Chapter 34: Borrowing Lodging
The sun slanted west, and the cold wind scattered the snow on the roof tiles, seeming to blow away two parts of the hustle and bustle of Pig Slaughter Alley.
A ball of white smoke rose from the dumpling stall.
Perhaps feeling sorry for the three youngsters sitting in the cold wind, the old woman picked up a cage of dumplings and placed it on the small table.
“If you buy a lot, I’ll give you one cage.”
“Thank you, old lady.”
Xiao Yi generously picked up his chopsticks and ate. Without Guo Xin, the dumplings didn’t taste as fragrant as before.
After eating, he looked at the sky and took out five copper coins, placing them on the table.
“Let’s go, there’ll be a curfew soon.”
Guo Xin asked, “What about Zhan Zhao?”
“He’s probably still hiding. We’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll help you.”
“Young Master, where are we going?”
Xiao Yi looked around and said, “Liuxi Alley…”
It was nearing Shen Shi (3-5 PM).
In Liuxi Alley, shouts of sharpening knives and chopping vegetables could be heard, along with the clamor of women haggling with peddlers over half a copper coin.
The three slowly walked in and stopped by an old well.
The well curb was deeply grooved from ropes, and next to it was a dilapidated stone trough. People drawing water complained about the weather and grain prices.
The third house at the end of the alley was a small courtyard enclosed by a bamboo fence, and the courtyard gate was locked from the outside.
In the neighboring courtyard, an old man was sitting by the door weaving a bamboo basket, not looking up.
“Hey, I thought it was the two children from the banner guards who had returned.”
A woman drawing water turned around, sized up Guo Xin and Guo Zongyi, and smiled, “They’re much prettier than the Hua family’s two children. They look fortunate.”
Xiao Yi raised his hand and pointed at Hua Nong’s home, asking, “Auntie, are you saying this house has two children?”
“Yes, they’re siblings too, the same age as these two. It’s a shame his wife thinks he’s useless and ran back to her parents’ home outside the city with the children. That happened just a few days ago.”
“Why didn’t he go out of the city to persuade her back?”
“He’s got errands to run every day. I’m telling you, this household is getting more and more dilapidated. The man has no spirit. The doctor said his poor eyesight is because… what was it? Oh, liver and kidney deficiency, insufficient essence and blood. He’s deficient at his core, so he can’t muster any energy for anything.”
Xiao Yi asked, “Hearing Auntie say he’s from the banner guards, I thought he’d be drinking and eating with his comrades and neglecting his family.”
“Which soldier bothers to interact with him? He speaks slowly and is so bookish. If I listen to him talk, my man will be happier than a king.”
“Mother!” A child’s shout came from the alley, “The feces are frozen, why hasn’t the water been brought back yet?!”
“Coming! Why are you yelling so loud? Your mother is rarely chatting with the young master…”
Xiao Yi, supported by Guo Xin, leaned against the rough adobe wall and sat on a stone at the corner of the wall.
A scrawny stray dog was digging for food, and Xiao Yi’s presence scared it away.
Guo Zongyi whispered very softly, “We are aunt and nephew, not siblings.”
This child really remembered what the adults said.
After waiting for a while, they heard the loud-voiced woman call from afar, “The banner guard is back, how did you manage for dinner?”
“Seventh Aunt, thank you for your concern. I gnawed on a Hu Bing at the city tower.”
“The end of the year is approaching. You look so lonely, it’s pitiful.”
“Alas.”
Xiao Yi stood up and turned around the earthen wall.
Hua Nong had returned alone, fumbling for his key and bringing his face close to the lock to open it.
“Hua Changxing.”
“Ah!”
Hua Nong was startled, squinted, and then recognized him. He was instantly astonished and stood frozen.
After a long pause, a hint of joy appeared in his narrow eyes.
“School Secretary Xiao? You actually came?! Oh my, this… this…”
“As I promised to discuss scholarship, I apologize for the intrusion.”
“Yes, yes.” Hua Nong was momentarily incoherent and quickly stepped aside, saying, “School Secretary Xiao’s presence brings glory to my humble abode. Please come in, please come in.”
The small courtyard was not large and was very tidy. Firewood was piled in a corner, and some withered reeds and dried radishes hung under the eaves.
Entering the main room, the first smell was of inferior ink.
Besides ordinary objects, there was a broken square table, two broken stools, and some books and rolled-up flags piled in the corner. An old headwear and an old bow hung on the wall. The door curtain to the inner room hung low, and it was quiet, clearly with no women or children at home.
Xiao Yi scanned quickly. Seeing no anomalies, he beckoned Guo Zongyi and Guo Xin to come in.
“These are my servants, Ming Yan and Qing Wen.”
Hua Nong narrowed his eyes. Probably because he couldn’t see clearly in the dim light, he smiled and nodded.
“My home is simple and crude, truly inconveniencing School Secretary Xiao. This subordinate will now burn tea and fetch water… no, no, it’s boil water and make tea.”
He hurried to the cold stove and fumbled, clumsily trying to start a fire, but couldn’t get it going. He was so nervous and embarrassed that his head nearly buried itself in the stove.
“Please wait, please wait. My wife is coincidentally not here…”
“I’ll do it.”
Xiao Yi stepped forward, took the flint and fire striker, struck them a couple of times, and lit the tinder.
Hua Nong looked awkwardly at the bare-walled house, his face slightly flushed. He quickly rummaged in a cabinet, found a porcelain bottle, and from it took out a cloth bundle. After unfolding many layers, he finally produced his treasured pressed tea.
“This is this subordinate’s treasured… it’s aged Guzhu Zisun. I only hope it doesn’t slight School Secretary Xiao.”
Finally, the tea was brewed, and the room gained some warmth.
Xiao Yi took out three scrolls of books from his luggage and placed them on the desk.
“Coming to your door uninvited, it’s not good to come empty-handed. I have nothing of value, only a few books. Hua Changxing, please don’t dislike them.”
“How can I accept this?”
Hua Nong instinctively refused, but as his gaze fell on the scrolls, he couldn’t help but lean closer to look at the text.
Afterward, he became excited like a hungry man encountering delicacies.
“This! Is this the work of Wang Gongrenyu?! It must have been completed not long ago! This… this is too valuable!”
Of course, it was valuable. Not to mention that these three scrolls cost him a year and a half’s salary, but the sentiment behind them was even rarer.
His voice trembled. He wanted to reach out and touch them, but felt it was too presumptuous. He vigorously wiped his hands on his clothes before carefully picking up one scroll. He held it like a precious treasure, squinting as he looked at it, almost pressing his face to the pages.
Xiao Yi smiled slightly and said, “A precious sword is given to a hero, and good books are given to kindred spirits. I see Hua Changxing as a lover of books; it’s better for them to be with you than gathering dust in my luggage.”
“Kindred spirit? I dare not, I absolutely dare not.”
Hua Nong gently caressed the pages with affection, afraid of smudging the ink.
“School Secretary Xiao is a Jinshi (advanced scholar). This subordinate hasn’t even been to a proper school. I can’t understand the classics, history, or philosophy. I just like reading miscellaneous books, looking at past dynasties’ old stories, market scenes, and mountain and river experiences… Please forgive me for my ignorance.”
“Everyone has their own aspirations. Why must you force yourself down the path of the imperial examinations? I see that Hua Changxing’s speech is refined, does it seem like you have a learned family background?”
“Alas, it’s a shame to speak of it. My late father served in the military in his early years, and through his merits, he rose to become the Captain of the Third Command of the Left Wing of the Imperial Guards. He risked his life to build this small family fortune here in Tokyo. He had a basic understanding of literature and respected scholars the most. He hoped I would cultivate both martial and civil skills and bring glory to the family. Unfortunately, I am useless, my eyes are not good, and my martial arts are mediocre. When my father was alive, he promoted me to junior officer. These years, I have fallen to the rank of flag bearer, which is truly a disgrace to my ancestors.”
Xiao Yi seized the opportunity to ask, “Was it due to the ostracism of your superiors?”
“No, no, it’s because I’m incompetent. Leader Sun has always taken care of me and often asked me to help manage documents. It’s just… there are many things I can’t do.”
“Then with the recent major changes in the capital, has this Leader Sun been promoted or demoted?”
“You can even predict this? School Secretary Xiao, you are truly like Zhuge Liang reborn. Just today, he was promoted to the Commander of the Third Command.”
Xiao Yi exclaimed, “As far as I know, the commander of the Imperial Guards, Wang Yin, is under Shi Hongzhao. He was not implicated?”
Hua Nong actually knew a little and whispered, “Leader Sun’s promotion has its own channels.”
Xiao Yi leaned forward, as if to listen intently.
Seeing his interest, Hua Nong hesitated for a moment and said, “Leader Sun’s promotion order was directly issued by the Bureau of Military Affairs.”
“Did he seek refuge with the Acting Minister of Works, Su Sikong?”
Hua Nong shook his head, “No, he sought refuge with the Commander of the Right Wing, General Nie, and concurrently served as an imperial edict official for the Bureau of Military Affairs.”
“I see. ” Xiao Yi asked, “Didn’t Hua Changxing take this opportunity to seek a promotion?”
“Alas, the current atmosphere in the military is one where generals curry favor with the powerful and embezzle military funds, while soldiers bully the good and engage in arson and looting. I don’t know how to flatter, nor can I bring myself to be ruthless, so I constantly hit walls. If I were promoted, it would only cause trouble.”
As Hua Nong spoke, a look of world-weariness and melancholy reappeared on his face.
“I am merely a useless person.”
Xiao Yi picked up his teacup and took a sip, saying calmly, “This is not your fault. The fault lies with the chaotic world, the division into feudatories, and the breakdown of propriety and order.”
Upon hearing this, Hua Nong felt as if he had found a kindred spirit. He nodded and sighed deeply, “The world has been in disarray for decades. Since my birth, I have seen the breakdown of social order, continuous warfare, and the suffering of the people. I truly don’t know when it will end. I have read many books, but still cannot find an answer.”
Xiao Yi said, “The general trend of the world is that that which has been divided for a long time will unite, and that which has been united for a long time will divide. This is the principle of rise and fall. Now that chaos is extreme, people yearn for order. Prosperity for the world… is not far off.”
“Long divided, then united; long united, then divided?”
Hua Nong murmured the eight characters, his narrowed eyes suddenly widening, a look of shock appearing on his face.
He suddenly stood up, wanting to search for something. His knee hit the desk, but he didn’t even feel the pain.
“This statement is brilliant, it cuts to the heart of the rise and fall of dynasties throughout the ages, like the sun breaking through the clouds. I must record it, record it. Where are my paper and ink? My paper and ink…”
Xiao Yi then took out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from his luggage.
Hua Nong was anxious. He ground the ink with tea water and, picking up his brush, buried his head in writing.
“The general trend of the world is that that which has been divided for a long time will unite…”
To him, each stroke was like a ray of dawn after a long period of despair, bringing hope to his eyes.
Seeing this, Xiao Yi gained a deeper understanding of this man born in chaotic times.
After a while, Hua Nong stopped writing. He strained to open his narrowed eyes and looked at Xiao Yi with a look of eager thirst for knowledge, asking, “School Secretary Xiao, you said ‘Prosperity for the world is not far off.’ What do you mean by that?”
“The great trend is like a tide, vast and mighty. We should follow heaven and human will, end the chaotic times, and rebuild order…”
“Good, good.”
Hua Nong was moved and softly praised, writing as he listened.
His brush strokes were vigorous. As he finished writing the word “order,” Xiao Yi’s voice abruptly stopped.
“And then?”
“It’s getting dark.” Xiao Yi looked up at the sky. “Time passes so quickly.”
Hua Nong was stunned. He squinted at the sky, then at the words on the paper, a sense of inexplicable sadness appearing on his face.
A long while.
“This subordinate will see School Secretary Xiao out.”
Xiao Yi, however, did not leave. He asked, “Kaifeng has a curfew, and traveling at night is difficult. Can the three of us stay here for the night?”
In an instant, panic and difficulty appeared in Hua Nong’s narrow eyes.
“This…”
Xiao Yi’s eyes darkened. He nodded and sighed, “It seems you know.”
“This subordinate… is just guessing.” Hua Nong lowered his head and murmured, “School Secretary Xiao, you… you are actually not a School Secretary, are you?”
“You didn’t ask why I didn’t come yesterday, so you knew from the beginning?”
“Yes, this morning the Imperial Guards Command issued a written order about an escaped criminal impersonating an official.”
“Are you planning to escort me to earn merit?”
“No, no, no.” Hua Nong shook his head repeatedly, anxiously saying, “I would never do that. You are definitely not an evil person.”
“We’ve only met once, and you believe me?”
“I believe you!”
“Then you also think this Imperial Court is unjust, killing innocents and persecuting the good, don’t you?”
“I…”
Hua Nong wanted to speak but stopped.
Xiao Yi knew he was afraid of being implicated. He sighed slightly, stood up, and bowed. “It has been a pleasant conversation. Goodbye.”
The evening drum had already sounded, and the long street outside Liuxi Alley was under strict guard. After leaving, he would have to find another place to hide.
Before he could leave, Hua Nong’s voice suddenly came from behind him.
“My humble abode is simple and crude. If the Young Master and your esteemed servants do not disdain it, staying for a night is also… also permissible.”
