Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 171: Walking on the Snow and Rekindling Old Love

Panxiang Temple, the meditation room of Master Xiushan.

Miaoyu looked worried and said, "Master, just based on a few words from that man, do you believe that Jinghui was his former maid?"

Master Xiushan replied, "That young master Jia is sincere. Everyone can see that he treats Jinghui very well. Jinghui was indeed his former maid."

Miaoyu felt a chill in her heart when she heard this. She knew that her master was well versed in innate numbers and had extraordinary wisdom. He would not have been so sure if he didn't have a definite idea in his mind.

“The day after he came to the temple, I wrote to my junior sister at the Shenjing Muni Temple and asked her to check for him. I received a reply yesterday.

The letter said that this Mr. Jia was indeed the son of Rongguo Mansion, and was the top scorer in the Yongzhou Academy Examination. He was well-known in the capital for his poetry and calligraphy, and even had a great reputation in Jinling.

Two years ago, his personal maid Zhishao was forced by villains to jump into the river and commit suicide, just like Jinghui did back then. This is absolutely true and there is no way it is wrong."

"Master, is he going to take Jinghui away?"

"Jinghui is originally a person in the secular world. How can she live with the green lamp and ancient Buddha for a lifetime? She has a deep connection with the secular world. Then Master Jia is her destiny. Naturally, she will go with him."

Miaoyu felt sad after hearing this.

She was born in an official family in Suzhou. She had suffered from many illnesses since childhood. Her family bought many substitutes but they were all useless. Finally, she entered the Buddhist monastery and became a nun in Panxiang Temple. Only then did she get better.

She had been lonely since childhood, often accompanied by green lamps and ancient Buddhas. That year, her master saved Jinghui on the way out of Beijing, so she had a junior sister of the same age. Jinghui was beautiful and kind, and she regarded her as a confidant.

Having lived together day and night for the past two years, Miaoyu has developed a deep affection for Jinghui. Now, hearing that Jinghui will eventually be taken away by that man named Jia, she feels very sad and can't help but feel an extra layer of disgust towards Jia Cong.

……

Yesterday, someone from the Jia family's old house in Jinling sent a letter. After reading it, Jia Cong realized that it was sent by Qu Hongxiu.

These days, Jia Cong has made a great name for himself as a writer in Jinling and even in the six prefectures and one city in the south of the Yangtze River. His reputation has long been heard by the servants in the old mansion like Jin Cai.

I already knew that Mr. Cong Sanye from the capital was very capable, but I didn't expect him to be so outstanding.

Moreover, I heard that most of the major events in Jinling City a few days ago were also done by Master Cong Sanye. When the old Duke was his age, he had never heard of such amazing things.

Now, Jin Cai and other old Chen people from the Jia family who stayed in Jinling are becoming more and more awed by the Third Master Cong.

Now the Third Master is still an official, and the letter from the capital might contain important official matters, so Jin Cai dare not neglect it.

I asked my family to ask the Third Master's maid, Miss Wu'er, and only then did I know that the Third Master was currently in Gusu Panxiang Temple.

As for why the Third Master traveled all the way to the nunnery, although it sounded a bit strange, Jin Cai did not dare to ask and only chose a smart servant to deliver the letter to Gusu.

There was good news in Qu Hongxiu's letter. The Japanese water jade bottles that Jia Cong sent back last time were used by him to launch a batch of high-quality perfumes.

Although Qu Hongxiu had raised the price of the perfume packaged in water jade bottles to four times the original price as requested in Jia Cong's letter, the perfume was still sold out as soon as it was put on sale in the shop.

This exquisite-looking water jade perfume has now become popular in the rear quarters of noble officials and wealthy businessmen in the capital, and has become a rare item in the hands of noble ladies and daughters.

He also asked about his situation in Jinling, when he would return to Beijing and other trivial matters.

Between the lines, it seemed that those trivial matters at the end were the real purpose of her writing the letter.

However, Jia Cong accidentally found Zhishao in Gusu, and it was not convenient to bring her back to Beijing now, so he could only stay in Jiangnan for some time.

He also wrote a letter to Qian Bin and asked his servant to take it back to Jinling, asking Qian Bin to help collect and purchase water jade bottles from Japan.

In the beginning, the business of Xiuniang Incense Shop was just a way for him and Qu Hongxiu to find a livelihood for those orphans, but now it has become a big business.

Since ancient times, official career has been dangerous and fortune is hard to predict. It is not wise to base all future and safety on this. However, Xiuniang Incense Shop can create many escape routes in the future.

...In recent years, the weather in the Great Zhou has been getting colder and colder. Places in the south of the Yangtze River like Gusu have had five or six heavy snowfalls since the beginning of winter, which had never happened in the past decade.

The north wind blew hard overnight. When Jia Cong got up early in the morning and looked out the window, everything outside was white. There was snow piled up more than half a palm high on the ground, beside the well in the yard.

The most abundant thing in Xuanmu Mountain is plum blossoms. Although the best place to view plum blossoms is Luomeipo on the north side of the mountain.

But there are also many plum trees planted around Panxiang Temple. At first glance, you can see the light snow flying, the fragrant stamens in the cold wind, and the jade-like trees piled up, which is quite charming.

Although I am only living in Gusu temporarily, I still do not neglect my daily calligraphy practice. After I wrote a few pieces of calligraphy, I heard the sound of footsteps on the snow outside the door.

The area south of the Yangtze River is much more humid and colder than the north. The snow in the north is in the form of snow powder, while in the water towns south of the Yangtze River, the snow is half-transparent ice and damp and cold to the bone.

Through the window, Jia Cong saw Jinghui carrying a bamboo basket on the snow-covered path. Her wide Buddhist robe fluttered in the cold wind, and her sleeves fluttered, revealing her graceful figure.

Jia Cong watched her walk into the courtyard, and he was delighted. He quickly opened the door to welcome her out.

Since arriving at Panxiang Temple, Yinglian has felt like a fish in water. From the abbess Xiushan to everyone else in the temple, they all have a good impression of her and follow her in and out of the temple halls. Last night, she stayed in Jinghui's room.

Jia Cong smiled and asked, "Why are you here? Where is Yinglian?"

"She is still sleeping. I am used to getting up early. My master likes the copy of the 'Buddha's Sutra on the Emptiness of the Five Aggregates' that you copied very much.

Yesterday a believer sent a truckload of bamboo charcoal to the temple. The weather has been cold recently, and the master was worried that you didn’t buy enough charcoal, so he asked me to send some.”

Jia Cong saw that the bamboo charcoal in the bamboo basket was stacked neatly and densely, as if it had been selected by Jinghui in advance, and her little hands, which were holding the bamboo basket, were already red from the cold wind.

Jia Cong wanted to reach out and hold her hand to warm it. This was a common thing to do in the East Courtyard. But now he thought better of it and held back. Otherwise, if he scared her away, it would be difficult to coax her back.

Master Xiushan was certain that Jinghui was Jia Cong's lost maid, and she also knew that Jia Cong would always take her away. After all, they were master and disciple, and she hoped that she would get good results.

I often send Jinghui to deliver things recently. Since acupuncture and medicine are ineffective, I hope she can spend more time with Jia Cong and reminisce about the past.

Jia Cong let Jinghui into the house, filled the brazier with bamboo charcoal, and made the house warm.

Thinking back to when she was in Dongluyuan, she also got up early every day, busy herself around, and helped with washing and grooming. Although she has forgotten everything, her habit of getting up early has not changed.

Looking at the neatly stacked bamboo charcoals in the bamboo basket, she thought of that year in the East Courtyard when they could only burn smoky charcoal to keep warm in winter. Every time she and Wang Shanbao's family went to ask for bamboo charcoal, they returned empty-handed.

Thinking of this, Jia Cong was very excited. He would never let her live such a life with him again.

He also saw Jinghui come to the desk and look at the words he had just written in the morning. She seemed quite interested, with a smile on her face, and read them out softly.

The running water from the broken pond washes the fat skin, and I get up early to recite poems.

Where can I find Xi Shi? Her hair is rustling like willow trees.

Silver spoon caisson, pink fragrant plum garden, thousands of tiles with jade unevenness.

A song of Li Bai, wealth and honor like the time when King Wu was alive.

Because Master Xiushan wrote a letter to the capital to inquire about the matter of Jia Cong and Zhishao, everyone in Panxiang Temple now knows that Jia Cong is extremely famous for his poetry and has written two great poems that are famous throughout the south of the Yangtze River.

Even Xing Xiuyun, who often went to the temple to read and write with Miaoyu, looked at Jia Cong with admiration. Only Miaoyu said that he was frivolous and rude, and that he had tarnished the good words.

She was always a little bothered by Jia Cong's plan to take Jinghui away. Although she realized that the other party seemed to be right, she was always worried when she thought that Jinghui would soon be gone, and she mostly blamed that man.

　The story of the third volume will end in a few chapters. This volume of story is the basis for the development of subsequent stories. Thank you to all book friends for your continued support.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)