Wishing You Eternal Happiness 10
Wishing You Eternal Happiness
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Translation: marchmallow
TL Checker: StackedSnowflake
Chapter 10
This was a young man with a likeness in beauty to that of jade, in stateliness to that of pine.
***
This granny’s yelling was rather discordant to the ears. While still in the courtyard, her voice resonated all throughout the room.
Behind Jiafu, it was extremely quiet with not even a modicum of noise.
Old Madam Pei remained riveted to her position, her figure appearing to have frozen. All of a sudden, she held up the cane that had been lying horizontally by her side and immediately afterward sprang up from her seat, her back straight and erect. Just when Jiafu anticipated her to step out, she stalled in her spot for an instant and slowly sat back down again. Her posture was no different from earlier. Only that, she was gripping the dragon head on the cane so firmly that the blue veins on the back of her hand were clearly visible.
The sound of footsteps could be heard in the courtyard. Jiafu subconsciously swiveled her head and peered out the decorative carved patterns of the window in front of her.
Within the period of the rat,1 the faint haze of the half moon hung diagonally in the indigo night sky. Heavy was the chill on that early winter night that a thin layer of white frost rested atop the branches and leaves of the old osmanthus tree outside the window. A figure treading under the starlit sky emerged from the deep night scenery, passed through the courtyard gate, and strode towards this direction with large steps, casting a long shadow on the paved pathway behind him.
The figure was nearing, the footsteps growing faster and faster. After a few walks up the steps, he crossed the threshold. The shadow of the lamp swayed faintly as the person turned and entered from behind the door.
This was a young man with a likeness in beauty to that of jade, in stateliness to that of pine. As he trod closer, the light illuminated on his complexion, revealing a slightly pale pallor as though deficient in blood, but by no means did this weaken the perceivable elegance between his brows. On the contrary, his eyebrows seemed as if they were painted on with ink, and his eyes were clear and bright. He was more than a head taller than Jiafu, slightly lean in stature, his shoulders and back perfectly straight. He walked in, his two eyes transfixed on the edges of the door next to Jiafu. He drew nearer and nearer until he was almost in front of her, apart by only half an arm’s length.
Jiafu could clearly behold the frost and dew sitting on the hair on his temples, as well as the cold damp air that imbued the cloak draped on his shoulders, its color reminiscent of the night sky.
With just a single glance, Jiafu recognized that he was Pei You’an.
She felt an ineffable nervousness arise, as well as a bit of excitement that she could neither clearly describe nor comprehend. With her little heart set aflutter, her pair of eyes gazed at him without so much as a blink. Her sight tailed after his advancing figure, and when he finally reached the space right before her, she unthinkingly blurted out, “Da Biaoge!”
Pei You’an originally seemed to not have sensed her presence and had already walked past her. As he turned his head upon hearing a sound, her face fell in his line of sight.
He did not respond and merely steadied his eyes on her face.
His pair of pupils resembled the pitch-black darkness of the calm night sky. Under the light’s radiance, they were as clear and as transparent as water. Although untouchable, they faintly emanated a type of iciness that could assault one’s senses.
Jiafu’s face heated up, a little embarrassed.
He did not recognize who she was at all.
She opened her little mouth and faltered about whether or not to remind him of her identity, when it finally seemed to have dawned on the man in front of her. He raised both his good-looking brows, gave her a slight nod in response, and instantaneously turned to Yuzhu who was approaching. “Is Grandmother inside?”
His voice was both warm and cool, as well as low and rich.
Yuzhu nodded and affirmed with her voice lowered, “She’s inside. It’s already this late, but she still refuses to go to bed…… never expecting Eldest Young Master to truly come back. No one knows just how overjoyed Old Madam must be……”
Her eyes reddened.
Pei You’an turned around, halted in front of the door curtain, paused, and announced himself, “Grandmother, this unfilial grandson, You’an, has returned.”
The room was quiet.
When Pei You’an lifted the hem of his robes, Yuzhu promptly provided him a cushion to kneel on. He knelt down and kowtowed three times across the door curtain. “You’an is late and failed to celebrate Grandmother’s birthday in time. May Grandmother’s long life reach as high as the mountain and obtain good fortune as deep as the sea, eternally flourishing every year from today onwards, year after year from the present.”2
There was still no sound from the opposite side of the door curtain. Pei You’an’s forehead was pressed against the floor, and he knelt there for some time.
A while later, Yuzhu urged, “Old Madam…… The floor is cold. Eldest Young Master must have journeyed long, and his body is still damp……”
After a moment, Old Madam Pei’s voice blared out, “Get up for me! Do you plan to fall ill and have me worry about you again?”
Pei You’an unhesitatingly rose from the ground, pushed aside the curtain, and stepped inside.
Jiafu held her breath and slowly retreated from the doorway. She stood on the threshold of the outer room and was about to call Tanxiang to look for her mother with her, but she heard a deluge of forthcoming footsteps arrive in succession. She raised her eyes and saw that people had appeared on the courtyard. Madam Xin, Pei Quan, Meng-shi, Pei Xiuzhi, and Pei Xiuluo hastened in, rushed to the door of Old Madam’s room, and stopped in front of it.
”Mother, we received word from a servant. Is You’an back?”
Madam Xin’s back was turned to Jiafu. Jiafu could not see her expression, but she could perceive the pronounced tension in her voice, which reminded her of a rubber band being pulled at both ends.
Pei Quan and Meng-shi said nothing and only waited at the side.
Once Pei Xiuzhi’s vision fell on Jiafu, his eyes lit up, then he paced to her side and stood there, wishing to speak but did not immediately do so. Jiafu nodded at him, then turned to Pei Xiuluo to greet him. His countenance displayed slight disappointment, and following which, he cast his sight towards the door. His eyes were a little erratic, his expression was not like the usual, and the corners of his lips were tightly pursed.
“Sister Fu.”
Pei Xiuluo, a man assiduous in learning and refined in manner, would turn twenty at the end of the year. He smiled and nodded at Jiafu.
When Madam Meng rejected the prospect of their union, her aunt, Meng-shi, had since appeared a little displeased. During Jiafu’s trip up north this time, she no longer showered Jiafu with the same warmth as she used to, but her blood-related biaoge seemed to treat her just as well as he had in the past, so she did not take it to heart.
“Mother——”
Madam Xin raised her voice and called out once more, and what succeeded was the sound of footsteps from inside. Pei You’an was supporting Old Madam by the hand when they walked out.
Old Madam Pei’s eyes were red, but the wrinkles on her face had smoothed out. She nodded. “You’an is back.”
Madam Xin seemed taken aback and gazed at Pei You’an across from her, who had already matured into an adult man. For a moment, her eyes froze.
Pei You’an turned towards her. “Greetings, Mother. In the many years I was away from home, has Mother’s health been well?”
Madam Xin regained her composure and showed a smile, but even Jiafu could tell that her smiling expression was evidently a bit stilted.
”Good, good.” She nodded, her lips opening and closing. “It’s great that you’re back. How great that you’ve returned……” Her eyes veered towards Old Madam Pei. “I always ask someone to clean your courtyard on this day year after year, hoping for your return. Today, you’re finally back. Good, good……”
”Mother, many thanks for taking the extra trouble.” Pei You’an gave her a salute and then faced Pei Quan and Meng-shi, performing a similar greeting. “Nephew greets Second Uncle and Second Aunt.”
Pei Quan quickly told him not to be polite, while Meng-shi grinned from ear to ear. “You’an is truly back! You’ve been away for so long. There wasn’t a day where your uncle and I didn’t miss you! I almost didn’t recognize you when I first laid eyes on you earlier! Who knows just how much more attractive you’ve become. My heart is truly glad! It’s great that you’re back. You mustn’t leave anymore. How can this family be without you?”
Pei You’an replied, “You’an is very grateful for Uncle and Aunt’s concern.”
Meng-shi exclaimed with regret, “What do you mean you’re grateful? We’re all family. Luo’er, come and greet your eldest brother! Your eldest brother is not much older than you, yet his knowledge on essays is different from yours. His is up in the sky while yours is on the ground. He became a Jinshi3 during the reign of Tianxi with an outstanding reputation. Although he was much younger then, his essays may not be that far off from the masters in your Imperial College! Now that he’s back, you should learn more from him and trouble him to help you with your essays. Luckily, you’re brothers. Outsiders can’t ask for such an opportunity!”
Pei Xiuluo turned towards Pei You’an and gave him a salute. With profound reverence, he said, “Greetings, Eldest Brother. I hope Eldest Brother can spare the time to teach me.”
”I haven’t touched an essay for many years and have long been unfamiliar with the brush and ink. I now fear that I can’t compare with you, Third Brother. I’ve returned, but I don’t expect to stay home for long. Should you have difficulties in your writing, I will accompany you so we can learn from each other. I can do at least this much.”
Pei Xiuzhi, who had been silent all the while, walked up to them and said with a grin, “Eldest Brother! You never sent word about your return. I could’ve gone out of the city to welcome you! I have slighted Eldest Brother. Eldest Brother, please don’t blame me.”
Pei You’an faced him and returned with a smile, “Second Brother is polite. You worked hard to fulfill your filial duties to Grandmother and Mother while I was away, so I should be the one saying words of thanks.”
”Aiya, you’re brothers from the same family. Don’t treat each other like outsiders!” Meng-shi stepped forward, surveyed Pei You’an up and down, and sighed, “Sister-in-law, take a look. You’an has suffered a lot rushing back home tonight. Since he has already paid respects to Mother, quickly send him away to change his clothes, and give him a hot meal. It won’t be too late to talk about the rest tomorrow.”
Madam Xin turned to Old Madam Pei. “Mother, daughter-in-law will take him to rest first……”
All of a sudden, the sound of a child’s howling interrupted from the side room, the cry incomparably sharp.
Madam Xin’s face changed color. “Quan-ge!”
”Madam! Old Madam! Quan-ge is unwell!”
The wet nurse hurried over and was stunned to see so many people there.
”What’s wrong with Quan-ge?”
Madam Xin asked in a stern voice.
The wet nurse snapped back to reality and abruptly explained, “Quan-ge woke up and wanted to look for Madam just now, so I carried him over and played with him for a moment. He grew tired and fell asleep again. I was afraid he would suffer from wind chill if I kept carrying him around, so Miss Yuzhu and I put Quan-ge’er to sleep here at Old Madam’s place. He was perfectly fine one moment, but I never expected he would suddenly get sick again! He shouted that he was itching from head to foot, and he’s crying and screaming in pain!”
Madam Xin’s complexion changed greatly, and she frantically ran towards the side room.
Pei Xiuzhi paused in his tracks and ordered people to quickly invite a physician. Old Madam Pei’s pallor displayed a bit of anxiety. She lamented, “Why is he sick again so suddenly?”
Just as Jiafu released a slow exhale after suppressing her guilt-ridden feelings, she heard a voice speak, “Grandmother, be at ease. Grandmother also knows that I studied the art of healing in my youth, so I’m also a little familiar with medicine. Nephew’s condition is worrisome. I’ll go and see If I can help alleviate a bit of his pain and itching before the imperial physician arrives.”
Old Madam Pei breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Yes, how could Grandmother forget! Go ahead.”
Pei You’an briskly strode towards the side room where Jiafu had rested, and Old Madam Pei, along with the Pei Quan couple all filed after him.
Jiafu was extremely surprised, never expecting Pei You’an to have also learned medicine.
Although he claimed that he only had meager medical knowledge, since he took the initiative to examine Quan-ge’s condition, his medical skills could in no way be shallow.
For reasons unknown, Jiafu suddenly felt apprehension slowly creep up her heart. Seeing that everyone had gone, she faltered for a bit and haltingly trod behind them. She did not go inside but instead positioned herself at the doorway while peering at them.
Quan-ge was lying there with his back on the couch, surrounded by maids and grannies. His face was inflamed and swollen, and he was crying from exhaustion. When he caught sight of his grandmother and great-grandmother approaching, his wailing became even shriller, his hands and feet haphazardly flailing around with an astonishingly extraordinary strength. Several grannies wanted to stabilize his hands and feet to undress him, but he managed to break free from their hold. One granny was accidentally kicked in the leg, subsequently took two steps back with a yelp, and was close to collapsing seated on the ground.
Madam Xin was severely distressed, her eyes brimming with tears.
Pei You’an ordered people to disperse. He stepped forward and, without anyone knowing how he did it, restrained the unruly child’s two kicking legs. He bent his thumb and pressed his knuckles against the soles of the child’s feet. The child softened all over and just lay there weeping and whimpering. His clothes were smoothly taken off, only for everyone to witness the red rashes strewn on the rest of his body. His face was inflated, his eyelids were puffed up, and his lips were similarly distended.
”He contracted an inexplicable disease a few days ago. We invited an imperial physician, but he also couldn’t identify the cause. He was already fine today, but we never expected him to suddenly fall sick again……”
By the side, Madam Xin stammered as she recounted the past events.
Pei You’an inspected his inner eyelids and examined it for a moment, then stooped over to sniff Quan-ge’s clothes. His brows furrowed slightly, as if absorbed in thought. Suddenly, as something flittered across his mind, he turned his head and aimed his sight towards Jiafu standing at the doorway.
Jiafu could not evade even for a moment, her stare colliding with his.
His pair of eyes were as cold as water and as piercing as lightning.
Why was he looking at her all of a sudden?
Could he have discovered something?
Jiafu’s heart was pounding wildly, and in that instant, a layer of cold sweat actually moistened her palms.
”What, did you find something?”
Madam Xin snappily inquired.
Pei You’an retracted his gaze, pulled the quilt over Quan-ge, and assured, “Fret not. Just open the doors and windows regularly for ventilation, give him a bath, and change all his inner and outer clothing. I will prescribe him medicine to relieve the pain and itching. His body will slowly recover by itself.”
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Footnotes:
1 子时 (zǐ shí): 11 pm-1 am (in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in former times)
2 The last two phrases mean the same thing, but the Chinese characters are different (年年今日，岁岁今朝), so I worded them differently.
3 进士 (Jinshi): highest degree/scholarly honor achieved through passing the court/palace examination, the highest level of imperial examination personally supervised by the emperor
