Horse-head Wall Reflects the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 97 Returning Home: Things Are Not What They Used to Be; Gazing at the Moon and Stars in the Sky
"I know you're busy, so I didn't want to bother you... May I ask what your relationship is with this young lady?"

With the Liu family's matter settled, Guan Yin, now back in her courtyard, could finally appear in public as a young woman. When she visited the Cheng family elders, they weren't overly surprised and readily inquired about Liu Jiao'an and Ling Xiao.

“Madam, Ling Xiao is a good friend of both of us and Jiao An. He has been staying with us for some time now,” Guan Yin said, without introducing Ling Xiao as the “beloved of the newly appointed top scholar.”

The Cheng couple didn't ask, so Guan Yin didn't explain how Ling Xiao made a living. Over the past few days, Guan Yin had come to understand that what the two looked down on was not the original owner's status as a "person in a brothel," but rather that a fine man was willing to degenerate, relying on girls for a living, and lacking ambition.

But now Ling Xiao is no longer a singer in the brothel, so naturally, Guan Yin doesn't want Ling Xiao to be treated differently because of this identity.

"This is that person..."

"Mr. Cheng?"

"It is Mr. Cheng, the newly appointed third-ranked scholar, but not the Mr. Cheng who teaches." Having already heard the story of Cheng Mian's parents, Cheng Heng trusted Guan Yin's judgment of character and knew that everything could be told truthfully to the couple.

"Hahahaha." Cheng Mian's parents laughed naturally. "Seriously speaking, the two of you are quite a good match."

Cheng Heng's gaze followed these words and turned to Guan Yin, who turned his head away and did not respond to the question in Cheng Heng's eyes.

"My dear wife, at your age, how could you possibly understand the feelings between young girls and boys? Please don't try to play matchmaker!" With more people around, the large courtyard became more lively, and even Cheng Mian's father started joking.

“Madam, Miss Guan is my sworn sister and the daughter of my mentor. My relationship with Guan Gu Niang is only that of brother and sister.” Since the marriage proposal in the capital had been rejected, Guan Yin could only remain my sworn sister. Otherwise, the pressure that Cheng Heng couldn’t withstand would ruin Guan Yin.

This is not an era in which the people are the masters of the country. The so-called "the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people" is nothing more than an excuse to appease the people.

The couple exchanged a glance, their resentment mingling with the deep affection they had shared over the decades—such pure feelings were rare, even in the home of that second-rank official in the capital.

Sometimes people are like that; the more they have, the more inflated they become, and they want more than just what they have right now.

"Speaking of such a perfect match, what about the lady who was with you before...?"

"I remember, she seems to be a young lady from the Liu family?"

"Did she go back to the Liu family?"

News travels slowly in the countryside, and the couple, content with their secluded corner, buried all their emotions deep within the soil. They were unaware of the top three winners of the new imperial examinations, and of course, they had no idea of ​​the dramatic changes that had taken place in the Liu family.

When Liu Jiao'an was mentioned, Cheng Heng didn't know how to respond.

The Liu family's affairs are inextricably linked to Cheng Mian's death. I had also heard Guan Yin say that the one hurdle that Cheng's father could not overcome was Cheng Mian's death.

It was clearly not a certain death, but because of his father's distrust, his superiors, his elders, and the so-called loyalty and filial piety... Cheng Mian's desire to live was restricted, and he was finally buried in the raging flood.

Cheng's father didn't really want his son to achieve great success; he was just a father and didn't want Cheng Mian to be arrogant and ignorant at such a young age... In the end, it was a separation that never ended.

"The Liu family's property was confiscated. They will be executed in the autumn." Guan Yin only picked out the parts he could tell.

"Jiao'an put aside his own family for the greater good, which can be considered to offset his merits and demerits. He will probably be able to return to Huizhou soon."

With this constraint of "loyalty and filial piety" weighing on them, Cheng Mian's parents couldn't really comment on Liu Jiao'an's actions—logically speaking, as children, they should...

"Originally, Liu Jiao'an should have concealed the truth for her father, but Liu Qingxian's actions had killed too many people, so the court made an exception and spared Liu Jiao'an from the punishment of being flogged a hundred times."

The nation comes before the family, and loyalty before filial piety. Therefore, Liu Jiao'an's actions can be understood.

"I see." Mother Cheng nodded. "Jiao'an'er is also a child with a tragic fate."

Cheng's father, consumed by grief, drove his son to suicide. Meanwhile, Liu Jiao'an personally sent his father's entire family to the execution ground. With their roles reversed, Cheng Mian's parents inevitably thought of their own child...

For this reason, Guan Yin did not mention at the beginning that the reason why Liu Qingxian's family was raided was because of the flood that year. Not only did he not want the Cheng couple to recall the past, but he also did not want the couple to have to consider their own selfish reasons after they had reached their own conclusions.
"Corruption and embezzlement, disregard for the lives of ordinary people—the Liu family's current glory is inseparable from the sins committed by Liu Qingxian back then." Following Guan Yin's train of thought, Cheng Heng continued, "Now that he has confessed his crimes and accepted punishment, it is also a clear manifestation of justice."

After exchanging pleasantries, the three of them did not linger and returned to the courtyard to rest.

Three days later, a letter arrived at the courtyard half a day earlier than Liu Jiao'an's, saying that Liu Jiao'an was returning to see Guan Yin and the other two.

As dusk fell, with the bright moon rising over the green hills and the red sun carrying returning birds, the already somewhat crowded courtyard finally welcomed its true owner.

"Jiao'an".

"Sister Liu."

"Miss Jiao'an."

The three different names in succession calmed Liu Jiao, who had just stepped down from the carriage. When she looked up and saw the brightly blooming trumpet creeper, she realized that she had returned to the human world.

"Miss Guan, Mr. Cheng, Miss Lingxiao... everyone has been waiting for a long time."

Everyone could tell that Liu Jiao'an didn't actually want to say anything if she could. The courtyard was too noisy and not suitable for Liu Jiao'an at this moment—perhaps the three of them should move out as soon as possible to give Liu Jiao'an some peace and quiet.

"You must be tired from your journey, get some rest."

Ling Xiao had already cleaned the house, but now that Guan Yin had moved in, it was still too crowded. It was even more inconvenient for Cheng Heng to stay there, so he could only stay at the Cheng family's house for the night while it was still not too late.

That night, the three remained silent. When Cheng Heng arrived at the Cheng family's residence, aside from exchanging pleasantries, he did not engage in much conversation with the Cheng couple.

As night deepened, the trumpet vines bloomed in full glory. Their orange-red blossoms resembled the sun falling upon their petals.

Ling Xiao stayed behind to take care of Liu Jiao'an, while Guan Yin returned to the private school—the four of them tacitly chose where they should go, without even any further communication.

"The newly appointed third-ranked scholar, are you going to teach them yourself?" Guan Yin, unusually relaxed for a moment, joked with Cheng Heng, "Now the students should know that I'm an imposter..."

"However, the knowledge in my mind is not fake."

Cheng Heng was amused by Guan Yin's words, but he didn't know that the latter had this side to him: "You can put your script aside for now. I'll have time to work on it when I get back."

"The steward's matter is resolved, and this story has long since ended... What do you plan to write now? A talented scholar and a beautiful woman? Defending the country? Or perhaps a woman's lament?" Cheng Heng meant that he still hoped to teach. Guan Yin understood, but he couldn't guarantee that the parents of the students in the private school would agree.

Just like parents today who pursue famous teachers, hoping that retired top-level teachers will teach their children—because they are experienced, capable, and sure to produce good results.

At this point, the parents would inevitably be in the same boat: one is a newly appointed top scholar, the other is the daughter of a disgraced official whose case has just been overturned. Even a fool would know which one the parents would choose.

"But we mediocre students all know that the top students can do well on their own, but if they explain the same things to us, we won't be able to... Just like your way of explaining things, I can perform well on stage, but if I keep pretending for too long, I'll naturally be exposed."

"A famous teacher is not necessarily a wise teacher, is it? Anyone who understands the principles should find a wise teacher."

That's true, but finding a truly great teacher among renowned teachers is obviously much more difficult than finding one by randomly picking through a group of people on the street...

However, the students still came.

Not long after Cheng Heng and Guan Yin finished packing, the students gradually returned to the private school.

"Sir." Guan Yin was still disguised as a man. Even though everyone already knew, without saying a word, that the gentleman's true identity was the adopted sister of Cheng Jianwei, the newly appointed third-ranked scholar.

Congratulations, sir.

The students arrived, bringing gifts. It wasn't some major holiday or birthday celebration, which surprised Guan Yin.

"I don't know what brings me this joy?" Everyone knew that he wasn't the one who would receive the grand imperial examination, and this minor one was a thousand miles away from him. Guan Yin couldn't imagine what his students were congratulating him on.

"Congratulations on the exoneration of your father."

Oh, news from the capital travels fast among these merchants. It's not surprising, really; while some officials and merchants collude for evil, others secure their future by attaching themselves to a high-ranking official.

Therefore, it was not unexpected that such news spread rapidly in Huizhou Prefecture.

"Happy together."

"Sir, what is there for us to be happy about?"

"From now on, Huizhou Prefecture will enjoy peace and prosperity, with good weather and bountiful harvests. Isn't that a cause for celebration?"

"Pure and clear, black and white, the universe shines brightly, isn't this a cause for joy?"

After a brief period of liveliness, the private school returned to its original tranquility, with only the extremely faint sound of the brush rubbing against the Xuan paper.

Guan Yin was finally able to come out and look up at the sky in the courtyard.

"Now that everything has settled down, why can't we go back?"

In fact, from beginning to end, Guan Yin wanted to return to the present world.

Because of my identity as a teacher, I must be a teacher who lives up to the students' time.

Because of my current status, I must tell my students the little bit of "right path" that I can share with them.

Because she is also a woman, she has endless compassion for countless girls.

Similarly, Cheng Heng was the same.

"What do you plan to do if you really can't go back?"

Guan Yin is not good at business, nor can she continue teaching with such a haphazard title for the rest of her life. Today, there may be a teacher-student relationship, and the memory of Guan's father's past deeds may be remembered, but what about tomorrow? This era does not allow for the open existence of female teachers.

Cheng Heng didn't want to be an official; he wasn't blind to the intrigue and backstabbing. But once he rose to power, he couldn't step down. Trying to entertain the emperor by writing plays wasn't exactly the right path—precisely the very thing that many people criticize about the opera industry.

Even if "You Meng's Attire" is a form of satire...

"Guan Yin, what do you plan to do?"

Both of them remained silent. Cheng Heng himself was also lost in thought, but he still urged Guan Yin to give him an answer.

"The world is vast, there is always a way to survive, and now... it is to teach students well."

"And you? What can you do?"

"Now I understand what you meant. There's no going back, no going back..."

The "cannot go back" that Cheng Heng is talking about at this moment is obviously not about returning to the present world, but rather that after being forced step by step to that position, Cheng Heng no longer has the right to choose to step down.

"If only the original owner could come back. Although Cheng Jianwei's ideas are somewhat conservative, he is also very energetic. He is suitable to be an official."

"Um……"

A faint, serene fragrance of loquat wafted from the next courtyard, like the appearance of this small courtyard, this private school, or Guan Yin and Cheng Heng.

"Let's proceed cautiously and observe carefully, and not worry unnecessarily."

"There must be a road before the car reaches the mountain."

Looking up, Huangshan Mountain is neither far nor near; it seems to be right in front of you if you want to see it. Despite thousands of years of mudslides, landslides, natural disasters, and man-made calamities, the green mountains remain green mountains, still there.

Perhaps the mountain's shape has changed, and the name has changed, but the green mountain remains there, still itself. There are pines on the mountain, letting the breeze come and go, and weary birds return to the forest.

Nestled amidst the green hills, the clean white walls of the courtyard reflected the shadows of two beautiful women. The excessive paleness made them appear somewhat lonely... The two shadows were intertwined, clearly representing two people, yet they still appeared to be alone.

"Ling Xiao, are you just going to wait for him here?"

"I have nowhere to go now." Ling Xiao understood that the silver notes her mother had given her were both her dowry and a farewell gift. Ling Xiao didn't want to touch that money unless absolutely necessary.

"if……"

"How could I find you a nuisance?" Liu Jiao'an anticipated what Ling Xiao was about to say and cut him off before he could finish. "The couple next door are good people. I am ashamed to face them now. If you have nothing to do, go and talk to them to ease your mind."

"That way you won't be bored, and they'll get some comfort too."

This was the longest sentence Liu Jiaoan had uttered in several days, but it wasn't for herself.

"What do I have to be bored about?"

Suddenly raising its head, the vine looked past the trumpet creeper on the fence and saw the mountains in the distance.

"But... I'd like to go see that mountain in the distance."

"You haven't been?"

"Of course not. The first time I went on a long trip, when I left the music hall, it was to deliver money to Shuwen."

"Go and search..."

"I heard that your cousin lives on that mountain. Why won't you come with me?" Ling Xiao was a very understanding person. After so many years in the music academy, he could easily understand people's joys and sorrows.

The human heart is something you can never truly understand in a lifetime, but emotions can be conveyed with just a word, an expression, or even a slowly lowered hand.

"My aunt may have already gone back to Qiyun Mountain."

"Then let's go to Mount Qiyun."

"The mountain you see is Huangshan, not Qiyun Mountain."

"Mountains are all the same... I just want to go and see them." Ling Xiao is still a lively girl who yearns for freedom. "What I see determines what mountains are."