By the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, the mountain-ringed town of Yan had grown bitterly cold.
Three heavy snowfalls had already come. After two days of snow, the skies had relented, but each morning the open fields were still coated in a thin white layer, while the frost and snow in the mountain hollows were as thick as a finger.
Song Fengsui was afraid of the cold. Wrapped in thick winter clothes, he still needed two or three braziers burning in the room before he could feel comfortable.
Ever since the snow began, he had practically settled in the residence in town. The countryside was sparsely populated and open, with dense trees and mountain winds blowing in from every direction. How could his slender body withstand such biting cold?
Duan Yan had always kept a close eye on him. How could he bear to let Song Fengsui suffer from the cold? Even after having people arrange everything for him at the estate, Duan Yan still felt the surroundings were unsuitable. In the end, he had Song Fengsui properly settled in the town residence, with An Ge'er there to wait on him. Only then did he feel somewhat at ease.
That day, Duan Yan carried a bowl of lamb dumplings into the room. Song Fengsui had just risen from bed and washed up. His hair had not yet been tied, but hung loose down to his waist, lending him a slightly dazed air.
The moment Song Fengsui saw the breakfast being brought in, the fragrance made him realize how hungry he was. Duan Yan had returned late from the estate the previous night, and Song Fengsui had eaten only a few bites of Madam Lin’s cooking. After a whole night, his stomach was long since empty.
He did not bother with his hair and immediately picked up his chopsticks. The lamb filling was fresh and savory, while the wrappers were thin yet pleasantly chewy. With one bite, he knew the dumplings were Duan Yan’s handiwork.
During the days he had been staying in the town residence, Duan Yan had naturally been coming and going there as well. Even when he went to the countryside to handle business for the entire day, once darkness fell, he would still ride back despite the distance.
Of the three meals each day, he had to personally prepare at least two for Song Fengsui.
Duan Yan did not find it troublesome in the slightest. If anything, he wished he could personally tend to everything Song Fengsui ate and drank.
His careful care had not been in vain. In less than half a month, Song Fengsui had finally put on a little flesh—though that small gain merely restored what he had lost from the running about and supply-gathering he had done before leaving the pass the previous month.
Seeing him eat with such relish, Duan Yan did not interrupt him. Instead, he began unfastening his outer robe.
With two braziers burning in the room and the doors and windows shut tight against the wind, Duan Yan could not tolerate so much warmth. If he stayed indoors in his winter clothes, he would begin to sweat before even the time it took an incense stick to burn had passed.
Besides, the wounds on his body had scabbed over and were growing new flesh, making them faintly itchy already. The heat only made the itching worse.
Still, he loved being with Song Fengsui, and no longer cared whether he was cold or hot.
Duan Yan was somewhat addicted to the fragrance on Song Fengsui’s body. In cold air, the scent carried a crisp, cool sharpness; in warm air, the heat softened it and made it even more fragrant.
He had grown so accustomed to that light, elegant, pleasant scent that it was almost as if he had been given an addictive drug. He could not bear to be away from him.
Whenever he entered the room and found no one else there, he would unconsciously move close, burying his face against Song Fengsui’s neck to take in his scent.
Song Fengsui had never resisted Duan Yan’s closeness. Since he liked warmth in cold weather, he would go to Duan Yan himself if Duan Yan did not come over first.
The two of them were like a pair of furry creatures in winter, always curled up together.
Song Fengsui turned his head slightly and glanced outside. The sky was gloomy and overcast. It seemed that ever since winter began, he had not seen a truly bright day.
He had not slept late that morning, and judging by the time, it was still early. He reached over and touched the clothes Duan Yan had taken off. They were cold with the chill of outdoors.
“Did you go out so early?” he asked.
“I went to the market to buy fresh lamb and have it minced.”
Duan Yan half-encircled him with one arm. “I made quite a lot. Later, take some to the office for Commissioner Qin and your uncle. I remember you saying that your uncle likes lamb dumplings too.”
Song Fengsui acknowledged this with a hum and took a small sip of the milky-white lamb broth.
“Lamb is good for you in winter. When you have the time, teach me how to prepare the filling and make the broth. Then I can cook at home too. When you come back after being busy, the food will be ready for you.”
He watched Duan Yan leave early and return late each day. Outside, the wind cut across one’s face like a knife. Every morning, Song Fengsui applied medicinal balm to Duan Yan’s face and hands before allowing him to leave.
Yet when he thought of Duan Yan braving the bitter winter cold while he himself merely lounged around in a room as warm as spring, reading medical texts and keeping track of the accounts, he felt that their lives were truly worlds apart.
And whenever Duan Yan returned, he would often wash his hands and cook for him as well. Duan Yan was his lover, not his servant. Thinking it over carefully, Song Fengsui always felt that Duan Yan treated him far better than he treated Duan Yan.
Lately, Song Fengsui had also often gone to the home of Tax Officer Qin to keep Mr. Bai company. He had seen how virtuous and capable Mr. Bai was—mending clothes and making boots for Tax Officer Qin, simmering soups and cooking porridge, and even asking Song Fengsui about the body’s meridians and acupoints. Tax Officer Qin sat at his desk in the government office for most of the day and often suffered from aches in his lower back and elsewhere, so Mr. Bai wanted to learn how to massage him and ease his discomfort.
In the past, Song Fengsui had dealt mostly with noble families and high-ranking officials. Though the respected husbands and wives lived under the same roof, they generally occupied separate courtyards, maintaining a courteous distance while each lived in peace.
A married couple like Mr. Bai and Tax Officer Qin, who still cared for each other so attentively even in middle age, was rare enough to open his eyes.
Could he not learn from their strengths and be virtuous and capable for once, so that he and Duan Yan might grow even closer?
Unexpectedly, when Duan Yan heard his proposal, he gave a soft laugh.
He naturally knew that Song Fengsui had recently been spending his free time at Tax Officer Qin’s home, keeping Mr. Bai company.
In private, Tax Officer Qin had specifically asked Young Master Song to visit his husband whenever he had time, and to take him around the area so that he could become familiar with his surroundings.
Mr. Bai had previously lived in the prefectural city, where his family ran a business and enjoyed a comfortable life. Moving to such a harsh, cold place as Yan Town would naturally take some getting used to.
The entire family had relocated there, so Tax Officer Qin had rented a large house for them long in advance, afraid that his husband and children would suffer.
Now that Song Wushen and Tax Officer Qin jointly handled the town’s affairs, it was perfectly ordinary for Song Fengsui to associate with the Qin family. Thus, whenever he had time, he went to visit them. Mr. Bai occasionally came to their residence as well.
Duan Yan often heard Song Fengsui praise Mr. Bai’s thoughtfulness and virtue, as well as Tax Officer Qin’s rare quality as a good husband—someone who had risen with the support of his wife’s family yet had never forgotten his roots.
“It’s not as though I haven’t already taught you how to make some dishes. Why isn’t that enough? I’d be perfectly satisfied eating only those few things.
“If you happen to take an interest one day and want to cook something different for a change, I don’t mind teaching you. But you needn’t learn all those kitchen skills solely for the sake of preparing food for me. In a household, there’s no need for both people to be good at cooking.”
Duan Yan was delighted simply to hear that Song Fengsui wanted to cook and wait for him to return. How could he bear to have him truly spend his days bent over the stove?
For one thing, cooking was tedious and time-consuming. For another, Song Fengsui was accomplished in medicine. To abandon what he was good at merely for the sake of being with Duan Yan would be to put the cart before the horse.
“Tax Officer Qin worries that his husband won’t be accustomed to the place, so he considers everything carefully. You came from the comfort of the capital too, didn’t you? Of course I have to think about how to treat you well. What’s wrong with making you soup and cooking for you? Are you really going to argue with me over that?”
Song Fengsui was coaxed into a daze of happiness. No wonder people said that, despite all the worldly experience of the sons and daughters of wealthy families, they could still be won over by a poor scholar’s sweet talk. When such pleasing words fell upon one’s ears, anyone would know how delightful they were.
He leaned over and kissed Duan Yan. “I may not be good at making soup or cooking, and my needlework is only so-so, but I’m excellent at applying balm. Come here, let me put some more balm on Master Duan’s handsome little face, so the wind won’t chap it. Seeing it crack would break my heart.”
Duan Yan had his face rubbed and kneaded by those slender, well-proportioned hands. He felt that his own skin was not even as soft as those hands, and couldn’t resist embracing the mischievous man. “My face isn’t small.”
With that, he pressed the man down onto the soft couch beside them.
The two of them laughed and played around in the room for quite a while. After Gou San’er had run past the door three times, he finally couldn’t stand it anymore and knocked, asking whether the carriage had been harnessed and if they were still going out.
Only then did Duan Yan and Song Fengsui abruptly stop laughing. They got up from the couch, tidied their disheveled hair, put on warm, heavy clothes, and went outside.
It was the bitterest part of winter, with freezing weather. Song Fengsui was frail and couldn’t endure the cold of the countryside. But Song’s grandfather and Mu Linghui—one elderly and the other in poor health—were hardly any better. They had long lived at the foot of the mountain, exposed to the mountain winds, so how could they possibly withstand the cold?
Now that the situation outside had changed and the town had been sealed off, there were fewer things to worry about. Duan Yan and Song Fengsui discussed bringing the entire family into town to live.
Before doing so, they went to ask Duan’s father and mother whether they were willing to come into town and enjoy the liveliness. After obtaining the elders’ opinions, they would not feel that Duan Yan was only thinking of the Song family while neglecting his own and risk making his parents resentful.
Duan’s father and mother had grown accustomed to living at their estate in the countryside, where their relatives and acquaintances were all nearby. Moving into town would actually be inconvenient, so they said they would not come. Instead, they urged Duan Yan to make proper arrangements for the Song family’s residence.
Thus, Duan Yan did not force them.
At first, they had planned to bring the Song elders over and have everyone live under one roof. The house here was large enough to accommodate the entire family.
But after thinking it over, the two of them were not yet married, and living together like that would be somewhat improper.
For that reason, they had spent quite a bit of time recently looking for another residence in town for the Song family. However, the town was only so large, and there were only so many houses. Good ones were few and far between, and even fewer were vacant.
Duan Yan searched for several days and found a few houses to view with Song Fengsui, but neither of them was satisfied. They began to wonder whether they should hire someone to build a new residence instead, which would make it easier to tailor everything to their wishes. As it happened, Second Uncle Song was skilled in that field.
The idea was sound, but building a house would take a great deal of time, and the winter cold would not wait.
The two hesitated, unsure how to decide. By coincidence, Third Son Qian somehow heard that they were looking for a house. He said that there was a large residence standing empty in the alley where they currently lived, and that they could have it for the Song family.
Since it was close by, Duan Yan and Song Fengsui went to take a look. Unexpectedly, it really was quite good. It seemed Third Son Qian’s claims of owning many fine shops and houses in town were not false after all.
“Are you renting it out or selling it? Name your price.”
Given this fellow’s strange temperament, Duan Yan feared that if anything displeased him later, he might cause trouble again. Thus, he decided it would be best to buy the house outright. He happened to have a little money on hand, and the silver left over from the second shipment of salt he had failed to purchase would be just enough to buy the residence.
After hearing Duan Yan’s words, Third Son Qian huffed angrily. “I already said I was giving it to your father-in-law’s family to live in, and you’re still afraid I’ll take advantage of you.”
Since that was the case, he put on airs as well. “If you want to buy it, I can bear to sell it. But I don’t want your dead money. Give me goods in exchange.”
Duan Yan frowned. “What goods do you want this time?”
“Salt, tea, sugar, or medicine. Any of them will do.”
“You’re giving up your goods and treating me like a money tree.”
Duan Yan jabbed at him, but he was also thinking that it would be difficult to find a better house. Fortunately, Third Son Qian had not demanded an outrageous price—only three hundred taels of silver. There was no shortage of goods in the storehouse, and the key point was that everything was confined within the town. If supplies grew scarce later, this fellow might not be willing to take out what he had hidden.
In the end, he agreed to Third Son Qian’s terms.
The two settled the deal. Duan Yan transferred some goods, and Third Son Qian was refreshingly straightforward, handing him the keys on the spot.
The residence was quickly cleaned and put in order. Song Fengsui first persuaded his father, and then the father and son went together to speak with the rest of the family. Only then did they manage to convince everyone.
After all, the thatched cottage in the countryside was genuinely cold. Song Wushen worked at the yamen, and having to travel back and forth every day in such freezing weather was truly miserable. The whole family could understand that.
Thus, within a few days, the entire Song family agreed to move into the house in town.
They did not delay. Once the residence was properly arranged, they packed up the belongings in the countryside, prepared the carriages, and used two carts to bring everyone into town.
The roads were muddy, and Duan Yan personally drove the carriage carrying Song’s grandfather. A journey that usually took an hour or so ended up taking nearly half again as long.
Halfway there, sleet began to fall, pattering against the carriage roof with a soft, rustling sound.
Hearing it, Song Fengsui hurriedly climbed out of the carriage and held a straw hat over Duan Yan’s head.
Duan Yan adjusted the hat. “The wind is strong out here while I’m driving. Hurry back inside and sit properly.”
Song Fengsui obediently listened and did not linger outside to cling to him.
Song’s grandfather, who had been sitting upright with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. He looked at the young man who had climbed outside for a while only to be stuffed back in, a kindly smile in his eyes.
“You and Xiao Duan are truly happy together.”
The family had endured tremendous hardship during their exile. Even after arriving in Yan Town, their lives had not been easy.
For a young master who had once been raised in wealth to lose fine clothes and rich food overnight, enduring such a tremendous fall from grace was already difficult. To withstand the hardships and remain happier than before was no small feat. Song’s grandfather knew that this was not merely due to his grandson’s strong spirit, but also because someone had taken such pains to protect him.
“No wonder your parents and Second Uncle Song are all at ease letting you be with him. Even without watching over you, they can rest assured. Xiao Duan really is a good child.”
Song Fengsui had always been proper and respectful in front of his grandfather, rarely acting affectionate with Duan Yan. He was not afraid that his grandfather would scold him; he simply worried that Duan Yan would lose face in front of the old man.
Hearing his grandfather’s words, he flushed slightly and said in a small voice, “Grandfather, you’re teasing me.”
“Grandfather is not teasing you. I’m relieved from the bottom of my heart. In these troubled times, finding someone who knows your heart and will protect you is truly a gift from heaven.”
Song’s grandfather gently patted Song Fengsui’s hand. “A man should marry when he comes of age, and a young master should marry once he is grown as well. Now that you’ll be living in town, you should choose an auspicious day and speak with your parents about settling the marriage between the two of you.”
Song Fengsui had not expected his grandfather to bring this up so suddenly. His face reddened, and he said softly, “I suppose it would have to be him who speaks first. Then our family can discuss it.”
Song’s grandfather saw that he showed no sign of objection, only the reserve and bashfulness of a young ger. He could not help laughing. “If you don’t let him know how you feel, how would he dare bring the matter up himself?”
Song Fengsui’s eyes shifted. Then he suddenly pressed his lips together and lowered his head with a smile.
When they reached the residence, several servants were already there to help carry the luggage inside.
Song Wushen had also come over from the government office specifically to receive Song’s grandfather and his wife at their new home.
“You’ve been grinning to yourself this whole time. Are you so happy just because you’ve moved?”
Duan Yan was carrying a trunk. He walked over to Song Fengsui, who was holding a small bundle, and tilted his head to look at him.
Song Fengsui shot him a glance. “You know perfectly well why.”
Duan Yan was rather confused and was just about to press him for an answer when Gou San’er came hurrying over.
“There are enough hands here. What brings you over?”
Gou San’er glanced around at the several members of the Song family.
Seeing that he had something to report, and knowing that the Song family were no outsiders, Duan Yan told him to speak freely.
“Third Son Qian’s men got into a fight with the farmers in one of the villages.”
Duan Yan’s brows drew together. It was not as though he had any interest in meddling in Third Son Qian’s affairs. However, the two of them were working together on stockpiling troops and military supplies. They had issued an order to recruit able-bodied men into the army six or seven days ago, but only three or five people had come forward to sign up.
They had already summoned the village headmen to the government office for a meeting and sent them back to spread the news. Afraid that the message had not reached everyone, Third Son Qian had personally brought people from village to village to promote the recruitment. At least he had been doing his best.
But it had only been two days of campaigning. Whether they had recruited anyone was still unknown—how had they already managed to get into a fight with the farmers?
Hearing this, Song Wushen said, “Xiao Duan, don’t worry about things here. We can sort it out in a little while. You’d better go see what happened.”
Duan Yan acknowledged him, bade Song’s grandfather farewell, then quickly called for a horse and set off with several men toward the countryside.
By the time he galloped there, the fighting had already stopped, but the village ancestral hall where the meeting had been held was packed with farmers. Fortunately, the thunder had been louder than the rain. No one was seriously injured; they had only shoved each other around and suffered a few superficial scrapes.
At that moment, two men were sprawled on the ground like a pair of scoundrels, throwing tantrums and refusing to get up, claiming they had been beaten badly.
Duan Yan let out a small sigh of relief that nothing serious had happened, but the sight still infuriated him. He pulled Third Son Qian aside to speak with him.
“What happened? You’re supposed to be recruiting soldiers, yet you’ve started fighting before you’ve even recruited anyone. Who would still be willing to enlist after seeing this?”
Third Son Qian snapped angrily, “Why don’t you listen to what those bastards were saying? Those spineless cowards don’t want to enlist, fine—but they went around shouting that since the passes were closed, we were throwing our weight around in town, and that gathering so many troops must mean we were planning a rebellion!”
Third Son Qian and his men had come to explain the situation. They told the villagers that war raged beyond the borders and that the bandits were fierce. The town’s forces were weak, and as people of Rocky Town, the strong and able-bodied ought to step forward now to defend the town, fight the bandits, and preserve everyone’s peace and safety.
After speaking until his mouth was dry and his throat sore, he found that several young men below were not merely refusing to listen. They were also winking at one another, snickering, and muttering from one side to the other.
“Sounds nice, but the whole region’s in chaos now. If you recruit us, aren’t you just sending us off to die? We’re doing perfectly well plowing and planting our fields. Why should we go do some thankless, backbreaking work?”
“Those officials are the ones eating well and living comfortably. All they know how to do is order us around and make us suffer. They’ve certainly got their little scheme worked out.”
“Don’t be fools, everyone! The bird that sticks its head out gets shot. Enlisting means certain death. If none of us go, let’s see what they can do.”
“I don’t believe there are really that many bandits. What are the odds they’d be unlucky enough to come all the way to our village? There are so many of us—are we supposed to be afraid of a few bandits?”
The farmers had little independent judgment to begin with. Once familiar faces started stirring them up like this, it was hardly surprising that their hearts wavered.
Those who had initially been listening blankly to the speech began openly talking back to Third Son Qian.
“When the recruitment order came down, hardly anyone paid it any attention. I’ve been trudging from village to village through the wind and cold, making this announcement, and I haven’t seen more than one or two people volunteer. Now that those damned fools are stirring everyone up, there’ll be even fewer!”
“That foulmouth needs to have his teeth knocked out and be thrown beyond the pass. He clearly has no idea what things are like out there. I only kicked him once, and now he’s pretending to be unconscious and refusing to get up!”
After hearing this, Duan Yan let out a breath of stale air. It seemed one scoundrel had simply run into another.
Still, Third Son Qian could hardly be blamed for losing his temper and striking out. The recruitment effort had not gone nearly as smoothly as they had expected. They were preparing for war not for their own personal gain, but for the common livelihood of everyone in the town. They had pleaded until their mouths were dry, only to have the people refuse to cooperate. On top of that, someone was deliberately stirring up trouble. How could they not be angry?
He patted Third Son Qian on the shoulder. “Enough. Calm down. When you’re handling official business, can everything really go smoothly? Don’t argue with him anymore. I’ll clean this up. But it looks like our method of recruiting soldiers isn’t working. We’ll have to think of another plan.”
Third Son Qian angrily kicked over a stool beside him. Damn it, being a good man was difficult. Being a former street thug had been much more satisfying.
He turned his back on the crowd and, in the end, did not cause any further trouble.
Duan Yan took over the mess. His face stern, he raised a hand and ordered the constables under him to arrest the two farmers who were still lying on the ground.
The two men stared in disbelief. “Why are you arresting us? We haven’t broken the law! We’re the ones who were beaten! You officials are protecting your own people and throwing your weight around!”
“Lately, there have been troubling reports from outside. Bandits and criminals are roaming about, disguising themselves as farmers and infiltrating villages to incite the common people and take advantage of the chaos.”
Duan Yan’s voice was cold. “We searched everywhere but found no trace of them. Yet the two of you just jumped out on your own.”
The men’s hearts jolted. They had only been loudmouths, but now, through a stroke of bad luck, they were about to be taken to the government office. Their legs immediately went weak.
“Everyone in the village can testify for us! We’re genuine villagers from under the town’s jurisdiction! Officer, we’re honest folk!”
“Whether you’re honest folk or secretly working with the bandits as inside men remains to be determined. You can make your statements at the government office.”
With that, Duan Yan ignored their cries and had the constables bind and escort the two men away.
He then summoned the village headman and, in front of everyone, instructed him to keep a close eye on the movements of the villagers. Anyone who tried to incite the people was to be reported immediately.
Duan Yan deliberately exaggerated the sense of fear surrounding the war. If he did not use stern language now, idle villagers with nothing to do over the winter might gossip and make matters worse. The government office might even lose some of its authority.
By heightening the sense of danger a little, he could help these farmers—who had spent their entire lives in the countryside, knowing nothing of the world beyond it—develop a more concrete understanding of the situation. That way, they would be less likely to sit idle, refuse to cooperate, and create further trouble.
The villagers who had gathered to watch the commotion grew uneasy, just as he had expected. Seeing how iron-fisted the government officials were, they began to suspect that malicious people really had infiltrated the village.
For a while, no one dared speak up about the recruitment again. Instead, they cautiously began guarding against outsiders.
