Ah, so that’s what happened.
The next day, Cao Nuo groggily woke up, feeling his limbs numb. He consciously tried to stretch, only to hear a “thud.” He fell out of his chair, landing flat on the floor along with the stool, letting out a painful groan. When he opened his eyes, he realized he had dozed off at the table, draped in a blanket.
He had been in a gloomy state these past few days, often drinking himself into a stupor. Waking up without knowing where he was had become a frequent occurrence. Rubbing his head, throbbing from a hangover, he vaguely remembered entering a noodle shop, eating something, and then blacking out.
Unexpectedly, he had encountered a kind person who hadn’t thrown him out to sleep on the street.
Cao Nuo climbed off the ground, neatly folding the blanket and draping it over his arm. Seeing that the hall was empty, he was about to take out some silver as a token of gratitude for their hospitality when he heard laughter coming from the backyard. There were both men and women, and the sound of a pestle pounding something could be heard, along with the rich aroma of food filling the air. His stomach growled at the smell, reminding him of how hungry he was after a night of heavy drinking. Unable to resist, he lifted the curtain and walked towards the back to investigate.
The kitchen was bustling with activity. Qing Huan was holding a small stone mortar, grinding peanuts, humming a melodious little tune. On the stove, a pot of white rice porridge was bubbling away, probably simmering since the morning, with the rice grains already blossomed and emitting a fresh fragrance.
On another stove, a few steamers were stacked. Cao Nuo couldn’t tell what was being steamed, but after a careful sniff, he caught a whiff of sesame. He naturally assumed there were some sesame pastries inside, and he rubbed his empty stomach at the thought.
Yu Jinnian added more firewood to the stove before standing up to open one of the steamers. From a distance, Cao Nuo saw a layer of black substance on top of a white cloth inside. The young man fearlessly reached in and smeared some of the black paste onto his finger, quickly withdrawing it with a playful laugh.
A young man in a blue robe beside him looked displeased and said something that seemed like a scolding, but the boy just brushed it off, nodding and agreeing half-heartedly. Cao Nuo was about to step forward when he saw the young man offer his finger to the blue-robed man, who smiled lightly and took it into his mouth without a hint of anger. After tasting the black paste, the man nodded, and the two leaned in close, whispering to each other.
Cao Nuo was momentarily stunned by their intimacy but, being a well-traveled man, quickly accepted what he saw. After all, it was none of his business if the two brothers were close, and it was his fault for intruding.
Yesterday, when he entered the shop, he had been too drunk to tell whether those in front of him were people or ghosts. Now that he was sober, he could see that the young shopkeeper didn’t resemble a typical cook. He was youthful, smart, and good-looking, with fair skin and a crescent-moon smile. Cao Nuo could easily believe he was a pampered young master from a wealthy family.
Yu Jinnian, having successfully teased the beautiful Ji Hong, turned back to his work. He stood on tiptoes, trying to reach a sealed ceramic jar on top of the cabinet. Seeing this, Ji Hong lightly raised his hand from behind and handed him the jar, much to Yu Jinnian’s annoyance, who puffed his cheeks like a frog, standing on his toes to compare his height with Ji Hong.
The jar contained butter purchased around the Mid-Autumn Festival, made by foreigners. A dairy shop had opened in the southern part of the city, selling dairy products with a taste quite different from that of the Central Plains. While some couldn’t get used to it, Yu Jinnian had grown fond of it. However, after buying it, he’d been so busy that he’d forgotten about it. Upon remembering it today, he decided to use it to make porridge.
Opening the jar revealed a full container of creamy white butter. According to the shopkeeper, it was made from sheep’s milk. Though not as flavorful as the butter made from yaks in the high mountains, it was still good for nourishing the body and warding off colds—definitely a fine product. People in the Central Plains made butter too, but Yu Jinnian always felt it lacked the authenticity of this foreign version.
Cradling the jar of “authentic” butter, Yu Jinnian turned around and noticed Cao Nuo lingering in the courtyard. He greeted him with a smile.
Cao Nuo hurried over, embarrassed, “I caused trouble last night. I didn’t… do anything inappropriate, did I?”
Seeing the strange expressions on the faces of those around him, he quickly assumed he had and immediately apologized, “I’m really sorry! When I drink too much, I black out and don’t remember anything. If I caused any damage to your shop, just let me know, and I’ll compensate you for everything!”
“There’s no damage…” Yu Jinnian replied, exchanging a glance with Qing Huan, “…but our eyes were burned a bit by the scene we witnessed, like something out of a tragic love story.”
Cao Nuo, sweating with embarrassment, said, “Good, good… well, I’d better take my leave…” Yet his hesitant steps and the quick glance he stole at the pot of porridge suggested otherwise—he was clearly hungry.
Understanding his intent, Yu Jinnian smiled and invited him, “Stay and have some porridge before you go. It’s fragrant and nourishing sweet honey porridge—good for the stomach.”
With the offer extended, Cao Nuo readily accepted, laughing as he nodded, “Then I’ll trouble the shopkeeper for that.”
While Cao Nuo returned to the front hall to wait for the porridge, Yu Jinnian lifted the wooden lid from the pot, scooped two spoonfuls of butter from the jar, added two cups of honey, and stirred everything together to simmer. While waiting for the porridge, he kneaded a leftover piece of dough from yesterday, adding some starch, cut it into large pieces, and rolled it into thin sheets to make steamed buns. He also prepared a plate of spicy and sour pickled radish as a side dish.
With Cao Nuo as an extra guest today, the usual pickled cucumbers and ginger were served, along with shrimp paste spread on the buns.
Ji Hong, noticing Yu Jinnian checking the sesame in the steamer again, curiously asked, “What are you steaming the sesame for, exactly?”
“There’s a great use for it!” Yu Jinnian brought down the steamed trays of sesame seeds and set them aside. He then instructed Qing Huan to dry them outside once the sun got stronger. “Have you ever heard of the method of ‘nine steamings and nine sun-dries’? Sesame seeds have a slightly bitter taste when raw, and even when roasted, there’s still some residual astringency. While this might be acceptable when used as a side ingredient, if you’re going to grind it into powder, it’s far better to use sesame seeds that have been steamed and dried. It improves the texture and makes them easier to digest.”
He knew explaining this in words would be too difficult, so he gave up trying and simply said, “In short, it promotes longevity, strengthens the body, and darkens the hair. Once it’s done, you’ll see the benefits!”
Ji Hong stopped questioning, knowing that he could never lose when it came to trusting Yu Jinnian.
After Qing Huan finished grinding the peanuts, she carefully fed a bowl of sweet honey porridge to Aunt Xu and then went inside to call Sui Sui for breakfast. The noodle shop’s staff gathered around the table like a family, with only Cao Nuo as the unfamiliar face. As a business person used to mingling with people, Cao Nuo didn’t feel out of place. However, he was mostly quiet, focusing on devouring the steamed buns with the small side dishes and slurping down hot porridge. When others spoke to him, he would respond with a sheepish grin.
The saying that alcohol is a dangerous drug proved to be true—just looking at Cao Nuo now, no one could have guessed that yesterday, he had been standing on a stool, cursing the sages.
Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but glance again at Ji Hong, thinking to himself that not everyone behaves the same. While most people become wild and unruly after drinking, Ji Hong, who was usually reserved and deep, would instead become innocent and obedient—a rather strange sight indeed.
If he had some free time, Yu Jinnian thought, he would definitely want to get Ji Hong drunk again just to play around.
Unaware that he had already become Yu Jinnian’s “target of amusement,” Ji Hong thoughtfully handed him a steamed bun. Knowing Yu Jinnian’s love for shrimp paste, he spread a thin layer of it on the bun before giving it to him.
After enjoying a satisfying meal, they went back to work as usual. With the winter solstice approaching, the year was drawing to a close. Yu Jinnian had made a good deal of money this year and decided he should make some small gifts for Aunt Xu and the others to celebrate the winter and the upcoming new year. He remembered the box of pearls sent over by the Yang family and dragged Ji Hong to a jewelry shop to have some pieces made.
Being a frugal and ordinary person, Yu Jinnian had no idea where to go for good jewelry, let alone how to make it. Hearing this, Cao Nuo offered to help, claiming he knew a jeweler with excellent craftsmanship who also charged reasonable prices.
After grabbing a few small silver ingots and wrapping up a handful of pearls in a silk cloth, Yu Jinnian followed Cao Nuo to the jeweler.
Cao Nuo’s connections in the business world proved reliable. The shop was indeed good, and the shopkeeper was honest, explaining clearly how much silver would be required to make different pieces, what designs could be carved, and how much the labor cost would be. After consulting with Ji Hong, Yu Jinnian decided to make a pair of pearl silver earrings for Qing Huan and a pair of pearl bracelets for Aunt Xu. Even Sui Sui wasn’t left out; they had a small pendant shaped like a ginkgo leaf made for her, with a pearl embedded in it, hung on a red string.
They made full use of their resources.
With Yu Jinnian’s personal finances now in good shape, the cost of making these small silver accessories was no issue. Nowadays, most women wore necklaces made of large pearls, agate, glass, or jade, with a large pendant at the bottom. Younger women often wore chokers or beaded ornaments. As for the small pendant on a red string that Yu Jinnian suggested, except for children’s longevity locks, no one had ever seen anything like it.
However, Ji Hong had grown accustomed to Yu Jinnian’s strange and unique ideas and no longer found them odd. The shopkeeper just took the money and completed the order without question. Only Cao Nuo commented, “What’s so strange about it? I wear one myself.”
As he spoke, he pulled out a red string from inside his collar. At the end of the string hung a sharp tooth, though it was unclear whether it was from a wolf or a dog. Both ends of the tooth were capped with delicate gold and silver, embedded with small red and green agate stones. The tooth itself, though originally fierce in appearance, now looked quite refined after being adorned in this way. It didn’t seem like something a rough man like Cao Nuo would buy for himself—it looked more like a gift from someone else.
The three paid for their items and left the jeweler’s shop just around noon. Cao Nuo’s inn was nearby, and although he had only spent a night with Yu Jinnian and Ji Hong, he felt a great sense of affinity and warmth toward them. He had already come to consider the brothers his friends and suggested they stop by the neighboring teahouse for some drinks and snacks before parting ways.
Unable to refuse such warm hospitality, Yu Jinnian and Ji Hong followed him in. They sat by the window and ordered a plate of the house specialty, purple jade grass cakes, along with a pot of chrysanthemum tea.
The name “purple jade grass cake” sounded refreshing, and indeed, it was made from purple sweet potatoes and sticky rice. The sticky rice flour and cornmeal were mixed with water to form a batter, steamed, and then cooled. The filling inside was purple sweet potato paste, though other fillings like red or green bean paste, fruit, or tea flavors were available. After being chilled in wells, the cakes were ready to be eaten.
Because the sticky rice skin was translucent, the purple filling inside was faintly visible, giving the cakes a soft, jade-like appearance, hence the name “purple jade grass cakes.”
As they enjoyed their tea, Cao Nuo, feeling sentimental, held a piece of purple jade grass cake and said, “I remember back in Xingyi Prefecture, I caught a cold one night while studying by the window. That illness nearly killed me. At that time, I couldn’t taste anything, and I thought my end was near. But Yao brought me a box of these grass cakes and gave me this bone tooth as a charm to ward off evil. It’s strange—ever since I wore this tooth, my health really did improve day by day, and even my fortunes changed.”
Suddenly, his mood turned somber. “But what good is wealth? I’m just a minor businessman, how could I ever be worthy of the Minister’s daughter? She’s now a noble lady, probably destined to be a proper official’s wife… Sigh, Yao, I wonder if he’s treating you well!”
Yu Jinnian had extracted quite a bit of information from Cao Nuo last night while he was drunk, most of which involved childhood sweethearts and tender memories. He had consumed an overwhelming amount of lovey-dovey tales. As for Yan Yao’s health, all Yu Jinnian knew was bits and pieces—one thing was clear, though: Yan Yao had always been in good health with no hidden ailments. Her sudden eye illness had come without warning.
From what Cao Nuo said, it seemed that he and Yan Yao had been a well-matched pair since childhood. The argument between Yan Yao and her brother Yan Rong that day also hinted at her dissatisfaction with her arranged marriage. Yu Jinnian, fearing that Cao Nuo’s emotions might cloud his judgment, hadn’t mentioned Yan Yao’s illness to him.
Seeing such a promising couple on the verge of parting, Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but sigh in frustration.
Ji Hong seemed to sense what Yu Jinnian was thinking, so he gently patted his back in comfort.
The three of them sat in silent contemplation when a frail young woman in a pink dress entered the room. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked utterly exhausted, holding a small food box in her hand. She weakly spoke to the shopkeeper, “Please, could I have two plates of purple jade grass cakes? My young lady is gravely ill and has no appetite. The only thing she can still eat is your cakes.”
Cao Nuo recognized the voice and turned to look. When he saw the woman’s face, he immediately jumped up, knocking over the stool at his feet. “—Fenjuan!”
Fenjuan, hearing his voice, was equally shocked. “Gu—”
She almost called him “guye” (brother-in-law), as the two families had once been very pleased with the childhood betrothal. Although her young lady never spoke of it, her face would always blush shyly whenever Cao Nuo was mentioned. Fenjuan had grown up alongside her young lady and knew her heart well, often teasing Cao Nuo by calling him “guye.” Realizing her mistake, she quickly corrected herself, “Young Master Cao!”
“How have you returned? When did you come back?” Fenjuan, upon seeing Cao Nuo, felt as though she had reunited with an old friend, and tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke. “You’ve only just returned… Do you know what kind of life our young lady has been leading? She… she’s fallen ill!”
Cao Nuo was alarmed. “What? Yao’er is sick? How did she become ill?”
Fenjuan wiped her tears with a handkerchief and whispered, “I don’t know the full details. Now, she’s gone blind, and no doctor can cure her. We don’t know how much longer she can hold on. The eldest young master is still insisting on marrying her off to form an alliance. Yesterday, he spoke with her at the gate, and whatever he said left her in tears. She hasn’t been able to eat since…” She sobbed and suddenly knelt before Cao Nuo, crying, “Guye, I only recognize you as her rightful husband. I know how good you’ve been to our young lady. Please, think of a way to save her. She’s sick, not eating or drinking. How much longer can she survive?”
Yu Jinnian, overhearing this, was also shocked. How could Yan Yao be so stubborn? She was already as thin as a reed. If she went another couple of days without food, her illness wouldn’t even have the chance to take her life—she’d starve to death first.
Cao Nuo, in a panic, paced around helplessly, knowing that he couldn’t enter the Yan estate to visit Yan Yao. After a moment of thought, he suddenly came up with an idea. He quickly took off the bone tooth necklace he wore around his neck and handed it to Fenjuan. “Give this to Yao’er. She’ll understand when she sees it. Tell her to eat and get better. No matter what, she must take care of herself…”
He couldn’t finish speaking, his eyes welling up with tears. Holding Fenjuan’s hands, he kept repeating, “She must take care of herself…”
Fenjuan took the bone tooth and rushed back to the Yan residence. Cao Nuo stood there, lost in thought. Seeing that he no longer had the heart to enjoy tea, Yu Jinnian and Ji Hong bid farewell. As they walked down the street, Ji Hong spotted a fruit vendor and said, “Let’s buy some fruit to take home.”
“Mm, you pick whatever you like,” Yu Jinnian replied absentmindedly, still deep in thought about Yan Yao’s illness.
Ji Hong let go of his hand for a moment and went to the vendor’s cart to select some fruit. The vendor had fresh, juicy apples and oranges, as well as avocados from the south. Everything looked good, but Ji Hong couldn’t decide, so he asked the vendor to give him half a pound of each.
Yu Jinnian remained in place, scratching his head as he tried to figure something out. He felt like he was close to an answer but couldn’t quite grasp it. Just then, the door of a nearby house was kicked open from the inside, and a man came stumbling out, holding up his pants. A hefty woman followed, carrying a bucket of slop, shouting, “Don’t think you’re something special just because you’ve changed clothes! You might look decent outside, but you think you can boss me around at home? You’re nothing! Get lost!”
—Splash!
The man dodged quickly, slipping away before anyone could react, but Yu Jinnian, standing frozen in place, was drenched in the slop. Ji Hong, having just paid for the fruit, turned around to see Yu Jinnian standing dazed and covered in filth. Alarmed, Ji Hong dropped the fruit and rushed over to shield him. His eyes grew cold as he demanded, “What happened here?”
“Oh my, oh dear, this is a big misunderstanding!” The woman who had thrown the slop was frightened and repeatedly apologized. “I was just disciplining my husband! Who would’ve thought this young man would be standing right there? He didn’t even try to dodge…”
Ji Hong, unfazed by the stench, raised his hand and plucked a few leaves of cabbage off Yu Jinnian’s head. He glanced down at the boy in his arms, who seemed utterly stunned, staring blankly ahead.
“Jinnian,” he called softly, “Jinnian?”
“…” Yu Jinnian made a few grunting sounds, as if trying to say something. But after a brief moment, he suddenly shouted in excitement, “Ah, so that’s it!”
Both the woman and Ji Hong were startled, staring at the boy in confusion.
After a long pause, Yu Jinnian snapped back to his senses, finally covering his nose and shouting, “Oh my, what’s that smell? It’s awful! Ah Hong, did you lead me into a slop pit?”
Ji Hong froze, then, after a moment, couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ve got some nerve to say that.”