By the time the two of them reached the town, it was already afternoon. Under ordinary circumstances, the fruits and vegetables would no longer have been particularly fresh by then.
Fortunately, the epidemic had been brought under control and the market had just reopened. The farmers, who had been anxiously cooped up for many days, all came into town at once to sell vegetables and poultry, while the townspeople eagerly flocked there to make their purchases.
The town was as lively as if it were celebrating a festival.
Song Fengsui and Duan Yan went to buy a large grass carp, a slab of fresh pork belly, two blocks of tender tofu, and a scattering of other vegetables.
Duan Yan insisted on paying, but Song Fengsui stopped him. In the end, Duan Yan would only compromise after suggesting that he bring over a fat rabbit of his own. Song Fengsui agreed.
The two of them carried the meat and vegetables out of the market. Song Fengsui began calculating how he should cook everything. The dishes he had eaten in the past had all been far too refined to prepare under their current circumstances, so perhaps he could learn a few more rustic, home-style methods instead.
These days, everyone in the household had to work hard for a living. They were no longer officials who relied on their wits and commanded others to do the work. Without realizing it, their tastes had shifted from elegant, delicate dishes that emphasized freshness and subtle flavors to food that was rich, filling, and generously slicked with oil.
Song Fengsui had never learned much about cooking. The only time he had ever studied the culinary arts was when his father or mother celebrated a birthday. For the sake of doing something special and showing his filial affection, he had learned two celebratory banquet dishes from the household cook in hopes of pleasing his parents.
But he did not use that trick every year, and naturally his skill had not improved much. Compared with researching the preparation of dishes and soups, he had always been more interested in medical theory and case records.
But times had changed. There was no longer a dedicated cook in the household, and everything had to be done by their own hands. He had to learn how to cook.
“If I can master even half your skill at cooking, then our family won’t have to endure three bland meals a day. Teach me two dishes that are easy to learn and quick to make flavorful.”
When Duan Yan heard that he wanted to learn to cook, his first thought was that there was no need for such trouble. But then he reconsidered. The two of them did not actually live under the same roof, and Duan Yan could not be there every day. Everyone still had to eat three meals a day.
So he said, “Cooking takes practice. Home-style dishes are easy enough. If you want to learn, start with something simple—stir-fried meat, a vegetable soup, and a cold dressed vegetable dish. That’ll be enough for everyday meals.”
“Grand dishes involve many particulars. They’re difficult to learn, and you won’t need to make them every day anyway.”
Song Fengsui raised one long eyebrow slightly. “Then what do we do when we want a grand dish, or when the occasion calls for one?”
“That’s what cooks and kitchen hands are for.”
Duan Yan gave a light cough. “If we can’t find a suitable cook, I can also…”
He had not finished speaking when his brows drew together.
Song Fengsui did not understand. He tilted his head toward him. “You can also what?”
“Don’t speak. It seems someone is following us.”
Song Fengsui’s heart tightened. He instinctively slowed his movements, not daring to turn around casually. “Can you tell what kind of person it is?”
“Looks like a cripple. He doesn’t walk very well.”
Duan Yan had seemed to notice someone like that in the market earlier, but the man had his back to him, and there had been too many people around, so he had not paid much attention.
Now that they had left the market, the man was still following them at a distance. Though he appeared to be going in the same direction, he had repeatedly stolen glances at the two of them.
“His build and manner seem somewhat familiar.”
“Could he be one of Chen Hu’s men? Now that Chen Hu’s been thrown in jail, perhaps he’s looking for a chance to take revenge?”
Duan Yan thought that even if that were possible, they should not have sent someone like this.
But with Song Fengsui beside him, he did not dare make a careless assumption. He was afraid that his negligence might end up putting Song Fengsui in danger.
Duan Yan said nothing. He took Song Fengsui by the hand and led him several quick steps into a nearby alley.
The old man following behind saw the two of them disappear in the blink of an eye. No longer bothering to conceal himself, he hurried after them.
“Ow!”
At the corner of the street, the old man rushed around it and leaned forward to look, only to trip over something. His legs were already unsteady, and when someone stuck out a leg to trip him, he went tumbling solidly to the ground.
Duan Yan’s iron hand shot out at once and seized him. “Who sent you—”
He had not finished speaking when the old man turned his face toward him. Duan Yan froze. Both startled and finding it extremely difficult to speak, he managed to utter, “...Father?”
“You unfilial, murderous little bastard! You dare lay hands on your own father now?”
Pinned down by Duan Yan, Old Man Duan was furious and humiliated, yet unable to move. All he could do was open his mouth and curse.
“Rebellion against Heaven! There’s no justice in this world!”
It was not only Duan Yan who stood stunned. Song Fengsui was shocked as well. Although he had already heard Duan Yan explain that his relationship with his family was far from harmonious, he had never imagined that things had deteriorated to the point where he could not even recognize his own father.
Whatever disagreements there might be between father and son, there was still no reason for a son to attack his father.
Song Fengsui hurried over to help the furious Old Man Duan to his feet, afraid that the father and son might start grappling with each other in the middle of the street.
Had Duan Yan known it was Old Man Duan, he would never have laid hands on him. He quickly changed from restraining the man to supporting him, explaining that the figure he had seen from a distance had looked vaguely familiar, but he had not been able to make out his face. How could he possibly have guessed it was his father?
“...Father, what brings you to town? You were following us just now. Why didn’t you call out?”
Duan Yan sounded awkward calling him Father. Although he had inherited everything from the original body and had quickly adapted to the way the man spoke, it still required some mental preparation for him to call someone “Father” so easily.
Besides, he had grown up under his maternal grandfather’s care. The roles of father and mother had been absent throughout his childhood, and he had hardly ever called either of them by those names. That made him feel even more embarrassed to say it aloud.
Old Man Duan was already seething. Hearing Duan Yan address him in such a strange, affected tone only made him angrier.
He wheezed as he steadied himself, then shook off Duan Yan’s hand.
“Inspector Duan certainly has an impressive official presence now, doesn’t he? Is this town’s streets and alleys yours alone to walk? Are us old country bumpkins not even allowed to pass through anymore?
“Must we be suspected of deliberately following Inspector Duan? Must you kick an old man flat on his back just to show off your power?”
“...Father, that isn’t what I meant.”
Duan Yan could hardly say that he had not recognized him and had mistaken him for someone with ill intentions. If he said that, the old man would surely explode.
Instead, he changed the subject. “It wasn’t easy for you to make it to town. Did you have something to take care of?”
“The epidemic’s over, so I came to town for a look around.”
Old Man Duan’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. “This old body was lucky enough not to catch the disease. Otherwise, the whole lot of us might’ve died out in the village, and I suppose no one would even have known.”
Duan Yan gave an awkward cough. When the epidemic had been raging, he had been running from place to place every day. Before he could finish dealing with one matter, another had arisen. He should have gone back to the village to check on the old man, but he simply had not found the time.
It was hardly fair to blame Old Man Duan for saying such things. Song Fengsui did not know whether the old man had come into town specifically to find his son, or whether they had merely happened to run into each other and he had followed from a distance to see what Duan Yan was up to.
Seeing that no answers could be coaxed from him, Duan Yan said, “Father, why don’t you come up to the residence and sit for a while? You can rest your feet.”
Old Man Duan gave an exaggerated cry. “How could these lowly feet of mine presume to enter such a fine place? I’m just a country bumpkin. How could I go to the Inspector’s home as a guest?”
“……”
Song Fengsui, who had remained silent all this time, cast a secret glance at Duan Yan and blinked. This Old Man Duan really was a stubborn one.
After a moment’s thought, he said, “Old Man, I noticed that you don’t seem to walk very easily. Is that due to an injury you suffered later in life, or have you always been this way? Why don’t you come to the residence and let me take a look?”
Hearing this, Old Man Duan’s anger subsided somewhat, and his gaze shifted to Song Fengsui.
He had never seen this young man before. He had fine brows and handsome eyes, and looked almost like a little immortal.
Just now, he had been wondering why this handsome young man was walking alongside his own useless son. He had worried that the fool had been mixing with Chen Hu and had picked up the habit of abducting respectable young men. If that were the case, he would have to break the boy’s legs!
Yet the two of them had been chatting and laughing all the way, their manner intimate but without any improper conduct. That only made the whole thing more puzzling.
He had hurried over to get to the bottom of it, only to be tripped up by that damned boy!
Straightening himself, he asked, “Who are you? Do you know medicine?”
Song Fengsui replied gently, “Thanks to Inspector Duan’s kindness, I am currently earning a little money to get by by treating patients on his recommendation. Inspector Duan sought me out today. I assume he wished to have me examine someone in his family, though he has not yet explained the matter in detail.”
He looked toward Duan Yan. “Is it Old Man Duan whom you wanted me to examine?”
“Ahem… Sorry to have you see this.”
Duan Yan thought, I haven’t even told him anything about my family, yet his mind works faster than anyone’s.
Old Man Duan merely snorted, clearly unconvinced by their explanation. But his anger had visibly faded from before. Instead, he began speaking to Song Fengsui as though lodging a complaint.
“This young master took pity on this old man’s lame legs and kindly offered to examine me. I appreciate the thought. But I’m afraid such kindness is being wasted on some ungrateful people. Those sorts don’t necessarily appreciate it.”
“When this old man broke his leg falling from a high place, everyone from the village came to see me. Yet some people who call themselves sons couldn’t even be found. They were out drinking themselves half to death with a bunch of good-for-nothing friends.”
Song Fengsui’s brows moved slightly. Duan Yan tensed as well. He knew that what Old Man Duan was saying was true, but having him recount it all to Song Fengsui was tantamount to exposing every one of his shortcomings.
Duan Yan’s family had always been harmonious. He himself especially respected and cherished his parents and elders. Duan Yan feared that, after hearing Old Man Duan accuse him of being so unfilial, Song Fengsui might develop a poor impression of him.
He hurriedly tried to salvage the situation, but before he could speak, Song Fengsui nodded, acknowledging Old Man Duan’s words. Then he asked, “Old Man, is the friend of Inspector Duan whom you mentioned the one called Chen Hu?”
Old Man Duan’s eyes shifted. “You know him too?”
“He truly isn’t a good person. I suffered at his hands before and have seen how vicious he can be.”
Song Fengsui continued, “Fortunately, things have changed. He has been thrown into prison, and a verdict should be handed down soon. He will most likely be sentenced to death.”
Old Man Duan’s eyes widened. “Really?!”
“Would I make something like that up?”
Song Fengsui said, “The sun is rather harsh out here. Why don’t you come up to the residence? I’ll tell you the whole story slowly.”
The moment Old Man Duan heard that Chen Hu had been imprisoned, everything else was pushed to the back of his mind. He urged Song Fengsui on.
“Tell me as we walk. I want to hear all about this wonderful, heartening news—the whole story, from beginning to end!”
Song Fengsui picked out the parts he could tell and related them to Old Man Duan as he led him toward the residence. In the meantime, he exchanged a glance with Duan Yan, who was following behind with the vegetables and meat, signaling him to come along.
In truth, Song Fengsui had plenty of experience dealing with conflicts between fathers and sons.
Back home, his father and second uncle would sometimes disagree with his grandfather. All three of them were officials who were reasonable and decisive when it came to matters of right and wrong. But as fathers and sons, they each had their own little tempers that outsiders knew nothing about when it came to family.
His father, for example, was steady and reserved. When displeased, he could go two or three days without speaking unless absolutely necessary, making everyone else afraid even to breathe too loudly. His second uncle was more lively; whenever he lost his temper, he would lecture on and on until everyone was annoyed enough to give in.
Whenever either of them quarreled with his grandfather, both sides had to be coaxed and persuaded.
There were things the people involved were too proud to say and too embarrassed to bring up themselves. But once those words were spoken aloud, both sides could understand each other, and many misunderstandings and grievances would naturally disappear.
Take Old Man Duan’s dislike of Chen Hu, for example. Given how fond Chen Hu was of sowing discord, Song Fengsui only had to hear a little of Old Man Duan’s tone to realize that Chen Hu had likely done plenty in the past to deepen the rift between father and son.
He had not forgotten the manner Chen Hu had adopted the last time he came to the residence to complain to Duan Yan.
And Duan Yan had clearly repented. He had removed Chen Hu from his service and had even seen him brought to justice.
If only he explained all this properly to Old Man Duan and admitted that, in his youthful arrogance, he had made the mistake of judging Chen Hu poorly, Old Man Duan would surely not continue acting this way. Unfortunately, most men cared too much about their pride and were accustomed to meeting every matter head-on. How could they bring themselves to lower their heads and say such conciliatory words?
“Chen Hu seized farmland and estates, falsified accounts to deceive people, and even had an incompetent doctor treat Wang Quan’s mother. Her condition worsened, and she nearly lost her life. He used that as leverage to force Wang Quan into deceiving Inspector Duan alongside him.
“Someone like him has committed every evil under the sun. Sooner or later, he was bound to suffer the consequences. He and that incompetent doctor concocted a prescription for treating the epidemic, then went behind Inspector Duan’s back to seek Magistrate Kong’s favor. Who could have known that the prescription would be so harsh? It killed quite a few patients, and the two of them ended up in prison instead.”
When they returned to the residence, An Ge’er brought them tea. Song Fengsui patiently explained what had happened to Old Man Duan.
“Once Inspector Duan saw Chen Hu’s true nature, he had him brought back from Magistrate Kong’s residence. In front of every steward under his command, he formally expelled him.”
Old Man Duan’s face glowed with delight when he heard what had befallen Chen Hu. If there had been a gong at hand, he would surely have picked it up and struck it with all his might.
But when Song Fengsui described how decisively Inspector Duan had dealt with the matter, a trace of doubt appeared in his expression.
“That boy used to trust Chen Hu more than anyone. His mother and I tried to reason with him, but he never listened. How did he suddenly see the light? Brother Song, don’t tell me you’re only praising him because you work for him.”
He still found it hard to believe that his son could have made such a ruthless decision. Duan Yan had once been so thoroughly deceived by Chen Hu that these matters alone might not have been enough to make him sever ties.
Seeing this, Song Fengsui leaned back slightly in his chair and looked toward Duan Yan at the other end of the room.
“This matter… I’m afraid I shouldn’t be the one to tell you. If you want to know exactly why Inspector Duan decided to break with Chen Hu, you’ll have to hear it from him himself.”
They couldn’t very well let him do all the talking, only for father and son to end up saying nothing to each other after all—merely bristling and glaring whenever they met. In the end, the mediator’s purpose was to make peace between them.
Without leaving them something to talk about, how could he give them an opening?
Old Man Duan, perhaps genuinely curious, or perhaps for some other reason, finally cast a sidelong glance at Duan Yan. “Why?”
Duan Yan had never intended to maintain the original owner’s attitude toward his father. He had wanted to make peace all along; he simply had not found the opportunity. Now that they could speak properly, what reason was there for him to stubbornly refuse?
“That bastard joined hands with a quack to poison me with a slow-acting toxin. It was only after I met Xiao Song some time ago that I learned I had been poisoned for quite a while.”
Old Man Duan’s expression changed in an instant. He shot to his feet. “Poisoned! How could that beast do something so vicious? When have you ever treated him poorly all these years?”
If one said Chen Hu had been taking advantage of the profits from the farms and shops, that could merely be called greed. How many truly loyal and honest people were there in this world? Most simply could not keep their hands from reaching out. Besides, his own foolish son was no good at managing people as an employer. He trusted whoever he trusted and treated them generously, which only encouraged those with thieving hearts until they became utterly lawless.
But no matter what, he had never imagined that Chen Hu could be so vicious—clearly without even the slightest trace of conscience.
Duan Yan seized the opportunity to say, “After something like that happened to me, even my misplaced trust in him was shattered in an instant. Sometimes, when I think about it, a chill still runs down my back. I regret how, in the past, I stubbornly believed and followed everything he said, while refusing to listen even half a word from those who truly cared about me.”
“If I had listened sooner and kept even a little wariness in my heart, I would never have ended up in such a state.”
Seeing Duan Yan speak this way, looking entirely repentant and remorseful, Old Man Duan felt a chill in his heart. He hurriedly turned to Song Fengsui. “Is there no hope for his poison…?”
Song Fengsui, who had taken the opportunity to sip some tea, nearly choked. “Don’t worry, Old Man Duan. The poison is already under control. With careful recuperation, his health will be just as good as before.”
In the space of a single evening, Old Man Duan felt as though he had gone from heaven to hell and back again. His hands and feet had gone somewhat weak.
After composing himself, he looked at Duan Yan. “A man’s life is long. How can a man grow without weathering a few hardships? Though this incident was exceedingly dangerous, I imagine it has taught you a lesson. If you have truly come to regret your ways, then this ordeal was not in vain.”
“From now on, put more thought into the people you employ and the things you do.”
Duan Yan nodded.
Old Man Duan looked at him and let out a long, complicated sigh.
In the past, this boy had been arrogant, conceited, and unwilling to heed advice. He had done more than a few disgraceful things. Old Man Duan had often reflected on himself, wondering where he and his wife had gone wrong to raise him into such a person.
He and the boy’s mother had worried endlessly. Once, they had even sought out the old immortal for a fortune-telling. The man had said that this boy and Chen Hu were bound to cause some great disaster sooner or later. At best, he would lose his own life; at worst, the entire family would be dragged down with him.
At the time, Old Man Duan had cursed the old immortal for spouting nonsense, claiming that he had deliberately said such frightening things merely to deceive them into spending money to avert disaster.
But now, after hearing what his son had gone through during this period, he thought back on it and felt a cold sweat break out across his back.
As for all that had happened in the past, it would be a lie to say he had not been disheartened by this son of his. Parents were human too. Who would be happy to pour their heart and soul into raising an unfilial son?
But now, seeing that Duan Yan had not only taken his advice and built a relationship with the authorities, but had also secured a position as an inspector, severed ties with Chen Hu, cleaned house among his subordinates, and was willing to admit his mistakes and repent, how could Old Man Duan not feel gratified?
If he had truly hated his son enough to wish him dead, he would never have listened when he heard that Duan Yan had become an inspector. During the long outbreak of the epidemic, he had not sent even a word, yet after Chen Hu had gone to the estate to throw his weight around and shoved him about, he had still made a special trip into the city to ask after his father and see how he was doing.
“You’ve made something of yourself now, but don’t let a moment of success go to your head and forget yourself, or someone will seize upon your weaknesses. The farther up you go, the more carefully you must conduct yourself.”
Old Man Duan added, “Your mother often talks about you. If you have the time, go pay her a visit too.”
“All right.”
Duan Yan agreed at once. “I was tied up with official business in Liu Village a few days ago. Now that things have settled down, I’ll tell her I’m coming home in the next day or two.”
Perhaps they had been used to being constantly at odds for too long. Once they tried to speak amiably, neither of them quite knew what to say. After only a few sentences, the atmosphere in the room became somewhat awkward.
Duan Yan’s gaze fell on Old Man Duan’s leg. “Xiao Song’s medical skills are excellent. Why not let him take a look while he’s here? Injuries to the legs are best treated as early as possible.”
Old Man Duan followed his gaze and glanced at his own leg. A trace of sorrow flashed across his face, but he immediately put on an unconcerned expression and waved his hand. “The doctors in the city have all looked at it. It’s simply my fate. I’m an old man with old bones now—why cause a fuss over it?”
“It won’t hurt to let him take a look.”
Duan Yan thought that his father’s temperament was rather like his maternal grandfather’s. The more something mattered to them, the more they pretended not to care. Only when they were drunk would they let a few genuine words slip out.
He exchanged a glance with Song Fengsui. The two of them immediately went over to Old Man Duan to examine his leg.
“Hey, hey! Duan Yan, you rotten boy, put me down! I can walk by myself!”
Duan Yan half-supported, half-dragged him toward the dispensary, with Song Fengsui following close behind.
“How is it, Xiao Song?”
“These old bones of mine are getting on in years. Being able to recover enough to hobble around like this is already considered quite good by the doctors. It doesn’t hurt much during the day, and I don’t have any other demands.”
Old Man Duan rolled up his trouser leg. Seeing Song Fengsui carefully feeling along the bones and kneading the muscles, he held a sliver of hope in his heart. But he did not dare raise his expectations too high, so he said a few things meant to put no pressure on the young physician.
Song Fengsui examined him for nearly half a quarter of an hour before finally withdrawing his hand.
“Old Man Duan, the bones in your leg did reconnect after the injury, but the weight-bearing axis of your lower limb has shifted. The bone itself has fused, but the tendons are misaligned, which is why you still limp when you walk.”
Old Man Duan hurriedly said, “But the doctors I saw before all said that it was because of my age, and that my leg could only recover this much.”
“They reached that conclusion because they were following the conventional methods. When you first fell and injured yourself, you must have bled heavily. The physicians who treated you were afraid something might go wrong, so they focused on the safest approach. Your rehabilitation afterward was also inadequate, which is why things turned out this way. As the saying goes, after injuring the muscles and bones, one should lie in bed for a hundred days. In truth, if you lie still for too long, the muscles that give your legs strength will atrophy. Once you are finally able to walk again, your leg will no longer be as it was before.”
Old Man Duan’s heart began to thump anxiously. “Then, according to you, can my leg still be treated?”
Song Fengsui gave a soft affirmative hum. “If you can patiently follow my rehabilitation plan, then even if your leg cannot fully recover its former agility, you should be able to walk in a way that makes it difficult for others to notice any limp.”
Old Man Duan was overjoyed, yet did not know how to express it. He looked up at Duan Yan, unable to conceal his excitement. “Xiao Song says it can still be treated!”
Seeing this, Duan Yan responded with a faint, gentle, and delighted smile.
Never mind. He lowered his eyes to the person carefully explaining the treatment methods to Old Man Duan, and his heart seemed to beat in a rhythm unlike anything he had ever felt before…
