When it came to the Marquis Weiyuan’s obsession with alcohol, it could be said that there wasn’t a single person in the entire Great Chu Dynasty who didn’t know. He couldn’t eat a single meal without wine. On one snowy night, he even nearly froze to death while drunk in the wilderness, and the first thing he did upon waking up was to drink again. He truly wouldn’t cry until he saw his own coffin. He had once achieved great military accomplishments and had saved the former emperor’s life three times. Although he was currently recuperating in the capital, with no indication of when he might return to his post in the southeast, he remained someone that no one dared to provoke. In his hand, he held a golden whip, bestowed upon him by the former emperor on his deathbed, which could be used to strike down a foolish ruler or punish treacherous ministers. His power was immense.

In order to cater to his preferences, every visitor who came to see him would bring a good jar of wine. If the wine pleased him, he would speak freely. If it was of poor quality, he would promptly throw the person out. It seemed that winning over Marquis Weiyuan was simple, but it was not so easy. He had followed his father to the battlefield at the age of eight, killed his first man at nine, and drank the strongest liquor in the world that very night, getting thoroughly drunk. Since then, he had been addicted to alcohol, and it had been thirty years, during which time he had tasted countless wines.

Ordinary good wine no longer interested him and even top-quality wine had lost its appeal. Satisfying his taste was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

The bearded general, trying to curry favor with Marquis Weiyuan, spent an unknown amount of gold and silver buying wine, but it was always in vain. He hadn’t expected to come across the skillful Shopkeeper Lin by chance and even receive a jar of the legendary Thousand-Day Wine for free. The joy in his heart was uncontrollable. He hurried as fast as he could and arrived in the capital three days later. Without stopping to rest at an inn, he went straight to Marquis Weiyan’s residence to pay his respects.

Each day, dozens, if not hundreds of people came to the Marquis’s residence to deliver wine and the steward couldn’t possibly allow them all inside. He simply took the jar of wine and sent the bearded general away, who repeatedly emphasized that it was Thousand-Day Wine, extremely rare, and asked the steward to personally deliver it to the Marquis. The steward agreed verbally but then casually placed the wine into the storage room specifically used for strong alcoholic beverages.

The jar was only the size of a palm and it wasn’t even full, feeling light and insubstantial in the hand. What an embarrassing sight! These gift-givers were becoming more and more clueless! After leaving the storage room, the steward mentally criticized the bearded general and promptly forgot all about it. Thus, the jar of wine sat quietly on a shelf, gathering dust, unnoticed by anyone.

———pr

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

Meanwhile, Lin Dan’s convoy continued along the official road, with three strong men guarding both sides to prevent any further incidents. After breakfast, they looked forward to lunch. After lunch, they eagerly awaited dinner. And after dinner, they would ask Lin Dan if there were any light night snacks. Life was indeed comfortable. What was originally a perilous mission had turned into a leisurely journey, and the three men, who had lost seven or eight pounds from exhaustion during their months-long journey, had regained their weight under Shopkeeper Lin’s skillful cooking. Their faces were now healthier and more radiant than ever.

Four days later, the convoy arrived at the outskirts of the capital. A half a day’s journey ahead would bring them to the western city gate. However, Lin Dan stopped at a small town and bid farewell to the three men. The men were reluctant to leave, insisting on accompanying her all the way to the capital, claiming that since they had already come this far, they should see the task through to the end. In truth, they were unwilling to part with her excellent cooking and resorted to playing tricks.

Lin Dan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and seeing that she couldn’t refuse them, she allowed them to stay.

“Mother, I’m back!” She led a group of people to a small farmhouse courtyard, where vegetables were planted in the yard, a flock of chickens and ducks were raised, and red and white roses bloomed. It was a very cozy scene.

“Dan’er, you’re finally back!” Madam Qi, looking much older, rushed out of the house, her eyes brimming with tears. In the early years, she could still travel with her daughter to learn the craft, but as her health declined, she was sent back to the capital to recuperate. However, no matter how big the capital was, it was inevitable that she would run into certain people sooner or later. One day, she encountered her second brother-in-law’s family on the street, and they informed Madam Zhou and Yan Shouye, who then hired ruffians to harass Madam Qi daily, driving her to the brink of despair.

She couldn’t understand why those people who had already taken everything from her husband still wanted to force her and her daughter to death. But the wickedness of the human heart was unfathomable. With no other option, Madam Qi had retreated to this place to live a few years of peace.

“Mother, pack your things. We’ll rest here for a few days and then return to the capital.” Lin Dan said as she ladled water for everyone to drink.

“Back to the capital?” Madam Qi asked, a bit apprehensive. She was truly terrified of Madam Zhou and Yan Shouye, no longer having the courage she once had to reclaim their family’s properties.

“Yes, of course, we must go back.” Lin Dan replied, her tone calm but her expression resolute. She had vowed to help the other Lin Dan restore the Lin family’s name and clear Lin Baotian’s reputation. How could she not fulfill her promise? After ten years of wandering, this land had become her home, and the other Lin Dan’s life was now her life. Therefore, the other Lin Dan’s responsibilities were also hers.

“Very well, I’ll go start packing up now. Those chickens and ducks outside have been raised for over two months now. You can catch them if you want to eat them.” Madam Qi said as she turned to go back to her room. Lin Dan rolled up her sleeves and said, “For lunch today, let’s have Dong’an Chicken^[1]a cold parboiled chicken dish, flavored with chili peppers, ground Sichuan peppercorns, white rice vinegar, scallions, and ginger and Yongzhou Duck Blood^[2]a dish made with duck meat, duck blood, peppers, garlic and ginger.”

Everyone responded enthusiastically and then got busy with preparations.

Lin Dan scalded the slaughtered chickens and ducks in boiling water to make them easier to pluck. The handsome man stood beside her. Looking down, he softly asked, “You and your mother have been wandering for all these years?”

“Yes.” Lin Dan replied as she placed the plucked feathers into a bamboo basket for storage. Chicken feathers could be made into feather dusters and the fine down of duck feathers could be stuffed into clothes for warmth. Both were valuable materials.

The man stared at her married woman’s hairstyle for a long time before finally asking, “Then what about your husband? Why isn’t he by your side?”

Lin Dan raised her head in surprise, seemingly not expecting him to inquire about her personal matters. He appeared to be the kind of person who was very reserved, cold, and self-controlled, not the type to be interested in others’ private affairs. However, there was nothing to hide, so she honestly replied, “I’m not married, so where would a husband come from? I wear my hair in a married woman’s hairstyle for convenience when traveling. As you’ve seen, I only have my mother as my only relative. If I were to marry, who would take care of her? Moreover, I’ve been learning my craft while traveling all year round, living a nomadic life. Even if I wanted to marry someone into the family, where would I find a place to settle?”

As she finished speaking, Lin Dan let out a soft laugh, her demeanor open-minded. “Things are pretty good now. I’ve already endured the hardest days, so what is there to fear in the future? All I need to do is train a few good pupils and I won’t have to worry about anyone taking care of me in my later years.” As she said so, it seemed as though she recalled something unpleasant, for the light in her eyes gradually dimmed and she finally sighed wistfully.

The man’s brows furrowed deeply as if he had much to say but didn’t know where to begin. He took the chickens and ducks from her, meticulously plucking their feathers. Seeing that Lin Dan was about to start a fire, he immediately said in a low voice, “Go back inside and rest. Have a good talk with your mother. Leave the work outside to us.”

Lin Dan glanced toward the house and saw Madam Qi watching her eagerly. She smiled and agreed. Although the handsome man appeared cold on the surface, his heart was actually very soft. He was a good person.

After lunch, Lin Dan escorted Madam Qi back to her room to rest, and then she left the house carrying a small box to visit someone. The handsome man, fearing she might encounter danger, immediately followed her.

Hearing footsteps, Lin Dan turned her head and looked back, breaking into a bright smile.

The man fixed his gaze on her radiant smile, his eyes flickering with an unreadable expression.

The two walked together in silence, yet they did not find it awkward or dull. Instead, they felt completely at ease. After taking a few winding paths, they turned onto a main road and saw a post station by the roadside. Outside the station was a thatched shack, where a middle-aged woman was busying herself. Her coarse shouts could be heard from a distance.

Lin Dan approached and cupped her hands in greeting. “Sister Wang, it’s been a long time. How have you been? Where is Aunt Wang? Why isn’t she in the shop?”

“Who are you?” The middle-aged woman stared blankly for a moment before she suddenly remembered. “Oh, I remember now! You’re that little girl who used to work for free at my place! I haven’t seen you in ten years. You’ve grown so much!” Back then, Lin Dan was short and thin, but she was incredibly hardworking, leaving a deep impression on the woman.

Lin Dan nodded and said, “Yes, it’s me.” She patiently inquired about the old lady’s situation. The middle-aged woman rolled her eyes, seemingly disdainful of her mother-in-law. No matter what Lin Dan asked, she refused to answer. Left with no choice, Lin Dan bought two bowls of tofu balls from her and paid an extra five coins. Only then did she learn that the old lady was selling food just a short walk ahead, about a quarter of an hour away.

The tofu balls still tasted the same, indicating that the middle-aged woman had finally mastered her mother-in-law’s culinary skills after ten years. However, it was unclear why they had ended up running separate shops.

As Lin Dan walked along, she asked the passersby about the situation, feeling an inexplicable sadness in her heart. Aunt Wang had treated her son and daughter-in-law sincerely, but after learning her skills, they had turned against her. They had demanded to split the family, not only forcing the old lady and her underage son to live separately but also taking away the family shop that they relied on for a living.

Aunt Wang’s eatery had already gained a reputation, and with its location near the post station, it naturally attracted a steady stream of customers. Business was thriving. But now that she had opened a new shop in a remote area, even if it offered the same taste at the same price, customers would naturally prefer the familiar place, and over time, her daughter-in-law completely replaced her.

Now, Aunt Wang’s income was meager and her youngest son had also suffered a leg injury a few years ago. Without money for treatment, he had become disabled, making their lives extremely difficult. When Lin Dan arrived, she saw Aunt Wang carrying water. Her son limped over to greet her, trying to take the heavy pole onto his own shoulder. But Aunt Wang stopped him, and the two began to bicker, both with reddened eyes but full of love and concern for each other.

Seeing this, Lin Dan felt a pang in her heart. Without saying a word, she walked over to take the pole and lifted the water buckets before striding into the shop. The handsome man was stunned for a moment before quickly stepping forward. He lifted the heavy water buckets and poured the water into the tank, then took the carrying pole and said in a low voice, “Where is the water source? I’ll fetch it. You rest.”

“It’s at the foot of that mountain, just follow this path straight ahead.” Lin Dan had stayed there for three months carrying a hundred pounds of water back and forth every day so she naturally knew where the water source was.

The man nodded and left without another word. It was only then that Aunt Wang, who had been in a daze, came to her senses and said in surprise, “Are you Xiao Dan? Good child, where have you been all these years? I’ve searched everywhere but couldn’t find you!”