Gu Ruitong suddenly understood and smiled again, saying, "What's so interesting about a girl from a humble family?" Yu Changxuan chuckled and had already started walking out, laughing heartily as he went, "Then you're mistaken. This girl from a humble family is actually quite fascinating!"
It was around May or June, and as evening approached, the thin sunset cast its glow over half the alley. Children returning from school ran playfully through the lane, holding their abacuses and laughing gleefully. An old man selling dried tofu carried his wares on a shoulder pole, calling out as he went, his cries of "Five-spice Dried Tofu..." echoing with a particularly drawn-out and desolate tone, as if embodying the timeless years sedimented within that alley.
Gu Ruitong hardly dared to look at Yu Changxuan, imagining that his expression must be extremely grim at that moment. He could only fix his gaze on an elderly couple standing ahead, who appeared quite fearful. The old man stammered, "It's just... the two of us living here. There's... there's no girl at all."
Gu Ruitong waved his hand to dismiss the elderly couple and walked to the car, saying to Yu Changxuan inside, "Fifth Master, it seems we've come to the wrong place." Yu Changxuan smiled faintly and replied, "This isn't about coming to the wrong place. Clearly, she's playing me for a fool. Does she think I’ll have no way to deal with this? It only stirs my determination—I must find her no matter what!"
Just as he spoke, they saw an old woman in the distance pulling a man who looked like a doctor toward them, chattering incessantly as they walked: "This is a matter of life and death. What’s the harm in making a house call? Hurry and take a look—she’s been coughing up blood all night. It’s heartbreaking how her daughter has been crying."
The doctor sighed and said, "Old Mrs. Zhao, it’s not that I don’t want to go. I’ve told you, I can’t treat her. Her illness requires a hospital run by foreigners. I’ve long been powerless to help."
The old woman shot the doctor an angry look and scolded him loudly, "Do you think our Miss Pingjun doesn’t want to? She has no money left! It’s pitiful—just an orphaned girl and her widowed mother. Do this as an act of virtue and check on her again. If you’re thinking of demanding more money, that would be truly heartless!" The doctor stomped his foot and retorted, "You old woman, how dare you curse me!"
Meanwhile, Ye Pingjun was still bustling about in the outer room, hastily preparing medicine. She heard her mother’s coughing from the inner room grow increasingly urgent, mingled with gasps for breath. Pingjun hurriedly grabbed a cloth to protect her hands, lifted the medicine pot from the stove, and poured the decoction into a bowl. Carrying the bowl into the room, she lifted the curtain to find her mother lying on the bed, blood covering her mouth and soaking through the bedsheet. Ye Pingjun cried out, "Mom!" and quickly set down the bowl to support her mother. She saw her mother’s face ashen, blood at the corners of her mouth, her eyes barely open to a slit, weeping weakly as she gasped, "Ping’er... I’m afraid I’m not going to make it..."Pingjun did not weep or wail, only silently bit her lip as she supported her mother against herself. With her other hand, she picked up the bowl of steaming hot medicine, scooped a spoonful, blew on it to cool it, and fed it to her mother. Seeing her mother close her eyes and shed tears, unable to swallow the medicine, she resolutely declared, "If Mother no longer cares for me and feels she can't hold on, then I might as well die before you! After all, I have no one else in this world—the sooner I die, the better!"
Those words stirred Madam Ye’s heart as if boiling over, and she trembled as she uttered, "You, child..." Pingjun said nothing more and offered another spoonful of medicine. Even though it pained her, Madam Ye forced herself to swallow it. Just then, Mama Zhao’s voice called from outside, "Miss Pingjun, the doctor is here..." Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps echoed, followed by Mama Zhao shouting in the courtyard, "Hey, you... who are you? Stop! You can’t go in there!"
As Ye Pingjun turned her head, the cloth curtain was flung aside, and several soldiers in military uniforms entered. The leader glanced at Ye Pingjun’s face and said to the guards behind him, "That’s her, no mistake. Quickly, carry the old lady away." No sooner had he spoken than the guards stepped forward, unceremoniously pushed Pingjun aside, and went to lift the dazed Madam Ye. Ye Pingjun’s face turned deathly pale; the bowl of medicine crashed to the floor, and she lunged forward like a madwoman, clawing at them, "What are you doing?! Let go of my mother!"
Gu Ruitong immediately stepped forward, grabbing Ye Pingjun with one hand, and said, "Miss Pingjun, rest assured, we are here to save your mother. We mean no harm."
Ye Pingjun turned to glare at him, her gaze sharp and unwavering, and retorted indignantly, "Barging into my home in broad daylight, carrying people off without a word—and you claim you mean no harm? Let go of my mother at once! Do you truly believe there’s no law in this world?"
Gu Ruitong hurriedly explained, "We are acting on the orders of an acquaintance of yours, specifically to take your mother to the hospital. If you don’t believe us, come with us now."
Ye Pingjun froze, staring fixedly at Gu Ruitong, her clear, bright eyes like freshly fallen snow under the moonlight. Gu Ruitong made a "please" gesture toward the outside and smiled slightly, "Whether our intentions are good or ill, Miss Pingjun, you need only come with us to find out!"
Separated by fragrant temples, the call of ospreys echoes four times.
Keats Hospital was established by the British, embodying the principle of integrating medicine and missionary work. Adjacent to the hospital stood a British church, and the hospital’s director was also a pastor from the church. Most of the nurses were educated nuns, and the medical facilities were excellent, set in a pleasant environment.
Since being admitted, Madam Ye had been placed in a first-class ward and received care from top-tier doctors. As her condition improved day by day, within half a month, she was even able to get out of bed and walk around. Finally, Ye Pingjun felt at ease. Meanwhile, Gu Ruitong visited every few days with a few guards to check on her progress, speaking to the Ye mother and daughter with utmost respect. Though Ye Pingjun repeatedly asked who was behind their assistance, Gu Ruitong remained silent.That morning, after feeding Madam Ye some congee and helping her lie down again, Pingjun noticed her mother’s complexion had improved significantly compared to the previous day. A faint smile touched her lips, and she felt a wave of relief. Suddenly, a fragrant breeze wafted in from outside the hospital room. Looking up, she saw Bai Liyuan enter cheerfully, holding a bouquet of flowers. Ye Pingjun smiled and asked, "What brings you here?"
"Of course, I came to visit your mother," Bai Liyuan replied, handing the flowers to a nearby nurse to arrange. She glanced around the room and said to Ye Pingjun with a grin, "So you’re staying in such a nice ward! Lately, our classmates have been saying you’ve met a benefactor—seems they were right."
As Pingjun went to fetch water for Liyuan, Madam Ye, sitting on the hospital bed, chuckled softly. "You really are a carefree young lady, praising a hospital room like that. Come, sit down." Bai Liyuan settled beside Madam Ye and said, "Auntie, I have a favor to ask. Could you lend me Pingjun for the day? It’s my cousin’s birthday, and I’m visiting him and his wife this afternoon. Please let Pingjun come along and have some fun."
Just then, Ye Pingjun returned with the water and immediately protested, "I can’t go. I need to take care of my mother."
Madam Ye smiled. "You should go. I’m feeling much better now, and the nurses will look after me tonight. Since Liyuan has asked, it wouldn’t be polite to refuse."
Before Pingjun could say more, Bai Liyuan rushed over and affectionately tugged at her arm. "Don’t say no! I’ll stay here with you until the afternoon. Then my cousin will send a car to pick us up. We’ll have a ride there and back—easy and fun!"
Seeing Liyuan’s enthusiasm, Pingjun fell silent. Meanwhile, Madam Ye casually inquired, "What does your cousin do?" Still holding onto Pingjun, Bai Liyuan turned her head with a grin and answered, "My cousin is Li Boren, a staff officer in the Ninth Army."
That afternoon, as promised, a car specially dispatched from the Li residence arrived. Madam Ye, still in good spirits, helped Pingjun style her hair into two elegant buns, from which two glossy black braids hung. Dressed in a clean, pale blue cheongsam, Pingjun was cheerfully led by Bai Liyuan into the car. Upon arriving at the Li residence, they found the hall filled with guests. Ignoring the crowd, Bai Liyuan called out to a man in a Western suit standing by the piano, "Cousin, cousin! Mission accomplished—I’ve brought her! This is my classmate Pingjun. Tell me she isn’t just as lovely as any socialite you know!"
Pingjun froze in surprise at these words, but Bai Liyuan quickly turned back to explain with a laugh, "Let me be honest. Yesterday, my cousin went on some strange rant, insisting none of my classmates could compare to the socialites he knows. I refused to back down and told him all about you."
As she spoke, Li Boren turned from the piano, his gaze settling on Pingjun. He extended his hand with a smile and said, "Miss Ye, it’s a pleasure to meet you."Ye Pingjun, noticing their Western customs, shook his hand. A beautiful lady who had been sitting at the piano also stood up, smiling at Ye Pingjun before carefully looking her up and down, making Pingjun feel somewhat embarrassed. Bai Liyuan, standing nearby, called out, "Cousin-in-law, what are you staring at?"
Madam Li warmly took Pingjun's small hand, sighing with admiration and a beaming smile, "Of course, I'm admiring a beauty! Such a stunning figure—she even outshines our dear Li Yuan. No wonder someone thinks of her day and night!"
Pingjun was slightly taken aback. Madam Li spoke in a sweet, delicate Suzhou dialect that made one feel an irresistible closeness. Then, taking Li Yuan's hand, she laughed, "It's rather stuffy in here. Come, let's go to the small garden in the back to chat." She turned to glance at Li Boren and added, "We'll be in the garden. When your distinguished guests arrive, bring them over as well."
Madam Li led Pingjun and Li Yuan to the rear garden, where a covered corridor was surrounded by flowers and trees, with artificial rockeries piled here and there. In the distance stood golden osmanthus, pomegranates, and ginkgo trees, their ancient shades dense and lush. The scene was a vibrant mix of blossoms and greenery, with roses and peonies in full bloom. Further ahead stretched a vast expanse of tender green thousand-petal pomegranates.
Li Yuan, utterly cheerful, laughed and said, "Pingjun, don't you think my cousin's garden is beautiful?"
Pingjun couldn't help but nod, "It truly is lovely."
Madam Li smiled and explained, "This was originally a garden belonging to the Lin family in Golden Mausoleum. After Lin Tangsheng was convicted, it was confiscated by the state. Since our Bo Ren contributed to solving the case, the garden was granted to him. Of course, we had to spend some money on repairs, but in the end, it was quite a bargain."
Pingjun asked, "The Lin family? Was that the former Minister of Finance who embezzled public funds?"
Madam Li guided Pingjun and Li Yuan to sit at a set of plain table and open-air chairs. Several books were placed beside the table; Madam Li moved them aside before smiling and saying, "The matter is rather tangled. The Lin family's wealth, accumulated over generations, could rival mountains of gold and silver. Not to mention anything else, just the only daughter under Lin Tangsheng's care was raised with such exquisite luxury—how could any ordinary respectable family compare? In the end, they pinned the charge of embezzling public funds on Lin Tangsheng. Ultimately, it was because a group of people coveted his family fortune. The Lin family had few members, like a child walking through a market holding a night-shining pearl—it was bound to be snatched away."
Li Yuan remarked, "My cousin was an accomplice too; otherwise, how could he have gotten such a garden?" Since Bai Liyuan was family, Madam Li didn't scold her but instead smiled at Pingjun and asked, "Miss Ye, you're so clever and pretty—do you have a sweetheart?"
Before Ye Pingjun could reply, Li Yuan beside her eagerly answered, "Of course she does! Cousin-in-law, you know—it's the Jiang family of Shenghui Bank. Jiang Xueyong, the bank owner's younger brother Jiang Xueting, is our Pingjun's sweetheart! They grew up together, a perfect match of talent and beauty, and they're incredibly close."Ye Pingjun flushed and moved to cover Li Yuan's mouth, but unexpectedly, Madam Li, who was standing nearby, first froze for a moment, then smiled faintly at Li Yuan and said, "You're the one who knows everything! How can such childish promises between youngsters be taken seriously?" Ye Pingjun was slightly taken aback. She raised her head to look at Madam Li's smiling face but found herself unable to say anything. Just then, a servant approached to set out snacks like plum blossom pastries and honey-sealed treats, informing Madam Li, "Madam, the film projector has arrived."
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