Цзяннань Гайден

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Chapter One: Family Letters

Under the blazing sun, the earth felt like a steamer, heavy with humidity. Everything seemed shrouded in a thin veil of moisture, and even the cicadas' chirping on the branches lacked its usual cheerfulness.

Mu Qing stood at the doorway, watching the yellow dog squatting in the yard, its mouth wide open and tongue lolling out to cool off. Provocatively, she vigorously waved her round fan, making an unpleasant "whoosh, whoosh" sound. Looking at the pitiful-looking dog, Mu Qing couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Luckily, she hadn't been reborn as an animal; otherwise, in this awful weather, that fur would have made her swelter.

After standing there for only a short while, Mu Qing felt sweating all over. She quickly fanned herself and went inside, picked up the plum juice on the table and drank it all in one gulp. After finishing the bowl, she felt much better. "It's chilled, so refreshing!"

Looking down, she noticed a porcelain plate on the table filled with fruit, meant to accompany plum juice. She couldn't help but smile, "Biyan is so thoughtful, worried about my sour taste." As she spoke, she picked up the plate and examined it closely. Looking at the milky-white lotus seeds coated in sugar, Mu Qing suddenly became lost in thought, murmuring softly, "Sugared lotus seeds… Tangxin…"

Tang Xin! It had been so long since Mu Qing had heard this name that it sounded somewhat unfamiliar.

Three months ago, she tripped and fell while climbing a mountain. When she woke up, she found herself lying on the bed in the east wing of the Chen family's house. It wasn't until her mother, Qian Yueniang, rushed over and cried out "Mu Qing" that Tang Xin realized she had transmigrated.

She remembered that when her father, Chen Yu, saw her acting as if she didn't recognize him, he prepared generous gifts and specially invited a renowned doctor from Danling to treat Mu Qing. The doctor concluded that her body was fine, but the high fever had likely damaged her brain, causing her amnesia. He said she needed slow recuperation and guidance to recover. Later, she learned that Mu Qing, the six-year-old only daughter of the Chen family, had been mistakenly kidnapped and traumatized, resulting in a persistent high fever and unconsciousness upon her return. Five days later, the fever subsided and she awoke—it was Tang Xin, who had transmigrated from the 21st century.

"The fourth year of Tianxi..." Tang Xin was greatly embarrassed when she learned this reign title from Madam Qian. She was not well-versed in literature and history and did not remember the reign title clearly. Naturally, she did not know where she had traveled to. Fortunately, she later heard the merchants from the capital talking to her father about the Tianqi Festival, which commemorated the emperor's descent of the heavenly book. Only then did she realize that she had arrived in the era of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, the god-creating emperor.

The Chen family originated from Hangzhou. The father took over the family's tea business in Sichuan and settled in Danling, Meizhou for more than five years.

In her past life, Tang Xin was an orphan. Her parents died early, and she was raised by her uncle. Her aunt treated her badly, and her uncle was henpecked. However, out of respect for her deceased sister, he secretly saved money to support her through university. Later, she earned extra money to pay for her tuition by doing design work, relying on her drawing and writing skills. After graduation, she joined a consulting firm working on logistics projects. Just when she was finally making a name for herself, she accidentally lost her life while out having fun.

The love she received from her parents after transmigrating allowed her to experience the long-lost warmth of family affection. The initial confusion and guilt of being taken advantage of gradually dissipated with the careful care of Chen Yu and Madam Qian. From then on, she lived as Mu Qing.

Mu Qing snapped out of her reverie, her gaze returning to the plate of candied lotus seeds. She picked one up and popped it into her mouth; it was sweet. Whether it was Tang Xin or Mu Qing, once she came back to life, she would cherish it and peacefully enjoy these tranquil and sweet days, as sweet as candied lotus seeds.

At this moment, the bamboo curtain swayed, and a young girl in a green dress walked in. She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with her hair in two buns and a cheerful face. "Young lady, a letter has arrived from Hangzhou. Fourth Master said that he will set off to return to Hangzhou in a few days."

"Biyan, look how happy you are. Are you homesick? Did your father ask why you're in such a hurry to go back to Hangzhou?"

Biyan noticed the fine sweat on Muqing's forehead and quickly wiped it dry with a handkerchief. She then took a round fan and fanned Muqing. "I heard it's the old lady's seventieth birthday. A letter came from home saying that Fourth Master should bring his family back to Hangzhou to celebrate."

"Birthday wishes?" Mu Qing tossed a candied lotus seed into her mouth, chewing as she said, "Mother's been quite busy lately! I wonder what Hangzhou is like these days? By the way, Biyan, didn't you ask the messenger about your family's situation?"

"Alas, this time it's Second Master Shu from the eldest master's family and Manager He who have come. Where am I supposed to ask?!"

"Hmm? Excuse me, Second Master, Manager He?" Mu Qing paused, patted the frosting on his hands, and murmured, "Strange, something's not right..."

Biyan asked, puzzled, "Young lady, what do you mean by strange?"

"It's nothing. Come on, let's go see if Mother needs any help."

"Young lady, how old are you? What can you possibly do? Young lady... sigh!" Before Biyan could even react, Muqing had already left.

When Mu Qing ran to her mother's room, Chen Yu and Qian Yueniang were talking inside.

Mu Qing stopped in her tracks, crouching low to the window and refusing to go any further. She then heard Chen Yu say angrily, "I don't know how the news of Mu Qing's kidnapping got back to Hangzhou... that allowed them to conveniently use the old lady's name as a pretext. I'm afraid that once she goes back, she won't be returning to Shu for a while."

"They haven't let us go back for so many years, but this time they suddenly sent a letter saying that the old lady is thinking about her great-granddaughter. What are those people up to? Do they think others can't see through them? Anyone with eyes can see that it's the eldest son's family who are jealous of the business that has improved in the last two years, and they're trying to persuade the old lady to let Shu'er replace you. I told you to keep a backup plan, but you wouldn't listen. You insisted on setting an example for the family. But why didn't Father send anyone to inform us beforehand? Did he just watch the eldest son's family blatantly take advantage of you?" Madam Qian asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Father? When has he ever cared about the family’s food, clothing, and daily necessities? He’s obsessed with those antiques and curiosities all day long, and when the mood strikes, he’ll paint a few strokes. Alas, who knows what benefits Uncle has promised him this time.” Chen Yu’s words were full of helplessness. “My third brother is an official outside, and my fifth brother is still studying. With all the bribes and daily expenses for everyone in the family, how can we possibly make up for it with the allowance from the public funds and the income from those estates and shops? Since no one in the family has said anything, I’ve let it go cleanly, fulfilling everyone’s wishes! Who wants to leave their hometown? It’s better to stay on a few acres of land, tend to flowers and bamboo, and live a carefree and happy life!”

Madam Qian comforted her, saying, "That's enough, don't get angry. Your health is the most important thing. Since things have come to this, let's prepare the birthday gifts and luggage first, and then we can discuss everything in detail when we get back to Hangzhou."

"Well, that's all we can do. I'll have to trouble you, Madam, to prepare the birthday gifts for the Old Madam. Also, find a fortune teller to calculate the departure date. I need to make sure I explain things at the shop to Shu Er in the next few days. And you should also talk to Mu Qing about the rules of the household."

"I understand, sir, please rest assured!"

Chen Yu gave Qian a few more instructions and then returned to the shop.

Mu Qing hid in the corner and waited until Chen Yu left before peeking out. Through the open window, she saw that only Qian Shi was sitting quietly in the room, lost in thought. Her pretty face was slightly furrowed, and she wondered what was troubling her. Was she reluctant to give up the lucrative income from her business, or did she simply not want to go back?

Although Mu Qing had only known Qian Shi for three months, she still understood Qian Shi's personality to some extent. She could tell that while Qian Shi outwardly advised Chen Yu, she herself was probably more anxious than anything else. Furthermore, Chen Yu and Qian Shi rarely mentioned Hangzhou, and Chen Yu's tone just now revealed that his feelings for that "home" weren't very deep. Looking at Qian Shi's expression, Mu Qing felt that the couple's relationship with their home wasn't as harmonious as it appeared; otherwise, they wouldn't have been "exiled" here five years ago.

Mu Qing knew she was still young and couldn't be of much help with these family matters, nor was it her place to worry about them. The only thing she could do was act like a child and try to make Qian Shi happy. She straightened her clothes and stepped into the room.

"Mother!" Mu Qing shouted, "Bi Yan said she's going back to Hangzhou. Is Hangzhou fun?"

Hearing her daughter's joyful voice, Madam Qian immediately smiled, stroking her daughter who had snuggled into her arms, as if reminiscing, "Muqing is always thinking about playing, hehe! Hangzhou? Mother hasn't been back for many years. I remember when Muqing left Hangzhou, she was just learning to walk, and now she's all grown up... If only there weren't those worries..."

At this point, Qian's face darkened, and she fell silent.

Seeing that Madam Qian remained silent for a long time and her expression was strange, Mu Qing knew, as she had guessed, that something must have happened between Chen Yu and his wife when they were at the main house. She tugged at Madam Qian's sleeve, "Mother, what's troubling you?"

"Where? Mother has no worries!" Madam Qian stroked Mu Qing's slightly disheveled hair. "When we return to Hangzhou, Mu Qing will be seeing her grandparents, uncles, and siblings. Remember the etiquette I've taught her, and don't be impolite in front of others. Do you understand?"

Mu Qing nodded, "I understand! I was running around in a hurry when I came out, and now I'm thirsty. I'll ask Mother for a bowl of lotus seed and rock sugar water!" Mu Qing interrupted Qian Shi's words inappropriately, waving her little hand to fan herself. She knew that if she let Qian Shi continue, she might nag for a long time.

Madam Qian poured a bowl of sweet soup from a porcelain cup and handed it to Mu Qing. "Here! You can have an extra bowl this afternoon. You're not very healthy, and even if the summer heat is hard to get rid of, drinking too much of this chilled sweet soup won't do you any good."

Mu Qing was truly thirsty, and holding the bowl, she gulped down the water. Madam Qian smiled helplessly, "How can you act like a girl? I've never seen you so carefree before. It's my fault for not keeping you properly disciplined these past few months, seeing you just recovered from your illness. If you're still like this when we get back to Hangzhou, I'm afraid people will gossip..." Madam Qian paused, as if thinking of something, and murmured softly, "If you were a boy, perhaps..."

After finishing her sweet soup, Mu Qing interrupted Madam Qian with a smile, "I'll enjoy every day as it comes, Mother, you don't need to worry!" Mu Qing licked the rim of her bowl, then smacked her lips a few times, "When Mu Qing returns to Hangzhou, she will abide by the rules and not let others gossip."

Mrs. Qian was slightly taken aback. Her daughter had really grown up and become more perceptive.

Madam Qian knew this change had begun after her serious illness. Her once somewhat slow-witted daughter was like a different person after recovering. She became articulate, no longer the timid six-year-old, and even proactively asked to begin learning to write. Even when playing around, she seemed to be perceptive, never behaving rudely in public again. If it weren't for the perfect match in build, appearance, and even the birthmark, Madam Qian would have truly believed she had adopted someone else's child. Seeing her anxious state, Chen Yu laughed and said that she worried about her child's naivety, but now that she was more perceptive, her worries were unfounded. Madam Qian later reflected that perhaps it was because she hadn't properly supervised her daughter, causing her to be innocently kidnapped, that her daughter had been traumatized and matured so quickly. Whenever she saw her daughter's understanding nature, she couldn't help but feel guilty, heartbroken yet also deeply gratified.

Looking back now, Ms. Qian realized that whether it was a daughter or a son, they were all her children now! Even if it had been a boy back then, some people probably wouldn't have made much of a difference. What needs to be faced will be faced eventually, so why should she overthink and create unnecessary trouble for herself? Having a sweet daughter now is better than anything else!

Unaware that Madam Qian's thoughts had turned to her, Mu Qing picked up some fruit from the table and ate it, while muttering amusing stories she had heard in her spare time. Madam Qian's worries were temporarily relieved, and she joined in the laughter and conversation with Mu Qing, the two of them enjoying each other's company.

Chapter Two: Taking a Low-Key Approach

The handover at the Chen family shop went relatively smoothly. However, since the eldest son, Second Master Shu, was new to the area and unfamiliar with the place, Chen Yu had to take him around to familiarize himself with the environment. Every day, he would leave early and return late, busy delivering services to various shops and fellow businesses, as well as entertaining and bribing officials of all ranks in the local area and tea plantation. Before he could even set off to return home, Chen Yu had already lost a lot of weight.

Madam Qian felt sorry for you and couldn't help but complain, "You're just destined to be a workaholic. The managers can go with you, why do you have to go yourself? I don't know who said they were going to 'let go' completely a while ago, but they've 'forgot' about it in just a few days!"

Chen Yu stretched and leaned back on the couch. "Sigh, please forgive me for being so worried about the manager, asking me to help him several times. I thought to myself, we're still family after all, it's a family business, and our second branch of the family has a share. If I don't help him, am I supposed to help an outsider?"

Madam Qian didn't take it to heart; instead, she was somewhat angry. "This eldest son of the family doesn't covet other people's businesses, but only their own. What kind of person is Shu Er? He's all talk and no action, all he has is a silver tongue to flatter the old lady. Back then, when we asked him to come, he made excuses to push it to you. Today, he eagerly snatched it away. He just thinks you're honest and easy to bully!"

"If I hadn't been honest, how could I have married such a virtuous wife?" Chen Yu smiled instead of getting angry, and changed the subject with a few words.

Upon hearing this, Madam Qian's face flushed, and she angrily retorted, "My lord—the child is still here!"

Chen Yu stared at Qian Shi's blushing face, smiling but saying nothing. Mu Qing sat at the desk practicing calligraphy, her ears perked up, listening to the gossip. She was quite surprised that the usually serious Chen Yu could be so witty. She glanced at him furtively and saw him smiling nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned about losing his fatherly authority in front of his daughter. It seemed that his busy business life had suppressed his true nature, and now that he was free, he was revealing a bit of his true self.

Mu Qing simply put down her pen and asked, "Is it inappropriate for my daughter to be here?"

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Father has been away from home recently, so I wonder how Muqing’s calligraphy practice is going?” Chen Yu got up and walked to Muqing’s side. Looking at the childishly written character “home” on Muqing’s paper, the corners of his mouth curved up slightly. He stroked Muqing’s hair and asked, “What books is Muqing reading now?”

"I've memorized the Thousand Character Classic taught by Mother. And Mother has also explained some of the *Classic of Poetry* and the *Analects*, but Muqing doesn't quite understand them yet." Muqing also recognizes many traditional Song Dynasty characters, and with her foundation from her previous life, reading is basically no problem for her. She doesn't want to show off, after all, she's not a real child prodigy.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Chen Yu laughed loudly, "No problem! Now that Mu Qing can recite the Four Books and Five Classics, my daughter's talent will surely be no less than that of a man."

"What good is it if she wins against a man? She'll still have to get married sooner or later. Besides, when we get back to Hangzhou, it might not be a good thing if Mu Qingruo stands out too much in front of the whole family..."

Chen Yu's face darkened, and Madam Qian fell silent, her head bowed as she focused on the pale green silk on the embroidery frame. Under her embroidery needle, clusters of jade flowers appeared, like snowflakes dancing in the air.

A silence fell over the room. Mu Qing was puzzled, but a plan formed in her mind. She had learned from Bi Yan over the past few days that the Chen family matriarch originally had three sons and one daughter. Her youngest son had died young, and her daughter had married far away. Currently, she had two sons in her main household, and the family, including masters and servants, numbered no less than a hundred. It was always the case that the more people in a family, the more trouble they would encounter. Hearing Qian Shi's words today, and seeing Chen Yu's strange expression, she wondered what had happened in the Chen family that had displeased the couple. Mu Qing thought to herself, "Even if you don't cause trouble, it will occasionally come your way once you're in the Chen family in Hangzhou." She resolved to keep a low profile once she returned to Hangzhou.

Mu Qing felt the atmosphere was oppressive, so she had to speak up to defuse the situation, "Mother, a few days ago you said you wanted to use that piece of jade from the storeroom to make a jade Buddha. Is it finished yet? Mu Qing would like to see it."

Madam Qian suddenly realized and hurriedly said, "Mu Qing reminded me, I had almost forgotten. My husband, I had Dahe prepare some gifts for the Old Madam's birthday, but we're missing a main gift, and I'm having trouble deciding what to do. We have a piece of fine jade at home, but when I asked the craftsmen at Yue Cui Xuan, they said it has a flaw in the middle and isn't suitable for carving a Buddha statue. Buying another one would be too expensive, and there's no suitable style. Just today, I was clearing out things in the storeroom and found some sandalwood that a merchant from Dali sent as a tea payment two years ago. I'm thinking of using that for carving, what do you think?"

Chen Yu pondered for a moment and nodded, "That sandalwood is a tribute to the Dali royal palace, and it is extremely precious. Let's do as you wish, Madam!"

Madam Qian continued, “There’s nothing particularly rare in Shu. I think it would be good to bring some local products and tea for my uncles and brothers. The tea may not be as refined as that from Jiangzhe or Jianzhou, but it has its own unique characteristics. Just get some of the best quality from the shops, and buy some other local products. Wulang is a good reader, so those two handwritten copies of the Southern Tang dynasty that you found in Meizhou last time will be fine.”

"I've entrusted the local products to Manager Luo, and he can also handle the shop's accounts, which will save you the trouble of touching the family's money."

"Shu Er? Even if you help him, he might not appreciate it and will just consider it something you should do. Haven't you already explained everything clearly about the shop? Do you think that stingy guy will allow you to use the shop's accounts?"

Chen Yu shook his head and said that Master Shu wouldn't care about such a small amount of money. Before he finished speaking, the servant at the door announced that Master Shu had come to visit.

Chen Yu couldn't help but feel embarrassed and coughed twice. Madam Qian scolded, "What did I tell you? He really is timely, arriving as soon as he said he would! My lord, you'd better hurry up and go."

Chen Yu straightened his clothes, shook his head and sighed as he walked out the door.

After seeing Chen Yu off, Madam Qian sat down to do her embroidery. Mu Qing practiced calligraphy while wondering if Madam Qian's unfortunate words had come true—that Shu Er had come to ask for money for local produce.

"The matriarch of the family is not knowledgeable in poetry and literature. She thinks that knowing a few characters is enough and dislikes the women in the family spending their days dabbling in literature. When we return to Hangzhou, please don't mention your studies in front of others. Muqing, do you understand what your mother means?"

Qian suddenly spoke, startling Mu Qing so much that she was momentarily stunned. A drop of ink spread across the paper, scattering ink droplets. "That's all I need to say. So, can't I practice reading and calligraphy on my daily days?"

After thinking about it, Ms. Qian thought, "I usually practice calligraphy in my mother's room, so it's fine for me to read as well."

"Mu Qing doesn't understand why we have to be so careful. Did reading and writing violate some taboo of the old lady?"

"Ah! That's all in the past..." Madam Qian stroked the cluster of magnolia flowers on the silk for a long while before slowly speaking, "Muqing is still young. As long as you remember what your mother told you, that's enough. The Chen family is large, and there are many people and many opinions. You must not act as wildly as you did here in Danling, not behaving like a proper young lady. That day when you climbed the tree, your mother hadn't..."

Upon hearing this, Mu Qing knew that Madam Qian was about to remind her to follow the rules again, so she quickly said, "Alright, Mother, Mu Qing knows she was wrong, why do you have to bring it up again? These past few days I've been obediently staying in my room practicing calligraphy, and I haven't been running around outside. Mu Qing remembers what she promised Mother, and she knows what she should say and do when we return to Hangzhou."

After learning of her daughter's accident, Madam Qian suddenly understood and continued with her work, muttering to herself, "Qiongniang, I wonder if you're doing well over there?"

At this moment, Mu Qing casually sketched a few branches from the smudged ink, and drew a simple, freehand magnolia flower with ink lines. She remembered the magnolia flower's other name, and wrote the three characters "Gathering of the Eight Immortals" next to it. The running script was free and smooth, unlike the immature brushstrokes on the paper next to it.

Mu Qing smiled with satisfaction. Her calligraphy practice these past few days hadn't been in vain. Although her wrist strength wasn't as good as in her previous life, the feel for the technique was still there. Given time, she would definitely be able to recover to the level of her previous life. Once the ink had dried, she hurriedly collected the Xuan paper on the table, folded it neatly, and tucked it into her sleeve.

When Qian finished embroidering one flower and looked up at Mu Qing, another piece of paper had been laid out on the table, on which a line of words was written crookedly: Seeking ancient theories and discussions, dispelling worries and finding peace; joyfully playing music to dispel burdens, bidding farewell to sorrow and inviting joy.

Chapter Three: Crossing the River and Destroying the Bridge

Nearly an hour later, Chen Yu returned from the outer courtyard with a displeased expression. He asked Qian Shi for a coin that could be exchanged for fifty strings of cash, and instructed Dahe to deliver it to Shu Er at the shop. Then he sat alone on a chair in the outer room, sulking.

Seeing Chen Yu's reaction, Madam Qian stopped teasing him. She poured him a cup of tea and offered it to him, gently comforting him, "Now that you've given it all, don't be angry. It's not worth getting upset with this kind of person."

Chen Yu took the tea but didn't drink it. "I don't care about this money. He's got power now, so he can have whatever he wants. I'll give him a few pennies if he wants. But you know, besides collecting money, he also said he wanted to kick Manager Luo out today."

Chen Yu grew angrier the more he thought about it, and suddenly slammed the teacup down on the table with a loud crash, nearly shattering it.

Sitting in the inner room, Mu Qing was startled. Her hand trembled, and the characters smudged. She simply stopped writing. She couldn't concentrate today; she'd lost her mood. She took the brush, dipped it briefly in the celadon brush washer, then removed it to let the ink dissipate. Holding the brush vertically downwards, she submerged the tip in the water and slowly stirred it. Mu Qing watched the ink flow into the water, black and white intermingling. Beneath the clear surface, the ink lines flowed like mist swirling in the mountains after rain, slowly spreading…

She kept listening to the sounds coming from outside.

"Did you get burned?" Qian's voice came from outside again. "What happened? Manager Luo was doing a good job. It's not right to kick him out for such a trivial matter as buying local products and handling the accounts."