Chapter Thirteen: The Dispute

“Miss, come quickly and make a wish!” Seeing the wishing pool, Hongxing immediately grew excited. She hurried ahead and beckoned Lu Yalan to join her.

Perhaps it was because they had arrived early; they did not witness the scene Madam Mu had described, where people lined up to scoop water and drink. The wishing pool, though called a pool, was actually a mountain spring. The water was clear, revealing the smooth, beautiful pebbles laid in the shallows, which, refracted by the sparkling water, gleamed with a brilliance rivaling gemstones.

Though the pool seemed shallow, it was in fact quite deep. The stones and aquatic plants at the bottom appeared dark and mysterious. Because many visitors came specifically to make wishes, the monks had ringed the edge with a low fence to prevent accidental falls. Long-handled ladles provided by the temple made it unnecessary to lean over the water, and a large tree nearby bore a warning: “This pool is very deep, take care when drawing water.”

At this moment, only Lu Yalan and Hongxing stood beside the wishing pool. Not even the monks, who usually watched over the safety of worshippers, could be seen. The surroundings were quiet, disturbed only by Hongxing’s eager scooping of water.

“Miss, come, make your wish quickly!” By the time Lu Yalan reached the pool, Hongxing had already wished. Seeing Lu Yalan finally arrive, Hongxing grasped the long-handled ladle, ready to fetch water for her after she made her wish.

Lu Yalan teased, “Hongxing, what did you wish for? Tell me!”

Hongxing hesitated. “I asked around, and the monks said you can’t reveal your wish, or it won’t come true.”

Lu Yalan had heard this from Hongxing before, but compared to making wishes, she found Hongxing far more amusing. She was about to speak when a sharp female voice sounded behind her.

“Wishing only works if it’s realistic. Like your young mistress—she’s been rejected, no one wants her—she could make a thousand ‘I wish to marry’ wishes and none would come true. So, I advise you to be practical about your wishes.”

Lu Yalan couldn’t help but want to rub her forehead. Why did she always encounter such people wherever she went?

The girl approaching wore a high-necked, long-sleeved blue velvet jacket and a matching grey skirt, her feet clad in fashionable black leather shoes. She was modern and lively, flaunting her youth and beauty, a stark contrast to Lu Yalan, who wore a traditional cross-collared blouse and kept thick bangs, as if they belonged to separate worlds.

Li Qiuling snorted as Lu Yalan turned around, not waiting for her to speak before continuing her mockery: “What’s the matter, still unwilling to accept my cousin breaking off your engagement? Want to wish that he changes his mind? Keep dreaming! My cousin is way out of your league!”

Mentioning Yancheng inevitably brought up both the Lu and Li families. Both were among the city’s premier merchants. Locals had a saying: “Lu gets four shares, Li gets four shares, the remaining two are split among the rest,” meaning the Lu and Li families dominated the city’s commerce, leaving smaller merchants to struggle for survival.

With such vast business interests, friction between the two families was inevitable. People always spoke of one family when mentioning the other, and their children inevitably became subjects of comparison.

The Li family’s head had studied abroad in his youth and embraced new ideas, running a Western-style household. The girls were sent to modern schools, wore Western clothes, spoke foreign languages, and were lively and charming—a dazzling sight wherever they went. In contrast, the Lu family matriarch was a staunch traditionalist. Except for the third daughter, Lu Yazhu, who had been spirited away by the second mistress, all the girls were raised on strict Confucian principles and barely literate.

By rights, Li Qiuling and Lu Yalan should have had no animosity, but Yancheng’s social circle was so small that the two families’ girls inevitably invited comparison.

Li Qiuling looked down on Lu Yalan, considering her an ignorant relic of feudal traditions, unworthy of any comparison. When their elders brought them together, Li Qiuling had always ignored Lu Yalan. Among her peers, Li Qiuling was extremely popular, but the elders favored Lu Yalan, which only made Li Qiuling resent her more.

One day, she overheard Miss Lu say that Lu Yalan was Zhao Dingsheng’s fiancée and was struck as if by lightning. The thought of her refined, talented cousin spending his life with such a woman filled Li Qiuling with indignation—she felt Lu Yalan was unworthy.

As for who was worthy, she hadn’t thought deeply.

With these vague feelings, Li Qiuling began to pick on Lu Yalan. She mocked her openly, and whenever discussing freedom versus tradition with classmates, she used Lu Yalan as her example of a feudal woman. The nickname “Second Blockhead,” with its teasing connotations, became famous in Yancheng, thanks in large part to Li Qiuling.

If Li Qiuling caused trouble, Lu Yalan avoided her if possible; if not, she endured. First, it was in Lu Yalan’s nature to avoid trouble and be patient. Second, she thought, since Zhao Dingsheng was Li Qiuling’s cousin, they would be family in the future, so it was best not to feud.

Little did she know that such forbearance only fueled Li Qiuling’s rage, making her even more aggressive.

Lu Yalan’s good mood that morning was ruined by Li Qiuling’s arrival. Not adept at verbal sparring, she had resolved to change herself, and so could no longer let others bully her without resistance.

Lu Yalan deliberately ignored Li Qiuling and said to Hongxing, “I wonder who didn’t brush her teeth this morning—what a stench!”

“You!” Li Qiuling was furious, not expecting the ever-retreating Lu Yalan to suddenly retort.

“What about me? I’m here making a wish, and you barge in with your nonsense. You’re an unmarried girl, yet you can’t stop talking about your cousin—have you no shame?” Inside her wide sleeves, Lu Yalan tightly clenched her hem. She was nervous, but forced herself to stand her ground.

Li Qiuling, feeling as if her innermost thoughts had been exposed, grew angrier. She sneered, “The pursuit of freedom and romance is everyone’s right from birth. We exercise our rights—what’s wrong with that? But someone like you, outdated and clinging to Qing Dynasty dreams, can never understand the beauty of love. It wasn’t my cousin who abandoned you; you chose to wallow in ignorance, failing to grasp progress and ideals!”

“The pursuit of happiness is everyone’s right and freedom... Not everyone is like you... We share a pure revolutionary friendship...” Zhao Dingsheng’s words when he broke off the engagement echoed in her mind once more. Lu Yalan felt weary—why wouldn’t these people leave her alone?

“True, I don’t understand your idealized love, but I know that a person who cares only for themselves and ignores integrity loses the foundation of their character. Such selfish people—can they even be called human? I don’t see your ideals or progress, only your arrogance, only how you use the banner of freedom to commit all sorts of disgraceful acts!”

“You—”

Lu Yalan cut her off, continuing, “You pride yourself as a modern woman, looking down on traditional ones, seeking to break old customs. Yet you accept your mother’s money—do you despise her as well? You pick on me because you like Zhao Dingsheng, don’t you? If you champion free love, why not say so openly, instead of sneaking about to cause trouble for me? Is your version of freedom simply hurting others without restraint? That only makes me despise your so-called progress even more!”

Li Qiuling had never been spoken to like this. It felt as if her face had been stripped bare and stomped on repeatedly, burning with humiliation. She was used to being the center of attention; every word she uttered was met with applause from countless admirers. She never imagined Lu Yalan would mock her so.

Li Qiuling was so enraged she wanted nothing more than to tear apart Lu Yalan’s mouth so she could never speak again.

Li Qiuling, accustomed to being domineering and willful, intended to do just that. She had several servants with her, while Lu Yalan had only Hongxing. Even if she taught Lu Yalan a lesson, no one would know.

Suddenly, her sleeve was tugged. Her trusted maid leaned in and whispered, “Miss, do you remember the storybook we read a few days ago?”

Li Qiuling recalled its contents and felt a surge of excitement.

The storybook was much like others found in the market, recounting the tale of two women vying for one husband. A particular scene stood out: the first wife, fearing the second wife’s seductive ways would corrupt her husband, lured her to a secluded spot and pushed her off a cliff.

How similar to her own situation now—almost as if the story had been written for her! There was no one around; if Lu Yalan and her maid fell into the water, no one would notice. Even if someone saw her here, it wouldn’t be her fault if they couldn’t be saved in time. As for the servants, their families depended on the Li household; for the sake of their futures, they wouldn’t dare speak out.

The Li mansion was far from spotless; Li Qiuling had grown up hearing such tales and had herself dealt with several maids. Had she truly been ignorant, she could never have outshone all the other children to become the most favored.

The more she thought, the more excited she became. She waved her hand, signaling the servants to throw Lu Yalan and Hongxing into the water.

Seeing Li Qiuling’s strange expression, Lu Yalan sensed something was wrong and tried to leave with Hongxing. But before they could escape, the Li family servants pushed them toward the wishing pool.

“Ah! Miss!”

Lu Yalan struggled desperately, hoping to shout for help, but how could a woman’s strength match that of grown men? She fought, but only managed to get her mouth covered.

Splash!

The sound of something heavy hitting the water rang out sharply in the cold morning air.

Early spring’s chill made people hunch their shoulders; soaking her cotton garments in the icy pool made them so heavy she could barely lift her arms, dragging her down. Lu Yalan fought with all her might, but her body grew stiff. Again and again, she clawed at the cracks in the pool’s wall, but the slippery green moss made it impossible to hold on. Her fingers grew numb, as if some monster at the bottom pulled her down. She felt the water cover her mouth, her nose.

In her last glimpse, she saw Hongxing desperately reaching for her.

Forgive me, Hongxing...

Li Qiuling, watching Lu Yalan thrown in, smiled smugly and called her people away.

Let’s see how you dare challenge me now!

The maid following Li Qiuling smiled faintly—Madam Qian’s task was accomplished!

The maid and Ah Xiang were cousins. Years ago, their family was destitute until Madam Qian arranged work for them. She spent several years as a cleaning maid in the Li household and, seeing that the young mistress often changed maids, sought connections to get closer and offer advice, becoming ever more relied upon.

Originally, Madam Qian had only wanted her to accompany the young mistress up the mountain to cause trouble for Lu Yalan, but things had turned out far more smoothly than expected.