Chapter 28: The Master Jade Carver

They still had to prepare for the "Xi San" ceremony at noon; if she didn't get some sleep, he worried his daughter wouldn't be able to handle it.

Once his daughter was asleep, Meng Wenxuan went into the adjoining room of the bedchamber, picked up a pen, and recorded the names of everyone Jiaoyue had pointed at. Looking at the list, his expression shifted between shadow and light. What exactly did the Meng family possess that made that person so obsessed? The Orchid Branch Mountain alone didn't seem sufficient to warrant such great effort and the deployment of so many spies. What secret did the Meng family hold?

Given his father’s high regard for his daughter, and the fact that "that person" had made a move the moment she was born, it seemed this matter was tied to the women of the Meng family.

Meng Wenxuan returned to the bedroom. Seeing his wife lying on her side, gazing softly at their sleeping daughter, he let out a silent sigh. Regardless of the circumstances, he had to protect his wife and child.

Lin Yuntang had consumed the "pill" her daughter had given her the night before and had actually made a full recovery. However, to keep up appearances, she still had to complete her month of postnatal confinement. Sensing Meng Wenxuan’s approach, her beautiful eyes flickered toward him. When she saw the paper in his hand, she paused. "Let me see."

Meng Wenxuan walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and handed the list to his wife. Lin Yuntang was shocked after reading it, as the names on the list were all trusted confidants of her brothers and sisters-in-law.

"Is your Meng family too soft?" she asked with a complex expression.

Meng Wenxuan’s mouth twitched. "Though the men in our family are scholars, we have practiced martial arts since we were children. How are we soft?"

Lin Yuntang shook the paper. "If you weren't soft, how could you have so many leaks?"

Meng Wenxuan was speechless. He took the paper back, folded it, and tucked it into his sleeve. "Which household is truly clean?"

That was true. Lin Yuntang asked, "What do you plan to do?"

"None of these people are from our own courtyard," Meng Wenxuan replied. "I will tell Father. With him in charge, I don't need to worry about it. Even if I did, it’s my eldest brother’s responsibility."

He knew his boundaries. He understood that he shouldn't take on tasks that weren't his, even if he felt capable. With so many brothers in the family, maintaining boundaries was essential. Once one was married and had their own small family, the nature of sibling relationships had to shift to a different mode—one defined by clear boundaries.

Even though Meng Wenxuan was the youngest of seven brothers, he lived with great clarity.

When Jiaoyue woke up again, her beautiful mother had a red rooster placed by the bed, and the burning of incense to honor the gods of the bed had begun. The midwife had arrived to preside over the worship of the Guanyin Bodhisattva. The "Xi San" ceremony was meant to wash away the impurities of a newborn and pray for their health and safety.

The kitchen had already begun preparing the "Xi San" noodles—a type of thick-gravy noodle. Usually, these were served to guests, but the Meng family hadn't invited any outsiders, only their own kin. Still, the rituals were strictly observed, and the noodles had to be eaten.

Once everything was ready, Jiaoyue was dressed up, her forehead marked with moxa, her hair styled symbolically, and she was adorned with lucky charms like longans and red dates. Her grandmother then carried her back to the front hall. Aside from her eldest uncle, who had gone to invite a master jade carver, the entire family was present.

Following the order of seniority, they added water or coins into a basin filled with mugwort, locust twigs, and other medicinal herbs. The midwife stirred the water with a stick, reciting auspicious words and blessings. At that moment, Lady Meng, holding Jiaoyue, whispered, "My precious, cry now. Cry hard; it’s a good omen."

Jiaoyue was stunned for a moment, then opened her mouth and began to wail. Her crying was earth-shattering, yet everyone was delighted, especially the midwife, who poured out endless compliments.

Just then, a hearty laugh echoed through the room. "It seems I have arrived at the perfect time."

Hearing this, Jiaoyue stopped crying and turned her head. She saw a man in his thirties walking in, dressed in black robes. He approached with a smile and tossed a handful of gold melon seeds into the basin—a gesture so generous that even Jiaoyue was surprised.

Who was this?

Then she saw her eldest uncle return. He smiled as he added water to the basin and teased her, "Little Moon-bud, did your uncle return in time?"

Seeing her uncle, Jiaoyue immediately understood the man's identity: the greatest jade carving master of the Great Yu Empire. Her uncle had gone to invite him because her grandfather had insisted on having the piece of Lantian jade bestowed by the founding emperor carved into an ornament for her.

The master jade carver looked down at Jiaoyue, meeting her wide, watery eyes. He paused, then praised, "I heard your uncle boasting about you the entire journey. You truly are a spirited little girl."

He then exchanged greetings with the head of the Meng family. "Master Zhao, I must trouble you," the family head said politely.

"It is my greatest honor," Zhao Chengye replied with a hearty laugh.

Meng Wenxuan stood to the side and introduced him to his daughter. "Moon-bud, this is the greatest jade carving master of our Great Yu Empire, Zhao Chengye. The first piece of jade jewelry you wear will be carved by his hand. You are quite fortunate, Moon-bud."

Jiaoyue understood that her father was subtly telling her the man's identity. She channeled her spiritual power and looked above Zhao Chengye’s head. *Huh?* How many wicked things had this "greatest jade master" done for his aura to turn out like this?

Jiaoyue looked at both his "Hall of Impression" (the space between the eyebrows) and the black-and-white numbers. At this sight, she almost cursed. In both her past and present lives, this was the first time she had seen someone with such a darkened aura. Was he even human?

Zhao Chengye’s Hall of Impression was pitch black. For a normal person, such a sign would indicate impending death, yet his life force was vibrant, and there was no aura of death in the blackness. Furthermore, his black-and-white numbers were terrifying: ninety in black and ten in white—the exact opposite of what she had seen with Qingguo.

It was the first time Jiaoyue had ever seen such an aura. She froze.

At that moment, the ceremony reached its final stage: bathing Jiaoyue in the herbal water. A baby girl could not be bathed in public, even if she was only three days old, so Jiaoyue was carried back to the inner courtyard. Once the water was prepared, the midwife bathed her while reciting blessings. However, Jiaoyue remained lost in thought, pondering Zhao Chengye’s aura and numbers; she didn't hear a word of the midwife's blessings.

She was still dazed when she was placed back in her cradle. Both Meng Wenxuan and Lin Yuntang noticed their daughter was distracted. Lin Yuntang didn't know why, but Meng Wenxuan had been watching his daughter closely and knew she had started acting this way right after he introduced Zhao Chengye. He hadn't missed the flicker of confusion in his daughter's large eyes when she looked at the master.

Yes, it was confusion, as if she didn't understand something. However, since her grandmother and aunts were in the room, he exchanged a look with his wife, signaling that they would discuss it later.

Soon, the butler, Meng Zeqiu, sent word that the "Xi San" noodles were ready. Since the great master Zhao Chengye was present, they couldn't just serve a bowl of noodles; a lavish feast had been arranged. All seven brothers were present to host him, while the women ate in the inner courtyard.

Meng Wenxuan calmly observed Zhao Chengye, wondering what was wrong with this man that had left his daughter confused, yet without labeling him as an enemy.