Su Nian was the first to rush out upon hearing the sound of a carriage approaching their house, thinking that it must be his sister coming back.
Lately, he had been studying at the private school in the village during daytime, which significantly reduced the opportunities he had to spend time with his sister. This had caused him to feel disheartened for some time.
“Welcome back, elder sis! Mom is currently reheating your food,” said Su Nian as he hugged his sister tenderly. When he caught sight of the old gentleman standing behind Su Jin, he swiftly adjusted his posture and whispered, “Elder sister, who is that person? Is he a guest? I should call for mom…”
He turned around and ran into the house to inform Qin Shi.
Qin Shi was perplexed. Why would a guest visit them at this hour?
“Xiao Jin, who is this?”
“Mom, I ran into this elder while making my way home. He appeared to have lost his memories. I decided to bring him back because he seemed pitiful. I plan to take him around tomorrow to search for his family.” Su Jin put on the sweetest smile she could make.
Qin Shi was taken aback. A stranger!?
She glared at Su Jin who was smiling meekly. Thinking that it couldn’t be helped since Su Jin had already brought the old man here, she lightly flicked Su Jin’s forehead with her finger.
Qin Shi straightened her attire and patted the dust off her clothes, before facing the old gentleman who was dressed in simple clothing. She greeted him with a smile, “How should I address you, sir? Do not worry, you can stay at our house for the night. Xiao Jin will accompany you tomorrow to search for your family members.”
“Time to dine…”
“Dine..? Oh, you must be famished. Please make yourself at home. I will whip something up in a bit.”
There remained some warmed food in the pot. Qin Shi tossed in a bowl of noodles and cracked two eggs before serving it.
Su Jin pursed her lips as she observed the upright sitting posture of the old man. As soon as he took a seat, the wooden stools in their home felt like it had undergone an upgrade aesthetically. Although she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, the elderly exuded an imposing air of dignity and presence.
She compared that to her own bearings…
(Yup, it is my total defeat.)
This old man wouldn’t happen to be a court official, would he? But he’s way too old for that…
Even whilst eating, he retained a straight posture. Feeling Su Jin’s scrutinizing eyes on him, he met her gaze with a blank stare.
“Old man, did you truly forget everything?”
There was no answer. A pair of eyes fixated blankly at her, as if they were looking at a fool…
Su Jin was so triggered that she almost spat out blood. Why had he not shown this behaviour when they first met? Did he reveal his true nature only after he had secured his basic needs of food and a roof over his head?
Su Jin was at a loss about how to deal with this elderly who occasionally behaved like a big shot, but acted clueless and ignorant for the rest of the parts. If it was a young man, she could still…
At the crack of dawn, plumes of smoke emanated from the kitchen chimneys and intertwined with the thin clouds that emerged from the horizon. The moisture of the morning dew could still be felt in the air.
Su Jin let out a yawn as she opened the window. The kitchen was already buzzing with activity as her mother and sister-in-law were working there. Her youngest brother was occupied with his recitals while sitting on a small stool. Even Su Yan and Niu Niu, the youngest generation in the household, were helping out with feeding the chickens and ducks. Everything appeared to be peaceful and serene.
That was… until her sights caught on to a certain location in the backyard. Su Jin fixed her gaze at the scene.
Could that be…? Cultivation?!
The white-haired elderly was still clad in the same pale moon coloured robe as the previous day. He sat on the largest wooden stump in the backyard with his legs crossed.
He had his hands rested on his abdomen and was in a state of zen with his eyes tightly shut, focusing on regulating his breathing. Against the backdrop of the morning mist, it appeared as if he was about to ascend at any given moment.
“I have a critical enquiry, System#2250. Cultivators… do not exist in this world, right?”
“Do not worry, host. Spiritual energy does not exist in this world, so it would be impossible for anyone to achieve transcendental breakthroughs. At the very best, only a handful of martial arts practitioners possess the ability to push their bodies to the peak physical limits.”
“In that case, is he practicing martial arts now, or is he just lonely?”
The system adjusted its glasses that materialized out of thin air and proceeded to enlighten its ignorant host with apparent expertise.
“This is a breathing technique for maintaining an optimal health, something equivalent to meditation or Tai Chi in modern society.”
Su Jin expressed surprise with her eyebrows raised. “Isn’t he suffering from amnesia? Memories can be lost in a selective manner? ”
The system could not answer this because it was equally as clueless. Instead, the system unilaterally ended its lesson on a high note and switched itself off to catch up on some sleep.
“You are awake, Xiao Jin.” Qin Shi gestured to Su Jin to direct her attention to the elderly in the backyard.
“Mom, he seems to be in meditation to maintain his health. Otherwise, how could he be so healthy and lively at such an old age? This might be the secret to it.”
Qin Shi was not entirely able to grasp the complete meaning of her daughter’s words, but she chose not to probe any further. She turned around and proceeded with her own tasks.
……
Within the Chen Family Residence…
A female maid briskly made her way to the courtyard outside a Buddhist temple located in the depths of the estate, and softly called out, “Madam, there is a letter addressed to you. The sender is the young lady from the Liu family, Miss Wen Shuang.”
Yan Shi was dressed in plain clothes, kneeling on the tuffet with slightly droopy eyes with a gentle expression. Although she had not applied any makeup, her cheeks had a subtle natural pink hue. She exuded an air of dignity and tranquillity.
When she heard the maid, her fingers which were originally flipping the prayer beads stopped.
What was the reason the young lady from the second family branch sent a letter to her?
“You may enter.”
The maid, Chun Yu, politely presented the letter to her lady. As Yan Shi gracefully placed the beads back in their place, another maid brought her a handkerchief.
After cleaning her hands, she took the letter from Chun Yu and meticulously went through the contents…
Her calm eyes widened in surprise as her hands trembled slightly.
This letter…
With a hint of joy on her face, Yan Shi instructed the maids, “Invite the young master over as soon as possible.”
The maid was taken aback and couldn’t help but take a second glance at her lady. What could have possibly happened to lift her lady’s spirits? That letter must have something to do with the young master. She quickly lowered her head and excused herself to relay the message to the young master.
Chen Beiqing was surprised when he received the message. Normally, whenever his mother wished to see him, she would dispatch a servant to stand by in the front garden to wait for him. It was a rare occurrence that her personal maid visited in person to deliver the message. Without any delay, he heeded his mother’s summons.
“Mother, did something urgent crop up?”
Dressed in a blue brocade robe, the man possessed prominent and well-defined facial features. From his robust build and steady footwork, one could easily infer that he had received training in martial arts.
However, he had a long and deep scar on the right side of his face, with tumour-like lumps and bumps around it. It was a terrible scar which disfigured the entirety of his face, which would otherwise be considered attractive.
Upon hearing his words, Yan Shi gazed intently at her son’s right cheek, and a wave of sadness engulfed her. She controlled her emotions and conveyed to her son, “Beiqing, your cousin from the Liu family has sent a letter mentioning that she had discovered a remedy to heal the scar on your face. Are you willing to give it a try?”
After finishing her sentence, she carefully observed the exceptional son she had always been proud of, with feelings of unease as she had raised a delicate topic.
That scar caused greater emotional and mental distress to her as a mother, than it did to the person who actually bore the scar. Every time she laid her eyes on it, her mind would immediately recall the tragic event on that fateful day years ago…
Suddenly, she started to hyperventilate while clutching her chest with her hands.
“Mom, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?”
Chen Beiqing was about to decline, but he noticed from his mother’s facial expression that something was amiss. He anxiously ordered the servants, “Hurry and fetch the physician.”
Yan Shi placated him by patting his hand gently. “Mom is fine. It is a common occurrence and mom has grown accustomed to it. Don’t let it bother you. Have you reached a decision on the matter we just discussed?”
Seeing that his mother prioritized him over her own body even in this situation, Chen Beiqing could not bear to turn her down. He promptly reassured his mother. “Alright, I will be sure to check it out. Please get plenty of rest, Mother.”
As one of the most influential noble families in the capital, the Chen family held a prominent status and many of the males in the family held important positions in the imperial court. Chen Beiqing, as the eldest son of the Chen family, had consulted numerous skilled doctors concerning his scar. Even the best imperial physicians from the royal palace could do nothing about it.
He had abandoned hope long ago. As a man, he was hardly affected by the scar. Even if he had received strange stares because of it, no one had the courage to say anything in front of him. On the other hand, his mother had persistently been searching for a cure over the years.
The young lady of the Liu family happened to be the niece of his father’s second wife. She was not one who would speak irresponsibly and make unfounded claims on this matter.
To alleviate his mother’s concerns, he resolved to visit his cousin and hear her out. Nevertheless, he did not hold any hope or anticipation.
Yan Shi felt relieved after her son had consented to it. “Good. Although I have no prior interactions with young lady Liu, I have seen her from afar at the gatherings of our extended family. I have heard that she is a good girl. She would not act impulsively without a proper reason. Go and enjoy a pleasant conversation with her.”
“I shall comply, dear mother.”
He cordially gave him consent in order to prevent further worries for his mother.
TL Corner: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Do let me know in the comments or discord if there are any errors or mistakes.
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