Lin Jing’s small figure darted through the bamboo grove, his little wooden clogs pressing into the damp earth and leaving one shallow puddle after another.
He walked with great care, glancing down every so often, afraid he might step on bamboo shoots that had only just broken through the soil.
“Huh?”
He suddenly crouched down and stared at the ground for a long while.
It was a young bamboo shoot that had just pushed through the earth. Its tip was a tender green, topped with a little clump of wet mud like a tiny hat.
He extended his little finger and gently brushed the mud away.
“Much prettier now.”
Satisfied, he nodded, rose to his feet, and continued on his way.
A gust of wind had blown through that morning, scattering quite a few dry branches. He bent down and picked up several, then a few more. Soon both his hands were full, but he didn’t dare tuck them into his arms for fear of dirtying his clothes.
Clutching two armfuls of dead branches, he made his way back step by step.
He had just reached the covered walkway when someone entered.
The man wore a dark blue-gray, straight-collared robe with a front opening. A short beard grew beneath his chin, and his expression was stern. His pace was neither hurried nor slow.
Lin Jing set the branches down beside the pile of firewood, straightened up, and tilted his little head back to examine the man.
“Grandpa, did you come to see my teacher?”
Lord Han lowered his eyes to look at him. “You must be the new young disciple Master Jianshan has taken?”
“That’s right. My name is Lin Jing.” Lin Jing walked several steps forward until he stood in front of him. “Teacher is talking with Brother Ting inside. You’ll have to wait a while.”
He thought for a moment, then added solemnly, “They have something important to discuss.”
He still remembered that Brother Ting had gotten himself into trouble and was currently explaining things to his teacher inside. If he let anyone in now, Brother Ting would lose face, so he had to stop this man first.
Then he asked, “Grandpa, what do you want to see Teacher about?”
Lord Han looked down at him. The little fellow certainly wasn’t shy around strangers.
“I’m not here to see your teacher. I’m here to see Shen Guanting.”
Lin Jing’s eyes went round, and he instinctively took a small step back.
Could it be… could this be the person Brother Ting had offended? Had he come all the way here to settle the score?
His brows drew together, and his little face immediately turned solemn, as though he were facing a formidable enemy. Yet he did not run. He simply stood there, his little head spinning rapidly as he tried to think of a solution.
He pointed at the wooden bench beneath the covered walkway, his tone softening into unmistakable ingratiation. “Grandpa, why don’t you sit here and wait? It must be tiring to stand. There’s tea over there, too. Are you thirsty? I can pour you a cup.”
“You certainly know how to receive guests.” Lord Han looked down at the little fellow, who was putting on a serious face while clearly plotting something, and found him rather amusing.
Lin Jing gave a sheepish grin. “My mother runs a pastry shop. I help her receive customers, so I’m used to it.”
With that, he turned and ran into the house. But when he reached the threshold, he couldn’t resist turning his head to see whether the man had followed him. To his surprise, he met Lord Han’s gaze head-on.
He froze for a moment, then hurriedly turned back around. His heart felt a little guilty. This Grandpa’s eyes were truly sharp—almost as though they could see right through a person.
After thinking it over, he turned back again and added in a small voice, “Grandpa, Brother Ting will be finished soon. I’ll listen for you, and I’ll call you when he’s done.”
Lord Han stood where he was with his hands behind his back and slowly dipped his chin.
Just as Lin Jing was exhausting himself trying to keep Lord Han occupied, Shen Guanting emerged from inside.
“What are you busy with?” Shen Guanting asked when he saw how tense the boy looked. He reached out and plucked a bamboo leaf from Lin Jing’s head.
Lin Jing tugged at his robe, rose onto his tiptoes, and whispered into his ear, “Brother Ting, someone outside is looking for you.”
Following his gaze, Shen Guanting looked toward the entrance and saw the figure standing there with his hands behind his back.
“How curious. Why has Lord Han come all the way to Yun Jianshan’s studio to find me?”
Lin Jing lowered his voice even further, afraid the man might hear. “That Grandpa may have come to settle the score with you! His eyes are so sharp. I could tell at a glance that he’s not someone to be trifled with.”
Shen Guanting also lowered his voice. “How did you figure that out?”
“He said he came to find you,” Lin Jing replied with great conviction. “And you got yourself into trouble again, Brother Ting. Isn’t he obviously here to settle the score?”
Shen Guanting nodded thoughtfully. “Then what should I do? Should I climb over the wall and run?”
Lin Jing panicked and clung tightly to his robe. “No, no! If you run away, Teacher will scold me. Just talk to him properly and don’t make him angry. If he scolds you, put up with it for a while. I’ll bring you something tasty later.”
Shen Guanting sighed. “All right. I’ll endure it for the sake of the food.”
Only after bringing Lord Han to a tea room in a corner of the courtyard did Shen Guanting discover that Lin Jing’s guess had not been entirely wrong.
“Brother Chen asked me to come,” Lord Han said without beating around the bush.
Shen Guanting inclined his head slightly. “Thank you for taking the trouble, Uncle.”
Lord Han continued, “I imagine you already have some idea of who has come to Huzhou this time.”
Shen Guanting nodded.
The person who had come to Huzhou was Commandant Zhao. He had been born into humble circumstances. His father had once served as a cavalryman under Shen Zhongming and had died on the battlefield many years ago. Commandant Zhao had joined the army as a young man and risen step by step through military merit to his current position. By the time he enlisted, Shen Zhongming had already retired, and the two had never had any dealings with each other.
For Commandant Zhao to pay a visit this time was perfectly proper. As the son of one of Old General Shen’s former subordinates, he had come on His Majesty’s behalf to pay his respects. No one could find fault with that.
Lord Han said, “He lost his father when he was young, and his widowed mother raised him single-handedly. He joined the army at eighteen and fought his way through a hail of blades to rise, step by step, to the rank of commandant. With no connections, no backing, and no one to rely on, it truly was not easy for him to reach where he is today.”
Shen Guanting listened intently without interrupting.
“So,” Lord Han said, glancing at him, “he will neither show favoritism nor deliberately harm anyone. If he cannot find anything, he will report the truth. In that way, both you and he will have given a satisfactory account.”
After a pause, he added, “This assignment places him in a difficult position either way. Coming to the Shen family is perfectly legitimate, but once he arrives, he knows exactly how many eyes will be watching him. If he confirms something, people will say he refused to show favoritism. If he finds nothing, others will speculate that he remembered your family’s old connection and deliberately showed some leniency.”
Shen Guanting narrowed his eyes slightly. “If you dare employ someone, you must be prepared to doubt him; if you employ someone, you must also be prepared to trust him.”
Lord Han nodded slowly, his voice growing heavier. “Put a man on the pyre beneath the gaze of the whole world, and only then will the results of his investigation be considered credible.”
Shen Guanting was silent for a moment before smiling. “When all is said and done, he simply trusts no one.”
Lord Han lifted his teacup and took a sip without saying a word.
From outside the door came the faint sound of a child reciting his lessons, clear and bright.
There were few people in the capital whom that person could truly trust or use—or perhaps, in his view, there were few people whom he could trust or use. The opportunists who had gathered around him were not necessarily loyal to him. They had merely shared the same target back then. When everyone aimed at the same target, people with different motives could still pull in the same direction. But now that the target was gone, their hearts had scattered as well.
“Thank you for the warning, Uncle,” Shen Guanting said, gathering his thoughts.
Lord Han set down his teacup. “You have always known where to draw the line. I need say no more.”
His gaze fell upon the bamboo grove outside the window.
“Bamboo grows too quickly. If its roots have not yet taken hold, a single gust of wind is enough to bring it down.”
By the time he left the tea room, the sound of Lin Jing reciting his lessons had already stopped.
The covered walkway was very quiet. The only sound was the occasional drip of water falling from the corner of the eaves.
Yun Jianshan saw the two of them out. Lin Jing had just finished practicing his characters, and when he heard the commotion, he rose and trotted a few steps to follow behind them.
Seeing that Lord Han and Yun Jianshan were both walking with their hands clasped behind their backs, he imitated them, tucking his little arms behind him as he marched alongside them, his small back held perfectly straight.
After a few steps, he turned to glance at Lord Han, then tilted his head to look at Shen Guanting.
Brother Ting looked as calm as usual. He probably hadn’t been scolded. Lin Jing quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Lord Han was speaking with Yun Jianshan when, from the corner of his eye, he noticed the little fellow’s eyes darting back and forth, looking at one person and then the other. He stopped talking and lowered his head to look at him.
“What have you figured out?”
With his little hands still clasped behind his back, Lin Jing lifted his chin and answered solemnly, “I figured out that Grandpa Han isn’t angry with Brother Ting.”
“Oh?” Lord Han said. “Why would I be angry with him?”
Lin Jing blinked. “Brother Ting got into trouble, and then you came looking for him. I thought you were here to catch him and give him a lecture.”
At that, Lord Han gave Shen Guanting a faint glance, then lowered his eyes to Lin Jing. “Your eyes aren’t very reliable, then.”
Lin Jing froze.
Lord Han continued, “If I had really come to lecture him, I wouldn’t have been walking so slowly, and I wouldn’t have had so much to say. Someone who comes with ill intentions doesn’t have the leisure to make small talk.”
Lin Jing thought about it, then nodded seriously. “I’ll remember that.”
Lord Han asked, “What was it you said when you stopped me in the corridor just now?”
Lin Jing guiltily turned his head away, pretending to admire the bamboo in the courtyard.
Lord Han, however, refused to let him off. “Your eyes were darting about, and you were being exceptionally ingratiating. Clearly, you went in to warn them. Were you afraid when you stopped me?”
Lin Jing turned his little head back and blurted out, “No.”
Lord Han let out a rare chuckle. “You certainly didn’t look afraid.”
Yun Jianshan listened from the side, smiling as he stroked his beard.
Lin Jing began muttering to himself. “Because this is my teacher’s courtyard. On our own turf, there are three of us.”
He held up one small finger and waved it. “And there’s only one of you, Grandpa Han.”
“You do understand the principle,” Lord Han said. “Heavenly timing is not as important as favorable terrain, and favorable terrain is not as important as unity among people. On your own turf, with more people against fewer, you naturally have nothing to fear.”
Lin Jing gave a silly grin.
Yun Jianshan shook his head with a smile and lightly patted the boy’s head. “You’ve certainly done your calculations. You even counted your teacher among your forces.”
“Teacher is on our side to begin with!” Lin Jing declared, tilting his face up.
Shen Guanting, who had been standing nearby, drawled, “Then why don’t you calculate how many of you Uncle Han is worth?”
Lin Jing fell silent. He tilted his head and thought for a moment, then carefully looked Shen Guanting up and down, from head to toe and then back again. At last, he announced solemnly, “Brother Ting is worth many, many of us!”
As he spoke, he mimed drawing a bow and shooting an arrow, extending and retracting his little arm. “Brother Ting is amazing with a bow, and with a spear, and with a saber! Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! None of us could beat Brother Ting.”
Yun Jianshan shook his head helplessly. “You certainly know how to keep accounts. So the reason you’re so fearless is that you’re relying on Brother Ting?”
Lord Han glanced at Shen Guanting. “You’re quite a devoted senior brother.”
Shen Guanting smiled helplessly. “He’s my only junior brother. It’s only right that I look after him.”
Lord Han said nothing more. When they reached the gate, he suddenly stopped and reached out to pat Lin Jing lightly on the shoulder.
“Brother Chen is at my residence. Have Brother Ting bring you over to play sometime.”
Lin Jing nodded enthusiastically. “All right! All right!”
Shen Guanting and Lord Han continued outside together.
Lin Jing watched the two figures recede into the distance, waving his little hand high in the air.
Lin Wu left the shop earlier than usual that day and went home to pack Lin Jing’s belongings for his stay at the academy.
There was no need to worry about food. The academy had a dining hall, and with so many teachers and students to feed, it certainly wouldn’t let Lin Jing go hungry. She packed extra crisps and dried meat, along with a small jar of meat floss for him to snack on and tide him over between meals.
His little quilt and pillow had been newly made a few days earlier, stuffed with the kapok Shen Guanting had brought back from Nan’ya. They were soft and warm. She folded them carefully, wrapped them tightly in a bundle cloth, and pressed them down firmly.
There was also a pile of little toys—a large seashell, a small drum, wooden strips, a carved wooden dog, a little wooden bow, and so on. Most of them had been brought back for him by Shen Guanting.
Lin Wu picked them up one by one and was about to put them into a small cloth bag when Lin Jing came trotting over and held out his hand to stop her.
“I’m going to study, not play.”
He shook his head solemnly. “Teacher says that indulging in frivolous things will ruin one’s ambition.”
Even so, he still slipped the little wooden bow into the bundle.
“All right, all right. They won’t get in the way of your studies.” She put the pile of toys back where it had been.
Once everything was packed, it made quite a sizable bundle.
Although he was leaving home to stay at the academy for a while, Lin Jing took it rather well. The academy was only so far away; it took just a short carriage ride to get there. It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t be able to see them.
At that moment, he was crouched on the ground, talking to Laifu.
“Laifu, I’m going to stay at the academy for a while.” He stroked Laifu’s head and instructed him earnestly, “You have to help us guard the house, all right?”
Laifu wagged his tail and licked his other hand.
Lin Jing took that as Laifu’s agreement. Satisfied, he stood up and ran over to the little vegetable patch, where he made a round of inspection and pulled out two weeds that had just poked their heads above the soil.
“A Wu, A Wu, remember to water the scallions and cilantro, and pull the weeds too!” He leaned against the doorframe, poking his little head inside.
Lin Wu was bent over, lighting the firewood. Without turning around, she replied, “I know.”
The fire caught, and an orange glow shone from the mouth of the stove.
Lin Jing got his answer but didn’t leave. He picked at the doorframe with one small hand. After a while, he suddenly moved closer and leaned against her side. The stove fire warmed them comfortably.
“When do you think I’ll be able to come home?”
Lin Wu’s hands paused. The fire in the stove flared, crackling once.
She pushed another piece of wood into the fire and softened her voice. “When the weather clears up, you can come back.”
“Mm.” Lin Jing dragged over a little stool and sat beside her.
The fire in the stove burned warmly. Outside, the rain continued to fall in a soft, steady patter.
The next day, the sky was still pale and hazy. The rain wasn’t heavy, but it fell without stopping, fine and dense as it tapped against the roof tiles with a constant drip, drip, drip.
A carriage stopped at the entrance to the lane.
Once the luggage had been loaded inside, Lin Jing climbed aboard and turned back to wave at Lin Wu.
Lin Wu stood in the rain beneath an oiled-paper umbrella and waved back.
She remained where she was, watching until the carriage disappeared around the bend. Only then did she turn and lock the courtyard gate.
The shop was quieter than usual.
Rain drifted through the air, and only scattered pedestrians passed along the street. Every so often, a muffled rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.
Lin Wu stood at the stove wrapping steamed buns, her hands busy while her ears listened to the rain outside.
“Auntie, Young Master Shen would like a savory pancake,” Liang Peilan called.
Lin Wu lifted her head, her gaze falling on the counter.
Shen Guanting stood there, holding a folded oiled-paper umbrella. A canopy had been set up in front of the shop, so the rain couldn’t reach him. Still, perhaps some of the rain had blown into the umbrella on his way there; several droplets had landed on his shoulder, spreading into dark marks on the fabric.
Lin Wu wiped her hands and walked over to the griddle. “Young Master Shen, you don’t have to teach the children martial arts this morning, so you get to take it easy for once.”
Shen Guanting came over and handed her the bamboo spatula in his hand. “Exactly. It’s rare that I get the chance to shirk my duties and come out for some fresh air.”
Lin Wu ladled out a ball of batter. With one turn of the bamboo spatula, she spread it evenly across the griddle, where it began to sizzle.
“Young Master Shen is certainly diligent. It’s still so early, yet you’re already out working in this weather.”
Shen Guanting lowered his eyes to watch her movements. Steam rising from the griddle brushed against his face, warm and gentle. Amid the sound of rain, the sizzling from the iron griddle seemed somewhat blurred.
“Aren’t you the same, Shopkeeper Lin? It’s raining, but your shop is still open.”
Lin Wu folded the pancake, slipped it into an oiled paper bag, and handed it to him. “When you make your living with your hands, the moment they stop, so does your livelihood. There’s no putting it off.”
“What a coincidence. I’m out today for the same reason—I can’t afford to delay.” Shen Guanting reached out to take it, a smile spreading through his eyes.
“Seems Shopkeeper Lin and I are in the same boat.” The oiled paper bag was faintly warm in his hand. “I’ll have plenty to keep me busy from here on out. I’m afraid I won’t be able to enjoy the good fortune of your pancake shop.”
Lin Wu paused, then smiled. “The Jincheng Trading Company has arrived. Young Master Shen must have a major deal to handle.”
“Of all times, Heaven has chosen this moment to make things difficult for us.” Shen Guanting lifted his head and gazed at the strands of rain falling beyond the awning. “The roads are slippery in the rain. Take care as well, Shopkeeper Lin.”
With that, he opened his umbrella, turned, and stepped into the rain. Unlike usual, he did not sit on the bench to finish eating before leaving.
The rain fell in a pale, hazy veil, and his figure soon blurred into the distance.
