「The next day at noon, Mute Bay.」
An old, black-canopied boat was moored quietly by the water's edge. It was a tea boat, famous for being both good and cheap. For three cents, you could sit at the bow and drink barley tea all day. At the stern, the stove fire was always burning brightly.
The customers, mostly porters and craftsmen, were scattered in small groups across the deck, chatting idly.
Today was the day the childhood friends from Mute Bay had agreed to meet.
In a corner at the stern, Chen Qing, Liang Badou, Xiaochun, Erya, and Li Hu sat in a circle.
Liang Badou wore a slightly oversized, dark blue long-robe that made him seem less restless than before, giving him a touch of deliberate "maturity."
He cleared his throat and said with an irrepressible hint of pride, "In a bit, someone else is coming."
"Who?" Erya immediately asked, her curiosity piqued.
Chen Qing and the others also looked at him questioningly.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting."
Just then, a clear voice rang out.
They turned to see a figure in black standing at the entrance. The fabric of her silk skirt shimmered with a delicate luster in the sunlight. A plain silver hairpin held her stray hairs neatly in place.
She stood ramrod straight, and even the folds of her skirt seemed to have been arranged with meticulous care.
Chen Qing said, a little uncertain, "Xu Fang?"
The young woman's lips curved into a perfect arc—neither overly warm nor distant. "Brother Qing, it's been a long time."
Their families used to be neighbors. When they were little, they would often hide among the reeds and blow on reed spoons. Whenever the wild ducks by the bank took flight with a flutter of wings, they would burst out laughing, doubling over.
When she was hungry, Chen Qing would grope for wild water caltrops for her in the river fork, often pricking his fingers.
Erya's mouth formed an 'O'. Liang Badou nervously tugged at the rough corner of his own robe, while Xiaochun quickly adjusted his posture, trying to look more presentable.
Li Hu stared at her and sighed. "The change is just too great..."
Xu Fang was also a fisherman's daughter from Mute Bay. Her parents had died in an epidemic three years ago, and she was later taken in by her aunt, who had married into a wealthy family in the city.
After that, the children of Mute Bay never saw her again.
"I happened to run into her at Wang's Rouge Shop last time, so I tried inviting her to the gathering." Liang Badou explained, his voice a few notches higher than usual. "I didn't expect her to actually grace us with her presence."
Xu Fang shook her head gently. "Why be so formal? We all grew up drinking the water of Mute Bay."
Her gaze swept over everyone, lingering on Chen Qing's face for an extra moment. "It's been three years. Everyone has changed."
"You're the one who's changed the most!" Erya said, gesturing dramatically. "Back when you used to follow me around, scrounging for 'Dragon King Rice,' who would have thought..."
Chen Qing noticed Xu Fang's fingers curl slightly under the table, but her face still held a polite smile.
Xiaochun looked at Xu Fang and stammered, "This... If I saw you on the street, I definitely wouldn't have recognized you."
After a round of sighs and exclamations, the atmosphere gradually livened up.
Xu Fang undoubtedly became the center of conversation. No one had expected to see her again today.
No one could have imagined that the timid Xu Fang of the past would reappear with such poise.
Chen Qing quietly sipped his tea on the side, observing.
'Xu Fang has definitely changed the most. Back when she was in Mute Bay, she was timid and couldn't speak fluently. She was always Erya's little follower.'
'Now her words and actions are poised and graceful. Her features have blossomed, and there's a certain elegance in her eyes that makes Liang Badou and Xiaochun keep glancing over at her.'
'Her speech and her whole demeanor are completely different from the rest of them.'
'The next biggest change is Li Hu. After that incident, his father didn't make it through the winter. This series of events has made him withdrawn and quiet; he barely speaks anymore.'
'And Xiaochun, because he's a Xiaolang at Wanbao Hall, has become much more slick in how he deals with people. He knows how to weigh his words now.'
'Erya hasn't changed much. She's still as blunt as ever. She works as a menial maid in a rich household now. Even though her position is low, she's seen a bit of the world, and from time to time she can't help but show off her master's wealth.'
'Liang Badou is doing odd jobs for a relative at the County Yamen while learning to read and write. He deliberately carries himself with a scholarly air, and he can't hide his smugness about "having connections in the Government Office."'
'Looks like Ah Qing isn't doing so well.'
Xiaochun's gaze swept over Chen Qing's faded, worn-out clothes, and he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
'The Chen Family is just a widow and an orphan, with no savings to support Chen Qing's apprenticeship. It's already a feat that they can manage to scrape by.'
Liang Badou seemed to have thought of this as well. With an air of casualness that felt deliberately concerned, he asked, "Ah Qing, I remember you said you wanted to learn martial arts last time. Have you found a master?"
Everyone looked over.
Learning martial arts was one way out. If you succeeded and passed the Martial Arts Examination, you could bring glory to your family and make a name for yourself.
But learning martial arts was too difficult, especially for common folk. For them, it was as hard as ascending to heaven.
In their view, the proper path was to learn a trade to support oneself and earn a steady meal.
Learning martial arts was practically a daydream.
Chen Qing took a sip of tea. "For now, I'm learning martial arts at the Zhou Institute."
"You really went!?"
Erya's eyes widened. "Martial arts is really hard! Not only do you need a good Root Bone, but you also have to eat meat at every meal to have any chance of getting anywhere!"
Xiaochun couldn't help but ask, "How do you know all this?"
"Isn't it what I heard from those few from the Nursing Home?" Erya said. "Besides their leader, who's somewhat respectable, the other two... TSK TSK. For a mouthful of food, they're ordered around all day like dogs. And, they say that tempering your body for years on end leaves you with a host of hidden injuries. They don't live long..."
She suddenly caught the look Li Hu shot her and realized she had been too blunt, so she quickly shut her mouth.
Xu Fang, who had been listening quietly, now also looked toward Chen Qing with a trace of surprise.
'He actually went to learn martial arts?'
At this moment, Liang Badou puffed out his chest. "Ah Qing, if you ask me, you'd be better off just working with me. Once I become a Scribe, I can recommend you for the Strong Class. I can't promise you riches, but I can definitely guarantee you a steady meal."
His words sounded like an offer to help, but his condescending tone made it clear he just wanted to take Chen Qing on as a follower.
Chen Qing shook his head. "No, thanks. I'll stick with learning for now and see."
Erya shook her head, looking at him with an expression of exasperation. "Ah Qing, you're good at everything, but you're just so stubborn."
Seeing Chen Qing refuse, Xiaochun, who was sitting beside him, felt his anxious heart settle back into his stomach. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
'In his eyes, latching onto Liang Badou, this 'small tree by the government office,' is a huge stroke of luck. For Chen Qing to not appreciate the favor... he's a complete fool.'
Li Hu sighed and said, "Learning martial arts is certainly not easy."
He too had once fantasized about changing his fate by learning martial arts, but it was just a fleeting thought.
Xu Fang glanced at Chen Qing, pursing her lips as if she wanted to say something but held back.
'Brother Qing, oh Brother Qing, you still don't see it, do you? This world has long been weaving millions of threads in the shadows. Some are tightening around your neck, some are tangling around your hands and feet, and others are being quietly tied to your very destiny.'
No one thought Chen Qing could succeed in martial arts.
Just as Erya had said, the fate of those guards—ordered around, treated like dogs—might very well be Chen Qing's entire life.
The group chatted for a while longer.
As Liang Badou refilled everyone's cups with the bland tea, he brought up a new topic. "You all heard about that business with Master Qian, right?"
"Pah! What 'Master Qian'!"
Li Hu spat, a look of grim satisfaction on his face. "That bastard was walking alone at night and got beaten unrecognizable. He must have been killed by an enemy. An ordinary person wouldn't have the guts..."
Erya said through gritted teeth, "Good riddance."
And Chen Qing, the 'culprit' behind it all, also feigned righteous indignation.
Xiaochun glanced around nervously and lowered his voice. "Let's keep it down. Master Qian had deep ties with the leader of the Jinhe Gang, and they're searching everywhere for the killer."
Qian Biao's ability to run rampant in Mute Bay certainly didn't rely on his own skills.
Rumor had it that he was the brother-in-law of Song Tie, the leader of the Jinhe Gang.
Liang Badou waved his hand dismissively. "The Jinhe Gang? They can't even protect themselves right now. The Tiger Gang is rounding up their members everywhere. Song Tie has probably gone and hidden in some rat hole."
He paused, then lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Li Hu, did you see Liu Laizi on Locust Street yesterday? He's Song Tie's loyal dog. I reckon there's a nine out of ten chance that Song Tie is hiding somewhere in that area!"
A thought stirred in Chen Qing's mind, but his expression remained calm as he simply lifted his teacup and took another sip.
Liang Badou seemed to feel the topic was a bit sensitive and changed it. "Alright, alright, let's not talk about such unlucky things."
After that, the group continued to chat while drinking their tea.
They reminisced about funny stories from their childhood and spoke, half-jokingly and half-seriously, about their dreams for the future.
Liang Badou dreamed of becoming a familiar face in the Government Office. Xiaochun dreamed of becoming the second-in-command at his shop. Erya dreamed of the day her master's young son would take a liking to her...
Xu Fang listened quietly, a polite smile on her face, but her gaze was distant. She was clearly uninterested in these topics.
But she didn't interrupt the lively, down-to-earth chatter of her Mute Bay childhood friends.
Before they knew it, afternoon had arrived.
Xu Fang glanced at the sky, rose gracefully, and prepared to take her leave.
Liang Badou took a deep breath as if mustering his courage, and quickly stepped forward. "Xiaofang, I happen to be going to the Inner City. Why don't I walk you back?"
His voice was filled with obvious anticipation.
Suddenly, the crisp sound of horse bells came from the dock.
Everyone looked toward the sound and saw a carriage with blue curtains parked steadily. The two bay horses pulling it had glossy coats and gleaming horseshoes.
An old matron with graying temples, dressed in plain cotton clothes, jumped down from the shaft of the carriage.
"Miss," the old matron said, bowing to Xu Fang. "The old madam has instructed that you must return to the residence before 3:00 PM."
"I know."
Xu Fang replied, her gaze sweeping over her childhood friends before finally resting on Chen Qing's face.
The deck suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of water lapping against the hull of the boat.
Xu Fang's lips trembled slightly as if she had a thousand things to say, but in the end, she only let out a soft sigh.
"If fate allows, let's meet again someday."
Her voice was soft, yet it landed on everyone's heart like a heavy stone.
It was a polite farewell, but everyone present understood that after parting today, it was unlikely they would ever meet again.
The carriage slowly drove away, the rumbling of its wheels over the stone slabs gradually fading into the distance.
The group stood stunned at the bow, watching the carriage disappear into a cloud of dust at the alley's end.
Erya unconsciously fiddled with the hem of her clothes, Liang Badou clenched his fists, and Xiaochun stared blankly at the water's surface.
Chen Qing looked down at the coarse porcelain teacup in his hand. The tea inside was long cold, reflecting his blurry image.
At the bottom of the cup, a few coarse tea stems had settled. No matter how much they were stirred, they would always sink to the very bottom.
...