Chapter 22: No Good Banquet 1: Grave
At the end of April, the trees are green and the weather is cool.
Chaozhou's rainy season had finally passed, and the days of sunshine had dried the muddy roads. Xun Shu, dressed in a turquoise skirt and a crimson blouse, carried a small cloth bag, and walked briskly, no longer worrying about mud stains on her skirt. Her black hair was tied into twin buns, interspersed with a few yellow flowers, freshly picked that morning. Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled with pursed lips, revealing a small dimple on her cheek.
He Xuan, who was standing by, was infected by her joy. Seeing her jumping around like a little rabbit, he couldn't help but joke, "It's just a banquet, why are you so happy?"
Xun Shu tilted his head and looked at him: "Are you unhappy? There are many delicious dishes at the banquet, and they should be better than what Uncle Jiang cooks."
The Zhao Mansion is so poor that only a shell of its former self remains. How could there be any delicious food? He Xuan thought so in his heart, but smiled and agreed: "Of course I am happy. But I feel a little regretful that Uncle Jiang doesn't want to go with me."
When talking about Jiang Zheng, Xun Shu's smile faded a little.
A few days ago, County Magistrate Zhao delivered the invitation to the coffin shop as promised. Uncle Jiang didn't say anything. But before leaving today, he refused to go with him. He insisted that County Magistrate Zhao wanted to invite Xun Shu and He Xuan, and inviting him was just a courtesy. In that case, he shouldn't make things difficult for County Magistrate Zhao.
How could Xun Shu and He Xuan not know what he was thinking? Those dealing in the dead were unwelcome wherever they went. They had only been at the coffin shop for a short time, and since they rarely showed up, few people in Chaozhou County knew them, so they could still move around freely. Jiang Zheng was different. If he showed up at the banquet at Zhao's house today, he would undoubtedly be looked down upon and ostracized, and even County Magistrate Zhao would be criticized.
Seeing Jiang Zheng's insistence, Xun Shu was a little hesitant. Before leaving, he told He Xuan a fortune and got a lucky one. Only then did he completely put his mind at ease and went to the banquet happily.
A month later, returning to the Zhao residence felt like a lifetime ago. The white banners and lanterns hanging from the doorway had long been removed, and the main door stood open, with guests, merchants, and opera troupes streaming in and out as if nothing had happened.
The guard at the door still remembered Xun Shu and greeted her with a smile when he saw her coming: "I have wanted to thank you for a long time, but I caught a cold a few days ago and never had the chance."
Xun Shu paused, wondering, "I reminded you to bring an umbrella, so why did you still catch a cold? If you caught a cold, why are you thanking me?"
"Of course I should!" The guard blushed. "I listened to you and carried an umbrella every day. One day, I was patrolling near the house when it suddenly started to rain heavily. I was walking with my umbrella for a while when I saw a girl trapped in the rain. I felt sorry for her and gave her my umbrella. Although I caught a cold, the girl felt guilty when she found out and sent some delicious food.
Xun Shu was stunned. He didn't expect things to develop like this.
The guard scratched his head, his cheeks flushed. "Miss, if I marry this girl in the future, I will definitely invite you to have a drink at the wedding."
Xun Shu was stunned: "Didn't you just meet? Are you getting married already?"
"Always plan ahead!"
Xun Shu looked at his serious expression and felt confused.
Shouldn't marriage be a careful decision made after a man and a woman have spent many days together, gotten to know each other well, and shown mutual affection? How could it be so hasty?
She was about to say something when she felt her bag being tugged, and then He Xuan's fake congratulations rang out in her ears: "Then congratulations in advance, brother. If you need a fortune-matching, go to the shop at the eastern end of the market and mention my name. I'll only charge half the price!" He pointed to the courtyard inside the gate, "I'm afraid County Magistrate Zhao is still waiting for us, so let's go in first!"
After saying that, he dragged Xun Shu and hurriedly stepped through the gate, leaving behind the guard's call for his name, but in a moment he could no longer hear it.
-
After entering the Zhao residence, a maid came forward and was startled to see the two. It was Bai Xing, Madam Zhao's former maid. She was now assigned to Zheng's courtyard, helping to take care of the house. Because there was not enough staff at home for today's banquet, Zheng had specially sent her to the front courtyard to usher the guests in.
Servants came and went in Zhao's house, and many of them were not wearing the clothes of Zhao's servants. They must be temporary workers hired from a broker specially for this banquet.
Today's banquet was divided into two parts. Guests arrived at Zhao's residence in the afternoon, first enjoying the flowers and listening to music in the back garden, and then dining in the main courtyard on the south side of the central road. Led by Bai Xing, Xun Shu and He Xuan made no further stops, passing through the north-south passage of Zhao's residence and heading towards the back garden.
Xun Shu still had the image of the garden a month ago in his mind, and couldn't help asking, "I remember that the garden here hadn't been taken care of for years and was in a mess. Why would you host a banquet there?"
Bai Xing looked at the road ahead and answered absentmindedly, "After my wife died, my master was deeply moved by the scene and had the entire garden renovated. The side where my wife drowned was filled in with rocks, forming a small hill with a rather strange shape. Now the back garden is a harmonious blend of mountains and water, and various flowers have been transplanted. The county magistrate happened to see it last time and thought it was quite elegant. After that, my master and my concubine discussed it and decided to take advantage of this banquet to invite everyone to come to the house to enjoy it." After she finished speaking, she suddenly looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to the three of them, she slowed down her pace, approached Xun Shu, and lowered her voice, "Actually, there's another reason. Ever since my wife died, the back garden has been haunted."
"Haunted?"
Bai Xing nodded seriously, a flicker of fear in her eyes. "A guard was patrolling the garden at night and saw the ghost walking around the pond. It was terrifying. A few days ago, the master invited monks and Taoist priests to perform rituals to pray for the ghost's soul, but he still felt uneasy. That's why he decided to use this banquet to invite everyone to the back garden, hoping to suppress the ghost's aura with human presence."
Xun Shu frowned when he heard this, feeling very uncomfortable. He pursed his lips and stopped talking.
Putting aside the question of whether ghosts exist in the world, his wife died by the lake a month ago, and a month later the husband is going to hold a banquet to entertain guests at the place where his wife died, and he wants to use the guests' yang energy to suppress his wife's ghost. This is too heartless and absurd.
He Xuan, who was standing by, saw Xun Shu's twisted expression and naturally changed the subject: "I heard that you went to Concubine Zheng's courtyard. Did she give you any trouble?"
Bai Xing was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "After Madam passed away and the young master left Chaozhou to study in Beijing, the entire house suddenly became empty. Most of the people in Madam and the young master's courtyards were transferred to Zheng's courtyard, where she took care of the entire house. She wasn't very kind to us, but she never criticized us, and that was more than enough."
He Xuan smiled and said, "From what I hear, it seems that you have changed your mind about Aunt Zheng."
Bai Xing bit her lip lightly and answered the question irrelevantly. "After Madam left, I thought a lot. I used to be too impulsive in judging people and things, and I even falsely accused the young lady of murdering Madam. I really shouldn't have done that... Fortunately, the young lady put aside the past and helped the government solve Madam's case. I will always remember this. If there is anything I can do for you in the future, please feel free to ask. Don't hesitate."
Why did you bring this up all of a sudden? Xun Shu said slowly, "I've forgotten about it. Don't take it to heart anymore. Just remember not to wrongly accuse others in the future."
Bai Xing forced out a pale and awkward smile. "...I'll remember that. However, my opinion of Zheng Shi at that time wasn't entirely wrong. Zheng Shi is indeed not a good person."
He Xuan became interested: "What do you mean?"
"Ever since I was assigned to Zheng's courtyard, I moved out of the Madam's courtyard and, along with the other maids, moved to the deserted courtyard south of Zheng's courtyard. We cleaned it up and settled in. One day, unable to sleep, I was relaxing in the courtyard when I heard a noise outside. I quietly opened the gate and happened to see someone entering Zheng's courtyard. From that day on, I became vigilant, constantly keeping an eye on what was happening there. Several times, I discovered someone taking advantage of the night to look for Zheng."
"Can you see his face?"
Bai Xing shook her head. "That man was wearing a cloak and wasn't very tall, but he looked quite muscular... He must be a man, right? Do you think Zheng Shi is a good person for doing such a thing behind the master's back? In my opinion, she should be thrown into a pig cage."
Bai Xing was filled with righteous indignation, but Xun Shu sighed, "You just said not to be impulsive. I was advising you just a moment ago not to wrongly accuse others. But in the blink of an eye, how could you have forgotten everything?"
Bai Xing opened her mouth and blushed: "It was my fault for being reckless."
Xun Shu had no intention of prying into the secrets of other people's homes. Just as she was thinking about how to circumvent the topic, she saw the moon gate in front of her. Her eyes lit up and she pointed ahead: "The gate leading to the garden seems to have been changed too. It looks more magnificent than it did a month ago!"
He Xuan said helplessly: "The door hasn't been replaced, it's just been plastered, so it looks like a new one."
"So that's how it is." Xun Shu answered perfunctorily, quickened his pace, and was the first to walk through the moon gate and into the garden of Zhao's house.
A month ago, this place was still overgrown with weeds, not even as good as a random forest in the mountains. But now it has changed so much that one can barely see the shadow of its former self.
The trees had been re-pruned, the weeds had been cleared, and the stones on the ground had been cleaned and arranged, so that each one could not reflect any light.
The summer heat was scorching, the sun shining brightly, yet the carefully pruned trees still drooped their leaves, their branches and leaves sparse, showing no sign of lushness. Xun Shu walked and looked, and couldn't help but mutter to He Xuan, "Madam Zhao was destined to be rich and prosperous, and she blessed those around her, and even her home, with prosperity. Now that she's gone, the broken feng shui of this house can no longer be suppressed, and the plants are withering. Now the entire Zhao residence seems to be faintly exuding a dead aura, and perhaps it will fall from grace."
"The moon waxes and wanes, adversity is followed by prosperity; this is simply the order of things."
After passing the woods, the pond appeared in front of us.
The shape of the former pond remained largely unchanged, still perfectly square. However, in the southwest corner, where Mrs. Zhao had drowned, a small hill rose from the ground. Wide at the base and narrow at the top, it was built from countless piles of stones, each one uniquely shaped. A few scattered flowers and plants grew between the stones, adding a touch of vitality.
Xun Shu looked at the scene in front of him, feeling extremely complicated.
Where did Zhao Zhai find the craftsmen? This isn't a mountain, it's clearly a tomb!
County Magistrate Zhao built a tomb in his own back garden because he was worried that the feng shui of the house was not bad enough!
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