With the new year came a new season and new atmosphere. The palace held grand feasts, while the capital’s streets blazed with lights as crowds thronged together.

The night market flourished, and soldiers frequently passed through, though they no longer caused alarm among the people. These were patrol guards, and with them present, fires, thieves, and drunken brawls could all be dealt with promptly.

Seeing the mounted guards approaching, the crowd parted to make way, including two men who appeared to be idlers who also retreated to the side of the street.

“Really not easy, having to work during the festival,” one man sighed.

The other man nodded. “That’s how it is for those on duty—the busier the festival, the busier they are.” After speaking, he glanced at the man and asked, “Is Sixth Master busy? Should we find a place for a drink?”

The man called Sixth Master laughed heartily. “Our kind of busy is different from theirs—we’re busy anytime, anywhere. Even drinking is part of being busy.” He patted the man’s shoulder. “Master Qi, today’s my treat. I know a barbecue stall tucked away in an inconspicuous place, but the skill is excellent.”

Master Qi didn’t stand on ceremony, and the two left the noisy main street, arriving at the relatively quiet wharf area.

The usually bustling wharf was much quieter during the festival, though scattered cargo ships still came and went. Seven or eight laborers waited for work unloading and carrying goods. Because it was New Year’s, even frugal men like them couldn’t resist coming to the barbecue stall to eat some meat and drink a cup of cheap wine.

Master Qi and Sixth Master didn’t mind the crude stall or the lowly clientele. They ordered two portions of barbecued meat, got a pot of wine, and ate, drank, and chatted quietly together amidst the river breeze.

“The flavor really is good,” Master Qi praised, pouring wine for Sixth Master before asking, “How’s your haul been lately?”

Sixth Master downed his drink in one gulp and grimaced. “Complete failure—like we’ve seen a ghost.”

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

They sounded like merchants? Or perhaps farmers? The laborers nearby caught fragments of their conversation and speculated inwardly. Looking at these two men again, they wore ordinary clothes, had unremarkable features, and would be unrecognizable if thrown into a crowd.

“Don’t worry, brothers,” one laborer said, holding his wine bowl after several more drinks, offering consolation with some intoxication. “Now that there’s peace, this year will surely get better and better.”

Master Qi and Sixth Master didn’t mind these poor men joining the conversation. Smiling, they raised their cups. “Thanks for the auspicious words, brother.”

Sixth Master drank his wine, then called to the old man cooking the meat. “Another portion, and also—”

Master Qi stopped him. “No more wine.” Their work didn’t allow heavy drinking, though naturally they couldn’t say it that way. “The meat is very good, but this wine really isn’t good.”

Sixth Master smiled, understanding his meaning, and called out to the barbecue vendor, “You should prepare some good wine.”

The old man didn’t take offense, laughing. “Small business—good wine costs more than the meat.”

The poor laborers at the wharf who sold their strength were willing to eat a bite of meat for energy, but wine they couldn’t afford.

Sixth Master was just making conversation. He smiled and continued eating meat.

But the laborers picked up the topic of wine—what man doesn’t love good wine?

“I haven’t drunk much good wine either,” one laborer said, smacking his lips. “But that pot of wine from Merchant Yu the year before last was truly delicious. Even now when I think of it, my mouth is full of lingering fragrance.”

Hearing this, Master Qi and Sixth Master, who were eating meat, paused simultaneously and looked up. In the dark night, they saw sparks ignite in each other’s eyes.

Merchant Yu.

—

The festival wasn’t only lively in the capital—this year the border commanderies were also unprecedentedly joyful.

Even in the newly recovered lands where no one had yet settled, one could hear continuous strings of firecrackers, the ground itself trembling.

This made the person lying on the slope frown. He was wrapped in thick fur robes with a scarf covering his head and face, leaving only his eyes exposed, which were now full of dissatisfaction.

“Are they setting off all the firecrackers and fireworks in the commandery city?” he said, reaching to pull up the scarf to cover even his eyes. “So noisy.”

But this couldn’t block out the outside world either, as sharp bird calls came through the air.

The person on the slope kicked the ground and sat up. “Really fed up—being a bandit has more rules than being a soldier. Can’t they just speak properly instead of using this cursed bird language!”

He yanked down the scarf, put his fingers to his mouth and made two melodious cursed bird calls, then stood and slid down the slope. He whistled, and a horse that had been grazing somewhere unknown came galloping over.

At the same time, two horses approached from the distance, and the riders waved and called out, “A’Jiu, shift change—”

A’Jiu—Xie Yanlai—waved dismissively at them without much interest.

“A’Jiu,” the two men didn’t mind and said warmly, “Happy New Year!”

Xie Yanlai responded with a “Happy” and urged his horse forward with his whip.

Though this area originally belonged to Xi Liang’s territory, the Xi Liang people had never lived here, and the Da Xia people didn’t dare approach, so for decades no one had set foot here. Now that it belonged to Da Xia, aside from deployed troops, no civilians had yet migrated here, so at first glance it appeared desolate.

But crossing several ravines, one could see fireworks bursting in the sky, firecrackers crackling one after another, and a settlement came into view.

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

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

Children in new clothes ran and played, women sat together laughing and chatting, men slaughtered game—at first glance it looked like an ordinary village.

But with the bird calls in the air, figures occasionally appearing from the surroundings to keep watch, and then entering the village to see the playing children holding wooden swords and knives (even the girls), the idle women occasionally revealing knife hilts at their waists—one knew this was no ordinary village.

“A’Jiu is back.”

“A’Jiu, come try the newly steamed meat at our house.”

However, seeing Xie Yanlai, the villagers greeted him warmly like neighbors they’d known for years. Even with his face wrapped in a scarf, as Xie Yanlai walked along, his eyes softened. At his door, he jumped off his horse. A group of children rushed past, and Xie Yanlai’s long legs took three quick steps to avoid them.

He grabbed one small child and pulled up pants that were nearly dragging on the ground.

“Wait for me, wait for me!”

The child wasn’t grateful though, struggling to break free because he’d been delayed from playing.

Xie Yanlai pointed at him huffily. “Little brat, you’ll trip on your pants and fall on your face.” He tossed the reins, letting the horse do as it pleased, and walked into the courtyard.

Calling it a courtyard was generous—it was just a ring of fencing, and the house was merely a dugout dwelling.

However, his neighbor’s home was a completed three-room house with a fenced yard that even raised chickens and ducks.

This could be called the best dwelling in the village, clearly a prosperous household.

Xie Yanlai lifted his long leg over his own “courtyard wall,” then over his neighbor’s “courtyard wall,” then jumped into the chicken and duck pen to reach in and grab eggs—

“Second Master—” a young servant ran out from the main house, squawking like the chickens and ducks, “A’Jiu is stealing eggs again—”

Xie Yanlai glared at him, waving the warm egg in his hand. “Making a fuss over nothing—they’re just eggs. Besides, your chickens and ducks steal grass and bugs from my yard.”

The servant snorted. As he was about to say something, a voice came from inside: “A’Cai, is the water boiled? Is the meal ready?”

The servant responded, “I know, I know, stop nagging, I’m going to cook now.” He walked toward another room, not forgetting to glare at Xie Yanlai with a whispered warning, “Don’t you dare steal our food!”

Xie Yanlai raised his eyebrows at him dismissively, then looked toward the main room where a figure could faintly be seen sitting upright, holding a book scroll.

“Scholar Zhu still studying hard during the great festival,” he drawled. “Is this the first time you’ve had such a leisurely New Year with nothing to do?”

The person inside ignored him. Xie Yanlai curled his lip, too lazy to keep talking to him, and took the egg back over the courtyard wall.

But the person indoors couldn’t remain peaceful, as the servant rushed out from the kitchen again, holding up two pieces of meat with fat and lean portions.

“Second Master, Second Master,” he called. “Look at this! I don’t know who left it in the kitchen.”

The person inside seemed exasperated, walking out with his book scroll.

“Is someone sending gifts?” the servant asked quietly, then couldn’t help muttering, “Even bandits receive gifts?”

Was Second Master destined for this?

Deng Yi glanced at the meat the servant held and said, “This is tuition.”

Tuition—of course the servant knew what tuition meant. He slapped his forehead in realization. Right, now Second Master was no longer an official, but also had no skills to be a bandit, so he could only serve as a schoolteacher in the bandits’ den, teaching little bandits to read and write—

The fastest and best-built house was given to them to live in precisely because one room was used as a schoolroom.

He chuckled. “They’re quite proper, knowing to give gifts to the teacher.” He happily turned to enter the kitchen. “I’ll stew them today. Yesterday the old madam said we should offer meat to the master and eldest young master, can’t let them go hungry in the underworld.”

Deng Yi couldn’t help calling him back, asking, “This gift—why don’t you keep it to give out again in the future?”

All along, the gifts Deng Yi received, the servant never used for household expenses, always preparing to give them out again.

Hearing the question, the servant turned back, puzzled. “Second Master, are you confused? Tuition isn’t a gift—it’s the teacher’s proper due, natural and right.”

Deng Yi was about to say something when an old woman’s voice came from inside. “A’Er, have you prepared the offerings for your father and elder brother?”

Deng Yi called inside, “Mother, it’s done, it’s done. We’re stewing meat today.” He waved the servant away.

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

Deng Yi stood at the door, listening to the village’s clamor, watching the chickens and ducks clucking and quacking in the yard, when suddenly he saw someone walking this way—a woman in red robes.

“Scholar Zhu,” Mu Mianhong greeted him with a smile first. “Happy New Year.”

Deng Yi nodded to her.

Mu Mianhong didn’t say more to him, smiling as she called out, “A’Jiu—” “A’Jiu, come out, I need you.”

After several calls, even the chickens and ducks responded, until Xie Yanlai had no choice but to emerge from the dugout, asking impatiently what she wanted. “My shift is over for today.”

Mu Mianhong didn’t answer, only smiling. “Come with me.” She turned and walked away.

Xie Yanlai followed reluctantly.

Deng Yi watched his retreating back, muttering, “That boy really has good fortune.”

He looked down at the book scroll in his hand, reading while slowly pacing around the courtyard.

—

Mu Mianhong lived in a tent, spacious and comfortable. Xie Yanlai entered to see a table full of food and dishes.

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

Mu Mianhong had already sat down. Hearing this, she laughed. “Today you don’t need to eat at his place—eat here with me.”

Xie Yanlai refused to sit. “Then I’d better eat his food.”

Eating Mu Mianhong’s food, when she was her mother—him coming formally into the home to eat—what would that signify?

Xie Yanlai’s ears turned slightly red.

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

Then he definitely couldn’t eat! Xie Yanlai turned to leave immediately. “I don’t know anything. I’m not her. Wait for her to tell you herself.”

“A’Jiu,” Mu Mianhong called. “Actually, I watched her grow up too. When she was little, she often came to the commandery city to play, always arguing with this person or fighting with that one. Unless General Chu was holding her, she couldn’t be controlled at all—”

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

“—Later she went to the capital, and I couldn’t see her anymore,” Mu Mianhong sighed softly. “I don’t know what she was like in the capital—”

Xie Yanlai couldn’t help saying, “She was still the same in the capital.”

Mu Mianhong smiled and asked, “Really? But A’Zhao is very clever. I think she would disguise her true nature in the capital.”

“She wouldn’t,” Xie Yanlai said.

Mu Mianhong pointed at the table. “Come, sit down and talk.”

Xie Yanlai hesitated, then didn’t refuse again and sat down.

As they talked and ate, Xie Yanlai gradually relaxed and spoke of Chu Zhao with animated gestures.

“—She’s so bold. When I was being whipped, she charged right up—”

“In front of everyone.”

“When she beat up her cousin at the tavern, that was interesting. That boy couldn’t out-argue her, out-compete her, or out-fight her—he cried in frustration—”

Mu Mianhong listened with a smile.

Xie Yanlai became more engrossed in talking, his heart also sighing—so he’d witnessed her do so many things—

His mind wandered slightly when he suddenly heard Mu Mianhong ask, “She’ll come here soon to be with you, won’t she?”

Xie Yanlai nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”

As soon as the word left his mouth, he came to his senses, his face immediately reddening.

“I mean, I mean, even though she’s in the capital, this place, Yunzhong Commandery is her home, General Chu’s heroic soul—”

Mu Mianhong smiled and interrupted his explanation, pointing at the table. “Try this. I don’t know what A’Zhao’s tastes are, whether she’d like to eat this.”

Xie Yanlai stopped talking and picked up the dish with his chopsticks.

He didn’t actually taste much flavor, but she would definitely like eating it.

As long as you’re with someone you care for, you’ll like eating anything.