I served as Li Bai's page.

When I arrived at the bathhouse, Uncle Lu had already asked someone to boil hot water for me and bring it in.

"You may leave now, thank you!"

I closed the door, took off the clothes with money and letters sewn on them, carefully placed them aside, and took a comfortable hot bath.

I walked out of the bathhouse, and Ziyi was waiting for me outside. We went to the dining room, and Ziyi served me a bowl of rice. As I ate, Ziyi said:

"Yuehua, Miss already knows that Young Master Wu is gone. We couldn't keep it from her when we came back last time and told her. We wanted to persuade her to find another family, but she refused. Master and Madam didn't want to pressure her either."

"She must have been heartbroken for a long time."

"She hadn't left her room for several days. Later, when the lady fell ill, she came out to take care of her, and the lady gradually recovered. I just wanted to tell you in advance so you could be prepared."

"I see."

I intended to go back to my room to rest, but seeing the old lady and Yueyuan standing in the courtyard watching me, I could sense how much they wanted to know about the young master, so I went over to them and said:

"Madam, Miss, let's go back inside and talk."

We arrived at Madam's room. Aunt Lu helped Madam sit on a chair covered with a soft blanket, and Yueyuan brought out a chair to sit next to Madam.

I knelt down again before the lady and said, "On behalf of the young master and young mistress, I kowtow to the old lady." After saying that, I kowtowed three times.

"Get up quickly, sit next to me, and tell me about the young master's situation over the past two years."

I moved a stool and sat down next to the old lady, and gave her a general account of my and Li Bai's travels over the past two years. When I mentioned that Li Bai was seriously ill in Yangzhou, the old lady and Yueyuan were already sobbing uncontrollably.

"Back then, the young master wrote a poem: 'Moonlight shines before my bed, I wonder if it's frost on the ground. I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon, then lower my head and think of my hometown.' The young master truly missed his hometown. However, his ideals and ambitions forced him to stay away from you."

The lady clutched her chest and said, "The Li family's sons have suffered so much." After saying that, she could no longer speak.

I quickly went behind the lady and gently massaged her back.

"And how did you end up going to Anlu to marry your sister-in-law?" Yueyuan asked.

"When we were in Jinling and Yangzhou, the young master was generous and often helped poor scholars and friends. After some time in Yangzhou, we ran out of money. Just then, we met a friend of the young master's from Donglu who was working in Yangzhou. Seeing that the young master was single and needed money, he acted as our matchmaker."

"My brother is deeply in love with his master's daughter, so he was definitely unwilling at first," Yueyuan said.

"The young master was initially unwilling, but considering his situation at the time, he agreed."

The old lady said, "Who knows the bitterness in my son's heart?" Then she burst into tears again.

I cried as I said, "We were really desperate at the time, unable to go back. Luckily, the young master had many friends, and Cen Xun found us. We went to Suizhou together first, where the young master met the Taoist master Hu Ziyang, and then we arrived in Anlu."

The lady asked, "How is the young mistress's family? Your young master only mentioned in his letter that the young mistress is the granddaughter of the former prime minister, Xu Yushi, but didn't say anything about her family."

"Madam, rest assured, the young mistress's family is extremely wealthy and a prominent clan in the area. I brought back a letter from the young master, as well as a lot of money." As I spoke, I took the sash-cut garment and handed it to the madam.

"Aunt Lu, bring me a pair of scissors," the lady called out.

Aunt Lu went into the house, took out a pair of scissors from a bamboo bag, and handed them to the old lady.

"Yuehua, I'm amazed you came up with this idea—sewing money into clothes."

"Madam, it wasn't my idea, it was the young mistress's. She was worried that I was carrying too much money and it wouldn't be safe for me on the road." After saying that, I went to my room and took out a stack of silver notes from my luggage: "And these too, these were given to me by Master Xu."

The old lady used scissors to open the clothes, and several stacks of silver notes slipped out from inside, along with the letter written by Li Bai.

Yueyuan picked up the envelope and handed it to the old lady, whose hands trembled as she tore it open. Inside were two letters, one for the master and mistress, and one for Yueyuan.

The old lady unfolded the letter, and before she even began to read it, she had already started sobbing.

"Dear Father and Mother, seeing this letter is like seeing you in person. Your unfilial son, Li Bai, kowtows three times, wishing you good health, longevity, and happiness as enduring as the pine trees."

In my last letter, I mentioned returning home, and it seemed like the trip was about to begin. However, your grandson arrived early, hindering my journey. Ziyan is experiencing severe pregnancy symptoms and is not suited for long-distance travel, so this trip back has to be cancelled. I can only ask my page Yuehua to go home and visit her in her stead.

Every night at midnight, gazing at the bright moon over my hometown, I feel deeply ashamed of having failed my father and mother in raising me. I have endured countless hardships, traversing mountains and rivers, all for the sake of bringing glory to my family and ancestors. Yet, things have always turned out contrary to my wishes. Now, while the affairs of the nation are uncertain, the affairs of my family are settled. I must strive even harder to return home in triumph as soon as possible…

After reading it, the old lady said through tears, "My child, I don't care if you bring glory to the family; I just want you to be safe and sound."

Yueyuan stood up and wiped away her mother's tears, saying, "My brother is well-versed in the classics and should take the sages of the past as his role models. It's understandable that he has such aspirations. Mother, even though my brother isn't by your side, I am still here. I will take his place in fulfilling my filial duties and stay by your side for the rest of my life."

"My daughter is talking nonsense again. What kind of daughter stays by her mother's side for a lifetime?" the old lady said.

"If it didn't exist in ancient times, then let it start with me," said the full moon.

"Read the letter your brother sent you to your mother."

"My brother didn't write anything, just an apology. Mother, you don't have to read it. Actually, I've long since stopped blaming him; it's my fate."

"My daughter has suffered too," the old lady said, wiping away another tear. Then, noticing the money on the table, she asked:

"Yuehua, the young mistress gave you so much money, hasn't she given you an explanation?"

"Yes, the young master promised to build a pavilion for the young lady, and this money is mainly for building that pavilion," I said.

"Thank goodness my son still remembers this; I thought he was just saying it casually. Aunt Lu, go and call Uncle Lu and Ziyi over."

Uncle Lu and Ziyi arrived at the madam's room shortly afterward and asked:

"What business does Madam have with my son and me?"

"Young Master wants to build a pavilion for his sister. He said it should be located behind the Longxi Courtyard, slightly to the north. Have someone take a look and see if it's suitable. If so, we'll build it before Yuehua returns to Anlu, so we can give Young Master and Young Mistress an explanation."

"Okay, I'll take care of it tomorrow." Uncle Lu and his son walked out.

"It's late, Yuehua, you should go back and rest too. We'll talk again tomorrow."

"Then I'll go back to my room, Madam. Don't worry about the young master too much; he'll take good care of himself."

"I know. Now that I know he's safe and sound and has his own child, I'm relieved and content. You should go back and get some rest."

The old lady stood up as she spoke, intending to escort me back to my room, but I quickly said, "Madam, please don't. You've been crying for so long, you should rest too."

After I finished speaking, I left the old lady's room, and Yueyuan followed me out. Seeing her hesitant expression, I said:

"Miss, you must be very curious about how Young Master Wu died? I'll tell you the details tomorrow, okay? It's too late today."

"Okay, you can go back inside now," said Yueyuan.