Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Snowball, come here."

"Snowball!" Qingxue pouted, feeling a bit jealous as she saw the kitten ignoring her and cuddling into her mother's embrace. She too longed to be in her mother's arms.

Hearing her daughter's words, Xiaoluo Lan handed Snowball over to her, but the kitten's sharp claws snagged on the fabric at her chest. Xiaoluo Lan quickly disentangled the claws. Since arriving in ancient times, she had always worn dresses, but this was her first time wearing one so bright and boldly styled. Seeing the kitten's behavior, she didn't dare to forcefully take it away.

"Lady Xiao, this dress suits you well."

Zhou Xu approached, offering his compliment with dignity and grace.

"Yes, Mother, you look really beautiful in this dress," Qingxue wholeheartedly agreed with Master Zhou Zong's remark.

"Lady Dou has prepared dinner. I was hoping to invite you and Young Lady Xiao to join us."

Xiaoluo Lan, hearing the straightforward compliments from Master Zhou Zong and her daughter, felt her ears warm up. Holding the kitten, she nodded in a fluster: "Then let's go."

"Lady Xiao, please." Zhou Xu, seeing Lady Xiao's shyness, took the lead, deliberately slowing his pace so that Lady Xiao and Young Lady Xiao wouldn't have to hurry to keep up. The evening breeze blew gently, and Lady Xiao's gold-trimmed shawl trailed long behind her, intertwining with the bright red hem of her dress, as if giving shape and traces to the wind around her.

Qingxue played with the kitten in her mother's arms, comforted by its constant meowing.

The corridor was winding, and being in the inner quarters, they encountered only female servants, all bowing and showing respect. It wasn't long before they met Lady Dou approaching.

Lady Dou performed a deep bow: "Commander, Lady Xiao, Young Lady Xiao."

Xiaoluo Lan, seeing Lady Dou's courtesy, mimicked her and bowed. Qingxue, seeing her mother do so, awkwardly followed suit. Xiaoluo Lan handed the kitten to Lady Dou: "Lady Dou, I found this cat in the bamboo grove. Do you know where its owner might be?"

Lady Dou, momentarily stunned by Lady Xiao's dazzling appearance, shook her head: "I've checked already. There has never been such a white kitten in the mansion. Perhaps a servant was negligent, allowing it to sneak in through a small hole, leading to your dress being torn."

Hearing that the kitten had no owner and could now be raised with Qingxue, Xiaoluo Lan glanced at her dress, her face flushing slightly: "Lady Dou, the dress you gifted me is very beautiful. I am undeserving of such a gift."

Lady Dou, trying hard not to look at the commander, smiled: "Lady Xiao, you and Young Lady Xiao are guests in my house. This was our fault, so please don't refuse."

Lady Dou humorously added: "If we continue with these formalities, we might miss dinner."

Standing in front of a small gate, Dou Haitao stealthily met with Luo Jinhu, grinning bitterly yet excitedly.

"Brother Luo, you wouldn't believe how many invitations our gatekeeper received this afternoon. Not just from the Tian, Du, and Dong families, those official clans, but also..." He lowered his voice, "Even the County Magistrate has sent several invitations, and his servants are still delivering his calling cards, requesting an audience with the Commander."

"Brother Luo, what should I do?"

Dou Haitao didn't intend to involve Luo Jinhu, but he couldn't think of anyone else to consult. The Dou family had only risen in status in recent years, mainly due to his eldest son catching the eye of the Judge of Langge. They had just begun to stand tall in Taiyang, and Luo Jinhu was known for his quick wit, possibly offering useful advice.

Luo Jinhu stroked his beard: "Does the Commander know about the County Magistrate sending calling cards to request an audience?"

"He probably knows. This afternoon, those calling cards and invitations were taken to the study by Mr. Qingshan, the Commander's aide, and the Commander was in the study too," speculated Dou Haitao.

"If the Commander knows, then pretend you don’t," Luo Jinhu suggested after a moment. "Don’t overdo things, just hand over the calling cards."

"This afternoon, the Commander went out to the West Market, to Jin Yu Tower and the garment shops, and bought many pearl hairpins and dresses." As Dou Haitao spoke, his face twisted, finding it hard to imagine the Commander personally selecting clothes.

"What do you know about the two noblewomen in the carriage? I see the Commander values them highly," Luo Jinhu probed.

"I'm not very clear on that. My son’s letters only mentioned they are Lady Xiao and Young Lady Xiao, without mentioning their origins. But judging by their accents, they seem like nobles who have lived in Chang'an for a long time. Among them, the Commander seems to favor Lady Xiao more," Dou Haitao said. "Now, not only have I received invitations, but my wife has also received many from noble families to attend flower-viewing gatherings."

"They must be quite curious about Lady Xiao."

Luo Jinhu, feeling tired, squatted on the ground, and Dou Haitao lifted his robe and squatted down as well, their heads touching.

"What pleases the superior, the subordinates emulate," Luo Jinhu remarked. "Since the Commander values this mysterious Lady Xiao, who is currently staying at your house, we must seize this opportunity."

Dou Haitao felt Luo’s suggestion was spot on: "Exactly, that's right."

"First, have your wife develop a good relationship with Lady Xiao, preferably becoming friends. In a few days, try inviting Lady Xiao out for an excursion. I have a scenic villa near Hongfa Temple in the city. After the outing, we can invite Lady Xiao to the temple for a vegetarian meal and perhaps some Buddhist rituals," Luo Jinhu said.

"That's a good plan. I’ve heard that the noblewomen of Chang'an enjoy visiting temples for prayers and scripture copying."

"When the time comes, Brother Dou, don’t forget about me," Luo Jinhu said, bowing to Dou Haitao.

"Ah, Brother Luo, you’re being too formal." Dou Haitao wasn’t naive. Luo Jinhu was both strategizing and offering his estate, surely with an ulterior motive. Holding Luo's hand, he said, "When Lady Xiao visits the scenic villa, I will find the right moment to introduce her to you."

"Great!" Luo Jinhu laughed heartily, patting Dou Haitao's hand.

Qingxue knelt on the cushion, noticing the bamboo curtains rolled up around the pavilion. The dimly lit stone path was illuminated by stone lanterns, and an old pear tree in full bloom scattered its white blossoms like thin snow upon the ground.

Qingxue remembered that April was the perfect time for pear blossoms.

Xiaoluo Lan, having watched her daughter play with the kitten all the way, asked upon sitting down, "Do you still want Snowball?"

Qingxue turned her head, "Yes, Mother," she said, and then hugged Snowball, stroking its fur indulgently.

Lady Dou sat opposite Lady Xiao and Young Lady Xiao. Under the lantern light, their beauty seemed even more outstanding, making her forget that her husband hadn't arrived yet.

"How can there be such a gracefully charming woman?" Lady Dou thought. She felt the nobles she had seen in Taiyang County paled in comparison to Lady Xiao. For tonight's banquet, she had dressed up with high hair buns, pearl hairpins, popular plum blossom hairpins, and applied lipstick.

However, Lady Xiao appeared effortlessly elegant, with her hair done in a Serpent Bun, adorned with a single white jade tassel hairpin, and light lipstick, almost natural in color, enhancing her fair skin. Occasionally, pear blossoms would land on her, making it hard to discern which was whiter. Her bold red and gold hawthorn dress accentuated her fair complexion, making her seem like an ethereal being, unimaginable in full regalia.

Young Lady Xiao's beauty was of another kind, slender and delicate, with a cute face. Her orange-red bodice dress, contrasting with Lady Xiao's, resembled a splendid evening sky.

Dou Haitao hurried into the courtyard, apologizing as he entered: "Sorry, sorry, Commander, Lady Xiao, Young Lady Xiao, for keeping you waiting. I'm late."

Zhou Xu, seated at the head, said, "Dou, it's not too late. Lady Dou hasn't gone looking for you yet."

Hearing the Commander's playful remark, Dou Haitao chuckled nervously and sat beside his wife.

Soon, the servants began serving dishes in sequence.

Xiaoluo Lan wasn't picky about food, but hesitated at the sight of thinly sliced raw fish, so thin and tender it was almost translucent, accompanied by minced garlic, orange zest, and bean paste seasoning.

Zhou Xu noticed that throughout the meal, Lady Xiao didn't touch the sashimi. He also didn't like it, finding the texture disagreeable. Seeing Lady Xiao's similar dislike, he couldn't help feeling they were a perfect match.

See, both of them dislike sashimi.

After the meal, Xiaoluo Lan thanked Lady Dou for the hospitality with a bow, and Qingxue, realizing, followed suit.

On the way back, Qingxue held her mother's arm with one hand and the kitten with the other.

"Sweetheart, you didn't eat much tonight. Are you not hungry?" Xiaoluo Lan asked with concern, noticing her daughter had eaten very little.

"I don't know, I just didn't feel like eating," Qingxue replied, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.

Xiaoluo Lan frowned in thought, "Is it your time of the month?"

Blinking, Qingxue realized she never kept track of her menstrual cycle, always relying on her mother. She felt a bloating sensation in her lower abdomen, "It seems it should be soon, probably tonight."

Back in their east pavilion, Xiaoluo Lan had her daughter put on sanitary pads and then go to bed, deciding not to let her visit the Apricot Blossom Residence.

Knowing her young mistress was menstruating, Fangyun borrowed two hot water bottles from the Dou residence's kitchen.

Xiaoluo Lan placed the hot water bottles under the blanket, one at her daughter's stomach and the other at her feet, then sat beside the bed, looking worriedly at her daughter, "Does it still hurt?"

Every month during these days, Qingxue would suffer from menstrual cramps. Xiaoluo Lan usually kept ibuprofen, brown sugar, dates, longan, and goji berries on hand, but where could she find ibuprofen now?

Seeing her daughter lying listlessly in bed, pale and without her usual sun-like vivacity, Xiaoluo Lan felt extremely heartbroken.

"Mom, it'll be better in a few days. Don't worry," Qingxue reassured her mother, her voice as soft as a kitten's.

"You rest here. I'll go make you some brown sugar water," Xiaoluo Lan said, gently touching her daughter's face.

Leaving the east pavilion, she saw Fangyun returning with a food container.

"Mistress, I asked the kitchen to make some brown sugar water."

That was exactly what Xiaoluo Lan needed: "Thank you, Fangyun."

Fangyun fiddled with the hem of her dress. As the mistress, Lady Xiao didn't need to thank her. Besides, Lady Xiao had always been very kind to her. For instance, during the banquet outing, Lady Xiao had told her not to attend to her constantly and to eat with Master Zhou Zong's attendants, ensuring she didn't go hungry. Young Lady Xiao was also kind, once bringing her two cherries to eat.

Xiaoluo Lan returned to the room, opened the container, and took out a warm white porcelain bowl. The brown sugar water wasn't the rich red color she was used to from modern times but a purplish-red, with chopped date flesh floating in it. She tasted it with a spoon, finding it not too sweet.

"Mom, I can drink it myself," Qingxue said, sitting up in bed, her stomach cramping in waves, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.

"Be good, listen to me," Xiaoluo Lan coaxed, spoon-feeding her daughter until she finished it all, then reaching under the blanket to feel her daughter's feet, which were finally warm.

Qingxue looked at her mother and suddenly hugged her, her voice thick with emotion, "Mom, my stomach hurts so much."

Tears instantly welled up in Xiaoluo Lan's eyes.

She could endure anything, but the sight of her daughter crying was unbearable, more painful than a stab to her heart.

Sometimes she wished her daughter hadn't found her, so her precious child would still be in her original world, wearing pretty dresses, with savings for college, and the house she left her. There, menstrual cramps could be eased with ibuprofen, not like now, where her daughter suffered pale-faced in pain, and she, as a mother, helplessly couldn't provide relief, unable to procure ibuprofen, which was once readily available.

Here, she had nothing, completely out of place in this ancient world, striving only to survive with her daughter. To achieve this, she even cast aside her pride and lied to Master Zhou Zong and the others, hoping to follow them to a safer, larger city.

Xiaoluo Lan gently rearranged her daughter's sweat-dampened hair and kissed her forehead, whispering hoarsely, "It won't hurt, my darling. Mommy will rub it better for you."

Qingxue felt the warmth of her mother's hands. She closed her eyes, curling up and leaning against her mother, softly calling, "Mommy." In her vulnerability, Qingxue clung to her mother more than ever, always feeling guilty that if it wasn't for her insistence on going out that day, she and her mother wouldn't have ended up here.

Hearing her daughter's voice, Xiaoluo Lan fought back her tears, not wanting to show her distress. She hugged her daughter close, gently patting her back just like when she was little, "Mommy loves you."

As Fangyun retreated, she suddenly noticed Commander Zhou Zong and Mr. Qingshan standing outside the house.

Mr. Qingshan, holding a folding fan, gestured to Fangyun to be quiet.

Fangyun knelt and bowed before taking her leave.

Lady Xiao's faint sobbing was no longer audible from outside the room.

Zhou Xu suddenly mused to himself, "I thought that only beauties and the glint of swords could stir my heart."

After a long pause, he added, "I never imagined that one day, it would also be moved by the tears of a beauty."