What are you doing imitating our young master?
“It hurts, Brother Nian……”
Coming back to his senses, Yu Jinnian had unknowingly been pinching his knee for a while. He loosened his grip and recalled the maids and young attendants whispering and chattering along the way from Tingyue Residence to this courtyard, as well as all the dirty deeds he had heard from various people lately. Suddenly, he asked, “Yu Xu, have you heard of Fugui Zhai in the southern city?”
Yu Xu covered the hollow of his knee and shook his head earnestly, his eyes bright, “What kind of place is that?”
“Nothing, just a shop that makes fur clothing. Some time ago, their young master got hurt by a house thief and came to me for a dressing change, and I heard a few words.” Yu Jinnian observed his expression, speaking casually, “Before you came here, did you ever go to the southern city?”
Yu Xu shook his head and pouted, feeling aggrieved, “I heard that the southern city is full of wealthy families. A little beggar like me would get beaten if seen, so how would I dare to go there.”
“Is that so.” Yu Jinnian smiled slightly and poured some medicinal powder into his palm. With a bit of sweat that had formed in his hand, he suddenly smeared it onto Yu Xu’s face.
The medicinal powder was brownish, and when smeared from Yu Xu’s cheek up to his brow, it formed a black, dirty patch. At a rough glance, Yu Jinnian found it very similar to the portrait Yan Rong had shown him that day.
Yu Xu’s eyes stung from the medicinal liquid. He lifted his arm to wipe it away while wailing in pain, “Brother Nian, what are you doing…… My eyes, it hurts so much, Brother Nian!”
Yu Jinnian watched him blankly, letting Yu Xu rub his face messily. Not only did Yu Xu fail to clean it off, but he also rubbed the powder into his hypocritical tears, letting it flow into the corners of his eyes and instantly cause a dense net of tiny blood vessels to appear, his eyes turning a painful red. Yu Jinnian seemed numb, watching coldly for a moment before reaching over to the table, picking up a pot of cold tea, opening the lid, and suddenly splashing it onto his face.
“Ah!” Yu Xu instinctively thought it was hot water and screamed. Only afterward did he realize it was cold tea. He hurriedly grabbed the bed sheet beneath him and roughly wiped his face.
As he twisted and turned, a thin red silk cord emerged from under the mattress.
Yu Jinnian recognized that red cord at a glance. He had personally watched Qing Huan weave it bit by bit, thread on a pearl pendant, and then, by his own hand, he had put it on Sui Sui’s neck. Yu Jinnian gave a sharp tug and grasped the red cord in his hand. However, its knot had been cut, and the pearl pendant was nowhere to be found.
Yu Jinnian’s eyes darkened slightly, and he tightened his grip on that red cord.
Yu Xu finally managed to wipe his face clean. He suddenly sensed that the surrounding atmosphere had turned ice-cold. When he opened one bloodshot eye, he saw a piece of red thread between Yu Jinnian’s fingers. He was startled awake in an instant. Even though his eyes still stung and ached, he dared not blink. He immediately sat up from the couch and stammered, “Brother Nian, this, this I picked up in the garden. I was just about to tell you……”
Yu Jinnian had run out of patience. He coldly interrupted him, “Then do you still have time to tell me about the good deeds you did in the southern city?”
“Brother Nian, what is wrong? I have never been to the southern city.” Yu Xu frowned slightly.
Yu Jinnian snorted with laughter, “Fine, you have never been to the southern city. Then have you met an old lady who sells vegetables on the East Street?”
Yu Xu swallowed hard. His fingers picked at the embroidered flowers on the bedding. His face was not flushed, nor his heart racing as he sobbed and pleaded, “What old vegetable seller? When I first arrived in the capital, I went around everywhere asking about you, Brother Nian, and I never had enough to eat or warm clothes to wear. In winter, my toes almost froze off…… Brother Nian, what are you actually trying to say! Did I do something wrong?”
Yu Jinnian could not help clapping his hands and clicked his tongue twice in admiration, “Good, how excellent. Your skill at lying without batting an eye is truly extraordinary, it really makes one look at you in a new light.”
At these words, Yu Xu’s heart gave a jolt. He thought Yu Jinnian must have found out something, and he almost rolled off the couch. However, he still held on to a bit of luck. Being mocked like this, Yu Xu still would not confess. But since the matter of Doujin Tower was already exposed, he would only admit to that much. Still, his tongue was a bit tied as he continued to humble himself, “I will never go to Doujin Tower again, Brother Nian. I will work hard. Could I maybe……”
“You can.” Yu Jinnian sneered, waved a hand, and called over a young attendant, ordering him to fetch brush, inkstone, and paper.
The young attendant hurried over to the table and brought the entire inkstone set.
Yu Jinnian swiftly unfolded a piece of paper, spread it on the small side table, and with a few strokes wrote something down. Then he tossed it heavily into Yu Xu’s arms, “Yu Xu, I am not your father or mother, nor am I the Guanyin who saves all. I have no obligation to rescue you. Look at what’s written on this paper. If you agree, you can sign and put your mark on it, and then I might help you think of a way to pay that gambling debt. If you do not agree, then solve it yourself in seven days.”
On the surface, Yu Xu did not show anything, but he felt guilty inside. He picked up the paper with trembling hands, and after one look, he was shocked, “A deed of servitude?”
Yu Jinnian raised an eyebrow, “Do you not like selling yourself to bury your father? If you are to sell yourself anyway, why not sell yourself to me? If you sign it, then I will believe that you truly intend to work hard to repay the gambling funds.”
The room fell silent. Yu Xu’s face gradually turned pale. He had originally relied on their blood kinship to fool around everywhere. If he sold himself to Jinyouting, judging by his dear cousin’s expression, it was clear that he bore a grudge. After becoming a servant, he would probably never have enough to eat or wear again. He dreaded that kind of bitter life and did not want to endure it for even one more day. Now that he had finally climbed up, Yu Jinnian wanted him to become a slave?
Yu Xu’s shoulders trembled. He was both afraid and unwilling, “Brother Nian, I am your……”
So Yu Jinnian was supposed to pay his debts! Did he really have to watch him die?
Looking at the youth on the bed who bore one or two points of resemblance to himself, tightly pursing his lips, twisting the sheets into a ball, Yu Jinnian raised his hand to stop him and laughed, “You are my ‘younger brother,’ I know. But I am not a sympathetic person, and I am also a penny-pincher. Everything in this garden—every blade of grass, every flower and stream—belongs to me. If you stay honest and behave, I do not mind raising one more. But if you keep jumping around, I will not be happy. Everything I acquired with painstaking effort—how could I let you share a piece?”
Those words were like a wake-up call, enlightening Yu Xu. Was it not so? Right now, Yu Jinnian was the “master” of this garden, but was that not because Yu Jinnian was favored? In essence, this garden belonged to the Guogong Shizi. Yu Jinnian was just a destitute wretch without parents who once worked odd jobs in their family. How could he suddenly leap through the dragon’s gate and step all over him!
With this in mind, Yu Xu did not trouble himself further. Instead, he felt faintly expectant. He grabbed the brush and inkstone scattered on the couch. The ink in the inkstone had nearly dried up, and after the two of them had spoken so long, the ink was gone. Yu Xu stuck his thumb into his mouth to moisten it, rubbed it against the inkstone’s bottom, and then pressed his thumbprint and scribbled his name under the contract of servitude.
The young attendant collected the servitude contract. Yu Jinnian took a look at it, then folded it into his collar. He flicked his sleeve and said, “Since you have signed it, from now on you are a servant of this household. You cannot stay in this courtyard anymore. Pack up your things today. There will be a young attendant to lead you to the servants’ quarters.”
Yu Xu nodded sullenly. After Yu Jinnian left, Yu Xu immediately jumped up. Because he moved too violently, it tugged on the wounds on his back, causing him to grimace in pain. Only after that did he rush to the door and glare fiercely at the backs of Yu Jinnian and the others, muttering, “He only dares to act arrogant with me. Is he not just a servant who waits on others!”
After Yu Jinnian turned out of Yu Xu’s courtyard, he walked with his head down. The corner of his eye caught a flash of snowy-white clothing, making him stop involuntarily and turn his head. He saw Ji Hong leaning against the moon gate with folded arms, looking at him with a half-smile. Yu Jinnian walked over and burrowed into his embrace. Ji Hong opened his arms and embraced him, patting his back gently.
“You were too light in dealing with him,” Ji Hong commented, “If according to the Ji family’s family law……”
If they applied the Ji family’s family law, if Yu Xu still survived, it would be by divine grace.
“……I was thinking, if he can from now on be honest and restrain himself, I might be able to give him a chance, to save him. Look at Su Ting—now he is also diligent and studious, is he not?” But Yu Jinnian knew in his heart that Yu Xu and Su Ting were not the same. Su Ting stole for Bai Haitang’s sake. Whether it was right or wrong, at least that intention could be understood. But Yu Xu was purely selfish and full of lies. Yu Jinnian frowned, “If he remains stubborn and continues down that crooked path, then he cannot blame me.”
Although he no longer had to maintain a false front with that little rascal, Yu Jinnian should have been happy. Yet, he lowered his eyes, looking somewhat dispirited. The reason he was unhappy was not due to the blood relationship with Yu Xu. He was simply tired of such matters. He wanted a simple life, desired that everyone, without distinction of master and servant, could be as close as one family, peaceful and harmonious. He wanted to cook dishes, open a shop, see patients, then slowly grow old with black hair turning white, until the end.
But the mortal world was complicated, and it was not always possible for everything to go as he wished.
Ji Hong lowered his head to look, sighed, and said softly, “You did not need to please everyone in everything. You thought kindly of others on your own accord, but others might not accept your kindness. In the end, they would blame you for meddling. Whether it was me or others, you did not need to worry about what you wanted to do. I did not need your flattery either. I only wished that you could be a bit more selfish.”
Yu Jinnian happened to look up and curved his eyes with a smile, “Alright, I would heed your guidance. Then what if I just wanted to please you, would that be alright? Even if you did not want it, you had to accept it. Come on, let’s go and make lotus-wrapped chicken for you.”
Ji Hong smiled and shook his head.
The two returned to the small kitchen of Tingyue Residence. The fresh young hen had already been slaughtered, but unfortunately, during the cleaning of its innards, it was discovered that there were eggs just forming inside the hen’s belly. Among common folk, there was a saying that having eggs inside was a good and nourishing thing, so the kitchen maid deliberately left the egg inside.
Lotus-wrapped chicken could clear heat, dispel summer humidity, and elevate the spleen’s yang energy, which made it perfect for this season. While processing the chicken, Yu Jinnian instructed them to pick out a lotus leaf of proper shape and thickness. A young kitchen maid brought a washed lotus leaf over and asked if this one was acceptable. Yu Jinnian reached out to take it, looked up at that kitchen maid, and smiled, “Tong Tong, right? Thank you!”
The kitchen maid named Tong Tong instantly blushed. First, she had not expected the young master to remember her name; second, this name was not her formal name but her childhood name, used among her sisters. She did not know how Yu Jinnian had heard it. The other sisters in the kitchen teased her quietly, calling her “Tong Tong” as well. Embarrassed, she covered half of her face with her sleeve and ran deep into the kitchen, hitting the others and complaining softly, “It must have been you who spoke carelessly!”
All at once, the atmosphere became lively. Yu Jinnian watched them with a smiling face, and his mood suddenly brightened. When he turned his gaze, he suddenly noticed another kitchen maid who was hobbling with a basin of rice. He called out to that maid, “Yuan Yuan, what happened to your foot?”
This time, Yu Jinnian really did not mean to embarrass anyone. That kitchen maid’s formal name was indeed Yuan Yuan. She hid her foot and said softly, “N-nothing.”
The affairs of the front courtyard had long spread: it was said that the arrogant and domineering Yu Xu had suffered a setback at Tingyue Residence. Tong Tong, being quick-witted, seized the chance to speak up, “Young Master! Yuan Yuan’s foot was twisted when she was bathing, tripped by a rope! She fell to the ground and sprained her foot.”
Yu Jinnian asked curiously, “How could there be a rope when bathing?”
Yuan Yuan was embarrassed and angry, “Tong Tong, don’t say it.”
Tong Tong naturally refused to remain silent, speaking indignantly, “It was that ‘Little Master Yu.’ Late at night, he came to peep at us bathing and even stretched a thin rope at the door. Yuan Yuan noticed him, went out to reason with him, and got tripped by the rope at the doorway. Her leg was scraped, and her foot sprained.”
As soon as she spoke, the other maids and young attendants chimed in, each adding something: from the big things—like peeping at the maids bathing, speaking vulgar words, and making unwanted advances, or kicking and beating young attendants and smashing bowls and plates if he was even slightly displeased—to the small things—like ruining a pot of flowers, crushing a bird to death, as well as being lazy, two-faced, and hypocritical—too numerous to count.
“……” Yu Jinnian was stunned by what he heard. Then his face darkened, and he asked in a low voice, “Why has no one ever told me before?”
Everyone fell silent, shoving one another. Finally, they pushed Tong Tong out again. Tong Tong hesitated for a moment, twisting her handkerchief, and said softly, “We… we feared that you would be unhappy… After all, that person was your…”
As she spoke, she sneaked a glance at him and saw that Yu Jinnian’s face was indeed dark. She immediately shut her mouth.
Ji Hong waved his hand, telling them to go back to their work. They scattered like startled birds. Yu Jinnian frowned, remained silent for a moment, stuffed the last handful of seasoning into the chicken’s belly, and brushed soy sauce on the surface of the hen. Just when everyone thought the matter was over and had started to get busy again, he suddenly said, “I am sorry.”
Yu Jinnian said, “I only cared about my outside affairs and forgot about the matters at home, allowing him to bully you. Tomorrow, I will have him come and apologize to you personally.”
Tong Tong was so frightened that she waved her hands repeatedly. Never mind an apology—just Yu Jinnian scolding Yu Xu a little would make them happy. What did it mean to be bullied? If they were in the same position as the master, that would be bullying. But they were only a bunch of contracted servants. No matter how vicious the master was, it was as it should be. Even if the rewards and punishments were unreasonable, they could only blame their own fate. How could a master apologize to servants?
Complaining to Yu Jinnian about Yu Xu’s misdeeds already counted as relying on his favor and acting arrogantly.
“This time, I was at fault,” Yu Jinnian sighed, “Thank you for your hard work these past days.”
So, the root of the gloomy atmosphere in the garden these days lay in this.
Everyone was flattered. Tong Tong said hastily, “No, not at all… Thank you, Young Master.”
Seeing that the group of servants did not know what to do, Ji Hong stepped forward and said, “Alright, go and get busy.” Then he walked over and rubbed the young man’s head, helping him wrap the chicken in the lotus leaf, tie it firmly with straw stalks, and put it into the pot to steam.
To give the chicken more flavor, they also utilized the space under the steamer by cooking a seafood dumpling soup. Clams, oysters, and small crabs, all fresh and shipped via water routes to Sanyu Pavilion, were carefully selected by Yu Jinnian to bring back to Jinyouting. He scrubbed them clean with a small brush, blanched them in hot water for a while until the shells opened, then shelled them, kept the meat, patiently picked out the crab meat, and finally poured it into the pot to cook into a porridge.
Because seafood was cold in nature, he also added some ginger shreds to balance it and remove any fishy smell, enhancing the freshness.
As the seafood simmered below, the steam passed through the steamer basket. The leafy scent of the lotus leaf absorbed the fishy smell, leaving only fresh fragrance seeping into the young hen wrapped inside. Meanwhile, the aroma of chicken seeped into the seafood soup below. Just thinking about it made one’s mouth water.
The small kitchen was already filled with such a tempting fragrance that one’s tongue might start to tingle. Yu Jinnian made another dish called “Swimming Dragon Playing with Pearl.” It involved two freshly slaughtered small crucian carp. After emptying their intestines and removing the bitter membrane, he fried them once in oil with scallions and ginger slices, then added yellow wine and sweet well water to blanch the whole fish until cooked. Meanwhile, he shelled fresh shrimp, mixed it with eggs, a bit of pork fat, and minced ginger, and beat it all into a fine shrimp paste, seasoned with salt and soy sauce.
This dish emphasized freshness and had the effect of strengthening the spleen and boosting energy. Neither the fish nor the shrimp received heavy seasoning. They were both blanched in yellow wine and simply seasoned with salt. Afterward, he plated them and garnished with two carved radish lotus flowers. When served, each person would receive a small dish of fragrant vinegar with minced ginger for dipping.
Ji Hong went in and out to help with odd jobs. Although the young attendants felt a bit uneasy, they were used to it, taking it as part of the two masters’ amusement. Everyone understood in their hearts that unless Yu Jinnian instructed, they would not approach them unnecessarily.
After everyone had been busy for half a day, word came from the front that the Second Young Master of the Min family had arrived.
Yu Jinnian had just been thinking about this matter. He quickly ended his tasks, gave a few instructions, and then went with Ji Hong to the front courtyard to watch the fun. Turning past the veranda, that character who had stirred up much discussion in the capital had just sat down in the flower hall. He had been detained by Min Xi for two days and looked physically a bit sluggish, but his spirit was still quite good. At his waist, he wore an extremely exquisite and delicate Dragon Boat Festival sachet.
From a distance, the sachet looked very fine. Just the material and the thin silk ribbons, as well as the plum blossom-shaped jade pendant hanging from the sachet’s bottom, were all uncommon things. Yet, taking a closer look at the embroidery on it was laughable—never mind that it depicted hibiscus and peony, the stitches were so rough that if Qing Huan saw it, she would definitely scold the embroideress for doing a perfunctory job.
As soon as Yu Jinnian entered the flower hall, he smelled mugwort on Min Xuefei, knowing it must be coming from that Dragon Boat sachet. It was not that mugwort was bad, but pure mugwort was somewhat too overwhelming. If Yu Jinnian were to prepare such a medicinal sachet, he would have added some cloves, amomum, and dried roses to make the fragrance pleasant and refreshing.
Min Xuefei was currently snatching the remaining cherry wine from Min Mao’s hand to drink like water. When Yu Jinnian entered the flower hall, he gave Min Xuefei a once-over and asked with a smile, “Aiya, isn’t this the Lord Min who willingly degenerated and associated with eunuchs in power?”
Ji Hong also called out “Xuefei,” and seeing that he was fine, he felt relieved.
Min Xuefei pursed his lips in embarrassment and shoved the empty wine pot into Yu Jinnian’s arms, saying angrily, “You know about it again!”
Yu Jinnian accepted the wine pot and said gleefully, “I originally did not know, but with your reaction, how could I not know now?” As he spoke, he glanced at the sachet at Min Xuefei’s waist, “Your sachet looks pretty. I was thinking that since the Dragon Boat Festival was coming, I would make some medicinal sachets and give one to everyone. Now it seems I do not need to worry about Lord Min’s one.”
Min Mao jumped beside them, “I want one! Brother Nian, my brother has someone who cares for him, he does not need it, I do!”
Min Xuefei flicked his forehead in annoyance, “I suffered hardships at home, while you ate and drank well at their residence. I see that you should not bear the surname Min anymore; you should take the surname Ji!”
Min Mao felt unjust and spilled all his brother’s secrets like pouring beans, “But didn’t I sneakily bring you food! I even sent you a message. As for that sachet, I was the one who brought it to you! That person also wanted me to tell you, ‘I missed you as usual,’ it’s so sweet it made my teeth ache!”
Yu Jinnian pried for more, “Who is that person?”
Speaking of this, Min Mao became angry, “I don’t know! I was stopped by a little child on the street who insisted that I deliver this thing to Second Brother. How would I dare to bring something dirty and suspicious home without checking, so I took a peek inside and only found a note saying ‘I missed you as usual.’ I followed for a while and never even saw the real person. How would I know?”
Yu Jinnian teased him, “It seems your Second Sister-in-law is quite mysterious. Tell your brother to bring her here to meet us during the Dragon Boat Festival.”
Min Mao was naive enough to believe whatever Yu Jinnian said. He immediately ran over to beg his brother to bring out Second Sister-in-law to have a look. If Second Sister-in-law was not convenient to meet outsiders, he would gather his friends and their sisters to host a small banquet for viewing flowers. Min Xuefei realized at once that it must be Yu Jinnian’s idea and turned his head to give him a look.
Yu Jinnian feigned ignorance and kept out of it. Min Xuefei gritted his teeth, cleared his throat, and said to his silly younger brother, “Ahem, your Second Sister-in-law, he… he… he’s shy and doesn’t dare see anyone.”
Yu Jinnian “pfft” laughed out loud, turning his back and shaking with laughter, even his shoulders trembling.
Ji Hong was helpless. Fortunately, the dishes arrived shortly, saving Min Xuefei from further embarrassment. Everyone then tidied up the flower hall and sat down to eat.
Meanwhile, in the rear garden of Jinyouting, Yu Xu threw his small bundle onto the bed, pinched his nose, and looked at the wooden plank bed where the servants slept. He picked up the bedding with two fingers, shook it a bit, spat disdainfully, and began to tidy things up.
Although this was the servants’ quarters, it was not a large communal sleeping area. Because Jinyouting covered a wide area and had few people, the servants were lucky enough to have two remote courtyards, each room housing four or five people, which was considered spacious.
Moreover, Yu Jinnian had provided each person with a wardrobe, a small stand, a small table, and simple utensils. The large square room had beds separated by curtains or screens, arranged in a way that mirrored the “dormitory” image in Yu Jinnian’s mind. This way, they didn’t have to fight over trivial matters, everyone had their own personal space, and they were not restricted on how to organize it.
Some young maids, lively and innocent, decorated their little curtained areas as neatly and prettily as any young girl would. They might embroider flowers on their curtains or use leftover fabric to sew small cloth tigers to place on their tables, or put wildflowers in a tiny unused broken bottle. Some young attendants, who also liked decoration, would voluntarily help the maids with some tasks in exchange for small items. Sometimes, if they went to bed early and the courtyard was spacious, the maids and attendants would gather, drinking sweet wine until late at night.
Yu Jinnian’s nature differed from ordinary people. He never regarded himself as a master, so the servants in the garden lived comfortably, without scheming against each other. When it was time to rest, these two courtyards were always lively.
In reality, Yu Xu had nothing to his name, and he owed a heap of gambling debts. There was nothing much for him to tidy. At that moment, it was the time the masters were having their meal and needed serving, so everyone else was busy, leaving Yu Xu alone to wander the courtyard. With nothing better to do, he went around lifting curtains, looking inside at how others had arranged their places.
A young attendant who returned to fetch something lifted his own curtain, only to see Yu Xu sitting at his table, fiddling with items in his box. Furious, he raised his voice and asked, “What are you doing?!”
“What’s all the fuss about? I’m just looking. Why make such a fuss.” Yu Xu casually put down the item in his hand, “Just a bunch of broken junk, isn’t it just a porcelain whistle shaped like a bird? It’s not even worth money—Ah!” With a clang, at the sound, the young attendant looked over and saw that Yu Xu had dropped his porcelain bird onto the floor, the bird’s tail immediately breaking into two pieces.
The young attendant was both angry and annoyed, “What are you doing breaking my stuff!”
Yu Xu replied oddly, “What do you mean I broke it? It clearly fell by itself.” Saying this, he stood up, looked at the attendant’s bed, and said with satisfaction, “I see your place isn’t bad. It faces the sun. Exchange it with me.”
“…Get lost. Do you still think you’re a master?” The attendant shoved him away, Yu Xu refused to budge, and they began to scuffle, soon alerting the others. Yu Xu started howling without distinguishing right from wrong, accusing them of ganging up on him, a newcomer.
The young attendants fought with him for a while but did not want to bother the masters with such a trivial matter, nor did they want to escalate things. In the end, they gave up the bed to him. Two or three people helped the displaced young attendant move his things while comforting him. Yu Xu snorted, sat at the table, smoothed his hair, and winked at himself in the mirror, “Who cares to live in a shabby place like this.”
Someone sneered, “Oh, you don’t care for it, then where do you want to live?”
Yu Xu thought for a moment, raised his eyebrow, and said, “I think Tingyue Residence looks nice.”
Everyone burst into laughter. One attendant pretended to dig in his ear exaggeratedly and asked the others, “Hey, did I hear that right? Just now he said he wants to live where? Tingyue Residence? Take a look outside—has it turned dark already? Someone’s daydreaming in broad daylight!”
Yu Xu understood they were mocking him, so he slammed the comb in his hand onto the table, sprang up, and pointed at them angrily, “Just you wait! I remember you. By then, I will make you all sleep in the woodshed!”
They laughed uproariously once again.
——
The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival. The streets were bustling, and Jinyouting was also filled with a festive atmosphere. The Dragon Boat Festival was the day when yang energy flourished to the fullest. Thus, wormwood must be placed at the door before noon, at the peak of yang energy, otherwise it would be inauspicious. For this reason, the maids rose early, placing mugwort at each courtyard gate, hanging calamus swords, sweeping the cobblestone paths in the garden, busily working.
The laziest person in the garden was Yu Jinnian. When he woke up, he lifted the gauze canopy and found the round sun had already broken through the clouds, shining through the window and showering everything in golden light. As the sun rose higher, the aroma of mugwort in the garden grew stronger, as if the entire city was bathing in a refreshing fragrance. He blinked drowsily, felt beside him that the spot was cool, and realized Ji Hong had long been up.
Qing Huan was nowhere to be found, and no one came to help him wash and dress. Following his instincts to look for Ji Hong, he wandered into the flower hall, only to see Ji Hong and two or three others sitting together having morning tea.
Ji Hong looked back and saw him half-asleep, clothes loose and collar wide, and came over with a headache, pulled him inside, embraced him in front, tidied his clothes, and ordered a young attendant to bring a basin of warm water to wash his face. There was also the custom of bathing in orchids on the Dragon Boat Festival, meaning one should bathe with fragrant orchid herbs that day, so the young attendants were careful enough to soak the washing water with orchid grass. Thus, wiping the face carried a faint herbal fragrance.
Yu Jinnian was held between Ji Hong’s legs, muddle-headed, letting Ji Hong wipe his face with a soft towel, then brought salt water for him to rinse his mouth. He half-squinted his eyes, enjoying Ji Hong’s pampering. It felt so good that he nearly swallowed the salt water.
After finishing, he opened his eyes and found another Ji Hong sitting opposite him. Startled, he quickly woke up, only to realize it was Min Xuefei wearing Ji Hong’s clothes. He recalled vaguely that this Second Young Master of the Min family, afraid of returning home to face further punishment, had lied that he was drunk at Jinyouting and had sent Min Mao back to report. He himself had stayed here for the night.
Since he and Ji Hong were of similar stature, Min Xuefei naturally wore Ji Hong’s clothes.
Yu Jinnian felt a vague sense of jealousy.
Min Xuefei bit into a special Sanyu Pavilion fried dough stick with resentment, also wishing to be hugged like this. Lian Zhi was a bit taller than Yu Jinnian, but very soft. Since the two of them had revealed their feelings, Lian Zhi was now extremely shy before him. He imagined that hugging Lian Zhi must feel wonderful…but currently one was inside the palace and the other outside, truly a case of being close yet worlds apart. This idea could only remain a fantasy.
Yu Jinnian lay down on the table, not feeling embarrassed at all to be sitting on Ji Hong’s lap. Instead, he asked smugly, “On the Dragon Boat Festival, do you miss Lord Lian? Aiya, fortunes do rotate!”
Min Xuefei choked on his fried dough stick, nearly gagging.
Ji Hong pulled him back into his arms, gently pinched his waist as punishment, and sighed by his ear, “Alright, stop provoking Bai Xuefei.”
Min Xuefei suddenly felt that staying overnight at Jinyouting was obviously a mistake.
Ji Hong said, “What do you plan to do about Lian Zhi? After all, he’s an Assistant Supervisor in the Palace Bureau. While we understand you, officials both in and out of the court are like startled birds. They fear that you and I have turned to the eunuch faction. Although it’s inappropriate for me to say this, I cannot remain silent. You two…”
Yu Jinnian disliked how Ji Hong spoke in such a roundabout, hesitant manner, so he took over the conversation and directly stated in one shot, “You all had better have a secret affair. Behind the scenes, no matter how intimately affectionate you were, on the surface, you still had to dislike each other. It would be best if you made it seem as if you never interacted until old age. I thought, with Lord Lian’s temperament, hadn’t he already mentioned this to you?”
Min Xuefei said, “……You truly knew everything.”
After the “Thinking of You as Usual” sachet, he exchanged letters twice with Lian Zhi. Lian Zhi had considered this matter, but Min Xuefei felt it was not fair. How was it that he did good deeds outside the imperial palace, appearing pure and upright, yet Lian Zhi had to bear the infamy?
Ji Hong said, “It was just a makeshift plan. Perhaps doing so made it more convenient for him to move around in the palace. If he truly stood on the same side as us, it would have instead made it difficult for him to take even a single step in the Division of Palace Affairs.”
The Division of Palace Affairs was already filled with Feng Jian’s henchmen. A clean lotus could not be allowed in the mire, and that was exactly the reasoning.
After chatting for a while, by the time the sun rose high, Yu Jinnian went to take a stroll through the Sanyu Pavilion. Due to the recent festival, many small vendors and peddlers had come and gone these past few days, and there were quite a few people out shopping. Because the Sanyu Pavilion stood at the street corner, business became even more prosperous than usual, and many returning customers came to order Dragon Boat Festival zongzi from the building.
Yu Jinnian had long since written down various zongzi fillings and handed them to the workers below, instructing them to work hard to wrap all the zongzi. Each type of zongzi used silk threads of different colors to tie them. In order to accommodate diners from all over, red dates, candied beans, and rose paste were all common flavors, as were ham, fresh meat, and salted egg yolk. There were even plain zongzi with nothing added, or sugar zongzi with only white sugar added……In total, there were nearly ten kinds of fillings, which could really be considered a feast for gourmets.
However, it was currently hot, and ice blocks were expensive. Many stuffed zongzi could not be kept overnight. Otherwise, not only would it affect the taste, but if people got stomachaches from eating them, it would be a loss with no gain. Therefore, the workers in the building all wrapped the next day’s zongzi overnight to ensure their freshness.
Yu Jinnian worked swiftly and soon wrapped a basin of corner-shaped zongzi, but he unexpectedly found that there were not enough zong leaves. He hurriedly sent Su Ting out to buy some; otherwise, if he waited any longer, the street peddlers who traveled along the alleys would have gone home to celebrate the festival, and he would not be able to buy good zong leaves. Upon hearing this, Su Ting quickly carried a backpack, brought along a young servant, and ran out in haste, splitting up to look for zong leaves on the street.
After giving instructions for the matters in the building, he casually ate a few bites as lunch, then rushed non-stop back to Jinyouting. With a group of young women, he made medicine sachets and spun longevity silk, always busy and never idle. The main event of the Dragon Boat Festival took place in the afternoon. After midday, officials and nobles held banquets to receive guests and share fine food and wine. Common folks watched the dragon boat races, flew kites, and used realgar wine to smear their foreheads to ward off evil. Everyone had their own way of enjoying it.
In the afternoon, Jinyouting held a banquet. They drank wine in the flower hall, and the servants in the garden were also given a holiday. Everyone could go to the kitchen to receive two pairs of zongzi, choosing flavors according to their preferences.
A young servant carried his zongzi back to his residence, planning to call three or five friends to play cards together. Suddenly, he saw a young man in green clothes walking straight toward him. He quickly lowered his head and stepped aside, calling, “Little Young Master.” After calling out, he realized something was wrong. His family’s young master was drinking in the front hall, so how could he suddenly appear here? He raised his head for a look and immediately became angry, “——Yu Xu! What did you do dressing up like our young master?!”
“Who imitated him?” Yu Xu tidied his hair, “You should watch out. After tonight, I would be your master!”
The young servant rolled his eyes at him, “Hah, daydreaming again.”
No one paid attention to him, and naturally no one cared where he went. Everyone happily and joyfully celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival, unaware that Yu Xu had astonishing courage. He actually tiptoed into Tingyue Residence while no one was paying attention. He hid behind a fake rock, watching from afar as several noble youths in the flower hall toasted wine, tasting tea, with Qing Huan plucking the zither at the side, laughter and clear tinkling of bells echoing.
Yu Jinnian was in their midst, surrounded by everyone, protected by the Heir of Duke Li, amidst rich fragrances and dazzling elegance, enjoying himself tremendously!
Yu Xu resentfully pried off a piece of stone from the fake rock, tossed it to the ground, stomped it hard several times, then turned around and continued exploring deeper into the courtyard.
Ji Hong usually did not drink much, but today was the Dragon Boat Festival, and there was also Min Xuefei, such a lonely and bitter person. To accompany him, Ji Hong had to drink a few more cups. Besides, Yu Jinnian, out of his own desire to drink a few more cups, did not discourage him……Thus, with wine and dishes in their bellies, it was just getting dark, and they had not yet eaten the zongzi Yu Jinnian personally wrapped, when Ji Hong pleasantly slipped into drunkenness and began to stare blankly.
Ever since the first time he got drunk in Xin’an County, Ji Hong had exercised particular restraint afterward, never daring to overindulge again. As a result, Yu Jinnian seldom had a chance to appreciate Ji Hong’s drunken state again. Min Xuefei had never seen him drunk, so he found it quite novel. A few of them teased Ji Hong for a while, showing great reluctance to stop, until they annoyed Ji Hong, who pursed his lips, turned his head away, and sat to the side with his back facing them, ignoring them all.
Yu Jinnian went over to coax him, and Ji Hong enjoyed it very much, sticking to the youth and eating the candied zongzi fed to him. Although he normally did not like sweets, today he unexpectedly ate that sweet zongzi without leaving a single bite. When he finished, he licked his lips and signaled Yu Jinnian to give him more.
However, there were no candied zongzi left on the table. Yu Jinnian asked someone to go to the kitchen to get some, but Ji Hong could not wait. He grabbed Yu Jinnian, pulled him down, and licked along his lips, hooking out his tongue and taking it into his own mouth, carefully and repeatedly savoring it as if sucking on a piece of candied fruit.
When he finally tasted enough, Ji Hong let him go, licked the corner of his own mouth, and said “Sweet.” Yu Jinnian felt both amused and exasperated. Since he had not yet eaten any zongzi, his mouth only held the taste of freshly brewed Dragon Boat Festival medicinal wine, and the more Ji Hong tasted, the more intoxicated he became. What was more, it was right in front of so many people. Ji Hong did not feel embarrassed, but Yu Jinnian himself felt extremely embarrassed.
Just as Min Mao, who had only casually eaten a few bites at the Min Residence before rushing over to join the fun, entered the flower hall, he saw this eye-stinging scene. Immediately, he covered his face and shouted, “Could you all pay attention to your behavior? I’m going to get a stye!”
Min Xuefei had endured this for a long time and wanted to clap his hands in agreement for Min Mao. Who knew that Min Mao would turn around and question him, “Where was my second sister-in-law?” Frightening Min Xuefei so much that he immediately bowed his head, sipping wine, feigning ignorance of everything.
The banquet had not yet ended, but the host was already drunk. Yu Jinnian held the young Ji Hong, who seemed to have regressed ten years, and instructed Duan Ming to help him back to rest. Yet no matter what, Ji Hong refused to leave. He insisted on staying with everyone. Yu Jinnian had no choice but to remove the sachet from his waist, tie it around Ji Hong’s finger, and patiently coax him, “Be good, go back and sleep first. When the scent of the medicine in this sachet dissipates, I will come back.”
Ji Hong tilted his head and thought for a moment, clenched the medicine sachet in his palm, and nodded muddleheadedly, then followed Duan Ming back to his room.
Min Mao said curiously, “So Third Brother Ji was so obedient when he was drunk. I wondered if I could seize the opportunity to ask him to write me a poem…” Before he finished speaking, Yu Jinnian flicked him on the head, “I knew you would cause him trouble.”
“How was I causing trouble!” Min Mao felt aggrieved.
Min Xuefei was also not very sober. He patted the table and said, “Let your second sister-in-law write it for you! He painted orchids very well!” As soon as Min Mao heard this, he immediately agreed wholeheartedly, happily handing over a plain fan, looking forward to the calligraphy of his second sister-in-law. Min Xuefei inserted the fan into his lapel and raised his chin, saying, “Just wait!”
Yu Jinnian thought to himself that if Min Mao later learned that the “second sister-in-law” who wrote on his fan was the current “notoriously infamous” eunuch official Lian Zhi, he would not know how he would beat his chest and stomp his feet in regret.
Not to mention the lively scene on this side, on the other side, Ji Hong was helped back to his room by Duan Ming. At the door, he dismissed him and pushed the door open by himself. He firmly gripped the medicine sachet given by Yu Jinnian in his palm. After walking a few steps, he held it under his nose to sniff it, and his stern brows slightly furrowed, as if very dissatisfied that its medicinal scent still remained so strong.
If others did not know, just by looking at his appearance, where could they tell that this noble young master, with a straight back, handsome and graceful features, and a dignified bearing, had already become a muddled tangle of confusion inside?
He returned to the room and sat dazedly at the table outside for a while. Unconsciously, he dozed off. When he woke up, only a shallow layer of candle oil had dripped inside the lamp cover in front of him, and by his feet, the clear radiance was bright, with the bright moon like silver. Ji Hong cupped his hands, as if scooping up faint ripples of light. It seemed as if he truly captured a handful of moonlight. He faintly curled the corners of his mouth and embraced that moonlight into his arms, wanting to keep it for someone to see.
With thoughts lingering in his heart, he suddenly felt some noise coming from the inner room. Confused, he turned his head to look and called out, “Jinnian,” then stumbled forward with the lamp in his hand. Reaching the bedside, he saw a slender, thin calf sticking out from under the quilt, hanging at the edge of the bed as if wanting to speak yet hesitating. A robe of green clothing had slipped to the ground in disarray, emitting a few strands of faint medicinal fragrance amidst the mess.
Ji Hong bent down, lifted the bed curtains, and moved closer to his little medicine fairy.
Caught off guard, a hand reached out, knocked out his lamp, and then hooked back up, calling softly by his ear, “Heir,” and said in a gentle voice, “Please be careful and cherish me.”
Suddenly, it turned pitch black before his eyes. Ji Hong only smelled a breath in front of him, different from the medicinal fragrance mingling between garments earlier. It was filled with a poor-quality, heavy cosmetic scent and a cloying, coquettish manner that he could sense without opening his eyes. His little medicine fairy was clever and endearing, sometimes shy, but mostly cheerful and bright. He possessed a kind of unsaid gentleness that matched the clear and bright moonlight.
Not this inferior product before him now.
Besides, his young man would never extinguish the lamp without warning, because he knew that Ji Hong feared the darkness.
Ji Hong suddenly reached out, grabbed the other’s neck, neither light nor heavy, and slammed him straight toward the bed’s headboard. The collision of skull and wood produced a resounding “bang,” directly stunning that person, making him see stars and remain dazed for quite a while.
Under Ji Hong’s grip, the fragile neck bones gradually tightened. With every painful groan coming from the bed, Ji Hong grew clearer-headed, yet he did not loosen his hold. Yu Xu kicked out with his legs, a huge sense of impending death rushing up his spine, making his hands and feet suddenly icy cold. Though his eyes saw only darkness, he seemed to see a pair of icy eyes, a merciless hand, like a slick, icy-cold venomous snake, intending to take advantage of this darkness and strangle him here outright.
He finally felt fear, the kind of fear a prey felt when it fell into a hunter’s trap, and he struggled desperately because of it.
“Only because he wanted to give you a chance, no matter how you tormented, I could endure.” Ji Hong remained motionless. Although the influence of the wine had gradually dissipated a bit under his anger, it still seethed in his mind. His hand became steadier, but when he spoke, he was even more merciless and grim than usual, each word forced out as if cut by a blade or carved by a sword.
“But if you wanted to touch his things, then you deserved to die.”