Chapter 61 Moving House Before Taking the Exam!
After a hangover, my head throbbed and my throat felt dry and tight.
Yu Man sat up, rubbing her forehead. It was already bright outside the window, and judging by the sun, it was probably close to noon. She had always been quite confident in her alcohol tolerance. Because of her repeated experiments with the "Wanderer's Song" melody, she had to taste and adjust it herself each time. In addition, Xue Han was also fond of figuring out new recipes, and the two of them often got together to taste and evaluate their drinks. Her alcohol tolerance had long been trained to far exceed that of ordinary young ladies. Although she couldn't be said to be immune to drinking a thousand cups, she was by no means easily knocked out.
But she never expected that the seemingly sweet and smooth peach wine from Xiaozhu yesterday would have such a long-lasting and domineering aftereffect, making her drunk all night. She only woke up now, and her mind was completely muddled. She had no recollection of what happened after dinner last night.
"My lady, you're awake?" Hearing the noise, Xiao Tao tiptoed in carrying a ceramic bowl, her face full of concern. "Please drink this hangover soup; it's been kept warm."
Yu Man took the bowl; it was warm, just right for drinking. The broth was light brown, with a slightly bitter medicinal aroma, but this was cleverly neutralized by a sweet honey flavor, making it not unpleasant to drink.
He simply tilted his head back and gulped it down in a few mouthfuls.
She smacked her lips and commented, "This soup is alright, not too bad. Has the inn's kitchen improved its cooking skills?"
Xiao Tao took the empty bowl, shook her head, and explained, "My lady, this wasn't made in the inn's kitchen. It was prepared by Master Pei himself, who went to the old-established pharmacy on East Street before dawn, according to the prescription. After returning, he personally tended to the medicine pot in the small kitchen and brewed it for quite a while. He instructed me to make sure you drank it while it was hot."
Upon hearing this, Yu Man's gaze fell on the ordinary ceramic bowl, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the rough rim... "Where is he?" she asked, looking up as she scanned the room but did not see that familiar figure.
“Young Master Pei?” Xiao Tao thought for a moment. “When I saw him this morning, he had just finished making soup, gave me a few instructions, and then went out. He didn’t say where he was going, and I didn’t ask him any questions.”
"He didn't leave any message?" Yu Man was somewhat surprised. This was unlike Pei Ji's usual style.
He was always meticulous in his dealings with people, and even if he had to go out temporarily, he would always try to let her know where he was going or leave a few words so as not to worry her unnecessarily. This was the first time he had left so quietly.
Xiao Tao shook her head firmly.
Yu Man's doubts deepened. What was wrong with this person? Could it be that something urgent had happened in Xunyang? Or... was it related to her drunkenness yesterday? She tried hard to recall what had happened after she got drunk yesterday, but her mind was like a jumbled mess.
Thinking of something, she looked at Xiaotao nervously, lowered her voice, and tentatively asked with a guilty conscience, "Xiaotao, I didn't cause any trouble when I came back yesterday, did I? Like... threw up? Or said anything nonsense I shouldn't have?"
Xiao Tao quickly waved her hand, her face full of certainty: "No, no! My lady, you were drunk, but you were very well-behaved. You were sleeping so soundly that I couldn't wake you up. It was Pei Langjun who carried you back. It was already late then, so he didn't stay long. He settled you in, carefully tucked you in, and told me to remember to give you a cup of warm water at night. He also brought this hangover soup this morning. Nothing else... really nothing."
Upon hearing this, Yu Man finally breathed a sigh of relief, putting her mind at ease. Thank goodness, she had simply fallen asleep peacefully, without vomiting or causing any drunken disturbances, thus preserving her image and avoiding a social disaster.
Now that she was sober, she got out of bed and stretched her slightly sore limbs.
It was a rare beautiful day, the warm sunshine dispelling some of her discomfort. "I'm going out for a walk to clear my head," she said to Xiao Tao.
As she reached the door, she paused, then turned back and asked Xiaotao, "When you saw him this morning, did you know which direction he went?" Although he hadn't left a message, she still wanted to try to find him.
Xiao Tao tilted her head, trying hard to recall that brief glimpse in the early morning, and said uncertainly, "...I vaguely saw that the young master went out of the inn and seemed to be heading east."
East? Yu Man quickly went through the possible places in the east of the city in her mind—was he going to the bookstores and calligraphy shops where literati gathered to look for new books or good ink? Or was he going to visit a teacher or old friend who was temporarily residing in the capital? Or... because of his status as the newly appointed top scholar, did he have some social engagements that she was unaware of?
Based on her guess, she first went to the well-known Hanmozhai and Qingyun Bookstore, which were not far from the inn. She searched among the bookshelves filled with the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as poems and miscellaneous notes, but did not find him. When she asked the waiters, she only received a shake of the head in response.
Just as she left the bookstore, intending to return to the inn to make further plans, her gaze inadvertently swept over a quieter alleyway not far away, its cobblestone path meticulously cleaned. Deep within the alley, a corner of whitewashed walls and black-tiled roofs could be vaguely seen.
A thought flashed through her mind—wasn't the house he gave her located in the east of the city?
Yes!
Yu Man immediately perked up and, relying on his memory, walked along the bluestone path towards the depths of that secluded alley.
Sure enough, the familiar black lacquered wooden door was at the end of the alley. She stopped, calmed her slightly rapid breathing from walking quickly, and then took the brass key from her sleeve. She inserted the key into the lock, turned it gently, and with a soft click, the door opened.
She pushed open the wooden door, and the scene inside the courtyard slowly came into view.
Contrary to her expectations, Pei Ji was not sitting quietly reading or leisurely sipping tea in his study.
He was rolling up his sleeves, revealing a section of his smooth forearm, holding a small and delicate flower hoe, bending down under the window near the back garden wing, carefully tidying up the soil.
Today, he was not wearing his usual fine-fabricated long gowns, but only a plain moon-white cotton casual dress, with the hem casually tucked into his waist. His dark hair was not tied with a jade hairpin, but loosely tied behind his head with a hair ribbon of the same color, with a few strands of black hair falling in front of his forehead, swaying gently as he lowered his head in concentration.
His eyes were lowered, his thin lips were slightly pursed, and his expression was unusually serious. The way he carefully tended to the flowers and plants, perhaps because the daylight was so bright, revealed a leisurely feeling that had not been seen for a long time.
Yu Man stood blankly at the door, forgetting to speak.
Pei Ji seemed to sense something, paused slightly in his movements, then straightened up and turned to look at him.
Upon seeing her standing at the door, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes, followed by a gentle call: "Xiaoman?"
Yu Man suddenly came to her senses, her heart skipping a beat for some reason. She stepped over the threshold, walked up to him, looked up at him, and said with a hint of reproach in her voice, "I've been looking for you for so long. I've searched the inn, the bookstore, and all the alleys to the east."
Pei Ji gently set aside the flower hoe in his hand, picked up a clean cloth draped over the stone bench, and carefully wiped the dirt off his hands. His movements were unhurried, and his voice remained calm: "I couldn't concentrate on reading at the inn, so I came to take a look. I thought I'd plant some flowers first, so it would be more comfortable for me to stay here later." He spoke of "us" and "later" in a natural tone.
This person... can't even concentrate on reading?
Yu Man didn't pay attention to those words. Instead, she stared at him for a while, feeling that he was different today. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she could just sense it.
She suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, gently pressing her cheek against his shirt, and looked up to ask, "What's wrong?"
Pei Ji's gaze shifted slightly, landing on the newly renovated flowerbed beside him. After a moment of silence, he asked in a low voice, "Last night... why did you invite Zhang Jian to dinner?" He finally asked, and although his tone was restrained, Yu Man still caught a faint, barely perceptible hint of annoyance and concern in his voice.
Only then did Yu Man belatedly realize that he seemed to genuinely dislike Zhang Jian. Could it be, as in the original novel, that these two were inherently incompatible and destined to be political enemies?
She pulled away slightly from his embrace and patiently explained, "That's because Young Master Zhang is a kind person. He lent me an umbrella before, and later his carriage broke down on the road, which indirectly helped me. I thought it would be good to take this opportunity to repay the favor. Besides," she paused, her tone becoming more serious, "if nothing unexpected happens, you and he will be officials in the same court in the future. It's always better to have some superficial acquaintance early on than to be complete strangers, right? Having one more friend is always better than having one more rival."
Pei Ji hesitated for a moment, ultimately refraining from uttering anything deeper, and only said, "You've only met him a few times, how can you be sure he's a good person? You can't see into someone's heart."
Yu Man looked at him and said matter-of-factly, "Actions reveal character. Although he seems a bit cold and unapproachable, he acts with integrity and is not a wicked person." She thought for a moment, then asked tentatively, with a hint of caution, "Was it... something that happened after I got drunk last night? What did I say or do?" Could it be that while she was drunk, she unintentionally said something that displeased Zhang Jian, embarrassed Pei Ji, or even... did something inappropriate?
Pei Ji's eyelids twitched slightly. Naturally, he wouldn't tell her about Zhang Jian's potentially unclear thoughts, as that would only cause her more trouble.
He simply said, "It's nothing. I just thought that yesterday's meal should have been just the two of us."
Yu Man understood; so that's what she was struggling with.
She found it somewhat amusing, so she softened her voice and comforted him, "We eat together every day, so what's one more meal yesterday? Besides, celebrating your passing the imperial examination is a huge joyous occasion. Wouldn't it be more lively and festive with more people?"
It's unclear which of her words struck a chord with him, but Pei Ji's tense brows seemed to relax a little. He stopped dwelling on the events of the previous night and instead said, "While inns are convenient, they are not a long-term solution. With so many people around, it's hard to stay in one place. So I thought I'd come here first to tidy things up, weed, and plant some flowers and trees."
Speaking of planting flowers, Yu Man looked at the few seedlings with soil clods beside him, waiting to be planted, and became interested: "I'll help you!" As she spoke, she reached for the flower hoe.
Pei Ji turned away from her outstretched hand: "No need. I've put up a new bamboo rocking chair over there in the corridor. You can sit down and take a look. You'll just get your hands dirty and tired."
He guessed that she must be tired after walking all this way.
Yu Man glanced at the rocking chair in the corridor behind him, which did look very comfortable and cozy, and walked over there despite her reluctance.
"Where are you tired?"
She moved the rocking chair to a spot where she could clearly see him working but wouldn't get in the way, and began to rock gently. Her gaze casually drifted to the newly turned pits in the corner; she remembered that several thriving crabapple trees had once stood there, but now they had been moved. She asked casually, "Were the crabapple trees damaged in the roots? Why were they moved? I thought their flowers were quite beautiful."
Pei Ji was bending down, carefully placing a seedling into the dug hole, supporting it with one hand while carefully adding soil with the other.
Upon hearing this, he didn't stop what he was doing, but only glanced back at her, his eyes filled with a hint of helplessness, and said gently, "Who was it that once said at Shanqing Academy that they never wanted to see the crabapple tree again?"
Yu Man suddenly remembered after hearing what he said.
In her youth, whenever she went to the academy to wait for Pei Ji after class, she always loved to stand under the largest crabapple tree, because it was the most conspicuous spot. One chilly spring day, she waited for almost an hour, her hands and feet freezing, before Pei Ji finally rushed over, having been kept behind by the teacher to explain an article. Feeling both cold and aggrieved, she complained to him, "This wretched place, I'm never coming back! And this crabapple tree, I never want to see it again!" Being young then, she quickly forgot about it afterward; after all, the crabapple tree was indeed incredibly beautiful when it bloomed, like clouds and rosy dawn. The fault lay with the person, not the innocent flower or tree.
Unexpectedly, he still remembered it so clearly.
Yu Man's face flushed. Not wanting to relive her embarrassing past, she quickly changed the subject, pointing to the new seedlings and asking, "So... what kind of flowers are being planted now?"
Pei Ji carefully filled the soil around the last seedling, then gently pressed it down before straightening up and patting the loose soil off his hands.
Spring sunlight shone on his forehead, which was damp with a thin layer of sweat. He looked gently at her, who was swaying slightly in the rocking chair, and a faint smile curved his lips: "How about planting osmanthus? This tree is easy to grow, blooms in autumn, and its fragrance is clear and lingering. When autumn comes, the whole courtyard will be filled with sweet fragrance."
Osmanthus fragrans, also known as sweet osmanthus, is a flower that blooms in the golden autumn. Yu Man could almost see the courtyard filled with golden blossoms, their sweet fragrance permeating the air. She could collect the petals to brew sweet wine and make honey. This practical yet elegant choice made her smile. "Excellent! Let's plant these!"
Originally, Yu Man was only planning to focus on moving, but unexpected things happened. She unexpectedly met an old woman from the south of the city. The old woman's surname was Hu, and it was said that her ancestors had served in the imperial kitchen. Her skills in making noodles and soup were unparalleled. She had no children and was quite old. Seeing that her skills were about to be lost, she decided to pass on her skills to Yu Man because she saw that Yu Man had talent and was willing to work hard. However, she was very strict and required Yu Man to learn from the very basics of kneading and mixing dough. No step could be omitted or done incorrectly.
As a result, Yu Man became extremely busy, having to rush to Hu Yu's shop in the south of the city before dawn every day and not returning until sunset.
All the chores of furnishing, cleaning, and adding items to the new house fell on Pei Ji's shoulders. Not only did he not complain, but he also took meticulous care of her, picking her up and dropping her off on time every day. No matter how late she was busy, she could always eat a hot meal that he personally delivered.
That day, Yu Man spent the whole day at Hu Yu's shop, repeatedly practicing the strength of kneading dough and the timing of letting it rise, until his arms were so sore that he could barely lift them.
By the time it was over, dusk had fallen outside, and the spring rain from the day before had left the ground wet with puddles.
She rubbed her aching wrists as she walked out of the shop and immediately saw Pei Ji standing quietly under the lantern at the alley entrance, waiting as usual.
Seeing her come out, he went up to her, his gaze falling on her face, which showed no signs of fatigue. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and then he naturally knelt down in front of her and said gently, "The road is still flooded, let me carry you back."
In the past, Yu Man would have worried about his health, but after that last time, she became extremely obedient.
Without any hesitation, she obediently climbed onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Pei Ji steadily stood up, carrying her on his back, and walked steadily across the bluestone path, avoiding the puddles of all sizes.
"Are you tired?" His voice came from the front, filled with clear concern. "If it's too hard, then don't go. Even though the craftsmanship is excellent, there's no need to be so hard on yourself."
Yu Man rested her chin on his shoulder, shook her head, and said, "That's not a good way of putting it."
"Oh?" Pei Ji tilted his head slightly, his tone questioning. "Why not?"
Yu Man spoke slowly and deliberately, with a hint of mockery and a touch of worldly wisdom: "These words sound considerate, but upon closer inspection, they are often the beginning of people becoming complacent. The next thing they'll usually say is 'I'll take care of you.' But things in this world are never that easy. The words 'I'll take care of you' are easy to say, but they're like a castle in the air. When the storm comes, the first thing to collapse is this rootless reliance. In the end, it's not as stable as having a skill in your own hands and a foundation to stand on."
Upon hearing this, Pei Ji did not stop walking. He remained silent for a moment, seemingly savoring her words. Then, he chuckled softly, the sound coming through their close backs.
“Xiaoman, your insight is brilliant. I was overthinking it.” He readily admitted his mistake. “How about this: if you’re tired, take a day off. I’ll massage your shoulders and legs. Once you’re fully rested, you can learn all of Granny Hu’s skills and open a top-notch Man’s Noodle Shop in the capital. I can also get a job washing dishes and have delicious noodle soup every day. What do you say?”
Yu Man chuckled at his words and punched his shoulder: "Dream on!"
After laughing, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, has the date for the palace examination been set? Is it coming soon?"
Pei Ji carried her on his back, his steps still steady, and replied, "Yes, it should be in the next few days. The Ministry of Rites has already heard the news, but has not yet issued an official edict."
Yu Man said "Oh," silently noting it down in her mind, thinking that she definitely couldn't go to learn the craft anymore and would have to make time for it.
Unfortunately, plans rarely go as expected. The next day, before dawn, the sky outside the window remained a deep, inky blue, and all was silent. Suddenly, a clear knock came from outside the new house, followed by a slightly shrill voice:
"Is the newly appointed top scholar, Young Master Pei, here? By imperial decree, he shall immediately enter the palace to take the examination!"
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