The Living Yama (Part 7)

"Really?" Huai Xu asked repeatedly, "Sir, you wouldn't happen to be born in the Year of the Rabbit, would you?"

Xiong Tu nodded: "Exactly."

Huai Xu clapped his hands excitedly: "Lord Xiong! You and my godmother were born on the same day, month, and year! What a coincidence!"

Feng Qiao quickly got up: "I'll go to the kitchen and make another bowl of noodles!"

“No need for that.” Xiong Tu and I spoke almost simultaneously.

Feng Qiao stood there awkwardly, his questioning gaze fixed on me.

"Sit down and eat, then get back to work!" I used my chopsticks to move the empty bowl in front of Xiong Tu, picked half of the noodles from my bowl, and pushed it back to him.

A smile played in Xiong Tu's eyes: "Thank you."

In the afternoon, I was taking a nap in a recliner when I vaguely heard someone calling me.

"Qingcheng, wake up."

I opened my eyes and saw Wang Yunhui and Aunt Xu, both carrying large and small bags. I was momentarily bewildered, then sat up and asked, "What's going on here—"

Aunt Xu put down her bundle and laughed loudly, "We've brought you a birthday gift!"

"What?!" I jumped up in surprise. "Huai Xu, Huai Xu! Did you nag again at the weaving workshop?"

"Don't blame her." Wang Yunhui smiled and stopped me. "A few days ago, we were chatting and talking about the harvest from the past six months. When we looked at the dates, we found that the Double Ninth Festival is right after the beginning of winter this year. While we were looking at the dates, we also found out your birthday!"

"You can do whatever you want with my birthday presents, but I can't accept this gift." I called out again, "Huai Xu, Huai Xu, come here!"

Aunt Xu pulled me to the bundle and said, "Qingcheng girl, why don't you open it and take a look before you decide whether to accept it or not!"

Wang Yunhui laughed and chimed in, "That's right, that's right."

The two of them flanked me, like two moving walls. "What are they doing, really..." I complained, but I was also a little curious. The moment I lifted the wrapping, a verdant sight came into view—it was a wind chime made of fresh bamboo! The bamboo joints were still covered with a light frost, and the fresh bamboo fragrance was invigorating.

Seeing me staring in disbelief, Aunt Xu patted my shoulder and said proudly, "Isn't it amazing?"

I chuckled out loud: "Rare! Absolutely rare!"

Wang Yunhui picked up the wind chime string, and with a gentle flick of her wrist, the bamboo sections drew graceful arcs in the air. In an instant, a crisp "ding-dong" sound filled the room, like a clear mountain spring, its lingering melody echoing long afterward.

Aunt Xu asked again, "Should we accept this gift?"

"I'll accept it, I'll accept it!" I said in a trembling voice. "This gift really touches my heart. I'm so grateful that you all thought of it! So many bamboo tubes, needing to be sawed, ground, and pieced together, I don't know how much effort it took for everyone..."

“I knew you would like it,” Wang Yunhui said with a smile. “I heard Qu Bu say that the Liao people ‘value green and bamboo,’ so I thought of making a little trinket out of bamboo for you. After discussing it with Lao Liu, we decided to make a wind chime.”

"I drew the design, he copied the illustration, and we cut down the new bamboo from Liu Yu's yard and gave it to Xu Shan. The couple were very skillful, and they worked with the school children for a long time, finally finishing it before the beginning of winter!"

"Thank you, thank you!" I stroked the wind chime, reluctant to put it down; Aunt Xu opened the small bag next to her and said with a smile, "Come, come, there are more here!"

Inside the bag was a soft blue silk pillow, with a few sparse bamboo branches embroidered on the pillow surface with the same color silk thread. Upon closer inspection, a faint scent of buckwheat lingered in the air, like sun-dried wheat husks mixed with the smell of a fresh breeze from the fields.

"This embroidery is so much better than mine!" I looked up and smiled at the two of them. "Ever since autumn, my neck and shoulders have been bothering me, and I toss and turn at night, unable to sleep soundly. I was just thinking of sewing a soft pillow, but I've been too busy. I don't know who was so thoughtful as to bring me such a wonderful thing!"

"Sigh—" Wang Yunhui sighed softly, a relieved smile on her face, "It's Zhimo."

I was both surprised and delighted: "Zhimo has already gone to work at the weaving workshop?"

“At the beginning of the month, Qubu and Aguo brought her to my place—” Wang Yunhui nodded, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, “I gave her the wages that Niyi had saved up, thus fulfilling one of Niyi’s last wishes.”

“Zhimo, like her sister, is a grateful and kind child.” Aunt Xu picked up a soft pillow and put it in my arms. “A few days ago, you went to the clinic for acupuncture, and Zhimo saw you. She quietly asked Doctor Liu how she could help you.”

"Dr. Liu said you have neck pain and that using a soft pillow in winter might help. So she searched everywhere for soft and comfortable material and sewed this buckwheat pillow, which she left at the clinic for you to pick up next time. Dr. Liu knew we were going out at noon, so she gave us the pillow and brought it over with us."

Deeply moved, I thanked them repeatedly and called Huai Xu again to hang the wind chimes under the eaves. The four of us sat down, drank tea for a while, and chatted and laughed. Seeing that the sun was setting, Wang Yunhui and Aunt Xu got up to take their leave.

I saw them off, and then, thinking that it had been a while since I'd been to the tsukiyaki, I turned back.

When I saw Guo Cheng, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, I questioned him: Why have the patrol officers been unwilling to go to the inn to take care of the business lately? Could it be that I, Qing Niangzi, have not been taking good care of him?

Guo Cheng responded with a wry smile: "With a 'living Yama' in charge, it's not that the brothers don't want to go, it's that they dare not go..."

That evening, I put on the new pillow that Zimo had made, closed my eyes, but couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

From Zhimo to Niyi; from Wang Yunhui to Xu Sao; and from Huai Xu to Luo Erying, in just half a year, one event after another flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.

Before I knew it, it was already past midnight. Suddenly, I remembered that although today was my thirtieth birthday, I hadn't had a chance to drink. Now that it was late and quiet, I felt I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't have a drink. With that thought in mind, I put on my clothes and slippers and, by the sparse moonlight, headed towards the house.

I opened the cabinet, rummaged around for a while, and finally found half a pot of "Chongbichun" wine. I then took out a wine cup, held the pot in one hand and the cup in the other, and walked to the table. Just as I was about to sit down, I suddenly noticed a dark figure opposite me.

I was startled. I looked closely at the person who came in, put down my wine pot and cups, and asked, "It's so late. Why aren't you resting inside? What are you doing sitting outside?"

Xiong Tu picked up the porcelain bowl in front of him, turned his body to the side, and faced outside: "I'm thirsty and can't sleep, so I'll get up and find a bowl of water to drink."

I poured myself a glass of "Chongbichun" and asked casually, "What's wrong? Something on your mind?"

The night breeze made the wind chimes under the corridor ring softly. Xiong Tu slowly replied, "I suddenly feel that, on our birthdays, you have family and friends. Compared to you, I'm as poor as a beggar."

I took a sip of my drink and chuckled, "Don't you have any family or friends? Did you spring out of a rock?"

Xiong Tu's voice was a little hoarse: "Yes, there are, but they're not the same as yours."

“That’s the difference between heaven and earth.” I stroked the cup in my hand, feeling quite pleased with myself. “You and your family and friends are like clouds in the sky, drifting aimlessly; those around me, struggling in the mire, are probably more real.”

Xiong Tu turned around and said, "I drink cold water while you drink alcohol. You're really honest."

I laughed and said, "Are you craving something?"

"I haven't had a drink on my birthday for many years. Today, by sheer coincidence, aren't you going to buy me a drink?"

"No." I shook my head decisively.

Why?

"Firstly, your injuries haven't healed yet; secondly, this 'Chongbichun' is exclusively for Lin Zhong, and I only dare to secretly drink one cup. If I pour too much, he'll find out."

Xiong Tu remained silent for a while, then turned to the side and said, "You care a lot about Lin Zhong's feelings."

"It's alright." I raised my glass and looked at the shaggy moon on the horizon. "I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to force people to do things they don't want to do."

The cowardly inspector has been taking a detour to resupply for over a month, causing me to lose a lot of money. The "culprit," however, acts as if nothing happened, spending his days moving between the front and back yards, tending to the horses and feeding the chickens, and becoming very close to the two younger ones.

Anyone who walks along the Eight Pavilion Road knows that the Qingcheng Inn often takes in injured travelers and keeps them on as helpers to pay off debts.

The passing caravans assumed Xiong Tu was the same, and repeatedly called on him to get his horseshoes nailed. I stopped them when I saw them doing so, and the caravan leaders laughed at me for being biased. Some of the more clueless ones even whispered among themselves that the pretty boy Qing Niangzi had picked up this time was probably a fox spirit from the mountains in disguise.

I figured that if things continued like this, trouble would inevitably arise sooner or later, so I subtly asked "Living Yama" when he would return to Luzhou, but he always made excuses to avoid the question.

That day, even Brother Guotou, who had come from afar, inquired about my wedding date, only to find out that the rumors of "Qing Niangzi's love for the 'fox spirit'" had already crossed the Niu Guang River and spread throughout the Wumeng Mountains. I couldn't bear it any longer, and after lunch, I urged Xiong Tu to go to Yanziping with me.

Xiong Tu followed behind me and asked, "Why did Lady Qing summon me out?"

Without turning my head, I walked quickly forward: "It's nothing. I'll take you to visit someone to help you digest your food."

"Are you taking me to Yanziping?"

"Um."

I walked in the fields, where the wheat grew luxuriantly (Note 1).

The distant mountains faintly echoed with the folk songs sung by farmers who had settled the fields.

Everyone worked together to cut off the weak face.

Listen to the singer Mo Xian.

Each wishes to plant thousands of threads,

Beanstalks and ears of rice cover the green hills.

Xiong Tu suddenly spoke up: "This used to be a garrison post. I never imagined that Wang Huangzhou's 'Shetian Ci' (Note 2) would be sung here."

I stopped and turned around: "This piece was taught to them by Mr. Liu." Seeing Xiong Tu's expression change slightly, I added, "Mr. Liu was originally an instructor in Tongcheng, Shuzhou."

"I know."

"You know him? So you've met him?"

"No." Xiong Tu lowered his head slightly, his voice carrying a hint of regret.

"I'll take you to the school later. Mr. Liu is quite good at dealing with those naughty boys."

Passing by the weaving workshop, I went in to greet Wang Yunhui, thanked Zhimo in person, and then led Xiong Tu straight to Liu Yu's clinic.

Liu Yu was organizing medical records at his desk when I knocked on the door and called out, "Dr. Liu!"

Liu Yu raised his head and smiled, "Qing Niangzi." He then glanced at Xiong Tu behind me and his expression turned solemn. He hurriedly stood up to greet him, "I did not know that the Prefect was coming. I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly."

Xiong Tu took his hand and said gently, "Doctor Liu, there's no need for such formalities."

Liu Yu looked at me cautiously: "Lord Xiong looks to be in good health."