Special 6: Marriage Line (2)

And a year later, his small courtyard has become a paradise of flowers and plants hidden in the market. He’s been used to staying here every night and only going back for family dinners at the end of each month.

As for tonight, the seventh day of the eleventh lunar month was his and Lin Long’s birthday. It must have been mother and Aunt Yun who wanted to take this opportunity to get together.

“Master, there was someone causing a ruckus outside just now, they were kicked out by An Zi.” When nominal Shopkeeper Luo saw Lin Xiao arriving in the lobby, he quickly reported what had just happened.

Lin Xiao raised his eyebrows. Few people dared to make trouble in Cui Yu Zhai. Because everyone in Dashi knew that Cui Yu Zhai was the property of the brother of the country’s Castellan. Although Lin Xiao never promoted this, sometimes, having this relationship really made management much more convenient.

“Master, it’s that girl. She’s been sitting there since we opened. She didn’t order anything, just a pot of chrysanthemum tea. The guy who came to make trouble seemed to be coming for her.”

After listening to Shopkeeper Luo’s whisper, Lin Xiao stared at the fifteen or sixteen-year-old woman by the window. He frowned and thought for a moment before walking towards her.

Xu Xiangjun stared at the black cloth boots that appeared in front of her. Looking up, it was a well-cut cyan silver embroidered silk robe. She looked up some more and saw sword-like brows and star filled eyes; a handsome and elegant face, this was the man she had been looking for for nearly a year.

“Last year…Thank you…” She muttered as she lowered her head and stared at the fragrant roses in front of her cup, which was completely different from her chrysanthemum tea.

“It was a small effort.” Lin Xiao smiled gently. Unexpectedly, it was her, the woman he rescued from the cold inadvertently. However, because he was busy, he had long forgotten that night, and the woman he had rescued outside the incense shop.

“I…” Xu Xiangjun swallowed her saliva, the thank you speech that she had prepared for nearly a year was instantly forgotten.

“Just now, who troubled you?” Lin Xiao looked and raised his hand towards the counter. The discerning waiter brought a plate of the shop’s signature dessert: pineapple shortcake.

“You haven’t had breakfast yet, these pineapple shortcakes pair well with rose tea.” Lin Xiao pushed the plate in front of her and suggested with a smile.

“Thank…Thank you.” Xu Xiangjun blushed and picked up a piece of pineapple shortcake to taste. Sure enough, it was exactly the same as the rumors. Mellow and delicious. After eating three in a row, she realized that she was in Cui Yuzhai, and the benefactor she wanted to thank was the one who was sitting across from her, quietly sipping tea.

A deep smile flashed in Lin Xiao’s eyes, signaling her not to care, “That person just now…”

“Oh, he’s here to collect debts. Before I came to the Dashi and after I worked at the embroidery floor and buried my mother, I still owed 22 taels of silver. I promised them to repay it in five years with annually increasing interest… But they changed their minds and were forcing me to go back to pay the debt. Of course I wouldn’t agree, and I dare not go back to the embroidery floor… I’m sorry…” She just wanted to see him before fleeing and thank him for saving her life.

“Embroidery Floor? Which embroidery floor did you work at?” Lin Xiao grasped the keywords. Could it be the embroidery building that his mother set up by the Silk Workshop?

“Silk Workshop.” Xu Xiangjun smiled happily, “After I got better and knowing that you saved me, I wanted to come to thank you right away, but Uncle Xiang said that you were very busy. He took me to Yang Xin Tang first. When they saw that my embroidery skills were not bad, I was placed at the Silk Workshop. After a year, I have earned 40 taels, which was enough to pay off the debt for the first year, but they still came for me… They are not easy to deal with. I’ve met you now, so at least this can ease my mind. Don’t worry, I won’t go back to the embroidery floor, lest they come to destroy it… In short, thank you!”

“Where’s the person you’re looking for? still haven’t found them yet?” Lin Xiao lowered his eyelids, took a sip of the tea, and asked.

“Mhm. Perhaps due to the large change in the appearance of the city; it’s completely different from ten years ago. I don’t know where they moved to.” Xu Xiangjun sighed lightly, even if she found it, she didn’t think her uncle’s family would pay the remaining sixteen taels of debt for her.

After making up her mind, she got up and gave Lin Xiao a big bow, “Thank you.” Not only did he save her, but he also let her taste the famous pineapple shortcake.

“Where are you going?” Lin Xiao frowned. He felt a little displeased. Could it be that she had fallen into a trap? A lifelong debt? Damn it, why was he so annoyed?!

“The sky is vast and the earth is wide. There will always be a place for me.” Xu Xiangjun said, “It’s just that I can’t repay Young Master Lin’s life-saving grace.” She wanted to first stay in the Silk Workshop and pay off my debts, and then come to Cui Yu Zhai. She wanted to help him in any way possible.

However, it seems impossible now. Who made that group of people so unreasonable?

She could only leave Dashi to avoid them troubling his family’s property.

“Stay. I’ll take care of the rest.”

—

Since that day, she never saw him again, and she has never been bothered by that group of people again. Perhaps she was dismissed by him with some silver taels… Because, not long after, he asked Uncle Xiang to convey his message: she would stay in the Silk Workshop, continue her embroidery work, and use the wages to cover the debts he paid on her behalf.

Since then, she has lived a new life. Every day, she comes to work with a smile on her face, and then goes home happily. And her embroidery work can be appreciated by the shopkeeper of the silk workshop daily.

In the second year, she saved twelve taels. Among them, six taels were the bonus she received after completing the embroidery <Phoenix Terrace>.

It was still early in the morning on the seventh day of the eleventh lunar month. Xu Xiangjun held a purse with 10 taels of silver in her hand and rushed to Cui Yu Zhai excitedly, “I… want to find… Young Master Lin Xiao.”

Shopkeeper Luo recognized that she was the girl who received the attention of his master last year. His mind turned, and with a smile, he asked the waiter to get her seated first. Then, he went to the backyard to find Lin Xiao. It was rare to see his master so close to a girl, she was the first. Perhaps good news will come soon.

“Don’t you want to keep some (for yourself)?” Lin Xiao opened her purse and knew that she came to return her debt with her earnings. Although he has not seen her in the past year, he had a general understanding of her situation through Uncle Xiang and Uncle Feng of the Silk Workshop.

“I have no use for it.” Xu Xiangjun shook her head. The embroidery workers in the Silk Workshop were well paid: including days off, three meals, and two new sets of innerwear every six months. There was almost no place to spend her earnings.

“Let’s go.” Lin Xiao accepted the silver taels, together with the purse she embroidered, got up and said to her.

“Go? To…where?” She raised her head blankly.

“Come with me to buy some things.” He took the lead and walked towards the entrance of Cui Yu Zhai.