The Sorrowmender

Chapter 3 – In the south city, there is a Pavilion of Forgetting Worries

"Young Lady, if you wish to relieve yourself of this longing, you must forget those memories. So, are you willing to forget him?" Xu Qingzhou asked in return.

The Young Lady hesitated for a moment, biting her lip.

"If I could forget, I would naturally be willing, but how can one forget?"

Xu Qingzhou's mind stirred, and a jade bottle appeared in his palm.

"I said it can cure, so it can cure. I said you can forget, so you can forget."

With that, he placed the jade bottle in front of Lin Shuang'er and continued:"This is called the Water of Forgetting Worries. Once consumed, it will erase fifteen years of past and five years of longing completely.

He will vanish entirely from your memory, thus relieving your longing. If you've made up your mind, take it."

Lin Shuang'er's expression was once again stunned, her conflicted eyes fixed on the jade bottle.

"Is there really such a miraculous thing in this world? How did I not know?"

Xu Qingzhou smiled calmly, feigning mystery.

"The world is vast, spanning more than thousands of miles, with endless galaxies. There are many things Miss Lin doesn't know.

Just look at this Vast and Righteous Continent, where there are countless good men. Why be troubled by just one?

Go and see the world, don't linger."

These words sent Lin Shuang'er into deep thought, her eyes dazed.

"Master is indeed a wise man. I understand now. Thank you, Master." she murmured softly.

At that moment, she made a decision, reaching out to take the jade bottle from the table, and stood up to bow to Xu Qingzhou.

"How much does this medicine cost? Please name a price, and I will send someone from my residence to pay you."

Xu Qingzhou waved his hand.

"Ah... Relieving the worries of a young lady is my lifelong wish. I don't talk about money, only fate. If Miss Lin insists on giving something, just a token will do, hahaha!"

Lin Shuang'er's eyes shimmered, and she finally took off her money pouch from her waist and placed it on the table.

Then she thanked him again and bowed.

"Thank you, Master. If I can forget, Lin Shuang'er will certainly not forget today's kindness."

With that, she picked up the fallen oiled paper umbrella and turned to leave.

Watching her slender figure, a fiery red blooming on the long street, Xu Qingzhou reminded her once more.

"Miss Lin, once you drink the Water of Forgetting Worries, everything will be forgotten. The memories cannot be restored, so think it over."

Lin Shuang'er did not turn back but reached out, trying to catch the falling raindrops.

"The weather is cold, I mean my heart is cold too. It's time to end it."

She hesitated no longer and chose to drink the Water of Forgetting Worries in one go.

A trace of joy slowly appeared on her once melancholy face.

A quick look at "pawread.com" will leave you more fulfilled.

"A fake blind man? What an interesting person."

She chuckled softly, and Lin Shuang'er walked further away, disappearing at the end of the long street.

Watching the red oiled paper umbrella disappear, Xu Qingzhou also lamented with a hint of melancholy.

"So even a face that could topple a city has its worldly sorrows."

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully relieving Lin Shuang'er's worries.]

[Ding! Reward triggered, gaining 800 Merit Points.]

[Ding! Reward triggered, obtaining Heaven-Grade Sword Technique: Geese Descend on Flat Sands.]

Hearing the familiar system notification, Xu Qingzhou's face lit up with joy.

Overall, although he lost 200 Merit Points, the extra reward was a first.

He eagerly opened the sword manual and skimmed through it.

"Not bad, now I can stand up and speak with confidence."

However, it was evident that the stronger the young lady relieved of her worries, the more rewards he would receive.

"Pack up!"

At this moment, the Lady Boss of the shop began to open for business. Seeing Xu Qingzhou packing up again, she immediately inquired.

"Xu the blind man, you're packing up again?"

Xu Qingzhou, hearing this, took off his dark glasses and grinned, his white teeth striking.

"One fortune a day, no more, no less. That's my rule."

"Humph, can you make a living like this?"

He weighed the money pouch in his hand.

"You guess—"

With that, he walked towards the other end of the long street without looking back.

"Don't you know, the deepest autumn is the most intoxicating, a pot of wine among the flowers, where does the sorrow of parting dye—hahaha!"

The Lady Boss watching his back muttered softly:"Truly interesting."

"Sis, what's interesting?"

"Isn't it that fake blind Xu Qingzhou? Never mind, why bother with him, go study now..."

***

Time flies like an arrow, passing like a fleeting horse...

Deep autumn passed in a blink, the geese flew south, and the harsh winter arrived.

A new shop opened on South Street of Frostsky City.

Named: Pavilion of Forgetting Worries.

A piece of writing was posted at the shop's entrance, the calligraphy vigorous and powerful, clearly the work of a master.

On the right: Young ladies have worries and sorrows.

On the left: I let young ladies be free of worries and sorrows.

The horizontal inscription: Xu Qing Worry-Free.

Simple words, somewhat clichéd, lacking the rigorous wording of historical texts or the elegance of masterpieces, but easy to understand, even for a common woman.

In the cold winter months, the sky was filled with heavy snow, and the snowfall in Frostsky City lasted for days without stopping.

It seemed to drape Frostsky City in a silver-white coat.

There were few pedestrians on the streets, yet in front of the Pavilion of Forgetting Worries, a long line stretched across the snowy ground.

Upon closer inspection, there were both old and young, but all were women.

Though it was early morning, the coldest time, the crowd was bustling with the low murmurs of women discussing.

Without exception, they all came for the reputation, hoping the pavilion's master would relieve them of a worry.

"Old Madam, what a coincidence, we meet again."

"Oh my, isn't this the Zhang Family's Young Lady? How many days have you been coming here without being chosen?"

"Don't mention it, Old Madam, I've been here for six days and haven't been chosen once, sigh."

"You've only been here six days, I've been here almost ten. Look, the number of people is increasing, and the chances of being chosen are getting smaller..."

"You know, Mister is peculiar, only relieving one person a day."

"Mister must have his reasons for doing so. After all, Mister is like a god descended from heaven, there's no worry or sorrow he can't relieve, no disaster or illness he can't cure..."

The snowflakes danced and time slipped away, and the door of the Pavilion of Forgetting Worries finally creaked open amidst the crowd's anticipation.

A seven or eight-year-old Little Page Boy emerged, carrying a box.

"Look, the page boy is out, it's starting."

"Buddha bless, let me be chosen today, bless me."

The Little Page Boy stood on the wooden platform by the door, raising his childish voice to announce:

"Mister said, today's quota is 300. After the draw, Mister will announce the lucky numbers. The chosen young ladies can have their worries relieved today."

As the Little Page Boy placed the box on the ground, a horde of women surged forward like wolves and tigers.

"Hey... don't push!"

"Let me go first, I was here first."

"Oh dear, you touched my chest."

"So what if I did, we're all women, don't we all have them..."

"That's different, yours are grapes, mine are watermelons!"

The scene descended into chaos, and the Little Page Boy was swallowed by the crowd, struggling to crawl out from the sea of women.

He wiped his forehead, glanced behind him, and muttered.

"If Mister didn't pay well, even a dog wouldn't do this job, you could get trampled to death if you're not careful."

Soon, the paper balls in the box were all snatched up.

There were 300 paper balls, but more than 300 people came today. Those who came late didn't get any, sighing and feeling frustrated.

Those who did get one clutched their paper balls tightly, looking at them repeatedly, some praying to gods, others pleading with ancestors.

The Little Page Boy returned inside, bowing respectfully in front of the hall.

"Mister, the draw is complete."

Xu Qingzhou yawned, clearly just waking up, his hair a bit messy today. He casually picked up a pen from the table and scribbled a few strokes on the paper.

"Take it."

The Little Page Boy took the paper, examining it carefully.

He praised with a smile:"Mister's chosen numbers are more auspicious than yesterday's."

Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan