Wish You All the Best - Chapter 68

Chapter 68

On the day of the first seventh-day memorial, the Pei family held services at Ci’en Temple. After spending the night, they returned to the manor in the city the following day.

A blizzard had struck the mountains the previous night, bringing bone-chilling cold. Everyone, exhausted from enduring the freezing night, dispersed to rest as soon as they returned.

Pei Youan and Jiafu had just returned to their room and washed up with the hot water brought by the servants. They had barely lain down when another servant arrived, sent in a panic by the temple’s caretaker. The messenger reported that outside the root hall, where the Pei ancestors’ lotus pedestals were kept, stood a hundred-year-old locust tree. Its trunk had been hollowed out by insects and ants, yet its branches were gnarled and tangled, sprawling over nearly half the courtyard of the root hall. The violent wind and heavy snow from the previous night had caused the branches to tilt; the caretaker feared that if another heavy snowfall occurred tonight, the top-heavy tree might collapse. Since it was near the ancestors' pedestals, he dared not act without instructions and had rushed to report the situation.

Pei Youan told Jiafu to sleep, rose, and ordered someone to invite Pei Quan to discuss the matter.

Pei Quan had just fallen asleep when he was disturbed by the servant. Hearing that the temple’s root hall was in danger and that Pei Youan was asking for a consultation, he prepared to rise, but was gripped by the Second Madam, who said coldly: "It hasn't collapsed yet; what are you panicking about? Doesn't he have that ancestral Iron Certificate from the Old Madam? Whoever holds it should be the one to go. Do you think the sun won't rise without you? It’s freezing outside, snow is threatening again, and the road is long. You’re already frail; didn't you just complain that your knees were swollen and painful, making it hard to walk? Lie down, I’ll go give him an answer!"

Before the Old Madam passed, she had given the Iron Certificate to the elder son’s second nephew. Although she had intended to compensate the second branch with more land and property when the families split, Pei Quan had secretly hoped for that certificate. Knowing he had no hope of getting it, he was deeply disappointed and silently resented his mother’s bias. On top of that, after years of toil to reach his current position, the Old Madam’s passing not only delayed his son’s spring imperial examinations but also forced him into a period of mourning. Given his seniority, it was impossible to "retain his post" through the mourning period, and he had no idea what the political landscape would look like in three years. With setbacks coming one after another, he had been profoundly depressed, and prompted by Madam Meng’s words, he hesitated and then slowly lay back down.

Pei Youan waited a while, but instead of Pei Quan, the Second Madam arrived. She apologized, saying: "Youan, it is truly unfortunate. Your uncle caught a chill last night, and after coming down the mountain this morning, his old ailment flared up. His knees are so swollen and painful that he just applied two plasters. If you don't mind Xiu Luo being a bit clumsy, shall I have him follow you to help?"

Pei Youan said it was unnecessary. He asked Madam Meng to convey his message for his uncle to rest his legs. Along with Pei Xiuzhi, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, and the third uncle from the clan, he brought several stewards and rushed out. As he was mounting his horse, a servant woman from Zhou Jiao’e’s side ran out, claiming her mistress was unwell and was looking for the Second Master everywhere.

Two days after the funeral, Zhou Jiao’e had been diagnosed as pregnant. Having been pampered these past few days, she had stayed home to tend to her pregnancy.

Pei Xiuzhi scolded the servant: "If she is ill, why not call a physician? Why come looking for me? I have urgent matters!"

The woman bowed and scraped as she turned to leave, but Pei Youan said: "Your wife’s health is paramount. I will handle things; you go back."

Pei Xiuzhi made a few half-hearted excuses, but ultimately had no choice but to agree. He turned back and entered the inner chamber to see Zhou Jiao’e leaning against the head of the bed, hugging a hand warmer, with roasted chestnuts warming in the brazier nearby. A maid was busy peeling the shells, and she looked at him with a grin. He frowned: "Did you not say you were unwell?"

Zhou Jiao’e dismissed the maids and laughed: "It’s as cold as knife-blades out there; someone has already gone, so why follow? Who are you trying to impress? Come over here and massage my waist. Oh, my waist, it’s so sore I can’t sit or lie down—I feel like half my life is gone..."

Pei Xiuzhi felt no pity for her. With a dark face, he turned to leave, but Zhou Jiao’e arched her brows in anger, grabbed a handful of empty chestnut shells, and threw them at his back, shouting: "I offer kindness and get nothing but cold shoulder in return! Are you acting like a dog biting Lu Dongbin, unable to recognize a good heart? If you dare to step out of this room, you just watch! Are you still thinking about that woman in the other courtyard because your uncle, the Imperial Minister, failed to gain favor with the Emperor? Is that why you no longer hold the Empress in your eyes?"

She sneered, "Since I married you, you’ve picked at me and glared at me. Don't think I don't know you’re still pining for that woman in the courtyard! Keep dreaming! Look in the mirror at your own pathetic self! It’s only me, marrying a chicken, following a chicken, pitying you, only to be treated like dirt! Be careful, if you provoke me, we will all fall together and none of us will have a good day!"

Pei Xiuzhi’s face flushed hot, and he stood there frozen. After venting her temper, Zhou Jiao’e picked up a handkerchief and wiped her tears. A moment later, Madam Xin’s coughing was heard outside. Pei Xiuzhi suppressed his anger, forced a milder expression, and went over to comfort her and massage her legs.

……

Not long after Pei Youan was called away, it began to snow again. At first, it was like willow catkins, but it gradually turned into a heavy, swirling blizzard.

Even with the room as warm as spring, Jiafu could not fall asleep.

It was just past three in the afternoon, but the sky was as gloomy as if night were falling. A maid lifted the curtain, and Tan Xiang brought in a bowl of food. After setting it down, she blew warmth into her palms and said: "Grand-mistress, a message just came from the gatekeeper. They said the Third Master slipped on the mountain, and he has already been sent back. The Master will not be returning for dinner; if he is late, he won't be able to descend the mountain tonight and will wait until tomorrow morning to return. He told you to lock the doors early and not to wait for him."

Jiafu listened to the north wind howling against the courtyard walls. She knew he hadn't prepared to stay overnight on the mountain—he had only been wearing an outer cloak. With the snow and slush, his boots would surely be soaked by nightfall. If he really stayed alone on the mountain, even if there were guest quarters in the temple, the bedding in such snowy weather would be thin...

How could Jiafu rest easy? She immediately told the others to bring out her fur quilt, along with Pei Youan’s clothes, thick shoes, and socks, and packed them all together. She had intended to send a servant to deliver them, but as the words reached her lips, she thought of the cold, isolated mountain in the snowy night. In the end, she wanted to accompany him. She changed her mind, told Tan Xiang, Nanny Liu, and a few others to wear their winter gear, brought enough bedding for an overnight stay, gathered the stewards and servants, prepared a carriage, and left the city for the temple. The road was deserted. Battling the wind and snow, they finally reached the foot of the mountain before complete darkness fell. Lighting lanterns, they helped each other slowly make their way up. A nimble servant had already climbed ahead to announce their arrival.

Before Jiafu even reached the temple gate, Pei Youan walked out quickly. He brought her inside and settled her into the quarters usually reserved for noblewomen visiting to pay respects. Inside the room, he ordered a stove to be lit for warmth. Seeing her cloak covered in snow, her eyelashes dotted with snowflakes, and the tip of her nose frozen bright red, he brushed the snow off her while gently reprimanding her: "In this weather, who goes out? Did I not tell you to lock the doors early and not wait for me? You disobeyed, and ran all the way here? The snow is deep; what if you had fallen?"

The Old Madam’s passing must have been a profound sorrow for Pei Youan. For the past fortnight, he had been exhausted, yet he never showed a hint of his grief in front of her.

In her presence, he was even more gentle and attentive than before, as if he feared she would be saddened, treating her like a fragile person who needed his constant care.

The snow flurries on her eyelashes gradually melted into tiny beads of water. Jiafu blinked: "I was very careful. I heard them say the Sixth Uncle had fallen and returned, and you were left alone on the mountain..."

She stopped, looking at him with slight unease.

Pei Youan was stunned, then smiled. He led her to sit on the edge of the bed and saw the mud and snow covering the toes of her deerskin boots. As the snow began to melt, he leaned down and insisted on taking her boots off himself.

Jiafu instinctively pulled her feet back, but Pei Youan held them, removing one boot and then the other. He rubbed her toes—numb from the cold—with his warm palms, then helped her onto the bed. He told Tan Xiang to bring the fur quilt to cover her legs and placed a small hand warmer, provided by a monk, into her arms, saying: "You rest here for now. We must bring down the tree tonight to prevent it from collapsing, but the tree is so large that it is a bit difficult to manage. I will go ahead; I will return shortly to have dinner with you."

He turned, instructed Tan Xiang and the others to serve Jiafu well, and then hurried away.

At seven in the evening, when he returned, the room was already warm. The monks served a vegetarian meal, and after eating, he went back to the work site. It wasn't until ten at night that he finally returned, announcing that the tree had been safely brought down and the lotus pedestals that had been moved were back in place, waiting only to be dragged out tomorrow morning.

Although they were husband and wife, it was inconvenient to share a room in a temple. After finishing his work, Pei Youan visited Jiafu, told her to sleep, and left the room to return to his own overnight quarters in another courtyard, separated by a mountain wall. Jiafu had already gone over earlier to personally remake his bed.

The snow had gradually stopped. Tan Xiang, Nanny Liu, and the others who shared the room with Jiafu had long since fallen asleep.

The mountain temple in the dead of night—despite its royal name and worldly smoke and incense during the day—was now completely silent, restored to its original, quiet, and distant tranquility.

Jiafu lay with her eyes closed, accompanied by the irregular snoring of Nanny Liu. She thought of Pei Youan, now only a wall away, and tossed and turned.

She had a feeling that he, too, was unable to fall into a peaceful sleep.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she quietly rose from the bed, dressed, and opened the door. Treading through the snow that covered her ankles, she left the courtyard and arrived before Pei Youan’s quarters.

The window lattice was pitch black; no lights were lit inside.

Jiafu stepped onto the eaves corridor and stood at the door, hesitating, when she suddenly heard Pei Youan’s voice from within: "Come in."

Though she had lightened her steps, walking through the snow still made a faint crunching sound. He must have recognized it long ago.

Jiafu replied softly and pushed open the door, which had been left ajar. She saw Pei Youan standing by the window, wrapped in a cloak. The window was open, and he turned his face toward her.

Surrounded by darkness, his figure was swallowed by the night. Only the moonlight reflected off the snow outside illuminated half of his deeply contoured face.

He looked at her, his gaze silent and gentle.

Jiafu walked to his side. He touched her small hands, which had already grown cold: "Wearing so little! Why are you not asleep?"

"You are not asleep, either," Jiafu whispered, defending herself.

He smiled slightly: "I was just about to sleep. You should rest too."

Jiafu remained silent.

Pei Youan used the light from the snow outside to examine her as if surveying her, then grasped her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her face. His voice was soft and soothing: "Do not worry about me; I am fine."

He finished speaking, took off his outer cloak, wrapped the garment—still warm with his body heat—around her shoulders, and then pulled her toward the door.

Nothing could be hidden from him, not even her own emotions.

She had braved the wind and snow to come here tonight, intending to comfort him, but in the end, it was he who was comforting her.

Jiafu was touched, yet felt a sense of loss. She refused to leave, standing still and catching his sleeve with a small, stubborn show of affection.

Pei Youan laughed, shaking his head with a touch of helplessness.

He added some silver charcoal to the dying fire, and once the flames flared up, he placed a pot of tea on top and sat down in a chair before the hearth, signaling for Jiafu to come over.

Jiafu went to his side. He pulled her onto his lap, covered her with his cloak, and they squeezed together into the chair.

The warm fire danced silently in the pitch-black night. Inside the teapot on the hearth, a soft, pleasant sound of boiling water began to emerge.

This quiet night in the mountain temple was so tranquil.

Jiafu closed her eyes and rested in his embrace, gradually growing sleepy. In a haze, she did not know how much time had passed until she felt herself being gently lifted.

She opened her eyes, looked up at Pei Youan, who was about to lay her down on the bed, hooked her arms around his neck, and whispered: "Big Cousin, I want to pay my respects to your aunt. Will you accompany me, please?"

……

Wrapped in layer upon layer of clothing, Jiafu walked into the depths of the Ci’en Temple’s rear zen garden, holding Pei Youan’s hand. They brought no followers.

The night sky had cleared, revealing half a moon that illuminated the entire mountain temple as if it were draped in silver. The surroundings were silent, with only the faint crunching sound of their footsteps on the snow.

As they reached the place that very few people ever approached, Pei Youan suddenly stopped.

Ahead was a fork in the road; a side path led to the rear mountain gate.

It had been snowing intermittently for several days, and the accumulation was at least half a foot thick. Yet, right there on that side path, two sets of footprints remained. The snow did not fill them, and they led straight to the courtyard ahead.

This meant that tonight, perhaps only moments ago, someone had already gone there before them.

Who would come to this place—the residence where the late Empress had spent the final days of her life, now nearly abandoned—in such terrible weather, when the snow had almost sealed the mountain, in the dead of the night when no one else was around?

Jiafu’s heart skipped a beat, and a person immediately came to mind.

She quietly glanced at the person beside her.

Pei Youan frowned slightly, then continued to hold Jiafu’s hand as they walked forward.

They drew closer and closer to the closed door.

The footprints in the snow were clear, leading straight to that door.

Pei Youan walked directly to the door and reached out to push it.

The door was not locked from the outside, but it would not budge, as if it had been bolted from within.

Pei Youan’s frown deepened, and he pushed it again. The door still would not open.

His expression darkened slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he pulled Jiafu behind him and slowly drew the long sword hanging at his waist.

The sword’s reflection caught the snow, flashing a blinding, icy brilliance under the moonlight.

He pointed the tip of his sword at the gap in the door and said coldly: "I am Pei Youan. I know you are behind that door. This is a restricted area. Who are you to dare trespass? Open the door and show yourself, or my sword will not recognize friend from foe!”