Чистое сердце в нефритовом сосуде

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Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 59

Chapter word count: 3484 Update time: 09-08-14 14:24

Given that neither of my two trips had been pleasant, I had no choice but to stay quietly in Qiufeng Garden. Hearing Aunt Yun mention that Prince Qing and my mother were about to be engaged made my heart clench: Aunt Yun could recognize the resemblance between me and my mother, but could Prince Qing recognize me? If he did, when did it begin? Did anyone else know about these things? Did Shen Haoyu also know I was a woman all along…?

After considering a whole host of questions, I couldn't help but find it funny. Don't tell me that all these years of disguising myself as a man in the Prince Qing's mansion was just wishful thinking on my part. Those who need to know already know!

Although she had many thoughts in her mind, she couldn't possibly be foolish enough to ask Prince Qing, "Do you know my mother? Did you already know who I am?" She was somewhat curious about the relationship between Prince Qing and her mother, but she didn't know what their story was. If she hadn't been determined to find out the truth over the years, she probably wouldn't have been able to connect Prince Qing's marriage proposal with the Mo family's misfortune when she was just a young girl.

After such a tragedy befell the Mo family, how dare Marquis Qiyun take his concubine to the southwest and make her his mistress? This man is truly...

So, Mother, how much does she know about what happened back then?

A person spends his days in Autumn Maple Garden pondering these past events, hoping to find something in them. In this way, the days don't seem so hard to bear.

The temperature has plummeted these past few days, and I think the first cold wave of the year is about to arrive. Judging by the time, Zinuo and the others have been gone for about ten days. They probably haven't even reached the fiefdom of Marquis Qiyun yet. If they go to Jinque Kingdom, they won't be able to return for the New Year.

The manor has already started distributing winter supplies. Yinyan brought back a few maids with their portions from Qiufeng Garden and asked me to go to her to collect mine. I don't know when it started, but I've become an idle person in Qiufeng Garden again, without any specific duties, just wandering around every day. Fortunately, I've long been used to it, and it doesn't matter whether I do anything or not.

Yin Yan had many of my things: three beautiful, warm winter dresses, a bright red fox fur cloak, a small, exquisite snow hat, and a pair of deerskin boots. Looking at these things, I was dumbfounded and asked, somewhat vaguely, "Are the Prince's Palace's benefits this good this year?"

Yin Yan gave me a mocking glance, then winked at a large package beside her: "The Prince's allowance is over there. This was prepared separately by the Master." Feeling uneasy about Shen Haoyu's intentions, I walked to the side and opened the large package. Inside were two common cotton dresses, different in color from the maids' clothes in the Prince's mansion, more like the kind worn by girls from ordinary families. I asked, "These are mine too, right?"

Yin Yan nodded, looking at me with some confusion. It seems I'm still an outcast with an unknown identity; even my allowance from the Prince's mansion is different from others.

I grabbed the large package and hugged it to my chest, then greeted Yin Yan and headed out. Yin Yan suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking my way and pointing to the things Shen Haoyu had prepared, asking, "Where are those?"

I shook my head and said, "Your Highness means well, but I, a servant, have no use for those things. Giving them to me would be a waste. It would be better to leave them with my sister."

Yin Yan frowned and said, "Even so, you should take it first and tell Master yourself when he comes back, so that he won't blame me for not doing my job well."

Since Yin Yan had already said all that, I had no choice but to turn around, clutch the bag of clothes that didn't suit me at all, and leave. I'd tried every possible way to get something nice from Shen Haoyu, and now he was so generously offering it to me, yet I dared not accept it. I shook my head helplessly, smiling as I walked away.

A stove was lit in the room, and soon the room became noticeably warmer. Yin Yan walked in carrying her embroidered basket, and I quickly invited her to sit down and poured her a full cup of hot tea.

Yin Yan didn't drink the tea. She gently held the teacup in her hands and said, "Seeing that it got cold later than usual this year, I thought it would be a mild winter. I didn't expect it to get cold so suddenly, and it's even colder than usual."

I shook my head and smiled, taking small sips of tea from my cup. This tea wasn't anything special, but I liked its delicate aroma. By next spring, Shen Tingxuan should be able to start making flower tea; I hope I'll be lucky enough to enjoy it then.

Yinyan got up and found a thin blanket in my room to cover her legs. I chuckled and pouted, "Sister Yinyan, is it really that cold?" Yinyan glared at me, but didn't say anything. She picked up her needle and thread and started embroidering.

It's been cold these past few days, and Yinyan has been staying at my place all the time. My room isn't any warmer than hers, and it's not even as nice. Why does she keep coming here? If she's lonely, she can ask me to go to her place. It's close to the kitchen, and I can even sneak out some wine to warm up before drinking.

Seeing Yinyan engrossed in her embroidery, completely absorbed, I felt incredibly bored with nothing to do. It was drizzling outside, making it impossible to even go for a walk. "I wonder where Master and the others are. Are they cold on the road?" Yinyan suddenly asked.

I smiled, leaning on the table to look at Yin Yan. She hadn't even lifted an eyelid after saying those words. Her body was here, but her heart was with Shen Haoyu. "Don't worry, the further south we go, the warmer the weather gets. The young prince won't get cold," I said casually.

After sitting for a while, I started to feel a bit of back pain, so I finally stood up and got up from the small stove under the table. As soon as I opened the door, a blast of cold air hit me, making me shiver.

"If you're going out, you'd better close the door properly," Yin Yan said from inside. I went outside, closed the door behind me, and then went to the window next to me. I opened the window a crack to let Yin Yan get some fresh air. She was so focused; I didn't want her to get carbon monoxide poisoning from staying inside for too long.

I tightened my collar and strode out along the corridor. The flowers and trees in the courtyard, soaked by the cold rain, looked even more desolate, lifeless, except for the tall camphor tree that stubbornly stood its ground. Reaching the small door, I saw Song Zhixuan's residence, which was usually deserted year-round. Now, apart from the cleaning maid, there wasn't a soul in sight. Without an umbrella, I had no choice but to turn back.

Inside the room, Yin Yan was still engrossed in her embroidery. I turned and went to the kitchen, found a few plates of pastries, stole a pot of wine, and placed them in front of Yin Yan with a smile. Yin Yan glanced at me and uttered two words indifferently: "Take it away."

I pouted and said, "Sister, wouldn't you like to have some wine to warm yourself up?"

Yin Yan shook her head and said, "No need."

I could only listlessly move the food aside and slump down on the table, thinking, "So boring." If only Zinuo and the others were here, I wouldn't be so bored even if I stayed here every day.

"Why don't you do what I do and find something to do? Time might pass faster." Yin Yan finally put down her needlework and looked at me.

I shook my head: "Embroidery? I'd rather stand outside in the cold wind." Last time I spent so long learning but didn't manage to embroider anything decent, and they kept criticizing me. I'll never do that again.

“Don’t you love your brother? Why don’t you make him something to keep warm? He can use it when he comes back,” Yin Yan suggested.

My eyes lit up – wasn't that right? But then I deflated – I couldn't do anything.

Thinking about it carefully, I realized that I'm not just clumsy; I used to need someone to help me reel in the yarn when I knitted a scarf.

Wait, if I can't hold an embroidery needle, I can still manage with a knitting needle. Thinking of this, I beamed with joy: "Sister Yinyan, I've thought of something to make!"

"What is it?" Yin Yan asked, a little curious, seeing my expression.

I said mysteriously, "I won't tell you yet, but you need to help me prepare the tools and materials."

As Shen Haoyu's personal maid, Yin Yan's status was truly impressive. With her help, within three days, someone delivered several bamboo knitting needles and some yarn I needed. Under Yin Yan's suspicious gaze, I slowly wound the yarn around the needles, awkwardly starting to stitch. Seeing Yin Yan's gaze shift from suspicion to obvious contempt, I resignedly put down the needle and thread and said to Yin Yan, "Sister Yin Yan, I'm not good at knitting, but I know how to do it. Why don't you do it, and I'll watch?"

Before Yinyan could answer, I pressed her down onto the stool and placed the needle and thread in her hands. I gave her verbal instructions, and Yinyan's hands deftly moved the thread, which I watched with great admiration. I have to admit, Yinyan is a true expert in this area. After a few tries, she had already knitted quite well and even figured out several different patterns. She had also figured out the finishing stitch that I had been struggling with, and the ends were neatly crocheted.

Looking at the scarf woven by Yinyan, I was full of admiration. I held it in my arms with great joy and said shamelessly, "Sister Yinyan, please give this one to me."

Yin Yan generously pushed the scarf towards me, laughing, "It's yours." I happily wrapped the scarf around my neck, cherishing the long-lost warmth. However, it looked rather odd with my outfit. Frowning, I took the scarf off.

"By the way, Huai'en, you almost never handle needles and thread, how do you know these things?" Yin Yan asked me, puzzled.

"I saw my mother make it when I was little, and I vaguely remember some of it, but I still can't remember clearly," I explained as I folded the scarf.

"Oh, your mother knows so many things." Yin Yan lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment, then picked up her needle and thread again.

After discussing it with Yinyan, she improved her stitching technique, and the scarf she wove looked much better. I humbly asked for her advice, and together we knitted the scarf in peace, deciding to give Zinuo a scarf as a token of our love when he returned.

Finding something to do made life much easier. I knitted one after another. I originally planned to give it to Zinuo, but since I had nothing else to do, I decided to knit one for Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao as well. In the end, I didn't forget to leave a small "恩" (en, meaning gratitude) in the corner as my mark.

After finishing the scarf, and seeing that I would have nothing to do again, I pestered Yinyan to get some fine fur, and together we studied how to make a pair of warm and durable gloves. During the time Zinuo and the others were away, I transformed into a typical traditional woman, staying at home every day doing handicrafts.

I never thought I'd become a homebody. I glanced at the scarf and gloves on my bedside table and grinned. What a surprise it will be when they come back!