”Pouch?”
Xie Miao’er was momentarily stunned, then suddenly remembered what had been on her mind before Lu Huaihai returned.
A few days ago, because her stepmother wrote asking for money, she borrowed silver from him. Lu Huaihai had handed her silver banknotes directly.
She quickly said, “I remember.”
Not only had he lent her money, but he had also considered how inconvenient it was for her to take things out and suggested she simply give him her hanging pouch.
Lu Huaihai leaned back leisurely, watching her rummage through the chest and cabinets, while he couldn’t help but wonder—what patterns would she embroider on it?
Xie Miao’er pulled out the topmost pouch, holding it in her palms like a treasure and presenting it to him with great pride. “My craftsmanship isn’t bad, is it?”
Although phrased as a question, her tone was full of conviction, radiating a triumphant air.
Lu Huaihai, having never touched needlework, couldn’t tell if the craftsmanship was good or bad. However, when he saw the pouch embroidered with pomegranates and bats, he fell into deep silence.
Many children, many blessings?1
What was she giving him a pouch with this meaning for?
Seeing his expression change, Xie Miao’er thought he didn’t like it and turned around to bring over an entire wooden tray filled with pouches.
Excitedly, she pointed them out one by one. “This one is ‘Years of Abundance with Lotus and Fish,’ this one is ‘Phoenix Soaring Through Peonies’… ‘Joy on Plum Branches’ is my favorite. Young Master, you—huh?”
When Xie Miao’er finally finished her introductions, her sparkling eyes met Lu Huaihai’s face, dark as the bottom of a pot.
As she was “reciting scriptures,” Lu Huaihai finally recalled what he had said to her that night, realizing that this pouch was not the pouch he had meant.
What he had meant was that she didn’t need to sell embroidered pouches to repay him. If she felt uncomfortable about it, gifting him one pouch would suffice.
Yet, this little girl in front of him, whether due to some misfiring in her mind or simply failing to think it through, actually assumed he was planning to become a secondhand merchant, taking all her pouches as repayment.
Lu Huaihai let out a long sigh and asked, “What would a man like me do with so many pouches?”
Xie Miao’er still didn’t understand. Her eyes gazed at him blankly.
This time of year, the sun set later. The sky was still tinged with a yellow glow, and the fading sunlight filtered through the window lattice, falling perfectly on Xie Miao’er’s rosy cheeks.
The golden flecks of light resembled fluttering butterflies, gently kissing the tip of her nose.
Lu Huaihai’s Adam’s apple bobbed twice before he swallowed the explanation he had been about to give.
Let her misunderstand.
Just as before, he couldn’t explain the sudden impulse he’d felt that night in the pavilion—the urge to ruffle her hair. Fortunately, he’d had the excuse of the diminishing rain to avoid explaining and turn away.
But now, with the sky still bright, there was no darkness to hide his expressions and emotions. How could he explain that he simply wanted a pouch she had personally made?
Though she was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, even the simplest girl would understand the implication of gifting a pouch to a man.
Lu Huaihai couldn’t fathom how the Xie family, a mere merchant household, had managed to protect her to the point of developing such a personality.
Thinking of how she had almost fallen into the hands of someone as vile as Zhang Duan, Lu Huaihai felt his throat tighten. “Put them away for now.”
Xie Miao’er asked nervously, “Is it because my embroidery isn’t good?”
That couldn’t be! She had compared her own work to the ones sold outside through Yue Chuang.
Could it be that she had hidden her talents too well?
At this moment, any lingering romantic thoughts in Lu Huaihai’s mind had completely vanished. In fact, he even felt a sense of relief that she hadn’t realized the implications.
She seemed to genuinely trust him, so much so that she’d forgotten he was a man—her nominal… husband.
“It’s not that,” he said, softening his tone for once. “It’s very good.”
Xie Miao’er caught the change in his tone. Lowering her gaze, she noticed the deed for the Xie family textile workshop, which he had just returned to her, lying on the table.
She seemed to realize she had misunderstood something. Smiling faintly, her slender fingers brushed over the pouches arranged on the tray.
She lowered her head, but Lu Huaihai could still see the curve of her brows and eyes, radiating joy.
“This one has the best meaning. I’ll give it to you, Young Master, as thanks for helping me reclaim the Xie family’s property.”
As she spoke, she stuffed a green pouch into his hand.
The pouch was light as a feather, yet to Lu Huaihai, it felt as heavy as an iron weight, sinking into his palm.
One corner of the pouch featured a subtle bamboo shadow, not embroidered, but resembling the soft yet vivid strokes of ink wash painting.
His impression wasn’t unfounded. Among the four arts of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, Xie Miao’er had been most skilled in painting. She especially excelled in painting bamboo. On the day her elder sister married, the white jade screen painted by Xie Miao’er, with bamboo shadows stretching elegantly, had stunned the guests and rivaled the works of renowned artists.
Embroidery and painting shared similarities in technique, so her embroidered bamboo carried the same spirit as her painted bamboo. This was why Lu Huaihai immediately noticed the difference between this pouch and the rest of the ordinary ones.
Seeing his slight surprise, Xie Miao’er lowered her lashes.
He would never know that she had come from another time, nor would he know that when she used to practice painting bamboo, the figure she thought of was always him—unyielding and resolute, like bamboo in the storm.
It suits him perfectly, Xie Miao’er thought with quiet satisfaction.
Lu Huaihai weighed the pouch in his hand. The restless feelings that had been bothering him gradually subsided.
He clearly liked it, but instead of immediately attaching it to his empty waistband, he pretended to examine it carefully before slipping it into his sleeve.
The minor misunderstanding came to an end as Yue Chuang knocked on the door, reminding them it was time for dinner.
Xie Miao’er and Lu Huaihai exchanged a glance and left the room together, one following the other, to head to the courtyard.
Yue Chuang had already brought their dinner.
The staff in the small kitchen now didn’t even need instructions. They would automatically prepare Lu Huaihai’s portion along with Xie Miao’er’s.
The entire household was well aware—Young Master Lu had changed. He now spent all his time at Xie Concubine’s quarters. The servants even joked amongst themselves, saying, “Perhaps no one knows a son better than his mother,” was an overstatement. “No one knows a son better than his wet nurse,” seemed far more accurate. After all, the old Madam Lu’s casual act of saving someone had conveniently aligned with the Young Master’s preferences.
The evening grew darker, with cool breezes carrying a lingering dampness. The humid air had made the house stuffy since noon, leaving the courtyard as the most comfortable place to be.
At first, Xie Miao’er wasn’t used to this environment. Back when the Xie family lived in the capital, summers were short, and there wasn’t as much rain, nor was it this humid.
Recently, she had been having dinner with Lu Huaihai, each eating their own meal.
—She had resolved to observe her mourning period for forty-two days at the very least.
Lu Huaihai, as the son of an official, and Xie Miao’er, the daughter of a scholar-official, were both impeccably well-mannered. They adhered strictly to the rule of not speaking while eating.
After the meal, Lu Huaihai noticed that Xie Miao’er kept sneaking glances at him and asked, “What is it?”
Xie Miao’er hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. “I want to go out tomorrow to check on the textile workshop’s current situation.”
It wasn’t a big deal, but making a request right after giving someone a gift might make her seem insincere.
Lu Huaihai, however, still remembered the old madam’s previous reminder, telling him not to let Xie Miao’er meet her family for the time being.
After pondering for a moment, he said, “I’ll accompany you tomorrow morning.”
With that, the plan was set.
That night, Xie Miao’er had trouble falling asleep.
The original body’s memory of the textile workshop was very vague. In the past, it had always been managed by Father Xie, and as his daughter, she knew very little about it.
Now that she had to take charge of the workshop, the first step was to thoroughly understand its current state.
The principle of “asking more, listening more, and observing more” was something Madam Xie had taught her when it came to managing household affairs and keeping accounts.
Additionally, ever since Xie Miao’er arrived in this era, she hadn’t had the chance to explore the outside world. The only place she had access to was this small piece of land belonging to the Lu family.
In the past, staying confined indoors and bedridden every day was something she had no choice but to endure. However, now that she had the energy of a healthy person, staying cooped up in the courtyard for so long was becoming unbearable.
Thinking about how she would finally get to see the streets, alleys, and local customs of several hundred years ago, Xie Miao’er couldn’t help feeling excited. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
Because of her restless night, she was yawning when she got up the next morning. Suddenly, she caught sight of the dark circles under Lu Huaihai’s eyes.
Xie Miao’er: …
For a moment, she felt a pang of guilt.
Lu Huaihai glanced at her and asked, “Did you sleep well?”
Xie Miao’er meekly replied, “Not very well.”
They said no more and went about their morning routines separately.
Having finished his preparations more quickly, Lu Huaihai stood under the wall, suddenly at a loss.
He usually left on his own by climbing over the wall.
But today, there was her.
Should they just leave through the main entrance of the Lu residence and pass through the front courtyard instead?
At this hour, running into his father was almost inevitable.
If his father saw him taking her out with him, he would undoubtedly think the worst.
His father had never hesitated to assume the worst about him as a son.
Before Lu Huaihai could think further, Xie Miao’er, who had specifically tied her hair in a simple bun for the day, had already slung her small bundle over her shoulder and stood by his side.
She looked up at him expectantly, with no intention of going through the main entrance.
She was just waiting for him to take her over the wall.
—
Footnotes:
- When combined, the pattern of pomegranates and bats represents a wish for “many children and abundant blessings” (多子多福). It is a traditional motif, often used in weddings or gifts between family members to express wishes for a prosperous and happy life.