"One hand is inconvenient."
[Does he expect her to lend him a hand?]
Su Zhenzhen completely stiffened.
She felt that even a dried salted fish wasn't as stiff as she was right now.
Lu Hexu stared at the woman's earlobes, which were gradually turning a crimson hue. He tilted his head slightly and pressed his cheek against the back of her neck.
The young man pressed against her skin. The intermittent, scorching sound of his breathing brought back Su Zhenzhen's rationality. She struggled to speak, "A handkerchief, don't get it on the bed... Can we do it through a handkerchief..."
The young man pressed against the back of her neck, his wet lips pressing over her skin. Su Zhenzhen turned completely red.
She didn't dare to turn around, letting the young man hold her hand and move.
Although the weather had already turned cold, the young man seemed to prefer cold water.
Of course, since there was no freshly boiled hot water in the room, and someone of her status couldn't possibly have the kitchen deliver water, she had to make do with spring water.
Su Zhenzhen washed her hands with the spring water in the courtyard, lathering them with soap three times, yet she still felt that the sensation hadn't disappeared.
Even though it had been through a handkerchief.
Calm down, Su Zhenzhen. It's still unclear who took advantage of whom.
Su Zhenzhen recalled Mu Dan leaning against her shoulder, and the color that had seeped into his face.
Hmm, she didn't lose out.
Listening to the sound of water coming from the next room, Su Zhenzhen went to have her breakfast first.
She sat by the table, nibbling on a cold, hard pastry, and then suddenly used the pastry to cover her face.
Su Zhenzhen felt her face burning hot.
Even now, she could still recall the breath the young man had exhaled when he was pressed against the contour of her ear.
The more Su Zhenzhen thought about it, the redder she became.
"Sister, are you there?"
A knock on the courtyard door interrupted Su Zhenzhen's thoughts. She reached up and patted her cheeks. Waiting until the flush on her face subsided a little, she finally went over to open the door.
Ah Sui stood at the door and saw Su Zhenzhen coming to open it.
Wearing an ordinary autumn pale-lotus jacket, her face was slightly flushed with a tender pink. Her clear eyes were suffused with a thin layer of mist, like peach blossoms bathed in the light fog of a spring day.
Ah Sui was momentarily stunned, then smiled, "Sister, I brought you your breakfast."
Behind her, the door to the main room creaked open.
Su Zhenzhen turned her head to look behind her; it was Mu Dan coming out.
The beautiful youth was like a lotus emerging from the water. The crimson hue under his eyes had not completely faded, making him breathtakingly gorgeous.
The moment she made eye contact with Mu Dan, Su Zhenzhen's mind was completely filled with what had just happened.
She quickly turned back around. With her back to Mu Dan, she introduced him, "This is Ah Sui, he works in the kitchen."
After saying that, Su Zhenzhen noticed that Ah Sui's nose was slightly red, and the rims of his eyes were also a bit flushed. "Are you feeling unwell because of the change in seasons?"
Ah Sui nodded in embarrassment. "I have a slight fever."
"Come with me."
Su Zhenzhen led Ah Sui into her room. She opened a chest and picked through its contents.
Ah Sui followed behind Su Zhenzhen, staring dazedly at the woman's back until he felt a gaze shooting over from behind him.
Ah Sui turned around and saw that exquisitely featured youth leaning against the doorframe, wearing the same eunuch uniform as him.
The young man was indeed exceptionally good-looking. Even when expressionless, he gave off the pure white feeling of a jade sculpture.
But his eyes were very cold, like a person carved from frigid jade. With downcast eyes, when he looked at someone, the whites of his eyes seemed more prominent than the irises, revealing an arrogant and sinister look.
For some unknown reason, Ah Sui suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body. He subconsciously turned his head away, withdrawing the gaze he had fixed on Su Zhenzhen.
"Found it."
Su Zhenzhen handed the item in her hand to Ah Sui.
"Thank you, Sister."
"Take this three times a day. And here is a prescription. Since it's convenient for you to go out, go get the medicine yourself and take it, two doses a day."
"Okay." Ah Sui nodded, and went out holding the prescription and the medicine bottle.
The young man was still leaning against the doorframe.
Ah Sui lifted his foot to step over the threshold. As he brushed past the young man, he subconsciously shrank his posture a bit, then walked away briskly.
"What are you looking at?" Su Zhenzhen walked over to Mu Dan's side.
Lu Hexu withdrew his gaze from Ah Sui. "You give medicine to other people too."
"Medicine is made to cure illnesses. Naturally, I give it to whoever is sick."
Su Zhenzhen stepped over the threshold to see what breakfast Ah Sui had brought her today.
Lu Hexu raised his hand and grabbed the woman's arm, pressing himself against her back and resting his chin on Su Zhenzhen's shoulder.
Because he was very thin, his jawbone dug into Su Zhenzhen, causing a slight ache.
"I don't like him."
Su Zhenzhen said, "Once you interact with him more in the future, you'll know that Ah Sui is a good kid." Ah Sui was young, and she had always treated him like a younger brother.
After speaking, Su Zhenzhen took Mu Dan's hand and went to eat breakfast.
Normally, her standard meal consisted of two plain steamed buns, but today's breakfast had several extra items.
On one hand, it was because she had Mu Dan as a backdoor backer; on the other hand, she was on good terms with Ah Sui, and Ah Sui would sometimes add extra food for her.
Although it wasn't much, it was still a token of kindness.
Today's breakfast included two steamed buns, a bowl of egg drop soup, a bowl of millet porridge, a cornmeal bun, a small plate of pickled cucumbers, and for dessert, a plate of pan-fried red bean rolls.
The red bean rolls were fried just right. The red bean paste inside had been cooked in oil, making it even softer and smoother.
"Don't you like eating sweets the most?"
Su Zhenzhen ate a red bean roll herself, noticing that Mu Dan, sitting there holding his chopsticks in his left hand, hadn't taken a single bite.
"I don't like them anymore."
Is that so.
"Then I just made a new jar of honey mint candies. Do you still want them or not?"
"...I want them."
-
On the second day after the large group checked into the Gusu post-house, a heavy rainstorm began, blocking everyone's travel plans.
Su Zhenzhen had originally thought they would only stay at the Gusu post-house for a day before leaving.
"During the ritual vessel case last time, it was all thanks to Ah Sui catching that thieving little eunuch. Since it's raining today and we have nothing to do, why don't we go out and buy a gift to give him?"
Lu Hexu glanced at her. "Not going."
"Don't you like the rain the most?"
"I don't like it anymore."
Su Zhenzhen: ...
Su Zhenzhen felt that Mu Dan was being inexplicably weird today.
"Alright, be good. I'll buy you some candied treats later. Have you ever eaten Gusu's plum blossom cakes? They are delicious. The outside is made of glutinous rice balls and sweet osmanthus syrup, and the inside is sweet red bean paste. When they come out of the pan, they are coated with a layer of honey water..."
After successfully persuading Mu Dan, taking advantage of the rain lightening up a bit, the two of them set off from the Gusu post-house, sharing an oiled paper umbrella.
The post-house was outside the city, so they had to enter the city first.
There was quite a distance to walk from the post-house to the city gates. Not long after the two set out, the rain gradually stopped, leaving only a light drizzle.
The misty rain of Jiangnan, oh, the misty rain of Jiangnan.
To Su Zhenzhen, it just meant clothes that would never dry.
After entering autumn, the flowers and grass along the roadside had become much sparser, with only a few blossoms blooming.
By the roadside, Su Zhenzhen saw a wintersweet tree blooming early.
It seemed like this winter would be very cold.
The branches of the wintersweet were bursting with buds, but only a few had bloomed. The tender yellow little flowers dotted the withered branches, emitting a faint, elegant fragrance.
Su Zhenzhen leaned in to smell them, catching the clear fragrance of the wintersweet.
She reached out and plucked a blossom. The tiny flower rested on her fingertips, and she lowered her head to gently sniff it.
"It's beautiful."
The young man's fingertips brushed past her fingers.
"The wintersweet is indeed very beautiful," Su Zhenzhen nodded in agreement.
"I mean you."
Su Zhenzhen felt her heart skip a beat.
Her fingertips trembled, and the little wintersweet flower fell to the ground.
"It's going to rain again, let's go, let's go."
Su Zhenzhen took the lead and walked forward alone, her face blushing furiously.
The two arrived at the gates of Gusu City.
People came and went at the city gate. The main road was clean and tidy. The city was built along the water, with a network of crisscrossing canals, and most people used small boats as their mode of transportation.
Changmen, as a major waterway transportation hub, was the most bustling market in Gusu City. It had the most silk and fabrics, followed by shops selling southern goods and northern fruits. Shopkeepers stood at their doors, using pottery jars or bamboo baskets to offer samples to customers. Su Zhenzhen took Mu Dan along, sampling food all the way. By the time they reached the end of the street, their hands were full of food.
She still wanted to buy plum blossom cakes.
Su Zhenzhen led Mu Dan down the street looking for plum blossom cakes. They came to a house in front of a small alley. The family had divided their house into two parts: the front served as a shop selling plum blossom cakes, and the back was their living quarters. It was also situated by the river, making washing and cleaning very convenient.
Su Zhenzhen finally found the plum blossom cakes and was waiting for them to come out of the pan when a very clear and ethereal bell rang out from behind her.
The sound of the bell was bright yet hollow. Immersed in the fine curtain of rain, the sound was drawn out long until it completely dissolved into the air, swallowed by the rain.
Then, another bell rang, carrying a compassionate tolerance for all living beings, bringing a sense of tranquility to those who heard it.
Su Zhenzhen turned her head and saw a group of people approaching from a short distance away.
These people wore unisex moon-white robes, with a cluster of periwinkle flowers pressed at the hem. Carrying flower baskets in their hands, they walked slowly through the rain.
Countless periwinkles of various colors were tossed into the air, falling down along with the rain.
Wherever they passed, a long path of flowers was formed.
In the misty rain, behind them, eight or nine people slowly carried a sedan chair forward.
The sedan chair was covered with white gauze embroidered with scriptures. As it swayed gently in the misty rain, it faintly revealed the person sitting inside.
It was a man with a tall and slender figure. His moon-white robe was also embroidered with scriptures, and it was so long that it almost trailed on the ground. He wore an intricate mask painted with periwinkles. Periwinkles of various colors were stacked on the mask, displaying a vigorous yet eerie vitality. At first glance, he even exuded a bit of divinity.
"It's the Venerable Changchun," the boss, who had been making plum blossom cakes for her, stopped his work and immediately ran out to kneel and bow along with the crowd.
More and more commoners gathered around. They kept walking forward, chanting slogans: "Periwinkles open by day and close by night, the Holy Venerable bestows the raft to the afterlife. Wear this immortal flower to avoid the three disasters, enter our profound gate and ascend the lotus platform!"
The group of people passed by Su Zhenzhen and Mu Dan.
The Venerable Changchun sitting in the sedan chair suddenly shifted his gaze.
Through the curtain of rain and the white gauze embroidered with scriptures, Su Zhenzhen met his eyes.
The man's light brown pupils moved slightly, and then he calmly turned his gaze back.
A cultist carrying a flower basket passed by Su Zhenzhen and happened to throw a handful of petals. A shower of petals fell profusely in front of Su Zhenzhen, hitting her right in the face.
Su Zhenzhen: ...
A hand reached over and took the flowers off her head.
"What kind of flower is this?" Mu Dan asked Su Zhenzhen, holding the flower.
"Periwinkle."
These sects always had to find something representative to make people remember them, like white lotuses, periwinkles, and the like.
"Venerable, Venerable, please save my child, Venerable..."
A woman holding a child suddenly rushed out from the crowd. She knelt on the ground, sobbing and crying, trying hard to present the child in her arms to the Venerable. "My child has been in a coma for over a month. I've sought out all the famous doctors, but they all said there's no cure... I beg you, Venerable, you are my last hope..."
The child looked fair and chubby, not at all like someone who had been in a coma for a month.
The cultists who had been scattering flowers reached out to stop her, but the Venerable raised his hand, allowing the woman to bring the child to him.
With a face full of snot and tears, the woman held the child up.
The child was placed into the sedan chair.
Su Zhenzhen stood on her tiptoes along with the commoners and saw the Venerable reach out his hand and casually tap the center of the child's forehead.
The child, who had been in a deep sleep, slowly opened his eyes and called out to the woman below the sedan chair, "Mother..."
The woman's eyes lit up, and she knelt on the ground, kowtowing incessantly. "The Holy Venerable has manifested his power! The Holy Venerable has manifested his power!"
What a low-level scam.
Just as Su Zhenzhen finished complaining in her heart, she heard crazy voices of agreement echoing around her.
"The Holy Venerable has manifested his power! The Holy Venerable has manifested his power!"
The cultists who had just thrown the petals spoke up: "This is the Periwinkle Flower of the Afterlife, an immortal object bestowed by the Holy Lord. It will ferry you out of the sea of suffering, relieve your hardships, rid you of illness and pain, and guide you to the afterlife." After speaking, the cultists began to scatter petals again.
After that scene, whether they believed it or not, everyone tried to reach out and grab the petals.
The woman holding the child also followed the procession with a devout look on her face.
Su Zhenzhen knew who this Venerable Changchun wearing the periwinkle mask was.
According to her memory of the original novel, Shen Yanci did not use the identity of Venerable Changchun to seize power.
He only used this identity to spread rumors among the people about the tyrant, and rumors that he, as the Crown Prince of Yan State, was the true Son of Heaven and the true dragon emperor.
After Shen Yanci inherited the throne, Venerable Changchun also became a royalist, continuing to create favorable public opinion for him among the people.
The sect this Venerable Changchun belonged to was called the Qingxu Taixuan Society, which also had a Daoist Master Qingxu Taixuan, and the Venerable Changchun played by Shen Yanci held a status similar to a Holy Son within the sect.
The Qingxu Taixuan Society had grown over the years and already had tens of thousands of believers.
Do not underestimate these tens of thousands of believers. If they gathered together, it would be enough to cause major trouble for the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Su Zhenzhen remembered that there wasn't much plot about the Qingxu Taixuan Society in the original novel. This kind of deliberate mystification now should just be normal propaganda. After all, apart from winning over believers, the Qingxu Taixuan Society was really profitable.
The won-over believers included not only poor peasants but also chambers of commerce and even officials, who were all willing to offer large sums of money in exchange for Venerable Changchun's blessing.
Su Zhenzhen's plum blossom cake had already burned.
The boss grabbed a handful of periwinkle petals and came back. He carefully placed the petals in the bamboo basket next to him, then glanced at the burnt plum blossom cake and started making a new one for Su Zhenzhen.
"Miss, it's ready."
Su Zhenzhen reached out and took the plum blossom cake wrapped in bamboo leaves, handing one to Mu Dan.
The young man had witnessed the boss's entire production process.
"There are no plum blossoms."
"There are no plum blossoms in plum blossom cakes, but there are roses."
The reason plum blossom cakes are called plum blossom cakes is simply because they are shaped like plum blossoms, not because they contain plum blossoms.
Mu Dan's right hand still couldn't move. He held the bamboo leaf with his left hand and lowered his head to eat the plum blossom cake inside.
The plum blossom cake was filled with red bean paste. Fresh out of the pan, the red bean paste inside was very hot.
Lu Hexu burned his mouth, but instead of spitting out the piece of plum blossom pastry, he swallowed it straight down.
"Did you burn yourself?"
"No."
His voice was completely hoarse.
The plum blossom pastry seemed to suit Mu Dan's taste perfectly. After Su Zhenzhen and Mu Dan strolled around for a while, the sky darkened, and it began to rain again.
The two of them sat on a stone bridge, looking at Gusu under the curtain of rain.
The river wound like a jade belt, flanked by buildings with black tiles and white walls. Every household hung up lanterns for illumination, making the misty river appear even more ethereal.
The drizzle fell diagonally onto the oiled paper umbrella. When Su Zhenzhen lowered her head, she could see periwinkle petals drifting along the river's surface.
A boat was sculled toward them from the river ahead. Seeing Su Zhenzhen and Mu Dan together, the boatman immediately called out to them, "Little lady, little gentleman, would you like to take a boat ride? Take a boat ride in this life, and you'll be husband and wife in the next."
The call was made in a soft, murmuring local dialect, carrying a melodic tune.
Su Zhenzhen had little interest in taking a boat, but unexpectedly, the young man beside her stirred.
Su Zhenzhen thought Mu Dan was interested in the boat ride.
"Do you want to take a boat?"
Lu Hexu turned to look at Su Zhenzhen and slowly nodded. "Yes."
The fine rain drifted past the oiled paper umbrella and between the two of them, blurring the young man's dark, deep eyes.
Su Zhenzhen nodded and took Mu Dan's hand to board the boat.
The boat ride cost three copper coins, which was not expensive at all.
The small boat was not large, but it had an awning that could block the rain.
Su Zhenzhen closed the oiled paper umbrella and sat side-by-side with Mu Dan.
"Little lady, you and the little gentleman cannot sit on the same side. You need to sit face-to-face, otherwise my boat won't be steady."
Su Zhenzhen: ...Alright then.
The boat was too small; even with only three people, they still had to find a point of balance.
Su Zhenzhen changed her seat. She leaned against the awning cloth and tilted her head to look at the buildings on both sides.
When she was young, Su Zhenzhen used to take boats often, but she stopped doing so as she grew older.
The river here was much narrower than she remembered, and the buildings on both sides were older and more worn.
The boatwoman sculled the boat, and at the bow lay a few freshly caught fish.
As the fine, dense rain fell on her face, Su Zhenzhen looked up and saw the gauze lanterns blurred by the rainwater.
In her own world, not far from where she lived, there was also an ancient town that preserved its old architecture. To cater to the atmosphere of the entire town, the government hung many antique-style lanterns on both sides, including gauze lanterns made of plastic.
They looked quite similar to the ones right in front of her.
"Little lady, little gentleman, we have arrived." The boatwoman smiled warmly and invited them to disembark. "This is a small restaurant run by my own family. Whatever you want to eat, I can make it for you fresh."
Su Zhenzhen: ...So this is a package deal.
It was just about time for dinner anyway. Su Zhenzhen asked for Mu Dan's opinion, and the young man simply nodded.
The two of them entered the restaurant together.
It was indeed very small. The room could only fit three tables, and because of the rain, there were hardly any customers.
Inside, a young couple was busy working.
Because they were close by, they could hear the couple's conversation.
"If you truly cared for me, you would buy me a hairpin from the Jindian Pavilion."
Su Zhenzhen took the menu handed over by the woman and asked Mu Dan, who was sitting beside her, "What do you want to eat?"
"I want a hairpin."
Huh?
Su Zhenzhen turned her head to look at him.
Resting his chin on his only good left hand, Lu Hexu's gaze fell on the woman's face as he repeated, "I want a hairpin."
Su Zhenzhen: ...Hold on a second.
"Let's eat first."
Su Zhenzhen ordered river shrimp, braised sea bass, and a vegetable dish.
While the shopkeeper went to get busy, Su Zhenzhen weighed her coin purse in her hand.
It should be enough to buy a hairpin, right? Along the way, she had seen many street stalls selling hairpins.
The stir-fried small river shrimp were served.
Small river shrimp like these, with their crispy shells and tender meat, only needed a tiny bit of salt to taste incredibly savory. There was no need to spit out the shells; you could just chew and eat them whole.
As for the sea bass, Su Zhenzhen had just watched the older woman catch it herself, put it in a bamboo basket, and slaughter it on the spot. It was fresh and delicious.
After finishing their meal, the sky had turned dark. The two left the restaurant, and before they had walked very far, Su Zhenzhen noticed the young man staring at a resplendent two-story building not far ahead.
Following his gaze, Su Zhenzhen saw a brightly lit two-story wooden building. A red cloth banner hung in front of the door, embroidered with golden lotus patterns, fluttering in the wind to attract passersby. Above the wide-open, solid carved wooden doors hung a massive sign: Jindian Pavilion.
This must be the ancient equivalent of a gold shop.
The young man turned his head to look at her. "Let's go there."
Throughout their stroll, aside from showing interest in candy shops, Mu Dan had just been following her around. It was rare for him to be interested in the Jindian Pavilion, but this place looked incredibly expensive at first glance!
If push came to shove, she could just shave off another piece of the gold medallion Mu Dan had given her.
Su Zhenzhen nodded and agreed.
The Jindian Pavilion had display cabinets facing the street, lined with red velvet, on which several high-quality gold hairpin samples were placed for people to admire.
Going inside, the front hall was a reception area filled with many nanmu wood cabinets. They were covered with thin glazed glass, allowing customers to see the design samples inside.
The back was the work area, where one could hear craftsmen hammering and tapping inside, making items on the spot and even offering on-site engraving.
Because it was the largest chain brand gold shop in Suzhou City, business here was quite good.
As soon as Su Zhenzhen walked in, she was stunned by the dazzling lights.
To fully showcase the beauty of the gold from all angles, the lanterns were arranged with great skill. They were soft yet bright, allowing people to appreciate the beauty of the jewelry without being blinding.
Although there was a lot of women's jewelry inside the Jindian Pavilion, there was no shortage of items for men, as well as some suitable for both men and women.
Besides gold, there were also silver products, which were naturally much cheaper than gold, as well as highly valuable inlaid items like jade, pearls, and red glazed glass.
Su Zhenzhen watched Mu Dan head straight for the hairpin section, then stand there staring and picking.
There were other customers nearby, and seeing such a handsome young gentleman like Mu Dan, they all cast secret glances at him.
All those skillfully arranged lanterns could not match even a fraction of the beautiful young man's radiance.
"Which one would the little gentleman like? I can take it out for you to see," a salesperson immediately came over and said.
Lu Hexu's gaze swept over the cabinet, but he didn't seem to find anything to his liking.
The salesperson directly took out a massive gold bracelet. "How about taking a look at this one, little gentleman?"
Su Zhenzhen gasped.
Cannot afford it.
Put it back.
Thank you.
"If the little gentleman is not satisfied with the styles in our shop, you can also draw your own design and have our craftsmen make it. Or, we have other styles here. These are the samples, please take a look and see if anything catches your eye." The salesperson was a smooth talker. As he spoke, he directly brought out three or four booklets filled entirely with gold jewelry design patterns.
"What do you want to buy?" Su Zhenzhen leaned over and spoke to him in a low voice.
"A hairpin."
Lu Hexu slowly and methodically flipped through the jewelry catalog in front of him.
He searched for a long time, but Su Zhenzhen didn't see the young man pick anything out. The salesperson had already lost patience and went to attend to other customers.
"Do they have a kitten hairpin?" Su Zhenzhen tilted her head and stared at Mu Dan, deliberately teasing him.
Lu Hexu glanced at her, reached out to take the writing brush resting on the table, dipped it in ink, pulled over a piece of white paper, and began to draw.
Su Zhenzhen leaned in for a closer look.
It was a gold hairpin adorned with jewels, shaped like cat ears.
The body of the hairpin was made of solid gold, with rubies inlaid at both ends. The thicker end was carved into the shape of cat ears and embellished with tourmaline and pearls. The design was simple yet whimsical.
"Did you draw this design yourself, young master? It is truly beautiful, but it will take some time to craft. How about you leave a deposit first, and then choose a day to come pick it up?"
Once the autumn rain stopped, they would be leaving Gusu. They probably couldn't wait that long, right?
"We won't make it in time, will we?" Su Zhenzhen frowned.
The shop assistant quickly replied, "You will make it, you will make it. You can pick it up tomorrow."
"How much silver?"
"The deposit is ten taels of silver."
Su Zhenzhen gritted her teeth and took out ten taels of silver.
She thought to herself that she would have to shave another corner off that gold medallion once she got back.
Since they were already here, they might as well look at other things.
"Let's buy one for Ah Sui."
Lu Hexu's gaze quickly darted to Su Zhenzhen's face. "No."
Su Zhenzhen was speechless.
"He helped us out so much."
Lu Hexu stared at Su Zhenzhen for a moment, took out a pouch of silver from his robes, and casually pointed at a men's jade pendant. "I will take this one."
The shop assistant hurried off to write up the receipt.
"Didn't you just say you weren't going to buy anything?"
"I am buying it."
That worked too.
"You brought silver with you?"
"Yes, I asked my godfather for it."
"Achoo." Amidst the misty autumn rain, Wei Heng, who was reviewing official memorials in the courtyard, sneezed. He stood up and put on an extra autumn coat.
