Chapter 77
The following morning, just before dawn, Wen Ye stepped out of her inner chamber and saw that the west study room was tightly closed. She unconsciously softened her steps, almost startling Tao Zhi who had just arrived at the hall entrance.
Wen Ye quickly raised her index finger to her lips, signaling for silence. Tao Zhi had no choice but to lower her voice and said, "Madam, there's still over an hour before we depart."
Following Wen Ye's usual habits, she would usually only rise about half an hour before leaving the house. Tao Zhi had come this early simply to prepare all the necessary items for washing and dressing.
Wen Ye adjusted her clothing and asked, "Where is Sir?"
Tao Zhi replied, "He’s gone to the front courtyard, but Liuxin just came by to say that Sir will join you for breakfast later." Breakfast together?
Wen Ye didn't believe it; more likely, it would be an interrogation.
Noticing that Xu Yuejia wasn't present, Wen Ye naturally returned to her normal speaking tone and, pretending to cough lightly, said, "It’s not too early. Inform everyone that we'll depart in two quarters of an hour."
Tao Zhi was surprised. "Two quarters of an hour? That's too rushed; it’s barely enough time for Madam to freshen up."
Wen Ye replied, "After freshening up, we'll leave. Just pack two lunch boxes for breakfast, I’ll eat on the road."
Tao Zhi still couldn't understand and asked, "Why the rush?"
Wen Ye casually explained, "If we leave earlier, we'll reach Orchid City sooner. We can’t exactly visit Young Master at the academy in the dark." Tao Zhi didn’t question further and believed her. "Then I’ll go inform them right away."
After Tao Zhi left, Wen Ye did a set of stretching exercises at the door, feeling slightly stiff in her limbs.
Due to Wen Ye's deliberate concealment, Xu Yuejia was unaware that she had already left the estate in advance. When he returned from the front courtyard study room, he found only a small figure waiting for him.
The small figure turned around and said to him, "Mother has run away?" Xu Yuejia spoke softly for once, agreeing with him: "Yes, she has run away."
The small figure moved closer and his gaze fell on Xu Yuejia's wrist. Suddenly, his brows furrowed as he said, "Father, this is red." Could it be that Father got bitten by a goose too?
He circled around again and exclaimed, "It's even in a circle!" Xu Yuejia, upon hearing this, lowered his eyes to look. After a moment, he entered the room and changed into clothes that could cover it.
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About an hour later, inside the carriage, after traveling out of the city, Wen Ye woke from a nap. Tao Zhi, seeing this, quickly brought over the lunch boxes with breakfast and arranged the items on a small table. She said, "Madam, since you were tired, why not have slept a little longer in the estate? Sleeping in the carriage is so uncomfortable."
Wen Ye stretched and yawned, then replied, "You’ve never been married, you wouldn’t understand."
Tao Zhi blurted out, "What don’t I understand?" Yun Zhi, who had been serving as Wen Ye's pillow, blushed and stopped her sister: "You should stop asking."
Both Wen Ye and Xu Yuejia valued their privacy and didn’t like having people lurking outside their room while they slept. However, after intimacy, someone had to be called to bring in water. Servants and maids weren’t fools; they knew a thing or two.
Yun Zhi, thinking of this, had stopped Tao Zhi from asking further. It wasn’t appropriate to discuss the masters' personal matters openly. Actually, Wen Ye had lived in this era for over twenty years and had grown accustomed to many things that she once found uncomfortable. As for married life, it was all about those aspects, and it didn’t matter much. The reason she left in a hurry was that, last night before bed, she had accidentally drunk a couple of small cups, becoming tipsy. In that state of semi-intoxication, she wasn’t entirely in control of her actions.
Upon waking this morning, she felt a pang of guilt and decided to leave early.
It shouldn’t be called "running away"; she thought of it as a way to repent. She was sure that Xu Yuejia, who had a broad mind, would understand. After all, she hadn’t violated any laws of the Great Jin Dynasty last night.
After internally justifying herself, Wen Ye turned her attention back to the two maids beside her. She observed them for a while and asked, "You two are not young anymore; don’t you have any thoughts about getting married?"
Tao Zhi was shocked by this sudden concern and quickly asked, "Madam, could it be that you’ve found better servants and want to replace us?"
Was it Liuya and Liuxin? But Madam didn’t seem particularly close to them.
Wen Ye picked up a piece of savory bean curd roll, took a bite, and said, "Can't I simply care about your well-being?"
Tao Zhi's shoulders trembled slightly as she cautiously replied, "Does Madam even believe that?"
Yun Zhi, meanwhile, covered her mouth, trying to hide her laughter.
Wen Ye put down her chopsticks, looked at the two of them twice over, and sighed with a laugh, "Alright, today I’ll take the time to truly care about you. Speak up, have you found someone you like after being here for so long?"
Although she was repelled by certain matters, she had never intended to impose her views on others.
Everyone defined a happy life differently; what she could accept, others might not. Wen Ye had never thought of keeping the two of them by her side, serving her from young girls to old maids.
However, upon hearing this, Tao Zhi quickly refused, "I don’t have anyone in mind, and I don’t want to marry."
There was something else Tao Zhi didn’t say, fearing that Wen Ye would scold her for being foolish. She wanted a child, but didn’t want to marry. Should she choose to have a child, or remain unmarried? Tao Zhi had pondered this for several years and eventually chose the latter.
If Wen Ye knew her true thoughts, she would probably say: Tao Zhi, you were born in the wrong era.
As for Yun Zhi, she hesitated slightly before saying, "I haven’t decided yet."
Wen Ye nodded, "No rush. You’re both still young, capable, and good-looking. Anyone who marries you will be fortunate."
At this point, Tao Zhi said, "I think Chun from the front courtyard is quite good-looking. Yun Zhi, how about him?"
Yun Zhi blushed again and, without caring that Wen Ye was still present, reached out to cover Tao Zhi's talkative mouth.
Wen Ye laughed for a while, then added, "Broaden your horizons. It doesn’t have to be someone from the estate."
Both Yun Zhi and Tao Zhi agreed one after the other.
They were indeed not young anymore and should consider their lifelong affairs, whether to marry or stay single.
The journey continued with playful banter among the three, finally reaching Orchid City at a quarter past five in the evening.
Upon entering the city, they followed the address provided by Madam Lu to a small courtyard where Xu Jingrong stayed when on break from the academy.
Granny Jiang had received the news several days prior, and by midday, she was sitting in the courtyard, busy with needlework, keeping an ear out for any sounds outside. She would occasionally go to the alley to check.
Shi, the servant boy who accompanied Granny Jiang, had already gone to the academy to fetch Young Master.
Madam Lu had planned the timing precisely: Wen Ye would arrive today, just in time for the academy’s half-day break tomorrow, which occurred once every ten days.
After Granny Jiang had cut up the meat and vegetables and made a third trip to the alley, she finally saw a carriage heading towards the entrance of the alley. Wen Ye was traveling with a modest carriage, but Granny Jiang recognized the guard leading the way.
The alley was narrow, and only one carriage could pass at a time. Granny Jiang took over the guidance and led everyone to the small courtyard.
The courtyard wasn’t large, but Madam Lu had made preparations. She had written to Granny Jiang, instructing her to rent two additional courtyards nearby when starting the preparations two days ago, as one household had just moved out. The neighboring courtyard was spacious enough to park several carriages comfortably, and there were enough rooms to accommodate everyone.
After disembarking, Granny Jiang said, "Madam, please go in and rest for a bit. Young Master will be back from the academy very soon."
Having spent the entire day in the carriage, Wen Ye felt sore all over and agreed.
When she woke up, it was almost dark outside. After dressing, Wen Ye heard familiar voices in the courtyard and stepped outside.
Upon hearing the sound, Xu Jingrong turned around, flashed a wide smile, and called out, "Auntie!"
Wen Ye responded and asked, "When did you get back?"
Xu Jingrong replied, "About a quarter of an hour ago. Tao Zhi said Auntie was resting."
It had been several months since they last saw each other, and he had grown taller. He looked more sturdy now, except the color of his skin... Wen Ye's expression was somewhat difficult to describe. Why was he so tanned?
Wen Ye opened her mouth to ask, "Have you really been studying in the academy these past few months?" She couldn’t help but doubt.
Xu Jingrong immediately protested, "Even Auntie doesn’t believe me?"@@novelbin@@
Wen Ye scrutinized him from head to toe and said, "The way you look makes it hard for anyone to believe."
Xu Jingrong had to explain again, "Our academy has a mountain behind it. During the farming festival break a few days ago, I didn’t go home because I went up the mountain with some classmates to set traps and catch wild game for food."
Wen Ye still had her doubts and said, "If you want something to eat, just write a letter to Granny Jiang." She had come under Madam Lu's orders and couldn’t overlook any suspicious details.
Xu Jingrong sighed and said, "Eating what Granny Jiang prepares isn’t as much fun as doing it myself." He wasn’t short of food.
Inwardly, Wen Ye thought, she wasn’t fond of doing things herself either.
However, Xu Jingrong's excuse was barely passable. Wen Ye then asked, "Have you ever been to a gambling house?" Xu Jingrong was stunned, never expecting Wen Ye to ask him this.
"Second Auntie, although I'm quite mischievous, staying up late and dozing off during lessons, even throwing paper balls at people, I've never touched gambling!"
Wen Ye: "...…"
The first two behaviors seemed quite undesirable as well. Xu Jingrong reaffirmed again, "Truly."
He didn't know why Second Auntie would ask him if he had been to a gambling house, but he would never admit to something he hadn't done. Wen Ye queried, "If that's the case, where did you spend all that silver?" Xu Jingrong answered frankly, "On eating, of course."
He saw no reason to hide this, continuing, "Second Auntie, you don't know, but there's a restaurant on the street here that has incredibly delicious food. Their business is booming every day, and they even cater specifically to students from the academy. As long as you pay a deposit, they can deliver the dishes right to the academy's doorstep on time."
Wen Ye found the concept familiar; it was like the food delivery services of the modern world, though in Great Jin Dynasty, it wasn't anything extraordinary.
During the cold winter months, some wealthy families didn't want to go out but still longed for the signature dishes of certain restaurants. They would send their servants to buy them from the restaurants and eventually the restaurants caught on. Later, there was no need for daily purchases; as long as one made advance reservations, the restaurant staff would deliver the meals directly to the door.
Of course, there were still risks involved. No one could guarantee what might happen during the delivery process. Madam Lu would never allow such a method of bringing outside food into the mansion.
So, it was understandable why Xu Jingrong wasn't aware of this beforehand.
"Is it really that delicious?" Wen Ye asked.
Xu Jingrong spoke with genuine emotion, "It really is delicious."
He continued, "It just so happens I have a half-day break tomorrow. I’ll treat Second Auntie to lunch at that restaurant." Wen Ye didn't refuse; she genuinely wanted to try it. She said, "What you said, I believe it." Though she believed him, she still needed to investigate further.
After being interrogated for half a day, Xu Jingrong finally reacted and asked, "By the way, Second Auntie, were you really here just to check if I've been to a gambling house?"
Wen Ye denied, "Of course not." Xu Jingrong remained suspicious, "Really?"
Wen Ye casually mentioned, "It's just that your Second Uncle's birthday is coming up, and I thought of finding him a special birthday gift."
Xu Jingrong felt some unexplained numbness in him as he inquired, "What kind of birthday gift would need to be picked in Orchid City? Isn't it available in the capital?" If nothing available in the capital could be found in Orchid City, could it really be?
Wen Ye couldn't tell him that she came to Orchid City to enjoy herself, proceed with the task Madam Lu entrusted to her, and incidentally select a birthday gift. Therefore, after pondering for a moment, she asked, "Can I enter the back mountain of your academy?"
Xu Jingrong replied, "That mountain can't be said to belong to the academy, only part of it is connected to the academy. Second Auntie, you can't enter the academy, but if you want to climb the mountain, there's a path from outside."
Climb the mountain?
Wen Ye shook her head. "I don’t want to climb the mountain, I just want to catch a rabbit." Xu Jingrong assumed, "Second Auntie, you don't intend to gift a rabbit to Second Uncle as a birthday present, do you?"
Wen Ye responded, "Why not?" She didn't plan to explain too much to him about certain things.
Xu Jingrong honestly said, "It's certainly possible, just a bit too simple."
After speaking, he suddenly recalled the scene of his mother's last birthday. Xu Jingrong paused and asked, "Second Auntie, what will you prepare as a gift for my mother's next birthday?"
Wen Ye chuckled, "So you're already coming here to gather intelligence on me?"
The intelligence-gathering failed.
Xu Jingrong wasn't entirely satisfied. "If Second Auntie isn't afraid, won't you be worried if I tell Second Uncle that you chose a rabbit as a birthday gift?"
Wen Ye nonchalantly gave a casual 'oh', "If you want to say it, then say it."
"But before you do, you should think carefully. I’m not afraid of you spoiling this surprise, but I wonder how Second Uncle will think of it."
Xu Jingrong: "……"
With Xu Yuejia's usual demeanor, Wen Ye glanced at the defeated young lad and understood he wouldn't say anything.
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