YBTS - 4

Although Su Guiyan was still a young boy, his mother’s early death had made him more mature than his peers. He understood the deeper meaning in his sister’s words, and for a moment, thinking of his father’s usual favoritism, he felt a pang of sadness.

Su Luoyun seemed to sense her brother’s disappointment. She couldn’t help but embrace him as she had when he was a child, stroking his hair. “When I first came back, I was truly in despair, feeling like I would be plunged into a dark abyss for the rest of my life. Luckily, I met a nun named Yanjing at the temple. She was born with an eye condition but managed her daily life like a normal person. I asked her how she endured a life without light, and she said, ‘If your heart has light, why fear the darkness before your eyes?’“

Despite his intelligence, Su Guiyan found his sister’s words hard to understand.

Luoyun continued, “You are the light in my heart. Our mother passed away early, and as your older sister, I am like a mother to you. If I don’t pull myself together, I will be ashamed to face our mother in the afterlife. And just as Nun Yanjing said, although I can’t see, my hearing and sense of smell are better than before. Heaven has left a door open for me. If I were to wallow in self-pity, I would be a truly blind and useless person!”

Remembering how anxious she was when she heard her brother was seriously ill a year ago, wishing she could grow wings and fly back from the countryside, yet being helpless to do so, Su Luoyun had made a firm resolve then. She could no longer spend her days lamenting in the countryside. She had to return to the capital to protect her only biological brother.

However, the steward of the old house refused to let her go back, saying that the master had given instructions that the eldest young lady was not to return to the capital without his command.

After all, she had caused an uproar in the Su family because she resented her father’s favoritism toward Su Caijian. Su Hongmeng did not want his eldest daughter to return, so no one dared to let her leave the old family home.

Hearing that her father was returning to worship ancestors and spend the New Year, Su Luoyun prepared a lot. She knew her father’s temper and that he was a man who cared about appearances. If she didn’t show the poise expected of a respectable young lady, her father would never agree to her returning.

What she had to do now was to return to the capital, where she had once failed completely, to help her brother get through his coming-of-age. Once her brother passed the imperial examinations and went to an official post in another land, he could rightfully establish his own residence and family.

If her brother did not pursue an official career, given Ding Shi’s shrewdness, she would absolutely not let him inherit the Su family’s business. And the dowry their mother had left them was so small, and since no one had managed it for the years after her death, even the boundaries of the fertile lands had been encroached upon and shrunk considerably.

She had to find a way to manage it and earn a decent livelihood for her brother.

Blindness was also a blessing in disguise, as it put an end to her marriage prospects. As long as she didn’t consent, she would have a perfect excuse to remain unmarried for life and focus on taking care of her brother.

In two years, she had figured out a set of ways to handle daily life.

The pebbles embedded in the courtyard and hall floors were her idea. She just didn’t expect that as soon as Ding Shi arrived, she would give her a challenge, not only having the servants lay out thick felt but also deliberately messing up the furniture and setting up a basin of water by the door to trip her up.

She figured someone had relayed her daily routines at the old house to Ding Shi, and Ding Shi, knowing her strong-willed nature and that she would never let anyone help her see her father, had deliberately arranged for the basin to be placed by the door.

If she hadn’t overheard the doorman mentioning that the master had ordered the storehouse to be opened for the thick felt on her way back, she probably would have made a spectacle of herself in the hall.

Although Su Luoyun had told her brother to hide his talents, she had no intention of pretending to be useless. First, a useless young lady would never get her father to agree to her return. Second, if she showed weakness, wouldn’t that just encourage Ding Shi to act more recklessly?

She was no longer the arrogant girl she was two years ago. The hardship of blindness had allowed her to think calmly and had made her more composed and sophisticated in her actions.

However, things didn’t always go as one imagined. Although Su Luoyun presented herself as poised and generous, when she proposed that she wanted to return to the capital with her father to fulfill her filial duty, Su Hongmeng was hesitant to agree.

It wasn’t that he was dissatisfied with Su Luoyun; having a blind young lady in the household was not a glorious thing. It was good that Su Luoyun had become sensible, but it would be even better if she could stay in the countryside.

He had just started his official career and didn’t want to become a laughingstock among his colleagues. If Su Luoyun was truly sensible, she wouldn’t bring up the matter of returning to the capital.

Of course, he also thought this way because Ding Shi had mentioned that Caijian’s wedding was approaching. If Luoyun were to return to the residence, who knows if someone would bring up the past between Mr. Lu and Su Luoyun?

Master Su felt that Ding Shi’s words were reasonable. Although a young couple’s past was not a big deal, it would be bad if people with ulterior motives started gossiping.

For this reason, Su Hongmeng felt it was better for his eldest daughter to stay at the old house.

When he told Luoyun this, slightly modifying his words, he was worried that his little “ancestor” would throw a fit.

But Luoyun just smiled faintly. “Father’s words are very wise. It’s just that my maternal uncle wrote to me recently, saying that he will be in the capital for business after the New Year and wants to see me. He wants me to return to the capital to meet him... Perhaps I should write another letter, saying that it is inconvenient for me to return to the capital and that I will meet him later.”

Upon hearing this, Su Hongmeng immediately sat up straight. Although the Hu family’s ancestors were in the spice business, their business later declined, and most of their trade was taken over by the Su family.

By the generation of Hu Xuesong, Hu Shi’s younger brother, they had changed professions.

Luoyun’s maternal uncle was not a man of letters but was fond of martial arts. He started out as a simple foot soldier, and his life was a bit difficult. It was said that he saved a nobleman a year ago and his luck started to turn. He recently joined the shipping department, assisting the officials in charge of the requisition of boats in the two major rivers.

Although he was only a minor naval officer, he had considerable authority, as he was in charge of the merchant ships traveling on the two rivers.

Because of Hu Shi’s early death, that maternal uncle had always been a bit hostile toward Su Hongmeng. If he were to hear that he had sent his blind niece to the countryside and would not let her return, that warrior would probably cause a scene at the Su family’s gates with his axe again. Who knows, he might even make things difficult for the Su family’s spice merchant ships in the future?

Su Hongmeng was not entirely without guilt about Hu Shi’s early death. He hesitated for a moment and then changed his mind. “...Since your uncle is returning to the capital, he will surely miss you if he doesn’t see you. Your sister’s wedding is approaching, and if you’re not there, outsiders might be suspicious. After the New Year, come back with us.”

Su Luoyun smiled faintly, not surprised by her father’s sudden change of heart. After all, her maternal uncle had once smashed the Su family’s front door, and her father would certainly think twice before having to replace the door again.

Ding Shi, who was sitting next to him, lowered her head at Su Hongmeng’s words. But Su Caijian, on the other side, was feeling anxious.

Although she was engaged to Lu Shi, her fiancé’s heart was still on her sister. It would have been fine if her sister were married, but she had no engagement. If the Lu family brought up the idea of both sisters marrying him again, what should she do?

Caijian had no desire to share her husband with anyone, not even with her half-sister!

At that moment, Ding Shi gave her a look, stopping the words that were about to spill from her daughter’s mouth. After everyone had finished their tea and returned to their rooms, she had a maid call Su Caijian over.

Su Caijian plopped down on the soft couch, her face buried in the cushions as she sobbed. “Mom, didn’t Dad promise you he wouldn’t let Sister come back?”

Ding Shi patiently combed her daughter’s hair. “You heard it too, that young master from the Hu family is coming back and wants to see his niece. Your father is afraid that the brute will cause a scene. He will probably send your sister back to the old house in a few days.”

Su Caijian sat up, rubbing her eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want my sister to come back, but... what about Mr. Lu...”

Ding Pei motioned for all the maids to go to the outer room before she said in a serious tone, “You’re so impatient, you’re not a bit like me! Our Su family did the Lu family a favor, and the two families are on very good terms. The old family members of both houses arranged a childhood engagement, specifying that Lu Shi should marry a daughter of the Su family. The Lu family will absolutely not want a blind person as their future mistress. Lu Shi also knows this very well. Men always want what they can’t have, so it’s fine if he still thinks of her. You know Su Luoyun’s temper, don’t you? She’s very proud and arrogant, and she probably hates Lu Shi to death because of the marriage issue. As long as you are smart and considerate, and win your husband’s heart, you won’t have to worry about a blind woman causing trouble in your household!”

Hearing her mother’s words, Su Caijian felt a little more at ease. She pulled the blanket over herself and mumbled, “I think my sister seems to have gotten over it. If she’s able to think clearly, then it’s probably fine for her to come back...”

Saying that, she yawned, rolled over, and went to sleep.

But as Ding Shi looked at her sleeping daughter, she thought she was quite simple-minded and couldn’t help but frown slightly.

After frowning for a moment, she quickly looked into a bronze mirror, afraid that the light wrinkles on her forehead would deepen. As Ding Pei applied a soft ointment of goose fat and snow toad to her face, she looked toward Su Luoyun’s courtyard, deep in thought. “Her temper is so good now, has she really gotten over it?”

The next day, while Ding Shi was going out to attend a banquet with Su Hongmeng, she subtly brought up the topic, saying that Lu Shi had caused a scene again a few days ago, and that maybe they should just let Caijian get married and then move Luoyun into the Lu family as well.

Su Hongmeng’s eyes widened. “It’s a different time now. I used to be a step below the Lu family, but now I’ve also taken on a position at the Office of Trade and Exchange, and I will be more or less on equal footing with Master Lu. Why would I curry favor with him by sending two daughters to the Lu family?”

Having two daughters marry the same man was not a good thing! If his colleagues found out, wouldn’t they privately mock him?

Although Su Hongmeng had gotten his position through the Lu family’s connections, he felt that his own abilities were outstanding and that he was much more socially savvy than Master Lu. He had no doubt that he would prosper in the future.

What kind of good thing was it for a dignified official of the Great Wei dynasty to shove two daughters into the Lu family?

Ding Pei was not surprised by Su Hongmeng’s words, but she continued to look troubled. “But the capital is only so big, and I can’t keep Luoyun from going out. They had a past, and if they were to develop some sort of secret relationship in the future, our Su family’s reputation...”

Su Hongmeng was shocked and felt that his wife was very thoughtful. He immediately said, “After Luoyun has met that mad dog Hu Xuesong, I will personally have her sent back to the old house.”

Ding Pei then feigned a few words of concern for her stepdaughter and then smiled without saying anything more.

How could Su Luoyun’s little tricks fool her? If she truly settled down, there would be no problem. Otherwise, a blind woman like her, could she not be handled?