Chapter 21

"Listening to the Wind by the Lake in Turbulent Times"

The next morning, Stone Meimei lay lazily in bed, unwilling to rise. She idly played with little Fuxi, who was grooming its fur beside her. The bustling noise outside indicated that the courtyard was lively. Stone Meimei knew that Zaoyu and Hongye were probably already up, organizing the opening of the perfume shop.

Although Stone Meimei wanted to help, she felt too lazy to move and decided to stay in bed a little longer.

Xiangyi peeked in, saw her awake, and rushed in, “Sister Meimei, you’re up?”

“Yes,” Stone Meimei sat up, hugging little Fuxi, and asked, “What’s happening outside?”

“They’re moving furniture into the shop. Don’t worry about getting up; it's chaotic outside.” Xiangyi brought in a food box and helped Stone Meimei with her morning routine.

Stone Meimei opened two blue-printed chrysanthemum petal powder boxes, scooped out some pearl and peach blossom powders, mixed them, and lightly applied them to her face. Xiangyi then picked out some vermilion lip rouge with a silver pin from an ivory tube.

Stone Meimei blended it with her fingertip, applying it to her lips. She then lightly touched her eyebrows with stone dye, admiring her reflection in the bronze mirror. Satisfied, she put on pearl earrings, looking refreshed and spirited.

She also lit a small incense ball to scent her clothes.

“Hmm,” Xiangyi sniffed, “Sister Meimei, what fragrance is this? It smells really nice.”

“It’s musk mixed with narcissus,” Stone Meimei explained, pinching little Fuxi’s plump belly. “It’s called ‘Fortune Fragrance,’ one of the simplest scents.”

“Oh, fortune,” Xiangyi nodded, taking out some food for Stone Meimei from the box.

Stone Meimei looked at the assortment of colorful pastries and asked, “Where did these come from?”

“Zaoyu made them early this morning. She made quite a lot,” Xiangyi said, handing Stone Meimei a pair of delicate ivory chopsticks. “She said we should go out and have fun today since Master Xu Xian is bringing craftsmen for carving work in the courtyard. Zaoyu rented a painting boat for us to go lake touring.”

“Lake touring?” Stone Meimei’s interest was piqued. “That sounds wonderful.”

“Sister Meimei, let’s go to the Lake Center Pavilion for seafood? I heard the Wanghu Pavilion has delicious delicacies like the 'Eight Treasures' and fresh crabs.”

Stone Meimei thought, it seemed like a day for leisure. She perked up, enjoyed some snacks, and then picked out a long skirt adorned with peacock feather patterns from her wardrobe. She wore a short pearl-embroidered shirt in dark red silk over it and carefully did her hair before heading out with Xiangyi.

In the outer room, Zaoyu and the others were busy setting up the shop.

Stone Meimei surveyed the shop and was pleased to see it looking just as she had envisioned, identical to the drawings.

By noon, Master Xu Xian arrived with the craftsmen, warning that their work would create a lot of stone dust. Stone Meimei and the others left to avoid the mess, leaving Zhong Bo and Xiaoxi to supervise.

On the carriage, Hongye teased Stone Meimei, “Little Meimei, shall we invite Bai She for our lake tour?”

Stone Meimei hesitated, initially liking the idea, but then realized Hongye was teasing her. She playfully threw a plum at her.

The carriage filled with laughter and jokes, drawing curious looks from passersby.

The weather was perfect for a lake tour, and many people were out on painting boats.

“They must all be heading to Lake Center Island’s Wanghu Pavilion,” said Hongye, watching the boats ahead. “Let's hope we find a spot for the opera.”

“No worries,” Stone Meimei replied cheerfully. “If there’s no space, we’ll buy crabs and have Zaoyu sing for us back on our boat.”

Recently, Zaoyu had been practicing opera but kept going off-key, causing much amusement. Hearing Stone Meimei bring it up again, Zaoyu playfully pinched her cheek.

The four young women enjoyed their carefree time on the lake, finding great comfort in their unbound joy.

As they reached the center of the lake, they retreated to the small pavilion on the boat to avoid the sun. Stone Meimei continued reading, while Zaoyu and the others played around.

Hongye inquired, “Little Meimei, how’s the investigation with Bai She going?”

Stone Meimei thought for a moment, “Hmm... he seems to be onto something.”

“Oh,” nodded Hongye. “If you need help with anything in the Qianzhong region, I’m quite familiar with it.”

Stone Meimei pondered for a moment and then asked, "By the way, Hongye, have you ever seen that white jade Buddha?"

Hongye propped her chin in thought. "I only glimpsed it once. My brother quickly hid it in a box, saying it shouldn’t be seen."

"Is the jade Buddha not supposed to be looked at?" Stone Meimei inquired. "What does it look like? Does it have any yellow patterns on it?"

"I only saw it briefly; how could I remember those details?" Hongye sighed, then casually sat beside Stone Meimei, snatching up the plump Xiao Fuzi from her lap to cuddle. "Ever heard of the Duan family?"

Stone Meimei shook her head, thinking she was unfamiliar with any famous names in this new world.

"The Duan family?" asked Zaoyu. "Are they the 'Four Giants' of the martial world?"

"Yes," nodded Hongye. "My brother is also a Duan, but a distant relative. The Duans are an esteemed martial clan, and we're just outcasts. My brother, ever so filial, was asked by our mother to return to our roots."

Stone Meimei and Zaoyu exchanged glances, understanding Hongye's grief over her brother's fate.

"The Duan family elder said my brother could join them, but he had to do them a favor," said Hongye with a hint of scorn.

"To retrieve that jade Buddha?" Stone Meimei guessed.

"Yes," confirmed Hongye. "The Duan family had located the Buddha and needed it escorted from the capital to their home in Qian territory. My uncle led our team on this mission."

"That seems odd," commented Zaoyu. "If the Buddha is a rare treasure, why entrust its transport to someone new? And considering your reputation..."

Hongye chuckled, "I eventually realized that the Buddha was probably fake."

"Fake?" Shimei frowned, "Oh! They intend to use you to divert their enemies' attention. If everyone comes looking for you to snatch the Jade Buddha, the real one can be quietly returned to the Duan family."

"Exactly," said Hongye. "That was their strategy."

"Why did Baishi end up with the jade Buddha?" Zaoyu inquired.

"I'm not sure about the specifics," Hongye admitted. "We hadn’t even left the capital when the Buddha was stolen. Then my brother was murdered. Shortly after, we heard that Baishi had obtained it. But it turned out he had the fake one, the same we were escorting. He was seeking revenge for a friend’s death related to the Buddha and had snatched it from the bandits who stole it from us."

"Oh," Stone Meimei mused, feeling like the whole story was now clear. "So that’s what happened."

"The fake Buddha ended up with Yu Yan, but who he passed it to is unknown," sighed Hongye. "The whereabouts of the real Buddha are still a mystery. This is how it goes in the martial world, using and being used. No one's clean."

Stone Meimei looked at her, and Hongye quickly added, "Your Baishi is different though. He’s a special case in the martial world."

Hongye nodded in agreement. "That’s true."

Stone Meimei muttered softly, "What do you mean, 'my' Baishi..."

Soon, the boat reached the shore of Lake Heart Island.

The guards and boatmen moored the boat and laid down the plank. The girls disembarked, chatting and laughing as they headed to Lake Heart Pavilion.

As expected, the pavilion was bustling due to the fine weather.

The lower hall of the first floor had some seats left but was too noisy. The private rooms on the second floor were all taken, leaving only the open seating on the third floor.

Confused,香儿 asked the manager, "What’s the difference between the open seating and the private rooms?"

"Open seating has no partitions and offers a great view," explained the manager. "You can see the entire lake, it's bright and airy, but it's more expensive."

After some bargaining with the manager,香儿 finally booked an open seat and they headed upstairs.

Amused, Hongye asked, "Hey,香儿, aren’t you a maid from a princess’s house? How come you're haggling over the price?"

Covering her mouth with a giggle,香儿 replied, "Hongye sister, Stone Meimei has only been a princess for a few days. She used to be frugal, unwilling to spend an extra copper coin. She's buying incense powder now!"

Zanyue also smiled and shook her head. Hearing this, Shimei developed a sense of admiration for Chen Shimei. Life hadn't been easy for Shimei... Recalling Qin Xianglian's comments about her, Shimei felt a tightness in her chest. That man is despicable! Although affection can't be forced, Chen Shimei had done nothing wrong to him and loved him deeply. Yet, he used her and cast her aside like a worn-out shoe, even looking down on her with cold disdain. It was truly despicable!

Shimei calmed her thoughts and decided not to dwell on that person anymore, following Zanyue and the others to the third floor.

Stepping onto the third floor, they were greeted by refreshing lake breezes.

The waiter led Shimei and the others to a table by the window. They could hear the faint sound of a qin and soft singing from a nearby partition, the notes and lyrics blending harmoniously without disturbing the ambiance. It was truly elegant.

The waiter inquired about what the group would like to order.

Xiaoxiang ordered the 'Eight Treasures' dish and several crabs, a favorite among the ladies there, eagerly anticipating a delightful feast.

The waiter brought them a small jar of plum wine, eliciting another round of laughter from the group.

While waiting for the dishes, Shimei stood up and gazed out the window at the lake, spotting a white pleasure boat. There, leaning on the railing of the boat, was a person dressed in white... Though too far to discern the face, Shimei knew there was only one person who could wear white so effortlessly and without a hint of frailty - Baisha.

Shimei watched intently and saw Baisha leaning at the bow of the boat, drinking wine, with a few people standing beside him, apparently reporting something. Baisha listened quietly, occasionally nodding.

Shimei pinched Xiaofuzi's belly, thinking to herself about how this person was always like this...

Lost in thought, she suddenly saw Baisha turn his head and glance in her direction.

Shimei quickly returned to her seat, holding Xiaofuzi, her cheeks flushed. She wondered if Baisha had seen her, but considering the distance and his angle, probably not.

"What's the matter, Meizi Sister?" Xiaoxiang handed her a large crab, opening the shell to reveal the rich crab roe inside.

Shimei took it, scooping some vinegar to accompany the roe. The lake crabs were large and full, exceptionally delicious.

"Meizi."

While dining, Stone Meimei heard Zaoyu call out to her.

Looking up at Zaoyu, she noticed her signaling to look aside.

Stone Meimei glanced over and saw a nearby table occupied by Luan Jingyi, Ming Fu, and a few other well-dressed women, indicating wealth and status.

Stone Meimei shook her head helplessly and exchanged a resigned look with Zaoyu, bracing herself for a less than pleasant meal.

“Ignore them,” Hongye advised, serving chicken feet and gizzards to the two. She commented, “I don't know why, but today this place is crowded with influential figures. If things get rowdy, I bet the building could collapse.”