Chapter 21: Perseverance
The sun climbed higher, hanging brightly overhead, its scorching rays making the air feel as if it could burn the skin. The landscape shimmered with blinding white light everywhere one looked.
Fu Tingyun's face was flushed red from the heat. Beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down her forehead and temples, blurring her vision, yet she stubbornly gazed toward the northeast.
Huayin was there!
But she didn’t even have the chance to take one last look at it.
All she could see was devastation—nothing but parched fields and withered plants, over and over again.
If she had known this would happen, she should have taken a good look at Huayin City when she left.
Now that she was "dead," the maids who served her should have "recovered" from their "illness," right?
Who was it that stole her belongings?
And what about Lü'e and Hanyan? After all this, her mother would probably keep them under close watch until the rumors died down before making arrangements. To outsiders, Lü'e and Hanyan would seem to have risen swiftly, becoming maids favored by her mother. But they themselves would know the truth—they must be trembling with anxiety!
Then there was Mother Chen. With her missing, how would she explain things to Aunt?
If her uncle learned she had been rescued by a man, he would surely reconsider Zuo Junjie’s words in secret.
How did the Fu family view her "disappearance"?
Had Zuo Junjie truly fled like the rumors said, or had the Fu family secretly dealt with him?
At this thought, Fu Tingyun shook her head lightly.
Zuo Junjie was a provincial scholar. No matter how bold the Fu family was, they would surely hesitate before harming a scholar. Besides, his elder sister was her cousin’s wife, and the Zuo family had only him left as their sole heir…
The more she thought, the more anxious she became, wishing she could see her mother immediately and get answers.
Yet she also felt a faint worry—would her mother reveal to the elders that she had gone to her uncle’s house?
She wouldn’t, right?
Her mother knew the elders had intended to punish her.
But why hadn’t her mother found a way to warn her back then? Her mother was not just her mother—she was also a daughter-in-law of the Fu family. Perhaps her mother thought that once the storm passed, it wouldn’t matter if she informed the elders…
Torn between hope and fear, Fu Tingyun felt lost and uncertain.
Ninth Master Zhao watched Fu Tingyun, her head drooping like wilted daylily under the scorching sun, and felt a pang of concern.
They had been traveling through endless dust, with not even a single leaf to provide shade. They needed to find shelter from the midday sun soon—otherwise, even if she didn’t suffer heatstroke, she would collapse from exhaustion. And with water scarce, that would spell real trouble.
As he walked, Ninth Master Zhao scanned the surroundings and finally spotted a collapsed straw shed.
It looked like a temporary shelter built by field guards.
He couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
Something was better than nothing.
Consoling himself, he and A Sen worked together to prop up one corner of the shed, then helped Fu Tingyun inside to rest.
The ground beneath was scorching, like a furnace, and the straw overhead barely blocked the sunlight. Fu Tingyun didn’t feel any cooler, but seeing Ninth Master Zhao and A Sen standing under the blazing sun, drenched in sweat, she felt deeply grateful.
"Ninth Master, A Sen, it’s a bit cooler in here. Come in and take shelter too!" she said, shifting to one corner of the shed.
They had done their best to protect her—it would be unreasonable to cling to formalities now."No need!" Ninth Master Zhao retrieved a waterskin and a steamed bun from the small cart, handing them to Fu Tingyun. "Eat something and rest for a while. We'll set off again at dusk." Then he instructed A Sen, "You stay here and guard Miss Fu. Since there's a straw shed here, there must be a village nearby. I'll go check!"
A Sen responded loudly with a "Yes!" as Ninth Master Zhao walked away without looking back.
Fu Tingyun had only eaten half a steamed bun and drunk half a bowl of water at dawn. Despite the hot weather, she was already parched and starving.
She took a couple of bites of the bun, washing it down with water.
The bun had been stored for too long and lacked moisture. The crumbs fell like dry, hard flour.
Looking up, Fu Tingyun saw A Sen squatting by the cart, idly drawing circles in the barren field with a stick.
"A Sen, aren't you hot? Why don't you drink some water?"
A Sen scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly.
Fu Tingyun raised the waterskin. "Find your bowl. I'll pour some for you."
A Sen didn't move. "Miss, this water is Ninth Master's provision for you... I can only drink at dusk."
Fu Tingyun froze.
She knew water was scarce, but seeing Ninth Master Zhao rationing it so strictly for her, she thought they were already being frugal. She hadn't realized... Glancing at the water and bun in her hands, she softened her voice. "Do you also only get to eat a steamed bun at dusk?"
A Sen grinned.
Fu Tingyun broke the bun in half and offered him a piece. "I can't finish this much alone. Here, take half."
A Sen refused. "Master said I can only eat at dusk."
Fu Tingyun looked at the glaring sun. "Ninth Master doesn't have a water clock on hand. How can he be sure of the exact time? A little earlier or later shouldn't matter!"
As if she'd said something terribly wrong, A Sen frowned unhappily. "Master just knows! Whatever hour he says it is, it is. He's never been wrong!"
A Sen had been raised by Ninth Master Zhao and regarded him with filial and fraternal devotion. Naturally, he couldn't tolerate any doubt cast on Ninth Master. Fu Tingyun understood this. Though she felt A Sen's admiration bordered on blind faith, she didn't want to undermine Ninth Master's standing in the boy's eyes.
"I was just trying to coax you into eating something," she said with a bright smile. "Who knew you'd see right through me!"
When Fu Tingyun smiled, her eyes sparkled brilliantly, lighting up her otherwise weary face—a sight that lifted the spirits.
A Sen chuckled awkwardly.
Fu Tingyun offered the waterskin again. "This was given to me by Ninth Master, but I can't possibly use it all. If you eat and drink, it's as if I did. It won't consume any extra, so it doesn't break Ninth Master's rules."
A Sen's eyes gleamed as his gaze shifted between the waterskin and the bun in her hands. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth—Fu Tingyun thought he'd succumbed to the temptation and accepted her offer, but instead he blurted, "Master said I can only eat at dusk."
It took Fu Tingyun a moment to recover. She couldn't help but admire the child.
How old was he, yet already so disciplined? With proper guidance, he might grow into a man of his word!
Her fondness for him deepened.
Fu Tingyun returned the bun and waterskin to the cart.
A Sen looked puzzled.Fu Tingyun smiled and said, "I sit in the carriage every day while Ninth Master has to push me. It would be better to leave the food for him instead. What do you think?"
"Good idea! Good idea!" A Sen was delighted, his gaze toward Fu Tingyun growing noticeably warmer. But then he hesitated, "But Ninth Master said you're weak and need proper rest..."
"A few more days won't make much difference," Fu Tingyun replied with a smile. "Didn't you say we'd reach Weinan in just over ten days?"
A Sen nodded.
Fu Tingyun beckoned him to sit beside her. "It's so hot outside—why don't you come in? If you get heatstroke, Ninth Master will have one more person to look after!"
A Sen immediately dropped the branch he was holding and sat down next to her.
It seemed that invoking Ninth Master Zhao's name was an infallible tactic with A Sen.
Fu Tingyun stifled a laugh, inwardly moved by the boy's pure-hearted nature. Her resolve to keep him by her side grew stronger.
She struck up a conversation. "When we reach Weinan, I'll be staying with my uncle. His family owns farmland, shops, and even a clan school. Would you like to stay with me?"
A Sen looked stunned.
"That way, you wouldn’t have to keep wandering with Ninth Master. You could study with my nephews, or if you don’t want to study, you could learn business or farming from the stewards. Later, you could become a shopkeeper or buy some land to farm," Fu Tingyun quickly added. "If Ninth Master misses you, he can visit you in Weinan. And when he grows old, you could take care of him, couldn’t you?"
A Sen hesitated. "Then... could Ninth Master and I come to see you sometimes?"
Still thinking of Ninth Master Zhao!
But if A Sen had forgotten him so easily, he wouldn’t be the boy she had grown so fond of.
Surely, her uncle wouldn’t refuse to repay Ninth Master Zhao. Even if he were unwilling, her two thousand taels in bank notes would come in handy. Yet, judging by Ninth Master Zhao’s formidable skills and his tendency to roam with his companions, he didn’t seem like the type to settle down.
"Of course, if Ninth Master is willing," Fu Tingyun said with a smile. "I’ll have someone make you pancakes when you visit!"
"Great! Great!" A Sen beamed. "Ninth Master says farming doesn’t earn much—it just fills your belly. Business is where the money is. Brother Yucheng once taught me how to use an abacus and keep accounts. I’ll become a shopkeeper—Ninth Master’s shopkeeper!"
Every third sentence was about Ninth Master Zhao.
Fu Tingyun chuckled and flicked A Sen’s forehead playfully.
Just then, Ninth Master Zhao returned.
A Sen bounded over excitedly. "Ninth Master! Ninth Master! Miss Fu says we should stay with her in Weinan. After we see Brother Yucheng and Brother Yuanbao, can we live there?"
Ninth Master Zhao looked surprised, his gaze lingering on Fu Tingyun with unexpected depth.
She hurried to explain, "Though traveling broadens the mind more than books, A Sen is still young. Why not leave him in my care? I’ll look after him well. If one day you wish to settle down, you can always take him back!"
Ninth Master Zhao remained silent, his dark eyes fixed on her like still water disturbed by a faint ripple.
Fu Tingyun widened her eyes, trying to decipher his expression.
Beside them, A Sen fidgeted anxiously. "...Can’t we?"
Ninth Master Zhao glanced down at him. "We’ll see when the time comes."
When he looked up again, his gaze had returned to its usual detached calm.Fu Tingyun felt a slight disappointment.
He still wasn't willing to settle down!
Was wandering around outside really that good?
She couldn't understand it.
"There's a village not far from here, though the villagers have all fled the famine," Ninth Master Zhao had already slung the cart's carrying strap over his shoulder. "We'll rest there for a while."
Fu Tingyun very much wanted to ask if there were any unburied corpses or man-eating wild dogs in the village, but looking at his striding figure, she swallowed her words.
Yet Ninth Master Zhao seemed to see through her thoughts, suddenly turning back: "Don't worry, the village is clean!"
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First restoring updates to around the 19th(>_
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