Chapter 166 The Red Thread

Sweat. ‘Why should this matter have anything to do with me? I am a faithful supporter of the enlightened policies of the Great Hua Dynasty, where it is absolutely permissible to have more than one wife. Besides, I am much smarter than this old Xu. Xu Wenchang may be smart in many things, but he is quite foolish in this matter. If I were him and Su Qinglian wanted to play such games with me, I would directly tie her up, perform the marriage ceremony, enter the bridal chamber, and then have five, six, seven, eight children with her. Let's see how she can still ‘long for a man who waits for her with the same dedication’,’ thought Lin Wanrong.

"Why would anyone want to imitate him, he's just too dull," said Lin Wanrong. "This old man should learn from me instead."

"Learn what from you?" the Eldest Miss asked, wiping away a tear.

"Learn to be strong, domineering, loving, and to push forward with courage. When facing a woman I like, if I can't win her over directly, I'll try to persuade her, if persuasion doesn't work, I'll persist in myriad ways, never letting go. This old Xu, however, is just stuck in his own problems. He is truly foolish," Lin Wanrong said with a sigh.

The touching mood was thoroughly ruined by Lin Wanrong's nearly rogue remarks. The Eldest Miss was both angry and annoyed. Somehow, whenever he laughed, he could make people cry, and whenever he cried, he could make people laugh. How utterly vexing!

Their conversation was interrupted by a snap. The sound of a string breaking. Looking over, they saw Su Qinglian's pale fingers had forcefully torn a string on the guqin. She looked at Xu Wei and slowly said, "Mr. Xu, this guqin was a gift from you years ago. Today, I return it to you, putting an end to our thirty years of affection."

Xu Wei stuttered, unable to say a word. Su Qinglian gave a wretched smile, rushed out of the cabin, and was about to throw herself into the lake.

But Lin Wanrong, quick as lightning, caught up with her and grabbed her sleeve, saying, "Sister Su, the water is shallow here, you should go over there instead."

"You, what do you mean?" Su Qinglian asked in shock.

Lin Wanrong grinned, "I'm just helping you achieve your wish."

While they were speaking, Xu Wei had caught up. He grabbed Su Qinglian's hand, pleading emotionally, "Qinglian, don't be impulsive. It was my fault in the past. I apologize to you. Please, give me another chance."

Su Qinglian wept, "What use are your words now? Let me go, let me go. Let me die."

Xu Wei held onto Su Qinglian tightly, and the two became entangled.

Lin Wanrong watched, frustrated. These two, clearly in love, were making things so painful. It was truly baffling. They were in their fifties or sixties, and yet they were still acting like this.

The Eldest Miss walked over to him, frowning, "What should we do?"

Lin Wanrong smiled and asked, "Where's that red thread you've hidden in your sleeve?"

The Eldest Miss blushed slightly, "Who's hiding a red thread? What do you need it for?"

Lin Wanrong pointed at Su Qinglian and Xu Wei, smiling, "Look how awkward these two are. I suppose we have to play matchmaker for them."

Understanding his meaning, the Eldest Miss covered her mouth and laughed, "You always have the most mischievous ideas."

"Enough, enough, no more struggling." Lin Wanrong went over to Xu Wei, and while pretending to pull him back, he attached a red thread to his robe with an embroidered needle, then loudly said, "Please listen to me for a moment."

The Eldest Miss, too, held Su Qinglian tightly and fastened the other end of the red thread onto her clothes.

"Who might you be, sir?" asked Su Qinglian through her tears, addressing Lin Wanrong.

"Who am I?" Lin Wanrong chuckled. "I am Lin San. Xu Wenchang may be known as the most learned man in the world, but I am the second. Remember that, Sister Su. You'll have to thank me properly when your wishes are fulfilled in the future."

"What wishes can a dying person fulfill?" Su Qinglian replied tearfully.

Lin Wanrong smiled slightly. "Life may be as insignificant as grass, but it has its spring blooms and autumn fruits. How can one speak so casually of life and death? Sister Su, thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye, do you still care so much about this fleeting moment?"

Su Qinglian sighed pensively. Seizing the moment of her hesitation, Lin Wanrong continued, "Mr. Xu, Sister Su, I have a few questions for both of you. Please answer carefully, don't lie. These questions may affect your everlasting future."

Xu Wei, of course, knew that Lin San was on his side and quickly nodded, but Su Qinglian didn't say a word.

"Mr. Wenchang, have you forgotten Sister Su over these years?" Lin Wanrong asked leisurely.

By now, Xu Wenchang had no regard for his pride, he hastily replied, "Where is this coming from? Throughout these thirty cold and hot seasons, I have never once forgotten Qinglian. As for the letters, I don't know how many I have sent."

It turned out that Xu Wenchang had been writing love letters to Su Qinglian all along. This was quite rare, Lin Wanrong thought. "Then why didn't you seek Sister Su earlier?"

Xu Wei sighed. "After Qinglian's letter years ago, the whole world knew. She had closed off the path. Even if I wished to, how could I have the face to see her?"

Lin Wanrong nodded, then turned to Su Qinglian. "Sister Su, do you truly no longer miss Mr. Xu?"

Su Qinglian grunted, her face stern, but a fleeting hint of melancholy flashed across her eyes. Lin Wanrong smiled and said, "I'll answer this one for you. Sister Su has sealed her zither and tied up her hair for more than thirty years. Thinking of him, missing him, yet also worrying and hating him. Your yearning is as long as a river, your hidden bitterness as persistent as a needle. By now, I'm afraid it's hard to tell if it's hate or longing. Is that correct, Sister Su?"

Su Qinglian's face reddened slightly, then she sighed, but in the end, she did not deny it.

Lin Wanrong continued, "Mr. Xu, did your wife at home know that you came looking for Sister Su?"

"She's no longer with us," Xu Wenchang said mournfully.

"She's gone, and now you come looking for me? You heartless and insensitive man!" Su Qinglian began to sob again.

Lin Wanrong gave Xu Wei a glance. This old man, can't he speak more tactfully? He sighed, "Stop arguing. Both of you are unmarried, with feelings for each other, carrying mutual longing for over thirty years. Yet why do you seek death upon meeting? Forgive my blunt words, but how many more years do you both have? Why must you be so reserved, missing this last chance?"

"Mr. Xu, Sister Su, you can't separate anymore, you're already tied by the red thread. You can't just break apart," the Eldest Miss said with a laugh.

Xu Wei and Su Qinglian hurriedly looked down and found a thin red thread, connecting the two of them directly.

Both of them blushed simultaneously, knowing that it was certainly the doing of this young man and woman. Xu Wei, having served as a high-ranking official for many years, still held his imposing air. He took advantage of the situation and took Su Qinglian's hand, saying, "Qinglian, I've truly missed you all this time."

A blush crept across Su Qinglian's pale cheeks, but she didn't know what to say, only allowing her tears to fall.

This old man Xu was good at seizing the moment. He was quite adept at courting women. Lin Wanrong pulled the Eldest Miss aside, laughing, "The following scene may not be suitable for children. We'd better not watch, and not hinder them."

The Eldest Miss walked to the side with him, sitting on the side rail of the ship. She laughed and scolded, "You were being serious for a while, and now you're up to mischief again." She glanced at Su Qinglian in the distance and spoke softly, "Miss Su's devotion is so profound, willing to die to prove her point. She truly is a role model for women."

Lin Wanrong shook his head and laughed, "Eldest Miss, I believe Sister Su has some cunning too."

"What cunning?" The Eldest Miss frowned, "Do you think everyone in the world is as sly as you?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Eldest Miss, think about it. Could Su Qinglian really die by jumping into the river in front of Mr. Xu?"

Xiao Yuruo paused. There were several boats nearby, all of them Xu Wei's bodyguards. Even if Miss Su fell into the river, they could quickly rescue her. Considering this, Su Qinglian couldn't really die.

Seeing the Eldest Miss's frowning face, Lin Wanrong laughed, "In my opinion, this was all a performance by Sister Su for Mr. Wenchang. It's a small punishment for his unfaithfulness and a way for Sister Su to step down. Her strategy was indeed extremely effective." Lin Wanrong was all too familiar with the tactics of women: crying, making a fuss, and threatening suicide.

"So you're saying, Miss Su had forgiven Mr. Xu a long time ago?" The Eldest Miss inquired doubtfully.

Lin Wanrong nodded, "Of course. I fear that Sister Su started regretting soon after she wrote that letter. But she has been seen as a role model by you women, so she found herself in a difficult situation. Both Mr. Xu and she couldn't let go of their pride, so they kept dragging it on, and before they knew it, thirty years had passed. In fact, only a thin layer separated them. Once punctured, everything would be fine." Lin Wanrong sighed.

Upon careful thought, it really was as simple as piercing a piece of paper. The Eldest Miss sighed inwardly. She glanced at Lin San and chuckled lightly, "Binding this red thread today, you've indeed done a good deed. However, your technique is truly lacking."

"Where was it lacking?" Lin Wanrong asked, puzzled.

"You tied the red thread in the wrong place."

"Then where should it have been tied?" Lin Wanrong asked curiously.

"Don't you know that the red thread is supposed to be tied around the ankle? You, the second greatest scholar in the world, haven't even heard of this proverb?" The Eldest Miss laughed triumphantly. Like a carefree young girl, she lifted her foot, flaunting it, and casually tied the red thread around her delicate ankle.

Sweat dripping, Lin Wanrong admitted he had not studied this. Taking it as a purely academic inquiry, he tied the other end of the red thread around his own foot and asked, "Would this do? It doesn't seem reliable to me. The Eldest Miss and I don't have that kind of fate. How could we be tied together?"

Xiao Yuruo paused, staring blankly at the red thread tied to their feet. Her face suddenly flushed a deep red. In a soft voice, she said, "Lin San, don't bind it randomly. Quickly undo the one on your foot." As she spoke, her face was flushed, and she turned her head away, not daring to look at him.

"Why should I untie mine?" Lin Wanrong laughed, "Are you trying to shirk this small task?"

Just as he was about to untie the red thread, he heard a rustling noise. Suddenly, several dark figures emerged from the shadows, their blades glinting. One of them shouted, "Kill Xu Wei!"

Another, with an incredibly swift sword, aimed accurately and severed the red thread tied to their feet.

Without a sound, the red thread was cut in half.