Finest Servant

Chapter 280

Chapter 280 The Lantern Riddle and the Red Thread

This wordless riddle perplexed the crowd; they couldn't even make out the question of the puzzle, let alone guess the answer. When they saw him pick up a brush, they knew an answer was in the making. Anticipation surged through the onlookers, as they realized Miss Zhiqing's third riddle was on the verge of being cracked.

Lin Wanrong handed the note to the attendant, saying, "Please, read it out loud."

The attendant took the note and recited loudly, "——Lost——Path——Know——Return——"

The crowd listened to these four characters, unable to decipher their meaning. The clever attendant, learning from previous experience, hurriedly asked, "Which character are we guessing this time?"

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "The first character itself is the answer to this wordless riddle."

Without hesitation, the attendant announced, "The answer is 'lost', from the phrase 'lost path, know return.'"

A flurry of discussion broke out among the crowd; no one could understand why the answer was the character for "lost."

Seeing Lin Wanrong's self-satisfied expression, the Eldest Miss found it amusing. She approached him and gently tugged on his sleeve, "Stop teasing us, just explain how you guessed it."

The Eldest Miss' heart pounded, but she kept a straight face, "Always talking nonsense. Say it or don't, I won't bother with you anymore."

This Eldest Miss still had a lot to learn about teasing, Lin Wanrong thought, laughing heartily. "You must all be wondering why the answer is 'lost' from 'lost path, know return.' The truth is simple, worth less than a penny. Once you understand the riddle, you'll figure out the answer."

One of the young masters shouted, "Brother, isn't that stating the obvious? Isn't solving any riddle about understanding it first?"

‘I do enjoy stating the obvious, what's it to you,’ Lin Wanrong thought, laughing aloud, "You're absolutely right. Most of the riddles posed by Miss Zhiqing... are difficult on the surface. Consider this one: a blank sheet of paper, no one could guess its meaning. But what is this white paper? It's a 'riddle' proposed by the young lady. There are no words in the riddle, but if we remove the word part from 'riddle,' doesn't it become 'lost' from 'lost path, know return'?"

[The character lost is 迷, and the character for riddle/word puzzle is 谜 - The left part "讠" is a common radical in Chinese characters that usually suggests a meaning related to speech or words. Thus, "谜" implies a spoken or word puzzle. Thus, 谜 (riddle/word puzzle) without 讠(words) is 迷 (lost)]

The crowd suddenly grasped the solution, understanding how the riddle had been deciphered. Unraveling the answer was extremely simple, didn't require much wisdom, and everyone assumed they could have guessed it. However, when in the midst of the puzzle, their thinking was confined, and it was this that created the pleasure of enlightenment. The servant of the Xiao family was indeed sharper than most. Considering his performance, it was no surprise he insisted on testing Tian Wenjing first; he had earned it.

"Brother, please hurry and solve Miss Zhiqing's fourth riddle. This year, we must crack Miss Zhiqing's puzzles to restore our male pride," a young noble from the Jinghua Academy loudly called out. With three out of four riddles solved, a little more effort would shatter the invincible myth of Miss Zhiqing's riddles. How could this not excite them?

Lin Wanrong smirked, ‘Who is this Miss Zhiqing, to have so many ambitious young noblemen willingly submit to her?’ This was indeed strange.

The steward removed the last lantern with the orange tassel and announced, "I must inform this young master that Miss Zhiqing's lantern riddles always consist of three character guesses and one object guess. This final lantern should be the object guess." Seeing Lin Wanrong's extraordinary performance, he tactfully elevated his title to "young master."

With a resigned smile, Lin Wanrong replied, "If it's an object guess, then so be it. Even if I can't guess it, I believe the young masters and ladies here won't blame me."

Everyone had placed their hopes on him, and they nodded in agreement. Even if he couldn't guess the final riddle, his skills in breaking the previous three rounds would be more than enough to secure him a teaching position at Jinghua Academy.

The steward took out the last slip of paper and read, "Whether sitting, standing, walking, or lying down, it is sitting. Whether sitting, standing, walking, or lying down, it is standing. Whether sitting, standing, walking, or lying down, it is walking. Whether sitting, standing, walking, or lying down, it is lying down. Oh, Miss Zhiqing has clarified that each sentence corresponds to a living creature. There are four in total. If you guess two, you are considered to have solved the riddle."

[TL: This riddle doesn’t require Chinese language proficiency, can the reader guess before reading further? :D]

"This girl is tricky," Lin Wanrong grumbled to himself. One riddle required four guesses - did she think him a fool? It was terribly unfair.

The hall was filled with lively discussions as everyone speculated about the four creatures. Lin Wanrong, with a dismissive smile, didn't bother guessing. He let out a yawn and lazily walked back to the Xiao sisters. He whispered, "Ladies, have you had your fill?"

Yushuang giggled, "How much can we eat? You're the one who's been complaining about being hungry. You should make sure you're full."

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "I'm stuffed. There's nothing interesting here anymore. Let's head downstairs."

The Eldest Miss, assuming he couldn't guess the last riddle, nodded and said, "That sounds good. You've already guessed three riddles. That's a fair accomplishment."

The younger sister gave a sweet smile, "You're really good at this. Maybe I won't go to Jinghua Academy. You can teach me at home. I bet you're much better than those teachers."

Lin Wanrong's face took on a mischievous grin. He nodded and said, "That sounds splendid. I have some resources - 'The Art of Prolonging Life', 'The Plum in the Golden Vase', and 'The Monk with the Lantern', which should be enough for three to five years of study. We can look into it when we have time."

The sisters didn't understand what 'The Art of Prolonging Life', 'The Plum in the Golden Vase', and 'The Monk with the Lantern' were, but having spent time with him, they recognized the intent behind his grin. Both of their cheeks flushed simultaneously and they scoffed in unison.

Yushuang pinched his waist and shyly warned, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll ignore you. I'll even tell my sister to ignore you too."

Lin Wanrong shrugged, laughing heartily. The girls were flustered, creating a sweet and intimate atmosphere that left everyone else forgotten on the sidelines. The Eldest Miss wanted to ask him what he was doing in the "Fairyland Comes with the Clouds," but seeing his joy and the absence of his usual dispirited look, she relaxed. Rising, she bid farewell to Tian Wenjing and the others.

The crowd was engaged in animated discussion, enthusiastically guessing the riddles, so when Miss Xiao and her clever servant announced their departure, everyone paused. Tian Wenjing hurriedly entreated, "Miss Xiao, two important figures from Jinghua Academy haven't arrived yet. They are well-read, incredibly learned, among the top talents in the land. Once they arrive, I'll introduce you. Then you can leave."

Miss Xiao gently shook her head and smiled, "We've already overstayed our welcome, and we still have many matters to attend to since we've just arrived in the capital. The hour is late, so we really should return home and settle down. My servant lacks manners, if he has offended any young masters or ladies, I hope you will forgive us."

Seeing that Miss Xiao was resolute in her departure, Tian Wenjing knew he couldn't persuade her to stay. Initially, he'd performed well, but as the night wore on, he became overconfident and forgot his manners. Losing the riddle game to a mere servant, his pride was severely dented, and he was forced to laugh a few hollow laughs.

The crowd had held high hopes for Lin Wanrong, but seeing his departure, they assumed he could not solve the final riddle. Disappointment spread.

The young master who had encouraged Lin Wanrong several times before approached him. "Young brother, I am Fang Ruchuan. My compliments to your insightful guesses earlier. Why did you not guess the last riddle? Couldn't you solve it? That's a pity. If you had solved all four riddles and cracked Miss Zhiqing's lantern riddles, you'd have become famous overnight."

Famous for cracking a young lady's riddles? Lin Wanrong couldn't help but shake his head at the thought. Seeing Fang Ruchuan's amiable demeanor, very different from the arrogance he had shown earlier, Lin Wanrong merely smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

Seeing Lin Wanrong's nonchalant smile, Tian Wenjing fumed inside. He snorted, "It's probably for the best you didn't solve it. I'm sure Miss Zhiqing wouldn't be pleased to know her riddles were solved by a mere servant."

Hearing him belittle Lin San, the Second Miss Xiao became furious, "You're not even as good as a servant! Lin San, let's go, we'll ignore him."

The Eldest Miss Xiao merely smiled without speaking, while Yushuang huffed and dragged Lin Wanrong downstairs.

"Why so angry, Second Miss? People can say whatever they want, it won't make us any less." Lin Wanrong laughed it off.

"Hmph, you're more knowledgeable than any of them. If anyone dares bully you, I won't let them off. Besides, in a few years, when we get married, you'll be mine, my—" The Second Miss Xiao blushed and stumbled over her words. Lin Wanrong, puzzled, asked, "Your what?"

"My husband!" Yushuang, her face flushed, whispered firmly, her chest puffing out with shy determination.

Upon hearing their conversation, the Eldest Miss Xiao felt a rush of heat to her cheeks. She lightly tugged on her sister's hand, laughing, "You shameless girl."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, his spirits soaring as if he had consumed a powerful stimulant. Halfway down the stairs, he suddenly turned around and called out, "Hey, what's-his-name... Fang Ruchuan, could you come here a moment?"

Fang Ruchuan was taken aback, hastily saying, "Brother, are you calling me?"

Lin Wanrong gave a slight nod, asked for a paper and brush, wrote four characters, and chuckled, "The answer to the final riddle is here, if you want to see it, come and take it."

Overwhelmed with joy, Fang Ruchuan hurriedly lunged forward. Lin Wanrong handed him the note and, laughing heartily, led the two young ladies down the stairs.

Fang Ruchuan stared at the characters for a long time, dumbfounded, before suddenly leaping up exclaiming, "Brother, you've guessed it, you've indeed guessed it, you've solved all four of Miss Zhiqing's riddles!"

The crowd quickly surrounded him, and they saw the note bearing four characters—“Frog, Horse, Fish, Snake”, indeed four creatures.

"Miss Zhiqing and Young Master Ye have arrived—" an alarmed cry came from an unknown source, and everyone hurriedly looked up to see a man and a woman gracefully ascending the stairs.

Tian Wenjing sighed and hastily greeted them, "Ah, the two of you are late."

—---

The lantern viewing was still bustling, although not as crowded as at its peak. As Lin Wanrong and the two young ladies walked at the bottom of the building, a burst of uproar came from the floor above. Lin Wanrong couldn't help but shake his head, even guessing a few riddles could amuse them to such an extent, it seemed these young masters and misses had a very impoverished nightlife.

The Eldest Miss curiously asked, "What characters did you write just now? Did you really guess it right?"

Lin Wanrong read out these characters, chuckling, "I don't know if I got it right or not. Anyway, I just made a blind guess."

Upon hearing these four characters, the Eldest Miss knew he had indeed solved all four riddles, yet he still pretended to be so nonchalant. She said, amused and annoyed, "If you've guessed it, you've guessed it. You love to play mysterious. Do you want that clever and witty Miss Zhiqing to think about you?"

Lin Wanrong was taken aback, "Eldest Miss, you've seen through me, well, it would be good if you thought about me too."

"Nonsense, disgusting." The Eldest Miss took a look at Yushuang and secretly snorted.

The Second Miss was extremely happy, hugging his arm and saying, "I knew it. Naughty man, you're the strongest!"

Rubbing lightly against her high, soft chest, Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, making a face and saying, "Strong, indeed very strong, you'll find out in the future."

The Second Miss blushed, but bravely looked up at him, smiling seductively. That instant radiance faintly had the shadows of Madam Xiao.

The Xiao family's branch in the capital was an enterprise established by the Old Mr. Xiao during his lifetime (The grandfather). Two large courtyard houses, located at the mouth of Dongsi Hutong, were indeed the bustling place in the capital. The prosperity of the capital was extraordinary indeed, even though it was night, the street was still crowded with endless traffic.

[TL: "Dongsi" in "Dongsi Hutong" refers to the "Eastern Four" in English. "Dong" means east, and "si" means four in Mandarin Chinese.

The word "Hutong" refers to a type of narrow street or alley, commonly associated with northern Chinese cities, especially Beijing. Most Beijing hutongs are aligned in a grid pattern and have their origins in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

"Dongsi" is a historic area in Beijing, named because it originally contained the easternmost of the city's four main Buddhist temples. Thus, "Dongsi Hutong" refers to the alleyways in the "Eastern Four" area of Beijing. It's an area that's rich in history and traditional Chinese culture.]

When the Eldest Miss's carriage stopped at the shop's door, the servants who had received the news came forward to greet them. Seeing Xiao Yuruo stepping down from the carriage, everyone flocked to bow to the young ladies.

According to the traditions of Great Hua, it was never too late to give New Year's greetings during the first lunar month. The Eldest Miss gave Lin San a glance, and Lin Wanrong distributed the red envelopes they had prepared to the workers. "Happy New Year, wishing for good luck," they said, seeking a good start for the year.

The steward of the capital's branch office was an efficient woman. Her husband's surname was Song, so everyone called her Sister Song. According to the Eldest Miss, Sister Song had served as a maid in the Old Madam's quarters when she was young, so in a way, she was part of the family.

Sister Song held the Eldest Miss in conversation, asking a great deal. When she mentioned the late Old Madam, her eyes filled with unshed tears. After some discussion, Sister Song personally brought out the cooked Tangyuan, presenting it to the two young misses, saying, "Eldest Miss, Second Miss, you have traveled far and celebrated the festival outside. I apologize for not taking better care of you. I am not sure if this Tangyuan will suit your tastes."

The Eldest Miss held the bowl and tasted it, then laughed, "Sister Song, this is the Lotus Seed Eight Treasures Tangyuan. It's thoughtful of you to remember our mother loved this. The flavor is excellent."

Hearing the Eldest Miss's praise made Sister Song happy. Upon hearing that their mother enjoyed the Lotus Seed Eight Treasures, the Second Miss couldn't help but taste a few bites.

The Eldest Miss then passed a bowl to Lin Wanrong and said, "Didn't you ask if you could have Tangyuan tonight? Try this. This is our authentic Jinling Tangyuan."

Lin Wanrong scooped up a Tangyuan and put it in his mouth. The lotus paste inside was scalding hot. He coughed a few times in distress, quickly spat it back into the bowl, his face flushed.

The Eldest Miss laughed out loud, "Who told you to rush and gobble it down, you're too greedy."

According to custom, the servants could not eat before the Eldest and Second Miss had done so. Seeing how intimate the Eldest Miss was with this Lin San, Sister Song was surprised, but she held back her laughter and said nothing.

After having the Tangyuan, which symbolized the fullness of the coming year, the two young misses looked tired. They had been working hard day and night for more than ten days. Even though they were as resilient as their mother, they were exhausted. Now that they had arrived at their destination, they naturally wanted to rest as soon as possible.

Sister Song respectfully said, "Eldest Miss, the inner courtyard is prepared for the two of you. Maids and servants are all ready. You and the Second Miss should rest early."

The Eldest Miss hummed in acknowledgement and, holding Yushuang, started walking inside. After a few steps, she turned back, "Sister Song, have you arranged Lin San's accommodations?"

Sister Song quickly replied, "It has been arranged. It's right next to the inner courtyard."

The Eldest Miss pondered for a moment, then said softly, "He's one of the most important people in our family. I still have many things to discuss with him. Let him stay in the inner courtyard with us, it will be more convenient. Also, having a man around will make me feel safer. Hey, you, still eating, I'm talking about you--"

Lin Wanrong swallowed the last Tangyuan in his bowl, which was so hot it made him pant and fan himself. Only after a while did he gasp, "I know, I know you're talking about me. Go ahead, Eldest Miss, I'm listening."

Xiao Yuruo looked at him and chuckled. This man, with his not insignificant knowledge and his insatiable appetite, amused her. "I asked you to stay in the inner courtyard, are you willing?"

"To protect the two misses? That's my specialty," Lin Wanrong chuckled.

The Eldest Miss blushed, glared at him, and turned to leave. The Second Miss sneakily gestured to him, and Lin Wanrong quickly followed.

The courtyard in the capital had a distinctive feature - square and symmetrical with two flower beds planted in the center. Its simplicity and elegance were unmistakable. The ground was paved with green bricks, exuding a refined and classical charm.

For a considerable length of time, this place would be his home. Lin Wanrong looked around, feeling somewhat moved. The Eldest Miss shared the same sentiment, and she couldn't help but glance at him. After the fifteenth, Xiao Yushuang was to live in Jinghua Academy, so naturally, she didn't feel as strongly about home as the two of them.

The Eldest Miss chose a room on the south side to live in, a practice known as sitting south and facing north. When it was Lin Wanrong's turn to choose, he unhesitatingly picked a room on the north side, sitting north and facing south.

Seeing the Xiao sisters looking tired, Lin Wanrong said, "You've traveled a long way, and you must be weary. Why don't you both take a comfortable bath and rest early?"

The Eldest Miss nodded, gave a light hum, and was about to return to her room. But she felt something was amiss and quickly asked, "And what will you be doing?"

With a serious expression, Lin Wanrong replied, "While the two ladies are bathing and changing, I will be on guard outside to prevent anyone from sneaking a look. Please rest assured, as long as I, Lin San, am here, no one can enter."

‘No one else can enter, but it seems only you can,’ the Eldest Miss thought, her face flushing with embarrassment. She felt as if she was inviting the wolf into the room. She glanced at him, too shy to speak. Yushuang, with a bashful look in her eyes, softly said, "You bad man, my sister and I will be bathing together, and you are not allowed to come in. Otherwise, I will have my mother punish you."

Lin Wanrong felt weak in the knees. The Second Miss might be young, but when it came to the art of seduction, she was top-notch. ‘If I really did barge in, it wouldn't be my fault, but yours for stirring the fire.’

—---

The two ladies stripped off their clothes and soaked in the wooden tub. The transparent steam moistened their cheeks, and their bodies felt soft and comfortable.

The Eldest Miss' skin was as white as snow, and her chest was crystal clear. In the mist, she looked like a naked jade beauty.

Yushuang's gaze lingered on her sister's chest for a while, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes. Suddenly, she mustered up the courage, leaned into the Eldest Miss's ear, and whispered a few words. Xiao Yuruo's face turned red with anger, and she said, "If this scoundrel dares to take advantage of you again, I will fight him."

The Second Miss' face turned red with embarrassment, and she softly said, "It's not like that. He said the massage was to promote my development, and he even said that mine would grow bigger than yours in the future."

The Eldest Miss couldn't bear to listen anymore. Her face turned red, and she slapped the water in the tub, causing it to splash everywhere. She said angrily, "I'm so angry, this bad guy, this dead thing, this heartless thing."

The Second Miss hummed and said, "He's just that bad. Sister, he said he would guard us outside, but why is there no sound? Could he be hiding somewhere and peeping?"

The Eldest Miss let out a startled cry, quickly covering her chest with her hands. Remembering his "misdeeds," she knew that he was capable of such a thing. She anxiously looked around the room, at the windows, the door gap, the skylight on the roof, everything was intact, and there was no sign of that detestable man.

Lin Wanrong, with his ear against the window, listened intently. He frowned, shook his head helplessly, and thought, ‘Eldest Miss, you underestimate me. How could I, Lin San, do something as tasteless as peeping? Stealing hearts is the real art.’

He yawned, about to return to his room for a good sleep, when he suddenly noticed the broken red string lantern in the corner. He couldn't help but sigh lightly, picked up the lantern, and took it into his room.

The two sisters finished their bath amidst giggles. When they opened the door, they saw that Lin San's room was brightly lit, and he seemed to be busy with something.

The Eldest Miss whispered, "Yushuang, go and see what that bad guy is doing. It's so late, and he's still not sleeping. Does he want to exhaust himself?"

The Second Miss hummed in agreement, tiptoed over, and peeked through the crack in the window. She saw Lin San holding a lantern, busily working on something. She couldn't figure out what he was doing and didn't dare to disturb him, so she tiptoed back to her sister and whispered a few words in her ear.

The Eldest Miss frowned and huffed, "Let that scoundrel mess around, we should rest."

After sleeping for an unknown length of time, the Eldest Miss was restless and couldn't close her eyes. She put on her robe and stepped outside.

The moon was high in the sky, and the night was as clear as water. In less than half an hour, the fifteenth of the first lunar month would be over. The lights in the room across were all out, and there was no sound, presumably, that guy had fallen asleep.

‘He's asleep so early, like a pig!’ The Eldest Miss was annoyed, gave a small kick, and was about to return to her room when she saw a wooden ladder leaning against the wall.

Following the ladder with her eyes, the Eldest Miss covered her mouth in surprise. Tears of joy fell as she saw a sturdy lantern slowly rising from the roof, ascending into the sky. The red string tied around the ankles of the two little figures was shining brightly in the orange light.

Lin San was lying on the roof, his eyes lightly closed, breathing evenly. The moonlight shone on his face, and the drool dripping from the corner of his mouth was clearly visible. He had, indeed, fallen into a deep sleep...

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