Chapter 46

Xisheng Inn was situated on Renshou Street, which lay in the northeastern corner of Xi'an Prefecture, a remote location that took its name from the Renshou Medicine Shop on the same street. A century ago, Renshou Medicine Shop had been the largest pharmacy in Shaanxi, and every spring and autumn, the shop's medicinal herb transport wagons would line up from its front door all the way to the neighboring avenue. Over time, medicine merchants from afar flocked to the area upon hearing of its reputation, and it gradually developed into a trading hub for medicinal materials. Though the Renshou Medicine Shop had long since changed hands and fallen from its former glory, the street had become the largest medicinal materials trading center in the northwest. Xisheng Inn, owing to its convenient location, mostly hosted medicine merchants who had traveled from distant places. To facilitate the storage of goods, the inn boasted many courtyards, typically with large rooms and small yards, complete with kitchens and accounting offices, furnished simply, with everything arranged for the convenience of medicinal trade.

Fu Tingjun and her companions had entered the city by basket lowered from the city wall under cover of night, carrying only their most essential belongings. Now that they had settled into Xi'an Prefecture and taken up lodging, they needed to have clothes made, shoes purchased, medicines compounded, and kitchenware—pots, pans, bowls, ladles, even rolling pins—all acquired.

Zheng Sanniang was silently reciting the list of items Fu Tingjun had asked her to buy when Xiao Wu blocked her at the courtyard gate: "Where are you off to? You don't know the place at all—careful you don't get lost and can't find your way back. Besides, if you go out, who's going to look after Linchun? You're not leaving her in Miss Fu's room, are you?" Then he added enthusiastically, "Tell me what needs doing! I'll see it's handled properly without any delay."

"How could I trouble Brother Xiao Wu," Zheng Sanniang said uneasily. "Miss Fu gave the instructions, so naturally I should run the errand."

Mo Yi suddenly appeared beneath the eaves of the main hall: "Just let him go! Otherwise we'll have to go looking for you later."

Zheng Sanniang was indeed unfamiliar with Xi'an Prefecture, and at these words she couldn't help but hesitate.

Xiao Wu had already headed toward the accounting office nearby: "You tell me, and I'll write it down—I guarantee not a single item will be missed."

Zheng Sanniang stared at Xiao Wu in surprise: "So Brother Xiao Wu knows how to keep accounts! How impressive." Her gaze was filled with admiration.

Xiao Wu's smile turned somewhat stiff.

Zheng Sanniang said, "Then I'll go inform Miss Fu. If she agrees, I'll trouble Brother Xiao Wu to make the trip for me." With that, she went to Fu Tingjun.

Fu Tingjun was holding a round silk fan, cooling the sleeping Linchun.

"Miss, the weather is so hot—you should rest a while!" Zheng Sanniang said, taking the fan from Fu Tingjun's hand and fanning her instead, then relayed Xiao Wu's offer.

"That works too!" Fu Tingjun said with a smile. "If you really got lost, that would be quite a problem."

Zheng Sanniang's face flushed slightly: "Next time, I'll have my husband go—he once escorted goods through Xi'an as a convoy guard."

At that moment, Zheng San had been sent by Mo Yi to sweep the back courtyard.

"It's fine!" Fu Tingjun said. "I wasn't at ease sending a woman like you out alone anyway. Since Xiao Wu is willing to help, there's nothing better." She had Zheng Sanniang recite the list of items to buy, then added a few more: "Also buy me a bolt of Luzhou silk, two bolts of blue silk, one bolt of red silk, one bolt of white silk, four bolts of plain white silk, four catties of fine cotton, a copy of A Thousand Poems , a copy of Annotations on the Four Books , and a copy of The Book of Changes ."

Zheng Sanniang asked curiously, "It's summer, miss—what do you need so much cotton for?"

"Counting the days, it's about time to make winter clothes," Fu Tingjun said. "Since we have nothing much to do these days, I might as well make winter garments for Ninth Master and A Sen."

After this, who knew if they would ever meet again—this was the only way she could express her gratitude to Zhao Ling and A Sen.

At that thought, Fu Tingjun felt a pang of melancholy.

"Miss thinks of everything," Zheng Sanniang said, clicking her tongue in amazement. "This must be the custom in your household, miss?"

Fu Tingjun smiled and only said, "Hurry along now—don't keep Xiao Wu waiting, and be careful not to leave anything behind." She added, "With the extra items, the money I gave you probably won't be enough. Just tell Xiao Wu what needs buying, and when he returns, I'll give him the money then."

Zheng Sanniang acknowledged and left.

Fu Tingjun pressed her lips together in a smile.

Keeping all of us confined to this courtyard isn't going to be so easy.

In the afternoon, Xiao Wu returned to the inn, drenched in sweat.

Zheng San, A Sen, and Chen Liu carried the pots, pans, and bowls into the kitchen, while Zheng Sanniang delivered the ready-made clothes, cloth, and cotton to Fu Tingjun's room.

Fu Tingjun gave Zheng Sanniang one bolt of blue silk, one bolt of red silk, two bolts of plain white silk, and two catties of cotton: "For making winter clothes for you and your husband. Linchun's winter clothes can be made using A Sen's measurements."

"Miss!" Zheng Sanniang hadn't expected there to be something for her and her husband as well, and she was too moved to know what to say.

Fu Tingjun smiled and patted her hand, then instructed her to bring in water. She bathed and washed her hair with scented soap, called A Sen in to take his measurements, and had him find an old set of Zhao Ling's clothes. She cautioned him not to tell Zhao Ling, then began cutting and sewing the fabric.

A Sen was overjoyed, running to Fu Tingjun's room every day to see how the clothes were coming along, even helping thread needles, which made Zheng Sanniang, who was sewing alongside Fu Tingjun, laugh.

"This is the first time someone has made clothes for me." A Sen looked somewhat dismissive, widening his eyes at Zheng Sanniang. "We used to buy everything from the pawnshop."

Zheng Sanniang's smile gradually faded. "Brother A Sen, I spoke out of turn." Her eyes grew a little moist. "In a few days, I'll make you a pair of shoes."

A Sen brightened up again. "Ninth Master's mother once made him a pair of shoes. Ninth Master couldn't bear to wear them—he takes them out to air every year in June."

Fu Tingjun was quite surprised and asked in a low voice, "Then Ninth Master's mother..."

"She passed away long ago." A Sen sat in the armchair, propping his elbow on his hand and resting his chin on it. "Her death anniversary is in the twelfth lunar month, on the ninth day—the day after Laba Festival."

To die on the day after the whole family gathered to drink laba porridge... Fu Tingjun shook her head. For some reason, she felt that this date was inauspicious.

...

Mo Yi vigorously waved his palm-leaf fan, yet beads of sweat as large as beans still rolled down without pause.

"This damn weather!" he muttered in complaint, then asked Chen Liu, "Are you certain?"

Chen Liu's answer was resolute. "We're certain. None of them have gone out. Zhao Ling lies in bed reading every day, Zheng San sits under the eaves weaving a backpack for his son when he has nothing to do, Miss Fu and Zheng Sanniang are making clothes in the side room, and A Sen is either attending to Zhao Ling or playing at Miss Fu's place. Xiao Wu invited him to go out on the street, but he said it was too hot and showed little interest."

Mo Yi muttered upon hearing this. "Has Miss Fu mentioned anything about paying us back?"

"No!" Chen Liu's expression turned somewhat awkward. "Perhaps Miss Fu is used to drawing things on account at home..."

Mo Yi fanned himself even harder at this, the fan flapping loudly. "Forget it, I'll go figure something out." Then he grumbled, "Damn it, Baoging Silver House won't cash anything under two thousand taels, and everything has to be paid in cash. What kind of world is this?"

Chen Liu didn't know how to respond.

Mo Yi stood up. "I'm going out for a while. You stay here and keep an eye on them—don't let any of them leave. Once Tao Mu arrives in a few days, we can breathe easier."

"Rest assured, Master Mo, I understand." Chen Liu escorted Mo Yi out of the courtyard gate.

The innkeeper was just showing a young man around the courtyard. "...Three taels of silver a day. Ours is the only place with two courtyards still available. Go look elsewhere—everywhere else is packed to the brim. These are famine years, and plenty of people have come to Xi'an Prefecture to take refuge!"

The young man was just over twenty, tall and slender, with sharp brows and bright eyes. He wore a moon-white robe tied with a matching cloth belt, looking clean and neat, shrewd and capable. With his open and upright demeanor, he seemed like a young master already managing the family business at a trading firm.

Seeing Mo Yi, he smiled, revealing a row of white teeth, as bright as sunshine, instantly putting people at ease.

"And this is?" he asked the innkeeper.

The innkeeper hastily said, "This is also a guest at our inn. If you don't believe me, ask this gentleman—he searched all day before finding our place. Ours is a bit out of the way, but being out of the way has its advantages..."

Mo Yi couldn't be bothered with the innkeeper's chatter. He nodded at the young man and was about to leave.

But the young man stared in astonishment past Mo Yi. "A Sen?" His face immediately lit up with surprise and joy. He strode past Mo Yi, heading into the courtyard, calling out loudly, "A Sen! A Sen!"

Mo Yi and Chen Liu exchanged bewildered glances and turned to see A Sen standing under the eaves outside Fu Tingjun's side room.

"Brother Yucheng!" He hopped with joy. "Brother Yucheng!" He ran over.

"Oh my!" The young man A Sen called "Brother Yucheng" was all smiles. "I caught a glimpse of your figure from afar and thought it looked like you—I never imagined it really was you!" He added, "Where's Ninth Master? Is he with you? When I heard your area had been hit by disaster, I've been worried ever since. I never expected to run into you here in Xi'an Prefecture."

"He's here, he's here." A Sen nodded repeatedly. "Ninth Master was injured on the road and is recovering. Let me take you to see him."

With the joy of meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land written all over their faces, they headed toward Zhao Ling's quarters.

The innkeeper chased after them. "Master Yang, I never expected you to run into an acquaintance here. It seems our inn is destined to have you as a guest. Why not stay here with us? When you have free time, you can chat and have tea with your old friend. Besides, Xi'an Prefecture is only letting people out, not in these days—even the finest goods can't be shipped in. And if you leave the city, you might run into refugees. Those refugees love robbing wealthy men like you..." His figure disappeared with Yang Yucheng into Zhao Ling's side room.

A burst of hearty laughter immediately came from within.

Chen Liu looked at Mo Yi.

Mo Yi's face was ashen. "As I recall, when we left, A Sen was in Miss Fu's room, wasn't he? Go find out for me—did A Sen leave the side chamber before this so-called 'Yucheng' person entered, or after Yucheng called out to him?"

Chen Liu's expression also darkened, and he respectfully acknowledged, "Yes."

Mo Yi strode off in a huff.

Meanwhile, the innkeeper cheerfully bowed his way out of Zhao Ling's room. "Then I'll have someone prepare the courtyard."

This Master Yang was indeed generous—he had paid ninety taels of silver in one go to rent the adjoining courtyard for a month.

A Sen saw the innkeeper out.

Yang Yucheng had already rushed anxiously to Zhao Ling's side. "Ninth Master, how do you feel right now? Should I call a physician to take your pulse? How did things come to this?"

"Sit down and speak." Zhao Ling's calm and composed demeanor had a settling effect on Yang Yucheng.

He sat down on the small stool by the bed.

...

Zheng Sanniang paused her work, straining her ears to listen to the commotion in the courtyard.

"How strange," she murmured to herself. "Who is this Yucheng fellow? The moment A Sen heard him call out, he bolted out like a rabbit."