Chapter 28: Greedy

As dusk settled, Chen Pingan returned to town, passing through the east gate. The slovenly gatekeeper was still there, humming a tune that went, "An inch of time is not to be trifled with, all worldly riches are as dust." Perhaps startled by the hurried footsteps of the straw-sandal-clad boy, the gatekeeper opened his eyes, his gaze meeting the sprinting youth. Recognizing him as the "debt-collecting ghost," the gatekeeper's good mood vanished. He waved dismissively, "Go, go, go! Your time ain't worth a bird's peck. If you could even graze one of those words, 'riches,' you'd be burning incense in gratitude!"

Chen Pingan ran past, raising a hand high, fingers splayed, shaking it emphatically.

Clearly, he was reminding the gatekeeper of their five-copper-coin debt of gratitude.

The gatekeeper spat, muttering, "Not a good bird himself!"

The boy's figure soon disappeared. The gatekeeper looked up at the clear blue sky, like a layer of beautiful glaze.

He rubbed his stubbled chin, pondering. "Master Qi once said a poem, what was it? 'Good things, like...' what was it, '...glaze'?"

A bullock cart slowly rolled out of town, carrying Zhao Yao, a well-regarded scholar in a green robe, and driven by a taciturn middle-aged man.

The gatekeeper immediately waved, calling out, "Yao-ge'er, don't rush off! I've got a phrase stuck in my gut. I only remember 'good things, glaze...' something. You're learned, tell me what it is!"

The spirited Zhao Yao, clutching a satchel, replied loudly, "Good things in this world are never strong, fleeting as clouds, fragile as glaze!"

The gatekeeper gave a thumbs up. "As expected of Yao-ge'er, top-notch learning! When you make it big, don't forget to visit your old brother back home. Maybe you can even replace your teacher and educate the town's children, that'd be good too!"

Zhao Yao paused, then cupped his fist in a polite bow, smiling. "I appreciate your auspicious words!"

Pleased, the gatekeeper pulled an embroidered pouch from his sleeve, flicked his wrist, and tossed it high to the scholar, grinning. "You wrote so many Spring Festival couplets for me all these years, and you're a good lad, never found it troublesome. This old brother's never misjudged a man. Take these trinkets, safe travels!"

Zhao Yao quickly caught the pouch. "Farewell!"

The gatekeeper nodded, waving at the departing cart, but muttered, "Difficult."

The straw-sandal boy headed into the depths of the town, while Zhao Yao's cart journeyed to the world beyond, their paths briefly crossing.

Sitting on a tree stump, the gatekeeper counted on his fingers. "The Sui Dynasty boy with the bamboo basket of golden carp, the Gu widow's son from Muddy Lane, plus Yao-ge'er from Fortune Street, that's already three. But there are so many more coming. Won't I be left with just scavenging work? Or maybe I should take this chance to find a filial apprentice to rub my shoulders and back?"

He reached up to stroke his wrinkled, dark face, chuckling. "If it was a bright-eyed, shapely, pretty female apprentice, that'd be the best. Well, a slightly plainer face is tolerable, but her legs must be long!"

The town's notorious bachelor, holding the back of his head with both hands, gazed at the sky, privately enjoying himself. Thinking of these happy things, he suddenly felt free of worry, and perceived great beauty in the world.

Before Chen Pingan left Muddy Lane, he'd agreed to meet Liu Xianyang and the black-clad girl at Liu's residence. Arriving at Liu Xianyang's house, the door was unlocked. He pushed it open and entered the main hall, finding Liu Xianyang carefully cleaning and wiping his ancestral armor with a clean cotton cloth.

The black-clad girl, Miss Ning, had donned her veiled hat again, a saber at her waist. The long sword with the snow-white scabbard was casually held in her hand. For some reason, Chen Pingan felt that Miss Ning seemed to dislike this sword.

The heirloom on the table, said to be armor, looked truly ugly and frightening to Chen Pingan. The massive suit of armor was covered with iron sinews resembling tree burls, and bore five parallel, deep scratch marks that ran diagonally from the left shoulder to the right side of the waist.

The two boys were baffled. They couldn't imagine what kind of massive forest beast could have inflicted such terrifying damage. Later, the imperial court had banned access to many mountains, prohibiting the common people from entering to chop firewood and burn charcoal. Chen Pingan and Liu Xianyang almost never violated this prohibition, largely because of this reason.

Chen Pingan found it strange. This coal-black iron armor might be ugly, but Liu Xianyang genuinely treasured it as a family heirloom. Even Chen Pingan, a close friend, had only been allowed to see it once, and after less than half an incense stick's worth of time, it was carefully returned to its lacquered box and enshrined.

However, seeing Liu Xianyang stealing glances at the black-clad girl, Chen Pingan understood. Liu Xianyang had always been like this, unable to control his eyes when he saw a pretty girl. But he wasn't truly smitten; he simply liked to show off. For example, in the summer, by the covered bridge, when bathing bare-chested in the stream, if girls his age carrying seedlings or leading yellow cattle passed by, Liu Xianyang was sure to perform a three-step routine: first, he'd scramble up the bank's large bluestone as if his backside was on fire, then he'd cough loudly – Song Jixin called it "announcing to the world" – and finally, he'd dive in headfirst. Chen Pingan, with his keen eyesight, could clearly see the girls' expressions and gazes, so he always wanted to tell Liu Xianyang the truth: those pretty older girls rolled their eyes, muttered insults, or, more often, simply ignored him. None of them had ever had their eyes light up, thinking he was a hero.

Of course, later Liu Xianyang took a liking to Song Jixin's maid, Zhi Gui, and inexplicably fell deeply in love. After that, the tall boy seemed to have no other pretty girls in his eyes. Even now, when he was showing off to the black-clad girl, it was more to prevent the arrogant and aloof girl from looking down on him, from thinking that just because she carried a saber and sword, she could act like a celestial king. Liu Xianyang's heirloom was unique to this town.

After Chen Pingan arrived, the veiled girl looked around and finally laid her long sword across an old, painted and gilded antique cabinet. The paint was peeling and cracked. To make room for the sword, she moved aside many jars and sundries, discovering a pattern inlaid on the back of the cabinet: a golden osmanthus tree, under a full moon.

The girl turned and said, "Don't touch the sword here. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire. I'm not joking."

Liu Xianyang, busy wiping the armor, occasionally breathing on it and gently rubbing it with his arm, was completely absorbed.

Chen Pingan promised, "Definitely."

The girl said to Liu Xianyang, "This cabinet isn't worth much, but don't sell this inlaid pattern of the golden osmanthus and the moon cheaply."

Liu Xianyang, without looking up, said, "I've never liked that thing since I was a kid. If you like it, you can scrape it off yourself."

The black-clad girl didn't do such a destructive thing. She simply asked, "What is the material of this pattern?"

Liu Xianyang glanced back. "It's hundreds of years old, how would I know? Even my grandfather couldn't say for sure."

Chen Pingan softly said, "It should be pebbles picked up from the creek bed. There are many colors, but Liu Xianyang's elders must have only chosen the golden-yellow ones, crushed them, and then glued them together. We call these stones 'snake gallstones.'"

The black-clad girl asked, "Pebbles? Are there many in the creek?"

Chen Pingan smiled. "If you want them, Miss Ning, I can pick a large basket for you in a day. No one here cares about them. Only Gu Can likes them, and often goes to pick them alone."

The black-clad girl sighed, gazing deeply at the poor boy from Muddy Lane. "Poor wretches living on a mountain of gold."

Chen Pingan was surprised. "Are these stones worth money outside?"

She adjusted her veiled hat, saying, "The price depends on who holds them. Besides, even if they fall into the hands of someone who knows their value, whether they succeed or not depends on luck. With good luck, one stone is enough. With bad luck, a mountain of stones won't do the trick. But regardless, they're worth money, and worth a lot. I just don't know if they can be taken out of town, that's the key."

Liu Xianyang interjected, "These stones have a strange thing about them. As soon as they're taken out of the creek, their color fades when exposed to the sun and wind, especially after rain and snow. Other than that, there's nothing else."

The girl said regretfully, "As expected."

Chen Pingan hesitated. "How about I pick a big basket tomorrow and try? What if there's an exception?"

The girl shook her head. "It's meaningless to me."

Liu Xianyang had already moved the armor back into the house and hidden it away. He leaned against the door frame, laughing. "Chen Pingan is a real money-grubber. Maybe he'll go to the creek tonight to find stones."

The girl said, "I'm leaving."

When she reached the door, she turned back and asked, "I'll keep the hairpin and prescription safe for you. But I still need you to go to Muddy Lane tomorrow to help brew the medicine."

Chen Pingan nodded. "No problem."

She thought for a moment, her expression grave, reminding them, "Of the outsiders who entered the town around the same time as me, the most powerful should be the old man from the Righteous Sun Mountain. He's here specifically to escort the little girl. Next is the eunuch from the Great Sui Dynasty who injured me, followed by Liu Zhimao, who took Gu Can away. Don't underestimate that woman with the hidden smile either. So, if you encounter that old fellow from Righteous Sun Mountain, try not to argue. But if a conflict arises, just stall for time. Don't fight anyone, don't take any chances, you must stall until I appear."

Liu Xianyang said softly, "On our turf, are these unfamiliar outsiders really going to kill someone?"

Chen Pingan glanced at him and nodded. "Yes."

Chen Pingan suddenly asked, "Do you remember what Daoist Lu... that is, the fortune teller, told you?"

Liu Xianyang felt a headache coming on. After trying hard to recall, he scratched his head, saying, "How would I remember that clearly? I only know it was some inauspicious and unlucky words, saying something about a great disaster and burning incense, all sorts of nonsense. I just thought he was talking nonsense, trying to scam people..."

Chen Pingan turned to look at the black-clad girl.

The girl said fiercely, "If he himself can't remember the divination, how can I interpret it for him? Does he really think I'm a god!"

Chen Pingan was bewildered, unable to understand why Miss Ning was suddenly so angry.

The girl strode out of the house.

She was much more decisive than when she had leisurely arrived.

The saber-wielding girl walked through the wide alleys, thinking if she should find some books to read in her spare time?

The girl imagined herself traveling the world, cleanly beheading enemies with her flying sword, and then reciting some impassioned impromptu poetry. Even if no one was around, she thought she would look really cool!

Just as the girl was filled with anticipation, a familiar figure flew past her.

"See you tomorrow, Miss Ning!"

By the time the voice landed, the figure was almost at the end of the alley.

The straw-sandal boy, carrying a basket, was running at full speed.

The girl was dumbfounded, muttering to herself, "Are there really such money-grubbers?"