<h4>Chapter 45: Agreeable Autumn Wind</h4>


    Trantor: Iris


    Proofread by DragonRider


    When she returned to the capital to reunite with the Sheng family a few monthster, Minn was asked what kind of person He Hongwen was.


    Pondering for quite long, Mingan answered, “A good person.”


    Hes was an aristocrat family, the ancestor of which had set up the Baishitan Academy as an honest and upright pioneer among all schrs around the country for decades. Though the descendants were less outstanding as their ancestors, they were in possession of both wealth and nobility titles. Old Madam He had married to a coteral branch of the He family. Her third son passed away at a young age, left with only one son, He Hongwen, who was much loved by his grandparents.


    He Hongwen had studied medicine since he was a child. As soon as the boat started to sail, he began to boil medicine tea for Minn tofort her stomach. Though the tea tasted bitter, it took effect soon. One dose of it made Minn feel much better. Yet, she believed in the end she had to build up to resist sickness, so she nned to take no more of it. However, since it was not polite to turn down his kindness, she had to secretly dumped the tea away.


    One day, He Hongwen came to visit Minn and asked casually, “Did you take the medicine tea I sent?”


    Minn responded with a serious face, “Yes, I took it just now.” To her surprise, at this moment Xiaotao came in from outside with a cup in her hand, saying “Rx mydy; no one saw me...” The sentence stopped halfway at the sight of He Hongwen.


    Minn followed He Hongwen’s eyes, only to see stains of the green drug liquid of familiar smell on the white porcin tea cup with lotus pattern. He Hongwen slowly looked back at Minn who tried hard in pretending to be cool, “Xiaotao, howe it took you so long to wash a cup?” Xiaotao, in shock, could only make an excuse, “The cup...is hard to wash.”


    Minn, feeling her scalp shuddering, forced someughter and said to He Hongwen while avoiding his eyes, “Haha, it’s hard...hard to wash.”


    He Hongwen pretended to act as usual and smiled, “Of course, things get harder on boat.”


    Minn...=_=. Danju, standing next to her on call, was less brazen and looked away.


    The next day, He Hongwen sent two bowls of herbal tea. Before him, Minn held up undauntedly the bowls, gurgled in one breath, and showed him the empty bowls for inspection.


    He Hongwen smiled like a teacher praising a pupil who just finished the homework that had been procrastinated.


    Strictly speaking, He Hongwen was the first unrted man Minn knew. Their grandmothers were confidants that hadn’t seen each other for decades, so they hid in thepartment chatting and making up for decades of years’ loss. With thepany of a group of servants, young or old, Minn and He Hongwen indeed met several times.


    The first meeting between ancient boys and girls started normally with, “What books have you read?”


    The question was familiar to Minn because this sentence was quested to recite in Lin Daiyu Moving to Jia Mansion from the high school textbook, so she imitated the character in it and answered in a shy manner, “I only know a few words trying not to be illiterate.”


    Having answered his question, Minn felt herself behaving like a realdy.


    He Hongwen picked up his eyebrows and made noment about it but he looked right to stare at a pile of papers for practicing calligraphy on the desk. The papers were stained with ink, apparently having been written with characters. Minn was a bit embarrassed and added, “I have just read Female Rules and Filial Piety.”


    He Hongwen still kept silent and turned to left where on the shelf piled out of order several used books whose covers were open. On topics of medical astrology, astronomy, geography among others, they were light readings sent here by Changbai and Changdong at Minn’s begging.


    Minn was once again caught and forced a smile, “...These are books my brother told me to give my cousin.”


    He Hongwen seemingly understood it well and smiled, “You brother really reads extensively.”


    The corners of Minn’s mouth jittered and she forced some dryughter. Good Heavens, brother Changbai who only read ssics, brother Changsong who only read ounts, and brother Changwu who felt dizzy at the sight of characters, please do forgive her!


    The kindest side of He Hongwen was that he still nodded and pretended to be unaware of Minn’s lies however apparent they might be, and that he seemed convinced of every obvious excuse that Minn had made. Since he was so nice, Minn no longer put on air of ady and began to treat he with sincerity.


    As they approached Jinling, the weather turned warm. Last time they headed north to Deng Prefecture, Minn had just time-travelled here when shecked energy and was at low ebb of her life, so she had no mood to enjoyndscape. However, this time, she was in a fresh new mood. Thendscape along the banks greeted her as increasingly delicate and soft. Minn sat at the window to appreciate the natural sight and cargos at Caoyun Dock while He Hongwen, who had travelled between north and south several times, exined for her with smile and patience.


    “Big white bird; big mouth bird, ... gunny-bag boat!” Minn dumbly pointed at things and named them with poor diction.


    He Hongwen exined with a smile, “That is cormorant, apt at catching fish; ...That is gull... No, that is grain boat...”


    Minn’s outgoing and cheerful nature and He Hongwen’s introversion yet reliability made the two get along quite well with each other.


    “My mother intended me to be an official through exams, yet I have no motivation for that but only passion for drugs and medication.” He Hongwen said with shame.


    “Brother, don’t look down upon yourself. Reading ssics is just to assist the emperor in governing the country as well as benefiting the family and descendants. However, in the end, medicine ys the same role. You can still bring glory to the family and save the world by treating illness and helping the sick. Your grandmother’s father, with such great medical skill and ethics that he went to infected area in person to save lives when he was a teenager and turning an adult, he was in charge of the Imperial Medical College and issued canon of medicine, an honorable man so respected by the world!” Minn sounded sincere because doctor was a noble profession and also well-paid.


    He Hongwen’s eyes turned bright and looked at the girl opposing him, smiling.


    “My father passed away at a young age and my mother has been sick. It’s really unfilial of me not fulfilling her expectation to indulge in learning for official rank.” He Hongwen’s mncholy shrouded the autumn like a piece of silk.


    Minn disyed her tender white hands on which pinholes were visible, “I never liked embroidering and the butterfly I made still looked like a fly even though I’ve been taught by several masters my grandmother invited. I’m also an unfilial girl.”


    He Hongwen smiled andforted, “You are still too young. With enough practice, you’ll sure get better at it. My cousin Jin’er is most apt at embroidering and she made it by practicing day after day.” Minn touched her fingers and asked casually, “Oh? Does she also in Jinling?”


    He Hongwen’s face turned gloomy, “No. A few years ago, her father was found guilty due to the ‘Xiaoliangshan Mine case’ and the whole family was exiled to Liangzhou.”


    Minn stopped talking. A few years ago, several hundreds of miners were killed in the copse of Xiaoliangshan Mine. Unexpected was that the mine owner colluded with the local officials and embezzled much of the constion money. Even more outrageous, the mine owner used the workers’ wives and children, almost provoking public anger and causing a serious blunder.


    The emperor hit the roof after hearing the news, though he knew this was the aftermath of emperor-seizing. However, he could only punish those officials who championed this event. As for the aplices, fear was their punishment. Therefore, only a few officials were condemned in this event. To He Hongwen’s surprise, his cousin’s family fell victim of it.


    “Since they are only exiled, I suppose the charge is anything but a felony. Otherwise, they would be decapitated. After all, there will be nationwide amnesty. I believe your cousin will be pardoned and get back home someday.” Minnforted. As long as the crime onemitted was not felony, thew-offenders would be pardoned upon the new emperor’s ession to the throne. Besides, all people around the country knew that the emperor was living counting his days left.”


    He Hongwen was grateful towards Minn’s good intention. After a while, he responded, “My maternal uncle did do something wrong at that time, so he wasn’t wronged and deserved the punishment, yet it would be best that they could be pardoned.” Pausing for a while, he continued, “I have self-made m scream in my ce. Why not give you some for hand-care? In winter, fingers turn inflexing when doing needlework. The cream can rx meridians and promote blood cirction.”


    The youth had a gentle tone and mild eyes like thest touch of golden sunrays in the cool early autumn, crawling onto Minn’s face and making it hot.


    After another five or six days of sailing, the boat finally dropped anchor at the dock where stood many people who seemed to be servants judging by their dress. They all stretched necks to look into the boat. Half of them were here to pick Minn and others up and escort them to Youyang. The other half, who looked bleak, were to pick up Old Madam He to visit her sick old father in Jinling where her original family lived .


    Old Madam He held Old Madam Sheng’s hands and bade farewell for quite long before letting them go. He Hongwen repeatedly urged Minn, “Take care of yourself. People are most easily to fall ill from long voyage and tiredness. Have a good rest before hanging out.”


    Minn nodded hard.


    Sheng Wei and his eldest son Changsong arrived here to receive them. It was the first time Minn met with her eldest cousin who had dark skin, strong features, loud voice and generous temperament. He and Changwu looked very alike to each other. The moment he saw Minn, he greeted her withughter, “I suppose you are my sixth younger sister Minn. My father has kept talking about you with my sister Pin and she often cried to see you in these years.”


    “I guess you’ve never been to Youyoung. It’s a good ce and our ancestral hall is situated there. Two hours’ ride will take us from there to Jingling. Later, I’ll take you and Pin to hang around.”


    “Jinling is home to many aristocrats and officials, so we businessmen don’t want to join them. It’s best to stay in our hometown where you can enjoy spaciousnd and beautiful scenery. I learned that you like fishing. Later I can prepare for you fishing tools. In the dozens-of-miles-sized of fishing pond, the fish can even be poked with a pole!”


    “The mountain forest is most beautiful in autumn. You must see it before winter. The mountain is swarmed with maple trees that are different from those in the capital. They are less fragile but wilder.”


    That day it was sunny and warm with cool autumn breeze in the air. Even sitting in a pnquin wouldn’t be smothering. Sheng Wei and Old Madam Sheng was talking while brother Changsong, riding a horse, talked with Minn who sat in the pnquin to avoid boringness for her. Minn felt she was like a little happy child going on an outing.


    Though “Sheng” meant prosperity, the family was formerly far away from prosperity. Instead, it was dying off. Until ancestor Sheng seized the opportunity of dynasty-changing to make a fortune by making connections as a businessman with a few senior officials did Sheng family began to prosper, after which ancestral hall was set up and a grandeur mansion was built in their hometown Youyang. All merchants longed for being schrly, so the first thing ancestor Sheng did after his sess was to marry with a big dowry ady from a degrading schr family. Then they had three children.


    The eldest son inherited the family wealth yet he, ascivious man, was fascinated by a singer concubine and yed a farce of “spoiling concubine while abandoning wife”. It was said that in hisst days, he was almost broke. The second son was Minn’s grandfather, a handsome young man with graceful bearing that achieved the third in the national exam. His wife was a toughdy from a Marquis family; the two treated each other like enemies. He died of a cold before turning thirties. The third son was the oddest one, surviving till today through excessive eating, drinking, gambling and visiting prostitutes.


    Minn sighed deeply: The introduction of genes to make modification failed. The whole army was wiped out.


    Servants had long sent the news to the old mansion, so by the time when Minn and others arrived, the gate of Sheng Mansion was wide open with a row of smart-dresseddies standing at it. Seeing Old Madam Sheng and Minn walk out from pnquin, one middle-ageddy with a round face walked up and bowed to Old Madam Sheng. She smiled, “You finally arrive, aunt. Our old madam has missed you so much that her neck turned longer in expecting you. I haven’t seen you for many years. Seeing you in good health makes me happiest than anything else.”


    While chatting, she spotted a pretty young girl standing next to Old Madam Sheng, so she asked tentatively, “Is this my niece?”


    Old Madam Sheng answered smiling, “Yes, this is the monkey. I keep her around me since she was a little girl. Now she can keeppany with Pin.”


    Then she took a nce at Minn.


    Getting the hint, Minn immediately walked up to show respect and bowed, “Nice to meet you and wish you are well, big aunt.”


    Li shi’s eyes were squeezed to lines from smiling and kept saying, “Good girl, good girl.” Then she reached out to touch Minn’s face and appreciation leaked out of her eyes, “What a pretty and well-disciplined girl. You must stay longer and teach your wild-monkey-like cousin Pin. Then she won’t act like a horse without bridle.” Then she pointed to a young woman next to her, “This is your big sister-inw. Just ask her if you need anything while living here.”


    Minn bowed again, “Nice to meet you, big sister-inw.”


    Wen shi held Minn up at once and said gently, “Feel at home, sister. After greeting old madam, let’s see whether you like the room prepared for you. If you don’t like it, just change another one. This is also your home; just don’t feel restricted.”


    Li shi was a wealthy-lookingdy who was amiable yet solemnly graceful. In a while, Old Madam Sheng among others was led inwards. Passing through the second gate and tea room along the corridor and circumventing the cover wall, they entered the main hall where First Old Madam lived. Minn walked in and saw in the middle sitting a grey-haired old woman who looked fragile and skinny, but her eyes were clear and torchy. At the sight of Old Madam Sheng, the old woman stood up to wee her with both arms opening.


    Old Madam Sheng hurried a few steps and greeted, “Big sister-inw.”


    First Old Madam Sheng responded passionately, “My sister-inw, I haven’t seen you for many years. Considering your health condition and apanying Sheng Hong everywhere to take office, I feared you would be worn out, so I’ve been expecting to see you once more in my lifetime. Today, it’s indeed a blessing from Buddha.”


    As she spoke, the tone turned trembling. Old Madam Sheng was touched and replied with intimacy. Then she ordered Minn to kowtow to First Old Madam Sheng. Thetter held Minn’s hand and examined her with great care, nodding repeatedly, “This child has a good face, looking both auspicious and pretty.”


    This was the second time that Minn was praised for being pretty on the same very day. She tried not to touch her own face, thinking to herself, how could a 12-year-old girl be beautiful? She supposed that the rtives were just being nice because they couldn’tment her at the first meeting that ‘Your child looks like a pie’.


    The outgoing Changwu was a bit shy today. Since Minn entered the door and said to him “Congrattions brother”, he turned to a boiled shrimp, keeping lowering his red face after replying several questions of Old Madam Sheng and standing up straight to cultivate the temperament of a shy groom.


    In view that Old Madam Sheng and First Old Madam Sheng were chatting, Li shipulled over Minn and pointed to a girl who seemed of the same age standing next to her, “This is your cousin Pin. You are of the same age.”


    Minn looked at the girl who had a pair of big eyes on her round face which resembled that of Li shi’s, and a pair of delicate and sharp eyebrows that made the whole face alive and active. She was also looking back at Minn. As the two’s sight met, Minn smiled to show friendliness, “Nice to meet you, sister Pin.”


    The girl’s eyes flickered, and she replied, “Nice to meet you too, sister Minn.”


    While speaking, she stole a nce at her mother who was over there serving two old madams, so she winked at Minn who, though a bit shocked, screened around quickly then decided to be naughty and winked back at the girl. Afterwards, Minn pulled down the corners of her mouth to resume a serious and obedient face.


    Pin stared her eyes wide open with surprise which then was reced by joy.