Chapter 37

Chapter 37: The Thirty-Seventh Return

Lian Cheng soaked himself thoroughly, bathed, changed into clean clothes, and then hurried off toward the Orchid Garden—he had yet to pay his respects to Zhang Ailian that day.

Unexpectedly, he ran into Wu Huajie crying in Zhang Ailian's hall. Lian Cheng, feigning the aloofness of a gentleman who avoids trouble, stood to one side with his ears perked up.

It turned out that Wu Huajie wasn't the only one crying in the hall; across from her sat a young woman, simply and elegantly dressed, clutching a blue gauze handkerchief with white clouds on a yellow background. Her lips were bitten pale, and she remained silent, her entire frame taut and rigid. Only after Wu Huajie had cried her fill did she speak: "Second Madam, what is there to cry about? Today's outcome was not of your own making? My husband is filial and virtuous, so I will indulge him. If it weren't for Mother sending me a letter and having a sedan chair fetch me, I would never have set foot in this house again."

At that, Wu Huajie, who had stopped crying, burst into even louder sobs. "You slut! Wicked woman! You've led my son astray, you—"

Zhang Ailian slammed her hand down on the table, then took a sip of tea and said, "The matter of changing courtyards is settled. There's no need for further discussion. From now on, whether Second Madam has business grave or trivial, do not disturb Second Brother. Speak with Fourth Madam about household affairs, or send someone to discuss it with me. As for Second Daughter-in-law, if she wishes to show filial respect, she may come to my Orchid Garden often—no need to return to Zhihu Pavilion anymore."

Fu rose from her chair, curtsied to Zhang Ailian, and stayed bowed for a long time, unable to hold back tears. "Thank you, Mother, for your fairness and for still caring for me. If it weren't for your clear-headedness, I would have no choice but to shave my head and become a nun in a Buddhist nunnery."

Qing Zhu went over to help her up.

With the matter settled, Wu Huajie stopped pretending to cry, grumbled a few times, shot a glare at Fu, and swept out through the curtain, her two maids nearly stumbling as they scrambled after her.

Qing Zhu was speaking softly with Fu. Zhang Ailian waved her hand to summon Lian Cheng, who had been standing like a scarecrow, over to her. He shuffled forward, made a bow, and called out ingratiatingly, "Mother," then asked if they too would be going out for New Year's visits.

"I heard you went to the Northern Prison today? What for?" Zhang Ailian asked, knowing full well.

"Xia Shutong was arrested. I went to see him and arranged things for him."

"It's good of you to be so kind. I hope he remembers your favor." Zhang Ailian patted Lian Cheng's cheek and pointed at Fu. "Go greet your second sister-in-law."

Lian Cheng turned, bowed deeply to Fu, and said, "Lian Cheng pays respects to Second Sister-in-law. May your beauty and peace be ever bright."

Fu laughed through her tears. "Cheng Ge'er, when did your tongue become so sweet?"

Zhang Ailian said, "A month ago, he hoarded several baskets of romantic novels and stayed up day and night reading them. Maybe that's where he learned it."

"That's fine," Fu said. "When the time comes to discuss Cheng Ge'er's marriage, we won't need a matchmaker. With that tongue of his, he can bring any girl into the family."

Lian Cheng hadn't expected that the wife of the dull and tedious Lian Ying would be such a lively character. He had assumed the couple would be similar in temperament, especially since he had heard that because Lian Ying had failed the imperial exams multiple times, Second Sister-in-law had despised him and returned to her maiden home. Now that he saw her, perhaps those were just baseless rumors.

In any case, Lian Cheng took a liking to his second sister-in-law after this meeting. He also felt that women in ancient times truly had it hard—under socialism, a divorce paper would settle everything, but here, after suffering all sorts of grievances, a single sedan chair could make her forget the past and return.

Without further ado, Lian Cheng took a load of tangerines from Zhang Ailian and went back with Huqiu.

"So, there's no empty courtyard behind Penglai Pavilion now?" Lian Cheng asked Huqiu on the way.

"That's right," Huqiu nodded. "Second Brother moved into Huaiyin Studio behind, and the two young masters are in Zhiyuan Pavilion to the left of Huaiyin Studio. They moved in yesterday, and when I was making my rounds at night, I heard Sixth Madam crying in the back. She'll probably make a fuss for a while."

Lian Cheng shoved the tangerines into Huqiu's arms and walked with his hands behind his back, sighing. Ah, high walls and deep doors, ah, open strife and veiled struggle.

Huqiu didn't understand why his master had suddenly become so solemn, but he followed closely. Suddenly, from the nearby alley, a woman's hand reached out. Before he could cry out, his master was dragged in—and so was he.

The person who grabbed Lian Cheng and pulled him into this hidden, secluded corner was none other than his close aunt, Lian Biyun. Her makeup was still fresh on her face, but it looked like a mask, beneath which was a clear, panic-stricken pallor.

"Shh, keep your voice down!" Lian Biyun said. After she saw her nephew blink, she released her hand and hesitated, not speaking.

Lian Cheng said bluntly, "Little Aunt, Little Aunt, Auntie, Auntie, what can your nephew say about you? A month ago, I warned you, but it was all for nothing."

Lian Biyun twisted her handkerchief in her fingers. "What does a brat like you know? I was tricked by that scoundrel!"

"Didn't I advise you kindly?" Lian Cheng leaned against the wall.

Lian Biyun's jaw clenched, trembling.

Lian Cheng was soft-hearted and couldn't bear to watch. "Little Aunt, tell me what happened."

Lian Biyun grew suspicious. "You're not making a joke of me, are you?"

Lian Cheng's face turned cold, and he turned to leave.

"Hey! Hey, hey!" Lian Biyun quickly grabbed him. "Nephew, nephew, good nephew, don't be angry. Little Aunt sees you as my pillar. Quickly, give me some advice!"

Lian Cheng pulled his sleeve out of her grip and asked, "What did he say to you?"

At that, Lian Biyun's face was covered in tears. "I thought he and I were destined to be together, even if it was hard. Even if we couldn't succeed, I would have given myself to him for life. He said he wanted to send a matchmaker to my door. I told him that although my family's discipline was not strict, we couldn't let a daughter marry into a family of servants. I spoke kindly, but he turned into a demon, saying that if I refused, he would come to our door and fight to the death, dragging me away by force!"

Seeing Lian Cheng silent, Lian Biyun said, "My father enjoys sacrifices in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. His life was glorious, his death lamentable. If I disgrace our family name, I might as well jump into a well and end it."

Lian Cheng watched her cry, still doubting. This woman was unpredictable—who knew if she would suddenly change her mind and reconcile with her lover, leaving him in a difficult position.

"What do you want to do?" Lian Cheng asked tentatively.

Lian Biyun gritted her teeth. "I want to break with him completely, never to hear from him again."

Lian Cheng asked, "Do you have any correspondence between you?"

"Naturally. He's using those letters to blackmail me."

"Could you give me one?" Lian Cheng said without pretense. "Little Aunt has never liked me, treating me like a stranger. I have to cover my own back. Let me say this plainly: if I help you and it goes well, I don't want your reward. If it goes badly, don't blame me. I'll do my best."

"I'll have a maid send it to you later."

"Give it to me now."

"..."

The maid waiting outside had to return to Lian Biyun's courtyard to fetch it. Lian Cheng didn't forget to instruct that it should be the most affectionate one, making Lian Biyun so embarrassed she wished she could crawl into a hole. Finally, he got the letter, tucked it into his sleeve without reading it, and said, "Little Aunt, keep him steady for now. Don't say anything about cutting ties. When he urges you to speak to the family, agree first, then just pour out your heart to him, making him think you're just a lovesick fool. Drag it out as long as possible."

"On the day of the Lantern Festival, I'll discuss with Lu Zhen and the others and stage a ruckus in Kaifeng."

Lian Biyun asked anxiously, "But how can that be hidden? He'll just shout that he's had an affair with me. How can I survive that?"

"No evidence, no case," Lian Cheng said. "If we seize the evidence first, it's done."

"How do we seize it?"

"Steal it."

-

With the plan settled, Lian Cheng once again set off back to his courtyard.

Now even Huqiu doubted the feasibility of the plan.

"You don't understand," Lian Cheng said, hands behind his back. "What is a clever plan? It's tailoring to the person and going with the flow. Zhuge Liang used the Empty Fort Strategy against Sima Yi. Sima Yi was suspicious and calculating, and he needed Zhuge Liang to justify his own existence, so the Empty Fort Strategy worked. If it were Zhuge Liang against Huqiu, the Empty Fort Strategy would fail."

Huqiu understood and, hugging the tangerines, shouted, "Young master is making fun of me!"

"Absolutely not!"

The master and servant bantered all the way back to Penglai Pavilion. Lian Cheng personally packed half of the tangerines into a box and carried it to Yiqiu. Lian Xiusheng was practicing calligraphy again—he seemed to love it most, only dabbling in other things when the mood struck. When he saw Lian Cheng, he looked up, cool and indifferent. "Third Brother finally remembers me."

Lian Cheng placed the tangerines on his desk. "Mother gave these to me, I'll share them with you."

Lian Xiusheng asked, "Third Brother went to see Young Master Xia. How is he?"

"Not good," Lian Cheng said. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard doesn't care about family background or connections—it's terrifying."

"The Northern Command is directly under the current emperor, so naturally they have no one to fear," Lian Xiusheng said, putting down his brush and studying his third brother. "Did they give you any trouble?"

"No," Lian Cheng shook his head, then paused, composed himself, and grinned. "What, if they had given me trouble, would you kill them and eat them?"

"Of course, one must abide by the law," Lian Xiusheng said lightly. "But in the Northern Command, how many have clean family backgrounds?"

Lian Cheng's silly grin froze on his face. After confirming his brother wasn't joking, his smile vanished. He quickly said, "No, no, no one dared bully me," and fled out the door, his mind in chaos. Fate had conspired to give him a relative willing to stand up for him, but as he felt touched, he also grew fearful and suspicious. It was truly unbearable. Enough, enough—down a pot of hot wine and sleep it off.

Back in his courtyard, Lian Cheng didn't sleep. He took on a maid's task, feeding two roosters in the outer yard. Standing under the eaves, tossing millet, he thought of names for them.

"Fly, fly, I offer you a cup of wine. I know not the height of the blue sky nor the thickness of the yellow earth; I only see the moon cold and the sun hot, consuming man's life..." Lian Cheng murmured, leaning against a pillar. "Feifei, Guangguang, how about that?"

He amused himself for a while, then settled on "Blue Sky" and "Yellow Earth" as names. Blue Sky belonged to his courtyard, Yellow Earth to Yiqiu's Lian Xiusheng. How did he tell them apart? Qiong Hua had tied a red string around one rooster's neck and a green string around the other, refusing to let a single blade of grass or tree from the two courtyards mix.

Having named the two roosters, Lian Cheng wandered to Old Master Guan Lian's room. The community school hadn't started yet, and the old master was still preparing lessons. Lian Cheng greeted him and picked a few books from his pile of tattered volumes. Either he found them too obscure or the paper smell too strong, making the old master bristle, "The old man hasn't yet complained about your nuisance!" Thus, he whiled away most of the afternoon.

On the sixth day, the fourth young lady of the family returned to her parents' home with her husband. She had married well, into the second branch of the Ye family as the eldest daughter-in-law. So before she even got out of the sedan chair, firecrackers crackled incessantly. The courtyard was filled with drums, gongs, and incense tables; everyone exchanged greetings. The fourth lady went to the ancestral hall to worship, then finally had time to sit and chat with the family.

The Lian brothers were ordered to entertain the fourth brother-in-law. Lian Cheng was among them, but he couldn't be bothered with social niceties. He sprawled on a chaise longue, covering his face with a book, on the front page of which he had scrawled in his own childish handwriting: "Idler." On the back: "Do Not Disturb."

He wasn't asleep; his eyes darted left and right under the book, observing everyone in the hall. He mapped out relationships and closeness—the fourth brother-in-law and Ye Xin were cousins, and Ye Xin was close to Lian Xiusheng. Thus, the fourth brother-in-law seemed more familiar with Lian Xiusheng, treating the other brothers indifferently. Understandable: the eldest, Lian Feng, was weak; the second, Lian Ying, even weaker; the third himself kept others at arm's length; the two younger ones were as foolish as piglets. Even without the connection to Ye Xin, he likely would only value Lian Xiusheng.

"Master Xia has been in the imperial prison for days. Let's bet—by the Lantern Festival, will he be out?" Fourth brother-in-law Ye Guang sipped his tea. He was passably handsome, wearing a large hat topped with a plain white pearl, too flashy, overshadowing his face.

Lian Feng just drank tea, saying he didn't know.

Lian Ying, bold and heroic, paced with his hands clasped behind his back. "Why not release him? Master Xia, as a companion reader, was cared for by his maternal family in luxury. Why would he sell imperial wood for no reason? The Northern Command is cruel and unjust, arresting people randomly—they'll surely be... mmph!"

Lian Feng jumped up and covered his mouth, pushing him down. "You cursed root! May all the Bodhisattvas ensure you fail the exams, to save our Lian family's lives!"

Ye Guang smiled faintly at this scene, then turned to Lian Xiusheng, who was playing chess with Lian Pu. "Xiusheng, what do you think?"

Lian Xiusheng moved his piece, saying, "Selling imperial wood is against heaven's law, a crime deserving death. If the current emperor doesn't release him, that's right; if he does, it would show His Majesty's heart is too soft."

Under the book, Lian Cheng's mouth dropped open involuntarily. He propped his chin to keep it from falling. "Not bad, Lian Xiusheng—your flattery skills have improved!"

"Xiusheng's words are reasonable," Ye Guang said, then shifted his focus to Lian Cheng, who was farthest from the group. "Third brother, what about you?"

Lian Cheng, now the center of attention, had to sit up. He faked a yawn. "What's it to me?"

"Didn't Third Brother go visit him recently?" The speaker was surprisingly Lian Xiusheng.

"..." Lian Cheng clutched his book, annoyed. "Visiting a friend is the act of a gentleman. Not in that position, I don't meddle in its affairs. Whether or not to grant mercy has nothing to do with me. I have my own duties to attend to."

With that, before anyone could react, he threw his idle book far away, lifted his robe, and stood. Only to Lian Pu did he bid farewell: "I'm going to sleep. I won't eat dinner. Good night."

He left decisively. Outside, Huqiu was playing with a group of servants. Startled by the sudden appearance of his master, he jumped up and hurried after him, saying the dining hall wasn't that way. Lian Cheng said he was too annoyed to eat. Huqiu said the kitchen had fresh shad brought by the fourth young master's household—a pity not to eat it. Lian Cheng still refused, returning to practice calligraphy with Qiu Mama for the afternoon.

Lian Xiusheng entertained guests all day and only returned to Yiqiu in the evening. But as he entered the courtyard, he changed direction and headed straight for Penglai Pavilion.

This time, though, he could only knock at the outer gate of Penglai Pavilion. The usually open gate was closed, and he couldn't enter the inner courtyard without someone letting him in.

After a while, footsteps approached. "Who is it?" It was Tong Xue's voice.

Man Cai glanced at his master and answered loudly, "The Sixth Young Master from next door, here to inquire after his elder brother's well-being."

Tong Xue paused, then said, "Our young master is fine; no need for the Sixth Young Master to worry."

Man Cai was about to call out again, but Lian Xiusheng stopped him with a look. Thinking they would turn back, he heard his master's voice again. "My third brother didn't eat dinner tonight; I am deeply concerned and cannot let it go."

From inside came another reply, "Our young master has us to ensure he won't starve. The Sixth Young Master is a person of great ambition with a hall full of allies to meet; there's no need to waste your energy on our idle brother."

Lian Xiusheng tried to speak again, but Tong Xue cut him off. "The Sixth Young Master undoubtedly has great deeds to accomplish. Our young master's small sentiments and trivial favors must be beneath your notice. Since you look down on them, why not be honest about it sooner? Today, I, Tong Xue, will be presumptuous and speak my mind. Though you and our young master are not born of the same mother, the family has never mistreated you. In these days, our young master has treated you as closer than any other sibling. He doesn't expect you to repay him fully, but giving him a little, even one or two parts of your heart, isn't too much. Yet at the banquet today, you publicly embarrassed him and hurt his heart. Now you come back? Please go. As for that door, after the new year, I'll find a mason to seal it up!"

Her words grew more bitter, and after speaking, she left. Through the window lattice, far away, Blue Sky and Yellow Earth roamed among the branches of the pear tree.

The brothers didn't meet for several days. Though Lian Cheng had nothing to do, Lian Xiusheng was busy with one social engagement after another—fellow scholars, colleagues, various patrons and elders. For days, he returned home after midnight, while Lian Cheng stayed put, nowhere to be found. This drove Lian Xiusheng irritable, sleepless, and losing his appetite.

By the Lantern Festival, Lian Cheng had to go out. Zhang Ailian had sent Qiufang early to say they would burn incense at the temple fair in the morning and watch the mountain of lanterns in the evening.

-

All that was secondary. Zhang Ailian had already arranged his affairs—the official cap, uniform, and boots had been delivered to the house. Once the Lantern Festival passed, he would report for duty at the Southern Court.

He was about to start working, to become a beast of burden. This was Lian Cheng's last day of freedom. Even if he didn't want to see Lian Xiusheng, he had to go out and wander.

Lian Cheng thought, he wasn't really angry at Lian Xiusheng; he was just despairing. Hadn't they agreed to be good brothers? Why turn against him again? Why couldn't he be tamed?

Tong Xue wasn't wrong—he was also a little hurt. To him, Lian Xiusheng was no longer just a figure in a story.

In this family, only Lian Xiusheng and Zhang Ailian held equal status in his heart. And now Lian Xiusheng had betrayed him like this. Lian Cheng sighed. Forget it—why bother with a black-hearted wretch?

Soon, Tong Xue and Qiong Hua dressed Lian Cheng properly: a moon-white silk robe with an autumn moon pattern, a simple belt, a white fox-fur cloak, his hair bound, and a dark cloud-patterned gauze cap. The newly capped young man shed his green youth; his face was like spring crabapple, his eyes like stars. As he was about to leave, Tong Xue picked two lilacs and tucked them into his cap behind his ear. "Be sure to bring back good luck."

Lian Cheng waved his hand. "I know, I know."

Huqiu, seeing the lilac on his master's head, also asked for a flower and put it on his own gourd-shaped hat.

As soon as they stepped out, the front courtyard was bustling. A carriage stood at the steps, and Lian Xiusheng stood beside it.

He, too, was clearly dressed up: a jade-colored dark silk robe with a folded-flower pattern, a silver-buckled leather belt, a fur-lined jacket, and a Tang cap, standing like a jade tree, his face as calm as still water, a cold frost. Seeing Lian Cheng, a ripple of warmth thawed him.

Lian Cheng was startled to see Lian Xiusheng. In such cold, how long had he been waiting?

Lian Xiusheng approached, calling out, "Third brother," and made a bow. "A day apart feels like three autumns. Please don't be angry with me anymore."

Before Lian Cheng could speak, his heart had already whispered: trouble—he was softening again.

But he couldn't make peace so easily. So he flicked his sleeve and tried to pass on the left.

Lian Xiusheng stepped to the right, blocking his way.

Lian Cheng pursed his lips and tried to pass on the right.

Lian Xiusheng blocked him again.

In a flash, two servants led the carriage forward, and the curtain was lifted. Cousin Zeng Gui leaned out, "You two brothers, standing at the gate, not moving? Such dawdling—you'll get stuck trying to enter the temple fair!"

Lian Cheng looked up. "Brother Ruzhuo, give me a ride..."

Lian Xiusheng frowned, reached out, and seized his third brother's pale wrist. Coldly, he said, "If third brother gets on cousin's carriage now, wouldn't that mean discarding all the affection you've had for me?"

The other seemed a gentleman but was a wolf underneath, often practicing swordplay. Lian Cheng couldn't break free, anxious and aggrieved. "It was you who used words to trap me at the feast that day. Now why come to find fault with me?"

"So what? Third brother could have talked back. If you couldn't, you could have beaten me. Why act like a monkey trainer, playing tricks on others?"

Lian Xiusheng was breathing down Lian Cheng's neck, yet he never relaxed his grip at all. In his words, his true nature was laid bare: "Third Brother, if you dare to side with our cousin today, I will simply seize you and put you in my carriage."

Let alone Lian Cheng, even Huqiu behind him was scared stiff by Lian Xiusheng's sudden change in expression.

After a moment, Lian Xiusheng led his third brother down the steps and looked at Ceng Gui: "Cousin, you may go ahead. My third brother and I will catch up soon."

Inside Ceng Gui's carriage, Ceng Yi covered half her face with a fan, only catching a glimpse of Lian Cheng following Lian Xiusheng into the front carriage. She sighed, noting that just by going back to their grandfather's house, her brother had let Sheng Geer gain such favor from Minzi. She teased her brother for losing a beloved younger brother. Ceng Gui did not refute; he was perceptive and quick-witted, knowing that once Sheng Geer had his eyes on something, no one else could ever get even a tiny piece.

Carriages streamed like water, horses surged like dragons; sleeves formed curtains, raised sleeves made a canopy.

But no matter how lively it was outside, it had nothing to do with inside the carriage. Lian Cheng stormed into the carriage, and before Lian Xiusheng could even sit down after entering, he threw a punch straight at his face. Lian Xiusheng covered his face and sat down. Lian Cheng crossed his arms and said, "Let's forget the past. We're still brothers, same as ever."

Before Lian Cheng could bask in his own forgiveness, he was yanked forward by a huge force, falling into an embrace that was icy at first, then warm. Lian Xiusheng's breath was close to his ear: "Third Brother ignored me for days, no word, no sight. My heart is as empty as if I'd been killed."

Even a man who'd lost over a thousand relatives could be fragile; Lian Cheng understood. So he gave Lian Xiusheng a hard slap on the back: "That day's mess was all your fault. Don't give me a hard time again. I'll stay true to you like before."

Storm one moment, calm the next—they made up again. Before they got out of the carriage far from the City God Temple, Lian Cheng had gained an extra trinket on his head—a "noisy moth" cut by Lian Xiusheng himself from black gold paper—and a string of "grass gold" around his waist, which were pea-sized gourds, also a gift from Lian Xiusheng to his elder brother, hanging like a string of golden grapes.

Lian Cheng still loved the hustle and bustle. As soon as he got off the carriage, he dove into the sea of people.

"Lian Xiusheng, what do you plan to pray for today? I've already thought about what I want to pray for!"

Lian Xiusheng watched from beyond the clamor, as if gazing at the moon's glow. What did he pray for? He prayed for the complete ruin of the Lian clan, and he prayed for his third brother's long life.

-

Inside and outside the City God Temple, it was almost shoulder to shoulder; incense smoke curled upward. Lian Cheng had to hold onto Lian Xiusheng's arm to avoid getting lost. He bought a lot of food and toys, and said he would wait until dark to buy lanterns.

Lian Cheng felt that being an ancient person was actually quite pleasant; he had nearly forgotten how to use a phone. Being beside Lian Xiusheng gave him more peace than holding a phone.

There were several City God Temples in the capital, but the one they came to was the busiest, crowded with people. When it finally came their turn to offer incense, Lian Cheng looked at the statue of the immortal on the altar and almost burst into tears.

"Everyone dies in the end, but may my loyal heart shine in the annals of history"—that was Wen Tianxiang, and looking around at the people and things, Lian Cheng felt a sudden warmth and familiarity he hadn't before.

Lian Cheng hastily dropped his bundle of purchases, knelt on the cushion, and kowtowed vigorously. He prayed only for world peace, an end to war and looting, both inside the story and out.

Before, when Lian Cheng went to temples or Taoist shrines with classmates, he prayed for similar things. He had no personal requests. But today, he wanted to ask for something more. He glanced at Lian Xiusheng beside him and thought: "I pray that Sixth Brother's anger fades, that he doesn't bow to the powerful, and just minds his own business."

He kowtowed three more times. Just as he was about to rise, he dropped back down: "Wait, wait—also pray that Lady Zhang recovers from her chronic illness, so she can walk three miles without getting winded."

"Third Brother," Lian Xiusheng tugged at the fox fur on his cloak from behind.

"Oh, don't rush."

Lian Cheng still had more to pray: that the eldest brother become more successful, so he could take care of him.

Also pray that the second brother pass the civil exams, so there would be fewer quarrels at home. As they say, "A family at peace thrives in everything."

"Third Brother."

Then pray that both younger sisters find good marriages; what if they come crying home every few days? How would he handle that?

Before Lian Cheng could finish, Lian Xiusheng couldn't take it anymore. He bent down, grabbed his third brother by the arm and hoisted him up, and dragged him out. Lian Cheng let out a few protests but reluctantly gave up.

Outside the City God Temple, the brothers found an open space to talk. Willow branches swayed overhead. Lian Xiusheng lowered his eyes to look at Lian Cheng: "Third