Gu Qing felt as though even her footsteps out of the tent were floating, as if she were walking on clouds that could never touch the ground. It was almost like a dream.
In her daze, she wondered whether all of this was truly just a nightmare. Perhaps they were still in the capital. Her grandfather and grandmother were still there, and nothing had happened. They were all living as they always had. She was studying at home under her tutor, her younger brother went to the Imperial College every day as usual, and her mother was making preparations for her upcoming coming-of-age ceremony.
She had even forgotten that she was supposed to fetch water. Clutching the empty earthenware jar in her arms, she walked back toward the bamboo shelter in a daze.
Her mother and brother were leaning against the bamboo wall with their eyes closed, resting. Gu Qing opened her mouth, but her throat seemed to be blocked by something, and no sound came out. She merely glanced around. The sky was still bright, and flecks of sunlight filtered through the gaps between the trees. Yet no one spoke. Everyone silently cleaned the bamboo shelters.
The little purse against her chest was plainly light, yet it felt unbearably heavy, scorching hot enough to burn through her clothes.
Gu Jue seemed to notice that something was wrong. “Older Sister, what’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell?”
He struggled to push himself upright, but his whole body was weak. He staggered, then collapsed heavily back onto the ground.
Gu Qing’s gaze swept over her family’s dilapidated bamboo shelter before moving to the shed beside it belonging to the Chen family. Old Madam Zhou and Madam Yang were likewise leaning against the wall, their faces pale and their eyes closed. Chen Wang had returned with water and was crouching beside a makeshift stove formed from several stones, striking a light to start the firewood.
The yamen runners were still moving among the bamboo shelters, loudly counting and registering the occupants. The people inside barely reacted. They listened numbly to the guards’ occasional harsh shouts and watched as the shelters grew more and more lifeless.
Suddenly, Gu Qing felt her eyes sting. Along this journey, through perilous mountains and treacherous waters, through all the hardship and displacement, she had gritted her teeth and not shed a single tear. Yet now, scalding tears surged from her eyes without warning and streamed down her dirt-streaked cheeks.
Gu Jue and Madam Liang were startled. Madam Liang hurriedly reached out to feel her forehead, but her own palm was burning hot, so she could not tell the temperature at all.
“Qing…” Her voice trembled.
“Older Sister…” Gu Jue began to choke up as well.
But the more Gu Qing cried, the louder she became. She sobbed so hard that she could barely catch her breath, her slender shoulders shaking violently. Even the Chen family nearby was frightened by the sight.
Old Madam Zhou came over, supporting herself with a wooden stick. Chen Wang quickly filled a bowl with clean water and handed it to her, while Madam Yang gently patted her back.
“I’m fine…” Gu Qing sniffled, wiping forcefully at her face, but fresh tears kept flowing. “I just… I just feel happy that we’ve finally reached Nan’ya. We don’t have to keep walking anymore.”
She drew a deep breath and tried to steady her voice. “Earlier, when I went to the stream, I heard someone say that a merchant caravan is planning to build a workshop nearby and is recruiting workers. They especially favor people who can read and write. They don’t care about one’s background, so long as one is willing to work. They’ll even provide one meal a day.”
“That is good news,” Old Madam Zhou said slowly.
“Yes.” Gu Qing nodded firmly. “It wasn’t easy for us to reach Nan’ya. Things are difficult for now, but at least there’s a way forward. Let’s all eat together tonight.”
Everyone answered softly in agreement.
Only then did Gu Qing pick up the earthenware jar again and turn back toward the stream.
When she passed the neat tent belonging to the Shen family, she did not stop or even glance inside. Her mind had been in turmoil earlier, and she had not asked carefully about that person.
Now that she had calmed down and thought it over, if Chengyao was still alive and had been able to send someone with a message, then the Shen family was likely involved somehow. No wonder the Zhi Yun Caravan had shown them so much consideration throughout their journey south.
So long as they could settle down at the Shen family’s workshop and work diligently, there would always be a day when they might receive news of Chengyao again.
As she thought this, Gu Qing instinctively pressed a hand to her chest. Even through the coarse fabric, she could still feel the little purse.
That child, Chengyao, had always been obedient and thoughtful. Though he was scarcely able to protect himself now, he was still thinking of them. His concern amounted to only four copper coins—so little that it was heartbreaking—but at least it suggested that his circumstances had not become utterly desperate. That alone was the greatest comfort.
As she continued thinking, tears once again slipped down her cheeks without her noticing. Her vision blurred with moisture. When she looked up, the daylight between the trees had dissolved into a hazy glow.
Strangely, the ruined bamboo shelters and the desolate forest, which had seemed so despairing only moments before, now appeared to have shed their gloomy darkness through her tear-filled eyes.
The stream murmured. Birds called from the treetops. A breeze swept through the woods, setting the leaves whispering.
Winter darkness fell quickly.
At last, a small fire had been lit inside the Gu family’s bamboo shelter. The guards escorting them had naturally left behind not a scrap of food. The small ration allotted by the county office was barely enough to boil a pot of thin gruel.
The yamen runners in charge of supervising them had already left. From now on, they would have to go each day to the Blackstone Shoal in the nearby valley to quarry stone and chop wood, then transport the stone and lumber to the construction site for the official road leading north. Grey-North County was surrounded by mountains, and building roads there was exceptionally difficult. This assignment was undoubtedly the kind of hard labor that could consume half a person’s life.
On the fifth and tenth days of every month, the county office would send people to the bamboo shelters to count them and prevent anyone from escaping. Other than that, there would be no further assistance. They were simply left to fend for themselves.
Half a day of forced labor was enough to drain them of all their strength. What was more, they had neither fields nor land. Even if they had the energy, there was nowhere for them to farm. The bamboo shelters were in ruins, without even a place where one could lie down properly. After a day of exhausting labor, they returned hungry and cold, with nowhere to rest. Nearly half the people in the group had already fallen ill.
Their circumstances were no different from waiting to die.
Gu Qing looked at the small handful of herbs remaining in her hands but did not immediately take them to be boiled.
She turned toward the bonfire burning beside the stream. Carrying the herbs, she went to call for Chen Wang.
“Brother Wang,” she said as she approached Chen Wang, who was wringing out a wet cloth to place on Madam Yang’s forehead. “The caravan from the Zhi Yun Trading House happens to be brewing a decoction for their workers to ward off miasma and dampness. They said that anyone with medicinal herbs could bring them over in exchange for something. Shall we go together?”
Along the journey, Chen Wang had not failed to notice the Shen family’s discreet assistance. But at present, he had nothing to offer. Aside from pulling up a few clumps of weeds beside the bamboo shelter, where could he possibly find any decent medicinal herbs?
Besides, his mother and grandmother were suffering from more than simple acclimatization. After the exhaustion of the journey and exposure to the cold, the chill had invaded their lungs, and they had developed a relentless cough from the cold. Old Madam Zhou was advanced in years as well. Without the right medicine, she might not last much longer. He had been planning to finish the forced labor tomorrow, then see whether he could find some work in the city or ask a physician at a medicine shop to prescribe something suitable.
Although the Shen family had kindly helped them, he could not keep reaching out to them and taking things for free.
He quietly voiced these concerns.
Gu Qing shook her head. “Brother Wang, I understand. The Shen family has shown us a great kindness, and we have nothing with which to repay them for now. But in our present circumstances, staying alive is what matters most. Pride and propriety must wait. If there is even the slightest chance of survival, we have to seize it.”
Chen Wang looked at the young girl before him. Gu Qing had only just reached the age of fifteen, and because of the disaster that had befallen her family, she had not even been able to hold her coming-of-age ceremony. Once a talented and beautiful noble girl of the capital, she was now unkempt and covered in grime. She had once usually worn her hair in double buns, lively and charming, but now she had imitated her mother and used a piece of coarse cloth to barely tie it into the simplest wrapped bun...
Along the way, the person who surprised them most was Gu Qing. They had assumed she would be the least able to endure sleeping rough and eating whatever they could find, yet she turned out to be the most resilient of them all. Every day, she smeared dirt over her face until she looked thoroughly disheveled. No matter how wild or desolate the road, she would go searching for edible fruits and vegetables, and she would even take Gu Jue with her to look for medicinal herbs.
She did not recognize many wild plants. Relying only on the illustrations she remembered from the miscellaneous books she had read, she compared them one by one. Whenever they happened upon a caravan from Zhi Yun Trading House, she would seize the opportunity to ask which wild fruits could be eaten and which herbs could be used as medicine.
Perhaps it was because she had kept herself wound so tightly all this time that, while everyone else had fallen ill at one point or another, she alone had continued to grit her teeth and endure. It was only when she finally let out that breath she had been holding that she broke down and wept bitterly.
Thinking of this, Chen Wang felt a pang in his heart. He could not help but feel that he was not even as strong or clear-minded as a young girl.
“Sister Qing is right,” he said, his voice somewhat hoarse. “Even if there is only the slimmest hope, we ought to fight for it.”
He pushed himself upright. The illness of the past several days, together with the prolonged sickness of his family, had nearly worn away all his strength to struggle. Hearing Gu Qing’s words now, he felt nothing but shame.
Gu Qing carefully divided the few medicinal herbs in her hands in half and pressed one portion into his palm. The two of them walked toward the Zhi Yun Trading House’s camp, one following the other.
At the camp, Shen Guanting had not yet left. With his hands clasped behind his back, he watched leisurely as Shen Qi sorted through the medicinal herbs with a deeply aggrieved expression.
“A-Qi’s technique for sorting herbs grows more meticulous and practiced by the day,” Shen Guanting drawled. “I imagine that when the time comes to process the kapok, you’ll handle removing the seeds with equal ease.”
“Young Master, I’m a physician who studied under a renowned master, whatever else I may be,” Shen Qi protested. “It was bad enough that you dragged me to this miasma-ridden place called Nanya to conduct trade. Now you want me to become a craftsman and remove the seeds from kapok? How is that reasonable?”
Beside him, Shen Quan held his sword in his arms. At this, he merely lifted an eyelid. “What renowned master? You were too lazy to practice your skills as a child, so you hid away with the physician at the residence and picked up a little superficial knowledge. And you still have the nerve to call yourself a physician?”
“Shen Quan! Young Master, just listen to him! This man has no sense of fellowship with his colleagues! He’s clearly jealous of my superior medical skills and is making snide remarks here. Apart from brute strength, what else can he do?”
Shen Guanting gave a soft laugh. “Physician Shen’s practice of medicine saves lives. Kapok, too, can keep the people from suffering in the cold. Both are acts of helping others; they simply take different paths to the same destination.”
Shen Qi muttered, “That destination of yours is rather a long way off. Speaking of which, Young Master, why aren’t you returning to the warehouse? It’s already dark. Surely you don’t really intend to spend the night in this wilderness?”
Shen Guanting picked another weed out of the herbs and tossed it aside. “Isn’t it because I’m worried Physician Shen might find life in Nanya too bitter to bear and decide to pack up and flee in the night? I only brought this much property with me. I can’t afford to lose it.”
“Young Master!” Shen Qi looked utterly stricken. “How could you think me that sort of person? I, Shen Qi, am not like that! But…”
His tone shifted.
“This place really is terribly harsh, Young Master. When can we return to Huzhou?”
“I’ve only been here a few days, and already you’re talking about going back.” Shen Guanting shot him a glance. “If you lose heart so easily, Grandfather and Father will laugh at me for half a month after I return.”
Just then, he spotted the figures approaching in the distance.
“Besides, we’ll have to wait until things are a little more settled.”
Gu Qing explained their situation to the others. “I’m truly sorry to trouble you. The elders in our family and my younger brother are all ill, so we had no choice but to swallow our pride and come ask for some medicine.”
“It’s no trouble,” Shen Guanting replied calmly with a smile. “Our Physician Shen has always been devoted to helping the sick and cannot bear to see suffering in the world, much less watch someone fall ill without medicine. If you hadn’t come to us, he would have carried his medical chest and gone looking for you himself.”
At this, Shen Qi could not help rolling his eyes. In the short time they had been apart, his young master’s skill at speaking with a straight face had grown ever more masterful.
Chen Wang stepped forward. Though his face was haggard, his back remained straight as he cupped his hands in salute. “Physician Shen’s benevolence and skill, and the Shen family’s timely aid in our hour of need—our family will never forget this kindness.”
Shen Guanting raised his eyes to the pair before him. Chen Wang was nineteen years old and already renowned in the capital as a brilliant young man. His father had once been the capital’s youngest top-ranked candidate in the imperial examinations, eventually rising to serve as Hanlin Academician and Junior Preceptor to the Crown Prince. He had been regarded by all as a future grand councilor and imperial tutor. Everyone had believed that Chen Wang would surely inherit that glory and advance even farther in his official career.
But then everything had come to an abrupt end.
Chen Wang’s gaze was calm. “I had long heard that Young Master Guanting was exceptionally talented and learned. Only after meeting you today do I realize that even the rumors failed to do you justice.”
From a single meeting, Chen Wang had already inferred the young man’s identity. In the capital, many people discussed how Shen Guanting was wasting his remarkable talents. They lamented his gifts while scorning him for willingly abandoning himself to the vulgar pursuit of commerce.
Shen Guanting smiled. “Brother Chen flatters me. I am merely a merchant. I act according to circumstances. Treating illness and saving lives requires the right remedy for the right condition. If you trust us, let Physician Shen accompany you and examine the patient in person. It isn’t far, and it won’t cause us any inconvenience.”
The escorting guards and yamen runners had withdrawn by now, and there were no prying eyes nearby. Shen Guanting no longer needed to conceal his actions.
Chen Wang bowed deeply. “This kindness is as high as the mountains and as deep as the sea. I will remember it always. Should the opportunity arise, I will repay you with all my heart.”
Gu Qing also bowed deeply.
Shen Guanting waved a hand and ordered Shen Quan to bring over several thick sheets of oilcloth.
“Physician Shen has devoted himself to saving lives and has gone to considerable trouble to rescue them. The nights in Nanya are heavy with dew and damp with cold. We must not let them fall ill again and render all his efforts futile. Guard Shen, who is strong enough to lift a cauldron, may as well help carry some cloth over while you’re there. One of you is a scholar of medicine and the other a warrior—truly, you are the two indispensable pillars of the Shen family. Working together to bring warmth to others, you complement each other perfectly.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Qi solemnly cupped his hands in salute. “We shall carry out such an important mission to perfection and prove ourselves worthy of the title of the Shen family’s two great generals!”
Shen Quan was long accustomed to Shen Qi’s ever-ready theatrics. Without even sparing him a glance, he hefted the oilcloth onto his shoulder and followed Gu Qing and Chen Wang.
Gu Qing and Chen Wang had left with almost nothing in their hands, yet now they returned with people and supplies. Everyone in the bamboo shelter was startled and hurried forward to help.
Shen Qi carefully examined the patients. Perhaps because these people had generally enjoyed better food and clothing than ordinary folk, their constitutions were not poor. Though they had endured this disaster, fatigue, and exposure to the cold, none had yet fallen gravely ill. He prescribed medicine according to their symptoms, left the medicinal herbs they had brought behind, and then took his leave with Shen Quan, returning to the camp.
Old Madam Zhou looked toward Madam Liang and spoke in a low voice. “This Shen family…”
Madam Liang gently shook her head without saying anything.
Old Madam Zhou then turned to Chen Wang, her tone measured and solemn. “If the workshop ever has need of our help in the future, we must do our utmost and never slacken.”
Their evening meal consisted only of watery gruel with wild greens.
After they finished eating, Gu Qing said to the members of the Chen family, “The two Shen brothers gave us several sheets of oilcloth earlier. They’re in our bamboo shelter. They can keep out the damp and cold at night, so you should come and take some as well.”
Chen Wang rose to his feet.
Gu Qing then looked toward Old Madam Zhou and Madam Yang. “The oilcloth is heavy, and Brother Wang is still too weak to carry it. We’ll have to trouble Grandma Zhou and Aunt Yang to help as well.”
Old Madam Zhou sensed that Gu Qing must have something to say. She exchanged a glance with Madam Yang, nodded, and followed her toward the Gu family’s bamboo shelter.
The bamboo shelter was very dark, with only the faint moonlight from outside filtering in.
Gu Qing led them to the innermost corner and lodged the torch in a wide crack between the bamboo walls. The flickering flames illuminated several faces etched with weariness and exhaustion.
No one spoke. They simply looked at Gu Qing.
Gu Qing drew a deep breath and took the plain little purse from inside her robes. Her fingers trembled slightly as she loosened the string and carefully poured the four copper coins into her palm.
The coins were difficult to make out in the darkness, reflecting only a faint glimmer in the torchlight.
After steadying her breathing, Gu Qing seemed unsure how to begin. She stared at the coins in her palm for a long while before lifting her head. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“These coins were sent by Chengyao through the Shen family.”
Only a few words, yet everyone present held their breath at once.
Madam Liang suddenly seized Gu Qing by the wrist. Her own hand was trembling violently, and her voice shook as she asked, “Qing, who did you say? Who?”
Tears flooded Gu Qing’s eyes. Choked with emotion, she could not speak and could only nod forcefully.
Chen Wang was comparatively calmer, but his voice was hoarse as well. “Were they given to you personally by that Young Master Shen?”
Gu Qing nodded.
Old Madam Zhou slowly turned to Madam Liang. Her voice was hoarse and unhurried. “Can the Shen family be trusted?”
Madam Liang seemed to ponder for a long time before giving an almost imperceptible nod. “They can. I don’t know the exact nature of their connection, but my husband mentioned once, while he was still alive, that the Shen family was different from the others. They could be trusted.”
The moment Madam Liang finished speaking, silence descended upon the bamboo shelter once more.
Everyone stared at the tiny copper coins in Gu Qing’s palm. Their hearts churned with countless thoughts, but when they tried to speak, all those thoughts tangled together and became silence.
Only now did Gu Jue seem to fully comprehend what those words meant. “Elder Sister… are you saying that Chengyao…?” He did not even dare to finish. He was afraid that this might all be a dream—one that would scatter and shatter the moment he gave it voice.
“Where is he now? Is he safe?” Chen Wang had many questions, but after thinking for a long while, these were the two simplest and most direct ones he could manage.
Gu Qing put the coins back into the little purse. “I don’t know, but the Shen family should know. I didn’t ask.”
“Don’t ask,” Old Madam Zhou immediately interjected, her gaze burning. “We can barely protect ourselves as it is. What good would knowing do? Not only would it be useless, but if the news slipped out, we might even put him in danger. Knowing that the child is still alive and well is enough. That is worth more than anything.”
Gu Qing seemed to remember something else and spoke in a low voice. “He asked the Shen family to send these four copper coins, saying that we should buy something to eat. He even specifically said that four coins would buy two pieces of candy and two pieces of glutinous rice cake.”
The heavy atmosphere instantly eased at her words.
As Gu Jue scrubbed at his tears with the backs of his hands, he sniffled and spoke in broken fragments. “I—I have to get better soon. I’ll eat properly and regain my strength. Then, then I’ll be able to see little brother Chengyao someday.”
Old Madam Zhou clasped the hands of Madam Liang and Madam Yang beside her, the torchlight flickering in her eyes.
Her gaze slowly swept over those young, haggard faces. “Young Jue is right. We all need to get better soon and build our strength back up. The road ahead is still long, and we have to keep living.”
Her aged, measured voice settled heavily in their hearts beneath the night sky.
“Even if it is only for that child. He is still so young. For every one of us who survives, he will have one more person to rely on.”
I’m truly sorry—I’ve posted today’s update late again. [Please, I’m begging you.]
