Over the past few days, I have become increasingly aware of just how severe the "Disabled Persons' Association's" inability to care for themselves truly is.
The daily routine usually involves Ye Tan reclining on the bed, laboriously struggling to eat his meals alone. Ever since I gave Ye Xiao and the others a lashing, Ye Tan refused to let anyone feed him, insisting on doing it himself every time. I have always been a proponent of democracy, so I let him have his way.
Meanwhile, I sat at the table, putting all my effort into practicing with chopsticks, scattering peanuts and soybeans all over the floor.
Heng and Shu crouched on the ground, picking up the beans scattered everywhere one by one so I could continue my practice.
Ye Xiao sat patiently beside Ye Lan, holding his hand and pointing at everyone in the room. "This is our Master, this is our Boss, this is A-Heng, and this is A-Shu. Have you remembered them?"
Ye Lan replied, "I can't remember."
...
I was, frankly, very worried.
Ye Tan set down his bowl and said, "Master, my condition is no longer a hindrance. When shall we depart?"
I waved a hand. "Forget it, there’s no rush. Let’s stay here for a while."
Since I planned on a long stay, I didn't want to remain cooped up in an inn. I dragged Ye Xiao out to rent a small courtyard called Jun Garden. It sat adjacent to Yang Lake; one could go out and pluck lotuses right from the doorstep. The courtyard wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy. Inside was a row of several small rooms: one for Heng and Shu, one for Ye Xiao and Ye Lan, one for Ye Tan and me, and the remaining one was just right for a maidservant.
Speaking of maidservants, I had no idea where to buy one, and Ye Xiao wasn't sure either. He only mentioned that if we saw someone on the street with a stalk of straw tucked into their collar, it usually meant a poor family was selling their children. We took a stroll around the streets but couldn't find any, leading me to feel a bit of disdain for this backward and inefficient economic model.
At noon, we heard from a worker at a wonton shop that there were several women in the West Market who sold rouge and powder but also worked part-time as labor brokers. They had the means to introduce girls to us. Thus, I thanked him happily and sauntered off toward the West Market.
Halfway there, we saw a woman standing behind a stall, hands on her hips, scolding a filthy little girl covered in patches. The girl looked to be in her early teens—the "cardamom years" when she should have been fresh and radiant—yet her face was covered in grime. Her wrists were lined with scratches and bruises, red and purple. She kept her head down obediently while being lectured, biting her lip hard without making a sound.
Ye Xiao went up and asked, "Are you Second Sister-in-Law Xu?"
The woman turned around, sized him up, and asked, "Something you need?"
Ye Xiao said, "My boss needs a maid."
Second Sister-in-Law Xu broke into a wide smile. "What a coincidence! This girl is exactly that. She was sent here a few days ago, just waiting for you." As she spoke, she pulled the little girl forward and shoved her in front of us.
I have always been direct, so I asked, "How much?"
"This girl is very skillful. Her cooking is better than the professional chefs around here, and she’s hardworking, so she isn't cheap. Don't mind the dirt; she actually has quite a pretty face..." As the woman spoke, she spat on her hand and hurriedly wiped the girl's face with her sleeve, revealing a patch of fair, tender skin amidst the grey dust. "Look at that, she’s a beauty..."
"...So, how much?" I repeated.
Second Sister-in-Law Xu stared back and forth at me, gave it some serious thought, and said, "Four taels."
"..." I was stunned.
Seeing that I didn't respond, she hurriedly began her sales pitch again, saying how well-behaved and sensible the girl was, how she washed clothes quickly and cleanly, and how it was a guaranteed bargain.
I interrupted her, bewildered. "This is way too cheap. Do you want to raise the—"
Ye Xiao, in a state of shock, shoved me aside. "We'll take her!!" He reached into my robes, rummaged around, pulled out my banknotes, counted out four taels to stuff into the woman's hand, and then haphazardly shoved the rest back into my chest.
Is this fellow getting more and more audacious?!
I am the Master, after all! He just reaches in and grabs?!
Second Sister-in-Law Xu hadn't expected the transaction to be settled so easily. She pushed the girl forward, fished a contract out of her bodice, and once it was signed, let us take the girl away.
The girl had originally been hanging her head while being scolded, but ever since she heard me say she was too cheap, she had been glaring at me indignantly, her small fists clenched tight.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"I was born on the Qixi Festival, so I'm called Qiqi," the girl said.
I saw the injuries on her arms peeking through her tattered sleeves; her legs were likely no better. She was young and skeletal, and I couldn't bear to make her walk with us. I asked, "We still have things to buy on the street before going back. You don't need to follow us; I'll hire a carriage to send you back first?"
"I don't need your pity," Qiqi said, gritting her teeth.
I thought for a moment, then said to Ye Xiao, "Then you carry her."
Ye Xiao rejected her just as he had rejected the small practice swords. "No way! She's so dirty, and I only have this one set of clothes..."
Hearing this, Qiqi bit her lip again, her small face turning even paler. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I'll buy you a few sets of clothes right now."
Ye Xiao’s attitude flipped like a page in a book. "Then it’s a deal. Little girl, hop on."
Qiqi was the one who froze instead.
I patted her shoulder. "Winter is coming soon. You can't just wear these thin clothes; you need to add a few layers. We might as well go together since it's on the way."
Seeing her not moving, Ye Xiao, with his impatient temperament, grabbed her by the collar and hoisted her onto his back, causing Qiqi to let out a startled cry.
I was so annoyed I gave him another rap on the head. "It's one thing to be crude with me, but you're being rowdy with a little girl too. I'm going to fire you sooner or later."
We found a decent-looking tailor shop and bought over a dozen sets of ready-made clothes based on Ye Xiao and Qiqi's measurements. Thinking that Ye Tan hadn't worn any good clothes since following me, which was a bit pitiful, I arranged for the tailor to come to the house another day to take his measurements. Qiqi was dressed thinly, her hands and feet turning blue from the cold. I originally wanted her to just put on a new set of clothes to wear back, but she refused. I had no choice but to unfasten my cloak and wrap it around her. This time she didn't decline; she seemed to be in a daze.
Leaving the tailor shop, we went to buy food as usual. Ever since Ye Xiao took up his post, my daily intake of snacks had suddenly tripled. I felt like I spent every day buying street food, becoming more and more like a useless person.
We bought a mountain of bags and bundles. I noticed Qiqi staring at the tanghulu—candied hawthorns. I had always found the things so cloyingly sweet they made my teeth ache, and I’d only tried them once. I asked, "Do you like tanghulu?"
Qiqi gave an ambiguous answer. "I've never eaten one, so how would I know if it's good?"
"It tastes terrible," I said.
Qiqi looked a bit disappointed and let out a small "oh," pouting.
After saying that, I took a skewer and handed it to her. Qiqi said in shock, "You... didn't you say it was terrible?"
"Exactly. If you don't eat it, how will you know it's truly terrible?" I felt my logic was sound.
"Weirdo..." Qiqi muttered, but she couldn't wait to pop one into her mouth. After licking it for a while, she complained, "Liar, it's clearly delicious."
I couldn't help but feel alarmed. "Oh no. My future cook's palate is so different from mine. You wouldn't serve tanghulu as a main course, would you?"
Qiqi suddenly burst into a smile through her tears and scolded, "Dummy."
Ye Xiao seized the opportunity to mock me. "Hahahahahahaha!"
...I am definitely going to fire these two. Yes, both of them.
By the time we finished our shopping and returned, it was sunset. Jun Garden had been tidied up. We brought Ye Tan over from the inn, and I had A-Heng invite two physicians, including a Mr. Lu, to stay in the garden temporarily. I also dispatched A-Shu to the Moling Sword Pavilion to send a sum of money and a letter with our address to Jun Luoshu. Having our own place made things much more convenient.
After seeing the layout of the garden, Ye Tan asked, "Master, do you really intend to stay here long-term?"
"We've been moving a bit too fast lately. Just focus on recovering from your injuries and pick up your martial arts practice again. Since Ye Xiao and Ye Lan are both here, they can spar with you; it should be more useful." His complexion had improved significantly over the past few days, which made me very happy. "I've hired a specialized doctor for you. The treatment will surely be more proper than before."
Ye Tan tried to decline. "Master has already done enough. Now that there are other guards to protect you, why waste more money on me..."
"What kind of talk is that? These guards were hired specifically to protect you so you can recover in peace." With everyone watching, I blurted out without thinking, "Once you've recovered and regained your strength, I won't need them anymore..."
Ye Xiao was horrified. "Whoa! Boss, that's burning the bridge after crossing it! You're a heartless person!"
I said with disdain, "I've wanted to fire you for more than a day or two. Did you only just find out today?!"
Ye Xiao said with sudden realization, "Oh, right."
Ye Tan, however, was stunned, his face flushing slightly. "You... you..."
He "you'd" for a long time without managing to say anything else.
Ye Xiao, though feeling sad and neglected, didn't forget to lead Ye Lan around to recognize people. "Look, this is A-Heng, this is A-Shu, this is our Boss, and this is the heartless, ungrateful scum. Have you remembered them?"
Ye Lan: "I can't remember."
Ye Xiao: "Then you just need to remember that this one is the heartless, ungrateful scum..."
I jumped up, pinned Ye Xiao to the table, and gave him another thrashing, stripping him of his snack privileges for the day.
Qiqi had gone to bathe as soon as we returned. She came back now having changed into her new clothes, her messy hair from earlier now tied into a neat, soft little braid. She looked like a different person. Her almond eyes were watery and bright; the broker was right—she was indeed quite cute.
I called her over to sit and had the physician, Mr. Lu, examine her. He reported, "They are just abrasions. If left alone, the swelling will go down in a few days. It's common for maidservants to do rough work. If you're in a hurry, just applying some incense ash will do."
I wasn't satisfied. "How can that be? Of course we should use medicine."
Mr. Lu changed his tune. "Then I shall take some Baikal skullcap, simmer it for fifteen minutes, and apply it externally to the wounds. They will be fine within a few days."
I nodded. "Thank you for your trouble."
That evening, we had an extremely lively dinner. I rarely sat with so many people in such a cramped space; it was quite a headache.
After sending off that group of eccentrics and finishing my own bath, I hurriedly crawled onto Ye Tan's bed to recover my energy.
Ye Tan saw my exhaustion and gently massaged the space between my brows. "Is Master tired?"
I nuzzled into his chest. "Yes. There are a bit too many people; it's quite a chore to deal with them."
I missed the times when it was just Ye Tan and me, when I didn't have to expend so much mental energy.
Ye Tan hesitated. "...I might be hindering your rest. Perhaps I should move to another room? There are many rooms now; there's no need to squeeze into the same place..."
Hearing this, I tightened my grip on his hand. "But I've already gotten used to holding you."
Ye Tan fell silent for a moment.
I added drowsily, "When I was captured those two days ago, I felt like something was missing from my arms at night..."
Even though the bedding there was of the finest quality, I still hadn't slept soundly.
Ye Tan was silent for a while, then asked, "Master said earlier that you would dismiss them in the future..."
My eyelids were fighting to stay open as I forced out, "Yeah... I only recently realized I don't like crowds. If they want, they can go live in Moling... Having just A-Tan by my side is enough."
Upon hearing this, Ye Tan turned on his side to face me and, in a rare moment of initiative, gave me a hug.
This position was actually more comfortable for me to hold him. A moment later, I drifted off into a dreamland.
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