Arriving at the second gate, the maid immediately spotted the prepared carriage and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Sixth Young Master, you’re playing chauffeur for our lady again, aren’t you?” she said.
Zhou Liu-lang turned to glance at her, his gaze briefly resting on Cheng Jiao-niang standing beside the maid. He quickly looked away, shaking the whip in his hand without saying a word.
Cheng Jiao-niang, naturally, remained silent as well and, with the maid’s assistance, boarded the carriage.
Upon learning of Cheng Jiao-niang’s arrival, the Chen household was overjoyed.
The young men of the Chen family, having heard the news, also gathered at the gate. They looked at Zhou Liu-lang sitting on the carriage with faintly mocking smiles.
“Would you like to come in for a cup of tea, Young Master Zhou?”
“No, no, Sixth Young Master should stay with the carriage—wouldn’t want to accidentally lose someone.”
Faced with their sneering remarks, Zhou Liu-lang simply scoffed, completely ignoring them as he urged his horse forward and left.
Cheng Jiao-niang paid no mind to the commotion at the gate. At the second gate, she was warmly welcomed by the ladies of the household, with Dan-niang arriving the fastest.
“Miss!” Dan-niang ran up and clung to Cheng Jiao-niang’s arm. “Grandfather and I have missed you so much.”
“It’s best if you don’t miss me,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
At that moment, the stewardesses flanking Madam Chen also arrived. Cheng Jiao-niang greeted her with a slight bow.
“I was just about to send someone to invite you,” Madam Chen said, leading Cheng Jiao-niang inside.
The other ladies trailed a few steps behind, quietly scrutinizing Cheng Jiao-niang’s attire and hairstyle as they whispered among themselves.
“Why did she say not to miss her?” one asked softly. “Is she just putting on airs?”
Another lady cast her a sidelong glance.
“Lady Cheng is a doctor. Who would actually want to need a doctor?” she replied.
The ladies suddenly understood and couldn’t help but stifle their laughter.
“This lady, what harm is there in saying a few more words?” they chuckled softly among themselves.
“If you ask me, we’ve always talked too much. Even if we say ten sentences, it’s really just the same as one,” said the lady who spoke earlier.
“But what if others don’t understand and it leads to misunderstandings?” someone objected.
“And so what if it does?” the lady shot her a glance.
The other was momentarily at a loss for words.
Indeed, so what if it leads to misunderstandings? Would anyone avoid seeking her treatment because of it?
“Besides, those who understand her will naturally do so. And for those who don’t, there’s no need to bother with them,” the lady continued, glancing at Cheng Jiao-niang, who had already walked into the courtyard of Old Master Chen with Madam Chen. With a hint of admiration, she added, “To be so carefree—what more could one ask for in life?”
Cheng Jiao-niang withdrew her hand.
Chen Shao and his wife watched her with a hint of nervousness, while Old Master Chen remained relaxed and at ease.
“Continue taking this medicine for five more days,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, glancing at the maid.
The maid, already prepared with brush and ink, picked up the brush as soon as she saw Cheng Jiao-niang look her way.
“After five days, switch to this prescription,” Cheng Jiao-niang added.
The maid handed the recorded prescription to Chen Shao, who accepted it with gratitude and expressed his thanks.
“What would you like to eat? I’ll have the kitchen prepare it right away,” Madam Chen said with a warm smile.
“Thank you,” Cheng Jiao-niang declined, “but I have other matters to attend to.”
Chen Shao and Madam Chen looked a bit disappointed and were about to try persuading her to stay when Old Master Chen raised his hand to stop them.
“If you’re ever free, do come by and visit. No need to stand on ceremony,” he said.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded slightly at him.
“Alright,” she replied, bowing before taking her leave.
Madam Chen personally escorted her to the door.
When Dan-niang returned after being sent away during the pulse diagnosis, only Old Master Chen, Chen Shao, and his younger brother, Fourth Master Chen, remained in the room.
“Why did Miss leave?” Dan-niang was upset and couldn’t help but shake Old Master Chen’s arm. “Grandfather, can we invite her to stay here again?”
“Don’t be foolish, Dan-niang,” Chen Shao said, shaking his head.
Old Master Chen smiled as he comforted his granddaughter.
“She doesn’t like staying at other people’s homes. Once I’ve recovered, I’ll take you to visit her,” he said.
Dan-niang nodded happily.
“Father, this is the recently famous ‘Five-Character Charm,'” said Fourth Master Chen, carefully unfolding a sheet of paper in his hands.
Chen Shao’s interest was piqued as well.
“Is this the piece that’s been causing such a stir and is tied to Qieting Temple?” he asked.
Hearing them begin discussing poetry and calligraphy, Dan-niang lost interest and got up to go play. But when she heard the words “Qieting Temple” as she reached the door, she paused and ran back.
The calligraphy had already been fully unfurled on the table.
“That’s my poem!”
Before anyone else in the room could react, the girl’s voice rang out first.
The three men froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“Dan-niang wrote this?” Fourth Master Chen asked. “It’s truly excellent.”
“Yes, I wrote it, and Lady Cheng made a few adjustments,” Chen Dan-niang said proudly.
Chen Shao chuckled and shook his head.
“Very good, very good. Dan-niang is improving,” he said.
“Indeed! Lady Cheng also said I did well. She even wrote it on the wall for me,” Dan-niang said cheerfully.
Just then, Madam Chen returned from seeing off guests and called Dan-niang over with a wave.
“The New Year is approaching. The tailor is here—come get your measurements taken for new clothes,” she said.
For a child, new clothes for the New Year were always the greatest excitement.
Overjoyed, Dan-niang ran out.
“Mother, I want clothes like Lady Cheng’s!”
Her voice faded as she ran outside, leaving the three men in the room to return their attention to the calligraphy.
“This poem indeed carries a childlike tone,” Chen Shao remarked, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
However, he didn’t believe his daughter’s claim entirely. Perhaps she had seen the phrase at Qieting Temple and, as children often do, couldn’t differentiate between something she had created and something she had encountered.
“But paired with this calligraphy, it no longer feels childlike,” Fourth Master Chen observed.
Old Master Chen studied the characters for a long time before finally nodding with a sigh.
“Remarkable—these are five completely unfamiliar styles of script,” he said. “And yet, they harmonize in form and rhythm. Five characters encapsulate the full spectrum of human emotions, as though penned by someone who has seen the depths of life. Yet the piece concludes with the spirited vigor of youth. The only flaw is that the brushwork lacks sufficient strength to fully capture its essence…”
At this, he shook his head in regret.
“I had someone copy it, but it only captures the form, not the spirit,” Fourth Master Chen said with a sigh.
“Still no clue who the creator is?” Old Master Chen asked after studying the piece for a moment.
Fourth Master Chen nodded. “No one has come forward to claim it,” he replied, his face full of regret. “Truly a pity, a great pity.”
“Perhaps they are focused on preparing for the imperial exams. After March next year, the truth may come to light,” Chen Shao suggested.
Such exceptional calligraphy would inevitably make its mark during the examinations.
Old Master Chen and Fourth Master Chen nodded in agreement.
“Could it possibly be Lady Cheng’s work?” Old Master Chen suddenly asked.
Chen Shao and Fourth Master Chen chuckled.
“Father, Lady Cheng doesn’t even write,” Chen Shao said with amusement.
Whenever a prescription is given, it is always written down by a maid. According to servants who had attended her before, Lady Cheng usually has books read to her by her maids, suggesting she might be illiterate. How could someone like that possibly write such calligraphy?
Old Master Chen chuckled as well. Such refined script, with its depth and elegance, would take at least ten years of dedicated practice to master. Lady Cheng was only fourteen or fifteen—could she have started learning calligraphy the moment she was born?
“When I recover, I’ll go see for myself,” Old Master Chen said, gazing at the calligraphy laid out before him.
Cheng Jiao-niang stepped out the door, and Zhou Liu-lang, who had been waiting not far away, drove the carriage over immediately. This left the young men of the Chen family, who had been hoping to escort the beauty, both disappointed and annoyed.
“Guarding her like a thief—it’s insulting! That rough, uncouth man from Old Shan Zhou truly lacks manners,” they muttered through gritted teeth, watching helplessly as the beauty rode away in the carriage. With a sigh, they lamented, “Such a pity, such a shame.”
The maid, however, didn’t share their sentiment. Lifting the curtain of the carriage, she glanced at Zhou Liu-lang.
“Young Master, please take us to the residence by Yudai Bridge,” she said.
Zhou Liu-lang said nothing, cracking his whip to spur the horses forward.
After a while, the maid lifted the curtain again to look outside and was startled.
“Young Master, where are you taking us?” she demanded sharply, eyebrows raised in suspicion.
What met her eyes was a wide-open road outside the city gates, barren and desolate in the winter. It was one of those rare sunny days in winter, and with the agricultural off-season, the road was bustling with travelers coming and going.
After her initial shock, the maid noticed that Zhou Liu-lang remained silent and let out a cold snort.
“Bullying my mistress just because she’s a helpless lady—is that what you call skill?” she remarked, dropping the curtain and sitting back in the carriage.
Inside, everything fell silent again.
Zhou Liu-lang tightened his grip on the whip, raised his hand, and lashed it hard. The horse sped up, galloping swiftly down the busy road into the distance.
The carriage sped for almost half a day before finally stopping.
“Get off, we’ve arrived,” Zhou Liu-lang called from outside.
The maid lifted the curtain and looked at the lively scene in front of her.
“Young Master, have you reserved a spot?” Two attendants approached—one asked, while the other readied to take the horse.
Zhou Liu-lang nodded and gave the name.
“Immortal’s Abode?” The maid read the sign aloud, then turned to Cheng Jiao-niang. “Miss, this place seems somewhat familiar.”
Cheng Jiao-niang stepped out of the carriage and also glanced around.
“Young Master, Miss, please follow me,” one of the attendants called out enthusiastically.
Zhou Liu-lang stepped forward, but just then, someone inside the shop surged out, shoving a woman.
“Filthy beggar, tired of living, coming here to cause a scene again,” several attendants cursed.
The woman, holding an infant in her arms, had her hair disheveled in the scuffle, and the baby cried nonstop.
Passersby immediately stepped aside, fearing trouble.
“Considering my husband worked for you all his life, just pay up the wages. This is my life-saving money,” the woman collapsed to the ground, crying and extending her hand.
“Madam Li, what are you saying? Your husband hasn’t worked for nearly three months, where’s the money for wages?” one of the attendants shouted. “This is a restaurant, not a charity.”
The woman continued crying, clutching her child, and kowtowing.
“Please, lend me some money first…” she sobbed.
The commotion drew numerous curious gazes and whispers.
A well-groomed man hurriedly stepped out from inside, followed by two attendants.
“What’s going on?” he shouted angrily.
“Master, Li Dashao’s wife is here again…” one of the attendants quickly said, pointing at the woman crying on the ground.
The woman, upon seeing him, immediately got up and crawled toward him, kneeling and grasping at the man’s clothing.
“Master Dou, Master Dou, please, my husband is seriously ill, I beg you, pay his wages so he can see a doctor,” she pleaded, “Please, just for the sake of him following the Old Master since he was a child, save his life.”
The man initially frowned upon hearing the commotion, but when the woman grabbed his clothes, he became even more disgusted and angry. He lifted his foot and kicked her away.
“Get her out of here!” he shouted. “Trying to ruin my business!”
The woman was knocked aside, and in her unsteady grip, she dropped the infant onto the ground.
The child’s cry was sharp and pitiful, sounding especially heartrending.
Passersby glanced over, and even people inside the shop leaned out to watch the spectacle.
“It’s as if my shop owes everything to your husband. He hasn’t worked here for months, yet still wants wages? Is it really fair to bully people like this?” Dou Qi shouted, hurriedly shaking his clothes.
“You, how can you bully women and children?”
A male voice shouted.
Amid the noise, it did not stop Zhou Liu-lang and Cheng Jiao-niang’s steps, and by this time, they had already reached the entrance of the shop.
There are many helpless things in the world, and not everything goes as one wishes.
The voice came from inside the shop, and with it, a young man stood up. Two people beside him tried to hold him back.
“Yuanchao, don’t meddle.”
The young man shrugged off the hands that tried to stop him, quickly walked out, and brushed past Cheng Jiao-niang.
Cheng Jiao-niang stopped in her tracks.
