WSMTATMC C152

Chapter 152

Before long, everyone in the rear courtyard was awake. Wang Ying threw on his clothes and hurried over; seeing the soldiers at the gate made his heart thud—never expected the little girl’s identity to be so exalted.

Softly, Lin Sui explained to the Marquis of Wuping how they had come across little Qing’er—that they hadn’t taken her on purpose, but that the child had climbed into the cart on her own.

Li Mu found it hard to believe. His daughter was only four and a half; standing up, she barely reached the cart rail—how had she climbed aboard?

By chance, the ice cart was still in the yard. Seeing her father’s doubt, Qing’er wriggled from his arms, ran over, and demonstrated again. She stepped on the wheel, gripped the shaft, stuck out her little bottom, and inched her way up onto the cart, then grabbed some thatch and covered herself.

Li Mu could only laugh and cry at once. He went up, lifted her down from the cart, and said, “What are you doing climbing onto someone else’s cart? Don’t you know father has been nearly mad looking for you?”

Qing’er couldn’t speak—she only gazed at him, miserably aggrieved.

Watching from the side, Lin Sui’s heart tightened. “My lord, don’t be angry—speak gently. She doesn’t seem a naughty child; perhaps she had a reason.”

At the word, the child’s tears spilled at once. She turned and dove into Lin Sui’s arms, sobbing softly.

She had lost her mother early; Li Mu spent most of his time with the army. Day to day, she lived in the household with her grandmother and a nursemaid. Though Li Mu doted on her, he was, after all, a man—he could buy her treats and toys, but emotional needs were harder to meet.

Now, cradled by Lin Sui’s soft voice and gentle arms, her heart ached more, and she clung tightly to Lin Sui’s waist, unwilling to let go.

Lin Sui cast a reproachful glance at the marquis, and Li Mu scratched his head in embarrassment—as if he really had done wrong.

When at last the child was soothed, Li Mu cupped hands and bowed to the two young lords. “In a moment of urgency, I intruded upon your residence. Please forgive the offense.”

Wang Ying dared not blame him. “Since the misunderstanding is cleared, all is well. My lord, take the child home to rest.”

Li Mu reached to take his daughter from Lin Sui’s arms and gave him a long look. “And many thanks to Young Lord Lin for looking after Qing’er.”

Lin Sui bowed in return. “It is I who have yet to thank you for your help last time, my lord.”

Wang Ying also recalled that matter; his gaze flicked between the two, and a thought sprang up—those two look rather well matched~

It was late, and Li Mu did not linger. Carrying the child, he led his men away from the Chen residence.

Wang Ying and Lin Sui each returned to bed. Before sleep, Wang Ying even slipped into the experimental field for a turn—wondering how Chen Qingyan was faring.

—

Lying in the examination compound, Chen Qingyan was thinking of him as well. Today was the first session—focused on the Four Books and Five Classics: one five-character eight-rhyme poem, and four passages on classic meanings. For the first session, each Four Books prompt required over two hundred characters; the classic-meaning questions demanded over three hundred, along with one each of edict-style composition, judicial decision, memorial, and proclamation.

The first session ran three days. Over those three days, the candidate drafted responses on the distributed scratch paper, and on the final day copied answers neatly onto the official papers.

By day, Qingyan scarcely put brush to paper. He mainly read each question thoroughly and sketched out drafts in his mind. With a good memory, he held the prompts wholly in his head and, after cracking them, would write them cleanly tomorrow.

Using the flatbread wrapped in cloth as a pillow, he looked up at a corner of sky. From next door came the snores and tooth-grinding of candidates—a novel experience.

At night, invigilators still patrolled back and forth—three shifts, the whole twelve double-hours without pause—cutting off the possibility of cheating at the root.

By early next morning, candidates woke in turn, wiped their faces with damp cloths, and resumed writing.

—

Madam Li learned only the next morning that the child had been taken home—and that she was the daughter of the Marquis of Wuping. “Didn’t I say so—one look and you can tell she was well raised: clean and winsome—only a pity she can’t speak.”

Fang Ling said, “Children of rank sometimes speak late. She doesn’t look like she’s unwell—perhaps in a year or two she’ll speak.”

As they ate, they spoke of the Marquis. After living in the prefectural city for some time, one heard bits of gossip. On that day when they went to pray at the temple, Madam Li and Fang Ling had mentioned the marquis to Madam Liu and learned that he had earned his title with his life.

Fang Ling said, “He had it hard—born of a concubine and unwelcome to parents, sent to the army as a boy. When he finally rose, the madam of the house wronged him—married him to a wanton whose child he kept.”

For Wang Ying and Lin Sui, it was the first time hearing such things. No wonder he had come roaring in last night. Luckily, the child had climbed into the cart herself—if someone had carried her off, he might have cut them to pieces…

After breakfast, Wang Ying and Lin Sui opened the shop as usual. The Li family’s ice would be delivered six more days. Wang Ying cautioned the two who hauled ice: on the next runs, keep an eye out—don’t bring another child back.

In the morning two households bought ice; not much. Wang Ying went out for errands.

At noon, Qingyun brought lunch. As they ate, Wang Ying suddenly mentioned the marquis. “Sui, what do you think of the Marquis of Wuping as a person?”

Lin Sui paused, then looked up. “An upright, good man. Last time, after we sought him over Shopkeeper Wei, the Wei family came to apologize at once—he must have helped behind the scenes.”

Qingyun chimed in. “And last night he burst into our house with quite a few soldiers—nearly scared the gatekeeper out of his wits.”

As a father himself, Wang Ying said, “Understandable—the child is so young and can’t speak. If Yuanbao went missing, I’d be more frantic than…” He broke off, grinning. “Sui, what if I play matchmaker for you two?”

Lin Sui’s eyes widened. “No—don’t joke like that. People would laugh at me…”

“How so? You’re divorced; he’s put away his wife. Though older than you, you suit—”

“The marquis would never fancy me. Please don’t say more.” Eyes reddening, Lin Sui rose and left.

Wang Ying didn’t know which word had cut. Scratching his head, he turned to Qingyun. “Don’t you think they suit?”

Qingyun shook her head. “What identity is the marquis? Not something our family can reach. With his rank, he could marry not only someone young, but a noble miss or gē’er from a great house.”

Wang Ying started—he had forgotten this was the old days, with class fixed deep. Never mind that Lin Sui had divorced; even if he hadn’t married before, with his station he could hardly enter a marquis’s household as a spouse.

“I oversimplified. I’ll apologize to Sui.” He went to the back and found Lin Sui crouched in the corridor, secretly wiping tears—heartbreaking to see.

“Sorry—that was foolish talk. Don’t take it to heart.”

Lin Sui stood at once. “It’s not Sister-in-law’s fault—I know you meant well.”

Wang Ying reached to wipe his tears. “Our Lin Sui is handsome and kind—deserves the finest man under heaven. If others don’t see it, that’s their blind eyes.”

—

At the marquis’s residence, since Li Mu brought his daughter home the night before, she had been listless—no appetite, no answer to questions—enough to make him fret. At noon she still hadn’t eaten—only half a bowl of thin porridge, and not a bite of bun.

When the nursemaid reported, Li Mu set aside the military text and frowned into a knot. He went to the rear courtyard and found the child sitting in the shade watching a little dog, his mother snoring softly in a lounge chair—age brings such sleep.

A maid started to wake the old lady, but Li Mu motioned her not to. “I’ll take Qing’er out a while. Tell mother when she wakes.”

“Yes.”

Holding the little hand, he said, “I hear you didn’t eat lunch—is the food not to your liking?”

She shook her head.

“Want something else?”

She shook her head again.

He stopped, crouched to meet her eyes. “If something’s on your mind, you can tell father.”

Qing’er hesitated, then pointed at the red ribbon in her hair.

“It’s very pretty—did the nurse tie it for you?”

Her head wagged like a rattle drum—no, no, no.

Fearing she’d shake herself dizzy, he steadied her head. “All right, all right. You like this ribbon very much?”

Her eyes brightened; she nodded hard.

“Then father will take you to buy some more—how about it?”

The light in her eyes snapped off. She shook her head and, disappointed, turned back.

Li Mu was stumped. A general could divine an enemy’s formation—but he could not guess his daughter’s heart.

Suddenly he recalled how well she had gotten on with the Lin family’s young lord yesterday. On a hunch, he tried, “Shall we go find the big brother from yesterday?”

Qing’er sprang up, seized his hand, and shook it, face flushed with excitement.

Her joy lifted him as well. He hoisted her to his shoulder and strode out.

At the ice shop, they happened to miss Wang Ying—he’d taken Qingyun to the carpentry workshop to check on the dowry and buy bolts of cloth for autumn clothes.

Seeing guests, Lin Sui rose to greet them—and froze at the sight of the marquis and his daughter, unsure what to say.

“Greetings, my lord.”

“No need for formal greeting. Qing’er—didn’t you want to find your big brother? Why aren’t you going?”

She hid behind him, peeking at Lin Sui. Unable to speak, she was sensitive by nature—afraid that Lin Sui might be impatient with her.

Smiling, Lin Sui beckoned. “Your name is Qing’er? What a lovely name.”

Only then did she shyly come forward, take his hand, and give it a little shake.

Her look was thoroughly endearing. Lin Sui led her around the shop, brought out the abacus for her to play, and, imitating his sister-in-law teaching Yuanbao, began showing her simple accounts and characters.

Li Mu sat on a stool, motionless—watching the two. A sweetness beyond words rose within. A thought flashed: if only Young Lord Lin were Qing’er’s father…

The thought grew stronger with each moment. It wasn’t until the shop’s closing time that Li Mu called his daughter to go home.

Reluctantly, Qing’er waved to Lin Sui.

Just then, Wang Ying and Qingyun returned from the carpenters. Seeing the marquis and the girl in his arms, Wang Ying flashed a meaningful smile.

Truly, sometimes a chance remark is blessed.