(Entering V tomorrow) Ji’s heart also seemed unwell.
Yu Jinnian was still pondering whether the Duke of Li was surnamed Ji or Wang when Miss Xue Qiao had already finished eating a piece of lotus paste snow skin mooncake.
Lotus paste was Yu Jinnian’s specialty. It was made by selecting plump white lotus seeds, removing the bitter cores, and boiling them in clear water until the lotus seeds were soft and mushy. The seeds were then ground into a paste using a stone mortar, repeatedly sifted, and mixed with honey, osmanthus, and seed oil, with a pinch of salt addedโthe so-called “salt can enhance sweetness.” Adding a bit of salt to the sweet lotus paste enriched the flavor, making it more mellow. The well-mixed paste was then slowly fried over low heat until it reached the right consistency for making mooncakes.
Lotus seeds have a mild and slightly bitter taste. They can protect vitality, strengthen the stomach, and calm the mind, making them beneficial for health. The addition of osmanthus makes the lotus paste aromatic and lingering in taste.
After finishing, Xue Qiao nodded in satisfaction, sipped tea to cleanse her palate, and said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had such authentic lotus paste mooncakes. It reminds me of my mischievous days at home. Back then, my family was wealthy, and we didn’t consider these lotus paste cakes as anything special and threw away quite a few. Thinking back, it was a waste.”
She smiled, but her eyes were full of melancholy. “You’ve made so many, I can’t finish them all alone. Why not share them with the other girls?” She called Qing Huan, instructing her to take the remaining mooncakes downstairs.
Qing Huan winked at Yu Jinnian, made a funny face, and ran off with the food box.
With only the two of them left in the room, the carved gourd incense burner on the table emitted a faint smoke. Seeing Qing Huan had gone far, Yu Jinnian hesitated and asked, “Sister Xue Qiao, is there something you want me to do?”
Xue Qiao stood up, took out a small bundle from a wooden box under the bed, and fetched a jade bracelet from her dressing box. The bracelet was clear and translucent, with a long-lasting shine and a green hue, clearly made from high-quality jade. She placed these two items on the table, then took out an embroidered money pouch. Without opening it, the heavy sound it made when dropped on the wooden table indicated it contained substantial wealth.
Yu Jinnian was stunned when Xue Qiao opened the pouchโit was full of mixed gold and silver coins! Though mostly silver, the amount was significant, the most valuable thing Yu Jinnian had ever seen.
This seemed like she was emptying her entire fortune.
Xue Qiao, unperturbed, bowed to Yu Jinnian and said, “I indeed have a favor to ask of you.”
Yu Jinnian quickly stood up, “Just tell me, Miss.”
Xue Qiao said, “To be honest, my family was well-off before, but after some incidents, I ended up here. Recently, I learned that my parents have both passed away…” She wiped her tears and took a deep breath before continuing, “Living in this place, I have many constraints and restrictions. It’s easy to enter the Yicui Pavilion, but hard to leave. I wish to ask for your help in finding a quiet place to build a cenotaph for my parents, fulfilling my filial duty as a daughter.”
Thinking it was a significant task, Yu Jinnian quickly agreed, “If you trust me, I’ll help. But even hiring a feng shui master to find a good location doesn’t require so much money.”
Xue Qiao shook her head, “There will be other expenses for offerings, ground-breaking, and monument-building. If there’s any leftover, you can return it to me.”
Not being greedy for others’ money, Yu Jinnian couldn’t refuse when Xue Qiao put it that way. Though he still had some doubts about her request, he agreed to it and asked for more details about her requirements.
After bidding farewell to Xue Qiao, Yu Jinnian took the bundle and money downstairs to find Qing Huan. He needed to retrieve their restaurant’s only decent food box. The downstairs area had become inexplicably quiet, and he realized they had been talking for quite a while. Maybe it was the setting or emotions; Xue Qiao had spoken more than usual today.
It was past noon; even the wine shops and eateries on the street would have sold out and were preparing to close for the festival.
After being away for so long, he wondered how the restaurant was doing and if Ji Hong could manage alone. With these thoughts, he hurried downstairs. The young courtesans were gathered, eating the mooncakes he brought, and stopped him for a chat as he descended.
“This must be Young Master Nian, such a handsome young man, no wonder Sister Xue Qiao took a liking to him.”
“I heard Young Master Nian not only cooks but also knows medicine. Please take a look at my hands, they’ve been itching lately,” said a young courtesan with painted nails, extending her hands for him to examine.
“She must need a beating. Let’s hit her a couple of times,” joked another, playfully slapping her hand, and they laughed together.
“You’re the one who needs a beating! Come here, let me love you!”
Several people started pushing and shoving each other playfully, and Yu Jinnian found himself caught in the middle, surrounded by the fluttering scent of perfume and swaying thin sleeves, as if he had stirred up a nest of butterflies. Just as he was worrying about how to get away, he suddenly heard a clattering noise not far away, as if someone had knocked something over.
Standing on tiptoes, Yu Jinnian looked downstairs and saw some paintings and books scattered on the floor, with a limping maid lying there. When she raised her face, he noticed a large red birthmark covering nearly half of her right cheek.
“Oh dear, how unlucky! Why did such an ugly person come out? She might scare others!”
The maid’s shoulders trembled at the words, but she remained silent and lowered her head to pick up the items.
The girls turned to watch the commotion, and Yu Jinnian, supporting himself on the railing, swept his robe and, to the surprise of the nearby courtesans, gracefully jumped down. He was about to grab the food box and leave when the limping maid, just getting up, was pushed again and began to sob.
The one who pushed her looked down and was startled: “Oh, what’s wrong with your eye? Did you see something you shouldn’t have, getting a stye?”
The maid, aware of her unattractiveness, left the scattered items and hurriedly covered her eye to leave. But in her haste, she ran straight into Yu Jinnian.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” She looked up, saw a tall, handsome young man, blushed, and turned away.
Yu Jinnian suddenly reached out and grabbed her: “Wait!”
The maid shivered in fear: “I’m not one of the registered girls, really I’m not…”
“I know.” Yu Jinnian smiled. “Does your eye hurt? I can treat it.”
“Really?” She looked at Yu Jinnian with hope, but her enthusiasm quickly faded. “But I… I don’t have money for a doctor or medicine.”
Yu Jinnian said, “No medicine needed, just an embroidery needle.”
“Ah?” The maid thought she misheard. “An embroidery needle?”
The other courtesans gathered around: “Can a stye really be treated with just an embroidery needle? Last time, Sister Hong Ling upstairs took a whole week of medicine to get better! Her eye was so swollen she couldn’t see anyone.”
Though the maid was plain-looking and had a birthmark covering her face, she still cared about her appearance. She had seen Hong Ling with a styeโred, swollen, and painful. She had heard that if not careful, the whole eye could rot! She was taken from her home by traffickers, and although she was young then and couldn’t remember her family’s appearance or even which household she belonged to, she still hoped to one day escape and return home.
Thinking of the possibility of her eye rotting and being rejected by her parents because of her ugliness, she became terrified. She clung to Yu Jinnian’s sleeve, crying and begging: “I’ll do it! As long as my eye doesn’t rot, I’ll do anything!”
Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but laugh. It was just a barley grain swelling, albeit misdiagnosed often due to the medical standards of the time, it wouldn’t lead to such dire outcomes. He carefully examined her eye, finding a hard lump under her left eye, slightly red and swollen, indicating the early stages of a stye. The maid said she had had it for two days, and it was painful and itchy, but she didn’t dare rub it.
After diagnosing her, Yu Jinnian turned to the others and said, “Please bring me two embroidery needles, make sure they’re clean and not rusty. Also, a bowl of strong liquor and a small piece of clean cloth boiled in hot water.”
Two courtesans quickly ran to prepare the items. Some fetched water, some poured liquor… the onlookers continued to watch the spectacle.
Soon, the items were ready. Yu Jinnian had the maid sit on a round stool, bending slightly as he massaged her earlobe to stimulate blood flow. Once the ear was red like a ripe apple, he used a cloth soaked in liquor to clean it, then took the sterilized needle and heated it over a candle flame before swiftly pricking the ear tip.
The maid’s ear was numb from the massage, so she didn’t feel much pain, only a burning sensation. Nervously, she sat still, fearing the needle might accidentally poke her eye if she moved.
After pricking the ear, Yu Jinnian pressed around the area to release a few drops of blood, wiping it with the liquor-soaked cloth. The liquor prevented the wound from clotting prematurely, ensuring a smooth blood flow. He repeated the process several times on both ears.
The courtesans watched in fascination, intrigued by the procedure.
Finally, Yu Jinnian tossed the blood-stained cloth into a waste bowl and said, “All done.”
“All done?” The maid blinked and looked around, her eyes wide with joy. “How amazing, it really doesn’t hurt or itch anymore!”
The other courtesans examined the maid’s eye closely. Though the stye was still there, they were skeptical. “Is it true? Maybe you’re just tricking us!”
The maid hastily explained, “It’s true! It still feels uncomfortable in my eye, but it really doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Yu Jinnian washed his hands and advised the other courtesans that if they continued to use those needles, they must boil them again to ensure they were clean. He then addressed the curious group, “Medical books state, ‘For substantial blood, it is advisable to release it.’ This means that for conditions caused by blocked blood and energy, one can use acupuncture to release the excess heat and relieve swelling. This method is as effective as using medicine; it’s just a small technique. Avoid spicy and greasy foods for the next two days, and don’t touch the affected area when washing your face. The swelling in your eye will soon subside on its own.”
A stye, also known as a hordeolum in medical books, is often caused by external wind-heat invading the body, following the meridians and accumulating in the eyelid, causing swelling. The method of bleeding from the ear tip helps to drain the excess energy and blood from the affected meridian, which is particularly effective in the early stages of a stye.
As Yu Jinnian picked up the food box to leave, a courtesan in a water-blue dress approached him with a wine jar. She pushed it into his arms and said teasingly, “I don’t know if Young Master Nian has any wine at home, but the wine shops are closed for the festival. Here, take this jar of newly brewed Rouge Drunk as a consultation fee! And since you’re so kind, please have a look at me too.”
Upon hearing it was Rouge Drunk, Yu Jinnian’s eyes lit up.
If there was anything in Yicui Pavilion that truly attracted Yu Jinnian, it was indeed this highly praised wine. It was said to have a unique fragrance, sweet without being spicy, and after drinking it, one felt as if they were floating on clouds. Many young gentlemen came to Yicui Pavilion just for this wine.
Holding the wine jar, Yu Jinnian swallowed hard and silently retracted the foot he had just lifted to leave.
Unexpectedly, the blue-dressed courtesan wanted Yu Jinnian to look at the pimples on her forehead and later asked for advice on how to whiten her skin and maintain her figure.
Seeing that Yu Jinnian not only knew how to treat illnesses but also how to make people beautiful, the young courtesans, lively and vain, realized he liked Rouge Drunk. They ran back to their rooms to fetch their private stashes of wine to bribe Yu Jinnian into treating their faces too.
Everyone chattered excitedly, causing Yu Jinnian to sample several new wines, such as Rouge Drunk, Hibiscus Tears, Pine Dew, and Spring of Luofu. He was truly enjoying himself, feeling like he was in a paradise, forgetting his way home.
While he was enjoying himself, he forgot about the beautiful young man anxiously waiting for him at home.
Suddenly, the front of Yicui Pavilion became lively again. A group of courtesans crowded around a new guest entering. The man, his hair tied with a jade-colored ribbon, walked in with a serious expression. After a few steps, he leaned against the door frame, clutching his chest, panting and coughing. The courtesans, initially disliking his sickly appearance, were charmed upon seeing his handsome face and coyly said, “Why are you in such a hurry, sir? Come in and rest your legs… Lan’er, go perform a song!”
The courtesans scattered to fetch instruments and started playing a delicate tune.
A flower girl approached the man, trying to take his hand. “What kind of girl does the gentleman like? We have…”
“Let go.”
The flower girl felt a sudden chill and retracted her hand, meeting the man’s cold, icy gaze.
Not wanting a girl, why come to Yicui Pavilion?
The man said, “I’m looking for someone. He came to deliver food to you but hasn’t returned. What have you done with him?”
If it were anyone else causing a scene, the flower girl would have had him thrown out by now. But seeing his handsome face, she held back her anger and said disdainfully, “We have a dozen delivery boys coming every day. How should I know who you’re talking about?”
The man’s brow furrowed, his eyes growing colder.
“…Ji Hong?”
At the sound of the name, Ji Hong turned his head, his gloomy expression instantly brightening. From among the courtesans’ skirts emerged the head of the very delivery boy who had been gone all afternoon!
Ji Hong took a few steps forward, and the young man turned around, leaning drunkenly on the back of a chair, one hand supporting his chin, the other waving at him, smiling, “It’s Ah Hong!”
Ji Hong’s heart skipped a beat. He walked over and grasped the young man’s hand. Seeing that the young man was safe and sound, he finally let out a sigh of relief. But upon noticing several small wine jars on the table, his brow furrowed immediately. “Have you been drinking?”
“A little bit, it’s sweet. Want to try?” Yu Jinnian let go of the chair back and draped himself over Ji Hong. “Did you come to find me? Are you tired?” He shifted his seat, making room on the chair. “Sit with me.”
The courtesans brought another chair and cheerfully pulled Ji Hong to sit, saying, “Come, come, sit here. We’ll sing for you. What kind of song do you like, sir? We can sing anything.”
Yu Jinnian grabbed Ji Hong, frowning, “No singing!”
Ji Hong looked down at him.
Yu Jinnian clung to his sleeve, not letting him sit in the chair surrounded by the courtesans, forgetting that he had just been in a similar situation. Yicui Pavilion was filled with red and green decorations, the air fragrant with incense, and the dim lighting made everyone’s faces look ambiguous. Standing among the beautiful women, Ji Hong appeared even more elegant and handsome, like a pearl from the East Sea. Just a moment ago, the courtesans had been clinging to Yu Jinnian, but now they had all flocked to Ji Hong.
“Fine, let you listen!” Yu Jinnian reached for his things, not forgetting to grab the jar of Rouge Drunk he had received as a consultation fee.
Seeing Yu Jinnian genuinely upset, Ji Hong’s anger dissipated. His eyes softened with amusement. “So, should I listen or not?”
Yu Jinnian glared at Ji Hong and started walking out.
The courtesans giggled and whispered among themselves, “Who’s boiling vinegar? Quick, turn off the heat before we suffocate!”
Ji Hong couldn’t help but feel happy, his gaze growing tender. He quickly caught up to Yu Jinnian, taking a bundle from his hand. The two walked out of Yicui Pavilion, one after the other. Yu Jinnian, feeling hot from the alcohol, rolled up his sleeves and tried to loosen his collar, but Ji Hong stopped him. “It’s chilly, be careful of catching a cold.”
“But I’m hot,” Yu Jinnian complained.
The young man’s cheeks were pink, and his ears had a tint of red, making him look particularly alluring. Ji Hong felt his neck with the back of his hand, noting it was slightly warm. “Who told you to drink recklessly? The wine in brothels often has added ingredients to enhance the experience. You’ll just be hot for a while; the alcohol will wear off soon.”
Yu Jinnian glanced sideways at him, teasing, “From the way you talk, you must be a regular!”
Ji Hong paused briefly. “I’ve been taken there, but I’ve never done anything.”
“You wish,” Yu Jinnian shot back, glancing down at Ji Hong’s lower body and slyly asking, “Can’t perform, can you?”
Ji Hong: …
Seemingly satisfied after teasing Ji Hong, Yu Jinnian hadn’t been happy for long before Ji Hong took the opportunity to tease back. “So, according to Doctor Yu, is there a way to make me ‘perform’? In that case, I’ll have to trouble you tonight to treat me.”
Yu Jinnian: … Why did I provoke him?
They walked out of Qingliu Street and through a winding alley. The autumn sky was clear and cloudless when they heard the sound of a cart on the cobblestone road and someone shouting, “Crabs, plump and full of fat crabs…”
Yu Jinnian quickly changed the subject and called over the cart-pushing man, buying a netful of plump crabs.
The vendor, recognizing Yu Jinnian, gave him an extra basket of small shrimp. Yu Jinnian then recognized the man as Qian Da, a fisherman from the wharf outside the city. Widowed, he had a son about a year younger than Yu Jinnian. A few months ago, Yu Jinnian had treated Qian Da’s son’s stomachache.
After a brief chat, Yu Jinnian and Ji Hong carried the crabs and wine jars back to their noodle shop.
At the noodle shop, Sui Sui and Aunt Xu were playing a game of sandbags. The sandbags, sewn by Aunt Xu, were the size of peanuts, and the game, taught by Yu Jinnian, involved tossing them up and catching them on the back of the hand. The one who caught the most won. After playing a couple of rounds, Yu Jinnian conceded and went to the kitchen to prepare the reunion meal.
He didn’t dare to drink the wine given by the courtesans but also couldn’t bear to throw it away, so he hid it under his bed in his room.
Ji Hong also came to the kitchen to help.
Yu Jinnian hummed a tune he heard from Yicui Pavilion. As he hummed, he went off-key without realizing it. He picked two fat crabs from the net, cleaned them in the pool, drained the water, chopped them into pieces, and threw them into the pot. The pot sizzled with ginger, chives, and peppers, filling the air with fragrance. After adding salt and sauce and giving it a good stir, the crab shells turned red, and the aroma spread, tickling everyone’s nose.
Ji Hong was washing radishes nearby, listening to Yu Jinnian’s singing.
The saying “In autumn by the river, crabs are plump” perfectly describes the tantalizing taste of crab roe. As he served the fried crabs, Yu Jinnian grabbed seven or eight live crabs, weighed them in his hand, and threw them into the steamer. Fresh crabs, he believed, were best enjoyed steamed without oil or salt, preserving their original flavor and juiciness.
“Today at Yicui Pavilion, I heard them tell a story about Consort Ji,” Yu Jinnian said with a squinting smile. Ji Hong’s radish slipped out of his hand, splashing water all over him.
“So the consort’s surname is Ji…”
Ji Hong felt a chill down his spine. When he looked back, the boy was still happily chopping vegetables, showing no signs of unusual emotion. The cutting board already had ginger shreds, scallion shreds, and dried bamboo shoots. The basket of dried shrimp sent by Qian Da was also washed. But Ji Hong couldn’t shake the feeling that the “happy” Yu Jinnian was emanating a sinister aura.
Yet the boy with the sinister aura was still very cute.
“Actually,” Ji Hong placed the washed radish on Yu Jinnian’s cutting board. With a swift motion, Yu Jinnian chopped the radish in half. Ji Hong pressed down on the boy’s soft hair swirl, whispering, “My surname is Wang.”
…I believed your nonsense!
Yu Jinnian sharpened his knife, preparing to turn ice blocks into fine ice shavings.
Ji Hong raised an eyebrow, holding down the boy’s hand, gently stroking it: “Do you really want to know?”
Yu Jinnian said, “Young Master Wang, a man’s head and a woman’s waist are delicate. Let go, I still want to grow taller.”
Hearing himself called “Young Master Wang,” Ji Hong couldn’t help but smile: “This height is fine, no need to grow taller.” As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Jinnian gave him a sideways glance. Ji Hong continued, “Actually, it doesn’t matter if I tell you.”
Yu Jinnian suddenly didn’t want to hear anymore. He felt he was as changeable as an eel. Without a word, Yu Jinnian focused on cooking. He stir-fried the previously chopped vegetable shreds with pickled vegetables and chicken shreds in fragrant oil until the vegetables changed color. Then he plated the dish, making a mixed vegetable dish.
“Mixed” means a blend. The vegetable shreds intertwined, indistinguishable from each other. Yu Jinnian picked up a bamboo chopstick, tasted it, found it good, and fed a bite to Ji Hong, asking, “Do you dislike it?”
Ji Hong took it, swallowed it: “I don’t dislike it.”
“I don’t dislike you either.” Yu Jinnian’s eyes curved. Although he was somewhat interested in Ji Hong, he hated stepping on people’s sore spots and making them sad. His intuition told him that what Ji Hong was about to say would be a knife to his heart.
The crabs were steamed, and the steam lifted the lid. Yu Jinnian quickly put down the chopsticks, picked a few crabs, cracked open the shells, patiently scooped out the meat, mixed it with minced pork, ginger, sugar, and Shaoxing wine, and stuffed it back into the shells. He steamed them again and finally drizzled them with a sweet and spicy sauce made from the crab steaming liquid.
Ji Hong recognized this dish, called stuffed crab, with its fresh meat and delicious crab.
Yu Jinnian prepared a table of reunion dishes. Looking up, he saw the sky had darkened, with a faint red glow on the horizon. Migratory birds were returning to their nests, geese flying south, and a lone goose flapped its wings leisurely, flying over the noodle shop. Yu Jinnian watched until the goose flew past. As he leaned back, his head rested against a solid chest. Looking up, he asked Ji Hong, “When ‘Young Master Wang’ recovers, can you take me to see the capital…”
Before he finished, the shadow over his head grew heavier, and a soft touch fell on his eyelids.
Suddenly, all was silent.
Yu Jinnian jumped up in fright, bumping his forehead against Ji Hong’s chin. Ignoring whether Ji Hong was in pain, he pointed at him, stammering: “You, you, you, what are you doingโ”
Ji Hong covered his chin, looking at Yu Jinnian with a plaintive expression. Seeing Yu Jinnian turn to flee, Ji Hong, with his long arms and legs, quickly grabbed him and pulled him into his embrace: “Mr. Yu, listen, it seems my heart isn’t doing well either. Could you treat it too… Mr. Yu? Jinnian?”
โYu Jinnian had already short-circuited.
Authorโs Note:
–
Yu ‘Short-Circuit-Smoking’ Jinnian: Mom, he molested me!
Ji ‘Ate a Big Chunk of Tofu’ Hong: Ah, he’s incredibly adorable!
–
Ear tip bloodletting for treating styes – I’ve personally experienced this, it works in one go. The swelling went down that night, and it was unnoticeable the next day (though my ear hurt from the rubbing, hahaha). It’s particularly effective for newly formed styes.
PS, for some reason, I suddenly find little sex workers quite adorable too…
–
Last night, I fell asleep while writing, so today’s update is later (if one day I don’t update and didn’t ask for leave, I must have overslept, hahaha) _(:ะทใโ )_… but today’s word count is a lot!
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Angels who like this book, please bookmark the pre-order of “Little Doctor Boy,” a similar type of novel~
The synopsis will be changed later. The bottom line is an ancient BL novel about a little doctor boy getting rich through farming!
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New book pre-order “After a Spring Night with the Regent,” a sweet bun, please bookmark~
1.
A treaty to stop the war sent 6-year-old Xie Yan to Yu Dynasty as a hostage. But within two years, the enemy country was destroyed.
Little Xie Yan had to stay in Yu Dynasty.
Because of his good looks and outstanding talent, he was deeply loved by the emperor and empress, granted a nominal marquis title, and lived idly.
At 18, he fell into the winter pool, had a high fever, and became mentally impaired.
He often babbled nonsense, thinking he was a fluffy fox one day and a white feather chicken the next.
As Xie Yan became mentally impaired, his favor gradually faded. His mansion became desolate, and he could only sell off his belongings to survive.
Xie Yan: Wuuu…
2.
Two years later, the Emperor was gravely ill, and the cold-hearted and ruthless King Rui, Pei Jun, became the Regent.
Xie Yan had spent two years observing the animal world and considered himself somewhat knowledgeable. To fill his stomach, he climbed into the Regent’s bed during a palace feast while inebriated, aiming to bear his offspring so the “alpha leader” would take care of his family.
After a “night of passion,” Xie Yan squatted in a corner.
Pei Jun’s expression was icy: What is he doing?
The butler nervously replied: Master, the little marquis says he is carrying your egg and is nesting, asking us not to disturb him.
Pei Jun: โฆโฆโฆโฆ
โโโโโโโ
ใFriendly Remindersใ
1. The uke (bottom) is a hostage prince from an enemy country. He is mentally unstable in the beginning but will recover later. He is a little cutie and very sweet. The seme (top) is the Regent Prince, ruthless to outsiders, but sweet and doting internally.
Technically younger, even if it’s only by two months!
2. Pure fluff and sweetness! The main goal is sweetness and doting! No serious conflicts, no national grudges, no political intrigues โ it’s all for fun. The main focus is on developing a romance. No mpreg.
3. Set in a fictional world, historical accuracy not required.