Chapter 52 Passerby
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Zhou Liu-lang personally went to Jiang-zhou and returned soon after, with a beautiful young girl by his side, which shocked his family.
After conversing with his parents, this girl, whose origins everyone was speculating about, became Zhou Liu-lang’s personal maid.
This position usually required at least three years of training and polishing for the housemaids to have a chance to obtain.
The sudden emergence of this wild girl being so highly valued by the young master made her the center of attention in the household.
People said she was bought by the old madam of the Zhou family when she was alive and given to the fool of the Cheng family. Now that the fool has returned home, naturally, she had to return to the Zhou family. Was it that simple? Whoever believed it would be the real fool.
Ban Qin felt both shy and uneasy when she was spoken to like that. She was not quick-witted and had grown up in a Taoist temple. Interacting with the maids at home always made her a little nervous. However, fortunately, everyone treated her kindly out of respect for Zhou Liu-lang.
Still, she couldn’t handle everyone’s teasing and jokes. If Miss were here, what would she say?
The word “Miss” flashed through Ban Qin’s mind, and her heart sank as if weighed down by an iron scale.
Miss…
Was she well?
Would she be sad that she left her like this? Or perhaps, she had already forgotten that there was someone named Ban Qin in this world.
Looking back now, how did she become so muddled back then? Without even thinking, she just…
“Hey, you finally arrived.”
Suddenly, someone shouted from above.
Ban Qin looked up and saw a young man leaning against the window on the second floor, frowning with an impatient expression on his face.
“Why are you so slow!” he said arrogantly and domineeringly.
Ban Qin felt joy spreading from her heart, and the weight on her heart instantly disappeared.
“Yes,” she responded, quickly stepping into the tavern. Guided by the waiter, she passed through the noisy main hall and arrived at a room on the second floor.
Just as Ban Qin reached the stairs, a few ladies came walking towards her, most of them wearing colorful veils. Two of them were each holding the hand of a five or six-year-old girl.
Ban Qin stepped aside to make way when one of the girls suddenly exclaimed.
“Oh,” she called out, “You’re that girl!”
Everyone stopped in their tracks, a little puzzled. Ban Qin also instinctively looked up and saw the girl smiling at her in delight.
“Yes, yes,” the girl said more excitedly upon seeing her clearly, raising her little hand, “You’re the maid of the lady who can summon wind and rain!”
Ban Qin looked at her, suddenly realizing.
In the rain, in the dilapidated temple, this was the child who had craved the snacks next to the old man.
But now, there was no old man by the girl’s side, and her mistress was no longer with her.
For a moment, Ban Qin felt a bit wistful.
“It’s you,” she said, unable to help but smile. “Sweetie, you’ve come to the capital too.”
The girl nodded happily, eagerly shaking the hand of the lady holding hers.
“This sister is the one I met with Grandpa on the road. She’s amazing! She can make it rain and make delicious food,” she said in her childish voice.
The ladies present knew that this girl had traveled all the way from the south to the north. Although such chance encounters and reunions were rare, they were not unheard of. So, they glanced at Ban Qin but didn’t pay much attention.
The lady holding the girl’s hand nodded slightly at Ban Qin as a greeting.
Ban Qin quickly returned the gesture.
“What’s your name? Where do you live? My name is Dan-niang, and I live in…” the girl said excitedly.
Before she could finish, the lady gently pulled her, cutting off her words.
Meanwhile, a maid urged, “Ban Qin, hurry up, the young master is waiting.”
Both parties nodded in agreement. Ban Qin and the ladies exchanged bows again and then went their separate ways amidst the girl’s reluctant gaze.
Just like on the road, when you meet someone with a familiar smile, in the end, you still have to go your own way.
“Our Dan-niang has an old acquaintance,” the ladies traveling with the little girl teased her.
The girl felt a bit proud. Coming to the capital and leaving the environment she had grown up in was truly somewhat lonely for her, especially since her grandpa was also ill…
Grandpa!
Thinking of her grandpa, the girl became a bit anxious.
“Let’s go home quickly. I want to tell Grandpa,” she said happily.
Hearing her mention her grandpa, the ladies’ faces showed some sadness. They patted the girl’s head, then went downstairs and got into the carriage.
The carriage traversed through the streets, turned into a quiet alley, and stopped in front of what seemed like an ordinary residential house.
The house was plain, but there were quite a few people welcoming them, showing considerable momentum.
The girl broke free from the maid’s hand.
“I’m going to find Grandpa!” she shouted, running towards a courtyard.
The maid hurriedly chased after her.
The girl, small and agile, shook off the maid and entered a courtyard. As she ran, she collided head-on with someone. The person, quick-eyed and quick-handed, caught her just in time to prevent her from falling.
Even so, tears welled up in the girl’s eyes as she held her nose.
“I apologize. I didn’t see the young lady,” the trembling old man with white hair hurriedly apologized.
The man standing beside the old man had a solemn expression.
“Dan-niang, show respect,” he said sternly.
The Chen family’s upbringing was strict, with all children starting their education at the age of four. Now, Dan-niang, who had just turned five, already understood manners and propriety. Seeing her father displeased, Dan-niang quickly and properly bowed to the old man.
“It was my fault,” she said.
The old man smiled and nodded, stroking his beard.
Chen Shao’s expression softened slightly.
“Father, I want to go see Grandpa,” Dan-niang quickly said, watching his expression.
“Don’t go, Grandpa just took his medicine. Don’t disturb him,” Chen Shao said, waving his hand at the anxious maid. “Take the young lady.”
The maid hurriedly stepped forward to hold the girl, coaxing and persuading her as they carried her away.
Chen Shao let out a soft sigh.
The old man looked at him, pondered for a moment, and then reached out his hand.
Immediately, the servant behind him took the medicine chest, and from it, the old man pulled out a porcelain bottle and handed it to Chen Shao.
“You’ll need this,” he said.
Chen Shao’s face showed surprise, and he instinctively grasped the old man’s hand.
“Doctor Li, is this medicine for my father…?” he asked with a trembling voice.
The old man shook his head.
“It’s for you to use,” he said, pressing the porcelain bottle into Chen Shao’s hand and lowering his voice. “Master Chen, you’re burdened with too much worry. Take care of yourself. This medicine can regulate your vitality and relieve the strain from your lack of sleep and appetite.”
After saying this, he patted Chen Shao’s arm.
“Stay steady,” he said.
Facing the patient’s family members, a doctor didn’t speak of condolences but instead urged stability. It sounded peculiar, but Chen Shao suddenly became alert.
His father’s illness had initially started from a sudden fall. Such falls at an old age often risked serious injury, but luckily his father had only scraped his skin. Several doctors had advised rest, thinking it would suffice.
Yet unexpectedly, rather than improving, his condition worsened. First, he couldn’t get up, then he lost sensation in his legs. Soon after, he lost control of his bladder and bowels, and now he lay in a semi-conscious state.
From a spirited elder to bedridden and unconscious, nearing the end of life — all in just half a month. It was too rapid, too sudden!
Doctors came and went like passing horses, unable to pinpoint a unified cause. Eventually, Chen Shao hesitated to call for another doctor.
With news spreading of his father’s critical condition, discussions about his mourning rites had begun at court. It was said that some had even recommended a successor to the emperor.
Just as he returned to the capital, yet to embark on his grand plans, he faced the prospect of leaving again. Three years — how many three years does one have in a lifetime? How could he resign himself to this?
His father’s illness, his own future, the future of the Chen family — the relentless torment weighed heavily on Chen Shao, a refined and scholarly gentleman. His current state, if seen by outsiders, would surely fuel even more rumors.
Chen Shao tightened his grip on the porcelain bottle in his hand. These medicines could help him maintain composure and stability. Would a doctor think of this?
Glancing over, Chen Shao saw the old man’s figure slowly stepping out the door, trembling.
Who had entrusted him with this advice?
Stay steady, stay steady.
Chen Shao held onto the porcelain bottle tightly, deep in thought, unmoving for a long time.
The small figure slipped into the room while the maid carried out a bowl of medicine.
Inside, the room was filled with the mingled scent of medicine and incense, but Dan-niang paid no mind. She eagerly looked towards the curtain behind which an old man lay peacefully asleep on a bed.
“Grandpa, Grandpa,” Dan-niang called out softly, tiptoeing over.
The elderly man lying on the bed, covered with two layers of brocade quilts, had his eyes closed and was silent. His slightly open mouth was breathing heavily, indicating he was still alive.
Dan-niang couldn’t quite distinguish between sickness and death; she only knew that Grandpa was tired and needed more rest. She knelt beside the bed, holding up a doll in her hands.
“Grandpa, Grandpa, look at what I bought,” she said.
The girl’s voice was clear and crisp. The old man slowly woke up, turning his cloudy eyes towards her. It was a rare moment of clarity for him.
He was overjoyed to see his granddaughter.
“Ah, Dan-niang…” he uttered in a hoarse, muffled voice.
The girl was even happier to see her grandfather awake. She chattered excitedly, telling him about what she had seen and experienced at the marketplace, what she had eaten and played with.
“Grandpa, please get better soon,” she shook his arm, her eyes shining brightly. “On the fifteenth of this month, we’ll go see the lanterns. I want you to carry me and lift me up high.”
A tear streamed down from the old man’s cloudy eyes.
I won’t get better, Dan-niang. Grandpa can’t go see the lanterns with you. Grandpa can’t accompany you anymore…
“Oh, Grandpa, I saw that lady today,” Dan-niang said, setting down the doll in her hand. “The lady who gave me the cake to eat.”
The old man was momentarily puzzled.
Cake…
“Grandpa, do you remember?” she continued. “That lady, when we were traveling, it rained. That lady said it would rain, and it did. She said it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t. That lady, her maid gave me the cake. It was really delicious.”
The child’s words were chaotic, jumping from topic to topic without any structure or punctuation. But amidst this jumbled speech, in the mind of the confused old man, everything became clear.
That lady…
That lady!
“You need to treat your illness as soon as possible…”
The disjointed voice echoed in the ears of the old man. He suddenly raised his body upright, but quickly faltered, only managing to lift his hand and utter a hoarse sound from his throat.
“That lady!” he cried out hoarsely.
The girl was startled, staring blankly as her struggling grandfather seemed lost. People outside heard the commotion and rushed in, including Chen Shao, who, upon seeing his father’s pallid face and wide-eyed stare, broke out in a cold sweat.
Is it over already… so soon…
His mind went blank instantly.
“Father,” he rushed forward and grabbed his father’s hand.
His father’s hand gripped his suddenly, with an unprecedented force.
“San-lang*, that lady…” he looked at his son, shouting with all his strength, “Help me!”
Translator’s Note:
*San-lang: San（三）in Chinese means “three” or “third”, so this refers to the third son in the family.
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