Reunion
As the sun rose high and the clouds parted and the snow melted, the Third Madam went to attend to matters in the manor, while Mu Qing arrived at Jing Si Garden.
The sunlight was a pale gold. She stood outside the study, holding a thick book. Her shadow fell on the ebony threshold. When she heard someone say "Come in" from inside, she strolled in with small steps.
Inside, the incense was faintly fragrant, and the copper wire brazier, which was not usually used, was steaming hot.
Master Lu stopped writing at his desk and looked up. He had deep wrinkles between his brows, broad, square cheeks, and a long, dark beard. His expression was serious, but when he spoke, a hint of gentleness appeared in his voice: "Qingxue, have you come to return the book?"
Mu Qing nodded and smiled, "Thanks to Father's annotations, I have finished reading the first volume of 'A Thousand Poems' and would like to continue reading the second volume."
Master Lu waved his hand, "Go upstairs and get it."
"Won't Father consider this?"
"After you finish reading the second volume, we'll take a test together."
Mu Qing readily agreed, but when she turned around, her expression showed some difficulty.
After reading the second volume? I wonder how much of the first volume I'll forget.
However, she had made great progress, from only recognizing some common characters when she entered the Lu family to now being able to read poetry and prose. Master Lu's expectations for her were probably not high; he hadn't praised her, but he hadn't scolded her either.
Mu Qing followed the pageboy upstairs, retrieved the second volume of "A Thousand Poems," put the first volume back in its place, and went downstairs without lingering.
After informing the others, she left with the books, just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she almost bumped into someone as she went out the door.
Mu Qing stopped abruptly. As soon as she stood still, the first thing she saw was the embroidered robe of the man in front of her.
He spoke first.
"Feel sorry."
The voice was warm and clear, like the gentle tinkling of jade, but Mu Qing felt a chill run down her spine.
Without thinking much, she raised her head, which she shouldn't have.
A face I hadn't seen for many years suddenly came into view.
The youthful innocence had faded, replaced by a more defined and angular face. The nose seemed even more prominent, and the phoenix eyes were more expressive and bright. The gentle and scholarly air was gone, replaced by a more robust and masculine appearance.
"Miss."
Ning Gu behind her tugged at her clothes.
Mu Qing snapped out of her daze and quickly lowered her head.
Her heart was pounding, and she almost doubted whether the person in front of her could hear her.
The person in front of her apologized again: "I was walking too fast and startled you, Miss. I'm so sorry."
He called her "Miss" calmly, without the slightest ripple of emotion, indicating that he didn't recognize her.
Mu Qing raised her eyes slightly and glanced at the other person. The other person was politely looking down with an apologetic expression, not like they knew her.
"It's nothing," Mu Qing said in a low voice.
She nodded in greeting, lifted her foot to walk around the person in front of her, and slowly walked away.
Every step she took was dignified and steady, following the steps taught by the instructing nanny. If he looked back, he would only see the back of a well-bred young lady, completely different from the female thief of yesteryear.
Step by step... After leaving Master Lu's Jingsi Garden, passing through the courtyard, we came to a pebbly path. There was a small bamboo grove by the roadside, with glistening white snow on the bamboo tips. When the cold wind blew, snowflakes fell softly from the grove.
Mu Qing shivered, stopped in her tracks, and noticed that her palms were sweaty. She quietly wiped them on her sleeve.
Ning Gu, who was beside her, asked, "Miss, what's wrong? Just now..."
Mu Qing's voice was weak: "It wasn't my fault just now."
Ning Gu nodded and said, "An accidental collision is not a mistake, but staring blankly at a man is inappropriate."
Mu Qing was shocked: "Did I?"
Wouldn't that give us away?!
The lively maidservant, Shiyu, chimed in, "That young master is so handsome, Miss was so captivated by him because she was standing so close..."
Ning Gu glanced at her, and Shi Yu immediately covered her mouth.
Ning Gu was originally a servant of the Third Madam. Her thin face already had fine lines, and she exuded an air of authority when she pursed her lips and did not smile.
When Mu Qing entered the Lu family, Ning Gu was assigned to Mu Qing's side to guide her in learning how to be a proper young lady. She knew that Mu Qing was initially ignorant and uncouth, and her words and actions were inappropriate. However, she learned whatever was taught to her and corrected any problems immediately. From morning to night, day after day, it took half a year for her to become like an ordinary young lady and be able to meet people with confidence.
Every time she reported to the Third Madam, she would say that Qing'er was sensible and easy to understand, and that she was very worry-free.
Seeing Mu Qing's furrowed brows, the book askew in her arms, and her delicately cared-for hands twisted into a pretzel, Ning Gu asked in surprise, "Is Miss frightened?"
Mu Qing hummed in response, her whole body tense to the point of exhaustion, her mind buzzing.
Perhaps because she intentionally forgot about the past and didn't think about it for a long time, her memories of it were somewhat vague.
But he hadn't forgotten that the man's name was Zhong Linlan. After the incident, he had stood in the crowd and looked at the wanted poster for her.
*
"Lin Lan, why aren't you coming in yet?"
Master Lu asked in his study.
Zhong Linlan stood at the door for a moment in a daze, and only stepped inside after hearing the question, exchanging pleasantries.
Master Lu had already put away his paper and pen, and invited him to sit at the ebony table, asking, "What were you doing outside just now?"
Zhong Linlan sat upright, her eyes lowered in embarrassment. "I'm just a little surprised."
Master Lu immediately understood, "They do look alike." He then asked, "Are you still going to investigate today?"
"Yes." They had originally come to say goodbye.
"But there is one thing," Zhong Linlan pondered for a moment, "it is not convenient for me to stay at the Censorate. I wonder if it would be possible for me to stay here for a few more days?"
"Heh, of course you can if you're willing. But let me make it clear first, the residence is small and not exactly spacious or comfortable, so please don't blame me for not being hospitable enough."
Master Lu smiled slightly, recalling that this student would never accept favors from others unless absolutely necessary in his younger days, but today he actually asked for one, which showed that he had indeed been tempered by experience.
Zhong Linlan smiled faintly, "It is an honor to be able to stay here. Besides, I am a student who has lived in a humble alley for a long time and has no particular manners."
Knowing the hardships he had endured in his youth, Master Lu stroked his beard and said, "It would be good if you stayed here a little longer. My rebellious son is defiant to everyone, but he's somewhat restrained in front of you."
*
Outside the bamboo grove, on a small hillside, stands a pavilion with green tiles. Sunlight slants down from the edge of the pavilion's roof, bringing a touch of warmth.
Mu Qing leaned against the railing in the pavilion, looked at the lush green bamboo, and calmed down a lot, regaining much of his strength.
After all, five years have passed, and her appearance must have changed somewhat; she couldn't possibly look exactly the same as in the portrait from back then. Besides, she resembles the Third Madam, so as long as she insists that she is Lu Qingxue, who wouldn't believe her? Given Zhong Linlan's kindness, even if he recognizes her, he shouldn't deliberately make things difficult for her.
Thinking this, Mu Qing opened the poetry collection in her hand, trying to distract herself.
"I asked the boy under the pine tree, 'Where has your master gone?' He replied, 'He went to gather herbs. He is somewhere in this mountain, but the clouds are so deep that I don't know where.'"
"Where the clouds are deep and the sky is unknown," must be a mountain peak shrouded in mist. Mu Qing understood this before even reading the annotations.
She was a carefree person who easily forgot her worries, but when she cheered up, she read the poem again.
On the third reading, a rough, hoarse young voice rang out from the pavilion above.
"Hey, how many times are you going to recite this lousy poem?"
The tone was extremely disdainful, and it sounded particularly unpleasant.
Mu Qing chuckled and asked, "How many times do you have to recite it before you can see Xiao Fei?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a young man lowered his head from the pavilion and glared at her, then hugged the pavilion pillar and climbed down, landing steadily on the ground amidst the falling snowflakes.
He had two topknots on his head, bright eyes, wore a bright red inner robe with arrow sleeves and a black velvet outer robe, adorned with gold beads and jade ornaments. He stood there looking very imposing, but his mouth was always pouting.
Mu Qing stood up, holding onto the vermilion railing with one hand, and smiled at him, "It's been a while since I last saw you. You've grown taller, but not by much. When will you be as tall as your older sister?"
Lu Fei glared at her angrily, "You mountain folk, you're so old, yet you still dare to compare heights with me, you're really shameless."
He was only twelve years old, and even compared to Lu Qingxue's age, it was a bit of bullying. But he spoke so rudely that he deserved to be bullied.
Mu Qing didn't seem to mind and asked with a smile, "Why are you here all alone?"
"It's none of your business."
“I can guess even if you don’t say it. You came here most likely because your father wanted you to see him, but aren’t you afraid of his wrath for hiding here?”
Lu Fei's face darkened further. He was supposed to hand in his homework to his father, but on his way there, he saw that fellow surnamed Zhong enter his father's courtyard first, which made him feel rather unlucky.
He rolled his eyes. "You just came from Jingsi Garden, don't you know Father has guests right now?"
Mu Qing was a little lost in thought. "Ah, is this a guest?"
She was so nervous that she didn't think about why Zhong Linlan came to the Lu residence.
Lu Fei looked at Jing Si Yuan with resentment, "Father is just praising him. In reality, he is a hypocrite and does not deserve to enter our family."
Mu Qing retorted, "One should not speak carelessly."
Although she hadn't thought about it for a long time, she was certain that Zhong Linlan was well-behaved and honest, and dared not utter a word when bullied. She was definitely not a hypocrite.
Lu Fei said indignantly, "I wasn't making this up. He's the kind of cunning and treacherous person who uses flattery and deceit!"
Mu Qing pressed further: "How exactly did they use flattery and insidious tactics?"
Lu Fei: "..."
He had no intention of admitting that he pretended to befriend people while secretly plotting to swindle them. However, despite their outwardly kind and welcoming attitude, they always managed to expose his true intentions and make him look foolish.
Seeing that he remained silent, Mu Qing guessed that given his eccentric nature, he must be slandering others because he hadn't managed to bully anyone. As the older sister, she should be teaching her younger brother a lesson.
“My father has lived most of his life and has read countless books and met countless people. How could he not be as good at recognizing people as you? Moreover, my father is an upright man. Any guest he is willing to entertain at home must be a true gentleman.”
Mu Qing spoke earnestly and patiently.
Lu Fei stared at her, then opened his mouth and spat out a string of words.
"Even the wisest man can make a mistake, have you heard? Even Zhuge Liang misjudged people. That fellow had no family background, yet within two years he went from a lowly ninth-rank official in the provinces to a censor in the capital. How could he possibly be a gentleman? Those who can thrive in officialdom are all cunning and ruthless. Otherwise, how could you have been kidnapped when you were a child, and why would your father have resigned from his post?"
That seemed to make sense. Mu Qing blinked, a little confused.
Seeing that he had her under control, Lu Fei spoke even more freely: "Yesterday, my father and I met that fellow in the city. He claimed to be passing through on his way back to his hometown, but by sheer coincidence, he revealed his official documents before admitting that he was traveling incognito. Tell me, is that fellow lying or not?"
He refused to explain that the official document had been revealed because he had gone to great lengths to soil the other party's clothes, and he was punished by his father upon returning home.
Mu Qing was still wondering if Zhong Linlan was now an imperial censor. When she saw him earlier, he did not look like he used to be dressed in plain clothes; his appearance had changed somewhat.
Seeing her lost in thought, Lu Fei felt annoyed that he shouldn't have said it to her.
This older sister, who came from the mountains, returned to the Lu family with a face similar to her mother's, but she was just like a country girl. Even when she dressed up and looked presentable, she always acted silly. How could she understand herself?
Upon closer inspection, he spotted the book "Thousand Family Poems" and exclaimed, "This is the book my father annotated for me. How did it end up in your hands?"
Mu Qing tucked the book into her bosom and said, "Father said you finished learning 'A Thousand Poems' when you were ten. You don't need this book anymore. Wouldn't it be better to let your sister read it now?"
She asked so gently that refusing her would seem like going too far.
But she's so rough around the edges, this gentleness must be an act; sooner or later she'll reveal her true colors.
Lu Fei said curtly, "No good." Then, he jumped into the pavilion and tried to snatch it.
Mu Qing cursed inwardly, bowed, and hid behind Ning Gu, then flashed again and hid behind Shi Yu.
The two chased each other from the pavilion, running into the small bamboo grove, each covered in frost and snow, until they reached the pebble path, where they met someone walking towards them, none other than Zhong Linlan, whom they had just mentioned.
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