Chapter Fifty-Nine: Youthful Sentiments
Que'er agreed and quickly walked out of the thatched pavilion, through the flower-lined path and the covered corridor, and out of the hanging flower gate to the outer courtyard.
Gu Xiaobai's courtyard was to the east of the main hall, forming its own independent three-sided courtyard. Two young servants stood guard at the gate, chatting and laughing together during a break. Recognizing her as Gu Jingyi's maid, they didn't greet her and let her in.
The courtyard was barren, with no grass or trees, and the ground was as smooth as a mirror. In the corner were targets, stone locks, wooden stakes, and other items, all used by Gu Xiaobai for practicing her dance. Four servants in blue robes sat on the platform, basking in the sun and idly swatting flies. When they saw Sparrow come in, they said with a grin, "Little Sparrow is here. Is there anything new? We brothers are so bored."
Que'er was often sent over by Gu Jingyi and was quite familiar with them. She said, "How strange! You grown men who run around outside every day are asking me, a little girl who never leaves the house, for something new? If we're talking about something new, the first thing is why you don't go out? Aren't you always running away like kites with broken strings?"
The servants all said, "How dare we go out if the young master doesn't go out?"
Seeing that they were all there, Que'er had already guessed that Gu Xiaobai hadn't gone out. She was wondering why the young master Gu, who was like a wild horse, always ran around and wouldn't come home until dark. Why was he staying quietly at home today? She glanced at the main room and asked, "Is the young master inside?"
One of the servants, named Anshun, replied, "He's here, just throwing a tantrum."
"Just throwing a tantrum?" Que'er found it increasingly strange. Young Master Gu wasn't the type to wallow in melancholy; he was spoiled rotten by the Duke of Dingguo and the Princess, always the one causing trouble for others, never the other way around. What kind of tantrum was he throwing? However, she was just a lowly maid and dared not pry into the young master's affairs. A while ago, a second-class maid had inquired about Young Master Gu with the servants, and when the Madam found out, she was immediately sold to a slave trader.
"Brothers, the young lady asked me to borrow a lampshade. Please inform the young master." Que'er said, bowing slightly.
The servants all knew that although Gu Jingyi and Gu Xiaobai were not siblings, they had a very good relationship. However, the young master's temper was not to be trifled with. After exchanging glances for a while, Anshun said, "Little Sparrow, it's not that we don't want to report it for you, it's just that the young master is not in a good mood today and has a very bad temper. Besides, it's bright outside now, what would we need a lamp for? Let's come back later."
"No, that won't do. All the girls are waiting," Que'er said pitifully. "If I go back late, it will be considered that our Duke's Mansion has neglected them."
The servants knew that a distinguished guest had arrived, so they scratched the back of their heads and shoved each other for a while.
After a while, Anshun stood up and said, "Alright, I'll go inside and check on him. If the young master is in a better mood, I'll let him know. If he's not, I dare not say anything, for fear of being scolded."
Sparrow nodded gratefully.
Anshun lifted the curtain and entered the room, peeking tentatively into the east room from the entrance of the hall. The east room was where Gu Xiaobai usually spent his leisure time, displaying his collection of precious swords, fine knives, and famous bows, which he often played with. The door to the east room was open, without a curtain, so everything was clearly visible.
Gu Xiaobai stood before the square table by the window, a gleaming, unsheathed sword in one hand, the other carefully wiping it with a white cloth. Beside him, with his back to the door, stood a man muttering, "...My young master, what are you still ashamed of? You have a ready-made excuse: isn't the Double Ninth Festival coming up soon? You want to send Mr. Dong a few pots of chrysanthemums? Why don't you go pick them from our own chrysanthemum garden? Are you going to go out and buy them?"
Gu Xiaobai said impatiently, "What's there to be ashamed of? Why should I be ashamed? Can't we wait until they leave before we go pick something out?"
Anping's throat was dry from talking, but seeing that he was still stubbornly refusing to listen, even though he clearly didn't want it to work, it was as if he was the one forcing him. He couldn't help but feel discouraged. "Okay, okay, as long as the young master says it's okay, how can Anping not do it?"
Gu Xiaobai became unhappy again, glared at him, annoyed, and in a fit of rage, swung her sword and slammed it heavily into the wooden table with a "thud," the blade penetrating deep into the wood.
Anshun was startled and turned to leave.
Gu Xiaobai caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, and, already feeling annoyed, he hissed, "Anshun, what are you doing sneaking around like that!"
An Shun groaned repeatedly, but had no choice but to go into the east room and say with a forced smile, "Young Master, Princess Jingyi sent Que'er to borrow a lampshade and asked me to come in and inform her."
Gu Xiaobai said irritably, "You're reporting to me about such trivial matters? Do you think I'm just bored? It's just a lampshade, just give it to her."
"Yes." Anshun turned to leave.
Gu Xiaobai suddenly remembered that Gu Jingyi was currently admiring chrysanthemums with a few girls. Why would she suddenly come to borrow a lampshade? Besides, it was sunny and clear today, what would she need a lampshade for? Curious, he asked, "Wait, what lampshade?"
Anshun shook his head and said, "She didn't explain it clearly."
"Did she not explain clearly, or did you not ask clearly? You've got such a brain, but you're just wasting your time." Gu Xiaobai scolded him, "Let her in."
Anshun hurried out and called Que'er in.
Gu Xiaobai asked gruffly, "What lampshade?"
"It's the one that Miss Ruan Wu gave to Princess Jingyi during the Qixi Festival last time."
Fifth Miss Ruan? Gu Xiaobai's heart raced, as if someone had seen through her thoughts. She felt guilty at first, and her tone softened. "What do you need the lampshade for?"
"Just now, the young ladies were talking about Huangmei embroidery. Miss Han and Miss Xie didn't understand it, so Miss Ruan Wu wanted to lend them the lampshade to take a look, and even said that she would return two lamps for every one she borrowed."
Gu Xiaobai said "Oh," already agreeing in his heart, but on the surface he pretended to be reluctant and said, "It's already been given away, how can you borrow it back? You're really inconsiderate. Oh well, young master is in a good mood today, so I'll lend it to her this time."
Anping, standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer, but dared not laugh, her cheek muscles twitching.
Gu Xiaobai glared at him and said, "What are you standing there for? Go and get the lampshade from the study."
Anping responded and left.
Gu Xiaobai lowered his eyes, wanting to ask Que'er what the girls were doing, but he was too embarrassed to ask. He continued to playfully tap the table with his sword. After a while, he finally remembered the "borrow one, return two" thing and asked, "By the way, that Fifth Miss Ruan said she'd return two, but what did she say she'd return to me?"
Que'er rolled her eyes and thought for a moment, then said, "I think we should return a lampshade. That would make a perfect pair, and it would be a good omen." Before she finished speaking, Gu Xiaobai's cheeks suddenly turned red. Que'er was surprised and stared at him, wondering if she had said anything wrong.
Gu Xiaobai stood there for a while, her heart pounding and her face flushed, before she came to her senses. Seeing that she was staring at her intently, she immediately got annoyed, glared at her, and said, "Where are you looking?"
The sparrow was startled and quickly lowered its head.
A moment later, Anping returned carrying the entire palace lantern and said, "Young master, since we're going to the chrysanthemum garden anyway, why don't we deliver it ourselves?" He winked as he spoke.
Gu Xiaobai hesitated for a moment, then slammed his sword heavily on the table and said, "Fine."
Que'er looked at the crisscrossing sword marks on the square table and felt a pang of sadness; the young master would need a new table again.
Gu Xiaobai, leading Que'er and Anping, headed straight for the chrysanthemum garden. Reaching the waist-high bamboo fence, they heard faint voices, soft and delicate, evoking the charm of Jiangnan in March, a scene from the golden autumn of September. Looking further in, they saw the graceful figures of several young women in the thatched pavilion, and immediately spotted Ruan Bi in a red pomegranate-red dress—they had seen her several times, but this was the first time they had seen her so resplendent, like a pomegranate blossom blooming high on a branch. Their hearts raced, and they hesitated to go any further. Stopping, they said to Que'er, "Take the lampshade over there."
Sparrow asked, "Isn't the young master going over?"
Gu Xiaobai wanted to go over, but knew it was unreasonable, and felt that coming over shamelessly would be beneath him. He said gruffly, "What are you going over there for? I'm here to choose flowers." With that, he waved his hand impatiently and led Anping along the bamboo fence towards the flower room on the east side of the flower garden.
Little did he know, Gu Jingyi had already seen him and let out a soft "Eh?", saying, "Why is Brother Xiaobai here too?"
The four girls were startled and followed her gaze outside. They saw Gu Xiaobai strolling leisurely beyond the chrysanthemum garden and bamboo fence. He wore a maroon, plain-patterned, round-necked robe, with a white cross-collar undershirt peeking out from the collar, and a jade belt. Sunlight slanted across half his face, making him as radiant as spring sunshine. Just as the poem described, "Whose young man on the roadside is so dashing?"
Apart from Ruan Bi, the other three girls quickly looked away, their cheeks flushed, and lowered their heads, their hearts pounding.
Que'er came in with a palace lantern and handed it to Gu Jingyi.
Gu Jingyi gestured for her to hand it to Ruan Bi, and then asked, "Why is the eldest young master here?"
"They said they wanted to select a few pots of chrysanthemums for Mr. Dong."
Gu Jingyi simply said "oh" and didn't ask any more questions.
Seeing the three young ladies suddenly become shy and all traces of their previous tension, Ruan Bi chuckled inwardly. "Sure enough," she thought, "which young man isn't sentimental, which young woman doesn't yearn for love?" She cleared her throat and said, "Miss Han, Miss Xie, please look at this palace lampshade; it's embroidered with yellow plum blossom patterns..."
Han Lu and Xie Mingzhu composed themselves and looked up at the four-cornered palace lantern in Ruan Bi's hand.
Palace lanterns are usually made of thin wooden strips inlaid with silk and painted with patterns, such as distant mountains and rivers or auspicious symbols. The palace lantern in Ruan Bi's hand, however, has thin wooden corners inlaid with hemp and embroidered with ink lotus flowers. At first glance, it is very elegant.
Ruan Bi added, “This palace lantern has four paintings in total, and I spent two days embroidering it. The painting of the Queen Mother of the West and auspicious clouds is probably enough for about twenty palace lanterns. It’s not surprising that my second sister took nearly two months to embroider it. If you two still don’t believe me, when we get back to the mansion later, I will have a servant send you the pictures, and you can find someone to embroider them and see for yourselves.”
Xie Mingzhu and Han Lu had been somewhat uneasy ever since Gu Xiaobai appeared. Listening to her speak so confidently and eloquently, they were already 60% convinced. After thinking for a moment, Han Lu smiled and said, "I've heard that embroidery made only with yellow plum blossom patterns has a unique charm. I'd like to try it myself. Thank you very much, Fifth Miss."
After a pause, a strange feeling suddenly arose. Ever since the topic of color came up, it had been the Fifth Miss who had been talking, while the Second Miss had not spoken. She glanced at the Second Miss and said with a smile, "They say seeing is believing, and it's true. I never expected that the Second Miss and the Fifth Miss would have such a good relationship. I'm so envious."
Ruan Bi smiled and said, "That's how things are in this world most of the time; what you hear is not as good as what you see."
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