TPGA - 70

Chapter 70: Jade Branches Naturally Lean

“Sister, why aren’t you answering me? What are you thinking about?” Jiang Caiping’s voice pulled Yunyi out of her thoughts. Smiling faintly, Yunyi said, “It’s nothing. I was just wondering if the Ji family really has fragrance. By the way, Caiping, you said the Ji family clinic was once very famous, and your home isn’t far from Shuangqiao Village. Have you ever been there? What medicine were they most famous for?”

Jiang Caiping’s throat felt dry from talking, so she poured herself a cup of water before continuing. “Uh, I remember my mother telling me that when I was little, I had a persistent cough that wouldn’t go away. My father heard that Elder Doctor Ji was skilled, so he carried me to the Ji family clinic. After taking a few doses of their medicine, I got much better. As for what medicine they were most famous for…” She tilted her head in thought, then shook her head. “I can’t recall right now. But Sister, you live in Shuangqiao Village too—haven’t you heard anything?”

Yunyi smiled faintly. “Our family only has a few poor fields, and life is difficult. We don’t have extra money to see doctors. Whenever we fell ill, we just endured it. So I’m not very familiar with the clinic’s affairs.”

“It must have been hard for you, Sister.” Jiang Caiping’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she blurted out, “I remember now—it was a medicine for external injuries! Many people with injured limbs traveled long distances to the Ji family clinic just to get that medicine. Unless it was an old ailment, it almost always worked. But after Elder Doctor Ji passed away, it became impossible to find.”

Yunyi quickly asked, “What was the medicine called?”

Jiang Caiping thought carefully, then shook her head. “I think it was called some kind of powder, but I can’t remember the exact name. Sister, why do you keep asking about this?”

A flicker of insight passed through Yunyi’s eyes as she said, “I’m wondering—if they had such miraculous medicine, could it be possible that they also have fragrance, as you suggested, but kept it hidden from outsiders?”

She understood now. What Li Jiancheng cared about most was his leg injury, which had caused his limp. Back then, Meixue had nearly gotten into trouble just for glancing at it too long. If Ji Rong had medicine that could cure Li Jiancheng’s foot ailment, then everything made perfect sense.

Ji Rong likely didn’t yet have the finished medicine; otherwise, she would have treated Li Jiancheng already. From her repeated trips to the pharmacy, it was clear she was researching and refining the formula.

Unaware of Yunyi’s true thoughts, Jiang Caiping nodded enthusiastically. “There must be something! Otherwise, how could the Eldest Master be so obedient to her? I say we should search her room. When we find evidence, we can report it to the governor and the Second Lady, and have her expelled along with Chunxiu. Then everything will finally be peaceful.”

“Perhaps…” Yunyi narrowed her eyes slightly and said slowly, “We really should search Ji Rong’s room.”

At these words, Jiang Caiping immediately perked up. “When should we go?” Without waiting for Yunyi to respond, she glanced at the darkening sky outside and urged, “Ji Rong should be in the kitchen fetching food by now. Why not go right now?”

“This isn’t urgent. We’ll wait for a more opportune moment,” Yunyi replied. Seeing this, Jiang Caiping reluctantly dropped the subject and twirled her teacup. “By the way, when I passed by the back garden earlier, I saw that the plum blossoms had bloomed. They’re yellow and very beautiful. Sister, would you like to take a look?”

Yunyi smiled and said, “Alright, after we finish practicing tomorrow, we’ll go.”

The night passed without incident. The next day, the two of them went to the music hall as usual to practice their dancing. Without Chunxiu around to nitpick, the practice went smoother than ever before. Unsurprisingly, Yunyi seamlessly took over Chunxiu’s role as the lead dancer.

After finishing their practice, there was still some time before lunch. Jiang Caiping eagerly pulled Yunyi to the back garden. True to her words, a vast expanse of plum blossoms filled the garden, all now in full bloom. At a glance, the golden-yellow petals shimmered like wax, standing proudly against the frost and snow, while their delicate fragrance permeated the air—vivid yet refined, leaving one feeling refreshed and at ease.

Jiang Caiping flitted about like a joyful bird, climbing this plum tree and sniffing that winter sweet flower, her silvery laughter echoing through the garden. “Sister, look! Aren’t they beautiful? Outside the mansion, I’ve seen some plum trees too, but their flowers are either white or red—I’ve never seen yellow plum blossoms, let alone so many! And most plum trees only bloom after the New Year, yet these started blooming in the eleventh month.”

Yunyi chuckled softly. “This is wax plum, also called yellow plum blossom. It’s far more precious than ordinary plum blossoms and typically blooms in the tenth month. Our Honghua Commandery doesn’t naturally grow these flowers—they must be transplanted from elsewhere, which makes them rare to see. A plot this large must have cost a fortune.” As she spoke, she gently pulled a branch toward her and inhaled its scent, softly reciting:

“Branches lean naturally with emerald grace, 

Breaking golden blooms with an unmatched trace.” 

Her mother’s palace also had many wax plum trees. Her mother often stood under the eaves admiring them, her eyes always carrying a complex expression Yunyi could never quite decipher. The only thing she knew for certain was that her father disliked wax plums. Once, when he came by and saw her mother gazing pensively at the wax plums, his face darkened immediately, and he left in silence without saying a word.

Yet, despite her father’s dislike, he never touched the wax plums in her mother’s palace. Instead, he ordered the gardeners to take meticulous care of them, forbidding any neglect.

She didn’t understand why, despite how much her father loved her mother, her mother rarely smiled in his presence. Even less did she understand why her father had always treated her so coldly. What… had she done wrong?

Jiang Caiping listened blankly for a moment, then clapped her hands and laughed. “So, Sister, you can compose poetry too? It sounds wonderful!”

Yunyi snapped out of her reverie and smiled faintly. “I don’t write poetry—it’s someone else’s work. I merely recited it.”

“I really want to pick some and bring them back to my room. The whole place would smell like this!” Jiang Caiping exclaimed. Before her words even faded, Yunyi sternly replied, “Don’t even think about it. If anyone catches us picking these wax plums, we’ll be punished severely.”

Jiang Caiping stuck out her pink tongue and whispered, “I was just thinking about it—I didn’t actually pick any.” Then, smiling mischievously, she added, “If I can’t pick them, can I at least dance here? Didn’t you say earlier that my steps lacked continuity? This is the perfect chance to practice.”

“How come I never see you this eager to learn on normal days?” Yunyi teased lightly. “Alright, hurry up and practice. I notice the weather looks ominous—it might snow soon. Remember the techniques Nanny Yang taught us.”

“Got it!” With that, Jiang Caiping began dancing gracefully beneath the plum trees, utterly delighted. As she practiced repeatedly, her movements grew increasingly fluid, perfectly capturing the elegance and grace the dance was meant to convey.

Yunyi watched with interest, absentmindedly picking up a dry twig to sketch on the ground. Soon, a vivid depiction of a dancer emerged—a woman with flowing sleeves, her posture graceful, as if she might step out of the drawing at any moment.