Fish Meat – Chapter 43

The Eighth Year of Shenchu

The Journey Home (Part 2)

Staring into each other’s eyes for an unmeasurable amount of time, Wei Tingxu’s gaze grew increasingly menacing—she demanded an answer from Zhen Wenjun. The air inside the station grew ever more chaotic with her intense stare, and it seemed as though the shadow guards were drawing their weapons, ready to act.

“Ah.” Zhen Wenjun’s face twitched slightly before she spread a sincere smile, even showing a calm concern, “Sister, do you also want to get some fresh air? Just now, as I was strolling in the courtyard, I saw buds on the branches, a sign of all things reviving. The weather is gradually warming up; it is no longer as cold as before. However, Sister, you are frail. If you wish to go out, you should bring a warm fur coat to avoid catching a chill.” Her composed demeanor made it seem as if she hadn’t heard the old man’s call at all.

The long-bearded and white-haired old man, carrying a bundle of firewood and sweating profusely, staggered past Zhen Wenjun. He anxiously looked ahead, shouting, “Alai? Alai! That troublesome child, where has he run off to now?” He continued shouting as he searched the courtyard.

The murderous aura naturally dissipated, and when Wei Tingxu once again showed her familiar gentle smile, even the small flowers that hadn’t moved a single eyelash seemed less gloomy.

“No, even in late spring, I can’t stand the slightest damp chill. I will rest for a while in the corridor and then return.”

“Sister, rest early. We still have to travel tomorrow.”

Zhen Wenjun maintained a smile and pretended to show concern, but in reality, her back had gone stiff.

Xiaohua pushed Wei Tingxu back to her room, and the inn returned to its calm state as if the tense atmosphere from a moment ago had been nothing but an illusion.

Could it be that the white-bearded old man had coincidentally called out to someone with the exact same name? Such a coincidence seems unlikely.

Have the long-lost members of the Xie family finally appeared? Zhen Wenjun secretly observed the old man. With most of the able-bodied men fighting at the front, the old man’s household must lack male members, which is why he, at his advanced age, still had to act as a servant at the post station. She watched as he placed the firewood in the pile in front of the stable, then took out a piece of rough, gray hemp cloth from his chest to wipe the sweat from his face. With her sharp eyes, Zhen Wenjun recognized the patched handkerchief at the lower left corner as belonging to her mother.

It truly was someone from the Xie family.

The sudden appearance of the Xie family—could it be that they plan to ambush and assassinate Wei Tingxu here? Not to mention the three layers of guards inside and out, but just the shadow guards set up like an inescapable net make the idea of assassinating Wei Tingxu nothing but a fool’s dream.

The old man rested his hand on his waist and took a breath. A young boy ran back from the rear courtyard and sweetly smiled at the old man, “Grandpa, did you call me just now?”

The old man tapped the boy on the head and feigned anger, “Running around again—have you fed the horses?”

The boy nodded with his neck shrunk, “Fed them, fed them. Grandpa, don’t be angry.”

The old man snorted, “Go to the kitchen and check if the medicine for the esteemed guest in Room Three is ready. Make sure you don’t spill it!”

The young boy responded perfunctorily, “Got it, got it.”

Room Three? Wei Tingxu and Xiaohua are staying in Room One on the east side, Lingbi and I are in Room Two, the attendants and Doctor Xu with Zhong Ji are in the rear courtyard, the guards are camping in the courtyard, and the shadow guards are naturally scattered everywhere. Could it be that there is someone in this post station who is not part of the Wei household? This is quite unlike Wei Tingxu’s style.

Lingbi had finished boiling the water and came out to call Zhen Wenjun. Seeing her deep in thought, she asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Zhen Wenjun frowned and, lowering her voice cautiously, said, “There are others in the post station.”

Lingbi saw her serious expression and smiled, “There is indeed a passing scholar. Two days before we arrived, Wei family’s shadow guards had already checked this place. He’s not someone important. Even if he were an assassin, with all the guards and shadow guards in the courtyard, no assassin has ever escaped from me and Xiaohua in all these years. There’s no need to be overly tense. You’re still recovering from your injury. Even if some fool comes to court death again, you must not act rashly. I’ve prepared the water; go take a bath. As for dinner, I noticed the kitchen doesn’t have much food, but fortunately, we brought some ourselves. You can eat after you finish bathing.”

Seeing Lingbi’s smile revealing two dimples, and her current demeanor treating herself as part of the same camp, with no sign of pretense in her words or actions, Zhen Wenjun felt slightly more at ease. The one staying in Room Three must be a hidden agent of the Xie family who was supposed to contact her. Somehow, they had discovered Wei Tingxu’s travel documents and were already waiting here. If they really intend to assassinate Wei Tingxu, whether they succeed or not, it would only ruin the situation she had painstakingly set up.

No, she must stop these people from acting recklessly. She needed to meet the scholar in Room Three. But how to avoid the shadow guards’ scrutiny and meet him required more thought.

After washing away her fatigue and returning to the room, Lingbi had already placed the food on the table. Rare winter vegetables and a bowl of fragrant meat soup with two steamed buns looked very appetizing. Zhen Wenjun ate the meat soup and vegetables, hiding the steamed buns in her bosom. She knew her own appetite well; a bowl of meat soup and a small plate of vegetables wouldn’t last till nightfall, and by then she could use the excuse of looking for food in the kitchen to leave the room temporarily.

Before going to bed, Lingbi made the bed and called Zhen Wenjun to sleep. Seeing her dawdling and not moving, she asked, “What’s wrong with you again?”

As soon as the words fell, a rumbling sound came from Zhen Wenjun’s stomach. Lingbi looked surprised, “You ate two steamed buns in the evening and you’re hungry already?”

Zhen Wenjun scratched her head awkwardly, “Lately, my appetite has increased. I need to eat five steamed buns a day to be full.”

Lingbi burst out laughing, “Five steamed buns, you’re almost on par with Xiaohua. No wonder, you seem to have grown taller recently.”

In the eighth year of Shenchu, Zhen Wenjun was nearing her coming-of-age ceremony, a time when she was maturing. Along with an increased appetite, she was growing taller by the day, and her facial features were becoming more refined. She moved closer and asked, “Sister Lingbi, do you have anything to fill my stomach? I can’t sleep on an empty stomach.” She knew that Xiaohua always had some snacks on hand, but Lingbi didn’t like those. At this late hour, there wouldn’t be much to eat, and she was expecting Lingbi to say no.

Sure enough, Lingbi shook her head and said no. Zhen Wenjun’s stomach growled loudly, and after searching the room and finding nothing, she opened the door and went out.

Lingbi called out to her, “Where are you going?”

Zhen Wenjun glanced unintentionally at Room Three across the way, where the light was still on, and replied, “I’m going to the kitchen to find something to eat.”

Lingbi, lying in bed and feeling drowsy, yawned and said, “Come back quickly; we have to get up early tomorrow for the journey.”

Zhen Wenjun responded with an “Alright” and headed to the kitchen.

In the corridor, she again passed by the old man carrying a bowl of soup noodles. She called out to him, “Elder, is there any food left in the kitchen?”

The old man turned back, trembling, “Yes, yes, there is. There’s a bowl of soup noodles on the stove. If you don’t mind, young lady, please take it.”

Zhen Wenjun politely thanked him and headed towards the kitchen. In the courtyard, the guards were patrolling at night, and the leader was the same person who had come to their rescue at the horse stables when she and Lingbi were ambushed.

Zhen Wenjun felt the gaze of the leader upon her but calmly walked past him.

The post station’s kitchen was extremely simple, with only an earthen stove and a few sieves drying old rice. Zhen Wenjun looked around; apart from the steaming bowl of soup noodles the old man mentioned, there was no one suspicious hiding in the room. Indeed, with so many guards in the courtyard, doing anything illicit under their watchful eyes would be nearly impossible. The Xie family might have other plans.

She narrowed her eyes at the bowl of soup noodles; could the message be hidden within the noodles?

Just as she was about to pick up the bowl and pour out the soup noodles, the door was violently kicked open. The guard who had been staring at Zhen Wenjun stood menacingly at the doorway.

Zhen Wenjun was savoring the soup noodles and turned around in shock to look at him. After a moment of stunned silence, she pretended to raise the bowl and said, “Sir, are you hungry too? But there’s only one bowl of noodles here. How about… sharing a bit?” She spoke as if reluctant to part with the soup noodles, almost wanting to hide it in her bosom, fearing the guard might agree.

The guard ignored her completely, gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist as he walked in, carefully inspecting all the hiding places in the room. Finding nothing, he glared at Zhen Wenjun, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.

Zhen Wenjun called out, “Brother, it’s windy. Could you at least close the door for me?”

The guard neither closed the door nor looked back, simply walking away.

After ensuring the guard had left, Zhen Wenjun let out a slight sigh of relief. Not long after, she heard the old man’s eager voice outside the door, “Sir, are you hungry? Shall I make you a bowl of hot noodles to warm your stomach?”

Guard: “No need.”

Once the footsteps faded away, the old man entered the kitchen and closed the door. His hunched back straightened up, and he cupped his hands with a smile towards Zhen Wenjun, “My humble skills are crude; I hope the young lady finds them to her liking.”

Zhen Wenjun examined the old man up and down, realizing he was in disguise. Her expression turned serious as she was about to speak, but the old man gestured towards the door, and she immediately understood, stopping herself. She wiped the oil from her mouth and placed the bowl on the stove, “The night is cold and damp, a bowl of hot soup noodles is just right to warm the stomach.”

The old man tore off the human skin mask from his face, revealing the visage of a man around forty years old. He raised his hand and wrote a line in the old rice drying in the sieve: “I am Yan Ye, a minor strategist from the Xie family of Dongchun.” Meanwhile, he said aloud, “The young lady looks to be about the same age as my grandson. Are you fifteen this year?”

Zhen Wenjun replied aloud, “I’m seventeen by nominal age this year. Why are you still serving at the post station at such an old age?” Meanwhile, she wrote: Where is my mother now?

Yan Ye sighed and spoke about how his son had gone to the northern front two years ago and he didn’t know when he would return. At the same time, he quickly wrote: Your mother is safe and sound, young lady; you can rest assured. Master Xie was greatly enraged upon learning what Xie Taihang did to your mother and you. He specifically sent me to find you. First, to apologize to you, and second, since you have gained Wei the Traitor’s trust, we hope you will continue to stay close to her and gather information for the sake of the people.

Seeing that Yan Ye was not here to assassinate Wei Tingxu, Zhen Wenjun felt a great weight lifted from her heart. However, she was not entirely convinced that the Xie family of Dongchun was unaware of Xie Taihang’s actions. She verbally comforted the “old man” about missing his son and wrote: One stroke cannot write two Xie characters; why should I trust you? Is Xie Taihang hiding in Dongchun now?

Yan Ye wrote: Master Xie says that the Xie family indeed owes an apology to you and your mother. They should not have asked you to take further risks, but the Da Yu is on the brink of collapse due to Wei the Traitor. All righteous men have the heart to serve the nation even unto death. Wei the Traitor is cunning, suspicious, and ruthless. You are the only one in recent years to have gained her trust. As long as we find evidence of Wei the Traitor’s rebellion, we can uproot the entire Wei faction. Master Xie is willing to offer ten thousand taels of gold as compensation.

Zhen Wenjun replied: I don’t need gold, I just want my mother!

Yan Ye leisurely wrote: Master Xie has already placed your mother in a safe location. Her hand injury and leg ailment are also being treated. Young lady, you can rest assured and stay by Wei the Traitor’s side to gather information. Feel free to state any conditions you have.

Zhen Wenjun: I want to see my mother.

Yan Ye looked at her, smiled, and wrote a single word: Yes.