Chapter 12: Duan Inkstone

After a moment's pause, the door of Meng Hall was opened, and Sang Chen, in a clean, though slightly old, cloth robe, appeared. His clean and bright eyes, like the clear blue sky washed by water, looked towards Wan Lu with a hint of confusion.

Wan Lu was dazed by his expression, and for a moment, she did not know what to say, her face flushed as she looked at Ran Yan as if seeking help.

In the quietly waiting time, Ran Yan had calmed down enough and was fully prepared in her mind. She did not intend to waste time and directly asked, "Where did you get this inkstone from?"

Sang Chen's gaze shifted to the inkstone, he shyly smiled, "I made it. Zhou Sanlang is my student, and the Wife saved him. It is only right for me to express my thanks, but I possess nothing of great value... how embarrassing."

"You made it?" Ran Yan felt complicated, but not too disappointed. A sage from beyond this world guiding one through a perplexing situation was something likely found only in television shows; she never held much hope.

When she had traveled through time, an inkstone had first struck her, followed by someone breaking her neck. It was easy to hit the back of the head with an inkstone, but finding someone who could precisely grab the first cervical vertebra and twist it fiercely and accurately in this world would probably not be easy. Moreover, even if it really had been twisted, who could guarantee that she would definitely be able to return?

Ran Yan had long thought through these matters, yet when a faint opportunity appeared, she couldn't help but try to seize it.

Seeing Ran Yan staring blankly at the inkstone, Sang Chen said with some trepidation, "If the Wife does not like this inkstone, I have many more at home..."

"The inkstone is very nice, thank you, I won't disturb you further," Ran Yan said with a light bow, then turned and left.

Sang Chen's expression grew even more puzzled as these events, from beginning to end, he had not understood.

In fact, Sang Chen wasn't the only one who didn't understand the situation. As Wan Lu caught up with Ran Yan, just about to ask about the inkstone, she caught a glimpse of a faintly lost expression behind the lax veil, swallowed the questions she had, took the inkstone, and asked, "Will the Wife still go into the city?"

Ran Yan looked at the sky, which indicated it was not yet the hour of si, "Let's go."

The two, joining hands, returned to the front gate of the estate. Wan Lu saw that the carriage was ready and sighed in relief that the half coin spent was not in vain, otherwise if it were a normal day, how could those haughty servants be so easy to talk to.

Ran Yan, however, paid no attention to those trivial matters, looking at the inkstone yet unable to feel at ease. As they were about to cross the arch bridge, Ran Yan suddenly stepped into the void, her body falling towards the water, and Wan Lu, startled, let go of the inkstone in her hand and quickly reached out to pull Ran Yan.

Before they could regain their stance, they heard a "clang" sound as the inkstone, tinged with rose purple, fell on the steps, breaking into pieces. Seeing the shards scatter all around, Ran Yan's pupils contracted slightly, the scene eerily familiar as though she could still vividly feel the pain of her neck breaking; Ran Yan's face, hidden behind the veil, turned pale.

"Wife..." After regaining their stance, Wan Lu said hesitantly.

Ran Yan exhaled, "Gather up the pieces and throw them into the river, lest they hurt someone."

Wan Lu complied, crouching down to pick up the pieces, only to find that Ran Yan was also crouching down to help. Looking at her serene face vaguely visible in the morning light through the black veil, Wan Lu couldn't help but sigh, noting how different the Wife was after a serious illness.

"Wife, please get up, let the Slave pick them up!" Wan Lu hastily insisted.

"It's fine, we need to pick them up quickly, we still have to enter the city!" Ran Yan smiled faintly.

The two quickly cleaned up the pieces, and by the time they returned to the gate, the coachman was already growing impatient. Seeing their figures, he urged, "Lady Ran, please hurry, this is the only carriage on the estate, who knows when the steward might need it!"

Wan Lu felt indignant for Ran Yan, to think a legitimate daughter as she was yelled at by a coachman, even though there was no ill intent in his words, it was treatment that a legitimate daughter should not have to endure.

Ran Yan, however, felt there was nothing inappropriate, allowing Wan Lu to help her into the carriage.

The arrangement inside the carriage was standard, with only a mat and a small table, and teal curtains, clean without any odd smells. Ran Yan had never met the steward of this estate, but from the setup inside the carriage, she could vaguely guess that this person was steady, rigid, and meticulous in his work.

The carriage slowly started moving and though Ran Yan was naturally calm, she couldn't help but feel a bit excited. She had long heard of the prosperity during the "Reign of Zhen Guan" and to witness it with her own eyes was definitely worth being reborn.

Wan Lu also sensed Ran Yan's joy and became lively herself, reaching out to pull back the curtain and saying, "Wife, our villa is less than five miles from Suzhou City, but the scenery along the way is truly wonderful!"

Ran Yan removed her silk veil and looked out the window, right at the peony garden they had passed by that day, where the morning light revealed peonies showing signs of withering. It was early summer, and the time for peonies to begin fading had indeed come.

The carriage rode on the path, exceptionally bumpy, leaving Ran Yan with little mood to enjoy the scenery. Roughly after a quarter of an hour, the ride gradually smoothed out.

A four or five-mile journey, even if walked, does not require much time, and once the carriage entered the official road, they could quickly see the city walls.

As the carriage slowed, the bustling sounds from outside grew louder. Ran Yan pulled aside the curtain, watching with great interest the crowd at the city gate, observing their clothing and hats, as well as their behavior and expressions.

The attire in the Southern region had a strong influence from the Wei and Jin dynasties, mostly consisting of wide-sleeve robes, their movements fluid like water or drifting clouds, both gentle and unrestrained. They wore their hair up with scarves, and some men wore round-necked, narrow-sleeve shirts with soft boots, also adorned with scarves on their heads.

The round-necked, narrow-sleeve shirt was influenced by nomadic attire and modified, the precursor to the renowned Tang costume and the most fashionable style of the time.

The women's clothing styles were even more varied, with cross-collared skirts, chest-high skirts, and straight robes... However, they were all covered with a veil of gauzy silk, somewhat visible yet not as vivid as Ran Yan had imagined; most of the women wore plain clothes with darker colors, rather than brightly colored silk or satin perfumed with powders.

If Ran Yan were to stand amidst the crowd in her attire, she could certainly be considered a noble.

The coachman was very familiar with the roads in the city and knew Ran Yan wanted to go to East Market, so he took a shortcut.

During the Tang Dynasty, the urban areas were organized like a chessboard, with neatly arranged blocks and intersecting roads. Residential areas were referred to as "fangs," while markets were separate commercial areas enclosed by walls, open during the day and closed at night with a curfew.

Thus, after entering the city and passing through the residential areas, everything was very quiet, with black-tiled white walls, cobblestone alleys, and small bridges over flowing water. Although Suzhou City was built in the image of Chang'an, it certainly had a different charm.

After traveling a while, Ran Yan faintly heard some bustling sounds and guessed they were nearing the East Market.

At this moment, Wan Lu happily said, "Wife, we've arrived at East Market!"

To enter East Market, they passed through another city gate guarded by soldiers, but without the same level of scrutiny as entering the city, making it much quicker than the initial entry.

After the carriage entered East Market, it stopped beside the road, and the coachman pulled back the curtain, saying, "Madam Seventeen, we've arrived. Steward Zhou might require the carriage at any moment, so I must return now. When you return, it will just cost four copper coins to hire a carriage in the city."

Once Wan Lu helped Ran Yan off the carriage, she couldn't resist looking around everywhere. Ran Yan didn't have small change to tip the coachman and simply said, "No worries, thanks for your help. I will definitely thank you properly when I return."

The coachman, a Han man in his forties or fifties, sighed upon hearing this and said, "You are a lady of the Ran family; serving the master is my duty, there's no need for that."

The coachman climbed back onto the carriage and drove out of the East Gate, turning his head for one last look as he reached the gate.

Though far away, Ran Yan could clearly see something in his gaze, a sense of pity.

Ran Yan smiled faintly, her current situation was not the worst, there was no need for anyone's pity—she was never one to submit to circumstances passively. Situated in the lively East Market and accompanied by the spirited Wan Lu, Ran Yan felt quite content.

Hand in hand, the two were about to move forward when suddenly, not far ahead, the crowd began to gather, pointing and making quite a scene, particularly with more men than usual trying to crane their necks as far as they could.