Wish You All the Best - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Under the cover of night, Quanzhou City shed its daytime clamor and bustle. The harbor, teeming with life just hours ago, was now pitch black. The various sampans and vessels docked along the shore rose and fell silently with the gentle swells brought in by the sea breeze. In the distance, a few fishing boats still had flickering, orange-yellow lamps at their prows, the lights dancing in the darkness like fireflies, echoing the ancient lighthouse that had stood there for centuries to guide those returning home in the dark.

Yet, there were some seafarers who left from here and never returned, leaving only the lighthouse to wait in vain night after night.

Jiafu knelt facing the sea. After lighting incense and offering silent prayers, she stood for a long time by the embankment, unwilling to leave. She gazed toward the direction where her father had set sail so many years ago, her heart surging with turbulent emotions.

In her previous life, after marrying Pei Xiuzhi, her days were far from easy. Once she entered his household, she served her elders diligently, exhausted herself trying to please her stepson, and kept her grievances to herself, fearing to tell her husband. All of this was done to maintain the image of the virtuous and tolerant wife she was expected to be.

At that time, becoming a competent Heir’s wife—one who earned the approval of her husband and his family—was her greatest goal.

Later, when she gave herself to Xiao Yintang, she had to learn to accept her fate once she realized it was impossible to escape his control. She told herself that such a life was actually quite good; he had truly pampered her to the limits of his ability, and if she dared to be dissatisfied, she would be ungrateful.

Only after dying and living again did she realize how pitiful and pathetic she had been.

Ever since she opened her eyes that day and found herself returned from the underground palace to the world of the living, she stubbornly believed that it must have been the protection of her father’s spirit that allowed her to return to this moment, before her marriage.

In this life, she would never marry Pei Xiuzhi again, and she wanted nothing to do with Xiao Yintang.

Both men claimed to love her with every breath they took.

Pei Xiuzhi offered her up to another because he had his "hidden troubles" and was "forced by circumstances."

Xiao Yintang turned her into a living, light-shunning ghost in the name of "favor" because he, too, had his "hidden troubles" and was equally "forced by circumstances."

She did not hate them. In this life, there are indeed many things one cannot control. She was no exception.

But they made her feel a coldness that seeped into her very marrow. She had seen through the love that men in this world offer women; it was nothing more than this.

Facing the night breeze, which carried a faint, briny scent, Jiafu took a deep breath.

She was born here and raised here; all her memories of warmth and beauty were tied to this hometown, known as the "City of Carp." The pier beneath her feet held special significance for her.

Tonight, in a surge of restless thought, she had been unable to resist coming here to pay her respects to her father once more.

The marriage between the two families was already set in stone, and with the powerful Song family—who were currently favored by the Emperor—implicated in the middle, she could not simply demand the engagement be broken on a whim to teach her a lesson as a stepmother from a lower status. Several months ago, the Song family had sent two nannies to Quanzhou to accompany her on the journey tomorrow. Matters had reached this point; it was impossible for her to act solely on her own temperament.

Besides, even if she did ask, her grandmother would never agree.

She would have to find another way.

Tomorrow, she would set out for the north, stepping onto an unknown path of rebirth.

Father, if your spirit is in heaven, please watch over A-Fu.

...

Zhang Da stood with the accompanying page in the distance. Watching the back of the Young Mistress standing before the pier, he somewhat guessed the reason. The bond between father and daughter had been deep. With the Young Mistress heading north tomorrow to be married, she must have been feeling sentimental tonight and came here to mourn her late father. Daring not to disturb her, he waited silently for a while before glancing at Tanxiang.

Tanxiang understood. She walked behind Jiafu and said softly, "Young Mistress, the night is deep and cold. Shall we return?"

Jiafu turned silently. Following custom, she cast the offerings and incense used for the ritual into the sea before turning back.

Zhang Da hurried to lift the sedan chair curtain. As Jiafu climbed in and Zhang Da raised his lantern to lead the way back, he looked up and saw two shadowy figures approaching from the opposite side, carrying something. Suddenly realizing someone was at the pier, the figures seemed to panic, turning around hurriedly to flee.

By the moonlight, Zhang Da recognized them immediately; they were laborers from the Jin family, their merchant fleet’s direct competitors.

Quanzhou had thousands of vessels docking daily, and with limited pier space, conflicts over favorable spots were common. Wealthy firms paid high rents to the Maritime Trade Office to lease private piers. As the Zhen family’s wealth was among the top in Quanzhou and they had good relations with the officials, they naturally owned a private pier in a prime location.

In the dead of night, for Jin family laborers to be sneaking around carrying something onto their pier aroused Zhang Da’s suspicion. After a quick word to Jiafu in the sedan, he chased after them. He saw a rolled-up, tattered straw mat, and sensing something was wrong, he barked, "Stop! What are you carrying?"

The laborers had not expected anyone to be at the Zhen pier so late. They turned and bolted, but in their haste, they lost their grip. A dark shape slid out from the end of the mat and fell to the ground—it looked like a person.

When Zhang Da shone his lantern on it, he saw a boy of thirteen or fourteen, dressed in rags, frail and thin. His eyes were closed, and he looked as if he were already dead.

Zhang Da had spent years managing the pier; he had seen everything. He understood immediately and grew furious. He grabbed one of the laborers who was trying to flee and roared, "Good! Abandoning a corpse in the middle of the night is one thing, but daring to dump it on my mistress’s pier? Come with me to the magistrate!"

In Quanzhou, life revolved around the sea, and those who made a living from it were bound by superstitions that outsiders could not understand. Dumping a corpse at a pier was considered an ill omen; locals believed that the vengeful ghost of the drowned would linger, haunting nearby ships and bringing misfortune to the owners.

Seeing that they could not hide it and that Zhang Da was going to drag them to the authorities, the laborers were terrified. They collapsed to their knees, begging for mercy. They explained that the boy worked in their shipyard and had no family. He had fallen ill months ago, and as he was on the brink of death, the manager reported it to Master Jin. Master Jin did not want to involve the authorities, and having long been jealous of the Zhen family’s prime location, he had come up with this idea: dispose of the person under the cover of night. The tide would wash the body away—clean and simple, and even if the ghost lingered, it would have nothing to do with them.

The Quanzhou piers were full of people scraping by. While officials strictly forbade hiring undocumented workers, it was an empty decree. Because the wages were low, shipyards and piers loved hiring these migrant vagrants. This boy was likely one of them, just unlucky enough to fall ill and die.

Zhang Da refused to let them go, sneering, "You have no fear of accumulating bad karma! Let’s go! We’re going to the magistrate to see what your master has to say for himself!"

The laborers were terrified, kneeling and begging for mercy, claiming they were just following orders and it had nothing to do with them.

Jiafu heard the commotion, stepped out of the sedan, and went to inspect the scene. Zhang Da saw her and ran over urgently: "Young Mistress, do not come here! It is foul!"

Seeing the Zhen family’s young lady present, the laborers knew that if they were sent to the authorities, they would surely suffer, regardless of what happened to Master Jin. They turned their pleas to her, weeping and tearful.

Jiafu frowned and glanced at the person on the ground.

"He isn't dead! I just saw him—he moved a little!" Tanxiang suddenly shouted.

Zhang Da hurriedly shone his lantern on the boy’s face. Sure enough, the boy’s eyelids trembled a few times before slowly opening.

In the dim light of the lantern, the boy’s clear, dark eyes were revealed. They must have been bright once, but because of his severe illness, they looked as if covered in a dull mist, lifeless and dim.

A moment later, the boy’s consciousness seemed to return. His gaze gradually focused, fixing steadily and motionlessly on Jiafu, who was draped in her cloak.

The Jin family laborers breathed a sigh of relief. They scrambled up from the ground, hastily wrapping the boy back in the tattered straw mat, and said, "We’ll send him back. We’re going, we’re going!"

The boy’s face was covered by the mat. The laborers hoisted the tube and hurried away.

Zhang Da knew that by taking the boy back this way, they were simply waiting for him to die before disposing of him elsewhere. But such things were too common; the boy’s fate was simply poor. Thinking that the mistress would depart tomorrow, and since the matter had been exposed, these two would never dare to dump a corpse on their pier again. He let it go and asked Jiafu to return to her sedan.

As Jiafu turned to leave, she walked a few steps, but the look in the boy’s eyes when he had gazed at her flashed before her. She paused.

She knew that was the look of someone on the brink of death who still longed to live—a desperation and a hope she knew all too well.

She turned back, looked at the backs of the retreating men once more, and hesitated before saying, "Uncle Zhang, let’s keep this child at our shipyard. Get a doctor to treat him. If he survives, all the better. If he dies, bury him."

Zhang Da was stunned, then understood. The Young Mistress was moved by compassion and could not bear to watch the boy wait for death.

The Zhen shipyard employed hundreds; one more wouldn't make a difference. Since she had spoken, he had no reason to disobey. He nodded: "Young Mistress is kind and accumulates virtue; this subordinate obeys." He walked a few steps forward, shouted at the laborers to bring the person to the Zhen shipyard immediately.

The two laborers had only been ordered to dump a body and hadn't expected this twist. Just as they were cursing their luck, they saw Zhang Da willing to take over and were relieved. They rushed the boy away, flattering Zhang Da all the while. Zhang Da ordered his followers to trail them and handle the matter before escorting the Young Mistress back home.

It was already past midnight (1:00 AM). Jiafu asked the gatekeeper and learned that her brother, Zhen Yaoting, had still not returned.

While it wasn't the first time he had stayed out, they were supposed to depart early tomorrow morning. Besides, in her previous life, she remembered this night had not been like this; she didn't know where he had gone. Her heart was heavy with worry and deep thoughts, so she didn't sleep well for the rest of the night.

Early the next morning, she rose and finished dressing. Just as she changed into her traveling clothes, she heard footsteps thundering in the courtyard. The door was pushed open with a bang. She turned to see her brother stepping inside. He was still wearing the clothes from yesterday, confirming he hadn't returned home. As she went to greet him, ready to ask where he had been, she saw him magically pull a box from behind his back, presenting it with both hands like a treasure, excitedly saying, "Sister, guess! What’s in the box?"

The box was carved from a single piece of agarwood, inlaid with cloud shells and gemstones; it was exquisite and gorgeous. The box itself was worth a fortune.

Jiafu looked at it and frowned: "Brother, where were you last night? Why didn't you say anything? Mother was so worried!"

Zhen Yaoting waved his hand: "Aren't I back now? I’ll tell you later! Guess!"

Jiafu refused to guess and turned away to ignore him. Zhen Yaoting grew anxious, opened the box himself, and shouted: "Violet Mermaid Pearls! This is a necklace made of Violet Mermaid Pearls! It’s a treasure I chased for an entire night to buy just for you!"

Jiafu turned back and looked at the necklace in the box in astonishment: "Where did you buy this?"

Zhen Yaoting, full of pride, recounted the process.

It turned out that yesterday, while working at the pier, he heard someone talking about a Persian merchant who had a legendary necklace made of Violet Mermaid Pearls. The merchant had come to Quanzhou expecting to find wealthy buyers, but hadn't met the right one and was leaving today.

His sister was leaving for the north to be married tomorrow, and ever since she returned from Xishan Temple, she had seemed cursed with bad luck. Though Zhen Yaoting liked to idle about, he was very fond of this sister. Recalling his mother’s lecture from the day before—that while marrying into the Pei family was glorious, it would surely involve hardships, and he needed to study hard to make his sister proud—he had nodded and promised, only to forget the moment he turned around. But hearing the mention of the rare Violet Mermaid Pearls, the idea of buying them for her immediately took root. He found out where the Persian was staying, rushed there, but arrived to find him gone. After inquiring, he learned the merchant had left that morning out of disappointment.

Determined, he followed the direction the merchant had gone, chasing him until he finally caught up at a courier station last night. The merchant initially refused to sell, but the more he refused, the more Yaoting wanted it. He offered a high price and bargained for a long time until the merchant finally relented. He rushed back through the night with the treasure, arriving home this morning. Too tired to rest, he ran straight to his sister to show off his treasure.

Jiafu was shocked. She hadn't expected her brother to stay out all night for this. She looked at the necklace and saw it was a string of purple pearls, immediately recognizing it as a fake.

In her previous life, in the imperial palace, she had seen the Violet Mermaid Pearls that the foreign envoys had presented to Empress Zhang.

The pearls were named "Violet," but their color was not purple; it was pink, turning deep purple only when held against the sunlight—hence the name. Because they were so rare and precious, the Empress, after receiving them, had summoned Jiafu to admire them and told her that if she liked them, she would bestow them upon her.

Jiafu, not daring to accept, had refused with a kowtow. When she returned, she thought of her father and had been sad for a long time, so the image was deeply impressed on her memory.

"Let me put it on for you! Sister, with these Violet Mermaid Pearls, your future will surely be smooth, safe, and prosperous!"

Zhen Yaoting took out the necklace and said happily.

The pearls were the size of small thumbs, remarkably round, smooth, and flawless, and the color was rare, making it a fine piece—but it was certainly not a Violet Mermaid Pearl.

Jiafu knew her brother had fallen into the Persian merchant’s trap. Seeing his exhaustion yet the excitement shining in his eyes, she was deeply moved. Originally, she couldn't bear to burst his bubble, but thinking that he was the heir to the Zhen fortune and would surely suffer if he remained so gullible, she hesitated and said: "Brother, you’ve been deceived. These aren't Violet Mermaid Pearls. I’ve heard that they get their name because they turn purple in sunlight, not because they are naturally purple."

Zhen Yaoting froze, staring at the necklace with wide eyes. His expression changed drastically. He raised his hand, slammed the necklace on the floor, and roared: "Good! That turtle-son dared to cheat me! I’m going to call men to chase him down; if I catch him, I’ll break his bones!" He hurried out to give orders. When he returned, he was still furious, snatched up the necklace from the floor, and raised his foot to stomp on it.

Jiafu hurriedly intervened, picked up the necklace, and said: "Brother, that man must have known your reputation. These pearls are high-priced and he couldn't sell them, so he lured you into buying them. By now, he’s long gone. To me, this represents your heart. Even if they aren't Mermaid Pearls, they are worth more than them. Buying them is a matter of fate. But brother, from now on, before you do anything, try to think more or consult with the stewards. Don't be so easily deceived again."

Zhen Yaoting, initially full of rage and wanting to crush the object to vent his anger, had his fire extinguished the moment he heard Jiafu. He rubbed his head and chuckled: "I know. I remember what you and Grandmother taught me. I was just too hasty this time, afraid I wouldn't make it before you left to be married, and wasn't careful enough. In the future, I will definitely be more cautious."

Jiafu remembered the last words of her previous life, just before the Empress ordered her to be nailed into the coffin, and knew that after she died, her brother’s fate must have been miserable. In this life, she was even more determined to change her fate. She put on the necklace, stood before the mirror, turned back, and smiled: "Thank you, Brother, I like it very much."

When Madam Meng learned her son hadn't returned home because he had gone to buy a necklace for his sister, she complained a few times but let it drop. Because all their luggage had been loaded onto the ship the day before, they rose early, took her two children to bid farewell to the Old Madam, and the group left for the pier to board the ship.

Before leaving, Tanxiang specifically gave Mother Wang a box of Frozen Dragon Brain incense, containing twenty pieces, signifying "perfection," and said it was the Young Mistress’s order to add to her daughter’s dowry. Mother Wang never dreamed that a mere sentence of hers would be taken to heart by the Young Mistress. She was surprised, delighted, and endlessly grateful, showering them with good wishes: "With this trip to the capital, the Young Mistress will surely have smooth sailing, everything she wishes for will come true, she will marry her ideal husband, and her life will be full of wealth and fortune!”