Wen Lan did not sleep well that night. Early the next morning, she opened her eyes and saw that it was just beginning to get light outside, and the old lady next door had not yet woken up. She sat up and looked at her injured foot. It was more swollen than the night before, and the bruise had deepened, which looked somewhat frightening. She thought it had indeed been quite a heavy knock. Despite applying the ointment, it would probably take a few days to heal.
After pondering for a moment, she suddenly remembered that one of her shoes seemed to have fallen near the well last night. Chunfang would probably come over from her house soon to make breakfast, and she was afraid of being asked about it. She quickly got up from bed. When she stepped on the ground, she immediately felt pain again.
Wen Lan winced a bit, put on her clothes, casually tidied her long hair in front of the mirror, gently opened the door, and limped out of the courtyard in slippers. After turning the corner, she saw someone by the well in the morning light. Surprisingly, her cousin Xie Yuan was there even before her, getting ready. Her shoe was on the ground.
Wen Lan hesitated for a moment, and Xie Yuan, who had already seen her, immediately raised his hand to signal her not to come over. He dried his hands, picked up her shoe, and walked towards her. When he stopped in front of her, he handed her the shoe, saying, "I was just about to bring it over for you."
To be honest, she couldn't help feeling a bit awkward when she first saw him—that too was quite possible, after all, last night had been too embarrassing. Now seeing him being so open and acting as if nothing had happened was quite reassuring. When she took the shoe from his hand, she smiled faintly and said, "Thanks, cousin."
In the morning light, from such a close distance, Wen Lan finally got a clear look at his face. Handsome features, bright eyes, and a straight nose. However, his mouth and half of his face were covered by a beard, making it difficult to say what he really looked like. But compared to the first impression she had when they met at midnight last night, he indeed looked younger.
Xie Yuan nodded slightly, then his gaze fell on her foot, and he asked, "How's your foot? Don't walk around casually. I will call for a bone-setting doctor to come and check on you today."
Wen Lan hurriedly said, "It's not necessary. I have already applied the ointment you brought last night."
Xie Yuan said, "That was just a regular ointment for minor injuries. It's better to have the doctor check to ensure there are no bone injuries."
Wen Lan thought it made sense, so she lowered her eyes and said, "Alright. Thank you, cousin."—It was the second time that morning she had said this. She looked humble, completely different from her demeanor last night.
Xie Yuan glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "It's my fault. I scared you last night. Please don't blame me."
Wen Lan, hearing him bring up last night's incident, sneaked a peek when he spoke. He sounded just as calm as before, hardly showing any emotions, but his face slightly turned away, and his gaze didn't stay on her.
"Cousin, you're being too harsh on yourself. It's my fault. Please don't take it to heart." She seemed even more respectful, "I'll go back to my room."
Xie Yuan made a sound. Wen Lan turned around, took a few steps, and suddenly heard him say, "Wait!"
Wen Lan's heart skipped a beat, and her first thought was that he might have found out that she was a fake. She quickly turned around and saw a warm smile on his face, looking at her and softly saying, "Sanniang, your family's matters, my mother mentioned it briefly last night. Rest assured, this place will be your home from now on. Settle in with peace of mind, and I will treat you as my own sister."
Wen Lan noticed that when he mentioned "sister," he emphasized the word.
It turned out that he was afraid that she, as his cousin, might misunderstand and was trying to ease the embarrassment from last night, so as to clear up any misunderstandings between them. This suited her well. She nodded quickly and thanked him again, "I understand. I also see you as my own brother. Thank you, cousin."
"Okay, you can go now." Xie Yuan waved his hand like shooing away a child, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her disappear from sight.
The shock brought by the sudden arrival of this cousin last night, or more precisely, the embarrassment and fright, finally vanished at this moment. This was the cousin he had imagined, almost the same as when they were children. Obedient and sensible. He would quickly forget about last night, and from then on, as he told her, treat her like a real sister.
~~
When Chunfang came over from home, she quickly noticed the injuries on Wenlan's hands and feet. Startled, Wenlan couldn't stop her, and naturally, the old lady also heard and questioned the reason. Wenlan had to push it off, saying that she had accidentally fallen while fetching water last night. The old lady felt sorry for her, and when Chunfang went to call the doctor, Langzhong was brought by Changning.
Langzhong pressed and kneaded Wenlan's instep several times, then took out a dark, sticky cake, spat on it a few times, shaped it into a cake, and then heated it over the fire. He was about to pat it onto Wenlan's foot when she got scared and quickly retracted her leg. Langzhong seemed a bit annoyed, but out of respect, he hummed a few times. Seeing Changning looking at Wenlan with a pained expression, he quickly persuaded Wenlan, "He is the best bone-setter around here. This is a traditional healing salve. When I was a child, I broke my leg falling off a wall, and he healed it. Look at me now, perfectly fine!" After saying this, he even jumped vigorously a few times in front of Wenlan as proof.
Wenlan had to extend her leg and watch as Langzhong applied the spit-mixed medicine cake to her foot, then wrapped it in a bandage. After expressing her gratitude, Langzhong's expression improved, and he reminded her of a few things before being escorted out.
~~
After handling some accumulated affairs in the yamen, Xie Yuan went, as usual, to report to the eunuch's mansion. Wu Sanchun had been waiting for him for several days, and when he finally returned, he said that the tributes of pearls had been successfully handed over to the palace's internal affairs department, and handed over a slip, looking at it, he breathed a sigh of relief, folded the slip and put it away, with a smile on his face, saying, "Good, good, I knew that entrusting the matter to you would not go wrong. If it were like last time, nobody would have a peaceful life!"
Wu Sanchun was so nervous because the last time the tribute of pearls was sent to the capital, it was robbed halfway. The court stipulated that every year, the Bai Long City must offer tributes twice a year, each weighing no less than one hundred taels. In fact, even in the area where mother-of-pearl was abundant, not every shell contained pearls, sometimes it took several hundred, or even thousands of shells to obtain one. So, when it was about time to offer tributes, the pearl harvesters had to work overtime, often risking their lives to gather enough pearls.
It was precisely because pearl harvesting was difficult, that after losing the pearls last time, it was impossible to gather enough pearls in a short time. As a result, the internal affairs department blamed Wu Sanchun as the person directly responsible, and he was supposed to be punished. In order to get away with it, he had to use bribery and connections. After the last lesson, Wu Sanchun dared not be careless, so he entrusted the tribute to Xie Yuan, who was not originally responsible for this matter. Now that he saw that the tribute had been safely delivered, he was naturally happy. Finally, he said, "When you go to the capital, there are fast horse relay stations all the way, our family thought you had returned home last month. Waiting for you for so long, we were very worried."
Xie Yuan replied, "Mr. Wu blames me. I was afraid of being too conspicuous on the main road and attracting thieves' attention, so I deliberately chose to take a side road, which delayed my arrival. I believe safety is the top priority."
Wu Sanchun thought about it, and nodded, "You are indeed careful."
Xie Yuan smiled slightly and said, "I heard that some time ago, a dozen or so pearl harvesters who had fled from the village were caught, is that true?"
Wu Sanchun turned angry and said, "Yes! They are still hanging on the execution platform. Set an example by punishing one. Let's see if these scoundrels dare to run away again!"
Xie Yuan said, "In my opinion, a moderate punishment will suffice, there's no need to take lives. The number of pearl harvesters is decreasing day by day. I heard that Mr. Wu, you have also submitted several memorials, requesting a reduction in the amount of tribute, but the internal affairs department refused. If one more person dies, there will be one less person to drive. Moreover, the local people are quite rebellious, and harsh punishment alone may not suppress them. In my opinion, a combination of kindness and severity is the best strategy."
Wu Sanchun had been stationed in this place for many years and naturally knew that there was a saying here, that "anyone can be a thief, and any household can harbor a villain". Although he was appointed by the emperor in the capital, many of the local affairs were carried out by local officials like Xie Yuan. People were greedy, but not stupid. Knowing that Xie Yuan was highly respected in the locality, when he said this, Wu Sanchun went along with him and said, "If that's the case, it's up to you to handle it."
Xie Yuan thanked him and was about to take his leave, when Wu Sanchun suddenly said, "Earlier we heard that the newly appointed commander in charge of Guangdong and Guangxi is going to train a naval force to exterminate the pirates. It is said that the one-eyed dragon is not much of a threat now, but the most important thing is to guard against that sea king." As he spoke, he chuckled and shook his head, "As soon as I heard it I wanted to laugh. We have been the superintendent here for ten years. The commander has changed at least seven or eight times, and every newcomer talks big like this? Doesn't he know that out of every ten officials under his command, seven or eight are secretly doing business with the sea traders and worship the sea king like a deity? Guard against him? Just look at it, we are the ones who support these pirates and let them help us ward off the Japanese and protect our borders! I'm underestimating him, but with those few shabby ships of his, if he destroys them, there won't be many nails left, what can he use to fight with others? If he sends people down here in a few days, you just need to keep them busy for a few days and send them away, don't take it seriously!"
Xie Yuan agreed. After leaving the eunuch's mansion, he went straight to the troubled Lemin village. After a busy day, he returned to the residence of the patrol department by nightfall. After asking about Chunfang, he found out that Changning had already brought the bone-setting doctor to see the injured Wenlan according to his orders early in the morning, and he was told that she would be fine after resting for a few days. Only then did he relax and went to see his mother, Ma Shi.
Ma Shi had been turning over an idea in her mind for many days and finally couldn't hold her tongue anymore when she saw that her son finally had time to sit down and listen to her talk. She commanded him to close the door and sit across from her, smiling and saying, "Yuan, you've seen the cousin, she's so beautiful, right?"
As Ma Shi asked him, the image of the woman standing by the well last night, with her back turned to him, flashed through his mind again. At that moment, under the moonlight, amidst the flickering of the flowers, her figure was graceful, her legs slender, as if boneless. He even had a bizarre illusion that she was a creature conjured by the well. It was fortunate that when they met again in the morning and had a conversation, she turned out to be gentle and calm, which reassured him.
When Xie Yuan snapped out of his trance, he replied, "Yes."
Ma Shi beamed with joy and said, "I knew it. Although I can't see, I can feel. If you like her, I will pick a date and hold the wedding for you, which will also fulfill my long-cherished wish."
Xie Yuan was taken aback and immediately shook his head, "Mother, this is not appropriate."
Ma Shi was not happy to hear this and said with a stern face, "Yuan'er, you are at a marriageable age, I should have become a grandmother by now. But you are still not married. Let me tell you, whatever happened in the past is one thing, but this time, since Providence has brought San Niang here, it is a match made in heaven."
Xie Yuan said, "Mother, listen to your son. I am still not established in my career, and after today, I don't know what tomorrow holds. Marrying my cousin may end up doing her harm. Also, I have known her since we were children, and I have always treated her like a sister. I have never thought about this, how can I marry her?"
Ma Shi did not expect her son to refuse again, although his tone was polite, the meaning was clear that he did not want to marry. In her youth, she had a hot temper, and now, the disappointment and anger that had built up for a long time surged up in her heart. She could not contain it and slammed her cane hard on the ground, scolding, "Do you think I'm a blind old woman who can be easily fooled? You're not leading troops or fighting battles, so what stability are you talking about? Do you think you're a pirate king ruling the seas? If you were, I wouldn't force you into marriage, to avoid bringing trouble and sin to others. And as for treating her like a sister, what kind of sister? You've only met a few times in your childhood, and now after so many years, where does the idea of a sister come from? You keep refusing to get married time and time again, and I hardly ever see you throughout the year, are you hiding mistresses outside?"
Xie Yuan quickly said, "Mother, calm down, there's no such thing."
Ma Shi grunted and said, "It's best if there isn't. If I find out that there really is, I'll break your legs! Let me tell you, I have decided on San Niang as your wife. This time, whether you want to or not, you will marry her!"
Seeing his mother's agitation, Xie Yuan knew it was useless to argue further, fearing she would become even angrier. He thought to calm her down first and speak to her once her rage subsided. He helped her up and said, "Mother, let's not worry about this for now, let's have a meal."
Ma Shi sat still and swatted his hand away, saying coldly, "What meal? My son has grown wings and no longer has any use for a blind old woman like me. It would be better for you to starve to death and meet your underground father early, to avoid bothering me."
Xie Yuan, feeling helpless, said, "Then I'll have Fang bring the meal." With that, he opened the door. Lan, who had been eavesdropping at the door, couldn't avoid the collision as the two nearly bumped into each other.
In fact, Lan did not follow to eavesdrop intentionally. She had come to summon them for dinner, and as she arrived at the corridor, she overheard the old lady's shouting, which seemed to mention her name, so she couldn't help but approach the door to listen. Now that she was discovered, she knew eavesdropping was shameful and felt a bit embarrassed. Seeing Xie Yuan frowning slightly and looking at her, she forced a smile and said, "Cousin, the meal is ready, I just came to ask Aunt and you to come for dinner."
Xie Yuan nodded and said shortly, "You accompany my mother for dinner," and walked past her.
Ma Shi, upon hearing Lan's voice, softened her stern expression and called her over. Lan said, "Aunt, it's time for dinner."
"Not in a hurry, I'm not hungry, and my anger is already sated. Come sit down, Aunt has something to say."
Lan suspected what the old lady wanted to talk about. She sat down as requested.
Ma Shi said, "San Niang, did you hear my conversation with your cousin?"
Lan replied hesitantly, "I only heard a few sentences..."
Ma Shi sighed and said, "Since you heard, I won't hide it from you. San Niang, your mother and I are sisters. She had a hard life, and unfortunately passed away, leaving you in my care. As your aunt, I naturally want to take care of you. Since you are unmarried, and coincidentally, your cousin is also not married, I thought to take the lead and have you two get married."
Ma Shi, without waiting for Lan's response, continued, "I have raised him since he was young and know his character very well. Although I scolded him just now, it was out of anger. Not to boast, aside from being reluctant to get married, he has never given me cause to worry, let alone the bad habit of fooling around outside. If you marry him, not only will it relieve your aunt of a great worry, but your mother in heaven will also surely be happy."
Lan said softly, "Aunt, I know my cousin's good character, but it seems he is not very willing to marry me..."
At the thought of this, Ma Shi became angry again and said, "San Niang, rest assured. I know what I'm doing. As long as you listen to me, I'm not afraid he won't marry you."
Seeing her niece obediently accepting her words, the old lady felt relieved and said, "Come here and listen to me."
Lan approached and heard the old lady whisper, "I also know a bit about your cousin's temperament. If you talk to him like this, he definitely won't agree. We'll have to use some means to scare him into it..."
Lan nodded in agreement.