Chapter Thirty-Three: Reunion with an Old Friend

The new house had two rooms, but because there were so many visitors coming and going, it wasn’t appropriate to openly sleep in separate rooms, so all their belongings were placed in one.

Banxia was brushing her hair in front of the mirror when Gansui walked in. As she continued to brush her hair, she asked, “Did you forget to bring anything?”

“I have something I want to discuss with you.”

“Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“Today, my teacher said he’ll be going on a study trip in half a month.”

“What about your lessons? Who will teach you?” Banxia grew anxious as she heard this.

“The teacher wants me to go with him.”

Banxia was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, “That’s good. You’ll surely learn a lot.”

“But you’ll be here alone, unfamiliar with the city…”

“Gansui, I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Last year, you should have started school, but didn’t go to the academy; I’ve worried that instead of helping you, I’ve been a burden…”

“How could you ever be—”

“Let me finish. Now you are studying, preparing for the imperial exams, and will become an official in the future. We can’t always be together; there will inevitably be times when we’re apart. Gansui, you must believe in me—I can live independently, and I need the space to do so. Separation doesn’t mean anything; what matters is that I keep you in my heart. That’s the truest form of companionship.”

“But…I can’t bear to leave you.” Gansui, rarely acting so coy, wrapped his arms around Banxia and mumbled softly.

“Then write to me. Every time you reach a new place, send me a letter. Tell me about all the strange and wonderful things you see, as if I were right there with you. I’ll write back, telling you about my life here, and we can share our joys from different worlds. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

They spoke openly and from the heart, talking late into the night. When they awoke and exchanged smiles, they felt closer than ever.

After breakfast, Gansui went out to look into supply channels. In this era, there were still many restrictions on women; if Banxia went directly to purchase goods, people would gossip. Gansui wanted to settle the supply channels before he left, arranging deliveries directly to the shop so Banxia would only need to oversee things and collect payment.

Not long after Gansui left, Banxia heard a knock at the door. Opening it, she saw Mr. Chuan.

“You’re here, have you had breakfast?”

“No need to trouble yourself, I ate on my way.”

“Mr. Chuan, your robe today seems…” Banxia trailed off, unable to finish. He was dressed so shabbily, he might as well have “down-and-out, destitute” written on his face.

“I look pitiful, don’t I?”

Banxia nodded.

“That’s exactly right. Lin You’s father is soft-hearted and not too clever. Seeing me like this, he’ll definitely join forces with me to deal with Lin You’s mother,” Mr. Chuan said smugly, clearly well-versed in such tricks.

Schemes—all of it schemes. The depth of his plotting was truly impressive.

Just as they were speaking, there came another knock at the door.

Banxia went to answer it, with Mr. Chuan waiting inside. To her surprise, a lady stood outside. Lin You introduced her, “This is my mother. Mother, this is Gansui’s wife.”

“Madam, how do you do?” Banxia curtsied. Lady Lin took her hand, saying, “What a pretty child. Here, wear this bracelet.” She slipped off her own bracelet and put it on Banxia’s wrist, which immediately felt much heavier.

“Madam, I can’t accept this…” Banxia tried to return it, but Lady Lin held her hand firmly. “If I give it to you, you must keep it. One should never refuse a gift from an elder. Take it. Tomorrow, when your father gets his salary, he’ll buy me a new one.” Turning to her husband, she added, “The other day I saw a dragon-and-phoenix bracelet—husband, you’ll buy it for me, yes?”

“Yes, yes, I’ll get it first thing in the morning,” County Magistrate Lin replied hurriedly.

Such a force to be reckoned with—Lady Lin certainly knew how to manage her husband.

“Thank you, madam,” Banxia had no choice but to accept.

“Have your guests arrived?”

“Yes, yes, they’re inside having tea,” Banxia replied offhandedly, suddenly remembering something. She was just about to go and provide cover when Mr. Chuan came rushing out.

“Junior Lin, it’s been so many years since we last met, your elder brother is truly—ah! What are you doing here!” The scene turned into a disaster—Chuan Gu was in the middle of his performance when he suddenly noticed Shang Zhi standing nearby and stumbled back in fright.

“Senior Brother, it really has been a long time,” Shang Zhi replied, gritting her teeth.

“Ah, I suddenly remembered something I have to do. I should go,” Mr. Chuan tried to make his escape.

But Shang Zhi was faster. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a throwing knife flying from her sleeve. It embedded itself firmly in the door, the red tassel at the hilt still fluttering in the breeze.

Mr. Chuan came to an abrupt halt.

“Didn’t you have something to do, Senior Brother? Why don’t you go on?” Shang Zhi asked, toying with the ring on her finger.

“Well, nothing is more important than seeing you, Junior Sister. Come, let’s have tea in the front hall.” She seemed fiercer than ever after all these years.

“Nothing you want to say to me?” she pressed.

“Um, well…” Mr. Chuan glanced around, searching for an escape route—his junior sister was about to erupt.

“I’ll chop you to bits…” Shang Zhi suddenly lunged.

Mr. Chuan quickly ducked behind Lin You, using him as a shield. “Junior Sister, let’s talk this over!”

“Talk it over? How dare you say that! Do you know how many times I’ve tried to find you over the years? How many messages I’ve sent through fellow disciples? And you, so close by, ignored me completely, as if you’d died somewhere… You—”

“Darling, don’t be upset, please don’t be upset. Be careful not to harm the baby,” Lin You quickly rushed to stand before Shang Zhi.

“Baby? Junior Sister, you’re expecting again? That’s like an old clam producing a pearl!”

“I’ll kill you…” And so began another round of chasing and shouting, the whole place descending into chaos.

Banxia edged closer to Lin You. “Your mother is really something else!”

“Of course, my mother is a true heroine. I admire her most of all. When I grow up, I want a wife just like her.” As he said this, he glanced shyly at Banxia, only for his vision to go black—someone had covered his eyes.

Lin You struggled to pull the hand away. “Gansui, what are you doing?”

“Your eyes aren’t for looking wherever you like. She’s my wife, you’re not allowed to look.”

“Gansui, think of something quick, or they’ll start fighting for real,” Lin You pleaded.

Indeed, Shang Zhi was about to catch up with Mr. Chuan when she suddenly said, “Oh, my stomach hurts a little.”

“Darling, are you alright? Take it slow…” Lin Changshan carefully helped her inside.

“There’s a clinic nearby, go quickly and fetch a doctor,” Mr. Chuan, no longer thinking of escape, instructed.

Banxia rushed out. Shang Zhi lay down and drank a cup of water, and soon the doctor arrived.

“Please, take a look at her,” Banxia urged.

The elderly doctor, still catching his breath from being dragged all the way over, immediately took her pulse.

“Anger and emotional distress have harmed the pregnancy, but fortunately, it’s not serious. Rest and calm will set things right.”

“Does she need medicine?”

“No, she’s with child, and medicine can be harmful. She just needs to maintain a peaceful mind and rest in bed for two or three days.”

“Can she move around now?”

“It’s best that she doesn’t, unless absolutely necessary.”

After giving a few more instructions, the old doctor left.

“Mother, you’re really pregnant?” Lin You was shocked to realize he hadn’t known—was he even their real son?

“I found out days ago. Didn’t you tell our son?” Shang Zhi asked Lin Changshan.

“No, I thought you’d tell him,” he replied.

So, I’m the last one in the family to know? Poor me.

“Junior Sister, how about I let you hit me a couple of times? Just don’t be angry,” Mr. Chuan finally realized the seriousness of the situation.

“Hmph. Acting the good guy now? All these years you knew how worried we were, and yet…” Just thinking about how Chuan Gu had lived so close for years but never contacted her made Shang Zhi’s heart ache.

“I didn’t want to bring trouble to you. The mastermind behind the attack on your sister-in-law and Yunyu is still at large. If I’d contacted you, they might have come after you directly. I can’t bear that…” Mr. Chuan’s voice trembled—the loss of his wife and children was his deepest pain.

“When our father died, the three of us siblings promised to stick together for life. But as soon as you hit a rough patch, you cut us off—is that what being siblings means?” Shang Zhi’s anger flared again.

“Darling, don’t be upset. Deep breath, calm down. We’re all together now, everything will be fine,” Lin Changshan comforted her gently.

“I’m not forgiving him. All these years…” Shang Zhi said, aggrieved.

“Alright, alright, don’t forgive him. I’ll hit him for you.”

“No, you’ll get tired. Let You’er do it.”

Lin You: …

What is this? My parents are truly in love; was I just a surprise?

“You’er, clobber him,” Shang Zhi commanded fiercely.

“Mother…that’s not right. He’s my teacher.”

“Enough, don’t make things hard for the child. I know I was wrong all these years, and I don’t expect you to forgive me. I took You’er as my disciple to teach him well. Junior Sister, you’re expecting, don’t get upset. Once you’ve had the baby, you can give me a good scolding.” Mr. Chuan conceded, and Shang Zhi stopped pressing the issue. The chaotic morning finally came to an end.

Banxia brought in a bowl of lean pork porridge she’d made for Shang Zhi. “Auntie, you must be hungry after your journey. Please have some porridge while it’s hot.”

“Such a thoughtful girl. I must have a daughter this time.”

“Yes, yes, darling,” Lin Changshan replied, taking the porridge to feed her.

“Young lady, I heard from You’er that you and Gansui are opening a shop. Go ahead and take care of your work. If I need anything, I’ll send You’er. I’ll have to trouble you for a few days, since I can’t move around right now.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay. I’ll go tidy up the shop downstairs and make you some pigeon soup for lunch—it’s very nourishing.”

“You’re so kind,” Shang Zhi said, growing fonder of Banxia by the minute. She shot her son a glare—such a good girl, and he’s still so clueless.

Lin You, for no reason, received another glare from his mother. What did I do? Why does she keep glaring at me? With younger siblings on the way, his place in the family was clearly slipping—how pitiful.

Banxia went downstairs, leaving the family to chat inside. How wonderful—to be reunited after all they’d been through.