Through the darkness, Duan Yan could not make out the faces of the few men who had suddenly appeared, but he recognized the voice of the one speaking at once. It belonged to a hanger-on working under Qian Saner.
Only someone newly assigned to help guard the village would lurk beside the path waiting to catch people. If they managed to seize someone, they could make an example of him and earn the magistrate’s praise for being capable and diligent.
A torch flared to life, and the men quickly closed in. Duan Yan lowered his eyes slightly and hurriedly pulled Song Fengsui behind him.
He glanced at the four men charging toward them like a troop of monkeys. Taking them down would not be difficult, but earlier, from a distance, he had observed the guards stationed at this end of the village. There were many of them, and they were keeping a close watch. If a fight broke out here and caused a commotion, the other patrols would come rushing over in no time.
They had entered the village with good intentions, but they still had no absolute certainty that they could cure the epidemic. If they were caught or exposed, the authorities would treat them as criminals who had violated the law.
Duan Yan was nothing more than a street thug himself, so he still had a little room to wriggle out of trouble. But Song Fengsui’s current identity could not afford such an incident.
Knowing they could not afford a prolonged fight, Duan Yan exchanged a glance with Song Fengsui and signaled for him not to make a sound. He must not let them identify him by his voice. Once they found an opportunity, they would retreat immediately.
Song Fengsui’s heart was pounding like a drum. It felt as though he had been caught red-handed doing something shameful. Seeing Duan Yan signal for silence, he immediately understood and clamped his mouth shut beneath the veil. Almost instinctively, he reached up to check whether the face cloth was still tied securely.
“I’m going to have a good look at which little bastard dares cause trouble under Boss Qian’s watch!”
Tianzi charged forward first and reached straight for the cloth covering Duan Yan’s face. But just as he came within reach, Duan Yan unexpectedly kicked him hard in the stomach, doubling him over and sending him crumpling to the ground.
Duan Yan immediately turned and attacked the Chuanzi holding the torch. His movements were sharp, fierce, and swift. With one elbow, two punches, and a quick twist, he subdued the man and snatched the torch from him.
All four men were rough butchers, and they were certainly ferocious enough. Unfortunately, they had only brute force; they were no match for someone like Duan Yan, who had trained in combat. Against him, they stood no chance.
Seeing how cleanly Duan Yan handled the others, the man farther back with the torch realized something was wrong. Instead of rushing forward in a panic to help, he raised his hand and blew a loud whistle.
Song Fengsui had stayed off to one side. Seeing Duan Yan dispatch the two men so quickly, he was briefly astonished by his skill.
But his surprise lasted only a moment. When he saw Duan Yan pin the man down yet fail to extinguish the torch—which could easily expose them—and instead seize it for himself, he immediately understood what Duan Yan intended.
He hurriedly took a squat flask from the bundle on his back, grabbed some dry branches and resinous cedar twigs nearby, and twisted them into a bundle. He splashed a little liquor over it, then tossed it aside and gestured for Duan Yan to watch.
Duan Yan understood at once and threw the torch in his hand over. The instant the flame touched the liquor, it roared to life, racing along the alcohol and setting the dry wood and cedar twigs ablaze.
“Not good! Hurry, put out the fire! If it catches properly, we’ll all be in deep trouble tonight!”
The four men who had been surrounding Duan Yan and Song Fengsui lost their wits when they saw the flames. They scrambled and crawled toward the fire, desperately trying to smother it.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Duan Yan grabbed Song Fengsui and ran. After turning several times, they plunged into the mountain woods.
The commotion behind them grew louder. They had barely gotten away when the guards from the authorities arrived.
There were shouts as people tried to put out the flames, angry curses, and cries about not knowing which way the fugitives had gone.
Duan Yan had no time to stop and listen to what they were shouting. He only kept an ear out until he was sure the fire had been brought under control, then ignored the rest and dragged Song Fengsui deeper into a secluded area. He did not stop until the arm he was gripping suddenly sagged.
When he turned around, he found that Song Fengsui had fallen to the ground.
Song Fengsui had kept his pace as fast as he could to stay with Duan Yan. He knew how serious the consequences would be if they were caught tonight, so he had not dared slacken for even a moment and had summoned all his strength.
Unfortunately, Duan Yan was simply too agile. The arm Duan Yan had grabbed was also the one he had injured earlier. Afraid of losing him, Duan Yan had been gripping it with tremendous force. The wound hurt terribly, but Song Fengsui endured it without making a sound.
He had run until his strength was almost completely spent. Weak and exhausted, he failed to watch his footing. Something—a vine, perhaps, or a stone—caught his foot, and he toppled over when he could no longer keep his balance.
Duan Yan quickly bent down and helped him up. “Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?”
Song Fengsui gritted his teeth and tried to stand, but the moment he moved, a sharp pain shot through his left ankle. He sucked in a breath. “I think I twisted my ankle.”
Duan Yan turned to examine his foot. He touched it lightly, and Song Fengsui let out a muffled groan.
Duan Yan hurriedly withdrew his hand, only to notice blood on the leg of Song Fengsui’s trousers. His heart tightened. “Are you bleeding?”
Song Fengsui stopped him. “It should just be the blood from your hand that got on my trousers. My foot didn’t hit anything sharp.”
“How did my hand—”
Duan Yan stopped halfway through his sentence, belatedly realizing that he had been gripping Song Fengsui’s injured hand.
“It’s nothing. It doesn’t hurt that much.”
Song Fengsui spoke through his discomfort. “Should we hide farther away? They may come after us soon.”
“We’ve already come a long way. Out here in the wilderness, at night, once they fail to catch us, it’ll be nearly impossible for them to find us after we blend into the darkness. They didn’t even see which direction we ran while they were putting out the fire.”
Then, as though only now thinking of it, he added, “You’re far too clever. You didn’t even stop to catch your breath, yet you thought of using liquor to start that fire and help us escape.”
Song Fengsui did not think it was anything special. He was only worried. “I hope it doesn’t turn into a real wildfire.”
“Don’t worry. That little fire had so many people rushing to put it out; it won’t spread. It’s not as if it started while everyone was asleep. They noticed it before it could grow.”
At that moment, Duan Yan was more concerned about Song Fengsui. The man was sitting on the ground, injured here and there, and Duan Yan hardly knew where it was safe to touch him.
Song Fengsui forced down his discomfort. “It doesn’t hurt much. You don’t need to worry.”
He was still anxious. “What are we going to do now? There are people lying in wait along the path too. Can we still find a way into the village? Grandfather’s epidemic…”
Before Song Fengsui could finish, Duan Yan’s expression suddenly changed. He sprang away from him and darted into the bushes beside them like a gust of wind.
In the next instant, a strange figure burst from the undergrowth. The man bent low and tried to run, but Duan Yan seized him and slammed him against an old tree.
Song Fengsui’s heart clenched. He had never imagined that someone else was hiding here too. He immediately tried to drag his injured foot over to Duan Yan. But just as he rose, he heard Duan Yan say, “You? The second son of Madam Li?”
“It’s me, Brother Duan.”
Duan Yan had pinned Lin Erlang so firmly that he could not move. Breathing hard, Lin Erlang said, “I mean no harm. I wasn’t deliberately eavesdropping on the two of you. I’m going into the village too.”
Only then did Duan Yan slowly release his grip.
Lin Erlang had also made his way to the outskirts of the village, as usual intending to bring some things to the villagers and earn a little money for his trouble.
Ever since the village had been sealed off, ordinary people inside and outside had been unable to exchange news. Those outside worried about the people within, while those inside fretted over their loved ones outside. Lin Erlang worked during the day, then spent his evenings carrying items and passing messages between the two sides.
He had only just reached the outskirts when he heard the sounds of fighting. Daring not make a sound, he hurriedly hid beside a path he often used. Who would have thought that Duan Yan and the others, fleeing there by sheer coincidence, would come in the same direction?
Duan Yan asked, “How did you get into the village before? Do you know of any other routes?”
“I’ve always made a living doing physical labor—cutting trees and hauling things in the mountains and villages. I know quite a few paths that ordinary people don’t.” Grateful to Duan Yan and Song Fengsui for treating his child, Bao’er, and knowing they wanted to enter the village, Lin Erlang did not conceal anything from them. “If we go around through the mountains, there’s a path that leads to the back of the village. We can crawl through an abandoned cellar and get inside without being seen by the guards.”
Song Fengsui’s heart stirred. “Brother Lin, could you lead us back in?”
“You’re a kind-hearted physician, Doctor Song, and you treated Bao’er. I’m willing to guide you both. It’s just that, Doctor Song, you…” Lin Erlang said, glancing at Song Fengsui’s foot.
Duan Yan added, “Are you still thinking of trying to get in today?”
Song Fengsui lifted his eyes to Duan Yan. “The guards are stricter now. After the commotion we caused just now, they’ll likely tighten security even further. I’m afraid that if we delay, there may be even less of a chance to get into the village.”
He knew that, in his current condition, he would only hold the others back. Yet he had no other choice and could only ask in an almost pleading tone, “Duan Yan, if I can get inside safely, I certainly won’t forget your help today. When the time comes…”
“All right. You’ve made up your mind to try again, so go ahead.”
Duan Yan was afraid that if Song Fengsui said a few more words, he would be promising to repay him with his life—or offering himself to him. In truth, he had never needed Song Fengsui to thank him or remember his kindness. He had only asked because he was worried about Song Fengsui’s health.
He crouched down. “You can’t walk on that foot again. You’ll only worsen the injury. I… Should I support you, or carry you?”
At the question, Song Fengsui’s eyes blinked unnaturally.
Why—why did Duan Yan still insist on leaving the choice to him?
Watching the two of them converse, Lin Erlang sensed that the atmosphere had somehow grown strange. He was perceptive enough to notice and coughed lightly. “I’ll go on ahead and scout the area.”
Only after Lin Erlang had gone ahead did Song Fengsui lower his voice and say, in a tone softer than he had ever used before, “Th-then I’ll trouble you to carry me for a while.”
If Duan Yan supported him, they would have to cling to each other, arms around one another. That would look even worse.
Receiving his answer, Duan Yan bent down and turned his back to him. A moment later, a pair of hands settled on his shoulders, followed by a slightly cool body pressing against his back.
Carrying Song Fengsui was effortless. He appeared slender and bony, but his body was actually very soft. Duan Yan had carried him once before, when Song Fengsui had fainted in the bathing tub. At the time, he had been focused only on saving him and had not indulged in any improper thoughts or carefully considered what it felt like to touch a young man who was almost like an incubus from a book.
Of course, he had no improper thoughts now, either. The fact that his hands—resting against the waist in front of him—never once strayed toward Song Fengsui’s long legs was proof enough.
It was simply that they were too close, and they would remain in such close contact for quite some time. That was why he found himself thinking about it at all.
Song Fengsui had soaked in a medicinal bath, temporarily masking his unique cold fragrance. In its place was the scent of medicinal herbs.
Yet because he naturally possessed a fragrance of his own, the combination produced an indescribable, peculiar scent when one drew near. In any case, it was far more pleasant than the single, pungent smell of the insect-repellent herbs he usually carried.
Someone like this—such a beautiful young man—was indeed difficult not to find distracting.
Song Fengsui had only been carried like this when he was a child. Now, perched on Duan Yan’s back, his entire body was tense. But when he realized how restrained Duan Yan was—carefully avoiding any improper touch and maintaining that restraint throughout—his heart gradually relaxed.
He had already exhausted himself running, and now his sprained ankle throbbed with pain. In truth, he could not keep himself upright for long. Thus, he slowly let down his guard and relaxed against Duan Yan’s back.
Duan Yan felt the soft body behind him suddenly grow even more pliant. Afraid that Song Fengsui might have fainted, he turned his head slightly. At that very moment, Song Fengsui, who was resting near Duan Yan’s shoulder, happened to be stealing a glance at his sharply defined profile.
Their gazes met unexpectedly. Their hearts both gave an unusually heavy beat, as though they had been caught doing something illicit. They immediately pretended to be calm and looked away, neither daring to let their eyes wander again.
Lin Erlang carried the two men’s bundles for them and led the way. Every so often, worried that Duan Yan might fall behind while carrying someone, he would turn around after walking a few steps to check on them.
Each time, he could not help noticing the two silent men. They looked so close, yet somehow so distant, which struck him as rather strange.
Still, he did not dare say or ask anything. He simply continued leading them honestly onward.
There were far more insects and flies in the mountains than outside. The larger ones flew in swarms, their buzzing almost loud enough to rival the cicadas’ cries during the day.
Before long, Lin Erlang had tucked his trouser legs and sleeves tightly around himself, leaving only his face exposed—and even that was covered in welts from mosquitoes as large as a finger.
The mountain mosquitoes were vicious. Their bites were not only itchy but painful as well. They were not life-threatening, but they were more than enough to make a person impatient and irritable.
Before setting out, Song Fengsui and Duan Yan had both taken medicinal baths, and the medicine worked well. They had not been troubled by the insects on their way into the mountains.
After seeing Lin Erlang scratch at his face and body several times, Song Fengsui thought of giving him a sachet of insect-repelling herbs. His hand reached for the sachet hanging from his own waist, but he hesitated.
It was an act of kindness, but it would surely be inappropriate for a young man to give a sachet to another young man.
Instead, he patted Duan Yan on the shoulder and untied the medicinal sachet he had prepared for him earlier, having Duan Yan hand it to Lin Erlang.
Lin Erlang thought such a tiny sachet probably could not do much, but he accepted it all the same. He did not tie it to himself, merely holding it in his hand.
Unexpectedly, after they had walked a short distance, the buzzing around his ears truly diminished.
With that nuisance dealt with, Lin Erlang led the way much more smoothly. Of the two men following him, one knew the route and the other was strong and agile, so they moved quickly through the grass and woods.
When they neared Liucun, they followed Lin Erlang’s directions to the abandoned cellar and, without alerting anyone, crawled inside and entered the village.
The moon hung high overhead. A night breeze swept past, stirring a broad patch of foxtail grass with a soft rustling sound. A few oil lamps glimmered here and there in the village, while intermittent coughs drifted from the low, gray thatched houses.
Under the shadow of the epidemic, the village’s quietness resembled that of a dying place, and the atmosphere was unbearably oppressive.
“The guards aren’t allowed to patrol inside the village. Now that we’re in, we should be safe. I have to head to the southern part of the village, so I won’t accompany you while you take care of your business.”
Lin Erlang walked with the two of them for a while. Once they reached the main road through the village, they were about to part ways.
“The road out is the same one you came by. Just remember it, and you’ll be fine.”
“Thank you for today. Go on and tend to your own business—we can find our way from here.”
After saying this, Duan Yan could not help adding, “Still, you’ve been going in and out of the village so often. You need to be more careful and guard against catching the epidemic. There’s no known cure for this illness yet. If you fall sick, it will put your own life at risk, not to mention all the people in your household who come into contact with you.”
“I know. Whenever I come into the village, I avoid direct contact with anyone. I leave things in the agreed-upon places, and everyone takes what they need for themselves.”
Seeing that he had taken precautions, Duan Yan felt somewhat reassured. The two exchanged a few more words of caution before bidding each other farewell without lingering.
Only after watching Lin Erlang disappear into the night did Song Fengsui say, “Lin Erlang lives beneath the same roof as that man surnamed Qiao, yet the two brothers have entirely different dispositions.”
Duan Yan agreed with a sound of acknowledgment before changing the subject. “You haven’t been back for several days. Do you still remember the way home?”
“I’m not that stupid.”
With that, Song Fengsui pointed out the location of the Song family’s current residence to Duan Yan.
Most of the homes in the village were clustered along the river. But as exiles, people like the Song family could not possibly be given one of the better locations among the villagers’ homes. At the headman’s direction, they had settled in a thatched hut near the mountain.
The thatched shed had four rooms and had once been a grain storehouse for the village.
Later, because of its remote location, petty thieves often climbed inside to steal things. It also stood close to the woods, where wild beasts occasionally appeared. During a year of good harvest, the village headman gathered funds to build a new storehouse in the more populated part of the village, and the old thatched shed was abandoned at the foot of the mountain.
The village farmers would occasionally tether their livestock there. As time passed, much of the thatch on the roof came loose, and the roof over the rear rooms collapsed in places. The farmers no longer dared tether their animals there, let alone take shelter inside during a heavy rain.
Over the years, the blade-sharp foxtail grass in the yard grew taller than a person. At night, the mountain wind poured through the storehouse’s many gaps, producing a mournful howling sound. Ignorant children who passed by would shout that there were ghosts inside. As the rumor spread, even the more timid villagers stopped using that path.
When the Song family was exiled there, the village headman had no idea where to put them. After thinking it over, he simply pointed to the shed and ordered the five members of the Song family to live there.
The Song family had now been in Liuyu Village for nearly two months. They had cleared the grass from the yard, repaired the roof and the collapsed sections of the building, and begun lighting fires to cook their meals. Smoke rose from the chimney, lending the place a faint trace of human life.
Even so, it remained an utterly desolate and dilapidated place. As Duan Yan carried Song Fengsui toward it, he looked up at the lonely little house crouched at the foot of the mountain, its back facing the pitch-black forest. It seemed so precarious that at any moment the roaring mountain wind might swallow it whole.
Duan Yan had known that exiled criminals would not receive good treatment. Yet seeing Song Fengsui’s dwelling with his own eyes still left him sighing inwardly.
Once, Song Fengsui had lived in grand halls and elegant residences, enjoying a life of refinement and ease. In the blink of an eye, even food and drink had become matters of worry. Had his resolve been any weaker, he might have long since thrown himself into the river.
And yet the Song Fengsui he had come to know remained steadfast and kind. In all these days, Duan Yan had never once seen him reveal the slightest sign of despair.
Such strength of mind was truly rare.
As they drew near home, Song Fengsui could not help feeling a little happy. But at this hour, his family had probably already gone to sleep.
He planned to have Duan Yan set him down once they reached the courtyard, then go knock on the door himself. That way, his family would not see him being carried home by an unfamiliar man and grow worried or start imagining things.
Unexpectedly, as they passed along the path beside the storehouse, they heard low, muffled sobbing coming from the courtyard.
“It’s already the middle of the night. Why aren’t you resting? Why sit out here feeding the mosquitoes?”
The man sitting on the threshold beneath the eaves heard the voice, wiped his face, and raised his head.
“Big Brother?”
Song Wushen looked at his second brother, whose face was wet and blotchy from crying, and let out a soft sigh.
“You’re a grown man now. Bursting into tears at the slightest thing—what sort of behavior is that?”
Song Xuemu said, “My heart is aching. Father has been lying in bed, and he was unconscious for most of the day without waking. Who knows how much longer he can hold on? If Father really dies, how am I supposed to go on living?”
“And Sui Sui has been away for days without any news. He did send word that he was safe, but he’s a xiao-ge’er, after all. How could he possibly stay safe out there? I can’t stop worrying about him.”
“We were living perfectly good lives. How did everything suddenly become like this? It’s been more than half a year since trouble first befell our family. Even after all of us were sent here, I’ve been walking around in a daze, feeling as though this were all just a dream.”
Song Xuemu spoke in broken phrases. “Sister-in-law hasn’t seen Sui Sui either, and she’s fallen so ill she can’t even get out of bed. Perhaps I should go to the farmstead again tomorrow and see whether I can find out anything about Sui Sui.”
“He’s been beautiful since he was a child. Back in the capital, he needed three or four attendants with him before he felt safe leaving the house. Now he’s disappeared in this wild and uncivilized place. I’m truly afraid some bandit might have abducted him.”
“That child mustn’t do anything foolish. For the sake of the family, he might even give himself to someone…”
As he said this, Song Xuemu began crying again.
Song Wushen had remained composed at first, but after hearing Song Xuemu’s words, his expression grew even grimmer.
“You may say such things to me, but you absolutely must not say them in front of Father or your sister-in-law!”
“And stop going to the farmstead to make a scene. The village is under lockdown now, and the people at the farmstead aren’t allowed to come or go either. They may not have any news of Sui Sui. If you go there again and get beaten, we’ll have another person bedridden in this family. Are you trying to worry me to death?”
Only then did Song Xuemu realize that his elder brother had not comforted him and had instead spoken even more harshly. He was worried about their father and frightened for Sui Sui, but his elder brother could hardly be any more at ease than he was.
He abruptly stopped sobbing.
“Big Brother, I was only talking nonsense. Don’t worry. Sui Sui has been clever since he was little. Since he was able to send word that he was safe and even had rice brought back to us, he must be all right.”
“I won’t go to the farmstead anymore. Don’t let yourself get worked up.”
Song Wushen’s face remained dark, and his heart felt even heavier. He knew that his second brother was only speaking out of worry. Though the words had been unpleasant, they were merely the harshest truth of all.
Who among the Song family could feel anything but misery over the situation they had fallen into?
He was just about to say a few words of comfort to Song Xuemu when he suddenly heard a rustling sound from outside.
Song Wushen’s expression changed. He immediately seized the rusty hoe leaning against the wall.
“Who’s there?”
