“Forget it! Who would believe I can win the qilin?” Yang Jingyuan pursed his lips and turned around, smiling as he asked the crowd.
A small boy squeezed through the crowd, holding up five copper coins. “Brother, I want one!”
To think that this child was the only one who believed in him. Yang Jingyuan didn’t take his money. “It’s my treat, little brother. When I win the qilin, I’ll give it to you. Old Zhang, I’m certain I’ll win, so start drawing!”
Everyone waited to see if Yang Jingyuan could win the qilin. Sugar painter Zhang didn’t know whether to thank or curse him as he sat down and scooped up the sugar syrup to begin drawing.
“Look, it must be cheating! He hasn’t even spun the bamboo stick yet, but he’s already certain he’ll win the qilin,” shouted the man who had tried to steal the money tube earlier.
Yang Jingyuan rolled up his sleeves and spread both hands for all to see. “Look carefully.”
He tossed another tael of silver into the bamboo tube and spun the stick.
All eyes followed the spinning bamboo stick as it gradually came to a stop.
“Qilin! Qilin! Brother, you’re amazing!” The little boy cheered and ran to Sugar-painter Zhang’s front to wait for his sugar qilin.
“It is! What incredible luck!”
“What’s so great about it? Finally caught you!” That man shouted, “I was standing right next to Second Young Master Zhu earlier. When he was playing, he was wearing that ring. Now the ring is on his hand!”
Yang Jingyuan extended his hand: “Are you certain this is the same ring Second Young Master Zhu was wearing?”
The man was convinced. “Yes! I couldn’t be mistaken.”
Yang Jingyuan gave him an ambiguous smile, glanced at Second Young Master Zhu, and removed the ring to hand it over. “Brother, you have good eyes! Indeed, Second Young Master Zhu just gave this to me. Why don’t you try winning a qilin with it?”
“I will!” The man took the ring and reached for the gaming board.
Oh, so it was this ring bringing good luck. Ji Yingying immediately understood.
Second Young Master Zhu was so frightened his legs went weak. Furiously cursing Yang’s ancestors under his breath, he didn’t even bid farewell to the Ji siblings before sneaking away from the crowd with his servant while no one was paying attention.
Good riddance. Saves me from getting angry just looking at you. Yang Jingyuan didn’t expose him but kept glancing at Ji Yingying while inwardly fuming: See? This is the fine match your brother tried to arrange for you!
Their gazes met briefly, sparks flying.
The contempt flowing from his thin, curled lips annoyed Ji Yingying. Whatever Second Young Master Zhu’s faults, he was sincere toward her. Her dislike of him was her own business – what right did Yang have to frighten him away?
“Brother, let’s go view the chrysanthemums in the temple first. You can go inform Second Brother Zhu,” Ji Yingying said just loud enough for Yang Jingyuan to hear.
Since you scared him away, I’ll just invite him back.
She lazily waved her round fan and headed toward the temple with Xiang’er and Ling’er, not bothering to look back.
Yang Jingyuan was livid. He shouted at the man still trying the ring on the gaming board: “Any problems?”
The bamboo sticks had already been switched, so naturally the magnetic ring had no effect. The man reluctantly clutched the ring and said unwillingly: “You try again!”
“Watch carefully!” Yang Jingyuan spun the stick, and it stopped on Qilin again. He held out his palm, “Return my ring!”
The man returned the ring, his face alternating between pale and flushed as he shouted: “I don’t believe I can’t win!”
“Three qilins have appeared today, I can’t believe I won’t win one. I’ll try too!”
The crowd gathered around the gaming board in excitement, copper coins making crisp sounds as they fell into the bamboo tube. Sugar painter Zhang’s eyes crinkled with joy as he respectfully handed a newly drawn sugar qilin to Yang Jingyuan: “Safe journey, young master. Please come again.”
“There won’t be a next time. I’m long tired of this game.” Yang Jingyuan took the sugar qilin and left the stall.
He hadn’t brought his servant Xiangyou. Using the excuse of delivering Double Ninth Festival gifts to his teacher, he had come to Three Dike Village again to seek guidance from the old steward. When passing by the Green Ram Temple, he happened to see Ji Yingying alighting from a mule cart, and as if possessed, he dismounted and followed her.
He held up the qilin to look at it. Against the crystal-clear sky, the qilin appeared magnificent and imposing. The hardened sugar syrup gleamed like beautiful amber.
“If you don’t want it, who cares!” Yang Jingyuan didn’t like sweets and looked around, hoping to find a child to give it to.
“Third Young Master Yang!”
Who was calling him? Yang Jingyuan looked toward the voice.
A young man in blue robes with a broad forehead and high nose rushed out from the side, pointing at him while laughing heartily: “Third Young Master Yang, how old are you now, still buying sugar art to eat?”
Sang Shisi? Yang Jingyuan casually stuffed the sugar art into his hands: “Eat brother’s sugar art and be good. Go back to wherever you came from. Don’t follow me around like a little tail.”
Sang Shisi clicked his tongue and bit off the qilin’s tail, crunching loudly: “Tell me, what are you sneaking around here for? Not even bringing Xiangyou – what’s with all this secrecy?”
Yang Jingyuan crossed his arms and looked skyward: “What are you doing here yourself?”
“My three concubines insisted I accompany them to Green Ram Temple to draw lots, divine their fortunes, offer incense, and view chrysanthemums. The mansion’s maids and old women came in droves – isn’t it tiresome for a grown man like me? I let them enter the temple first while I browse the market outside – much more relaxing.”
Following his gaze, Yang Jingyuan saw a group of brightly dressed women entering the Green Ram Temple. He counted on his fingers. Hmm, three concubines, each with at least one maid. Plus two mansion matrons as chaperones and two little maids for errands. So many women – the noise alone would be unbearable. Yang Jingyuan teased: “You should hurry up and marry. Once you wed Seventh Miss Niu, she definitely won’t let these concubines cling to you anymore.”
“I still want to live to see my grandchildren!”
Historical Officer Sang had arranged a marriage alliance with the Niu family of the Jiannan Circuit Deputy Military Governor. Before Seventh Miss Niu was even born, Sang Shisi already had a wife arranged. He was four years older than Seventh Miss Niu. Next year when she came of age, they would marry.
At fourteen, Sang Shisi had dragged Yang Jingyuan to secretly look at his future wife. Perched on the back garden wall, Sang Shisi had rapturously told Yang Jingyuan: “I love these delicate beauties the most. Your brother is blessed! Father has such good taste.”
As it turned out, the “delicate” Seventh Miss Niu discovered people on the wall and picked up a hundred-jin Taihu rock from beside the lake to hurl at them.
Fortunately, Yang Jingyuan had practiced martial arts since childhood. Quick-witted, he pulled Sang Shisi as they leaped down from the wall. With a tremendous crash, the Taihu rock smashed a hole in the wall.
The two fell to the ground, and Sang Shisi crawled over tumbling and scrambling, using all his strength to try to move the Taihu rock. The fair-faced youth turned purple with effort but couldn’t lift it. He turned and hugged Yang Jingyuan, wailing dramatically: “Third Brother, I won’t survive this!”
From then on, Sang Shisi changed color at the mention of Niu. As he took in one concubine after another, he told Yang Jingyuan: “Let your brother enjoy life while he can before marriage!”
Now hearing Yang Jingyuan tease him, Sang Shisi chuckled: “Fifth Miss Niu has taken a fancy to you – why don’t we become brothers-in-law? We can face hardships together, right?”
Yang Jingyuan shuddered.
Fifth Miss Niu was eighteen this year, and there was a reason no one had come to propose marriage. Unless they wanted to curry favor with Deputy Governor Liu, what young gentleman would want to marry a pockmarked face? Deputy Governor Liu doted on his daughter and insisted on finding a son-in-law as handsome as Pan An. Thus matters had been delayed.
Because Sang Shisi had dragged him along as company, Yang Jingyuan had visited the Niu family before. He had been shocked by Fifth Miss Niu’s appearance. But she had taken a liking to him at first sight. Deputy Governor Liu didn’t mind that the Yang family were merchants and sent matchmakers to propose. Master Yang, cherishing his youngest son, used the excuse that Yang Jingyuan practiced virgin boy cultivation techniques that weren’t complete and thus couldn’t marry, declining the proposal.
“Third Brother, I heard many young ladies have come to view chrysanthemums at Green Ram Temple. Shall we go take a look?” Having successfully countered Yang Jingyuan’s teasing, Sang Shisi revealed his true reason for accompanying his concubines.
Yang Jingyuan involuntarily thought of Ji Yingying. Imagining Second Young Master Zhu accompanying her to view flowers, his heart felt like it was being clawed by cats. Half-resisting and half-willing, he let Sang Shisi pull him into the temple.