Chapter 134 City Streets 34

Chapter 134: City Life in the Prefecture 34

Meeting Chen Sanxi in the prefecture city was a rare joy for Cui Lanfang, seeing an old acquaintance so far from home. She often invited him over for meals.

The boy had a difficult life, orphaned in the village. He was fortunate to be adopted by an old hunter, but the hunter also passed away early. Growing up fending for himself, he had done all kinds of hard labor from a young age.

Cui Lanfang knew he was a good, diligent boy. Back in the village, he often helped them with their crops and was skilled at all sorts of work.

Now, as an escort guard, and having taken the chief escort as his master, his days of hardship had finally come to an end.

Another couple of weeks passed, and the prefecture city grew even colder. The residents had all switched to heavy cotton clothing, bundled up like puffy dumplings.

"I think the prefecture city is colder than Fushui Town. I wonder if it will snow when winter sets in?"

Cui Lanfang sat by the charcoal brazier, her hands red from the heat. Across from her, Qin Banban and Liu Guyu were also sitting, their faces flushed pink.

Qin Banban said, "I asked my teacher today. She said it usually starts snowing every year after the Minor Cold season. The snow isn’t heavy—just light flurries that don’t accumulate too thickly on the ground, so it doesn’t affect travel. But it is cold, so we’ll need to dress warmly those days."

Cui Lanfang nodded. "That’s good, that’s good. This year’s winter clothes are already made, with new cotton, and they’re nice and thick! But from what Doctor Fang said, it seems our old winter clothes from previous years might not be enough. I’ll have to find time to make each of you another set to change into!"

Now that the family had money, there was no need to skimp on food or clothing. They shouldn't deprive themselves.

Just then, Qin Rongshi came in from outside and said to Liu Guyu, "The bath is ready. Go take your bath."

As the only man in the household, he handled all the heavy chores.

What did it matter if he had ranked first in the county exams? He still had to get up before dawn to fill the two large water jars at home before leaving for the academy.

Liu Guyu, comfortable by the fire, was reluctant to move. He dragged his feet getting up.

Cui Lanfang called after him, "Hurry up! Don’t catch a cold!"

Liu Guyu nodded, went to his room to fetch clean clothes, and headed to the bathhouse.

The bathhouse was newly built—a narrow space, sealed tight on all sides, with a tight roof that let in no cold air.

A bucket of hot water had been sitting inside for a while, filling the room with steam. It didn’t feel so cold once he stepped in.

Liu Guyu washed quickly, put on clean underclothes, threw on his winter coat, and hurried out of the bathhouse.

Only after stepping outside did he notice that Cui Lanfang and her daughter had already returned to their rooms. Only Qin Rongshi remained by the brazier, holding a book.

Liu Guyu had tied his hair up high with a wooden hairpin. Having lived in ancient times for years, he had finally learned to use hairpins, though he still preferred hair ties normally.

With his hair tied high, he tilted his head to look at Qin Rongshi. Moisture still glistened on his face, making him look like a drenched young poplar—clean and full of vitality.

"Erlang? Not asleep yet? Reading in such dim light is bad for your eyes."

Qin Rongshi closed his book at the sound and glanced over at him.

The charcoal embers cast a flickering light, and wisps of smoke softened the sharp, handsome lines of his profile. Yet, his gaze through the smoke remained intense, burning like a torch, hinting at something indescribable.

Liu Guyu touched the tip of his nose, feeling self-conscious, and averted his eyes.

He shouldn’t have asked.

Liu Guyu felt a headache coming on—must be from tying his hair too tightly.

He removed the hairpin, and his hair cascaded down loosely. He shook his head and casually ruffled it with his fingers a few times, then used a cloth to wipe his damp temples. "I’m going to bed now," he said hurriedly before retreating to his room.

After he left, Qin Rongshi finally withdrew his gaze, silently extinguished the brazier, and then took his book and the oil lamp hanging by the kitchen door back to his room.

Soon, the courtyard was enveloped in darkness.

Liu Guyu peeked through the crack in his door and saw Qin Rongshi carrying the lamp back to his room.

"Hmm... could he have left the lamp out just for me?"

The bathhouse was quite far from his room, separated by the kitchen and main hall. Without a lamp, he would have had to fumble through the dark.

As he pondered, Liu Guyu rubbed his hair dry with a cloth, tousling it into a messy heap—a perfect reflection of his tangled-up feelings.

Another night of restless dreams.

*

Though the weather was cold, the streets were still filled with young folks chatting about which shop had beautiful fox fur or which place had new tasty treats.

With autumn arrived, Liu's Eatery had replaced its cold dishes, replacing them with hot soups and warm meals.

Recently, they introduced red bean milk mochi and sweet potato baked custard, which were very popular. Many young ladies and gentlemen would stop by with friends to try them.

Today, an unexpected visitor arrived—Li Youliang from the neighboring Li family.

Tao Yu delivered the order, then turned back repeatedly before entering the small kitchen. "Boss," he said, "Scholar Li is here again! And it’s not even his day off from studies. Why is he here again?"

Liu Guyu was making cookies—chestnut-flavored with creamy notes, shaped like cute little animals such as cats and dogs, aimed at attracting children.

Autumn chestnuts were at their best. He had asked Zhang Yun to buy a basket of large, plump ones from the market. Most were kept in the shop for pastries, chestnut jam, shortbread cookies, and other treats. The rest were taken home for candied chestnuts or braised chicken with chestnuts—a family favorite.

Liu Guyu tasted a freshly baked chestnut cookie and gave one to Tao Yu. "How does it taste?"

Tao Yu nodded eagerly. "Your skills are unmatched! Not too sweet or heavy, not dry or crumbly—just the right balance of milky and chestnut flavors. Perfect!"

"And these little cats and rabbits, so round and plump—adorable! Children probably won’t want to eat them, they’re so cute!"

Liu Guyu chuckled, then wrapped three portions in oiled paper. He gave one to Tao Yu and planned to take the other two home for Qin Rongshi and his sister. Qin Rongshi had a sweet tooth, so these should suit his taste.

He added, "Take this for Ping'an to enjoy."

Tao Yu was surprised and hesitant to accept. "Boss, this is too much! These are expensive, made with eggs and milk and all sorts of good ingredients. You should sell them!"

Liu Guyu insisted, "It’s not much. Take it. Kids love these things, don’t they?"

Tao Yu was moved nearly to tears, thinking to himself how fortunate his family was to have met such good people—the boss and his family were truly kind and righteous!

Liu Guyu pointed to the newly made cookies. "Pack these—twenty pieces per bag, twenty-five coppers each. Display them on the display shelf at the entrance."

A bamboo display shelf stood at the eatery’s entrance, selling candies, fruit jellies, and shortbread cookies for takeaway. Many customers, after dining in, would pick up a couple of new snacks on their way out.

Tao Yu nodded and began packing with oiled paper. Liu Guyu stepped out to look and found that Li Youliang had already left, as if he had only come to eat.

But he had been coming almost daily lately. A few days earlier, he had even asked Tao Yu to call Liu Guyu out to chat. Tao Yu hadn’t relayed the message, saying instead that the boss was too busy with customers, and managed to politely decline.

Tao Yu had quietly told Liu Guyu about this afterward.

Seeing that Li Youliang was gone, Liu Guyu returned to the kitchen to help Tao Yu pack the freshly baked cookies.

After another busy afternoon, as evening approached, Cui Lanfang and Ping'an brought dinner in meal boxes. Once everyone had eaten, Cui Lanfang took the empty bowls and dishes back home, saying she would return early to heat up some water so the children could wash up and rest directly when they got home. Only Ping'an stayed behind to help at the eatery.

In summer, the river breeze was cool, so Liu Guyu had set up several tables and chairs along the riverbank to take advantage of the bustling night market and make some extra cash.

But as autumn set in, the weather grew colder day by day, and night came earlier, making it harder to profit from the night stall. Most people avoided going out at night due to the cold, so during autumn and winter, the eatery closed earlier.

After seeing off the last customer, Liu Guyu called Zhang Yun to write up the shopping list for the next day, gave some instructions, and then left the eatery to head home.

In autumn and winter, darkness came quickly, and he had to rely on the hanging lanterns from nearby stalls to light his way.

The river wind at night was bitterly cold. Even though Liu Guyu was wearing a new cotton-padded jacket and a rabbit fur neck warmer, he didn’t dare take the boat shortcut. He preferred to walk the long way home.

Halfway there, he started to feel uneasy, as if someone was following him.

"Who’s there?"

Liu Guyu’s heart raced. His first instinct was to clutch his money pouch in his pocket, thinking that if it were a robbery, he would rather lose the money than his life—money could be earned back, but you only live once.

His heart pounding, he turned around and saw that it was Li Youliang following behind him.

Liu Guyu let out a sigh of relief, but he remained wary. He frowned at Li Youliang and asked in a low voice, "Scholar Li? Why are you following me?"

Li Youliang chuckled twice, quickened his pace to catch up, and said with a grin, "Boss Liu, you’re reading too much into it. There’s only one road back to Guozixiang—how could I be following you? We’re just heading the same way."

Liu Guyu frowned deeply but didn't say anything else. He turned back and continued walking.

Li Youliang also lived in Guozixiang. If he insisted he was taking this road home, how could Liu Guyu stop him?

Of course, he couldn’t.

He could only keep his distance from Li Youliang, walking on the opposite side of the road, unwilling to engage with him further.

But Li Youliang was shameless. If Liu Guyu walked on the left, he followed on the left; if Liu Guyu moved to the right, he followed on the right. Now, he moved closer with a sly grin.

He even said, "Liu Geer, I bought some butterfly crisps from Babaozhai. Would you like to try one?"

Liu Guyu’s brows furrowed tightly, his lips pressed together in displeasure. "No, thank you. I’ve already eaten."

Li Youliang wasn’t put off by the refusal. He put away the pastries and produced a green cloth headband from his robe.

He added, "I saw this headband at a stall earlier—green, the color reminded me of you. It seemed to suit you perfectly. I bought it especially for you. If you won’t take the pastries, at least accept this!"

Liu Guyu looked down and saw it was indeed a green printed headband. As for the print?

It depicted an osmanthus tree with a pair of mandarin ducks resting beneath it.

Li Youliang continued, "This headband is made of fine material—soft and smooth to the touch. I specifically chose this print, and it won’t irritate your skin. It’s for you!"

Liu Guyu was equal parts angry and amused.

Even though he was a transmigrator, he knew that in this world, no unrelated man would gift a headband to a Ge'er (a male commoner). Only shameless scoundrels would do such a thing.

Liu Guyu took a step back and glared coldly at Li Youliang. "Scholar Li, what do you think you're doing? You have a wife at home, nine months pregnant, due any day now, isn’t she?"

Li Youliang seemed oblivious to the anger in his eyes. He grinned cheekily and moved closer, even reaching out to grab Liu Guyu’s hand.

"My wife... ever since she gave birth to our daughter, her figure has changed. Now she’s pregnant again, and her belly is covered with dark, snake-like marks... Tsk, just thinking about it makes me sick... Ah, let’s not talk about her. I’ve heard your husband died long ago, and you’re a widower. Don’t you ever think about... you know? Why not be with me..."

He chuckled and reached out to grab Liu Guyu's hand, but Liu Guyu swiftly dodged.

Noticing a stack of firewood leaning against the wall on the left side ahead, with a sharp half-arm-length stick stuck in it, Liu Guyu quietly moved closer, thinking that if Li Youliang dared to lay a hand on him again, he'd yank it out and jab him right in the groin.

Just as his hand touched the stick, he suddenly saw two points of light ahead.

"What are you doing?"

It was Qin Rongshi's voice. Liu Guyu recognized it immediately and looked up to see Qin Rongshi standing at the entrance of the alley, wearing dark gray robes.

He held a lantern in his hand, his gaze sharp and fixed on the two of them. The lantern's flame reflected in his eyes, cold as steel, as if he wanted to flay Li Youliang alive.

Liu Guyu dropped the stick and quickly walked toward Qin Rongshi, asking, "Erlang? What are you doing here?"

Qin Rongshi glanced at him and then walked toward Li Youliang.

Li Youliang hadn't expected to run into Qin Rongshi here and felt both embarrassed and guilty. It wasn't until Qin Rongshi was right in front of him that he realized he was still holding the headband.

He hurriedly tried to hide it, but Qin Rongshi yanked it away from him before he could.

Qin Rongshi held the soft headband, examining it carefully by the lantern's light. He quickly made out the osmanthus flowers and the pair of mandarin ducks printed on it.

"…'On the southern hill, a lone osmanthus tree, atop it, a pair of mandarin ducks. For a thousand years, they nestle close, their love never forgotten.'"

Qin Rongshi's tone showed no anger; his voice was pleasant and gentle, as if he were reciting from a book in a study. Yet Li Youliang broke out in a cold sweat as he listened.

Li Youliang trembled and stammered, "Qin... Qin tongxue... I..."

Li Youliang had once been jealous of Qin Rongshi, but at the Double Ninth Poetry Gathering, hiding in the shadows, he watched Qin Rongshi receive praise from the scholars and the education commissioner. He knew then that he could never measure up to him.

As Li Youliang stammered, Qin Rongshi paid him no mind. He set the lantern down against the wall, unfolded the long headband, and lit it from the lantern's flame.

In the next moment, he smiled faintly, forced Li Youliang's palm open, and placed the burning headband into his hand.

"Qin... Qin tongxue! What are you doing? Qin Rongshi!"

Li Youliang panicked. By the time he realized what Qin Rongshi was doing, his wrist was already firmly gripped, and he couldn't pull it back.

Qin Rongshi's strength was overwhelming.

Sparks scorched his hand, causing Li Youliang to alternately clench and splay his hand, screaming in pain.

The headband burned halfway, the flames growing larger. Just as they were about to reach his sleeve, Qin Rongshi finally released his grip.

Brushing off the ash that had landed on his robes, Qin Rongshi glanced coldly at Li Youliang, who was clutching his hand and howling in pain. A faint smile played on his lips as he said, "Classmate Li, you should keep your belongings to yourself. Don't go giving them to the wrong person."

Li Youliang doubled over in pain, but sparks had also caught his sleeve, setting it ablaze. Frantically, he slapped and waved his arm to put out the fire.

The flames died down, and the headband, now trampled on the ground, was extinguished. More than half of it had burned away, leaving only a charred, unrecognizable mess.

Furious and terrified, Li Youliang cradled his right hand, blowing on it repeatedly, on the verge of tears from the pain.

He cried out, "Qin Rongshi! You're pulling rank! So what if you have the academy head's support? So what if the education commissioner favors you? You're bullying a classmate! Ceng Wei was stripped of his scholarly rank for oppressing his peers! What makes you, a County First, so special? I'm going to report you to the education commissioner!"

Qin Rongshi sneered and said, "Go ahead. You'd better go tomorrow."

With that, he picked up the lantern, turned, and walked toward Liu Guyu, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along.

Liu Guyu stumbled forward half a step, quickly catching up as he walked. "It wasn't me... He followed me here!" he explained.

Liu Guyu's voice was like a splash of cool water, quickly extinguishing the fire in Qin Rongshi's chest. He instinctively slowed his pace and turned his face to look at Liu Guyu.

"I know."

Qin Rongshi spoke first, pausing before asking:

"How long has he been harassing you?"

Liu Guyu hurriedly replied, "He’s been coming to the eatery to eat these past few days, but today was the only time he followed me back."

Qin Rongshi fell silent for a moment before saying, "Don’t accept anything he gives you, especially a headband."

After speaking, Qin Rongshi seemed to feel it wasn’t enough. After a moment’s thought, he added, "From now on, I’ll come to the eatery to pick you up every evening."

The current Liu Guyu was not the same as the one who had just transmigrated—he understood these things now. He immediately nodded vigorously, his head bobbing like pounding garlic.

"I know, I know. How could I just accept something like that!"

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered Li Youliang’s earlier words: "This headband is patterned and doesn’t irritate the skin."

Liu Guyu abruptly recalled the headband still tied in his hair—white with green patterns, decorated with willow branches—also a patterned headband.

This headband had been given to him by Qin Rongshi a few years ago.

Patterned… headband…

Was it really just a headband?

Was it really nothing more than that?

He instinctively grasped the dangling willow-patterned headband. It was soft—this was the first gift Qin Rongshi had ever given him, and he had used it for many years.

But how old was Qin Rongshi back then? How could he have understood romantic gestures?

Just as he was touching it and pondering… Qin Rongshi suddenly glanced at Liu Guyu, catching him holding the end of the headband, lost in thought.

Their eyes met. Liu Guyu’s heart pounded, and he quickly let go.

But Qin Rongshi had already seen it. His gaze first fell on the headband draped over Liu Guyu’s shoulder, then locked intently on Liu Guyu.

That gaze was intense, burning hot, overflowing with passionate emotion—fiery, not the least bit concealed or restrained.

After a long moment, he stared unblinkingly at Liu Guyu, looking into his eyes as he said in a low voice, "This one is old. Wait a few days, and I’ll get you a new one."

Liu Guyu was bold, but under that gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to meet Qin Rongshi's eyes. He hurriedly averted his gaze and waved his hands, flustered as he said, "No need! No need!"

Qin Rongshi didn’t respond, only grasped his wrist and continued walking.

Liu Guyu’s gaze followed their linked wrists. Qin Rongshi’s fingers were slender, his palm broad, already able to completely encircle Liu Guyu’s wrist tightly, making his own wrist appear particularly slender in contrast.

It was already October. Back in May of this year, Qin Rongshi had already turned eighteen.

He was now taller and stronger than Liu Guyu, a grown man by modern standards.

Liu Guyu mused vaguely.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of bells. His headband, blown by the wind from his shoulder to his back, had several small bells dangling at the end, tinkling faintly, unsettling his heart.

Liu Guyu quietly reached behind his back, carefully grasping the small copper bells.

The bells went silent, but Liu Guyu’s heart did not calm down because of it.

The wind stirred ripples, and the turmoil in his heart swelled, building into a storm.

-----------------------

Author’s Note: ① From: Han Dynasty quatrain.

The willow-patterned headband appears earlier in Chapter 77.

(Rest day tomorrow.)