Chapter 30: Dark Chamber
Chen Ping'an was very familiar with that look in her eyes. It was the exact same way he had looked at Liu Xianyang when he was a child. Back then, Liu Xianyang was the king of the kids in Apricot Alley and Mud Vase Alley, catching snakes, birds, and fish—it seemed there was nothing in the world Liu Xianyang couldn't do. Later on, some of the same-age kids who had originally trailed behind Liu Xianyang as his followers went to the dragon kiln as apprentices, more scattered into the town's various general stores as shop assistants, or helped relatives keep accounts. There were also those, as Song Jixin said, who had no prospects and would only grub for food in the fields. In the end, the only one still hanging out with Liu Xianyang was him.
Chen Ping'an took the three stone-slab fish he had caught for the girl, threaded them through the gills with a few stalks of green bristlegrass, and handed them to her. She took the string of fish, lifted it—it was a bit light. She felt it probably wasn't enough to make a plate of green pepper stir-fried fish, so she tilted her head and glanced at the small creek pool, her eyes full of anticipation. Chen Ping'an understood and said apologetically, "The fish I catch from now on, I need to make soup to help a friend recover. I can't give them to you."
The girl pointed to the open bundle not far away, indicating she could trade those pastries for the fish. Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile, "No can do. Pastries are tasty and can fill your stomach, but they're not as nourishing as fish soup."
The girl nodded, didn't force the issue, silently sat back in her spot, carefully placed the fish by her feet, and then continued her grand enterprise of "eating away at the mountain."
Even though Chen Ping'an was curious about her identity, he didn't pry. Judging by her clothing, she didn't seem like the dignified young ladies from Fortune Street or Peach Leaf Lane. Instead, she was a bit like his neighbor Zhigui—delicate, pretty, and not fond of talking. Chen Ping'an suddenly worried—could she be a little maid who had stolen things from her house to eat? He had heard that the rules in those big mansions were severe. Liu Xianyang and Song Jixin always liked to say the opposite, but they were an exception on this matter. However, Liu Xianyang's version was terrifying: he said that if a maid or servant girl in those high-walled mansions walked with the wrong posture, the steward, with eyes as sharp as a snake-hunting eagle, would send people to break her legs and throw her out into the street to die. Song Jixin said Liu Xianyang was spreading rumors, that it wasn't that exaggerated, but indeed, the maids and elderly nursemaids in grand households all walked as quietly as cats, without a sound. At that time, Liu Xianyang had caught sight of the maid Zhigui sneaking a laugh nearby and immediately flew into a rage, shouting at Song Jixin, "Goose, goose, what goose? Can your goose talk?"
In the end, Chen Ping'an caught seven or eight more stone-slab fish. The bamboo basket shook violently from their thrashing. His face pale, the boy knew he was nearing his limit. The spring water was bone-chilling cold, and most importantly, his injured left hand couldn't take much more. After his last time ashore, Chen Ping'an quickly jumped down from the green stone cliff, ducked into the grass by the creek, and made a rustling sound. Soon enough, he pulled out three or four kinds of grass, many still with dirt on their roots. He gathered a handful, picked up an ordinary pebble, returned to the stone cliff, found a natural pit the size of his palm on the cliff, wiped it clean, and began to gently pound the herbs into a green paste. The juice gave off the unique fragrance of spring wild grass by the water.
With his back to the girl, Chen Ping'an took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and began unraveling the cotton cloth from his left hand. Sweat quickly beaded on his forehead, washing away the icy creek water that had dripped from his hair. The wound, a bloody mess, though slightly better than when the white bone had been visible before bandaging, was still horrifying. Chen Ping'an hadn't thought about his left hand touching the creek water when he came, so he hadn't prepared any cotton strips. His mind had been full of two things: the snake gallstones could earn money, and catching fish for soup. Only now did he realize he had made a big mistake. The boy was a bit stunned when suddenly a hand appeared before him, holding a few dry, clean cloth strips. It turned out the girl in blue had torn off a piece of her sleeve sleeve. Chen Ping'an gave a pained smile, didn't bother with politeness, applied the herbal paste to the wound on his palm, brought it close to his mouth, bit one end, tightened it with his right hand, wrapped it twice around his hand, and tied a knot. The series of moves was methodical, like butterflies fluttering around a branch, dazzling to onlookers.
After bandaging, Chen Ping'an slowly raised his right arm to wipe the sweat from his face. Both arms trembled uncontrollably.
The girl in blue, crouching nearby, gave Chen Ping'an a thumbs-up, her expression saying, "You're amazing."
Chen Ping'an pointed to his own eyes with his right hand and smiled bitterly, "Actually, it hurts so much my tears are flowing."
The girl turned her head and glanced at the large basket and the green bamboo fish basket he had woven himself, somewhat puzzled.
Chen Ping'an looked embarrassed, "Those stones can earn money, and catching fish is also important."
The girl was puzzled but still didn't speak. Her eyes went vacant for a moment, then she turned her head and stared blankly at the shimmering creek water.
The babbling brook caressed the stones that broke the surface, making a rushing sound.
At that moment, the stars were bright, heaven and earth were desolate, and it seemed there were only a boy and a girl in the world.
Chen Ping'an's body gradually calmed and steadied. His originally rapid breathing unconsciously slowed, becoming long and continuous.
It was like a mountain stream swollen by a flash flood turning into a creek during the dry season of autumn and winter.
This subtle change, the boy himself didn't notice at all. It was natural and effortless.
Chen Ping'an knew he was drenched and couldn't be exposed to the cold spring wind for too long; he needed to return to town and change his clothes quickly. The boy naturally wouldn't understand the health and pathology in medical books, but having feared illness more than anything in his life, he had long cultivated a keen intuition about the changes of the seasons and his own body's adaptation. So he quickly put on his straw sandals, tied the fish basket to his waist, shouldered the large basket, waved to the girl in blue, and said with a smile, "I'm leaving, miss. You should head home early too."
As he walked down the stone cliff, Chen Ping'an couldn't help but turn around and remind her, "The water is particularly deep over by the covered bridge. Be careful not to slip! When you go back, it's best to stay close to the paddy field side. Even if you fall, getting muddy is better than falling into the creek..."
As he spoke, Chen Ping'an suddenly realized what he was saying sounded unlucky, like bad words—the kind of foul-mouthed nonsense Gu Can's mother from Mud Vase Alley was best at. Chen Ping'an quickly shut his mouth, stopped nagging, quickened his pace, and ran north toward the town.
The basket was heavy.
But the straw-sandaled boy was exceptionally happy.
After unraveling that nearly dead knot in his heart, Chen Ping'an felt for the first time that he wanted to live well. Properly.
For example, to have money!
To be able to afford Spring Festival couplets with unique ink fragrance, painted door gods, to eat the meat buns from Aunt Mao's shop, and maybe even buy an ox. To raise a flock of chickens like his neighbor Song Jixin...
The girl in blue was still diligently "gnawing away at the mountain," her expression serious and earnest. Every time she picked up a new pastry, it was like facing a life-or-death enemy.
While she was wrestling with a peach blossom cake, her body suddenly stiffened. Realizing something was wrong, she didn't run but instead opened her mouth wide, stuffed half the cake in, then clapped her hands together and sat still, waiting for her punishment.
A man had appeared without warning. He wasn't tall but gave a sense of solidity and strength, yet no one would mistake him for a peasant farmer because his eyes were far too piercing to meet.
Looking at the now nearly empty patterned cloth bundle, the man was utterly exasperated. He wanted to scold her but couldn't bear to. Silently gazing at his daughter's stubborn look of "I admit my mistake, punish me," his heart ached even more, as if he were the one who had done wrong.
The man wanted to say something to lighten the mood, like, "If you're hungry, you could have eaten at the sword furnace hut. Finish it all, and tomorrow I'll buy you more in town."
But when the words reached his lips, the inherently reserved man couldn't bring himself to say them. They felt heavier than a thousand pounds, pinning his tongue, and he had no idea how to comfort his daughter.
At that moment, the man felt he was less capable than the straw-sandaled boy. At least the boy made his daughter not so nervous.
The girl in blue suddenly looked up and asked, "Father, why didn't you take him as an apprentice back then?"
The man was relieved that his daughter had spoken first.
Though his face was stern, he sat down beside her and explained, "That boy has a good nature and temperament, but his bone structure is too poor. Even if I took him in, he would quickly fall far behind his senior brothers. No matter how hard he tried, he would only watch the gap widen. If another 'Senior Brother Liu' scenario were to emerge, what would be the point?"
The girl's expression darkened. It was unclear whether it was because of the mention of "Senior Brother Liu" or because the straw-sandaled boy had missed his chance.
The man hesitated for a moment, then decided not to hold back, lest she go astray or disrupt the sage's plan. "Moreover, this boy is too ordinary, which actually makes him stand out in a small town. Xiu'er, you probably don't know, but his destined porcelain was shattered long ago. So he's become something like a lonely ghost, no longer under the protection of ancestral blessings. At the same time, various subtle and strange things will happen to him. That's why Song Jixin and that woman chose to be his neighbors. Otherwise, given Song Jixin's status, could it be that he couldn't even live on Fortune Street? Obviously not."
The girl thought seriously for a moment, "Father, do you mean he's like bait?"
The man patted her head, "More or less."
Then he chuckled, "If we weren't the most indifferent swordsmen in the world to external things, opportunities, and fate, I might have kept him by my side to see if he could bring you some benefit."
The girl felt a bit down, in a bad mood.
The man sighed, "Xiu'er, what I said may be rough, but it's not wrong. Don't take it badly."
The girl still looked listless, lacking spirit.
The man thought for a moment and pointed to the covered bridge in the distance, which stretched over the creek like a black dragon. "The construction of that covered bridge was a massive undertaking by the Great Li Dynasty, all to suppress that inconspicuous iron sword. Consider this: after three thousand years, a masterless sword with its primordial spirit nearly shattered and almost gone, to suppress the little power it had left, a dynasty still had to pay such a huge price, and all it asked was to let it rest for a while..."
The girl said "oh," her head drooping, her eyes glancing sideways at the "foot of the mountain," and she absentmindedly echoed, "Impressive, impressive."
The man was at a loss for words, rubbing his forehead.
Heaven and earth are big, but eating comes first.
But her mother wasn't like this either. So from whom did this daughter inherit this temperament?
The man patted his daughter's shoulder and said softly, "I'm going to see someone. You take your time, eat slowly. No one's fighting you for it."
The girl suddenly looked up, grabbing his arm. On her wrist, a red bracelet shimmered, shaped like a coiled dragon with its head and tail connected.
It was like a living flame, a small dragon coiled around the girl's wrist.
The man said with relief, "At least you have some conscience. Alright, don't worry. I'm going to see Mr. Qi."
The girl let go and immediately grabbed another pastry, wolfing it down.
The man was furious. After holding back for so long, he finally muttered under his breath, "Eat, eat, eat. That bastard Liu deserves a beating, but he wasn't wrong. One day you'll eat yourself into a fat little chubby girl! Who would dare marry you then? Would I have to kidnap a live-in son-in-law?"
The girl stopped eating, held the pastry in both hands, and looked on the verge of tears.
The man fled in panic. As he turned his back to his daughter, he couldn't help slapping himself.
Every time, it ended like this.
---
In the dead of night, Chen Ping'an ran all the way back to Liu Xianyang's house. As he unlocked the door, he could hear the guy snoring like thunder.
What a carefree heart.
If it were him, Chen Ping'an, he wouldn't be able to sleep a wink tonight.
First, he put the basket and fish basket in the stove house built in the courtyard. Then he went to the right side room that Liu Xianyang had cleared out for him. Chen Ping'an quickly changed his clothes and returned to the stove house in the courtyard to deal with the stone-slab fish. He gutted them, cleaned them, and placed them on a clean porcelain plate, covering it with another plate to keep snakes, rats, and insects away.
From the basket, he also picked out five or six of the most appealing snake gallstones and moved them to the side room where he slept.
He took a quick glance at the sword Miss Ning had placed on the cabinet. It was still lying there quietly.
After finishing all this, Chen Ping'an finally lay down in his bed. His body gradually warmed up, but the boy's eyes were wide open.
Partly because of the pain in his left hand, but also because he wasn't sleepy.
But the real reason was that Chen Ping'an knew better than Liu Xianyang how "unreasonable" those outsiders could be.
The boy didn't dare fall into a deep slumber.
So Chen Ping'an stayed awake all night, always listening for any sounds from the courtyard gate and the house door.
At dawn, Chen Ping'an got up, went to the stove house, picked up his carrying pole, and prepared to fetch two buckets of water from the Iron Lock Well in Apricot Alley.
Liu Xianyang, still half-asleep, was huddled under his covers, only his head sticking out. Hearing the faint noise, he mumbled drowsily, "Chen Ping'an, you're up so early? Where are you going?"
Chen Ping'an replied irritably, "Fetching water!"
Liu Xianyang shouted again, "If you run into Zhigui, say hello for me."
Chen Ping'an couldn't be bothered with this guy.
Just as he was about to leave the small courtyard, Chen Ping'an heard Liu Xianyang say, "Chen Ping'an, if you help me out, I'll help you fish for stones in the creek when I get back!"
Chen Ping'an smiled brightly, "Deal!"
Liu Xianyang rolled his eyes, pulled his head back under the covers, and muttered, "Ungrateful bastard. Only this trick works."
---
On the stone steps of the covered bridge, a middle-aged Confucian scholar sat alone, having stayed awake until dawn.
When the first ray of light appeared in the blue-white sky, he looked up and softly laughed, "A thousand years of dark chamber, one lamp and it's bright."