After some persuading, Jinxia finally agreed to go back to her room to rest. As soon as she left, Cen Shou entered the room to report all the events to Lu Yi. Everything was almost the same as what Jinxia had already told him.
“Beizhe has already lost the money, and didn’t take good care of Ms. Chun. I beg the Young Master to punish me.” Cen Shou knelt down, asking for forgiveness and punishment.
“Because of the sudden commotion, I can’t blame you, but while at the dock, you failed to fulfill your duty to send all the ladies to a safe place, and were unable to arrange a hideout for them, this is indeed your mistake.”
Cen Shou didn’t try to make excuses, only said with regret: “All because of the lack of consideration, at that time thinking of attacking, hoping to achieve the best result.”
Lu Yi said expressionlessly: “Forget it, I am also responsible for this matter. All of you didn’t think through things properly, except for YangYue, who’s very calm by nature, but you probably won’t listen to his advice regardless. Everything is a lesson, stand up first.”
Cen Shou just stood up and backed away, at the door, he saw Mrs. Shen who was carrying a medicine bowl. He was about to take the medicine bowl and bring it inside, but Mrs. Shen stops him: “I also have to check up on him, let me do it.”
Not delaying treatment time, Cen Shou respectfully backed away.
Seeing Mrs. Shen entering the room with the medicine, Lu Yi immediately stood up and bow down: “Yan Yuan is incompetent, troubling senior again.”
Mrs. Shen signaled him to sit down, and then she handed him the medicine bow, smiling brightly: “You don’t have to be so modest. Before, I did it because of Brother Lu, this time, it’s because of Jinxia. If you want to thank anyone, thank them.”
Lu Yi lowered his head and laughed, a moment later raised his head to ask: “Then, senior treated A’Rui’s wound, also because of Jinxia?”
“Humans are not made of rock, how can we be heartless? This child calls me ‘aunt’, it’s only natural that I fulfill the duty as her aunt.” Mrs. Shen paused for a moment, then asked, “Lu Daren, this time you rushed home with an injury, is it because you’re concerned for her safety?”
Lu Yi is someone who likes to keep his feelings and thoughts to himself. Apart from Jinxia, he never shows his emotions to others. Lu Yi cleverly tried to change the topic: “General Qi took his troops out of the city, therefore Xinhe City must be empty, how can one remain calm with this matter?”
Seeing that he was unwilling to answer her question, Mrs. Shen was not angry, but she raised her tone to show authority: “I see you and Jinxia are very close, therefore I couldn’t help but ask. Judging from her current status, getting married to the Lu Family doesn’t seem very ideal.”
Didn’t expect Mrs. Shen to bluntly say that, Lu Yi couldn’t help but chuckle: “Senior, what are you trying to say?”
“Have you ever thought about marrying her?” Mrs. Shen continued to ask.
After a bit of silence, Lu Yi laughed and said: “Jinxia didn’t waste her energy considering you her aunt. During our visit to Hangzhou, Jinxia told Yan Yuan that Senior had cared for her more than her own mother. What’s going on? Are you trying to decide on her marriage for her?”
Instead of dodging, Lu Yi countered with some skillful words. As his senior, Mrs. Shen was no match to him.
Mrs. Shen’s brows slowly furrowed, just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, Lu Yi spoke up first: “That’s right, Mrs. Shen, have you heard of Yu Dayou?”
As soon as she heard his name, Mrs. Shen was silent. Yu Dayou is from Qyuanzhou, Fujian, his name is quite known, therefore if you say you don’t know him, it’s definitely a lie, but if you say you do know him, just afraid…
“Know him or not, does Senior have to think about it that long? Aren’t you being too careful?”
“I think I’ve heard of his name. It’s been a while, so it’s hard to pinpoint it.”
“General Yu studied at Li Liangqin College, I heard that Li Liangqin only accepts two students, apart from General Yu, there is one more person.” Lu Yi continued as he watched the changes of expression on her face, “I heard that person is a distant relative of the Lin Family, Senior should know him as well.”
Mrs. Shen’s face was as calm as water, she said slowly: “At that time, the Lin family in Quanzhou was a noble family, there’s a lot of people who would claim to be related to us, how could I possibly know them all?”
She did not stutter, but upon listening, Lu Yi definitely became more suspicious of her.
“Senior didn’t even ask for his name, how could you say you don’t know him?” Lu Yi said.
“Who is it?”
“His surname is Yang, his name is one letter Li, I heard that after he worked as an official in the Capital, his name changed.” Lu Yi continued to observe Mrs. Shen, “Senior, think about it carefully. Do you remember this person?”
Mrs. Shen replied very quickly: “I don’t remember him.”
Lu Yi stared at her, not even trying to hide his probing gaze. After a while, he casually laughed and said: “I remember Jinxia once told me back in Hangzhou, when you heard Yang ChengWan’s name, you couldn’t help but asked about him, is he an an old acquaintance?”
Having been forced to listen to his words, Mrs. Shen wasn’t sure how much Lu Yi knew, nor was he trying to get some information from her. At least for now, she knows she has fallen into his trap.
“Right, that name does sound familiar.”
“After serving as an officer in Li’s capital city, he changed his name to Yang ChengWan. If Senior said he was an old acquaintance, how could you not remember him?”
Mrs. Shen pretended to be surprised: “Really? Could it be that they shared the same surname, Yang is a common one.”
“I’m not sure.” Lu Yi sighed, “Unfortunately, at that time Superior Yang was also in Yangzhou, if the two seniors could meet face to face it would’ve been great.”
“Too bad.” Mrs. Shen forced a regretful expression, then pushed a bow towards him, “Lu Daren, the medicine is getting cold, please drink it. Your injury hasn’t fully healed yet, you should get plenty of rest. Regarding this headaching matter, don’t worry about it too much.” Her last sentence definitely had another underlying meaning.
“Thanks for the concern, Yan Yuan will remember it.”
Mrs. Shen immediately walked out of the room and went back to her room without waiting for him to finish taking his medicine.
***
In the room, the beggar uncle was using burnt wormwood leaves to repel mosquitoes. Every corner of the room was filled with smoke. Seeing Mrs. Shen have returned and noticed her expression, he suspiciously asked: “What happened?”
“I went to your grandson’s place, to ask if he’s willing to marry Jinxia” Remembering the conversation with Lu Yi, Mrs. Shen took a deep breath.
“What did he say? Is he going to marry her or not? ”
“He never answered my question, he even turned around and questioned me.” Mrs. Shen irritably said, “JinYiWei! There’s really nothing good about them.”
“He dared to turn around and questioned you? What an inconsiderate child. Judging from your status, Lu Yi would be calling you grandma. I will drag him here.”
Mrs. Shen looked at him disapprovingly: “Who is his grandmother? Am I that old?”
“No–no, of course not!” The beggar uncle started patting her, “Do you want me to punish him? Hit him, kneel or make him apologize, just tell me.”
“Don’t make a fuss. I’m just worried.” Mrs. Shen patted his hands, telling him to sit down and said, “This time he went to Cengang to possibly investigate Yang ChengWan’s background. I’m really worried, because if he continues, there could be a problem!”
“What happened?” The beggar uncle said with a serious face, “You have to calm down. If anything happens, I will know what to do.”
Mrs. Shen signaled to the beggar uncle to close the window first, then said quietly: “Didn’t you always question why I’m always so caring towards Jinxia? It’s because Jinxia is my sister’s daughter.”
“What!?” The beggar uncle was extremely surprised.
Mrs. Shen begin her story —
“Jinxia’s Master wasn’t previously called Yang ChengWan, instead it was Yang Li. He was the cousin of my youngest uncle’s wife, if you think about it, he’s technically family. Yang Li often comes over and plays with my sister, but because she has to take care of me, the three of us hang out with each other often. I remember on his body, he would always carry a perfume sachet, which was embroidered by my sister. Come to think of it, they must have loved each other for a long time, but I was too young to understand.”
“Yang Li’s kung fu is very good. Whenever he’s free, he would come over and help us deliver medicine, my father doted on him. Unfortunately, my mother and youngest uncle’s wife often quarrel, therefore when they found out he and my sister are very close, they immediately stopped him from coming over. Afterward, my sister was then forced to marry Xia Yan’s eldest son — Xia Zhangqing.”
“My sister had to move to Quanzhou when she got married because Nanjing and Quanzhou are very far apart. She cried a lot the night before her wedding, but I thought she was crying because she didn’t want to leave home. On the day of her wedding, Yang Li stood in the corner of the house, looking inside. I even ran over to him and reminded him to come over and play with me, but Yang Li said he’s going to leave soon. When I asked him where he was going, he said he was going to the Capital in search of opportunities, so that people would stop looking down on him.”
“Ever since that day, I never see him again. At that time, I didn’t know he changed his name, I just thought he went missing. Only then…”
Mrs. Shen stopped, the beggar uncle saw her face turn pale, so he got up and poured a cup of tea for her.
After a sip of hot tea, she was able to calm herself down and continued.
“My sister sent me a letter the next day. In her writing, it seemed as though she knew something terrible would happen to the Xia Family, so she said that she had entrusted her daughter to Yang Li, who has now been renamed to Yang ChengWan and lives in the capital as a JinYiWei. She told me I would take care of her daughter on her behalf if she can’t survive through this.”
“At that time, I didn’t understand what was going on, but I sent people out to search for their family and see if we could collect some information. After two days, the news travelled around saying Xia Yan had been beheaded, and his family was exiled. I thought about looking for Yang ChengWan so that I can take my sister’s daughter back, but then I heard that Yang ChengWan was put in Beizhen Prison, and that place is impossible for anyone to come out alive.”
“At that moment, I thought of the Shen Family, but unexpectedly Shen Lian was also deported, because the Lin, Xia and Shen Family are all connected, so all of them were arrested. After taking some money, I decided to run away, and coincidentally at that time, I met you, you were bit by a snake. What happened afterward, you already know.” Mrs. Shen looked at the beggar uncle.
The beggar uncle finally understood the situation. After a moment of silence, a loud laughter was heard: “At that time, when I met you, you were very strong and happy, doesn’t seem like a lady who’s having a hard time.”
“My father said that if you have a lot of skills, you shouldn’t be sad. Since I was a child, my sister and I have always followed our parents to learn medicine. My skill alone will enable me to live through life even if I do not get married.”
“Of course, of course, you are extraordinary. You’re an amazing person.” The beggar uncle flattered her.
Mrs. Shen couldn’t help but laugh at his teasing, but then turned back to her initial facial expression: “Since Lu Yi is starting to investigate Yang ChengWan, if he finds out Yang ChengWan was Yang Li, then he will definitely find out about Jinxia’s status.”
“Wait wait,” The beggar uncle was confused, “Yang ChengWan was already in prison, how can you be sure that Jinxia is your niece?”
There is a great deal of similarity between Jinxia’s facial features and those of my sister. When I met Jinxia, I didn’t think to connect the two right away, because my sister’s temperament was gentle and calm. It wasn’t until I was in Yangzhou that I discovered Yang ChengWan is Jinxia’s master, and then I realized how similar Jinxia and my sister are.”
“This…. Just based on facial features?” The beggar uncle felt this was an unreliable way to identify relationships, “Don’t you think you’re overthinking the situation? It is possible that Yang ChengWan is a common name, and Jinxia just happened to be his disciple. I believe that feeling becomes accustomed as you spend time with Jinxia, and you may mistake it for a bloodbond—”
Mrs. Shen disagreed with him, she continued to shake her head and cut him off: “No! My feelings can’t be wrong, I know Jinxia is my niece. That day, in the letter my sister said the child is very stubborn, and she hit her chin on a flower pot once, so there’s a scar. I’ve been watching Jinxia, she also has a scar under her chin, I can’t be wrong.”
The beggar uncle said: “I think it’s best if we find Yang ChengWan and ask him.”
wet his tongue before saying: “I see this problem, it is best to meet Yang Chengwan, ask him nicely so it’s more accurate.”
“He’s currently in Yangzhou, and it’s not easy to find him. After all…” Mrs. Shen shook her head, “JinYiWei’s eyes are everywhere, what if Lu Yi finds out.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about that. Didn’t you say he really cares about Jinxia?”
Mrs. Shen let out a sigh: “We’re all people, it’s hard not to leave the trouble and chase after the gold. That year, the Lin Family fell apart, I’ve witnessed enough. Right now, he can be kind to Jinxia, but they’re still not married to each other. If anything happened to Jinxia, he would definitely dodge to save himself. As long as they’re still not married, I have to be careful of him.”
After some persuading, Jinxia finally agreed to go back to her room to rest. As soon as she left, Cen Shou entered the room to report all the events to Lu Yi. Everything was almost the same as what Jinxia had already told him.
“Beizhe has already lost the money, and didn’t take good care of Ms. Chun. I beg the Young Master to punish me.” Cen Shou knelt down, asking for forgiveness and punishment.
“Because of the sudden commotion, I can’t blame you, but while at the dock, you failed to fulfill your duty to send all the ladies to a safe place, and were unable to arrange a hideout for them, this is indeed your mistake.”
Cen Shou didn’t try to make excuses, only said with regret: “All because of the lack of consideration, at that time thinking of attacking, hoping to achieve the best result.”
Lu Yi said expressionlessly: “Forget it, I am also responsible for this matter. All of you didn’t think through things properly, except for YangYue, who’s very calm by nature, but you probably won’t listen to his advice regardless. Everything is a lesson, stand up first.”
Cen Shou just stood up and backed away, at the door, he saw Mrs. Shen who was carrying a medicine bowl. He was about to take the medicine bowl and bring it inside, but Mrs. Shen stops him: “I also have to check up on him, let me do it.”
Not delaying treatment time, Cen Shou respectfully backed away.
Seeing Mrs. Shen entering the room with the medicine, Lu Yi immediately stood up and bow down: “Yan Yuan is incompetent, troubling senior again.”
Mrs. Shen signaled him to sit down, and then she handed him the medicine bow, smiling brightly: “You don’t have to be so modest. Before, I did it because of Brother Lu, this time, it’s because of Jinxia. If you want to thank anyone, thank them.”
Lu Yi lowered his head and laughed, a moment later raised his head to ask: “Then, senior treated A’Rui’s wound, also because of Jinxia?”
“Humans are not made of rock, how can we be heartless? This child calls me ‘aunt’, it’s only natural that I fulfill the duty as her aunt.” Mrs. Shen paused for a moment, then asked, “Lu Daren, this time you rushed home with an injury, is it because you’re concerned for her safety?”
Lu Yi is someone who likes to keep his feelings and thoughts to himself. Apart from Jinxia, he never shows his emotions to others. Lu Yi cleverly tried to change the topic: “General Qi took his troops out of the city, therefore Xinhe City must be empty, how can one remain calm with this matter?”
Seeing that he was unwilling to answer her question, Mrs. Shen was not angry, but she raised her tone to show authority: “I see you and Jinxia are very close, therefore I couldn’t help but ask. Judging from her current status, getting married to the Lu Family doesn’t seem very ideal.”
Didn’t expect Mrs. Shen to bluntly say that, Lu Yi couldn’t help but chuckle: “Senior, what are you trying to say?”
“Have you ever thought about marrying her?” Mrs. Shen continued to ask.
After a bit of silence, Lu Yi laughed and said: “Jinxia didn’t waste her energy considering you her aunt. During our visit to Hangzhou, Jinxia told Yan Yuan that Senior had cared for her more than her own mother. What’s going on? Are you trying to decide on her marriage for her?”
Instead of dodging, Lu Yi countered with some skillful words. As his senior, Mrs. Shen was no match to him.
Mrs. Shen’s brows slowly furrowed, just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, Lu Yi spoke up first: “That’s right, Mrs. Shen, have you heard of Yu Dayou?”
As soon as she heard his name, Mrs. Shen was silent. Yu Dayou is from Qyuanzhou, Fujian, his name is quite known, therefore if you say you don’t know him, it’s definitely a lie, but if you say you do know him, just afraid…
“Know him or not, does Senior have to think about it that long? Aren’t you being too careful?”
“I think I’ve heard of his name. It’s been a while, so it’s hard to pinpoint it.”
“General Yu studied at Li Liangqin College, I heard that Li Liangqin only accepts two students, apart from General Yu, there is one more person.” Lu Yi continued as he watched the changes of expression on her face, “I heard that person is a distant relative of the Lin Family, Senior should know him as well.”
Mrs. Shen’s face was as calm as water, she said slowly: “At that time, the Lin family in Quanzhou was a noble family, there’s a lot of people who would claim to be related to us, how could I possibly know them all?”
She did not stutter, but upon listening, Lu Yi definitely became more suspicious of her.
“Senior didn’t even ask for his name, how could you say you don’t know him?” Lu Yi said.
“Who is it?”
“His surname is Yang, his name is one letter Li, I heard that after he worked as an official in the Capital, his name changed.” Lu Yi continued to observe Mrs. Shen, “Senior, think about it carefully. Do you remember this person?”
Mrs. Shen replied very quickly: “I don’t remember him.”
Lu Yi stared at her, not even trying to hide his probing gaze. After a while, he casually laughed and said: “I remember Jinxia once told me back in Hangzhou, when you heard Yang ChengWan’s name, you couldn’t help but asked about him, is he an an old acquaintance?”
Having been forced to listen to his words, Mrs. Shen wasn’t sure how much Lu Yi knew, nor was he trying to get some information from her. At least for now, she knows she has fallen into his trap.
“Right, that name does sound familiar.”
“After serving as an officer in Li’s capital city, he changed his name to Yang ChengWan. If Senior said he was an old acquaintance, how could you not remember him?”
Mrs. Shen pretended to be surprised: “Really? Could it be that they shared the same surname, Yang is a common one.”
“I’m not sure.” Lu Yi sighed, “Unfortunately, at that time Superior Yang was also in Yangzhou, if the two seniors could meet face to face it would’ve been great.”
“Too bad.” Mrs. Shen forced a regretful expression, then pushed a bow towards him, “Lu Daren, the medicine is getting cold, please drink it. Your injury hasn’t fully healed yet, you should get plenty of rest. Regarding this headaching matter, don’t worry about it too much.” Her last sentence definitely had another underlying meaning.
“Thanks for the concern, Yan Yuan will remember it.”
Mrs. Shen immediately walked out of the room and went back to her room without waiting for him to finish taking his medicine.
***
In the room, the beggar uncle was using burnt wormwood leaves to repel mosquitoes. Every corner of the room was filled with smoke. Seeing Mrs. Shen have returned and noticed her expression, he suspiciously asked: “What happened?”
“I went to your grandson’s place, to ask if he’s willing to marry Jinxia” Remembering the conversation with Lu Yi, Mrs. Shen took a deep breath.
“What did he say? Is he going to marry her or not? ”
“He never answered my question, he even turned around and questioned me.” Mrs. Shen irritably said, “JinYiWei! There’s really nothing good about them.”
“He dared to turn around and questioned you? What an inconsiderate child. Judging from your status, Lu Yi would be calling you grandma. I will drag him here.”
Mrs. Shen looked at him disapprovingly: “Who is his grandmother? Am I that old?”
“No–no, of course not!” The beggar uncle started patting her, “Do you want me to punish him? Hit him, kneel or make him apologize, just tell me.”
“Don’t make a fuss. I’m just worried.” Mrs. Shen patted his hands, telling him to sit down and said, “This time he went to Cengang to possibly investigate Yang ChengWan’s background. I’m really worried, because if he continues, there could be a problem!”
“What happened?” The beggar uncle said with a serious face, “You have to calm down. If anything happens, I will know what to do.”
Mrs. Shen signaled to the beggar uncle to close the window first, then said quietly: “Didn’t you always question why I’m always so caring towards Jinxia? It’s because Jinxia is my sister’s daughter.”
“What!?” The beggar uncle was extremely surprised.
Mrs. Shen begin her story —
“Jinxia’s Master wasn’t previously called Yang ChengWan, instead it was Yang Li. He was the cousin of my youngest uncle’s wife, if you think about it, he’s technically family. Yang Li often comes over and plays with my sister, but because she has to take care of me, the three of us hang out with each other often. I remember on his body, he would always carry a perfume sachet, which was embroidered by my sister. Come to think of it, they must have loved each other for a long time, but I was too young to understand.”
“Yang Li’s kung fu is very good. Whenever he’s free, he would come over and help us deliver medicine, my father doted on him. Unfortunately, my mother and youngest uncle’s wife often quarrel, therefore when they found out he and my sister are very close, they immediately stopped him from coming over. Afterward, my sister was then forced to marry Xia Yan’s eldest son — Xia Zhangqing.”
“My sister had to move to Quanzhou when she got married because Nanjing and Quanzhou are very far apart. She cried a lot the night before her wedding, but I thought she was crying because she didn’t want to leave home. On the day of her wedding, Yang Li stood in the corner of the house, looking inside. I even ran over to him and reminded him to come over and play with me, but Yang Li said he’s going to leave soon. When I asked him where he was going, he said he was going to the Capital in search of opportunities, so that people would stop looking down on him.”
“Ever since that day, I never see him again. At that time, I didn’t know he changed his name, I just thought he went missing. Only then…”
Mrs. Shen stopped, the beggar uncle saw her face turn pale, so he got up and poured a cup of tea for her.
After a sip of hot tea, she was able to calm herself down and continued.
“My sister sent me a letter the next day. In her writing, it seemed as though she knew something terrible would happen to the Xia Family, so she said that she had entrusted her daughter to Yang Li, who has now been renamed to Yang ChengWan and lives in the capital as a JinYiWei. She told me I would take care of her daughter on her behalf if she can’t survive through this.”
“At that time, I didn’t understand what was going on, but I sent people out to search for their family and see if we could collect some information. After two days, the news travelled around saying Xia Yan had been beheaded, and his family was exiled. I thought about looking for Yang ChengWan so that I can take my sister’s daughter back, but then I heard that Yang ChengWan was put in Beizhen Prison, and that place is impossible for anyone to come out alive.”
“At that moment, I thought of the Shen Family, but unexpectedly Shen Lian was also deported, because the Lin, Xia and Shen Family are all connected, so all of them were arrested. After taking some money, I decided to run away, and coincidentally at that time, I met you, you were bit by a snake. What happened afterward, you already know.” Mrs. Shen looked at the beggar uncle.
The beggar uncle finally understood the situation. After a moment of silence, a loud laughter was heard: “At that time, when I met you, you were very strong and happy, doesn’t seem like a lady who’s having a hard time.”
“My father said that if you have a lot of skills, you shouldn’t be sad. Since I was a child, my sister and I have always followed our parents to learn medicine. My skill alone will enable me to live through life even if I do not get married.”
“Of course, of course, you are extraordinary. You’re an amazing person.” The beggar uncle flattered her.
Mrs. Shen couldn’t help but laugh at his teasing, but then turned back to her initial facial expression: “Since Lu Yi is starting to investigate Yang ChengWan, if he finds out Yang ChengWan was Yang Li, then he will definitely find out about Jinxia’s status.”
“Wait wait,” The beggar uncle was confused, “Yang ChengWan was already in prison, how can you be sure that Jinxia is your niece?”
There is a great deal of similarity between Jinxia’s facial features and those of my sister. When I met Jinxia, I didn’t think to connect the two right away, because my sister’s temperament was gentle and calm. It wasn’t until I was in Yangzhou that I discovered Yang ChengWan is Jinxia’s master, and then I realized how similar Jinxia and my sister are.”
“This…. Just based on facial features?” The beggar uncle felt this was an unreliable way to identify relationships, “Don’t you think you’re overthinking the situation? It is possible that Yang ChengWan is a common name, and Jinxia just happened to be his disciple. I believe that feeling becomes accustomed as you spend time with Jinxia, and you may mistake it for a bloodbond—”
Mrs. Shen disagreed with him, she continued to shake her head and cut him off: “No! My feelings can’t be wrong, I know Jinxia is my niece. That day, in the letter my sister said the child is very stubborn, and she hit her chin on a flower pot once, so there’s a scar. I’ve been watching Jinxia, she also has a scar under her chin, I can’t be wrong.”
The beggar uncle said: “I think it’s best if we find Yang ChengWan and ask him.”
wet his tongue before saying: “I see this problem, it is best to meet Yang Chengwan, ask him nicely so it’s more accurate.”
“He’s currently in Yangzhou, and it’s not easy to find him. After all…” Mrs. Shen shook her head, “JinYiWei’s eyes are everywhere, what if Lu Yi finds out.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about that. Didn’t you say he really cares about Jinxia?”
Mrs. Shen let out a sigh: “We’re all people, it’s hard not to leave the trouble and chase after the gold. That year, the Lin Family fell apart, I’ve witnessed enough. Right now, he can be kind to Jinxia, but they’re still not married to each other. If anything happened to Jinxia, he would definitely dodge to save himself. As long as they’re still not married, I have to be careful of him.”
