Sake spilled onto the dirt, expanding into a wet circle on the ground.
Ming Yue was stunned. She stepped back, bumping into the stool behind her. She nearly fell.
Fortunately, Su Yunkai was quick and caught her.
After a moment, Ming Yue finally calmed down.
Madam Su reached out and took Ming Yue’s hands. Madam Su’s eyes watered. “It’s all our fault. We shouldn’t have left you there. Even if your grandfather wasn’t willing to follow us, we should’ve kept you with us. We should’ve taken good care of you. That year, your Uncle Su was relegated to Jingguan City. He was being monitored. Because of the long journey, it was inconvenient to visit you. When we went back on the way to Jiangzhou the next year to look for you, we found that you had moved away. It must be because your grandfather didn’t want to stay in that sad place any longer. He was afraid of recalling bad memories at familiar sights, so he took you to another place.”
Su Yunkai was still holding onto Ming Yue’s waist. He had a feeling that Ming Yue had remembered something. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have remained quiet for so long. He also suddenly thought of something. “Mother and father, were the benefactors you two often mentioned when I was a child Ming Yue’s parents?”
“Yes. Your father was relegated to Jingguan City to serve as a lowly official. On his way to office, he was intercepted by bandits. Those bandits were planning to take our lives for money. We seized an opportunity to escape, but they chased after us. Just then, a young couple happened to pass by. They tried their best to rescue us and drove away the robbers. As we were all seriously injured, we were sent to the town by the passersby. When we woke up, the doctor told us that the two benefactors had passed away due to the injuries.”
Su Gu said, “After our wounds got a little better, we inquired where the couple lived. We brought money and gifts over, which is how we met your grandfather and you, Ming Yue. But your grandfather didn’t want anything. We wanted to bring both of you away and treat you like relatives, but your grandfather refused. Later, I had to go to my post because I could not disobey the imperial edict. I planned to visit you again after settling down in Jingguan City. I didn’t know that you would move away the next year. I wanted to ask around, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Ming Yue remembered some of these things. However, she hadn’t known that her parents had died saving other people from bandits. Instead, she had simply thought that they had been killed by bandits. Later, her grandfather had brought her to Nanle County. They settled down there, eventually staying for thirteen years. Aside from tomb-sweeping each year, she usually didn’t go back to Qinghe County.
Her grandfather didn’t want to and she didn’t want to, because the place had lost its meaning. The people who should have been living there were gone.
Ming Yue had listened to everything in silence. Tears streamed down her face and she could no longer stand firm on her feet. Su Yunkai was now completely supporting her from behind. He had not expected for these benefactors—whom his parents had spoken of for fourteen years—to be Ming Yue’s parents. Furthermore, Ming Yue, who moved with her grandfather to Nanle County the following year, had bumped into Su Yunkai himself when he had been there. The two families had brushed past each other, not meeting again for over a decade.
Although he had saved Ming Yue thirteen years ago, it had been Ming Yue’s parents who had saved his first.
Ming Yue’s tears continued to rush down. A sleeve wiped at her tears. She raised her head and looked at the man next standing by her side. She was choked up and speechless.
After Su Gu finished speaking, there wasn’t a drop of sake left in the bottle. Su Gu knelt down to kowtow to Ming Yue. She was so surprised that she reached out to hold him. “Uncle Su, if my parents knew that you were kneeling to me, they would not be at ease. After the bandits were captured, I asked my uncle to inquire about it. Those people committed all sorts of crimes and they had already taken many lives. The local officials never acted, allowing the robbers to be at large for many years. My uncle said that the robbers would not have been arrested and the local officials would not have been vigorously punished if it had not been at the constant urging of a lord surnamed Su. In those years, even my uncle said that there were fewer villains around. The people’s lives were indeed peaceful. My mother and father up in heaven will be very happy to know about this. My dad was a coroner who liked peace and prosperity. He once said that he would die happily if those things were achieved.”
The Su couple and the Ming couple hadn’t known each other very well. Instead, they were only people who had just barely met. Hearing these last few sentences, Su Gu felt that the families would’ve definitely become close friends. Instead, he sat here, regretfully sighing.
Madam Su helped her husband to his feet and said, “You forget that Ming Yue and Yunkai are fated to be together. Kneeling down to your daughter-in-law breaks tradition. Keep your gratitude in your heart. There is no lack of gratitude from the knees.”
Su Gu nodded and rose. On the other hand, Ming Yue felt a little shy at being recognized as the daughter-in-law of the Su family. But Madam Su was correct. She and Su Yunkai were indeed fated, as were the Su family and Ming family. In fact, fate had long connected the two families together.
Perhaps her parents would not have expected that the couple they rescued would become their family one day more than a decade later.
The meal was long. Su Gu and Madam Su said many things to Ming Yue. They already knew that she had come to the capital alone and that she was living alone as well. In their words, they were eager for the marriage. They wanted to bring Ming Yue into the Su family as soon as possible, not only as their daughter-in-law, but also as a form of compensation. However, even though they were anxious for the marriage, they also didn’t want Ming Yue to feel rushed into it. At last, they said, “First, invite your grandfather here to Kaifeng and tell him about it. Then, choose an auspicious day together and prepare thoroughly. The marriage should be perfect. We don’t want you to feel even the slightest injustice.”
When Ming Yue left the house, she sat on the carriage with Su Yunkai and said, “Truthfully… the wedding doesn’t need to be too glamorous. The Su family has been honest and upright for generations. That would break the image.”
Su Yunkai smiled warmly. “The Su family has received many awards over the years. A glamorous marriage would not attract much talk.” He knew that Ming Yue must have many feelings tonight, but he didn’t want to leave her alone at her house all day. He felt guilty and held her hand. “Ming Yue…afterwards, let me take care of you.”
Ming Yue looked at him and nodded lightly. “Brother Su, I don’t know if I can tell your parents about Shui Shui’s matter, so I didn’t say anything just now. It’s just that I only want to talk about marriage after Shui Shui’s problems are solved.”
“I understand. I feel the same way.” Su Yunkai hugged her gently. “Let me tell you what’s been going on these past two days, lest you become rattled when you hear the news.”
Ming Yue paused and glanced at the coachman.
Su Yunkai said, “It’s alright.”
Ming Yue understood. That coachman was likely his confidant. No wonder Su Yunkai had especially summoned him to drive them to the Su family just now.
Su Yunkai told her about the Marquis of Pingxi’s private possession of money and Bai Shui’s fake death. As he talked, Ming Yue’s heart went up and down, as if she were listening to a dramatic play. He spoke in a low voice. Ming Yue could hear the heaviness in his words. After all, their opposition was the all-powerful Marquis of Pingxi.
The coachman pulled on the reins and the carriage stopped.
Su Yunkai vigilantly lifted the curtain and looked out. The driver clenched the whip in his hand and whispered, “Someone is following us.”
“Who?”
“I can’t see clearly, but they have good martial arts. They’ve been following us for a long time.” The coachman thought about the shadow that had flitted beside them along the way and added, “The person should be very short.”
Su Yunkai paused. He seemed to have thought of something. “Move away, but not too far away. Make sure you can still track this person.”
The coachman didn’t say much before taking the order and leaving. Su Yunkai turned to reach for Ming Yue and they exited the carriage, moving into a dark alley. They started walking in the direction that the coachman had just indicated.
Ming Yue watched as Su Yunkai peered into the empty alley opposite them. She was not sure what he was looking at. “Brother Su?”
“It should be an old friend.”
After waiting for a while, they saw a person emerging from the alley. The person had a slight figure, but they couldn’t see the face because of the hat. Ming Yue still recognized the person at first glance. She covered her mouth, not daring to call out the name.
The person was very vigilant. After a few short steps, they looked around many times. Finally, the person walked over to them. “My lord. Ming Yue.”
Ming Yue rushed forward and hugged the person, rejoicing for her survival. “Shui Shui.”
As soon as Ming Yue drew her friend into her arms, Bai Shui sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. Ming Yue hastily released her and noticed that some of her clothes were uneven, as if there were several layers of gauze underneath. “Shui Shui, you’re injured?”
Bai Shui smiled at Ming Yue. Her face was very pale. “The other person was good. I am lucky to have escaped with my life.”
Su Yunkai asked, “When you got to the villa, was there indeed an ambush?”
“Yes. I was nearly defeated, but I refused to give up.” When Bai Shui said this, even Ming Yue was aware of the determination in her tone. “The fire was big. I waited for a day, but the villa had almost completely burned down by the time I went inside. I couldn’t find any useful clues, but I found this. Maybe it was a clue, maybe not.”
Her tone carried a hint of self-reproach. Su Yunkai heard and patted her on the shoulder. “You’ve already done very well, Bai Shui.”
He took the item from her and discovered that it was a piece of wood.
It was rosewood. Because of the wood’s beautiful appearance and sturdiness, it was often used to make tables and chairs. However, this piece didn’t seem to come from furniture.
Because of the connection between the villa and the Marquis of Pingxi, Su Yunkai had many thoughts. Still, he was unsure. “Ming Yue, during the corruption case, what kind of wood was the box made of? The one used to transport the vases?”
Ming Yue thought for a while before replying, “I think it was rosewood.”
Su Yunkai’s eyebrows knit together. Bai Shui flipped the wood over, pointing to the concave spots on it. “My lord, I thought these things were strange. I didn’t know what they were.”
.
A Hint of Spring 