Chapter 30

Chapter 30

At this moment, Nan Shuyi could smell Jiang Yicen's hair fragrance. After being pushed through the door, they stood behind the threshold.

Jiang Yicen peered through the crack in the door to check the commotion outside, while Nan Shuyi stood behind him. His hair was slightly longer than on their wedding day, but his neck was still exposed, his skin glowing fair. Nan Shuyi's hand was held by Jiang Yicen, and he gently squeezed back a little, noticing at this moment that Jiang Yicen's fingers were slender, smooth, and soft.

Jiang Yicen didn't notice the burning gaze of the person behind him, a look that seemed to want to devour him…

When he turned around to speak to Nan Shuyi, he nearly bumped into the tip of his nose. Jiang Yicen paused: "They're… gone."

To avoid getting too close to Nan Shuyi, he leaned his head back, only to have his head hit the old door. But he felt no pain—a hand was cushioned behind his head. It was Nan Shuyi, who had lifted his palm to support it.

He let out a relieved sigh in front of Jiang Yicen: "Master Jiang, be careful."

Jiang Yicen felt a bit embarrassed: "…You were too close just now." So close that his heartbeat had become irregular.

The back door of the Yun family ancestral home wasn't open to the public, but Jiang Yicen remembered its location from memory. He was just taking a gamble on whether this door could still be pushed open as before.

This was the back door of the Yun residence, used for deliveries of vegetables and firewood, and for servants to come and go. There used to be a gatekeeper stationed here, and the door was always open.

When he lived in the Yun family, he had a younger cousin who was close to him and would sneak out through this back door to buy snacks. That was the door they used.

Whenever they sneaked out, they would distract the gatekeeper in some way, run out, and then sneak back in when someone else entered.

This was the craziest, most outrageous thing he had done when he was learning from his maternal grandfather.

He was just testing his luck, never expecting that eighty-eight years later, this door would still be there, and not even completely locked.

Nan Shuyi's hand was still held by Jiang Yicen, who didn't seem to realize he was still holding it. And Nan Shuyi had no intention of reminding him—he quite enjoyed this state.

Jiang Yicen was wearing thin clothes today, his fingers slightly cool, brushing against the warmth of Nan Shuyi's palm.

Seeing Jiang Yicen's slight unease, Nan Shuyi asked, "Where is this?"

Jiang Yicen explained: "This is the back door of the Yun family ancestral home. It was used for delivering vegetables, firewood, and for servants to come and go."

Looking at the ancient architecture and the high walls, Nan Shuyi said, "It feels like being in a grand mansion. Wouldn't living here be a bit oppressive?"

Jiang Yicen glanced at the buildings not far away: "Let's go in and see, shall we?"

A thought struck Nan Shuyi: "Master Jiang, do you think we're sneaking in without tickets now? Trespassing?"

Jiang Yicen stiffened—he really hadn't thought about buying tickets. But he knew Nan Shuyi was teasing him.

To be honest, this was like returning to his second hometown. He never thought he'd need a ticket to come back. He couldn't help but curl his lips slightly.

He squinted and replied, "You call me Master Jiang. Why would I need to buy a ticket to return to my own home? And naturally, it's not trespassing."

Nan Shuyi hadn't expected to be rebutted. It felt like they were playing along in a cosplay game.

He came up with one idea after another, playing along: "So, Master Jiang, are you heading back to the study to read or going to the backyard to catch birds?"

Jiang Yicen: "Naturally, I'm going to find my father and have him sell off this insolent servant."

Nan Shuyi grabbed Jiang Yicen's wrist in return, raising an eyebrow in mock displeasure: "I'm the insolent servant?"

Jiang Yicen's face flushed as he realized he had been holding Nan Shuyi's hand just now, but now the other was holding his instead.

He laughed: "No, you're an honored guest, Mr. Nan."

Nan Shuyi couldn't quite bear the repeated "Mr."—it always made his heart itch.

He loosened his grip on Jiang Yicen's wrist: "I'll forgive you for now."

Jiang Yicen didn't try to break free. The backyard was empty, and they were married. Holding hands was fine, but being aware of their intimacy made him a bit shy.

He tried to compose himself: "Then let me give you a tour of the Yun family ancestral home? Please forgive my insolence, Mr. Nan."

Nan Shuyi didn't continue holding him. When he hadn't noticed, it was okay, but now that he did, it seemed impolite to keep holding hands.

"Lead the way, Master Jiang."

The path they took led to the kitchen area in the backyard.

Jiang Yicen introduced it: "This is the back kitchen."

Now that the Yun family ancestral home was a tourist attraction, the kitchen had no fresh vegetables, chefs, or kitchen helpers. Only some cooking utensils remained—old-fashioned ones, probably for display to show visitors the stove and tools used for cooking.

Nan Shuyi: "This seems quite ordinary? Did they still cook this way during the Republic of China? I thought gas stoves were already around back then."

Jiang Yicen guessed he didn't have a deep understanding of cooking methods during the Republic of China.

"They were available, but not widely used. Most gas stove users were wealthy urban families, foreign expatriates, and in the concessions. In more traditional families like the Yun family, acceptance of new things was limited, so they basically didn't change. Besides, Chinese cuisine tastes better with the flavor of smoke and fire—the true essence comes from cooking it the traditional way."

Nan Shuyi couldn't agree more: "Makes sense. Lately, many people online are searching for local cuisine, tracing the roots of food."

An idea struck Jiang Yicen, and he suggested to Nan Shuyi: "Brother Shuyi, if Liu Dan agrees to join the Emerald Bamboo Restaurant, you could also introduce a Republic of China-themed menu. Let diners experience what food people ate during that era."

Nan Shuyi thought for a moment and said, "That's possible. A Republic of China-style Cantonese restaurant theme could work. When we get back, we'll need to gather more distinctive Cantonese dishes from that period. As expected of a top student who studied in the U.S.—quick-witted."

Jiang Yicen didn't really want to bring up the topic of studying abroad, or the praise that came with it. He looked at the lemonade Nan Shuyi was holding.

"I'm thirsty."

Nan Shuyi took a cup from the bag, tore off the paper from the straw, and inserted it into the lid.

"Here."

Jiang Yicen didn't necessarily need Nan Shuyi to take care of him, but he noticed that Nan Shuyi would instinctively handle small tasks for him. He enjoyed his gentle thoughtfulness.

Jiang Yicen drank the lemonade and said to Nan Shuyi, "Very sweet. Thank you, Mr. Nan."

"You're welcome, young Master Jiang. Next time you want one, I'll buy it for you." Seeing Jiang Yicen drink with his eyes squinting happily, Nan Shuyi thought the lemonade must be very sweet. He made a mental note to learn more beverage-making skills, so the young master wouldn't have to keep drinking from other places and praising theirs.

Jiang Yicen smiled and enthusiastically continued introducing the Yun family ancestral home.

"This is the living quarters of the eldest son of the Yun family. Here is his bedroom, and the outer room is where the attending servants stayed. If the young master needed anything at night, he could call for them.

"Next door is the study. He used to practice calligraphy here. The Yun family had a private school back then; the younger children attended it, while the older ones went to modern schools to learn new knowledge. However, the Yun family patriarch was an official. After retiring, he had time to teach his grandchildren. He favored those with good handwriting and good poems."

Listening to Jiang Yicen recount the Yun family's affairs as if he had lived there, Nan Shuyi wondered how he knew so much.

He said, "The bookshelves in the study look a bit old."

Jiang Yicen: "These bookshelves were probably brought from elsewhere to fill the space. The old master had a large collection of antiques. Their bookshelves were understated but luxurious. His descendants certainly wouldn't leave these antiques lying around here to collect dust."

Although it was a private tourist attraction, the staff weren't very thorough in their maintenance. The living quarters were covered in dust, with cobwebs on the beams.

Nan Shuyi pulled Jiang Yicen out: "There are spider webs. Let's go. This place isn't clean."

Jiang Yicen looked up and said, "Mhm."

He had come to the Yun Family Ancestral Residence just to feel nostalgic for the days he lived here, to remember his grandfather's kindness. If possible, he wanted to offer incense at the Yun family ancestral hall for his grandfather.

But this place had already become a tourist attraction; he feared the ancestral hall no longer held the Yun family's ancestors.

The heir's residence they had visited was just one part of the architecture. Continuing on, there were other courtyards. This particular courtyard had been converted into an exhibition hall, displaying calligraphy and paintings by a modern calligrapher from Ningzhou. However, the layout of this courtyard was different from the others.

Standing here, Nan Shuyi could feel the scholarly atmosphere of the Republic of China era.

In front of a courtyard gate grew several winter plum trees, with tags showing their age.

Ahead lay a pond where plump, vibrantly colored koi fish swam. Neatly arranged stones were placed around the pond, and rows of slender bamboo stalks lined the edges of the courtyard walls. The bamboo leaves were emerald green, rustling in the wind. The entire courtyard was tastefully laid out, elegant and refined.

Nan Shuyi stepped a little further inside but saw no signs for this courtyard, only the sign reading "Bamboo Fragrance Pavilion" hanging above the door.

"Bamboo Fragrance Pavilion—the owner of this courtyard really likes bamboo. They planted a lot. They're not afraid of bugs?"

Jiang Yicen said, "You won't notice them unless you loiter in the bamboo grove. Besides, these are ornamental bamboos. The servants take care of them, so the young masters and young ladies rarely get bitten by insects."

Nan Shuyi nodded. "That's true. The Yun family used to be a big family with many servants and a comfortable lifestyle."

Jiang Yicen smiled without explaining. When he lived with the Yun family, his grandfather indeed retained some old-fashioned habits from the previous era, but he also embraced new ideas and treated the servants kindly.

He asked Nan Shuyi, "Do you like it here?"

Nan Shuyi replied, "I can't say if I like it or not. It's quite comfortable. Living here would be nice, having a courtyard all to oneself."

Jiang Yicen looked around. There was no trace of his life here anymore; all his belongings had been removed.

Nevertheless, this place left him with many memories of studying. His grandfather would teach him difficult poems and make him practice eight-part essays. Given a choice, he wouldn't have wanted to learn.

Nan Shuyi found himself growing fond of this courtyard. After looking around, he noticed a line of cute, rounded characters carved into a pillar, as if carved by a young child with very little strength.

He waved at Jiang Yicen, who was standing in front of the calligraphy. "Yicen, come look at this."

Jiang Yicen walked over. "What is it?"

"These few lines down here—were they carved by a child?"

Jiang Yicen immediately recognized those childish scribbles as his own little complaints, carved when he first came to the Yun family, wanting to escape studying but having no one to confide in.

At that moment, Nan Shuyi took out his phone and photographed those lines from several angles.

"This kid is quite cute."

Not only did he comment, but he also read the lines aloud.

"Don't want to study today. Want to sleep."

"Want to eat Master Liu's lion's head meatballs."

"Cousin said bad things about Second Brother. I drew a big turtle on his new clothes."

"Why are you taking pictures?" Jiang Yicen felt inexplicably embarrassed, his toes curled in embarrassment.

The indoor light was dim, so Nan Shuyi didn't notice Jiang Yicen's reddening cheeks.

He continued, "It's so cute. No one else found it, only me. I have to take photos as a souvenir."

Jiang Yicen couldn't stop him. To hide his awkwardness, he took a big gulp of lemonade, choked, and started coughing.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Seeing this, Nan Shuyi patted his back gently. "You can't even drink water without choking? Better?"

After a few coughs, Jiang Yicen was fine. Nan Shuyi didn't think his red face was from the photos, thinking it was from coughing, and wondered if he had choked badly.

He asked, worried, "Did a lemon seed get stuck?"

Jiang Yicen shook his head. "No, just drank too fast. I'm fine now."

Nan Shuyi took his lemonade, threw it into a nearby trash bin, and sighed. "It's a miracle you survived in America."

Jiang Yicen was puzzled. "Why do you say that?"

Nan Shuyi replied, "Can you really take care of yourself?"

Jiang Yicen nodded. "Of course I can."

Nan Shuyi suddenly remembered that when Jiang Yicen shared a bed with him, he had called out a name—something like "Yuan Shu." The thought inexplicably dampened his mood. Maybe he wasn't the only one who could take care of Jiang Yicen.

During the rest of the tour of the Yun family residence, Nan Shuyi became noticeably quieter.

Jiang Yicen, also uncomfortable from choking, didn't say much either.

They followed the signs toward the ancestral hall, but when they arrived, it was fenced off with a chain and padlock on the gate. All that greeted Jiang Yicen were the words "No Entry."

The two walked from the back courtyard all the way to the front. Nan Shuyi scanned a QR code at the entrance to buy two additional tickets, and they exited the Yun Family Ancestral Residence.

On the return trip to Lincheng, they didn't take the high-speed train but used their own car. The driver had driven the car from Lincheng.

Nan Shuyi's mood only dipped for a moment. After getting in the car, he noticed that Jiang Yicen kept looking back at the Yun residence, his spirits remained low.

Nan Shuyi thought about asking who "Yuan Shu" was, but instead told the driver to stop in front of a well-known local snack shop.

He got out and returned to the car with a bag of local treats.

He handed a pack of aniseed beans to Jiang Yicen. "Want some aniseed beans?"

Jiang Yicen's face immediately lit up. "Yes."

Nan Shuyi's eyebrows relaxed. He thought, "Xiao Liuzi is not only emotional but also easy to cheer up."

That evening, a trending topic appeared on social media related to Nan Shuyi in Ningzhou: "Nan Shuyi holding hands with a mysterious man while strolling through Ningzhou!"

At night, Nan Shuyi saw the trending topic. Not only did he acknowledge the trend, but he also posted on Weibo about Ningzhou.

[Today I visited the Yun Family Ancestral Residence and unexpectedly found a cross-era 'message' from a young master from the Republican era. I only had time to find three.]