As the clouds cleared and the rain stopped, the once empty road suddenly filled with people, creating a lively and bustling scene. Those who had sought refuge from the rain in the old temple left, chatting and laughing, with plenty of new stories to share for days to come.
“I’ve heard that the officials at the Imperial Observatory in the capital can predict the weather like this…”
“Does that mean this lady is as skilled as those officials?”
In no time, the people had dispersed, leaving only Ban Qin and her mistress, along with the old man and the young girl, in the dilapidated temple. Ban Qin’s belongings were already packed, and the coachman helped load them onto the cart, preparing the donkey to depart. The old man, carrying the little girl, also headed out.
“The lady can control the wind and the rain!” The little girl, having half-understood the conversations she’d overheard, clapped her hands and shouted towards the donkey cart, enticed by the promise of delicious pastries.
“My mistress has been enlightened by an immortal,” Ban Qin said with a hint of pride, giggling.
“No, it’s from watching the sky,” came a voice from inside the donkey cart, as the curtain was partially lifted again.
By now, they had reached the entrance of the temple. The rain had passed, the sky was clear, and the sunlight was bright. The raised curtain of the cart cast some shadows, but the female figure sitting inside were still visible, a young girl.
The old man was startled. She wasn’t just young—she looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old!
“In the morning, there were cirrus clouds,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, looking at the little girl on her grandfather’s back.
The little girl didn’t understand, but the old man did. He knew the art of predicting the weather by observing the clouds and rain.
“You are truly knowledgeable, truly knowledgeable,” he said repeatedly.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded slightly in acknowledgment, watching the old man.
“Sir, you need to treat your illness as soon as possible,” she suddenly said.
The old man had already stepped aside to let them go first and was taken aback by her words.
“Miss, can you diagnose illnesses too?” he asked.
“I know a little,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied, her gaze falling on the old man’s slightly hunched back.
To others, it seemed the old man was hunched over because he was carrying the little girl.
“Then what do you think my illness is?” the old man asked with a smile after a moment of surprise.
Cheng Jiao-niang remained silent.
“I don’t know,” she answered.
The old man was once again taken aback.
“But I can treat it,” Cheng Jiao-niang added.
“And how would you treat it?” the old man asked with a smile, his expression already showing a hint of disbelief.
“My mistress requires payment in advance for her medical services,” Ban Qin said from the side.
At this, the old man couldn’t help but laugh.
“Thank you, miss, but carrying the child has worn me out. I need to get going,” he said, abruptly ending the conversation. Nodding, he stepped out of the temple and walked quickly down the road.
The coachman couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Miss, you can’t do business like this. How can you say you don’t know the illness? Even if you don’t know, since you can treat it, you should make up a name for it,” he said.
Ban Qin gave him an annoyed glare.
“We’re not doing business,” she said.
The coachman smirked.
“If it’s not business, why ask for a consultation fee?” he muttered.
“Because we need the money…” Ban Qin replied, getting irritated by the coachman’s mocking expression. “Let’s hurry and get going. We need to reach the next town before nightfall.”
“I’m just trying to help you,” the coachman grumbled, feeling a bit wronged, and urged the donkey forward.
As the carriage swayed out of the temple gate, the sunlight grew intense, prompting Cheng Jiao-niang to lower the carriage curtain.
Ban Qin occupied a seat inside the carriage while the coachman guided the vehicle, and the group proceeded forward.
Deep into the night, the donkey cart eventually halted in front of an inn. A staff, yawning, approached to welcome them. Ban Qin dismounted from the cart and engaged in thorough inquiries for some time before finally signaling to the coachman.
“Quite a handful to deal with. Going from one inn to another, endlessly fussing over every little detail until it’s dark. And on top of that, you have to pay me extra for another day and cover my meals and accommodation. What’s the point of all this?” grumbled the coachman as he led the donkey cart towards the stable in the backyard.
“Isn’t it good enough that you have the opportunity to earn money?” Ban Qin replied disapprovingly to the coachman’s complaints.
Meanwhile, Cheng Jiao-niang had already stepped down from the cart, and Ban Qin quickly reached out to assist her.
Glancing back, the staff leading the way saw the lady, taller than the servant girl, dressed plainly from head to toe in a brown half-sleeved jacket and a subtly patterned skirt. Her attire, though simple, hinted at her maturity, yet her graceful figure suggested otherwise.
At this hour, the hallway was devoid of guests, and most of the lights in the guest rooms were dimmed. Walking beneath the lanterns, the lady caught everyone’s attention.
On the opposite side, there were two people leaning against the railing and chatting. One of them happened to look over and couldn’t help but be impressed.
“This lady is so beautiful,” he remarked.
The other followed his gaze but only saw Cheng Jiao-niang’s faint silhouette as she stepped into the room.
“Yuan-lang, your eye for beauty has become even more astute. You can discern a person’s appearance just from their silhouette, even through a veil,” he chuckled.
The man addressed as Yuan-lang laughed heartily.
“A true beauty is more than just appearances,” he said.
As he spoke, he glanced towards the room where the lady was. The room was dimly lit, suggesting that she had already retired for the night.
Ban Qin sat under the dim light, counting money earnestly.
“Miss, we only have three taels of silver,” she said.
Cheng Jiao-niang leaned against the headboard, the dim light failing to dispel the darkness around her, rendering her figure hazy.
“For tomorrow’s carriage rental and meals, it will be just enough to reach Jiangzhou City before sunset,” she said.
Although Ban Qin was familiar with the prices of carriage rentals and meals, she was not as quick in calculations as Cheng Jiao-niang. Therefore, she simply kept track of the prices and reported them each time, leaving the arrangement of the itinerary to Cheng Jiao-niang directly.
“Miss, it’s only a day’s journey. Should we change carriages?” Ban Qin asked, puzzled.
Cheng Jiao-niang remained silent for a moment.
“Yes, let’s,” she said.
“Yeah, this coachman is too noisy,” Ban Qin nodded.
Yet it wasn’t solely because of this; rather, it was an instinctual inclination to disrupt their travel patterns, making it harder for anyone to trace their movements. This strategy had needlessly inflated their expenses, a move that appeared superfluous to most. But why did she feel compelled to do this? It seemed like she was evading something, but what?
Was it Cheng Jiao-niang who was avoiding something, or someone else?
Cheng Jiao-niang pondered once again, unable to discern what lay in her jumbled and unclear memories.
As she watched the lady by the bed fall into another daze, Banqin meticulously stowed away the money pouch, extinguished the lamp, and reclined on the cushion, shutting her eyes.
Ever since her bout of illness last month, Jiao-niang had remained unafflicted during the journey, and they were now on the brink of returning home. No more need for arduous travel and uncertainty.
A serene smile adorned Ban Qin’s lips as she drifted off into sleep, a mixture of excitement and relief washing over her.
The following day, as Cheng Jiao-niang and Ban Qin departed, the sun had almost reached its zenith. The road was bustling with activity, yet Cheng Jiao-niang’s donkey cart blended in inconspicuously among them.
“Urgent news, urgent news!”
The urgent sound of horse hooves came from behind, and pedestrians on the road hurriedly moved aside, watching as a troop of soldiers galloped past.
Amidst the crowd, a carriage nearly veered into a roadside ditch.
“Father, are you alright?” Immediately, a middle-aged man in a silk round robe dismounted and hurried to inquire.
Servants pulled back the carriage curtains.
Inside sat an elderly man and a child.
“Daddy, I want to ride a horse,” the girl in the carriage stretched out her hands and called to the man.
The old man reached out to pat the girl’s head.
“It’s hot outside. You can ride the horse when it cools down,” he reassured the girl, nodding to the man. “I’m fine. Let’s continue our journey quickly, so as not to delay your official duties.”
“It’s my fault for making you so tired,” the man said with a tinge of shame, bowing his head.
“Don’t say such things. Hurry…” the old man said, but his sentence suddenly halted, his expression slightly surprised.
“Father?” The man called out in puzzlement, echoing his father’s gaze ahead as he followed suit.
There, a donkey cart drew their attention. A young maid of around fifteen or sixteen was seen lifting the curtain, her expression showing signs of urgency as she conversed with someone inside.
Glancing at the donkey, seemingly injured from the previous commotion, the coachman was crouched down, inspecting it.
It was that lady…
The old man pondered. Were they also heading to Jiangzhou?
Last time on the road, when they noticed them moving slowly, they kindly invited them to join them in their carriage, suggesting it was to avoid getting caught in the rain. Initially, he didn’t take their words seriously, thinking it was merely a gesture of kindness towards the elderly. Despite his skepticism about their intentions, he still appreciated their goodwill and allowed the girl to be carried by the maid sitting outside the carriage for a while.
Should he extend an invitation for them to travel together this time?
After all, he has another carriage, which is undoubtedly more comfortable and faster than their donkey cart.
However…
The old man recalled what the lady had mentioned—she could heal, although the illness was unknown, and there was a consultation fee.
He shook his head.
“Father?” The man called out anxiously once more.
The old man snapped out of his reverie and nodded to his son.
“It’s alright, let’s continue the journey,” he said.
The middle-aged man relaxed upon seeing his father’s untroubled expression, then reassured the girl a few more times before mounting his horse and riding away.
With the guards leading the way, they soon reached the front of the road.
As the breeze stirred the carriage curtains, the old man instinctively glanced outside, catching a glimpse of the small donkey cart as it flashed by.
“You need to treat your illness as soon as possible…”
The voice of the lady echoed faintly in his ears.
The old man reached for his waist, then shook his head with a smile.
That lady was nothing more than a teenager with some knowledge of folk remedies.
Before long, the convoy disappeared into the distance, traveling along the road.
