“Hurry and go see our prince!”
“—Master! The water in the pot has boiled!”
“Hey, all right, let it boil. There’s a jar of honey in the cupboard, please help me take it out!”
With a swish, the thoroughly washed mushroom-meat went into the pot. The water boiled for a few moments, until each piece puffed up from inside as though it wanted to swell. Only then did Yu Jinnian fish them out and cut them into small, bean-sized bits. He also cooked the baby bok choy, laid it out to cool on a plate, then turned around and scooped a ladle of coarse grains from the various almost-empty sacks. After soaking and rinsing, he spread them in the steamer to cook.
Indeed, one bean and one pounded rice, one wheat and one sorghum—paired with plain mushrooms, bok choy, and lotus seeds, even coarse tea and simple meals were as precious as the eight delicacies.
At this time, though a vicious epidemic ran rampant everywhere, and all suffered hardship, people could not truly cut themselves off from grain. They still had to eat. Yet the city’s rice shops had long since run out, and the government’s provisions were all for disaster relief, with each day’s distribution strictly measured so no one could keep any for private use. Therefore, if one wished to prepare one’s own small stove these days, one could only rely on whatever stored grains remained at home.
Ever since Yu Jinnian said those words at the Sanyu Pavilion, those old-fashioned doctors kept on fretting. Yu Jinnian left Duan Ming and the others to watch over things and help, while he quietly slipped out through the back door, leading Elder Luo and company back to his and Ji Hong’s little courtyard to make some simple food to reward them for their long journey.
Lord Ji was an “honest official” who never indulged in extravagance. He had been here so many days without taking more than a coin or two. Previously, he had lived alone in that courtyard, and since he did not know how to cook, he used to finish his meetings each day and simply eat a quick bite alongside the bailiffs at the government office, just enough to fill his belly. No one had seen him eat even one bite of extra meat.
Now that the courtyard had gained a little master, Yu Jinnian worried tirelessly over his own beauty’s diet and wardrobe. He even refused to let him drink more than a mouthful of outside water. Hence the old rice and grains at home finally found use, each grain springing back to life in the pot.
Busy in the kitchen, he steamed a pot of aged wheat, sorghum, millet, black rice, and old white rice that had lost its fragrance. After steaming them until soft, he poured them into a pan seasoned with scallions and ginger, then stirred in the mushroom-meat bits, using some fermented soybean paste from last year to stir-fry quickly.
All sorts of coarse grains mingled together, taking on a tempting dark hue under the soybean paste. Before long, an enticing salty aroma rose. Although the ingredients were simple, lacking the luxury that these young noblemen had once known at home, when the unassuming fried rice was served on a white plate lined with bok choy leaves—the brownish-red glossy grains and the bright green-and-white choy leaves—those who had been eating blandly for so long could not help feeling their appetites stir.
In such a great epidemic, with millions fleeing in all directions, it seemed only Yu Jinnian had such ease of mind. Even if he had but a few wild greens in hand, he still insisted on living life vibrantly.
He then brewed a pot of honeysuckle-and-sugar tea and had someone bring it to the table.
Elder Luo was chattering away to Ji Hong: “Ah, that talk of ‘evil toxins’ by young Sir Yu back in the day truly benefited me greatly! To reach sixty and still improve in the field of surgery—this old man owes much to his generous teaching!”
Yu Jinnian happened to walk out just then and said with a smile, “Elder Luo, what are you saying? A physician ought to work for the good of the patient. Why would anyone hide their knowledge out of reluctance?”
Luo Qian nodded in approval.
At the square Eight Immortals table sat a narrow-necked pottery vase in the center. A crack ran around the neck, making it impossible to know what it had originally been for, but the crack was wound tightly with fine hemp rope and tied in a neat bow. Inside the vase stood a few stalks of foxtail grass and some unnamed little white-and-purple flowers, giving a simple, pastoral feel.
A hand, out of boredom, reached to tug at the foxtail grass. Ji Hong snatched it away first, then carefully placed the grasses and flowers back in the vase, saying, “Jinnian made these.”
Yu Jinnian came over, carrying a coarse ceramic teapot. At the table, he saw an elder who only chuckled, one who usually wore a blank expression, and another who puffed out his cheeks in irritation as he glared at him.
He took the pottery vase back from that person’s hand and muttered under his breath, “It’s just a bunch of wild grass and flowers, so why not let him play with it? The poor fellow traveled a thousand miles chasing his beloved, only to find nothing, so let’s give him a break. There are plenty of weeds and wildflowers in this courtyard. I’ll pick some fresh ones for you later.” With that, he tossed the pottery vase to the sulking fellow to play with.
Ji Hong’s expression softened a little. As he looked up, he happened to meet Yu Jinnian lowering his head to serve the dishes. They exchanged a quick kiss, and then both shared a knowing smile, so much so that the little sulker looked like he was about to explode. He pursed his lips, picked up his chopsticks, and began shoveling the rice into his mouth.
As for Elder Luo, in the past, he had thought the two were sworn brothers, and today, he discovered they were actually in such a relationship—so shocked that he almost choked. Yu Jinnian, having completely forgotten about that matter, quickly patted his back and soothed him, barely managing to calm Elder Luo Qian’s excitement.
“Show-offs! What’s there to show off!” Young Master Jiang fumed.
“Slow down. No one’s competing with you.” Yu Jinnian saw how he treated the fried rice as though it were an enemy, eating in a rush and without mercy. He hastily poured him a cup of honeysuckle-and-sugar tea to moisten his throat. Once he had swallowed, Yu Jinnian sighed and said, “I’m truly sorry. Your beloved Shitou didn’t come with me to Chunán. I sent him to escort the children to Tucheng to avoid the plague. By my calculations, he should’ve gone back to the capital by now, probably staying behind with Su Ting to watch over the house…”
When he brought this up, Young Master Jiang became furious, but his mouth was stuffed with sauce-scented rice. At home, he had always been pampered, yet the moment he set out, he had to eat and sleep rough, traveling day and night until blisters formed on his feet. Even his meals were dry biscuits hard enough to crack his teeth—had it not been for that wretched “Stone,” why would he have suffered so much!
They were from Xin’an County, which lay farther west than Chunan, so the epidemic had not become that severe yet. But news from the east traveled rapidly. Upon hearing that an imperial commissioner with the bearing of an exiled immortal had arrived at Chunan Prefecture—a Commissioner Ji—Jiang Bingren immediately knew it must be that famous “Beauty Ji.” Since Ji Hong had come to Chunan, someone like Brother Nian would surely accompany him. And if Brother Nian came, then his family’s Shitou would definitely stay right by his side!
Jiang Bingren imagined it all so beautifully, yet who could have guessed that the heavens would foil his wishes! Shi Xing actually had not come!
He felt terribly wronged, but when Yu Jinnian personally served him a plate of sauce-fragrant five-grain rice, and he smelled the aroma wafting from the plate, he shamefully picked it up and ate, nodding his head with muffled sounds as though the entire world’s delicacies lay on that single dish.
Jiang Bingren had never before deigned to eat these old coarse grains, nor did the Spring Breeze Delight Restaurant ever care to cook them. Who would have thought that, once placed in Yu Jinnian’s hands, this simple fare would turn into a bowl of wonderfully fragrant grains? Not to mention those mushrooms hidden amongst the rice that tasted almost meaty when chewed. Every bite made his stomach and intestines rumble happily, and for a time, he had no chance to open his mouth for conversation.
“Not bad! Not bad!” Elder Luo also nodded and praised, stroking his beard with a smile. “My little granddaughter loved the food at your noodle shop the most. It’s a shame that the shop went up in flames…”
When the One-Bowl Noodle Shop was still around, Elder Luo’s young granddaughter had been a faithful fan of their pastries. Whenever the shop introduced something new, that little girl tried it all. Later, Yu Jinnian sold part of the recipes to the Spring Breeze Delight Restaurant, so the price of pastries rose, and they just never tasted quite as good as the ones from the One-Bowl Noodle Shop.
It was too bad that, in the end, the One-Bowl Noodle Shop burned down.
Realizing he had put his foot in his mouth, Luo Qian suddenly fell silent, and the table sank into a momentary hush. Mentioning the One-Bowl Noodle Shop naturally reminded everyone of Aunt Xu, who had treated them all with such kindness in her lifetime. Even the servants who followed Young Master Jiang had received her generosity. But now, with circumstances changed, that warm and harmonious noodle shop was gone. Gentle, considerate Aunt Xu was also gone. Even Jiang Bingren, who used to boil with righteous anger, remained silent with his head down. Yu Jinnian, too, stood dazed. Only the carefree little medicine-boy, Chen Li, kept slurping his tea.
Elder Luo hurriedly cleared his throat and attempted to fix things. “No need to be too sad, young sir. That little courtyard is now—”
“Cough, cough-cough…”
For some reason, Ji Hong suddenly curled a fist over his mouth and coughed. Yu Jinnian snapped out of his stupor, quickly poured some tea for him, and, with worry written all over his face, took his pulse. “What’s wrong?”
Ji Hong rested his fingers on Yu Jinnian’s wrist and shook his head. “It’s nothing, I just choked a little.” Then he turned to glance at Elder Luo and offered a faint smile. “Please go on, Elder Luo.”
Luo Qian: “…”
Yu Jinnian, having found no strange signs in Ji Hong’s pulse, sat back down at ease, raised his rice bowl, and while eating, he asked, “Yes, indeed, Elder Luo. You were just telling us what happened to those remains?”
Luo Qian gave Ji Hong a quick look and answered carefully, “N-nothing in particular. It’s just that half a wall hasn’t yet collapsed, so a few beggars tidied up the place a bit and camped inside…” While he spoke, he glanced again at Ji Hong, who had lowered his gaze to sip his tea in silence, and only then did Luo Qian exhale with quiet relief.
Yu Jinnian said, “If these ruined walls gave them half a window or so to shelter from the rain, then that would still be considered a kindness.”
Luo Qian hurriedly chimed in, “Indeed, it counted as a blessing…”
Ji Hong picked up a small spoonful of fried rice from his own bowl and held it to the young man’s lips, speaking softly: “Don’t just talk. Have something to eat. We still have plenty to do at that building later.” When the other opened his mouth to bite the tip of the chopsticks and nibbled off the rice, Ji Hong’s eyes gradually softened, and he used his fingertips to wipe away the grains on the youth’s cheek.
Yu Jinnian suddenly became curious. “Young Master Jiang, you’re the only child in your family, yet you ran off to this perilous Chunan Prefecture. Didn’t your family threaten to break your legs? Also, how on earth did you get into the city? Wasn’t it under lockdown?”
“…” Jiang Bingren glared at him, chewing his rice and muttering, “I snuck out.”
Luo Qian said, “I was in the neighborhood visiting an old friend, never expecting to run into Young Master Jiang. Upon hearing he intended to travel to Chunan Prefecture, I tagged along. And as for the lockdown, it was just as our young friend said. The city was sealed, but the guards allowed physicians inside. That’s how our group got in. As for this old bag of bones, if I could save a few more lives before I close my eyes for the last time, that would be worth it.”
Ji Hong offered him a respectful bow. “You are most noble, sir. The city is indeed in need of more physicians.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bingren, for reasons unknown, suddenly felt a trace of concern for the country and its people. He straightened and asked, “Then what about me? What should I do?”
Yu Jinnian cast him a sidelong glance. “You? The one you’re seeking isn’t here. Obviously, you should go back where you came from! I’ll whisper in our official’s ear and use my connections to slip you out the city gate tonight. Once you’re out, go wherever you want—any cool place you like.”
Angered, Jiang Bingren clenched his teeth and prepared to argue, but Yu Jinnian rose to gather the empty bowls and plates, grumbling in a vexed, hushed tone, “If anything happened to you, how would I explain it to Shi Xing when I got back!”
“Go back? With everything outside in such a dire state, who knows whether I can even get back alive?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Bingren got a kick on the leg from Luo Qian under the table. Realizing his slip, he immediately shut his mouth and whispered to Luo Qian, “I only spoke without thinking…”
Everyone fell silent.
The young master had a point. The epidemic was severe, and no one knew whether they would live to see tomorrow. Yu Jinnian let out a very light sigh and carried a stack of dirty dishes back to the kitchen. The moment he set them in the basin, he felt someone grab his forearm. Instantly, the familiar scent told him who it was, but he did not look up; he merely half-lowered his eyes and slowly washed a dirty bowl.
“Jinnian…”
Ji Hong paused, but before he could speak, Yu Jinnian pulled out a piece of hemp rope from who knew where and, without a word, tied Ji Hong’s hand and his own wrist together, looping it twice and knotting it. Yu Jinnian knew exactly what Ji Hong wanted to say—likely something about sending him out of the city—and he understood that Ji Hong worried about him, yet how could he bring himself to leave Ji Hong alone in this plague-stricken city?
In all of Da Xia, if anyone truly understood the ins and outs of this plague, it had to be him. At such a critical moment, how could he abandon Ji Hong! Yu Jinnian waved the arm tied to his and snorted, “Now we’re bound tight! Don’t think of untying it this lifetime! Unless I—”
Suddenly someone grabbed his nape. Yu Jinnian’s tongue slipped before he could finish, and his head got pressed onto the man’s shoulder. He bit his tongue in the process and remained tucked against that shoulder, mumbling in pain. After a moment, he stuck out his tongue, going “ah-ah,” signaling Ji Hong to check if it had been bitten through.
Seeing the pitiful look of a boy who had bitten his tongue made Ji Hong laugh. He teased him as he checked, “Yes, on the left side, there really was a bit of bleeding… Come here, let me blow on it so it won’t hurt.” After two showy little puffs, he moved in again for a kiss. Even in the height of summer, Ji Hong’s nose still held the coolness of a warm jade. His breathing mingled with the youth’s, hovering near those reddened lips. His voice, low and soft, said, “They all say saving someone’s life is better than building a seven-story pagoda for the Buddha. But I don’t worship ghosts or gods, nor do I worship the Buddha, so what does that pagoda have to do with me? Yet your heart carries the suffering of many, Jinnian. Each night, I worried, afraid that you…”
He let out a sigh.
The faint pain at the side of Yu Jinnian’s tongue throbbed in tandem with his heartbeat. He pressed his lips gently to Ji Hong’s nose, then rose on tiptoe to pat Ji Hong’s head, coaxing him like a child. He smiled. “Don’t be afraid, Ah-Hong. Didn’t I come to save you? Since you don’t believe in the Buddha, I won’t build a pagoda—only this binding knot, hoping for the safety of both you and me, to live a hundred years free from worry.”
Just then, Duan Ming came rushing in. The moment he reached the rear courtyard, he saw the two of them in an intimate embrace. Startled, he let out a quick exclamation, covered his eyes, and hurriedly backed out. But knowing how important business was, he stretched the roster booklet toward them from beyond the doorway and reported, “Young Master, little sir, apologies for intruding. A total of five folk physicians, three imperial physicians, and two medical apprentices have agreed to help us at the Pavilion.”
Seeing it was Duan Ming reporting official matters, Yu Jinnian instantly composed himself and told Ji Hong not to make trouble. He took the roster and glanced at it. Nodding, he said, “Ten people, more than I expected. The new hospital is just starting out, so there won’t be too many at first. Our job is to get ourselves set up, and the crowds of patients will follow.”
“Duan Ming, have someone clean out a larger room. I’ll start them on some training. Also, for the next few days, I’ll have to trouble you to gather some quick-handed maids and servants, then follow the pattern we used in the capital to make masks through the night. If we don’t have extra cloth, we’ll cut up old clothes and boil them to sterilize and dry.”
Duan Ming answered and was about to hurry off. Yu Jinnian, still uneasy, suggested going with him to the Pavilion to see for himself.
So the two of them boldly left the “Imperial Commissioner” behind to watch the house and went off together, chatting all the way to the Sanyu Pavilion. There, they briefly greeted the physicians who had agreed to stay, and without much socializing, they locked them in a large room in the inner hall, commencing an intensive lecture.
They called it a lecture, though in truth it focused more on practical application. Since the underlying theories seemed too odd to most physicians, explaining them might not gain trust anyway. Thus Yu Jinnian chose to speak more on the crucial points of clinical operations, especially hygiene, sanitation, and sickroom disinfection. He put a great deal of effort into explaining them. To overcome an epidemic in any city, one must cut off the pathways of transmission and control the source of infection.
If these two conditions could be met, then the crisis in Chunan City could still be resolved.
The plague would not wait. A single moment’s delay could mean a life. In order for Sanyu Pavilion to open for consultations the next day, Yu Jinnian could only lecture through the night. As he had once explained the concept of “evil toxins” to Luo Qian, he now explained it to these people. He even wrote down draft regulations, compiled them into a booklet, and passed them around.
Sometime near dawn, as the sun was about to rise, Yu Jinnian continued, brow furrowed and voice full of reminders: “Though cholera was a dreadful disease, at its core it still did not stray from the usual causes of dampness, cold, deficiency, or heat. As for vomiting and diarrhea, one might want to clear the former and block the latter, but each case had to be carefully diagnosed. One must not be rash and delay treatment. Moreover, with cholera, one had to distinguish between true cholera and false cholera. Do not simply diagnose a major epidemic the moment you see vomiting and diarrhea, and do not panic or fear death. Those who truly vomited from cholera needed nourishing of their vital energy—”
“Sir! Master Yu!” A shrill little voice came from the corridor, followed by a rush of panicked footsteps outside the door. All turned to look and saw a small eunuch in a blue-gray uniform sprinting toward them, drenched in sweat and white-faced, looking utterly frantic as he glanced about.
Spotting everyone there, he raced to the doorway, only to trip on the threshold and fall flat on his face, slamming it hard enough to draw blood. He did not even care about his chipped front tooth. Clutching his mouth and sobbing, he cried, “My lord, please, please go see our prince! He’s in terrible shape!”
Yu Jinnian’s heart clenched, and he stood up with a frown. “What happened to the Crown Prince?”
The little eunuch raised a tearful, bloodied face, trembling, and whimpered, “His Highness suddenly became ill! In less than half an hour, he’d already vomited seven or eight times. I rushed to have Imperial Physician Chen take his pulse…
Yu Jinnian asked urgently, “What did Lord Chen say?”
The little eunuch began wailing in despair, collapsing to the ground. “Lord Chen said—he said… it’s the epidemic…”
Yu Jinnian froze in shock. “—What?!”