Chapter 33: Cut Sleeve Wen Bastard

The housekeeper nodded.

An image flashed through Wen Zhixu’s mind – a little figure dressed in servant’s clothes chasing chickens one moment and dogs the next. He truthfully told the housekeeper: “Miss Lin can fight tigers barehanded.”

Hearing this evaluation, the housekeeper secretly sighed for Miss Lin and cautiously asked: “Rumors outside say Miss Lin has recovered from her illness and can now speak clearly?”

“She’s sharp-tongued enough to be a storyteller.”

The housekeeper choked on her words and quickly changed the subject: “Miss Lin has already had her hair-pinning ceremony. You and she have been betrothed since childhood. General Wen has passed away many years, and the Wen Country Duke Manor ultimately needs you to support it.”

Sure enough, the palace was indirectly urging him to marry and have children.

His tone remained polite yet resolute: “I understand Her Majesty’s intentions.”

The housekeeper stared at him for a moment, then whispered: “Her Majesty knows well that the Lin family marriage isn’t to your liking and has made other arrangements. On the contrary, the granddaughter of Xie Hanlin Residence, Xie Lan, is dignified in both character and appearance, having just had her hair-pinning ceremony last month. She would be a perfect match for you. Her Majesty intends to secure this good marriage for you. If you agree, she will personally mediate on your behalf.”

Wen Zhixu found this utterly absurd: “Xie Qi’s sister? She’s like my own sister. How could I marry her?”

The Empress, knowing Wen Zhixu’s stubborn temper, had come prepared. The housekeeper deftly pulled out several small portraits and unfolded them for Wen Zhixu: “This is Minister Wang’s eldest daughter, this is Minister Qiu’s second daughter…”

Wen Zhixu maintained a wooden expression. If the Empress weren’t his elder, he wouldn’t have even glanced at them.

“None of these distinguished young ladies have caught Young Master Wen’s eye?”

“Please inform Her Majesty that I’m in no hurry to marry. Let’s see what the future holds.”

After some thought, the housekeeper understood. Wen Zhixu was delaying breaking off the engagement because he feared damaging Miss Lin’s reputation and couldn’t face the Lin family.

“Young Master need not worry about Miss Lin either.” The housekeeper elaborated on the matchmaking book the Empress had prepared in advance. “Her Majesty has considered everything thoroughly. Lord Xie’s grandson is around Miss Lin’s age, with outstanding talent and appearance. If they were to become a couple, wouldn’t it be a match made in heaven? By then, both families would preserve their dignity, and you would be freed. Wouldn’t that be satisfactory for everyone…”

“Xie Qi?!” Wen Zhixu unexpectedly interrupted.

The gentle facade of the young master before her suddenly fell away, an invisible pressure making the old housekeeper stiffen all over.

The mourning ceremony concluded, and the sacrificial crowd dispersed. Wen Hongyuan, being advanced in years, returned to the manor early with the carriage train, leaving Wen Zhixu alone to stay temporarily in the residence beside the ancestral hall.

“Where’s Xie Qi?” Wen Zhixu stopped a servant from the Xie residence.

Xie Qi indeed hadn’t left, cheerfully coming over when summoned: “Wen Er~”

Smack! Wen Zhixu slapped his shoulder, causing Xie Qi to immediately do the splits.

“What was that for…” Xie Qi rubbed his shoulder, utterly wronged. He had specifically stayed behind to keep Wen Zhixu company for a couple of days, all to care for his friend’s mood! A considerate close friend like him was one of a kind in the capital!

Wen Zhixu placed one hand on his waist and pointed at Xie Qi with the other, angrily demanding: “You want to marry Lin Xihe?”

“Who?”

“Lin Xihe!”

“Lin… the female warrior?” The realization struck Xie Qi like lightning. “Isn’t she your wife? Me marry her? Then what would that make me? Someone who steals his friend’s wife? I’d be an animal! Worse than pigs or dogs! I…!”

Xie Qi stomped around wildly, inadvertently destroying a partially completed ant nest near the tree roots.

After a round of performance, Xie Qi observed Wen Zhixu again, finding that the previous angry expression had faded somewhat.

“If I dared to marry Lin Xihe—ouch! Stop pulling my ear! I haven’t finished speaking!”

An indescribable emotion stood like a roadblock in Wen Zhixu’s heart, and only by giving Xie Qi a sound beating could he vent his frustration.

The eldest grandson of the prestigious Xie Yan, having been beaten twice for no reason, now clung to a tree trunk with no regard for his image, daring only to peek half his head out toward Wen Zhixu.

Wen Zhixu temporarily believed his words, his tone shifting as he asked, “What about your sister Xie Lan then?”

“Lan’er?” Xie Qi couldn’t make sense of it—how did his sister get involved?

Upon hearing this, Xie Qi grew furious: “My Lan’er would have to be blind to take a liking to you! Don’t slander her and tarnish Lan’er’s reputation! Let me tell you, Wen Zhixu, if you dare marry Lan’er, your wedding day will be my death anniversary! As her elder brother, I’ll never allow it!”

“Rest assured, I’m not interested in her either.”

“Oh, so you’re interested in Lin Xihe then.”

“Nothing of the sort!”

“Don’t give me that!” Xie Qi sneered at him. “You’ve been beating around the bush with endless excuses—unwilling to call off the engagement, yet rejecting every other young lady introduced to you. If it’s not Lin Xihe, what other reason could there be? Unless… you’re actually a cut sleeve?”

“……”

Xie Qi protectively crossed his arms over his chest: “If you really are a cut sleeve, our brotherhood ends here!”

Wen Zhixu peeled Xie Qi off the tree and delivered a thorough thrashing.

.

In previous years, on the anniversary of his elder brother’s death, gloomy rainy seasons would follow like shadows, and Wen Zhixu’s heart would remain suppressed all day.

Today, the sky was similarly overcast and threatening rain, the black tiles of the ancestral hall appearing even more solemn beneath the dark clouds. Yet the usual oppression didn’t arrive as expected—instead, it was replaced by an indescribable, subtle mood.

“Was the letter delivered to her?”

Wen Qi replied: “It was placed in the basket for Mo Hu to deliver.”

“Mm.”

Seeing Wen Zhixu’s approving expression, the newcomer Wen Ba, eager to win favor, hurriedly added: “Second Young Master, I also put a pouch in the basket.”

“A pouch?” Wen Zhixu lifted his gaze to look at him.

“The pouch was filled with worms that Emerald Phoenix loves to eat—all caught fresh by me!”

Wen Zhixu didn’t speak, but stood up and struck Wen Ba with a sharp slap.

The accompanying maids and elderly servants weren’t numerous, standing in a row as they trembled, uncertain what mistake they had made.

“Are you afraid of insects?” Wen Zhixu scanned them with a glance.

The assembled servants: “?”

The monthly allowance at Wen Manor was generous, far exceeding that of ordinary official households. Thus, a quick-witted maid, though inwardly terrified, stiffened her resolve and lied: “Reporting to Young Master, this servant isn’t afraid of insects.”

“Tell the truth.” Wen Zhixu had little patience.

“…Afraid. This servant is even scared of ants, let alone green caterpillars and earthworms.”

Another young maid’s legs went weak upon hearing “green caterpillars”—she felt utterly unwell.

Most women fear live insects.

Lin Xihe was a woman, and naturally no exception.

As the servants left the main hall, they only noticed the Second Young Master’s grim expression, then heard him order someone to send a messenger pigeon, though none knew what urgent matter required such haste.

.

Lin Xihe was so furious her thoughts became muddled, muttering incoherently: “Wen bastard, Wen bastard…”

Qingwu brought her a soothing drink, advising her young mistress to calm down: “Young Mistress, it must have been Wen Ba’s doing. That fellow clearly has no brains.”

“I’m not cursing Wen Ba.” What did some laborer have to do with this? Lin Xihe spat out hatefully: “I’m cursing Wen Zhixu.”

“……”

After cursing all morning with no response from next door, Lin Xihe suddenly felt lonely. She hauled out those ten-some pounds of serpentine stone and marched straight to Baohe Pharmacy.

The young mistress was here again. Qian Daifu nearly dropped to his knees: “Miss Lin, might I ask if your Que Er…” is well?

If it weren’t, his Baohe Pharmacy would probably go bankrupt on the spot.

“Bu Bu’s wound has healed!” Lin Xihe announced cheerfully. Qian Daifu let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Doctor Qian, you’re a reincarnated Hua Tuo!”

“Uh…?” The flattered physician couldn’t bring himself to smile, sensing a trap.

The maid who resembled a bodyguard placed a bulging bundle on the counter.

“How much silver can I get for this serpentine stone?” Lin Xihe rubbed her hands together, grinning from ear to ear.

“…”

Oh, this troublesome girl!

But instead of leaving after pocketing the silver, Lin Xihe began pacing with interest before the medicine cabinets.

The medical apprentices and pharmacy assistants turned pale, desperately blocking the medicine shelves.

Lin Xihe took out a silver ingot and slapped it on the counter: “Do you have snake sloughs? Whole ones, the longer the better.”

Qian Daifu’s eyelid twitched: “Miss Lin, even for medicinal use, only a small amount of snake slough is needed. May I ask who in your residence is unwell?”

“It’s not for medicine, I’m giving it as a gift.” Lin Xihe spoke with utmost sincerity, even pausing as if carefully considering her words. “He has a weak constitution and can’t handle the late spring chill. I thought I’d find a large snake slough to use as a scarf for him.”

Qian Daifu: “…”

.

Even Qingwu, clutching Baohe Pharmacy’s medicine paper package—which contained what was supposedly a complete snake slough from a python, felt her hair stand on end through the paper.

Yet her young mistress, who normally would jump eight feet away at the sight of a caterpillar, seemed possessed this time in her determination to “repay” Second Master Wen.

The sunlight was gentle, the breeze soft, falling blossoms drifting leisurely.

Time slowed to a crawl.

Lin Xihe lay prone before the dog passage, peering through to the other side: “Why hasn’t Wen Zhixu returned yet?”

At this moment, she missed her phone and WeChat intensely.

A dusty gray pigeon circled for a while at the boundary between the two estates, finally landing on the crabapple tree in Tinghe Courtyard.

“Coo coo coo.”

It successfully caught the attention of the bird lover: “A pigeon!”

Lin Xihe examined it closely and noticed a small paper scroll tied above its orange-yellow feet.

“A messenger pigeon? For me?”

Her ancient version of WeChat had arrived—

The pigeon carried a note.

Lin Xihe leaned against the tree and casually unfolded the note.

On the paper were lines of extremely neat small regular script.

The illiterate Lin Xihe struggled to read the traditional characters in the afternoon sunlight: “The live insects were placed there without my knowledge by servants. I was unaware of this. I hope Miss Lin wasn’t frightened? If you feel unwell, please consult a physician promptly. I will return in four days.”

Four days?

But the note delivered by Mo Hu said he would return in five days. Why the change?

Lin Xihe sprawled flat on the grass in a straight line as the messenger pigeon kept cooing incessantly.

It showed no intention of leaving.

“Are you hungry? Would you like some Chong Gan?”

The pigeon didn’t understand, merely hopping back and forth in a V-shape.

Like a newbie just entering the starter village, Lin Xihe was utterly confused: She’d never handled a messenger pigeon before… What was the next step?

She could only flatten the dried-bean-curd-sized letter again and search carefully, finally finding some characters smaller than ants in the lower right corner:

This messenger pigeon has been trained and will only return with a reply.

Wen Zhixu.

I have to write a reply?! Lin Xihe slumped to the ground—she didn’t even know how to write traditional Chinese characters!

.

As the sun set behind the western hills, Wen Zhixu finally received the carrier pigeon’s return.

The pigeon had letters tied to both of its slender legs, cooing urgently in clear dissatisfaction with this errand.

Wen Qi hurriedly fed it some grains.

Wen Zhixu untied the two letters and slowly unfolded them.