Only the One Knows the Truth

Jia Yun left Lai Da's courtyard with the silver in his pocket and a belly full of doubts.

He did not know the reason.

It turned out that Jia She had just returned from outside and happened to see a magnificent carriage with a blue silk curtain and silver dragon embroidery parked near the shabby little courtyard under the west corridor.

Meanwhile, several well-dressed servants were unloading several exquisite boxes, seemingly containing writing implements, from the carriage and placing them into the residence of Jia Yun and his mother.

Call Jia She a good-for-nothing or a scoundrel if you will. But he was, after all, a first-rank general who inherited his title, so he was naturally particular about his food, clothing, and daily necessities.

He's a discerning person.

At a glance, one could tell that the carriage was of extraordinary quality, certainly not belonging to an ordinary wealthy family, and even the servants' demeanor seemed to have been carefully cultivated by a high-ranking noble family.

Jia She was puzzled.

When did Jia Yun and his mother climb such a high branch? After keeping this in mind, he specially sent someone to inquire. Although he did not find out the master's name, the servant's cautiousness and politeness made him even more convinced that the other party had an extraordinary background.

At that moment, he happened to witness Lai Da making things difficult for Jia Yun, so he went along with it and played the good guy, his only thought being to place a bet in advance and make a good connection. Jia She had forgotten what his original purpose for this trip was—he had taken a fancy to a budding maid.

Although Jia She was muddle-headed, greedy, and lustful, he was far more adept than Jia Zheng at scheming for personal gain and seizing opportunities.

Jia Yun was unaware of, and had no time to ponder, the intricacies behind it all. He squeezed the one or two taels of silver in his pocket, still warm from his body, and thinking of his mother's joy at seeing him, he quickened his pace toward the humble yet warm little courtyard under the west corridor.

Jia Yun returned to his own courtyard in the west corridor, pushed open the door and called out "Mother", but no one answered.

The room was cold and quiet, with only the flickering oil lamp on the table illuminating the empty space. He turned to an old woman next door who was peeking in and asked, "Grandma Li, have you seen my mother?"

When Granny Li saw that it was Jia Yun, her face immediately broke into an exaggerated smile as she clapped her hands and said, "Oh my, it's Yun-ge'er back! Your mother is really always busy. The Zhang family's wife on the back street had a grandson today, and they needed help with the washing and cleaning. If you ask me, now that your son is successful, why should she bother with that kind of work..."

Jia Yun sighed inwardly, knowing that his mother was afraid of running out of money and wanted to save more to support his studies and even help him get married and have children.

He thanked Grandma Li, turned around and went out the door, heading straight for the Drunken Immortal Restaurant on the street where he had once rescued a damsel in distress.

Jia Yun had no idea that the woman was doing well.

Now that he had a little more money, he gritted his teeth and bought half a fat chicken, a fresh fish, and some seasonal vegetables wrapped in lotus leaves. He then bought a jug of cheap wine, thinking that his mother could also taste some meat and rest for the night.

After carrying the wine and food home and settling in, Jia Yun saw that it was still early and thought he should go and pay his respects to Second Mistress Lian. After all, if it weren't for her kindness and protection, he would probably have been beaten to death long ago. So Jia Yun stood in front of the dim bronze mirror, straightened his clothes, and went to Sister Feng's courtyard.

Ping'er greeted him with a smile and went inside.

Upon closer inspection, Ping'er was indeed quite beautiful, with large, bright almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with life. Although her figure wasn't as voluptuous as Feng Jie's, it was slender yet well-proportioned, and she possessed a graceful and charming demeanor.

At this moment, Sister Feng was still lazily reclining on the kang, watching the little maids in front of her draw flower patterns.

Today she wore a brand new pomegranate red silk dress—but the fabric seemed to be cut too tight, making her voluptuous figure even more prominent.

As soon as Jia Yun entered the room, her gaze was involuntarily drawn to her lower body, which was tightly wrapped in a skirt.

Her round, millstone-like buttocks, with deep creases, trembled slightly as she walked, reminding him of the white, heavy lard he had seen in the market—strangely, he didn't find it greasy at all; instead, he thought her flesh was sweet.

"Oh, our busy man is back?" When she saw him come in, Second Madam Lian raised her phoenix eyes slightly and stood up with a smile, but deliberately paced a couple of steps in front of the kang (a heated brick bed). The tighter her skirt became, the more it outlined the two plump curves of her breasts.

Jia Yun felt her face burning, and hurriedly lowered her eyes, but couldn't help but steal glances out of the corner of her eye.

Sister Feng, with her sharp eyes, had already noticed the young man's awkwardness. She chuckled inwardly, then swayed her hips and approached him: "How's things at the Iron Threshold Temple? The abbot sent someone to report the other day, praising your steady work and meticulous attention to detail. You've been given this opportunity, so do your best and don't let Master and I down."

Jia Yun quickly bowed and said, "It's all thanks to Second Madam's promotion that I dare not shirk my duty."

For some reason, Jia Yun's voice became somewhat tense whenever she was around her.

Fengjie nodded in satisfaction. After a few casual words, she couldn't resist her curiosity and asked, seemingly casually, "I vaguely heard the servants say that a rather impressive carriage went down to the west corridor today? Was it looking for you? Which household was it from, with such a grand procession?"

She spoke in a deliberately relaxed tone, fiddling with a sachet in her hand, but listening intently.

Knowing he couldn't hide the truth, Jia Yun replied honestly, "Second Madam, a young master did indeed come looking for me. I met him by chance at Jigu Studio. He said he admired my calligraphy and wanted me to copy a copy of the *Tao Te Ching*, offering a generous reward. As for the young master's background, I... truly don't know; he didn't give his name."

His tone was frank, and his eyes were clear.

Fengjie stared at him for a moment, then deliberately turned to fetch a teacup, the tight-fitting hem of her skirt creased deeper with the movement: "Oh? That's strange. How old is that young master? What are he dressed like? How many attendants did he bring? Think back carefully."

She took a slow sip of tea, but her eyes never left Jia Yun's face.

Jia Yun had no choice but to recount the details of his encounter with the noble young man once more.

After listening, Sister Feng still couldn't figure it out. Although her doubts remained, she waved her hand and said, "Never mind, if you don't know, you don't know. Since I've asked you to copy the book, do it well and don't make any mistakes. Go."

Jia Yun felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and replied "Yes" before stepping out.

He had only walked a short distance out of the courtyard gate when he heard someone softly call from behind, "Second Master Yun, please wait."

Looking back, it was Ping'er who had chased after them.

Ping'er slipped a small piece of silver into his hand and whispered, "Grandma told you to keep this silver."

Jia Yun declined, saying, "Sister Ping'er, how can this be? The temple already has its share, this money..."

Without a word, Ping'er pressed the silver into his palm and said with a smile, "Take it! Grandma said it's a reward for doing a good job. You need money for so many things these days—pens, ink, paper, and inkstones all cost money. Hurry up and put it away; don't refuse and upset Grandma."

As she spoke, she smiled and winked at him before turning and going back.

Jia Yun held the one tael of silver, still warm from her touch, and understood. This was an extra investment and appeasement from Feng Jie, who saw that he seemed to have climbed a "high branch."

He said no more, put the silver away, glanced one last time in the direction of Sister Feng's courtyard, and then turned to go home.

It was already dark when Jia Yun had just put the food in the pot to heat up when he heard a sound at the courtyard gate—it turned out that Bu Shi had dragged her tired body back.

Upon seeing her son, Madam Bu was first stunned, then tears streamed down her face. She stepped forward, took Jia Yun's hand, and looked him up and down: "My son, you're finally back! In this freezing weather, how were you at the temple? Did you eat well? Did you sleep well?"

His boundless concern was evident in his words.

The commotion at the door attracted the attention of the neighbors, who all peeked out. Grandma Li laughed loudly, "Yun-ge'er is such a filial son! He came back and, finding his mother not here, specially bought so much good food and wine to wait for him! Sister-in-law Bu, you've finally made it! Just wait and enjoy the blessings your son brings you!"

"That's right, that's right! Yun-ge'er is studying now and is valued by the family; he's really making something of himself!"

"Sister-in-law Bu is so lucky!"

Immediately, flattery filled the air among the neighbors. Jia Yun wore a humble smile on his face, but inwardly he sneered.

He clearly remembered that six months ago, these same people were gossiping behind his back, saying that he was "a toad trying to eat swan meat," "a poor but pretentious show-off," and "a burden to his mother." Their attitude was completely different from how they are now.

Just then, a loud bang was heard from the neighboring courtyard gate. A woman leaned out, spat fiercely in their direction, and cursed, "Hmph! What's with the attitude! He's nothing but a sycophantic, heartless bastard who betrays his own brothers! Heaven has eyes!"

After saying that, she slammed the door shut again—that was Jia Qin's mother, who hated Jia Yun to the bone because Jia Qin had been punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall and had his monthly allowance deducted.

Jia Yun's eyes turned slightly cold, but he remained calm and said softly to Bu Shi, "Mother, it's cold outside. Let's go inside and eat."

The mother and son went inside together, shutting out the noise and resentment outside.

In the narrow room, the flame of the oil lamp seemed bolder, striving to spread a warm, dim halo that just enveloped the mother and child beside the table.

Bu didn't say anything more, she just ate and drank while shedding tears.

Jia Yun poured another cup for his mother, while the lamp, which had been watching coldly, continued to burn quietly.