Sharp-tongued Xiao Niannian
Yu Jinnian had already stepped out of the alley. Hearing Yan Rong call after him, he thought it was to discuss something about Yan Yuyao’s illness, so he stopped and turned back: “Hmm? Does Sir Yan have something to discuss?”
A cool breeze blew gently. The long street was mostly empty. Last night, Jiang Bingren had quarreled with his family, so this morning, he snuck off to the Spring Breeze Delight Restaurant to escape. Just as the dawn broke, and the restaurant barely opened, the man surnamed Yan came in to order some wontons. Not wanting to face anyone, Jiang Bingren hid in a private room upstairs by the window, eating a bowl of peanut and sesame paste.
After a while, he saw Yan Rong leave, turning into the alley where their house was located. Soon, Yan Rong disappeared from view. From the Spring Breeze Delight Restaurant, only the mouth of the alley could be seen. As Jiang Bingren watched, suddenly a young man emerged from the alley — dressed in gray linen clothes, stretching lazily. He took a few steps and then stopped at the alley entrance, turning back to speak to someone.
When Jiang Bingren realized it was Yu Jinnian, his eyes lit up instantly, as if all the gloom from the night had vanished. He put down his bowl and hurried downstairs.
On the other side, Yan Rong, though impulsively calling out to Yu Jinnian, hadn’t actually thought through what to say. He moved a couple of steps closer to the young man, giving him a once-over before asking, “May I ask, how old is Mr. Yu?”
Yu Jinnian found it strange but didn’t think the question was anything he couldn’t answer, so he replied, “I’ll be seventeen after spring.”
Yan Rong asked again, “Are you betrothed?”
Yu Jinnian responded, “I eat my fill, and my family doesn’t go hungry.”
This implied there was no one at home, which explained his carefree attitude. Yan Rong shook his head. Seeing that Yan Rong only sighed without getting to the point, Yu Jinnian thought to himself that this could drag on until sunset without any clear resolution. So he asked directly, “Sir Yan, if you have something to say, please just say it.”
Sir Yan danced around the subject with several statements, but Yu Jinnian, who wasn’t prone to scheming, found his ears filled with scholarly phrases like “moral conduct” and “filial piety,” none of which made any sense. He had no idea what Yan Rong was trying to say and was quite certain it had nothing to do with Yan Yuyao’s condition.
Feeling sleepy, all Yu Jinnian could think about was curling up in Prince Ji’s arms for a nap. He couldn’t care less about what nonsense Sir Yan was spouting.
Yan Rong also realized Yu Jinnian’s disinterested expression and, growing frustrated, asked sharply, “Do you know who that person is?”
“Huh?” Yu Jinnian was taken aback. “What person?”
Yan Rong didn’t elaborate but simply pointed westward: “You think he’s some rich young master, your golden goose, but he’s far more complicated than that! With Prince Ji’s status, he’ll eventually marry and start a family, with wives and concubines and children filling his house. That’s just how life is. Where would that leave you, Mr. Yu? And besides, even if a princess from the heavens were to marry him, she would still be more than suitable.”
“Mr. Yu, take it from me: serving others with beauty will never last. Right now, he’s just blinded by the warmth and charm of this place and has fallen for your allure. But when he returns to the capital, surrounded by noble beauties and splendor, what will you count for? Moreover, with your talents, you could save the world or run a household with ease. Why risk public disgrace for the sake of clinging to a man?”
Yu Jinnian hadn’t said a word, yet Yan Rong was already lecturing him at length. He blinked in confusion and asked, “Sir Yan, are you in love with Prince Ji?”
“…!” Yan Rong almost spat blood. His face flushed with anger as he stammered, “W-what are you saying!”
Yu Jinnian, crossing his arms, asked curiously, “If you don’t fancy Ah Hong, then why are you telling me all this? How I cling to him is my business, and how he chooses to be with me is his. What does any of this have to do with Sir Yan?”
“Oh,” Yu Jinnian suddenly realized. “If you’re not in love with Ah Hong, then you must be in love with me?”
Yan Rong looked as though he might faint from anger.
Yu Jinnian clutched his chest, pretending to be pained as he exclaimed, “Sir Yan, this won’t do! If you had said something earlier, I might have considered it. After all, you’re a government official, surely more diligent than my lazy Ah Hong. Perhaps I would have turned to you. But now, you’re suggesting that Ah Hong is some kind of heavenly being, far too noble for me to give up on. How could I let go now? I must cling to him forever! As for the future… I don’t care about that!”
“Honestly, Sir Yan, to tell you the truth, I neither love wealth nor crave power. I simply enjoy admiring beauty… and Prince Ji is such a beauty. Isn’t he, Sir Yan?”
Yan Rong, having never encountered someone so shameless and bold, was left speechless.
Yu Jinnian continued, sighing, “If I were to let go of him, where could I possibly find another person as beautiful as Ah Hong?”
Yan Rong stood there, stunned. He had always seen the young man behave so obediently in front of Ji Hong, but now he realized it was all an act. In reality, Yu Jinnian was shameless, sharp-tongued, and completely uninhibited! Even courtesans would at least speak of love and devotion, but this young man openly admitted his infatuation with the beauty of the Duke of Li’s heir, without even a shred of modesty!
It was truly… truly…
“How utterly inappropriate!” Yan Rong gritted his teeth. “Shameless!”
He kept repeating “utterly inappropriate” over and over again. Yu Jinnian, however, couldn’t understand what exactly Yan Rong considered to be “appropriate,” or what “shameless” truly meant. Did being close to someone you liked automatically make you “shameless”?
Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but laugh out of frustration. “Sir Yan, allow me to correct two misunderstandings in your words.”
Yan Rong, still fuming, raised an eyebrow.
Yu Jinnian cleared his throat and said, “First, this prince you speak of—he’s currently eating my food, living in my house, and I even have to pay him wages. So the notion of a ‘money tree’ doesn’t really stand. Second, you mentioned ‘serving others with beauty.’ Well, you’ve seen me. My face, in front of Ah Hong, hardly qualifies as ‘beauty.’ You’re overpraising me, and frankly, I feel a bit embarrassed…”
He pondered for a moment, then added, “If we really have to argue about this, it should be Ah Hong who’s using his looks to serve me, not the other way around… Also, by common logic, if Sir Yan truly wishes to separate me from Prince Ji, shouldn’t you be offering me a 500-tael silver note right about now?”
As he spoke, Yu Jinnian stretched out his hand and gestured for the silver note, as if truly expecting one.
Yan Rong nearly ground his molars to dust, veins bulging on his face. He clenched his teeth and forced out, “Mr. Yu, heed this warning: don’t say later that no one reminded you!”
Yu Jinnian smiled pleasantly. “Of course.”
The two parted with a swish of their sleeves, leaving in mutual displeasure.
Just as Yu Jinnian exited the alley, Jiang Bingren popped out from behind a tree, tiptoeing stealthily as he slipped into the alley and hurried over to Yan Rong. He startled Yan Rong, who was already in a foul mood. Seeing Jiang Bingren did nothing to improve it, so he asked curtly, “Young Master Jiang? What do you want?”
Jiang Bingren replied, “Did you invite Brother Nian to check on the patient?”
Yan Rong: “Yes.”
Jiang Bingren had little interest in the patient. He pried further, “What were you two talking about just now?”
Yan Rong frowned and tried to walk away. “Young Master Jiang, what exactly do you want?”
“Hey, hold on.” Jiang Bingren couldn’t contain his curiosity anymore and grabbed Yan Rong’s sleeve. His baby-faced expression puffed up in frustration. “I heard you talking about ‘shameless’ this, ‘serving others with beauty’ that. Were you talking about Brother Nian? Why would you say such things to him?”
Yan Rong waved his hand, trying to shake Jiang Bingren off, but the young master stubbornly used both hands, demanding answers. Already irritable, Yan Rong snapped, “Young Master Jiang, mind your own business. I was merely giving Mr. Yu a friendly warning!”
“Does he need your warning?” Jiang Bingren retorted, glaring.
Yan Rong found him increasingly irritating. “Have you been enchanted by him too? Do you even know who he’s entangled with?”
Jiang Bingren scoffed, giving Yan Rong a sidelong glance. “I don’t care who he’s with, even if it’s the emperor himself! What difference does it make if both are willing? Honestly, Sir Yan, they’re just living their lives. They’re not eating your food, and they’re not sleeping in your bed. What business is it of yours if they’re in love? Why are you acting like a busybody, meddling in what doesn’t concern you? Also, did one of them ask you for anything?”
Yan Rong’s eyes widened as he defended himself, “The harmony of yin and yang is the natural order!”
“Order?” Jiang Bingren exclaimed, his voice rising with each repetition. “Order? Sir Yan, do *you* follow the ‘natural order’?”
Despite the absurdity of the question, Yan Rong managed to understand it. “Of course! A husband and wife—”
Before he could finish, Jiang Bingren slapped his thigh and interrupted, “There you go! You mind your own ‘order,’ and let them mind theirs. What does their ‘order’ have to do with you? Are you sick?”
Feeling triumphant, Jiang Bingren swept his sleeves, turned, and walked away, completely unconcerned about Yan Rong’s reaction. After all, the Jiang family wasn’t involved in politics, so what did they care about Yan Rong, a mere scribe? Besides, even if Yan Rong’s official father, who was far away in the capital, wanted to cause trouble, how could he do anything to Jiang Bingren here?
Yan Rong was left dumbfounded. While Jiang Bingren could stand there with his hands on his hips and boldly tell him to mind his own business, Yan Rong found himself unable to retort with anything nearly as coarse. He could only watch Jiang Bingren strut off, too furious to say another word.
—
Yu Jinnian was almost home when he noticed someone following him. He turned around and asked, “Why are you following me again?”
A figure in royal blue emerged from behind a breakfast stall, awkwardly brushing his sleeves. “Who’s following you? Can’t I just come out for some wontons…?”
Yu Jinnian saw through Jiang Bingren’s pretense and said, “But that’s a bun stall, Young Master Jiang. Their zucchini and egg stuffed buns are quite good, you should give them a try.”
“…” Jiang Bingren looked down and saw the steaming buns in the basket. Sure enough, it was a bun stall. His almond-shaped eyes blinked rapidly in embarrassment. He huffed, “Talking to you is so frustrating! That foul-mouthed Yan is cruel-hearted, saying such things about you. I followed out of concern, worried that you might… do something rash!”
Yu Jinnian was surprised but not angry at being overheard. Instead, he smiled. “What could I be upset about?”
Jiang Bingren didn’t pick up on Yu Jinnian’s light tone and seriously explained, “He was spouting nonsense about ‘natural order’ and ‘serving others with beauty.’ It’s all rubbish! Don’t take it to heart!” He kicked a small stone at his feet and awkwardly added, “I think you’re… you’re great. Why would you say such things about yourself…”
Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but chuckle.
Jiang Bingren’s eyes widened. “You’re laughing? You’re not angry at what he said?”
“What’s there to be angry about?” Yu Jinnian squinted as he gazed at the banner of his noodle shop fluttering in the early winter breeze. He listened to the sound of footsteps on the stone pavement and the vendor’s cries selling hot buns. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a familiar tall figure peeking out from the noodle shop’s doorway. His heart instantly filled with joy. Pointing to his chest, he smiled at Jiang Bingren and said, “Young Master Jiang, whether someone is genuine or insincere with you, you can feel it right here. It’s not something that can be swayed by a few words from others.”
“I give my heart to Ah Hong, and he responds in kind. If, in the end, things don’t turn out as I hope, it’s only because fate is unfair. It’s something beyond my control. So, why waste time doubting each other? It’s better to cherish the moment. Let others talk—if I take their words seriously, I’m playing right into their hands.” Yu Jinnian smiled warmly.
Jiang Bingren was confused. “But what if that Yan fellow goes around spreading rumors…”
Yu Jinnian laughed and shook his head. “Whether my relationship with Ah Hong is good or bad, it’s none of an outsider’s business. Yan Rong disapproves of me, and no amount of explanation will change his mind. Let him say what he wants—his words won’t make it true.”
Jiang Bingren watched him, still puzzled. He saw Yu Jinnian’s lips move as he called out softly, “Ah Hong,” before he quickened his pace and ran toward the elegant man waiting at the noodle shop’s door. In the blink of an eye, Yu Jinnian had thrown himself into the man’s arms.
“Live for the present, drink for today; sing when you succeed, and rest when you fail.”
Jiang Bingren stood still, watching the two of them, realizing that, like Yan Rong, he had also been meddling in affairs that didn’t concern him. Those two didn’t need anyone’s advice or intervention—they were inseparable, and outsiders had no reason to interfere.
He kicked the stone near his foot far away. He couldn’t quite explain the feeling swelling in his chest—was it envy, or was it jealousy? He glanced up at the fluttering banner of “One Bowl Noodle Shop” and turned, walking directly toward the bun stall. Frustrated, he slapped down a silver coin and sat down.
“Hey, what would you like to eat?” the vendor asked, rubbing his hands.
Jiang Bingren was lost in thought for a moment, then remembered Yu Jinnian’s earlier recommendation. “Two zucchini and egg stuffed buns!”
—He really went to eat buns.
—
By the time Yu Jinnian returned to the noodle shop, daylight had fully broken. He flopped onto the bed and immediately fell into a deep sleep, not wanting to move at all. Someone kept turning him over as if sifting grain, which irritated him. He whimpered in frustration, opened his eyes to see that it was Ji Hong, and then obediently lay still. His arms and legs hung off the edge of the bed, allowing Ji Hong to wipe him clean while he sprawled out, falling back into a deep sleep.
When he woke again, it was already past noon, and the familiar scent of Zhajiang Noodles filled the air.
Ever since their noodle shop introduced new dishes, it had been ages since they last made Zhajiang Noodles. Now, suddenly catching the scent, Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but feel hungry. Still groggy from sleep, he sat up, feeling disoriented, as if unsure of the time or place. He lazily called out, “Ah Hong.”
Soon, Ji Hong entered the room. “Awake?”
Yu Jinnian, sitting at the edge of the bed like a stick, spread his arms and wrapped them around Ji Hong’s waist. He nuzzled against Ji Hong’s body, ready to sneak in a kiss before the spicy smell on Ji Hong jolted him awake. Opening his eyes, he wrinkled his nose and asked, “What’s that smell? Have you been drinking?”
Ji Hong replied, “A drunk customer came in causing a ruckus. I might have accidentally gotten some on me.”
As soon as he spoke, they both heard a loud wail from outside: “Medicine! Where’s my medicine!”