Originally, we were each supposed to have one.
After sending off the few remaining diners in the shop, the two tidied up the tables and chairs. Yu Jinnian took out a wooden board and asked Ji Hong to write the large characters “Temporarily Closed” on it, then set it outside the shop. After informing Aunt Xu, they left, gently closing the door behind them.
Walking on the road out of the city, Ji Hong watched the boy carrying a basket, strutting along with pride. He couldn’t help but question himself inwardly: How had he fallen for his trick and been lured out of the city with a dish of chopped pepper fish head?
As Yu Jinnian walked, he looked up at the sun. In his past life, he had heard his adoptive father talk about the bustling scenes during house construction in their hometown, saying it was as lively as a festival. He had always wanted to witness it himself and wondered if it would be the same here. Seeing the sun nearly at its zenith, he quickened his pace.
There seemed to be an unusually large number of people leaving the city today. Various carriages and crowds thronged the western gate. Yu Jinnian, tall and slender, slipped through in a few swift moves. Ji Hong watched him run ahead like a nimble little squirrel, only to see a flash of vine-gray sleeve brush past his hand. Instinctively, he reached out but grasped nothing. In the blink of an eye, the boy had disappeared, leaving only the noisy, unfamiliar faces around him.
In that moment, Ji Hong felt a faint sense of loss.
He moved slowly with the crowd. Just as he exited the city gate, he heard a slightly surprised voice in the distance: “Ji Hong!”
Yu Jinnian waved vigorously, pulling him out of the throng. Fearing they might be separated again, he held onto Ji Hong’s hand and walked straight ahead. Ji Hong followed Yu Jinnian’s steps, walking faster and faster, eventually breaking into a jog. The sparse willow trees on either side quickly receded from view, and a turn of the head revealed vast farmlands.
It seemed he hadn’t run like this in a long time. People always said he was frail and couldn’t move around much, so for a long time, he sat quietly at his desk, sitting for an entire day. When the window was open, he saw the intricate but unchanging garden view; when the door was closed, there was only the spider plant on his desk that never bloomed.
Even though he was gasping for breath and his lungs ached from the sudden exertion, Ji Hong felt an immense sense of relief. It was as if the thick layer of dust covering his body had been swept away entirely.
They ran all the way to Aunt Wu’s new house. The location was excellent, with a nearby branch of the Lixi River flowing by. From a distance, they could see many people already gathered in the yard, bustling with excitement. A square-faced craftsman sat high on the beam, with a muscular arm exposed, holding a large basket. He shouted down to the crowd, “Do you want wealth or nobility?”
The homeowner below responded cheerfully, “Both! Both!”
Aunt Wu, standing nearby, was also beaming with joy. As she turned her head and saw Yu Jinnian and Ji Hong, she hurriedly called them over, “We’re about to raise the beam, come on in!”
The two of them squeezed through the layers of people and saw a red silk ribbon hanging down from the central beam, looking very festive. After entering, they first went to congratulate the homeowner. They didn’t notice that behind them, the previously noisy crowd had started whispering among themselves. Someone quietly tugged at Aunt Wu and motioned towards one of the two, asking, “Who is this important person?”
Aunt Wu thought for a moment. She didn’t recall seeing this person before at the noodle shop, so she smiled and said, “Probably just a kitchen helper.”
The crowd looked over at the man, who stood tall with a graceful bearing and an elegant appearance. Though his face appeared cold and aloof, he truly had a jade-like quality. The slightly shorter boy next to him, on the other hand, looked more approachable and was also quite handsome. If even their kitchen helpers had such demeanor, they wondered what kind of extraordinary chef the household had hired. Could it be the head chef from the famous Spring Breeze Delight Restaurant in the city?
Privately, people were already saying that Aunt Wu’s family had prospered because they had invited a real God of Wealth to guard their home. Seeing today’s grand display only reinforced this belief. Everyone resolved to grab more auspicious items during the beam-raising to gain some of that good fortune.
At this moment, the craftsman on the beam shook the basket he was holding. Inside were candies, festive peanuts, sticky rice cakes, and steamed buns—all symbolic of good luck. He grabbed a handful and tossed them down, smiling and shouting blessings, “Here we go! First, a wish for boxes filled with gold and silver!”
Seeing everyone around, regardless of age or gender, scrambling to grab the items, Yu Jinnian also reached out his hand. However, before anything could land in his palm, it was intercepted by someone else.
The craftsman shouted again from above, “Next, a wish for granaries full of white rice!”
After another burst of laughter and commotion, Yu Jinnian looked at his empty hand and bit his lip. He had almost caught something!
The craftsman saw Yu Jinnian below, slender and being jostled around by the other villagers and farmers. He laughed and called out, “Little brother, don’t be anxious, there’s more! Watch closely… This time, a wish for wealth flowing in from all directions!”
Originally, Yu Jinnian wasn’t very interested in grabbing the auspicious items. But after failing twice, it felt like putting a coin into a claw machine only for the toy to be stuck behind a barrier. He was frustrated, not realizing that the real reason for the villagers’ fervent scrambling was the presence of the distinguished Ji Hong beside him.
Ji Hong glanced down at the boy next to him, noticing his slightly clenched fingers as if in a childish fit. He had grown accustomed to the boy’s constant smiles over the past few days, and now, seeing him look angry was surprisingly amusing.
This time, before Yu Jinnian could even reach out, a figure beside him stepped forward and raised an arm. Ji Hong lightly stood on tiptoe and managed to catch something from mid-air. Before he could open his hand, Yu Jinnian’s face lit up with a smile as he rushed over, eagerly asking what Ji Hong had caught.
Ji Hong staggered back slightly from the impact and helplessly extended his hand—revealing a pair of festive peanuts with red dots.
Aunt Wu peered over and commented, “Peanuts are good, symbolizing long life and prosperity!”
Suddenly, two mischievous boys, about seven or eight years old—the age when even dogs dislike them—appeared out of nowhere, laughing and shouting as they snatched the newly acquired peanuts from Ji Hong’s hand. Not only did they grab the peanuts, but they also turned around to make faces at the two, looking very smug. Yu Jinnian quickly grabbed the slower one by the collar, his smile still on his face as he asked, “Are you going to keep running? Are you going to keep taking other people’s things, hmm?”
The mischievous child, legs flailing, looked up for help but met Ji Hong’s icy gaze, which seemed cold enough to freeze him. The child immediately pleaded, “I won’t do it again! Here, take it back!” He struggled free and shoved the peanuts back into Yu Jinnian’s hand before running away.
Unfortunately, one of the peanuts had already been accidentally crushed.
Yu Jinnian peeled the other peanut and popped it into Ji Hong’s mouth, saying, “Here, for long life and prosperity!” Then he muttered, “Originally, we were each supposed to have one.” He didn’t really believe that eating the peanut would grant long life; he was just annoyed that the mischievous kids had taken their stuff.
Ji Hong, still surprised with the peanut in his mouth, followed Yu Jinnian into the kitchen area in the west house.
The stove fire was already burning, and a wooden basin beside it held cleaned whole chickens and pork. Yu Jinnian squatted down to inspect the chicken and meat, confirming that they were freshly slaughtered. Earlier in the courtyard, he noticed about three or four wooden tables stacked in a corner, likely to be used by the craftsmen later. Each table needed a complete set of dishes, both meat and vegetables.
As Yu Jinnian pondered what dishes to prepare, he noticed Ji Hong walking out, seemingly deep in thought. Not paying much attention, he took a knife and began removing the chicken’s innards, planning to make three dishes from the chicken.
These chickens were free-range, plump yet not greasy, with good-quality meat. The concept of “three ways” meant making three different dishes from one chicken, without a fixed method—depending on the cook’s mood. Since the craftsmen outside were used to hard physical labor and didn’t demand the finesse of city cuisine, Yu Jinnian decided to make half of the chicken boiled and the other half braised. The chicken head, feet, and bones would be used to make soup.
He started by boiling water, adding large pieces of scallion and ginger to remove the chicken’s odor, with a bit of rice wine and star anise for flavor. The key to cooking the chicken was controlling the heat, keeping the water hot but not boiling to ensure the meat remained tender and elastic. Just as he submerged the whole chicken into the water, Ji Hong returned. When asked where he had gone, Ji Hong didn’t answer, maintaining an air of mystery.
Yu Jinnian, unable to get an answer, reluctantly instructed Ji Hong to wash the vegetables while he fetched a basin of cool well water to continue preparing the chicken.
White-cut chicken, a southern dish, required the chicken to be simmered in hot but not boiling water, then cooled in cold water, and finally simmered again. Although Yu Jinnian used to find this process cumbersome, now working hard for a living, he felt fulfilled and was more than willing to showcase his best culinary skills.
He turned off the heat, leaving the chicken to steep in the pot, and went out to get the vegetables Ji Hong had washed.
What he saw made him anxious: Ji Hong stood with his feet soaked, staring seriously at a stalk of celery, and then snapped it in half, discarding the leafy part into a basket and washing only the small remaining stem.
Looking at the basket at his feet, Yu Jinnian saw many mistreated vegetables: a head of cabbage stripped down to a tiny yellow core, cauliflower with its florets rubbed off, and a carrot with deep gouges.
He almost heard the vegetables’ lament: Such destruction is worse than death!
Ji Hong was earnestly “washing” the celery when he felt a shadow fall over him. Yu Jinnian crouched beside him, his brow furrowed as he sifted through the vegetables in the wooden basin. Ji Hong stopped his work and softly apologized, “Sorry, I…”
From Ji Hong’s seemingly calm voice, Yu Jinnian detected a hint of disappointment. He looked up at Ji Hong and suddenly remembered his own first attempt at cooking, making him smile.
Ji Hong looked at him, bewildered.
Yu Jinnian began sorting through the vegetables in the basket, recounting with a smile, “The first time I cooked, I wanted to surprise my father. I thought the potatoes were dirty, so I cut off a thick layer with a knife, ending up with something resembling a peach pit. I also washed the onions layer by layer and ended up crying because they made my eyes sting. When my father came home and saw me crying, he thought someone had bullied me and was ready to confront them.”
Although the end of his past life was painful, Yu Jinnian now recalled the fond memories. With a shift in his mindset, he no longer obsessed over his illness and felt that those ordinary days were truly happy. Even the stern orders from his adoptive father to study seemed filled with warmth.
Ji Hong noticed Yu Jinnian’s hands slowing down as he washed the vegetables. Looking from Yu Jinnian’s hands to his face, he saw the clear, beautiful eyes that seemed momentarily lost in thought.
Aunt Xu had mentioned that when Yu Jinnian first arrived at the noodle shop, he was covered in injuries and barely alive. He had been bedridden for three days before fully waking up and another two days before regaining enough strength to move around. During those days, Yu Jinnian didn’t smile as much and often seemed deep in thought, unresponsive to calls and frowning frequently.
Ji Hong’s mind conjured the image of Yu Jinnian, battered and despondent, causing an inexplicable pang in his heart. He wasn’t sure why, but this young man, like gentle sunlight, always made him feel comfortable. He didn’t want to see Yu Jinnian looking so forlorn, as if a once brilliant constellation had suddenly dimmed.
At that moment, Ji Hong had an urge to pat Yu Jinnian’s head, just as Yu Jinnian often comforted Sui Sui.
Yu Jinnian snapped out of his memories, trying to mask his lapse with an overly enthusiastic smile. “Do you think I’m amazing now?”
A sudden gust of wind blew past, making Ji Hong squint. He reached out and gently brushed over Yu Jinnian’s head, looking at him for a moment until the wind died down, then replied, “Yes.”
In the lingering echo of the wind, Ji Hong’s voice sounded exceptionally clear and bright. Perhaps in that instant, the rising wind also took away his cold demeanor, leaving behind only deep, boundless warmth.
Yu Jinnian, closing his eyes against the wind, didn’t see the fleeting look in Ji Hong’s eyes. He only felt a light touch on his head, and when he reopened his eyes, he saw a dry leaf between Ji Hong’s fingers.
He thought, “It must have been plucked from my head.”
“Teach me,” Ji Hong said casually, tossing the leaf aside and pointing to the remaining vegetables in the basin.
Yu Jinnian nodded eagerly and got to work, explaining, “These vegetables only need the wilted or yellow leaves picked off. If you soak them in water for a while, the dirt will loosen, making them easier to clean.”
Ji Hong listened attentively, much to Yu Jinnian’s satisfaction. However, he noticed Ji Hong kept glancing at his head. He wondered if there was something stuck in his hair, but a quick check found nothing.
After re-washing the vegetables, Yu Jinnian carried them into the kitchen. He didn’t dare assign Ji Hong any more tasks that required skill, especially after seeing Ji Hong soak his shoes while washing vegetables. So, he asked Ji Hong to sit by the stove, warm his feet by the fire, and shell beans.
Yu Jinnian then went to borrow paper and pen from the Yin-Yang Master.
In this place, there were always peculiar customs. Before preparing a feast, it was customary for the head chef to draft a list of dishes for the host to review, ensuring none of the dishes contained ingredients the host might find objectionable. Many farming households were illiterate, so the chef would communicate the menu verbally, but a written list was still required for formality.
Since the new house wasn’t completed yet, Aunt Wu probably didn’t have any paper or pen. Yu Jinnian decided to seek out the most “cultured” person among them—the Yin-Yang Master.
After inquiring, everyone said that this Daoist priest was genuinely skilled. He was proficient in drawing talismans, exorcising evil spirits, securing homes, and performing rituals. He wandered far and wide, and his return dates were unpredictable. Aunt Wu’s ability to invite him to her home was considered a stroke of great fortune.
Yu Jinnian “devoutly” joined the others in praising the priest for a moment before heading straight to the east room where the priest was staying.
At that moment, the Daoist priest was leisurely sipping tea in the east room, holding a whisk engraved with a Yin-Yang Taiji diagram. Before him stood a man in his forties, respectfully guarding his bandaged left hand and continuously bowing and muttering incantations to the priest.
When the man finished, the priest raised the whisk into the air and chanted, “Expel evil, bind spirits, protect life, and safeguard the body. May wisdom be clear, mind and spirit at peace. Three souls eternal, and the soul not lost… Urgently, as per the order!”
The priest’s posture remained steady as he slowly withdrew the whisk, closing his eyes and waving his hand dismissively, saying, “It is done. Take this talisman back, burn it to ash, and mix it with water. Have your son drink it three times a day to cleanse and purify, ensuring his health.”
The man thanked him profusely, placing a significant silver ingot on the table. “Thank you, Daoist priest, thank you!”
As Yu Jinnian entered, he smelled the man’s oily scent and noticed his injured hand, guessing he was the former head chef who had disturbed the Feng Shui.
The Daoist priest had just picked up his teacup again when he saw a young man walk in. About to scold the boy for his lack of manners, he glanced at Yu Jinnian and suddenly widened his eyes in surprise. “Such fortune! Stay still and let me examine closely!”
Startled, Yu Jinnian quickly stood still, allowing the priest to circle him three times to the left and three times to the right.
The priest exclaimed, “Extraordinary, extraordinary!”
Puzzled, Yu Jinnian asked, “May I ask, Daoist priest, what is so extraordinary?”
“Cannot be said, cannot be said,” the Daoist priest shook his head and pointed to the sky. “Heavenly secrets must not be revealed!”
Yu Jinnian replied, “Since it must not be revealed, then I won’t ask. May I borrow a pen and paper from you, Daoist priest, to draft a menu for the host family?”
The Daoist priest was surprised. “You are a chef? What a pity, what a pity.”
Yu Jinnian laughed, “Then according to you, Daoist priest, what should I be?”
The two conversed happily, unaware that another person had approached the door.
The Daoist priest, frowning, swept his whisk and muttered deeply, “Your bones are extraordinary, your fortune is exceptional, and your three souls and seven spirits seem different from ordinary people…” He suddenly exclaimed, stepping back in shock. “The essence of the fetal light has already separated and transformed!”
The Daoist priest, after a dramatic display, suddenly leaned in close, staring with wide eyes. “Young man, would you be willing to join my sect, travel to the spiritual mountain peak, learn the supreme Daoist arts, and transcend this mortal body?”
Yu Jinnian was speechless for a moment and was about to respond when—
“Jinnian!”
Yu Jinnian turned at the sound to see Ji Hong standing by the door, frowning.
“What are you doing here? I was just borrowing—”
“Let’s go back,” Ji Hong interrupted, quickly striding in and grabbing Yu Jinnian by the wrist before he could finish. “The water on the stove is boiling, and I can’t manage it.”
Author’s Note:
Ji Hong’s Careful Schemes: Schrödinger’s Head Pat
—
“Young man, I see you have exceptional bones and a rare constitution, a once-in-a-million talent for cultivating immortality! The peace of the cultivation world depends on you. I have a manual here, ‘The Worry-Free Diet,’ which you are destined to have. Would you like to keep it?”