Chapter Ninety-Four: Uncanny

In a world of arranged marriages and silent unions, a true and faithful partner is hard to come by.

To meet a talented man in a secluded garden is to seek an affair in secret, a private vow for life; while casting an embroidered ball is already a remarkably advanced form of matchmaking. Yet once that ball is thrown, it is little different from tossing dice, with no absolute certainty at all.

That day, on a busy street, Lu Xiyue happened to pass by and saw Chen Jianchen, drunk and seated by the roadside, disheveled yet with a certain untrammeled air about him. At once she felt a spark of pity and had Xiang'er send over some old kudzu root. But at that time, Chen Jianchen’s instinctive caution would not allow him to accept the kindness.

Now, the two had met again in Suzhou, and in what could even be called a rescue. Lu Xiyue no longer hesitated for the slightest instant, willing to entrust herself to him, because she had seen many men and, by instinct, felt that Chen Jianchen must be a worthy man to rely on. Xiang'er had already told her the whole story, and Chen Jianchen’s conduct had been beyond reproach.

Xiang'er had sought help in panic, or perhaps out of desperate trust in a choice she had no other option but to make. It was a gamble, but in the end the facts proved she had wagered correctly. Now it was Lu Xiyue’s turn to gamble, and she placed the stakes of her entire life upon the table.

She believed this was a chance Heaven had granted her. If she missed it, there would be no way to recover it!

Lu Xiyue seemed delicate, but in truth she was exceedingly strong; otherwise, she would never have dared to commit such a shocking deed with a blade in hand.

From Chen Jianchen’s point of view, however, there was more to consider, and it was far more complex. He suddenly asked, “Miss Lu, from this day on, do you mean to abandon your parents’ vengeance?”

As he spoke, his clear eyes watched her intently.

Under that gaze, Lu Xiyue bit her red lip with her white teeth, and in the end said honestly, word by word, “The blood feud of my parents cannot be shared under the same sky. How could I not avenge it?”

Her attempt to assassinate Li Yifeng had been terribly impulsive. Afterwards she had faintly felt fear, which was only human. The hatred that had long occupied her heart had suddenly faded a great deal. It was not that she had forgotten it, but rather that she had seen more clearly how difficult revenge would be, and so she buried it deep within herself.

Chen Jianchen sighed and said, “You want to use my hand to take your revenge?”

The words were like a blade, stabbing straight into the heart. Lu Xiyue’s face turned deathly pale, and she had already bitten her lip until it bled. “This is indeed my intent...” After a pause, she hurriedly explained, “But my feelings for you, Young Master, can be witnessed by Heaven and Earth. If there is the slightest falsehood, may I be struck by lightning.”

As she said this, the girl’s frail exterior somehow turned forceful. She lifted her head and faced Chen Jianchen with eyes so clear and clean they held not the slightest impurity.

Chen Jianchen sighed again, then suddenly looked at the “Yellow Dragon Drinking Water” drifting away upon the river, and said coldly, “Xiang'er has already told me all about your family’s plight. Men like Li Yifeng, who fatten themselves on the flesh and blood of the common people and rise by fraud and violence, are no different from bandits. What harm is there in killing them?”

It must be said that ever since he had personally slain the Black-Clad Guardsman and Wu Wencai, a streak of ferocity had begun to stir in his heart, and it did indeed affect his state of mind. On the favorable side, however, his temperament had become even more decisive and distinct.

At his words, Lu Xiyue looked at him in delight. “Young Master, you agree?”

Yet Chen Jianchen feigned puzzlement. “Agree to what? Heh, I was merely admiring the river view and voicing a few sentiments.” With that, he strode off toward Magistrate Huangfu.

Xiang'er, meanwhile, was thoroughly confused, and asked Lu Xiyue, “Miss, what exactly does Young Master Chen mean? His words sound so ambiguous. I really do not understand.”

Lu Xiyue covered a smile with her lips, like a ray of sunlight suddenly breaking through a sky full of dark clouds. “You will understand when you are older.”

Xiang'er pouted and thought to herself, “Miss, you’re not that old either. But then again, hee hee, in some respects the Miss really is older than Xiang'er...” Of course, she would never dare say such thoughts aloud. Even the mere thought of them made her cheeks burn.

When Chen Jianchen reached Magistrate Huangfu’s side, he saw the old gentleman winking and making faces at him. It was truly hard to believe that such a playful expression could appear on his face, and it made Chen Jianchen understand him a little better.

“So, all settled?”

Chen Jianchen smiled. “Perhaps.”

Magistrate Huangfu stroked his beard with a smile, then asked with deliberate meaning, “Young Master Chen, since you spoke honestly just now, were you not afraid this old man would expose you all?”

Chen Jianchen grew solemn. “Trust itself is a kind of gamble, differing only in scale. Since the magistrate was willing to guarantee our passage ashore without asking the reason, how could this junior hide the truth and deceive you?”

Trust is, in essence, a very mysterious thing. Some people know each other for a lifetime, only to end by turning on one another and becoming mortal enemies; while others, though they met but by chance, can truly share the same boat, supporting and sustaining one another. In this, human choice is the principal cause, and circumstance merely the catalyst.

Therefore, to seek absolute trust is in truth impossible. One can only judge the time and situation, and act according to the person.

At these words, Magistrate Huangfu clapped his hands again. “Splendid! Liu Xian’s character is truly to this old man’s taste. There is no time to lose, and it is not wise to linger here. Why not return to my small estate and rest for the night? I should like to sit by candlelight with Liu Xian and talk the night through, discussing all the affairs under Heaven.”

The sedan chair that had brought him was parked not far away. The four bearers were resting to one side, and when they saw their master come ashore, they promptly came over and waited for orders.

Just then Chen Jianchen remembered Wang Fu, and said, “Magistrate, I still have a friend over there on a painted pleasure boat. I need to go and greet him.”

With that, he ran over to the pleasure boat Wang Fu had chosen, named Young Master Affectionate. Wang Fu was indeed loyal enough; though the hour was already late, he had not ordered the boat to set off, but remained moored by the bank, waiting for Chen Jianchen.

Seeing him run over, Wang Fu complained, “Liu Xian, where did you vanish to? I have been looking for you everywhere and thought something had happened. I was worried sick.”

Chen Jianchen apologized with a clasp of the hands. “Brother Futai, I had some urgent matter to attend to just now, so I had to step away for a moment. Please forgive me.”

Wang Fu waved a hand. “No matter. It’s enough that you’re here. We were waiting for you before setting off.”

Chen Jianchen said, “I’m afraid tonight Brother Futai will have to be the only one to enjoy himself.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Wang Fu asked in surprise.

Chen Jianchen answered, “I happened to run into an old acquaintance just now, so I’ve been invited to stay at his manor as a guest.”

He had never intended to spend the night on the pleasure boat anyway, so leaving now was, in fact, a good thing.

Wang Fu said, “Ah, I see. Very well. In any case, I know you are not fond of women, so I won’t force you.”

After taking his leave of Wang Fu, Chen Jianchen turned back and rejoined Magistrate Huangfu. By then, the magistrate had already hired a carriage. To live by the mountain is to eat from the mountain, to live by the water is to eat from the water; by the Suzhou River, the painted pleasure boats had instantly brought prosperity to the surrounding businesses. Every evening, numerous stalls sprang up along the bank, selling snacks, grilled fare, and all manner of goods, while the coach and carriage trade was especially thriving.

In making money, they also brought great convenience to their customers.

Magistrate Huangfu hired the carriage and let the sedan chair be used by Lu Xiyue. He himself sat in the carriage with Chen Jianchen, chatting as they traveled.

As they spoke, Huangfu brought up the matter once more, sincerely inviting Chen Jianchen again to serve as his daughter’s tutor.

Chen Jianchen had in fact been puzzled by this all along, feeling Huangfu’s behavior was most strange, and could not help asking, “Magistrate, pardon my impertinence, but I truly do not understand why you are so insistent on inviting me to be your young lady’s tutor. In a city as great as Suzhou, where talented men are everywhere, how could there possibly be no one else?”

Magistrate Huangfu showed a troubled look. “Well, this... my daughter is not someone ordinary people can teach.”

“Oh? Do you mean, Magistrate, that your young lady has a troublesome temperament and refuses discipline?”

Chen Jianchen had no scruples and asked directly. Such matters had to be understood clearly, so that he might deal with them properly in the future.

Magistrate Huangfu coughed dryly. “More or less... Ah, there is no need to fear your laughter, Young Master. In truth, for a long time now, I have hired eight tutors for my daughter. Among them were highly respected scholars of profound virtue, stern and exacting instructors, and even young men fresh from the academies. Yet in the end, not one of them lasted three days.”

Hearing this, Chen Jianchen was genuinely startled. He could not imagine what sort of girl Huangfu’s daughter must be to drive eight tutors away in less than three days. That was far too severe. Could she be the legendary supreme tyrant of the classroom? And a young woman at that?

Yet after Huangfu’s description, Chen Jianchen actually found himself intrigued, eager to see for himself.

Observing his expression, Magistrate Huangfu asked, “What does Liu Xian think? Would you be willing to try? Rest assured, the compensation will certainly not be meager.”

Chen Jianchen laughed. “You flatter me, Magistrate... Well, I honestly cannot say I am fit to be your young lady’s tutor just yet. Since the matter is described so mysteriously, I should very much like to take a look.”

Magistrate Huangfu was overjoyed, and then warned him, “Liu Xian, though my daughter is somewhat unruly, her nature is not bad. She is merely young and ignorant. It is precisely because of that ignorance that she often pretends to be strange and frightening. To speak frankly, I might as well tell you: those teachers were all frightened away.”

Frightened away?

Chen Jianchen was again taken aback. He lifted his eyes to meet Huangfu’s, yet could discern nothing from them. After a moment’s thought, he said solemnly, “One should not be startled by what is familiar; if your explanation is as you say, then I am all the more determined to try this tutoring role.”

Magistrate Huangfu looked pleased and clasped his hands in salute. “Then I must first thank Liu Xian.”

The carriage did not move very fast, while the four sedan bearers strode along at a startling pace, not falling behind by much at all. After about half an hour, they came to the edge of a grove of willows.

Chen Jianchen leaned out to look and study the lay of the land. The grove was quite large, spreading out into a semicircle, with a stone path opened through it.

The path wound onward, and at its end stood a grand estate, with soaring eaves, walls lit bright with lamps, magnificent beyond measure. Beyond the estate, farther still, lay the dark silhouette of a vast mountain range.

That was East Mountain.