Chapter 410 Family Reunion

Chapter 410: Recognizing Kin

As the night deepened, the bustle on the shore began to subside. Meng Wan idly fluttered a folding fan in one hand while holding a cup of "Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Wine," known as the world's finest vintage, in the other. He watched the boats weaving back and forth across the lake and the brilliant lanterns along the shore, occasionally taking a small sip.

"Fulang, several groups of people are watching you." Chi Yu stood behind Meng Wan, keenly sensing numerous covert gazes.

Meng Wan turned to look around. Aside from the singing and dancing on the flower boat before him, everything else was too far away to discern clearly with his vision. But a row of men in dark official uniforms on the shore were likely bailiffs from the Lin'an Prefectural Office.

"No need to worry about them. It's nothing." Meng Wan said calmly. At this moment, anyone who dared to touch him would be signing their own death warrant.

Fang Jinrong was even less concerned. He raised his crystal goblet, "This wine certainly lives up to its name. Tomorrow I'll have a merchant caravan transport a cartload back to the capital." He and Ge Quan weren't fond of drinking, but there was an old wine lover at home.

Meng Wan wasn't much of a drinker. With Song Tingzhou absent, he had to manage things himself, so he didn't dare drink too much. After half a cup, a light pink flush spread across his cheeks, but his mind remained clear. "With Na Tuo here, why do you need a merchant caravan? Tomorrow morning, just have the clerks at Stone Post Inn buy some and send it back to Shengjing."

"You have a point—I nearly forgot about your trade." Fang Jinrong yawned.

Wind blew across the lake, stirring ripple after ripple and easing some of Meng Wan's restless mood. He said to Fang Jinrong, "If you're tired, let's head back. It's getting late."

The bailiffs on the shore had already rotated shifts twice.

Fang Jinrong propped his chin on his hand, "Sleeping on the boat is fine too. Ge Quan and I have spent many a night on boats before."

"Haven't we slept on boats enough during this trip?" The pleasure boat was cramped, with no proper bed—how could that be comfortable? Meng Wan wasn't about to put himself through that.

"Alright, let's head ashore." Meng Wan picked up the pale gold sachet hanging at his waist and sniffed it. The scent from the medicinal pouch had already faded quite a bit. If they stayed on the boat any longer, the mosquitoes would eat them alive.

Fang Jinrong's fair face had already been bitten twice, leaving two little red bumps.

Once they got ashore, the crowds on the streets had indeed thinned out. The street vendors had mostly packed up too. Only a few scattered pedestrians remained, smiles lingering on their faces as they happily headed home.

Chi Yu led the way holding the fairy maiden lantern Fang Jinrong had bought. As they neared Qingxiao Residence, two young xiaoge ran over in panic, nearly crashing into Chi Yu.

"Help... someone help us!" Both were young, about fourteen or fifteen years old. The one in front wore a begonia-red robe, and the one behind wore apricot-yellow. They were gasping for breath as they hid behind Chi Yu, faces streaked with tears and sweat, eyes watery—clearly scared out of their wits.

The xiaoge in begonia-red clothing pleaded in a tearful voice, "Good sir, please save us! There are thieves following us."

Chi Yu's face was hard to make out at night, and the mark on his forehead indicating his status wasn't very visible. With his tall, sturdy build, he really did look like a strong man. Their group included both ge'er and men, which was reassuring.

Chi Yu had dealt with situations like this many times. He first glanced back at Meng Wan, and only when he saw Meng Wan give a barely perceptible nod did he dart into the alley ahead. A moment later, he dragged out two shifty-eyed men.

Chi Yu lifted the two off the ground, their limbs flailing wildly as they cursed, "Who do you think you are, you little punk? Let us go!"

"What right do you have to grab us? Is it a crime to walk at night now?"

"Let go, you brute!"

Chi Yu's head ached from their racket. He tightened his grip slightly, and the two immediately cried out in pain, their faces reddening as they could no longer curse. He then slammed them hard onto the ground with a thud, sending dust into the air. The two were dazed and couldn't get up for a long time, groaning in pain on the ground.

Seeing the thieves subdued, the two xiaoge cautiously peeked out from behind Chi Yu. Seeing the two men writhing on the ground, they timidly looked at Meng Wan, realizing he was the one calling the shots. They whispered their thanks, "Thank you, Fulang, for saving us."

They were still young and inexperienced, too frightened to have calmed down yet. Their voices trembled as they addressed Meng Wan.

Meng Wan's gaze swept over the two xiaoge. Though their clothing wasn't luxurious, it was the sort worn by well-to-do families. The xiaoge in apricot-yellow came from a wealthier family—he wore a gold hairpin and a jade bracelet of decent quality on his wrist. The one in begonia-red was slightly less well-off but still dressed better than ordinary folk.

"What happened?" he asked in a warm voice.

The faint lantern light fell on Meng Wan's face, and only then did the two young xiaoge get a clear look at his features. They drew in small sharp breaths, momentarily forgetting some of their fear. It was the xiaoge in begonia-red who first reacted and answered, "We stayed out playing too late, and our attendants went off somewhere to find people. When we were truly ready to head home, we ran into those two ruffians following us. In our panic, we fled here."

That was a polite way of putting it. At their age, on a night like this, they'd certainly sent their attendants away on purpose. But now that the crowds had thinned, they couldn't find them again.

Meng Wan understood and curved his lips slightly. He too had once been young and headstrong, ignoring good advice. He said gently, "Don't be afraid. Where do you live? I'll have someone escort you home."

The xiaoge in apricot-yellow spoke softly, "My home is on Fuliū Street, and Xi Geer lives on Stone Lane. We'd be grateful for your trouble, Fulang."

Qingxiao Residence, where Meng Wan stayed, was very close to West Lake. The places these two xiaoge mentioned were much farther away—they must have come specifically to enjoy the festivities tonight. Meng Wan first had the two lechers taken to the yamen. He was about to send someone back to fetch a carriage to take them home when he heard voices calling out—the families of the two xiaoge had come looking for them. That saved Meng Wan the trouble.

With unmarried xiaoge gone missing, both families were frantic. Several children had gone missing tonight, and Xi Geer and the other boy were the oldest among them.

Their families were, of course, extremely grateful to Meng Wan. Though they didn't know his identity, his bearing alone told them he was no ordinary person. Coincidentally, the xiaoge in apricot-yellow was surnamed Luo. After they left, Meng Wan gazed thoughtfully at the departing carriage. "Oh, surnamed Luo, is it?"

The Luo surname was common in Lin'an Prefecture—many families bore it, from nationally renowned aristocratic clans down to street vendors.

"Hurry up, the mosquitoes are out in full force at night. They're eating me alive." Fang Jinrong was both sleepy and bitten, uncharacteristically urging Meng Wan along.

Meng Wan hummed in acknowledgment, withdrew his gaze, and returned to Qingxiao Residence with Fang Jinrong and Chi Yu.

Zhifan and Zhimao hadn't gone out that night. Hearing them return, they crawled out from under their blankets. Zhifan took the lanterns and miscellaneous items from their hands. "These are all things Fang Fulang bought, right? The flower lantern Chi Yu is carrying is so pretty."

Fang Jinrong rubbed his eyes, "You and Zhimao should go out and have some fun too. The lakeshore is so lively—even the bridges are packed with porters and vendors."

"Zhimao and I bought several handkerchiefs at the entrance. We'll bring some back for Wei Ying and Yunque." Lin'an's embroidered handkerchiefs differed in style from Suzhou's, but both places had equally exquisite embroidery skills. Zhifan and Zhimao had already bought many in Suzhou.

Seeing that they were all tired, Zhimao asked, "Fulang, the bathwater is ready in the bedroom. Would you and Fang Fulang like something to eat before sleeping?"

Fang Jinrong's eyelids were already heavy with sleep. "I'm not eating. I'm going to bed."

Meng Wan was also somewhat weary and went straight to his room to wash and rest. Only Chi Yu, Na Tuo, and the others ate some of the food prepared in the kitchen.

The next morning, Meng Wan slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking. His hair was sticky against his face and neck. Even with a cool mat, he was covered in sweat—he'd been woken by the heat.

Frowning, he got out of bed. The two basins of ice in the room had half melted—Zhifan and Zhimao must have replaced them that morning. But even two full basins of ice couldn't block the wave of heat streaming through the window.

He walked to the window and pushed open the wooden frame. A gust of even more muggy, humid air rushed in, carrying the clamor of the streets and a faint trace of moisture—the water vapor from West Lake seemed to have been transformed by the sun, no longer the coolness of night but something stickier.

Meng Wan wiped the sweat from his brow and noticed the pomegranate tree in the courtyard wilting in the heat. He called for Zhimao to bring in more water and took a bath in his room before feeling refreshed.

"Fulang, the families of those two we rescued yesterday came early this morning. They've been waiting in the front hall until now." Chi Yu ran over from the front hall to report.

Meng Wan was drying his wet hair with a cloth. He paused at the words, then said flatly, "Put two more basins of ice in the hall. I'll be there shortly."

He casually pinned up his non-dripping hair with a Xiangyun hairpin to keep it from falling loose, though he didn't gather it all up. In this half-down style, he went out to receive his guests.

Four basins of ice were placed in the hall, with iced sour plum drink and a pot of cold tea on the table, along with six plates of pastries.

Qingxiao Residence was presided over only by a fulang, as the master of the house was away. The two families had tactfully sent only their matriarchs. They sat stiffly on the rosewood armchairs, and when Meng Wan arrived, they didn't dare question his somewhat informal attire. Instead, his half-damp dark hair made his already handsome face take on a lazy, refined elegance. They hurriedly rose to bow: "Thank you, Meng Fulang, for rescuing our sons yesterday. Your great kindness we shall never forget."

Meng Wan raised a hand in a gesture of restraint, his voice fairly warm. "It was merely a small effort. Why must you be so formal, madams? Please, sit and speak."

He took the seat of honor. Sunlight streamed hotly through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the floor. One of the madams followed the light upward and let her gaze settle on his face, seeming somewhat lost in thought.

"Meng Fulang..." This madam spoke hesitantly, a hint of probing in her voice. "Forgive my impertinence, but you look rather familiar to me, as if I've seen you somewhere before."

Meng Wan took a sip of tea as if nothing were amiss, smiling lightly. "I was indeed born in Lin'an as a child, but I haven't returned in over a decade. Perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else, madam." He offered no further explanation, simply leaving it at that.

Seeing this, the Luo family madam quickly smoothed things over: "Sister must still be shaken from yesterday's fright. Seeing such a distinguished figure as Meng Fulang, she naturally feels a sense of familiarity."

She turned to Meng Wan, her face breaking into a grateful smile. "Speaking of which, after my son returned home yesterday, he described your bearing in the most glowing terms, saying he'd never seen anyone so divine as you..."

Meng Wan had no interest in entertaining them. Of the gifts they brought, he kept only a few fruits and some tea leaves, declining the rest.

Before leaving, the lady still couldn't quite let it go. "My third son went missing as a child, and he bore a striking resemblance to you, Meng Fulang. I wonder how much you remember of your younger years."

The lady quickly added, "Oh, by the way, my surname is Yu, and my husband's family happens to be surnamed Meng as well. The one you saved yesterday was my fourth son, whose given name is Meng Xi."

"How could it be such a coincidence?" Meng Wan exclaimed, genuinely surprised. He lowered his head in thought for a moment, then furrowed his brows and said, "I only remember that my family was from Lin'an Prefecture, and my origins seemed rather lowly. After I was sold to the northern lands, I fell gravely ill and nearly died. Much of my early childhood is a blur."

Lady Yu was overjoyed, grabbing Meng Wan's wrist with trembling fingers. "Then... then do you recall any keepsake? Or any distinctive mark on your body? My third son also had a birthmark beneath his eye. In those days, our family was poor, and we sent him to the Bai family as a young servant. By the time we tried to redeem him, he had vanished without a trace."

She seemed on the verge of tears, as if weighed down by guilt.

Meng Wan let her hold his hand, a carefully controlled look of confusion on his face. "Well... I do have a dark mole on my lower back. I wonder if your son has one?" He looked at her with hopeful eyes, as if genuinely eager to find his family.

Without hesitation, Lady Yu's voice trembled with barely contained emotion, her eyes shining with desperate hope, as if grasping at her last hope. "You... you truly are my son! My third boy had a mole on his lower back too!"

She stumbled forward, gripping Meng Wan's arm tightly, her knuckles whitening from the force. Tears finally broke free, streaming down her cheeks. "My son! My son! Your mother has searched for you all these years! You've finally returned!" Her voice was hoarse and choked, carrying the frantic joy of recovery and boundless sorrow, her body trembling with emotion.

Lady Luo, though puzzled as to how a simple thank-you visit had turned into a family reunion, hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to steady the emotional Lady Yu, her face a mix of surprise and delight. "Sister Yu! This... this is truly wonderful news! Could Meng Fulang... could he really be your third son?"

Meng Wan's face showed just the right amount of shock, bewilderment, followed by a glimmer of cautious hope and tentative probing. He gently clasped Lady Yu's hand in return, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor. "Madam... you... you must be mistaken? I..."

"No mistake! No mistake!" Lady Yu interrupted urgently, her tear-filled eyes scanning him from head to toe. "Those brows, that nose—they're exactly like your father's when he was young! And that mole on your lower back—who else could it be but my third boy!" The more she spoke, the more certain she became, as if pouring all her years of longing and guilt into this suddenly appeared "son."

Chi Yu, who had been standing guard beside Meng Wan the whole time, stood speechless: "..."

Zhifan and Zhimao, who had just walked in carrying cut fruit, stood bewildered: "..."

Fang Jinrong, woken by the commotion from the front hall, rubbed his eyes as he walked over: "..."