaker was already waiting.
After confirming the deed, completing the contract, and paying the remaining money, the small courtyard truly belonged to her.
With very few belongings, moving was a breeze.
It was just a package.
The two apricot trees planted in the yard had not yet finished blooming, with clusters of pink and white flowers adorning the branches. Shen Yun carried the package to the eaves, glanced back at the beautiful colors on the branches, put the package down, and then went back into the yard to pick two apricot blossoms.
Having found a place to stay, Shen Yunzhi began to seriously consider how to make a living in the future.
Although buying this small courtyard cost her a good portion of her money, if she didn't squander it recklessly, the remaining money would be enough to last her for a long time.
But we can't just sit around and do nothing.
She needs to have something to do and think about the future, but she has time to plan slowly and there's no need to rush.
The weather was fine, and the bright spring sunshine was warm and inviting.
Shen Yunzhi moved a deck chair over and lay down under the apricot tree to bask in the sun and ponder things.
She was literate, could write and paint, did needlework and perfumery, and could even cook some food... but it was truly difficult to say which skill she could use as a means of making a living. For a young lady from an ordinary family, being able to write and paint was already quite rare, and perfumery was even more of a refined pursuit; only daughters from wealthy families and noblewomen of high status had such leisure and interests.
As a "widow" and not a local, it's inevitable that people would suspect her identity if they discovered these things.
To avoid inadvertently attracting trouble, it is best to be cautious and discreet.
However, she knew her own temperament.
She probably couldn't stick to jobs that required getting up early and working late, or that demanded both mental and physical effort.
Even though she had escaped from Cui Huai in her previous life, she didn't have much experience or lessons learned in this regard. At that time, she was almost always trying to find ways to avoid being tracked down, and she felt that Cui Huai had laid an inescapable net, with his people everywhere she went.
Looking back, who knows if Cui Hong wasn't behind it all?
At that time, she trusted Cui Hong a lot and accepted all of Cui Hong's help, so Cui Hong knew all her movements.
Only now can I truly feel at ease and at ease.
Nobody knew she was here, and nobody knew where she was.
Thinking of this, Shen Yunzhi let out a soft sigh.
I wonder if the letter she deliberately left behind will make Cui Huai resent Cui Hong even more, and perhaps secretly help her get revenge.
...
After much observation and deliberation, Shen Yunzhi finally decided to open a bookstore.
This small town in Jiangnan is relatively prosperous, so it has a large population, and where there are people, there is business to be done.
The Jiusi Academy in the city was backed by wealthy merchants and often spent a lot of money to hire famous scholars to teach. As a result, it was quite famous in the surrounding counties and attracted many young students from ordinary families to study there.
She had some knowledge of paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones, and could handle situations where inferior products were passed off as superior ones or where people tried to cause trouble. Most of her customers were scholars, and although their character and upbringing varied, most of them were respectable. Under normal circumstances, she could manage the shop's affairs well even if she was alone.
As for why she knows these things?
My late husband was a scholar, so I was influenced by him from a young age; that reason alone is enough.
After deciding to open a bookstore, Shen Yunzhi originally wanted to rent a shop near the academy.
Unfortunately, there were no storefronts available for rent, so she settled for a place two streets away from Jiusi Academy and rented a shop instead.
She had noticed that although it wasn't as good a location as the area near the academy, this street had restaurants and teahouses where students from the academy often came to drink and eat together, so she could give it a try. If business was really bad, she would make other plans.
Shen Yunzhi busied herself with matters concerning the bookstore.
The shop was repaired by hired people, and through introductions from some familiar real estate agents, we connected with several booksellers and, after comparing prices, managed to get a batch of goods first.
And so the bookstore was opened, albeit with some makeshift measures.
But doing business is really not an easy thing.
The bookstore attracted some customers after it opened, but soon its business became increasingly bleak.
Those students had their usual bookstores, so her bookstore held little appeal for them and was not their first choice.
After a month, Shen Yunzhi did the math and found that she had barely broken even.
Even without pursuing wealth, such a busy but ultimately futile endeavor is unsustainable.
One day, several scholars flocked into the bookstore to ask Shen Yunzhi if she had any collections of Mr. Yuqing's works. Upon hearing the name, her smile faltered slightly, and she shook her head in denial. Watching the scholars leave in disappointment, the smile on her face vanished completely.
Yuqing was the courtesy name of Cui Huai.
Shen Yunzhi never expected that when she heard others mention Cui Huai again, it would be in this way.
However, Cui Huai was originally such a person.
Although he was young, his talent was widely known, and it was common for his poems and articles to be read by many.
Now, when she thinks of this person, all she feels is "disappointment".
As evening approached and there were few customers around, Shen Yunzhi simply closed the shop and went home to rest.
Once the thought arises, it's hard to put it off easily.
While trying to remember Cui Huai, she also thought of her aunt, Cui Lizhu, and Qiuyue.
Judging by the time it will be, Qiuyue should be returning to the Chu King's residence soon.
Qiuyue initially left under the pretense of visiting someone in the hospital, and it was rather strange that she never returned. Therefore, they eventually agreed that Qiuyue would return a month after she faked her death. By then, she would already be thousands of miles away. As expected, since she had "passed away," her aunt would not force Qiuyue to stay and would probably give her some money to leave. After that, Qiuyue would truly regain her freedom.
"Has your young lady ever spoken to you about me before? What did she say?"
Cui Huai stood under the eaves, gazing at the swaying shadows of the trees in the courtyard, and chatted gently with Qiu Yue about Shen Yunzhi.
The anger and mixed joy of discovering that Shen Yunzhi had faked her death had faded.
I've calmed my emotions, but I'm still puzzled.
Cui Huai couldn't understand why Shen Yunzhi left in this way, why she would go to such lengths to make everyone believe she was dead.
Why go to such lengths just to get away from him?
She couldn't possibly have climbed out of the coffin on her own.
The person who helped her, the person she trusted so much... must be her personal maid in front of her.
This person must know many things that others do not.
Qiu Yue never expected that the prince would summon her to Qiyun Residence for a private questioning.
With her head bowed, she assumed that Cui Huai was thinking of her young mistress, so she answered truthfully and respectfully, "For a while, the young mistress often talked about His Highness."
"Whenever she had free time, Miss would embroider sachets and handkerchiefs for His Highness, cook pastries, and once even sculpted a clay figurine for him. That figurine was very difficult to sculpt, and Miss tried dozens of times before she succeeded. When Miss practiced calligraphy, she also copied His Highness's works. Miss collected many of His Highness's poems and articles, and kept them all carefully."
Scented handkerchiefs, pastries, clay figurines... those images flashed before Cui Huai's eyes one by one.
He had seen her poems and essays, which were among her belongings.
On the contrary, the copy made by Shen Yunzhi was not seen.
Why did you stop doing it later?
Cui Huai's question stumped Qiu Yue. How could a mere maid like her possibly make decisions about her young mistress's affairs? She had her doubts, but seeing that her mistress's mind was made up, and that both Young Master Huo and Young Master Chen were excellent men, she naturally listened to her mistress. As for what happened later…
"Your Highness, I do not know."
“But I remember that Miss told me that she would never again covet someone she shouldn’t covet, and that His Highness the Crown Prince was not someone she could aspire to.”
Qiuyue tried hard to recall and said, "This servant remembers that at that time, Miss was embroidering a sachet for His Highness. It was made of fabric with a dark bamboo leaf pattern and a crane on it. The crane was extremely difficult to embroider, and Miss often stayed up so much that her eyes hurt. When it was almost finished, Miss ordered this servant to put everything away and said that there was no need to embroider anymore."
A sachet embroidered with dark bamboo leaves and cranes.
Cui Huai remembered seeing Cui Lizhu wearing such a sachet, and at that time she said it was a gift from Shen Yunzhi.
"Why is big brother asking about the sachet?"
Cui Lizhu was puzzled, but she still found the sachet.
Seeing this sachet reminds me of Shen Yunzhi.
She handed the item over, then immediately looked away, lest the sight of it remind her of the person and cause her grief.
Cui Huai reached out and took the sachet, asking, "When she gave you this sachet, did she say anything?"
Cui Lizhu's jaw trembled.
She held back her anger, took a deep breath, and said in a trembling voice, "Big brother, please don't do this anymore. Zhi Niang... Zhi Niang won't be coming back."
Cui Lizhu was initially unaware of the affairs of Qiyun Residence.
As time went by, I gradually learned more.
For example, sleeping in blood-stained clothes, visiting graves at midnight, or spending half a day at Yunxi Temple.
All of this is bizarre and frightening.
Her older brother appeared calm and composed, but in reality, he had never accepted Shen Yunzhi's passing.
"Her maid said that this sachet was originally embroidered for me."
Cui Huai calmly stated a fact.
Choi Yeo-joo was slightly taken aback, then her face flushed red, and she said angrily, "She's always like this."
Recalling how she thought the sachet was unsuitable, but Shen Yunzhi's sweet words tricked her into wearing it when she went out, Cui Lizhu's heartache caused by Shen Yunzhi faded a little. She then complained to Cui Huai, "She is used to these tricks. Back then, she told me that in her heart I was sincere and virtuous, as pure as a pine and as clear as a bamboo, as pure as ice and jade, as a crane in the clouds, and that she never thought I was inferior to any man."
"Big brother, why do you still care about her?"
"If she can deceive me like this, how could she not have deceived you? Not holding it against her is already treating her extremely well."
Upon hearing this, Cui Huai merely curled his lips slightly: "Li Zhu, she deceived me."
Whether or not one cares is another matter.
She had deceived him after all, manipulating him at will.
He'll have to get an explanation eventually.
...
In the stillness of the night, Shen Yunzhi sat at her desk, writing furiously.
On the desk lay a stack of Xuan paper, each sheet covered with Cui Huai's poems and essays, painstakingly copied from memory.
I used to practice calligraphy by studying Cui Huai's poems and essays.
Over time, it became ingrained in my mind, and I never imagined that even today it would still be as instinctive as if I could pick up a pen after just a moment's thought.
The young scholars who came to the bookstore to inquire about Cui Huai's works reminded her.
Why not use this opportunity to attract some customers?
These were the very books she had collected from bookstores in the capital.
If it's not a secret, then nothing will be exposed.
On the contrary, her own calligraphy and paintings could not be exchanged for money; once sold, they would likely end up in the hands of whoever she was. Her handwriting and painting skills were already well-established, and those familiar with her could easily recognize them.
After finishing the last piece of memorization, Shen Yunzhi put down her brush and rubbed her wrists.
She selected a few articles and planned to have them printed by a publisher. If they sold well, she would then consider what to do next.
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