Chapter 55: The Ominous One

“Everyone outside says I’m a widow, that I had just married Old Ma and already brought him to his death. Aren’t you afraid that by helping me, I might bring you harm as well?” Bai Yulan looked straight at Zhou Sen, asking earnestly.

Zhou Sen gave an awkward laugh.

The one you were supposed to bring misfortune to is already dead, he thought, though whether that was truly fate or not, he couldn’t say. In any case, he didn’t believe in such things as “fatal incompatibility.”

“If you really had that kind of power, then why would Su Wenqing and Master Qin both want to marry you?” Zhou Sen grinned. “Aren’t they afraid of dying?”

“I come from a humble background and have been married before, but I don’t want to give away the rest of my life so carelessly. Neither Su Wenqing nor Master Qin is the man I dream of,” Bai Yulan replied.

“What kind of man would you want, then?” Zhou Sen asked with curiosity.

“He doesn’t have to be particularly capable, nor a hero—so long as he treats me sincerely, understands me, and will never abandon me, that’s enough,” Bai Yulan thought for a moment before continuing, “Preferably someone a little older than me.”

“Indeed, heroes rarely have good endings. I’m not a hero and don’t wish to be one. Seems, except for age, I fit all your requirements,” Zhou Sen chuckled.

“You really are shameless,” Bai Yulan spat.

“And you, you’re not that old, yet you always act so prim and proper, carrying yourself with all that solemnity every day. Doesn’t it tire you out?” Zhou Sen said, laughing.

“Today’s the Little New Year. Aren’t you going home to celebrate?”

“I was raised in a traditional Russian family. What would be the point of going back?” Zhou Sen replied. “I haven’t eaten yet. Did you make any dumplings?”

“Are you planning to freeload here now?”

“That house is too cold and lonely. There’s no one to talk to at night. Besides reading, there’s nothing else to do—so terribly dull…”

“So you’re just looking for someone to talk to.”

“That depends on who it is. With some people, I don’t even want to say a single word,” Zhou Sen said as he walked over and sat down beside Bai Yulan, nearly brushing against her.

“What are you doing? Who told you to come over here?” Bai Yulan was a little flustered and annoyed; Zhou Sen was being much too bold.

“Don’t you understand the principle of attraction between men and women? I’m unmarried, you’re unmarried—I feel like we’re quite fated.”

Zhou Sen wasn’t entirely without manners; though he sat beside Bai Yulan, he kept a distance of three fists between them and made no inappropriate gestures.

Scoundrel!

“Let’s eat. The dumplings are getting cold…” At last, it was Bai Yulan who couldn’t sit still, standing up with a blush.

It was the Little New Year today. Early in the morning, Ah Xiang had gone to the North Market to buy all kinds of fresh meat to make dumplings. Besides dumplings, she’d also made pastries and Kanto sweets.

Ah Xiang, though young, was a marvelous cook; she said her mother had taught her since childhood. There were many sisters in her family, and when hard times came, someone had to be sacrificed—so she was sold off…

Such things were heart-wrenching, but in these chaotic times, not even the worst fate. How hard-hearted must parents be to sell their own children? Yet, if selling one meant the rest could survive, wasn’t that its own kind of helpless choice?

There were eight flavors of dumplings arranged in a platter, along with soft, sweet pastries. Zhou Sen ate with great relish.

“Ah Xiang, with your talent, if you opened a dumpling shop, you’d be swamped with customers!” Zhou Sen praised.

“Really? If you like it, Sen, have more. I made plenty,” Ah Xiang replied, beaming.

“That’s enough, I—”

“Xiaolan, are you in, Xiaolan?” Suddenly a voice called from outside, cutting Zhou Sen’s words short. He immediately shut his mouth.

Bai Yulan frowned. Why was Sister Yan coming by at this hour? She glanced at Zhou Sen—if Yan found out, there would certainly be trouble. She gestured for Zhou Sen to hide in the inner room for a while.

Zhou Sen didn’t mind; it wasn’t as if he hadn’t been in Bai Yulan’s boudoir before. He tiptoed over, quietly closed the door behind him, and disappeared.

Only then did Bai Yulan give Ah Xiang a look, signaling her to open the door.

“Ah Xiang, why did it take so long to answer?” Yan complained as she entered.

“I was having dumplings with Sister Lan,” Ah Xiang replied.

“It’s so late and you’re only now eating?” Yan looked surprised, but when she saw three pairs of chopsticks on the table and a dish of dipping sauce, a flicker of suspicion passed through her eyes.

Bai Yulan also noticed the chopsticks. There was no point in covering up now; she would deal with whatever came next as it came.

“Xiaolan, did you have a guest?” Yan asked.

“Oh, just a friend who just left,” Bai Yulan answered calmly. After all, this was her own room; Yan couldn’t make a scene.

Yan sat down and hesitated a long while before finally saying, “Xiaolan, I know you don’t want to settle, but times are what they are. Without support, it’s hard for us women to survive. Actually, if you’re willing to choose Su Wenqing, there’s still another option.”

“Yan, I never thought you’d come one day to play the persuader.” Bai Yulan’s voice was filled with disappointment.

“Xiaolan, I’m getting older. In a couple of years, I’ll lose my looks. I have to think about my own future,” Yan said.

“You can think about your future, and if you want to leave, I won’t stop you. But you know what I hate most is betrayal.”

“Xiaolan, I haven’t betrayed you. I’m only thinking of your good. If you agree to be with Qin Xiong, the eldest son, not only will Condensing Fragrance House be yours, but in the future, you’d also manage Blooming Ladies Pavilion!” Yan tried to persuade her.

“Oh, so you’ve been colluding with Qin Xiong.” Bai Yulan finally understood whose side Yan was on. She had actually been in league with Qin Xiong, the eldest son of Master Qin.

“Don’t put it so harshly. I’m just here to pass on some words from Young Master Qin. Whether you heed them is up to you,” Yan replied. She’d known Bai Yulan for years and understood her personality well—too unyielding, never willing to bow her head. It was both her strength and her flaw.

“Qin Xiong wants me as his mistress, right? But if I agreed, his father would marry me properly, and then he’d have to call me ‘Aunt.’ Do you think I’d degrade myself to follow him in such an ambiguous position?” Bai Yulan snorted coldly.

Yan paled.

“As for Su Wenqing, he may be a hypocrite, but at least he’s promised to marry me honorably. His wife has long since passed, and marrying into the Su family, I’d be the mistress in charge. Why would I give that up to be with Qin Xiong?”

“But you’ve already refused Su Wenqing. What other options do you have?” Yan retorted. “Master Qin has been bedridden for a long time. In other words, the old man doesn’t have much time left. Do you want to become a widow again?”

“Who said I’d choose Master Qin?” Bai Yulan rolled her eyes.

“Do you have a better choice? Even though Old Ma entrusted you with his property before he died, you’re still an outsider. The Ma family is still around and has been asking you for the inheritance all these years. Since Old Ma died, you’ve been living at Condensing Fragrance House, giving them his home, but since you have no children, if you remarry, you’ll have to hand over Old Ma’s estate,” Yan said.

Bai Yulan knew it was true. Her relationship with the Ma family had always been tense. Old Ma left her everything in his will because he feared his hard-earned fortune would be squandered by his wastrel relatives.

“That’s my concern, not yours. Yan, if you care about our friendship at all, leave on your own,” said Bai Yulan.

“Are you kicking me out?”

“Do you still have the face to stay?” Bai Yulan retorted.

“I’ve helped you manage Condensing Fragrance House for so many years. Even if I don’t have great merit, I’ve worked hard. If I have to leave, I want what’s owed to me,” Yan said. With things at this point, there was no need to pretend any sisterly affection.

“How much do you want?” Bai Yulan asked.

“Thirty thousand. Give me thirty thousand, and I’ll move out of Condensing Fragrance House tomorrow morning.” Yan held up three fingers.

“Fine, I agree, but I don’t have that much cash on hand right now. Give me some time, will you?”

“Alright, but you must write me an IOU.”

“Fine. I’ll write one, but I’ll only recognize you. If anyone else brings the IOU, I won’t pay. Do you agree?”

“Yes.”

“Ah Xiang, fetch pen and paper,” Bai Yulan ordered.

Ah Xiang quickly brought them over. Bai Yulan wrote out the IOU on the spot, clearly stating the payment conditions, signed her name, and stamped it with her personal seal.

Yan carefully dried the ink, stored the IOU away with satisfaction, and then left, looking pleased.

“Sister Lan, why did you agree to give her so much money?” As soon as Yan was gone, Ah Xiang couldn’t help but ask.

“She’s been with me for many years and helped share the burden. Giving her some money is compensation and a way to end this relationship,” Bai Yulan explained.

“But you didn’t need to give her that much…”

“She’s just stabilizing Yan for now,” Zhou Sen said, coming out from the bedroom and explaining for Bai Yulan. At the moment, Bai Yulan actually had the money—he’d given her more than enough to cover thirty thousand—but she hadn’t handed it over directly and even wrote an IOU. Partly, it was for his sake; partly, it was to keep herself hidden.

Since Yan could no longer be trusted, she couldn’t be allowed to know any more. Otherwise, she’d turn around and report everything to Qin Xiong, causing even greater trouble.

Bai Yulan nodded. Now, truly, only Zhou Sen was in the same boat as her, and he understood her best.

“The Ma family are like leeches clinging to you. No matter how much blood you have, eventually they’ll suck you dry. Besides, they’re working with outsiders against you. It’s time to cut ties with them,” Zhou Sen said, returning to his seat.

“How can I? I promised Old Ma on his deathbed that I’d look after his family,” Bai Yulan replied.

“I understand you’re grateful to Old Ma and want to repay him, but no matter how much you do, they’ll always think it’s not enough. They even believe the estate is better off in their hands than yours—they simply don’t trust you. That’s human nature.”

“So what should I do?”

“I want to know—what exactly was Old Ma’s will?”

“Besides leaving part of his estate to some uncles and brothers, he left the rest to me. But I have to use part of the income from his businesses every year to support his two sons and three daughters. At first it was sixty thousand a year; now it’s risen to a hundred thousand.”

“How much are all Old Ma’s businesses worth together? What’s the yearly income?”

“Condensing Fragrance House is the most valuable, then the garment factory, the cloth shop, and the teahouse. Altogether, maybe a million or two, though I haven’t counted exactly. Annual revenue, after costs, taxes, and miscellaneous expenses—good years, about three hundred thousand. These past two years, losses have been heavy. I’ve had to subsidize things, especially this year—maybe four or five hundred thousand in the red,” Bai Yulan replied.

“You’re shutting down Condensing Fragrance House to change your line of work completely, aren’t you?” Zhou Sen asked.

Bai Yulan was stunned for a moment, then nodded.