Chapter 37: A Reflection
“Brother Zhan! Are you alright?”
Mu Jiaojiao was frantic. He’d seemed much better yesterday, but was now even worse on the day of departure.
Zhan Qiyu opened his eyes with effort, attempting to sit up. A Liu supported him, finding him burning with fever.
“I’m fine. I can’t delay,” he said, his voice trembling with determination. Mu Jiaojiao bit her lip, feeling his pain.
Zhan Li was anxious but knew persuasion was useless. She let him do as he pleased.
Baggage was loaded onto the carriage. As A Liu helped Zhan Qiyu board, Mu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but speak.
“I’ll come too. If something happens, I can help.”
The weak man, leaning into the carriage, smiled slightly but spoke coldly, “No need.”
She almost jumped up in anger. Of course she was needed! She’d lived in the capital!
Mu Jiaojiao didn’t argue. She told Shancha to pack her bags and come along.
A Liu, helping with the baggage, understood. Was this the young master’s ploy? A realization dawned on him. He told Shancha, “You and Miss Mu won’t be of much help; it’s best to stay home.”
Shancha, pouting, retorted, “Our Miss is amazing! Just wait and see!”
She was proud of Mu Jiaojiao, who secretly chuckled at Shancha’s blind faith.
Thus, five people set off for the capital.
A Liu, checking the travel permit, noticed it listed five people. Even though Mu Jiaojiao was using a false name, the young master had planned this.
He smiled, whipping the horses towards the rising sun. The journey wouldn’t be boring.
Inside the carriage, Zhan Qiyu leaned against the wall, eyes closed. His face was unnaturally flushed, yet his lips curved slightly.
The dim lighting and the bumpy ride quickly lulled him to sleep.
Mu Jiaojiao was nervous, watching him closely, fearing he’d fall. Zhan Li leaned against Shancha, pretending not to see.
The carriage was full; Mu Jiaojiao, watching him, leaned forward until her knees touched his.
She was shorter, her knees only reaching his shins, rubbing against his legs.
Zhan Qiyu felt it, like a cat scratching his heart, making him feel warm. He remained motionless, savoring her touch. Even her knees felt soft, unlike a man’s.
The carriage moved quickly, leaving Yanhua Town behind. A Liu aimed to reach the first post station before dark.
“Whoa!”
A Liu stopped, allowing everyone to stretch; the horses needed rest too.
He opened the carriage curtains, saw Zhan Qiyu still asleep and prepared to carry him.
After the women disembarked, A Liu reached for Zhan Qiyu, who opened his eyes.
Zhan Qiyu’s gaze was lazy, his tone languid.
“I won’t get down. Go ahead.”
Though his illness was feigned, his body ached, and his head throbbed. Mu Jiaojiao’s presence had eased the pain; her absence brought it back.
A Liu offered him water. Zhan Qiyu gave him a dismissive look; A Liu retreated.
The frozen dirt road was hard. Though Mu Jiaojiao was bundled up, a cold gust made her sneeze.
Shancha quickly put the hood of her cloak on Mu Jiaojiao, urging, “Miss, return to the carriage.”
Mu Jiaojiao refused. She was here to prove her worth, not to act like a young lady.
While resting, A Liu heard noises. He said he needed to relieve himself and walked away.
Behind a tree, he saw two men conspiring, one with a machete, the other a cleaver. They looked like ordinary farmers.
“What are you doing?”
He slapped each of them, making them drop their weapons.
“Spare us, young master!”
They were local farmers with no steady jobs; they sometimes accosted passersby for money. They hadn’t intended to rob, merely assessing the number of travelers.
Seeing their fear, A Liu understood. He shoved their heads together, “Hand it over.”
These men likely had ill-gotten gains; A Liu intended to teach them a lesson. They hadn’t earned anything that day and reluctantly produced a small copper trinket shaped like a mouse.
“Spare us! That’s all we have.”
A Liu didn’t search them, just kicked them and took their weapons.
Back at the carriage, Zhan Li asked about the knives. A Liu said he’d found them discarded.
The carriage continued. Zhan Qiyu guessed it was past noon; they must have met.
He had arranged a group meeting. The thirty-eight women were at a pavilion ten miles from Chang Hu Village.
The pavilion was crowded. The women didn’t know what was happening. They were supposed to meet the scholar, but many others were there. Was the news leaked, causing others to compete for him?
That’s what they assumed. They felt hostility towards each other.
Some women recognized each other and talked.
“Miss Qin, why are you here?” a woman in blue asked Qin Feng Wei.
Qin Feng Wei waved her handkerchief. “I happened to pass by. Why are you here?”
The blue-clad woman naively admitted she was here for a meeting.
Other women sensed something was amiss, suspecting foul play.
Qin Feng Wei felt tricked. It was just a scholar; they’d been played.
A man on an ox arrived, calling to the women, “A gentleman asked me to take you somewhere.”
He didn’t wait for a reply, driving his ox away.
The women were confused but followed. The ox cart was comfortable, but the women grew tired from walking. They endured for over an hour.
They reached a stream. The man dismounted, “Alright, you can look at yourselves now.”
He led the ox into the shallows.
Qin Feng Wei immediately understood. They’d been made to walk so far to look at themselves in the stream’s reflection. Zhan Qiyu was arrogant.
She should have been angry, but felt a desire to conquer him. Subduing such a man would be challenging.
She always held herself in high regard, feeling humiliated. If she didn’t seek revenge, she wouldn’t be Qin Feng Wei.
She turned back. Zhan Qiyu would be beneath her.
Other women realized something was wrong, returning home ashamed and angry, planning to complain.
Their return journey took another hour and a half. By the time they complained, Zhan Qiyu had left.
The wealthy and powerful were furious but helpless, seeking Zhan Qiyu’s relatives.
The Chen family was besieged. Chen Li learned her nephew’s actions and publicly disowned him.
The others had no choice but to accept it.
In the Qin family, Chen Xing’er faced her mother-in-law’s wrath, until Qin Feng Wei intervened, saying it wasn’t her fault.
Qin Feng Wei held her sister-in-law’s hand, leading her to her room, “Sister-in-law, it’s not your fault. But can you tell me about your cousin’s childhood? I’m curious.”
Chen Xing’er, pregnant, recounted Zhan Qiyu’s life.
Qin Feng Wei, leaving her sister-in-law’s room, smiled confidently. She would have him.
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