New year, new festival, new atmosphere. The imperial court held grand feasts, while the streets of the capital were brightly lit, filled with crowds of people.

The night market was bustling, and though imperial guards occasionally passed by, they no longer caused panic among the people. These were patrol soldiers whose presence ensured that arsonists, thieves, drunkards, and brawlers would be dealt with promptly.

As the mounted guards approached, people hurriedly moved aside, including two men who appeared to be idlers and retreated to the edge of the street.

“It’s not easy, having to work even during the New Year festival,” one man sighed.

The other man nodded: “That’s how it is for those on duty. The busier the holiday, the busier they get.” He glanced at the first man. “Is Sixth Master busy? Shall we find a place for a small drink?”

The man called Sixth Master laughed heartily: “Our kind of busy is different from theirs. We’re busy all the time, everywhere—even drinking is busy.” He patted the other man’s shoulder. “Master Qi, today I’m treating. I know a grilled meat shop hidden in an inconspicuous place, but the craftsmanship is excellent.”

Master Qi didn’t stand on ceremony. The two left the noisy main street and came to the relatively quieter dock area.

The usually busy docks were much calmer during the festival, though there were still scattered cargo ships coming and going. Seven or eight porters waited for work, unloading and carrying goods. Despite being thrifty, they couldn’t resist coming to the grilled meat stall for a portion of meat and a cup of rice wine during the festival.

Master Qi and Sixth Master didn’t mind the modest stall or the humble customers. They ordered two portions of grilled meat and a pot of wine, eating and drinking while chatting quietly as the river breeze blew.

“The taste is indeed excellent,” Master Qi praised, pouring wine for Sixth Master before asking, “How’s your recent harvest?”

Sixth Master downed his wine in one gulp and grimaced: “Not a single grain, it’s truly bedeviling.”

Master Qi poured himself a drink and sighed: “Same for us. We can only wait for the west and see if there are any good opportunities there.”

Were they businessmen? Or farmers? The porters nearby caught fragments of their conversation and wondered silently. Looking at the two men, they were dressed ordinarily and unremarkable in appearance—indistinguishable in a crowd.

“Don’t worry, brothers,” one porter who had drunk several cups of wine spoke with a slightly drunken tone, “It’s peaceful now. This year will get better and better.”

Master Qi and Sixth Master didn’t mind these poor men joining the conversation and smiled, raising their cups: “Thank you for your kind words, brother.”

After drinking, the Sixth Master called to the old man grilling meat: “Add another portion, and more—”

Master Qi stopped him: “No more wine.” They couldn’t drink too much while on duty, but he couldn’t say that directly. “—The meat is delicious, but this wine isn’t good.”

Sixth Master smiled, understanding his meaning, and called out to the griller: “You should prepare some better wine.”

The old man didn’t take offense and smiled: “It’s a small business. Good wine costs more than meat.”

The poor porters at the dock, who spent on meat for strength, couldn’t afford to splurge on wine.

Sixth Master was just making conversation and smiled as he continued eating his meat.

But his comment about wine was picked up by several porters—what man doesn’t love good wine?

“I haven’t had much good wine either,” one porter smacked his lips, “But that pot of wine from Yu Shang two years ago was truly delicious. Even now when I think of it, my mouth still fills with its lingering fragrance.”

Hearing this, Master Qi and Sixth Master paused mid-bite and looked up simultaneously. In the darkness, they saw the spark in each other’s eyes.

Yu Shang.

…

…

The New Year festival wasn’t only lively in the capital—this year, the border counties were experiencing unprecedented joy as well.

Even in the newly reclaimed lands where no one had yet settled, continuous firecracker sounds could be heard, making the ground tremble.

This made the man lying on the slope frown. He was wrapped in a thick fur coat with a scarf covering his head and face, only revealing a pair of eyes that were now filled with dissatisfaction.

“Are they setting off all the firecrackers and fireworks inside the county town?” he said, pulling up his scarf to cover even his eyes. “It’s deafening.”

But this couldn’t block out the outside world. Sharp bird calls came from the sky.

The man on the slope kicked the ground and sat up: “I’ve had enough! Being a bandit has more rules than being a soldier. Why can’t they just speak properly instead of using these damned bird calls!”

He pulled down his scarf, put his fingers to his mouth, and made two melodious damned bird calls. Then he slid down the slope, whistled, and his grazing horse galloped over.

At the same time, two horses came racing from a distance. The riders waved at him, calling out, “A-Jiu, change of guard—”

A-Jiu—Xie Yanlai gave them a dismissive wave.

“A-Jiu,” the two men were undeterred and greeted him enthusiastically, “Happy New Year!”

Xie Yanlai responded with a brief “You too” and whipped his horse into a gallop.

This area was originally said to be within Western Liang territory, but the Western Liang people had never lived here, and the Da Xia people didn’t dare approach. No one had set foot here for decades. Now that it belonged to Da Xia, troops had been deployed, but no civilians had moved in yet. At first glance, it seemed desolate.

But after crossing several gullies, fireworks could be seen exploding in the sky. The crackling of firecrackers rose and fell, and a settlement appeared.

Though most were pit dwellings, there were also scattered houses—some completed, others still under construction.

Like everywhere else in Da Xia, this place was filled with the New Year atmosphere.

Children in new clothes ran and played, women sat together chatting and laughing, and men were slaughtering game animals. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary village.

But with the bird calls in the sky, the occasional figures emerging cautiously from the surroundings, and upon entering the settlement, seeing the playing children holding wooden swords and knives—even the girls—and the occasional glimpse of knife handles at the waists of the leisurely sitting women, it became clear this was no ordinary village.

“A-Jiu is back.”

“A-Jiu, come to our home and try the freshly steamed meat.”

Despite the greetings from the villagers, who welcomed him warmly like longtime neighbors, Xie Yanlai kept his face wrapped in his scarf. As he walked along, even his eyes softened. When he reached his home, he jumped off his horse. A group of children rushed by, and Xie Yanlai stepped aside with his long legs.

In passing, he caught one of the children and pulled up his trousers that were almost dragging on the ground.

“Wait for me, wait for me!”

But the child showed no gratitude. Delayed from playing, he struggled anxiously to break free.

Xie Yanlai pointed at him angrily: “Little brat, you’ll fall flat on your face if you step on your pants.” He tossed the reins to let the horse roam freely and walked into the yard.

What he called a yard was just a circle of fence, and the house was merely a pit dwelling.

However, his “neighbor” next door lived in a completed three-room house with a fenced yard that even kept chickens and ducks.

This was arguably the best house in the village, clearly the home of a wealthy family.

Xie Yanlai lifted his long leg, jumped over his own “yard wall,” then over his neighbor’s “yard wall,” and landed in the chicken and duck coop, reaching for eggs—

“Second Master—” a servant boy ran out from the main house, shrieking like a fowl, “A-Jiu is stealing eggs again—”

Xie Yanlai glared at him, twirling the warm egg in his hand: “What’s the big fuss? It’s just an egg. Besides, your chickens and ducks steal grass and insects from my yard too.”

The servant boy humphed, about to say something, when a voice came from inside: “A-Cai, is the water boiled? Is the food ready?”

The servant boy answered: “I know, I know, don’t rush me. I’m going to cook now.” He walked toward another room, not forgetting to glare at Xie Yanlai and warn quietly: “Don’t you dare steal our food!”

Xie Yanlai raised an eyebrow at him dismissively, then looked at the main house where a figure could be seen sitting upright, holding a scroll.

“Master Zhu is still studying hard during the New Year,” he said in a drawn-out voice. “Is this the first time you’ve had such a leisurely New Year with nothing to do?”

The person inside didn’t acknowledge him. Xie Yanlai shrugged and couldn’t be bothered to talk to him anymore. He took the egg, jumped back over the wall, and returned home.

But the man inside couldn’t find peace. The servant boy rushed out of the kitchen again, holding two pieces of fatty meat.

“Second Master, Second Master,” he called, “Look what this is! Someone left it in the kitchen.”

The man in the house, seemingly impatient, walked out holding his scroll.

“Is this a gift from someone?” the servant asked quietly, then muttered, “Even bandits receive gifts?”

Could Second Master be so fortunate?

Deng Yi looked at the meat in the servant’s hands and said: “This is a teaching gift.”

A teaching gift—of course, the servant knew what that meant. He slapped his head in realization. That’s right, Second Master was no longer an official, but he wasn’t cut out to be a bandit either, so he could only be a teacher in the bandit’s lair, teaching the little bandits to read and write—

This house, built fastest and best, was given to them because one room was used as a school.

“They’re quite proper, knowing to give gifts to the teacher,” he said happily, turning back to the kitchen. “We’ll stew them today. The old madam was just saying yesterday that we should offer meat to the master and the eldest son, so they won’t go hungry in the netherworld.”

Deng Yi couldn’t help but stop him and ask: “Why not keep this gift to give to someone else in the future?”

All along, gifts that Deng Yi received were never used by the household—the servant always kept them ready to be given out again.

Hearing the question, the servant turned back, confused: “Second Master, are you confused? A teaching gift isn’t a gift, it’s a teacher’s due, as it should be.”

Deng Yi was about to say something when an old woman’s voice came from inside: “A-Er, are the offerings for your father and eldest brother ready?”

Deng Yi called back: “Mother, they’re done, we’re stewing meat today.” He waved the servant away.

The servant pursed his lips and took the meat to the kitchen.

Deng Yi stood at the doorway, listening to the noise in the village and watching the chickens and ducks clucking and quacking in the yard. Suddenly, he saw another person walking toward them—a woman dressed in red—

“Master Zhu,” Mu Mianhong smiled in greeting. “Happy New Year.”

Deng Yi nodded to her.

Mu Mianhong didn’t speak further with him, but smiled and called out, “A-Jiu—” “A-Jiu, come out, I need you for something.”

After calling several times, with even the chickens and ducks responding, Xie Yanlai had no choice but to emerge from his pit dwelling, asking impatiently what she wanted: “My duty for today is over.”

Mu Mianhong didn’t answer, only smiled and said: “Come with me.” Then she walked away.

Xie Yanlai followed reluctantly.

Deng Yi watched his back and muttered: “That boy has good fortune.”

He lowered his head to look at the scroll in his hand, reading while slowly pacing in the yard.

…

…

Mu Mianhong lived in a tent, spacious and comfortable tent. When Xie Yanlai entered, he saw a table laden with food.

“What is it?” he asked somewhat uncomfortably. “I’m about to eat soon. Second Zhu’s meal is almost ready.”

Mu Mianhong had already sat down. Hearing this, she chuckled: “Today you don’t need to eat at his place. Eat here instead.”

Xie Yanlai refused to sit: “I’d still rather eat at his place.”

Eating at Mu Mianhong’s—this was her mother’s home—what did it mean for him to enter her family home for a meal?

Xie Yanlai’s ears turned slightly red.

“I want to hear you talk about A-Zhao,” Mu Mianhong said with a smile.

That made it even more impossible to eat! Xie Yanlai turned to leave: “I don’t know anything. I’m not her. Wait for her to tell you herself.”

“A-Jiu,” Mu Mianhong called. “I watched her grow up, too. When she was little, she often came to the county town to play. She was either arguing with someone or fighting with someone else. Unless General Chu was holding her in his arms, no one could keep track of her—”

Xie Yanlai’s feet turned away, but his ears perked up, unable to resist listening to Mu Mianhong’s stories about the young Chu Zhao.

“—Later she went to the capital, and I couldn’t see her anymore,” Mu Mianhong sighed lightly. “I wonder what she’s like in the capital—”

Xie Yanlai couldn’t help but say: “In the capital, she’s still the same.”

Mu Mianhong smiled and asked: “Really? But A-Zhao is very clever. I thought she would hide her true nature in the capital.”

“No way,” said Xie Yanlai.

Mu Mianhong pointed at the table again: “Come, sit down and tell me.”

Xie Yanlai hesitated, then no longer refused and sat down.

The two ate while talking, and Xie Yanlai gradually let go of his reservations, speaking animatedly about Chu Zhao.

“—She’s so brave, she took my whip—it was a real whip—and she just charged right in—”

“Right in front of everyone.”

“It was even more amusing when she fought her cousin at the restaurant. That boy couldn’t argue better, couldn’t compare, couldn’t fight better—he was so angry he wailed—”

Mu Mianhong listened with a smile.

Xie Yanlai became increasingly enthusiastic as he spoke, marveling inwardly that he had witnessed her do so many things—

Lost in thought for a moment, he suddenly heard Mu Mianhong ask: “She’ll come here to be with you soon, won’t she?”

Xie Yanlai nodded without hesitation: “She will.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he came to his senses, and his face immediately turned red.

“I mean, I mean, although she’s in the capital, but, here, Yun Zhong County is her home, General Chu’s heroic spirit—”

Mu Mianhong smiled and interrupted his explanation, pointing at the table: “Try this. I don’t know what A-Zhao’s taste is like, whether she would enjoy it.”

Xie Yanlai fell silent and used his chopsticks to pick up some food.

He couldn’t taste anything, but he was certain she would like it.

When you’re with someone you care for, you enjoy eating anything.