LC chapter 18

 

Lin Ruan brought Meng Zhen back to the Lan Mansion. When he arrived, Zhan Xi had not returned yet. Uncle Tong saw the two of them and asked a question.

“I brought him back to do our homework.” Lin Ruan replied.

Uncle Tong looked at the two of them, not quite believing it. Who hangs out with friends and doesn’t eat, drink, or have fun, but instead does homework? But Uncle Tong didn’t say anything, he just waved his hand and let them go.

Lin Ruan took Meng Zhen upstairs to his room.

Lin Ruan’s room was more decorated than when Meng Zhen had come last time, with small, delicate, sandalwood carvings. On his bedside table was a beautiful purple-red lotus leaf bowl.

Lin Ruan put down his schoolbag, went into the inner room, and opened the cabinet.

Meng Zhen asked, “What exactly is your plan?”

Lin Ruan took a small chest out of the cabinet. He waved to Meng Zhen. Meng Zhen walked over, and they opened the chest together.

Inside were gold, silver, pearls, and jade, all piled together in a jumble like a treasure chest. When they opened it, Meng Zhen was so shocked that he stopped breathing for a moment.

These were gifts from the palace. During the years when Zhan Xi was away, Uncle Tong took Lin Ruan to the Palace, and the Palace rewarded Lin Ruan with these items. Most of these were old gold and silver jewelry. Lin Ruan didn’t like or need them, so he kept them all in this chest.

The items that Uncle Tong and Zhan Xi had prepared for Lin Ruan were placed in another chest.

Lin Ruan sat cross-legged on the carpet, Meng Zhen followed suit. Although the items in the chest were all jewelry, they were dazzling. Meng Zhen picked up a string of sixty-four beads, each the size of a soybean and identical in color and shape. They looked even better than a strand of white pearls.

“Are these all real?” Meng Zhen asked.

“Of course.”

Lin Ruan laid out jade bracelets of varying quality on the carpet and compared them with the fragments of the broken bracelet, carefully picking through them.

Meng Zhen looked at the bracelets, then at Lin Ruan. “I thought we were poor, but it turns out that I’m the only one. Where did you get all this?”

“My master gave them to me.” After a moment, Lin Ruan continued, “You know about my master’s connection to Prince Chun’s palace. Every time I go back with him, I always receive gifts.”

“A prince’s palace truly lives up to its name. Even their gifts are this good.” Meng Zhen didn’t think much of it, he just sighed a little and helped Lin Ruan compare.

The palace didn’t give Lin Ruan many nice things, they just did it to save face. The only time they gave him anything substantial was during the New Year when he had an incident in the palace. Concubine Li rewarded him with many items, and these were much more sincere than before.

After looking for a while, the two of them chose a bracelet that was most similar to the broken one. They looked at it again and again and couldn’t see any difference. Replacing the broken bracelet with this similar one was the best idea that Lin Ruan and Meng Zhen could come up with. Fortunately, this jade bracelet was smooth and patternless, otherwise, it would have been very hard to find a match.

“This is it,” Lin Ruan said. He handed the bracelet to Meng Zhen and put the rest back in the chest.

Meng Zhen held the bracelet and asked, “You’re just giving this to me?”

“Won’t your master be angry?”

“No,” Lin Ruan replied. “He wouldn’t care about these things.”

He had always thought twenty yuan a month was a lot. But today, after learning the price of jade bracelets, he realized it wasn’t much at all. No wonder Uncle Tong didn’t mind him always sending money to the Lin family. They didn’t care about such things.

Meng Zhen clutched the bracelet and solemnly said, “I will pay you back for this!”

“No need,” Lin Ruan said, putting the chest back in the cabinet. “The bracelet broke, and it’s my fault. Besides, these things aren’t hard to come by. They’re meaningless objects.”

“You sound a bit like a philosopher.” Meng Zhen held the bracelet. “Speaking of which, Li Mingwen is also responsible.”

“You know his family’s situation. Even the two of us together couldn’t afford it. How could he?” Lin Ruan looked at Meng Zhen. “Put the bracelet away. Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll go with you to return it. Let’s end this matter quickly.”

Meng Zhen was very moved and wanted to hug Lin Ruan and cry. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Meng Zhen hurriedly put the bracelet away. A Yue opened the door and delivered two plates of pastries to Lin Ruan. He said: “The master has returned.”

“I’ll go down right away.”

Meng Zhen took his bag. Lin Ruan helped him pack his things. Meng Zhen gave Lin Ruan the fragments of the broken bracelet, saying, “Keep them as a souvenir.”

Lin Ruan looked at the fragments and smiled. He escorted Meng Zhen downstairs and ran into Zhan Xi just in time. Meng Zhen politely bowed his head to Zhan Xi. Lin Ruan said, “He’s going home. I’ll see him off.”

Zhan Xi nodded. Lin Ruan quickly left with Meng Zhen. Seeing this, Uncle Tong said, “I knew it! They didn’t do their homework, they were probably playing around!”

When Lin Ruan returned from dropping off Meng Zhen, Zhan Xi had already gone upstairs. Lin Ruan thought for a moment, then went to Uncle Tong and showed him the bracelet fragments in his palm.

“I was tidying up and accidentally broke a bracelet.” He added, “It seems to be something rewarded by the Prince’s Mansion.”

Uncle Tong glanced at it and said casually, “Broken is broken. Just go upstairs and serve the master. Don’t loaf around here.”

“Yes.” Lin Ruan let out a sigh of relief.

The next day was sunny. At dismissal, the last bit of sunlight remained on the horizon, and half the sky glowed with a gorgeous sunset. Golden light fell on the pedestrians. Lin Ruan and Meng Zhen reached the gate of Zhexian Tower, where the same two doorkeepers were still standing.

“Do you have tickets?”

Lin Ruan looked at Meng Zhen. Meng Zhen said, “We’re just delivering something, we’re not watching the play.”

“No ticket, no entry.” The gatekeeper said firmly.

Meng Zhen and Lin Ruan exchanged a glance. Lin Ruan asked, “Can we buy tickets now?”

“They’re already sold out.”

They were pushed aside. Meng Zhen held the box and shook his head. “Whenever I worry about something, it always turns out for the worst.”

Lin Ruan looked at him. Meng Zhen counted on his fingers. “I thought delivering something was simple. I hand it over, he takes it, and it’s done. But not only do I have to guard these jewels, I also have to figure out how to see that person. Am I too stupid, or is this just too troublesome?”

Lin Ruan didn’t know either. He saw Zhan Xi handle everything with ease. Yet, the two of them couldn’t manage even a small matter.

“Maybe we should find another friend,” Lin Ruan said, holding his face. “Then we’d be three cobblers.”

The two of them squatted on the roadside curb and watched many people go inside, wordlessly.

Lin Ruan propped his head up and his gaze was caught by someone across the street.

Beside a cake shop, on a small stool, sat a young man wearing a long black gown. He still wore that frivolous smile, but compared to when Lin Ruan last saw him at the ball, he looked much more down and out. A string of red agate beads hung from his wrist.

He played the erhu[mfn]erhu (二胡) is a traditional Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, sometimes called the Chinese violin or Chinese two-string fiddle.[/mfn] with his eyes closed, as if deeply immersed. Many children stood around him at a distance, curious yet not daring to approach. Above him stretched a vast purple-red sunset, painting his backdrop. The noisy street and passing pedestrians all became his foil.

He leaned against the wall, his bowing movements looking utterly casual. Lin Ruan listened carefully and recognized it as “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.”[mfn]《百鳥朝鳳》 (Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix) is a famous traditional Chinese erhu (and suona) piece that imitates the calls of many birds.[/mfn] The sound of his erhu was especially loud, a stark contrast to the soothing piano music from the cake shop next door.

As soon as the piece ended and he opened his eyes, the children scattered. The fortune-teller tossed his erhu by his feet and pulled something from his chest: a packet that looked like peach crisps. He took a bite, his peach blossom eyes half-narrowed, the picture of lazy leisure.

Lin Ruan suddenly remembered peach crisps.

That was long ago, before he met Zhan Xi. After leaving home, Lin Ruan did not go directly to Prince Chun’s mansion. He stayed by Master Wuwei’s side for three days.

Those events were distant. He vaguely remembered a child by Master Wuwei’s side. The child was older and had once shared half a peach crisp with him.

That fragrant, sweet peach crisp was Lin Ruan’s first experience with delicious food.

This peach crisp revived his memory. Looking at the fortune-teller, he seemed to recall that the man had once given him a fortune reading. However, since he was young and inexperienced at the time, his reading was completely different from his master’s, so it didn’t count.

Before leaving, the fortune-teller told Lin Ruan that he owed him a reading.

Across the road, the fortune-teller finished his peach crisp. He stood up, brushed the crumbs off himself, and carried his erhu in one hand and his stool in the other. Then he walked along the street.

He suddenly appeared in Lin Ruan’s sight, then carelessly disappeared.

Meng Zhen patted Lin Ruan’s shoulder. Lin Ruan came back to himself and asked, “Well, have you thought of a way?”

“I’ve decided,” Meng Zhen said. “This thing can’t stay with me any longer. It must be delivered today!”

He led Lin Ruan around to the back door of Zhexian Tower. The nearby alley was residential, so the wall wasn’t built high.

Coincidentally, there was a jujube tree next to the wall. Meng Zhen and Lin Ruan climbed it to get into the courtyard.

By then, it was completely dark outside. The courtyard was empty. Under the corridor, two figures resembling apprentices hurried forward. One said: “Tonight’s performance is important. The troupe leader wants us all in the front. Hurry up.”

The other replied, and they rushed off.

Meng Zhen and Lin Ruan followed behind them, quickly running inside the building. The first floor was spacious, with carved relief pillars at the entrance. The three-foot-high stage was hung with embroidered silk curtains reading, “Go out as a general” and “Enter as a prime minister.”[mfn]“出将”“入相” → “Go out as a general” and “Enter as a prime minister.” These are auspicious phrases used as decorations in traditional theaters, symbolizing success and prestige through official careers.[/mfn] Below were rows of rosewood tables and chairs with tea and snacks on them. The second floor had three connected, box-style balconies furnished with Chinese-style tables and ornaments. Elaborate red palace lanterns hung from the ceiling, brightening the whole place.

The first floor was packed with people, but there were still empty seats on the second floor. The performance had already started, and shouts of praise rose from time to time.

Meng Zhen and Lin Ruan went up to the second floor. Before they could find their bearings, a waiter approached them, saying: “Gentlemen, please take your seats.”

Meng Zhen and Lin Ruan exchanged a glance. Meng Zhen asked, “Where is the backstage area?”