Chapter 98: If Life Were Only As It Was When We First Met

By the middle of the tenth month, the temperature in Huating had thoroughly cooled down.

A cold sea breeze, mixed with a faint briny scent, surged into Huating County from the east. After several claps of thunder rumbled in the latter half of last night, wisps of cold rain began to stretch across the sky.

In an instant, the entire Huating was enveloped in a misty, rain-drenched haze, permeated with water vapor.

The fine rain continued incessantly; the rain in Jiangnan was not like that of the north, where the rain was like galloping thunder, coming and going in a flash.

The rain in Jiangnan was like a young lady, gentle and elegant, making one intoxicated after just a slight taste.

Zhang Yunxiu rose early and began to admire this fine rain through the window.

Outside was already a world of white, and the cold rain in the air, mixed with the fragrance of soil, drifted into his nasal cavity.

Feeling inspired, he tightened his clothes and pushed the door open to step out.

Originally, the Xu Family had planned to go pay respects to Xu Jie today, but as the heavens were not cooperating, the Xu Family simply postponed it for two days.

With nothing to do, Zhang Yunxiu could not stay in his room alone, so he wandered over to the Xu Family's back garden.

At this moment, the water pavilions, terraces, flowers, and trees in the garden, having been washed by the fine rain, appeared all the more delicate and dripping with beauty.

Zhang Yunxiu stepped into a small pavilion in a few strides, sat down on a stone stool, and then rested his chin in his hands, immersing himself in this leisure.

His relationship with the Emperor should be considered quite good now.

It was not that the Emperor needed him, but that he could help the Emperor make money and help the Emperor maneuver among the court officials.

Just like Yan Song, the powerful minister of the Jiajing Emperor's era, the Emperor kept him because he could help the Emperor rake in money.

Of course, the Yan Party later became far too arrogant and overbearing, which led to their downfall.

The Jiajing Emperor even roared in anger: "That is My own money! They take two million taels, and I take one million taels—do I have to thank them for that?!"

Sometimes, when Zhang Yunxiu was alone, he would also wonder: just how much money does one need to earn before it is enough?

"Who are you? How did you end up in the female quarters' back garden?" Just as he was thinking, Zhang Yunxiu suddenly heard a questioning voice from behind.

Turning his head to look, a young woman holding an oil-paper umbrella slowly walked into the pavilion.

She appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, stood one meter five tall, had a melon-seed-shaped face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and skin as white and smooth as cream.

She wore a bean-green fitted long robe, and when she spoke, she seemed to carry an inexplicable sense of superiority.

But according to Zhang Yunxiu's estimation, this woman was at most a concubine, or perhaps a maid with a higher status.

After figuring this out, a playful mood arose in Zhang Yunxiu's heart, and he decided to tease this little bean sprout.

He deliberately feigned a flustered appearance and said coyly, "I... I had an urgent need, so I ran to this place. After finishing, I forgot the way I came. Seeing that the scenery here is beautiful, I just started admiring it."

The little bean sprout curled her lips high and said triumphantly, "That's right, our garden was built by the old master at a great cost; how could it not be beautiful? Alright, call me 'Big Sister', and I'll lead you out."

"How old are you?" Zhang Yunxiu asked back with a chuckle.

"Fifteen, so what?" The little bean sprout looked completely unconvinced. "Who calculates things by age? I am the personal maid by the young lady's side. What about you? Whose servant are you?"

"I am the new book boy taken in by the eldest young master."

"You?" The little bean sprout curled her lips and huffed, "The eldest young master is a scholar who passed both imperial examinations; would he need a book boy like you who can't even find his way?"

"Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head with a smile and sat back down. Seeing herself being ignored, the little bean sprout was instantly furious. She put her hands on her hips, puffed out two clouds of white air, and shouted, "Fine! Even if you are the eldest young master's book boy, you cannot enter this back garden. This is a place only for female family members!"

"Then what should I do?"

"Call me 'Big Sister', and I can pretend I didn't see anything," the little bean sprout said, lifting her chin.

Just as Zhang Yunxiu was about to continue teasing this little girl, a pleasant voice suddenly rang out from behind: "Lvluo, are you bullying others again? I've told you how many times—you are not allowed to bully people!!"

The little bean sprout stuck out her tongue, turned around, and made a face at the newcomer, acting like a spoiled child: "Young Lady, I wasn't bullying anyone. I was just teaching this new servant the rules."

The person who arrived was none other than Xu Ruoxi.

At this moment, Zhang Yunxiu also saw the newcomer clearly, seeing her skin like congealed fat, eyebrows like a new moon, a delicate jade nose, and a slender, snow-white neck.

A faint smile was always maintained on her beautiful face.

Gulp.

At a single glance, Zhang Yunxiu had even thought of the names for their children.

There is no such thing as love at first sight; there is only lust at first sight.

Xu Ruoxi also noticed Zhang Yunxiu's presence. Upon seeing the man, she was flustered at first, but then she realized that this person was actually her fiancé. Although there had been a certain distance that day, she had seen him clearly.

"Is he... is he deliberately waiting for me here? Or is it that this guy is afraid I'm an ugly monster and came to peek at my appearance in advance?" Xu Ruoxi gripped her skirt tightly with both hands, her heart rising to her throat.

"Young Lady, it's this guy. He said he's the new book boy taken in by the eldest young master, yet he actually ran into the back garden," the little bean sprout pouted, pointing at Zhang Yunxiu, "A person without manners like this naturally needs to be taught a good lesson."

A book boy?

Xu Ruoxi was stunned.

"Ah, yes, I am indeed the new book boy taken in by the eldest young master," Zhang Yunxiu smiled and bowed to Xu Ruoxi.

Fine, he still dares to lie! Xu Ruoxi was so angry her cheeks puffed out and she bit her lip lightly; the initial shyness of seeing her fiancé for the first time vanished into thin air.

She signaled for Zhang Yunxiu to stand up, then sat down herself, glared at Zhang Yunxiu, and asked, "Since you say you are a book boy, then tell me, what is your name?"

"Zhang Xiuyun," Zhang Yunxiu said without blushing or skipping a beat.

Xu Ruoxi burst into laughter, but suddenly feeling it was inappropriate, she quickly covered her face with her sleeve, laughing to herself. Lvluo, standing to the side, was confused and couldn't help but mutter, "Young Lady, this person's name is actually quite similar to our future master's name."

Ah?!

Zhang Yunxiu was shocked now, and his cheeks instantly flushed red.

This woman was actually his fiancée? "That... that, the eldest young master still has some things for me to do. I shall take my leave." Seeing his true identity exposed, Zhang Yunxiu said something casually, picked up his long robe, and slipped away.

"Hey, you can run from the monk, but you can't run from the temple! I'll go find you at the eldest young master's place later!" Lvluo stamped her foot and shouted at the retreating Zhang Yunxiu.

Xu Ruoxi, standing to the side, stopped her and asked, "How did you know he was a servant?"

"Shifty-eyed and sneaky, he doesn't look like a good person at all," Lvluo pouted and huffed.

Hearing this, Xu Ruoxi's eyes curved into crescent moons with a smile. Lvluo didn't understand why her young lady was so fond of laughing today, so she asked, "Young Lady, what's wrong with you today? Why have you been laughing like this? Lvluo is scared..."

Now you know to be scared?

The things you should fear are still to come.

As her personal maid, Lvluo would naturally have to follow her when she married.

Moreover, there is a high probability that she will have to relieve the mistress of her worries and troubles, especially when the mistress is physically indisposed.

If Lvluo were to find out afterward that the person she treated as a servant was actually her master, it would surely scare her half to death.

Fortunately, although Zhang Yunxiu is glib, he should not be the type to hold a grudge.

"Lvluo, you must be more careful with your words in the future. You are not allowed to bully the servants in the house just because of your status. If a big shot happens to be hiding among them, you will be the one to suffer," Xu Ruoxi said earnestly after a moment of silence.

There are big shots among the servants?

Lvluo shook her head, not believing it in the slightest. After drafting her words in her heart for a moment, Lvluo grabbed her young mistress's lotus-like arm and said coquettishly, "Young Mistress, how could I just bully the servants? I am only teaching them the rules."

"If everyone could enter this back garden, wouldn't we women be seen by these fellows?"

Xu Ruoxi was noncommittal; she turned her head and stared blankly at the ripples in the pond.

That evening, after Xu Ruoxi finished her dinner, she sat upright in her room and gently plucked the guzheng. According to her habit, she would practice the guzheng in her room for a while every evening.

However, she was restless today, her mind filled with what had happened in the garden during the day.

She knew that Zhang Yunxiu must have also seen through her identity, but neither of them spoke of it.

"Pluck, pluck." Because she had lost her composure, the strings began to be uncooperative.

Xu Ruoxi simply let go of the strings, rested her chin in her hands, and stared blankly at the doorway.

Suddenly, a graceful figure walked in from outside with a smile. Xu Ruoxi came to her senses and looked; it was her sister-in-law, Zhu Ling.

"Sister-in-law, why are you here?" Xu Ruoxi stood up and asked.

"This is a gift Young Master Zhang sent for you, telling us it must be delivered into your hands," Zhu Ling said, raising the small sandalwood box in her hand. "Ruoxi, it is impolite not to reciprocate; since he sent you a gift, you really should send one back."

"Mm." Xu Ruoxi's face flushed red. She took the sachet she was wearing from her waist, handed it to her sister-in-law, and said in a soft, chiding tone, "Please, sister-in-law, go to the trouble of delivering this to Young Master Zhang."

Zhu Ling nodded with a smile and left immediately. Xu Ruoxi saw her to the door and then shut the room door with a thud.

She carefully picked up the small box in her arms and gently pushed it open, her eyes full of anticipation.

This was the first time she had received a gift from a man other than her father or brothers.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Her cheeks flushed red, and she could even hear the sound of drums like raindrops in her ears; it was the sound of her own heartbeat.

Holding her breath, she opened the small box and saw that inside was not a jade pendant, nor a bracelet, but a piece of folded white paper.

Xu Ruoxi took it and saw a poem written on it in beautiful, tiny regular script.

She could not help but read it aloud.

"If life were only as it was when we first met, why would the autumn wind grieve the painted fan?

It is easy for the heart of an old friend to change, yet one says the heart of an old friend is easily changed.

After the words at Lishan, the clear night was half gone; the tears of rain and the ringing bells brought no regrets in the end.

How can one compare to the fickle man in silk robes, who broke the vow of wings and branches made that day?"

After reading.

Xu Ruoxi's expression instantly turned ugly.

This poem was full of literary talent and rich in allusions; it could be called the work of a master.

It was just that the mood within it, apart from the first line "If life were only as it was when we first met," mostly described lovers who later developed grievances against each other.

"If life were only as it was when we first met" had merely become a beautiful wish.

Is he worried that I will change my heart? Xu Ruoxi tilted her head, reading such a sentiment from it.

On the other side, Zhang Yunxiu was lying flat on his bed with his legs crossed, clutching a small red sachet in his hand.

Smelling the lingering scent of the woman on the sachet, Zhang Yunxiu could not help but recall the scene of their first meeting today in his mind.

This feeling of being in love was truly heart-fluttering.

Perhaps they would argue over trivial matters after marriage, but as long as they had once had such beautiful memories, it would be enough to reminisce about for a lifetime.

(End of chapter)