Chapter 125. Plum Bottle

Plum Bottle

After Wei Jue's passing, there were no major events in the household. Yan Jun handled matters well, and as the Zhumu (mistress of the clan), I led a leisurely life.
So, I began to pay attention to the business with Li Shang once again.
With Wei Jiao around, Yannian Hall reopened. The Wei Family's reputation is indeed robust; many people come knocking at the door to seek Wei Jiao's services. According to Ah Yuan, there are times when he's so busy that he doesn't even have time for meals.
The court has regained control of Jingzhou and Jiangdong, and trade routes in Jiangnan have reopened. Li Shang immediately had Ma Kui transport goods from the south, and the first batch was already on its way. With the court advancing south, there was a shortage of necessary medicines. Li Shang informed me that the Imperial Medical Bureau has once again requested supplies from Cai Rang.
This could be described as a series of good news. I was calculating how much money I would receive, and even the meals started to taste much better.
But one day, Ah Yuan returned from the firewood shed looking tense.
"Furen, today when I went to retrieve the letters, there were none to be found," she whispered.
I was playing with Ah Mi at the time and said, “How can that be? Has Li Zhangshi not brought them yet?'"
Ah Yuan thought for a moment and said, “Fuqin's letters have always been punctual, never once delayed."
I also found it rather strange and asked, “Have you inquired with the person who delivers the letters?"
Ah Yuan shook her head, “I haven't seen that person."
"Go and ask again," I pondered, "If not, it might be a good idea for you to go home for a visit."
Ah Yuan nodded in agreement.
I didn't dwell on this matter. The secret messages with Li Shang had been going on since I married into the Wei household, and there had never been a slip-up.
But before noon, when Wei Tan returned, he was holding a piece of paper. When I caught a glimpse of it,I felt a “boom” sound in my heart, and my gaze fixed upon it.
That was indeed Li Shang's secret message.
"What is it in Fujun’s hand?" I asked, feigning nonchalance, my heart pounding.
“The newly arrived military captain of the Wei household, Dong Hua, was inspecting the firewood shed today and found this on the ground," he said. "Dong Hua just handed it to me, saying it looked like a secret message."
My heart sank to the depths. I watched as he opened the letter, a sudden inspiration striking me. I took his hand and said, "Fujun, come and see Ah Mi's new clothes."
"What is there to look at? Ah Mi is sleeping," Wei Tan said, seemingly very interested in the secret message. Not only did he not leave, but he also pulled me closer, and with a quick motion, he unfolded the letter.
My heart raced, and I could barely discern the expression on my face as I faced him. In my mind, there was only that piece of paper.
At this moment, deep in my heart, I fervently wished for Ah Mi to wake up immediately and cry loudly, just to relieve me of this awkwardness. But Ah Mi continued to sleep soundly, dashing my hopes.
How will Wei Tan interpret this? I stared at the paper, recalling the admonishments of my elders about matters of secrecy and intimacy... There was a sliver of hope left in my heart. Li Shang's messages were always cautious, skilled in hiding their true meaning. To others, they might seem utterly nonsensical. However, a person like Wei Tan had sharp instincts; if he couldn't decipher it, would he not grow even more suspicious? How should I hide it…
"Ten chests of Hemostatic Powder, twenty stones each, five hundred coins per stone; ten chests of Antidiarrheal Powder, twenty stones each, six hundred coins per stone; fifteen stones of Realgar, a hundred and fifty coins per stone; a hundred catties of Agastache Pill, two hundred coins per catty, totaling forty-four thousand two hundred and fifty coins..." Wei Tan recited slowly.
Me: “......”
Wei Tan's brow furrowed slightly, as if in deep thought. "These are all military supplies. I instructed the Imperial Medical Bureau to stockpile these medicines a few days ago. As for the Agastache Pill, it seems there's only one place that carries it... What was it called? Yannian Hall?"
It felt like icy water had been poured over me. I looked at Wei Tan, my heart almost stopped.
Wei Tan looked at me, his gaze becoming more intrigued. "I remember its owner was the steward Furen had before, surnamed Li."
If earlier he meticulously read out the words from the secret message, leaving me drenched in cold sweat, now, with these words, I felt resigned to my fate.
This monster.
I also came to realize that he brought this letter in front of me just to read it aloud...
The last ounce of strength in me didn't give me the courage to speak, nor did I have the confidence to hide anything from him. I merely nodded.
"When Li Shang first arrived in Yongdu, wasn't he nearly starving to death? Later on, he started engaging in such significant trade. Did Furen provide the capital for him?"
Upon hearing these words, in an instant, I seemed to catch a whiff of a glimmer of hope.
Yes, I am helping my old servant, what’s wrong with that? This doesn't qualify as collusion; I am perfectly innocent.
I steadied myself and looked up, saying, "Exactly. Li Shang was struggling, so Qie took some gold from dowry to help him." After speaking, I looked at him with a hint of grievance, "Li Shang is a kind-hearted person. He sends me monthly letters to report the profits. But if it were known widely, it might lead to trouble. Hence, resorting to this covert method."
Wei Tan patted my head, "The last sentence in this letter, Furen should explain."
I paused, looking at the paper.
Sure enough, after the sentences Wei Tan had just read, there were a few more words: "Furen takes seventy percent, totaling 30,975 coins."
I felt like crying, but no tears came.
Li Shang is indeed an honest person, perhaps to the point of being overly rigid and inflexible at times. Whenever he reports the accounts, he always includes the amount that belongs to me. I felt it was unnecessary and told him he didn't have to do so, but he insisted, saying he would make it more discreet when writing.
He did indeed write it discreetly. One had to squint and look at it from an angle to discern those numbers. But as they say, walking at night often encounters ghosts, walking by the river often makes One’s shoes wet, and today, I ran into this monster named Wei Tan.
"That's because Li Zhangshi felt guilty about borrowing money from Qie, he insisted on splitting the accounts," I hurriedly explained, "Qie has never taken a single coin."
"Oh?" Wei Tan looked at me. "Is that so?"
I nodded vigorously, "Absolutely."
Wei Tan smiled, but let out a sigh, "I thought Furen intentionally wanted a share. I was even thinking about entrusting Li Shang with the money for the additional medicine next time."
I froze.
"We still need to procure more medicine in the army?" I asked.
"En," Wei Tan replied, "The miasma and venomous creatures in the south are particularly fierce. Many soldiers have trouble acclimating to the environment."
Something stirred within me.
"Fujun," I took hold of his hand, "Before Li Zhangshi entered the Fu household, he had been managing medicinal herbs for many years. His goods are of good quality and reasonably priced. Since Fujun is considering entrusting him with the matter of medicinal herbs, why not proceed with it?"
Wei Tan stroked his chin, seemingly giving it serious thought. "Even if their prices are good, they must also guarantee quality. If Furen doesn't take a share, all the money spent would be someone else's. Why should I give it to Li Zhangshi?"
I quickly replied, "Then let Qie take a share."
"Oh?" Wei Tan gazed at me, his expression laden with meaning.
As I looked at his expression, I felt a strange sensation in my heart, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why.
At this moment, Ah Yuan spoke from outside the door, saying that lunch was already prepared.
"Let's have our meal," Wei Tan stood up, took my hand, and walked towards the door.
To be honest, I ate this meal with a great deal of unease.
Wei Tan remained silent. After finishing the meal, he met with a few people in the hall, informed that he wouldn't be returning for dinner, and then left.
I returned to the room just as Ah Mi woke up. Her stomach growled, and she had a look on her face like she was about to cry from hunger.
I hurriedly tended to her, my mind, however, still occupied with what had just transpired.
Wei Tan has already discovered my business, so there's no need for me to hide it any longer. As I reflect on my earlier response, I feel that there were no falsehoods. If I can conceal the matter of sharing profits with Li Shang, then I will, but if not, it doesn't matter. After all, up until now, the money has indeed been managed by Li Shang, and I truly haven't taken a single coin back.
If Wei Tan is truly upset, it's probably because I never told him about it.
Just as I mentioned earlier, since I don't want the money and this isn't truly my business, what's the point of telling Wei Tan?
After going through everything again, I felt that I had a reasonable stance.
So, what does Wei Tan think?
I found myself in distress once again.
"Wu wu...." Ah Mi sat in the nanny's arms, stubbornly turning her head from side to side, refusing to eat the rice porridge that Ah Yuan was trying to feed her.
"Xiao Nujun, open your mouth," Ah Yuan coaxed.
But Ah Mi kept evading, her small face scrunched up, as if rice porridge was the most detestable food in the world.
"Furen, Xiao Nujun refuses to eat," Ah Yuan looked at me dejectedly.
"What's wrong? Why won't she eat?" I looked at Ah Mi, "It's not like she just weaned off milk."
She reached out to be held, but her eyes were fixed on the courtyard.
Looking in that direction, I suddenly understood. There were several sparrows flitting about in the courtyard. She wanted to go out and play. That was Wei Tan's habit. Lately, with the cold weather, his greatest pastime at home was taking a handful of millet and bringing Ah Mi to the courtyard to feed the sparrows.
Both father and daughter were quite a handful. I sighed and gently shook my head at her, "If Ah Mi doesn't eat, Muqin won't hold you."
Although Wei Tan didn't have dinner, he didn't return home particularly late.
Just as Ah Mi had fallen asleep, I heard some commotion outside and went out.
Wei Tan looked weary, and I could see dirt and mud on his trousers, indicating he had been to the camp again.
"Fujun wants to take a bath?" I asked him.
"En," Wei Tan walked over to the table and lifted a bowl of water to drink.
I wanted to say something, but when I tried to speak, I felt there was nothing to say. I could only turn my head and instruct Ah Yuan to have some soup prepared.
After Wei Tan removed his sword, leather belt, and other belongings, he walked towards the door.
I involuntarily followed, and just as I reached the doorway, he suddenly halted and turned around.
"Does Furen wish to bathe with me?" he asked.
I shook my head. "No."
A playful smile flashed across Wei Tan's lips. "Then why are you following me?"
I was left speechless.
"Have something to say?" he asked.
I hesitated for a moment and then whispered, "Fujun, about what happened during the day..."
"I have already informed the Imperial Medical Bureau."
I was surprised, looking at him, unsure whether to smile or to feel even more uneasy.
Wei Tan took a deep breath. "Come with me."
With that, he put his arm around my shoulder and headed towards the side room.
He didn't take me far, just to the adjacent room.
The servant opened the door, and the scent of sun-dried old items mingled with the smell of dust.
Wei Tan instructed the servants to light the lamps and then had them leave. He looked around and asked me, "Has Furen been here?"
I nodded.
Wei Tan opened two chests, examined them, and then closed them again.
"I once informed Furen that there are gold pieces buried here. Has Furen ever seen them?" he asked.
I was taken aback. During the siege of Liaodong, I had considered taking the gold and fleeing from the Wei household, but by then it was already too late.
"Never," I replied.
A bitter smile appeared on Wei Tan's face as he looked at me. "Why?"
I remained silent.
Something in my heart was suddenly touched.
That’s right, why? Since I came here, I've always thought that maybe someday I would leave. But even if I had to flee, even when I found myself in a dangerous situation, I still returned and continued living here. Even if it was difficult, I never once considered digging up the gold.
Did I really want to leave? To sever all ties and depart?
My eyes felt a bit watery, as if on the verge of tears, yet not quite. I gazed at Wei Tan; his face was partially illuminated by the candlelight, but I couldn't make out the details.
He didn't speak, but turned away and fetched an iron spade from the wall.
"Furen, please move those miscellaneous items aside, I will dig," Wei Tan said.
I was surprised, but still responded with an acknowledgment, then went over to do as he instructed.
In the corner, it was still the same as I had seen it last time, with many dusty bottles and jars. I moved them out one by one, placing them to the side. Wei Tan approached with the iron spade, digging the earth away, one shovelful at a time.
Dirt occasionally splattered out, so I quickly moved a nearby porcelain bottle. As soon as I held it, it felt somewhat familiar.
It was a plum bottle.
Wiping away the dust, its texture was fine and smooth, the glaze even, and the delicate patterns spread out like swirling clouds and flowers, just as I had found it peculiar back then. In the end, I had decided to take it out and sell it.
In the candlelight, the bottle gleamed with a soft and pure indigo, as if memories were breaking through from beneath the smooth glaze.
"...Without a hundred coins, one cannot leave Chang'an." Under the scorching sun, I held it and impatiently told the young man who had come to inquire about the price, "This plum bottle, I want to sell it for a hundred coins."
"...Ah Qian, guess how much I sold a plum bottle for yesterday?" I happily told Pei Qian, "I only wanted a hundred coins, but the person gave me a hundred and fifty!"
……….
"This plum bottle..." I looked up, my heart pounding, "Whose is this plum bottle?"
"En?" Wei Tan glanced over, "I bought it many years ago." He continued to dig.
"Where did you buy it?" I hurriedly asked.
Wei Tan straightened up, saying leisurely, "I've forgotten. I only remember it was a clueless fool. They sold me a plum bottle worth ten gold coins for a hundred and fifty coins." After saying this, he looked at me, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Indeed, with Furen’s intelligence, you would never sell a plum bottle worth ten gold coins for a hundred and fifty coins."
I stared at him, my mouth opening, wanting to say something, but my eyes welled up with tears before any words could form.
"What's wrong?" Wei Tan put down the iron spade and walked over, his voice a strange mix of amusement and concern. "Why are you crying without saying a word?" He reached out to hold me, and I gripped onto him tightly, burying myself in his embrace.
His broad chest was comforting, warm, and solid.
I didn't say anything, just held onto him, crying harder and harder. Yet, I couldn't help but want to laugh. My breath caught in my throat, like when I was a child and finally found a cherished treasure in some corner of the garden after searching for so long.
Wei Tan didn't speak either. He let me cry, gently patting my shoulder.
"You..." After a while, I mumbled with my head down, my voice intermittent, "You... you put the plum... plum bottle on top of the gold... just so that when I... when I dig, I'll see it..." As I spoke, I looked up at him. "Is that it...?"
To my surprise, Wei Tan's expression seemed a bit embarrassed.
"It's not..." He tugged at the corner of his lips, trying to appear nonchalant but his face betrayed his discomfort. "This bottle was also bought at a high price. I just felt it complemented the gold."
"That's it!" I pulled at his clothes, stubbornly insisting, "You did it on purpose!"
Wei Tan paused, his face showing a suspicious flush, as if he had just had a drink.
"What nonsense..." he chuckled, about to turn his head away, but I grabbed his face.
"Alright, alright, alright!" Wei Tan wore a pained expression. "I did it on purpose, I admit it!" He gently pried my hand away and pointed at the hole in the ground. "The gold has been dug, aren't you going to take a look?"
I stared for a moment, then looked over.
I saw Wei Tan bend down and pull out a cloth-wrapped bundle, it was quite heavy. He placed it on the ground and unfolded it. My eyes widened in astonishment.
In the candlelight, I could see the gleaming golden pieces. But upon closer inspection, perhaps due to being buried for so many years, some of them had a greenish tint on the surface.
"Red gold?" I exclaimed.
"En," Wei Tan examined the pieces of gold with a hint of nostalgia. "It was left to me by my Zumu. She started giving me a pound of gold every year since I was six, saying it was for my marriage. Unfortunately, I only managed to save up ten pounds before she passed away."
Me: “......”
*****
The plum vase was cleaned spotlessly. When I placed it in the room, at first glance, it looked absolutely resplendent.
Wei Tan returned after his bath and tidied up, but I didn't feel like sleeping. There were too many surprises tonight, and many things were racing through my mind, disjointed yet connected. Strike while the iron is hot, I feared that if this night passed, Wei Tan would never speak up again.
The windows were tightly closed, and the bed warmer filled with hot water made the blankets cosy and warm.
I lay in his arms, gazing at the plum vase in front of the window, full of curiosity. "When Fujun bought the vase, was it the first time you saw me?"
"En, you could say that," Wei Tan replied. He seemed to regret taking me to the side room earlier and urged, "Didn't we finish talking about it just now? Let's sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow."
I naturally wouldn't agree. "We haven't finished yet. Did Fujun see me again later?" I thought for a moment. "Fujun is in the Yulin Guard, so you must remember when I got married."
Wei Tan glanced at me, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Furen used to come and go in the palace, surrounded by luxury. It would be hard for Weifu not to notice you."
I thought about it and found it quite reasonable. However, upon further reflection, I still found the whole situation quite peculiar. How would Wei Tan have felt when he saw me back then?
At the beginning of our marriage, when he told me about the gold hidden in the side room, the plum vase was already there. If it was deliberate, could it be said that he hoped I would discover this plum vase back then?
Thinking about all this, my thoughts slowly rewound, and I couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. Even if he had intended it, I wouldn't have stayed because of it back then. Instead, it was encountering a loss that made me decide to return to Wei Tan's side.
"Did Fujun like me back then?" I asked softly.
"No, I didn't," he said bluntly.
This answer was expected. I had Pei Qian back then, and he had Xu Ping. He was also good friends with Pei Qian, how could he have feelings for me?
But I still wasn't too pleased. "Really?" I asked.
Wei Tan seemed to be reminiscing. "Calculating every ounce, always fixing your hair, like a bean sprout..."
I pinched his ribs teasingly.
Wei Tan burst into laughter, mischievously adding, "But it turned out to be very good, and I had everything I should have." As he spoke, his eyes glanced towards my chest.
"You're really not serious," I scolded, pushing his face away in embarrassment.
Wei Tan caught my hand, ruffled my hair, and said, "Then let's talk seriously. The business with Li Zhangshi, since it was promised by me, the profits should rightfully belong to me. What does Furen think?"
I was taken aback, torn between amusement and irritation.
"I won't give them up," I replied firmly. "The share Li Zhangshi gives Qie belongs entirely to Qie. And as for Fujun’s gold, it's belong to Qie too."
Wei Tan glanced at me. "It’s red gold, doesn’t Furen consider it less valuable?"
I raised an eyebrow. This man really had an eye for details. Red gold and yellow gold, one was like earth and the was the sky. In today's market, a pound of yellow gold could be exchanged for ten thousand coins, but the ten pounds of red gold Wei Tan had melted down for coinage were only worth a little over a thousand copper coins. Compared to Li Shang's recent business, it was just a small sum. Compared to that plum bottle, it was not even worth mentioning.
"Find it lacking?" Wei Tan looked at me, his eyebrows raised.
I quickly shook my head. "Not lacking at all."
"Why did you hug that plum bottle then?"
Well, it was still money.
"Red gold is also gold. The gold Zumu left for Fujun to marry a wife is meant for Qie," I blinked, "Qie has never said Qie finds it lacking either."
Wei Tan laughed, pulled me closer, and nuzzled his head against my neck. "Shrewd merchant."
I also smiled, turned over along his arm, looked into his eyes, and let my lips hover near his. "Has Fujun never heard a saying?"
"En?" Wei Tan's gaze deepened. "What saying?"
I traced my fingers slowly on his chest. "There are no honest businessmen."
Wei Tian suddenly exerted force and pressed down on my head.
The kiss was passionate and intense, a provocative entanglement. I met him eagerly, my hand sliding down to his waist, slipping under his clothes.
His robust body, smooth skin, my hand lingering around his navel, inching down slowly.
Suddenly, his hand pressed me down.
"Don't move recklessly..." His voice was hoarse.
I smiled, lowering my head to plant a kiss on his Adam's apple, while my other hand continued its exploration.
Wei Tan's chest heaved, and he rolled over, pinning my hands and feet.
"If you keep messing around, we'll both be taking a dip in the cold water..." he threatened fiercely.
I stuck out my tongue and immediately withdrew my hand.
Wei Tan looked at me, then after a while, he smiled helplessly, releasing me. He blew out the candle by the bedside in one breath.
As my restless heart slowly calmed in the night, I turned on my side. The faint light from the window cast a silhouette of Wei Tan's nose, resembling a mountain peak.
"Am I so good-looking?" he suddenly remarked.
"Qie is looking at Ah Mi." I naturally replied.
Wei Tan reached out to pinch me, but I blocked him. He grabbed my hand instead and didn't let go.
"Sleep," Wei Tan said.
With a heart full of joy, I nestled my head against his arm and contentedly closed my eyes.
“Ah Jin,” as sleepiness gradually overcame me, I heard Wei Tan call my name.
I responded with a mumbled acknowledgment.
"Back then, every fifteenth day, I would compete to guard the palace gate."
Fifteenth day? The date sounded familiar, but... guarding the palace gate? Well, I'll think about it tomorrow...
"Ah Jin, do you still want to see the mountains and the sea?" His voice seemed to sigh softly by my ear.
I wanted to reply, but I was too drowsy; my voice simply wouldn't come out. I only faintly heard a voice in my heart answering, Yes, I'd like to, but would you take me there...