Chapter 34: Provocation and Fraternizing with Outsiders

In the fading twilight, Wen Zhixu strained to decipher Lin Xihe’s simplified characters.

“Scared to death,” “kicked the bucket,” “satisfied now?”… “LOL, me afraid of bugs? Who do you think you’re looking down on? I’m perfectly fine, not dead yet. Must be so disappointing for you?”

After deciphering each character, his gaze settled on the final signature: a row of trees, a stream, and a lotus flower.

Three tiny sketches formed Lin Xihe’s signature.

Beside it was an explanation: “Too many strokes in my name.”

Wen Zhixu fell silent. Such a woman—she couldn’t even be bothered to write her own name properly.

He unfolded another note. Finally, it wasn’t those hard-to-read simplified characters, but a drawing: a stick figure resembling dried firewood, with a long scarf wrapped around its neck.

“What does this mean?” Wen Zhixu turned it over and over, utterly perplexed.

“Well, what’s this?” Xie Qi, who’d stubbornly stayed despite being beaten up, had been lurking behind Wen Zhixu for quite some time.

His troublemaking bones were itching again: “Is that a letter from Lady Lin? What did she write? Why can’t I understand a single word? Her handwriting looks like earthworms!”

“Her ugly writing is none of your business!” Wen Zhixu elbowed him.

No matter how much Xie Qi howled, Wen Zhixu refused to show him.

Xie Qi fumed: “You’re like a dog guarding its food!”

Without another word, Wen Zhixu kicked him in the shin.

“Ahhh!” Xie Qi had arrived with two good legs but would have to limp away with only one.

The next morning, Lin Xihe was practicing military-style boxing in the courtyard.

Spring had quietly passed its midpoint, the heavy outer garments replaced by a lightweight silk gauze jacket. Midway through her routine, she turned and spotted a pigeon perched on the crabapple tree.

“You’re back again?”

“Coo.” The sound carried a hint of grievance.

The paper cylinder tied to the pigeon’s leg was visibly larger than before.

She was immediately astonished: “What’s wrong with Wen Zhixu? Is he sending you to deliver letters or training you for a triathlon?”

Tiny, densely packed regular script filled the paper—all traditional characters that made her head spin—though she did pick out a few simplified characters mixed in.

Her mind switching back and forth between traditional and simplified characters, Lin Xihe frowned: “Tch, copying me again? Openly challenging me? Showing off how fast you learn?”

The letter read: “Xie Hanlin’s calligraphy is exquisite, yet his grandson Xie Qi, despite his prestigious lineage, possesses handwriting that leaves much to be desired, resembling earthworms…”

Lin Xihe was baffled. Wasn’t that Xie Qi Wen Zhixu’s close friend? Why was he subtly criticizing Xie Qi?

Reading further, she grew even more confused.

“Xie Qi and ?? grew up together,”—the middle part was likely a name, but the strokes were blurred together, smudged into two black blobs that didn’t resemble Wen Zhixu’s usual penmanship at all—”their bond strong as gold. Though unwed, neither would marry anyone else…”

Lin Xihe rubbed her tired eyes, muttering in confusion: “Xie Qi grew up with whom? Marrying whom?… Even if he married his stepmother, it’s none of my business.”

This Wen Zhixu, writing such rambling letters—completely unlike his usual style.

The letter’s postscript repeated that familiar line: “This pigeon will only return with a reply.”

“…”

When Lin Zhirou barged into Tinghe Courtyard with her matrons, Lin Xihe was lying on the soft grass, chewing on her brush tip.

“You actually made Yan’er catch bugs for you?!”

Lin Xihe tilted her head, glancing at her sideways. After just a few days apart, Lin Zhirou had grown rounder again.

“Oh! You like catching bugs too? Then you help me catch some.”

Lin Zhirou’s plump face immediately sank in one spot: “You!”

“Mm-hmm.” Lin Xihe turned her face away and continued writing her letter. “Earthworms are enough, but nymphs are hard to catch. They like poplar trees, remember to look under poplars.”

“…” Lin Zhirou, who had come to demand an explanation, was infuriated by Lin Xihe’s words.

After finishing the letter, Lin Xihe folded it into a small square, tied it to the pigeon’s leg.

The pigeon spread its wings and soared into the blue sky.

Pigeon post? Lin Zhirou watched her warily. This fool had no friends—she must be up to no good.

Not only had she failed to get an explanation from Lin Pinyan, but she’d also ended up fuming with anger.

Housekeeper Wang offered a suggestion: “The eldest young lady is engaged to the second young master, yet she doesn’t know her place. Why don’t we spread this news? What do you think the second young master will do when he hears?”

Lin Zhirou: “He’ll definitely think she’s unchaste and flirting with other men! Brother Zhixu will surely break off the engagement!”

.

As in previous years, after the memorial ceremony, Wen Zhixu remained in the ancestral hall copying sutras to burn, using them to guide his deceased elder brother’s soul.

The flames seemed to whisper his thoughts. Wen Zhixu returned to the desk and wrote a short letter to his elder brother: Visited mother the day before yesterday, she is in good health. Medicine has been delivered, Madam Lin will ensure she takes it, rest assured, brother…

Wen Qi, who was responsible for burning the sutras in the brazier nearby, felt surprised. In previous years, the second young master would only bury himself in copying sutras, never writing letters. This unusual behavior might be due to overwhelming grief.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wen Qi caught a glimpse of a corner of the small letter: Madam Lin’s daughter has awakened, she’s no longer a fool, now she opposes me at every turn… angry…

His hand trembled as if he’d seen something shocking, and he immediately threw the letter into the brazier.

The pigeon returned once more. After reading the message, Wen Zhixu’s brow furrowed tightly.

Wen Qi, who had been cautiously attending him, inwardly groaned—it must be that Miss Lin writing nonsense again, angering the second young master.

To his surprise, Wen Zhixu called for the messenger pigeon to be brought.

The servant carefully checked its ankles and wings: “Second Young Master, there’s no letter.”

“…”

“Coo?”

Human and bird locked eyes.

Wen Zhixu: “You didn’t lose the letter?”

“Coo coo coo!” The pigeon protested vehemently against its master’s accusation.

“Then why did she only write so few words?”

Too bothered to use a brush, Lin Xihe had written only four characters: Noted. No reply.

A sudden, inexplicable anger rose within him. Wen Zhixu wasn’t one to take things out on servants, so he directed his frustration at the innocent pigeon: “Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you know! What use are you to me?!”

Pigeon: “…” The corn kernels in its beak instantly lost their flavor.

.

With her rival absent, the carriage wheels rolled through the spacious alleyway, and even the air felt particularly fresh.

“Bright spring days are meant to be wasted.” Lin Xihe lifted the carriage curtain, her sleeves scattering the sunlight. “Silver in pocket is meant to be spent.”

Qingwu listened to her young lady humming a tuneless little song and felt her own mood lift.

This street market in the capital sold birds, cats, dogs, and singing insects—equivalent to a modern flower-and-bird market. The street was crowded with people, and the Lin family carriage got stuck halfway. Unbothered, Lin Xihe alighted with Qingwu to continue on foot.

The shop assistant at Yu Lin Yuan was sharp-eyed. Spotting a young lady dressed in fine silks descending from an ornate carriage in the distance, he immediately beamed and came out to greet her.

Back when Lin Xihe was still “Lin the servant boy,” this very assistant had looked down on her and kicked her out of the shop. Of course, she held a grudge and turned to leave.

“Why must you leave, noble guest?” The waiter’s gaze fell upon the birdcage in the maid’s hand—wasn’t the mynah inside the very one the Wen family had been desperately searching for?

He wore a troubled expression. The notice offering a thousand taels of silver for the missing bird was still posted at Yu Lin Yuan!

Torn between offending the young lady before him and the substantial reward, the waiter hesitated for a moment before blurting out: “This bird… bears a striking resemblance to the one Second Master Wen lost.”

Lin Xihe smiled. “It is his.”

“…”

The waiter shot a pleading look toward the shopkeeper.

Although the bird hadn’t been purchased from Yu Lin Yuan, Wen Zhixu was a regular customer, and the shopkeeper naturally had no desire to offend the Wen family.

Yet the young lady before him was dressed in excessively refined attire—the texture of the fabric and the exquisite embroidery subtly conveyed an air of wealth and status, clearly not the work of any ordinary embroidery workshop.

The shopkeeper wished to offend neither party.

While he was still weighing his options, the maid beside the young lady had already instructed the waiter to bring out the dried insects and was carefully selecting them.

The young lady herself seemed naturally averse to insects, keeping her distance. She held the birdcage personally, her face close to the bars as she spoke to the bird: “Bu Bu, would you like some dried earthworms?”

“Gaa.”

It likely meant it enjoyed them. The young lady ordered the waiter to pack more dried earthworms.

The shopkeeper offered an ingratiating smile and cautiously inquired: “Young lady, since this is Second Master Wen’s bird, isn’t its name Emerald Phoenix?”

Lin Xihe dismissed this with indifference. “That was its former name.”

“…”

Outside, the crowd had thinned somewhat, and the coachman had parked the carriage just beyond Yu Lin Yuan.

“Well, if it isn’t the Lin family carriage?” A deep male voice rang out.

Everyone turned to see a middle-aged man in purple robes approaching, a brightly feathered parrot perched on his shoulder.

“Master Cheng Yuawai!” The shopkeeper greeted him warmly.

From Lin Xihe’s perspective, a plump eggplant seemed to leap into the shop.

Cheng Yuawai immediately discerned Lin Xihe’s identity and bowed with a smile. “Miss Lin.”

“You know me?” Lin Xihe studied him, her gaze drifting toward the parrot. Instinctively, she crossed her arms in front of her birdcage, subtly blocking its view—fearing the large bird might startle her little mynah.

Cheng Yuawai nodded. “Naturally.”

That carriage outside was the new one Lin Zhaoheng had recently acquired. Who else but the legitimate daughter of the Lin family would he willingly yield it to? The domineering second young miss of the Lin family had never received such treatment.

“Coco, greet the lady.”

The parrot reluctantly called out: “Miss~ Lin~”

The parrot’s mimicry drew admiration from all present.

Qingwu finished paying for the dried insects and prepared to leave with Lin Xihe.

The shopkeeper hurried after them. “Miss Lin, about Second Master Wen’s Emerald Phoenix…”

“His bird, I’m raising it for him. Is there a problem?” Lin Xihe didn’t understand—would she mistreat her enemy’s pet? Please, she was an animal lover!

Hearing Wen Zhixu’s name, Cheng Yuawai stepped forward. “Miss Lin, if you would stay a moment.”

“What matter brings you here, Master Cheng?” Lin Xihe firmly encircled the birdcage with her arms. Was this Cheng Yuawai a friend of Wen Zhixu’s? Did he intend to seize the bird?

Cheng Yuawai was not tall; even wearing the “Inner Height Increase” shoes the shoppkeeper had promoted, his gaze barely reached Lin Xihe’s eye level.

“I’ve heard that Second Master Wen’s carefully raised Emerald Phoenix cannot speak. My Coco here is only one year old, yet already eloquent—far superior to Second Master Wen’s Emerald Phoenix.” Cheng Yuawai lifted his head proudly. “Coco, recite a poem.”

The parrot tilted its head and recited clearly, “Before my bed, the moonlight shines so bright…”

“Bravo! Excellent!” someone applauded and cheered.

Cheng Yuanwai had unknowingly grown taller than Lin Xihe, now looking down on her with a smug expression. “Coco here was acquired by my discerning eye from a foreign merchant. Second Master Wen was a step too late and, fuming, turned around to buy the Emerald Phoenix at the Bird Marts instead.”

“Foreign birds are so impressive?” Lin Xihe scoffed. “Well, can your Coco speak Persian?”

Cheng Yuanwai fell silent.

Of course, it couldn’t.

With Wen Zhixu absent today, he seized the perfect opportunity to vent his frustrations.

“As if the Emerald Phoenix can speak it either,” Cheng Yuanwai retorted loudly.

Everyone in the capital knew that Wen Zhixu had been duped when buying a dog, raised sparrows that never spoke, and even his majestic white horse couldn’t find its way.

Tapping the birdcage lightly with her slender fingers, Lin Xihe spoke calmly, “Emerald Phoenix, say a few words in Persian for everyone.”

Bu Bu tilted its bird neck, momentarily confused by its new owner’s request.

The crowd burst into laughter, with Cheng Yuanwai laughing the heartiest.

Qingwu understood the hint and immediately lured it with dried insects.

Lin Xihe coaxed, “Bu Bu? Say a few words, won’t you?”

Only then did the myna bird in the cage lazily open its beak.

“Hello.”

“Nice.”

“…”

The bird grew more enthusiastic, chattering away in a stream of gibberish.

Though the onlookers understood none of it, the myna’s confident posture and fluctuating tones convinced them that this bird was eloquent and remarkable.

Cheng Yuanwai stared in astonishment. How could Second Master Wen’s bird suddenly speak? In his memory, that bird was exceedingly dull, capable only of monotonous squawks and not a single word of human speech.

Yet Second Master Wen doted on this foolish bird as if it were a treasure!

Unconvinced, he insisted on nitpicking, “How can made-up nonsense count as Persian? Second Master Wen’s bird has incomplete vocal range—what’s the use of keeping a bird that only spouts gibberish?”

Lin Xihe shot back immediately, “Pets aren’t kept for showing off. Wen Zhixu is happy with it—who is he bothering? He has a compassionate heart—which law has he broken?”

“…” Cheng Yuanwai was speechless.

She ignored him further, crouching down to meet the bird in the cage at eye level.

“My precious is so clever!”

“Whose myna is this brilliant?”

Bu Bu gradually lost itself in Lin Xihe’s stream of praises.

“The waterfall flies straight down three thousand feet…”

“Li Bai boards a boat, about to depart…”

Someone chuckled, “Hey, this bird seems to like Li Tai Bai’s poetry!”

Another retorted, “Cheng Yuanwai’s Coco can recite it too.”

The crowd turned their eager gazes toward him. To their surprise, Cheng Yuanwai looked displeased. He had spent a full year teaching it that single line about moonlight before the bed, only to embarrass himself today by showing off before experts.

Cheng Yuanwai hurriedly excused himself, “I must take my leave,” and turned to leave with his parrot. In his haste, he stumbled, and his new shoe flew into the air.

It nearly hit Lin Xihe.

She took half a step back, examining the shoe. The heel was thick, looking unusual at first glance. Upon closer inspection, the insole was much thicker than ordinary ones.

Lin Xihe muttered, “Rising Step by Step… Such thick insoles make it easy to twist an ankle. They still need improvement.”

Cheng Yuanwai couldn’t stay a moment longer. He sent a servant to retrieve his shoe and limped away as fast as he could.

The parrot clung to his shoulder, flapping its wings incessantly and chattering, “Rising Step by Step, Rising Step by Step…”

In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Cheng Yuanwai had lost all face.

While others strolled, Lin Xihe strolled her bird.

After using the flower core stone, Que Er’s health improved day by day. Unable to stay cooped up in the residence, the little bird longed to wander outside all day.

“Just one hour of stroll,” Lin Xihe set the time limit, “You need to take a nap later, understand?”

“Gah.”

Such a clever little bird—she was growing reluctant to return it.

.

The Wen family carriage made a round through the city.

Wen Qi repeatedly expressed surprise: all the missing bird notices posted on the walls had disappeared.

With Que Er in Lin Xihe’s possession, and that day when a notice with a strange pig’s head had inexplicably floated into his courtyard… after connecting the dots, it wasn’t hard to guess the mastermind behind it all.

Lin Xihe.

“To Yu Lin Yuan.”

Wen Qi was taken aback, thinking the second young master was furious and intended to confront the Lin family’s eldest young lady.

But then he heard Wen Zhixu say: “Go inform the Bird Marts shopkeeper that Emerald Phoenix has been found, no need to keep an eye out for me anymore.”

The carriage was stuck outside Tianming Tea House, where the storyteller’s voice was clearly audible:

“The parrot was defeated! The wealthy man stamped his bare feet in frustration, fleeing in shame and anger!”

“Who told him to provoke that young lady? Turns out her myna bird Que Er was eloquent and could even recite poetry!”

The more Wen Zhixu listened, the more peculiar it seemed: this plot clearly resembled the incident with his family’s Emerald Phoenix. Yet the most crucial detail didn’t match: how did the bird’s owner become a “young lady”?

Author’s note: Moonlight before my bed. The flying stream descends three thousand feet. Li Bai boards the boat about to depart. The poetic lines in this chapter are from Li Bai.