Youthful Glory

Bickering all the way, they arrived at Tonggang Town by mid-afternoon.

Ming Tan had been muttering along the journey that she must find a fabric shop in town to buy new clothes. Her garments had been splashed by rainwater the previous night and though dried by now, they still clung uncomfortably to her skin.

Jiang Xu neither agreed nor chided her for being delicate. Simply tightening the reins, he said indifferently, "We'll see when we get there."

Upon reaching the town, Ming Tan was stunned.

Having passed through nearly twenty large and small towns along the way, Ming Tan thought she'd glimpsed all aspects of common life during this trip. Yet arriving at Tonggang, she suddenly realized how limited her worldly experience truly was.

If not told this was a town, she might have mistaken it for a slum or a village recently struck by disaster.

Not a single proper road stretched ahead—just potholes and muddy patches where one sank ankle-deep every few steps.

The buildings lining the streets were dilapidated, windows patched with various glued strips of paper. Faded laundry extended from second-floor windows, row upon densely packed row.

The scorching sun beat down as hot gusts of wind carried an unbearable stench of salt and fish. Ming Tan instinctively covered her nose, slowing her breathing.

Truthfully, she'd expected Tonggang to be poor—just not this destitute. She strongly suspected Jiang Xu had known exactly how wretched the town was when he dismissed her clothing request. New clothes were the least of concerns now; finding decent lodging for the night would be blessing enough.

Dismounting, she walked alongside Jiang Xu, leading their horses forward.

Within moments, a small beggar came darting toward them, attempting to cling to Ming Tan's leg.

Jiang Xu subtly blocked the child, his cold gaze lowering.

Meeting Jiang Xu's eyes, the beggar shrank back in fear. Yet after some hesitation, the child looked pleadingly at Ming Tan and swallowed hard before whispering, "Brother... sister..."

Filthy and covered in grime, the emaciated child seemed nothing but skin and bones.

Ming Tan's heart ached, her hand instinctively moving toward her purse.

Jiang Xu shot her a glance.

She paused, suddenly recalling how Yun Yi had once bought buns for beggars only to be mobbed until her entire month's allowance was gone.

"Sister, I haven't eaten in three days," the child entreated with heartbreaking sincerity. "Please help... Buddha will bless you."

Unable to resist, Ming Tan glanced around and, seeing no other beggars nearby, retrieved a packet of pastries along with a small silver fragment for the child.

The beggar's eyes lit up. Clutching the food and testing the silver with teeth, the child bowed repeatedly. "Sister, you're so kind! Thank you!"

Ming Tan smiled gently as the child scampered away. Tugging Jiang Xu's sleeve playfully, she coaxed, "Since we probably can't buy clothes here anyway, let's consider this accumulating good karma, alright?"

Jiang Xu remained silent, merely casting a sidelong glance at someone blissfully unaware of the trouble she'd invited.

The town boasted only one inn.

The innkeeper appeared genuinely surprised to see customers.

Surveying the premises, Ming Tan found it lived down to expectations—shabby but at least rainproof (after last night, shelter from storms had become her baseline requirement).

Just as she resigned herself to the conditions, Jiang Xu unexpectedly changed plans.

"Let's go." Grasping Ming Tan's wrist, he turned to leave."Hey, guest, didn't you want to stay? This is the only inn in town!" The innkeeper called out twice behind them.

Ming Tan was puzzled but quickened her steps to catch up with Jiang Xu. Only after being pulled out of the inn did she manage to ask, "Husband, what's wrong?"

"Do you think that looks like an inn?"

Ming Tan was at a loss for words. Though it was somewhat shabby, the sign clearly read "Inn"—how could it not be one?

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her, and she tentatively asked, "Could it be... a shady establishment?"

She had once read a story about a wealthy young lady who eloped with a poor scholar. They accidentally stayed at a shady inn one night, where all her valuables were stolen, and the innkeeper colluded with nearby bandits to kidnap her.

At the critical moment when the young lady was about to be defiled, the scholar reported to the authorities and led soldiers to raid the bandits' den, rescuing her.

Upon learning of this, the young lady's family changed their opinion of the scholar and agreed to their marriage. In the end, the couple lived happily ever after.

She remembered this story not for any particular reason but simply because it was utterly absurd.

Leaving aside why the bandits would spare the scholar or how he managed to report the crime, the mere idea of the young lady happily discussing marriage after being kidnapped by bandits was enough to make one cringe.

Jiang Xu didn't answer but gestured for her to look at the clothes drying on the second floor of the inn.

Ming Tan followed his gaze and looked up.

The clothes drying outside the inn were different from ordinary ones. Though they all looked like rags to her, this row of over a dozen garments was brightly colored... A flash of insight struck her, and she seemed to understand. Then she recalled the odd feeling she had inside the inn earlier.

This wasn't an inn—it was a brothel masquerading as one!

No, calling it a brothel was too generous. It lacked the scale of a proper brothel; at best, it was a dingy den of ill repute.

Ming Tan clutched her chest as she walked forward, glancing back at the den. Coincidentally, her gaze fell on a shabbily dressed man scurrying inside.

So it really was a den.

"If it's not an inn, why did they want us to stay?"

"Money to be made, of course they'd want us."

In such places, nothing is ever certain.

Ming Tan muttered under her breath, "They're so poor, yet they still visit dens like this. Aren't they afraid they'll starve to death afterward?"

"Food and lust are both human desires."

"But desires have priorities, don't they? If I were so poor I couldn't even feed myself, I'd focus on making money, building a decent house, and filling my stomach first. Who'd have the mood to visit a den?"

"..."

He hadn't expected his little Consort to be so ambitious and career-driven.

As dusk approached and there were no other inns in town, Ming Tan grew worried. "Husband, where will we stay tonight?"

"What kind of place can you accept?"

Ming Tan thought for a moment. "Anywhere that shelters us from wind and rain will do."

"Easy."

—He led Ming Tan to a dilapidated temple in the outskirts of the town.

Ming Tan: "..."

It certainly only sheltered them from wind and rain.

Bewildered, Ming Tan entered the temple, unsure where to stand. Jiang Xu found a clean spot, spread his outer robe on the ground, and gestured, "Sit."

"Oh."

Ming Tan obediently sat down.

Two shadow guards who had been following them suddenly appeared out of nowhere, carrying two bundles of dry firewood and a chicken.

"There are chickens to catch in the mountains?" Ming Tan asked doubtfully."Reporting to Consort, we bought it from a farmhouse."

Oh, so why not just buy a cooked one instead? Is roasting it yourself more fun? She hesitated to ask, but before she could voice her question, the two guards silently vanished once more.

Ming Tan sat hugging her knees nearby, watching Jiang Xu skillfully start a fire and place the cleaned chicken over the flames to roast. Hmm... truthfully, she wanted to say there were still provisions in the baggage—there was really no need for this wilderness survival reenactment.

This chicken roasted like this definitely wouldn't taste good. She'd observed the manor chefs roasting chickens from afar—every step from marinating to selecting firewood to controlling heat and seasoning was meticulous.

Seeing the chicken would take a while to cook and Jiang Xu being so taciturn, Ming Tan rubbed her arms and initiated a conversation: "Husband, that inn we encountered today reminded me of a storybook tale."

"What tale?"

She vividly recounted the story of the wealthy young lady eloping with a poor scholar, concluding with her own commentary.

Jiang Xu kept his eyes on the roasting chicken, his voice even: "The tale does have issues, but why do you think the young lady couldn't marry after being kidnapped?"

"Her virtue would be compromised, naturally she couldn't marry again. If a woman were truly kidnapped by bandits, even if rescued, most would choose to slit their throats. At best, they'd cut their hair and become nuns—why would that scholar still marry her?"

"That wasn't the young lady's fault."

"Indeed it wasn't her fault, but society is harsh towards women—virtue outweighs life itself. Only in storybooks dare they make such reckless plots." Propping her chin, she idly hypothesized, "If I were that young lady and you the poor scholar, what would you do? If I were kidnapped by bandits, would you rescue me? And after rescuing me, would you still marry me?"

"Of course I'd rescue you." Jiang Xu turned the chicken over, then added impassively after a pause, "Though I wouldn't need to involve officials to leave that bandit den strewn with corpses and rivers of blood. Since you care about virtue, no living soul besides me would know of this. Thus, no one could object to marriage."

"..."

How thoroughly considered.

"Try this."

Soon the chicken was done. Jiang Xu tore off a drumstick and handed it to her.

"Wait."

Ming Tan took out a bamboo tube, poured water to wash her hands, then produced a clean handkerchief to carefully hold the drumstick.

In all fairness, the roasted chicken looked decent. She took a small bite, barely tasting before swallowing, and praised insincerely: "It's delicious, husband. Your skills are amazing."

Jiang Xu glanced at her: "The drumsticks and wings are all yours. Take your time."

...?

Ming Tan choked: "N-no need, husband should eat too."

"Didn't you say it was delicious?"

"But even if delicious... I can't eat this much."

These words were proven wrong within moments.

She could! She absolutely could! Her husband's roasted chicken was unbelievably delicious!!!

After nibbling through one drumstick and a wing, she gazed longingly at the remaining plump leg.

Jiang Xu looked at her, tore it off and handed it over.

She received it reverently, swallowing saliva discreetly, voicing her soul-deep question: "How can you roast it so well? When I watched manor chefs roast chickens before, the process was complicated, yet the taste doesn't seem much different."

"Because your husband roasted it."...?

After saying this, Jiang Xu suddenly looked up, his gaze directed outside the dilapidated temple. As he wiped his hands with the plain handkerchief Ming Tan had used, he remarked, "The trouble you stirred up has arrived."