Chapter 58

The Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for family reunions, might just be an annual holiday for others, but for Yang Yucheng and the rest, who had endured the pain of life-and-death partings and sorrow, being able to gather together safe and sound like this was precious beyond measure. Joyful smiles shone on every face as they admired the moonlight, savored mooncakes, and drank Jinhua wine, the clamor brimming with warmth and festivity.

Zhao Ling and Master Lyu chatted over their drinks. "Tomorrow we'll visit Tang Daishan, return the sword to him, and after inviting him to lunch at Thirteen Mountains, we'll go over the accounts from these past years in the afternoon. The day after, we'll take a stroll around the city—since the harvest has been poor, let's see if we can acquire a few more shops that are closing down. In a few days, we'll call on the local constables you know outside the city; if anyone's selling land, we'll ask them to pass word and help mediate. Since we've decided to stay, we need to plan things out properly."

Yang Yucheng and the others were all from Shaanxi, so not having to leave their homeland naturally pleased them. Sanfu even said, "Ninth Master gave me a lot of money, and I don't know what to do with it. Master Lyu, how about I leave my money in your hands and you help me acquire some farmland too?" Then he muttered quietly, "I don't have to risk my neck every day anymore. I... I want to marry a wife and carry on the family line... my whole family starved to death!"

Everyone fell silent.

"That's fine!" Zhao Ling said with forced lightness, laughing. "Anyone who wants to buy a house, acquire land, or marry a wife—bring out your money and ask Master Lyu to help you plan it." He added, "Back in the day, Master Lyu was a head steward who knew well how to make money," trying to lighten the mood.

"I wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare," Master Lyu said hastily. "What's this 'Master Lyu'? That's just what outsiders call me in passing. For Ninth Master to say such a thing, you'll do me in. Just call me Ping'an."

"Ninth Master may call you that, but we wouldn't presume," Yang Yucheng chimed in with a laugh. "You're older than us, so we'll call you 'Uncle Ping'an'!" He added, "And don't stand on ceremony with us either, calling me 'Young Master Yang' this and that. Others may not know my background, but you do, don't you? Isn't that just belittling us? If you truly take me as one of your own, just call me Yucheng."

Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere grew lively again.

Master Lyu, being well-versed in the ways of the world, smiled and said, "Alright, since you acknowledge me as your uncle, I've no reason not to acknowledge you as my nephew."

They all laughed again, and it felt as though they had suddenly grown much closer.

Master Lyu took the opportunity to suggest going to Guangren Temple to see the lanterns. "...It's rare for you to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival in Xi'an Prefecture. It's a pity the harvest is poor this year; otherwise, you could have witnessed the spectacular sight of the lanterns lighting up Changan Street like a blaze of fire and flowers." He seemed reluctant to let the moment end, as if wanting to stretch this joyful scene on and on.

A Sen was the first to jump up, clapping and shouting, "Great! I want to go too, I want to go too!"

"Fine!" Zhao Ling was in high spirits as well. "Then let's all go see the lanterns together!"

A Sen cheered.

Even Zheng Sanniang, sitting on the steps by the side holding her already-sleeping son, showed a look of anticipation in her eyes.

Fu Tingjun, however, felt somewhat disheartened.

At this rate, Zhao Ling wouldn't be free until after the twenty-fifth of the eighth month.

What about her matter then?

She stood up with a smile. "Then I'll stay home and watch the house!"

"How can that be?" Madam Lyu laughed. "If someone needs to watch the house, I'll stay! It's rare for all of you to come; I see it every year."

Zheng Sanniang also suppressed her own desire and quickly said, "Better I stay! I can look after Linchun anyway."

The whole courtyard fell silent, as if silently urging Fu Tingjun to come along.

Fu Tingjun knew she was dampening the mood, but she truly wasn't in the spirit.

So she smiled at Madam Lyu and said, "I'm too tired today. I'll go out with everyone another time."

Madam Lyu was about to say more when Sanfu said with a simple grin, "Since Miss Fu is tired and staying home, I'll stay and keep watch at the door. That way no one will take advantage of the situation and come steal from the house."

"Then that's settled!" Zhao Ling made the decision before anyone else could speak. "We'll go out for a stroll and let Miss Fu rest." His tone was indifferent, and the joy that had been so evident moments ago suddenly faded considerably.

Seeing that Zhao Ling had spoken, Yang Yucheng and the others didn't insist further.

Madam Lyu shot her husband a glare.

Master Lyu widened his eyes, utterly confused.

Madam Lyu paid her husband no more mind, but she couldn't very well say anything else either. She smiled and called to Zheng Sanniang, "Then let's quickly tidy things up at home so we can all go see the lanterns."

Zheng Sanniang and Luwei brightened with delight. Madam Lyu led Zheng Sanniang to help Fu Tingjun wash up, Luwei swept the courtyard, and Sanfu and Shizhu helped move the tables and chairs back into the side rooms. They quickly got everything in order, left Sanfu to guard the house, and all went off to Guangren Temple for the lantern festival.

The courtyard fell quiet, but Fu Tingjun tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

She rose and propped open the window.

The moon in the night sky was round and bright, its clear light streaming in like flowing water, soft and serene.

I wonder how Mother is doing?

Counting the days, Seventh Sister should be married in another month.

I hope she hasn't been delayed by my troubles.

At the thought, her spirits sank a little.

If nothing had happened to her, she too would now be on the road to marriage.

But then again, if nothing had happened, she would never have met Zhao Ling.

With that thought, her mood lifted at once.

Yet in the next instant, Fu Tingjun's mood turned sour again.

That Zhao Ling—wasn't he usually aloof and indifferent to everything? Why did he run off faster than anyone at the mention of a lantern fair? Never mind that he was still carrying wounds, never mind that he had to rise early tomorrow to meet that Tang Daishan...

She let out a long sigh, a touch of melancholy in her heart.

Seeing that the moonlight was just right, she turned and fetched some incense and candles, then went to the courtyard to pay homage to the Moon Goddess.

"May the Goddess bless Mother with health, bless Father with smooth fortunes, bless Elder Brother with success in the provincial examinations, and bless Sister-in-law and my nephew with freedom from illness and harm," she pressed her palms together and murmured with closed eyes. Then, thinking of how that man's body had still not recovered, she paused and lowered her voice a little more, "May the Goddess bless Zhao Ling... with no disasters or hardships... may he walk the right path in the future... and have smooth sailing..."

Suddenly she felt a strange presence behind her, as if someone had slipped in.

Her hair stood on end, and she secretly regretted her carelessness. She quietly opened her eyes and grabbed the lit incense candles... thinking that perhaps she could catch the intruder off guard and fling the candles at their face, giving herself a chance to run back inside... Then she whirled around—and saw a person she never expected to appear here at this moment. She was startled out of her wits.

"You—how are you here?" Her almond-shaped eyes flew wide. "Weren't you at the lantern fair?"

Zhao Ling hadn't expected Fu Tingjun, who had been quietly worshipping the moon, to suddenly turn around, holding a bundle of incense candles and staring at him with full vigilance, as if he were her enemy. He was dumbfounded for a moment before finally saying, "I've seen plenty of lantern fairs. I only went along to keep them company. Once I'd seen it, I naturally came back."

"You scared me half to death!" Fu Tingjun complained. "Why don't you make any sound when you walk?" She reinserted the incense candles, patted the dust off her hands, and said, "What about the others? Have they all come back? I thought you wouldn't return until at least after the second watch."

"They're still watching the lanterns," Zhao Ling said. "I came back first." He added, "It also gives Sanfu a chance to go out and enjoy himself."

So that meant only the two of them were in the house!

For some reason, Fu Tingjun's heart was pounding.

"Would—would you like a cup of tea? I'm very good at brewing tea... the tea Grandmother drinks is all brewed by me..." She stumbled over her words.

"Sure!" Zhao Ling said. "Then—then I'll bring out a chair? The moonlight is lovely tonight." His voice carried a hint of hesitation.

He'd agreed to let her brew tea, and he'd even offered to bring out chairs himself...

Fu Tingjun's heart swelled like a sail catching the wind, so full it might burst. She hardly noticed anything unusual about Zhao Ling as she happily went to boil water, found the Longjing tea that Master Lyu had sent last time, and brought out her own folded-branch famille rose tea cup. By then, Zhao Ling had already moved two chairs and a small table to the center of the courtyard. Fu Tingjun warmed the cup, poured the first infusion, and carried it over: "Longjing from after Grain Rain—Ninth Master, please make do with it!"

Longjing picked before Qingming was the finest, before Grain Rain second best, and after Grain Rain it was no longer top grade.

The two sat down on either side of the small table.

Zhao Ling inhaled the tea's fragrance and sipped it slowly: "When you think of how many people don't even have water to drink, anything tastes good!"

Fu Tingjun laughed.

Seeing he had drunk half, she rose to refill his cup.

But Zhao Ling was examining the teacup in his hand: "I thought you would prefer doucai."

Both doucai and famille rose were vivid in color, but comparatively, famille rose was softer.

Fu Tingjun said, "Actually, I prefer blue-and-white."

Zhao Ling was somewhat surprised.

Fu Tingjun thought of the teasing she used to get from her sisters and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Zhao Ling knew he had asked something he shouldn't have and quickly said, "This was bought by Master Lyu, wasn't it? Tomorrow I'll bring you back a set of Hetu blue-and-white ware."

Fu Tingjun's nose tingled slightly.

He was always like this... giving her a way out...

"No," she hesitated, "I also like pastel porcelain," she said somewhat incoherently, "We are over a dozen sisters... they all have long eyebrows and delicate eyes, gentle and beautiful, only I... you've seen it too... they say... if I were a flower, I'd be a peony... if I were silk, I'd be Shu brocade... if I were porcelain, I'd be doucai..." Her voice grew softer and more dejected as she spoke, "Grandmother says that things that can withstand the test of time are the truly good ones... but even in clothes that are neither new nor old, I still... still catch the eye..."

Zhao Ling was utterly taken aback and couldn't help but study Fu Tingjun.

Having shed her silks and satins, and removed her pearls and jewels, Fu Tingjun wore only an ordinary white cotton blouse. Under the moonlight, she looked like a jade figure, her striking beauty impossible to conceal.

He thought of the sapphire earrings swaying by her ears... and his heart warmed.

"This is just fine too!" he said in a low voice, a strange emotion stirring within him.

"Ah!" Fu Tingjun looked up in astonishment, staring at Zhao Ling in disbelief.

"I've heard that Shu brocade now sells for fifteen taels of silver a bolt," he said somewhat awkwardly, "and in the capital, blue-and-white porcelain is no longer in fashion either."