Chapter 38: Jianye

“Fifth brother, come in quickly! Where have you been these past few days? Sixth sister and I were so worried about you; we thought something bad had happened.”

Seeing the shirtless young man help Zhao Wu inside, Li Huowang followed. He had a feeling things weren't that simple.

“Why are you back?” As soon as the person at the abacus spoke in a flat, unconcerned tone, Li Huowang knew he was right.

Zhao Wu, who had just been very agitated, gradually lost his excitement. He stated in a trembling voice, “Father, I was kidnapped with a sack over my head. They took me far away, and these friends of mine brought me back.”

Zhao Wu’s father looked at the several black bamboo hats at the entrance and impatiently waved his hands. “Clear out, all of you! How can we do business with you blocking the doorway?”

Li Huowang was annoyed by the man's attitude. What did their strained father-son relationship have to do with outsiders like them?

He snatched the long sword from Zhao Wu’s hand, raised it high, and with a flash of cold light, the sharp blade cleaved directly onto the man's wooden counter, almost splitting it in two.

“What do you think you’re doing? The town constable is my relative!” Zhao Wu’s father recoiled in fright.

Li Huowang took out an ounce of silver with his right hand. In front of the man, he slowly shaved off a small piece along the gleaming blade, then pushed the silver sliver towards him. “For rice!”

In the small back courtyard of the rice shop, Zhao Wu was pouring tea for Li Huowang. “Brother Li, please calm down. That’s just how my father is; deep down, he’s actually quite kind.”

Li Huowang picked up the teacup and drained it. Whether the man was kind or not, he couldn't be bothered with others’ family affairs. He hadn't come solely to escort Zhao Wu.

“These farewell notes are from within the country. Since you’re familiar with Jianye City, find a reliable courier service and have them delivered,” Li Huowang said, pushing seven or eight slips of paper towards Zhao Wu.

Zhao Wu took them with both hands and nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry, Brother Li, I guarantee I’ll take care of these matters!”

“Alright, that’s it then. Stay safe at home; we’re leaving,” Li Huowang said, standing up.

“Leaving so soon? Why don’t you all stay for lunch? My being alive and back is all thanks to everyone.”

Zhao Wu was clearly reluctant. This parting might mean they would never see each other again.

“Forget it, don’t bother,” Li Huowang said, patting Zhao Wu’s shoulder. Given his father’s attitude just now, that meal would likely be anything but peaceful.

“Remember the characters I taught you these past few days, especially your name. Being able to write your own name means you’re at least not completely illiterate.”

Just as Li Huowang was giving his final instruction, a female ‘medicine guide’ covered in black hair suddenly rushed forward, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “When you get home, look into it properly. Maybe you weren’t kidnapped; maybe your father sold you!”

Her words silenced everyone. When Zhao Wu’s third brother came over carrying the rice, Li Huowang waved his hand, signaling the fool to take the rice, and led the others away.

Walking onto the bustling main road, Li Huowang and his companions looked for an inn to stay at.

“Why do you think Zhao Wu was sold by his father?” Li Huowang asked the woman who had just spoken to Zhao Wu, turning to face her.

The woman, who suffered from hypertrichosis, had been very quiet throughout the journey, rarely speaking to anyone. Her sudden words today genuinely surprised Li Huowang.

“Even a tiger won’t eat its cubs. He might not be that evil.”

As soon as Li Huowang said this, the woman’s body inexplicably trembled. With sadness in her voice, she replied, “A tiger may not eat its cubs, but people are far more venomous than tigers! Because I was sold by my own parents!”

Her words made everyone stop, their eyes turning to her in shock.

“Two ounces of silver, just two measly ounces of silver! He sold me like livestock! Without even looking back.”

Sensing her pain, Bai Lingmiao walked over, gently embraced her, and comfortingly patted her back.

After a moment of thought, Li Huowang spoke again. “He sold you, so are you still going back?”

“Yes, I’m going back!” the woman snarled through gritted teeth.

Seeing her chest rapidly heave with emotion and the intense hatred in her voice, Li Huowang immediately guessed that her purpose for returning was likely different from Bai Lingmiao and the others’.

“Donglai Inn, let’s stay there today.” Li Huowang pointed to the signboard on the left side of the street and led the way inside.

“Welcome, esteemed guests! Are you here for a meal or to stay the night?”

“To stay. How much is a room?”

“We have three types: Type A rooms are ninety coins, including meals; Type B rooms are sixty coins, excluding meals; and Type C rooms are twenty coins, but you’ll share with others.”

“Esteemed guests, you have a total of seven adults and five children, twelve people in all. You could choose four Type B rooms. Our inn rooms are spacious, and three people per room is no problem. It’s also safer for two adults to sleep with one child.”

“Alright, let’s do as you suggested.”

“Excellent! Twelve esteemed guests~ four Type B rooms~ upstairs please~ watch your step.”

That night, Li Huowang leaned by the window, watching the ancient people walking on the street outside.

After traveling for so long, he finally had time to sit down and observe this world, which was completely different from his past.

There were strong men leading horses, scholars with fans, children carrying floral lanterns, and hunchbacked vendors balancing food on shoulder poles.

Everything here felt so real, yet so out of place for him.

Different faces flashed before his eyes. As he watched, Li Huowang suddenly felt a jolt. The next second, his muscles tensed instantly: he saw Yang Na on the street!

Her delicate face was tear-streaked like pear blossoms after rain. Her expression was so sorrowful; she was crying so hard she could barely breathe. “Huowang, wake up quickly!”

“Gah!” Covered in cold sweat from fright, Li Huowang quickly stepped back, then immediately lunged forward again, looking down.

It turned out it wasn’t Yang Na, his childhood sweetheart, but merely a young unmarried woman who bore some resemblance to her.

“Right, I’m already this old. If Yang Na truly existed, how could she still be a maiden….”

Li Huowang slowly slid down the wall, his eyes vacant as he stared at the wooden ceiling beam above. “Are the hallucinations starting again?”

A “knock, knock, knock” sound suddenly came from the door.

“Come in, the door’s unlocked.” Li Huowang expected it to be Gouwa, who shared his room, but it was Bai Lingmiao.

Smiling, she held a lotus leaf parcel in both hands and presented it to Li Huowang. When the leaf was opened, it revealed several steaming hot buns. “Brother Li, you must be hungry. Have some buns.”

Li Huowang reached out, grabbed a bun, stuffed it into his mouth, and began to chew heartily.

Bai Lingmiao, holding the buns, squatted to Li Huowang’s left, quietly watching him. As soon as he finished one, she thoughtfully handed him another.

“This place is quite special. They’re still selling buns late at night,” Li Huowang remarked.

“Isn’t it common for buns to be sold late at night? If anything’s special, it’s the fool — he actually dips his buns in vinegar!”

“Haha, I wonder where he’s from, to have such a way of eating.”

Li Huowang, who was chatting idly with Bai Lingmiao, suddenly remembered something. “I didn’t give you any money. Where did you get the money for the buns?”

Bai Lingmiao’s gaze shifted evasively, but she first placed the remaining buns on her lap, then pulled out several large pieces of silver from her waist, holding them in both hands towards Li Huowang.

“Brother Li, I pawned that gold ankle bracelet. You’re working too hard on your own, and since I can’t do much else, this is the only way I can help you.”