The Perfect Life in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 10

"Oh, I see! It seems my little sister does know him!" The boy smiled, his slightly dark skin highlighting his gleaming white teeth, making even his eyes appear as slits. "In that case, little sister, would you tell your brother where he lives?"

"Brother doesn't believe me, so why should I say anything?" Mu Qing looked at the boy in front of her who was smiling like a fox, his little mouth pursed, his nostrils trembling slightly, and soon tears began to well up in his eyes, teetering on the verge of falling.

"Alright, alright, I believe you!" Seeing Mu Qing's tearful appearance, the young man patted his chest and said solemnly.

"real?"

The boy nodded vigorously twice. "But you have to tell me where Young Master Ma lives. Otherwise, how can I trust you?"

“Telling my brother is fine too…” Mu Qing glanced around, her mind racing with ideas on how to stall for time. Finally, her gaze settled on the suspicious courtyard wall. She pointed up at it, “Brother, Qing’er has never left this courtyard. How about you take me up there to take a look? Once we’ve seen it, I’ll tell you!”

The boy's upturned lips showed signs of drooping. Who gave birth to this child? How could he be so eccentric and mischievous? Clearly, he's trying to make things difficult for me? If this drags on any longer, what will happen when Ma Mingyuan returns from the birthday banquet...?

"This..." After a moment, an idea came to him, and his expression returned to normal. He casually stuffed the paper packet containing the candy into Mu Qing's hand. "How about another day? I have some urgent business to attend to today, so I'll have to go ahead. You're too young to remember clearly, so I think I'll go find it myself. I'll give you this candy as compensation."

Mu Qing held the candy in her hand, staring blankly as the boy looked around, trying to find a direction to go on his own. Mu Qing thought to herself, he was probably impatient after being bothered by her for so long and wanted to find it himself. Seeing his eagerness, even if he wasn't a thief, there must be some unspeakable reason why he climbed over the wall without announcing his arrival at the main gate.

"Thank you, brother! But you don't know the way, how do we find it?"

"How about we make a bet, little sister?" The boy increasingly felt that Mu Qing was doing it on purpose. He couldn't keep letting a child play tricks on him. He wanted to see who was really stronger!

"Okay! But I don't have anything good to give to you, brother." Mu Qing readily agreed, wanting to see what this young man was up to.

The boy rested his chin on his right hand, his left index finger tracing every path in the courtyard, while glancing sideways at Mu Qing's expression. "It's alright! How about you play hide-and-seek with me? The time limit is two incense sticks. I'll be 'it,' and you run. As for the stakes, here, this carp-shaped gold ingot. If I find you at Young Master Ma's residence, you lose, and I'll return the ingot; if the time comes and I haven't reached Young Master Ma's residence, you win."

The boy took out a delicate little gold pendant from his fish bag and waved it in front of Mu Qing. Mu Qing took it and nodded, saying, "Okay! Then brother, turn your back and count to one hundred before you turn around!"

"Hmm!" The boy's eyes flashed with a sly glint the moment Mu Qing pushed him to turn around.

Just then, Mu Qing called out sweetly from behind, "Brother, don't peek!"

Mu Qing muttered to herself, "Weren't you just waiting for me to lead the way? Since you're so persistent, I might as well show you the way."

Mu Qing jogged towards the front yard, counting as he ran. Hearing Mu Qing's footsteps, the boy turned his head slightly, thinking, "I should have used this 'feigned indifference' tactic sooner." Watching Mu Qing disappear through a side gate at the end of the courtyard wall, he hurriedly followed in that direction...

Not long after the boy left, Mu Qing reappeared from the spot where she had just left. Watching him disappear at the end of the alley, she chuckled. That was the shortcut to the front yard; there wasn't a single fork in the road! She picked up a large candy from the paper bag, deftly tossed it into her mouth, and savored the milky aroma. She shook her head and praised, "Mmm, tastes good!"

(I noticed there aren't enough recommendations, so I'm begging for more! Please support me and share a few pictures~O(∩_∩)O~)

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Sleepless Night

As night fell, on the stage, a pair of lovelorn lovers poured out their hearts to each other, their soft, melancholic singing drawing tears from the young wives and eavesdropping maids in the audience.

Mu Qing sat on a wide wooden chair. She sat in the middle, her small hands resting beside her, gently tapping the chair surface in rhythm with her breath. She glanced around every now and then, but didn't see Ma Mingyuan. Her heart pounded. Although she had told her mother when she returned, there had been no further news. But so far, there hadn't been any rumors of Ma Mingyuan being robbed or in danger. He should be alright, right?

Mu Qing's thoughts drifted to Fenglan Courtyard, completely unaware that the old lady sitting at the head of the table was becoming increasingly grim. The old lady's hands, resting on the armrests, were clenched tightly, her thin fingers gripping the nanmu wood, the distinct knuckles trembling slightly, subtly revealing her anger.

After the first act was finished, the crowd erupted in cheers.

The old lady released her grip and slammed her hand on the tea table with a loud thud. "Young Master, come here!"

Mu Qing was brought back to her senses by the old lady's shout. She saw Liu Shi rush to the old lady's side like a gust of wind. She wondered what had gone wrong.

Liu was unsure what was wrong with the old lady. This sudden outburst of anger tonight seemed rather unexpected. She wiped the fine sweat from her nose with a handkerchief, stood still, and leaned down to ask in a low voice, "What does the old lady want with her granddaughter-in-law?"

The old lady slammed the playbill on the table, angrily saying, "Who chose this playbill for tonight? Isn't it 'Mulian Saves His Mother'? Look at what they're singing on stage right now!"

"Oh, this is the most popular skit in Hangzhou right now, called 'Yingying's Six Songs'." Mrs. Liu was usually lively and loved listening to opera. In her spare time, she would chat with the other women about the latest happenings in the entertainment district, so she naturally knew which skit was being performed today. But the old lady's temper...

"Who took it upon themselves to change the playbill?" The old lady's expression was cold, and her sharp gaze was fixed on Liu's face. Liu was so frightened that she trembled and sweat poured down her forehead. How could she know that she had just discovered that the playbill had been changed and was enjoying it so much? Who knew that the old lady didn't like it?

At first, Liu was puzzled and replied without thinking it over. But now she regretted it: Oh no! The couple in the play has probably stirred up old memories in the old lady's heart.

"Reporting to Madam, I didn't know either. I sensed something was wrong when the play started, but with so many people in the courtyard, interrupting abruptly would have disturbed the guests' enjoyment and might have been inappropriate. I was planning to wait until the play was finished before asking." Madam Liu responded cautiously, trying to make amends for her mistake, inwardly fuming. Why was she so unlucky to have run into this? Who was the culprit behind this?

The old lady frowned. "Hmm? In that case, the matter you arranged will be left to you to investigate. Find out which one it is and remember to report back to me! I'm tired today. You younger generation can handle things yourselves from now on. Qing'er, go back with your great-grandmother."

"Yes!" Liu replied, then turned and headed towards the stage.

When the old lady spoke, Mu Qing had no choice but to hurry up and follow.

Along the way, Yun Cui carried a lantern to light the way, Zhang Ma helped the old lady walk in the middle, and Mu Qing followed beside the old lady.

After a long silence, the old lady suddenly asked, "Qing'er, do you miss your parents?"

"Hehe, Qing'er only misses them when she hasn't seen them for several days. Now that she can see her father and mother every day, Qing'er doesn't miss them." Mu Qing replied, but in her heart she thought that the old lady was acting strangely tonight, even her questions were odd.

"If..." The old lady hesitated before uttering two words, but Zhang Ma interjected, "Old lady, you drank wine at the banquet today. I think you could have some Er Chen Tang (a traditional Chinese medicine soup) with your supper tonight to sober up, what do you think?"

"Hmm!" the old lady responded, then fell silent again.

The group disappeared into the deep darkness of the night, the streetlights still shining behind them. The distorted, offbeat singing gradually faded into the distance, yet it left a lingering unease in their hearts...

...

Maple Garden, West Wing.

Ma Mingyuan pushed open the door and entered the room. Inside, a man was leaning against the couch, holding a book in one hand and a teacup in the other, leisurely sipping tea, looking quite content. Even when Ma Mingyuan entered, he only slightly moved his eyelids, not looking at Ma Mingyuan, and continued reading, saying, "Entering without asking is thief!"

"Thief? We still don't know which one is it?" Ma Mingyuan smiled faintly, sat down at the octagonal table opposite him, and looked at the leisurely and comfortable look on the other person's face. He snorted, "You, Shu Hong, certainly know how to enjoy yourself!"

The boy, whom Ma Mingyuan called "Shu Hong," placed the teacup on the small table on the couch before raising his head and saying calmly, "Master Chen, you are an honored guest, and I am merely taking advantage of your presence. If you hadn't used the Chen family's influence to intercept the medicinal herbs I needed and wager them against me, why would I have come all this way? I should be tending to my flowers and plants in my medical hut by the mountain and water right now. Sigh!"

“I chased you all the way from Sichuan to Hangzhou. If I hadn’t used this ultimate move, would I have been able to force you out? I thought…” Ma Mingyuan’s face showed a smug look, then he shook his head and continued, “But I never expected you to come straight to the birthday banquet to find me. Hehe! This is completely unexpected!”

"Don't mention this again!" Shu Hong slammed the book aside. "I originally climbed over the wall to steal it and leave, but I didn't expect to run into that brat. Otherwise, you wouldn't have caught me red-handed. I'm so angry... What if I run into him again? Humph!" Shu Hong became angrier as she spoke. Her originally calm and composed face turned angry. Her brows furrowed, and her eyes, no longer gentle and watery, became even more dark and sinister because of her anger.

Ma Mingyuan's peach blossom eyes were full of laughter as he sneered, "To think you could be fooled by a little girl, how rare! Haha!"

"You—" Shu Hong shouted, but his anger subsided in an instant. He snorted, picked up the book and continued to flip through it, ignoring Ma Mingyuan who was laughing loudly.

"The girls in the Chen family are all quite interesting!" Ma Mingyuan laughed for a while, but seeing that Shu Hong was no longer annoyed, he suddenly felt bored, stood up and walked to the window, "I wonder how things are in the capital?"

“If you’re worried, go home early. Why bother trying to force me to submit? My surname is Shu, and my mother’s surname is Wu… What does it have to do with him? Ridiculous! My mother is gone, why is he still thinking about me?” Shu Hong closed his eyes, turned over, turned his back to Ma Mingyuan, and waved to see the guest out. “It’s nothing, get some rest!”

Ma Mingyuan sighed helplessly, "So many years have passed, why are you doing this... He's quite ill this time, I'm afraid..."

Shu Hong sat up from the couch, glanced at Ma Mingyuan, and asked casually, "Is he sick? He's always been healthy. Didn't the palace send a royal physician? Surely you didn't travel all this way just to ask me to see him?"

“We’ve been taking him to the hospital and giving him medicine, and he’s been recuperating, but there’s still no improvement. The imperial physician said he might not make it through the winter… I came out to find you this time so you could prepare early, in case something happens… so he can see you one last time.”

Shu Hong thought she had misheard. After a moment of stunned silence, she stood up with wide eyes. "Are you telling the truth? You're not lying to me?"

Ma Mingyuan shook his head. "Absolutely true!"

Why didn't you say so sooner?

"I told you so, but did you even listen? With your personality, you might even think I'm lying to you!" Ma Mingyuan retorted irritably. "Besides, you say you don't want to see him, so why are you still concerned about him?"

Shu Hong fell silent and sat down listlessly.

"Think it over carefully, whether you're willing to come back with me or not? I'm tired today, I'm going back to my room!"

The moment Ma Mingyuan closed the door, he saw Shu Hong still sitting there blankly, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. Tonight would be another sleepless night...

P.S. I recommend a good book~~ A new work by Dongxue Wanqing:

Golden Lotus -

Superpower: Only a little bit; I can't fly, teleport, or summon wind and rain!

X-ray vision: I can see the jade hidden in the stubborn rock!

Jade gambling: How about becoming a jade beauty to get rich!

Love: Do you love me or jade?

Chapter Twenty-Five: Behind the Scenes

Inside the main hall of the central courtyard, wisps of smoke rose from a three-legged incense burner with pale blue and black patterns on the central incense table. The smoke curled upwards and hovered in front of the longevity painting on the wall. The scene depicted in the painting was as if it were in the clouds and mist, with ancient pines standing tall in the mountains and cranes dancing on the branches, making them even more lifelike.

The old lady sat upright in front of the painting with her eyes closed, holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hand, gently turning them with her thumb.

Below the hall, Madam Liu stood stiffly to the side, her hands clasped behind her back, looking nervously at the old lady. "Granddaughter-in-law, we've already sent someone to investigate. Master Li said that the leader who helped move things in the yard when they arrived relayed the message, so Master Li didn't suspect anything and had him replaced directly. As for that leader, it's He Tong, the junior steward in charge of sweeping the front yard and the courtyard."

The old lady turned her prayer beads and said in a deep voice, "Little steward, you've grown quite bold? Daring to change the master's play list at will? Where are you now?"

Liu said angrily, "I sent people to search all night last night, but there was no one at He Tong's residence, and even his belongings were gone! He must have run away! He Tong is not a local; he is a refugee who fled from the north. When I bought him from the city, I saw that he was all alone, so I made a contract with him for life. I asked all the people he usually associates with, but no one knows his whereabouts."

Upon hearing this, the old lady paused, opened her eyes, and slipped the Buddhist prayer beads onto her wrist. "Oh? Since it's a death contract, then he's a runaway slave. Where's the contract? We'll file a complaint with the government office."

Not daring to look at the old lady's face, Liu lowered her head and said with difficulty, "But the steward said that He Tong's contract has disappeared..."

The old lady's face darkened, and she said, "Fei? Who is deliberately causing trouble? Since a mistake has been made, punish him severely. If you can't find the culprit, the person in charge will take the beating! And you, you're usually a reliable person, how could you make such a mistake? You have too many things to manage, and if you can't take care of everything properly, let your sister help you manage it!"

"Yes!" Liu reluctantly agreed, though she had no way to explain herself. Clearly, someone had deliberately sabotaged her, and she was now the one taking the blame. Liu began to ponder: who was behind this? Zhou, a toothless tiger, only good for bluster! Qian, bringing up old grievances—what good would that do her? The old lady harbored resentment; why would she give her the power to manage the household? Liu had a headache. Neither of these women seemed like a suitable match. Could it be her own unassuming sister who had reopened old wounds?

Helpless and unable to think of a solution, Liu bowed to the old lady and withdrew, intending to punish the servants later to vent her anger. Afterwards, aside from finding the negligent steward who had lost the contract, giving him a beating, and sending him away, Liu found no other clues. The birthday banquet hadn't brought Liu much benefit; instead, she had lost half her power, leaving her feeling incredibly resentful. From then on, there were two housekeepers in the household, providing the servants with plenty of gossip to dabble in.

...

That day, the old lady had just come out of the Buddhist hall and was resting on an eight-immortal chair. After receiving Liu's reply, she didn't say anything more, tacitly approved of the outcome, and waved for the person to leave.

The old lady looked tired and turned to look at Zhang Ma, asking, "Mingyue, do you think Sixth Sister, with her seemingly indifferent demeanor, truly harbors any ambition for power?"

"This servant can't say for sure. This servant only knows that Sixth Sister is kind and always gives way to others. She just doesn't talk much, so it's hard to tell what she's thinking." Zhang Ma reached out and massaged the old lady's shoulder with just the right amount of pressure.

The old lady slowly closed her eyes, looking quite content, and chuckled, "Hmm! You used just the right amount of force, not too light, not too heavy. None of those little maids can compare to you!"

Zhang Ma smiled as well, her hands still moving. "You're used to being served by me, you won't be used to it if someone else does it for you."

"Sixth Sister has been with us for nine years now, hasn't she? When she first came in, she would come to me every day and insist on massaging my shoulders and back. She was as strong as a kitten." The old lady recalled the past, a faint smile appearing on her lips, her expression much gentler than before.

"Yes! I remember when Sixth Sister first married into the family, she was such a cheerful and lively person. Since Sixth Brother left, she still laughs, but she seems to have lost some of her vitality... I think people always change with circumstances. Maybe she didn't have this thought before, but perhaps she does now."

“Xun’er is an honest child. He’ll be twelve after the New Year, and he’s been with Sixth Aunt for almost seven years. He truly considers Sixth Aunt his own mother, and he’s so filial! I’ve long planned to give Xun’er a few shops under his management every year.” The old lady shook her head with regret, “I just didn’t expect Sixth Aunt to be so impatient… Alas!”

Zhang Ma put down her hand, picked up a teacup and handed it to the old lady, then said, "Can you just give away this shop like that? There has to be some explanation, otherwise all these young men will come asking for the shop, and your family fortune will have been wiped out long ago. After all, Sixth Sister only has this one son, and although he's not her biological son, she raised him as her own. The eldest son's family runs the family's big business. You also gave the second son's shop before. The third son's family has no worries about food and clothing, but that's not a long-term solution... Besides, I'm afraid Sixth Sister already knows something?"

The old lady took a sip of tea and asked, "Has there been any new news these past few days?"

"not yet!"