Chapter Nine
The Gu family had no matriarch. Since the day preparations began for Gu Yuren’s wedding, Zhao Rouya had taken on the role of “mother-in-law.” Yesterday was an auspicious day for the bride’s departure, and from early morning, Zhao Rouya arranged for Gu Yusheng to accompany the male relatives and friends, assigned Gu Yuru to look after the womenfolk, and assisted Gu Yuren in greeting the guests. Throughout the entire wedding, Zhao Rouya was both coordinator and executor. Though she was usually frail, she was extremely busy yesterday. The wedding went so smoothly, and much of the credit belonged to Zhao Rouya.
After a month of tireless effort, Zhao Rouya was indeed exhausted. The moment she returned home last night, she collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. She slept soundly, snoring softly. Seeing this, Xiao Tianjian was delighted and quickly covered her with a quilt. Since returning from Beizhen to Nanhai, Zhao Rouya had often suffered from insomnia and was frequently awakened by nightmares, unable to fall back asleep. In their twenty years of marriage, Xiao Tianjian clearly remembered that Zhao Rouya had never once snored in her sleep—this was the first time.
Late into the night, Xiao Tianjian still sat quietly on the stool by the bed, gazing at his wife. He reached out and smoothed the strands of hair across her forehead, saying softly, “Sleep well. You’ve been so tired these past days. But it’s good to be tired—only then can you truly rest.”
In his heart, Xiao Tianjian thought, “My dear princess whose fate has been so tumultuous, I truly hope that from now on, you may sleep every night as peacefully and deeply as this.”
Yet Zhao Rouya’s sleep lasted too long. Even after the next day’s noon, she remained unconscious.
At that moment, Xiao Tianjian realized she might be ill, though he couldn’t say what disease it was.
Panic gripped his heart. He climbed onto the bed, calling her name again and again, but Zhao Rouya lay there like a stone sinking into the sea, still asleep. Desperately, he lifted her up, calling her name and shaking her gently.
“Zhao Rouya, you mustn’t die!” Xiao Tianjian cried out loudly with tears.
At last, her body trembled slightly, and she opened her eyes.
“Rouya!” Xiao Tianjian exclaimed joyfully, “You’re awake!”
Zhao Rouya raised a hand, gently wiping away Xiao Tianjian’s tears as she said, “Tianjian, you’re crying? Why are you crying?”
Xiao Tianjian grasped her slender arm and said, “You’ve been asleep so long, I thought you…”
In a gentle voice, Zhao Rouya replied, “Tianjian, I will not die. There are still thousands of suffering sisters in Beizhen waiting for me to save them. Now is not the time for Zhao Rouya to die.”
Xiao Tianjian whispered, “But you slept for so long without waking—it scared me to death!”
“How long have I slept?” Zhao Rouya asked.
“A whole night and more than half a day,” he answered.
“I’ve never slept so deeply before! So I really frightened you, huh?” She buried her head in Xiao Tianjian’s arms, nestling close.
Suddenly, Zhao Rouya pushed him away and got out of bed. Xiao Tianjian asked, “Where are you going?”
While changing her clothes, she said, “The sun is setting. I haven’t yet checked the gifts for Yuren and Qiong’er’s morning homecoming ceremony.”
After returning from the Gu family, Xiao Tianjian boiled a tub of water and began washing Zhao Rouya’s feet. “Rouya, take a good look at your feet—so swollen, dark, and covered with bruises! Honestly, who would now think you were once a princess loved by thousands?”
Zhao Rouya ignored his sigh and lifted a hand to touch the gray hairs on his head. She spoke slowly, “Xiao Tianjian, why have you tanned so darkly? You look just like a salt worker now. Who would imagine you were once a commanding general who ruled the battlefield? And where is that man who would rather give up his general’s position to be a powerless yet tall and handsome prospective prince’s aide?”
After washing her feet, the couple lay on the bed, chatting here and there.
Turning over, Zhao Rouya said to Xiao Tianjian, “Tianjian, I want to tell you something: a few days ago, I already told our daughter Xiao Guimu about our true identities and past.”
Xiao Tianjian sat up, surprised. “Rouya, you were too hasty! Guimu is just a girl—what good will it do to tell her? The court is still hunting for us. If she accidentally reveals our true identities and the officials find out, won’t that be walking straight into a trap?”
Zhao Rouya said calmly, “Guimu is no ordinary child. She won’t reveal our secrets. Besides, we have been living under assumed names, hiding for twenty years. Though we have survived, we have done nothing. Every time I think of the promise I made to my sisters when I left Beizhen two decades ago, my heart aches and sleep flees.” Tears welled in her eyes again.
Xiao Tianjian wrapped his arms tightly around his wife and said, “Don’t be sad. As long as we live, the opportunity will come.”
Zhao Rouya then asked, “Tianjian, shall we quietly return to the capital for a visit?”
Xiao Tianjian answered, “That’s too dangerous! I heard that the prime minister Qin is still sending people to capture you. If we rashly enter the capital, it won’t matter if we die, but I fear it will bring harm to Guimu and others.”
The homecoming ceremony—the bride’s formal visit to her natal family—was a tradition that symbolized lasting marital love. Though moving from Yang City to the coastal salt fields wasn’t a distant marriage for Qi Qiongqiong, it was still a day’s journey—two days round trip. Could such a journey be completed in a single day? There was only one way—to travel day and night without rest.
At dawn, Gu Yuren and Qi Qiongqiong set out for Yang City.
Two carriages were prepared for the homecoming: the front one carried passengers, the rear one bore the gifts. Gu Yuren and Qi Qiongqiong sat together in the front carriage.
The carriage jingled along the salt road, the bells startling the sleeping birds in the forest. Their dreams interrupted, the birds scolded noisily as they flew deeper into the woods.
Qi Qiongqiong lifted the curtain of one window and stretched her head out to look at the sky, sighing, “Husband, the stars tonight are so bright and beautiful!”
Gu Yuren also drew back the curtain on the other side and looked out. “Indeed, the sky is beautiful tonight.”
Suddenly, a massive meteor streaked across the night sky, like a sharp sword slicing the stars in two.
Qi Qiongqiong excitedly said, “Husband, look! A shooting star…”
Gu Yuren quickly turned to look but saw nothing, only that the night seemed brighter.
Qi Qiongqiong watched the colorful sky, quickly withdrew her head, and silently made a wish.
Gu Yuren asked, “My lady, what did you wish for?”
She smiled and said, “I can’t tell you, or it won’t come true!”
Gu Yuren said, “Then I wish your wish comes true soon!”
Qi Qiongqiong replied, “Thank you!”
Gu Yuren remarked, “That expression you had when you saw the meteor just now puzzled me.”
Qi Qiongqiong said, “What’s to be puzzled about? The brilliant light of a shooting star stirs excitement and joy—it’s natural. People feel lucky when they see meteors; I felt very fortunate just now. Didn’t you feel lucky?”
Gu Yuren said, “Of course I felt lucky! But that’s not my question. I wonder—when you escorted the salt carts at night before, did you rarely see shooting stars?”
Qi Qiongqiong chuckled. “No! I often saw meteors during night trips, but back then, my whole mind was on the safety of the men. There was no leisure to appreciate shooting stars.”
Gu Yuren said, “That’s very true. Over the years, though the salt fields and the Qi family salt shop have earned some money, it was paid for with sweat and lives!”
Qi Qiongqiong said, “Those bandits on Shijiao Mountain have been rampant these years—it’s truly detestable!”
Gu Yuren said, “Wife, I found out why those bandits have thrived during my time helping at the mill.”
Qi Qiongqiong asked, “What’s the reason?”
Gu Yuren said, “Because the officials in Yangzhou Prefecture have been lazy and ineffective.”
Qi Qiongqiong asked doubtfully, “Why do you say so?”
Gu Yuren explained, “Think about it. We need escorts for the salt caravans because the salt roads are unsafe. The roads are unsafe because the Yangzhou officials have neglected the bandits on Shijiao Mountain. If those officials could now crack down on crime and restore order, would we still need escorts on the salt roads?”
Qi Qiongqiong nodded. “Your words make sense. But we’re ordinary people. Knowing this is useless.”
Gu Yuren said passionately, “That’s why I want to study for the military examination, become a general, and lead troops to wipe out those bandits on Shijiao Mountain.”
Qi Qiongqiong teased, “Husband, we’re on the same wavelength: I just wished for peace on the salt roads from now on!”
Soon after dawn, the carriage carrying Gu Yuren and Qi Qiongqiong stopped in front of the Qi family shop.
Qi Guang ran inside excitedly, announcing to Qi Wei and Yin Yuanyuan, “Father, Mother, Brother-in-law and Sister have arrived!”
Qi Wei stood up immediately, tidied her clothes, and loudly called out, “Light the firecrackers!” Soon, a continuous crackle of firecrackers rang outside the street gate.
As the noise died down, the steward Chen Ren announced, “The banquet begins!” The Qi family’s homecoming feast was grand: one hundred tables in the front courtyard and one hundred in the back.
After Gu Yuren and Qi Qiongqiong paid respects to their parents-in-law, Qi Wei grabbed Gu Yuren’s hand and said, “Yuren, your mother came looking for you yesterday!”
Gu Yuren hurriedly asked Yin Yuanyuan, “Mother, why did you look for us yesterday?”
Yin Yuanyuan said, “Yuren, it wasn’t me who looked for you yesterday.”
Gu Yuren asked, “Then who was it?”
Yin Yuanyuan replied, “It was your birth mother—my senior sister Lou Mingxuan—who came to the Qi family salt shop searching for you!”
Gu Yuren asked, “My real mother?”
Yin Yuanyuan nodded.
Tears streamed down Gu Yuren’s face. “Mother, I miss you so much!”
Qi Wei patted Gu Yuren’s back and said, “Your mother came yesterday with your half-brother Li Muwen. They were very happy to hear of your recent marriage. She wanted to stay last night to see you and Qiong’er, but the officials had urgent matters, so she left hurriedly. She said she’d come today to drink your homecoming wine, but now it’s noon, and she hasn’t appeared yet. It seems the officials’ affairs are serious, and she can’t come today.”
Yin Yuanyuan said, “Yuren, don’t be sad. Now that we know your mother lives in Yang City, we can visit her. You will soon be reunited. Today is the homecoming day—a joyous occasion. Your mother-in-law orders you to wipe away your tears and go toast.”
Gu Yuren quickly wiped his face and said, “Your son-in-law obeys Mother-in-law’s command!”
After the midday banquet, Gu Yuren and Qi Qiongqiong bade farewell to Qi Wei and Yin Yuanyuan and set out for home. They returned at dusk.
Apart from the midday meal, they had been on the road nearly all day. The fatigue from the journey went without saying.
Yet, upon returning home, they could not rest immediately. By custom, there was still the family dinner.
In the Gu family’s main hall, the great sea lantern still burned brightly, illuminating the entire room.
With no mother-in-law in the house, Qi Qiongqiong, as the eldest daughter-in-law, had to play the role of matriarch. She stepped down from the carriage, ignoring her weariness, and, along with Gu Yuru and Xiao Guimu, busied herself unpacking the return gifts from her natal family. The boxes contained tobacco, wine, fat chickens, and cooked ducks, all of which she had to cut and arrange on the round table. The long journey had left her hands and feet sore and slow.
Seeing this, Gu Yuru said, “Sister Qiong, you’ve traveled all day and are exhausted. Let Guimu and me finish the work. You just sit and supervise.”
Qi Qiongqiong, who had always liked Gu Yuru’s honest and dependable nature, was now happy to have her as sister-in-law. To tease her, she said, “Sister Qiong wouldn’t dare!”
Gu Yuru asked, “Why not?”
Qi Qiongqiong said, “Because Sister Qiong is the new bride!”
Xiao Guimu said, “Miss, being a new bride is so troublesome! You have to sit through the wedding ceremony and then the three-day homecoming. It’s so annoying!”
Qi Qiongqiong stared at Guimu and laughed, “Guimu, is it annoying? Maybe you’ll be crying and begging to marry one day!”
Gu Yuru said, “If the groom were my second brother, would you still find it annoying?”
Xiao Guimu rolled her eyes at Gu Yuru. “Yuru, if you don’t speak, people will think you’re mute!”
Qi Qiongqiong gave Guimu a playful look and said, “Guimu, don’t fool your sister-in-law! When a big girl says she doesn’t want to marry, I never believe her!”
The family dinner began.
It was a genuine family gathering. Around the table sat Zhao Rouya, Gu Datong, Xiao Tianjian, Gu Yuren, Qi Qiongqiong, Gu Yusheng, Gu Yuru, and Xiao Guimu.
Gu Datong said, “Aunt Rouya, Brother Tianjian, children, we are all family here. Eat to your heart’s content!”
“Alright!” No sooner had Gu Datong finished speaking than the three hungry young ones—Gu Yusheng, Gu Yuru, and Xiao Guimu—raised their glasses and clinked them together.
Gu Datong raised his cup and said, “Children, you’ve all grown up. Yuren and Qiong’er have married. The Gu family has no lady of the house, but thanks to Aunt Rouya’s care these years, you’ve grown up safely! Let’s toast to Aunt Rouya in gratitude.”
Gu Yuren, Qi Qiongqiong, Gu Yusheng, and Gu Yuru raised their glasses in unison, “Yes!”
Suddenly, Xiao Guimu stood and asked, “Uncle Gu, Aunt Rouya is my mother. It’s right for a daughter to toast her mother. But my father, Xiao Tianjian, is my mother’s husband. Is it proper for a husband to toast his wife?”
Xiao Tianjian immediately stood and said, “Guimu, your mother is a heroine among women, and… I respect her the most! Toasting her is perfectly proper!” Saying this, he drained his cup.
Zhao Rouya quickly interjected, “No, no! Children, if we speak of thanks, we must first thank Qi Wei and Yin Yuanyuan, Qiong’er’s parents. During the great famine, they not only took us in but funded the salt fields, giving us a way to live. Next, we must thank Lou Mingxuan—she is our lifesaver…”
At the mention of Lou Mingxuan, Gu Datong, Gu Yuren, Gu Yusheng, and Gu Yuru fell silent.
Xiao Guimu quietly asked her mother, “Mother, who is Lou Mingxuan?”
Zhao Rouya glared at her daughter and scolded, “So rude! Guimu, you should respectfully call her Aunt Lou! She is the biological mother of Yuren and his two siblings and Gu Datong’s ex-wife.”
Xiao Guimu stuck out her tongue.
At this moment, Gu Yuren stood and said to Gu Datong, “Father, I want to tell you something.”
Gu Datong asked, “What is it?”
Gu Yuren said, “Father, my mother came looking for us yesterday!”
Gu Datong replied, “Nonsense! Yesterday, except for a brief morning visit to the top of the Thousand-Layer Cliff, I was at home all day. I never saw your mother-in-law.”
Qi Qiongqiong quickly said, “Father, what my husband meant was not my mother but her mother…”
Gu Datong was a little confused and laughed, “Qiong’er, you have a mother-in-law?”
Qi Qiongqiong said, “Father, I do! My mother-in-law Lou Mingxuan is still alive!”
Gu Datong asked, “Where is she now?”
Qi Qiongqiong replied, “She’s now at the home of Li, the magistrate of Yang City.”
Gu Datong muttered to himself, “Li the magistrate… Li Yan Ke…”
Gu Yuren said, “Father, it’s true that my mother came to the Qi family salt shop to find us yesterday…”
Gu Datong asked, “If she came to the salt shop, why not to the salt fields?”
Gu Yuren said, “Father, according to my parents-in-law, mother is now the fifth wife of Magistrate Li and has no freedom…”
Gu Yusheng and Xiao Guimu heard this silently and wondered to themselves, “The fifth wife of Magistrate Li? Could she be…”
After a long pause, Gu Datong drained his cup and said to Gu Yuren, “Yuren, Yusheng, Yuru, your mother has had a hard life, but no matter what, as long as she lives, that is all that matters!”
Hearing Gu Datong’s words, everyone quietly wept.
“Mother!” Suddenly, Gu Yuru buried her face in Zhao Rouya’s chest and wept bitterly…