Chapter 38: Reminiscence

Early the next morning, Mingyue finished packing and prepared to return to Yinzhou with Qin Shi. As they approached the city gate, crowds seemed to have heard some news and were rushing toward the city center. Even from within the carriage, Mingyue could sense their excitement. She lifted the curtain and saw the scene for herself.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

Qin Shi, who was driving the carriage, responded, “It seems the new magistrate of the capital has taken office.”

Mingyue answered indifferently and was about to let the curtain fall when something suddenly occurred to her. She looked back and saw the dense crowd moving toward one direction. She felt as though she had caught a glimpse of Zhushu, but when she focused more closely, he was nowhere to be found. As the carriage left through the city gate, Mingyue sat back, deciding to put thoughts of Zhushu aside.

After nearly an hour, boredom drove Mingyue out of the carriage to sit beside Qin Shi. The gentle breeze brushed her face and swept away her restlessness. Mingyue unconsciously stretched out her arms and gazed up at the azure sky.

Leaning back, she fixed her eyes on Qin Shi’s slender but upright back, and suddenly remembered the beginning.

When Mingyue first woke, she recalled everything clearly, though those memories felt like a dream—always tinged with unreality. The neighborly old woman who had arrived first told her she’d simply suffered a nightmare and, now awake, should have no more troubles. Yet after comforting her, the old woman scolded her fiercely. Just as she had said before, the old woman stood beside her bed, pounding her chest in agitation: “Mingyue, my dear child, you mustn’t carry on like this! Yun Niang raised you single-handedly—how hard must that have been? Before she left, she asked me to look after you, but just look at yourself now! If I die, how will I explain to her? That young master Yi is indeed outstanding, but he’s not someone we can approach. Do you understand? No matter how good he is, he’s just another man—aren’t there others you could marry? If you wish, I’ll help find you a suitable family, but you mustn’t keep thinking about him!”

Indeed, Mingyue recalled the old woman mentioning Yi Yanzhi early on, but at the time, she felt no recognition and simply disregarded it. After sending the old woman away, Mingyue finally took the time to examine her surroundings. She had no idea how long she’d been asleep, only that her legs felt weak when she first left the bed, and she could barely walk without clinging to the wall.

Perhaps because of this, the old woman had cared for her those first few days. Later, Mingyue searched the familiar Xiangsi Pavilion but found neither leftover silver nor grain.

“Is my house really this poor?” Mingyue muttered, earning a sharp tap on the brow.

“You dare say that? Yun Niang’s skills once supported you both quite well. But after she left, you failed to carry on her business, and then squandered all her savings for that young master Yi! Now look—does he remember you at all?”

Mingyue gripped her bowl, her eyes lowered. “I know I was wrong, Granny. ‘Tingchao Pavilion’ updates fastest, all... Oh, no, do you still remember my mother’s techniques?”

“At least you have some sense. Yun Niang left some things with me. Finish your meal, and come fetch them—you mustn’t dwell on young master Yi any longer!”

Mingyue nodded vigorously, helped clear the dishes, and followed the old woman to retrieve Yun Niang’s belongings. True enough, she returned with several sheets detailing recipes for cosmetics, though each was blurred in places due to poor storage. Mingyue tried to recall the missing ingredients, filling in gaps with guesses and attempted a batch herself. It fell short of Yun Niang’s standard, but was passable. To support herself, Mingyue decisively reopened the Rouge Pavilion.

On the first day, many familiar faces visited—people Mingyue remembered from before. What touched her even more was the sight of bright silver coins. That night, she spread her earnings across the bed, throwing herself atop them. Though the coins were hard and uncomfortable, her joy was undiminished.

However, this prosperity lasted only a few days. By the sixth day, business had dwindled.

Mingyue assumed her customers hadn’t yet used up their cosmetics and wasn’t worried, even stopping production. She’d grown accustomed to spending freely—even without special feelings for young master Yi, her extravagance continued. Within days, she’d spent all her earnings. When she tried to resume sales, there were no customers. Mingyue remembered how heartbroken the old woman had been that day.

“Mingyue, do you think so many will still buy your cosmetics? They came before because Yun Niang’s name was trusted. Can your products compare to hers? Look at these cosmetics—who would dare put them on their face?” The old woman swept all the cosmetics off the counter with her cane. “Yun Niang’s reputation is ruined, and you’re still so wasteful—how will you support yourself?”

Having said her piece, the old woman left. Mingyue stared at the scattered cosmetics, some dried to powder, others with water pooling on them. Irritated, she swept them all to the floor. “So be it! I never planned to make cosmetics my life’s work anyway!”

True to her word, Mingyue stopped making cosmetics and spent her days wandering the city. Within days, she was out of money for food, and the old woman no longer visited. After finishing her household stores, she endured hunger for several more days before finally returning to cosmetics. Yet her hopes were not fulfilled—the products sat unsold. Only occasionally did poorly dressed women inquire about them.

At first, Mingyue refused to lower her prices, but eventually relented. Though she barely recouped her costs, fortunately, she still had materials left, and she could gather petals herself.

After drifting along for nearly a month, Mingyue had grown noticeably thinner, her longing for silver growing ever more intense.

One day, as she prepared to go gather petals outside the city, a figure lying across the entrance of Xiangsi Pavilion blocked her path. Mingyue hadn’t noticed and tripped over him, falling onto his body. After righting herself, she turned the man over—he had a nose and eyes, seemed normal enough. She touched his skin—it was smooth, even finer than hers. Could he be the young master of some wealthy family? With this thought, Mingyue quickly carried him to her room, drew water for washing, and prepared porridge.

Mingyue thought, If I’ve saved a young master, surely I’ll be rewarded with some silver? So she tended to him with greater diligence.

He didn’t wake until evening. His ink-black eyes wandered in confusion.

Mingyue hurried over with the porridge. “Please have some plain porridge. May I ask where you are from? Should I notify your household?”

“...Where is this?” he asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“This is Xiangsi Pavilion. Young master? Young master?” Mingyue called again, but he gave no response. A sudden unease gripped her. Setting the porridge abruptly on the bedside table, she demanded, “Who are you, really?”

After a moment, the man slowly raised his head, his clear gaze fixed on Mingyue. “I’ve forgotten... I don’t know who I am, or where I come from…”

“What?” Mingyue exclaimed, shaking his shoulders forcefully. “Is that true? Are you not deceiving me?”

Receiving such an answer, Mingyue was thoroughly deflated. She not only threw him out of her room but ate all the porridge herself, muttering about the wasted day—if she’d spent it making cosmetics, she might have earned a few coins. The next day, as she left Xiangsi Pavilion with a basket, he was still standing outside.

“Why are you still here?” Mingyue snapped.

“I have nowhere else to go…”

Mingyue instinctively waved him off, but stopped halfway. She eyed the young man and said, “It’s not impossible for me to take you in, but…”

“Madam?”

A familiar voice sounded nearby, snapping Mingyue back to the present. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. “What is it?”

“It’s time to rest.” Qin Shi helped Mingyue down from the carriage and drove it to the inn’s backyard.