Chapter Thirteen: My Uncle's Troublesome Suitors

Just a few months ago, Old Man Gu had no other choice but to seek help from Master Wuneng at the Temple of Mercy. Years ago, while wandering the land, Master Wuneng had once encountered an enlightened sage who bestowed upon him a miraculous prescription. This very remedy had once pulled the gravely ill Empress Dowager back from death’s door. From that day forth, the Empress Dowager devoted herself to Buddhism, holding Master Wuneng in the highest esteem. Even the current Emperor showed him the utmost respect, deferring to him as few others dared.

The prescription itself became the temple’s treasured artifact, never to be shown to any but the truly destined. Master Wuneng secluded himself deep in the monastery, unwilling to receive anyone but those with fate on their side.

It must have been the will of Heaven. When Old Man Gu arrived at the temple, a young monk came forward and asked if he was Benefactor Gu, come in search of the prescription. Gu Tianhao was overwhelmed with emotion. Master Wuneng said nothing, simply handed him the prescription, and uttered a cryptic phrase: “Such is Heaven’s will; do not force what cannot be forced. The golden carp plays among the lotuses in the Jade Pool—though it comes from the east, it swims toward the west.” With that, he drifted away.

Gu Tianhao pondered these words endlessly, never grasping their true meaning, so he simply left it to fate. Though the prescription was now in his hands, one of the ingredients was nearly impossible to find—a thousand-year-old ginseng root. Even for the Empress Dowager, the Emperor had scoured the empire to find one, and such a priceless herb could not possibly have a second specimen. Helpless, he called in favors, seeking far and wide.

By chance, a few days before, Old Man Gu had come to seek out Old Man Meng for an important discussion and mentioned the matter. Meng Xuan kept it in mind. The son of the Gu family, now deceased, had been Meng Xuan’s childhood friend; their bond was deep, and as a result, the Gu family had always treated Meng Xuan with particular kindness.

Today, Meng Xuan took the opportunity to head up the mountain, hoping to explore the mysteries hidden behind Xiaobie Mountain and the greater Dabie Mountains beyond. At that moment, Meng Xuan wandered about, cradling the lively Fubao in his arms, using the pretense of rabbit hunting to survey the terrain. As he carefully observed his surroundings—

A sharp cry rang out not far away, followed by the wailing of little Cenhui. Meng Xuan’s heart clenched; he dashed toward the commotion, and saw Goudan shoved to the ground by a large, heavyset woman. Beside her stood a young woman with a look of disdain, completely indifferent as the fat woman bullied the children.

Seeing this, Meng Xuan was furious. “What are you doing? Who said you could bully them?” He strode forward and kicked the fat woman aside, then scooped up Fubao and helped Goudan to his feet. The fat woman, stunned that someone would actually dare to kick her, sat on the ground, trembling and pointing at Meng Xuan. “You… You dare kick me?”

Once Meng Xuan confirmed Goudan was unharmed, he pulled the three children into an embrace, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief—only to have it catch in his throat at the woman’s words. ‘Dare? I’d do more than that if I had to,’ he thought.

He said, “Madam, what did my Goudan ever do to you? Is it right to make trouble for a child? This isn’t how people should behave!”

The fat woman snorted. “Your Goudan? And who are you supposed to be? Don’t tell me you’ve been fooled. Everyone knows that sickly brat from the Lin family has been ill for years. No fortune for a young master, but all the disease! The Lins are always unlucky, that’s just their fate.”

This was Madam Ma, a villager distantly related to the Tians. She’d never had a good word for the Lins—her daughter had fancied Lin Sanlang, but he’d married Meng Yun instead, breaking her daughter’s heart. She’d always thought it just as well; Meng Yun had only birthed a girl, and with both of Lin’s elders and children so sickly, who’d want such misfortune?

“You can’t say that about my brother, you wicked woman!” Little Wolf burst out, enraged that anyone would insult his brother.

Madam Ma rolled her eyes. “Young man, what’s your connection to the Lin family? No matter how close you are, you’d best keep your distance. You’re still young—what if you catch his illness?”

The young woman beside Madam Ma, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up. This was Ma Cuicui, the notorious girl who’d clamored to marry Lin Sanlang. Staring at Meng Xuan with infatuated eyes, she thought, This young man is even more handsome than Lin Sanlang, and judging by his attire, he’s from a well-off family. When did the Lins gain such a relative? If only she could marry someone like him… Greed flickered in her gaze as she appraised Meng Xuan.

Meng Xuan was speechless. What was wrong with these two? Why did his relationship with the Lins concern them? And what was with this black-faced woman’s predatory stare? He felt as though he were being stripped bare and made to run naked through the village.

He hesitated. “Madam… Ma’am…” Unsure how to address Ma Cuicui, who looked older than himself, he settled on ‘Ma’am’…

“You—!” Ma Cuicui’s feigned shyness cracked for a moment. Had he really just called her ‘Ma’am’?

“Are you blind? My Cuicui is only sixteen—just blooming into womanhood! How dare you call her ‘Ma’am’?” Madam Ma shrieked, furious at the slight to her precious daughter.

Meng Xuan, Goudan, Little Wolf, and little Cenhui were all struck speechless. An overwhelming urge to retch seized them, and they began to gag.

He finally said, “Madam, Miss Cuihua, aren’t you meddling a bit too much? What concern is it of yours what my relationship with the Lins is? And what you did to my Goudan—we’re not letting that go. He’s already frail, and you think you can just walk away without a word? Not a chance!”

At his words, Ma Cuicui felt mortified, clutching her grimy handkerchief and running off in tears. Madam Ma, seeing her daughter flee, immediately chased after her—better to leave than risk being extorted for compensation. And so, she ran as fast as she could.