Before his death, the Crown Prince had asked Zhenzhen to find Yang Zicheng, but after the sudden changes that followed, Zhenzhen had no chance to meet him. Now, seeing Yin Ti, she remembered this and asked if he could arrange a meeting with Yang Zicheng. Yin Ti shook his head and said, “The day after the Crown Prince passed away, Yang Zicheng disappeared. The Emperor has been searching for him, but there has been no news of him since. No one knows where he is, whether he is alive or dead.”
The posthumous title of the Crown Prince was designated as “Zhuang Wen.” The twenty-fourth day after his passing was the day of Crown Prince Zhuang Wen’s burial. Due to the southern crossing, a temporary “shallow burial” was used in place of a formal interment, with the intention of moving the remains back to the ancestral tombs after the restoration of the Central Plains. The current burial site was referred to as the “temporary resting place.” This site was chosen at the foot of Nanping Mountain outside the city, on the southern shore of West Lake—a picturesque location with beautiful scenery in all seasons.
Yin Ti arranged for Zhenzhen to leave the city on this day. Crown Prince Zhuang Wen’s reputation for virtue and wisdom was widely known both at home and abroad, and on this day, many came to see him off. Apart from officials of various ranks and attendants, a large number of commoners also came spontaneously. The guards at the city gates were lax in checking the identities of those leaving, making it easier for Zhenzhen to depart from Lin’an.
That morning, before dawn, imperial relatives, high-ranking officials, Eastern Palace bureaucrats, attendants, and ceremonial guards, all wearing black belts, escorted the Crown Prince’s coffin out of the city. Thousands of carriages and riders formed a procession heading toward Nanping Mountain. Along the way, commoners knelt on both sides of the road, weeping and paying their respects. Amidst the rising sounds of sorrow, Zhenzhen, wearing a coarse cloth veil, was among them, silently bowing by the roadside as the Crown Prince’s coffin passed. When the coffin moved past her, Zhenzhen felt as though her heart were slowly being cut by an icy blade. The world around her faded away, leaving only one thought: “This is likely the closest I will ever be to him for the rest of my life.”
Trembling, she buried her face in the dust stirred by the procession, her tears mingling with the cries of the people.
After the coffin passed, the kneeling commoners gradually dispersed. Zhenzhen remained for a long time before finally raising her head, slowly standing up, wiping away her tears, and walking numbly toward Ningguo Prefecture.
Along the increasingly deserted road, sporadic cries could still be heard. Among them was a scholar, perhaps with some connection to Crown Prince Zhuang Wen, who remained standing on the road, gazing into the distance as the coffin moved farther away. He chanted a sorrowful verse: “The autumn moon is cold, the autumn crane silent. In the quiet dawn, the Emperor’s heart stirs. The jade flute suddenly falls silent—where is it now? Who will announce the completion of the jade tower? The seven stars guide the phoenix-drawn carriage, but the person is gone, and regret lingers. How can the rainbow banners return? The wind and dew of the day are bitterly desolate.”
Zhenzhen chose Ningguo Prefecture because she could no longer return to her hometown and was unwilling to go back to Pujiang, fearing she might implicate Pu Bo, Xiangye, and others. Hearing that Qiu Niang and the Zhang couple might have once lived in Ningguo Prefecture, she felt a slight connection to the place. She also wanted to see what it was like and held a glimmer of hope that she might find more detailed information about her origins.
The identification badge from the Imperial City Patrol proved quite useful, and Yin Ti had likely made arrangements as well. Zhenzhen traveled smoothly along the way. Sometimes, when passing through towns, guards would even ask if she needed help hiring a carriage or offered enthusiastic directions. Several days later, she entered the territory of Ningguo Prefecture. The area was mountainous, and as Zhenzhen climbed one of the hills, she gradually realized she had taken a wrong turn and could no longer find the main road. Suddenly, she heard a woman’s cry ahead. Startled by the sound of another person, she hurried toward it.The one calling out was a white-haired, emaciated old woman, dressed as plainly as a peasant. Her left foot was caught in an animal trap, the iron teeth having broken the skin at her ankle, from which blood was steadily flowing. She had fallen to the ground, and beside her was a bamboo basket containing some freshly dug wild vegetables, many of which were scattered on the ground.
Zhenzhen approached to examine the situation, found the release mechanism of the trap, and freed the old woman’s left foot. She took out her own silk handkerchief to bandage the wound, but the old woman began cursing and accusing Zhenzhen, claiming that the trap was hers and that Zhenzhen had set it with the intent to harm and rob. Seeing this, Zhenzhen stopped and stood up, saying, “Then deal with it yourself.”
Zhenzhen shouldered her pack and walked a few steps in a chosen direction when she heard the old woman cry out “Aiyo!” behind her. Turning back, she saw that the old woman had fallen heavily to the ground again, likely having tried with great effort to get up and walk back but unable to move even an inch due to the severity of her foot injury.
At that moment, a porcupine scurried up to Zhenzhen’s feet. After a moment’s thought, Zhenzhen tossed a date toward the old woman, guiding the porcupine to run in her direction. Seeing the porcupine approach, the old woman’s eyes filled with fear, though she continued to curse angrily. Calmly, Zhenzhen walked back, tossed another date from a distance to lure the porcupine away, then bent down to face the old woman and said, “The trap has nothing to do with me. This place is rarely visited. If you don’t want my help, you’ll have to wait indefinitely. Fiercer beasts than porcupines are likely to find you before anyone else does.”
Then she took the old woman’s left foot again and began bandaging it. This time, the old woman no longer resisted. Though she still muttered angry words like “Whether I live or die is none of your business,” her tone was less harsh than before, clearly indicating her willingness to accept Zhenzhen’s help.
After bandaging the wound, Zhenzhen asked the old woman where she lived. The old woman grumbled and hesitated for a long time, but seeing that no one else was around, she finally told Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen then helped the limping old woman slowly make her way back to her home at the foot of the mountain.
Upon arriving, the old woman offered no thanks and hurriedly tried to shoo Zhenzhen away. Zhenzhen looked around and saw a small courtyard with three rooms, simple and dilapidated, covered in dust everywhere, as if it hadn’t been cleaned in ages. The stove was cold, with only two bowls of leftover food and half a cold, hard steamed bun on it.
“Do you live alone?” Zhenzhen asked her.
The old woman didn’t answer. Seeing that Zhenzhen wasn’t leaving immediately, she began hurling insults again: “Don’t meddle in other people’s business! Lingering here, are you trying to kill me and take over my property?”
Zhenzhen chuckled. “This house of yours is bare and falling apart. Even if you gave it to me for free, I wouldn’t bother spending money or effort to clean it up.”
Seeing that the old woman’s foot injury was severe and she was lying in bed unable to move, Zhenzhen ignored her attempts to drive her away and went out to the courtyard to bask in the sun for a while, hoping to see if any family members would return. After waiting for an hour without anyone appearing, Zhenzhen went back inside and said to her, “Your wound still needs a doctor’s attention. I’m not familiar with this area. Tell me where I can find a doctor, and I’ll fetch one for you.”
The old woman remained silent for a while, likely in great pain from her wound, but finally told her, “Go east for about a li after leaving here. Look for Zheng Er Shu, who lives next to the big locust tree. He knows some medicine.”Zheng Er Shu was in his fifties and seemed quite amiable. Upon hearing Zhenzhen's account, he immediately followed her to treat the old woman. He carefully cleaned the wound, re-bandaged it, not only refusing payment but also leaving some suitable medicine. Zhenzhen saw him out, and he urged her, "My medical skills are limited. It's hard to say whether Grandma Song has injured her bones. I hope you can stay for a few days to observe her condition. She can barely walk now and is all alone, so she can only rely on you for care."
"She's surnamed Song, with no children, living alone?" Zhenzhen asked.
"Yes," Zheng Er Shu said. "She moved here from Lin'an over twenty years ago, bringing her daughter and granddaughter at the time. But later... alas, both her daughter and granddaughter are gone. She has lived a lonely and bitter life, and her temper has grown increasingly odd... Now that she can hardly move, I fear she won't recover anytime soon. The weather is gradually turning cold, and if no one looks after her, the consequences could be dire."
Zhenzhen returned to the room and rummaged through Grandma Song's cupboard, finding some flour and seasonings. Spotting a small piece of pork belly hanging in the kitchen, she took it upon herself to knead dough and chop filling to make dumplings without asking Grandma Song's opinion. Grandma Song angrily scolded her for meddling with her food, so Zhenzhen tossed her a piece of broken silver and said, "I'm hungry and tired, so I'll make do with a meal here. I'll pay you for using some of your ingredients. Don't waste your breath."
Zhenzhen steamed a basket of meat buns and made a soup with the wild vegetables Grandma Song had picked, inviting her to eat together. Grandma Song initially refused out of spite, but Zhenzhen broke open a bun and held it under her nose. "These are Imperial Academy buns. Many scholars long to eat them but never get the chance. Now you're getting them cheap—what a treat!"
The buns had a smooth, delicate surface with thin skin and tender filling, steaming with plenty of broth. As soon as the bun cracked open, the aroma of meat, tinged with a hint of Sichuan pepper, eagerly wafted out with the steam. Unable to resist, Grandma Song took a bite and immediately sneered, "No bamboo shoots or bracken, and you dare call them Imperial Academy buns!"
"Oh..." Zhenzhen said in surprise. "Seems you're quite the connoisseur, knowing they should have bamboo shoots and bracken inside."
Grandma Song wore a proud expression. "When I was sampling all the delicacies of Bianjing back in the day, you probably weren't even born, and your mother likely didn't know where she was either!"
After they finished the buns, Zhenzhen noticed a rattan couch piled with clutter in another room. She moved the clutter aside herself, fetched water to clean the couch, and tidied up the room. Seeing this, Grandma Song asked warily, "What are you doing? Do you plan to stay here?"
Zhenzhen said, "It's getting late, and traveling further would be inconvenient, so I'll just have to make do and stay here for the night."
Grandma Song refused and demanded she leave immediately. Zhenzhen replied, "The silver I gave you is worth far more than just those ingredients. Do you have change? If not, let me stay."
Furious, Grandma Song threw the silver back at her. Zhenzhen caught it and slapped it back on the table. "I've already eaten the buns, so I must pay you. I'm very particular about settling accounts—I won't let myself be shortchanged, nor do I want to take advantage of others. I'll leave once I've stayed long enough to cover the cost of this silver."
Grandma Song wanted to get up and chase her out, but her legs were too weak. She could only watch helplessly as Zhenzhen finished cleaning the room and settled in comfortably.The next day, Zhenzhen went to a nearby town to buy chicken, fish, and vegetables, preparing two lavish meals for Grandma Song. That evening, she remarked, "I also asked about the prices at the town’s inns. It turns out my little bit of silver could last me ten days to half a month. Your rundown house is hardly better than an inn, but at least it’s quiet. I’m too lazy to move my luggage for now, so I’ll make do and stay a few more days."
Although Grandma Song had her opinions and made many sharp remarks, she didn’t vehemently object. Zhenzhen ended up staying for over a month, only deciding to leave when she saw Grandma Song gradually able to walk with a cane.
On the day of her departure, Zhenzhen prepared another sumptuous feast and said to Grandma Song, "Now that you can move around, I should go out and find some work to avoid exhausting my savings. I’ll take my leave tomorrow, but if fate allows, I’ll come back to see you."
Grandma Song fell silent for a moment, then said to Zhenzhen, "Go to the kitchen and fetch some wine from the wine jar. Let’s drink together."
Zhenzhen brought a pot and poured it into two white porcelain cups. The wine was a pale yellow, clear and bright. Raising the cup for a small sip, a subtle fragrance immediately filled her mouth, and the sweet taste of fruit wine spread across her tongue.
Zhenzhen was momentarily stunned, her heart pounding uncontrollably. An overwhelming sense of sorrow welled up, rising to the tip of her nose.
"This is the green plum wine I brewed," Grandma Song said slowly to Zhenzhen. "It’s not strong, very sweet, with a hint of floral aroma in the fruitiness. Young ladies love it most, often treating it like fruit juice. But it has a little more trickery than juice—it lures you in with its sweet, fragrant taste, making you drink more without realizing it, until you feel the flush of drunkenness... It intoxicates but doesn’t overwhelm, just leaves you feeling warm all over, your thoughts floating, without a headache or harm to your body. So, it’s a good wine for young ladies..."
She stopped her description, noticing that the girl who had always been straightforward and confrontational with her was now leaning weakly on the table, covering her tear-streaked face with her hand.
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