“Why does the person in this painting look so familiar?” Zhong Ling’er stared at the beauty in the scroll. The more she looked, the more she felt she knew her.
One of the maids, sharp-eyed, recognized the subject immediately and spoke up.
“It’s Miss Chen! Miss, this is Miss Chen!”
“Chen Xirou?” Zhong Ling’er’s expression darkened. She looked at Ji Yu with clear displeasure. “You have painted for Chen Xirou before?”
Ji Yu noticed the change in her demeanor and deduced that the two must have some bad blood or simply did not get along.
To earn those thirty taels of silver, she had to choose her words carefully. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Recently, I heard that Miss Chen is offering a high price for a portrait. I did intend to go, but last night I promised Master Zhong that I would come here first. So, I haven’t actually been to the Chen residence yet.”
“As for this painting, it is indeed her. I happened to see her at the flower shop one day. She looked so beautiful leaning among the blossoms that I couldn’t help but sketch it. I was planning to use it to impress her and get the job.”
Zhong Ling’er examined the painting closely. She was annoyed, yet also impressed. Annoyed that it depicted the person she hated most, and that the painter had actually made Chen Xirou look even more beautiful than she was in real life. But she was impressed by the skill—it was not only a perfect likeness but also enhanced the subject’s beauty.
*If she paints me like this,* Zhong Ling’er thought, *when the Marquis’s wife chooses the portraits, she will surely be captivated by my looks. Then I will have a real chance of marrying into the nobility.*
“Master Ji, please wait a moment. Let me go dress and make myself up properly before we start.” She stood up, glanced at the empty plate on the table, and ordered, “Bring some more pastries for Master Ji to enjoy.”
“Yes, Miss.” One maid left to fetch refreshments while the other followed Zhong Ling’er to help her change.
Left alone, Ji Yu sat down comfortably and poured herself a cup of flower tea. She took a sip and was pleasantly surprised—truly, the food and drink in wealthy households were exquisite.
Seeing the ceramic bowl of fish food beside the table, she walked out to the pond. It was filled with colorful koi fish of all sizes. As soon as she scattered the food, they swarmed over eagerly, splashing water everywhere. It was quite entertaining.
Soon after, the maid returned with a food box and laid out an assortment of delicate pastries.
“We weren’t sure what you liked, so we brought a little bit of everything,” the maid said with a curtsy.
Ji Yu stepped forward, her eyes lighting up at the sweet aroma. “Thank you so much! I’m not picky at all.”
She immediately picked one up and took a bite. The sweetness filled her mouth, bringing her immense satisfaction and a bright smile to her face.
Seeing her so natural and unpretentious, the maid couldn’t help but smile. She pointed to a plate. “Master Ji, you must try this Hibiscus Milk Cake. It’s wonderful.”
Ji Yu took one. It was smooth and creamy, rich with milk flavor and a subtle floral scent. She closed her eyes in delight. “Delicious! It’s absolutely delicious.”
“If you like them, I can pack a few boxes for you to take home when you leave.”
“Really?” Ji Yu blinked, looking at her hopefully.
The maid laughed. “Our Miss gets tired of these easily, and there are plenty more at home. The Young Master doesn’t like sweets anyway, so they would just go to waste. Since you enjoy them so much, Miss will be happy to let you take some.”
“Thank you, and thank your mistress too!” Ji Yu reached for another piece and smiled. “By the way, what’s your name, sister?”
“I’m Shulan. I’m about a year and a half older than you.” She had heard Ji Yu say she was sixteen earlier, so she knew the difference in age.
“Sister Shulan, tell me, what are these other pastries made of?”
While waiting for Zhong Ling’er, the two chatted happily. Ji Yu had a friendly, outgoing personality and could get along with anyone, so they quickly became acquainted.
About an hour later, Zhong Ling’er finally reappeared, fully dressed and made up.
“Miss Zhong, you truly possess a beauty that would put flowers to shame!” Ji Yu praised sincerely.
Flattered by the direct compliment, Zhong Ling’er raised the corners of her mouth. She sat down haughtily and said, “You had better paint well. If I’m not satisfied, ten strokes of the cane are waiting for you.”
Ji Yu smiled and nodded, pointing toward the garden. “Please, Miss Zhong, if you would stand beneath the flowering crabapple tree.”
The pink blossoms were delicate and vibrant, matching perfectly with Zhong Ling’er’s pink dress. Looking at the person and the scenery together, Ji Yu already had the image clearly in her mind, ready to be put onto paper.
***
At Jishitang Pharmacy in the South Market, Lianqiao looked around the clean and tidy shop and knew immediately that Ji Yu had been there to clean up. She felt a little guilty—she should have come back earlier to help.
Most of the medicinal herbs on the shelves had been restocked. Lianqiao checked carefully and prepared some medicine for her mother’s cough.
“Excuse me, is Miss Ji here?”
Lianqiao turned around and saw an elderly man. Assuming he had come to buy medicine, she stepped forward. “Miss Ji isn’t here right now, Grandfather. Do you need to fill a prescription?”
“Yes, that’s why I’m here.”
“Do you have the prescription note?”
Old Man Liu fumbled inside his clothes and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper.
Lianqiao opened it and saw that the handwriting belonged to Ji Yu. The prescription was for herbs to replenish blood and nourish the body. She looked at the old man curiously. Who needed such a large quantity of blood-tonifying herbs?
Perhaps someone in his family had lost a lot of blood?
“Please wait a moment.” She turned and prepared the medicine according to the list.
Soon, she handed over the wrapped package. “Thank you, miss,” the old man said gratefully.
“You’re welcome, it’s our duty.”
Old Man Liu untied his money pouch and poured out all the copper coins he had. He looked embarrassed. “Miss Ji said I wouldn’t have to pay when I came back, but I can’t do that. Medicine must be paid for. But… this is all I have…” He looked at her nervously, afraid she wouldn’t believe him or would refuse to give him the medicine.
Lianqiao looked at his hand—thin, rough, and weathered, holding no more than a dozen coins.
“If Miss Ji said so, then we will do as she says. I won’t take any money from you,” she said with a warm smile.
He was clearly very poor; these few coins were likely all the money his family possessed. Even without Ji Yu’s instructions, she couldn’t bring herself to take them.
It was hard enough for ordinary people to afford medicine, let alone the poor. An illness could easily drain their entire savings. If they were lucky, they got better; if not, they lost both their loved one and their money.
Her master had always taught her and Ji Yu that if they met poor people seeking help, they should waive the fees whenever possible. It was simply doing good deeds.
“How can I not pay? My conscience wouldn’t allow it. These herbs are valuable. These few coins wouldn’t even buy the powder left on the floor at other shops. I’m already lucky that you are willing to sell them to me.” He placed the coins on the counter and turned to leave.
Lianqiao quickly grabbed the coins and ran to stop him. “Grandfather, this is probably all the money you have. I can’t take it all. How about this—I will take just three coins. Is that alright?”
“But…”
“That’s final!” Lianqiao quickly took three coins and returned the rest to him.
Having no choice, he accepted. “You and Miss Ji are truly good people.”
Lianqiao scratched her head shyly. “Grandfather, please don’t call me ‘Miss’. Just call me Lianqiao.”
“Alright, Miss Lianqiao. Thank you.”
Lianqiao just smiled and let it be. It seemed he preferred to be polite.
“Miss Lianqiao, when will Miss Ji be back here?”
She shook her head. “I’ve been at home these past few days, so I’m not sure when she’ll come by or if she’s coming at all.”
She remembered Ji Yu mentioning something about a way to earn money to pay off debts, but she was being mysterious about it. Lianqiao wondered if she had succeeded.
Old Man Liu sighed, his face filled with worry and urgency. Seeing this, Lianqiao asked quickly, “Grandpa, is it something urgent? Do you need her for something important?”
After hesitating for a moment, thinking about his granddaughter’s condition and seeing that Lianqiao was a friend of Ji Yu and a kind person, he decided to tell her everything.
Listening to his story, Lianqiao flew into a rage. “Du Cong! That beast!”
The old man continued sadly, “My granddaughter was actually getting better these past few days… but last night, somehow she got hold of a pair of scissors and started cutting her own hair wildly. Luckily I stopped her in time. Now she won’t eat or drink, just sits there staring into space. I don’t know what to do anymore, so I wanted to ask Miss Ji to come take a look.”
“Come with me,” Lianqiao said firmly. “I’ll take you to her house. She might be there.”
“Thank you, Miss Lianqiao! Thank you so much!”
***
Lianqiao led the old man to Ji Yu’s house. Seeing that the gate was unlocked, she said, “The door isn’t locked, so Xiaoyu must be inside.”
She pushed the door open and shouted loudly, “Xiaoyu!”
Inside the room, Nan Xing, who had been sleeping, was jolted awake. He opened his eyes in confusion, only to hear the shout “Xiaoyu!” ring out again. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze instantly turned icy.
This was not Miss Ji’s voice.