Even such a stunning beauty still ends up lying pitifully in my bed.
The geese in the courtyard were large, plump, and snow-white, with about three or four of them waddling around. More honking could be heard from the front hall. They strutted with their heads held high, their long necks stretched as they marched around, honking constantly. One of the larger geese was accompanied by a few fluffy yellow goslings, still young and adorably soft. They flapped their tiny wings with pride, their little red webbed feet tapping lightly on the ground.
The goslings were so irresistibly cute that Yu Jinnian bent down, reaching out to pick one up.
Just then, Qing Huan walked over, carrying two large bamboo baskets. Seeing Yu Jinnian reaching for a gosling, she hurriedly called out, “Brother Nian, don’t touch them—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the mother goose, which had been parading around with her goslings, suddenly turned around. Seeing someone about to grab one of her babies, she flapped her wings and let out an ear-piercing honk. This was the biggest, fattest goose of them all, and when she spread her wings, they spanned over three feet. Yu Jinnian had just touched the tip of a gosling’s tail when he heard a loud honk, and the next thing he knew, the mother goose came charging at him, half-running, half-flying.
Yu Jinnian froze for a moment, only to be greeted with a flurry of slaps from the goose’s wings.
Inside the house, Sui Sui heard the commotion and peeked out to see what was happening. Having been terrorized by geese in the past, she shrieked and ducked back inside, leaving the door ajar so she could watch through a crack. “Big goose! Big goose! Run, Brother Nian!”
Yu Jinnian was momentarily stunned, nearly knocked to the ground by the goose. It wasn’t until the goose pecked him sharply on the leg that he snapped out of it, tumbling to his feet and running away. The courtyard wasn’t large, with barely enough space for a few dozen steps in any direction. Unfortunately for Yu Jinnian, the goose he had angered seemed to be the leader of the flock. Before he could find a place to hide, a whole gang of geese surrounded him, viciously pecking at his legs.
Dingdang, having spent the last few days wandering outside, lazily returned in search of food. The cat hopped onto the courtyard wall, peering down at the scene of geese attacking its young master. Seeing the chaos below, Dingdang showed no loyalty and immediately turned tail, leaping onto the roof to watch from above.
“You traitorous fat cat! Aaaaah, Ji Hong! Ji Hong!” Yu Jinnian cried, flailing as he tried to fend off the geese. He had chased chickens and dogs in his youth but had never fought a goose. Who knew such harmless-looking birds could be so vicious? The geese honked furiously, and Yu Jinnian’s screams were even louder. The courtyard was soon filled with the sound of his desperate wails, as though he were undergoing some cruel torture.
Qing Huan, standing by, searched for a broom to drive the geese away and offered some advice. “Brother Nian, don’t be scared! Grab them by the necks—once you hold them, they’ll calm down!”
But these geese didn’t just peck. Once they bit down, they twisted their long necks, twisting and tearing at the skin.
Yu Jinnian had already been bitten several times, his thighs burning with pain. He hopped around the courtyard, desperately trying to escape. Hearing Qing Huan’s suggestion, he wailed in frustration, “Their…necks? How am I supposed to grab their necks without losing a finger?”
Ji Hong, hearing the commotion, threw on an outer robe and opened the door. He hadn’t yet adjusted to the cool morning air when he saw Yu Jinnian charging toward him, screaming as though his tail was on fire. When he was just a few steps away, Yu Jinnian suddenly leaped forward, using his momentum to jump onto Ji Hong, wrapping his legs around Ji Hong’s waist, refusing to stay on the ground for even a second longer.
“Close the door! Close the door! Your little butterfly is about to be swallowed by the big geese!” Yu Jinnian cried.
Instinctively, Ji Hong reached out to support the boy’s backside, afraid he might fall. Unfortunately, it was no easy task. Though Ji Hong’s health had improved somewhat since he arrived, he was still only capable of doing light tasks like carrying baskets or moving chairs. Even if he gritted his teeth, he might be able to carry Yu Jinnian a short distance.
But now, with Yu Jinnian launching himself onto him with all his weight, Ji Hong’s face turned pale. He wobbled precariously for a moment before barely managing to steady himself.
Just as they found their footing, a swarm of geese charged into the room. One goose bit Yu Jinnian’s backside, another grabbed Ji Hong’s sleeve, and a third honked loudly, pecking wildly around the room.
Yu Jinnian clung to Ji Hong with one arm around his neck, the other covering his backside, crying out in pain. He wriggled restlessly, making it even harder for Ji Hong to hold him.
Ji Hong, trembling under the weight, suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower back. His brow furrowed, and he could no longer support them both. He staggered backward several steps, his hand catching on the corner of a desk, pulling at a piece of parchment. But without anything solid to hold onto, his legs gave out.
——In a tangle of flying papers and clothing, they both tumbled to the floor in a heap.
The three geese continued their relentless assault, tugging at their clothes, while the goslings stood by, watching the spectacle unfold.
Ji Hong, who had spent most of his life in a peaceful existence of reading and leisure, had never engaged in such a chaotic battle. He had just woken up, expecting a morning of quiet tea drinking, but instead, he found himself disheveled and under attack by a gang of geese. Just as he propped himself up, a fat goose knocked him down again, leaving him no choice but to raise his arms defensively.
The goose that had been tugging on Ji Hong’s sleeve now grabbed his pant leg, lowering its head to the ground and flapping its wings furiously as it yanked. Ji Hong had to use one hand to hold onto his pants while the other continued to fend off the other geese.
Yu Jinnian rolled off him, pulling the paper off his face. He watched Ji Hong, helplessly battling the geese, retreating until his back hit the leg of a table. He looked like a poor young bride being bullied by thugs, a fragile air of fear mixed with helplessness… Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but burst into laughter, despite the pain in his backside. He laughed so hard that he doubled over, groaning “Ow, ow” between giggles.
Ji Hong glanced at him with an aggrieved expression, a hint of a plea in his eyes. His arms, which had been pecked red, only made him look even more pitiful.
Suppressing his laughter, Yu Jinnian scrambled to his feet. Dodging the rain of flapping wings and pecks, he lunged at the lead goose, grabbing its leg. The goose turned to peck his hand, but he held on tightly, wrestling it to the ground and pinning its neck.
“Hurry! I’ve got it!” he shouted.
Qing Huan rushed in, grabbing the dazed goose and stuffing it into the bamboo basket. The two of them spent the next few minutes chasing and corralling the remaining geese with a broom until they finally managed to capture them all.
“Take them away! Take them away!” Yu Jinnian, still sitting on the ground and rubbing his sore backside, waved his hands in exasperation. Even looking at the geese made him feel uncomfortable.
Qing Huan took the geese outside, planning to build a makeshift pen in the corner of the courtyard. Sui Sui and Dingdang, who had been watching from a distance, followed eagerly to check out the big white geese.
Ji Hong stood up, rubbing his sore back. A stray feather from the geese had gotten tangled in his hair, and his expression was far from pleasant.
Yu Jinnian, his own legs and backside aching, sat on the ground and stretched out his hand, signaling for Ji Hong to help him up. Ji Hong only looked down at him, frowning slightly. After a moment of hesitation, Yu Jinnian teased, “Don’t tell me… you’ve hurt your back?”
“…” Ji Hong’s expression darkened.
Yu Jinnian chuckled, climbing to his feet by himself. He helped Ji Hong over to the bed, playfully planting a kiss on his lips. “Poor thing, bullied by geese. Doctor Yu feels sorry for you… Lie down. I’ll find something cold to soothe your back.”
Ji Hong, after being kissed, temporarily set aside his displeasure and obediently lay face down on the bed, waiting. Yu Jinnian walked out of the room and saw Qing Huan and Sui Sui feeding the geese in the cages with a mix of bran and chopped vegetable leaves. He grabbed a small basin of bran to use for a hot compress on Ji Hong later, after the acute injury phase. He gave the foolish-looking goose a hard glare, but the “goose tyrant” puffed itself up and flapped its wings aggressively, scaring Yu Jinnian into running away while shouting, “Don’t be cocky! I’ll slaughter you for the pot later!”
Qing Huan and Sui Sui burst into laughter as they watched Yu Jinnian flee.
Once inside the kitchen, Yu Jinnian finally relaxed. He set the bran aside, took a cloth, and soaked it in the well water outside, wringing it out slightly. He repeated this process a few times until the cloth was cold to the touch. While folding the cold towel into a square, he suddenly remembered to ask Qing Huan, “Where did these geese come from?”
“Oh, I almost forgot about that,” Qing Huan, who had been building a fence with firewood, stopped and took a note out of her pocket. “These geese were left outside our door this morning, along with this note at the bottom of the cage. I can’t read many characters, but the handwriting looks like it’s from the same person who sent us the duck eggs last time.”
“Really?” Yu Jinnian took the note and examined it. The handwriting indeed matched that of the note from the duck egg delivery. It wasn’t because the writing was particularly elegant, but because each character was written so meticulously, like a child learning to write for the first time, leaving a strong impression.
The note once again read “Thank you, Mr. Yu.” Yu Jinnian pondered aloud, “Is it common to send two thank-you gifts for a medical service?”
Qing Huan also wondered, “There’s no such custom in Xinan County. Maybe the person is from out of town, and they have a tradition of sending two gifts?”
Yu Jinnian thought carefully. He hadn’t treated many people from out of town.
Qing Huan speculated, “Last time, they sent over a hundred premium green-skinned duck eggs, and this time, they sent several cages of fat geese. This person must be quite wealthy. Don’t you remember any generous patients?”
A wealthy patient?
Yu Jinnian could only think of the Yang family and that mysterious and unsettling monk, Yixin. But Yixin was the type to send extravagant gifts of gold and jewels, not practical things like geese. If it wasn’t Yixin, then who could it be?
Unable to figure it out, he took the cold towel back to the room to apply to Ji Hong’s injury while discussing the strange situation with him.
Ji Hong, who naturally had a colder constitution and was sensitive to cold, shivered as the cold towel was placed on his back. Goosebumps rose all over his skin, and before long, his hands and feet grew cold, his fingertips turning pale.
“It’s good to apply some cold at first to help your back heal. Bear with it for a bit. I’ll get revenge on that goose for you soon!” Yu Jinnian laid the towel on Ji Hong’s lower back, then warmed his own hands by rubbing them together and wrapped Ji Hong’s cold fingers in his palms, massaging them to restore warmth.
Ji Hong moved his fingers a little, playfully scratching at Yu Jinnian’s hands, which were as warm as a small furnace. He chuckled softly and said, “I wonder which little coward got me hurt and is now blaming the goose.”
Yu Jinnian leaned down, taking advantage of the situation to mischievously lift Ji Hong’s chin. His fingers brushed against Ji Hong’s soft, thin lips, and with a raised eyebrow, he teased, “I don’t know, do you?”
As Ji Hong opened his mouth, Yu Jinnian’s finger, still resting against his lips, slipped inside. Unlike Ji Hong’s cold body, his mouth was warm and humid, as if it could exhale steam. Yu Jinnian felt as though his finger was stuck in a warm, soft quagmire, the more he wanted to pull it out, the more he couldn’t.
Inevitably, his finger became slick with moisture. In a daze, he withdrew it and traced Ji Hong’s lips with it, spreading the moisture along the dry surface. Ji Hong’s pale lips soon glistened with a faint sheen, and after Yu Jinnian mischievously rubbed them a couple more times, they gradually took on a delicate, rosy hue—the epitome of ruby-red lips and pearly white teeth.
Lying beside him with his robes half-open, Ji Hong raised his eyes lazily. His broad shoulders and slender waist were framed in a languid, relaxed posture. Words like “beautiful” couldn’t even begin to capture his appearance. Yu Jinnian stared at him in a daze for a moment, then felt a surge of pride as he thought, *Isn’t this stunning beauty lying pitifully in my bed?*
Thinking this, a sly grin crept across Yu Jinnian’s face. He tapped Ji Hong’s chin with his finger and, smiling mischievously, said, “Little seductress, take a good rest! I’ll go roast that goose for you!”
Ji Hong, now being playfully called a “little seductress,” lay on the bed with his stiff back, watching in silence as the young man who had just teased him bounced out of the room.
The moment Yu Jinnian stepped outside, however, all traces of his earlier bravado vanished. Trembling, he called out, “Q-Q-Qing Huan… Don’t let go! Hey, hey, the one next to it is trying to jump out…”
The courtyard was soon filled with laughter and shouts, along with the relentless honking of geese. From beyond the courtyard wall, the vendor selling candied chestnuts called out his wares. Ji Hong let out a small smile, slowly closing his eyes as the various sounds blended together like a comforting hand soothing his ears. Gradually, the pain in his back faded as he lay on the pillow, drifting into drowsiness.
Meanwhile, Yu Jinnian was discussing with Qing Huan how to slaughter the goose.
In his previous life, he had never slaughtered a bird with such a long neck, usually just buying pre-killed ducks for cooking. When Qing Huan mentioned letting the blood drain, he hesitated, unsure of where to make the cut. Qing Huan, being more straightforward and bold, saw Yu Jinnian’s reluctance and took matters into her own hands, swiftly cutting the goose’s throat. As bright red blood began to pour out, Yu Jinnian hurriedly grabbed a basin to catch it.
The goose bled a good half-basin, its cries echoing through the courtyard. The two of them, like executioners, drained the blood, scalded the feathers, plucked the bird, and cleaned out its innards. It took them nearly an hour to finish processing the goose.
Geese are valuable animals, with every part of their body being useful in some way. The blood and meat could both be used medicinally, each having different effects. Goose blood is salty and neutral in nature, known to detoxify and treat conditions like hiccups. In his previous life, Yu Jinnian had worked with freeze-dried goose blood powder and syrup, which were used as supplements in treating digestive tract cancers. Goose meat, on the other hand, nourishes the spleen and lungs, is neutral in nature, and can help with digestion and energy restoration.
Overall, goose is an excellent food for people who are weak or recovering.
Yu Jinnian decided that once the goose blood coagulated, he would make a goose blood tofu soup for Erniang. As for the meat, he planned to make a dish called *Rouge Goose Breast*, with its vibrant red hue. The bones could be used to make a rich broth for the noodle shop, and the liver could be ground with minced meat to make filling for dumplings or pastries. A good chef could turn one goose into a hundred different dishes.
It was said that *Rouge Goose Breast* was traditionally marinated in rose wine and rose syrup to achieve its light pink color. However, Yu Jinnian opted for a simpler method to achieve the same effect—by using red yeast rice powder.
Yu Jinnian halved the goose and began marinating it with salt, Shaoxing wine, a bit of sugar, and honey. As he rubbed the honey and wine onto the goose, he grabbed its neck with a self-satisfied smirk, muttering, “That’ll teach you to peck at us. My chef’s butt isn’t something you can just bite! I’ll make you look so good later that you’ll serve as an apology to my beautiful Ji Hong.”
If the goose had any awareness in the afterlife, it would surely have been furious enough to peck Yu Jinnian’s eyes out.
After marinating the goose for a while, Yu Jinnian went back to managing the noodle shop. As the weather grew colder, fewer people ventured out to eat. He bustled between tables a few times, introducing dishes to the customers, when he overheard a group at a neighboring table discussing the Yang family. His interest piqued, especially since it involved the mysterious Yixin, so he listened carefully.
One of the customers said, “Hey, did you hear what happened to the Yang family yesterday?”
“What happened to the Yang family?”
“Ha, I heard… it’s haunted!”
“Haunted? No, no, that’s not right.” A man with half of his head bald clicked his tongue and waved his hand. “What I heard was that there are monsters in their household! I have a cousin working at the Yang estate, and he told me it was Second Young Master who brought in the evil spirit. They say Second Young Master offended the vengeful spirit of the young master, who died early, and that it messed up the feng shui of the house, which attracted the monsters. Hey, Feng Big Ears, isn’t your house close to the Yang estate? Did you hear the cats yowling last night?”
Feng Big Ears, with his fat head and big ears, was stuffing his mouth with slices of meat and muttered, “Mm, mm, I thought it was just some wild cats in heat!”
The bald man said, “Exactly, it was eerie. But it’s strange. Isn’t Old Master Yang supposed to have been mentally unstable for years? My cousin said that in the early hours of yesterday, Old Master Yang suddenly woke up and pointed at the exorcist they hired, saying it was their deceased young master. He even knelt in front of a civet cat, calling it Lan’er, and then locked Second Young Master in the woodshed, saying he would banish him from the family.”
He whispered, “They say a madam was so scared by that civet cat that she ran into a wall and died.”
Feng Big Ears, still focused on his food, nodded continuously. “Mm, mm, civet meat tastes good too.”
Seeing he couldn’t get much out of Feng, the bald man turned to a man with a mole on his face sitting next to him and continued, “Hey, do you think the Yang family is about to fall?”
The man with the mole grinned widely, “Good if they fall, good if they fall. I lost a lot of money at their gambling den. If they go under, all those debts will disappear! Hahaha!”
“You’re dreaming!” The bald man spat at him, then turned his head and shouted, “Shopkeeper, bring me a plate of garlic sauce!”
Yu Jinnian, the shopkeeper, quickly responded, “Alright, coming right up.”
After serving the garlic sauce to the diners, Yu Jinnian thought about the rumors he overheard as he returned to the kitchen. He had heard plenty of gossip about the Yang family but hadn’t paid much attention to it. After all, it had nothing to do with him. However, he did wonder about what was meant by the “Xie medical ritual” that was mentioned. Thinking back to that night, he sighed again and set the thought aside to focus on preparing his dish of rouge goose breast.
The goose breast had been marinated, so Yu Jinnian poured both the goose and the marinade into the pot. Since their noodle shop often served weak and sick women and children who couldn’t eat overly salted or pickled food, and this dish was meant to be eaten quickly, there was no need to air-dry the meat for long. Instead, he added water and a few slices of apple, sprinkled in scallions, ginger slices, and other seasonings, and let it simmer gently.
Once the goose meat was tender and easy to pull apart, he took it out, removed the bones, and sliced it before letting it cool.
Next, he prepared a sauce by mixing water, salt, honey, and red yeast rice powder, stirring until smooth. After the mixture came to a boil and thickened, he dipped the goose slices into the sauce and then arranged them neatly on a white porcelain plate, garnishing it with a few green vegetables for contrast. And thus, the rouge goose breast was complete. The tender slices of goose meat lay nestled together, their rosy hue resembling the delicate, vibrant rouge found in a young lady’s boudoir—pleasing to the eye and mouthwatering to the senses.
As the fragrance filled the air, Yu Jinnian felt that getting pinched by the goose earlier was worth it. A lively goose naturally had stronger, more flavorful meat!
Goose meat was good for the five internal organs, and no matter how it was eaten, it was always a nutritious choice.
When the rouge goose breast was ready, Ji Hong had just taken a short nap, and his back pain had eased a little, though he still hobbled around like an old man, clutching his waist. Every time Yu Jinnian saw him, he couldn’t help but laugh. While Ji Hong ate the goose breast, his lips became so rosy that they looked as if they were painted with rouge. Yu Jinnian chuckled again, even dabbling a bit of pink sauce on Ji Hong’s cheek, playfully praising him for being as beautiful as a flower.
Ji Hong, not one to retaliate openly, kept his composure. But that night, he made Yu Jinnian practice writing large characters, pushing him so hard that Yu Jinnian was groaning in pain and begging for mercy before he was finally allowed to go to bed. Once under the covers, Ji Hong wrapped himself tightly in his blanket, using his back pain as an excuse to refuse to share with Yu Jinnian.
This was his way of getting back at Yu Jinnian for his mischief earlier in the day.
Yu Jinnian, used to sleeping with Ji Hong, shamelessly tried to slip his hand under Ji Hong’s blanket, only to be swatted away each time. After a night of tossing and turning, he eventually fell asleep, staring at the back of Ji Hong’s head all alone.
The next morning, Yu Jinnian quickly made a small pot of goose porridge to win Ji Hong over.
Indeed, everyone had their match. No matter how mischievous Yu Jinnian was, Ji Hong was always there to keep him in check, like a mountain pressing down on a little monkey.
By the afternoon, Yu Jinnian noticed that Ji Hong’s back had improved enough for heat therapy, so he stopped teasing him and obediently stayed in the kitchen to prepare some bran.
He steamed the bran in a pot and added a few scoops of aged vinegar, stirring it until the vinegar was absorbed into the bran. Then, he scooped it out and quickly stuffed it into a cloth bag while it was still hot, running back to the room to apply it to Ji Hong’s back.
Vinegar had the effect of promoting blood circulation and dissipating bruises, especially aged vinegar, which was more effective. The heat from the bran helped the vinegar’s properties penetrate into the strained muscles. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yu Jinnian lifted Ji Hong’s undershirt and saw two pinch marks on his back from the goose. Ji Hong’s skin was as pale as jade, and the bruises stood out vividly against his fair skin.
Yu Jinnian couldn’t resist touching him a few times, taking full advantage of the situation. He slowly massaged down Ji Hong’s spine, pressing on certain points to ask if they hurt. Ji Hong shook his head each time. Only then did Yu Jinnian apply the warm bran-vinegar pack to his lower back, rolling it gently over the area. “It’s nothing serious, just a mild sprain. A couple of days of massage, and you’ll be fine.”
As he said this, he kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, kneeling beside Ji Hong. He started massaging both sides of his waist, pressing gently along the kidney points, large intestine points, and the acupoints around the sacrum, adding more pressure on the Mingmen and Yaoyangguan points. According to acupuncture theory, many back problems could be treated by the Weizhong point, located in the hollow behind the knees, so Yu Jinnian also applied pressure there.
Then, he began searching for the most sensitive spot, known as the Ashi point.
The “Ashi point” wasn’t a specific acupuncture point. It got its name from ancient times when doctors would perform massage or acupuncture, and when they touched a particularly painful spot, the patient would exclaim, “Ah, that’s it!” So, these sensitive spots became known as “Ashi points.”
After some searching, Ji Hong suddenly let out a muffled groan. Yu Jinnian knew he’d found the spot and kneaded it gently.
For better results, acupuncture would have been ideal, but Yu Jinnian lacked the proper needles. Acupuncture needles were delicate tools that required the highest level of craftsmanship, and a good set would be quite expensive. Although he had been earning more recently, money wasn’t the main issue. He was also concerned about hygiene. In the absence of perfect sterilization techniques, most sterilization was done with boiling water or fire, and Yu Jinnian didn’t want to use copper or iron needles that could rust easily. He preferred the more stable materials like pure gold or silver.
However, gold and silver needles were even more costly.
So, for the time being, the idea of getting needles was put on hold. Fortunately, for Ji Hong, massage worked just as well.
Yu Jinnian, used to doing rough work, sometimes applied too much pressure, but Ji Hong, who wasn’t one to express his feelings easily, would only let out a quiet groan when it hurt—an enticing sound that made Yu Jinnian want to hear more of it. But as mischievous as he was, he wasn’t about to torture his beautiful Ji on purpose. When he felt he had massaged enough, Ji Hong’s skin was flushed with a light red hue.
The sight of pale skin marked with rosy traces was quite seductive.
Yu Jinnian continued kneading Ji Hong’s back along his spine when suddenly, Qing Huan ran over, knocking on the door and calling out, “Brother Nian, are you resting?”
Yu Jinnian, clearly enjoying himself, was annoyed by the interruption. He asked, “What’s the matter?”
Qing Huan raised her voice, “The steward from the Yang estate is here to deliver a gift.”
Yu Jinnian was about to say they didn’t need any gifts and ask the steward to leave when Qing Huan added, “He’s also brought a cat, saying it’s per the Fourth Young Master’s orders…”