“Little Lady Wei, it has been raining much lately during the plum rain season. You should take care of your health.”
A fine drizzle fell steadily, shrouding Gaochun Town. The bluestone road, soaked by the rain, shone with a reflective luster, mirroring the low white walls and dark tiles on either side.
Beneath a white wall stood a small stall shielded by an oilcloth canopy, with steam rising from the bamboo steamers. The stall owner was a thin elderly woman who called out, “Poria Cake! Hot Poria Cake!”
Seeing someone approaching from a distance, she leaned out to look with concern.
“The Summer Water Bamboo Shoots are growing well, and my younger sisters have been clamoring to eat some since early morning. I wasn’t originally planning to pass by here, but Chen Yi, the Poria Cake you make smells so fragrant that it simply hooked my cravings and dragged me over. It just so happens you can wrap a few pieces for me.”
Accumulated raindrops rolled down the slope of the tilted umbrella.
Wei Jinyun came to a halt in front of the stall.
She wore a Lotus Root-Colored Vest paired with a Cucumber Green Pleated Skirt. In the bamboo basket hanging from her arm were several Summer Water Bamboo Shoots still glistening with morning dew.
She tilted her face up with a smile. Beneath her dark eyebrows was a pair of almond-shaped eyes, and her nose was small and delicate. However, her lips lacked a healthy redness and were slightly pale, which happened to match the few jasmine flowers pinned in her Double Snail Bun.
“You certainly have a sweet tongue.”
The elderly woman smiled so widely she couldn’t close her mouth. Her rough hands seemed unafraid of the heat as she efficiently picked out several pieces of Poria Cake from the steamer. After wrapping them in oil paper, she pressed them into Wei Jinyun’s palm. “That will be twelve wen in total. Don’t say you’re the only one craving them; you’re surely thinking of those two little ones. Rainy days are perfect for Poria Cake. You’ve just recovered from your illness, so make sure to eat some yourself.”
Touching the oil paper, Wei Jinyun realized there were two extra pieces of cake inside. She took them and expressed her thanks. Thinking of her two younger sisters at home, a shallow smile played on her lips as she hurried back.
“I say, Sister Chen, how did this Little Lady Wei suddenly get better? A while ago, I saw white silk hanging at the Wei family’s door. Their relatives had even finished negotiating with the shop over which coffin to order.”
A vendor nearby, dressed in a coir raincoat and selling amaranth, watched Wei Jinyun’s retreating figure with curiosity.
“Who can know such things?”
The elderly woman sighed, sounding sentimental. “I suppose that Wang Qiulan’s daily prayers and incense burning managed to snatch her granddaughter back from the hands of the King of Hell.”
“Is it really that effective? I’ll go burn a couple of sticks myself tomorrow. It seems even her personality has changed. In the past, whenever I saw her, she’d be gasping for breath after just a few steps, and she rarely spoke to us.”
“That family has had it hard. Rumor has it she brings bad luck to the household. Now that she’s survived, Wei Feng and his wife are suddenly gone. There’s no such thing as such a coincidence in the world; it’s quite mysterious,” another person joined in the gossip, whispering softly.
The oil-paper umbrella could not block the slanted rain. The fine mist drifted onto Wei Jinyun’s arm, making her reflexively shiver.
This body was still too weak; she would have to try nourishing it in the future.
Wei Jinyun had been here for over a month, sharing the same name as the original host.
In modern times, she was an orphan raised by her grandparents. Her grandfather was an old doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, and her grandmother ran an old-fashioned pastry shop. The two of them had used cattail fans to chase away mosquitoes for her in the alleys of Gusu and used a clay stove to simmer taro for her, raising her as she swayed in a rattan chair.
The elderly couple was deeply in love and ended up passing away peacefully one after the other. After she finished arranging their funerals, her vision went black from grief and she fainted. When she opened her eyes, she was here.
A hot draft in early summer had taken away the original host, who had been bedridden for years. Fragmented memories barely allowed her to piece together the outline of this family.
The original host’s grandfather had passed away early, and her parents had vanished in a shipwreck while traveling for business two months ago, leaving no remains. Now, only an elderly grandmother, Wang Qiulan, who was still relatively healthy, and a pair of seven-year-old twin sisters remained in the Wei family.
Her grandmother was kind-hearted, and her sisters were clever and well-behaved. Since she had taken over the original host’s body, it was only right that she helped take care of her family.
The Gaochun Town where Wei Jinyun currently resided was under the jurisdiction of Jiangning Prefecture in the Great Song.
However, the Great Song of this era was somewhat different from the one in her memory; its backbone was finally straight.
Emperor Renzong had come to his senses; while valuing civil culture, he did not suppress the military. Fan Wenzheng’s Reforms had been implemented long-term, and the court had begun focusing on military training rather than frantically expanding recruitment.
Just from the nursery rhymes sung by children in the streets, she had heard several stories of majestic generals reclaiming the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.
Among them were the Xie Clan of Chen, the Lu Clan of Fanyang, the Lu Clan of Wu…
In the future, there would be no Jingkang Incident.
“Jasmine flowers, bead orchids…” The clear cries of a young girl selling flowers came from deep within the alley, adding a vibrant touch of life to the somber rainy season.
“Girl Yun, hurry back and take a look! Your relatives have come to your door again!”
An old man from the neighborhood, who had taken advantage of the rain to go fishing, caught sight of Wei Jinyun and called out to her.
Wei Jinyun frowned upon hearing this and quickened her pace.
The Wei family lived in a small alley bordering the river just ahead. Wei Jinyun walked hurriedly. From a distance, she saw the main door was ajar, with two oil-paper umbrellas leaning haphazardly to the side.
Before she could push the door open, a burst of arguing poured clearly into her ears.
“Aunt, you are being too unreasonable.”
A sharp, overbearing voice rang out, particularly prominent in the muffled alley. “That shop is just sitting empty in Pingjiang Fu gathering dust. You won’t even rent it out. Throughout the year, there isn’t a single cent of rental income. It’s just sitting there for insects to eat; what’s the use of that?”
“Exactly, Aunt.”
A slippery male voice followed immediately, wrapped in a few layers of feigned sincerity. “The eldest uncle left early, leaving you as a widow with children, and now Wei Feng and his wife have suddenly passed away. As brothers and sisters-in-law, how could we not worry? Right now, the boys in the family are at a critical age. The eldest brother’s Jin Ge’er needs to marry, and my son needs to enter school. Meanwhile, Wei Feng left behind three orphaned girls—there are expenses everywhere! As the saying goes, the name Wei is written with the same brush. That shop is ultimately Wei family property. Bringing it out now to help is only right.”
As he spoke, he let out several wails, lamenting the injustice of heaven and the early death of his brother.
Wei Jinyun was all too familiar with these voices; they belonged to the branches of her grandfather’s brothers. One was her cousin-in-law, Qin Shi, and the other was her third cousin, Wei Lao San, who was an expert at putting on an act.
On the day she had first arrived and her body was still weak, they had already caused a scene once, only stopping after a group of gossiping neighbors had gathered to point fingers.
Now, after only twenty or so days, they had the nerve to come back and eye her grandmother’s dowry.
In the dimly lit main hall, the grandmother, Wang Qiulan, stood with her back to the door. She wore a brown Cross-Collar Long Dress, and a Plain Wrapped Bun neatly held her half-gray hair in place.
Qin Shi stood opposite Wang Qiulan with her hands on her hips, while Wei Lao San stood to the side rubbing his hands and adding his support, though his eyes darted around with calculation.
Wang Qiulan was annoyed by Wei Lao San’s wailing. “That shop is a dowry I brought from my maiden home. it has nothing to do with the Wei family.”
“Oh, you can’t say that.”
Qin Shi’s tone rose several notches as if she were determined to win the argument. “A dowry is a dowry, but once you marry into the Wei family, isn’t it Wei family property? Besides, that sickly girl Yun needs to see a doctor and take medicine every few days, and how old are Fuqu and Fuling? They’ll just be ‘water poured out’ in the future. If you leave a perfectly good shop to them, won’t it just benefit outsiders for nothing? Aunt, you’re being muddled! If you sell it now for cash and we split it among the families, everyone’s life will be easier, and we’ll be able to look after you grandmother and granddaughters more, won’t we?”
Her tone was so arrogant it was as if she were bestowing some grand favor upon the Wei family.
Wang Qiulan turned around. The hall was too dark to see her expression clearly, but a cold laugh was heard. “Your so-called ‘looking after’ is coming to my door time and again to scheme for the last thing I have to rely on?”
Qin Shi was choked by this momentum for a moment, but then she became angry from embarrassment, her face turning the color of pig liver.
Wei Lao San’s face also darkened as he grumbled, “Aunt, you’re being unreasonable. We mean well—”
With a “creak,” the door was pushed open by Wei Jinyun.
The intense argument in the hall stopped abruptly, and several pairs of eyes snapped toward the doorway.
Rainwater slid down Wei Jinyun’s temples.
Her lips were pale from running, and her body trembled slightly in the damp, cold air, making her look somewhat fragile.
She calmly placed the bamboo basket on an old table by the door, her movements unhurried.
“Grandmother, I’m back.”
Wei Jinyun turned toward the two faces and gave a slight nod, her voice a bit raspy. “Cousin-in-law, Third Cousin.”
The others were stunned for a brief moment.
Qin Shi was the first to react. She glanced at the few Summer Water Bamboo Shoots on the table and snorted. “Oh, you’ve returned at a perfect time. You only bought this little bit of stuff? Tsk, it’s clear the family really can’t put food on the table, not even a bit of meat.”
Her saliva flew as she spoke, nearly spraying onto Wei Jinyun’s face.
Wei Lao San feigned a cough, his triangular eyes crinkling with a fake smile. “Girl Yun is back. Is your body feeling better? You see, the situation at home isn’t easy. Sigh, we are also worried for your grandmother and your younger sisters…”
Wei Jinyun ignored Wei Lao San’s posturing and pulled her grandmother behind her, her gaze falling directly on Qin Shi.
“Cousin-in-law, you are mistaken.”
Her voice was steady, yet every word was clear. “The Song Penal Code clearly states: ‘In all cases regarding the division of land and houses, as well as property, it shall be divided equally among brothers. Property obtained from the wife’s family is not subject to this division.’ My grandmother has the deed and the land title for the shop; it is the dowry given to her by the Wang family and has absolutely nothing to do with the Wei family’s ancestral property. This is on record at the government office; one check is all it takes.”
She paused, then continued, “As for my family’s situation, there is no need for Cousin-in-law to worry. Grandmother manages the household well and has her own plans… If someone insists on eyeing this private property, their ‘eating manners’ are truly too unsightly.”
“You!”
Stung by Wei Jinyun’s comment about “unsightly eating manners,” Qin Shi’s whole body trembled. She shook with rage, her finger trembling as she pointed at Jinyun and shrieked, “Rebellion! This is absolute rebellion! You’ve learned how to talk back to your elders after one illness?”
“Silence!”
Wei Lao San also completely tore off his disguise. “Girl Yun, who did you learn your manners from? How dare you be so insolent? My cousin-in-law and I came here out of the goodness of our hearts—”
They had never seen the Wei Jinyun who usually spent all year in bed dare to speak to them like this.
Now, after a major illness, her brain had suddenly sharpened, and she actually dared to talk back.
They wanted to use seniority to crush her?
Wei Jinyun found the two of them noisy and irritating. If they wanted to argue with her, her skills as a law major were no joke.
She had been weak that day, but she had recovered quite a bit now and did not lack the strength for a quarrel.
She cleared her throat and continued mockingly, “Is the ‘goodness of heart’ Third Cousin speaks of coming to demand a dowry and trying to devour it while Grandmother is struggling alone and my sisters are young? Grandmother is still here, and we sisters are not dead yet. How the property is handled is for Grandmother to decide; there is no place for outsiders to be ‘good-hearted’ on our behalf.”
Wei Jinyun emphasized the word “outsiders” particularly clearly, drawing a sharp line between them.
“You… you dare say we are outsiders?”
Qin Shi was driven completely mad. She lunged forward with her claws out, and Wei Lao San also pushed forward, raising his hand.
With their true intentions exposed by Wei Jinyun, they no longer cared for pleasantries and actually intended to get physical.
Wei Jinyun grabbed Qin Shi’s wrist, her gaze cold and sharp. Her face was only inches away from the woman’s, and she gave them no chance to speak further. “Right now, I can still call you Cousin-in-law. But if you keep shouting and eyeing our family’s things, then why don’t we go to the yamen together and let the magistrate judge the situation? We can let the townspeople listen outside the yamen and see how the Wei family treats their own relatives, forcibly seizing private property and bullying widows and orphans… Hmm, isn’t my cousin supposed to be getting married?”
She glanced at Wei Lao San again, a smile on her face that didn’t reach her eyes. “Or perhaps the academy doesn’t require its students to cultivate their character, manage their households, or care about their family’s reputation… Wouldn’t you say so, Third Cousin?”
The key to an argument was to strike where it hurt most—their most prized interests.
Hearing Wei Jinyun’s words, the two people’s faces turned from red to white, and then to green.
Gaochun Town was not very large. If they truly caused a scene at the magistrate’s office and got a bad reputation, who would be willing to marry their daughter into their family? Not to mention getting into a good academy.
“Fine, fine! You grandmother and granddaughter are ganging up to bully people. Girl Yun, you have such a sharp tongue; it’s time you found a husband’s family to keep you in line.”
Qin Shi, who had intended to manipulate the pair today, found herself helpless. She stomped her foot hard, shoved aside Wei Lao San who was blocking her way, and marched out of the hall.
Wei Lao San glared at the two of them before squeezing a sentence through his teeth. “Just you wait. Tomorrow, I’ll make it so you can’t even stay in this house!” He then scurried out after her.
Once the two had left, the curtain to the inner room was pulled back with a “shua.”
Two little girls, dressed identically in Green Vine Skirts with their hair in Double Maid Buns, ran out. Their little faces were pale, and one of them, with eyes full of tears, threw herself forward and hugged Wei Jinyun’s leg tightly, her small body still trembling slightly.
“Grandmother, Sister… they are so scary,” Wei Fuling called out in a small, crying voice.
“No crying,” Wei Fuqu stood beside her, reprimanding her with a cold face.
Wei Jinyun knelt down, dropping her previous coldness. She pulled Wei Fuling into her arms and gently patted her back. “Don’t be afraid, Fuling. Sister is here.”
She comforted her softly and took two pieces of Poria Cake out of the bamboo basket. “Sister bought Poria Cake. Fuqu, you eat some too.”
Wei Fuqu took the Poria Cake. She didn’t respond but stared at Wei Jinyun with a look that held a bit more contemplation.
The Poria Cake was as soft as a cloud. Mixed with a sweet fragrance, it melted on Wei Fuling’s tongue, but she still had no appetite and continued to hide her head in her sister’s embrace.
Wang Qiulan stood where she was, not speaking immediately. After a long while, she silently walked to an inconspicuous old wooden cabinet in the hall. The cabinet was locked, and the lock was already rusted.
She pulled a key from an inner pocket of her undershirt. With a soft “click,” the lock opened.
There was nothing valuable in the cabinet, only a few pieces of half-worn clothing.
Wang Qiulan pushed aside the clothes and pulled out a small bundle carefully wrapped in coarse cloth from the very bottom. She unwrapped the bundle layer by layer, her movements slow. After a long time, she stroked the paper in her hand and turned around.
Her husband had passed away early, and now her son and daughter-in-law were gone without a trace. There were so many relatives in the Wei family, and so many eyes were watching them. Even if they were driven away today, once their anger subsided in a couple of days, they would surely find another way to come and cause trouble.
They couldn’t pry away the old house, but what would happen to her three granddaughters once she passed away?
Her son had just passed, and their household registration would eventually have to be moved over to that side of the Wei family. Jinyun had just recovered and couldn’t handle their harassment, and the two little ones were still so small…
She looked at the three sisters huddled together, her gaze lingering on them for a long time.
That shop was originally hers, belonging to the Wang family.
“Jinyun.”
Wang Qiulan’s voice was raspy. “We can no longer stay in Gaochun Town. Pack your things. Grandmother is taking you back to Pingjiang Fu to recognize your ancestral roots.”