Chapter 23: Living Together

Early morning, before the rooster's first crow disturbed the stillness, Chen Ji opened his eyes to find five small silver ingots resting by his pillow.

These were the promised reward from Yun Yang. Yet, how he had entered the medical hall undetected, or when he had done so, remained a mystery. It was as if the ingots had materialized from the very air. This was not merely a reward from Yun Yang, but also a subtle warning.

Chen Ji rose silently and donned the new clothes Joy Cake had sent. Unfolding the garment, he found it was a dark green, stand-collar robe with a wide front. Two silver buttons adorned the collar, a stark contrast to his usual attire, elevating its quality by several grades. Such a set of clothing surely cost several taels of silver!

Alas, Joy Cake had only sent the robe, inner collar, and trousers, neglecting boots and a belt. Thus, after slipping on the elegant robe, Chen Ji's feet remained encased in his old cloth shoes, and his waist was still cinched with a coarse hemp belt. He chuckled, a peculiar figure indeed, neither here nor there.

"Never mind," he thought. "A humble apprentice, what is there to fret over? I'll earn money later and complete the set."

As the rooster's crow finally pierced the dawn, Chen Ji stepped out the door, just as the grain and oil shop across the street was lowering its shutters.

"Good morning, Boss Lady," Chen Ji greeted with a smile as he entered the shop.

"Yo, what does little Doctor Chen need?" The Boss Lady, busy with preparations for the day's business, immediately set aside her tasks upon seeing him.

"How much for one *jin* of millet?" Chen Ji inquired.

"Others pay eight *wen*, but for little Doctor Chen, it's six *wen*," the Boss Lady replied with a smile.

"How much for one *jin* of rice?"

"Nine *wen*. That's already quite cheap, pardon me."

In this age, doctors were scarce and held relatively high status. Chen Ji's master, moreover, was a proper seventh-rank Imperial Doctor from the court. Therefore, the neighbors treated Chen Ji with considerable courtesy.

"Then give me five *jin* of millet and five *jin* of rice... also, a pot of fragrant oil, please. Oh, and a string of dried meat!" Chen Ji added.

The Boss Lady's eyes widened in a smile. "Alright, that's one hundred and ninety-five *wen* in total. I'll take one hundred and ninety."

Chen Ji broke apart the one tael silver ingot, exchanging it for several strings of copper coins. He deposited the bulk of the coins at the grain and oil shop, planning to retrieve them later that evening, and departed with his purchases, large and small.

The bundles were bound with rough straw ropes that dug into his hands, causing a slight ache, yet his mood remained cheerful. He was buying these things to take home on his day off. Considering his own circumstances, he suspected his family's situation was likely not much better. According to hints his master had let slip, his father should be working on the river embankment, he thought. For his family to have helped him offer the apprenticeship gift to his master and secure a good future, they must have expended all their efforts. This touched Chen Ji, even sparking a curiosity about his family in this world.

The Chen family resided in Cui Yun Alley. He inquired about the location from a shopkeeper on the street, and made his way northward towards Luo City. Luo City was livelier in the mornings. He saw someone driving an ox-cart laden with sacks, perhaps heading to market. A merchant caravan entered the city gate from the north, their horse-drawn carts piled high with cured furs. As winter approached, these were the most sought-after commodities among the nobility.

It was said that the most renowned brothel in the East Market, located in Red Clothes Alley, had top courtesans who rarely entertained common guests. However, if a wealthy merchant offered a piece of white marten fur, he was guaranteed a kiss of fragrance.

Naughty children chased each other by the roadside, chanting rhymes and clutching their self-made pinwheels. Women in the city washed clothes by the small river, chatting and laughing amongst themselves, their voices carrying in the crisp air.

Chen Ji reached Cui Yun Alley and asked a passerby, "Elder, may I inquire which household belongs to the Chen family from Guan Dong?"

The elder looked at him. "Isn't this Chen Ji? You need to ask where your own home is?"

Chen Ji was taken aback. "..." It turned out to be an acquaintance. He hesitated for a long time, not daring to ask further, and simply carried his things into the alley.

At that moment, a clamor arose from ahead. "Housekeeper, Housekeeper, where should this lantern be hung?"

A harsh, impatient male voice replied, "Do I have to teach you everything? Hang it on the eaves above the stone lion's head, there's a hook there! Quickly, quickly, the two young masters will be back soon. If you delay, be careful I don't flay you all!"

Chen Ji looked at the household, adorned with lanterns and decorations, a festive air hanging about. He wondered what happy event was taking place. But the more he looked, the more something felt amiss. Then he saw the plaque above the household's entrance... Chen Mansion.

Could there be two Chen Mansions in Cui Yun Alley? This household had a grand entrance, its vermilion lacquer main door and stone lions, though not the most magnificent, were certainly not those of an ordinary family.

"...This shouldn't be my home, right?" Chen Ji muttered.

"Chen Ji?" The housekeeper with the prominent mustache looked over, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "Why are you back?"

Chen Ji hesitated for a second. "It's my day off today."

The housekeeper said, "Just right, you're tall. Come here, climb the ladder and hang up this lantern."

"Oh." Chen Ji placed the packages he was carrying on the ground and climbed the ladder to hang the lantern.

The housekeeper directed the other maidservants nearby. "Come, come, fetch basins of water. Sprinkle some water in front of the door to prevent dust from rising when the two young masters return. Such clumsy oafs! You're servants of the Luo City Assistant Magistrate's household, for goodness sake! If people see you, they'll laugh at your ignorance of the rules!"

As he spoke, the housekeeper noticed the packages on the ground. "Who left these here? Quickly move them to the side, they're obstructing the way."

Chen Ji calmly descended the ladder. "Housekeeper, I..."

The housekeeper suddenly realized. "You've come for the tuition silver, haven't you? The Master mentioned this before, but you see, my mind is so preoccupied I completely forgot. That's why I didn't send it to you."

He ordered someone from the accounts room to bring out a string of copper coins, about three hundred pieces. "Be frugal with your spending. Times are tough now, and our Chen family isn't finding it easy either."

Not until this moment did Chen Ji fully grasp his identity within this Chen Mansion.

From a distance, the sound of hooves approached, and a lively hubbub floated from outside Cui Yun Alley. "The Chen family's eldest young master and second young master are back! They were at East Forest Academy for three years, and they've changed so much, they're almost unrecognizable!"

"The eldest young master and second young master have grown even more handsome."

Chen Ji looked over and saw two young men riding white horses entering the alley. They wore green brocade robes embroidered with elegant floral patterns – the craftsmanship alone indicated the robes' high cost. The young men wore cloud-patterned boots and each had a piece of green jade hanging from their belts, with pearl and jade pendants on their chests. They appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, carrying themselves with an air of distinction.

The housekeeper rushed forward, smiling as he took the reins. "Returning from studies at East Forest Academy! The two young masters are sure to make a name for themselves in this year's provincial exam!"

The two young masters dismounted, handing their whips to the maidservants, and smiled. "Housekeeper, you've indeed gained more white hair over the years. You've toiled for the mansion."

"Where, where? It's all my duty... The Master was originally supervising water conservancy repairs on the river embankment. He heard you were returning a few days ago and rushed back specifically to wait for you. Quickly, go pay your respects to him!"

Amidst the cheerful commotion, the crowd followed the two young masters into the mansion. As they passed by Chen Ji, they didn't spare him a second glance. It wasn't a pretense of indifference; they genuinely seemed not to recognize who Chen Ji was, or perhaps, whether they recognized him or not was of no consequence.

The once bustling entrance of the Chen Mansion fell silent. Chen Ji stood by the door, a silent figure, as if the world had forgotten him.

Chen Ji thought carefully. His master should have known his family's circumstances, yet his master had never mentioned his family's inability to pay tuition because of poverty, nor had he mentioned what his father specifically did on the river embankment. The master's initial anger was likely due to the fact that he knew Chen Ji's family clearly had money, yet had delayed paying the tuition.

The Luo City Assistant Magistrate, like Liu Xian Ming, was a fifth-rank official.

Chen Ji looked at the "Chen Mansion" plaque above his head. He finally did not step through the vermilion door. The young man simply bent down, placed the string of three hundred copper coins at the doorstep, and carrying the packages he had brought, turned and left.

The elder at the alley mouth watched his retreating back and sighed. "The legitimate son with a mother, and the concubine's son without a mother, the difference is like mud and clouds."

Chen Ji returned to An Xi Street and collected the copper coins from the grain and oil store. The Boss Lady was slightly surprised. "Little Doctor Chen, why are you taking your things back? We can't return goods, you know."

He smiled. "I'm not returning them. I'm taking them back to show filial piety to my master."

When he returned to the medical hall, Old Man Yao glanced up at him. "Didn't I tell you to take a day off? You're back so quickly?"

Chen Ji counted out five hundred and sixty copper coins. "Master, this is the money my family gave to supplement the tuition and medicine fees I owed you. These packages are also something my family entrusted me to bring to you."

Old Man Yao curled his lip. "Your family finally has some sense. I didn't expect your father's work supervising a river embankment could also help repair his brain along the way."

Chen Ji. "..." "Were you demoted to Luo City because your mouth is too venomous?"

...

...

That night, Chen Ji sat in the medical hall's main hall, quietly copying notes on wound and cold pathology. When he turned his head, Black Cloud was already perched on the counter behind him, a small bundle wrapped in blue cloth clutched in its mouth.

"Are you planning to run away from home?"

"What are you thinking?" After hesitating for a few seconds, Black Cloud asked, "Can you take me to Qing Ping Alley?"

"It's already very late. I'm afraid of the dark."

"Do you think I'll believe that?"

Chen Ji sighed. "Alright, I'll take you. But what do you want to do in Qing Ping Alley?"

"I don't want to say now!"

Where was Qing Ping Alley? This was a serious problem.

Chen Ji thought for a moment. "Well... I'll take you tomorrow night. It's not convenient today."

"Why not today?"

"I don't know where Qing Ping Alley is..." Chen Ji said. "You don't need to look at me like that. Although I can't explain why, I truly don't know where Qing Ping Alley is."

Black Cloud pondered for a moment. "I know."

Outside the door, the night watchman passed by, knocking his watch and shouting, "Heaven is dry, things are dry, be careful of fire!"

It was already Yin time, around three o'clock in the morning. Luo City had not yet regained its daytime vibrancy and prosperity.

Chen Ji quietly closed the medical hall's shutters and followed Black Cloud into the night. He tied the small blue cloth bundle onto Black Cloud's back. It looked quite cute, and it also allowed him to follow Black Cloud's trail in the darkness... Black Cloud was truly too black.

All the way, Black Cloud seemed to rely on memory to navigate, sniffing here and there. One person and one cat walked slowly, stopping frequently. They walked for an hour, and even took a few wrong turns. Chen Ji didn't urge them along. He could see that this trip to Qing Ping Alley was very important to Black Cloud. He had enough patience.

Finally, Black Cloud stopped in a small alley, staring blankly at a tightly closed door.

"Is this it?" Chen Ji asked.

"It's here."

"Shall I knock?"

"No!"

Black Cloud let out two meows towards the door, as if calling something. But the calls only attracted two stray cats; nothing else happened.

"I want to climb in and look. You wait here for me." With a slight push against the wall, Black Cloud leaped into the courtyard, its speed so fast it left a blur, remarkably agile.

Chen Ji waited safely in the small alley. Before long, Black Cloud returned, its spirits clearly low. "Let's go."

"Did you finish what you needed to do?"

"Mm."

"What was it?"

Black Cloud stopped and turned its head to look at the door. "I miss my mother."

Chen Ji was silent. Cats missed their mothers too. Black Cloud said distractedly, "She might not necessarily miss me, but I just wanted to come and see... Besides, I'm going to roam the world with you later, am I? I should bring you to see her."

Chen Ji asked, "Was she not home?"

Black Cloud's voice gradually lowered. "She must have been sold too. Her cage, her rice bowl, are all gone."

"Shall I help you find her?"

"No need. This is a cat's fate."

"What's in the small bundle you brought?"

"I hid a little dried fish I wanted to bring her."

Chen Ji stood in the darkness of the small alley, silent. He bent down, held Black Cloud in his arms, and walked back towards the medical hall. Black Cloud didn't struggle. It curled into a small ball, covering its head with its fluffy tail.

The sound of footsteps on the bluestone slabs echoed softly. The young man's back was thin but straight.

"Chen Ji, what kind of person was your mother?"

"She... was a very gentle person," Chen Ji was reluctant to say more. It was as if memories were warm currents of air, like breath. Once spoken, they would dissipate.

He held Black Cloud as he walked along the long street of Luo City. Black Cloud, only a few months old, was small. When it curled up, it was only about the size of two palms.

Chen Ji suddenly felt a strong desire to live well.

"Black Cloud?"

"Mm?"

"Let's rely on each other for life."