Chapter 165: Autumn Dodder

In early November, Zhou Runan set out for the imperial capital to attend the metropolitan examination in February. Yao Xuanrong and their two children were brought into the Liu residence, temporarily residing in the Bamboo Courtyard of the back estate.

After bidding farewell to the members of the Liu family one by one, Zhou Runan left the city heading north, accompanied by two long-term attendants sent by Master Liu.

A few days later, Wu's wife brought Qiuju into the estate, leading her first to the courtyard of the eldest daughter-in-law, Cai Xinlan, for inspection. Only after Cai gave her approval was the girl brought to the Plum Courtyard to pay respects to the young miss.

Liu Qin had just woken from her afternoon nap and was washing up. Sitting on a round stool, she patiently waited as Cuiliu tied up her hair. Just as the binding was finished, Cuitong handed her a cup of tea. Taking a sip, she swished it around in her mouth, preparing to spit it out, when Cuiyu rushed in in a flurry and let the door curtain drop with a sharp snap, startling her so much that she swallowed half a mouthful of water.

"Cuiyu, why are you always so rash?" Cuiliu chided with a look of displeasure, before Liu Qin could even say anything.

Cuiyu stuck out her tongue and laughed, "My lady, come and see quickly. Wu's wife has brought a little maid over, saying she is here to pay respects to you."

A little maid? Wu's wife certainly worked efficiently.

"That little maid is so pretty! In our courtyard, except for Lan Ke, the rest of us are about to be put to shame." Cuiyu had always been quick-witted and spoke without thinking.

Yet she was always like this, so no one truly grew angry with her, save for Lan Ke, who was standing quietly to the side and felt somewhat awkward at the praise.

The group left the main chamber and headed to the side parlor. Wu's wife hurriedly stood up while reaching out to pull along Qiuju beside her.

Ever since entering the Liu residence, Qiuju felt she didn't have enough eyes to take it all in. Especially upon entering the back courtyards—there were so many houses, so large and immaculate, complete with trees, flowers, miniature bridges, and flowing water. There were also maidservants passing by who looked so stunning and dressed so decently. She felt as though she had stepped into the fairyland her mother used to talk about.

Just then, she saw a crowd of maids, great and small, escorting a young master who looked like a jade tree of supreme elegance as he walked in from outside. That presence and grandeur left her jaw hanging open, her mind momentarily unable to process it. Her eyes remained fixed entirely upon the young master's face.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wu's wife caught sight of this and gave a start. She hurriedly tugged at Qiuju's clothes again, but the girl showed not the slightest reaction. Inwardly, Wu's wife could only sigh: this child was usually quite sharp; why did she have to turn foolish at such a crucial moment?

The moment Liu Qin stepped through the door, she was met with the stare of a pair of large, dark, sparkling eyes. It was impossible to ignore them, so she couldn't help breaking into a grin. She loved this kind of bold and genuine disposition; if it were someone who bowed three times for every smile and constantly glanced around sideways, she wouldn't have given them a second look.

Had Wu's wife known her thoughts, she would likely have sighed over Qiuju's extraordinary good fortune in running into a mistress who didn't play by the rules.

Liu Qin took her seat at the upper end of the table, whereupon Wu's wife pulled Qiuju to stand in the middle of the parlor and smiled, "My lady, this is the child I told you about. I've already taken her to the eldest daughter-in-law's place for review. Qiuju, hurry and pay your respects to the young lady."

Qiuju obediently knelt down and performed three prostrations. As she rose, however, she whispered to Wu's wife, "Sister Wu, clearly this is a young master, where is there any young lady?"

Quiet though it was, everyone in the parlor heard her, and they all burst into laughter. Cuiyu laughed the loudest of all, almost lifting the roof off the house.

Liu Qin rolled her eyes at Cuiyu, then turned a gentle gaze upon Wu's wife and Qiuju, saying, "Nanny, sit down. Qiuju, is it? In this household, I am a young lady, but when I step outside, I am a young master. You can just address me as Young Master from now on."

Because of Qiuju's words, Wu's wife had been somewhat apprehensive, fearing she might displease the young miss. Seeing that the young miss held no grudge, she finally set her mind at ease, expressed her thanks, and sat down on the edge of a chair at the lower end.

Qiuju's eyes darted around briskly as she looked at Liu Qin and replied cheerfully, "Understood."

Cuiliu furrowed her brow, but remained silent.

Liu Qin was quite satisfied; this was an unpolished, rustic little maid, even if she lacked proper etiquette.

Etiquette and such matters were not of great concern to Liu Qin. Had it not been for the necessity of blending in with local customs, she wouldn't have cared for those stuffy conventions at all. In Liu Qin's view, etiquette could be learned slowly, whereas a pure and untainted heart was the rarest thing of all. It was admirable that, despite experiencing so much, this child's eyes still remained clear enough to reflect a person's image.

Unable to resist, she took another closer look. In truth, the girl's face was well-formed, with her facial features proportioned just right. It was simply that her exceptionally clear and striking eyes stole the entire show. Observing her stature, she was slightly shorter than herself, meaning she should be around the same age.

Sure enough, she heard Wu's wife say, "Qiuju has already turned nine this year. Children in the village eat meagerly, so they are all thin and small."

Liu Qin nodded toward Cuiliu.

Knowing that the young miss intended to keep the child, Cuiliu smiled and produced a purse, stuffing it into Wu's wife's hand. "You've worked hard, Sister Wu. Qiuju will stay in the Plum Courtyard. This is a reward from the young miss; I hope Sister Wu won't find it too meager."

"How could that be? How could that be? To receive a reward from the young miss is my greatest fortune. Rest assured, my lady, I will handle everything properly and send the deed of sale over shortly."

After offering a few more instructions to Qiuju, Wu's wife departed to report back to Cai Xinlan.

Only then did Liu Qin ask Qiuju her surname. Hearing that "Qiu" was her family name, she was quite astonished. The surname Qiu was extremely rare—not one in ten thousand. She had heard that people of this lineage were also scarce, mostly residing in the north near the border of Beixiao, and exceedingly rare in the Jiangnan region.

"Such an unusual surname, yet the character 'Ju' (chrysanthemum) is far too common. How about changing the second character, what do you think?"

Qiuju replied readily, "Very well, please bestow a name upon me, Young Master."

After pondering for a long while, Liu Qin finally waved a hand, "Let me think."

This thought process lasted nearly the entire afternoon.

Qiushui? No, no, Li Qiushui from Master Jin Yong's writings was a great villainess, and besides, Qiushui sounded too delicate, unsuited for Qiuju. Qiuli? It conflicted with Jiang Li's name. Qiugao, Qiucheng, Qiushuang, Qiutian... Good grief, her mind was an absolute mess.

One only regrets not having read enough when the time comes to use it! Alas, she had nothing in her belly but superficial knowledge, completely lacking in literary flair.

In the end, she had no choice but to sheepishly seek out the erudite Jiang Li.

Lifting her little face in distress, she elicited a laugh from Jiang Li. "It's merely bestowing a name on a little maid; look how it has troubled you."

Jiang Li took a sheet of paper with a smile and penned a short stanza: *"The floating water-cress, to the left and to the right we gather it. A modest, retiring, virtuous maiden, with lutes, both small and large, we welcome her as a friend."* Then he circled the character "Xing" (water-cress).

These were verses from the Book of Songs. Jiang Li explained, "Xingcai is a kind of aquatic lotus leaf. Its nature is robust, resistant to both cold and heat, and highly adaptable. It quite matches the little maid you described."

Qiuxing? Muttering it twice over, she found it quite nice, smooth, and pleasant to the ear.

Beaming at Jiang Li, she suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Older Brother A-li is simply wonderful!"

Fortunately, she retained a shred of sanity and stopped short of planting a "muh" kiss right on his cheek.

Even so, this action caused the seated Jiang Li to flush a brilliant red. He gently tugged at her and lowered his voice, "Sister, let go quickly." Now that they were both growing up, overly intimate gestures were no longer appropriate.

Yet Liu Qin grew mischievous. Seeing that there were no outsiders in the room, she wanted to tease the shy young lad and deliberately acted spoiled, "I won't let go, I won't let go!"

To her surprise, Jiang Li suddenly chuckled. He actually reached out and wrapped his arms around her in return, a trace of slyness flashing in his eyes as he leaned close to her ear and whispered softly, "Someone is coming." A triumphant glint flashed across his gaze as he looked toward the doorway.

"Who is it?"

Turning her head, she saw Xiao Wu standing in the doorway, gazing at the two of them with an unreadable expression and unfathomable emotions.

With an awkward start, she released her grip and laughed sheepishly, "Older Brother Xiao Wu is here."