After Wang Shi’qi-lang left, peace returned to Cheng Jiao-niang’s courtyard.
Jin Ge’er continued feeding the fish, and Ban Qin, who had just finished her work in the kitchen, came into the hall carrying tea.
Cheng Jiao-niang put down the book in her hands.
“Miss,” Ban Qin hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “Are we going back?”
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“Is it because we’ve stayed in the capital for too long?” Ban Qin asked.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at her, smiled slightly, and nodded again.
Ban Qin also smiled, stepped forward, and lifted the teacup.
Cheng Jiao-niang reached out to take it.
The autumn wind swept through the hall, and the wind chimes hanging by the window let out a soft ding-ding-dang-dang sound.
“Then, Miss, are you really going to marry the young master of the Wang family?” she hesitated, then asked again.
“Ban Qin, what do you think I’m lacking the most right now?” Cheng Jiao-niang didn’t answer but asked a question instead.
She’s asking me a question?
But she was never good at thinking things through…
Ban Qin grew a little uneasy, biting her lower lip as she earnestly gave it some thought.
The young master had left. The most annoying—yet occasionally protective—Zhou Liu-lang was also gone. The Zhou family patriarch and his household were respectful, but not close…
“Lacking people,” Ban Qin said cautiously.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“Lacking people—and lacking a home,” she said, extending her hand and opening her palm.
Family had never felt like family. Having a home was no different from having none at all.
Ban Qin nodded.
But… could the young master of the Wang family really give her a home?
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled.
“The kind of home I want is one that I can break apart and reassemble as I wish,” she said, closing her open hand into a fist. “This home isn’t just a home—it must become a deeply rooted, flourishing clan. A family I can make use of. He’s well suited.”
Ban Qin only half understood, but knowing that her decision came from strength, not resignation, she felt at ease.
“Wherever you are, that’s home for me,” she said, nodding.
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled without replying. She set down her teacup and picked up her book.
Ban Qin quietly tidied the tea things and stepped out of the room.
When Chen Shao and his wife came to visit, it was near dusk.
This was the couple’s first visit to the house. In the past, it had always been Chen Shi’ba-niang and Chen Dan-niang who visited as peers, so the maid was quite surprised. She hurried to have Jin Ge’er extend the invitation while going to report to Cheng Jiao-niang.
Madam Chen, however, did not sit in the main hall. Instead, smiling, she held Chen Dan-niang’s hand.
“Dan-niang said there’s a place for archery here. We’d like to take a look,” she said.
Was she trying to give them some privacy? The maid quickly stood up.
“Madam, please follow me,” she said with a smile, leaving Ban Qin behind to serve tea while she led Madam Chen and Dan-niang to the rear garden.
Inside the room, only Chen Shao and Cheng Jiao-niang remained. Ban Qin served the tea, then quietly moved to kneel by the door.
“So, before and after inviting you, we sent people to Bing-zhou to look into your past,” Chen Shao said directly. “I hope you won’t take offence.”
“That’s entirely understandable,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied. “If I were in your place, I would’ve done the same.”
As she spoke, she looked over at Chen Shao.
“Did you… discover anything?” she asked.
Chen Shao took out a letter and slid it across the table.
“This is a letter from someone who may have been your master,” he said.
Cheng Jiao-niang was aware that the Chen family had always believed someone had both healed her and taught her. She never corrected them—after all, she didn’t believe anyone could possess such extraordinary skills out of nowhere. But she also harbored doubts, because Ban Qin, who had been with her all along, had no memory of such a person.
Now that Chen Shao had actually found someone—and even brought a letter—she was momentarily stunned.
She had no memory from before she recovered. Could such a person really exist?
Was it truly this person who cured her illness—and implanted all the chaotic memories now swirling in her mind?
Ban Qin was also surprised.
“What kind of person was he?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“He was a scholar in his forties,” Chen Shao replied. “He once stayed near the Daoist temple, taught children how to read, lived on the support of the villagers, and also knew some medicine—he’d treat the sick and prescribe herbs.”
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at Ban Qin.
“Yes—there was someone like that. Everyone called him Scholar Lu,” Ban Qin said, as if remembering something. Her expression turned slightly wistful. “Oh right, it was him who gathered herbs for Nanny’s illness…”
Scholar Lu? Cheng Jiao-niang had no memory of this person.
“Was he the one who treated me?” she asked.
Chen Shao also looked at the maid.
“No, he wasn’t,” Ban Qin shook her head. “He wasn’t a local—he only came after Nanny fell ill. He only visited the temple once or twice, both times to treat Nanny. Later, when her condition worsened and couldn’t be cured, he stopped coming. After she passed, I never saw him again. He stayed for just over a year, and he never treated you.”
He didn’t?
Chen Shao was a bit surprised. This girl had served closely by Cheng Jiao-niang’s side, yet said she had barely interacted with the man. He glanced at Cheng Jiao-niang.
“Or maybe… I just didn’t know,” Ban Qin quickly added. “When he came to treat Nanny, you were also in the courtyard. Maybe… he saw you and told Nanny how to use some herbs without me knowing.”
Saying this, a trace of guilt crossed her face.
“Back then, it was always Nanny who cared for you—feeding, dressing, everything. I didn’t help much at all,” she said softly.
Cheng Jiao-niang shook her head and said nothing. She reached out, took the letter, and let her gaze fall upon it, hesitating for a moment.
Could this contain the memories she had lost?
“Then I’ll take my leave. From now on, I won’t look into your past any further. Please rest assured,” Chen Shao said, rising to bid farewell.
Cheng Jiao-niang returned the gesture.
The maid escorted Chen Shao and his wife out. When she returned, she saw Cheng Jiao-niang still sitting in the main hall, a letter in her hands.
“What is that?” she asked Ban Qin, not having been present earlier.
“Master Chen said it’s a letter from Miss’s master,” Ban Qin replied.
The maid’s eyes widened.
“Miss’s master?” she asked in surprise.
“I’m not sure either…” Ban Qin said, looking puzzled. “Anyway, it’s someone who asked Master Chen to give the letter to Miss.”
The maid let out an oh, and the two of them turned to look toward the hall.
In the main hall, Cheng Jiao-niang reached out and opened the letter.
A single sheet of paper unfolded—on it, only three words were written:
Who are you?
Who am I? Who am I?
Staring at the paper, Cheng Jiao-niang felt as if her mind—once as still and stagnant as dead water—suddenly exploded with a thunderous roar.
“Miss, would you like more tea?”
A maid entered with a smile, seeing Cheng Jiao-niang still bowed over the letter, reading it intently.
“Would you like to try some newly made pastries?” Ban Qin also asked.
“What kind of new pastries did you make?” the maid asked curiously. “Don’t tell me it’s something strange and inedible again?”
“How could it be!” Ban Qin protested. “What was strange about it?”
The maid covered her mouth and laughed.
“Miss, didn’t you think that pastry she made last time was strange?” she asked, turning to Cheng Jiao-niang.
Cheng Jiao-niang lifted her head and looked at them.
“Who am I?” she said.
The maid and Ban Qin were momentarily stunned.
“Ah?” they asked, confused.
“Who am I?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked again.
Who am I?
The maid and Ban Qin stood frozen—what did she mean by that?
Just as they were about to speak, they saw the girl before them roll her eyes back—and then collapse straight to the floor.
A piercing scream from within the room tore through the air above the courtyard.
…
“What happened?” Madam Zhou asked anxiously, watching Master Zhou as he walked out.
“She reportedly collapsed,” Master Zhou said, changing into his outdoor clothes.
“How could she suddenly fall ill when she’s a skilled healer herself?” Madam Zhou asked.
“They say she fainted after Master Chen’s visit,” Master Zhou replied.
“Master Chen!” Madam Zhou exclaimed, standing up. “Could it be that he came to seek revenge?”
“Revenge for what?” Master Zhou frowned and asked sharply.
“Revenge? Others may not know, but we do! What have you and that girl been whispering about and scheming recently? Isn’t it because of those deserters? I heard that Master Chen used those deserters to accuse the Northwest military affairs, but in the end, the deserters were released. People say Master Chen took a big loss this time,” Madam Zhou said urgently.
Master Zhou looked startled. Though this matter had nothing to do with the inner household women and he never told Madam Zhou about it, it turned out she had her own sources of information. Though some of the news was exaggerated or false, the gist was correct.
He wasn’t sure how the matter was finally resolved, but seeing those deserters freed, he knew his niece must have pulled some tricks again.
This time, Master Chen really did suffer some losses.
Could it be that she really came to confront him?
Master Zhou hesitated for a moment.
If that was true, how confident was she about taking down Master Chen?
He shuddered and slapped his own leg hard.
“My goodness, what am I thinking!”
“I’ll go check on her first,” Master Zhou said hurriedly, then went out.
