[Exception • Before the First Meeting!
All the distinguished guests who came to Jinjia Tang to listen to the opera were there for the erotic plays.
There was only one exception.
When Jin Hongchang's invitation was delivered to Xiaotong Guan, Duan Yelin glanced at the long opera list and requested a scene not listed on it—
Eighteen Miles Away.
Green lotus leaves float on the clear pond.
This opera was clear to the bottom.
That was the first time Xu Shaotang felt curious about a guest.
Among wolves, tigers, and leopards drawn by the scent, there was actually one who ate only vegetables?
And after this long-standing entanglement began, Physician Xu of Heming Medical Hall also established his rule of "three kinds of people he would not treat."
Similarly, there was only one exception.
Because Duan Yelin committed the first two.
[Chan Yi]
One day in October, a matchmaker came to arrange a marriage for Chan Yi.
It happened that Xu Hang was out on a medical visit to the villages and not at home, so Duan Yelin took charge of it. Duan Yelin didn't remember what the matchmaker said in her flowery speech?, but seeing Chan Yi turn her head away, he began to drive her out.
The matchmaker shouted, "Aiyo! Good heavens, that's a family who runs a bank! They are even willing to marry a little maidservant, and one who is incomplete? at that as well, and she's not willing?
Do you expect to marry a president then!"
Duan Yelin sneered and was too lazy to even roll his eyes, "If she doesn't like it, l'd find even the president himself shabby. I treat this girl like a younger sister; whether it's managing the household accounts, handling affairs, or studying, there's nothing she can't do.
Do you really think she'd have nowhere to go once she leaves my house? Let me tell you, it's the two of us who can't do without her!"
The matchmaker was then swept out before her seat was even warm.
The matchmaker didn't know that Chan Yi was never an insignificant little girl.
When Chan Yi first met Xu Hang, she was as small as a bean sprout and barely literate.
Because her father always thought girls were a waste of money and was unwilling to spend more on their education, it would be enough if she grew up to bring in some betrothal money. When she followed her mother to serve Xu Hang later, the first word she wrote was taught to her hand-in-hand by Xu Hang himself.
Once she knew how to write, he taught her how to read account books, and once she could calculate, he taught her simple pulse diagnosis and needling.
At that time, Chan Yi didn't understand, saying that it was enough to know how to sweep and clean as a maidservant, why bother with such careful education?
"Chan Yi, nothing in this world is reliable, only you can save yourself." Xu Hang placed his hands on her shoulders while applying slight pressure as he stared at her and said, "Remember this; the more you learn, the better, not for the sake of being outstandingly capable, but just... to earn more chances to survive."
Xu Hang didn't know then that the person he genuinely taught would indeed help him again and again in the future.
So a few years later, even at an age when she still wore pigtails, Chan Yi was already capable of managing the entire Jinyan Tang.
In the early years, there were more people in the mansion, but their mouths were loose. A servant once saw a few neglected graves in Qiyuan and gossiped about it to people outside.
As a result, that very same day, a considerable amount of stolen property was found in that servant's quarters.
Ordinarily, stealing a bit of money wouldn't have been such a serious matter, but among the items were several of Duan Yelin's documents as well.
The charge of stealing military documents was not small, and the case was reported immediately. In no time, the servant was taken away by soldiers, and it was said that he probably wouldn't get out without two years of hard labor.
Chan Yi called all the servants to the main hall. Everyone standing in the room was older than Chan Yi, but in front of this thin little girl, so weak that even freshly tailored clothes couldn't hold their shape on her, they all lowered their heads and hunched their backs, not daring to even breathe.
She picked up an account book nearby and flipped through it before stopping at a certain page. "Our family may be a small household, but no matter where you work, the masters never like servants who chatter too much. Today, l've already gone over the rules of Jinyan Tang with you all-"
She pointed in the direction the servant was dragged away: "I will only tell you one thing, if there is a next time, the outcome will be much worse than his."
After the servants dispersed, she finally revealed an expression of being amused by herself while murmuring, "It's quite satisfying to try speaking like the Head of the Household."
From then on, the people in Jinyan Tang were selected for quality, not quantity; they spoke less and did more. Slowly, it actually became one of the most low-key wealthy residences in Hezhou.
Although he taught Chan Yi a lot of skills, Xu Hang never let Chan Yi truly witness ruthless and venomous deeds firsthand.
Chan Yi once asked about it, and Xu Hang said, "If everyone knows you are fierce, they will be on guard against you all the time. It's better to stay as you are now. If they see you as obedient and clumsy, you'll have the chance to catch others off guard."
He always felt that if a person witnessed too much blood and evil, no matter how pure and kind they were, their bright mirror would eventually become clouded.
In this way, he managed to raise the girl to be both clever and perceptive, yet naturally adorable. Commander Duan only learned many years later that quite a few of Xu Hang's calculations and schemes were set up by this obedient girl.
For this, he could only sigh that two different kinds of melons could not grow on the same vine after all.
In those four years, it was as easy as breathing for Commander Duan to anger Young Master Xu. The two of them were either in a cold war or a heated argument, and seven or eight times out of ten, it was Chan Yi and Qiao Song who mediated between them.
Once, they started arguing early in the morning again. Duan Yelin was furious, slammed the door, and left, while Xu Hang, whose cough had not yet healed, was in the room patting his chest to catch his breath.
Angry as he was, by night, Duan Yelin still personally watched over the medicine pot and decocted the medicine for him.
When he brought the medicine bowl into the room, Chan Yi deliberately shouted, "Aiya, Commander! How come you have several blisters on your hands? Were you burned by the medicine pot?"
As she spoke, she spread open Duan Yelin's palms. He had rough, thick skin and layers of calluses, so the burn only left his palms red.
Hearing this, Xu Hang glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
Chan Yi continued chattering: "Commander, aren't you going to teach the new recruits shooting practice tomorrow? What are we going to do about this? If you don't properly apply ointment and bandage it, it might get inflamed. If it gets inflamed, it's easy to get a fever, and if you get a fever, it will affect your official duties, and if it affects your official duties, you will be punished, and if you are punished, then-"
"Enough, enough.." Xu Hang rubbed his forehead as he stopped Chanyi's chanting. "There's medicine under the chest of drawers.
Taking it makes it less likely to become inflamed."
Chan Yi chuckled inwardly and immediately fetched it. Just as Duan Yelin pulled out the stopper, he heard Xu Hang say in a super-low voice, "This medicine... harms the stomach if taken on an empty stomach."
"Huh?" Duan Yelin didn't understand.
Xu Hang turned his head away, appearing somewhat unnatural.
Chan Yi was frustrated by his inability to grasp the situation and whispered behind Duan Yelin, "The Head of the Household is asking you to have dinner together."
Having said that, she happily hurried off to prepare the meal.
Duan Yelin, who had been ruffled with anger in the morning, was now smoothing his feathers and cooling the medicine for Xu Hang by the bed.
That sneaky girl-he really shouldn't have taught her to be so smart. Xu Hang thought.
He picked up the bowl of medicine and smelled Chan Yi3 as one of the ingredients.
Medical books say that Chan Yi, which is the cicada slough, is sweet and cold in nature and is a good medicine for dispelling wind-heat, treating wind-heat colds, and... hoarseness.
That was quite a coincidence. Perhaps Chan Yi was a medicine sent by heaven, specifically to cure the stubbornness of argument.
[Hemingl
When Mr. Heming was alive, not many knew his courtesy name, Heming; more people called him by his given name, Hang Guangbai, or Mr. Guangbai.
To make it easier for illiterate poor people to recognize characters, the young Hang Heming, when practicing medicine as an itinerant physician, always signed off using Guangbai.
Guangbai, also called sand ginger, warms the middle, aids digestion, and relieves pain. When preparing it for medicinal use, it must never be roasted over a fire, or it will turn black and lose its fragrance.
It is said that Hang Heming had a weak digestive system when he was an infant, so the Hang family elders named him after this herb.
It was quite remarkable that after the naming, he truly began to gradually recover.
No matter how famous he was, after a fire, whether it was Mr.
Guangbai or Mr. Heming, few remained to remember him.
The location opposite Heming Medical Hall originally housed an old medical hall called Henian Medical Hall, which had also been passed down for generations.
Unfortunately, it was later managed poorly, ruined its reputation, and closed down. The medicinal cabinets and equipment inside the store were still good and it happened that Xu Hang needed to open a medical hall, so he got a good price and took over.
The day he took over was a rainy day.
Xu Hang stood watching under an umbrella while Chan Yi brushed the water droplets off his clothes as she asked, "Head of the Household, everyone's open for business and doing their own thing. One more medical hall in Hezhou won't leave anyone starving, so why bother coming up with the idea of docking the shopkeeper's bonus?"
Xu Hang said, "I'm here to do business, not to be a Bodhisattva." Mortals cannot avoid birth, old age, sickness, death, eating, drinking, moving as well as dwelling, and commerce never declines.
He had no foundation and couldn't leave Hezhou; running a medical hall well meant gaining a network of information and connections.
Moreover, if people's hearts didn't turn bad, they wouldn't be taken advantage of.
The craftsman took down the old plaque across the street and asked Xu Hang what name to carve for the new shop so he could get started quickly.
Xu Hang looked at the plaque across the street and murmured, "...
Henian4, Pine and Crane for Longevity. It was a good name in itself." He thought of his father's Yan Wu Medical Hall.
At the age when he had just learned to read, he had also asked his father why he named it Yan Wu.
At that time, Hang Heming was holding Hang Shaotang as he said with a smile, "Look, the characters for Yan Wu 5 form the character Xu6, and Xu means 'to hope', 'to promise. When patients come here, they are hoping that the physician will promise them safety and freedom from illness and disaster. So Shaotang ah, remember, your father's wish is that no matter who comes or what they ask for, we as healers can promise it to them."
Jin Yanchai teased, "You ah, you're not content with being a Bodhisattva yourself, and you also want to teach your son to be one too?"
Hang Heming held her hand. "Save them if we can."
It's just a pity...
Xu Hang picked up his brush, drew a line through the character
'Nian', and wrote the character 'Ming' next to it. "The crane cries? from the high marsh, its call reaching the heavens. Our medical hall will also astonish the world with a single brilliant performance. Let's call it this."
The craftsman repeatedly agreed but Chan Yi was momentarily stunned, though she didn't say anything.
Many years later, not until the entire Yuan family went abroad, did Chan Yi finally ask, "Head of the Household, there is one thing ! don't understand... if it was for revenge, shouldn't you have hidden your identity? Since you even changed your name, why did you not avoid using the late Head of the Household's courtesy name?"
Xu Hang answered, "Because originally, this was not my plan." In Xu Hang's initial idea, Duan Yelin would have thoroughly investigated him very early on, and "Hang Shaotang" would not have been able to hide. At that time, he would have simply admitted it and pretended to be an obedient canary who only sought wealth and to save his own life by lying low under Duan Yelin's protection to wait for an opportunity to strike.
Other than Duan Yelin and Fourth Uncle Qiao, few people knew that Jin Hongchang kept male opera performers at Qiyuan, not even sparing his own biological nephew. No matter how outsiders investigated, the trail would only stop at Duan Yelin.
He could not leave Hezhou for the time being while the people he wanted to kill were not in Hezhou then. He needed to set some vague, misleading hooks to draw those tigers and wolves using the scent and let them fight Duan Yelin to the death.
But what he didn't expect was that Duan Yelin truly managed to not ask about his past.
Instead, it disrupted Xu Hang's stagnant pond of life.
This thin, fragile layer of "window paper" that should have been torn with a single poke somehow held strong through four years under Duan Yelin's indifference. By the end, piercing it was difficult, but not piercing it meant sleeping in the same bed with different dreams.
"I always thought that no matter if they believed in coincidence or not, hearing 'Heming' would surely provoke some reaction... heh..." Xu Hang gave a dry, bitter laugh. "But nothing. Wang Ronghuo, who was so afraid of death, was not alarmed for even a moment before I confessed. And Yuan Sen, witnessing the bloody scene unfold before his eyes, still suspected it was a maneuver by Duan Yelin in a political struggle and refused to believe it was vengeance from the past."
Xu Hang settled himself into the chair while picking the armrest with his fingers: "Then I suddenly understood that only the tormented victims would be immersed in memories and unable to sleep night after night as they were engraved with heartbreaking pain, that's why they dare not forget. But for the murderers, I was not the first, nor was I the last; I was merely... a tiny particle in the blood and earth of the wronged souls they crushed underfoot. They just brush it off and forget as soon as they turn their heads."
The world did not know that after the great fire in Shucheng, although thirty thousand people had perished in the flames, the warlord government feared that the number was too shocking and might spark public outrage. So with a flourish of the pen, in official documents and newspapers, thirty thousand became ten thousand.
Twenty thousand lives just disappeared into history like smoke and dust.
Heaven has no eyes, curs run the streets while the good die cheap.
He would not wait for karmic retribution; he would deliver the retribution himself.
[Zhongshan Wolf®]
His wife, who was dressed in plain clothes, held their child and complained to him in a cautious tone, "Yaochen, when your studies aren't too busy... could you spend a little more time with the child?'
The young Zhang Yaochen frowned and remained silent.
He thought to himself that he was still an immature person himself, so how could he raise a child well?
So, his wife said nothing more.
From a young age, Zhang Yaochen's heart was always unbalanced, especially after he began studying and gained wisdom. He saw the changes in the world's situation, where some people rose to power using influence while others gained instant wealth overnight.
He always resented Heaven.
He resented that if Heaven did not intend for him to rise above others, it should not have given him such inherent talent. If it was unwilling to let him be born in a golden nest, it should not have given him the look of an elite.
Thus, at the university in a different place, he was spirited, refined, and well-mannered. Almost everyone who met him was certain that this young man would become a prominent figure in society. But once he returned to his hometown... he was like a pheasant that had shed its phoenix feathers, reverting to his original form.
A damp room, dim light, an arranged marriage, a boring wife, unappetizing food, and a son he had barely looked after since birth.
No, his life could not end like this.
So the next time the husband and wife met was years later after Zhang Yaochen had climbed up to a rich woman, had other children, and came to sever ties with his original wife.
"I didn't want to, but my mother is sick and needs money..." He looked completely innocent.
He always had so many excuses; he always excused himself as being helpless.
The young woman was not very surprised. Before Zhang Yaochen could even open his mouth to discuss compensation, she spoke first, "I will take the child with me."
Zhang Yaochen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Many years later, Zhang Yaochen could no longer remember what his ex-wife looked like, but he still remembered the last words she said to him.
"Zhang Yaochen, you don't need to worry about how to silence me, because in my heart, you are the stain on my life. From now on, this child is no longer your child. From now on... he will be called Shen Jingmo."
From then on, the two never met again.
Being a son-in-law to a wealthy and powerful family was not easy.
Although Zhang Yaochen stood there very properly, every time his background and achievements were discussed, his old father-in-law always felt like there was grit in the food, and it was a bit hard to swallow.
It was also under this pressure that Zhang Yaochen finally reluctantly followed a military troop to Shucheng in a civilian role.
The war had just begun, and the initial campaign was unsuccessful.
Their unit was overwhelmingly outnumbered. Seeing the people around him fall one by one, he was so terrified his legs went soft, and he fled the battlefield while scrambling on all fours.
What prospects, what image? If he lost his life, what future was there to talk about!
Just as he was fleeing in desperation, he stumbled upon Yan Wu Medical Hall and met Hang Heming.
It is rare to meet a benefactor in life, it was like adding wings to a tiger or a fish finding water.
Zhang Yaochen had once been grateful for this opportunity. He had also liked Hang Heming's scholarship, admired his medical skills, and marvelled at his reputation. Of course, perhaps Zhang Yaochen himself was unwilling to admit that what he liked more was perhaps the vanity of standing beside a good person, basking in the reflected glory, being looked up to and supported by countless common people, and being treated as another good person.
It wasn't until later that he met Jin Yanchai.
He began to frequently visit Shucheng then.
Before this, Zhang Yaochen did not know that a couple in this world could interact like this.
The Hang couple liked to gamble with books in their free time.
Whoever won would claim a plot of land in the garden to plant whatever they loved to grow. Before Jin Yanchai entered the home, the garden was not much of a garden but looked like a medicinal patch. Since she became the mistress, peonies gradually replaced herbs. Poor Hang Heming was only left with the last small plot in front of his study.
"Is Fujun? still gambling with books today?" Jin Yanchai asked while making tea.
Hang Heming was determined to redeem himself: "I bet on that newly bought [Records of Classical Formula Experiments]."
Zhang Yaochen remained silent while watching the two of them as one of them asking and the other answering, cup after cup, until the aroma of the tea dispersed. Hang Heming closed the book, cupped his hands, and admitted defeat.
Jin Yanchai smiled and went to instruct the housekeeper to turn the soil.
Zhang Yaochen was puzzled and privately asked, "Is there an ancient medical book in this world that Brother Heming hasn't thoroughly memorized?"
"Yaochen, you don't understand." Hang Heming patted his shoulder.
"Her heart is too soft. If I had directly eradicated all the herbs and replaced them with peonies, though she would be happy, she would inevitably feel guilty and sorry for me. Since I want my wife to be happy, of course, I must make sure she has no qualms. It doesn't matter if I lose the bet for a lifetime. Hey, you must keep this a secret for me!"
After speaking, he rolled up his sleeves and personally went to the garden to help Jin Yanchai plant the flower seedlings.
Zhang Yaochen stared blankly at Jin Yanchai, whose face was now stained with mud and only snapped back to reality after Hang Heming called him several times. To cover his embarrassment, he coughed twice and said, "Oh... I was just looking at Sister-in-law and thinking... I've been away from home for too long and don't know what to bring home to explain myself."
"What's so difficult about that? Go to my treasury, pick and take whatever you like." After saying that, Hang Heming opened the family treasury for him to see.
That was the first time Zhang Yaochen felt what it meant to be wealthy enough to rival a nation.
Some of the antique treasures that he could only see by attending auctions with high-society figures were piled up everywhere in the Hang family's several rows of storerooms, filling cabinets and covering the floor.
They were accumulations from several generations of ancestors but most were covered in dust, suggesting that the owners rarely appreciated them on a daily basis, or perhaps there were simply too many to keep track of.
Zhang Yaochen repeatedly declined: "This is truly too valuable, Brother Heming must not spend so much..."
"They are just trinkets; I only hope they can bring your respected wife a smile," Jin Yanchai said. "Heming usually only knows about seeing patients and making medicine. Thank you for visiting him often. Perhaps, when Shaotang grows up, we'll need you to take him out to see the world as well... hey, where did Shaotang go to play again?"
Just as they were speaking of him, they heard a bird call outside, followed by a child's soft voice: "Little bird, wait for me."
Peering into the courtyard, they saw a boy, pretty as an exquisitely carved jade figurine, chasing a sparrow and laughing happily. It was Hang Shaotang
The small shirt he wore had emerald jade disc buttons, and the pendant on his chest was a massive jade bead. He chased it to the edge of the rockery. The bird had hidden in a crevice between the stones, so he crouched on the ground like a little kitten and tucked his hands close, then the four eyes staring straight into each other.
Seeing the bird shrink back and refuse to come out, he pulled off the jade bead and rolled it on the ground like a marble, which instantly lured the little bird to dart out.
Not long after playing, the bead rolled and dropped into the pond and with just a splash, it disappeared.
The Hang couple didn't mind at all. They just smiled and called out for him to stay away from the pond so he wouldn't fall in.
It was as if only a small stone had fallen.
Zhang Yaochen's eyelid twitched, and his heart plummeted to the bottom of the pond just like that bead.
You see, no matter how hard you strive, you will never reach the starting point that others are born with.
In life, the gap can be as vast as clouds and mud.
The Hang family did not know then that "an innocent man is guilty only for possessing a treasure" was not just a cautionary saying in historical texts.
Upon returning to Shanghai, Zhang Yaochen looked at his own courtyard and suddenly asked Mu Yingyan in distraction, "Should we plant a tree together in the courtyard?"
Mu Yingyan raised an eyebrow: "Why don't you just ask the servants to do it? I hate mud; it's so dirty."
Zhang Yaochen pursed his lips and then said, "Recently, I encountered some issues with my work..."
Mu Yingyan interrupted him again: "Don't talk about your boring work. The children are at my dad's today. You'll accompany me to choose a dress for the ball later. I can't let Mrs. Li beat me to the latest popular style this time!"
"...En."
He found Lady Shen too plain and Lady Mu too pampered. After two marriages, he realized that with neither did he truly share a heart, they lay together but lived separate lives.
At the ball that night, many people came to toast him. In the past, others would introduce him by calling him "the Mu family's son-in-law," by toasting Lady Mu first, then Zhang Yaochen. Now at least he has managed to earn the phrase: "Mr. Zhang is truly young and promising."
Zhang Yaochen felt that something was still missing.
In his dream that night, he saw a brightly lit ballroom. He stood at the top of a red-carpeted staircase while facing the flattering gazes and respectful smiles of everyone below, and walked down one step at a time with his head held high. The blinding brilliance and the surprise of being surrounded confused his mind. Then he heard others calling out to him-Hang Heming.
He woke up with a start.
He suddenly realized that he no longer wanted to bask in anyone's glory; he wanted to-replace that light.
[The Sharp Blade]
Most people who had crossed paths with Xu Hang felt that he was extremely careful and any action he took must have been planned for a long time, but this was actually an overestimation of Xu Hang or perhaps an underestimation of Duan Yelin.
Many times, seventy percent skill still depends on thirty percent fate.
For example, killing Yuan Sen was a stroke of luck sent by Heaven.
Such as the new performer of the Cheng troupe, Yin Miaoshan.
Yin Miaoshan, this blade, was one that he himself actively offered to xu Hang.
The first time Xu Hang met Yin Miaoshan, he was still called Yin Xiaoshan. He was kneeling which covered in blood with his younger brother in his arms outside the door of Xu Hang's medical hall.
The two brothers had been sold to the opera troupe when they were young. The elder brother was blessed by the patron saint of the opera, possessing a good voice, and the troupe master was willing to keep him. The younger brother, however, lacked this talent and could only work as a servant. Unfortunately, a servant from the Yuan Mansion took a liking to him and took him away with a small sum of money, claiming it was just to accompany them for a few drinks... half a night later, the boy was gone.
Even the dogs of powerful families live more arrogantly than those of poor households.
The poor should not get sick, there aren't so many compassionate souls in turbulent times.
By the time Yin Xiaoshan had kowtowed all the way to Heming Medical Hall, the person in his arms was already completely cold when Xu Hang felt his pulse.
No one knew what happened inside Heming Medical Hall that night.
The lives of commoners were worthless, one death was like tossing a stone by the roadside, and no one paid it any mind
The next day, Yin Xiaoshan had enough money to bury his younger brother and followed the opera troupe, traveling across the country. Three years later, he was finally able to perform as "Xue Xiangling."
It seemed that in a few more years, he would barely be worthy of being called Boss Du.
When he arrived in Hezhou again, Chan Yi looked him over and smiled: "Just now, looking from the door, Mr. Du and our Head of the Household do resemble each other quite a bit. If someone said you were cousins, people would believe it."
Xu Hang offered him some tea: "Do you really know what kind of danger you will be drawn into when you come to me?"
Yin Miaoshan held the teacup. The tea was originally hot, but he seemed completely unaware: "
...Mr. Xu, I don't know what your plan
is, and I won't ask either. But as long as the matter can be accomplished, I am willing to let you use me and be your blade."
If the Yin Xiaoshan of a few years ago had said this, Xu Hang might not have believed it because people lose their minds in great anger.
But after time had passed, and he still held this determination, that was when he was truly usable.
Xu Hang put down the teacup: "If you follow me, though your wish will be granted, you will have to endure the grievance of not being able to take revenge with your own hands."
Yin Miaoshan nodded: "I have the heart for hatred, but not the courage to kill. So... I would never dare mention the word
'grievance'"
After hearing Xu Hang's instructions, thunder rumbled one after another in Yin Miaoshan's heart. He stayed still with his mouth widened open for a long time before he finally found his voice, "Mr.
Xu, you, you want to... go yourself? But for such a dangerous matter, you could clearly use another's hand or have a safer...
"
"Because I am more vicious than you," Xu Hang interrupted him while resting his chin on his hand. "You might think 'a life for a life' is enough, but I don't. The thing I want to do, no one can do it for me."
Fearing he might frighten Yin Miaoshan, he only said half of what he meant. What he wanted was never a simple death for those people. He wanted to kill them with his own hands, he wanted them to be driven to despair, to die in pain, to have their families destroyed, and to be reviled by others.
Not one thing could be left out.
Hezhou city was exceptionally lively that night.
After Yin Miaoshan finished performing the last scene of the Jewelry Purse at the Yuan Mansion, he took advantage of the chaos to avoid the time when his troupe members were receiving their rewards. He swapped identities with Xu Hang; Xu Hang went to Lai Er to collect the reward, while he returned to Heming Medical Hall through the underground air raid shelter, changed into Xu Hang's usual clothes and looked after the patients in the inner room.
During the day, Xu Hang had instructed that this patient had an infectious disease, which is an acute illness, and only the medicine boy was allowed to come in and deliver medicine at intervals. When the medicine boy entered the inner room while covering his nose and mouth, he only saw the side profile of "Xu Hang." Next to him, Chan Yi was intimately wiping his sweat and attending to him.
Seeing that "Xu Hang" had no other instructions, he did not dare to linger and left.
Both of them had studied singing, speaking, acting, and martial arts, and under deliberate imitation, it was easier to fool people.
Later, seeing that the sound of fireworks at the Yuan family was drawing to a close, Yin Miaoshan hurriedly rushed back to the opera troupe's lodging inn and left Hezhou with the team.
After the matter with Yuan Sen was concluded, he came to bid farewell.
Xu Hang did not ask where he was going, nor did he ask him to leave behind any leverage for future manipulation. Just as when he let Ruan Xiaodie go, he only asked for a promise.
Before leaving, Yin Miaoshan still asked Xu Hang, "Mr. Xu... aren't you afraid that I might repay kindness with enmity and expose you?"
Xu Hang tilted his head: "You don't even dare to kill a person; what would I be afraid of you for?"
Yin Miaoshan was momentarily stunned.
Xu Hang smiled, "I have seen more ungrateful people than the ants passing by the wall. You wouldn't think that I only act based on my likes, dislikes, right and wrong, or merely gamble on conscience and morality, would you? I'm not afraid of offending you with this. If I were afraid of you, I wouldn't have used you. Since I did use you, 1 have plenty of backup plans to deal with you. Of course, I know that the human heart is unfathomable and a sharp blade in hand can sometimes cause self-inflicted wounds. But how many people does one meet in a lifetime? If one plots dog-eat-dog, man-eat-man schemes against every single person from the very beginning, then being a person... is too disgusting."
Finally, Xu Hang cupped his hands to him: "The old calamity is over.
I wish Boss Yin great fame in the opera world and a place in the history of opera."
Hearing this, Yin Miaoshan bowed deeply to Xu Hang. Leaving this time, unless some accident occurs, he should not return to Hezhou.
Watching Yin Miaoshan's retreating back, Xu Hang thought: when Shucheng was burned down, the one who ultimately pulled him out of the sea of fire was Duan Yelin. But before that, if it hadn't been for his father's loyal servant protecting him in the crisis and covering for him with his life, he wouldn't have even survived long enough to be rescued.
When fate brutally kicked him into the bottom of the well, it also deliberately offered a helping hand. This caused Xu Hang to feel that for the people and affairs of this world, his love was not entirely love, yet his hate was not entirely hate either.
Therefore, whether it was Ruan Xiaodie or Yin Miaoshan, even if he couldn't rely on them in the future, he still had other ways out.
But at least... at that moment, just that moment, he was willing to believe that human nature had goodness.
[Delicacy]
The greatest misunderstanding in this world was that Duan Yelin once thought his Shaotang was as delicate as a willow in the breeze.
But it really wasn't that Commander Duan was unobservant. In the past, when Xu Hang was learning opera next to Jin Hongchang, he was required to be slender and was often kept hungry during his teens, so he always struggled to grow tall. It was only after he became an adult and was with Duan Yelin that he started to bud and grow again.
During the day, he buried himself in books, forgetting to eat and sleep, and late at night, he occasionally climbed to the back mountain to practice shooting. One day, Xu Hang stood holding a gun for several hours by himself. His hand cramped up, and even after a long hot compress, it didn't even feel any better.
So, when Duan Yelin entered the room, the first thing he saw was Xu Hang holding a tea caddy and struggling for a long time but unable to pull out the stopper.
What a weakling... Duan Yelin muttered to himself.
At lunch, Duan Yelin leaned over and glanced at Xu Hang's rice bowl while making a clicking sound with his tongue: "You just peck at these few grains every day ah? No wonder you can't even open a tea caddy."
Physician Xu merely adhered to the principle of eating small amounts but multiple times. He was too lazy to explain. Glancing at Duan Yelin's bowl that was so tightly packed that the rice was nearly pressed into a cake, yet he was still piling more on, he clicked his tongue and said, "Why don't you sit on it to press it down?"
A person's energy is, after all, limited. Xu Hang worked hard in every other area, but he also had to deal with Commander Duan's excessive demands when he was present. Even a body of iron could not withstand it.
Seven out of ten times, before Duan Yelin could vigorously cut his way in, Xu Hang would already have fallen into a heavy, difficult sleep.
He thought passing out would be good, but who knew it was worse than being awake?
His sleep was not deep sleep either. His body was being flipped and turned, like a rice cake being kneaded. So a nerve in his brain was semi-conscious, yet his body telt incredibly heavy as it he were being sleep-paralyzed
Duan Yelin would rub and knead Xu Hang's earlobe for a while, then nibble on his shoulder, and after playing for a bit, he would stop and check Xu Hang's reaction. Seeing him close his eyes and frown, looking uncomfortable but unable to open his eyes, all the malicious pleasure of doing something naughty was stirred up in his heart.
Just as he wanted to explore further, he suddenly noticed that Xu Hang's body seemed to be able to move. He suddenly rolled over and squeezed Duan Yelin, who was leaning on the edge of the bed right off.
Duan Yelin propped himself up and noticed that Xu Hang was still asleep.
He remembered hunting a fox in the woods that day. When the creature realized it couldn't outrun his horse, it crouched in the bushes with narrowed eyes, staying perfectly still, appearing completely tame. But as Duan Yelin dismounted and approached, it suddenly kicked with its hind legs, spraying a shoe-full of dirt at him, and vanished in a flash.
"..Truly a fox."
He pinched Xu Hang's face, sighed, and lifted the blanket to climb in.
The fox from that day was long gone, but this one before him now, he would absolutely not let go.
He squeezed his hands into Xu Hang's palms, interlocking their fingers, and felt a spot of ink residue at the web of Xu Hang's thumb and index finger. It seemed to be from the rubbings he had made during the day.
Duan Yelin's thumb kept rubbing over the white skin and black mark, then his gaze seemed to deepen along with it.
He also began to grind his work of art.
Grinding ink is the most taxing on patience; the initial contact is difficult.
Just like Xu Hang's steps for making rubbings during the day, he used the thin layer of sweat that formed from the warmth of his body to repeatedly moving back and forth over the skin of the spine, like the hollow of an inkstone, until the grinding no longer met resistance, until the wet sound grew louder and louder.
From clear to turbid, from faint to rich.
Then, like unrolling Xuan paper, he stroked the entire back from bottom to top with his palm and appreciating it from top to bottom.
This was the highest quality raw Xuan paper that was suitable for a spontaneous style of painting, but he was a terrible painter. He couldn't even control the lightness, heaviness, depth, or shallowness of his brushstrokes. He only knew how to use his scorching palms and kisses to evenly color every blank spot, to thoroughly soak every texture of the raw Xuan paper with his own ink stains.
It was a complete waste, but he was delighted to do it.
Like wrinkled paper, Xu Hang suddenly curled his slender fingers with each of them exerted force. Yet all he could do was restlessly clutch the bedsheets, and expressing his discomfort with a suppressed groan, which only served as the focal point of the night.
With that uneven sound as accompaniment, the grinding motion and the model calligraphy fitted together bit by bit, pressing closer and closer until they merged completely and inseparable from one another.
"...Mm."
Hearing another low moan, Duan Yelin stopped. Seeing Xu Hang frowning and unconsciously biting his lip, he gently pressed on Xu Hang's jaw to loosen his teeth, and then his own kiss covered Xu Hang's mouth.
This was a rubbing that went from gentle to rough.
So careless that even the rubbing had slipped out of place, the paper was crooked, the ink smudged, and the brush flipped over.
Even the spacious bed had been tossed into utter disarray, a mess so chaotic it was almost unbearable to look at.
He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious. When Xu Hang finally stirred awake in a daze, he saw a figure moving over him, but he was still too dazed to fully come to his senses.
It wasn't until the shaking bed hit the side cabinet and the table lamp fell to the floor that Xu Hang suddenly opened his eyes wide.
That scoundrel didn't even give him a moment's rest and even blocked his lips and tongue so he couldn't call a stop. Only after finally withdrawing did he say mercifully, "Are you awake? Just keep sleeping, I'll do my thing."
Shameless creature! How was he supposed to sleep!?
Xu Hang gritted his teeth.
But he was like thoroughly soaked Xuan paper, completely spread out on the bed, unable to be lifted up with no place to even exert force, having no choice but to let the other party do as he pleased.
"You... you truly are a... bastard.." Xu Hang's fingernails dug fiercely into Duan Yelin's arm as he arched his neck while gasping heavily.
Duan Yelin "graciously accepted" the compliment while whispering right next to his ear: "I am. But only for you."
Finally peeling off the rubbing, it was dense with marks of indulgence. This piece of art created by the two of them had a strength that penetrated the paper and would be hard to erase.
The raw Xuan paper had also become cooked Xuan paper.
Duan Yelin even had the nerve to say that Xu Hang was the fox from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio trying to seduce him. In his current state, it was unclear who was draining whose Yin to replenish whose Yang.
This cycle repeated, and the next day, Xu Hang had deep shadows under his eyes. He fainted halfway through putting on his clothes in the morning.
This truly startled Duan Yelin. He reflected on whether he had been too excessive, while also resolving to have Qiao Song buy old hens daily to nourish Xu Hang's body.
Thus, things settled down for a good while and Xu Hang was quite happy with his misunderstanding.
[Teacher-student]
"Xiao Yan, was it you who reported us?" A boy questioned sharply.
This boy was Xiao Yan's schoolmate. He had an early romance with a girl from the neighboring all-girls school and was reported to the principal's office. This was a common occurrence for boys and girls that age, but the problem was that everyone knew they were
"siblings" by an unconventional family formation, sharing different parents.
Gossip is terrible.
They were immediately sent home to their parents and both expelled.
The boy only remembered that they were once seen holding hands by Xiao Yan, who was skipping class. Therefore, he came to confront him. Yet Xiao Yan only responded with the two words "sick."
And then they fought fiercely.
Shen Jingmo, who wasn't getting any rest after a day of teaching, rushed to the principal's office to retrieve the two of them. On one hand, he guaranteed that he would properly guide Xiao Yan in the future, and on the other, he pleaded with the principal not to expel the other boy.
But it was to no avail.
On the flagstone road home, the two walked one behind the other.
Xiao Yan kicked the gravel with his head down while letting Shen Jingmo's endless admonitions flow in one ear and out the other.
After kicking the gravel out of sight, Xiao Yan suddenly asked, "Why did you plead for him?"
Shen Jingmo stopped: "As a teacher, I don't believe his mistake warrants being deprived of the right to study."
"You know I'm not asking about that."
Their shadows stretched long under the setting sun. Shen Jingmo knew Xiao Yan was mature for his age, but he always viewed Xiao Yan with the perspective of a child. He was still uncomfortable discussing such matters with someone so much younger, so he carefully considered his words for a long time: "Teacher doesn't presume to act as a judge of worldly morals. I only think that, at any age, people will experience 'liking' without necessarily considering social status. Just like the little children at Jici Courtyard always say they'll marry me when they grow up, you're all still young and don't understand the weight of affection yet. What truly deserves concern is when acting on that liking leads one to make mistakes."
That's why Shen Jingmo felt it was more important to keep the student and guide him properly.
"Then if a female student likes you, would you be with them?" Xiao Yan suddenly shifted the focus of his question. "If I had a teacher I liked, would that be allowed?"
"Ah?" Shen Jingmo's alarm bells went off. He quickly went through all the female teachers at the school in his mind, afraid that Xiao Yan's young mind was going astray, "Of course not! That goes against common sense..."
"You just said that when it comes to others, liking someone doesn't have to consider social status. So why is it not allowed when it's me? Which is actually correct?"
Shen Jingmo was cornered. For a moment, saying either one was correct felt wrong.
He had just thought it over. The young female teachers at the school had more or less complained about Xiao Yan's mischievousness to him. He figured this was, at most, Xiao Yan's first awakening of love, a one-sided enthusiasm. So he could only change the subject: "This... this at least has to be mutual, right?"
Xiao Yan: "Then what if I insist?"
Shen Jingmo: "You are being unreasonable."
Xiao Yan said as a matter of fact, "That's right, because I'm immoral.
Is there a problem?"
"You.." Even with Shen Jingmo's usually good temper, Xiao Yan nearly drove him to laugh out of sheer exasperation. "Xiao Yan ah, what exactly have you learned before this..."
He decided to start over and remold Xiao Yan's concepts.
"I'll tutor you whenever I have free time from now on. You need to read more and grasp the principles better."
Xiao Yan raised his chin: "I won't read. You read a lot, yet you still can't out-argue me."
Shen Jingmo was out of options and put his hands on his hips, "If you don't come, Teacher won't look after you anymore."
He was speaking out of anger.
Xiao Yan lowered his head and walked two steps forward, seemingly not intending to agree. Shen Jingmo weakly tested the waters, "I really won't look after you anymore. Are you really... not coming?"
He stopped in his tracks. At the alley's entrance, the setting sun bathed him in a warm, golden light.
An awkward voice was still squeezed out from between his teeth-
"...I'll come."
[Grief of Separation]
Shen Jingmo and Xiao Yan were having a cold war.
Teacher Shen never thought that one day he would bicker with a student and over a woman he had never even met at that as well.
The reason was that he and Xiao Yan had agreed to have a private tutoring session after school, but he was met by the Dean of Students instead. The dean didn't mince words either and said that one of the school's donors was a famous real estate magnate who had visited during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The magnate had seen Shen Jingmo, who was gentle and refined, and after inquiring about his good character, seemed to have the intention of getting him as a son-in-law.
Of course, the reason he took an interest in someone from a modest family like Shen Jingmo was that the magnate, wary of high-society rivalries, preferred a son-in-law who would marry into the family instead.
"Xiao Shen ah, this big boss's donation comes once a year, and the school needs money everywhere... just go meet her; we won't force it if it's not a good fit! I just feel that if you hit it off, this could be a really excellent family... The dean was a bit embarrassed.
Shen Jingmo understood that the government's funds were sometimes used for war and sometimes for disaster relief. Without donations from these merchants, the school would not be able to operate. Besides, if they truly didn't suit each other, he could find another excuse later. It wouldn't look good to refuse even a dinner invitation right now.
So, he accepted the invitation and spoke courteously: "Please don't say that. Since they think highly of me, I will go. If it turns out to be a good match, I should be thanking you."
The dean left happily. The next moment, Xiao Yan appeared at the door with a gloomy expression.
Xiao Yan stared at him and said coldly, "You cannot go."
Unsure how much Xiao Yan had overheard, Shen Jingmo felt a bit awkward having his private affairs known by a student.
"Children are not allowed to interfere in the teacher's affairs. Come and look at your books."
Xiao Yan asked again, "Do you want to get married?"
"Xiao Yan, if you talk nonsense again, Teacher will be angry." Shen Jingmo pretended to be stern.
As it turned out, Shen Jingmo wasn't angry, yet Xiao Yan threw down his schoolbag and walked straight out.
He didn't come to school the next day.
He didn't come on the third day either.
On the evening of the third day, Shen Jingmo had just finished changing his clothes when he opened the door and found Xiao Yan blocking the entrance.
"That person won't do. She is not suitable for you to marry." Shen Jingmo didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. How could this child be so stubborn? "Why is she unsuitable?"
Go inquire, and you'll know. The real estate magnate's daughter was as stunning as she was temperamental. Otherwise, they wouldn't be seeking a son-in-law to marry into the family, they were merely looking for someone she could easily control.
Xiao Yan was too lazy to say more and just said, "Anyway, she's unsuitable. Don't go to the meeting."
Shen Jingmo: "Such things aren't decided right away upon meeting.
Maybe after meeting, we won't get along."
Xiao Yan: "Since you might not get along, why waste time with the meeting?"
Shen Jingmo: "...If I don't meet her, how will I know if I like or dislike her? What if we hit it off?"
Xiao Yan: "That's why I said it won't work. She is not suitable for you to marry. Don't go to the meeting."
Shen Jingmo: "
....."
Shen Jingmo was stunned and momentarily at a loss for words as he was completely thrown by Xiao Yan's puzzling logic. He stammered and unsure where to begin his rebuttal.
"Alright, Xiao Yan, stop messing around. Regardless, an accepted invitation cannot be declined without a good reason. Besides, they are powerful and influential. If we anger them, it won't be good for the school later. Be good, and no more tantrums or skipping classes in the future."
After hearing this, Xiao Yan bit his lip, said nothing more, turned around, and left.
The dinner party that night passed without incident. The magnate's daughter was not interested in the unremarkable Shen Jingmo and politely dealt with him throughout the evening. The big boss had to respect his daughter's wishes. Finally, Shen Jingmo toasted a few glasses of thanks on behalf of the dean and returned home in a haze.
The foreign liquor was too strong. It only went to his head on the way home, but by the time he reached his doorstep, his left foot was tripping over his right.
In the darkness, he felt someone help him onto the bed and the kerosene lamp on the table lit up. Under the warm yellow halo, he vaguely saw a familiar face.
Xiao Yan?
Shen Jingmo, who was drunk, actually didn't quite understand the current situation. He was completely defenseless and groggy.
He felt a few buttons on his collar being unbuttoned, and a cool cloth wiped the sweat from his neck. After a moment of quiet, a body slowly pressed against him with one arm wedged itself between the bed and his lower back. Stray hair tickled his neck, and the warm breath fell onto his ear.
"Are you that happy? So happy that you drank?" Xiao Yan spoke with a sarcastic tone.
"What is it." Shen Jingmo couldn't understand.
"..Teacher," Xiao Yan called him, asking very seriously, "Is it because they are powerful and influential that you can't refuse? Is that it?"
Shen Jingmo closed his eyes, unsure if he was still awake or had fallen asleep.
Xiao Yan tightened his arm around him. Shen Jingmo groaned uncomfortably in his sleep. Xiao Yan asked again, "Then if I also become powerful and influential, would you listen to me too?"
Shen Jingmo was drowsy, yet Xiao Yan's relentless questions kept him from drifting off. His mind was like mush. He was so drunk he couldn't distinguish who was asking the question, and just frowned and mumbled a reply to get it over with, "..Then if you have the ability... I... I'll agree to everything you say."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan finally released Shen Jingmo and said in a low voice, "Good. You promised me this, Teacher."
Shen Jingmo did not know that his drunken words made Xiao Yan decide to leave home and fight for his life in Shanghai.
However, a future was indeed dithcult to earn. The wealthy and influential in Shanghai were as numerous as cattle hair. Rising from a lowly enforcer to a minor gang leader, he still felt insignificant.
Climbing from minor leader to head of the Yan Gang, he realized he had made far too many enemies. Finally, he thought, after he had defeated the Zhang family, he could return to see Shen Jingmo.
Of course, he never expected that Shen Jingmo would also be trapped in Shanghai then, caught in a state where he could neither live nor die.
At a drinking table many years later, when this story was recounted, Duan Yelin disagreed: "You just purely waited? What if he hadn't been tricked away and had stayed in Hezhou? When by the time you return, he would have a wife and kids already and what would you do then?"
Xiao Yan replied without hesitation: "Snatch him."
Duan Yelin curled his lip: "You bastard..."
Xiao Yan gave him a sideways glance: "Was your path to where you are glorious?"
[Vicious Tongue]
Duan Yelin always felt that even though Physician Xu looked delicate and easy to bully, what was even more remarkable than his medical skills was his venom-laced tongue.
When he was preparing to write a wartime medical support plan, he asked Xu Hang for a lot of information. After burying himself in writing for several days, he took it to Xu Hang for review.
Xu Hang read it expressionlessly and said, "You only need to change one sentence."
"Which one?"
"The sentence where you thank me and my medical hall." With that, Xu Hang pinched the paper with two fingers and tossed it back into Commander Duan's arms like a rag.
"..."
Naturally, a large part of the final plan was ghostwritten by Xu Hang.
However, there was an advantage: after being constantly mocked by Xu Hang for many years, Duan Yelin's wit and thick skin were both exceptionally well-maintained.
The first to bear the brunt was Xiao Yan.
When Mei Qiu entered its mating season, Xiao Yan truly had nowhere to vent his frustration.
The damn dog kept barking all night outside the door and disturbed his good time. Yet Shen Jingmo protected it like his own child, refusing to let it be beaten or caged.
The dog was happy, but Xiao Yan was annoyed.
So without any warning, Xiao Yan brought Shen Jingmo to Shucheng to freeload. When Duan Yelin opened the door and saw the two carrying big and small bags, he spread his hands with practiced ease and said, "One hundred a night, two thousand for a monthly package."
Xiao Yan raised his little finger: "Stop barking. I hate dogs." Duan Yelin moved to shut the door without hesitation, but Xiao Yan, who was quick and sharp, slipped a package into the door's crack.
"Hey, hey, hey-whose 'such a huge piece of rare agarwood' is this that they don't want anymore?!"
Before the words were even finished, Duan Yelin heard a gust of wind passed by his ear. Before he could react, an iron hand swiftly, accurately, and mercilessly shoved him aside.
"Aiyo, damn it..." Duan Yelin's nose nearly hit the wall.
"Teacher is here." Xu Hang opened the door and very naturally tucked the package under his arm before saying, "Please come in."
Xiao Yan shrugged and gave Duan Yelin a gloating look as he stepped inside.
As for Head of the Household Xu, he was immersed in the thought of, "There is actually a piece of rare agarwood in this world. Should I make it into decoctions, powder, or pills?" His mind had already flown to the back room of the medicine house, and he had no time to notice what he had just bumped into at all.
Duan Yelin stood at the doorway with his hands on his hips for a while to recover, then kicked the door shut with his foot.
But as the saying goes, "Pride comes before a fall; an overconfident soldier is doomed to lose." Xiao Yan had calculated everything down to the smallest detail, yet he hadn't expected that while dodging Mei Qiu, he'd run straight into Duan Zhenhua in heat.
When the lamp was half-dimmed and the night was thick.
In the rare quietness, Xiao Yan pinned Shen Jingmo to the bed and kissed him breathlessly. Just hearing the suppressed gasping, Shen Jingmo felt a little apprehensive about the night. Just then, a meow-like howl was heard. Then the vase on the windowsill fell to the floor. Duan Zhenghua purred, hopped off the cabinet, and unceremoniously jumped onto the bed. It snuggled up against Shen Jingmo with its tail raised while rubbing its head against him.
When Shen Jingmo touched it, it flipped over and rubbed itself even more happily. If he stopped, it continued to purr endlessly. Xiao Yan tried to push it away with a dark face but was kicked by its hind legs several times.
"....."
The whole night was ruined again.
Before breakfast was even served the next day, Xiao Yan angrily came to flip the table.
"You bastard, Duan Yelin! Are you some kind of dog, tossing a cat into my room in the middle of the night? Has a donkey been doing nothing all day but kicking your head?!"
Duan Yelin bit his chopsticks and spread his hands: "The cat went over by itself. Why are you blaming me... am I that kind of person?"
Xiao Yan's face was livid with rage: "Go to hell, you old fool! You piss people off every time you open your mouth! Can a cat open a window? Can a cat pick a lock? That damn bear of a shadow outside the window at midnight-if you can find me anyone else in this whole house stupid enough to go out there, 1, Xiao Yan, will call you
'grandpa'!"
Duan Yelin, who would infuriate people without paying the price, said, "Good grandson, speak slowly, don't rush. Look at you drooling all over the place! Wipe it up before you continue."
"Go to hell! You coal-eating turtle, you black-hearted old bastard!
The fact that I haven't killed you yet alone shows how much I respect and care for the elderly! You should let your man treat you.
Take more medicine, eat less salt. You're too idle!"
Seeing Xiao Yan's machine-gun barrage wouldn't stop, Duan Yelin, who was feeling guilty, didn't dare to retort. So he pretended to be aggrieved and moved closer to Xu Hang: "Shaotang, he's insulting me."
Because the cat was "handled" by Duan Yelin, Xu Hang really suffered last night. Now, both sleepy and tired, he found Duan Yelin annoying and coldly pushed him away: "I am not a straw boat, don't shoot arrows at me."
Finishing the on-the-spot insults was not enough. Xiao Yan was so furious that he went back to the room and complained bitterly to Shen Jingmo, saying he didn't understand how someone with Shen Jingmo's temperament could have taught Xu Hang, who was so dark-hearted and sharp-tongued. He also said that Duan Yelin had been corrupted by association and that they were birds of a feather, a pair of villains.
As Shen Jingmo listened, he mumbled quietly, "You really have the nerve to say that about others..."
"Hmm? What are you muttering?"
"I said," Shen Jingmo said very seriously and sternly, "You are not allowed to go out and say that I taught you anymore."
This was one of the few "blemishes" on his professional resume.
He truly couldn't afford to be associated with such a person.
Yuan Ye]
In Yuan Ye's hazy memory, when he was very young, the family was still relatively harmonious. Suddenly one year, his grandmother and father returned from out of town and they separated the household to live apart. Not only that, but they insisted on taking Yuan Ye to raise and educate him themselves as well.
Madam Yuan made an endless fuss. Finally, the old madam tossed a white silk cord in front of her, saying if she was unwilling, she could strangle her, an old woman, and end everything.
And so, the fuss stopped.
Initially, Old Madam Yuan hired famous teachers, and later she selected the best new-style schools. When Yuan Sen was young, he was busy with promotions and amassing wealth and often operating in different places, while his son's affairs were managed by his own mother. Whether it was academics or character, the teachers always praised him without reservation, so he never worried. Consequently, the father and son spent little time together.
As soon as Yuan Ye could take care of himself without issue, Old Madam Yuan immediately entrusted him to relatives and friends and sent him abroad to study while Yuan Sen was away from home.
After the weather cleared up, the open fields stretched wide, clear, and untainted as far as the eye could see. The old madam's hopes for her grandson were already contained within that very name 10
She didn't know how many years this departure would take, but Old Madam Yuan did not cry. Watching the boat gradually sail away, she only said, "Raising a villain could harm thousands, but raising a good person might not save anyone... it all depends on fate."
Before meeting Xu Hang, Young Master Yuan indeed had a smooth journey, like a blank sheet of paper, never having endured any setbacks or difficulties in human relations, which is why the subsequent dramatic ups and downs left him completely bewildered.
So when he left Hezhou again, he was like a shattered glass bottle, not having time to put himself back together before tumbling into a chaotic, jumbled heap, fleeing in a frantic mess.
He drifted aimlessly overseas for a long time like a moving machine. During the day, he attended to work and looked after his family; at night, he lay in bed with a blank mind, finding little joy.
This continued... until Yuan Sen passed away in resentment.
It was like an overcast sky that had lingered too long, the damp, stuffy air constantly making it hard to breathe. Now the rain finally poured, soaking him through yet also freeing him from his fear.
His longing poured out like the heavy rain. He took up his pen and wrote a letter to Fangfei.
The mail was too slow. All he could do was wait, but what arriving earlier than the reply was the news of war in the motherland.
The Japanese invaders struck too suddenly. Wherever they went, there were wails of misery and endless tragedies. Overwhelming news spread among overseas Chinese and wlmost overnight, everyone poured into the streets to raise funds, give speeches, distribute flyers, and print newspapers...
Yuan Ye and several overseas Chinese from the Chamber of Commerce spent day and night researching how to purchase weapons and medicine to send back home. One day, upon hearing that a street protest had escalated into a riot with the police, they went to assist.
He never expected the reunion to be at such a sudden moment-On the streets of a foreign country, in front of the embassy, was a dense, clamorous crowd. Policemen were shouting and driving people away while patriots waving flags and radical youths stirring up chaos. flyers scattering everywhere as the banners were being burned.
Separated by the surging crowd, Yuan Ye saw Gu Fangfei standing in front of the square's statue while holding a large protest sign.
At her feet was a suitcase she hadn't had time to take back to the hotel. Her clothes were stained from being shoved, her hair was messy, her eyes were resolute, and the blood on her cheek, whether her own or someone else's, was smeared haphazardly. After hoarsely shouting the slogan, she turned her head and saw Yuan Ye.
She froze as her slightly open mouth slowly tightened and then her eyes turned red.
Almost simultaneously, she jumped down from the statue and her skirt ripped by the sharp edge of the sculpture. Yuan Ye also pushed through the crowd and stumbled. Amidst a warning shot fired into the air, they embraced tightly.
By the time the two of them calmed down enough to talk, they had already been locked up in prison.
There were countless compatriots in the prison, all of them in a mess, but none were afraid. They even sat in a circle while discussing how they would "make a big splash" once they got out.
The two of them sat side by side on the floor as they were too exhausted. They leaned against each other in silence for a long time. It was Gu Fangfei who spoke first: "...We young people should go from the research lab straight into prison, and from prison straight into the research lab."
She paused, then smiled: "This was the last article I read back home. I didn't expect to experience it as soon as I left the country."
Yuan Ye had also read it. He said, "Perhaps... we'll be frequent guests in the future."
Gu Fangfei turned her head and asked, "Yuan Ye, do you still think
'that matter' is important?"
Hearing this, Yuan Ye was stunned. Only at this moment did he suddenly realize that ever since he started working hard for the national crisis, he had not suffered from insomnia again.
The faint light leaking from the prison skylight shone on Gu Fangfei.
Her eyes seemed to hold starlight, while Yuan Ye's throat tightened.
"When I left Hezhou, I was also uneasy, wondering if it counted as cowardice or running away... but Hang Gege told me that every ordinary person has their own role. Soldiers on the battlefield are a force; merchants raising and donating funds are a force; writers producing propaganda are a force; even refugees who can only hide and flee are a force contributing to the nation's future rebuilding.
Whether you leave or stay, as long as your heart doesn't betray, no one is a coward."
Gu Fangfei's right hand was tightly clasped with his, and her voice was slightly trembling, "Yuan Ye, right now I don't need you, but the country needs us, the youth."
Yuan Ye squeezed Fangfei's hand back. At first, he kept his head down as his shoulders shook repeatedly. Then he leaned back against the wall, and when he raised his head again, his face was already covered in tears.
He and Gu Fangfei stared at each other, crying and laughing at the same time. The tears wouldn't cease, yet their laughter grew louder.
Their dirty faces were mixed with tears, and when they tried to wipe each other's faces, they only smeared the dirt even more.
This heavy, heartfelt cry was long overdue.
They cried until their voices were hoarse. By the time the sky had fully brightened, friends outside had negotiated and paid the full bail, and the jailers began releasing the detainees one by one.
Stepping out of the prison onto the morning-lit steps, Yuan Ye straightened his collar and, taking Gu Fangfei's hand, then dropped to one knee—
"Ms. Gu, please allow me to solemnly propose to you again. I, Yuan Ye, this time am not asking to marry you to become 'Madam Yuan, but to request that you agree to have me as your partner, as your comrade to fight alongside you. I swear, no matter what hardships the future holds, I am willing to share the same ideal and the same destiny with you. Will you... still allow me to walk this path with you?"
[A testament, yet not a proper onel
Duan Yelin did not know that the will he left before going to the battlefield ultimately reached Xu Hang's hands.
Xu Hang also did not know what exactly was written in that thick stack of papers Duan Yelin had written either.
He actually did not dare to look at them.
But in that letter, Duan Yelin did not have a single word confessing love.
At that time, he thought that Xu Hang was unwilling to listen to such things so he just very seriously, stroke by stroke, itemized his assets such as, how many bills, how to collect them, what proof was needed... he inventoried them one by one and attached his promise of donation and his seal. He also wrote down all his connections across the country over the years. After each name was a handwritten letter. As long as Xu Hang took the letter and approached any of these people, based on Duan Yelin's past friendship with them, he would be able to get some assistance.
He was unsure if Xu Hang would be willing to accept it or not. He paced outside the bedroom for a long time, and ultimately, he hastily tucked his entire fortune into a medical book in the study.
This was the last escape route Duan Yelin wanted to leave for his Shaotang.
—The author's belated note:
Dear Readers, consider seeing these words as we are meeting face-to-face,
It is said that after eight years of growth and adjustment, a relationship becomes as strong as bronze, which is why the eighth year together is called a 'Bronze Wedding Anniversary. From October 1, 2017, to today, this story spans exactly eight years. From the very beginning, it was determined to have a happy ending. If it feels too abrupt, it is simply because the author's writing skill is poor.
But Republican-era romances do not always have to end tragically.
It is a bit awkward to pull a conclusion out of nowhere, so let me formally state with this final bit of content: Commander Duan and Physician Xu's ending is already as perfect as it can be, therefore there will be no new extra stories after this.
Suffering can be detailed, but happiness is hard to elaborate upon.
For people in love, everything feels good, be it seeing mountains and rivers, sun and rain, or even the simple routines of eating, dressing, and idly muddling through life. One cannot truly write a mundane, daily log of a couple's life. If I go on, it'll only turn into some rambling, meaningless "writer's monologue," and I worry it would be long, boring, and tedious to read for readers. Let's just leave it for another time if fate allows.
This chapter came from a blank fragment that once passed through my mind during the writing process. Back then, I thought leaving it unwritten might not be a bad idea. In truth, there are still many blank spaces throughout the story, but every reader has their own way of seeing things; imagination and interpretation is free, just as you have seen in the various derivative works, audio dramas, physical books, and so on. Though I haven't been involved in most of these adaptations, it doesn't stop them from having their own brilliance or even surpassing the original in some ways. As for part of the copyright, it was sold to a "previous platform" years ago and has not yet expired. So even if some results differ from your expectations, l'm sorry, but there's little I can do to interfere or to fully align with them.
When I was young, I liked writing about life and death, love and passion. There weren't many readers then, so I simply wrote whatever came to mind. There were plenty of mistakes and moments where my left and right brains seemed to wrestle with each other. Eight years can change many things; people change, thoughts change. The me of today might not necessarily accept many of the original plots, but if I were to revise them, I fear it would turn into something unrecognizable. Yet, some people might prefer the original version, so let's leave it as it is for now.
Although much of it draws inspiration from real historical backgrounds, but first of all, many of the elements I wished to include would be anachronistic if placed in the actual Republican era. Secondly, that period carries too many weighty themes that demand serious and meticulous research. My fictional tale and frivolous writing style are insufficient to describe genuine history.
Therefore, this remains merely an alternate Republican-era story, one that should not be compared to real historical events or figures.
This is just a 'casual chat.'
A book is like a dish; though my cooking skills may be poor, there happen to be some who enjoy this particular flavor and find it barely palatable, while many others may scoff, "Ugh, how awful!" That's also perfectly normal. There's never any shortage of better chefs in the world. Personally, I believe that liking a dish doesn't require caring about the chef who made it. Within the story are its noble heroes; outside of it, the one holding the pen is merely a passerby. If the dish brings you joy, then eat; if it leaves a bad taste, then leave it. There's no need to mind it too much.
Stories are for recreation, but the people are real. Never let a fictional story affect your real-world feelings.
I've never considered myself a particularly talented writer.
Whatever attention my work has received is thanks to the brilliance of creators in other fields who can turn the ordinary into something extraordinary. In truth, what draws people in might be the artwork, the voice acting, or other adaptations; the original story itself is hardly remarkable. Therefore, my signature holds no real value;
there's no need to let a fleeting emotion drive one to buy it in bulk.
At most, it's just an extra trinket beyond the story. In the moment after finishing a book, one might feel compelled to collect it, but after a few days or months, you may realize it's nothing more than paper and ink. The surge of popularity is but a temporary illusion that will fade with time. There's no need to cling to it; everyone should feel free to move on and seek the things they truly love, things far better and more meaningful.
Emotionally, I certainly hope everyone finds what they wish for from my work, but it is difficult to reconcile with reality. First of all, I've never been a professional writer and my time is limited. Being a middle-aged office worker, l've already given my utmost effort each time. Secondly, some collaborations come with restrictions, and, of course, it's impossible to satisfy everyone's tastes.
As I mentioned earlier, the world is never short of delicious dishes; it's not worth fretting over this particular plate. As for the story, simply reading it is enough to claim it as yours 11
Additionally, I've never deliberately created "odd" types of signatures, and l've seen countless fake ones more than once... in the past two years, a fractured radius has affected my handwriting, making it both inconsistent and easy to imitate. So please be careful with your money. (That said, I understand that some will really want one, if circumstances allow, I'll arrange it if a suitable opportunity arises.)
Rather than spending a high price on this, it's far better to save your money for life, travel, or enjoying the real world.
The Qiyuan in the book is ultimately an imagination within the tale.
The Qiyuan in the book is, after all, a product of fiction. The real
"Qiyuan" holds far more precious historical value. If you're eager to visit in person, please be a responsible traveler and prioritize safety.
Because I don't have a social media account and currently do not plan to deeply pursue writing, I don't have many opportunities to express myself, which is why my ramblings have been a bit long. I wish everyone success in their own paths-though a thousand miles apart, may we still share the same wind.
—The End of the Book-