Chapter 27: Lintong
It was only natural for the village chief to want to meet the few strangers who had suddenly arrived in the village. Although Fu Tingyun bore the name of the household head, she was a woman, so it was only reasonable to call the "steward," Ninth Master Zhao, for questioning. Moreover, Ninth Master Zhao's competence had been evident throughout their journey, and Fu Tingyun trusted him completely. Hearing his words, she didn’t press further and simply instructed A Sen to fetch water for Ninth Master to wash his hands while she set out the chopsticks.
A Sen, grinning, grabbed a pancake and sat on the threshold, wolfing it down.
Masters and servants did not share the same table.
Coming from a prominent family, Fu Tingyun was well aware of this custom. But A Sen had shared hardships with her, making him special in her eyes.
She glanced at Ninth Master Zhao.
He kept his head down, sipping his soup.
Fu Tingyun shot him a covert sideways glance before scooping half a bowl of vegetables and handing it to A Sen along with a few extra pancakes. "I’ll give you more when you finish these!"
A Sen took the bowl, his eyes and brows alight with joy. "Thank you, Miss!"
Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but smile.
When she returned to the table, it suddenly struck her that men and women weren’t supposed to eat together either...
Watching Ninth Master Zhao, who was wholly absorbed in his meal, Fu Tingyun hesitated.
He sat there with an imposing air—so where was she supposed to sit?
Considering his background, and the fact that even A Sen, whom he had raised, squatted by the door, what did that mean for her?
Would she have to eat by the kitchen stove like the village women?
The thought displeased her.
In the past, as an unmarried daughter of the Fu family, she had always had a seat at the table, whether for meals or operas, even when her sisters-in-law sometimes didn’t. And once married, her husband’s family was a prominent clan in Jiangnan—her betrothed had passed the imperial exams at fourteen and earned the title of Provincial Graduate at eighteen... Never had she imagined a day when she wouldn’t even have a place to sit for a meal!
Her shoulders slumped.
She had already been cast aside...
Noticing Fu Tingyun lingering by the table without making a move, Ninth Master Zhao paused his chopsticks and asked, "Why aren’t you sitting down to eat?"
"Ah!" Fu Tingyun’s almond-shaped eyes widened.
"What’s wrong?" he asked, puzzled.
"Nothing, nothing!" The idea of eating by the stove felt like something only maidservants did, and she didn’t want to be reduced to the status of Ninth Master Zhao’s servant. Now that she didn’t have to eat there, she felt an unexpected surge of delight.
She quickly took her seat and picked up a piece of tofu with her chopsticks, a little too eagerly.
Ninth Master Zhao grew suspicious. After a moment’s thought, he said, "Did you want to eat separately?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt certain of his guess. "Necessity knows no rules. We’re fleeing disaster and staying in Li Family Hollow. The meal is just a couple of side dishes and some pancakes—let’s set aside formalities for now. We can revisit them once we’re settled." Mentally, he scolded himself for being careless—after spending so much time with Yuanbao and Yucheng, he’d forgotten such conventions.
"No, no!" Seeing Ninth Master Zhao speak in an uncharacteristically gentle tone—almost as if explaining or comforting her—Fu Tingyun grew uneasy. She wanted to clarify but didn’t know how, so she changed the subject. "A Sen mentioned you like pancakes, Ninth Master. What else do you enjoy eating?"
Ninth Master Zhao stared at her in surprise.
Why was he looking at her like that... Had she said something wrong...
The thought flickered through her mind, and her cheeks flushed slightly.He wasn’t her father or brother—how could she ask such an intimate question? No wonder he had looked at her like that!
"I was thinking that once we set off, we’ll only have steamed buns and cold water to eat," she improvised quickly, finding an excuse. "Since we’re resting for half a day tomorrow, I wanted to prepare a few dishes for Ninth Master and A Sen to enjoy."
Ninth Master Zhao gave a noncommittal nod. "What would you like to eat? I’ll go to the village tomorrow and see."
Another blunder!
Fu Tingyun lowered her head in dismay.
It was a year of famine, and they were staying in Li Family Hollow—what good food could there be? Instead of mentioning his own preferences, Ninth Master Zhao had asked what she liked to eat, clearly misunderstanding her as being greedy for good food.
"This is already very good—all my favorites." As if to prove she wasn’t being polite, she even picked up a piece of fried winter melon.
Ninth Master Zhao glanced at Fu Tingyun, who had been in high spirits just moments ago but now seemed deflated like a punctured balloon, then at the dishes on the table. "Did you cook these?"
Fu Tingyun nodded slightly. "I learned a bit at home, so I volunteered to take charge of the cooking."
So that was it...
He gave a hum of acknowledgment. "The dishes are quite good—much better than what A Sen makes."
Much better than what A Sen makes...
How old was A Sen?
How old was she?
What did A Sen do?
And what did she do?
The Fu family’s private recipes were quite famous—every newly appointed magistrate in Huayin would visit the Fu household to sample them. She had even learned from the family’s cooks!
Still, this was at least a compliment... Since they’d met, it seemed like the first time he had praised her... Well, she’d let it slide and not take it to heart.
Fu Tingyun’s anger dissipated as quickly as it had come. "Thank you for the praise, Ninth Master," she murmured, lowering her head to eat without another word, completely unaware that the corners of her lips had curled into a pleased smile.
Across from her, Ninth Master Zhao shook his head.
Angry one moment, happy the next... Still such a child!
A faint smile touched his lips.
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The journey had been fraught with fear and vigilance, keeping everyone on edge. Now that they had reached a safe place, after dinner and some tidying up, the three of them fell asleep immediately and didn’t wake until the sun was high in the sky. Ninth Master Zhao inspected the small cart while Fu Tingyun and A Sen boiled water, made flatbreads, and steamed buns.
The eleventh aunt of the Li family next door, having heard about Fu Tingyun’s situation and knowing she would leave today, specially sent over ten hard-boiled eggs. "Take them for the road!"
Deeply touched, Fu Tingyun carefully prepared ten scallion pancakes in return.
The old woman sighed inwardly as she stroked Fu Tingyun’s hands, smooth and delicate like mutton-fat jade, but no matter how much she wanted to help, she couldn’t bring herself to offer—after all, she too was living in her parents’ home with her entire family. She could only repeatedly urge Fu Tingyun to be careful on the road.
Back in the house, Master Qi and his wife arrived.
Madam Qi brought a bottle of Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui. "Madam Jie was such a good person..." Her eyes reddened, and tears fell in streams, making Fu Tingyun cry as well.
Master Qi, who had been chatting with Ninth Master Zhao in the main hall, heard the commotion and offered words of comfort before the couple took their leave. "We won’t see you off when you depart."
Ninth Master Zhao thanked them profusely and escorted the couple all the way to the willow tree outside the gate.
Fu Tingyun pulled herself together and, with A Sen’s help, filled the waterskins with cooled boiled water.Ninth Master Zhao approached and said quietly, "This is Li Family Hollow. It's not suitable for mourning rites. When we reach Xi'an Prefecture, we'll invite the elders of Daxingshan Temple to conduct ritual ceremonies for Master Xie's entire family."
"Thank you, Ninth Master!" Fu Tingyun composed her grieving expression and flashed him a radiant smile. "I'll have to trouble you to take me there when the time comes!" Her eyes glistened with dewdrop-like tears.
Ninth Master Zhao remained silent, gazing at her intently with an inscrutable expression.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy under his stare.
Fu Tingyun felt somewhat uncomfortable.
A Sen, who had been loading waterskins onto the handcart, came running over: "Miss, should we add some salt to our water? I saw Sister Shang preserving meat with salt—it stayed good until spring!"
His words broke the silence, restoring liveliness to the room.
"Good idea!" Fu Tingyun quickly turned to him. "Drinking lightly salted water can help with summer heat." She added, "It's getting late—let's prepare lunch! After eating and resting, we should continue our journey."
"Mm!" A Sen responded, entering the kitchen alongside Fu Tingyun.
Ninth Master Zhao stood motionless for a long while before finally turning to go inside.
※※※※※
As the sun dipped westward, golden light bathed the tall wooden fences of Li Family Hollow in tranquil serenity.
Seated silently on the handcart, Fu Tingyun departed from Li Family Hollow and resumed their routine of traveling at dawn and dusk while resting at midday.
They encountered several robbery attempts along the way, all thwarted by Ninth Master Zhao. Once, the attack came in the dead of night—even Fu Tingyun, who considered herself alert, only opened her eyes to see Ninth Master Zhao's eyebrow staff already striking the assailant's leg...
After four or five days of travel, the scenery gradually changed—patches of lush green grass occasionally sprouted beneath the stripped-bark trees.
They had entered Lintong territory.
"Xi'an Prefecture is just ahead!" A Sen shouted excitedly, running to pluck a blade of grass which he presented to Fu Tingyun.
His joy was unmistakable.
Fu Tingyun's spirits lifted: "How many more days to Xi'an Prefecture?" She brought the grass to her nose, inhaling its fresh scent.
"Five days at most," Ninth Master Zhao answered, his stern features softening slightly. "Tonight we'll rest at East Peace Village."
"Ninth Master knows this area well?" Fu Tingyun looked at him in surprise.
"Been through here a few times before," he replied vaguely. "I remember the village isn't far from the post road."
A Sen seemed to want to say something but held back.
More secrets!
Fu Tingyun pursed her lips.
Ninth Master Zhao steered the handcart off the post road onto an earthen path.
Another handcart followed behind them.
Without changing expression, Ninth Master Zhao quickened his pace.
The follower matched his speed.
When Ninth Master Zhao slowed, so did they.
Curious, Fu Tingyun glanced back.
The pusher was a sturdy man about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, his cart carrying a headscarfed woman holding a two- or three-year-old child.
Clearly refugees like themselves.
"Sit tight!" Ninth Master Zhao suddenly warned Fu Tingyun in a low voice before whirling around to face the followers, his expression icy.
The man froze in startled confusion.
Sensing something amiss, the woman on the cart looked up.
Fu Tingyun glimpsed delicate features.
Taking in the situation, the woman immediately lowered her head.Ninth Master Zhao stepped back with the handcart, signaling for the man to go ahead.
The man's sunburned face flashed with embarrassment as he slowly pushed his cart past them.
Ninth Master Zhao remained motionless until the man had turned onto the field path and entered the eastern village before pushing Fu Tingyun onward again.
"What was that man trying to do?" Fu Tingyun asked, puzzled.
"Not sure," Ninth Master Zhao replied casually. "I don't provoke others unless provoked. But if someone provokes me..." He left the rest unsaid.
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[Author's note: Felt the ending of Chapter 26 was dragging yesterday, so I revised it. Sisters who found it confusing might want to revisit Chapter 26... sweat !]
(End of chapter)
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