Love's Debt Comes Knocking - Chapter 13

“Selling chrysanthemum tea, chrysanthemum wine, and Double Ninth cakes—”

“Beautiful and fun Double Ninth lanterns, don’t miss out if you’re passing by! Sir, would you like a lantern? Pray for your family’s blessings, and your sincerity will reach the heavens—it works!”

Lu Yang waved her hand, her eyes sparkling like stars as she smiled.

Lu Jinhuan tugged at her sleeve, pulling her forward.

“Elder sister, slow down.”

“Slow down? At your pace, if we go any slower, it’ll be dawn!”

It wasn’t until they stepped out that Lu Jinhuan’s impatience was fully revealed.

As Lu Yang walked, she helplessly waved to the street vendors. One vendor, seeing her gentle beauty, elegant demeanor, and youthful appearance, felt as if a warm breeze had brushed past him. Having set up his stall in the capital for many years, he was accustomed to the arrogance of noble youths and their ruthless dominance. This sudden display of grace left him stunned, forgetting to respond.

By the time he recovered from the surprise of being treated with such respect, the crowd had surged, and the young lady in the lapel-collared Hu-style attire was nowhere to be seen.

He grinned, the bitterness of life fading away, releasing the first genuine smile of the Double Ninth Festival.

His calls grew even more cheerful.

“Selling lanterns! Beautiful and fun lanterns!”

“Miss, would you like a lantern? On this auspicious Double Ninth Festival, pray for your loved ones—show your filial piety and bring good fortune!”

The long street bustled with people and carriages.

Shops lined both sides of the street, their doors wide open for business.

At the entrances, young attendants greeted passersby with constant bows and cheerful smiles, spouting auspicious words as if they cost nothing. Some, charmed by their eloquence, were willing to step inside for a look.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was prosperous, with thriving maritime and land trade, and constant commerce between nations. Lu Yang, accustomed to fine things, had little interest in the exotic treasures brought from overseas.

Having spent over eighteen years in the Lu family, Lu Jinhuan, like Lu Yang, cherished the simple, unadorned charm of the marketplace. She dragged the family’s “phoenix egg” toward the street performers, much to the dismay of the guards following them, both openly and discreetly.

What was so fascinating about chest-breaking with a large stone?

The imperial guards were baffled.

Was the Little God of Wealth’s taste this plain?

Lu Yang had been dragged along by Jinhuan, but after a few rounds, she found herself captivated by the thrilling and amusing performances. She worried for the performers while marveling at the spectacle before her.

Hearing about it was one thing; seeing it with her own eyes was another.

Since the age of eight, she had been involved in family affairs, handling silver that, if piled up, would reach the height of several houses. Though outsiders called her the Little God of Wealth, she was still an eighteen-year-old young lady.

Lu Jinhuan was the same.

For eighteen years, she had learned how to be a virtuous and capable wife. Two individuals who had missed out on childhood now found themselves clapping and cheering at chest-breaking and sword-swallowing acts.

A round, gleaming gold bean was tossed into the copper plate, delighting the performer so much that he performed a one-armed handstand for Lu Yang. Her eyes sparkled like fireworks, reflecting the night scenery of Luoyang with a unique, innocent joy.

Afterward, they watched sumo wrestling, shadow plays, and puppet shows. The two idlers of the Lu family even took in the “insect and ant performances.”

The so-called “insect and ant play” refers to the skill of training animals for performances, including activities like cricket fighting and cockfighting. Caught up in the excitement, Lu Yang and Jinhuan stepped forward to place bets. The large rooster Lu Yang had chosen staged a dramatic comeback and defeated the “Invincible General” carefully selected by Lu Jinhuan, earning cheers from the entire crowd.

After the cockfight ended, Kongming lanterns began to rise into the sky above the capital.

The flickering lanterns were a favorite pastime of the wealthy. As the common folk looked up in admiration, Lu Yang took Jinhuan by the hand and pulled her along, running here and there.

Lu Jinhuan grumbled that the “Invincible General” was all show and no substance. She had only complained twice when someone flicked the tiger mask she wore on her face with a finger. Lu Yang smiled sincerely, her eyes bright. “Cheer up.”

“Of course, I’m cheerful! Why shouldn’t I be? It’s just a loss, and I can handle losing.”

Though she claimed she could “handle losing,” her competitive spirit was fiercer than anyone else’s. Lu Yang had no choice but to humor her. “I’ll make you chicken soup when we get home.”

“Great! Make it with that big rooster!”

Her desire to win was infuriatingly intense. Since the big rooster had lost the match for her, she wanted to drink its soup. Lu Yang was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter, bending over with mirth.

From a distance, their silhouettes looked exactly like a pair of lovers who had come to enjoy the autumn night together.

Tao Yuan caught a glimpse of this scene by chance and felt a pang of envy in her heart.

Holding a hibiscus lantern in her hand, she quickly averted her gaze. “Let’s go.”

Han Chan and Dui Xue were responsible for clearing the way for her.

No sooner had this master and servant pair left than Lu Yang suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to look back. Her eyes swept over the crowd of men and women dressed in either plain cloth or fine silk, but not one of them was the person she most wanted to see.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing.”

Seeing her deliberately hide her thoughts, Jinhuan teased, “Are you longing for love?”

The words struck a nerve, and the fair-skinned face of the young master Lu visibly flushed with warmth. “Nonsense! If anyone’s longing for love, it should be you.”

“I am longing for love. I’m almost nineteen—am I not allowed to long for love?”

Li Chen’s face flashed before her eyes, but the gaze she earnestly held was for the precious one she had watched grow up. Briefly comparing the differences between the two, Lu Jinhuan had to admit that, compared to wealth and beauty, she loved power a little more.

Hooking her pinky finger with Lu Yang’s, she put on the airs of an elder sister. “A Yang, you must carry on the Lu family line soon. My happiness in this lifetime depends entirely on the Lu family.”

Only if the Lu family prospered could she prosper.

Only if she prospered could the Lu family thrive even more.

“I know.”

Lu Yang’s eyes softened. “With me here, I won’t let my sister suffer any grievances.”

“So obedient!”

Unable to see her face, only the fierce tiger mask, she asked, “Why do you cover your face like this? Even if you’re destined to become an empress in the future, there’s no harm in celebrating the festival with everyone now.”

“It’s all for you,” Lu Jinhuan said with a laugh. “Many people saw me at the ferry that day, but very few saw you. Your status is noble. Believe me, if I shouted ‘The Little God of Wealth Lu is here’ right now, you’d be devoured by men and women alike, leaving not even a skeleton behind.”

Briefly imagining the scene, Lu Yang shuddered. “Then let’s not do that. It’s good that you’re wearing the mask—it’s imposing and majestic.”

Lu Jinhuan laughed again at her words.

If not for her preference for power and her desire to become the most noble woman in the world, she might have truly wanted to bear a “Little God of Wealth” for this person.

The fleeting, fanciful thought vanished, and she pulled Lu Yang toward the riverbank.

The hibiscus lantern drifted away with the current, carrying along with it the beautiful wishes for her grandmother and mother to live long, healthy lives.

Tao Yuan stood up, under the starlight and lantern glow, her slender-sleeved, milky-white robe was a pure splash of color among the bustling crowd, as if it could glow.

“Why doesn’t the young lady make a wish for herself?”

“A wish for what?”

“For a perfect husband, a match made in heaven.”

Turning around, Tao Yuan smiled at her naivety: “Among the sons of noble families, aside from my elder brother and the two Cui brothers who stand out as exceptional, the rest are nothing but wine sacks and rice bags, all show and no substance.”

Rather than praying to the heavens for such a perfect husband, she would rather keep her heart as still as water, never bowing to love.

No movement, no hurt.

It was laughable how generations of hereditary succession had bred complacency among the family’s younger generation. What seemed like a flourishing garden was merely a crumbling mansion, blissfully unaware of its impending collapse.

Sacrificing a lifetime of happiness for a doomed situation was something only the selfless and fearless would do.

Tao Yuan admitted she was not someone with a great sense of sacrifice.

She had her own selfish desires too.

Her selfish desire was for everyone to leave her alone, to live a life of peace and tranquility.

If she was fortunate, wouldn’t it be fine to lie in her coffin bearing the stigma of being a “husband-killer”?

Han Chan couldn’t stand her detached, passionless attitude toward worldly desires and snorted with a laugh: “Anyway, this servant has already made a wish for the young lady, praying to the heavens to grant her a beloved who understands, cherishes, and protects her in every way.”

“This servant has also made a wish for the young lady! For children and grandchildren to gather around her knees, and a lifetime of endless blessings!”

With the two of them around, Tao Yuan’s ears would never find peace.

Since it was a festival, a bit of liveliness wasn’t so bad.

She indulged them intentionally, and Han Chan and Dui Xue seized the opportunity to scout for eligible young men in the capital for her.

In their view, even if the young lady had to reluctantly marry someone she didn’t like in the future due to family obligations, it would be better to have an encounter with someone she liked sooner, to taste the flavor of romance.

Surprisingly, there were bold and unrestrained men and women who came to give Tao Yuan flowers.

Giving flowers on the Autumn Night Walk symbolized the wish to climb heights, drink wine, and admire chrysanthemums with you the following year—a request for a chance to get acquainted and develop a beautiful romance.

Flowers of all colors followed Tao Yuan.

As if by coincidence, just after leaving the riverside, Lu Yang received her first bouquet of the night.

With the first came the second, then the third.

In the end, even Jinhuan’s arms and hair were piled with flowers.

Relying on her long legs, Lu Yang ran to avoid these people, only to collide with someone at a corner and get firmly stepped on.

A subtle fragrance wafted over.

A beauty fell into her embrace.

Lu Yang winced in pain, instinctively holding the woman and stepping back to prevent both from falling.

“Scoundrel! Let go of my young lady!”

A dull pain spread in Tao Yuan’s chest, her brows furrowing deeply as she struggled to free herself from the restraint around her waist.

“Don’t move!”

The voice was low and sounded somewhat familiar.

Tao Yuan was surprised.

The evening breeze brushed past.

Steadying her footing, Lu Yang complained with grievance: “Miss, don’t you watch where you’re walking?”

She hadn’t expected to meet her here.

Tao Yuan chuckled: “You bumped into me, then held me—aren’t you being unreasonable?”

Her voice was clear and crisp, carrying a hidden hint of playful warmth on this Autumn Night Walk.

Lu Yang awkwardly let go and raised her head.

Before her eyes was the girl she had longed for day and night.

Tao Yuan didn’t miss the wild joy and admiration in her eyes.

That night in the dilapidated temple, she hadn’t been mistaken—this person came from a wealthy family and was the type most suited to wearing women’s Hu-style attire, with a slender waist, long legs, and an elegant bearing.

Especially now that she was cleaned up, her appearance was particularly pleasing.

“You… why are you here?”

Tao Yuan looked at her meaningfully: “I came to avoid admirers. And you?”

“Me?” Lu Yang’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “What a coincidence—I’m also dodging admirers. Since arriving in the capital, I’ve found the people here far too enthusiastic.”

“Overwhelmed?”

“Indeed. Luckily, I’m quick on my feet.”

If I hadn’t run fast enough, perhaps I wouldn’t have met you.

“Would you like to spend the festival together?” she offered.

Tao Yuan paused briefly before replying, “Sure.”

Their casual back-and-forth left Han Chan and Dui Xue utterly stunned—since when did their young lady know this person? And from the sound of it, she was an outsider?

Delighted to have successfully invited the girl she admired, Lu Yang couldn’t hide her joy.

“There’s a flower in your hair.”

“Oh, really?” The young mistress of the Lu family, with her peach-blossom eyes still smiling, casually plucked the begonia from her hair. Finding it still in good condition, she shyly offered, “When in Rome… This flower is for you.”