Return to its rightful owner
Xi Chun was startled by Fu Qing, and after a while she looked up and nodded at her with a smile.
Seeing that she was holding what he wanted, Wei Qiao went over and took a small yellow pear wood box from Fu Qing. He handed the box to Xi Chun, saying, "I've returned it to its rightful owner. Sister-in-law, I'll take my leave now." After saying that, he and Fu Qing left Qingwu Garden.
Upon opening the box, Xichun found her pearl chrysanthemum hairpin inside. She held the hairpin in her palm and gazed wistfully outside.
Caihuan noticed that Xichun hadn't come to the kitchen to get her lunch at noon and was worried that something might have happened to her while she was alone in Qingwu Garden, so she brought a food box to Qingwu Garden to look for her that evening.
"Did the young mistress sprain her ankle? You really need to be careful." Caihuan had to celebrate her nephew's birthday that evening, so she said a few words to Xichun and left in a hurry. After dinner, Xichun continued to sit in her armchair, watching the night slowly fall. Her unspoken thoughts were swallowed up by the night.
Two days later, Xichun's foot had lessened, and she slowly took the hairpin to Manxin Courtyard. Zhang Yunyao, seeing her limping, asked what had happened and learned she had sprained her ankle. She scolded her and then had Granny Wang bring her a bottle of medicated oil. Looking at Zhang Yunyao's relatively gentle face, Xichun recalled what Wei Qiao had told her on the mountain, and a hint of fear appeared in her eyes as she looked at Zhang Yunyao.
Granny Wang escorted her to the entrance of Qingwu Garden. "After applying this medicated oil, wait for it to dry, then wipe it off with a handkerchief before putting on your socks. Otherwise, the oil will get your socks dirty."
Xi Chun thanked Granny Wang and watched her leave before slowly making her way back into the room. Just as she reached the table to pour herself a glass of water, Fu Qing's voice rang out from the doorway.
"Greetings, Madam. This is what the Second Young Master asked me to bring you. I've already washed and dried it." Fu Qing smiled and handed Xi Chun the cloak and red satin shoes that Xi Chun had left on the carriage that day.
Xi Chun accepted the teacup, thanked her, poured a glass of water, and handed it to her. Fu Qing took a sip, then placed the teacup on the table. She smiled gently and said, "Young Madam, the Second Young Master said he lent you a dress the other day and asked me to take it back with me."
"They're on the clothes rack inside. My feet have been hurting these past few days, so I haven't finished washing them yet," Xichun said somewhat embarrassedly.
Seeing Xichun about to go inside to get it, Fuqing quickly stopped her, saying, "It's alright, young mistress, your feet hurt. I'll go in and get it myself."
Fu Qing picked up the light purple cloak from the clothes rack. As she passed the dressing table, she saw the candlestick on it. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was the same candlestick that had mysteriously disappeared from Xuesong Hall. She carefully put the candlestick back in its place, went out to say goodbye to Xichun, and then hurriedly left.
A few days later was Aunt Liu's birthday. Aunt Liu spent money to prepare a large feast of fine wine and food, originally intending to invite Wei Changsong to celebrate with her. However, Wei Changsong had to go to Fen County to congratulate his teacher on his birthday and wouldn't be back for two days. Aunt Liu then thought of Xichun and sent her maid Xiangpu to Qingwu Garden to invite Xichun.
Xi Chun was really afraid of running into Wei Changsong, so she shook her head and was about to refuse.
Xiangpu remembered Aunt Liu's instructions, "Don't worry, young mistress, only Aunt Liu is in the Rose Garden. Master has gone to celebrate someone's birthday these past few days and isn't at home." Seeing Xichun's hesitant expression, she added, "It's Aunt Liu's birthday today. If even you don't go, she'll be so lonely."
Knowing that Wei Changsong was not at home, Xichun nodded. She didn't have any belongings, so she found a newly tailored silk skirt as a congratulatory gift and went to the Rose Garden with Xiangpu.
Aunt Liu had drunk a few cups of Shaoxing wine, and her face was flushed, making her feel a little dizzy. Seeing Xichun enter the room, she stood up, took Xichun's hand, accepted Xichun's congratulatory gift, thanked her, and invited Xichun to sit down and drink. Xichun didn't drink, so she put her wine cup aside and simply ate some food.
Aunt Liu poured herself another cup of wine and sipped it slowly. Suddenly, she put down the cup, stood up, took out her pipa from the inner room, and sat on the soft couch beside her. As she played the pipa, she began to sing a Yangzhou folk song. Her voice was charming and moving. Even though Xichun couldn't understand the lyrics at all, she was touched by her emotions. Aunt Liu seemed very sad.
After singing a little tune, Aunt Liu casually put her pipa on the couch, walked unsteadily to Xichun's side, and sat down.
"Young mistress, what do you think of my singing? Was it good or not?" she asked, taking Xichun's hand.
Xi Chun turned to face her and smiled, "It sounds nice."
"Then tell me, am I beautiful or not?" Aunt Liu took Xichun's hand and stroked her face.
Xi Chun had never touched the face of any other girl besides Lan Xiang. Her fingertips lightly brushed against Aunt Liu's smooth, fair face; it was so tender and smooth. Aunt Liu's eyebrows and eyes were also beautiful; even when she wasn't smiling, she was still charming.
“She’s beautiful. Aunt Liu is a very beautiful woman.” Xi Chun said this from the bottom of her heart.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Liu released Xichun's hand, touched her face, and smiled bitterly: "I also think I'm beautiful, and he said I was beautiful back then too, but you know what, Xichun, men are all liars. He said my beauty would fade with time, but the money in his account would increase over time. His love for me was all fake; he only treated me as an object."
With teary eyes, she looked at Xichun, poured herself another glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp. She then rested her hand on the table and continued recounting her sorrows.
“I’ve been with him since I was fourteen. He was my first man, and for ten whole years, my heart was bound to him. His first wife died young, and I helped him manage the household and take care of his two children from his first wife. He said he loved me and would make me his official wife when the opportunity arose. I always believed him, but he was lying to me all along. He never loved me; I was just one of his many women. I was just something on his shelf, something he would sell at a high price for more money whenever he had the chance. He was already so rich, yet he still wanted more and more. I just wanted him to love me a little, but it was all just wishful thinking.”
Seeing that she was crying so hard, Xichun took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears.
Aunt Liu looked at Xichun with teary eyes, drank another cup of wine, rested her head on Xichun's shoulder, and said earnestly, "Xichun, don't be as foolish as me in the future, don't fall for a man's tricks."
With a crash, the wine cup in Aunt Liu's hand fell to the ground. Xi Chun turned around and found Aunt Liu asleep, her face streaked with tears. Xi Chun and Xiang Pu helped Aunt Liu to the inner bedroom to lie down. After saying goodbye to Xiang Pu, she returned to Qing Wu Garden.
When she saw the medicine box for wiping her feet, her heart began to flutter again. She knew the consequences of a widow's adultery, and she had sworn to remain chaste for Wei Kang, but she just couldn't control her heart; it was beating so hard that she couldn't do anything about it.
The next day, Aunt Liu personally brought two oil paper packages to Qingwu Garden, and Xichun hurriedly poured her tea.
"I'm so sorry, young mistress. I drank too much yesterday and couldn't control myself, so I said a lot of nonsense. Please don't take it to heart. This is some freshly made red bean paste cake and longan pastry that I had Xiangpu go out to buy early this morning. Please try them." Aunt Liu smiled and handed the things to Xichun.
Xi Chun accepted the gift and saw that Aunt Liu's face no longer showed the sadness and dejection of yesterday; she was once again as charming and graceful as ever. It seemed that she had come to her senses. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Aunt Liu."
Aunt Liu took a sip of water, bent down to pick up the handkerchief that had fallen to the ground, and as she stood up, she caught a glimpse of Xi Chun's light pink satin shoes.
“The color of those shoes on the young mistress’s feet is so bright. This pink color is just right for your age.”
Xi Chun smiled but didn't speak. When Aunt Liu mentioned shoes, Xi Chun immediately thought of how Wei Qiao had helped her put on her shoes in the carriage that day, and a shy expression appeared on her face. Aunt Liu had some dust on her fingernails and was blowing it away, so she didn't notice the expression on Xi Chun's face.
When Xichun noticed that Xiangpu hadn't come along today, she asked her curiously, "Why didn't Xiangpu come with us?"
Aunt Liu covered her mouth and laughed, "Xiangpu is in the house feeling sad. She said that a letter came from her family yesterday that her cousin is getting married next spring."
"Shouldn't she be happy that her cousin is getting married?" Xichun asked, puzzled.
Aunt Liu pointed at her with her finger, "Her cousin is Xiangpu's sweetheart, otherwise why would she be so heartbroken?"
"Oh." Xichun suddenly realized.
"And you, young mistress, do you have someone you like? Tell me and I promise I won't tell anyone else." Aunt Liu crossed her arms and stared at Xichun with a gossipy look on her face.
Does he count as the one she loves? She doesn't know. Even if he is, how could she dare to talk about such feelings with outsiders?
Xichun shook her head. "I don't have anyone I like."
Aunt Liu saw the shyness and hesitation in Xichun's eyes, and she smiled and said, "Young mistress, you've learned to lie too. Your eyes have already told me. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Having her secret exposed, Xichun quickly lowered her head and drank water to cover it up. Aunt Liu, seeing Xichun become a widow in the prime of her life, felt a pang of pity. She sighed and said, "It's such a pity that the eldest young mistress is a widow at such an age, but I don't think Madam intends to remarry you. If the eldest young mistress has someone in her heart, she must never tell anyone else. Widows are often the subject of gossip, and rumors can be deadly. And men, don't trust them too much; don't give up your true heart before you've gained anything."
Xichun didn't understand, "What would happen if I trusted a man?"
"Let me tell you a story, it's a true story." Aunt Liu said, tapping her fingers lightly on the table twice, like a storyteller striking his gavel before starting a performance.
“Back when I was still living at my uncle’s house, there was a widow named Zhang living behind my alley. She was a few years older than you, and her husband died a year after she got married. She was raising her daughter alone. Zhang’s husband left her several acres of good farmland and two shops. An uncle in the clan took a liking to her property and sent his eldest grandson to seduce Zhang. At first, Zhang refused. Although they were about the same age, they were from different generations, and the grandson had to call Zhang ‘aunt.’ But she couldn’t resist the man’s sweet words and gifts every day to please her. As time went on, Zhang fell for him.”
"The man was already married with children. When he saw that the time was right, he deliberately lured his wife to Zhang's house to catch them in the act. The neighbors all saw Zhang and the man lying in bed, their clothes disheveled. Zhang had no choice but to say that they were in love, but the man said that Zhang had seduced him. The clan chief sided with the man, and Zhang and her daughter were sent back to her parents' home. That very night, she hanged herself on the old locust tree on the hill behind her house."
Xi Chun was horrified. "Zhang Shi hanged herself, but what about her daughter?"
"I don't know about that."
Xi Chun stared blankly at the water in her glass. If Zhang was like this, what about her? Wei Qiao wasn't that heartless man. Wei Qiao had never said he liked her; it was she who secretly cared for Wei Qiao.
Seeing that she looked preoccupied, Aunt Liu got up and patted her hand. "It's getting late, I'll go back to Rose Garden first."
Xichun got up and saw Aunt Liu to the entrance of Qingwu Garden. When she returned, she stood under the paulownia tree and looked at the light pink satin shoes on her feet, lost in thought. It was as if there were two women fighting inside her, neither of whom could convince the other.
After lunch, Xichun went to the ancestral hall to offer incense to Wei Qiao. Looking at Wei Qiao's memorial tablet, Xichun felt incredibly guilty. She had sworn an oath, yet she had still fallen for him.
Widows who have affairs never have a good ending, and if Wei Qiao really falls in love with himself, he will also be criticized. Neither of them will have a good ending.
She can't continue like this.
After leaving the ancestral hall, Xichun stood by the Aiyue Pond, the biting wind bringing her back to her senses. She couldn't forget her identity; she was Wei Kang's wife, and she was the widow of the Wei family.
Back at Qingwu Garden, Xichun took off her satin shoes, wrapped them in cloth, and placed them high in the wardrobe, next to the shoes she wore on her wedding day. She put the old shoes back on, and Fuqing helped her sew them back up so the holes were barely visible. She told herself that her heart should be like this hole, sewn up so no one could get in.
Xi Chun truly stopped thinking about Wei Qiao, and for several days in a row, her days passed peacefully. Every morning she cleaned Qingwu Garden, in the afternoon she went to the ancestral hall to offer incense to Wei Kang, and after nightfall she went to bed. She felt that this kind of life was quite good.
That morning, Xichun was wiping the furniture in Qingwu Garden when Zhao Yu ran into Xuesong Hall and asked her for a favor.
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