Xie Qinglin had arrived too late to attend his younger brother’s wedding, but fortunately, he had returned safely to the Xie Residence.
Madam Xie had repeated “Amitabha” countless times in gratitude. Now she held her son’s hand, overcome with emotion.
Xie Zhiyuan instructed the servants to put away the things Qinglin had brought back. He had barely exchanged a few words with his son when the telephone rang in the hall.
He went to answer it.
Upon hearing that an emergency had occurred in North City, his expression changed, and he hurriedly left.
Xie Zhiyuan was often this busy, so Madam Xie thought nothing of it. She continued holding her son’s hand and talking to him.
“You’ve lost weight again. Haven’t you been eating properly?”
“Of course I’ve been eating properly. The vegetarian meals at the temple are delicious. I’ve been eating well.”
“And your medicine? Have you been taking it regularly?”
“Yes. Mother went to so much trouble to obtain those medicinal decoctions for me. How could I not take them properly?”
“Oh, my poor son! You’ve suffered so much. Tell me, how much longer are you planning to stay at the temple? Come home, won’t you? If you want to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures, you can do that at home too. Buddha will understand your sincerity.”
“Mm. I came back this time to see everyone, but I’ll only be staying for a couple of days. After that, I’ll leave with the wandering ascetic monks.”
“…”
Following ascetic monks meant enduring all kinds of hardship.
Madam Xie’s nose stung, and tears immediately rolled down her cheeks.
She patted her son’s hand, wishing she could bear those hardships in his place.
“Qinglin…”
While they were talking, a maid came to announce that Xie Fengxi and Jin Mingzhu had arrived.
Xie Qinglin turned and acknowledged the announcement.
Madam Xie quickly turned her face away and quietly wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
Before long, Xie Fengxi and Jin Mingzhu, both having changed their clothes, entered one after the other.
As soon as he stepped through the door, Xie Fengxi headed straight for Xie Qinglin.
“Third Brother!”
Xie Qinglin immediately stood up.
He was several years older than Fengxi, tall and slender, and wore a plain blue cloth gown.
Unlike Fengxi, whose features were strikingly handsome, Qinglin had a refined, scholarly appearance. He also wore glasses.
Seeing his younger brother, his face lit up with a smile.
“Let Third Brother have a good look at you. My little brother has really grown up. You’ve even taken a wife!”
Jin Mingzhu followed them inside.
Looking at Xie Qinglin now, she had rather complicated feelings.
When she had agreed to marry into the Xie family, she had believed she would be marrying him.
Although his health was poor, he was a gentle man.
Yet through a ridiculous misunderstanding, she had ended up marrying his younger brother instead.
Having only just adjusted to her new identity, Mingzhu felt rather awkward facing Xie Qinglin.
Still, they had known each other before, so naturally, she had to greet him.
Lowering her eyes, she forced herself to address him.
“Third Brother.”
Xie Qinglin still wore a string of Buddhist prayer beads around his neck. His entire bearing suggested a man who had freed himself from worldly desires.
He had visited Prince Shun’s Residence in the past, and because he was older, he remembered more of those days.
Seeing Mingzhu, he quickly waved his hand and instructed someone to bring over the gifts he had brought back.
“When Fengxi was little, he used to say every day that he wanted to marry you. We all thought he was just being a mischievous child. Who would have imagined that after all these twists and turns, you really would become his wife? He may be a bit unruly, but he isn’t bad at heart. At the very least, he won’t bully you. Third Brother is happy for both of you.”
Ha. He won’t bully me?
More like he never stops bullying me.
Nevertheless, Mingzhu nodded.
“Mm.”
Xie Qinglin smiled and instinctively reached out to pat her head.
But then he remembered that she was no longer the tiny little girl who used to cry so easily, and he withdrew his hand.
A maid brought over the gifts he had carried home.
Xie Qinglin personally handed Mingzhu hers.
It was a book.
Between its pages were all kinds of dried leaves.
He had traveled extensively over the years, yet the way he looked at her was still much the same as when she was a child.
“I’ve traveled to many places and seen many different trees. Traveling is a meaningful experience. Following my master and cultivating myself through Buddhist practice—there’s no better way to live.”
Mingzhu hurriedly accepted the book and opened it.
Inside were handwritten accounts of the customs and landscapes of the places Xie Qinglin had visited.
The leaves tucked between the pages seemed to mark the places his travels had taken him.
She liked it very much.
Looking up at him, she smiled with genuine delight.
“Thank you, Third Brother!”
Xie Fengxi had been watching her the entire time.
Noticing the change in her expression, he bumped her shoulder with his own and turned his face away.
Once Xie Qinglin had finished speaking with Mingzhu, Fengxi held out his hand.
“Third Brother.”
Xie Qinglin slapped his palm lightly.
“What?”
Fengxi kept his hand extended, waiting.
“What about mine? You’ve been away for months, and you’ve finally come home. Don’t tell me you didn’t bring me a present.”
Xie Qinglin stepped forward and patted his shoulder.
“You’re a married man now. You can’t keep behaving like a child. What do you need another present for? Besides, didn’t I already give you one? Go and look at the one your wife has. That’s my gift to both of you.”
Xie Fengxi turned to look at Mingzhu.
She was still absorbed in flipping through the book.
He stepped closer and reached toward it.
“Then let me have a look too.”
Mingzhu promptly closed the book.
Refusing to let him see it, she even slapped his hand away.
“You can look at it after I’m finished.”
Xie Fengxi awkwardly rubbed the tip of his nose.
Then he looked at his older brother with an aggrieved expression.
“See? You should’ve just given it to me.”
Xie Qinglin laughed at his antics.
He then pulled his younger brother aside for a private conversation.
Once Fengxi had gone, Mingzhu turned to Madam Xie.
“Madam, you’ve seen it yourself. Fengxi is still like a child. I don’t think we can keep pretending this marriage is real for very long. You can decide what to do. Whenever you think the time is right, just tell me. We’ll complete the divorce procedures, and I’ll leave.”
They had only just gotten married. Why was she already talking about divorce?
Madam Xie hurried forward and gently guided Mingzhu toward the doorway so they could speak privately.
“Mingzhu, I know you were born a princess, and naturally, you have your pride. But now that you’re married, why not spend some time getting to know Fengxi? I know my own son. Just give each other a chance. If you truly can’t get along, I won’t force you. But at least for now, you absolutely cannot get divorced. Please don’t bring it up again. I can’t promise you everything, but I can certainly agree to all the conditions you raised with me. Just think about it. What if, after some time, you discover that I’m a good mother-in-law, that everyone in the Xie Residence treats you well, and that even my good-for-nothing son isn’t so bad after all? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this mistake turned out to be a blessing?”
With Madam Xie putting it that way, Mingzhu couldn’t very well say anything more.
Besides, it was true.
Whether she liked it or not, she had married Xie Fengxi.
The misunderstanding hadn’t really been the Xie family’s fault.
Even if Mingzhu wanted to blame someone, she couldn’t reasonably direct her anger at them.
With nowhere to vent her frustration, she could only nod.
“Since you’ve put it that way, I suppose that’s all we can do.”
Having reassured Mingzhu, Madam Xie held her hand and gently stroked it.
“Are you still going to call me ‘Madam’? You’ve already married into the Xie family. Shouldn’t you change how you address me?”
If not for the incident during the wedding ceremony, Mingzhu would already have served tea to her new mother-in-law and begun addressing her as Mother.
At the time, however, both Madam Xie and Mingzhu had been so distracted by the misunderstanding that neither had been thinking clearly.
And with Xie Fengxi storming off, the matter had been forgotten entirely.
Now that Madam Xie mentioned it, Mingzhu finally remembered.
Continuing to call her “Madam” really wasn’t appropriate.
She opened her mouth to address her, but changing how she addressed her mother-in-law face-to-face was unexpectedly embarrassing.
In her previous life, she had spent so many years calling Madam Lu “Mother” that the habit had become deeply ingrained.
Now, faced with Madam Xie, she opened her mouth several times before finally managing to say it.
“Mother…”
“Yes!”
Madam Xie was so excited that tears threatened to spill from her eyes again.
She clasped Mingzhu’s hand tightly and shook it several times.
“You have no idea! All my life, I’ve wanted a daughter. But I gave birth to four sons in a row. I simply wasn’t destined to have one! You know what happened in our family. My eldest and second sons both died. They were born into troubled times. Then came Qinglin, whose health has always been poor. I thought I’d try one more time, hoping for a girl, but I ended up with another boy! Boys simply aren’t as considerate as girls. Now that my son has married, it’s as good as having a daughter of my own. I’ll certainly treat you well from now on. There must be some fate bringing us together as mother and daughter…”
She was genuinely overwhelmed with happiness.
Moved by her warmth, Mingzhu squeezed her hand in return, offering what comfort she could.
“Mm, Mother. No matter what happens between Fengxi and me in the future, I’ll always be your daughter.”
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had finally found common ground.
Meanwhile, it was time for Qinglin to take his medicine after returning home.
Fengxi told his older brother to get some proper rest and then came out.
Reaching the doorway, he walked straight past Mingzhu.
“Let’s go.”
He sounded as though he were issuing an order.
Mingzhu glanced at his retreating back and said goodbye to Madam Xie.
Madam Xie accompanied her outside, repeatedly asking her to be patient and understanding with Fengxi.
Mingzhu agreed to everything.
When she reached the courtyard, Xie Fengxi was standing there waiting for her.
Before she could even reach him, he started walking again.
After returning to their bridal chamber, the two of them each tidied up their belongings before getting into bed, one after the other.
Since her son was getting married, Madam Xie had replaced the bed with a new one.
It was large enough for both of them.
Xie Fengxi undressed first and took the inner side.
Mingzhu had more traditional knotted buttons on her clothes, so she took longer to undress.
By the time she finished, the only place left was the outer side of the bed.
The late-autumn breeze was pleasantly cool.
Xie Fengxi wore an old-fashioned Chinese sleeping shirt and trousers.
He didn’t even bother covering himself with a quilt, simply lying flat on his back.
After removing her outer clothes, Mingzhu was left wearing a similar set of nightclothes.
She lay down as far away from him as possible.
The lamps in a bridal chamber were traditionally kept burning throughout the wedding night.
Mingzhu turned her back to Xie Fengxi and became lost in thought.
For a long while, neither of them spoke.
Just when she thought Xie Fengxi had fallen asleep, she heard a faint rustling behind her.
Suddenly, his arm came to rest across her shoulder.
Almost instinctively, she sat bolt upright.
Turning around, she saw that Xie Fengxi had also sat up in response to her movement.
He had given Mingzhu quite a fright.
She placed one hand over her chest and patted it lightly twice.
“What are you doing?”
Xie Fengxi shifted closer until they were sitting shoulder to shoulder.
Twisting slightly to look at her, he wore a faint, mischievous smile.
“From now on, you’re my wife. So whatever I do should be perfectly normal, shouldn’t it?”
Mingzhu immediately felt a headache coming on.
“Xie Fengxi, you know that I originally intended to marry someone else, don’t you? You know that, right?”
The young man had been smiling.
But the moment he heard her words, the smile vanished.
“So what?”
He had always been stubborn and rebellious.
The more someone told him not to do something, the more determined he became to do exactly that.
And he was still a hotheaded young man.
Jin Mingzhu decided to try reasoning with him.
She reached out and took hold of one of his wrists.
“Fengxi, I know it’s too late to say anything now. It’s true that we’re married, and both our names are written on the marriage certificate. But you’re still young. You don’t really understand what marriage means. And at our ages, we shouldn’t be sharing a marriage bed as husband and wife. So why don’t we establish three ground rules and try our best to get along? What do you think?”
After all that talking, she still didn’t want to be married to him.
Even when she spoke to him so gently and reasonably, she had an ulterior motive.
Xie Fengxi let out a derisive laugh.
He remembered how Mingzhu had looked in front of his older brother earlier, shy and almost bashful.
Yet when she was with him, she treated him entirely like a child.
He abruptly pulled his wrist free.
Then he flopped back onto the inner side of the bed, grabbed the quilt, and pulled it over himself.
“What do I think? I don’t agree. No deal.”