Knowing the Warmth of Southern Tea (GL) - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

The peach tree is young and elegant, its leaves are lush and green. The bride is going to her home, she will grace her family and house. — The Classic of Poetry · Zhou Nan · Peach Blossom

Gu Zhen, courtesy name Xingyue. Daughter of Gu Zhuang, the former Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Frank by nature, her destiny carries an aura of slaughter. Skilled with the whip and the sword; once her blade leaves its scabbard, it must be stained with blood… — Records of the Grand Historian · Biographies · Biography of General Gu

…

Gu Zhen’s name was given by Rongrong. Having married at the age of twenty-two, Rongrong hoped her daughter would marry a bit earlier; it was a mother’s blessing for her child. Although Gu Zhuang did not think much of the name, he did not oppose Rongrong’s decision. However, when Gu Zhen reached the age of hair-pinning (fifteen), he specially gave her the courtesy name Xingyue (Star and Moon).

Taken from the poem “I wish to be as the stars and you as the moon, our light shining upon each other night after night,” the name served three purposes: first, he didn’t want his daughter to marry off too early; second, it expressed his deep affection for Rongrong; and third, he hoped Gu Zhen would have the luck to find the right person to walk with until the end.

In truth, all fathers are the same—they see their daughters as precious cabbages and potential sons-in-law as pigs. It is only natural that they are reluctant to see their “cabbage” uprooted by a “pig.” Yet, they also understand that eventually, daughters must grow up. The year Gu Zhen was born, Gu Zhuang buried jars of wine, waiting for the day she would marry to unearth them for a toast.

Wen Wu had once calculated Gu Zhen’s fate. Her destiny was “hard,” even carrying a trace of “mother-clashing.” To prevent Gu Zhen from harming Rongrong’s fortune, Wen Wu took Gu Zhen as her goddaughter to act as a shield. Nevertheless, Rongrong indeed suffered much for Xingyue’s sake. Feeling guilty, Rongrong in turn took Wen Wu’s daughter, Wen Cha, as her goddaughter. Thus, Wen Cha was effectively Xingyue’s younger sister, though they shared neither father nor mother.

…

With her parents away from home, Gu Zhen was left all alone, “her shadow her only companion” (xing ying xiang diao). Gu Zhen didn’t care if she used the idiom correctly; that was simply how she felt. Since she was the only one in the house, it wasn’t a crime to play with her own shadow, was it?

Every day, Gu Zhen went to the yamen. On her way back, she would take a detour to the East City market to browse a bookstall. The owner had moved there four years ago; he was a scholar—poor, but handsome, gentle in temperament, and kind to everyone. Though he knew no martial arts, he was profoundly knowledgeable, seemingly knowing everything from astronomy to geography.

Gu Zhen admired him greatly. She liked him, too. She liked the way he watered the flowers, the way he told her stories… perhaps it was because of him that Gu Zhen did not become a cold person like Gu Zhuang, but lived instead as someone lively and optimistic.

As for how she met this stall owner, it began four years ago—a fated encounter that could be called a “wicked karma.”

Four years ago:

Gu Zhen was patrolling Bingzhou as usual. Although she was young then, she already carried the authoritative air of her father. However, the public security of Bingzhou back then was not as good as it would be four years later. People then were prone to “feigning compliance while acting in opposition.” Where the constables patrolled, there was prosperity; but in the corners where they couldn’t see, there were still those who lived by bullying others.

While patrolling the East Market, Gu Zhen discovered a local thug extorting money from a bookstall owner. It seemed to be a regular occurrence. Having grown up playing in the yamen since childhood, Gu Zhen considered herself a member of the constabulary and could not tolerate such a thing happening under her nose.

“Stop! What are you doing?” Xingyue stepped in to intervene.

The thug laughed loudly. “Little girl, trying to be a hero? Why don’t you come home with your big brother here? I’ll make sure you eat and drink the best.”

“Really?” Xingyue tilted her head and smiled. “And will ‘big brother’ be good to me?”

The stall owner, unable to bear seeing a young girl deceived, immediately tried to stop her. “I’ll give you the money right now.” In fact, he had been prepared to pay before Xingyue intervened.

“Get lost!” The thug shoved the scholar, who fell to the ground. “Little sister, come with me.”

The thug was no longer interested in the money; he was more interested in Xingyue. However, some people—no matter how small—are not to be provoked.

At twelve, Xingyue was already highly skilled in martial arts, far surpassing her peers. But back then, she did not yet use a whip, nor did she know how to restrain the sharp, murderous aura within her. Once her sword left the scabbard, it had to touch blood. Xingyue showed some mercy and only severed one of the man’s arms.

She looked at the scholar, who had fallen in fright. A bit of a coward, she thought, but a good person.

The thug’s screams were endless. “Aren’t you leaving? Do you want to leave your life here too?” Xingyue asked. At that moment, she had truly felt the urge to kill. Back then, she couldn’t control her “slaughter aura” well; once she saw blood, she didn’t want to stop.

Realizing he had met his match, the thug clutched his wound and fled. “Wait,” Xingyue blocked his path with her sword. “Take your arm with you.” The man picked up the limb and left in a fury. Xingyue did not miss the murderous intent in his eyes. Cutting grass without removing the roots only allows it to grow back with the spring breeze. This man—Xingyue intended to “see him off” later. His death was sealed the moment she struck.

But at that moment, Xingyue ignored the look in the eyes of the scholar on the ground. It was a look of excitement—as if he had found a new toy. Some people approach you from the start just to calculate against you. They use your casual words to hurt those around you; they use your mindless actions to test others. This kind of person is the most lethal.

This kind of person comes prepared.

“Thank you, Miss,” the scholar said, standing up after the thug was gone.

“No need. If this happens again, just report it to the authorities.” Xingyue didn’t intend to linger and prepared to leave.

“Wait, please accept these books.” The scholar picked a few books from the stall. Xingyue didn’t take them.

“I didn’t help you for a reward. It was just my duty.” Like her father, the Xingyue of that time was cold and didn’t enjoy socializing.

“These aren’t a gift, but a loan. These are very popular storybooks lately; many people love them. Why don’t you read them for a bit of fun?”

The scholar kept holding them out until Xingyue found him quite annoying. She finally snatched them. “I’ll return them when I’m done.”

She took the books to the yamen, originally intending not to read them. But her shift was so incredibly boring that she picked up a copy of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and became addicted.

Storybooks… they truly lead people astray.

Later, Xingyue slowly became close with the stall owner. Perhaps some things were wrong from the very beginning. People always say the past determines the present; does that mean the present also determines the past? Gu Zhen never regretted any decision from her past—at the very least, the feelings at that time were real. If one denies their past self, does it not mean they also deny who they are now?

When the mulberry tree has not shed its leaves, they are fresh and glossy. Alas for the dove, eat not the mulberries! Alas for the woman, do not be infatuated with a man! When a man is infatuated, he can still be free. When a woman is infatuated, she cannot be free!