Chapter 164: Sweet Dew Lottery
Chen Residence, bedroom.
The fire basin burned charcoal, with warm vapors rising.
Chen Shun’an sat upright at the desk, flipping through the accounts.
On the desk sat a bronze censer, with light smoke curling up from within.
That smoke trail was as fine as a silken thread, with a complex fragrance.
First came the sharp freshness of cypress leaves, then a faint sweet mellowness of herbs and wood, finally settling into a thick medicinal intent, as if it could penetrate the skin and directly seep into the meridians.
This medicinal fragrance was called ‘Three Feet Incense’, personally made by Wan Niang, using cypress seeds as the base, mixed with poria, licorice root, and other medicinal herbs.
The drifting green smoke followed the cold draft slipping in through the window cracks, drawn into Chen Shun’an’s mouth and nose, and when exhaled again, formed two rolling white pillars that slapped against the window.
He looked up toward outside the window, where heaven and earth were a blanket of white, all things losing their true colors.
The courtyard had snow piled over a foot deep, flat and smooth like spread plain silk.
This year’s harsh cold and heavy snow had come a bit early.
It was only the ninth month now, and yesterday was just scattered light snow.
Today it had turned into a silver-clad world, even the pine trees in the courtyard bent under the weight.
This year, who knew how many people would not survive this winter.
Chen Shun’an thought of the prophecy Scholar Ma had spoken that day.
This year the canal would freeze, canal transport cut off, likely freezing and starving countless to death.
Fortunately, Chen Shun’an had prepared early and warned everyone around him as much as possible.
Stockpile charcoal and grain, build walls and paste windows.
“Mm…”
Suddenly, Chen Shun’an was distracted, his breathing quickened slightly, his body trembled lightly, then his gaze helplessly shifted downward, and he said,
“Had enough fun?”
Wan Niang crawled out from under the desk, her cheeks flushed red like rouged, her slender waist slightly bent, her skirt outlining her plump hips.
She nimbly adjusted her somewhat disheveled clothes with hands and feet, wiped her mouth, like a cat that had just stolen cream, her lazy posture revealing a captivating figure.
Chen Shun’an had somewhat underestimated the effects of the pig-dragon meat.
As the saying goes, the softshell turtle possesses the meat of the twelve zodiac animals, and southerners must eat it at weddings.
Pig-dragon meat itself promotes blood circulation, kills parasites, and dispels dampness.
And this one from the Black Fork River, perhaps due to often stealing eastern pearls, its meat even more made ordinary people’s qi and blood surge.
Once unable to hold back, it led to confusion of mind and infatuation.
These past few days, after Wan Niang ate the pig-dragon meat, she was like ignited firewood, pestering and demanding these days, growing ever bolder.
Fortunately, with Chen Shun’an’s current physique, he was unafraid of such depletion.
“Isn’t it all because of what you taught me, brother?”
Teased by Chen Shun’an, Wan Niang showed little shame, retorting like an old married couple.
So close to Chen Shun’an, Wan Niang could smell the warm scent on his body, feel the prickly stubble, and recall those thick, broad hands that freely kneaded…
Especially seeing Chen Shun’an in brocade clothes with a dignified air.
Wan Niang couldn’t help but be infatuated and yearning, her gaze filled with deep attachment.
Women naturally admire the strong.
Ever since Chen Shun’an became the shopkeeper of the Crouching Tiger Well, Wan Niang was nearly completely obedient to him, often gazing until she lost focus, just like a woman in love.
Wan Niang even occasionally had the impulse to stuff her body into her brother’s chest, never to separate for life.
“Right, brother, Chun Hong will be going back to her hometown to visit family in a while.”
Wan Niang brought over the ten-complete medicinal meal, placed a bowl of personally simmered meat porridge beside it, her tone excited.
“Oh?”
Chen Shun’an picked up the dishes, clearly at wind-swept-cloud-scattering speed, yet his movements were unhurried, calm and composed.
No matter what food entered his mouth, it melted instantly, chewing like mud.
Ate heartily, never got stuck in teeth.
“Chun Hong can still leave the palace? Could it be she got a job as a procurement maid?” Chen Shun’an asked strangely.
Once entering the deep palace, deeper than the sea, these palace maids, unless they grew old and became faded beauties, had little chance of leaving the palace in their lifetime.
At most, on the second day of each month, an old eunuch would act as go-between to notify family, meeting at a remote spot south of the city moat, talking and passing things through fence gates.
“Not clear, the letter didn’t say, just mentioned serving a certain noble person in the palace, leaving together, and will come to Wuqing County.”
Wan Niang seemed extremely happy, walking with wind in her step, preparing to go to the market to stock up on Chun Hong’s favorite foods and snacks in advance.
While Chen Shun’an watched Wan Niang’s back, his gaze deep.
Although Wan Niang had mentioned in letters things between her and Chen Shun’an, he still had no idea how Chun Hong would view the two of them.
Children grow up, especially entering the palace and contacting all sorts of people, associating with nobles and aristocrats, inevitably feeling intense tearing between suddenly expanded horizons and humble origins.
And this tearing easily distorted a person.
Moreover, Chen Shun’an still had one thing on his mind.
After so long, Wan Niang’s belly still showed no sign.
It wasn’t that Chen Shun’an insisted on leaving bloodline, having heirs under him, some special traditional obsession.
Rather, both he and Wan Niang had no hidden illness, and their qi and blood flowed smoothly; by rights, Wan Niang should have been pregnant long ago.
“Could it be my strength is too great, making it hard for Wan Niang to conceive? No, even martial dao grandmasters can pair with mortals to bear offspring, no reproductive barrier… Could it be related to my divine status?”
Chen Shun’an’s gaze flickered, thoughts turning.
No offspring meant no weakness.
But this was actually a double-edged sword, especially for someone mixing in officialdom and workplace, hoping to rise.
You have no heirs, no bad habits, what, want to be an fearless clean official?
Want to chop me too?
Voluntarily handing handles to superiors allows them to trust you more.
…
Arrived at Nanguan Street.
The sky gradually brightened, a long line already queued outside the Crouching Tiger Well, water seekers coming from all directions, just like rushing for the first temple incense.
There were woodcutters on crutches, pale-faced scholars.
Even more, some carried on door panels by family.
The person on the door panel had sunken eye sockets, ashen face, skin and bones, body emitting a sickly sweet rotten smell, caused by long-term use of Fragrant Heart Clearing Paste.
“Dad, this isn’t a disease, it’s incurable! Throw me to the mass grave, your son is unfilial, don’t want to burden you!”
The smoker coughed a few times, voice weak.
“What are you saying, kid! Even if your dad smashes pots and sells iron, I’ll break your addiction!”
The sedan curtain lifted, Chen Shun’an stepped down slowly.
Niu Dabiao stayed close, hand on knife, standing silently like an iron pagoda.
“Shopkeeper Chen is here!”
“Master Chen, how much five-colored sweet dew today?”
Seeing Chen Shun’an, these people surged like tide toward the blue cloth sedan.
“Make way!”
“Maintain order, don’t crowd!”
Seven or eight newly recruited water carriers, each burly, eyes like bronze bells, roared, and the noisy crowd instantly quieted.
Facing the crowd’s burning gazes, Chen Shun’an smiled and cupped hands, saying,
“Same old rules, the crouching well has spirit, cannot be disturbed, only twenty cups per day, draw lots from the lot cylinder, the fated get it, water fee one tael of silver per cup.”
As soon as the words fell, Sun Xiao respectfully placed a deep purple bamboo lot cylinder on the table.
That lot cylinder was ancient, emitting a ghostly light.
This ‘five-colored sweet dew’, naturally was the product of Chen Shun’an packaging Ran Yi Calming Water.
Served in thumb-sized wine cups, one cup one tael, but not every cup of five-colored sweet dew was effective.
Some were turbid water, some fresh water, some sweet water; only the extremely few fated, with utmost sincerity, could obtain the diluted Ran Yi Calming Water.
Of course, as for who is fated, what counts as sincere.
The final say rested in Chen Shun’an’s hands.
“I’m first!”
This person had guarded outside the Crouching Tiger Well since dusk yesterday, sleeping on the ground.
He immediately rushed up, decisively pulled out one tael of broken silver, handed to San Dezi who was temporarily handling money.
San Dezi put the silver into the merit box, then handed him the deep purple bamboo cylinder on the table.
Bamboo lots collided, making scattered crisp sounds.
Fell to ground, reading the lot—
“Try again.”
The person was stunned, put the wood lot back in the lot cylinder, quickly shook again.
Clatter, one bamboo lot emerged.
Reading the lot—
“One color turbid water, two buckets.”
“How is it turbid water?!”
The person’s hand gripped the wood lot tightly, a flash of angry shame in his eyes, subconsciously wanting to say something, but seeing the menacing water carriers nearby, his fiery temperament instantly cooled.
He didn’t leave, just stood aside, watching the next water seeker, to see what number he drew!
Chen Shun’an saw this, smilingly called a water carrier, had him quickly fetch water from the Grit Well, deliver to this person’s home.
Turbid water that could only sell for 20 coppers now skyrocketed in value to one tael of silver.
“Must get five-colored sweet dew, must show spirit!”
Next, a sallow-faced middle-aged man knelt before the table, recited all the gods and Buddhas’ names, then tremblingly shook the lot cylinder.
Moments later, bamboo lot fell.
Reading the lot—
“Nothing happens.”
“Sigh… guess I wasn’t sincere enough, must come tomorrow to grab first water.”
The person was somewhat regretful, shook his head and stood, didn’t leave, like the first one stood nearby, watching the subsequent people.
From start to finish, Chen Shun’an smilingly watched these water seekers.
Some joyful, some worried, some self-blaming to no avail.
The lots on that cylinder included ‘Try again’, ‘Nothing happens’, ‘One color turbid water two buckets’, ‘Two color fresh water two buckets’, ‘Three color well water one bucket’, ‘Four color sweet water two cups’…
And the final ‘five-colored sweet dew’, was genuine Ran Yi Calming Water.
Of course, diluted with water.
“Got it, got it! I got five-colored sweet dew!! My child is saved!”
A hoarse cry tore through the clamor.
Only to see an old man with graying hair, ragged clothes, hands high raising a bamboo lot, trembling all over in excitement.
His cheeks were sunken, eye sockets deep black, clearly from long-term malnutrition and worry.
The others seeing this, couldn’t help swallowing saliva.
The Well Immortal showed spirit?
Chen Shun’an took the other’s bamboo lot, carefully verified, then nodded,
“Old man, your heart pious and will sincere, moved the Well Immortal, I’ll fetch the water.”
With that, Chen Shun’an went to the Crouching Tiger Well under the banyan tree, took the ladle to scoop water.
Burning cinnabar yellow paper, muttering incantations, even pointing fingers like a pen, hovering an inch above the water surface, drawing in the air.
