Wish You All the Best - Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Traveling by boat, there has always been a rule not to easily take on strangers of unknown origin. Moreover, although these men were dressed like ordinary merchants, every one of them was burly and strong; the man referred to as "Young Master" carried an air of arrogance and a predatory gaze. Zhang Da was a relative of the Zhen family and had been the steward for many years, so he was naturally cautious. With the mistress of the house on board, how could he easily let strangers up? Just as he was about to politely refuse, the man who had called out spoke again: "Don't worry! We are going to Zhennan Gate to do business; it’s not our first or second time. We need to get there as soon as possible, and we truly have no other boat. Fearing delays on the road, we saw yours was a fast vessel, so we humbly ask for a lift. When everyone is out and about, it’s inevitable to face difficulties; helping each other is also a convenience for oneself in the future!" As he spoke, he tossed a five-tael silver ingot onto the deck.
Zhennan Gate was one of the most prosperous districts in Quanzhou. Zhang Da heard his sincere tone and found his reasoning sound. He asked a few questions related to business at Zhennan Gate, and the man answered each one without a single flaw. He sounded truly like someone familiar with the area. Zhang Da hesitated for a moment, told them to wait, and went to ask for Madam Meng’s opinion.
On the shore, Xiao Yintang’s attention seemed to finally shift from the official boat to the deck. His gaze swept over, and just before he could spot her, Jiafu turned around abruptly and dashed into the cabin. It was so hurried that she didn't watch her step; her hem caught, she stumbled and nearly sprawled to the ground. She barely managed to grab the cabin door to steady herself, and once she was standing, she immediately began shaking her head desperately at her mother.
Madam Meng noticed her daughter’s sudden paleness and hurriedly left Zhang Da to come over.
"Mother, don't take those people! I don't like strangers on our boat!"
Seeing that her daughter’s mood was amiss, Madam Meng was very worried and didn't care about anything else. She hurriedly told Zhang Da: "It is better not to cause extra trouble."
Zhang Da agreed. He returned to the bow, tossed the silver ingot that had been thrown over back to them, and said with a smile: "I apologize, gentlemen. Although we are going to Quanzhou, we have to stop at several places along the way, which will take at least several days. I fear it might delay your schedule, so it would be better to take another boat."
The man who had called out showed displeasure and said: "Just add more money!"
Zhang Da bowed and apologized with a forced smile: "I truly apologize. Because there are female relatives on board, it is not convenient to take on more strangers." With that, he ordered the sailors to raise the sails and push off.
A hint of anger flashed in the man’s eyes. With a light tap of his feet, he vaulted onto the bow, grabbed Zhang Da by the lapels, and said: "After all this back-and-forth and wasting so much breath with you, you say you won't take us? Are you playing games with us?"
Zhen Yaoting, who had not yet entered the cabin and was lounging on the deck, suddenly saw the commotion at the bow. Someone had forcibly boarded and grabbed Zhang Da by the lapels. He immediately rushed up, shouting: "Release my Uncle Zhang at once! Where did this madman come from, daring to run wild on my Zhen family’s boat?" Before he could even make a move, the man gave him a single push. Zhen Yaoting lost his footing, stumbled back six or seven steps, and landed hard on his backside on the deck. Seeing their young master pushed to the ground, the servants gathered around.
Zhen Yaoting was incensed. He scrambled up and ordered his men to grab their weapons and attack.
Zhang Da was shocked, knowing he had run into unreasonable people today. But they were now in Fujian territory, only a few days from Quanzhou, so he wasn't panicked. He said: "Young Master, please calm your anger! When traveling, who doesn't face difficulties? We would naturally offer help if we could. But as I said before, it is truly inconvenient. Our master has never been one to invite trouble, but if trouble comes, we are not afraid; we often frequent the governor’s office..."
"Enough! Get down!"
The young man who looked like the "Young Master" spoke up suddenly. The man who had forced his way onto the boat looked back, and seeing the other’s furrowed brows—seemingly showing a hint of fear—he immediately released Zhang Da’s lapels, pushed him aside, jumped off the boat, and stood behind the young man. No one knew what was said, but the group turned to leave.
Zhen Yaoting had taken a hard fall, and his backside was still throbbing. Feeling humiliated, how could he let it go? He rushed to the bow and shouted at their retreating backs: "If you have the guts, stand still! Didn't you act like the master of the house earlier? Leaving just like that? You turtle-son, you shrinking tortoise!"
Zhang Da wanted to stop him, but it was already too late. He saw the young man suddenly stop and turn his head, his gaze sweeping toward Zhen Yaoting with a dark, heavy intensity.
Since his youth, Zhang Da had followed his old master across the land, making him a seasoned traveler with a wide breadth of experience. Seeing the look on this young man’s face, he felt an inexplicable shudder, knowing that this person had been truly provoked. When traveling, it is better to avoid unnecessary conflict. He immediately ordered someone to pull Zhen Yaoting away, bowed incessantly to the man, and then ordered the boat to depart from the shore as quickly as possible.
Jiafu was hiding behind the cabin door, watching as Xiao Yintang narrowed his eyes before finally withdrawing his gaze and shaking his head at his angry-looking entourage. Only then did the group turn and depart.
Jiafu was so tense she could hardly breathe. Only when she saw the backs of Xiao Yintang’s group fading into the distance did she feel her hands and feet go limp. She opened her palms, which were slick with a layer of cold sweat. She leaned against a chair, sat down slowly, and fell into a daze.
Madam Meng had also witnessed the scene and blamed her son for his impulsiveness. Zhen Yaoting refused to accept it and retorted stiffly. Jiafu was distraught; she left her mother and brother, rose to return to her room, collapsed onto the bed fully dressed, and closed her eyes.
The scenes of her previous life flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.
She had originally thought that after escaping the marriage to Pei Xiuzhi and returning to Quanzhou, regardless of how the political situation in the capital changed, it would have nothing to do with her. She never thought she would run into Xiao Yintang again. Yet, just as Heaven had helped her once, it played a cruel joke on her. In this life, she had encountered him even earlier than in the last.
Jiafu thought of the dark gaze he had cast before leaving, and she couldn't help but shiver.
The Third Prince, Prince Yunzhong Xiao Lie, was a man of great talent and strategy who knew how to use people effectively, yet he was also a cunning, ruthless, and deeply patient man. Only by being so could he preserve himself under the nearly twenty years of suspicion from his elder brother, the Tianxi Emperor, until he finally became the ultimate winner in the infighting between the three brothers.
Xiao Yintang was his son, and naturally, some of the temperaments of Prince Yunzhong flowed through his blood. Jiafu had spent years by his side; she dared not say she understood him completely, but she knew he did not lack his father’s methods and schemes. As for being cold-blooded and ruthless, that went without saying.
Among those who manage to ascend to power, whose hands are not stained with mountains of blood?
She remembered clearly that in her previous life, less than a year after she married Pei Xiuzhi, the current Yongxi Emperor—who had ascended to the throne as the regent Prince Shunan—moved against Xiao Lie, who had always been lying low in the Southwest. How could Xiao Lie sit and wait for death? The conflict between the brothers finally erupted.
Jiafu couldn't imagine why, at such a critical moment, Xiao Yintang, the heir to Prince Yunzhong, would suddenly appear in secret and head to Quanzhou personally. What was it about Quanzhou that attracted him, and what did he want to do there?
In today’s incident, her brother wasn't entirely wrong, but his personality was far too reckless; she feared he would suffer a great loss one day. It was very clear that Xiao Yintang’s trip was a secret operation and he did not want to attract attention, which was why he had let it go. Otherwise, given the ugly insults her brother had hurled, how could a man like him have just turned and left?
It was sheer luck that there was no danger despite the scare; he had left just like that.
Jiafu’s mind was a mess. For the next few days, she did not step a single inch out of the cabin unless absolutely necessary. Madam Meng noticed her daughter’s listless state and pale complexion. At first, she thought she was sick, but upon checking, it didn't seem to be an illness, and she couldn't get anything out of her when she asked. Growing anxious, she turned her anger toward her son, blaming him for scaring his sister that day. Zhen Yaoting, recalling that his sister had indeed changed after that day, felt remorseful and came over to find ways to make Jiafu happy, insisting again that he would start doing honest work. Madam Meng sent him to learn accounting from Zhang Da, but after seeing two pages, he was yawning incessantly until he collapsed and fell asleep right there.
Jiafu felt a similar helplessness toward her brother as Madam Meng did—a sort of "hating that iron cannot be forged into steel." She could only comfort herself that one day, he would truly grow up. Seeing her mother worrying for her and knowing they were almost home, she forced herself to perk up to face the dissatisfaction waiting for them from their grandmother.
On this day, the group finally returned home to Quanzhou.
Old Madam Hu had received word half a month earlier, and since there were people of hers among the servants accompanying them, she had long known that in the end, it was the daughter-in-law who had refused the marriage. She had been quite displeased, but Madam Meng acted completely out of character. Facing the Old Madam with no fear, she knelt down and said that marriage required harmony to bring good fortune, and since this engagement had been full of twists and turns, it was already inauspicious. Moreover, she had seen over these past days that outside of the Old Madam, the Pei family had few honest people. Even if her daughter were forced to marry in, she feared the final outcome would be contrary to her wishes, so she had taken the liberty of making the decision herself. Zhen Yaoting also knelt beside her, swearing solemnly to Heaven that he would turn over a new leaf, do honest work, and never let his grandmother worry again.
The water had been spilled, and the people were back. Although Old Madam Hu was unhappy, there was nothing she could do. Plus, with the end of the year approaching, the family’s shipping fleets, docks, shops, and official duties were all in a state of extreme, frantic busyness. This marriage, on which they had placed such high hopes, was essentially brushed aside.
Madam Meng heaved a sigh of relief, busy all day helping the Old Madam with affairs. Jiafu helped out as well, and her brother was forced to follow Zhang Da, groaning and complaining all day long. Life seemed to have returned to its former rhythm.
But Jiafu could never forget the accident that happened that day on Fuming Island.
She had heard it clearly: he was also coming to Quanzhou. Fearing she would run into him again, she hadn't taken a single step outside since returning home. In this way, ten days or so passed. The city of Quanzhou was peaceful and calm, and it slowly began to take on the atmosphere of the upcoming New Year.
As the New Year approached, Jiafu guessed that he must have already left. The heart that had been hanging in her chest finally began to settle, little by little.