Chapter 13

His question reminded Fu Tingjun of Nanny Chen's saying, "Flies don't land on unbroken eggs." She felt somewhat embarrassed, lowered her eyes, and her slender, scallion-like fingers traced the camellia pattern on the teacup. She didn't notice that the man across from her had suddenly turned his face away, picked up his empty teacup and brought it to his lips, only to find it empty, a flicker of awkwardness crossing his face.

Neither of them spoke, and in the dimly lit room, the atmosphere grew somewhat heavy.

This was not the way to treat a guest.

Fu Tingjun pondered, then remembered the medicine in the cabinet. She stood up. "The medicine you wanted—I've already obtained it!" she said as she opened the cabinet.

A red porcelain bottle and a green one sat side by side, their colors distinct and eye-catching.

She hesitated for a moment.

He had held nothing back from her—shouldn't she also be more open and give him the medicine stored in the trunk as well?

Yet she felt a pang of unease.

No, she thought. Opening the trunk at this moment might let him glimpse her thoughts, which would be worse.

With that in mind, she took the medicine and turned to place it on the tea table. "The green one is for external application, the red one for internal use..." She roughly explained how to use them.

He didn't ask further questions, simply tucking both bottles into his bosom.

"I'll be going now," he said with a grave expression. "I won't have time to come into town until tomorrow afternoon. I'll be back by noon the day after at the latest!"

Why tomorrow afternoon?

The thought flashed through her mind, and Fu Tingjun immediately understood.

He was going to steal grain from the granary!

Biyun Nunnery was the Fu family's private temple, yet she was acting as his accomplice—this was hardly something to be proud of. She pretended not to understand, softly acknowledging his words, and watched his figure disappear over the rooftop.

...

Early the next morning, Fu Tingjun went to Hanyan's room.

Hanyan said directly, "This servant is already recovered and doesn't need Lü'e to attend to me anymore. Better let her go back to serve you, miss!"

Lü'e nodded in agreement beside her.

"Why should those old women sit around doing nothing after their meals while you two run back and forth without rest?" Fu Tingjun waved her hand dismissively. "You both just rest well! It's not as if I lack attendants." She added, "Besides, being around them all day is dreadfully dull. Since you've hurt your foot and can't go anywhere, let's just chat!" She had Lü'e brew a pot of tea and find some pastries.

Since he'd said he wouldn't be free until afternoon, he would most likely come to steal grain in the morning or at noon. Better to keep the two maids confined indoors so they wouldn't wander about and run into him, which could lead to who knows what trouble.

Hanyan and Lü'e were there to serve Fu Tingjun, and keeping her company in conversation was also part of their duties. They had no objections—in fact, they were quite enthusiastic.

"What good tea or pastries do we have here?" Lü'e said hurriedly. "Let me go to your room to fetch some tea leaves, then check the kitchen for ingredients. I'll make do with some pastries. Wait a moment, miss."

Fu Tingjun naturally couldn't let her leave.

"Any tea will do, and it doesn't matter if there are no pastries," she said, sitting down on the small stool by the bed. "It's so hot out—don't go to all that trouble. By the time you've gathered everything, it'll be time for lunch. I just don't want to see those old women."

Lü'e smiled and went to prepare tea and refreshments. Fu Tingjun asked about the two girls' families, which led to gossip about various aunts and relatives they all knew, and soon it was midday.

No sign of anything!

That meant the matter was arranged for noon...

Fu Tingjun was even less willing to let the two girls leave. She had a rough servant bring in the midday meal, ate at Hanyan's place, and then squeezed onto Hanyan's bed for an afternoon nap.

Lü'e was busy fanning them and naturally didn't dare leave for even a moment.

When they were having afternoon tea, a commotion arose from the west.

Lü'e wanted to go see what was happening, but Fu Tingjun pulled her back. "Why bother with all that? Even if the sky falls, Nanny Chen will catch it." Lü'e thought that made sense, but the noise grew louder and louder. Fu Tingjun couldn't help wondering to herself—had that fellow stolen all the grain? She too grew restless, and when Lü'e suggested going to look again, she didn't stop her. "Be careful. Don't get so caught up in the excitement that you get yourself into trouble."

"Ninth Miss, don't worry. I know what I'm doing," Lü'e assured her, and left the side room.

Before long, she came running back, panic written all over her face.

"Ninth Miss, something terrible has happened!" she gasped, out of breath. "Someone broke into the nunnery—not only stole the grain stored in the Great Buddha Hall, but also injured Master Guozhi!"

"How could this happen!" Fu Tingjun's expression tightened, and she rose to head outside.

Lü'e hurried after her, saying, "Master Guohui has already received word and had Master Guozhi carried to Qibao Hall."

Qibao Hall was the residence of Master Guohui, the abbess of Biyun Nunnery.

Fu Tingjun pressed her lips tightly together, worried about Master Guozhi's injuries yet resentful that he had hurt someone. She felt a faint sense of regret but didn't want to dwell on it. Her thoughts were in turmoil, yet her steps grew faster as she made her way to Master Guohui's quarters.

The courtyard was silent, yet seven or eight nuns stood under the eaves, their expressions anxious.

Seeing Fu Tingjun, they all pressed their palms together in greeting. Several of the older nuns softly thanked her: "...We've put Ninth Miss to trouble!"

"Masters need not stand on ceremony." Fu Tingjun also lowered her voice and exchanged a few pleasantries before immediately asking, "How is Master Guozhi's injury?"

"We don't know yet!" One nun sighed. "When we arrived, we saw the master's junior lying on her back on the ground, already unconscious. The curtain of the incense table before the Weituo statue had been pulled aside, revealing the entrance to the cellar..."

As she was speaking, Master Guohui's gentle yet stern voice came from the side room: "Who is outside?"

The nun immediately stopped her topic and replied respectfully, "It's Ninth Miss of the Fu family. Having heard that the master's junior was injured, she came specially to pay a visit."

Before the words had even faded, the door creaked open, and Master Guohui appeared at the threshold.

"So it's Ninth Miss!" Her expression was kind, yet the worry between her brows was hard to conceal. "My junior sister was merely knocked unconscious—nothing serious. She's already woken up." As she spoke, she invited Fu Tingjun inside.

Fu Tingjun heard a series of sighs of relief—the nuns waiting under the eaves had all let out their held breaths.

She too breathed a sigh of relief.

For some reason, there was also a faint hint of joy in her heart.

There was no one else in the room. Master Guozhi, as Master Guohui had said, had already woken up and was leaning against the large bolster at the head of the couch, rubbing her head.

Master Guohui explained, "She was struck on the head with a club."

Master Guozhi had already greeted Fu Tingjun: "Ninth Miss has come!" With that, she made to rise.

"Lie back down and rest, lie back down and rest!" Fu Tingjun stepped forward to stop her. "Recovering from injury is what matters most! If the master insists on being so courteous, I think I'd better just leave!"

Master Guohui said upon hearing this, "Ninth Miss is a straightforward person—you needn't stand on ceremony. With your injury, it's best not to move about!" The last sentence, however, was spoken for Fu Tingjun's benefit—after all, she was still worried that Fu Tingjun might think Guozhi had been discourteous.

Master Guozhi didn't insist further. She apologized for her rudeness and leaned back against the large bolster.

A young novice brought in tea.

Nanny Chen, having heard the commotion, also hurried over.

After exchanging pleasantries, they all took their seats according to rank. Master Guohui's expression turned serious as she said solemnly, "Ever since the theft in the kitchen last time, my junior sister and I have been on our guard, often taking a few disciples with us to patrol the nunnery. Today was a coincidence—my junior sister had already finished her patrol, but thinking that the weather had been dry these days and the Main Buddha Hall still had several eternal lamps burning, she felt uneasy and wanted to check inside. Who would have thought that upon entering, she would see a dozen or so ragged men crawling out from beneath the incense table before the Weituo statue? My junior sister knew something was wrong and tried to run out to call for help, but a lookout struck her from behind with a club. She lost consciousness immediately, and more than half the grain in the cellar was stolen." She then looked toward Nanny Chen. "I think we should report this to the authorities!"

"Report to the authorities!" Both Fu Tingjun and Nanny Chen were taken aback.

"Yes, report to the authorities!" Master Guohui's expression was grave. "The kitchen was already burglarized once before. These thieves are most likely the same group as last time—or if not the same group, certainly connected to them. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so familiar with the nunnery's layout. And coming in a group of over a dozen, they're most likely refugees. Once they've set their sights on us, it's like attracting locusts—they won't stop until they've stripped Biyun Nunnery of every scrap of edible food. They will definitely come again. Biyun Nunnery is in a remote location—if something should happen... there wouldn't even be anyone to come to our rescue. If any harm were to come to your household's people, I could never atone for it even in death!"

Fu Tingjun hoped Master Guohui would report the matter to the authorities. That way, the Fu family would have no choice but to take her back.

She remained silent.

Nanny Chen seemed hesitant. After a long moment, she said, "I think we should discuss this with our eldest master first! Even if we're to report it to the authorities, we should inform the eldest master first."

"That would be fine as well." Master Guohui thought for a moment, then said, "And while we're at it, we can ask the eldest master to donate some rice and flour to us—the grain shops in the city all say they have no grain left. Even with money in hand, we can't buy any food now." She pressed her palms together toward Nanny Chen. "Then I'll trouble Nanny Chen to convey this message."

"I will certainly deliver the master's words!" Nanny Chen asked about Master Guozhi's injury, sat for a while longer, then rose to take her leave. "While there's still daylight, I'll arrange for someone to go back and report."

Seeing this, Fu Tingjun also took her leave: "Since Master Guozhi's injury requires quiet rest, I won't disturb you further. I'll come visit again once you're feeling better."

Master Guozhi expressed her thanks, and Master Guohui saw the two out of the courtyard before returning to the room.

Inside, the young novice was just clearing away the teacups.

Master Guozhi dismissed the novice, then asked Master Guohui, "Senior sister, you used the stolen grain as an excuse to have me pretend to be injured by refugees, and now you want to report it to the authorities—are you trying to drive the Fu family's people away?"

Master Guohui nodded, her charitable face turning cold and stern. "Haven't you realized yet? The Fu family intends to use our nunnery as a front!"

How could the Fifth Branch's young lady not see it, when she was being watched by the First Branch?

Master Guozhi hesitated, saying, "After all, we have been supported by the Fu family for all these years... It would seem somewhat improper!"

Master Guohui's lips parted slightly, as if about to speak, when someone knocked on the door: "Master Guohui, it's Nanny Chen!"

Calculating the time, she must have parted ways with Ninth Miss and then turned back.

What did she come for?

The two exchanged a glance.

Master Guohui went to open the door.

"Head of the nunnery," Nanny Chen spoke with Master Guohui in the inner chamber, "Today is already the second day of the seventh month, isn't it? Some days ago, our First Madame sent word that we must return to the mansion before the fourth day of the seventh month. At most, we can wait two more days. I think, Head of the nunnery, you might as well wait two more days!"

Return to the mansion!

How would they return?

Would everyone go back together?

Or would only Nanny Chen take a few people back?

The room fell silent, still as stagnant water.