Chapter 24: Bewilderment
This year's severe drought had affected counties around Xi'an Prefecture—Lintong, Weinan, Lantian, Huxian, Xianyang, Jingyang, and Gaoling—to varying degrees. However, compared to the counties under Qing'an and Gongchang Prefectures, the disaster here was relatively milder. Moreover, Lintong had salt wells, and Weinan was a crucial passage from the northwest to the capital. Both counties had long traditions of commerce. Despite the disaster, the wealthy families in these two counties continued to live comfortably as usual.
In those days, respectable families upheld the principle of "farming and scholarship to pass down generations," and Fu Tingyun's maternal uncle was no exception. After earning money through business, he sought ways to buy land and property. Thus, besides being the wealthiest man in Weinan, he was also the largest landowner in Fengyuan.
Seeing refugees fleeing into the area, Fu Tingyun's uncle, along with several other wealthy families in Weinan, donated grain and money to the county government. He also set up a porridge kitchen in his hometown of Fengyuan to shelter the migrant bandits.
But not everyone would repay kindness with gratitude.
Especially those who had long been starved to the point of desperation, knowing only that food meant survival.
This act of charity became a sharp blade hanging over the Xie family—under cover of darkness, a group of migrant bandits stormed into the Xie residence, killing everyone in sight and looting everything they could find. In the end, they set the place ablaze... The towering flames lit up half the sky!
Fu Tingyun's eyes were bloodshot, her plump hands clenched into fists. She glared at the young man and pressed, "What about my uncle—?"
Before she could finish, Ninth Master Zhao yanked her behind him: "Young master, what happened to Master Xie?"
The massive fire from two nights ago seemed still vivid in the memories of the two youths. One listened with moist eyes, while the other choked up as he recounted the events, completely oblivious to Fu Tingyun's distress.
"The entire Xie family was burned to ashes," the young man's tears spilled uncontrollably. He covered his face with his sleeve, as if unable to bear the memory. "The Xie family had lived in Fengyuan for generations. Since the time of the old master, they built bridges, paved roads, and did good deeds for the village. Who would have thought they'd meet such an end..."
Silence fell on both sides of the wooden fence, broken only by Fu Tingyun's increasingly loud sobs!
A Sen, his own eyes red, ran over and tugged at Fu Tingyun's sleeve. "Miss, miss, please don't cry..." He wanted to comfort her but didn't know what to say, casting a helpless glance at Ninth Master Zhao.
Ninth Master Zhao's expression darkened further. He stood with his hands on his hips, his anger barely restrained.
A Sen grew even more at a loss!
A commotion arose from behind the fence as seven or eight young men escorted a man of medium build, dressed in a plain sapphire-blue silk Straight Robe and around thirty years old, toward them.
"What's going on here?" he barked, his voice powerful and stern, exuding authority.
The patrollers by the fence bowed respectfully, calling out "Master Qi" and making way for him.
The two youths immediately shouted through the fence, "Uncle Qi!"
The man addressed as "Master Qi" stepped forward and, upon seeing them, brightened. "A Bao, A Ci, is that you?" Then, as if remembering something, his expression darkened. "Where's Eleventh Sister? Who else from the family escaped?" His gaze landed on the weeping Fu Tingyun, and he motioned for the patrollers to open the fence.Two young men bowed to Master Qi through the wooden fence. One of them explained their family's situation: "...These migrant bandits are ruthless and cruel. Even the Xie family suffered such an unjust disaster. Grandmother feared the bandits would storm our home, so she led us here overnight to seek refuge with our great-uncle..."
As they spoke, two sturdy men worked together to push open the wooden fence.
Master Qi stepped forward and instructed an elderly man with a goatee beside him to arrange carriages to fetch the others. Then he patted the two youths on the shoulder, his face filled with relief. "It's been years since I last saw you. A-Bao and A-Ci have grown up and know how to share the family's burdens now."
The two young men bowed sheepishly. The one wearing dark green said, "I'll go with Steward Cheng—to help guide the way."
Master Qi nodded with a smile, his eyes showing even greater satisfaction.
Seeing this, the one in pale purple also said, "I'll go too!"
"Very well!" Master Qi chuckled, then turned his gaze to Fu Tingyun and the others, pondering, "And these are..."
The youth in dark green quickly replied, "We just met them. They claim to be relatives of Master Xie, coming to seek refuge after their home was destroyed."
Master Qi studied the three calmly, his voice steady. "Master Xie and I are neighbors and have some business dealings. May I ask where you're from?"
The Fu Family of Huayin had some reputation in the surrounding areas and even throughout Shaanxi. Whether Master Qi's words were true or not, they certainly couldn't claim to be from Huayin. Otherwise, a simple inquiry from Master Qi would expose them.
But how would Ninth Master Zhao know about the Xie family's relatives?
He glanced at Fu Tingyun.
Her uncle had died—burned to death by those migrant bandits he had once helped, leaving not even a whole corpse behind... And her aunt, who would always embrace her joyfully whenever she visited Fengyuan, immediately ordering the kitchen to prepare all sorts of dishes as if she hadn't eaten the entire journey... Her elder cousin's wife was gentle and virtuous, raising two sons so well they began literacy at three and could recite the Elementary Learning fluently by five. Her uncle would beam with pride whenever he spoke of them, saying the Xie family's hopes rested on these two grandsons passing the imperial exams to bring glory to their name... Her younger cousin's wife was lively and cheerful, the one she got along with best. Whether it was barley sugar made after the harvest or dried peaches from their orchard, she never forgot to share a taste. Yet after three years of marriage, she still hadn't conceived, prompting her aunt to make a pilgrimage to Huashan to pray for a child—only for joyous news to arrive just days before... All gone. A single fire took everything.
Just for food, just to survive—how could they take others' lives? How could people be so selfish? So shameless?
Her teeth clenched in hatred, her heart aching unbearably. Leaning against the handcart, tears fell like rain, yet no amount of grief could fill the hollow void within.
Fu Tingyun wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her sleeve slipping to reveal skin as pale and flawless as fine jade.Ninth Master Zhao sighed inwardly and bowed to Master Qi. "We came from Pingliang. This is our young lady. Our family has suffered misfortune, and we hoped to seek refuge with Master Xie. But who knew we'd encounter bandits on the road? Only I managed to protect our young lady and escape. What relation Master Xie has to our master, I don't know. I only heard our madam mention that when Master Xie was starting his business, our master lent him silver to tide him over. Though it was repaid later, without our master's help, Master Xie's business wouldn't have grown to its current scale!"
Such matters were common among merchant families. Moreover, when Master Xie was building his fortune, his brother-in-law hadn't yet become a Presented Scholar. Though the Fu family had reputation, such prominent clans strictly adhered to rules—they would never use communal funds to help relatives from a single branch... Master Qi pondered this and found some credibility in Ninth Master Zhao's words. Observing Fu Tingyun, who wept with genuine grief—not feigned—and despite the sweltering heat, maintained proper attire with delicate, unblemished hands unsuited for labor, he believed them further.
He comforted Fu Tingyun, "Young lady, please restrain your grief."
Fu Tingyun suppressed her sorrow and curtsied in acknowledgment.
As she rose, she inadvertently lifted her face, revealing snow-white skin and eyes swollen from crying, like plum blossoms fallen on snow—elegant, delicate, and utterly pitiable.
Master Qi's heart stirred unexpectedly.
He hadn't anticipated such striking beauty. What a pity she found herself in these troubled times, alone and vulnerable. Should she leave this place, she'd likely be crushed beneath the cruel wheels of fate like petals ground into mud.
The thought filled him with regret—like an ox chewing peonies. Outside, starving commoners ran rampant; how could they appreciate the grace of a noble young lady?
An inexplicable melancholy surged within him, and the words slipped out: "If the young lady doesn't object, perhaps you might stay in Li Family Hollow."
Everyone froze—including Master Qi himself.
How could he have spoken so rashly?
He regretted it immediately.
Assigned by his elders to oversee affairs here, taking in a few people would normally be trivial. But with the severe drought and no harvest expected this year—let alone next—every household in Li Family Hollow had pooled their remaining grain under his rationing system. His cousin Eleventh Sister could receive aid from communal stores with minimal grumbling due to blood ties. But these three strangers? How would he justify helping them to the clan? Yet having spoken, to retract would disgrace him.
Perhaps he could support them from his own stores?
His gaze shifted between Ninth Master Zhao and A Sen.
These two were manageable.
One, though lean, had a tall frame that promised strength once nourished; the other, though young, had keen eyes suggesting sharp wits—ideal for a personal attendant. Moreover, having safely escorted their mistress six or seven hundred li from Pingliang to Weinan after their master's death proved both capability and loyalty. Such men, once past current hardships, would become invaluable servants.
But the woman posed a problem!If she had been plain-looking, it might have been easier to explain. But with such stunning beauty, even if his intentions were pure and he merely wanted to help out of compassion, it wouldn’t stop the gossipers from spreading wild rumors... What a pity that all his eligible nephews were already married—otherwise, finding her a suitable match would have been a way to help her!
Master Qi had a splitting headache.
Meanwhile, Fu Tingyun gazed blankly at Ninth Master Zhao.
Settle down in Li Family Hollow?
She had no ties to the people there—what right did she have to stay in Li Family Hollow?
Yet her attempt to seek refuge with relatives had failed, and returning to Huayin was impossible... Without a name or identity that could withstand scrutiny, though the world was vast, where could she find a place to belong?
Thanks to Ninth Master Zhao’s escort along the way, she had avoided starvation and arrived in Weinan unharmed. Unconsciously, he had become the person she trusted and relied on the most.
At this moment, she hoped he could help her decide what to do!
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To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next installment!
O(∩_∩)O Haha~
(End of Chapter)
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