Chapter 40: A Misunderstanding Outside the Fu Residence

Page 1 of 3

In the twelfth month, in Tao County.

Under the severe cold, fewer and fewer people ventured outdoors; even those who occasionally went to the streets could hear the townsfolk discussing how Yongji Canal had frozen solid, covered with a thick layer of ice.

In the Li household.

Li Le, Li Zhaotian, Xu Huaichuan, and several others gathered in the front courtyard, their faces full of curiosity as they watched Li Qiong and Cui Wenjin sparring in the yard.

“They’re both incredible!”

Watching Li Qiong and Cui Wenjin, each wielding wooden swords and exchanging blows with equal skill, that was the only thought in their minds.

However, not long after, Li Qiong’s delicate face tightened, her eyes sharp. After blocking Cui Wenjin’s thrust, she stepped forward with lightning speed, wooden sword in hand.

Seeing Cui Wenjin retreat repeatedly, Li Qiong gave her no chance—she deftly flicked aside Cui Wenjin’s sword and pressed her own wooden blade against Cui Wenjin’s neck.

“Lost again!” Cui Wenjin looked at Li Qiong in resignation. As a daughter of the Cui clan, she had rarely suffered such a blow.

Though she herself was not unattractive—indeed, by any measure, quite beautiful—compared to Li Qiong, Cui Wenjin could only admit she fell just short.

Now, even her pride in her swordsmanship was eclipsed by Li Qiong.

Reflecting honestly, until she met Li Qiong, Cui Wenjin had never been so thoroughly bested by another woman.

“It’s because we use wooden swords for sparring, not real combat,” Li Qiong said, lowering her weapon and smiling at Cui Wenjin.

“My teacher once said: sparring and battle are different. In life and death, many skilled warriors hesitate in the face of danger, unable to draw their swords to kill, ultimately dying under their opponent’s blade out of indecision.”

Seeing that Cui Wenjin had lost the desire to continue, Li Qiong put the wooden sword aside.

Even Li Qiong herself was uncertain if she was the kind of person her teacher described.

Cui Wenjin felt slightly comforted by Li Qiong’s words, then looked at her with curiosity.

“Who did you learn your swordsmanship from?”

Cui Wenjin was genuinely curious. Her own skills were taught by a venerable elder found by her parents, yet even so, before Li Qiong she stood little chance.

Suddenly remembering something, Cui Wenjin broke into a smile.

“No wonder Fu Zihou isn’t good enough for you! You’re so outstanding! I wonder who could ever be worthy!”

Cui Wenjin looked at Li Qiong, her fixation on her lost favorite hairpin suddenly letting go.

She only lost a beloved ornament—Fu Zihou lost a scholar-warrior of flawless beauty and poise.

The sense that the other suffered more than herself brought Cui Wenjin a rush of satisfaction.

“It was one of Grandfather’s old friends…”

Li Qiong began.

Hearing Cui Wenjin mention Fu Zihou—the young man whose engagement to her had been dissolved—Li Qiong felt helpless. She was about to respond, but before she could, both she and Cui Wenjin noticed servants carrying wooden chests, and three maids each holding bundles of fabric, following behind Li Qiong’s mother, Lady Zhou.

“Aunt Zhou! Is there a wedding feast somewhere?”

Seeing Li Qiong’s mother, Cui Wenjin quickly bowed, then, after Lady Zhou nodded, casually asked, thinking perhaps there was a celebration in Tao County.

“No, not a feast! The matriarch noticed the cold and worried the Fu family didn’t have enough clothing for winter.”

Lady Zhou explained softly to Cui Wenjin, looking at the items held by servants and maids.

“There were some spare wool quilts in the house, but the matriarch feared they were too old and might embarrass the Fu family, so she had new ones purchased. With the cold, supplies are scarce—only through connections could we procure these. Also, the matriarch saw there were three bolts of silk in the storeroom, so she had me deliver them as well, saying there are three women in the Fu household, one bolt each.”

Lady Zhou finished, somewhat resigned.

The matriarch was rushing to provide for the Fu family, afraid they might suffer even a hint of hardship in Tao County.

But she didn’t consider—even the daughters-in-law of the Li household, let alone the matriarch herself—hadn’t changed their own wool quilts in years.

Lady Zhou understood the matriarch’s desire to repay Uncle Fu’s kindness from years past, and so said nothing. Besides, the Fu family had already agreed to dissolve the engagement with her daughter and instead marry her niece, Li Cha.

Page 2 of 3

“Qiong, you and Cousin Cui stay and chat. I’ll deliver these things to the Fu family,” Lady Zhou said to Li Qiong, then smiled warmly at Cui Wenjin, indicating that if she needed anything in the Li household, she could ask Li Qiong.

Seeing how often Cui Wenjin had come alone to keep her daughter company lately, Lady Zhou was pleased for her child.

After all, Cui Wenjin was from the prestigious Cui clan of Qinghe; with such a background, the Fu family would surely be a notable family in the future. Her daughter’s friendship with Cui Wenjin was a blessing.

Lady Zhou didn’t expect them to be as close as sisters, only that if her daughter ever needed help, she could ask Cui Wenjin.

“Aunt, please go ahead!”

“Mother, don’t worry!”

Li Qiong and Cui Wenjin nodded, then watched Lady Zhou leave with her maids.

“New wool quilts and silk, one bolt each!” Cui Wenjin turned to Li Qiong, asking in a low voice, “Just how close were the Li and Fu families? The matriarch is sending quilts and silk!”

Li Qiong was about to answer, when she saw Cui Wenjin suddenly become animated.

“That’s right! Come on, let’s visit the Fu family!”

Cui Wenjin turned to Li Qiong.

“No,” Li Qiong replied, shaking her head. She and Fu Zihou were no longer betrothed; it was not proper to visit now.

“Oh, come on! Aren’t you curious about what he said to my brother in the loft the other day? Come! Once you’re there, you’ll know!”

Cui Wenjin, recalling Fu Zihou’s words from before, couldn’t wait any longer. She grabbed her sword and took Li Qiong’s hand, ignoring her protest, dragging her toward the gate.

Tao County’s streets.

Cui Wenjin and Li Qiong followed Lady Zhou and her entourage through a lane, and with few people about, soon arrived at the Fu household.

“Why is there such a strong smell of herbs?” Cui Wenjin frowned, standing behind the Li household servants, the pungent scent making her uneasy.

Could it be—wine?

She sighed, face twisting in disappointment.

She thought Fu Zihou truly knew how to brew wine, but this nauseating smell…

Wine? Who are they fooling? Did they think she’d never smelled alcohol?

The more Cui Wenjin thought, the more aggrieved she felt. To her, Fu Zihou might as well have claimed to be skilled at decocting medicine!

He was supposed to help her earn money, deliver letters to the Xie family!

Cui Wenjin muttered inwardly about Fu Zihou’s unreliability; any fondness she once felt vanished, replaced by resentment.

“At least when the letter was delivered to the Xie family, it was said that Fu Zihou found someone, not me, Cui Wenjin. That scoundrel… liar still has some conscience!”

Unable to bear it, Cui Wenjin covered her nose, turned to Li Qiong.

“Shall we leave?” She had no desire to stay—seeing a liar and enduring that awful smell was enough to make her shiver and long for escape.

Li Qiong, already frowning, relaxed at Cui Wenjin’s suggestion. She preferred not to enter the Fu household, so nodded and left with Cui Wenjin.

Outside the Fu residence.

Lady Zhou knocked on the door, covering her nose, watching her daughter and niece leave without asking why, since even she could hardly tolerate the odor.

When the door opened and she saw Lady Zhang, Lady Zhou quickly lowered her hand.

“Lady Zhang, the matriarch worried the Fu family hadn’t prepared for winter, so sent these things, as well as three bolts of silk.”

Page 3 of 3

Lady Zhou smiled, stepping aside to let the maids hand the silk to Lady Zhang.

“How could we accept this? Sister-in-law, come help! Lady Zhou, please come inside…”

Lady Zhang’s eyes sparkled at the sight of so many goods, her smile radiant, though her hands wasted no time in accepting the silk.

She was about to invite Lady Zhou in when she noticed the odd expressions of Lady Zhou, the maids, and the servants, and realized the reason.

“My nephew is brewing herbal medicine; the smell is strong. When convenient, please come in for a visit,” Lady Zhang said with a smile.

Lady Zhou was relieved, exchanged a few polite words, and prepared to have the servants carry the chests into the courtyard.

“No need, no need!” Lady Tao took the silk from the maid, quickly stopping them.

Lady Zhang, seeing Lady Zhou’s confusion, laughed and explained the house was messy; once tidied, she and Lady Tao would bring everything inside themselves, not to trouble them further.

“That… is fine then,” Lady Zhou, though puzzled, was eager to leave due to the smell, so smiled and nodded, letting the servant set down the chests.

After a bit more polite conversation, Lady Zhou bid farewell, departing with her household, watched by Lady Zhang and Lady Tao.

Lady Zhang and Lady Tao exchanged glances, then hurriedly closed the door, ignoring the chests outside.

In the Fu household’s front courtyard.

Amidst the strong herbal aroma, there was a faint scent of wine in the air.

Lady Tao watched her son, flushed and tipsy, alongside Elder Liu and the old man, and hurried to the wooden hut where her son was pouring wine into jars.

“Zihou, are you almost done?” Lady Tao asked, amazed that her son truly knew how to brew wine, and curious about the mysterious elder, reminiscent of the legendary Master Huangshi, her son had mentioned.

It was a pity that back in the village, she and her husband thought he’d been deceived and paid no heed to the story.

“Nephew, add more herbs, make it stronger. The wine is so fragrant, but the smell is starting to disperse!” Lady Zhang frowned, joining Lady Tao, watching the pot of boiling medicine, her cheer replaced by concern.

Even today, Lady Zhang still felt shadowed by what happened back home years ago.

Fortunately, her nephew knew to mask the scent with pungent herbs; otherwise, Lady Zhang felt she’d be forced to move.

“Alright, it should be done before nightfall,” Fu Zihou replied, wiping sweat from his brow. Thankfully, it was winter, and the wine wouldn’t spoil easily.

Time passed unnoticed amidst their busy work.

As dusk fell.

Fu Zihou finally finished pouring all the wine into jars, then, with his mother and aunt’s help, moved them inside.

Suddenly, Fu Zihou heard urgent knocking at the gate.

“Who is it?” Lady Zhang turned and went to the door.

Soon, as she opened it, Fu Zihou heard his cousin Fu Zhi’s voice.

“Mother! Uncle has returned!”

Hearing this, Fu Zihou, who had been gazing at the wine jars, was stunned, then his face lit up with joy.

Father had returned!