Maybe Master Qingluan was a crooked, ugly monster.
Because Yu Jinnian was uncompromising about whether egg custard should be sweet or salty, he had a strong stance of “Sweet eggs are the true way of the world!” and “If you don’t eat this, we can’t be friends!”
In the end, Ji Hong gave in. He held the bowl, scrutinizing the indescribable egg custard with a serious expression. It wasn’t actually difficult to swallow; on the contrary, it was smooth, tender, and sweetly fragrant. However, having only eaten salty egg custard for the first twenty years of his life, he was not prepared for the existence of sweet egg custard, which seemed like a rebellious novelty to him.
Ji Hong raised the bowl and sighed, “Oh well.”
Yu Jinnian, propping his chin with a cheeky smile, watched him. After Ji Hong ate half the bowl, he couldn’t eat any more and was asked, “Is it good?”
This was indeed an awkward question, knowing it would trouble him. Saying it was good would go against his true feelings; saying it wasn’t good would hurt the young man’s kind effort in making the egg custard for him. Ji Hong hesitated and finally said, “It has a unique flavor…”
Yu Jinnian took the bowl. Ji Hong thought he was going to take it away, but to his surprise, Yu Jinnian ate the remaining half bowl without a hint of disdain, wiped his mouth, and said, “Well, it’s actually quite tasty.” Seeing Ji Hong’s speechless expression, he laughed heartily, “Alright, got it! Next time, I’ll make it salty for you.”
“…” Ji Hong was even more speechless. Could it be that he argued for so long and so stubbornly just to make him taste sweet egg custard and see his reaction?
It was indeed very childish.
Perhaps it was because he had just eaten the sweet custard, Ji Hong looked at him and found the taste even sweeter, making his whole body feel sweet.
It seemed that sweet egg custard wasn’t that hard to accept after all.
“Cough, cough…” Ji Hong shook his head and looked away, suddenly coughing hard, his face flushing red, probably due to still being sick. His voice was very low, like a pearl rolling across silk, sliding into the depths of one’s heart. He said, “Come here.”
“Mm?” Yu Jinnian blinked in confusion and leaned closer to listen, feeling a bit guilty. “What’s wrong?” He thought, wasn’t it just a joke to make you eat a bowl of sweet egg custard? No need to be so petty as to hit me, right?
Seeing Ji Hong raise his hand, Yu Jinnian shrank his neck but only felt a coolness behind his ear.
Ji Hong rubbed a bit of white powder between his fingers, seemingly taken from his hair, and said, “What’s this?”
“Uh… salt grains, accidentally got it on me.” Yu Jinnian glanced at it and casually brushed it off. Earlier, he had been seasoning ribs and suddenly felt an itch on his scalp, so he scratched it, probably getting the salt grains on his hair then.
Ji Hong said in a low voice, “So careless.”
His indifferent tone made it unclear if he was complaining or simply commenting. Yu Jinnian turned to get a bronze mirror, but Ji Hong acted first, pulling him forward and patiently brushing the salt grains off his hair.
Yu Jinnian stumbled and almost fell onto him, now frozen and not daring to move. He lifted his eyes and saw Ji Hong focusing on the salted hair, not looking at him, so he boldly stared at Ji Hong for a while. This man’s eyes usually appeared pitch black, making him seem cold and unapproachable. But under the bright sunlight, looking up at him, one would notice his eyes had a cool hue, not very clear, but quite beautiful.
Unexpectedly, Ji Hong suddenly lowered his eyes and their gazes met. Ji Hong said, “Could it be that there are salt grains in my eyes too?”
Yu Jinnian remained unfazed and said, “That’s not it.”
Ji Hong asked, “Then what is it?”
Yu Jinnian replied, “Do you know of Master Qingluan?”
Ji Hong paused slightly and said, “I’ve heard a little.”
Yu Jinnian thoughtfully observed him for a few more moments and said, “People say Master Qingluan is the most beautiful, the most celestial, and the most talented in the world. So, how do you compare to him?”
“How can that be compared?” Ji Hong looked at him with a faint smile, as if the question was genuinely amusing, causing him to break his usually stern expression. “Surely you don’t expect me to shamelessly claim that I am more beautiful, more celestial, and more talented than the world’s number one?”
Yu Jinnian said, “That might not be the case. Maybe that Master actually has crooked eyes and a twisted mouth, ashamed to be seen by people. Just because his poetry is good, people have spread many romantic tales about him, saying he is a banished immortal… You see, many elegant scholars from the previous dynasty were just falsely praised like that. Otherwise, why would their poetry be well-known, but their faces unseen?”
Ji Hong almost couldn’t keep a straight face. He thought for a moment and said, “I’m ashamed to say, I don’t know.”
“Of course, you don’t know. I was just teasing you. After all, no one has really seen what Master Qingluan looks like.” Yu Jinnian said with a mischievous smile, as he took the bowl and spoon to prepare medicine for Ji Hong.
Ji Hong lazily said, “Maybe he once passed by you without you knowing.”
Yu Jinnian looked back at him, shrugged, and laughed, “Maybe.”
Ji Hong didn’t say anything, but his gaze was quite meaningful.
**
Ji Hong’s illness made Yu Jinnian suddenly appreciate his presence. Although Ji Hong was practically a level-nine cripple when it came to living skills, he was quite handy in carrying dishes, serving food, managing accounts, and greeting customers. These past few days, with Ji Hong suddenly falling ill, Yu Jinnian was exhausted, praying each night before bed for his swift recovery.
Finally, Ji Hong’s fever subsided, and he was mostly better, though still coughing occasionally. He stepped out into the courtyard to stand quietly.
Yu Jinnian was in the kitchen preparing two dishes with cough-soothing and lung-nourishing effects: almond tofu and gingko chicken cubes.
Almond tofu is a famous dessert, common in both the north and south. That morning, Yu Jinnian had already soaked two taels of sweet almonds in hot water, peeled off the red skins, and soaked them with half a tael of white rice in sweet well water. Now he ground the mixture into a paste, filtered out the residue, leaving only the smooth liquid. (T/N: Tael is a historical name for gold weight of 37.5 grams.)
Then he heated a pot, used a low flame, and dissolved some white sugar in a bit of clear water, slowly adding the almond liquid bit by bit, stirring continuously to prevent it from sticking to the pot. The stirring had to be gentle to avoid creating foam. Patiently, he stirred until the liquid thickened, releasing the aroma of cooked almonds. At this point, it could be served and cooled for consumption.
In the sweltering summer, it could even be made into an iced dish to relieve heat, but Ji Hong couldn’t handle the cold right now. Yu Jinnian didn’t even dare to cool it with well water.
For the gingko chicken cubes, he cut the chicken into pieces the size of small fingers and marinated them with starch, sauce, and egg white.
He went to the courtyard to fetch ginkgo nuts and looked up to see Ji Hong standing there, dressed in white clothes and black boots, looking up at the sun with a serene and calm expression, exuding a somewhat otherworldly, isolated elegance. Instantly, he clasped his hands together and bowed again.
Ji Hong glanced down and couldn’t help but laugh, “With you bowing like that, I’m afraid I might lose three years of my life.”
Yu Jinnian waved his hand, “No, no, you won’t. You have me. Didn’t that great monk say before that I am full of blessings and virtue from great deeds in my past life? I’ll share a bit with you, and it’ll definitely add those three years back!”
Ji Hong smiled, thinking it was the first time he’d heard of someone sharing their blessings with others. He said, “Then I must rely entirely on you, Mr. Yu.”
“No problem, no problem,” Yu Jinnian replied, looking very pleased with himself. He then pointed to the kitchen, “I’ve made almond tofu and am about to stir-fry gingko chicken cubes. You can come and eat. I’ll go to the pharmacy later to get more medicine.”
Ji Hong patted his stomach and said, “These past few days, I’ve moved little and eaten much. My belly has gained two ounces.”
“Good, good! Getting fatter is good!” Yu Jinnian reached out and patted his stomach, finding that it felt much better than before.
Ji Hong looked down at the top of the young man’s head and couldn’t resist raising his hand to pat it again.
Yu Jinnian shouted, “You patted my head again!”
“It’s just a reciprocal courtesy,” Ji Hong squinted his eyes and smiled faintly.
Angry, Yu Jinnian went back and haphazardly stir-fried the gingko chicken cubes before heading out with his sleeves tucked to get more medicine. Ji Hong leaned against the doorframe, watching him go. His white clothes, though not starkly white, had delicate overlapping leaves embroidered on the edges and cuffs, which glimmered slightly in the sunlight, as if wrapped in silver threads. He also wore an oval jade pendant on his waist.
Yu Jinnian never questioned Ji Hong’s personal belongings. Previously, Ji Hong had disguised himself in plain, unremarkable green clothes. Later, Yu Jinnian vaguely guessed that his background was extraordinary. Though they never spoke about it, they had a tacit understanding not to expose each other. Consequently, Ji Hong no longer bothered to conceal himself, wearing his hairpin and jade pendant openly.
Though he seemed like a pitiable runaway, he didn’t lose his sense of decorum, always paying great attention to his appearance. Every night, he would fold his clothes neatly after taking them off, unlike Yu Jinnian, who would scatter his clothes all over the place, almost needing to climb up to retrieve them the next day.
Yu Jinnian suspected that Ji Hong might have an obsession with tidiness.
With his sleeves tucked, he wandered into Pingkang Pharmacy to get Ji Hong’s medicinal decoction and bought some common medicinal herbs for cooking. He heard some commotion next door at Shouren Hall and stepped out to see what was happening.
From the disjointed conversations of the crowd, he gathered that a concubine from a wealthy squire’s family in the county had fallen ill and specifically requested an old doctor from Shouren Hall. However, the pharmacy assistant said the old doctor had already resigned and gone north, sent by the county magistrate to the capital to treat the young master of Duke Li’s family.
The patient refused to accept this, and neither did the assistant, leading to the dispute.
Yu Jinnian watched the commotion and thought that the young master of Duke Li’s family must be quite grand. Falling ill could prompt the emperor to issue a widespread notice, summoning famous doctors from all over to the capital. Such extravagance and waste! This young master must be incredibly esteemed.
Back home, the young master Ji was also surnamed Ji. Previously, he had gone to great lengths to hide his identity, even deceiving Yu Jinnian into thinking that Duke Li’s surname was Wang. It seemed likely that Ji was somehow related to Duke Li’s family—certainly a noble and distinguished figure. But why he sneaked down south, claiming to be a vagrant who had been attacked by bandits, was a mystery.
Yu Jinnian inwardly criticized, “Hmph, looking so dignified, he’s actually a liar.” Yet, he also thought, “The most important thing about a person is their appearance. So even if he lies, people always easily forgive him…” Mulling this over, he internally praised and criticized Ji Hong repeatedly. Finally, he paused and mumbled, “But even though he’s lied a couple of times, he’s actually a pretty good person.”
People on the street, seeing Yu Jinnian walking and mumbling to himself, avoided him, thinking he might have a mental problem.
But there was always someone fearless who would come up to “greet” him.
“Oh, little… ahem, young master, are you out buying medicine alone? Recently, the world has been in decline, and people’s hearts have become corrupt. Who knows if a villainous robber will suddenly appear on the road? Just a few days ago, a girl was kidnapped right here on this street, and the case hasn’t been solved yet. It’s truly heartbreaking!” The speaker seemed genuinely distressed, even pounding his chest with the handle of his fan. Then he said, “My surname is Jiang, given name Bingren. May I ask how the young master is called? It seems we are headed in the same direction; why not let Jiang accompany you for a while?”
What, Gingerbread Man?
Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but laugh.
Jiang Bingren was taken aback, then became even more spirited, thinking the little beauty was shy. He proudly fanned his golden silk snow plum fan even faster.
Yu Jinnian paused and looked up at this Gingerbread Man, a young master of about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a brocade robe embroidered with ruyi patterns, wearing red boots, and with a spirited expression. His almond-shaped eyes blinked at Yu Jinnian. Yu Jinnian worried that before this young master could charm others, he might blink his own soul out.
He stared at this person for a while, not recognizing him. He thought, in broad daylight, no other suspicious person showed up except you. Aren’t you the very example of corrupt hearts?
Seeing Yu Jinnian silent, Jiang Bingren opened his fan and continued enthusiastically, “Let’s decide then! Where are you going?”
“…”
Yu Jinnian thought that the more you engage with such people, the more troublesome they become. He decided to ignore him and walked ahead. Unexpectedly, the young master, seemingly lacking any sense, followed him from the east to the west of the city, almost shouting “little beauty” several times, showing his extraordinary frivolity.
Though Yu Jinnian was often praised by relatives for being handsome and frequently matched with girls, he knew most of it was flattery. He had never been persistently followed by a man for an entire street before.
Reflecting, Yu Jinnian wondered if being around the beautiful Ji Hong for a while had subconsciously made him more attractive. Otherwise, how could someone misjudge and approach him, even when he was walking with a hunched back?
Dragging along this verbose, self-styled romantic tail, Yu Jinnian suddenly stopped, turned around, and asked, “Young Master Jiang, would you like some noodles?” He struggled not to laugh.
Jiang Bingren paused and looked up, seeing a noodle shop.
Hmm, it looked familiar?
Ji Hong saw the young man at the noodle shop entrance, talking to someone partially hidden by the door. He had removed his dark cloak and was now in a pale white robe, his black hair flowing, with a gentle expression. As he stepped out, his robes fluttered, revealing his tall, straight legs—truly a remarkable and handsome sight.
Seeing this, Jiang Bingren’s eyes sparkled. He opened his folding fan with a flourish and said, “Isn’t this…” He paused, realizing he couldn’t remember the person’s name, or maybe he had never asked. It didn’t matter. Clearing his throat, he awkwardly skipped over the introduction and said, “Well, young master, long time no see. How have you been?”
Yu Jinnian gave him a sidelong glance, thinking, who are you greeting so familiarly?
Then he looked up at Ji Hong, silently asking: Have you been well acquainted with him?
Ji Hong remained silent, his expression turning grim.
However, Jiang Bingren, the “Gingerbread Man,” was oblivious to any awkwardness. He felt incredibly fortunate to have encountered two beauties in one day and had no intention of leaving. He strode into the noodle shop, chose a decent spot, and called out, “Aren’t we eating noodles? I’ll have a bowl of abalone and crab roe noodles.”
“…,” Yu Jinnian suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and said, “Sorry, we don’t have abalone, only tripe.”
Jiang Bingren stared at him blankly, “Tripe?”
Yu Jinnian crossed his arms and explained, “Yes, the stomach of a pig—the part that holds food, like the one in your own belly. We take a fresh stomach, cut it open, turn it inside out, scrape off the blood and yellow mucus from the stomach wall, then scrub it repeatedly with salt, vinegar, and flour to remove the stench. After that, we boil it in hot water, clean it again, and trim off the fat and impurities…”
Jiang Bingren quickly interrupted, “Stop, stop.”
“Why? I’m almost done explaining,” Yu Jinnian looked at him innocently, as if sincerely describing the dish. “The impurities…”
“Stop!” Jiang Bingren covered his ears, almost ready to flee but unwilling to lose face. He reluctantly said, “Fine, I’ll have a bowl of scallion oil noodles, okay?”
Yu Jinnian was about to respond when Jiang Bingren, on the verge of breaking down, added, “I don’t want to hear how oil is made or where the scallions come from! Please, don’t tell me!”
“Oh,” Yu Jinnian hadn’t intended to explain further but, seeing Jiang Bingren’s desperate plea, decided to go along, “Alright then.”
Halfway to the kitchen, Yu Jinnian glanced back at Jiang Bingren, who looked utterly defeated, head hanging low. He then turned to Ji Hong, beckoning him with a smile, “Mr. Ji, come over here.”
Seeing his smile, Ji Hong felt a chill down his spine and his feet heavy.
Author’s Note:
Yu Jinnian: Master Qingluan might be too ugly to show his face…
Ji Hong: Could you repeat that???
—
Yu Jinnian: Haha, what does ‘long time no see’ mean?
Ji Hong: …
Jiang Bingren: It’s not my fault, I’m just a gingerbread man, really just a gingerbread man…
—
Our resident gossip reporter Qing Amao munches on sunflower seeds: Brother Bing, you’re something else, teasing a pair at once. Impressive, impressive, you deserve a bravery award.