Chapter 10: Returning to the Zhu Residence to Meet Her Birth Mother

　　Kuqiao stepped forward and knocked. Before long, a servant on duty opened the door. Seeing Kuqiao, the servant knew the young miss had returned and immediately pushed the door wider. “The miss is back! The madam has been talking about you nonstop.”

　　Kuqiao asked, “Where are the master and madam? The miss wants to pay her respects.”

　　“The master went to the prefectural office and hasn’t returned yet. The madam is feeding fish in the garden.” With that, the servant stepped aside to let them through.

　　Qianli Xun stepped over the threshold, with Kuqiao close behind.

　　Once they entered, the servant said, “Please wait inside, Miss. I’ll go inform the madam.” With that, she trotted off toward the garden.

　　“Where do we go now?” Qianli Xun asked.

　　“To the madam’s quarters. Just follow me, Miss.”

　　Kuqiao led the way, and Qianli Xun followed quietly. The sprawling estate where Zhu Shuzhen grew up felt like a giant maze to her, though a truly picturesque one.

　　Qianli Xun had always been terrible with directions. With all these winding paths, without a guide, she would definitely get lost.

　　“Kuqiao, you must stay by my side at all times in this estate. It’s too big, with so many twists and turns. I’m afraid I’ll lose my way.”

　　“Don’t worry, Miss. I won’t leave your side for a moment.”

　　After who knows how many turns, they finally reached a courtyard.

　　“Miss, the madam lives here. I’ll take you in.”

　　As they entered the courtyard, a maid came to greet them.

　　“The miss is back! Quick, come inside and sit. I’ll send someone to fetch the madam right away.”

　　“No need, Sister. The servant at the gate has already gone to call the madam.”

　　Kuqiao then introduced, “This is Yinxing, the madam’s personal maid.”

　　Before Qianli Xun could speak, Yinxing chided, “How could the miss not recognize me? Why do you need to introduce me?” She then pulled her toward the room.

　　As they walked, she said, “Ever since you married into the Lin family, you haven’t been back once. If it weren’t for the master holding her back, the madam would have definitely run to the Lin residence to find you.”

　　Qianli Xun was rarely as silent as she was now. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she’d give herself away in front of the maids. Entering the room, she picked a chair and sat down. Yinxing busied herself ordering other maids to serve tea.

　　After the tea was set, Yinxing pulled Kuqiao aside and whispered, “Why does the miss seem strange? Her expression feels different from before.”

　　“Don’t ask so many questions, Sister. I’ll attend to things here. You can go on with your work.” Kuqiao then returned to her miss’s side.

　　Yinxing said, “Miss, please sit. I’ll go to the gate and check if the madam is back.”

　　Qianli Xun nodded. “You may go. No need to wait on me.”

　　After Yinxing left, Qianli Xun relaxed considerably. She was about to meet Zhu Shuzhen’s mother and thought she should shed some tears to show genuine emotion. But then she reconsidered—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fake being Zhu Shuzhen. Better to just be herself and play it by ear.

　　No sooner had she made up her mind than a woman in her forties appeared, eyes slightly red, flanked by four or five maids.

　　Qianli Xun guessed this must be Zhu Shuzhen’s mother. She couldn’t help but stand up.

　　Zhu Shuzhen’s mother, Madam Xiang, had been feeding fish in the garden. When a young servant reported that her daughter had returned, she dropped everything and rushed back with her maids.

　　As soon as she entered and saw her daughter, whom she hadn’t seen in over half a year, Madam Xiang felt a lump rise in her throat as tears welled up. Seeing her daughter stand up, she hurried forward and took her hands. “Shuzhen… I thought you’d never come back to see me again…”

　　Qianli Xun said, “You’re Zhu Shuzhen’s real mother? After I woke up, Kuqiao told me I am Zhu Shuzhen, the young miss of the Zhu residence. So today I had her bring me back to meet my family.”

　　Qianli Xun’s words completely stunned Madam Xiang and the surrounding maids.

　　With tear-filled eyes, Madam Xiang looked at her daughter again. “Shuzhen, what do you mean by that?”

　　With a thump, Kuqiao dropped to her knees. Before she could speak, she started crying.

　　Qianli Xun marveled inwardly, Kuqiao is really playing along perfectly!

　　Madam Xiang released her daughter’s hands and stepped back. Something was clearly wrong. She dabbed at her tears with a silk handkerchief, then turned to the other maids. “All of you, out. Close the door behind you.”

　　Except for Kuqiao, the other maids obediently withdrew. Seeing the door closed, Madam Xiang sat down in a chair. “What’s this act you two are putting on?”

　　Kuqiao would tell Zhu Shuzhen’s mother everything. Qianli Xun didn’t need to worry. She continued sitting and carefully observed what Madam Xiang would do next.

　　Kuqiao cried, “Madam, ever since the miss married the young master, she hasn’t had a single good day. He beats her for the smallest thing and even brings that merchant courtesan into the house! Just yesterday, he dragged her in again and went wild. He shoved the miss so hard she slammed into a pillar and blacked out. When she woke up, she didn’t remember anything. She’s like a completely different person. Sob…”

　　The more Madam Xiang heard, the angrier she became. “How could such a thing happen? Why didn’t you come back earlier to tell your father and me?”

　　Kuqiao wiped her tears. “The miss wouldn’t let me. She said telling you wouldn’t help anyway. Better to just let the young master beat her to death. Sob…”

　　Madam Xiang looked at her daughter more carefully. There—a wound on her forehead. How could she have been so overjoyed that she missed it? She rose, crossed to her daughter, and gently pressed her silk handkerchief against the wound. “Does it hurt?”

　　Ever since her mother died in a car accident, Qianli Xun had longed even more for maternal love. Madam Xiang’s gesture made her feel warm inside. “It doesn’t hurt. You’re really my mother?”

　　Madam Xiang nodded. “You are my daughter Shuzhen.”

　　“Mother, I don’t remember anything after waking up. If I’m different from your daughter before, please don’t turn your back on me.”

　　Madam Xiang shed tears again. “If I had known going to the Lin family meant suffering, I would never have agreed to marry you to Lin Jue.”

　　Qianli Xun thought this opening was excellent. She had won Zhu Shuzhen’s mother over to her side in one stroke.

　　Madam Xiang said again, “Kuqiao, get up and answer.”

　　Kuqiao stopped crying and stood up.

　　Madam Xiang sat back in her seat. “Kuqiao, tell me, how is Shuzhen different from before?”

　　Kuqiao looked at her miss for approval. Qianli Xun nodded, and only then did Kuqiao speak boldly. “Everything except her face and figure is different. Now the miss speaks loudly, talks too much, and can’t even make tea. The key thing is she knows martial arts—the young master can’t beat her. She’s even demanding he cast her out. Madam, I think the miss must have been beaten unconscious by the young master and reborn.”

　　“What? Reborn?” Madam Xiang sprang up in shock, then slumped back down, pounding the table as she wailed. “My poor daughter! Could it be that Lin Jue beat you to death? Sob…”

　　Seeing Madam Xiang cry so heartbrokenly, Qianli Xun couldn’t bear it. “Mother, I’m alive, not dead. Just a bit different from before.”

　　Yes, this voice was still her daughter’s, and this face was still her daughter’s. She was alive. Madam Xiang stopped crying loudly. “Right, my Shuzhen is still alive. Come here, let mother get a good look at you.”

　　Qianli Xun got up, walked over to Madam Xiang, squatted down, and rested her head on her mother’s knee. “Mother!”

　　Madam Xiang stroked her daughter’s hair. “I nearly lost you. No, I absolutely cannot let you go back to the Lin family.”

　　Qianli Xun raised her head. “Mother, I don’t remember anything. But after I woke up, Lin Jue was still beating me. I saw that courtesan right there in the house. I was so furious I told him to cast me out.”

　　She paused. “Later I found out—a woman cast out by her husband’s family is ruined in reputation. So I pushed for a mutual separation instead. Lin Jue agreed, but he wants the Zhu family elders to step forward. We settle it in three days.”

　　Madam Xiang helped her daughter up. “Don’t worry. I will never let you stay in that living hell. At least Lin Jue had the sense to agree to a mutual divorce. After all, my daughter has done nothing wrong—he has no grounds to cast you out anyway!”

　　“Mother, I want to stay at home for a few days. I don’t want to go back to the Lin residence.”

　　“Silly girl, this is your home. You can stay as long as you want.”

　　Madam Xiang called toward the door, “Yinxing!”

　　Yinxing pushed open the door and entered. “Madam, what are your orders?”

　　“Go to the Lin residence in person. Tell the Lin family that the miss is staying at the Zhu residence. As for when she’ll return, we don’t know yet.”

　　“Yes.” Yinxing accepted the order and left.

　　At this moment, Qianli Xun felt very happy. Having a family as her support gave her a sense of security in this unfamiliar era.

　　“When your father returns, I’ll explain the matter to him. Then you can go pay your respects. I believe he’ll also agree to the divorce.”

　　“Will he be very strict?”

　　Qianli Xun’s question saddened Madam Xiang. It seemed her daughter really didn’t remember anything. “He isn’t fierce, just very serious—sometimes strict. Don’t worry. Your old courtyard is still kept for you. Let Kuqiao take you there and show you around. Since you don’t remember anything, she can help you get familiar with the place. Maybe you’ll gradually remember.”

　　Qianli Xun said goodbye to Madam Xiang. Led by Kuqiao, she continued turning corners, heading deeper into the Zhu residence. It was hard to imagine just how big the estate was. It felt like no matter how far she walked, she’d never reach the end.

　　As they walked, she heard the sound of singing. Qianli Xun stopped and looked toward the source. Sure enough, there was a courtyard, but the walls blocked the view of the buildings inside.

　　“Kuqiao, who lives there? Why is someone singing?”

　　“That’s where the master’s songstresses and dancers live.”

　　“What? Songstresses and dancers? Why does my father keep them?”

　　“Most high-ranking officials keep them, mainly to entertain distinguished guests. Every year, the master hosts a poetry banquet, inviting all the notable literary talents in Lin’an. The occasion also requires their performances to liven up the atmosphere.”

　　“Have I ever attended the poetry banquet?”

　　“You’ve attended every year since you were ten. Many of your ci poems were composed at the poetry banquet and were eagerly recited by literary talents. That’s how you earned the reputation as the Poetess of Jiangnan.”

　　“The Poetess of Jiangnan.” Qianli Xun lowered her head, grimacing internally. She could write web novels just fine, but classical poetry was a completely foreign territory. Carrying Zhu Shuzhen’s identity meant she had to uphold this towering literary reputation. The pressure was immense. Only when she remembered that she had the real Zhu Shuzhen’s poems securely memorized in her brain did she finally relax a little. “Kuqiao, is there seriously not a single straight path in this entire residence? Why is everything zigzagging?”

　　“Actually, no. I heard when the master built this residence, he aimed for the aesthetic of ‘winding paths leading to secluded elegance.’ Isn’t that incredibly poetic?”

　　“It is poetic, but it’s made me dizzy. Where exactly do I live?”

　　“Don’t worry, Miss. Just two more turns and we’ll be there.”

　　Qianli Xun followed Kuqiao around two more turns. A lake appeared before them—not very large, with lotus leaves covering most of the water. A few lotus buds stood scattered here and there. A wooden bridge spanned the lake. Only after crossing this bridge did they truly arrive at the garden where Zhu Shuzhen had lived.