Li Qiao kept his eyes closed, his breathing steady, every eyelash perfectly still.
He had been awake for a long time.
Since slowly regaining consciousness a day ago, he had used his "coma" as a cover to secretly observe his surroundings.
The woman did not speak much. Her voice only grew loud when she was settling accounts with that young clerk. She could spot an error of even a few copper cents at a glance—a sharp-witted iron rooster of a woman, yet she seemed to have no other ulterior motives, caring only for her own small patch of land.
She had been seeing patients in the pharmacy and had not left the village, nor had she spoken of anything beyond its borders. He lacked the information necessary to judge his current situation and therefore had to proceed with caution.
The five fingers of his left hand twitched slightly; they were already capable of gripping a blade.
And his blade was only a few inches from his hand.
He should kill her.
Her medicine was strange, yet it seemed remarkably effective, unlike any wound salve he had used before. He wasn't sure if it was a pre-made paste or something that needed to be mixed fresh; he couldn't afford to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs.
The injuries left by that blind young master had weakened his body. If he were to leave now and encounter even half an enemy, he would be unable to defend himself.
He should wait until she had fully healed him before killing her.
Yes, that was the plan.
A sound came from the doorway; it was her, carrying a medicine pot.
The frequency of her breathing was slower than that of an average person, but her footsteps sounded like someone with no foundation in martial arts. She liked to hum unpleasant little tunes and was always chewing on something—peppermint leaves, by the scent of it.
Her voice was light and brisk, though she lacked deep vitality, often sounding as if she were about to run out of breath.
Her fingers were soft, yet they trembled slightly whenever she applied the salves. She had a habit of rubbing her hands together to warm them before applying the medicine, but her fingertips remained cold regardless.
Today, her hands moved exceptionally slowly, tracing a zigzag pattern across his chest and abdomen, hovering and hesitating as they drifted further down...
Seeking death.
Li Qiao opened his eyes, staring directly into a face that had been caught red-handed in the middle of a lewd act.
"You... you're awake?"
Qin Jiuye gave a couple of fake laughs. Her wicked hand had already retracted and was now rubbing nervously against the other.
She wasn't usually this kind of person; she didn't know what had come over her today.
When she had applied the poultices previously, the swelling on his face hadn't gone down, and she could only vaguely tell he was a young man. Now that the wounds had scabbed over and the bruising had faded, she could see clearly: not only was he very young, but he was also exceptionally handsome.
It was a beauty without sharp edges, yet different from the scholarly grace of the village boys who recited poetry to the moon, and different from the countless scions of martial arts families she had seen. She couldn't quite put her finger on the difference. He seemed purer than ordinary men, yet within that purity, a faint trace of wickedness peeked through—all paired with a sturdy, rugged physique that made him difficult to read.
This inevitably gave Qin Jiuye a bad premonition: Was this man truly the Sect Leader of the Fangwai Sect? He looked more like a male favorite kept by some high-ranking official.
It was said that such favorites came in all styles—some delicate, some strong—and most bore specific marks or scars on their bodies. Some particularly harsh masters would even subject them to torture to ensure their loyalty. She had just been about to confirm this for herself when the man, who had been asleep for nearly three days, chose that exact moment to wake up.
Li Qiao cast an imperceptible glance at the flustered woman by the bed: thin arms, sallow skin and hair, and a pair of clear, dark eyes set into somewhat gaunt cheeks.
Those eyes were a bit too bright, making the rest of her face seem even more dull and lifeless, like an oil lamp about to be blown out by the wind.
A person like this wouldn't pose a threat even if there were a hundred of her. If he didn't grind her bones and suck the marrow—making full use of her—wouldn't he be failing the principles he had lived by for years?
As thoughts flashed through his mind, he replaced his expression with one of confusion and alarm.
"Where is this? Who are you?"
Qin Jiuye, entirely unaware of the life-and-death crisis she had just skirted, was still thinking of how to shed her previous lewd image.
She tried her best to recall the expression of the Abbess at the nunnery in the north of the city when she distributed porridge, smiling with a look of divine benevolence.
"This is Guoran Ju. I am the owner of Guoran Ju; you may call me Shopkeeper Qin."
Li Qiao lowered his head and coughed twice, looking utterly frail.
"Did you save me?"
*How perceptive,* she thought. His second sentence went straight to the point.
Qin Jiuye was overjoyed, her voice rising unconsciously.
"Indeed, indeed. A few days ago, I was in the mountains gathering herbs. While passing through Xizhu Mountain, I saw you collapsed by the roadside and brought you back. I've looked after you with the utmost care, using top-grade medicinal ingredients for both external and internal use..."
"Shopkeeper Qin truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva. Even knowing I am penniless, you did not hesitate to lend a helping hand."
*Wait, this isn't how I imagined this going.*
Qin Jiuye struggled to maintain the smile on her face.
"I understand, I understand. When traveling abroad, carrying too much gold and silver does indeed invite trouble..."
Li Qiao sighed.
"I haven't had such troubles for a long time. Look at my blade—it's rusted through. If it were worth anything at all, I would have pawned it long ago."
Only then did Qin Jiuye notice that the blade previously resting by the bed had somehow found its way into his hand. She hadn't paid it much mind before, but looking closely now, it truly did look like a piece of scrap metal.
Unsure if he was playing dumb, Qin Jiuye's expression finally began to crumble.
Li Qiao saw this and sneered inwardly, though his face remained a picture of innocence.
"Does Shopkeeper Qin regret saving me? Very well, I have been a burden. I shall leave at once."
His features still held the purity of a youth; as he made a pained expression, it was enough to make anyone's heart ache.
But Qin Jiuye considered her own heart to be as hard as stone. Seeing her golden duck about to fly away, she hurriedly spoke up.
"That's not what I meant. I'm just... just a bit concerned about your identity. I heard there was a fierce slaughter on Qingping Road last night; I fear your sect members may have met with misfortune..."
The youth blinked and said briefly, "I am not Yuan Shuqing."
Qin Jiuye felt a buzzing in her head. The golden duck before her eyes seemed to be slowly losing its luster.
"Then are you Wang Xiao of the Akiyama Sect?"
The other shook his head again. Qin Jiuye was in disbelief.
"Then... then who are you? A disciple of the Fangwai Sect? Or..."
Li Qiao remained silent. He watched the expression on the woman's face for a long while before finally nodding slightly.
Qin Jiuye breathed a sigh of relief. Though her heart still ached, she felt that the final glimmer of hope hadn't been entirely extinguished.
If there was no golden duck, a silver or copper one would do.
The Fangwai Sect was a legitimate sect, after all. Having been bloodily purged and heavily damaged, they would surely treat a surviving disciple well, wouldn't they? Moreover, he might know the details of that night's tragedy; he would certainly be summoned for questioning eventually...
*Wait.* The scene that night looked like a massacre intended to pull up the grass by its roots, leaving no survivors. If he was the sole survivor and the killers found out, wouldn't they come to silence him? Wouldn't her little Guoran Ju be dragged down with him?
Alarm bells rang in Qin Jiuye's mind. She stood up slowly and took three steps back.
She had been a bit muddled on that mountain path, her mind filled only with thoughts of earning silver. Now, after all the trouble of bringing him back and spending rare medicines to save him, it would have been fine if he were the Sect Leader, Yuan Shuqing. But as it turned out, she had picked up the wrong person. Not only would the reward be greatly reduced, but she might also bring disaster upon herself. This was a terrible deal.
Her expression shifted rapidly. Li Qiao saw this and understood her thoughts. Suddenly, he struggled to prop himself up from the bed, staggering as if to stand.
Qin Jiuye snapped back to reality and instinctively reached out to support him. Before she could touch his arm, he collapsed to his knees, looking weak and miserable.
Qin Jiuye cried out in distress, terrified that if he suffered any further injury, the expensive medicines she had invested in him would be completely wasted.
"What are you doing getting up?!"
Li Qiao gritted his teeth and pushed himself up, playing the part of the stubborn and tragic youth to perfection.
"I do not wish to make things difficult for Shopkeeper Qin. I should leave on my own."
Qin Jiuye wavered.
She didn't often go to the theater because she couldn't bear to spend the money. Had she seen a few plays and known of the stratagem called the "Bitter Meat Gambit," she might have been less moved.
The man on the floor, acting with deep emotion, continued to crawl toward the door.
Qin Jiuye finally spoke.
"Who said I was kicking you out?"
The figure on the floor stopped. After a long moment, he slowly looked up at her, a faint glint of tears in the corners of his eyes.
"Is Shopkeeper Qin not afraid that I will bring trouble and involve you for nothing?"
*Yes! Of course I'm afraid!*
But the problem was his current condition. He probably wouldn't make it a few steps before collapsing, drawing a crowd of gossiping aunts and uncles. As long as he was in the village, Guoran Ju couldn't escape the fire. Before she figured out what to do, it was better to keep him tucked away here; at least he hadn't shown his face outside yet.
Qin Jiuye regained her composure. Like assisting the eighty-year-old Granny Sun from the east of the village, she piously helped him back onto the bed.
"How could that be? You're overthinking things."
Li Qiao's eyes still held a trace of doubt, but his body was very compliant as she moved him.
"But your expression just now..."
"I didn't sleep well last night; my eye was just twitching a bit."
He blinked his misty eyes at her. "Truly?"
She looked back at him without blinking. "Truly."
The man on the bed obediently pulled the quilt up to his chin.
"Then Shopkeeper Qin won't drive me away?"
She took the quilt from him and pulled it up, covering half his face in one go.
"No."
***
In the central hall, separated by a single wall, Qin Jiuye and Jin Bao sat on opposite sides of a broken table, holding a meeting around an oil lamp that had been dry for who knew how long.
Qin Jiuye's expression was grave, a furrow forming between her thin eyebrows. After a long silence, she spoke.
"This is a serious matter. I want to hear your opinion first."
Jin Bao was sitting on a low stool mending a sock. Hearing this, he sneezed and slowly wiped his nose.
"What opinion could I have? You're the shopkeeper; you decide."
He had a somewhat rough and messy face, but his mind was narrower than the eye of a needle. He was still sulking over the incident with Dou Wuniang the other day.
Qin Jiuye didn't bother calling him out directly. She changed her approach.
"I'm going to buy rice in a bit. Should I buy enough for two people, or three?"
The man spun around instantly, sticking his sewing needle into his hair, suddenly full of a sense of participation.
"You're finally going to buy rice? Buy for three. Buy more, and buy the good stuff..."
Qin Jiuye stared at the needle in his hair, resisting the urge to pull it out and stab it back in.
"He's just a disciple of the Fangwai Sect. Even if we save him and provide for him, we might not get much for our trouble. I have to consider carefully whether it's worth spending more silver on him."
"Even if he isn't the Sect Leader, a life is still a life. You saw his state just now. If we're going to save him, we should see it through. We can't just throw him out to fend for himself, can we?"
Jin Bao spoke with a face full of compassion. It was unclear if he truly possessed a healer's heart or if he was just thinking about the extra rice.
Qin Jiuye felt a headache coming on. Her gaze drifted to the corner of the room.
A pile of ruined, bloody clothes sat there, not yet burned. The fabric was plain black, without a single pattern or embroidery. She thought of that rusted blade again; it looked no different from the scrap metal she used to poke the fire.
"Would a disciple of the Fangwai Sect use such a pathetic blade?"
Jin Bao rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment. "True. It's too blunt even to slice a radish."
Qin Jiuye fell silent for a long time. Eventually, she stood up and walked out of the hall.
She crept along the wall to the small kitchen on the east side. Making sure Situ Jinbao hadn't followed, she went to the stove and fumbled around the soot-blackened cracks in the bricks until she carefully pulled out a flat box.
The box was a gift tin from the Xianke Yuan pastry shop in the city, sold several years ago. Her grandfather had bought it for her on her tenth birthday. The small, flat box had once held twelve pastries; she could still remember their shapes and flavors.
The pastries were long gone, but she couldn't bear to throw the box away, so she used it to store her treasures.
At this stage of her life, Qin Jiuye's most precious treasure was silver.
The silver she had saved for so many years.
A pang of heartache struck her. Trembling, she picked out a tiny piece of silver and held it in her palm, then recounted the remaining silver in the box.
Ninety-four taels and eight cents. She had finally almost reached a hundred, but now she was down by one, and it was no longer a round number.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, she would rather endure hunger than touch the silver in this box.
She hadn't expected that after surviving the entire winter, she would encounter her first major hurdle just as spring was arriving. It was partly because the Imperial Court had begun making secret moves at the end of last year. Publicly, they claimed to be repairing dams and waterways, but in reality, they wanted to firmly grasp the water transport routes of the entire Jiao Province.
Such a move would be too provocative if they sent the army directly, likely escalating conflicts. The best way was to start from the common folk, finding existing, handy "blades" to use. Thus, recruiting Jianghu sects as pawns became the primary choice.
The Xiangliang Royal Family, who held fiefs in the outer regions, had always been restless. In recent years, local wars had been constant, and Jianghu forces had taken the opportunity to expand everywhere, making it incredibly convenient to conduct business in the underground battlefield. But now, perhaps because an invisible wind had begun to blow, the people of the Jianghu had become much more cautious, hiding whenever possible and doing everything they could to distance themselves from officialdom.
As a result, let alone fighting and killing or competing for territory, even ordinary sparring matches or visits were avoided if possible. Her side business had naturally been affected; she hadn't had much income for over a month. Relying on the meager earnings from Guoran Ju's medicine sales, they would starve sooner or later. Now, she had to dip into her savings.
After a moment of self-pity, Qin Jiuye closed the box and carefully put it back.
She wasn't a person who liked to gamble, because she was very stingy with her capital. But without investment, there would be no return. Caution could no longer keep the ship steady; she had reached a point of life and death. Since things were difficult either way, she might as well take a gamble.
A gamble on whether she could recoup her costs from that youth.
Clutching the piece of silver that pressed uncomfortably into her palm, she turned and left Guoran Ju.
What Qin Jiuye didn't know was that the moment she left the pharmacy, the patient covered in medicinal salves pulled his head back from the window and moved back onto the bed.
*It looks like there will be rice to eat tonight.*
Li Qiao let out a long breath. He could finally settle down to regulate his breathing and circulate his internal energy.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 果然居 | Guoran Ju | Qin Jiuye's pharmacy/residence. "Guoran" means "as expected." |
| 铁公鸡 | Iron rooster | A Chinese idiom for a miser or someone extremely stingy. |
| 杀鸡取卵 | Killing the chicken to get the egg | Idiom: To sacrifice future benefits for immediate gain. |
| 敲骨吸髓 | Grinding bones and sucking marrow | Idiom: To ruthlessly exploit someone. |
| 仙客缘 | Xianke Yuan | A pastry shop name. |
| 焦州 | Jiao Province | A geographical location in the story. |
| 襄梁 | Xiangliang | A royal family/region name. |
| 苦肉计 | Bitter Meat Gambit | One of the 36 Stratagems; inflicting injury on oneself to win the enemy's trust. |
