The beauty of nature and poetry pales in comparison to sharing the simple things of life with you.
Yu Jinnian, fully dressed, walked into the front hall and saw the customer dressed like a wandering swordsman—narrow sleeves, tight pants, and a straw hat beside him. He was slumped over a square table, clutching a large wine jug, with a shattered teacup on the floor. He was pounding his chest, lamenting, “My medicine!”
Perplexed, Yu Jinnian looked around and asked, “Did you all take his medicine?”
Qing Huan waved his hands, clarifying, “Heavens no! He was fine when he came in. After two bowls of that liquor he brought himself, he turned into this mess. We didn’t give him the alcohol!”
Yu Jinnian rolled up his sleeves and walked over to pat the swordsman on the shoulder.
The man looked up, his eyes dark and his hair greasy, with stubble covering his chin. It was clear he hadn’t groomed himself in quite some time, making him appear much older than he likely was.
“What… hic! …ah!” he mumbled, eyes half-closed, followed by a crisp hiccup.
Yu Jinnian held his breath and fanned away the overwhelming smell of alcohol. He asked, “I see you haven’t touched the noodles in your bowl. Are they not to your taste?”
The man, propping his head on his hand, seemed to genuinely ponder the flavor of the noodles. He picked up a clump of the noodles, which had already turned soggy, tasted them, and immediately tossed the chopsticks aside in frustration. Drunkenly, he fished out a silver ingot from his clothing and shoved it toward Yu Jinnian. “This… has no taste! How can I eat this? Go, go get me some dishes that actually go with rice…”
Ji Hong stepped forward to steady the stumbling Yu Jinnian, frowning.
“It’s fine, just a drunk,” Yu Jinnian reassured Ji Hong, patting his hand. Then, turning back to the drunk man, he said, “Please wait a moment, your side dish will be ready shortly.”
Their noodle shop wasn’t known for heavy flavors, but it wasn’t as bland as the man claimed. However, given how intoxicated the customer was, there was no point in arguing over the taste. As a business, they had to have the patience to deal with all kinds of people. It wouldn’t do to be more unreasonable than their customers. The best approach was to resolve it quickly and send him on his way.
With that thought, Yu Jinnian noticed that there was still some goose blood left from a previous slaughter, which had already congealed into blood tofu. He decided to make a dish of spicy *Mandarin Duck Tofu* to satisfy the customer.
Mandarin Duck Tofu combines red and white tofu. It can be made into a light broth or a spicy dish, depending on preference. For something to go with rice, nothing beats a good spicy kick. Yu Jinnian boiled some water, cut both types of tofu into small, even squares, and briefly blanched them. Afterward, he drained the water and heated some oil in a fresh pan. He sautéed minced green onions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant, then added dried red chili peppers to fry until crispy, before pouring in bone broth to bring everything to a boil.
He seasoned the broth with salt and spicy sauce, then tossed in the red and white tofu to simmer. Finally, he blanched some bok choy and boiled a small plate of winter bamboo shoots to add to the dish for flavor.
He served the dish in a large bowl, garnished with chopped green onions.
By the time Yu Jinnian brought out the Mandarin Duck Tofu, the drunkard had his arm around Qing Huan, talking nonsense while his wine jug was more than half empty. He was mumbling incoherently, and Qing Huan just smiled and nodded, occasionally offering him tea to help sober him up.
When the drunk saw the vibrant red-and-white tofu dish, a smile finally appeared on his face. He dragged the large bowl over, pulled the soggy noodles from earlier closer, and began shoveling in mouthfuls—one bite of blood tofu, one bite of noodles. In his joy, he fumbled around and produced two silver beads from his clothing, rewarding Yu Jinnian with them as a tip for the dish.
Those two silver beads were worth far more than the dish itself! Generous customers were always welcome, even if they were confused drunkards.
Yu Jinnian gratefully accepted the tip and, still smiling, went to show off the silver beads to Ji Hong. He found Ji Hong behind the counter, engrossed in bookkeeping, and silently watched for a moment. Ji Hong’s handwriting was beautiful—like the delicate shadows of plum blossoms or the curved moon of autumn. Even if the records were only of vegetables, meat, and rice, there was still an elegance to it. Watching for a while, Yu Jinnian murmured, “Such fine handwriting. It’s a shame you’re wasting your talent as a bookkeeper here. You should be writing about beautiful landscapes and poetic moments. That would do justice to your skills.”
Ji Hong paused, took the silver beads from Yu Jinnian’s hand, and recorded them in the ledger before replying calmly, “The beauty of nature and poetry doesn’t compare to sharing the simple things of life with you.”
“You’re so sweet…” Yu Jinnian, savoring the words, sneakily slipped his fingertip like a little foot onto Ji Hong’s hand, lightly caressing his knuckles as if they were stealing a private moment. After a while, Yu Jinnian suddenly realized, “Wait a minute! Those two silver beads were my tip. Why did you just record them?”
Without lifting his head, Ji Hong replied, “Aren’t they part of our daily expenses for rice and oil? Shouldn’t we account for everything carefully? You’ve slept the whole morning, and Qing Huan had to work for you. We also have two broken benches, three shattered porcelain bowls, and a cracked table. Everything needs to be repaired or replaced soon. Every coin must be used wisely.”
Yu Jinnian: “…”
What started as a romantic moment had quickly turned into nitpicking over finances!
Just as Yu Jinnian was leaning over the counter, arguing about the ownership of the tip money, they heard sobbing from the dining area. Turning around, he saw the drunk customer weeping while shoveling tofu into his mouth. His lips were swollen from the spice, and his nose was running as he sniffled, tears clinging to the corners of his eyes.
Yu Jinnian was startled and hurried over to check. “Good heavens! Your lips are swollen from the spice!” He grabbed a pot of cold tea and handed it to the man, adding, “If you couldn’t handle the spice, you should’ve said so…”
The drunken customer shook his head while holding his bowl and asked what the dish was called.
When he heard it was called “Mandarin Duck Tofu,” he began to sob again, and with each sob, it became more intense. This grown man, sitting in their noodle shop, wiping his tears with his sleeve, could easily be mistaken as someone who had been bullied by them if anyone were to see.
Yu Jinnian sat beside him, trying to comfort him. “If you don’t like this dish, how about I make you a pair of Emerald Mandarin Duck Eggs instead? They’re quite delightful. The outside is smooth egg white, but inside, it’s stuffed with meat, like little bowls set in pairs. They look lovely together…”
Upon hearing this, the drunk man didn’t stop crying but instead wailed even louder, sniffling, “Can you… just stop? Is there nothing here that isn’t paired?”
Yu Jinnian thought for a moment and finally realized—this man wasn’t upset by the spice, but by hearing the word “mandarin ducks”—a symbol of couples. It turned out he was heartbroken. Since Yu Jinnian himself was basking in happiness, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy for this heartbroken stranger. He gently offered, “How about I make you some honey-braised bitter melon instead? It’s a single dish, not paired…”
The drunk man’s face twisted into an even more miserable expression than a bitter melon itself. He grabbed his wine jug and took a long gulp, mumbling, “Right, right, I’m only fit to eat bitter melon…”
Yu Jinnian hurried to explain, “That’s not what I meant…”
Qing Huan quickly pulled Yu Jinnian aside, whispering, “Brother Nian, what are you saying? You’re only making it worse! This poor guy’s already miserable from a broken relationship, and here you are offering him ‘mandarin ducks’ one minute and ‘bitter melon’ the next. You’re just rubbing salt in his wounds!”
The drunk man, with keen ears, overheard Qing Huan’s sharp words, which cut into his heart like a knife, and he began crying again.
Yu Jinnian nudged Qing Huan with his elbow, stepping back and exclaiming, “Hey, this time it was you who stabbed him, not me!”
Qing Huan: “…”
Realizing she had made things worse, Qing Huan took it upon herself to comfort the man. She brewed a pot of honey tea to help sober him up, and they drank it together, one cup each. Perhaps it was her gentle voice, or maybe the drunken haze was softening his heart, but after some time, the man finally stopped crying and began chatting with Qing Huan about what had brought him to this point.
It turned out that the drunken man’s name was Cao Nuo, and he wasn’t a local. He was a businessman from Xingyi Prefecture. His family had arranged a childhood engagement for him, a typical match between two families of similar status. Although he was a few years older than the girl, it didn’t matter much. They were childhood sweethearts, and their relationship was deep. Even though his family ran a business, Cao Nuo himself was dedicated to his studies, hoping to pass the imperial exams and bring glory to his family. He worked tirelessly, studying late into the night, but despite his efforts, he made no progress and never passed even the initial scholar’s exam.
The girl’s family grew dissatisfied, feeling that he was aiming too high and achieving too little. They called off the engagement.
Only then did Cao Nuo realize that he wasn’t cut out for the scholar’s path, and he turned his attention to running the family business. Surprisingly, while he struggled with exams, he took to business naturally. A couple of years ago, he heard about the booming tea trade in Yunnan and decided to take the risk of venturing there. Before leaving, he made an agreement with his fiancée’s family: when the girl came of age, he would return to marry her.
However, after spending three to five years in Yunnan, he returned only to find everything had changed.
The girl’s family had been attacked by bandits while traveling to offer incense, and none had survived. Only the young girl, who had stayed home due to illness, was left. Later, a distant relative from the capital came to visit. Seeing that the girl was lovable and with no family left to care for her, they petitioned the clan to adopt her as their daughter.
When Cao Nuo returned, he was no longer the reckless youth he once was but a wealthy merchant. Thinking he was returning in triumph, he brought a grand bridal procession with him to propose marriage, only to be turned away at the door. Confused, he snuck into the estate just to catch a glimpse of his fiancée, only to be thrown out again. After bribing a gatekeeper with a significant sum of silver, he learned the truth: the family, now an official household, considered him a mere merchant and had already arranged a more prestigious marriage for the girl, who was to marry a high-ranking official’s son.
Though he wasn’t sure if his feelings for the girl were truly love, he had developed a deep attachment to her over the years. While he was away, he encountered many beauties, even exotic women with golden hair and blue eyes from the western regions, but his heart always held onto the image of that tearful little girl back home. He had returned, eager to marry her, only to find his hopes dashed.
Devastated by the forced end of his engagement, Cao Nuo fell into a deep slump. Back at his inn, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol, feeling an emptiness in his heart that no amount of silver could fill. He spent days in a haze, eating and drinking in excess, unable to move on from his heartbreak.
Recently, he heard that the girl’s brother had returned from the capital to escort her back to be married. This news hit him hard. No matter how much money he had, he was still just a merchant, and the girl’s family were high-ranking officials. He felt powerless, knowing he couldn’t compete.
In his despair, he wandered into the noodle shop, drawn in by the delicious smell.
When Cao Nuo finished his story, he stood up, swaying, and muttered something about needing to relieve himself.
Qing Huan took advantage of the break to relay the story to Yu Jinnian and Ji Hong as a sort of amusing tale.
Yu Jinnian mused, “Ah Hong, doesn’t this story sound… familiar? All this talk of adoption, an official’s wife, and a brother returning from the capital—it sounds like the matter of the fifth Miss Yan.”
Ji Hong replied, “You’re already burdened with running this noodle shop every day, yet you still find time to worry about other people’s affairs?”
As they were talking, Cao Nuo returned from relieving himself, stumbling as he walked back inside. Qing Huan kindly tried to steady him, but he waved her off and turned instead to embrace one of the pillars in the dining hall. Rubbing his face against it, he tearfully muttered, “My medicine… My medicine… What’s so good about a government official’s wife? All those fake scholars, they reek of hypocrisy! These so-called learned men… none of them are any good! Always talking about virtue and morality, but in the end, they’re all just fighting for power… hic, to seize authority… What a load of rubbish…”
Once, he had been a scholar too, but now, drunk out of his mind, he had forgotten all that. He began cursing thoughtlessly, and the more he cursed, the more his eyes welled up with tears, as if his own words had made him even sadder.
The nearby customers, alarmed, quickly grabbed their bowls and moved away from him, watching him cling to the pillar and muttering among themselves, some even laughing at him. A few, offended by his insults toward scholars, were ready to confront him.
One of them called out, “Hey, brother! There are plenty of fish in the sea. If one relationship doesn’t work out, you can always find another! Are you really going to let one woman ruin your life?”
Still clutching the pillar, Cao Nuo waved his hand and hiccuped, “No… don’t move! None of you move!”
The man laughed, “What’s so hard to understand? From your accent, I’d guess you’re from Xingyi Prefecture, right? Xingyi is famous for its beautiful women, far prettier than the ones here in Changdu! And look at you, clearly not short of money. You could easily marry three or five concubines and live a life of luxury. Just forget about that girl, what was her name—Yao or something!”
“My medicine… How can I forget her!” Cao Nuo’s voice cracked as he teared up again, muttering, “I can’t forget her, I just can’t…”
The crowd murmured in amazement, “He’s really a lovesick fool.”
Yu Jinnian, puzzled, asked, “What exactly is this ‘medicine’ he keeps talking about?”
Qing Huan thought for a moment and said, “From the sound of it, it must be the girl’s nickname, something like ‘Yao’ or so.”
Yu Jinnian raised an eyebrow. “Could it be Yan Yuyao?”
Cao Nuo immediately stiffened as if struck by lightning, looking at Yu Jinnian with wide eyes. “Where is she, my medicine! Yao… my medicine!”
“…”
What a strange twist of fate. Here Yu Jinnian was, struggling to figure out Yan Yuyao’s illness, and her former fiancé had practically delivered himself to their doorstep. This might be the perfect opportunity for Yu Jinnian to learn more about Yan Yuyao’s past, adding valuable context to her medical history.
Yan Rong might be troublesome, but Yu Jinnian couldn’t bear to see a young woman like Yan Yuyao, full of life, suffering from illness.
Cao Nuo continued clinging to the pillar, mumbling about wanting more wine and demanding to see “Yao.”
“Poor fellow,” Yu Jinnian remarked with a mischievous grin. “Qing Huan, go fetch two jugs of wine. Tonight, Cao and I shall drink until we can’t walk.”
Ji Hong, noticing the sly smile on Yu Jinnian’s face, instantly knew that he was up to something. When Qing Huan hurried back with two jugs of strong liquor, the kind that burned the throat, Ji Hong glanced at Yu Jinnian and said, “If you get drunk tonight, you’re not allowed in bed.”
Yu Jinnian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well, that depends on whether you join me in drinking or not.”
Ji Hong raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “And what difference does that make?”
Yu Jinnian’s eyes twinkled with a mischievous light as he leaned closer, whispering, “If I have a beautiful companion by my side, I’ll be so delighted that I’ll get drunk on joy alone and pass out after just a little wine. But if I drink alone, lonely and bored, I can drink endlessly without getting drunk.”
Ji Hong, as if his ear had been scorched, immediately turned his head away, his gaze lowering as he stayed silent, flustered.
This young man had truly learned to be bold! Where had he picked up such ear-burning words?