Moonlit Reunion [子夜归]

Chapter 20

Wu Zhen suggested moving up the wedding date, and with just one sentence, what had been set for after the Dragon Boat Festival was now pushed to before it. No one could argue with her, as Lady Wu was known for her whims, so craftsmen in various shops had to hasten their work for her wedding preparations. Thankfully, many precious items had already been prepared, so the rest wouldn't be too difficult.

Mei Zhuyu also had much to prepare. With his parents both deceased, his close relatives in Chang'an included only the Mei family headed by Minister Mei, also the father of his cousin Mei Si, and a Noble Consort in the palace. Many matters required the help of elders to avoid chaos, so recently, Mei Zhuyu frequently visited, spending more time with Mei Si than before.

Mei Si, admiring his future brother-in-law—or rather, his cousin who was set to marry his 'big sister boss'—became increasingly warm toward him, always stopping for a chat whenever they met.

One day, when Mei Zhuyu visited again, Mei Si was home and eagerly came over to him, exclaiming, "Cousin, I've finally decided on a wedding gift for you both!"

Their circle of friends had been discussing suitable wedding gifts for ages. Cui Jiu wanted to give a golden screen embroidered with peonies in gold thread, but it was mocked for being too tacky. Lord Zhao recently suggested two fine horses but later switched to a tiger, and just yesterday, he changed his mind again, now thinking of a fox-fur bedspread. Sun Niangzi mentioned preparing a box of personally blended incense, while others considered exotic dancers or strong servants. It seemed everyone had their own ideas.

Only Mei Si, after much deliberation, still hadn't settled on anything, feeling his gift should be better and more sincere than anyone else's as both friend and family. After racking his brains, inspiration finally struck him this morning.

"Guess, Cousin—what could it be? Never mind, you'd never guess. I won't say a thing; I want it to be a surprise! Alright, I'm off to buy the finest paper and brush while there's still time!"

Mei Si babbled on excitedly, not caring about Mei Zhuyu's reaction, then practically danced out the door.

Mei Zhuyu thought, "..."

Judging by this, the gift must be a painting he's done himself. And knowing his cousin's tastes, it's likely a ghost-repelling charm or something similar.

Striding happily down the street, hands on his hips, Mei Si thought, "My gift will be the most sincere and unique!"

He had decided on a 'Thousand Demons Ward,' a protective painting he would draw himself, a charm to keep all evil at bay and ensure safety for his sister and cousin!

To that end, Mei Si decided to put aside his usual work on the Records of Demons and Spirits he illustrated for White Serpent Lord and focus solely on this painting. To do it justice, he wanted to buy the best paper and brush. Being skilled at painting, he frequented shops selling art supplies, but none seemed to satisfy him this time, so he left to search further.

After an entire day of searching, he still hadn't found anything suitable. Feeling quite dejected, he was about to head home and ask friends if they had anything better when a passerby bumped into him, knocking him down.

The man, whose face was obscured by a veiled hat, stumbled back as well, dropping a wooden box, which opened to reveal a roll of pristine paper and a dark purple brush.

Seeing the paper and brush, Mei Si's eyes sparkled; he could tell at a glance that they were extraordinary and just what he needed. Ignoring his fall, he lunged forward to grab the box, eagerly asking, "Would you sell this paper and brush? Please, sell it to me!"