It’s just our bad luck.
When they returned to the stream, it was nearly noon. The weather had cleared, but unexpectedly, a cloud blew in from nowhere, and suddenly a few raindrops started falling, gently brushing over our shoulders like willow catkins. It was truly a case of “sunshine in the east, rain in the west.” However, this light rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the scholars by the stream. In fact, it added an extra layer of poetry to the spring scene.
There were a few tea stalls set up along the mountain path, looking simple but fully equipped. Some of the stall owners were local villagers from nearby mountain hamlets, setting up small stands to sell ready-to-eat snacks. Others were food vendors from the town, pushing carts full of more substantial goods. In no time, small wooden tables were set up under the trees by the stream, and hot copper kettles were boiling away behind them. If you came at the right time, in addition to quenching your thirst with tea, you could even enjoy some freshly made side dishes.
It was early spring, and the ground was full of fresh greenery, so preparing dishes was easy. All the ingredients were sourced locally from wild greens. In idle moments, you could pick a handful of wild vegetables from under the trees, rinse them in the stream, and throw them into the pot. With just a pinch of salt and soy sauce, a fresh dish could be served in no time. Each dish of greens looked vibrant and appetizing. Paired with a palm-sized butter pastry, there was a distinct rustic charm to it.
However, the wealthy families looked down on such coarse food. They would usually bring their own staff and ingredients, only borrowing a fire from the stall owners. Yu Jinnian and his companion walked out into the light rain. The larger tea stalls were already full of people, and some of the more particular families had even set up silk-draped screens adorned with beads. Their attendants bustled about, unloading cups and dishes from the carriages in an orderly fashion.
Even the Zhuhua Pavilion had sent a few attendants to do business, setting up a small stand to sell tea powders and delicately made flower pastries. Yu Jinnian, covered in dirt, stepped out and patted the mud off his clothes. He was just about to head to the stream to wash when he turned to see Ji Hong. Ji Hong was immaculate and graceful, as clean and white as a newly ascended bamboo spirit, exuding an indescribable scholarly air.
Compared to him, Yu Jinnian felt like a wild rabbit scrambling around, almost missing a blade of grass in his mouth, thoroughly unsuited for the occasion.
As Yu Jinnian was lost in his thoughts, a few of the pastry-selling girls from Zhuhua Pavilion quietly gathered around. Perhaps it was his naturally approachable appearance, for even with the god-like Ji Hong standing nearby, the girls couldn’t help but smile sweetly at Yu Jinnian.
“We have peach blossom cakes.”
“And peach blossom wine too!”
The two young girls took turns speaking, pulling items from their baskets. “Would you like to try some?”
Caught off guard, Yu Jinnian reached out to take the offered items, but Ji Hong’s sleeve intercepted him first. Without saying a word, Ji Hong accepted the goods on his behalf. Seeing Yu Jinnian’s bewildered look, Ji Hong glanced down at his hands without a word. Before Ji Hong could say anything, Yu Jinnian casually wiped his hands on his clothes, reaching again for the peach blossom cake.
Ji Hong dodged to the side, leaving Yu Jinnian to awkwardly flail in the air. He hadn’t eaten a single bite all morning, and now he couldn’t help but grumble in frustration, “What are you doing?”
“Wash your hands,” Ji Hong said curtly, as if even a single extra word would be too much.
Ji Hong hadn’t brought a towel with him, but one of the young girls from Zhuhua Pavilion smiled as she pulled out a handkerchief. “Our boss praised you on the way here, saying your cooking was excellent. Even that picky Young Master Lu didn’t find a single bone in the egg dish you made. The boss asked us to learn from you. Would you be so kind as to teach us when you have time?”
Yu Jinnian, still staring at the embroidered pattern on the handkerchief, absentmindedly thought of Aunt Xu. After a brief pause, he snapped back to attention, earnestly asking what they wanted to learn. But before he could open his mouth, Ji Hong stepped aside, blocking him half with his body. With an expressionless face, Ji Hong said, “Thank you, but no need,” and forcefully dragged Yu Jinnian away, pushing him to the stream to wash his hands.
How could stepping out for fresh air make one feel so refreshed? After gathering wild vegetables all morning, Yu Jinnian indeed felt much more at ease. As Ji Hong pressed his hands into the water, it seemed like all the frustration that had been building up inside Yu Jinnian for days flowed away with the dirt under his nails.
The stream was clear enough to reflect a piece of cloud from the sky. Yu Jinnian, initially washing his hands, soon began scooping water and playing with it. He even grabbed the basket and casually rinsed the wild vegetables inside. Ji Hong remained silent, only occasionally glancing up at the sky. Though the rain was light and harmless, it was persistent. He lowered his gaze again and silently extended his arm to shield the boy’s head, using his other hand to lift his sleeve and block most of the rain.
Suddenly, Yu Jinnian let out a surprised shout, “Ah!” He sprang up, only to bump into Ji Hong’s arm, letting out another “Ah!” in quick succession.
Ji Hong quickly pulled his arm back and, seeing Yu Jinnian swaying, nervously reached out to steady him. “What’s wrong?”
Yu Jinnian shoved the freshly washed vegetables into the basket and excitedly pointed to a shallow pool of water. “Shrimp! Little shrimp. Hey, help me out!”
It wasn’t until much later that Qing Huan, not seeing them return, came looking for them with an umbrella. When she finally spotted a soaked figure by the stream, she peered further and saw another boy with his head almost submerged in the water. At first, Qing Huan thought they had dropped something in the stream and rushed over to help, only to find a basket at their feet filled with lively, translucent little shrimp. Furious, she stomped her foot. “You just recovered from an illness, and now you’re out here catching shrimp!”
She turned to Ji Hong and saw that he was even more drenched than Yu Jinnian. His sleeves clung to his arms, dripping wet. Quickly, she pulled a handkerchief from her collar and handed it over. “Young Master Ji, why are you indulging in his foolishness as well?”
Ji Hong silently chuckled, his eyes filled with helplessness. He accepted the handkerchief, initially intending to wipe off the water from his body, but when he turned and saw the mist forming on the tip of Yu Jinnian’s nose, he subtly changed his movement, dabbing it on Yu Jinnian’s face instead. Yu Jinnian closed one eye, letting Ji Hong clean his entire face without protest.
Qing Huan stood to the side, suddenly feeling her presence was somewhat unnecessary. After a long moment, she finally remembered why she had come to find Yu Jinnian: “There’s trouble over at Mistress Su’s. In this remote area, someone claims they got sick from eating her peach blossom cake. Mistress Su offered to take them to see a doctor, but they refused.” Qing Huan spat angrily, “I think that scoundrel just wants to harass her because they’re all women there! Mistress Su doesn’t want any trouble and is worried about ruining her reputation, so she’s been backing down. Su Ting and the others tried to help, but it’s become a mess…”
In just a few words, Yu Jinnian understood that they wanted him to help resolve the situation. He quickly tidied himself, rolled up his sleeves, and said, “Alright, don’t worry. I’ll go take a look.”
He carried the basket full of dripping fresh vegetables and shrimp, taking quick, small steps back to the scene. From afar, he could see Su Qing’er surrounded by a group of people. One person was slapping the table and smashing bowls, shouting vulgar words. The tables around them were overturned, and the area was a complete mess. Despite Mistress Su usually being sharp-tongued and tactful, she was, after all, a young woman, and facing such a shameless man had left her flustered.
Just as Yu Jinnian was about to step forward, he noticed two girls emerge from the shade of a nearby tree, rushing one after the other. Upon closer inspection, the one behind seemed to be Han Xiao, and the one leading was likely Qi Wenjun. The two of them were tightly stepping on each other’s shadows, pulling at each other for a while as if they were arguing. However, with all the chaos happening, everyone’s attention was focused on the ruckus, and no one noticed them.
“Sister! Sister!” Han Xiao ran a couple of steps, lifting her head only to see Yu Jinnian and the others approaching. As if afraid of being noticed, she quickly lowered her head again. After they passed, she resumed chasing after Qi Wenjun.
Qi Wenjun brushed past Yu Jinnian, her scent carrying hints of fresh grass. Yu Jinnian glanced back at her, thinking that her figure looked quite like the hurried woman he had seen in the forest earlier. However, the forest had been foggy, and he hadn’t gotten a good look. Besides, his mind was preoccupied with the troublemaker at hand, so he didn’t dwell on it.
“Murder! Murder!” The troublemaker, a skinny man who didn’t look very old, was causing a scene with practiced ease, showing no shame at all. As Yu Jinnian approached, a peach blossom cake flew at him, hitting the top of his foot. “Zhuhua Pavilion is taking advantage of customers, selling moldy cakes! Do they think I’m beneath them?!”
The man’s shouting was thunderous, spittle flying from his mouth. Shards of teacups lay scattered at his feet, ruining the peaceful spring atmosphere by the stream. Quite a few people recognized him, and one of the workers spat in his direction, mocking, “Oh, isn’t that Dog Li? What’s this, shaking down someone else for money again?”
Amid his busy tantrum, the man still found time to hurl insults back, “I spit on your grandma! Who are you talking about?!”
There was indeed an interesting story behind this man.
He was well-known around Taoxi Town. His real name was Li Hu, but no one knew where he had come from. He was infamous for being idle and unwilling to do honest work. It was said that he used to be diligent, a street vendor selling tofu pudding. But because business wasn’t good, and he didn’t have the wits to improve his product, he lived a particularly hard life.
Li Hu was perpetually hungry and poorly dressed, dirt poor. After finally saving enough to buy a child bride, he had the misfortune of encountering a plague the following year, which took her life. Li Hu fell into a deep depression, and his tofu pudding became increasingly unpalatable. He soon fell into poverty, nearly reduced to a beggar. The townspeople of Taoxi were kind-hearted and often helped him out with small acts of charity.
However, their kindness backfired.
As the saying goes, “A bushel of rice breeds gratitude, but a load of rice breeds resentment.” Li Hu became accustomed to handouts and discovered that he didn’t need to do anything to live better than before. Sometimes, he even had a bit of extra money. He grew lazy, spending his days walking the streets with an empty carrying pole, seeking pity. But the townspeople weren’t fools; they weren’t going to keep supporting a freeloader. Gradually, everyone stopped paying attention to him.
By the time Li Hu realized what had happened, he had already gained a reputation as a shameless rogue throughout the neighboring towns. Yet he remained unrepentant, still lazy, living off others, and bullying the weak while avoiding the strong. He even harbored resentment toward those who had once helped him but now ignored him. He became more brazen, cursing people as cruel and heartless.
Those who had suffered at his hands avoided him, but that didn’t stop Li Hu from shamelessly causing trouble wherever he could. If he couldn’t extort money, he would cause as much damage as possible, ensuring mutual destruction. The local authorities had dealt with him so frequently that they were thoroughly exasperated. One magistrate famously scolded him, saying, “You’re no tiger blocking the road—more like a stray dog!”
And so, the proud name “Li Hu” was forgotten, and he became known as “Dog Li” in the local gossip.
If being called a dog had been enough to make Li Hu feel ashamed and change his ways, he wouldn’t be here extorting Mistress Su today. When the worker called him Dog Li, Li Hu acted as if he hadn’t heard, his face as thick as a city wall.
“So what if I’m talking to you? What are you going to do about it?” The worker wasn’t intimidated in the least, showing no fear. “You think just because you have ‘tiger’ in your name, you’re some kind of fierce beast? Look at yourself! Calling you a big tiger is a compliment! What, didn’t get enough free food at Zhang’s funeral yesterday, so now you’re trying to scam from the Li family?”
His words were filled with insults. Li Hu glared at him, attempting to look fierce, but his naturally shifty eyes made him look more sneaky than intimidating. His attempt at ferocity only provoked more laughter from the crowd.
Li Hu’s antics had caused many of the outsiders, unaware of the situation, to grow suspicious of Zhuhua Pavilion’s food. Despite the pastry-selling girls’ best efforts to reassure them, no one wanted to buy anything anymore. Seeing Su Qing’er’s pretty face, Li Hu suddenly became lewd and tried to lunge at her. Su Qing’er gasped in shock, unable to dodge in time, but someone stepped in front of her.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a pale scholar had taken the brunt of Li Hu’s attack. Li Hu crashed into him with a clumsy thud.
“You…”
Before Su Ting could even react, the rogue shamelessly began wailing from the ground, “Oh no! I’ve been beaten! Beaten! The owner of Zhuhua Pavilion has conspired with a lover to kill me and cover it up!”
Everyone could see through Li Hu’s trickery, but they all knew that once he latched on, it was nearly impossible to shake him off without suffering significant losses. No one wanted to get involved, and some even advised Mistress Su to give him a little money to settle things quietly.
Though Mistress Su had always been clever, she could no longer endure this, trembling with anger. “You shameless scoundrel!”
Su Ting felt as if water had filled his head, sloshing around loudly after being hit by Li Hu. He shook his head and was immediately steadied by someone who reached out, gently touching the bump left by Li Hu’s impact. The person asked, “Are you alright?”
Su Ting looked closely and muttered, “…Young Master.”
Yu Jinnian told him to step aside while he bent down to examine the man on the ground. Li Hu, preparing to unleash his usual scoundrel tactics, was suddenly taken aback when he looked up and met a pair of eyes as clear as the waters of Taoxi. They were smiling at him.
“How can you claim you got sick from the food?” Yu Jinnian asked.
“Where did this turtle grandson come from? It’s none of your damn business!” Li Hu cursed reflexively. He turned and noticed that the one speaking was a young gentleman with dark eyebrows and a face like peach blossoms. Quickly calculating how he might extort him, Li Hu let out a sudden wail, “Ah, I’m in pain! How could I not be sick? He even hit me! You all owe me money for medicine! Ah…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the untimely rumble of his stomach interrupted him. He quickly covered it with both hands.
Some people remain destitute not just because they don’t know how to make money but because they lack awareness of who they should and shouldn’t provoke. Yu Jinnian couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, “So, are you in pain, or are you just hungry?”
Li Hu put on the expression of a man who wasn’t afraid of boiling water, no matter how hot.
“In this world, everything has a price except for the unbuyable and the unavailable. Don’t you agree?” Yu Jinnian hooked a chair with his foot, pulled it over, and sat down, smiling with his eyes. “As it happens, I’m a doctor. How about this: I’ll examine you. If you’re truly sick, I’ll cover all the medical expenses, no matter how much it costs. But,” he added, “if you’re lying and perfectly fine, we’ll have to settle things differently. All this noise and disturbance has interrupted my peace. I won’t ask for much—just one of your tongues to pickle for a snack. How does that sound?”
Li Hu didn’t respond, but Yu Jinnian rubbed his fingers together, and Duan Ming, who had been watching the scene unfold, immediately fetched a pair of iron shears and slammed them down on the table. He then grabbed Li Hu’s wrist and pinned it against the table.
“Hey, do you know the best way to cook a tongue? First, you clean it well, then boil it with scallions and ginger in strong wine until it simmers.” Yu Jinnian glanced at Li Hu’s mouth and pulled a bamboo chopstick from the basket. “Once you can easily poke through it with the tip of a chopstick, it’s done.”
He stabbed the chopstick into the table, causing Li Hu to tremble as if his own tongue had just been pierced. Yu Jinnian waved his hand and continued, “That’s just the start. After that, you add star anise, cinnamon bark, dried tangerine peel, and various spices, along with longan and red dates, to make a brine. Then, continue to stew the tongue… Ah, after two hours, the aroma of the wine will be so tempting!”
“This dish is called ‘Drunken Tongue’.”
Li Hu gulped audibly, unsure if he was terrified or tempted by the description of the dish.
Yu Jinnian had just rolled up his sleeves when Li Hu, now thoroughly terrified, shouted, “—Wait! Wait!”
“Oh?” Yu Jinnian tilted his head, feigning confusion. “Illness waits for no one, just as a tongue won’t wait once it’s pulled. What are we waiting for?”
Li Hu gritted his teeth, unable to free himself from Duan Ming’s grip. Crying, he said, “I suddenly feel better! I’m fine now! Not in pain anymore!”
Yu Jinnian shook his head and reached out with feigned concern to check his pulse. “No more pain? That’s no good. We should still check thoroughly. Sometimes the outside looks fine, but the inside could be rotten. Moldy cakes are dangerous; it’s the inside that’s the deadliest.”
His words were clearly insults, but Li Hu, being a coward at heart, didn’t dare argue back, fearing that he’d end up being cooked. No matter how sharp his tongue or defiant his thoughts, he forced a bitter smile, terrified that he might end up as a dish. Desperately, he blurted out, “No need for all that! I’m made of rough stuff and heal quickly. It was just a moldy cake—ate a little bit, but no harm done…”
Taoxi Town, after all, was just a scenic little place with few wealthy or aristocratic families. When a few scholars passed the imperial exam, it was celebrated throughout the town, so producing notorious criminals was rare. Occasionally, high-ranking officials would visit during spring or summer, but they came like immortals, riding in on clouds and leaving just as mysteriously.
That’s how Li Hu, a local scoundrel, managed to act like a tyrant, thinking he was some sort of big shot. But now, facing a real force to be reckoned with, his tricks were laughable, drawing cheers and applause from the crowd.
After teaching Li Hu a lesson, they threw the weeping man out. Yu Jinnian leaned on the table, sipping his tea, occasionally sneaking glances at Ji Hong. Just moments ago, he had been wearing a false smile for Li Hu, but now, bathed in the golden sunlight, he looked genuinely warm as he asked Ji Hong with true affection, “What would you like to eat?”
Ji Hong gently set his tea down and frowned slightly. “As long as it’s not tongue.”
Yu Jinnian collapsed onto the table, laughing.
Yu Jinnian would never let Master Ji eat something so coarse as a tongue; naturally, he meticulously prepared several elegant dishes. Luckily, the basket contained freshly caught shrimp, each the size of a finger, delicate as seedlings, still jumping energetically. The tea stall had a small fire set up, with makeshift stoves unsuitable for quick stir-fried dishes. So, he trimmed the shrimp’s heads, letting them sizzle until bright red in the pot, then ladled in some fresh spring water from the stream and added a handful of wild greens, creating a light and delicious shrimp soup.
The other small dishes were prepared with simple yet refined methods. Altogether, he managed to prepare five or six dishes.
Meanwhile, Li Hu, slinking away in disgrace, nearly ran into Han Xiao, who was heading towards the stream to find Qi Wenjun. He had barely escaped his earlier ordeal, but upon seeing a lone beauty, his lecherous thoughts took over once again. Although he had neither courage nor wit, he still couldn’t resist attempting to flirt with her. His so-called “flirtation” amounted to little more than vulgar words and, during a brief struggle, he even managed to touch her soft, smooth fingers.
After scaring her off, he picked up the handkerchief Han Xiao had dropped in her hurry and, satisfied, brought it to his nose for a sniff. He continued to saunter along when his eyes landed on an opulent carriage parked silently by the water. Greedy as always and unlearned from his previous mistake, he approached the carriage stealthily, intending to pilfer whatever valuables he could find.
But as the saying goes, “You can’t walk by the river without getting your feet wet.”
Just as Li Hu’s hand touched the intricately carved carriage, a flash of cold light caught the corner of his eye. He froze in place, his breath stilled, as if rooted to the spot. His gaze was drawn to the source of the light, which slowly formed into a three-foot-long cold iron sword.
From the tip of the blade, something dripped—slowly—falling onto the newly sprouted grass and staining it red. Another drop fell with a soft thud, and Li Hu’s eyes darted to the ground, where he saw a bloody severed hand lying among the grass. Between its stiff fingers was clutched a handkerchief, still fragrant with perfume.
Li Hu’s eyes bulged in horror, and he let out a blood-curdling scream: “Ah—! Ah—! My hand! My hand!”
He fell to the ground, writhing in agony, clutching the stump where his hand had been severed.
Lu Yanjia stepped out from behind the carriage, his eyes narrowing cruelly as he glanced at the blood-soaked Li Hu, as if he were merely observing a fish thrashing hopelessly out of water. “One who insults my wife deserves death.” He lifted his head slightly and strode over to a nearby tree. Reaching behind it, he grabbed a trembling hand that had been hidden there. His face, stained with blood, softened into a loving expression as he gently caressed the delicate hand he held, an entirely different man than moments before. “Xiaoxiao, did you see?”
He had sliced off Li Hu’s hand as effortlessly as if he were cutting a cucumber.
Gripping Han Xiao’s hand, Lu Yanjia suddenly heard her let out a faint moan. He used the hilt of his sword to lift her sleeve, causing Han Xiao to flinch instinctively, her face drained of all color. Her forearm, hidden under the sleeve, was swollen and red. Lu Yanjia frowned, gently massaging the swollen area before sighing softly, “You should listen to me more. Of course I’ll take care of you.”
His voice turned icy as he continued, “You and your sister are as precious as gold, the very treasures of my heart. How could I bear to let you work so hard? Even if it’s just to gather wild greens, the servants can dig a few plants for you. Why dirty your hands? And what if you accidentally bring back something poisonous instead of something useful?”
Han Xiao shuddered, her mind blank with fear. She grabbed Lu Yanjia’s arm, her voice trembling as she urgently asked, “Where’s Wenjun? What have you done with Sister Wenjun?”
Lu Yanjia’s voice grew cold. “Is that how you speak to your husband?”
As if sensing what had happened, Han Xiao ignored his harsh tone and dashed towards the carriage. Lifting the heavy curtain, she was immediately met with a strange scent—a mix of a woman’s perfume and a faint trace of something foul. Curled up inside the carriage was a motionless figure. Terrified, Han Xiao scrambled into the carriage and shook her gently. “Sister Wenjun…”
Her hand reached out, only to be met with something wet and red.
Suddenly, there was a faint rustling sound inside the carriage. Qi Wenjun slowly raised her hand, weakly touching Han Xiao’s knee, and murmured, “It’s alright, it’s alright… I’ll be better by tomorrow.”
Han Xiao followed her sister’s hand, only to pull out a cold iron chain. The lock was securely fastened to the carriage. Somehow summoning the courage, Han Xiao began trying to unfasten the chain right in front of Lu Yanjia. But the lock didn’t budge, and in her desperation, she turned to him, crying out in despair, “How can you do this? How can you treat her like this? She’s your wife!”
“My wife?” Lu Yanjia sneered, suddenly producing a basket and throwing it heavily onto the two women. The basket struck Qi Wenjun, causing her to cry out in pain as a heap of white mushrooms spilled out. “My wife… how cruel-hearted must she be to gather poison mushrooms to harm me? Xiaoxiao, as long as you don’t betray me, I’ll always treat you well, granting your every wish.”
“You…” Han Xiao stared blankly at the pile of mushrooms, momentarily speechless. She opened her mouth to speak, but Qi Wenjun grabbed her hand and shook her head ever so slowly. Her silent plea was clear: don’t provoke him, don’t fight back—it wasn’t worth it.
The two sisters fell silent, seemingly resigned to their fate.
“Head back to the city. If one of them is missing along the way, it’ll be on your heads!” Lu Yanjia ordered a servant to guard the women, then stormed off to another carriage. Before leaving, he kicked Li Hu, who lay bleeding on the ground, as if he were no more than a dying dog.
The carriage slowly rolled away from the mountain stream, the falling petals on the branches carrying with them a fleeting warmth. It was as though the last remnants of hope had been stripped from them. Han Xiao huddled next to Qi Wenjun, holding her tightly, tears welling in her eyes as she whispered, “I don’t need him to grant my every wish. Sister, what terrible fate have we brought upon ourselves, what sin have we committed…”
Qi Wenjun’s gaze dimmed, her voice hollow as she replied, “It’s just our bad luck.”