Chapter 42. Could that woman be her?
After Shen Mi finished teaching the students at the prefectural school in the morning, Su Xingjian wanted to invite her to have dinner at the newly opened Zuichunlou restaurant in Yangzhou, but Shen Mi was kept away by the students.
Su Xingjian was somewhat displeased, after all, Shen Mi only came to Yangzhou every five days, and usually stayed in Runzhou. Although Runzhou and Yangzhou were close to each other, it still took more than an hour for a carriage to travel there.
Shen Mi had already taken the Xuan paper handed over by the student, and turned to Su Xingjian, saying, "Brother Ziyou, I don't come every day like the other teachers. These students are rare in their thirst for knowledge in calligraphy. I am very gratified and happy."
Upon hearing her words, Su Xingjian chose to respect her opinion and sat aside, watching her gently instruct the students on calligraphy.
Su Xingjian sat silently to one side, patiently listening to her explain to the other students.
The woman wore a lotus-colored jacket, her hair loosely tied up in a bun with no extra hair ornaments except for two translucent jade hairpins. On her exposed wrist hung the twisted jade bracelet that he had given her five years ago. Her tone was gentle, her expression calm, and her demeanor composed.
Su Xingjian inadvertently thought of the line, "The morning sun dries the overnight rain on the leaves, the water surface is clear and round, and the lotus leaves are lifted one by one by the wind."
It was a hot midday in the height of summer. Even though the place where Shen Mi was staying was considered one of the cooler spots in the academy, and an ice chest had been added to the room, fine beads of sweat still appeared on her forehead.
Seeing her raise her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her neck, Su Xingjian gently pushed open his folding fan with his thumb, and with a slight movement of his wrist, a gentle breeze lifted her hair.
A sudden chill ran down her side. Taking a moment to sip her tea, Shen Mi looked in the direction of the wind and saw Su Xingjian's actions. She nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Ziyou."
Su Xingjian smiled and said, "It's nothing, no need to mention it."
Shen Mi turned her head and saw the students behind her laughing as well. She cleared her throat and, unusually, adopted a teacher's demeanor. "Pay attention."
Seeing her like this, Su Xingjian's smile deepened.
Later that evening, after Shen Mi finished teaching calligraphy to her students, she was about to take a carriage back to Runzhou as usual when she saw Su Xingjian riding a horse next to her carriage.
"Brother Ziyou, what is this...?"
Seeing the woman's slightly surprised expression, Su Xingjian felt a little disappointed, but his face remained warm and gentle. "I have official business in Runzhou, so I'll give you a ride back on the way."
Shen Mi was relieved and nodded, then stepped onto the carriage by using the footstool and holding onto the side of the carriage wall.
In the four years she had been in Runzhou, she had already incurred a great debt of gratitude to Su Xingjian. Although Su Xingjian had always taken good care of her as her elder brother, she still felt somewhat indebted to him. What Su Xingjian had done for her was impeccable, and she had never been able to repay him.
By the time the carriage reached her teahouse outside Runzhou City, it was already getting dark, and there weren't many people around.
Shen Mi lifted the carriage curtain and saw Cuiwei reclining on a rattan chair outside the teahouse, enjoying the cool breeze.
Hearing the sound of wheels rolling by, Cuiwei assumed it was pedestrians taking a break, so she jumped off the rattan chair. Just as she was about to ask what she wanted to drink, she saw Su Xingjian.
"Prefect Su!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Why have you come to Runzhou with our lady today?"
With Su Xingjian's help, Shen Mi got off the carriage. She glanced at Su Xingjian and repeated the reasons he had given her to Cuiwei, telling Cuiwei not to overthink things. She added, "And Cuiwei, let's pack everything up outside the teahouse. We'll go back to Runzhou City for the next few days and close the teahouse for a few more days. There's been a civil uprising in Huizhou to the east. If there are any refugees, the two of us alone won't be able to handle it."
Cuiwei nodded and moved the teacups and other items from the tables outside the teahouse inside, while Su Xingjian and his attendants helped move the tables and chairs inside.
The success of Shen's teahouse was also due to the fact that Shen Mi had decorated it elegantly inside and out.
She was skilled in calligraphy, so her calligraphy, written on gauze curtains, was displayed inside and outside the teahouse. These curtains were framed in bamboo and hung up to block the sun. Customers said that no one would guess that this was a teahouse, as it was comparable to some teahouses in Runzhou City.
Whenever she heard these words, Shen Mi would just smile and say that she was just writing casually.
With the help of Su Xingjian and his attendant, the items outside the teahouse were quickly moved inside. After carefully inspecting the items, Shen Mi locked the teahouse and turned to thank Su Xingjian.
Cuiwei followed beside her, laughing and saying, "My lady, in the past few years we've been in Runzhou, we've been so grateful for the care and support of Prefect Su. Every year during festivals, Prefect Su would either invite us to dine at restaurants in Yangzhou or come all the way from Yangzhou to Runzhou. There have been countless times when he's come back from Yangzhou with you like this," Cuiwei counted on her fingers. "I remember when we first came to Runzhou, it was difficult to establish ourselves in a foreign land, and the other tea shops in Yangzhou also ostracized us. It was Prefect Su who stepped in and resolved the issue..."
Su Xingjian listened to Cuiwei recount these past events from outside the carriage, merely curtsying his lips without intervening, pretending not to hear.
Shen Mi wanted to stop Cuiwei from speaking, but what she said was true after all. Seeing that she was going on and on, she quickly frowned at her from inside the car, telling her to shut up and not say anything more.
Her house in Runzhou is in Huaxi Lane. A row of courtyards are built along the river, with gray walls and black tiles, all at similar heights.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of her house. After getting off the carriage, she happened to bump into her neighbor, Madam Xu. Shen Mi greeted her with a smile.
Xu Niangzi was skilled in embroidery and made a living selling embroidery in Runzhou. She was not a native of Runzhou, but it was said that her family was from Hangzhou. She had settled here with her husband, who traveled all over the country doing business and was rarely at home. Therefore, she often talked to Shen Mi and would think of Shen Mi when she had something good. When Shen Mi first came to this area and was renovating her mother's old house, she also helped to find local craftsmen in Runzhou. Therefore, Shen Mi and Xu Niangzi had always had a good relationship.
This wasn't the first time Su Xingjian had brought Shen Mi back, and he recognized Madam Xu, nodding to her.
Madam Xu teased her, "Sister Chen always says that she and Mr. Su are just ordinary friends, but I can tell that he cares about you quite a bit."
Shen Mi's neighbors only knew Su Xingjian and knew that his surname was Su, but they did not know that he was the prefect of Yangzhou, which was next door.
Su Xingjian did not offer any explanation.
Shen Mi felt a little embarrassed, and then, noticing the letter in Madam Xu's hand, she naturally changed the subject, "Is this a letter sent back by Yao'er's father?"
Madam Xu glanced at the letter in her hand. "That's right, I just got it back and haven't had a chance to read it yet. I'm going back now. If Yao'er wakes up and can't find me, she'll cry."
Shen Mi smiled but remained silent.
After Madam Xu entered her courtyard, Shen Mi looked at Su Xingjian and said, "Thank you for seeing me off, Brother Ziyou. But my courtyard is small, and I didn't expect you to come today. I haven't had time to tidy up the guest room."
Su Xingjian understood her unspoken meaning and knew what she was worried about. He took two steps back and said, "It's alright. Since it's official business, I'll stay at the official post station and won't bother you."
Shen Mi bowed and stood there watching Su Xingjian and his attendant lead their horses away.
After leaving Huaxi Lane, Su Xingjian's attendant asked him, "My lord, are we really going to the Runzhou official post station to spend the night? But we haven't informed Runzhou in advance, which might cause some trouble."
After all, he wasn't really there on official business; it was just an excuse.
Su Xingjian mounted his horse. "I have other matters to attend to tomorrow, so I'll head straight back to Yangzhou."
Shen Mi was unaware of these things and turned back to the courtyard with Cuiwei.
As Cuiwei made the bed for her, she said, "My lady, everyone in the neighborhood can see that Prefect Su has a lot on his mind. Why do you always turn him away?"
Shen Mi removed the jade hairpin in front of the mirror. "He is different from me. I have been married once and experienced so much. It is difficult for me to develop feelings for a man as easily as before. Perhaps I do not plan to get married again. He comes from a good family, has a good temperament, treats people gently, and has a bright future in his career. If we were to get married, Prime Minister Su would definitely choose a noble lady from Bianjing who is a good match for him. Besides, he will not stay in Yangzhou for the rest of his life. After he is promoted, he will eventually return to Bianjing. And Bianjing is, in the end, the place of my heartbreak. I am already very content to have been a close friend of Brother Ziyou in this life."
Cuiwei could also see that her wife had never been able to get over what happened four years ago. Therefore, after coming to Runzhou, she politely declined all offers of affection from matchmakers and other young talents in Runzhou.
Cuiwei had originally thought that Su Zhizhou would treat her differently, but today it seems that this is not the case.
But since Shen Mi said that, she had no choice but to swallow back all the words she wanted to say.
After removing her hairpins and jewelry, Shen Mi, exhausted from the day's activities, fell into a deep sleep as soon as she got into bed.
I was awakened by knocking on the door the next morning.
She and Cuiwei put on their clothes and went out. When they saw Madam Xu standing outside the door with tears in her eyes, holding her daughter Yao Jie'er, who was not yet three years old, in her hand, Shen Mi's consciousness immediately cleared.
What happened?
Madam Xu gently wiped away her tears with her sleeve and said, "The letter last night wasn't sent by my husband from outside, but by my family in Hangzhou. It said that my mother is seriously ill and the doctor said she only has a few days left. I have to go back to Hangzhou, but my husband's return date is uncertain, and Yao'er is still young. If the journey to Hangzhou is too arduous and she encounters a funeral, there will be no one to take care of her. So I'd like to ask Sister Chen to look after Yao'er for a while. I wonder if Sister Chen is available?"
Shen Mi and Madam Xu have always been good friends. Madam Xu is a woman who married far away. With such a thing happening in her family, she must be anxious. How could Shen Mi refuse?
“Madam Xu, don’t worry. Yao’er is very well-behaved. I’m free right now, so if you can put your mind at ease, you can leave Yao’er with me.”
Madam Xu nodded repeatedly, squatted down and patted Yao'er's head, telling her not to misbehave in front of Shen Mi, to be obedient and sensible, and to wait for her to come back.
Although Yao-jie was reluctant to be separated from her mother, she also liked Chen Mi. She said to Madam Xu, "Mother, don't worry, I will definitely wait for you to come back."
Madam Xu then handed Yao'er over to Shen Mi, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Shen. I've hired a carriage and I'll be leaving now."
Shen Mi took Yao Jie'er's hand and escorted Madam Xu to the carriage, telling her to be careful on the way.
After this ordeal, Shen Mi was completely awake, so she changed her clothes, washed up, and cooked with Cui Wei.
Recently, there has been a popular uprising in Huizhou. Shen Mi, following Su Xingjian's advice, has stopped running the teahouse outside the city. Instead, she has more time to take care of Yao Jie'er. Yao Jie'er is very well-behaved and doesn't cry even when her mother isn't around. She is very quiet and easy for Shen Mi to look after.
However, she often gets distracted when she sees Yao Jie'er.
Yao Jie'er had a pair of bright almond-shaped eyes. Coincidentally, Shen Mi also had almond-shaped eyes, so when she saw Yao Jie'er, she would always think of the child she had lost in Bianjing five years ago.
When she was pregnant with that child, she wondered what it would be like if it were a girl, and what it would be like if it were a boy. Unfortunately, she didn't know if the child was unlucky or she was unfortunate, but they were never meant to meet.
Cuiwei could tell that she was grieving, so she always offered to take care of Yao Jie'er so that Shen Mi wouldn't be saddened by what she saw. However, Yao Jie'er was always more attached to Shen Mi, and Shen Mi couldn't bring herself to push Yao Jie'er away.
That night, Shen Mi was sitting by the window reading when Yao Jie suddenly ran up to her, pushed up her sleeve, pointed to a small red swelling on it, and said it itched.
Shen Mi noticed that Yao Jie'er had been bitten by mosquitoes, so she asked Cui Wei to close the window while she took out a small box of ointment with mint from her dressing case and applied it to Yao Jie'er. Only then did Yao Jie'er say that she felt better.
Shen Mi had little experience in taking care of children, but thinking that children's skin was always more delicate and more easily bitten by mosquitoes, she took out a sachet she had sewn before, filled with several herbs to repel mosquitoes, and put it on Yao Jie'er.
"That way, mosquitoes won't dare to get close to Yao-jie."
Yao held the sachet that Shen Mi had given her like a precious treasure in her arms, and then obediently returned to where she had been.
Huizhou.
Popular uprisings are not like ordinary banditry; they are always more difficult to control. If innocent civilians are harmed, the aftermath will be even more difficult to resolve. Therefore, the prefect of Huizhou was relieved after hearing that His Highness the Crown Prince was coming to quell the rebellion.
The day after receiving the imperial decree, Gu Zhan led his troops from Bianjing south to Huizhou. He had experience in providing disaster relief in Dingzhou, so he appeased the displaced people who were causing the uprising, and made an example of those who refused to cooperate. Within a few days, the situation in Huizhou was stabilized.
Four years later, Su Xingjian was transferred to Yangzhou again. The person Gu Zhan was with now was Yang Ping's son, who was also his cousin, Yang Qing.
Yang Qing stood beside Gu Zhan and asked him whether they should return to the capital directly or stay in Huizhou a little longer.
Gu Zhan stood with his hands behind his back on the mountain outside Huizhou City, looking northeast, and said calmly, "Go to Yangzhou."
Yang Qing paused for a moment, then asked, "Does Your Highness wish to fulfill your filial duty on behalf of Consort Yang?"
After all, when Gu Zhan came to Yangzhou last time, in addition to picking him up and his father Yang Ping, he also took the opportunity to sweep and pay respects at the graves of Yang Meiren's parents.
Gu Zhan nodded. "That's one reason. Secondly, Ziyou has been in Yangzhou for several years, and I haven't seen him in a long time. This is also a way to see an old friend."
News of the suppression of the Huizhou uprising quickly spread to Runyang. Shen Mi's teahouse outside the city reopened, but Madam Xu had not yet returned from Hangzhou. Today was the day Shen Mi was to go to the Yangzhou Prefectural School. She was worried that Cuiwei would not be able to take care of her, so she took Yao'er with her to Yangzhou.
She figured that at worst, she could just entrust Yao-jie to the other teachers at the prefectural school to look after for a while while she was teaching her students.
When Shen Mi arrived at the Yangzhou Prefectural School, Su Xingjian was already sitting there waiting for her as usual. Seeing her holding Yao Jie'er's hand, he was a little surprised and asked, "What's this?"
Shen Mi briefly told Su Xingjian about how Madam Xu had returned to Hangzhou on business and had entrusted Yao Jie'er to her care.
Su Xingjian expressed his understanding, took Yao Jie'er from Shen Mi's hands, and said with a smile, "Why entrust her to others? Just give her to me. I also took care of Yu Zhao for a while when I was a child."
Seeing that Yao Jie'er was not afraid of Su Xingjian, Shen Mi agreed.
She arrived late from Runzhou today and barely exchanged a few words with Su Xingjian before it was time to go teach the students. Not wanting to stay any longer, she hurried to the classroom where she was to teach.
But she never expected that after she finished teaching the students, Yao Jie'er and Su Xingjian would become so familiar with each other.
Shen Mi laughed and said, "Brother Ziyou is indeed popular with children. In just half a day, Yao'er has become so affectionate with you."
Su Xingjian didn't respond to that question, but instead said, "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Why don't you stay in Yangzhou with Yao-jie to celebrate the festival and leave tomorrow?"
Shen Mi was stunned for a moment. “If Brother Ziyou hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten. But Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for family reunion. Cuiwei is still in Runzhou, and I can’t leave her behind. Thank you for your kindness, Brother Ziyou.”
Su Xingjian was already used to Shen Mi's polite refusals, so he didn't press the matter. He handed Yao'er to Shen Mi and said, "There's a pastry shop in Yangzhou that makes really good mooncakes. Would you like to take some back with you?"
Shen Mi, who has always loved sweets, did not refuse Su Xingjian's suggestion and said with a smile, "Alright, then I'll trouble Brother Ziyou to lead the way."
Su Xingjian agreed, "The shop isn't far from the prefectural school, just two streets away. If you're not tired, why don't you walk there?"
Shen Mi was a little worried that Yao Jie'er wouldn't be able to walk. Su Xingjian seemed to see her concerns and said, "If Yao Jie'er can't walk, I'll carry her."
She didn't know what else to say, so she nodded in agreement with Su Xingjian.
Yangzhou has been a prosperous city since ancient times. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the streets are crowded with people. Shen Mi was also glad that she did not have a carriage, otherwise she was afraid she would have been squeezed so much that she could not move.
The pastry shop that Su Xingjian mentioned was now packed with people, so he told his attendant to queue up to buy some, while he and Shen Mi, carrying the unsteady Yao Jie'er, waited a short distance away, passing the time by chatting.
As luck would have it, Gu Zhan arrived in Yangzhou on the same day as the Mid-Autumn Festival.
After he went to the outskirts of the city to sweep the grave of Yang Meiren's maternal grandfather, it was already dusk when he arrived in Yangzhou city.
Yang Qing was completely different from his father Yang Ping in temperament, and was more open-minded and optimistic. "Your Highness, it is said that two-thirds of the moonlit nights in the world are spent in Yangzhou. Since Your Highness has come to Yangzhou, why not also enjoy the moonlit nights of Yangzhou?"
Gu Zhan had never been interested in elegant pursuits like moon gazing; he simply stood on the covered bridge, watching the bustling crowds of Yangzhou.
Then, his gaze fell on the "family of three" not far away.
The man looked very familiar to him. Even after four years apart, he could still recognize him as Su Xingjian. He was holding a child in his arms, and the woman beside him was talking to Su Xingjian with her head turned to the side. However, the woman was facing away from him, so Gu Zhan could not see her face clearly.
But he vaguely sensed a sense of familiarity. His heart, which had been calm for four years, suddenly began to ripple, and a fine, dense pain rose in his chest.
He tightened his grip slightly, his gaze fixed on the woman, not shifting for a moment.
Why does her figure look so much like Shen Mi's?
How could there be such similar people in the world?
But judging from the distance between her and Su Xingjian, they really did look like a married couple.
Gu Zhan had never heard of Su Xingjian marrying a wife and having a daughter in Yangzhou.
Gu Zhan waited for the woman to turn around so he could see her face, but she never did.
Gu Zhan let Yang Qing speak in his ear without replying. For some reason, he turned and walked towards the other end of the covered bridge.
He wanted to see what the woman next to Su Xingjian looked like.
Seeing that he was walking in a hurry, Yang Qing quickly followed.
But when he got off the covered bridge, Su Xingjian and the woman were nowhere to be seen.
Gu Zhan seemed to be possessed, weaving through the dense crowd and heading towards the Yangzhou government office.
After Su Xingjian's attendant bought all the pastries and mooncakes, Shen Mi and Su Xingjian returned the way they came.
Su Xingjian said that there were many people in Yangzhou city today, and it was not easy for cars to travel. However, there were fewer people around the Yangzhou Prefectural Government Office, making it easier to leave the city. He could arrange a car there, so he took a shortcut to the Yangzhou Prefectural Government Office.
When Gu Zhan arrived at the Yangzhou government office, he only saw Su Xingjian holding Yao Jie'er, but not the woman he had seen earlier.
Su Xingjian never expected Gu Zhan to come to Yangzhou at this time, while Shen Mi was changing clothes in the inner room of the backyard.
He absolutely couldn't let these two meet, otherwise things wouldn't be clear up in just a few words. He knew Gu Zhan's temperament all too well, and he didn't want Shen Mi to be hurt again.
Holding Yao Jie'er in his arms, he couldn't properly bow to Gu Zhan, but simply nodded: "Your subject was unaware that Your Highness would be coming to Yangzhou this time, and I truly feel I have failed to greet you properly."
Gu Zhan nodded. "I had no idea that Ziyou had married and had children in Yangzhou?"
Su Xingjian glanced at Yao Jie'er in his arms, subtly giving a look to the attendant standing not far away, and then skillfully dealt with Gu Zhan: "Your Highness is joking. This is a friend's daughter, and I was just asking him to look after her."
Gu Zhan frowned as he looked Yao Jie'er over.
Yao Jie'er felt uncomfortable under his gaze and hid in Su Xingjian's arms.
Gu Zhan noticed Yao Jie'er's subconscious movement, "Your friend's child seems to be particularly close to Ziyou."
Su Xingjian protected Yao Jie'er: "This child is shy, Your Highness, please forgive her."
When Yao turned around, Gu Zhan noticed a sachet hanging around her neck.
He was close to Su Xingjian and could see the sachet very clearly. The stitching was very familiar, almost identical to the one Shen Mi had given him.
He had touched that sachet countless times over four years and more than a thousand days and nights, and he would never forget it.
His gaze fell on the sachet on Yao Jie'er's body. "This sachet?"
Su Xingjian glanced at it. He didn't know that Shen Mi had put it on Yao Jie'er, nor did he know that Shen Mi had given Gu Zhan a sachet. He assumed that Gu Zhan was just asking casually, so he said, "There are a lot of mosquitoes lately, so I guess her mother put it on her to repel them."
When Gu Zhan heard Su Xingjian say this, the doubts he had finally managed to suppress resurfaced.
He hadn't chased after her for Su Xingjian's sake. He didn't see the woman there, nor did he say much to Su Xingjian, before leaving with Yang Qing.
After he left, Su Xingjian asked his attendant, "Madam Chen didn't come out, did she?"
The servant replied, "I made up an excuse to get Lady Shen to come through the back door."
Su Xingjian nodded, breathed a sigh of relief, carried Yao Jie'er to the entrance of the Yangzhou government office, put her in the carriage, and waited for Shen Mi to come over.
Although Shen Mi didn't know why Su Xingjian had asked her to take the back door, she did as he said.
After leaving the Yangzhou government office, Gu Zhan felt troubled and decided to take a walk around. However, he unintentionally saw a beautiful figure hurrying towards him.
The woman wore a veil on her head, completely covering her face, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
But that familiar feeling rose in Gu Zhan's heart again.
He thought of the girl in Su Xingjian's arms, who looked no more than three years old and had eyes that looked very much like Shen Mi's.
When Shen Mi was pregnant, she leaned against him and asked him what it would be like if they had a child together.
He remembered answering Shen Mi back then, saying that if she were a girl, her eyes would already be round and bright like Shen Mi's.
Shen Mi left him four years ago. The girl was about three years old. She would hide whenever she saw him, but she was very close to Su Xingjian. Su Xingjian was transferred to Yangzhou as the prefect four years ago. He clearly had the opportunity to be promoted and return to the capital, but he stayed in Yangzhou and did not come back.
Could it be...
Is it really possible for such a coincidence to happen in the world?
Gu Zhan's mind became increasingly confused as he thought about it; he didn't know what he was expecting.
As dusk fell, Shen Mi was in a hurry to return to Runzhou, and Mu Li had mostly blocked the figures around her, so she didn't pay attention.
Gu Zhan stood still, watching the woman wearing the veil get closer and closer, but he didn't give her a second glance.
After a long while, he withdrew his gaze from the woman.
That's it, the dead cannot be brought back to life.
Even if it looks similar, it can't be her.
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Author's Note: Wearing the veil, she's the cover girl~ [Let me see][Let me see]
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