For the next three days, not a whisper of news reached the outside of Listening Wind Hall. Inside, the atmosphere was as still as water at the bottom of a deep well, broken only by the occasional sound of Situ Jinbao wailing and lodging complaints.
Since that day, he had been accusing Li Qiao of various crimes in front of Qin Jiuye every other day, babbling incoherently about "crickets" and "tongues" until her head throbbed.
At first, Qin Jiuye tried to offer a word or two of comfort, explaining that crickets actually ate grasshoppers and there was truly nothing to fear. But the frightened, useless lad wouldn't listen to a single word. He insisted on trailing behind her every waking moment, refusing to even go to the latrine alone. It became so exasperating that Qin Jiuye eventually gave up even pretending to care; the moment she saw him, she would dodge him from a distance.
Fearing solitude and finding no sense of security with Qin Jiuye, Jinbao turned to harassing the others. Surprisingly, Old Dog Du and Tang Shenyan shared similar tastes; they would sit idly drinking tea, chatting from sunrise to sunset. Jinbao would pull up a stool and wedge himself into their company. Initially, he just scavenged tea and dried jujubes, but eventually, he began to listen with rapt attention. When Old Dog Du reached a particularly exciting point in his tales, he would even dip his finger in tea to teach the boy a few characters. Tang Shenyan, watching from the side, didn't find it absurd at all. After a few days, the three of them were getting along quite harmoniously.
Li Qiao remained quiet, possessing almost no presence. In those three days, he chopped enough firewood to last Listening Wind Hall for a month. Afterward, he went through the tea parlor in the front hall, leveling every wobbling table and chair by shimming their legs.
Qin Jiuye watched him from the side at first, wanting to warn him that there was really no point in repairing the furniture in the tea parlor—the martial artists who frequented the place would start brawling over the slightest disagreement, and his repairs would be ruined within days. But in the end, she didn't speak. She suddenly felt that he wasn't ignorant of this logic. Repairing those tables and chairs was simply a way for him to kill time, no different from when he used to chop wood, decoct medicine, and greet guests at Guoran Abode.
Once she realized this, she found him even more of an enigma.
She herself did the same things day after day, busying herself from dawn to dusk, but she did it for silver. What was Li Qiao doing it for? Before, perhaps it was to stay at Guoran Abode, but now that he was doing the same at Listening Wind Hall, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of curiosity.
Perhaps during the years he spent infiltrating the Fangwai Sect to seek his private revenge, he had lived every day like this. Over time, it had become an unbreakable habit that followed him wherever he went.
In short, the most idle people in Listening Wind Hall now were Old Qin and herself.
Were it not for this accidental reunion, she and Old Qin would often go months without seeing each other. Now that they were together, they should have sat down to catch up and bond, yet for some reason, they found themselves with nothing to say. Coupled with the unpleasant argument they'd had that day, they now looked at each other in silence, barely exchanging a few words throughout the day.
In truth, ever since she had settled in Dingweng Village and opened Guoran Abode, this was how it usually went with Old Qin. Hurried meetings, a few instructions, a round of mutual complaints, and then a hurried parting.
Longing when apart, stifled when together, and regretful after a quarrel.
She didn't know if other families interacted this way, but she felt herself sinking deeper into this vicious cycle lately. Furthermore, since both were the type of diligent people who couldn't stand being idle, being trapped in one place with nothing to do only added to an indescribable frustration.
Old Qin only stayed idle for half a day before rummaging through Jinbao’s medicine chest to find some radish seeds. He spent a day clearing a small patch in the backyard and began planting radishes. During the day, he worked the soil alone, and afterward, he would stroll around the courtyard with his hands behind his back. At some point, he took a liking to Tang Shenyan’s pots of half-dead orchids, seemingly wanting to empty those ornamental but useless pots to plant more radishes. Once Tang Shenyan caught wind of this, the two of them could argue in the courtyard for half the day.
Qin Jiuye spent most of her time shut away in the side room filled with broken furniture, tinkering with herbs, studying medical texts, and finally compounding the antidote for Li Qiao. She tried her best not to think about the neglected business at Guoran Abode, and so the days passed quickly.
By the third day, not just Qin Jiuye, but everyone in Listening Wind Hall began to think that Governor Qiu had forgotten about them. That was, until the evening of the third day.
As summer approached, the insects became increasingly rampant. During the day, they lurked in the grass by the courtyard pool, but from dusk onward, they swarmed out in droves to disturb everyone's sleep.
Qin Jiuye had cut some mugwort from under the eaves and dried it to burn at night. However, halfway through the burning, a figure suddenly vaulted over the courtyard wall. In their haste, they even broke two of Old Tang’s roof tiles. It was then that everyone realized the so-called "calm" was an illusion. Listening Wind Hall was being watched day and night; even a bit of smoke from a rooftop would bring someone in to investigate immediately.
Seeing the situation clearly, the previously indignant Old Qin fell silent. Tang Shenyan stopped mentioning the tea house business, Jinbao stopped clamoring to go out for fresh air, and even Old Dog Du seemed much quieter. Everyone spent the night in hushed silence.
On the morning of the fourth day, Qin Jiuye, who had barely slept, got up early and wandered over to the courtyard pool to daze.
A few days ago, several ducks had appeared out of nowhere and devoured the golden toads Tang Shenyan kept in the pool. He had raised those toads for years, treating them like deities to attract wealth. Their sudden annihilation had made the refined man so furious he nearly brandished a kitchen knife to butcher the ducks.
Naturally, Qin Jiuye had stopped him.
She advised him not to be superstitious about such ethereal things, and certainly not to be led astray by that charlatan Old Dog Du’s nonsense. It was better to live a practical life—weren't ducks much more useful than a few toads? Ignoring his protests, she kept the ducks.
Perhaps because they had eaten the golden toads, the ducks began laying eggs the very next day. Each one was as large as a goose egg, and once salted, they would be a delicacy.
Speaking of food, being confined in Listening Wind Hall wasn't entirely bad. Although they were technically suspects who hadn't cleared their names, even those in the great cell needed to eat. After her protest, Lu Zican had sent someone the next day with vegetables, meat, rice, and flour.
The meals at Listening Wind Hall suddenly became substantial. Jinbao ate until his belly was round every meal, no longer even thinking about returning to Guoran Abode. If someone told him the food in the prefectural prison was just as good, he would likely confess to everything on the spot and head to the dungeons with joy.
Unfortunately, Qin Jiuye didn't have Jinbao’s carefree heart.
Tang Shenyan’s business was cut off. The people who used to come and go, buying and selling information, hadn't visited in a long time. She didn't know what the situation was outside, nor did she know how far Qiu Ling’s investigation had progressed.
Three days should have been enough time for significant progress.
She just didn't know if that progress was good or bad for them.
"What is Sister thinking about?"
Qin Jiuye blinked and tossed the crumbs in her hand into the pool. She then reached out to lift a stone by the edge, checking the small jar of salted duck eggs hidden in the crevice.
Without looking back at the youth, she spoke in a flat tone.
"You brought these ducks, didn't you?"
Li Qiao was silent for a moment, but he didn't deny it. "Is Sister going to tell Shopkeeper Tang?"
"I'm not that bored," she paused, then whispered, "I actually quite like your style of adapting to the environment and seizing every opportunity. But be careful; don't let him find out. Old Tang prides himself on being a scholar, but he's incredibly petty. No matter how poorly he's doing, he's still in the underworld business. Be careful he doesn't dig up your past; it wouldn't look good for anyone then."
Li Qiao’s brow twitched slightly, seemingly indifferent. "Does he truly know that much about the affairs of the martial world?"
Qin Jiuye didn't notice his thoughts. She re-hid the jar of eggs as she spoke. "I've bought plenty of information from him. About seven or eight times out of ten, something goes wrong. But even if it's inaccurate, the things he says aren't usually just baseless rumors; there's usually some foundation to them."
"Then has Sister ever asked him about me?"
Qin Jiuye’s movements froze. She hadn't expected him to turn the conversation so directly. She had to use a counter-question to hide her guilt.
"Why do you ask that?" She thought for a moment, then added with unnecessary emphasis, "I'm not interested in your business."
The unreadable emotions finally dissipated from those brown eyes, leaving only a touch of warm morning light.
"In the future, Sister must only listen to me regarding my affairs. Alright?"
Qin Jiuye was eager to move past this topic and didn't notice the strange tone in his voice.
"Fine, fine, fine. You're a strange one. Before, when I asked, you didn't want to say anything, and now you want me to listen."
After saying this, she finished hiding the eggs and intended to leave. After a few steps, she turned back, reached out to take his wrist, and held it for a quiet moment before withdrawing her hand.
Li Qiao didn't move.
He was now completely accustomed to this gesture of hers. He no longer felt awkward letting her pinch or press his pulse.
He observed her expression. Seeing her remain silent, he asked softly, "How is it?"
Qin Jiuye glanced at him and asked abruptly, "What exactly was the poison you were afflicted with before?"
Upon hearing this, he fell silent again.
Qin Jiuye gave a small, amused huff. Surprisingly, she no longer found his sudden bouts of silence annoying.
She thought about her observations of him over the past few days and his reaction when she mentioned Tang Shenyan. she assumed that when this youth first entered the martial world, he might have made some mistakes or suffered some humiliations, which was why he was so unwilling to mention the past now.
However, regarding her findings from his pulse these past few days, there was something else she found unusual.
She discovered that the stubborn toxicity in his body was currently clashing with the newly contracted strange illness. As they neutralized each other, certain original pulse patterns were no longer appearing. Without a careful examination, it was almost impossible to detect. She didn't know if this was a good or bad thing.
Since there was no immediate danger, it was technically a good thing, but she felt like teasing him. She crossed her arms and looked at him.
"If you don't tell me, I'm afraid I can't give you the antidote."
The youth was stunned. He lowered his head, seemingly weighing his options seriously before slowly speaking.
"Sister must give me some time. I need to think about how to tell you."
Qin Jiuye hadn't expected him to take her seriously. She patted his shoulder.
"Forget it, forget it. I'm just a physician, not a storyteller like Tang Shenyan who eats with his mouth. I have no interest in hearing your tales. Just behave yourself and perform well. When the time comes, I'll naturally give you the antidote."
Having said her piece, she stopped looking at him. She turned and followed the tracks left by the ducks through the grass on either side of the pool. Sure enough, she found one or two "stragglers" and happily gathered the hidden eggs into the fold of her skirt.
As she searched, she suddenly felt something was off. Looking up, she saw the dog hole at the base of the western wall, hidden by wild grass, making a rustling sound.
She had noticed this dog hole while burning mugwort last night. She had intended to poke her head out to investigate this morning, but now that she was close, she felt a bit hesitant.
She thought of Lu Zican, who followed Qiu Ling everywhere, and the two large sabers at his waist. If she poked her head out and someone happened to arrive at that moment, a saber coming down against the wall would mean her head would...
A chill ran down her neck. Qin Jiuye immediately took a few steps back. The next moment, the rustling at the dog hole became clearer. The grass parted, and a head poked through.
Atop the head sat a jade crown missing half its beads, entwined with two vibrant pink morning glories that swayed in the breeze along with the head.
Qin Jiuye was about to turn and call for help when she saw Li Qiao already approaching with a wood-chopping blade in hand.
The head with the morning glories keenly sensed the oncoming murderous intent and hurriedly spoke in a voice that sounded strangely familiar.
"Wait! Wait..."
Qin Jiuye instinctively pulled Li Qiao back. She watched as the figure in the grass wriggled for a moment before finally pulling its legs through the dog hole. The figure slowly stood up, leisurely smoothing out the wrinkles in its brocade robes. While dusting himself off, he spoke.
"I heard that Listening Wind Hall balances the pure and the murky and welcomes guests from all directions. I didn't expect such a way of treating guests."
Qin Jiuye stared at that face, which radiated a mix of leisure and arrogance. Her voice was squeezed out from between her teeth.
"Listening Wind Hall has been sealed by the authorities. No one is allowed in or out. How can the Second Young Master be considered a guest when he comes uninvited?"
Xu Qiuchi unfolded his waist fan and held it over his brow, looking around with exaggerated curiosity.
"Is that so? This place was sealed? As a mere idle person, how could I have known such a thing?"
You can't wake someone who is pretending to be asleep, and you certainly can't reason with a shameless person.
Qin Jiuye’s face darkened. She grabbed the youth beside her and turned to leave.
"You know now. In any case, I wasn't the one who let you in. If Lu Zican asks later, I can only tell him the truth."
Xu Qiuchi’s voice rang out persistently behind her.
"Doesn't Shopkeeper Qin want to ask why I've come?"
The woman didn't look back, her pace quickening, only to hear the voice continue leisurely.
"I've come to deliver silver."
Qin Jiuye came to a dead halt. After a long pause, she turned around and said expressionlessly, "I am of weak constitution and cannot bear the weight of fortune. Last time, thanks to Brother Xu, I received those fifteen taels from the Su family for nothing. Heaven took a dislike to me and nearly sent me to the dungeons."
The dandy wore a smile, but his words were infuriating.
"Shopkeeper Qin must be joking. I didn't come to give *you* silver, so why the sarcasm and the act of refusal?" At this point, he intentionally raised his voice. "Where is Shopkeeper Tang? Why hasn't he come to welcome his guest?"
"Coming, coming!"
Tang Shenyan’s voice suddenly rang out from a corner. It was unclear how long he had been eavesdropping in the shadows.
Qin Jiuye turned her head and felt that in all the time she had known him, she had never seen him run so fast.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 莱菔子 | Radish seeds | Also known as Raphani Semen in TCM. |
| 金蟾 | Golden Toad | A mythical three-legged toad used as a feng shui charm to attract wealth. |
| 狗洞 | Dog hole | A small opening at the base of a wall, often used by small animals or for drainage. |
| 牵牛花 | Morning glory | A type of climbing flower. |
| 陆子参 | Lu Zican | A subordinate of Governor Qiu Ling. |
| 许秋迟 | Xu Qiuchi | The "Second Young Master" of the Xu family, a flamboyant character. |
