The young man finished his sentence and looked at Zhou Liu-lang. Zhou Liu-lang looked back at him.
The man suddenly stood up, almost knocking over the chessboard.
“Is Father here?” Zhou Liu-lang asked loudly.
The servant standing outside the courtyard hurriedly responded. As Zhou Liu-lang spoke, he had already briskly walked out, disappearing in an instant.
Peace returned to the courtyard as the young man flexed his hands a bit.
“It’s quite boring now. I think I’ll head home,” he said, extending his hand.
The kneeling maid promptly stood up. One retrieved a pair of wooden crutches from behind, while the other helped support the young man.
The servant in the courtyard quickly went outside to summon help. Shortly after, four more servants arrived, carrying a portable bed.
The young man had already stood up with the help of the crutches. His long robe hung down, revealing his tall, slender figure—elegant and refined. However, it was evident that one of his legs was twisted and unable to touch the ground beneath the flowing fabric.
With the maid’s assistance, the young man hobbled over and seated himself on the portable bed.
“Farewell, Young Master Qin,” the two maids said, bowing respectfully.
The servants carried the bed out of the courtyard, and soon, they were out of sight.
Cheng Jiao-niang’s return was like a breeze, gradually causing ripples on the calm lake. This wasn’t something she intended, nor could she prevent it from happening. Everything happened naturally yet inevitably—such is life.
Ban Qin picked up a stone and threw it into the water, causing a splash in the lotus pond.
“Miss,” she called as she turned around, “I saw a fish! It swam under the lotus leaf!”
Sitting on a straw mat, Cheng Jiao-niang nodded and smiled slightly.
Half a month had passed, and her health had improved. With her improved health, Cheng Jiao-niang naturally didn’t stay cooped up in the house.
She couldn’t tolerate direct sunlight, but fortunately, the courtyard was filled with trees, providing plenty of shade.
Ban Qin turned back to support her.
“Miss, come and take a look,” she said. “Aren’t these fish more beautiful than the ones at our temple?”
Cheng Jiao-niang couldn’t even remember what had happened last month, let alone what the fish at the temple looked like.
She stood up and slowly walked towards the edge of the lotus pond.
The two of them stood by the water, watching the carp swim back and forth beneath the lotus leaves.
“I wonder if these fish are edible?” Ban Qin asked.
Since the day she got slapped, although no one had bothered her afterward, the kitchen’s supplies had been dwindling day by day. The maids were careless, often forgetting this or that, and when asked for more, they would gruffly respond that there was nothing left.
“She must be taking everything for herself,” Ban Qin speculated.
Cheng Jiao-niang agreed with her.
“I’ve noted this down,” Ban Qin said.
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled but said nothing.
Ban Qin, following Old Madam Zhou’s last wish, copied scriptures at the temple to pray for her mistress’s well-being. In the process, she learned some characters. Due to Jiao-niang’s poor memory, Ban Qin used her clumsy handwriting to record the events she encountered. The initial goal was to track her illness episodes to better analyze her health improvement.
Additionally, she documented the people she met and the events that occurred along the way.
“Record who has been kind and where there have been conflicts. If we don’t see them again, it doesn’t matter. But if we do, having some understanding will help us avoid confusion and distinguish between friends and strangers,” she said.
The cicadas were chirping incessantly, and even the shade under the trees seemed a bit withered under the scorching sun.
“Miss, let’s go back,” Ban Qin said with a yawn.
Although she had suffered an inexplicable grievance once, overall, life was still quite comfortable. With plenty of food and rest, Ban Qin had clearly grown a few inches taller.
“I want to fish,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
One sign of her improving health was that she no longer felt constantly fatigued. Her periods of alertness were getting longer, and her headaches when thinking had lessened considerably, though she still couldn’t control her scattered thoughts.
She wondered if sitting here fishing might help her gather her thoughts, aiding in the quicker consolidation of her chaotic and elusive memories.
“Great! Fishing means we’ll have something to eat,” Ban Qin said happily. “Miss, you can fish? That’s wonderful. Please sit here, Miss. I’ll go find a fishing rod.”
She finished speaking and hurried off to the courtyard to ask a maid to fetch a fishing rod.
Cheng Jiao-niang watched Ban Qin run off.
“I don’t know how to fish,” she said.
Next to the lotus pond was an artificial hill with a midway platform, not too tall or short. Above, tree shadows draped gently, while below, it bordered the water. It was conveniently close to Cheng Jiao-niang’s courtyard, a fishing spot she found quite satisfactory.
Ban Qin sat behind Cheng Jiao-niang amid scattered flowers and grass, busying herself with weaving small baskets of various shapes.
“Think we’ll catch any fish this time?” she occasionally glanced back and asked in a hushed tone.
Cheng Jiao-niang shook her head.
“It seems you truly don’t know how to fish,” Ban Qin commented.
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled genuinely, appreciating the simple pleasure of fishing.
As she had anticipated, sitting here seemed to center her mind, bringing a sense of calmness she hadn’t felt before.
Observing her mistress’s improved spirits delighted Ban Qin as well.
Besides their usual routines of eating and resting, this activity became a new essential for them. Each afternoon, they would visit: Cheng Jiao-niang quietly fishing to unwind, while Ban Qin enjoyed weaving baskets from flowers and grass.
Cheng Liu-niang hasn’t been doing well lately; she seems to have lost her appetite. Being the youngest daughter in the family, she received a lot of concern from her brothers.
Carrying a box of pastries, Cheng Si-lang* came to see his sister.
Cheng Liu-niang sat alone in the room, lazily observing a maid playing backgammon.
“Liu-niang, try this. There’s a new pastry shop that opened on the street, and they say it’s run by a skilled pastry chef from the capital. Give it a taste,” Cheng Si-lang suggested.
Cheng Liu-niang remained uninterested as she reached out and took one.
“It’s too sweet. Haven’t you tried it?” she asked, sounding dissatisfied.
Cheng Si-lang smiled awkwardly.
“I don’t really enjoy these. They say they’re good,” he responded.
Cheng Liu-niang pursed her lips, yet before she could speak, the sound of wooden clogs echoed outside—the arrival of Cheng Qi-niang. Following her were Cheng Si-niang and Cheng Wu-niang, all with somewhat somber expressions. Cheng Qi-niang nonchalantly tossed her clogs aside and sat down inside.
“We can’t go out anymore!” Cheng Qi-niang exclaimed loudly, her eyes red with a mix of anger and sorrow.
“What happened?” Cheng Si-lang quickly asked.
Cheng Si-niang and Cheng Wu-niang greeted him respectfully before taking their seats.
“Brother, haven’t you been laughed at outside?” Cheng Qi-niang asked, looking at him.
“Why would they laugh at me?” Cheng Silang was confused.
After all, he was the legitimate son of the Cheng family. While his academic achievements were average, it wasn’t something to be ashamed of.
“That’s why it’s unfortunate for us girls,” Cheng Qi-niang solemnly complained, casting a glance at Cheng Liu-niang. “Now the whole city knows we have a sister who’s a fool, and they mock us for it!”
Cheng Liu-niang sat up abruptly.
“What?” she exclaimed. “How did everyone find out? That simpleton hasn’t even left the house!”
“Good news stays close, but bad news spreads far,” Cheng Wu-niang said softly.
Cheng Liu-niang sighed in frustration.
“Oh dear, I’m supposed to visit Lady Dong’s house the day after tomorrow,” she lamented.
“You can’t go!” Cheng Qi-niang interjected sharply. “Do you realize how embarrassing it was for us today when we went out? That wreched maid from the Yan family, in front of so many people, declared that family blood determines intelligence—smart siblings have smart sisters, and a fool’s siblings are fools!”
“Oh no, that maid from the Yan family will surely be at Lady Dong’s house too,” Cheng Liu-niang said, nervously rubbing her hands, then glancing at Cheng Qi-niang. “Though that simpleton is your sister by blood…”
Cheng Qi-niang was visibly angered by this remark.
“She’s also your sister by blood!” she retorted.
“Maybe just a bit less so compared to you,” Cheng Liu-niang replied earnestly.
Cheng Si-lang, standing nearby, couldn’t help but find it both amusing and exasperating listening to their conversation—it always seemed to miss the mark.
“It’s not the right time to compare this,” Cheng Si-niang, taking the lead as the elder sister, gently redirected the discussion. “Regardless, since we’re all part of the Cheng family, we’ll inevitably face ridicule. Liu-niang, especially you, who used to be admired for your beauty and grace. People are envious of you, so they’ll seize any opportunity to mock.”
Indeed, Cheng Liu-niang had always been admired for her exceptional appearance and near-perfection. No one anticipated the sudden appearance of such a foolish family member, likening it to a drop of ink staining a beautiful painting and instantly spoiling it.
“This is just so unlucky!” Cheng Liu-niang angrily threw her fan to the ground. “We won’t be able to go out and see anyone anymore! It’s all because of that fool!”
Cheng Qi-niang, however, looked at Cheng Si-niang as if she had a thought.
“Si-niang, today when that wretched maid from the Yan family humiliated me, was it also because she envies my beauty and grace?” she asked.
Translator’s Note:
*Si-lang (四郎)：四 in Chinese means “four”, so this refers to the fourth son of the family. Same with Si-niang (see Chapter 13’s note).
