Chapter 82: My Beloved, Wu Youran

Shangqing County, Xiahe Village.

“Aunt, do you know anything about this jade pendant?” Early in the morning, while washing her hair, Lu Jin found herself thinking about the jade pendant again, so she fetched it and asked her aunt directly.

“Jade pendant? I remember you didn’t take it with you when you went to Jianglin. Let me see.” Bai Li Rou said, taking the pendant and examining it closely.

Lu Jin felt puzzled. How could a jade pendant suddenly appear out of nowhere? Her eyes were fixed on her aunt, wondering if she had simply remembered wrong.

“My child, this jade pendant really isn’t from our family. Where did you get it?” Bai Li Rou said after studying it for a long while.

If only I knew.

“I don’t know. I remember waking up and it was hanging around my neck. I thought it was from home, so I asked you.”

“But it truly isn’t ours. Just by looking at the jade, you can tell it’s something precious,” Bai Li Rou said, rubbing the pendant thoughtfully.

“Yanxi, come in here!” Lu Jin called out.

In the courtyard, Shen Yanxi was watching Su Nian teach two girls martial arts and made a face, reluctant to respond to Lu Jin.

She had come to him herself and yet he’d seized her arm only to babble on about things she could barely understand. If she hadn’t overheard him, she’d have thought he was being evasive. Though deeply moved, she still had her pride. Ah, forget it—he’s just a big oaf!

“What is it?” Shen Yanxi entered, frowning.

Hmm? That tone… and her expression is off, too. Did she sleep poorly last night? Lu Jin wondered but didn’t ask, not wanting to worry her aunt.

“Do you know this jade pendant? It’s been on my neck all along. I thought it belonged to our family, but Aunt says it’s not.” Lu Jin handed the pendant to Shen Yanxi.

“I’ve looked it over several times. It’s definitely not ours. Our family doesn’t have such fine jade,” Bai Li Rou added.

Shen Yanxi rotated the pendant in her hand, her brows drawing tighter. “Is this the pendant Father mentioned? If it’s not ours, did you buy it?”

“Huh? Aunt, how much money did you give me? Was it enough to buy this pendant?” Lu Jin turned to ask.

“One hundred taels of silver.”

“What?” So much? Yet she remembered only having bits and pieces on her person; a hundred taels was a fortune. Aunt was truly generous.

“If it was only a hundred taels, it wouldn’t be enough for this pendant. This is top-grade Southern White Jade, extremely rare. Just the jade alone is worth over ten thousand taels, not to mention the exquisite craftsmanship,” Shen Yanxi, being a daughter of a prominent family, had this much knowledge.

Lu Jin felt numb. Such a valuable pendant wasn’t from her family, nor Shen’s, and she couldn’t afford it herself. How did it end up on her?

Was it a windfall from the heavens, hung around her neck lest she refuse it?

Could it be connected to her crossing over? Yet in her previous life, she never had such a pendant; she would have known if she did. How strange!

The two women were equally bewildered. This was no ordinary trinket—a jade pendant worth over ten thousand taels had somehow landed in Lu Jin’s hands?

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In the sweltering summer, Lu Jin sat beneath a large tree with her aunt, Shen Yanxi, and Lu Caiwei, cooling off. July’s blazing heat made this spot in Jiangnan the perfect place to relax.

Bamboo mats lay underfoot, low tables held melons and fruit, and her closest kin surrounded her. This was Lu Jin’s favorite way of living—the life of a small landowner in Jiangnan.

“Aunt, where did Uncle go? I haven’t seen him,” Lu Jin said, handing a piece of fruit to her aunt.

“He must have gone to the county. Now that you’ve passed the scholar exam, much of our land is exempt from taxes. All thanks to my child’s good fortune…”

“I was raised by you, Aunt. If we’re talking about good fortune, Uncle and I both owe it to you.” Lu Jin hurried to modestly deflect the praise; the benefits came from the original owner, not herself.

“You silly child.” Aunt smiled as sweetly as honey.

“Nanqing!”

That sudden call startled Lu Jin, who had been chatting with her aunt. Shen Yanxi was right beside her—who else would call her Nanqing?

Lu Jin turned, seeing a figure standing in the distance, and her mind went blank.

The newcomer was slender, black hair pinned up with a wooden hairpin, a delicate oval face, bright almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips. She wore a loose, plain white robe, a gray cloth bag slung over her shoulder, looking travel-worn.

Damn, what old debts were these?

Lu Jin dared not look at Shen Yanxi beside her and scrambled to her feet.

Just as Lu Jin stood up, the woman rushed over with teary eyes. Lu Jin was startled—this was a mess she couldn’t explain. Even if this was the original’s baggage, Lu Jin didn’t want it.

Shen Yanxi was already dumbstruck, her mind racing with countless thoughts. No wife, and suddenly another woman appears. Even knowing he’d lost his memory, so what? Nanqing, Nanqing—was that really her name to call?

Aunt and Lu Caiwei were also stunned. When had this trouble been invited in? Both glanced at Shen Yanxi, whose face was cold and stern, their hearts sighing. What a mess.

“Nanqing, sob…” Lu Jin hurriedly dodged, but the newcomer paid no heed, grabbing Lu Jin’s sleeve and crying.

Lu Jin’s head was spinning—what kind of calamity was this!

“May I ask who you are?” There was no choice but to deal with it. She addressed the stranger formally, since the woman wore a man’s robe.

“Nanqing, what’s wrong with you?” The woman wiped her nose, stepped back, and looked Lu Jin up and down.

“You tell me who you are first.” Lu Jin’s expression was hardly welcoming—these were the original’s debts, not hers.

“Little brother Wu You, Wu Youran.”

Little brother, my foot—did she take them for blind? Her voice, though, was hard to distinguish as either male or female.

“I heard you topped the exam list, so I came looking for you. But when I arrived in Jianglin, I heard you’d been kidnapped by water bandits…”

Before Lu Jin could stop her, Aunt cried out, “What? My child was kidnapped by water bandits?”

Lu Jin sighed, pressing her forehead. She turned to comfort Aunt, only to see her already searching Lu Jin up and down.

“When did you get kidnapped by water bandits? Are you alright?”

Aunt, you’ve checked me eight hundred times already—if there was anything wrong, you would’ve noticed long ago.

“Aunt, I’m fine. You’ve already checked. Look, we have a guest. Let’s entertain her first.”

A guest is a guest, no matter what. Things had to be clarified, and since she arrived so publicly, Lu Jin couldn’t even pull her aside for a private talk.

“Yes, yes, my child is fine—those wretched bandits.” Aunt quickly pulled back, wiping away her startled tears, and turned to the woman.

“Master Wu, let me introduce you. This is my aunt, who treats me as her own child, and I regard her as a mother.”

“Greetings, Aunt!”

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“Miss Wu… Master Wu, greetings,” Bai Li Rou replied, feeling restless inside. How would her child handle this?

Lu Jin took Shen Yanxi’s hand and stood together: “This is my wife, my first and true spouse, Shen Yanxi.”

Lu Jin made sure to introduce everyone clearly, fearing the newcomer might act rashly, or that her own might be hurt, or that Wu You might have other intentions.

“Greetings, Madame!” Wu You bowed politely. Shen Yanxi returned the gesture with poise, though the gloom in her eyes was felt by all.

“This is my younger sister, Lu Caiwei—the Lu family’s precious daughter.”

Lu Caiwei, after her initial shock, now watched gleefully, eager for drama. This careless brother—let’s see how he handles things; serves him right.

“If Master Wu doesn’t mind, please join us and sit for a while?” With introductions done, Lu Jin spoke courteously.

Though outdoors, guards were posted nearby, and with the current scene, few villagers dared approach. Privacy was assured.

Wu You found the situation odd but had no choice for now, so she settled on a soft cushion. Everyone took their seats.

Servants prepared tea; with the highborn maids brought by Shen Yanxi, the Lu household’s standard of daily service had risen sharply.

“Let me explain, Master Wu. Recently, I went to Jianglin for the exam. After finishing, I fainted, and thanks to my wife’s care, I survived. But when I woke, all my past memories were gone…”

Before Lu Jin could finish, Wu You was already crying and lunging toward her. “Ah, Nanqing, are you alright now…”

Lu Jin was about to break down—how could a young lady be so unreserved? In her peripheral vision, Shen Yanxi’s face was nearly pitch-black.

“Master Wu, I’m well now, just don’t remember the past…”

“I wondered why Nanqing didn’t recognize me earlier. I feared you’d forgotten our old affection. Now I see—oh, how I’ve missed you, Nanqing…”

Lu Jin: “…”

What sort of trouble was this? There were so many people present, and she’d just introduced her wife to make sure Wu You would be careful.

Yet she acted completely unconcerned. Was she a courtesan from a brothel?

“No, Master Wu…” Lu Jin, trying to stay calm, was growing anxious.

“Nanqing, why call me Master Wu? As before, just call me Youran…”

Youran, my foot! Didn’t you notice my wife’s face has turned green?

Lu Jin quickly squeezed Shen Yanxi’s soft hand, reassuring her. No matter what, he’d give her an explanation.

“Miss Wu, let’s speak plainly…”

“Nanqing, little brother is a man…”

Man, my foot! I’ve seen this act too many times. At least make it believable.