Chapter 31. Shanhe was found by her former brother-in-law. ...
The wind blew the honeysuckle flowers off the fence, and a few drifted in.
Tears welled up in Qingyue's eyes. She held Shanhe's hand and said in a trembling voice, "We finally got out, but it feels like a dream. I'm afraid I'll suddenly wake up and we'll go back."
Shanhe smiled, her voice choked with emotion: "Weren't you happy staying at Shuyu Pavilion?"
Qingyue shook her head: "That's different. The food, clothing and daily necessities at Shuyu Pavilion are all exquisite, but there's always an insecurity, like there's nothing supporting you, and you're floating on top of nothing. For example, when Second Master sent me to Guangtong Temple, I couldn't resist, and even you, Miss, couldn't do anything about it. If Second Master is heartless, perhaps I'll never see you again in this lifetime. Here, life may be a bit harder, and I may not be able to afford the clothes I used to wear, but life is real, down-to-earth, and what happens in the future depends entirely on my own will."
“Me too.” Shanhe took out her incomplete set of painting tools from her bundle. “Right now, the most important thing is to quickly pick up these old trades again. I wasted a lot of time recently because of the old master’s divorce from the second master. Last night, Master Wu told me that because I hadn’t submitted the first draft of the painting book for a long time, the painting studio had already received another painter’s first draft.”
Upon hearing this, Qingyue quickly stood up: "Then the young lady must quickly come up with ideas for the painting. These rooms are already clean; even if I clean them all by myself, it will be enough."
Shanhe held her hand and smiled, "No rush, I still need to think things through a bit more."
It was called planning, but in reality, it was hesitation. Last night, Wu Tianqi specifically asked her to speak alone, giving her two options:
Firstly, continue to conceive of a picture book. However, making a picture book takes a long time, and its success or failure is unpredictable. Perhaps the picture book will sell poorly, and Shanhe will only earn a meager commission; perhaps the picture book will soar to great heights and become a bestseller, and just one book will be enough to establish the name "He Shanxue," and from then on, any painting signed by He Shanxue will sell without worry.
Wu Tianqi added, "Last night I talked about many things about Liang Shao, not because I wanted to annoy you. It's just that Liang Shao is quite temperamental, handsome and upright, with a somewhat legendary life and considerable talent. If you could use him as a model, add some embellishments, and incorporate him into your paintings and books, wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"
Secondly, Mrs. Zhang, an old friend of Wu Tianqi, has a daughter who will be celebrating her coming-of-age ceremony at the end of this month and will be marrying off to the capital next year. Mrs. Zhang wants to leave her daughter a portrait of her daughter on this occasion as a lifelong memento, so she naturally wants to find a female painter to create it.
Wu Tianqi added, "Portrait drawing is also a way out. It's just that the income is limited, but it's stable."
Wu Tianqi gave Shanhe a day to decide which path to take.
Shanhe lowered her eyes. She knew that Wu Tianqi hoped she would choose the first path, otherwise she wouldn't have told them so much about Liang Shao's past last night.
Stroking the sheep's hair brush with her fingertips, Shanhe realized the tip was twisted. She sadly twirled the brush, her mind a jumble of thoughts. When she first applied to be a painter at Danxia Painting Studio, she secretly borrowed Liang Shao's painting of mandarin ducks bathing to gain Wu Tianqi's favor and secure a contract with Danxia. At that time, she was focused on divorce, her relationship with Liang Shao was distant. Although she felt some guilt, she prioritized having a livelihood and disregarded other considerations. Besides, the painting only involved Liang Shao; unless he saw it with his own eyes, no one else could recognize it as a portrait of herself and Liang Shao. But now everything had changed. She had no connection with Liang Shao anymore, and had even betrayed his sincerity, resolutely leaving the Liang family. If she were to use his story to paint such a book again, she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. What Wu Tianqi said last night was anything secretive. Even if she distorted the truth beyond recognition, even if Liang Shaohun didn't care, what if the Qiu family saw it? What if they recognized her? What would be the consequences?
Shanhe lowered her gaze, her eyes fixed on the finely woven sheep's hair brush, and a decision slowly formed in her mind. Portrait painting, though less lucrative, was a reliable and sustainable livelihood. The trend of raising daughters with privilege in the capital was gradually spreading to other regions; perhaps painting coming-of-age portraits for young ladies would become a new fashion. Even if things didn't work out, a woman's life had many important moments worth capturing, and she could continue down the path of portraiture. More importantly, the money earned from portraiture was honest and clean; she wouldn't have to worry about implicating anyone or facing future retaliation—it was a stable, long-term, and ethical business. Shanhe had made up her mind; this was the life she truly wanted from now on.
She put the writing brush back into her bundle, stood up, rolled up her sleeves, exhaled a long breath, and then smiled. As she walked out of the bedroom, she picked up a rag and said to Qingyue, who was wiping the stove in the west wing, "Qingyue, let's do it together."
The three tiled houses were cleaned quickly. Shanhe and Qingyue fetched a bucket of water from the stream in front of the house, soaked a rag, and wiped the few remaining household items inside and out until they shone brightly. By the time they finished cleaning, it was just past noon. They sat on a bench by the tree roots in the courtyard to rest and talk about their future plans. Before long, they heard the rumble of carriages and horses. A servant sent by Wu Tianqi arrived in a small carriage with blue curtains, kicking up dust.
Two servants, one calling for the lamp and the other for the candle, drove the carriage to the gate. They jumped down and, sleeves rolled up, began carrying things into the house. Rice, oil, salt, lamps, candles, curtains, and several sets of clean clothes were all arranged in no time.
Wen Deng took out a large bag of still-warm cakes from the carriage and distributed them to everyone. He smiled and said to Shan He, "Madam said that this is the first time the two young ladies have stayed here. If you need anything, there is a small village a few miles to the south where you can buy all kinds of food and supplies. My brother and I come here every three days. If the young ladies need anything, just tell us."
Shanhe smiled and said, "Thank you both for your trouble." After saying that, she took out ten taels of silver that she had prepared in advance from her bosom, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Wendeng: "This is the rent for staying here, as well as the cost of purchasing so many things. I also thank you both for your trouble in traveling back and forth. Please accept this, young men."
Wen Deng refused to accept the money, but Shan He said, "You and I are complete strangers. Your brothel owner is my employer. Logically, I should be the one working for her and making money for her. Now that she has to spend money, I feel uneasy. If I refuse again, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well tonight."
Before Wen Deng could say anything more, Wen Zhu had already snatched the silver from the table with a grin, hugged it to his chest, and showed off his white teeth: "Thank you, madam! If you ever need anything in the future, just tell my brother and me!"
After the four finished their lunch, Wen Deng and Wen Zhu went up the mountain to chop some firewood, which they piled up neatly in the kitchen, like a small mountain. When everything was done, Wen Deng and Wen Zhu were about to take their leave and return to the city when Shan He stopped Wen Deng and said, "Wen Deng, please go back and tell your master that I chose the second option."
Wen Deng smiled and said, "Alright, I've got it." He jumped onto the carriage and turned back to say, "Although I don't understand what the first and second points are, I overheard the shopkeeper and Miss Miao'er mentioning it on the way here. They said that Miss Xue would definitely choose the second point based on her personality. Now it seems that you and the shopkeeper are truly of the same mind."
Upon hearing this, Shanhe simply gave a soft "hmm".
After seeing off Wen Deng and Wen Zhu, Shan He and Qing Yue returned to their quarters. Each stood at one end, one holding a corner of the quilt, shaking it smooth before laying it back on the bed. After making the bed and tidying the quilt, they put on the embroidered green gauze curtain, unhooked the silver hooks, and lowered the curtain to prevent mosquitoes from disturbing their sleep at night.
As dusk settled, a wisp of smoke rose from the kitchen chimney, curling upwards into the sky. With limited ingredients, dinner consisted of a pot of congee, a dish of pickled bamboo shoots, and a bowl of braised amaranth. The two carried their meal to the stone table in the courtyard. A gentle night breeze blew, mountain birds sang sweetly, and in the distance, a thousand peaks and hundreds of mountains stood majestically green. Shanhe and Qingyue withdrew their gaze, listening to the babbling brook in front of the door and watching the blood-red sunset over the mountains. Their hearts calmed, feeling that everything was peaceful and that there was hope for the future.
The next morning, Shanhe and Qingyue packed their things, each carrying a bamboo basket, and went to the nearby village side by side. When they returned, their baskets contained lettuce, tofu, a bowl of steamed lotus seeds with glutinous rice, two pig stomachs, and a pot of sake.
Qingyue smiled and said, "This is what my mother used to make. First, she would clean and grind the pig's stomach, then stuff it with glutinous rice and lotus seeds, and cook it in a pot until it was very tender. It was most delicious with a little sake."
The two chatted and laughed as they walked home, discussing lunch. But when they reached the gate, they found it wide open and several horses tied up in the yard, indicating that someone had broken in.
Shanhe exchanged a glance with Qingyue, her heart sinking. She quickly lifted her skirt and stepped into the courtyard, only to see two figures standing with their backs to each other in front of the main house. Hearing footsteps, they turned around at the same time, revealing Chengmin and Chengan!
Shanhe staggered back half a step, and before she could regain her footing, an arrogant figure strode out from the doorway. Liang Ye, dressed in a silver-gray brocade robe, stepped out with furrowed brows and deep eyes. He immediately lifted his eyelids and fixed his gaze directly on Shanhe with a forced smile.
He first scrutinized Shanhe, dressed in simple clothes and a peasant's attire, from head to toe, his gaze sweeping over her mud-splattered skirt and the bamboo basket slung over her arm. He couldn't help but scoff coldly. His eyes narrowed slowly, his face darkening, his heart sinking deeper into gloom. Since Chengmin discovered Shanhe's whereabouts, he had immediately found an excuse to slip away from the others on the boat and rushed here almost without stopping. But when he arrived, saw Shanhe, and saw the house she lived in, he suddenly felt that the frustration and anxiety he had felt these past two days searching for her was a complete joke! This promiscuous woman, willing to toy with him and Ah Shao, manipulating the two brothers at will, was willing to stoop so low as to follow that man surnamed Mi into living in this filthy, dilapidated house!
He knew Mi Xiaoxiao, the shrewd and mercenary manager of Danxia Painting Studio, whose ancestors had been in the calligraphy and painting business. The Mi family were merchants for generations, the lowest of the low. Besides, how could Mi Xiaoxiao's appearance, character, talent, or social status compare to him or A Shao? What was even more ridiculous was that Mi Xiaoxiao already had a family, a son and a daughter. It was rumored that he was henpecked, having been married for nine years with only one wife in his household, a well-known spineless henpecked husband in Mizhou. Yet Xue Shanhe, for such a man, was willing to ruin her reputation, boarding his boat in the dead of night and staying in the old residence of his wife and wet nurse! She truly had no shame whatsoever, Xue Shanhe, were you blind or out of your mind!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and the angrier he became, the more he thought about it. Liang Ye's lips were pursed, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He stared intently at Shan He, then suddenly burst into a sneer, a laugh that mocked both Shan He and himself. He gritted his teeth and said, "Xue Shan He, you're quite something!"
As Shanhe watched Liang Ye's face contort into an unconcealable rage that culminated in a chilling smile, she hesitated. Liang Ye was usually gentle and rarely angry, but now, though he was smiling, his smile was chilling, and an immense pressure enveloped her, as if he were tightly gripping her neck, suffocating her.
She knew Liang Ye had meticulously arranged everything to help her divorce Liang Shao, yet she had quietly left with Qingyue, leaving him disappointed and feeling truly guilty. However, after the divorce, she would no longer be Liang Shao's wife, no longer a member of the Liang family, and would have absolutely no connection with Liang Ye. Her quiet departure was meant to tell him that she no longer needed his help, and she didn't want any further entanglement with the Liang family. He should understand! She had even considered that Liang Shao might change his mind and come looking for her, but she never expected that the one who found her would be Liang Ye. Was it because… she hadn't informed him beforehand and had left quietly?
Shanhe hesitated, then stepped forward, twisting his fingers, and said, "Big brother, I..."
"You?" Liang Ye abruptly interrupted her, his gaze cold and sharp. "Are you trying to say that it's fortunate I'm just like Ah Shao, a blind and foolish idiot, that you managed to deceive and fool us?"
Shanhe was forced to take a step back by his harsh rebuke. She hurriedly explained, "I'm sorry, elder brother. I didn't mean to lie to you. I just didn't want to implicate you. I know I come from a poor family. With the imperial examination just around the corner, elder brother shouldn't be involved with someone like me!"
Liang Ye sneered through gritted teeth.
Shanhe lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye. She added, "Besides...besides, I am A-Shao's wife, and my elder brother's sister-in-law. Even if I divorce A-Shao, there is absolutely no reason for me to leave my husband and try to climb the social ladder by living in my elder brother's house..."
Her voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible.
Liang Ye was suddenly stunned, his throat feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton.
*This recipe comes from the book "San Yan Er Pai".
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