Chapter 23: Relying on Each Other for Survival

In the early morning, before the first rooster crowed, Chen Ji opened his eyes to find five small silver ingots resting by his pillow.

It was the reward promised by Wuyun, but he had no idea how the other had slipped into the medical clinic, nor when they had entered; it was as if the five silver ingots had appeared there out of thin air.

This was not merely Wuyun's reward, but also a warning.

Chen Ji rose silently to change into the new clothes sent with the wedding cakes. Upon unfolding them, he saw it was a navy blue, stand-collar, front-opening robe. The two buttons at the collar were adorned with silver, making it several grades superior to the clothes he had been wearing.

This single set of clothes must have cost several taels of silver, right?

Unfortunately, the wedding cakes had only included the robe, inner lining, and trousers, leaving out boots and a belt. Consequently, even after putting on the new robe, Chen Ji was still wearing his old cloth shoes and a wide hemp sash around his waist...

Chen Ji felt a sense of amusement; he seemed a bit mismatched.

*Whatever,* he thought. *Why should a lowly apprentice be so particular? I'll make up for it once I start earning real money.*

When the rooster finally crowed, Chen Ji stepped out of the door, just as the owner of the grain and oil shop across the street was taking down its door shutters.

"Good morning, Madam," Chen Ji said with a smile as he entered the shop.

"Oh, Doctor Chen, what can I get for you?" The proprietress was busy preparing for opening, but seeing him enter so early, she immediately set her work aside.

"How much for a catty of millet?" Chen Ji asked.

"The usual price is eight wen, but for you, Doctor Chen, I'll give it to you for six," the proprietress said with a smile.

"And how much for a catty of rice?"

"Nine wen. I can't go any lower on that, please forgive me."

In these times, doctors were scarce and held a relatively high social status. Since Chen Ji's master was an official Imperial Physician of the seventh rank, the neighbors were quite respectful toward him.

"Then give me five catties of millet, five catties of rice... and a jar of sesame oil. Oh, and a string of cured meat!" Chen Ji ordered.

The proprietress beamed. "Coming right up! That will be one hundred and ninety-five wen in total. I'll charge you one hundred and ninety."

Chen Ji broke open the one-tael silver ingot, exchanged it for several strings of copper coins, and left them with the shop to pick up later that evening. He then walked away carrying his various parcels.

The parcels were tied with straw ropes that bit into his hands, making them ache slightly, but his mood remained bright.

*I'm buying these things to take home for my rest days,* Chen Ji mused. *Judging by my own living conditions, my family's situation probably isn't great either.*

According to the information his master had previously hinted at, his father should be working on the river embankments.

Under such circumstances, for his father to have helped him provide the apprenticeship gift to his master and seek a good future, he must have exhausted the entire family's resources.

This touched Chen Ji, and he even felt a flicker of curiosity about his family in this world.

The Chen family lived in Cuiyun Lane. He asked the owners of the street-side shops for directions and made his way toward the north of Luocheng.

Luocheng was becoming lively in the morning. He saw ox carts passing by, loaded with several sacks of unknown contents, looking as if they were heading to a market.

Merchant caravans were also entering the city gates from the north, their carriages stacked with neatly folded furs. As winter approached, these were the most sought-after goods among the nobility.

It was said that the most famous entertainment district in the East Market was called Hongyi Lane. The top courtesans rarely took clients, but if a wealthy merchant offered a white mink fur, he would surely be granted an audience.

By the roadside, children chased each other, shouting nursery rhymes and clutching small handmade windmills.

Women by the small river running through the city washed clothes while chatting and joking, their laughter ringing out from time to time.

When Chen Ji reached Cuiyun Lane, he approached a stall owner and asked, "Sir, may I ask which house belongs to the Chen family of Guandong?"

The old man glanced at him. "Isn't that Chen Ji? Why ask where your own home is?"

Chen Ji: "..."

So, he was a local acquaintance.

Hesitating for a long time, he didn't dare ask more, simply walking into the lane with his belongings.

Just then, a commotion arose ahead. "Steward! Steward! Where should these lanterns be hung?"

A man's harsh, impatient voice barked, "Must I teach you everything? Hang them on the eaves above the stone lions! The hooks are right there! Hurry up, hurry up! The two young masters will be back soon. If you dawdle, you'll pay for it with your skin!"

Chen Ji watched as the house was being decorated with lanterns and streamers. He wondered what joyous occasion was occurring, but the more he looked, the more something felt off. He noticed the plaque above the entrance read... *The Chen Estate.*

Could there be two Chen Estates in Cuiyun Lane?

The household was grand; the vermilion doors and stone lions were not overly ostentatious, but they were certainly not those of an ordinary family.

"...This shouldn't be my house, should it?" Chen Ji muttered.

"Chen Ji?" The steward, a man with a mustache, looked over in confusion. "Why are you back?"

Chen Ji hesitated for a second. "I am on my rest day today."

The steward said, "Perfect. You're tall. Come over and use the ladder to hang the lanterns."

"Oh."

Chen Ji set his parcels on the ground and climbed the ladder to hang the lanterns.

The steward directed the other maids nearby. "Come, come, bring a basin of water! Sprinkle some water in front of the door so dust won't fly up when the two young masters return. You clumsy lot! You are servants of the Luocheng Deputy Governor's household; if people see you like this, they'll laugh at your lack of manners!"

As he spoke, the steward noticed the parcels on the ground. "Who left these here? Move them aside immediately so they aren't in the way."

Chen Ji climbed down the ladder calmly. "Steward, I..."

The steward suddenly realized. "Ah, you've come for your tuition. The Master mentioned this a while ago, but look at my brain—I got so busy I forgot to send it to you."

He ordered someone to bring a string of copper coins from the accounting room. There were three hundred coins. "Use them sparingly. Times are hard, and our Chen family is not having it easy either."

Even at this moment, Chen Ji still did not understand exactly what his identity was within this Chen Estate.

The sound of galloping horses approached from the distance, and boisterous chatter drifted in from outside Cuiyun Lane. "The eldest and second young masters of the Chen family are back! They've been at the Donglin Academy for three years; they've changed so much they're almost unrecognizable!"

"The young masters have grown even more handsome."

Chen Ji looked up to see two young men riding white horses into the lane. They wore cyan brocade robes embroidered with elegant, subtle patterns; the craftsmanship alone suggested they were quite expensive.

The two young men wore cloud-patterned boots, with pieces of green jade hanging from their belts and pearl tassels dangling from their chests. They looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, possessing an extraordinary grace.

The steward hurried forward, smiling as he took the reins. "Having completed your studies at Donglin Academy, the two young masters will surely make a grand impression at this year's imperial examinations!"

The two young masters dismounted, handing their whips to the maids. They said with a smile, "Steward, you've grown more white hair these past few years. It seems you've been working hard for the estate."

"Not at all, it is my duty... The Master was supervising the water conservancy projects at the river embankments, but he heard you were returning and made a special trip back to wait for you. Quickly, go and pay your respects!"

Amidst the noise, the crowd followed the two young masters into the estate. As they passed by Chen Ji, they didn't spare him a single glance.

It wasn't an act of pretension; they truly seemed not to recognize who Chen Ji was, or perhaps, whether they recognized him or not simply didn't matter.

The once bustling entrance of the Chen Estate grew quiet. Chen Ji stood at the door in silence, as if the world had forgotten him.

Chen Ji thought deeply. His master should have known his family's circumstances, yet his master had never mentioned that his family was too poor to pay tuition, nor had he ever said what his father actually did at the river embankments.

The reason his master had been so angry back then was because he knew the family clearly had money, yet they had dragged their feet and refused to pay the tuition.

The Luocheng Deputy Governor was a fifth-rank official, just like Liu Mingxian.

Chen Ji looked up at the "Chen Estate" plaque. Ultimately, he did not step through the vermilion doors. The youth simply leaned down, placed the three hundred copper coins by the door, picked up his parcels, and turned to leave.

The old man at the entrance of the lane watched his retreating figure and sighed. "The legitimate son with a mother and the concubine's son without one—the difference is as vast as the clouds and the mud."

Chen Ji returned to Anxi Street and collected his copper coins from the grain shop. The proprietress looked surprised. "Doctor Chen, why are you bringing everything back exactly as it was? We don't accept returns here."

He smiled. "I'm not returning them. I'm taking them back to honor my master."

When he returned to the clinic, Old Man Yao glanced up at him. "Didn't I tell you to take a rest day? Why are you back so soon?"

Chen Ji counted out five hundred and sixty copper coins. "Master, this is money from my family. It's to make up for the tuition and medicine fees I owe you. These parcels are also from my family, sent through me."

Old Man Yao curled his lip. "Your family has finally come to their senses. I didn't expect that your father, while supervising a river embankment, would manage to fix his brain as well."

Chen Ji: "...Were you demoted to Luocheng because your tongue is too poisonous?"

...

...

At night, Chen Ji sat in the main hall of the clinic, quietly transcribing medical knowledge regarding febrile diseases. As he turned around, he saw Wuyun crouching on the counter behind him, a small blue cloth bundle clutched in its mouth.

"Are you planning to run away from home?"

"What are you thinking?" Wuyun asked after a few seconds of hesitation. "Can you take me to Qingping Lane?"

"It's very late. I'm afraid of the dark."

"Do you think I believe that?"

Chen Ji sighed. "Fine, I'll take you. But why Qingping Lane?"

"I don't want to say right now!"

*Where is Qingping Lane?* That was a very serious question.

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Um... I'll take you tomorrow night. It's not convenient today."

"Why not today?!"

"I don't know where Qingping Lane is..." Chen Ji said. "You don't have to look at me like that. I can't explain why, but I truly don't know where it is."

Wuyun thought for a moment. "I know."

A night watchman passed by outside, striking his clapper and shouting, "Dry weather, watch out for fires!"

It was already the hour of the Tiger, 3:00 AM.

Luocheng had lost its daytime bustle and prosperity.

Chen Ji quietly closed the clinic doors and followed Wuyun into the night.

He tied the small blue cloth bundle onto Wuyun's back. It looked quite cute, and it would prevent him from losing track of Wuyun in the dark... Wuyun was simply too black.

Along the way, Wuyun seemed to be navigating by memory, sniffing here and there.

The man and the cat walked and stopped, taking a full hour, even taking the wrong turns several times.

Chen Ji did not rush him. He could tell that going to Qingping Lane tonight must be extremely important to Wuyun.

He had enough patience.

Finally, Wuyun stopped in a small alley, staring blankly at a closed door.

"Is it here?" Chen Ji asked.

"It's here."

"Shall I knock?"

"No!"

Wuyun let out a few cries toward the door, calling for something.

But aside from attracting two stray cats, nothing happened.

"I'm going to climb in and look. Wait for me here." With a slight push against the wall, Wuyun leaped into the courtyard, moving so fast it left an afterimage, exceptionally agile.

Chen Ji waited anxiously in the alley. After a short while, Wuyun returned, its mood visibly much lower. "Let's go."

"Is it done?"

"Mm."

"What happened?"

Wuyun stopped and looked back at the door. "I missed my mother."

Chen Ji fell silent. Even cats miss their mothers.

Wuyun said absentmindedly, "She might not miss me, but I just wanted to come see... Besides, I'm going to wander the world with you in the future. I had to bring you here so she could see you."

Chen Ji asked, "Is she not home?"

Wuyun's voice grew low. "She must have been sold too. Her cage and her food bowl are both gone."

"Shall I help you find her?"

"No need. This is the fate of a cat."

"What's in that little bundle you're carrying?"

"I stole some dried fish, hoping to bring them to her."

Chen Ji stood in the darkness of the alley in silence. He leaned down, gathered Wuyun into his arms, and began walking back toward the clinic.

Wuyun did not struggle; it simply curled into a small ball, covering its head with its fluffy tail.

The sound of footsteps on the bluestone path went *patter, patter*. The youth's silhouette was thin but upright.

"Chen Ji, what kind of person was your mother?"

"She... was a very gentle person." Chen Ji did not wish to say more, as if memory were a warm current of breath—once spoken aloud, it would simply drift away.

He carried Wuyun through the long streets of Luocheng. Wuyun was only a few months old and quite small; when curled up, it was no larger than two palms.

Suddenly, Chen Ji felt a desire to live well.

"Wuyun?"

"Mm?"

"Let's rely on each other."

(End of Chapter)