CH 60

“Sis, I am so disappointed with you.” Ban Heng looked at Ban Hua, ‘hating iron for not becoming steel’, “Can’t you be a bit reserved and drag it out a little. A woman has to play hard to get so the man will appreciate you more, don’t you understand this?”

T/N – lit. to hate iron for not becoming steel 铁不成钢 = to feel resentful towards somebody for failing to meet expectations.

“Not my fault,” Ban Hua cupped her face, smiling in embarrassment, “He is too good-looking.”

“You can’t just look at a man’s appearance, you have to look at the substance.” Ban Heng was very serious, “I am also a man, how do I not know a man’s tricks?”

“What tricks are there?” Ban Hua was instantly interested, “Tell me now.”

“Don’t believe a man’s mouth, it’s always sweet. His action is more important.” Ban Heng was silent for a moment, “Anyway, he won’t be as good to you as I am.”

“That is obvious,” Ban Hua nodded, “My family’s Brother Heng is the best.”

“Hmph.” Ban Heng was a bit awkward, “It’s for sure.”

“No, don’t change the topic.” Ban Heng glowered. “Sis, do you really like Rong Xia. If not, we can cancel it. Rather offend him than to let you suffer.”

T/N – Who says only a man’s mouth is sweet? Ban Hua’s mouth is sweet too!

“No, I think he is quite suitable. There is no elder in his house, noone will control whenever I want to go home.” Ban Hua smiled from ear to ear, ” Morever, which man looks better that him in the Capital, no matter how it is not a loss to marry him. If he is not kind to me, I can just get a divorce and come back home, right?”

“You….. is that why you are marrying him?” Ban Heng half believed it, and half doubtful, “Sis, you must not let yourself suffer because of us.”

“Aren’t you stupid.” Ban Hua laughingly knocked Ban Heng’s forehead, “Am I the sort to sacrifice myself?”

Ban Heng covered his head, he was still a little uneasy, “But….. You and Rong Xia have no feelings.”

“Feelings can be slowly grown. When I was betrothed to Shen Yu, what feelings did I have for him?” Ban Hua didn’t give it a toss, “And looking at Rong Xia’s face in front of me everyday, I can eat a few extra bowls of rice. It’s quite good.”

“Then….. it is good that you are happy.” Ban Heng thought for a while, “I think Minister Shi’s family Shi Jin is also good looking. Don’t you always like his kind of looks?”

“You can’t just look at the man alone. You also have to look at his family, whether you can get along with them or not.” Ban Hua felt she was still quite perceptive on this point, “Shi Jin is too solemn, he is not suitable for me. Plus that sister of his, the way she looks at me is unfriendly. I don’t want to marry into a family and always have to bear a sister-in-law’s grudges.”

“That’s also right. That Miss Shi is obviously smarter than you…..”

Ban Hua rolled her eyes at Ban Heng.

“No, she is obviously more scheming than you.” Ban Heng immediately changed his tone. “But I don’t think Rong Xia is much more lively than Shi Jin.”

“Men looking at men, is different from women looking at men.” Ban Hua said with a mysterious and haughty expression, “I am very sure, Rong Xia is much more interesting than Shi Jin.”

Ban Heng tsk-ed, then smiled wickedly, “I am only 15 years old. It is normal that I don’t understand men, I only need to understand women.”

“Then it’s even more difficult.” Ban Hua stood up, looking down condescendingly, “Women is the most difficult book to read in the world. Even the smartest man ever won’t be able to understand it completely.”

“You are saying it like….. we men are easy to understand.” Ban Heng’s supreme manly esteem exploded, “Then how many women in the world can understand men?”

Ban Hua reached out to pinch his sleeve, “Let’s go, my family’s little man. It’s time for lunch.”

—

At the round dining table, Ban Hua ate some fresh and delicious mushroom. She opened her mouth, wanted to say ‘Grandmother likes this kind of fresh taste, let’s send some over’. Before the words came out, she suddenly realised, Grandmother was no longer around.

Ban Hua blinked, buried her head down to gulp a large mouthful of rice. Her throat felt so tight that she could barely swallow.

“Farm people know you like these, they sent a basket this morning.” Yin-shi picked up some shiitake mushrooms with her chopsticks to put in Ban Hua’s bowl, “You’ve lost of lot of weight lately, how if you get sick?”

“Thank you Mother.” Ban Hua ate a mouthful, lifted her head to give Yin-shi a bright smile.

“You, this child, why are you so polite to me?” Yin-shi looked at her gently, “Take good care of yourself, it’s the best way.”

Ban Hua nodded silently, she looked very obedient.

—

After the meal, Ban Hua rode a horse to the Grand Princess residence, it wasn’t far from home.

White silk lanterns hang at the gates of the Grand Princess residence. The large ‘dian’ words on the lanterns stung her eyes. When the mourning period has passed, the residence would be sealed, and the content would be sent to their house.

The guards saw Ban Hua stood at the gate, not entering and yet not leaving either. Having no idea what she was doing but dared not asked, they stood back respectfully after saluting.

Ban Hua climbed up the steps and pushed the gates open. The flowers and plants inside had not changed in any way because servants still kept the residence. However there was a biting coldness in the air, the kind of coldness that penetrated the bones and chilled the heart.

Walking up directly to the main hall, Ban Hua quietly told the maids and guards behind her, “All of you wait outside.”

“Junzhu…..” Ruyi nervously looked at Ban Hua. She worried that Ban Hua would be overwrought by memories in the place where the Grand Princess used to live.

Ban Hua ignored it, she walked straight in.

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Spring chill in the air, wintry breeze blew past the swinging white lanterns with swishing sounds. Ban Hua stood at the door with a bitter laugh. In the past, the moment she appeared at this spot, Grandmother would have called out warmly ‘Hua Hua’ and had the servants bring food and drinks as if she wasn’t fed at home.

The door creaked when she pushed it open. It was dim inside, it took her a while to get used to it.

There wasn’t a speck of dust in the hall, but Ban Hua felt the chair that Grandmother used to sit had become a little darker and the paint duller. She went to that chair and sat down, but her Grandmother’s warmth had gone, only an empty coldness left.

It was in this place that Grandfather and Grandmother often teased the child Ban Hua. Grandfather would get down on the floor to let her climb up his back like riding a horse, she would call herself the most powerful female general in Daye. The very young her didn’t know Grandfather had been ill for a long time, she had ordered the old man to carry her round and round the room.

When she cried of Mother’s scolding, Grandfather felt so much heartache that he sneaked plenty of good things to coax her. He said pretty little girls shouldn’t cry because when she cried she couldn’t be Daye’s number one beauty like her Grandmother.

Walking past the front hall, Ban Hua reached the main bedroom. Soft carpet covered the floor and vases perched on the shelves. Everything on the shelves were from Brother Heng and herself. Grandmother had rare royal vases put away in the storage, and filled up the shelves with ornaments they gave her. There was also a set of straw dolls that she found interesting and gifted to Grandmother last year.

Too many items in the room she was familiar with, just like that phoenix carved bed. Having been stripped of it’s curtain and bedding linens, the ornamented bed frame was hollow, as hollow as the mansion, it frightened her.

Ban Hua walked up to the dressing table and sat down, she stared at her own half-smile half-weeping face reflected on the bronze mirror.

“Grandmother…….” She reached out to touched the frosty surface, “Hua Hua….. misses you.”

“Whooaa.… whoooa……”

The wind soared in the garden. The pomegranate tree outside rustled with swishing sounds, like footsteps brushing up and down, in reluctance to leave.

Ban Hua walked out to the garden. Raising her head to look up at the pomegranate tree with its thick and sturdy trunk, a smile appeared on her face.

It was a long long time ago, but she still remembered this tree was planted by Grandfather and herself, she should be around five years old. She had said pomegranate seeds were beautiful, red like jewels, so Grandfather asked for a sapling from a colleague’s house to plant one together with her.

Her child brain pretty soon forgot all about it, but Grandfather didn’t forget. He liked to water it by his own hands.

Grandfather had passed before the pomegranate could bear fruits, and Grandmother picked up the watering of it. That year, the pomegranate tree finally yielded even if not many. Grandmother led her to present the fruits with her two hands in front of Grandfather’s grave. She had wailed inconsolably, but Grandmother didn’t cry. Her warm hands kept lightly stroking the top of her head and never let go.

“Grandfather, Grandmother, tomorrow I will have this tree moved to my courtyard,” Ban Hua caressed the tree trunk, “I will take care of it so it will blossom and yield, I will bring the fruits for the two of you.”

The wind soared again. The branches of the pomegranate tree swayed around, as if answering Ban Hua’s words.

Ban Hua pressed her forehead on the rough tree trunk. She put her arms around it, and laughed quietly.

—

Ruyi and the guards had been waiting for a long time, she was about to enter when Ban Hua walked out.

“Junzhu,” Ruyi let off a breath of relief as she didn’t see anything unusual with Ban Hua.  “Nubi thinks the sky is not good, it may rain soon. Let’s go back.”

“Alright.” Ban Hua let Ruyi fasten a cloak on herself, “When we are back, find someone who is good with transplating trees. I want the pomegranate tree in Grandmother’s courtyard moved to mine.”

“Will do.” Ruyi was stunned, “Other plants are to be moved as well?”

“The black peony. Grandmother likes it the most.” Ban Hua pulled at the cloak, she continued without an expression, “Have the gardeners take good care of them. No mistake allowed.”

“Yes.”

Shi Jin was passing by on his horse, he saw the gates of the Grand Princess residence were open. He pulled the rein and frowned, it was still in the mourning period, who dared to disturb the solitude of the residence.

He was about to dismount to investigate when a young woman in plain clothing with just a plain silver hairpin walked out with her maid and guards. Shi Jin paused when he saw her clearly, he rolled off the horse and gave a salute.

“Greetings Junzhu.”

“Shi-daren?” Ban Hua walked down the stairs, she glanced at Shi Jin’s backside, “Has Shi-daren been well recently?”

T/N – Remember Shi Jin got caned as punishment in relation to the death of the Grand Princess.

Shi Jin pretended not to see Ban Hua’s gaze, bending his arms in a salute, “Thank you for Junzhu’s enquiry. Zaixia is all fine.”