Chapter 90 They all returned home with "good fortune"...
A thunderclap seemed to explode in her ears. Shanhe's fingers tightened around the rim of the bowl. When she looked up again, Liang Shao was expressionless, staring intently at her. Their eyes met, and the probing in his eyes and the panic in her brows were both laid bare.
"Shanshan," Liang Shao spoke again, "Did your brother... hurt you?"
Shanhe's pupils contracted sharply. Memories of her past humiliation and subservience to Liang Ye flooded back like a tide. She pursed her lips, her whole body tense, and all the facade she had maintained crumbled at this moment.
Shanhe bit her lower lip, turned her face away, and forcefully suppressed her emotions. Suddenly, a burst of fireworks exploded outside the window, illuminating the kitchen with flickering light. She shuddered as Liang Shao leaned in, grabbing her wrist, his voice growing increasingly harsh: "What exactly did he do to you? Shanshan, what are you hiding from me?"
Shanhe took a deep breath, her voice choked with emotion: "I escaped from my elder brother's clutches."
Liang Shao's expression changed drastically: "Escape? Why would you escape? What is the reason?"
Shanhe's eyes were already brimming with tears: "After the divorce, I originally wanted to go straight back to Jinling, but my elder brother wouldn't allow it."
Liang Shao frowned and carefully examined Shan He's face.
“I, a criminal, am unworthy to establish my own household. My elder brother said that since Grandfather rescued me, there was no reason for me to wander outside. He also said that regardless of whether you and I are divorced, I have an inextricable connection with the Liang family, and my father also has an inextricable connection with the Liang family. He cannot allow me to become a threat to your and his career. Therefore, for the sake of Grandfather's wishes and for his and your future, he has kept me confined to the mansion, with people guarding me every day.” Two lines of tears slowly slid down her cheeks. “I know that my elder brother is doing this for my own good, and also for yours, but… I don’t want to be monitored, I don’t want to be restrained and have no freedom.”
Liang Shao's face turned ashen: "This is imprisonment!"
“No, no, it wasn’t as serious as imprisonment.” Shanhe lowered her head and wiped away her tears with her fingers. “My brother just didn’t want me to live alone outside, didn’t want me to show my face in public, but he never mistreated me in terms of food, clothing and daily necessities. It was my own fault for being stubborn and unable to think straight, that’s why I ran away with Qingyue. I didn’t want you to tell him because I was afraid he would take me back.”
"He imprisoned you against your will; what's the difference between that and imprisonment!" Liang Shao grew angrier the more he thought about it, his chest heaving. "No wonder Qingyue told me that day not to tell anyone about what happened between you two here. So that's how it is! What's wrong with being a government slave! What's wrong with being a criminal! What is your relationship with Liang Ye? I don't even care about your status, so why should he? He values his career and future so much, more than your wishes, more than mine!"
Shanhe grasped his hand in return: "Ah Shao, this is my unresolved issue. My elder brother has his reasons, but I simply cannot live like that. Ah Shao, do you still wish to stay? If we were to reconcile, my elder brother would surely stop us."
Liang Shao looked down at Shan He, and suddenly, the faces of the Shi and Meng families flashed before his eyes. So, Liang Ye was now quite like them. No wonder he treated Shan He this way, no wonder he disregarded her wishes. Was he locking her up out of respect for his grandfather's wishes to care for her before his death? Or was he keeping Shan He imprisoned by his side for his own so-called future, to prevent her from becoming an obstacle to his career? Liang Shao dared not think too deeply. He knew Liang Ye's character, and he was afraid that if he overthought things, he would hate his brother. He had known since childhood that Liang Ye was cold-hearted and cold-faced, which was why Liang Ye could remain calm and composed in the face of adversity. But Liang Shao didn't care about such things, simply because Liang Ye had treated him so well; there was no better brother in the world than Liang Ye. When he made a mistake, Liang Ye would find a way to cover it up for him; when he caused trouble, Liang Ye would apologize on his behalf. Liang Shao had always respected his elder brother, but this incident today made him re-examine his respect for Liang Ye.
When exactly did my brother become like this?
He used to be just cold-hearted, why is he so ruthless now?
He said in a hoarse voice, "I won't tell him."
The little dog Liu Liu quietly slipped in, lowered its tail, walked to Shan He and Liang Shao's feet, and lay down with its legs bent.
The dishwater in the pot was bubbling, meaning it was boiling. Liang Shao remained silent. In this situation, at this moment, he suddenly felt as if two paths lay before him: one led to his elder brother, with endless wealth and a bright future behind him; the other led to Shan He, shrouded in a hazy mist behind her. Fate was forcing him to make a decision.
Shanhe smiled bitterly: "Ah Shao, actually, if you go back to the capital now, you can still have a good life. You can continue to be the Protector of the Nation County Magistrate and Commander Liang, and you don't need to worry about anything else. If you think of me, you can come to Jinling to see me. I have never hated you. I only ask that you not tell Liang Ye, just pretend I'm dead."
The word "death" pulled Liang Shao back to reality. He stiffened, and his eyes instantly reddened. He ripped open his shirt, revealing a necklace of red musk beads hanging around his neck. Liang Shao tore off the necklace and placed it in Shan He's palm. Then, he exhaled a breath of stale air, grabbed Shan He's hand, and walked outside.
Shanhe, not knowing what he intended to do, said urgently, "The water in the pot is still boiling."
"If no one adds fuel to the fire, it will go out sooner or later." He continued walking forward on his own.
Liu Liu followed them, jogging after them.
The narrow alleyway was littered with firecracker debris. Icicles, long enough to fit in a hand, hung from the eaves, dripping slowly. Liang Shao led her through the alley, past a crowd of people holding children and gazing up at the night sky. All eyes were on them. Shanhe lowered her head and whispered to him, "Everyone saw it!"
"I want everyone to see!" Liang Shao said defiantly. "My brother doesn't want you to go out and meet people, but I'm determined to make you go out and meet people! My brother doesn't give you freedom, but I'm determined to give you freedom!"
As they walked out of the alley, the view suddenly opened up before them. In the distance, a tributary of the Qinhuai River stretched out, its banks lined with willows, now reduced to bare branches and large red lanterns hanging from their twigs. Liang Shao led Shanhe to the riverbank, paused, and lifted the beaded string of pearls from her palm. Liu Liu lay down between them again.
Liang Shao's gaze lingered on Shan He's face: "Shan Shan, do you still remember this red musk bracelet?"
How could she forget? That was the best time of their relationship. It was the first time she considered making a living through painting. She gave him her red musk bracelet in exchange for that painting, and unexpectedly, he has treasured it ever since.
Shanhe chuckled softly, "I remember. But wasn't it a bracelet?"
“Shanshan,” Liang Shao said, each word uttered with utmost seriousness, “In Beichuan, you saved me. Do you remember the soft armor you saved up to buy me? Back then, Zhu Xian exiled me to the most remote outpost in Beichuan, intending to use the Chatai people to take my life, then cross the outpost to reach the heart of Beichuan and seize the Anping granary. I was his pawn, the first victim of his treasonous plan. That night, I stood guard there alone, fighting until I was exhausted. Shanshan, I thought I was going to die,” Liang Shao wept, “I thought I would never see you and my brother again, I was even close to seeing my grandfather. But when that fatal blow came, it was the red musk bracelet and the soft armor you gave me that blocked it. The bracelet broke, the armor shattered. But I didn’t die!”
“Shanshan,” Liang Shao grasped Shanhe’s shoulder, “Heaven didn’t take my life at that moment; you saved me! If you hadn’t bought me the soft armor, if you hadn’t given me the red musk bracelet, I would have died then and there! Shanshan, after our divorce, I looked for you truly because I wanted to know your whereabouts. I didn’t want to force you; I was trying to accept the divorce, trying to accept that we would each live our own lives. I just wanted to hear from you! Until that night, until that moment, lying amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, gazing at the starry sky, surrounded by an endless horde of Chatai people, I truly thought I was going to die… In my heart, I thought, I’m only nineteen; I don’t want to die; I don’t want to die alone. You saved me…”
Both of them burst into tears. Liang Shao embraced Shanhe tightly, pulling her into his arms. He said in a trembling voice, "So, I can give up wealth and fame, I can give up a promising career, but I cannot live without you!"
A gentle evening breeze carried the smell of firecrackers and the sounds of laughter and chatter from countless homes illuminated by lights. Liu Liu whimpered and snuggled closer to Liang Shao's legs.
"Without Xue Shanhe, Liang Shao would have been a handful of dust in Beichuan long ago. Shanshan, you are my life, more important than anything else..." Liang Shao's tears flowed into Shanhe's hair.
Shanhe pushed his chest away and cupped his face in her hands. Their eyes met, and Liang Shao lowered his gaze and kissed her directly.
The broken red musk bead necklace was finally returned to Shanhe's neck. The riverbank stretched to the horizon. Shanhe walked ahead, quietly listening to Liang Shao recount his experiences in Beichuan. This time, she listened completely, without interrupting him. Liang Shao followed behind Shanhe, stepping on her shadow on the ground; Liu Liu followed behind Liang Shao, stepping on his shadow on the ground.
It was bitterly cold, but their hearts were warm. By the time they reached the end, Liang Shao had just finished telling his story, and they had reached the real Qinhuai River. Liang Shao stepped forward, grasped Shanhe's shoulder, and said gently, "It's too late, let's go back."
Shanhe, however, gazed quietly at the Qinhuai River and the carved buildings and painted beams along its banks, falling silent.
"What's wrong?" Liang Shao followed her gaze.
Shanhe was silent for a moment, and after a while, she finally spoke: "Ah Shao, let me tell you a story too." She turned her face and brushed her nose against his cheek, "My story, the story of me and Qin Huaihe."
The journey home was long, and Liang Shao carried her slowly on his back, with Liu Liu wagging its tail behind them, stepping on their overlapping shadows.
Shanhe's story begins: "The Qinhuai River has two banks, each with its own distinct shops. Before I was fifteen, I had only ever been to the east bank, which was lined with various silk shops, jewelry stores, restaurants, and pawnshops. When my mother was alive, she and my father always liked to take me to the east bank to play. I bought many of my bright clothes there. Later, after my mother passed away, my father gave me money so I could come and play on my own. I always thought that the banks of the Qinhuai River were prosperous and bustling."
Her voice grew hoarse: "Until I was fifteen, that happened to my family. I was dragged out of my boudoir by a group of soldiers and thrown into the Jinling Prison. Ah Shao, do you know? There was no distinction between day and night in the prison. I could only count the number of times the moon appeared through the small window in the wall. When I counted to the thirty-second moon, they dragged me out again, to the earthen yard at the other end of Danfeng Street. That day, at the crack of dawn, the air was filled with the stench of blood. My hands and feet were shackled as I watched my father kneeling in the middle. That was the first and last time I witnessed a beheading—" Shanhe's eyes gradually conjured up the head of the old man beheaded by Liang Ye, "Perhaps it was the last time."
She continued, "Father was kneeling there, and he saw me too. He was so thin he was unrecognizable, yet he was still smiling at me. Ah Shao," Shanhe blinked desperately, trying to force back the tears, "People say my father is tough, but even the toughest bones can't be as hard as a knife..."
Liang Shao said slowly, "Shanshan, I understand. I understand your pain and your pride."
Shanhe buried her head in his shoulder: "After watching the beheading, they dragged me back. A few days later, I was sent to the west bank of the Qinhuai River. That was the first time I realized that the west bank was full of brothels. They said that after I became a government slave, my body would no longer be my own..."
"Son, good..."
Shanhe wept silently for a moment, then smiled and looked up: "Ah Shao, actually all of this is in the past, you don't need to worry about me. I'm telling you all this just so you can understand my heart." She turned her head and gently kissed Liang Shao's cheek, "So when my grandfather took me back to Mizhou, and when he agreed to let me marry you, I was especially, especially grateful to him, and also especially, especially grateful to you. I've always felt that being my grandfather's granddaughter-in-law and being able to marry you is the most blessed thing ever."
Liang Shao bit his lip, his heart pounding. He sniffed, his nose stinging, and smiled, but his voice trembled slightly: "You don't know, there's something even more fortunate."
"What?"
Liang Shao gripped Shanhe's legs tightly, carried her on his back, and ran. He laughed loudly, "It's just about marrying me, having children, and living a lifetime together! In the end, we'll just be an old couple with gray hair! Shanshan, that wedding doesn't count! I didn't lift your veil, I didn't consummate our marriage, let's get married again!"
Shanhe bounced on his back, her arms tightly wrapped around Liang Shao's neck, and she chuckled softly.
Liu Liu took off running, stepping on the shadows of the two men, barking as it chased after them.
*
Around midnight, the banquet at the Shi residence ended. Liang Ye returned to his bedroom, feeling slightly drunk, with a heavy head and a muddled mind.
"Cheng Min! Cheng Min!" he called out, "Hasn't Liang Shao returned yet?"
Cheng Min approached with her head down: "Uncle, have you forgotten? Second Master wrote that he won't be coming back for the New Year."
"Foolish!" Liang Ye frowned. "You went to Beichuan and you're still so reckless!"
Cheng Min hesitated and dared not speak.
Liang Ye rubbed his temples for a long time before exhaling a breath reeking of alcohol: "Alright. Cheng Min, go to Jinling the day after tomorrow, the second day of the first lunar month. He's putting on airs these days, so go and invite him back yourself. Just say... just say that His Majesty summoned him."
Cheng Min agreed and went.
Liang Ye stumbled into the inner room, his mind reeling. Pushing open the door, he saw a beautiful figure standing beside the dressing table. He immediately became alert: "Who's there?"
He Niang slowly turned around, but instead of bowing, she smiled gently and said, "Master is back. I knew you were having a feast tonight, so I prepared a bowl of hangover soup." She picked up the white porcelain bowl from the table.
Liang Ye gazed intently. The candlelight flickered dimly inside the room. He Niang stood beside the dressing table, her face serene and composed. She wore a lotus-colored brocade jacket with a geometric pattern and a pale yellow skirt with gold embroidery—the very outfit Shan He used to wear when entertaining guests. Seeing Liang Ye's squinting and scrutinizing gaze, He Niang stepped forward gracefully, her smile gentle: "Sir, please have some hangover soup first."
It is a tone very similar to that of Shanhe.
Long-buried memories surged forth. The effects of the alcohol rose and fell, wave after wave, until they completely overwhelmed him. Shanhe, Shanshan… Liang Ye blinked, and when he looked again, the person standing before him was clearly Shanhe!
He couldn't help but raise his hand and stroke He Niang's face: "Shan He?"
He Niang smiled gently and nestled her cheek into his palm: "A Ye..."
With just those two words, the next instant, Liang Ye suddenly pulled her into his arms, his large hand stroking her cloud-like black hair, his breath quickening: "Shanshan, Shanshan, where have you been these days? I've missed you so much..."
He Niang wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, "A-Ye, I've been waiting for you here all this time." She looked up and gazed into Liang Ye's eyes, "I've been waiting for you all this time."
Behind Liang Ye, Huai Song quietly closed the door to the bedroom.
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