Love's Debt Comes Knocking - Chapter 4

“Young Mistress? Young Mistress!”

The large group from the Lu family ascended the mountain. When they reached halfway up the slope, they spotted a woman dressed like a beggar from a distance. At first, they dared not recognize her, but upon closer inspection, it was indeed the treasured “phoenix egg” that the old madam held in the palm of her hand!

Ignoring his bulky frame, the round-faced steward, despite his plumpness, ran with a lightness as swift as the wind.

Tears and snot streamed down his face as he threw himself to his knees at Lu Yang’s feet. “Lu Mao is incompetent, causing the Young Mistress to suffer such hardship! Lu Mao is guilty! I beg the Young Mistress to punish me!”

Without waiting for a response, he kowtowed three times, each thud heavier than the last.

Lu Yang stood her ground, not retreating half a step. Though her body was present, her spirit seemed to have wandered off somewhere.

After kowtowing, the steward waited for reprimand or instruction. After a long while with no clear response, he mustered the courage to look up, only to see the Young Mistress staring at him absentmindedly. It was as if she were looking at him, yet no different from gazing at the flowers and grass along the road.

His hands and feet turned cold, and he trembled as he spoke. “Young Mistress?”

The burly man choked up in his throat. Lu Yang, whose thoughts had drifted far away, snapped back to reality. Her peach-blossom eyes darkened slightly. “How can mortals know the ways of heaven? The flood in Wuti City was indeed an unforeseen disaster. However, you all accompanied me on this journey, bearing the responsibility of protection. Failing to protect your master, you truly deserve punishment.”

“We beg the Young Mistress to punish us!”

A sea of people clasped their fists and knelt on the ground.

Lu Yang stood there, gazing into the azure sky. “Let the punishment be the forfeiture of half a year’s bonus silver.”

Half a year’s bonus silver?

The steward winced at the thought.

Working for the Lu family, the bonuses that slipped through the master’s fingers for a job well done often exceeded their annual earnings. Losing half a year’s bonus—who could remain indifferent to that?

Yet, whether rewards were given depended entirely on the master’s mood. If the master was pleased, there were rewards; if displeased, none were given. Considering this, the punishment did not cripple them financially and could be considered merciful.

The crowd expressed their gratitude profusely.

“Rise now. Fire the signal flare and gather everyone here.”

“Yes, Young Mistress!”

A daytime firework bloomed in the sky. The maid Wanzhu eagerly fetched a cloak but was suddenly drawn to the faint pink mark on the Young Mistress’s neck.

She stared intently. Lu Yang’s face flushed slightly, a flicker of embarrassment and annoyance flashing in her eyes. “Don’t look where you shouldn’t.”

The maid trembled in shock and hurriedly lowered her head.

That red mark… it looked so much like…

She dared not think further.

Once the signal flare was fired, the message “found her” spread, and the other search parties arrived one after another to pay their respects to the Young Mistress.

Returning to a garden estate owned by the Lu family in Wuti City, Lu Yang was surrounded by people.

An old physician carrying a medicine chest placed his fingers on her pulse. After a moment, he stood up with a smile. “Nothing serious. She’s just a bit weak and needs more nourishment.”

Hearing this, the cook’s eyes lit up, and she brought over a pot of free-range chicken soup that had been simmering in the kitchen for a full four hours.

Not to be outdone, a maid in a pink dress held in her arms a hair tonic that was impossible to buy on the market, waiting to care for the Young Mistress’s hair, which had suffered greatly.

The servants in the garden were seeing the future master of the Lu family for the first time, and everyone revolved around Lu Yang alone.

Overwhelmed, Lu Yang said, “All of you, leave. I wish to bathe.”

Fragrant bathwater was prepared, and four maids stepped forward to escort the Young Mistress to the hot spring pool.

“You may leave as well.”

Disappointment flickered in the eyes of the four maids as they bowed. “Yes, Young Mistress.”

Shedding her clothes and soaking in the warm pool water, Lu Yang’s weary body and mind found solace. She stretched her long arm and picked up a small round mirror placed on a low table. Its smooth surface faithfully reflected the “peach blossom” mark on her neck.

I wonder how she is doing now.

Leaving without saying goodbye… with this parting, when will we meet again?

She lightly licked her lips, her earlobes suddenly flushing red, and in the next moment, her heart sank to the depths—after doing such a thing, after sharing such intimacy, that person surely wouldn’t want to see her again.

Now, as for Wanzhu, the first thing she did upon returning to Xiangxue Garden was to close the door and write a letter to the old madam.

Her young mistress was in the prime of youth, pure and kind-hearted, keeping her distance from both men and women—but the kiss mark on her neck, more beautiful than peach blossoms, couldn’t possibly be a mosquito bite, could it?

What kind of mosquito would take such liberties?

This was a serious matter, and the old madam absolutely had to be informed.

The letter was sent out before lunch.

While Wanzhu’s letter was still on its way to Fengcheng, the old madam’s letter happened to arrive at Xiangxue Garden.

Lu Yang had been very busy these past few days.

With the flood in Wuti, she had used the Lu family’s name to donate three hundred thousand taels of silver, earning widespread praise from the people of Wuti City. Nowadays, whenever people mentioned the Lu family’s business, who wouldn’t praise them as “benevolent merchants”?

Benevolent merchants did good deeds for the country and its people, but they also had to earn money honestly.

Not only did they earn money, but they also had to collect debts.

After this trip, the debts in hand were still not fully collected, with promissory notes filling three large redwood chests.

With so many debts, one hardly worries about them.

Lu Yang set down the account book and picked up the teacup beside her, sipping the fine Longjing tea, her thoughts drifting back to the sound of water that night.

Wanzhu stood outside the door and said softly, “Young Mistress, the old madam is urging you to return.”

“Return?” Lu Yang glanced at the neatly lined redwood chests. “What about collecting the debts?”

The maidservant beside her, responsible for pouring tea and burning incense, smiled at these words. “The old madam is worried about you, Young Mistress. No matter how many debts there are outside, none are as precious as a single strand of your hair.”

The flood in Wuti had alarmed the old madam, and it was only natural that she wouldn’t allow her to stay in such a dangerous place.

Lu Yang read the family letter word by word and also began to miss the fragrant tofu pudding in Fengcheng and the osmanthus cakes made by her grandmother.

After putting away the letter, she said, “Prepare, we’re going home.”

“Miss?”

Tao Yuan put down the carriage curtain. “Let’s go back.”

Han Chan sniffled, feeling indignant on behalf of her mistress. How could someone as good as her mistress suffer such humiliation?

There were people from Lady Miao’s faction in the entourage. Lady Miao was the birth mother of the second young lady. Once they returned to the capital, the matter of the young lady losing her chastity would likely not stay hidden.

She had come to realize that the second young lady was no good—ungrateful and heartless. She regretted ever speaking well of her in front of the young mistress before. It turned out this person had been rotten to the core all along!

“Overthinking is pointless. What has happened has happened.”

Han Chan hadn’t expected that the one who had been humiliated was her mistress, yet it was her mistress who ended up comforting her. Holding back tears, she said, “But  this ruins your entire life, Miss!”

The carriage procession set off, the carriage moving steadily down the long street, passing in the opposite direction of the carriage carrying the young Lu mistress, who was also on her way back.

Tao Yuan frowned. “How does this ruin my entire life?”

Han Chan didn’t speak, but in her heart, she had already said countless things.

Even for ordinary women, losing chastity before marriage made it difficult to find a good match, and even if they did marry, they would face cold treatment from their husband’s family.

Her mistress was beautiful and talented, born into a prestigious family, yet she had long been burdened with the stigma of being “unlucky for husbands.” She had been engaged four times, and not a single one had come to fruition. If any had succeeded, she wouldn’t still be unmarried since the age of fifteen.

A twenty-six-year-old eldest daughter of the main family unable to marry was considered a strange tale in the capital. Now, having lost her virginity as well, Han Chan couldn’t help but worry for her mistress. Yet, judging by her mistress’s demeanor, she seemed not the least bit concerned.

“If no one wants to marry me, then I won’t marry. If I can’t find a husband, I’ll live alone. Is that worth dying over?”

Listen! Just listen to what her young lady is saying!

Han Chan was furious at her lack of ambition. “If you fall, Second Miss will step right over you to rise.”

Tao Yuan’s expression remained indifferent. “Let her stir up whatever waves she wants.”

If she dares to cross me again…

Her eyes turned cold and sharp.

That icy demeanor instantly reminded Han Chan.

Han Chan’s face paled, and she lowered her voice. “Even if you hate Second Miss, you can’t really strangle her to death.”

If she hadn’t heard the commotion and worried that Second Miss was bullying her young lady, she wouldn’t have peeked through the crack in the window. Otherwise, she might have witnessed Second Miss lying dead with her eyes wide open.

“In the Tao family, only the living have value. The dead are just buried somewhere.”

So, if she strangled Tao Zheng to death, and Tao Zheng had the misfortune to die at her hands, then so be it. At most, her father would scold her once, and Tao Zheng would have died for nothing.

On the other hand, if Tao Zheng colluded with outsiders to harm her, and she lost her virginity, the value she could bring to the family would be cut in half. Even if she personally accused Tao Zheng of using underhanded methods to hurt her, her father would likely just slap Tao Zheng twice, and the matter would be over.

Sons and daughters—only by making the most of them can the Tao family prosper.

She looked at Han Chan. “Don’t let it happen again.”

Han Chan nodded vigorously.

If she hadn’t intervened that day, Mistress Miao’s people would have barged in when they couldn’t find Second Miss.

Better for her to handle it than for Mistress Miao’s people to catch them red-handed.

Second Miss was cunning and deliberately exposed the tragedy her young lady had suffered. It was entirely possible that she had orchestrated the whole thing behind the scenes.

Han Chan didn’t care whether Second Miss lived or died—she cared about her young lady.

Even if her young lady asked her to do it, it would be better for her to take the blame than for her young lady to bear the stigma of killing her own flesh and blood.

Her young lady, once renowned for her purity, talent, and beauty, was now spoken of with mixed praise and criticism. How unfair was that?

“Silly girl.”

As if sensing her troubled thoughts, Tao Yuan patted her head. “I truly don’t care what outsiders think of me. They can say whatever they want, and I’ll live my life as I please. I’m not as pitiful as you think.”

A faint smile flickered in her eyes. “At least I’ve lived this long, and after this experience, I finally understand the ways of the world.”

Han Chan’s eyes reddened. “How can you joke about something like this?”

For a moment, the two fell silent.

Tao Yuan rested her chin on her hand, leaning lazily on the small couch. What else could she do? She had already endured the effects of the potent drug. Since she chose to live, she couldn’t let herself be crushed by the world’s prejudice and malice toward women.

She would live on, and the more setbacks she faced, the more she would rise above them with indifference.

The wind began to stir.

Lu Yang had initially traveled by carriage but later switched to a boat to return to Fengcheng.

After seven days on the water, the letter Wanzhu had sent arrived safely at the Lu residence and was delivered into the hands of the elderly matriarch.

Over sixty years old, the Lu matriarch was the stabilizing force of the entire Lu family. Her hair was silver, but she was spirited and stood tall. With her around, the Lu family couldn’t fall into chaos even if it tried.

“She went to collect debts, and who could have predicted the flood in Wuti? It must be the ancestors’ blessing that A’Yang is coming back this time and won’t be leaving again.” The matriarch muttered to herself as she opened the envelope, but the smile on her lips slowly faded.

The maidservant beside her was puzzled and worried that something had happened to the young mistress. She hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Taking the letter Wanzhu had sent from the matriarch’s hands, she had only read a few lines before her eyebrows jumped. “This…”

Had her young mistress bullied someone, or had she been bullied?

Given the obedient nature of the Phoenix Egg, bullying others was unlikely. That meant—

The old lady said sternly, “Go and fetch Physician Su.” ????

Another seven days passed, and the large ship arrived at Phoenix City.

As soon as Lu Yang stepped off the ship and entered the city, the news reached the Lu family. The servants were overjoyed, and even their cleaning efforts became more vigorous than usual.

In the main hall, the old lady of the Lu family sipped tea to soothe her throat. After setting down the teacup, she gave a meaningful glance, and Madam Yu led the servants out of the room.

“I am old now. The rise and fall of our family rest solely on A’Yang’s shoulders. The Su family has served the Lu family for generations, and Physician Su knows that the Lu family’s bloodline is different from ordinary people. Later, I ask Physician Su to examine him carefully. My dear grandson must not suffer the slightest harm.”

Her love for her grandson was evident, and Physician Su solemnly agreed.

Stepping onto the good soil of Phoenix City and breathing in the fresh air of his hometown, Lu Yang’s right eyelid twitched restlessly. A faint chill crept up his spine.