Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

The Liu family bought a few more maids.

Qingxing'er was extremely unwilling to marry Bangchui, but she had no choice; she was bound by a contract and her marriage was not her own. Bangchui was quite favored and well-liked, so the wedding was relatively lively. Liangjie'er gave Qingxing'er a bolt of red silk, a bolt of green silk, a pair of silver bracelets, two silver hairpins, four velvet flowers, and a handkerchief, along with the tea cakes, wine, cloth, and jewelry from the betrothal gifts—it was quite a presentable amount. The goose, mutton, and pork leg from the betrothal gifts were cooked and the servants were treated to a large feast. Everyone in the household ate and drank, beaming with joy, while Qingxing'er wept bitterly in her bridal chamber, lamenting the injustice of her fate.

Busy as they were, it was already December before they knew it. Fengxian's pregnancy was going well, and the young maids were gradually getting the hang of things, no longer needing constant instruction. The three girls, surnamed Han, were named Yulan, surnamed Zhu, were named Cuilan, and surnamed Yang, were indeed all diligent. They never spared any effort in wiping tables and sweeping floors, and were very attentive in serving tea and water. After finishing the chores, they would sit down and immediately start sewing. Fengxian was very worry-free; she only needed to give instructions.

Once the twelfth lunar month arrives, it's not truly the twelfth lunar month without visiting several market days. With things settled in Fengxian, Liulian confidently took Cuicui out to the market. Finally able to get some fresh air, Cuicui was practically jumping for joy; she'd been cooped up for days. She chattered incessantly along the way, knowing every nook and cranny of the city. She greeted several beggars with a smug grin, pulling food from her sleeves and handing it to them, all the while praising her young mistress. Liulian watched with amusement, when suddenly she heard someone cough behind her. She instinctively flinched, but the cough grew louder. Turning around in surprise, she saw Gong Jianyun and was momentarily stunned.

Gong Jianyun clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, "Seventh Miss, how have you been?" Liu Lian quickly returned the greeting, but for a moment, she didn't know what to say. Facing Gong Jianyun, Liu Lian's feelings were somewhat complicated. She couldn't say she hated him, because they hadn't had much contact, so there was no deep love, and they weren't engaged—it was just a verbal agreement, so there was no question of betrayal. However, Liu Lian had indeed felt quite awkward because of him, and he had indeed risked his life to save her when she fell into the water. Liu Lian was past the age of falling in love at first sight, but she couldn't help but feel grateful to Gong Jianyun. Gong Jianyun never hid his feelings, and Liu Lian rationally believed he was an excellent candidate for husband; in other words, Liu Lian had actually accepted his pursuit and could be considered his lover—although Liu Lian appeared rather reserved under the heavy supervision of the Huo family, fate had played a cruel trick on her, and her best friend had stolen him away. While she felt regret, she felt more sympathy.

"Seventh Miss, is this your new maid? How come she agreed to serve you?" Gong Jianyun asked with a smile. Cui Cui was a well-known figure in the city, and Gong Jianyun knew her well.

"It's nothing, just fate! She begged me to buy her, and it wasn't much money, so consider it an act of charity! But she's quite clever." Liu Lian lowered his eyelids, staring at Gong Jianyun's black satin boots. Gong Jianyun was dressed impeccably, which showed that Xiangxiang had served him very well.

“She’s lucky to be with you! Anyone else would be like this!” Gong Jianyun said sincerely. “Are you going to the market? It’ll be very crowded, so be careful.”

"Thank you, see you later!" Liu Lian called out to Cui Cui and hurriedly left. Only after the two of them had gone far away did Gong Jianyun dare to turn around and gaze at her retreating figure, momentarily captivated. The next day, Gong Jianyun suggested to Magistrate Feng that he lead his men to maintain order at the market. The magistrate naturally agreed, but Gong Jianyun never encountered that beautiful figure who haunted his dreams again.

The 21st day of the twelfth lunar month was the biggest market day of the month. Cui Cui urged Liu Lian to go, but Liu Lian was afraid of the crowds and couldn't resist everyone's persuasion—Feng Xian had given the maids their monthly wages in advance and granted them leave. A few young maids almost deafened her with their noise, and she dragged them out of the house. Now the three young maids had become familiar with her, and although they weren't exactly disrespectful, they often forgot the rules.

They were quickly separated by the crowd. Liu Lian squeezed through the throng, and Gong Jianyun's eyes widened, almost unable to believe his eyes. Suddenly, the sky turned blue, the wind softened, the sun warmed, even the sparrows chirped sweetly, and the crows looked charming. He suppressed his excitement and slowly walked over. Liu Lian hadn't expected to meet him here and was speechless for a moment. It didn't matter; silence was good enough. Gong Jianyun felt a sweet warmth in his heart.

Liu Lian racked her brains trying to find something to say when suddenly Gong Jianyun pulled her into his arms. Liu Lian was horrified as a thick stick whistled through the air and crashed down where she had just been standing. It was the crazed Widow Yang. Gong Jianyun pushed Liu Lian behind him, used his waist knife to knock Widow Yang to the ground, and tied her up. Before he could even interrogate her, four or five more men surrounded them. Although unarmed, they managed to overpower Gong Jianyun, and Widow Yang screamed in agony as she was trampled on. In a moment of quick thinking, Liu Lian scooped up a bag of loose soil with her handkerchief and threw it out. Gong Jianyun seized the opportunity to knock down the remaining men, grabbed Liu Lian, and ran—luckily, Liu Lian had large feet; if she had bound feet, she definitely wouldn't have been able to escape. Several men brushed the dust off their faces and followed—they were Waimao's brothers. Gong Jianyun and his wife had caused Waimao a great loss and even married Waimao's wife to Zheng Tu, making it impossible for the brothers to face anyone. Today, seeing their enemy, they were filled with hatred and wanted Gong Jianyun dead.

Fleeing hastily to a temple, Gong Jianyun pushed Liulian behind a statue, pulled out a packet of ash powder and handed it to her. "If they come looking for you, sprinkle it on their faces. A knee kick will take them down!" He then handed Liulian his scabbard, looking at her with lingering affection. He finally cupped her face and kissed her hard before running away. Liulian was stunned. Was he planning to fight to the death? She peeked out cautiously, grabbed the incense burner from the altar, and hid behind the statue again. Her mind raced. Morally, she should help Gong Jianyun, but practically it might not be of much use, and might even distract him. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to go anyway. Even a toad can weigh two ounces; it must be of some use! She picked up the scabbard and the packet of ash powder and headed outside.

Not far away, Gong Jianyun was locked in a fierce battle with several men. Unable to muster the courage to approach, Liu Lian, quick-witted, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Fire! Help!" Hearing the commotion, some men rushed over. Liu Lian pointed at Gong Jianyun and said, "Officer Gong is catching thieves! Anyone who helps will be rewarded!" The reward was secondary; seeing that the thieves had no knives, the men grew bolder and went to help. Gong Jianyun fought with all his might, but he was outnumbered and gradually losing ground. Seeing that he had reinforcements, his spirits lifted.