The Sixth Chapter

The meaning of that expression was always the same: "Not a chance, idiot. Go stand in a corner."

The first thing Zhu Bafu did whenever she came home was shake out every last coin she had on her. The men's clothes she took off had to pass Zhu Xiaojiu's strict inspection to make sure she had not hidden any private savings. From her outer robe to her undershirt, he even checked her folding fan—she had once slipped a banknote between its paper folds and smuggled it past him. Everything but her underpants had to be handed out through the bedroom door before he would let her change into women's clothes and put on makeup.

In a wide-sleeved skirt with a lotus-leaf hem and a high-collared, fitted jacket, she let her waist-length hair hang loose and made a halfhearted effort to pin in two clusters of cheap floral tassels. The embroidered toes of her little shoes peeked out beneath her skirt. She strode to the table, dropped into a chair, picked up her chopsticks and bowl, and shoveled in a huge mouthful of rice. She was about to swallow when a single remark from Zhu Xiaojiu made her choke and cough.

"A man in women's clothes. How strange."

"Cough, cough, cough! Why are you so hard to please? When I wear men's clothes, you say I have no manners. When I change into women's clothes, you say I'm strange. What do you want from me?"

"Then stop walking around in men's clothes right in front of me." Ignoring her protest, Zhu Xiaojiu went on eating.

Zhu Bafu frowned. "Then how am I supposed to go out and earn money?"

"I can earn money too."

"What you make doing odd jobs as a little study attendant at Dongxu Mansion isn't nearly enough to cover Old Man's expenses over there."

"..." Zhu Xiaojiu fell silent for once. He hopped down from his chair, pulled out the little jar hidden beneath the bed, and carefully counted its contents. "This should just about be enough. Did that fiancé of yours tell you when his merchant caravan would return to the Capital?"

Zhu Bafu shot him a sidelong look and popped a piece of pickled vegetable into her mouth. "He's not my fiancé, all right? The engagement was broken off ages ago. He's been married for over half a year, and you're still calling him my fiancé. Pah."

"Oh? From that sour tone, you really wanted to marry him back then?" Zhu Xiaojiu teased. Neither of them grew embarrassed or gloomy when that less-than-glorious past came up. It was as though they had grown used to it.

"A rich young master from the Capital, handsome and wealthy—why wouldn't I have wanted to marry him? Xiaojiu, what possessed me back then? I just let him break off the engagement for nothing. Him! Li Luyang! His old man is the richest merchant in the Capital, with wealth beyond counting and fields stretching ten thousand acres. If I'd known I'd end up tightening my belt like this, why did I cling to my pride? Why did I put on airs? I should've crawled over and clung to him until he married me!" Once, she had been the pretty daughter of an official, engaged to a young master whose name rang far and wide. Now the rich young master was still rich; someone else had simply become his young mistress. Ah, those turbulent years gone by—how could remembering them not leave her weeping with sorrow?

"Perfect, then. Old Man needs money to smooth things over anyway. When you take the money over, tell Li Luyang you still want to marry him and see if he'll take you in. If he accepts you, that'll save us a lot of work. Sounds good to me. Unless he's lost interest now that he's seen you as a man."

"Oh, get lost. What kind of rotten idea is that? He's married. Married. Married."

After the Zhu Household had fallen apart, Li Luyang had ended their engagement and arranged another match. He had married half a year ago.

When they had been engaged, the two had hardly spent any time together. On the few occasions they met, embarrassment kept them to little more than a nod. It was only after the engagement was broken

off

that, perhaps because he felt guilty, or perhaps because he remembered the ties their families had once shared, he had not cut her off entirely. He treated her well and had helped her many times besides.

"So there you have it. All the good men are married and belong to someone else. The ones left either chase men or chase women. What a frightening world! My destined love passed me by, Xiaojiu. I want to drown my sorrows in wine!"

"Hmph. Ha, ha. Not a chance." Zhu Xiaojiu curled his lips in a dry laugh. Drowning one's sorrows in wine was a romantic indulgence poor people could not afford. "If you knew it would come to this, why did you turn Li Luyang down when he offered us money?"

"I hadn't done anything to earn it. Why would I take his money for no reason?"

Zhu Xiaojiu shook his little head and let out a world-weary sigh. She could not bring herself to hold out her hand for charity, so why force the issue? "Take this money to him tomorrow. Ask him to bring it to Old Man and the others."

"Mm. I know."

"Wear women's clothes!"

"..."

A note from the author:

=.= The number of bookmarks is climbing bit by bit. So happy!!

The Sixth Chapter

The next day.

Zhu Bafu put on a veiled hat and the only dress she had kept after her family's fall, a long gown of pure snow-white silk. She let her hair fall loose without a single jeweled ornament, then turned before the mirror for a while. Since her family's property had been confiscated, she had scarcely touched this dress. The few times she had worn it had all been to see Li Luyang. Perhaps she simply could not set aside her pride, or perhaps she refused to admit defeat. She did not want to appear poor and wretched before someone who had known her in better days, as though she were wagging her tail and begging for pity.

With her head lowered, she hurried toward the wealthy district at the heart of the imperial city. Trying not to draw anyone's attention, she slipped through the streets to the back gate of the Li Estate.

Even the back gate of a grand household was imposing. Bright peonies in pots stood in a row along the wall, and two large lanterns bearing the character "Li" hung on either side of the tall gate. A high threshold lay before her; the estate felt difficult to enter. Servants usually guarded this gate too, but on the days they arranged to meet, Li Luyang would send the others away and come alone to see her.

She gripped the pouch in her hand. Inside was the money she wanted Li Luyang to take to Old Man when he next left the Capital on business.

With a creak, the heavy wooden gate swung open.

A pair of blue cloth shoes stepped over the threshold and came lightly down the stairs toward her.

She waved to Li Luyang through the thin veil. He reached out and gently lifted it from her face. His handsome features, fine brows, and clear eyes came sharply into view. His gaze deepened; a faint smile touched his lips as he looked at her, and his fingertips brushed the hair at her temple.