Chapter 39: Past Echoes (I)

When Mingzhu was seven months old, it happened to be the birthday of Jiang Wu’s father.

Both the Jiang family and the Liang family were locals of Jinzhou, but Liang Qian held the position of magistrate in Tonghuai County, Yuzhou. Naturally, Jiang Wu had left this place to accompany him.

Fortunately, the two places were not far apart. Since Liang Qian had official business to attend to, Jiang Wu had traveled back alone with Mingzhu to celebrate her father's birthday.

Jiang Wu had numerous sisters. In her father’s words, after siring so many little girls, they finally had one who carried a sword.

With that single precious twig in the household treated like an ancestor, none of the daughters commanded any attention. Yet Jiang Wu was somewhat different; she was the most beautiful among all the sisters.

It was not merely among the sisters—across the entire expanse of Jinzhou, no one dared claim to surpass her in beauty. Such a stunning maiden had ultimately been married off to that young man of the Liang family, and every time Jiang Wu’s father spoke of this, he could not help but slam his fists on the table in frustration.

It was not that Liang Qian was terribly deficient. Although a county magistrate might not sound like a lofty office, he still wore the black gauze cap, which appeared extraordinary in the eyes of ordinary folk. For the Jiang family, it was considered marrying above their station.

Yet among the many suitors who had sought to win Jiang Wu’s hand, he appeared quite ordinary.

Thus, whenever her father saw her, he would lecture her on the subject: lamenting this esteemed lord she had missed, or that young gentleman she had passed by, and how someone she had once rejected was now living in splendor.

Her mother dared not utter a single word from the sidelines.

Jiang Wu’s mother was a very traditional woman who regarded her husband as supreme. For her to have spoken up for her daughter and stood on her side during Jiang Wu’s marriage arrangement was already the most rebellious act she had ever committed.

Therefore, while her father lectured, Jiang Wu concentrated entirely on amusing the child.

Her little Mingzhu truly looked exquisite from every conceivable angle—with those tiny lips, large eyes, short arms, and short legs, enough to melt anyone's heart.

The joy brought by her daughter made her father’s reprimands far less grating.

What was done was done; she was the one living her life. If her father wished to speak, she would simply listen and let it pass.

When the banquet concluded, she retired to her chamber to share intimate words with her mother.

Her mother advised her as she always did: "Having only a daughter will never do. Without a son, you will never be able to hold your head high in your husband's household."

"A daughter must eventually be married off. What will you do in your old age when you have no son to lean upon?"

"Liang Qian indulges your whims now, but will he do so in the future? A man can regret his choices, but for a woman, it will be too late."

Her mother spoke with earnest and painstaking persuasion.

In truth, Jiang Wu had never liked arguing with her mother. There was no winning or losing in such debates, and even if one managed to prove a point, it was utterly meaningless.

How could her mother’s decades-long mindset be altered overnight?

Yet for some reason, this time she could not help but retort with an extra sentence: "So what if you have a son? Like you people—the moment a son is born, do daughters cease to be treated as human beings?"

Her tone was somewhat heavy, frightening Lady Jiang into momentary silence. Little Mingzhu, startled by her grandmother's stern tone, burst into tears.

Jiang Wu hurriedly stood up, cradling Mingzhu as she paced back and forth and coaxed her: "There, there, there. Mother is at fault. Mother shouldn't have lost her temper. Did we frighten our Mingzhu?"

Lady Jiang watched her daughter, who had always been more stubborn than anyone else, display such a tender expression, and for a moment she did not know how to continue.

Aside from it being her own belief, what she said was also the master’s wish. Word could not be allowed to spread that the daughters of the Jiang family could not bear children, which would cause the master to lose face.

Jiang Wu cast a sidelong glance at her mother.

She was the youngest among the sisters in the household, and before her younger brother was born, she too had been immensely doted upon.

Perhaps it was the realization of this current disparity that had caused her to lose her temper momentarily.

Just as mother and daughter found themselves in an awkward silence, a servant broke the stillness.

"Madam, Eldest Young Mistress, the Son-in-law has arrived."

Jiang Wu was startled.

The county seemed to be investigating some case recently, and officials had been dispatched from above. As the magistrate, Liang Qian was required to accompany them throughout the entire process. When she left in the morning, because he genuinely could not get away and feared she would be angry, he had coaxed her with kind words for a long time before personally seeing her into the carriage.

In truth, Jiang Wu had not been angry at all. Liang Qian was usually overly filial to this father-in-law of his; matters had their priorities, and expressing the sentiment was enough.

She had not expected this fool to come after all.

Jiang Wu cursed him as a fool in her heart while feeling overwhelmingly sweet, holding Mingzhu as she walked toward the front hall.

Before she even reached it, she heard Liang Qian’s gentle and pleasant voice.

Sure enough, when she entered, the man was conversing with her father. Even if her father harbored disdain behind closed doors, Liang Qian was still a proper imperial official, and her father did not dare show any overt disrespect. Thus, the conversation appeared quite harmonious.

Seeing her approach, Liang Qian immediately stood up to greet her.

"Wife."

A smile filled the man's eyes. That face she had looked upon for so many years could still make her heart skip a beat no matter when she saw it.

He skillfully took their daughter from Jiang Wu’s arms. "I apologize for being late. Mingzhu didn't give you any trouble, did she?"

"No."

They stayed a little longer before bidding farewell to the large household to make their return journey.

On the way, Jiang Wu finally asked him: "Why did you come?"

"I asked my superiors for leave." Jiang Wu loved holding her daughter and refused to let go, so Liang Qian wrapped one arm around her while supporting the child's weight from underneath with his other hand to ease the burden. "Your father's birthday is a major event after all. Since you returned alone, I was afraid they would make things difficult for you."

Jiang Wu found it amusing in her heart, though her tongue spared no mercy: "What major event? That old stubborn mule. Oh, and I told you not to buy such expensive gifts, yet you refused to listen. Aren't you usually terribly thrifty?"

Liang Qian was indeed thrifty. His own shoes and garments were worn for years, and if Jiang Wu did not purchase new ones for him, he would not know to change them.

Yet he was never stingy toward Jiang Wu and her family.

Jiang Wu’s sharp tongue chattered away, listing every grievance she had suffered at home. As she spoke, Liang Qian merely smiled without a word.

Until she finished, at which point he gently pecked her crimson lips.

Now, it was not just her lips that flushed; the woman's cheeks and earlobes turned red as well.

Come to think of it, Jiang Wu was not a particularly shy person, and between the two of them, she tended to be the more proactive one. Yet despite this, whenever he initiated such an action, she would still put on a bashful appearance.

Liang Qian adored this look of hers to no end.

Jiang Wu bit her lip, feeling the heat on her face slowly dissipate. Honestly, every time she saw Liang Qian act shyly, she felt an overwhelming urge to tease him, yet whenever he took the initiative in return, she found herself unable to withstand the provocation.

She nudged the man with her elbow.

"Did you hear that? My mother said she wants you to give her a grandson."

Liang Qian hurriedly hugged his wife to declare his stance: "We won't have any more. Having Mingzhu is enough for us."

"My mother said you men can always go back on your word."

"I shall drink a sterility decoction tomorrow."

Jiang Wu let out a couple of hums. As they were speaking, the carriage suddenly lurched to a halt, throwing her body forward. Fortunately, Liang Qian caught her with a swift grasp.

The coachman was usually quite shrewd and would not have stopped like this. Liang Qian settled Jiang Wu properly before stepping out of the carriage to inspect the situation.

"What is going on?"

"My lord, it looks like someone is lying ahead."

Jiang Wu faintly heard their exchange. She lifted the carriage curtain and watched as Liang Qian and the coachman walked over with a lantern.

In these desolate wilds, how could anyone be lying here?

The men murmured back and forth for a few moments, and shortly after, Jiang Wu saw Liang Qian supporting a young man with delicate features and a frail build.

The youth was covered in dust and mud, with dried blood staining his hair.

Jiang Wu hurriedly made space inside: "What happened?"

The two men helped the youth up, and Liang Qian replied to her: "It looks like a head injury, but he's still breathing. We must rush him for medical treatment."

In a matter concerning human life, no one dared be careless, and the carriage immediately picked up its pace.

Since blood had been shed, Liang Qian supported the injured person while Jiang Wu held Mingzhu far away in the corner. Halfway through, seeing that the youth was about to slide down due to the jolting carriage, she subconsciously reached out to steady him.

With this single touch, she vaguely sensed something was amiss.

Jiang Wu wore a puzzled expression, looking at her own hand and recalling the tactile sensation from just now. Feeling uncertain, she reached out again to pat the chest area.

A sharp gaze from the man beside her swept over instantly: "What are you doing?" His tone carried a hint of grinding teeth as he grabbed Jiang Wu's hand to pull it away.

Yet Jiang Wu’s suspicion only deepened: "Don't make a fuss, let me feel."

Liang Qian’s face lacked its usual gentleness; he looked thoroughly vexed, yet more than that, he looked aggrieved. He grasped Jiang Wu’s hand and refused to let go, yet did not dare exert force, leaving her hand resting against the youth's chest.

Such a scrawny, filthy man—how could he possibly attract Jiang Wu? Sourness welled up in his heart.

By now, however, Jiang Wu had confirmed her suspicion: "It's a woman."

"Mhm... hm?" Liang Qian was stunned. Originally, he had been pressing close to the youth to support him, but at this, his body instinctively and rapidly shifted aside, leaving only his fingertips steadying the person.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Wu found it amusing.

Liang Qian looked thoroughly exasperated: "A gentleman should not touch improperly. Wife, I truly did not know she was a female, and I didn't touch her anywhere inappropriate just now."

"Alright, circumstances are special; don't be so rigid."

Jiang Wu was not a petty person who would fuss over such details. As she spoke, she handed the sleeping Mingzhu over to Liang Qian and took over supporting the person herself.

The maiden was dressed in male attire. Through the layer of grime covering her, one could tell her skin was exceptionally delicate and fair.

Jiang Wu picked up the girl's hand and brushed the dust off the back of it. Sure enough, it was a pair of tender hands that had clearly never performed any rough labor.

"She looks like someone from a wealthy household," she remarked. "Robbers often frequent these parts. Could she have escaped from a bandit den? If that's truly the case, dressing as a man was a blessing in disguise."

With these words, her gaze toward the girl grew somewhat more sympathetic.

Thus, they brought the rescued maiden to the nearest medical clinic for treatment.

Because they arrived in time, the physician managed to pull the person back from the brink of death.

Regardless of who lay there, the couple Jiang Wu would naturally not have stood by and watched someone die. However, after guessing that this person was either noble or wealthy, Jiang Wu was already calculating in her heart how many favors she might be able to extract.

What she had not expected was that when the maiden finally woke up the next day, she would blink innocent and bright eyes and ask: "Who are you?"

That was still somewhat normal.

"Where is this?" Also normal.

"Who am I?"

Ah? That was decidedly not normal.

Jiang Wu was dumbfounded by this rapid-fire trio of questions, her eyes filled with disbelief: "You don't know who you are?"

The maiden tried very hard to recall before shaking her head earnestly.

"Do you know where your home is?"

Still a shake of the head.

"Then how did you get here?"

It was evident that the maiden was equally dumbfounded by her questioning. The entire person sat in tense agitation, not even daring to shake her head anymore.

Liang Qian had already gone to attend to his official duties. Not daring to take the matter lightly, Jiang Wu hurried off to drag the white-haired old physician over.

"Didn't you say she was fine? Why doesn't she remember anything at all?"