Chapter 262: Cedar Blossoms, Strange Visitor
Seven days passed quietly. A cold current swept in, adding a touch of winter to Changling County.
People on the streets wore thicker clothes. As they bustled about, many county residents began preparing for the New Year, creating a lively and busy atmosphere.
Within the Lin Mansion, a warm and cheerful atmosphere also prevailed.
“Be careful, don’t fall down the stairs!”
“S-Sir, don’t worry, I can handle this small matter!”
A handsome child dressed in a thin cotton-padded jacket was perched on the wall, standing on tiptoe as he replied.
At the same time, he nimbly began to clean the accumulated leaves and dust on the wall, sweeping every corner and crevice spotlessly, as if afraid of leaving any dirt or grime.
Lin Tianlu, standing at the bottom of the ladder, nodded in satisfaction.
—Xueshan, the child he had once helped out of kindness, had changed dramatically over the past six months.
He had shed his former naiveté and timidity and could now work and clean as skillfully as a mature adult. Having not seen him for a while, even the contours of his face seemed more mature than before.
Xueshan’s sudden visit was naturally because he had heard about the upcoming wedding.
With business at the medicine shop slowing down, he had volunteered to come and lend a hand. However, since the wedding banquet wasn’t on a large scale and they didn’t plan to make it widely known throughout the county, it was just a dinner for family and friends, there wasn’t much need for grand decorations. Just a few characters and lanterns on the windows and doors would suffice.
As for the rest—
Cleaning, tidying up the dishes and chopsticks, bringing in tables and chairs for the guests… that was about it.
“S…Sir?”
“What is it?”
Lin Tianlu had just finished pasting a calligraphy scroll and turned to look at the child on the ladder.
Xueshan stopped his work, his childish and cute face now showing a hint of curiosity and shyness. He whispered, “Sir, you’re getting married to those two Madams in two days, I wonder what… what are your feelings right now?”
“That’s a good question.” Lin Tianlu gave him a thumbs-up.
Recalling the past, although it wasn’t that long ago, the experiences of the past six months were truly unforgettable.
“Thinking about it carefully, there’s both excitement and joy, as well as a bit of nervousness and unease.”
“Why would Sir feel uneasy?”
“I may not be mature enough to truly make them happy and carefree. The thought that I will still need to rely on their care in the future makes me feel guilty.” Lin Tianlu shook his head and chuckled: “But simply put, it’s probably because this is my first time getting married, so naturally, I’m a bit nervous.
When you grow up, if you meet someone you cherish, you will probably understand this wonderful feeling.”
“I-Is that so…”
Xueshan nodded thoughtfully, his bright eyes flickering with a hint of longing and hope.
Lin Tianlu teased gently: “But it’s still too early for you to think about these things at your age. It’s better to focus on how to grow up. With your foundation, Xueshan, you’ll definitely have plenty of opportunities in the future.”
“Sir, such praise…”
Xueshan’s cheeks flushed, clearly very shy.
Although he was still young, he had been living on the streets for many years and had been working in the shop for the past six months. His experiences and thoughts were far more mature than those of ordinary children. Hearing the man he admired sincerely praise him, naturally, his heart fluttered with nervousness and shyness.
“I’ll go back to… Wah?!”
Before he could finish speaking, Xueshan suddenly screamed in panic, losing his footing on the ladder and falling.
Just as he was about to hit the ground headfirst, he fell into a warm and broad embrace.
Lin Tianlu had caught him steadily, using his shoulder to prop up the tilting ladder.
“Ha…”
Xueshan gasped, his heart still pounding, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead: “Th-Thank you, Sir.”
He couldn’t help but glance at the ladder and saw that one of its legs had somehow broken, causing it to wobble.
“That’s unexpected, I didn’t expect this ladder to be defective.”
Lin Tianlu also saw it clearly, his expression subtle: “I’ll have to go and talk to the shopkeeper tomorrow.”
He had just bought it yesterday, and it had already broken… truly unreliable.
Fortunately, he happened to be watching. If Xueshan had really fallen to the ground, with a child’s physique, something serious could have happened.
“Th-That… Sir…”
A weak and soft whisper reached his ears.
Lin Tianlu looked down and saw Xueshan in his arms covering his mouth with a blush, murmuring: “Please put me down… I’m a bit embarrassed to be held by Sir like this.”
“You’re right.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled, gently setting him down and helping him straighten his slightly messy clothes: “But you’ll have to practice your courage in the future, you can’t always blush and speak softly. A real man, when you meet a girl you like in the future, you have to show your courage and decisiveness. If you’re too timid, be careful of being bullied.”
“…I-I know.”
Xueshan nodded with a blush, but his body was still tense, as if he hadn’t yet recovered from the emotional upheaval.
“Seeing how you are now, you should sit down and rest for a while.”
Lin Tianlu smiled and rubbed his head, taking out a string of copper coins from his embrace and putting them into his hand: “And remember to keep your wages for helping out today.”
“Sir, isn’t this too much…”
“I think it’s appropriate.” Lin Tianlu shrugged. “Besides, my wedding is in two days, and I don’t think it’s wrong to give a red envelope to a friend who came to help.”
Xueshan felt ashamed: “I should be the one preparing a congratulatory gift for Sir.”
“I have everything I need right now, so there’s no need for a gift. Come in and sit down, I’ll pour you a cup of tea.”
“Mm…”
Although Xueshan felt a bit presumptuous, he didn’t refuse any further and carefully put away the small money pouch, following Lin Tianlu back into the courtyard.
After sitting down somewhat restrainedly in the pavilion, he looked around curiously: “I don’t seem to see Madam Mao and the others today?”
“They went to town together to choose jewelry to wear on the wedding day, as well as some rouge, powder, new bedding, and so on. They need to buy a new set of everything.”
“Ah… It’s true that women need to make a lot of preparations for marriage, and the bridal chamber also needs to be properly decorated.”
Xueshan suddenly understood, blinking his eyes: “But, Sir, aren’t you going with them to offer your advice?”
“I have no confidence in my taste in jewelry. It’s better for them to choose themselves.” Lin Tianlu smiled and brought him a plate of melon seeds: “Besides, there’s a friend helping them today. With her taste, I’m sure they’ll make good choices.”
Hearing this, Xueshan didn’t worry anymore. Just as he was about to take a sip of tea, his eyes shifted, looking curiously at the Go board placed beside the long chair, with many Go stones scattered around, clearly not yet put away.
Lin Tianlu took a sip of warm tea, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly: “Xueshan, are you interested in Go?”
“Y-Yes, a little.”
Xueshan quickly lowered his eyes, saying timidly: “My father taught me how to play Go before, and seeing this board reminds me of the past.”
“Oh?”
Lin Tianlu raised an eyebrow, his thoughts stirring.
This child clearly wasn’t a homeless orphan with unknown parents. His polite and courteous speech and mannerisms indicated that he had received a good Confucian education after birth, and it wasn’t surprising that his parents had taught him some qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
Thinking of this, he suddenly smiled: “Do you want to play a game with me?”
“Eh?” Xueshan looked up in surprise: “Sir, are you really going to play Go with me?”
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “Is there something strange about playing Go? Or do you think it’s shameless for an adult like me to play with a child?”
“N-No!”
Xueshan waved his hands and shook his head repeatedly, a hint of excitement appearing between his eyebrows: “I just know that Sir is incredibly talented, everyone in the county praises you. And those great scholars are all proud and arrogant, how could they casually play Go with others?”
“I don’t have so many rules.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled, reaching out to arrange the Go board and stones: “Playing Go is naturally for cultivating one’s temperament and training one’s mind, not for showing off one’s status. To refuse to communicate just because one considers oneself senior or older would be putting the cart before the horse.”
Hearing this, Xueshan couldn’t help but show a sweet and lovely smile: “Sir is right!”
…
After the Go stones were rearranged, the expression on Xueshan’s small face gradually became serious. His small and slender body sat upright, his knees pressed together, and his hands placed flat on his legs, a solemn and serious posture.
Lin Tianlu smiled slightly: “You go first.”
“Okay.”
Xueshan nodded seriously, and after a brief moment of thought, he quickly placed his first stone.
Seeing his proper and elegant posture, Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but praise him silently.
Although young, he truly possessed a unique refined air. If he could grow up strong and healthy, perhaps he could achieve fame and success in this world.
At least his quick and agile mind already surpassed his peers.
“…”
After several rounds of attack and defense, Lin Tianlu, who had initially just planned to give him some pointers, couldn’t help but let out a soft exclamation, his eyes brightening.
This child’s Go skills…
Were better than he had imagined.
Not only was his thinking extremely clear, but his moves also contained subtle strategies, gradually weaving together a trap, a marvel of interlocking moves, truly ingenious!
This was definitely not a game an ordinary child could play, perhaps even Old Master Nie next door was slightly inferior in this aspect.
“Xueshan, your Go skills are truly impressive!”
“Sir, you flatter me…”
Xueshan replied stiffly.
Looking closely at his face, one could see that his expression kept changing, sweat dripping from his forehead, and he kept biting his lower lip, as if he had been forced into a desperate situation by the current game.
Mr. Lin was truly… amazing!
Looking at the profound formations on the Go board, Xueshan felt his heart panic and his strength drain. His mind was almost at its limit. Countless solutions flashed through his mind, but no matter how he tried to deduce and attempt, he couldn’t find any way to break the situation.
At the beginning, he had been able to take the initiative, setting up a trap to launch a fierce attack. But unexpectedly, as the game progressed, not only had he not achieved any significant results, but the roles of attacker and defender had inadvertently been reversed, and he was now the one struggling to hold on.
“I can’t find a single weakness, even if there is one… upon closer inspection, they are all dead ends.”
Xueshan swallowed, his eyes flickering.
Only now did he truly realize why the county residents praised Mr. Lin so highly. This incredible Go skill alone was enough to deserve such praise.
Compared to him, his own meager skills were truly—
“Xueshan, sometimes you don’t have to overthink things.”
A calm and soothing voice suddenly pulled him back from his daze.
Lin Tianlu rubbed the Go stone in his hand, his expression serious, and mused: “Complex and intricate thinking may bring you a more comprehensive understanding. But if you focus too much on the overall situation and neglect what’s in front of you, you’re prone to overthinking, hindering your own progress.”
Xueshan looked stunned: “Sir, you mean…”
“Why not narrow your vision for now and focus on the present.” Lin Tianlu smiled. “Otherwise, you’ll lose by being too preoccupied with the big picture.”
“This—”
Xueshan trembled as if electrocuted, his eyes widening as he stared blankly at the Go board filled with stones.
In a daze, sparks of light seemed to flicker and rise in his eyes.
“What is… this?”
…
In the bustling streets of the afternoon, the flow of people was as endless as ever.
And in a jewelry store, it was unusually quiet.
It was because the few beautiful women currently in the store were so dazzling that even female customers who entered couldn’t help but lower their voices, feeling a sense of inferiority.
“This jade bracelet looks perfect on Madam Mao.”
Ren Yinshan gently brushed the bracelet Mao Ruoyu had just put on her wrist. The intricate and exquisite patterns made her smile warmly: “Wearing this on your wedding day will truly enhance your radiance.”
“It is indeed very beautiful.”
Mao Ruoyu looked at the bracelet and quickly sighed helplessly: “But Miss Ren, you’ve been praising me non-stop all the way. No matter what I put on, you praise it. I truly have no more room to wear any more jewelry.”
Besides, if she were to buy all these things…
She would probably be penniless by the evening.
Ren Yinshan’s smile didn’t diminish, and she held her hand gently, saying: “That’s because Madam Mao is naturally beautiful. You don’t need these jewels to enhance your charm. On the contrary, it’s your beauty that brings out the exquisite beauty of these ornaments.”
“Don’t exaggerate so much.”
Cheng Yishi walked over with a subtle expression, shaking the rouge box in her hand: “How about this?”
Ren Yinshan immediately turned around and smiled: “Miss Cheng, you have natural beauty and jade-like skin. You don’t need rouge and powder to enhance your complexion. Just buy a couple of boxes for appearances’ sake.”
“You really are… trying to praise us to the heavens?”
Cheng Yishi couldn’t help but laugh.
She and Mao Ruoyu had originally sought out this newly acquainted friend for advice because they were unsure, but they didn’t expect that once they started chatting…
The compliments just wouldn’t stop!
Even Cheng Yishi, who considered herself somewhat thick-skinned, couldn’t help but feel a bit shy and embarrassed. Fortunately, there were no other customers nearby in the jewelry store, and the shopkeeper didn’t come to disturb them.
Otherwise, she would probably be so embarrassed that she wouldn’t know what to do.
“In my opinion, those words just now came from the heart. I’ve wandered for so many years and haven’t seen many women more beautiful than you two.” Ren Yinshan covered her mouth with a chuckle, her eyes softening, as if she were looking at her own younger sisters.
Cheng Yishi chuckled and casually stuffed the rouge box into Mao Ruoyu’s hand: “Just compliment Madam Mao more, there’s no need for me!”
“Eh?”
Seeing her about to “flee,” Mao Ruoyu quickly reached out and pulled her back.
Seeing them playfully interact, Ren Yinshan’s expression became even more pleased.
These two Madams truly—
“Hm!?”
Ren Yinshan’s expression suddenly changed drastically, as she looked towards the entrance of the store with surprise and uncertainty.
