Chapter 5: Renovating the Outhouse

Wei Lan was chatting with Liu Mingyi, just about to pick up some food with her chopsticks, when footsteps suddenly interrupted them from outside.

Both of them looked up to see Liu’s father push the door open. His face was stern, his entire demeanor weary from travel. His gaze swept over Wei Lan with an icy chill but turned sharp and strict when he looked at his son.

“No talking while eating, no speaking before bed.”

Liu Mingyi’s hand trembled, causing his chopsticks to clink against the bowl as he stood up with tension in his voice. “Father, you’re back.”

Wei Lan only knew Liu’s father as a teacher. Feeling uneasy, she greeted him respectfully, “Mr. Liu.”

The meal continued in silence, the only sounds being the occasional clinking of bowls and chopsticks. After dinner, Liu’s father summoned Liu Mingyi to the study for a private conversation.

Inside the study, the candlelight flickered. Liu’s father set his teacup down with a heavy thud. “Mingyi, that girl’s origins are unknown. It is improper for her to stay here. Send her away tomorrow.”

Liu Mingyi stood firm. “Father, Miss Wei has exceptional medical skills. Just today, she saved a child from choking. I want to learn medicine from her.”

Liu’s father let out a cold snort. “Exceptional medical skills? Have you considered she may have ulterior motives?”

Liu Mingyi shook his head. “From my observations, Miss Wei harbors no ill intentions. She may not have amnesia, but her medical knowledge is indeed unique. However, she knows nothing about Zhuyou techniques, and that is something she could never fake.”

His father’s expression darkened. “Mingyi, the world is changing. The Ming Empire faces threats from foreign invaders in the northeast, while natural disasters plague Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan. Bandits run rampant. This is the prelude to chaos.”

“That man has been searching for you, his footsteps nearly covering the entire country. If he finds any trace of us… your life will be in grave danger.”

His voice carried the weight of heavy storm clouds pressing down, suffocating. He lowered his voice. “We must be even more cautious.”

Liu Mingyi knew his father’s words made sense, but he still tried to defend Wei Lan. “Father, Miss Wei is just a young woman. She cannot possibly be a spy of such importance. I will remain vigilant.”

His father’s sharp gaze seemed to pierce into his thoughts. “Or do you have feelings for her?”

He scoffed. “Liu Yan! Do you still remember your grandfather’s dying words?”

Liu Mingyi lowered his head. “Of course, I remember.”

Memories surged back.

That stormy night, his grandfather lay weak on his sickbed, but his gaze was resolute. He clutched Liu Mingyi’s hand and spoke in a raspy voice:

“Liu Yan, in this life, you must tread carefully as if walking on thin ice. Keep away from fame and fortune, and only then will you remain safe. Fate is unpredictable. You are destined for calamity, and that calamity is a woman. She may be a blessing or a disaster.”

A young Liu Mingyi had asked in confusion, “A woman?”

His grandfather continued slowly, “Remember, your birth chart is highly unusual. Never reveal it lightly. If you are to marry, you must first compare birth charts to counteract your fate.”

His father had interjected, “Father, finding such a compatible match will not be easy.”

After a long silence, his grandfather had retrieved an ancient wooden box and handed it to Liu Mingyi. “This is the Liu family’s heirloom. I now pass it to you.”

When he received the box, Liu Mingyi felt the weight of responsibility and an inescapable fate. He bowed. “Grandfather, I will remember.”

The memory faded, bringing him back to the present. He swallowed hard. “Grandfather said… my calamity is a woman.”

His father sighed. “I fear that Miss Wei is that calamity.”

Liu Mingyi steadied his emotions. “Father, she is merely a temporary guest. It is far too soon to speak of marriage.”

His father narrowed his eyes. “If you don’t know her birth chart, how can you be sure she is not your destined calamity?”

Liu Mingyi hesitated. “She claims to have amnesia. Asking directly would be too abrupt.”

“Then let A-Yao ask her.” His father’s tone brooked no argument.

At that moment, a sharp scream pierced the night.

Liu Mingyi’s face changed. He rushed out of the study to see Wei Lan leaning against the courtyard wall, retching, her face pale.

“Miss Wei, what happened?” He asked urgently.

Wei Lan pointed at the outhouse, her voice trembling. “Maggots… maggots!”

She was still shaking from what she had just seen. The outhouse was nothing more than a pit in the ground covered with wooden planks, waste fully visible, writhing with maggots. The sight was revolting.

Liu Mingyi blinked. He had imagined countless possible scenarios, but not this. “Are you alright?” he asked softly.

Wei Lan shook her head, still pale. “I… I’m fine, just… not used to it.”

“All the village outhouses are like this.”

“Not the one at Old Tang’s tavern.”

The contrast between the relatively clean tavern latrine and the disgusting village outhouse overwhelmed her. As a modern person, she struggled to adapt but knew she had to.

Determined, she took pen and paper from Liu Mingyi’s room and began drafting plans for a proper latrine—one with a flushing system. She was even willing to fetch water from the stream daily if necessary.

She sketched diligently, each stroke filled with hope. When she finally filled the entire paper with designs, discarded drafts had piled up into a small mountain.

Liu Mingyi entered the room to find the table covered in messy drawings, crumpled paper scattered on the floor, and Wei Lan sitting cross-legged in his chair.

Normally patient, he felt his temper rise. His temples throbbed, and his voice dropped. “Wei Lan!”

Unaware of his irritation, she excitedly showed him her work. “Look! I designed a flush toilet!”

Liu Mingyi picked up a crumpled paper and unfolded it. The strange drawings covered every inch. “Do you know how expensive bamboo paper is? You wasted so much of it!”

Wei Lan froze, feeling guilty. “How much does it cost? I… I can compensate you.”

Liu Mingyi scoffed. “With what money?”

That was when Wei Lan realized she had yet to fully integrate into this world. Paper and ink were luxuries. Even if her design used only clay pipes and stone, it would not be easy to implement. And she was penniless. Feeling defeated, she retreated to her room.

But the next morning, while Wei Lan still slept, Liu Mingyi got to work.

Following her so-called “nonsensical drawings,” he selected a secluded spot behind the house. That would be the site of the new outhouse.

With precision, he sawed wood, sanded planks, and constructed a sturdy frame. He carved stone for the foundation and dug trenches for the waste system. He shaped clay pipes to connect to the latrine pit, setting them out to dry before they could be fired.

When Wei Lan finally stumbled outside, rubbing her eyes, she saw the beginnings of a modern-style latrine.

She gasped. “Mingyi, you’re actually building it?”

Without looking up, he muttered, “Better than letting you waste paper.”

Her heart warmed. Though he spoke harshly, he always indulged her. A classic case of a sharp tongue hiding a soft heart.