Chapter 25 Like a Dream (Part 5) She didn't want to pay any attention to him.
Her voice was soft and gentle, as if it were soaked in moisture in the quiet of the night, carrying an unconscious dampness. Every word became a muffled murmur, gently scratching Ye Xingjian's eardrums.
"Brother?" came another voice from the other side of the wall.
Ye Xingjian's spine suddenly tensed, his five senses exploding like smoke and flowers in an instant, then collapsing into a blankness in a flash. He grabbed the handkerchief covering his face, a muffled, suppressed groan escaping his throat. The heat soaked into the plain handkerchief in his palm, making the gardenia scent on it seem even stronger.
"Brother," came the rustling sound from next door, as if Ye Mu sat up, wrapped in a thin blanket, and gently pressed himself against the wall, "Are you still awake?"
Ye Xingjian took a couple of breaths, barely managing to suppress the hoarseness in his throat, "I didn't call you."
"But I just heard 'Fourth Sister' several times." From the other side of the wall, her voice held a faint chuckle, rippling across the room. "Could it be that Brother was calling me in his dreams?"
Ye Xingjian remained silent, his knuckles clenching the damp handkerchief tightly, using it to suppress his pounding heartbeat.
“He must be scolding me in my dream,” Ye Mu said in a high-pitched voice, mimicking his usual stern tone, “'Fourth Sister, don’t be willful,' ‘Fourth Sister, walk properly, don’t run,’ ‘Fourth Sister, don’t get chilly…”
She imitated it so perfectly that she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer, letting out a few soft laughs that sounded like pearls rolling on the ground.
Hearing the laughter, Ye Xingjian felt a pang of sadness and unease in his heart. In the end, he could only helplessly twitch the corners of his lips. He cleared his throat and called out to her in a deep voice, "Fourth Sister."
"I need to get up early tomorrow, I should go to sleep now."
Ye Mu gave a soft "oh," pulled the blanket over herself, lay down, and after a moment of silence, asked in a low voice, "Is brother lying down now?"
"Um."
"Look out the window."
Ye Xingjian looked up as instructed. Outside the gray window paper, a full moon hung high in the sky, its clear light flowing quietly through the carved window lattice, spreading a layer of silver frost.
"The moon is so round." Ye Mu's voice was muffled under the covers. "But this Mid-Autumn Festival, I can't enjoy the moon with my brother."
Ye Xingjian stared at the jade plate, but what appeared before his eyes was her charming appearance last Mid-Autumn Festival, with her cheeks puffed out and crumbs of mooncake on her lips. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "Eat less mooncake this year."
"I know, you've had indigestion from eating too much," Ye Mu replied softly, a knowing smile in her voice. "Are you going to remind me of this again?"
"You found out again?"
“I grew up with my brother, how could I not understand his thoughts?” Ye Mu said. “When the Mid-Autumn Festival comes this year, I will send my brother mooncakes from Almond Lane, your favorite salt and pepper five-nut filling. At that time, we will be looking at the same bright moon and tasting the same flavors, which will be just like celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival together.”
Her words grew softer and softer until they gradually faded away. Ye Xingjian listened intently, but he could no longer even catch the soft breathing from next door.
"Fourth Sister?"
"Asleep?"
There was no response from next door.
Ye Xingjian relaxed his tense muscles and slowly sat up, looking down at the damp handkerchief in his palm. On the plain white silk, the character "暮" (dusk) was crumpled beyond recognition, and his fingertips were sticky, as if touching a hidden and burning piece of evidence.
In truth, he harbored a secret desire: he wished that her lively and charming beauty belonged solely to him, and feared that others might witness it.
After a long while, Ye Xingjian dragged his heavy steps off the bed, washed his hands with the remaining half-scoop of cold water in the copper basin, and then pushed open the door again. The night wind brushed against his sweat-soaked undergarment. He drew another bucket of water from the well, carried it back to the room, and soaked his handkerchief in it.
Ye Xingjian rubbed the soap pod repeatedly in his palm until a layer of fine, sticky foam appeared. He buried the handkerchief in it and rubbed it vigorously with his ten fingers, his heart being deformed and wrinkled from the rubbing.
How could she possibly understand his thoughts? Even he himself didn't know when he had succumbed to this despicable, rebellious, and delusional thought.
He was already imprisoned. He knew that coming to see her was just a desperate measure, but he still stubbornly clung to the idea. He was too greedy for this tender moment. Using his brother's name to commit illicit acts, he was already a prisoner who had drawn a circle around himself.
Love arises without warning and cannot be contained; so too does pain.
She will never know.
-
The next morning, Ye Mu pushed open the door and saw Ye Xingjian standing in the courtyard. He had changed into a light blue casual outfit and stood tall and straight like a bamboo, but there was a faint blue weariness under his eyes.
"Didn't you sleep well last night, brother?" She approached, looked up at him, and saw his clear eyes in the dim morning light.
Ye Xingjian's gaze swept over her fair cheeks, landing on her slightly upturned lips, before subtly shifting his gaze away. "Yes, I'm thinking about the investigation."
He turned his back and went inside. "Let's have breakfast first, and then we'll go visit a few farmhouses."
Ye Mu, unsuspecting, smiled and agreed.
After breakfast, Ye Xingjian, along with Ye Mu and two stewards, went out. They visited three or four households, all of which were low mud-brick houses with dried chili peppers and farm tools hanging under the eaves. The villagers spoke with a strong local accent, indicating that they were all native locals.
Some had never even been to a village ten miles away. Patched quilts were piled on the earthen bed, hoes and sickles stood in the corner, and rough pottery bowls were placed on the wooden table. Their belongings were completely exposed. Not to mention writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, there wasn't even a decent book to be seen. They had absolutely no connection with Yongzhou, which was thousands of miles away.
As the group walked to the low wall outside Zhao Tieniu's house, Ye Mu happened to see his wife hanging clothes to dry in the yard, so he went into the yard to help her hang them to dry. "Aunt Zhao."
"Miss Ye, this isn't work for you!" Madam Zhao hurriedly wiped her hands on her coarse cloth apron. "Miss Ye, be careful not to get your clothes dirty."
"It's nothing." Ye Mu had already unfolded a worn-out coarse cloth shirt. "Auntie, I just happened to have something I wanted to ask you."
Do you know if there are any people from the south in the village or the neighboring villages?
Mrs. Zhao frowned and thought for a moment, then shook her head. "It's not that far. These are all old households here, the furthest being a daughter-in-law who married into the village from the front."
"Have you heard any other gossip these past few days?" Ye Xingjian asked from the side.
"Ha! It's all just baseless nonsense! We peasants all know what's going on. We all know how the Marquis's mansion has treated us all these years! It must be some heartless bastard spreading rumors!"
"Have any strangers been seen moving around the village lately?"
After hanging up the last piece of clothing, Zhao's wife said, "Our village is remote. Apart from Zhou Laosan and the peddler, we rarely see unfamiliar faces."
"A peddler?" Ye Mu glanced at Ye Xingjian and continued, "What does the peddler look like?"
“Zhou Laosan is from Zhoujia Village, five miles away. He’s not tall, only half a head taller than me.” Zhao’s wife gestured to the side of her neck. “He has a black mole the size of a soybean. He often comes here carrying a load of goods. Everyone in the village knows him.”
Is this the only peddler in the village who comes here regularly?
"That's right. Our village only has a few dozen households, and other peddlers don't go to this remote place. Old Zhou San always comes on the 8th of each month, and he'll definitely come the day after tomorrow, the 18th. He's been coming for seven or eight years now. If any family in the village needs anything, they all count on him."
Ye Xingjian nodded, "So, what kind of things does Zhou Laosan usually sell? Does he sell goods from the south?"
"Needles, thread, rouge, and face powder are always on hand. We also have southern goods. I saw him carrying some small bamboo baskets from the south the other day. He said they were brought from Jiangzhou. They're very exquisite." As she spoke, Mrs. Zhao took out a drying mat from under the windowsill. "Look, I just bought this from him the other day. It's also from Jiangzhou. Look how fine the bamboo strips are and how tightly they're woven."
Ye Mu laughed and said, "It's quite a nice item. Does he often bring these kinds of southern goods?"
"Of course! Jiangzhou, Suzhou, Yongzhou, Hangzhou... This week, Lao San has a wide network of connections. There's nothing that's fashionable in the south that he can't get his hands on."
Ye Mu and Ye Xingjian exchanged a glance.
"Can he sell wallpaper from Yongzhou?" Ye Xingjian asked.
"I didn't notice that. Paper and pen, what would a rough man like me care about? I do remember that he often sold boxwood combs from Yongzhou, and many of the wives and daughters in our village bought them."
Ye Mu then asked the peddler what time he usually came. It was getting late, and the villagers were preparing lunch.
"Thank you, Auntie. I'm sorry to have troubled you." Ye Mu took out a small purse from his sleeve and stuffed it into Zhao's wife's hand. "A little bit of candy for the children to sweeten their mouths."
Unable to refuse, Madam Zhao thanked her repeatedly and carefully put the purse into her bosom.
Stepping out of the courtyard, the sun was already high in the sky, casting their shadows on the dirt road, making them appear as short sections.
Ye Mu pondered for a moment, "Brother, since that peddler will be here the day after tomorrow, why don't we stay at the manor for a couple more days? If he really is selling Yongzhou paper, we can ask him directly. Even if the rumors have nothing to do with him, we can still ask him who has bought this kind of paper these days."
Ye Xingjian walked to her side, shielding her from the midday sun, and nodded slightly, saying, "This person is highly suspicious and needs to be questioned in person. A couple more days won't make a difference."
The two returned to their temporary residence and ate a simple meal provided by the villagers. Just as they finished eating, Ye Mu was about to discuss the details of the follow-up investigation with Ye Xingjian when they heard the sound of galloping hooves outside the courtyard. A servant from the Marquis's mansion, covered in sweat, dismounted and rushed in, bowing respectfully. "Young Master, Fourth Miss. Madam has ordered me to come quickly to convey a message, requesting that you return to the manor immediately, as there is important matter to discuss."
Ye Xingjian frowned slightly. "Do you know what it is?"
"The lady did not say it explicitly, but repeatedly urged the eldest young master to return quickly and not to delay."
Ye Xingjian turned to look at Ye Mu, only to see her smile. "Since Aunt has summoned you urgently, brother, you should go back quickly. I'll take care of things at the manor. Don't worry, when that Zhou Laosan comes the day after tomorrow, I will question him carefully."
"Be careful in everything." His gaze lingered on her face for a moment. "If anything seems amiss, send someone back to the manor to report to me immediately."
He then solemnly instructed his steward and guards to ensure the safety of the Fourth Miss before mounting his horse and galloping away. He arrived at the city gate just before 3 PM, where the crowd paused slightly. Suddenly, someone called out, "Benefactor Ye."
Ye Xingjian reined in his horse and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a young monk standing beside another group of people leaving the city. The monk was dressed in a dark gray robe, with a tall and straight figure and a refined demeanor. Standing quietly in the bustling city, he exuded a sense of tranquility that was detached from worldly affairs.
A hint of doubt flashed in Ye Xingjian's eyes. Although he had been in the capital for a long time, he had never associated with monks or the like.
Seeing this, the monk slowly stepped forward and said, "Amitabha, Benefactor Ye, it's been a long time. This humble monk is Wen Kong."
“Wen Kong…” Ye Xingjian repeated softly, his gaze lingering on the other’s features for a moment. The blurry figure from his childhood gradually overlapped with the person in front of him, and only then did they match up.
Although he had heard that Wen Kong had returned to the capital, the two had never been close. However, Ye Xingjian had met him a few times because Wen Kong had once given Ye Mu some pointers on calligraphy.
Etiquette must not be disregarded. Ye Xingjian dismounted, his gaze sweeping over Wen Kong's luggage behind him. He greeted him politely, "Master Wen Kong, are you going on a long journey?"
"The temple needs to transport some old scriptures to the East Mountain Villa. This humble monk needs to go and take care of them. It will take several days before I return."
Seeing that Ye Xingjian had no carriages or attendants behind him, Wen Kong lowered his gaze slightly and asked casually, "Benefactor Ye, you've been in such a hurry, returning alone from the outskirts of the capital?"
“Indeed, I intended to return with Fourth Sister, but there are still some mundane matters at the manor that have not been settled, so she needs to stay for another two days.” Ye Xing paused briefly, then, remembering their old friendship, added, “It seems that Master Wen and she haven’t seen each other for several years, right? When Fourth Sister returns to the manor, I will ask her to visit the temple when she has time.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Kong simply nodded slightly and said nothing more.
After exchanging a few more polite words, the two bowed and took their leave.
Ye Xingjian turned his horse around, a surprise rising in his heart. In his memory, Wen Kong was not a talkative person, yet he had taken the initiative to ask about his whereabouts. After many years apart, he seemed to have become more worldly-wise than when he was young. It seemed that he had traveled extensively and experienced many things, which had smoothed out some of his rough edges.
With that thought in mind, he mounted his horse and headed straight for his home in the city.
The main courtyard of the eldest son's residence in the Marquis's mansion.
Lady Wang, the wife of the Marquis, sat upright at the head of the hall, with a cup of ginseng tea steaming on a small table beside her. The room was brightly lit, which made her expression solemn and serious, unlike her usual gentle demeanor.
“Mother,” Ye Xingjian stepped forward and bowed.
"You're back." Liu's gaze lingered on his face for a moment. "I called you back in haste because of your marriage. You're not young anymore, and now you're being sent to Suzhou. Your future and career are within reach, so your marriage can't be delayed any longer. You must settle down before you leave the capital."
Ye Xingjian lowered his eyes, "My son is only willing to focus on his career and share the burden of the family. He has no interest in marriage."
Before he could finish speaking, Madam Wang continued, “I have already looked at several families. The second daughter of Vice Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Personnel is gentle and well-educated; the third young lady of the Yongchang Marquis’s mansion is outstanding in appearance and also very good at managing the household; and then there is your cousin Su Yao, whom I have known since childhood, and whose character is evident to both of us. These families are all excellent, and in terms of both social standing and appearance, they are a perfect match for you.”
“Mother,” Ye Xingjian reiterated, “your son has no such intention.”
"You have no such intention?" Madam Liu scoffed. "Are you indifferent to Miss Zhao, Miss Gao, and Miss Su, or are you indifferent to all the unmarried women in the world?"
She paused, then scoffed, "Or perhaps, you're simply misdirecting your attention?"
Ye Xingjian's hand clenched suddenly in his sleeve as he forced himself to remain calm. "Your son is foolish and does not understand why Mother would say such a thing?"
"Jian'er, you are the child I carried for ten months. Do you really think your mother is blind or stupid and doesn't know anything about the wicked thoughts hidden in your heart?"
Madam Wang was heartbroken. "A few days ago, you came home drunk, and who were you muttering about! The next day, I found a reason to reprimand you, hoping you would realize your mistake and turn back from your ways. But you only made things worse, and yesterday you went to the village without a word! Do you even have any regard for your mother?"
"My son informed Granny Lin before he left..." Ye Xingjian's face turned pale as he tried to explain.
"Granny Lin is someone close to the old lady!" Madam Wang slammed her hand on the table, causing a few drops of tea to spill from the cup. "You're letting me off the hook because you know I'll never allow you to see her in private!"
Madam Wang abruptly stood up. "Jian'er, wake up! Fourth Sister is your sister! Although they are not born of the same mother, they are both of the Ye family bloodline, and their status has long been established! Your thoughts are intolerable to heaven and earth, and are contrary to human ethics! If this gets out, not only will your future be ruined, but the entire Yong'an Marquis's Mansion will be disgraced and become a laughing stock! How will your father stand in the court? How will Fourth Sister face herself in the future?"
“Mother, Fourth Sister is my sister. I will always cherish and protect her as a sister, and I will never let outsiders find out…”
"If you could keep your word, you wouldn't be so eager to be transferred to a post outside the capital, volunteering to go to Suzhou, which is thousands of miles away! Is it really just for your future? Ha, you're clearly afraid! Afraid that if you stay by her side for even one more day, your shameful thoughts will no longer be able to be hidden. You call this caring? You're clearly dragging the entire Ye family, and her, into a fire pit!"
Liu sneered, "Besides, the so-called brotherly care... those discarded drafts of her calligraphy practice in your study, you carefully annotated them with the finest pine soot ink, smoothing them out and treasuring them one by one, is this brotherly care? You even know when her period is, and you go to buy brown sugar around the twelfth of each month, is this brotherly care?"
"What do you keep in the secret compartment of your study? Her hair hidden in a brocade pouch, the flower petals she scattered at her coming-of-age ceremony, her casual little paintings, the empty box of jasmine hair oil she used... Ye Xingjian, tell me, is this the kind of care you, as her elder brother, should show?!"
Ye Xingjian suddenly raised his head, his pupils contracting sharply. All his pretense was ruthlessly torn away. The rebellious feelings that he had buried deep in his heart and tormented day and night were now mercilessly exposed by his mother, laid bare between the two of them, leaving them nowhere to hide.
The anger and humiliation of being violated overwhelmed him like a monstrous wave. His voice, forced out from between trembling teeth, was strained: "You went through my things?"
Wang was stunned by the pain in his eyes. "I am your mother! What in this Marquis's mansion can truly be hidden from me? Otherwise, how would I know that you have gone mad?!"
“I have burned all those filthy things. You must completely give up this thought. Now the only thing to do is to get engaged as soon as possible. You have gone to Suzhou, which is thousands of miles away. As time goes by, this inappropriate feeling will naturally fade away.”
The wind blew through the old locust tree in the courtyard, its branches and leaves rustling and moaning. A withered leaf was caught in the wind, hit the window frame with a thud, and then slid down helplessly.
Ye Xingjian stood frozen in the room, feeling a chill run through him. The objects he cherished, the ones that held all his unspeakable delusions, had turned to ashes.
The hall was dead silent.
Seeing the lingering fire in his eyes, Madam Wang slowly approached. "Now that you've secured a post outside the capital, Suzhou is a thousand miles away. How far can your influence reach? Can you still interfere in everything within the Marquis's mansion? Ye Mu is fifteen this year, of marriageable age. The old lady is advanced in years and her health is failing. Her marriage is of course decided by me, the mistress of the house!"
"Third Aunt won't stand idly by."
"Your third aunt is just a soft-hearted person. How could she dare to say a word about such a major matter that involves the reputation of the Marquis's mansion and the marriage of the Marquis's daughter? Even if she wanted to, what courage or ability would she have to go against my wishes?"
Wang pressured him, "If you refuse to settle down and arrange the marriage before leaving the capital, and still harbor those shady thoughts about her, I will arrange for her to be betrothed to the young master of the Southwest An Prefecture who has just inherited the title. He is looking for a second wife, and although she is not his first wife, she is still a proper countess. In terms of social standing, it will not be a disgrace to her."
"You dare!" Ye Xingjian gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and a murderous aura emanated from his body.
"You'll see if I dare!" Madam Wang said without hesitation. "Ye Xingjian, for the sake of the Marquis's reputation, there's nothing I can't do! Whether she hastily marries into another man or continues to be a noble lady of a marquis's family, the choice of husband is entirely up to you."
Madam Wang looked coldly at her son. She had doted on him since he was a child and never dared to say a harsh word to him. He had always been ambitious, diligent and self-disciplined, and had already made a name for himself in the court at a young age, proving himself to be of great use. However, she never expected that he would disregard human relations and develop feelings for her own sister.
"Where have you learned all those Confucian classics? What about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame?" Madam Wang said, exasperated. "You have no shame! If Fourth Sister finds out, see if she'll still have any shame left, and whether she'll even acknowledge you as her brother!"
Ye Xingjian's eyes finally turned ashen as he was questioned.
a long time.
"I understand, son." Ye Xingjian lowered his eyelashes, his anger gone. "The marriage is up to Mother to decide."
Ye Xingjian walked out of the house. The few clumps of late-blooming chrysanthemums in the corner looked wilted and their fragrance was fading in the cool night.
Here, withered flowers lie fallen to the ground, but the rice seedlings on the other side of the village, under Ye Mu's guidance, have begun to thrive.
Ye Mu stood on the edge of the field, watching as his hard work over the past few days finally paid off. The once swarming rice borers had thinned out considerably, and new green shoots were peeking through the fallen rice stalks.
Li Laowu wiped his sweat, his face relaxed for the first time in days. "Fourth Miss, the insect eggs in Nanwa have been almost completely cleared out. Let them bask in the sun for a couple more days, and I guarantee they won't cause any more trouble."
"We must not let our guard down. Insect eggs are the most stubborn and require repeated checks. The remaining sulfur and tobacco ash in the warehouse must be properly distributed to ensure that each household receives a sufficient amount."
"Don't worry, young lady, everything has been registered and recorded according to your instructions, and there are absolutely no mistakes or omissions."
Just then, a commotion arose outside, and Zhao Tieniu and several villagers came running excitedly, carrying two fat fish in their hands. "Fourth Miss! The ditch has been dredged and the water has become lively, and these big crucian carp have been washed down! We'll make you some soup to nourish your body!"
Ye Mu smiled faintly, "Everyone has worked hard. Since the fish came from the new canal, we should all share in the joy. Ah Jing, take it to the kitchen and add a few more dishes for dinner. We'll all eat in this courtyard tonight."
Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this, and several capable wives rolled up their sleeves and followed them into the kitchen.
In no time, the wood-fired stove glowed with warm light, the hot oil in the large iron pot sizzled, and the aroma of scallions and ginger wafted out first, mingling with the freshness of the fish and spreading throughout the courtyard.
Zhao's wife deftly slid the fat fish into the pot. Amidst the rising steam, she sprinkled in a handful of freshly picked perilla leaves from the garden. The pungent and refreshing aroma instantly blended with the fresh fish, making one's mouth water.
Li Laowu's wife squatted to the side, watching the heat, and casually cut the freshly ground tofu into thick slices, while Wang's wife deftly slapped cucumbers, preparing to make a refreshing cold dish.
Before long, an enticing aroma wafted from the kitchen. Freshly steamed millet rice was steaming hot, milky white fish soup was bubbling in the pot, and several stir-fried vegetables were also served one after another, their vibrant green color making them incredibly tempting.
The villagers' faces were filled with relaxed smiles that hadn't been seen for many days as they greeted each other and helped set out tables and chairs.
Ye Mu was leaning against the window, resting his chin on his hand. Everyone was busy working enthusiastically, and he felt much more relaxed.
Just then, a child's voice came from the courtyard gate, asking, "Who are you looking for? Are you a monster? Why don't you have any hair?"
Ye Mu casually looked up, his gaze passing through the wisps of smoke and the figures of passersby, before suddenly freezing.
She remembered something like this from her childhood. He was standing in the midst of the smoke and fire, and she walked over, carefully grasped the corner of his tattered sleeve, and asked him what he was doing there.
This time.
snort.
She's not going to pay any attention to him!
Ye Mu suddenly straightened up, her slender fingers gripping the window frame, and with a "bang," she slammed the window shut, startling two sparrows flying wildly under the eaves.
Wen Kong stood by the wooden gate and saw her profile through the paper window; she was puffed up with anger.
He still has the same temper as when he was a child.
The next moment, she suddenly stood up, and the gauze curtain was pulled down with a whoosh, leaving only a crumpled shadow on the curtain.
Oh, it's still different; he's become even more temperamental.
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