At the Jinyiwei office.
At dusk, Lu Bing personally came to call his daughter for dinner. “When it’s time to eat, eat. The official business piled on the desk won’t fly away.”
Recently, Lu Bing had been paying attention to health preservation, reminding his daughter to eat three meals a day on time and not allowing her to stay up late, lest she ruin her health in the future and follow in his footsteps.
“I’ll go right away.” Lu Ying placed her brush on the brush rest. Lu Bing noticed a boat oar in the corner, obviously Wang Daxia’s. “This fellow always throws things around carelessly. He even forgot to bring his oar when leaving this morning. I bet he’ll forget again tomorrow. I wonder when he’ll ever mature.”
After all, he was her subordinate. Lu Ying was protective of her own people. She often disciplined Wang Daxia and could scold him into submission, but when her father criticized him, she felt compelled to defend him, saying:
“He saw Ding Wu and Ding Rukui reuniting as father and son and became homesick. After rowing practice, he came back, threw down the oar, and went home to see his father.”
Lu Bing remembered the various “loving father and filial son” scenes between Wang Qianhu and Wang Daxia and laughed, “If he never went home, I think Wang Qianhu could live a few more years.”
Lu Ying defended him again: “How many years a father can live has no direct relationship with his children—Heaven decides that. I’m filial enough, aren’t I? Yet you still had a stroke.”
Lu Bing put away his smile. That seemed to make sense. His children were all well-behaved and obedient, never causing trouble, yet he still had a stroke. Wang Daxia had created the reputation of being one of the “Four Scourges of the North City,” but Wang Qianhu was in perfect health, not sickened by anger. At his age, he could still lead night patrols. It truly was Heaven’s will.
North City, Tianshui Alley.
Wang Daxia arrived here in great haste. Summer days were long, so when he arrived, it wasn’t yet dark.
After not being home for over ten days, all the doors and windows of the Wei residence were open for ventilation. Mugwort sticks and atractylodes were burning to dispel moisture and mold, and two bundles of mugwort were placed at the door in preparation for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Wang Daxia arrived uninvited, not even knocking. He dismounted and ran straight into the house. The luohan bed from the guest hall was gone—it had been moved to the east wing. Wei Caiwei was standing on a chair, hanging a cloud-white mosquito net over the luohan bed.
A new bamboo mat was spread on the luohan bed, still bearing damp water stains from having just been wiped clean. Besides the mat, there was also a woven bamboo pillow.
It was obviously prepared for Ding Wu’s stay, all brand new.
Wang Daxia’s jealousy was so intense it could turn seawater sour. When I stayed here that night, I slept in the guest hall with no mosquito net, no bamboo mat, and even the pillow was Wei Caiwei’s leftover. There wasn’t even bedding—just a mosquito coil to get through the night.
“You gave me quite a fright. So it’s you.” Wei Caiwei jumped down from the chair, secured the mosquito net, and tucked it tightly around all sides to prevent insects from flying in.
Wang Daxia asked, “Why hasn’t Ding Wu left yet? A single man and woman—are you really going to let him stay overnight?”
“Lord Lu said he’ll leave after the Dragon Boat Festival the day after tomorrow. After the long journey, the escorts need two days of rest.” Wei Caiwei said, “He’s my family. When we were in Tieling, we lived together and grew up together. I spent so much silver to rent this house and haven’t lived here many days in total. With so many rooms upstairs and downstairs, should I make him stay at an inn? Would my rent money be wasted? You’re being completely unreasonable.”
Wang Daxia sat down heavily on the new bamboo mat of the luohan bed, holding back his anger. “Haven’t we been getting along well lately? Eating together, having good conversations, no arguments. How is it that as soon as Ding Wu arrives, you start picking on my faults, finding everything about me disagreeable?”
Wei Caiwei was startled. Indeed, ever since she had mollified Wang Daxia with a plate of grapes and a meal, the two had been harmonious. Sometimes certain atmospheres resembled the married couple relationship from her previous life, yet were completely different. The Wang Daxia who hadn’t castrated himself was lively and cheerful with a bright, sunny smile. After castration, Wang Daxia rarely smiled, and even when he occasionally did, there was always gloom in his eyes.
Living this life again was to protect that sunshine. Once lost, it could never return.
With this in mind, Wei Caiwei didn’t chase Wang Daxia off the bamboo mat, saying, “It’s because as soon as Ding Wu arrived, you changed, becoming sharp-tongued and mean, bullying him for being an exile. His father is a death row prisoner locked in an underground cell who could die any year. He finally made it to the capital with great difficulty, and you’re still anxious to drive him away. If your relative were in his position and I spoke to him this way, you would certainly be angry with me.”
Wang Daxia shook his head like a rattle drum, “How could that be? Whatever you do, I would never be angry with you.”
No one is better at bringing up old grievances than an old married couple. Wei Caiwei said, “Who was it that said I had hurt him and would never speak to me again? That was just a few days ago.”
Fortunately, Wang Daxia was naturally thick-skinned. He said, “Just that once. There absolutely won’t be a next time.”
Wang Daxia’s attitude was so sincere that Wei Caiwei couldn’t continue her complaints. She said, “Fine, I believe you (like hell). He and I are family who shared hardships together. His father used to be Minister of War. I’m too embarrassed to presume to call him brother or anything like that, so we have the feelings of family but address each other as friends. I don’t ask you to treat him as a friend—just please don’t constantly squeeze him out.”
Wei Caiwei had a straightforward personality. When something could be explained clearly with words, she absolutely wouldn’t be vague. She directly clarified to Wang Daxia her relationship with Ding Wu—they were family, they were friends, with no romantic feelings between them.
“Will he really leave after the Dragon Boat Festival?” Wang Daxia asked.
“Of course. Who would dare disobey Lord Lu’s words?” Wei Caiwei said, “Besides, he’s an exile. If he refused to return to the exile site, he’d be treated as an escaped criminal and could be executed on the spot. For the sake of his life and safety, he wouldn’t dare linger in the capital.”
The Dragon Boat Festival was the day after tomorrow, and the day after that, Ding Wu would leave.
That meant Ding Wu would only stay here for two days and three nights.
Endure two days and three nights, and Ding Wu would disappear.
I’ll just endure it. If I don’t have patience, I’ll end up having a big fight with Doctor Wei.
Wang Daxia said, “Am I the type to bully the weak? I’m anxious for him to leave because… well…”
Wang Daxia struggled to find a reason. “It’s because his father Ding Rukui has many political enemies at court. He’s been sentenced to death for ten years but still hasn’t died. I imagine many people want him dead—you saw that night how eagerly Yan Shifan hoped for his death. I’m afraid that news of Ding Wu’s arrival will make these people unable to eat or sleep peacefully.”
“The Jinyiwei office is Lord Lu’s territory, impenetrable, but Ding Wu is out here. What if someone uses Ding Wu to make trouble? Wouldn’t that implicate you, an innocent bystander? I’m afraid that with long nights come many dreams, and Ding Wu’s presence in the capital might drag you down, so I’m anxious for him to return to Tieling.”
Perfect! Wang Daxia secretly applauded his own cleverness.
“You—” Wei Caiwei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You’re like a radish seller following a salt merchant—needlessly worrying about salty matters, thinking wild thoughts all day. Lord Lu was the one who brought him to the capital. Who would dare touch him?”
Wei Caiwei hadn’t thought in this direction because in her previous life, both Ding Rukui and Ding Wu had been fine throughout, outlasting all their opponents and finally seeing the clouds part to reveal the moon.
“It’s because I… care about you.” Wang Daxia said, “Ding Wu is your friend, you’re my friend, and between us… we’ve also shared life-and-death friendship, right? I care about you and overcomplicated things, which is quite normal.”
Wang Daxia also said, “The day after tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, and I’ll be racing dragon boats on the moat. You must both come watch. After watching, don’t leave—I’ll take you both around the capital. Who in the capital knows how to have fun better than I do? I guarantee you’ll have a great time and send Ding Wu off happily.”
Although Wei Caiwei had sworn that Ding Wu was family and a friend, Wang Daxia wasn’t reassured. I also call you a friend with my mouth, but in my heart… it can’t be said. If I said it, it would frighten you.
Wang Daxia wasn’t comfortable with the two being alone together. He had to insert himself between them.
At this moment, a draft blew through, carrying with it the smoke and aroma of food.
Wang Daxia stretched out his nose to catch the fragrance, “So fragrant. Whose cooking is that?”
Following the scent, he came to the back courtyard where a large iron pot sat on a small clay stove. The pot was stewing chicken with mushrooms. Ding Wu wore an apron with his sleeves rolled up and tied with strings, kneading balls of dough. He flattened each ball and stuck them one by one around the edge of the iron pot, then covered it with a lid.
He really could manage both the parlor and the kitchen!
While Ding Wu was sticking the flatbread around the pot, Wei Caiwei sat on a small stool holding a palm fan, continuously adding firewood and fanning to keep the fire burning vigorously.
The two worked together with such coordination that they must have made this homestyle dish countless times in Tieling.
At this moment, Wang Daxia’s jealous fire burned even more intensely than the cooking fire. Unable to control his mouth, he threw his recent vows to the back of his mind and started squeezing Ding Wu again, saying, “They say a gentleman stays far from the kitchen. I see Young Master Ding is no ordinary person—his culinary skills are too good.”
The implication was that Ding Wu was no gentleman.
It was bad enough that he was handsome—I concede that in looks, I can tie with him. But I can’t cook.
Ding Wu placed the last piece of flatbread on the pot’s edge and dusted the flour off his hands. “I’m just a commoner and don’t deserve the title of Young Master. Just call me by my name. If a gentleman had no cook and had to prepare three meals a day himself, he probably wouldn’t say such things.”
Wei Caiwei frantically made eye signals at Wang Daxia: What did you just promise me? Why are you being so sharp-tongued and mean to him again?
Wang Daxia played blind, pretending not to understand her expressions.
Ding Wu untied his apron and said politely, “The meal will be ready soon. If Second Young Master Wang doesn’t mind our simple and crude dinner, please stay and eat with us.”
Wang Daxia had gone back on his word, so Wei Caiwei didn’t want to keep him, lest she have to listen to him attacking people at the dinner table. She said, “Second Young Master Wang has finally returned home once. He should naturally go home to greet his parents and eat with his family.”
Seeing Wei Caiwei driving him away, Wang Daxia felt uncomfortable. His contrary nature flared up—I just won’t leave!
Wang Daxia also moved over a small stool, sitting right next to Wei Caiwei, and took (snatched) the fan from her hands, vigorously fanning the fire. “When I go home, my father will definitely say, ‘Hmph, so you still know you have a home! You haven’t even sent word home these past days. Do you think that becoming a Jinyiwei makes you so important? That you’ve reached Heaven in one step?'”
Wang Daxia waved the palm fan, imitating his father’s tone of voice vividly. “Then he’ll give me a thorough scolding. So I can only eat a peaceful meal here with quiet ears. I’ll trouble you to add an extra pair of chopsticks tonight.”
Isn’t this just a Hongmen Feast? I’ll eat it anyway.
Author’s Note: Some people eat food but squeeze out vinegar.
Good morning! Yesterday many readers said they came late and all the red envelopes were taken. Today I’ll just give out 200 red envelopes for this chapter—early readers get red envelopes~
From “Jin Ping Mei,” Chapter 30: Jinlian said: “This little flesh of mine, when properly used, is lazy as death and unwilling to move a finger; but when it comes to meddling in other people’s business, he drills through every crack and crevice to get it done, and goes so fast! With his two servant girls available, you’re running errands for him! What business is it of yours? A radish seller following a salt merchant—what a busybody little flesh!”