Chapter Four: The Temple

After a night of rain, the sky cleared on the second day, but all the bedding inside the house was soaked. Tong’er was outside drying the quilts, while Jiang Li sat indoors with a stack of shoe soles on the table. This was her daily task—after finishing fifty soles, she would earn a string of copper coins. Copper coins were nearly useless here in the mountains; Tong’er couldn’t leave, so they had to wait for the traveling merchant to come up the mountain and buy some sweet cakes from him.

That was the only luxury Jiang Li and Tong’er allowed themselves.

Looking out the window, Jiang Li saw Tong’er standing on a stool to hang the bedding, while not far away, a nun in a gray Daoist robe passed by, paying them no mind.

They had no authority over these nuns, and Jiang Li herself had been sent here as punishment, accompanied only by Tong’er. Tong’er was the maid chosen for Jiang Li by Ye Zhenzhen, and she had always stayed by Jiang Li’s side.

The little maid had quite a temper; watching the nuns walk away, she spat and cursed, “Featherless hens!”

Jiang Li knew Tong’er was upset because she’d been refused dry bedding that morning, and couldn’t help but smile. The servant matches the mistress; after six years here, Tong’er was still like this. The former Second Miss Jiang must have been even more fierce. It made sense—without such fierceness, she wouldn’t have chosen to end her own life in anger.

Would someone so fierce cry out for justice after pushing her stepmother into a miscarriage?

Jiang Li pondered the stories she’d pieced together from Tong’er’s words. It was said that Second Miss Jiang had refused to admit, even unto death, that she’d harmed her stepmother. Jiang Li thought, if she had really done it, she would have boldly confessed.

But none of that mattered now.

Tong’er finished hanging the quilts and sat beside Jiang Li. She was frightened, afraid Jiang Li might try to drown herself again, so she hadn’t left Jiang Li’s side for days. Seeing Jiang Li lost in thought, Tong’er picked up a shoe sole and started sewing. Jiang Li watched the tiny, neat stitches made by the girl’s fingers, then snatched the sole away and tossed it aside, saying, “Stop working.”

“Huh?” Tong’er was confused. “The merchant will come in three days. Didn’t you want some malt candy?”

Jiang Li shook her head and asked, “Do you want to spend your whole life sitting here, waiting for a bit of malt candy every month?”

“Of course not,” Tong’er replied, “But we can’t leave, can we?” She muttered, “We’ve written to the master and to Madam Ye, but there’s never any reply.” Her face fell. “Have they forgotten about us?”

Jiang Li sighed. Letters aside, she feared their every move was watched. Normally, a girl sent to a family temple for wrongdoing would be treated decently—the family sent money, entrusted her care, and the nuns wouldn’t treat her badly. But these nuns were clearly making things difficult. When Jiang Li was ill, they didn’t even call a doctor. She suspected all of this was orchestrated from the capital.

As for who was behind it, there was no need to guess—it was the stepmother.

If Jiang Li had truly caused her to miscarry, Ji Shuran would never have spared her. If Jiang Li hadn’t, then Ji Shuran staged it all for the same purpose—to ruin Jiang Li.

Moreover, Jiang Li’s own marriage had been stolen. She had nothing left: an estranged maternal family, abandoned and forgotten. Here, even if she were killed, it would stir no trouble.

But why hadn’t Ji Shuran killed her?

Jiang Li didn’t believe it was mercy; perhaps she was still useful to her stepmother or to the Jiang family. Isn’t it common for daughters to be used as stepping stones, married off to advance their fathers’ and brothers’ careers? Like Shen Yuyong. But Shen Yuyong offered himself as a marriage pawn, while Xue Fangfei was made the obstacle.

Second Miss Jiang reminded Jiang Li of herself—having her possessions stolen, her home usurped, unable to defend herself.

Tong’er watched Jiang Li’s expression darken, shivering with cold. For some reason, she felt the Second Miss had changed since she woke up. She used to be direct and outspoken, had fought with the nuns, easily excited and angered. It wasn’t her fault—it was those villains.

But since waking up, Second Miss hadn’t shown anger. She was gentle, her words soft and slow, making it hard to guess her thoughts. Whenever she fell silent in thought, Tong’er felt uneasy.

Jiang Li ran her fingers over the finished shoe sole. The stitches were fine—Tong’er was noisy, but her needlework was good.

She needed to find a way out.

Xue Fangfei in the capital was likely dead. She didn’t know how Princess Yongning and Shen Yuyong had spun their lies. She still had to see Xue Zhao, and return to Tongxiang—Xue Huaiyuan was dead, and both his children too. Who would bury him? She hadn’t seen him one last time.

She had to leave, but now, in the capital and throughout the dynasty, no one remembered Jiang Li. If no one remembered, no one would take her away.

In that case, she would have to leave on her own.

If no one remembered, she would make the world remember. Not such a difficult thing.

Jiang Li suddenly laughed.

Tong’er stared in astonishment. It was the first time in days that Jiang Li had genuinely smiled—not a cold or bitter smile, but one of delight, a smile that made her sallow complexion suddenly bloom, radiant as a morning flower.

“Tong’er,” Jiang Li asked, “you said a merchant would come up the mountain?”

“Yes,” Tong’er replied. “Merchant Zhang always comes at noon on the tenth day of the fifth month. We’ve arranged with him—if he brings good cakes or candies, he comes to us first, lets us choose.”

Even as a maid from a once-grand house, fallen as they were, Tong’er still spoke with pride, even if she could only offer a string of copper coins.

“Are there many sweets?” Jiang Li asked.

“Lots!” Tong’er replied. “Do you want some?”

Jiang Li smiled. “I do.”

It was all so bitter—too bitter, making her crave the sweetness of honey. These candies would let her taste sweetness, and would make others taste bitterness.

Tong’er was delighted. “If you want sweets, that’s good. We’ve saved up more coins recently—we can buy several baskets. You can have as much as you like!”

Jiang Li asked, “Is He Lin Temple nearby?”

Tong’er stared at her. “Do you want to offer incense?”

“No,” Jiang Li said. “I don’t believe in Buddha.”

Tong’er was puzzled.

Jiang Li’s smile softened further. “What’s the point of believing in Buddha?”