After the meal, while there was still a bit of daylight left, Chen Shiyi picked up the cleaver, planning to go up the mountain again to gather more firewood.
Wen Zhiheng quickly asked.
“It’s getting late, where are you going?”
“To gather firewood.”
Wen Zhiheng immediately called Wen Zhiyuan.
“Zhiyuan, come with me. Shiyi, you stay home and rest.”
Chen Shiyi hurriedly stopped him.
“I’m the maid, how can I let you do the work? Besides, it’s getting dark, you don’t even know where to find dry firewood. Also, it’s not safe for the house to be without a man at night.”
Wen Zhiheng was stunned for a moment, his eyes deep as ink, his lips parting slightly, yet he didn’t know what to say.
“Then let’s do this. Zhiyuan, you stay home and watch over them. Shiyi, come with me this time. Next time, I can go by myself.”
Walking through the quiet forest, listening to the mournful sigh of the evening wind and the intermittent chirping of insects in the grass, it only added a touch of irritation to her already troubled thoughts.
“Shiyi, I’m sorry for letting you suffer such unfairness for no reason.”
Chen Shiyi, walking briskly ahead, asked in confusion.
“What unfairness?”
“They…”
“Oh, Young Master, I’d almost forgotten if you hadn’t mentioned it. It’s normal to complain a bit when the food isn’t good.”
“Aren’t you angry?”
“What’s there to be angry about? If I kept all those harsh words in my heart, I would have been angered to death many years ago. My stepmother used the most vicious words to curse me every day, and I treated it as routine.”
Wen Zhiheng felt a pang of discomfort in his heart.
“I grew up surrounded by others’ praise and cannot tolerate the slightest insult to myself, nor will I allow anyone to insult those under my protection. Shiyi, if anyone ever verbally insults you in the future, tell me, and I will avenge you.”
Chen Shiyi laughed.
“Alright.”
The twilight deepened, and the sky gradually darkened until the path was barely visible.
Chen Shiyi directed Wen Zhiheng in the work. At first, he was a bit clumsy, but before long, he was doing quite well. The two worked quickly, gathered two bundles of dry firewood, and headed down the mountain.
Wen Zhiheng hoisted both bundles onto his shoulder.
“Young Master, let me carry one bundle.”
“No need, I can manage this little bit. Let’s go.”
Chen Shiyi followed closely behind Wen Zhiheng.
She watched as he moved somewhat awkwardly through the mountains, occasionally bumping into trees or slipping, but by the end, he was standing steady and firm.
She had seen the wealth of the Marquis’s Mansion and found it hard to imagine that someone so noble and privileged, now fallen into such dire straits, showed no signs of complaining or lamenting the unfairness of fate. Instead, he remained composed, adaptable, and resilient—truly a man of great character.
The moment Wen Zhiheng set down the firewood, he let out a sigh of relief.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, scooped a bowl of clear spring water from the kitchen, and gulped it down.
By the light of the fire, Chen Shiyi carried the firewood into the woodshed, her swift movements even surprising herself.
He was exhausted after just a bit of work, while Chen Shiyi did this every day.
He prided himself on being skilled in court strategies and martial arts, but when it came to these mundane tasks of daily life, he felt ashamed in front of Chen Shiyi.
Once he caught his breath, he would repay her properly.
The next day, after returning the rice bags to the grain shop, Chen Shiyi returned to Flower Street.
“Nanzhi, are you buying pear cloud cakes again today?”
Nanzhi flicked her handkerchief, leaning against the railing, and said with displeasure.
"Oh, you little beggar, seems like you've latched onto me. Who eats rice cakes every day? Scram, scram, don't block my way with customers."
A rough, low voice sounded beside her.
"What's this thing, daring to block the entrance of Wanhua Lou."
Chen Shiyi looked up. The man wore a simple, fitted short jacket, with a burly build and a large head. A scar ran across his entire face, and his fierce eyes stared at Chen Shiyi like those of a dead thing.
Nanzhi immediately grabbed the menacing man, cooing softly and sweetly.
"Third Brother, she's here looking for me. I'll chase her away right now!"
The man pressed his tongue against his cheek, his voice softening a bit from before.
"Hurry up, don't disrupt Wanhua Lou's business."
"Alright, alright, Third Brother is always so considerate."
After saying this, she rubbed herself against Third Brother's arm.
Third Brother smiled at the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with lecherous light.
After seeing Third Brother off, Nanzhi turned and immediately snapped at Chen Shiyi.
"Hurry up and leave! This is a brothel, not a place a young girl like you should frequent."
Chen Shiyi understood, but having just been frightened by Third Brother, her legs felt a bit weak.
Nanzhi spoke again.
"Go to Xikou Xiang, find a family named Xue, and ask him to find work for you. Just say I sent you. You must never come here again. Now go."
After speaking, she turned and chatted with the other brothel women.
"These nails still look best dyed with balsam. I wonder if the balsam has bloomed yet."
"Just wait, you won't miss out."
Nanzhi turned and, noticing a customer, quickly put on a smiling face.
"Oh, isn't this Squire Zhao? It's been so long since you came to see Nanzhi. I've missed you to death! Did you forget about me?"
Squire Zhao's fat, swollen hands, covered in jade rings, went straight for Nanzhi's slender waist. Then, those restless hands kneaded downward. Nanzhi squirmed a few times before letting him lead her into Wanhua Lou.
Chen Shiyi hid in a corner, watching this scene, her heart aching.
So, this is what a brothel is like.
Sister Nanzhi is so kind, why did she end up in a brothel?
Following Nanzhi's directions, Chen Shiyi found Xikou Xiang, inquired about the Xue family, and went forward to knock on the door.
The door opened to reveal a simple, honest-looking man in his twenties.
He frowned, puzzled, and asked.
"You say Nanzhi sent you to find me?"
"Yes."
The man fell silent for a long moment.
"There's not much work anywhere right now. However, the medicine hall is recently buying Drooping Spike Stone Pine, also called Chicken Nest Grass, for five wen per jin. The quality is good this season; it won't fetch a good price later."
Chen Shiyi quickly thanked him upon hearing this.
"Should I bring what I gather to you?"
"Bring it here. I'll take yours along when I go to sell mine later."
"Thank you, Brother Xue."
Brother Xue scratched his head, saying somewhat awkwardly.
"My name is Xue Lianxing. You… you've seen Nanzhi. Is she… doing well?"
Chen Shiyi didn't know how to answer, then heard Xue Lianxing murmur quietly.
"She probably isn't doing well."
The town's bluestone bricks were coated with a layer of shimmer from the April starlight and rain; some could even reflect the hazy shadows of houses.
The bluestone bricks in front of the Xue household were especially bright.
Perhaps because her footsteps lingered too long, or because her gaze turned back repeatedly.
Chen Shiyi didn't know what story lay between them, but she knew it must be a sorrowful one.
Greetings after separation are like dreams, distant and unreachable.
Back home, Chen Shiyi grabbed a knife and headed up the mountain.
Wen Zhiyuan, who had some skill with his hands, cut bamboo and wove a crude basket that could be carried on his back.
She followed the medicinal herbs Xue Lianxing had described, weaving her way through the mountains.
Fortunately, they could still rely on the mountains for a meal here. If they had ended up in the bitterly cold lands of the far north or the miasma-filled regions of the far south, there wouldn’t even be a place to beg for food.
Finding joy in hardship was Chen Shiyi’s greatest quality.
Deep in the mountains, the harvest was plentiful.
In April, many flowers, plants, and trees had awakened from winter, blooming at their freshest and most tender.
The bamboo basket on her back was filled with Chicken Nest Grass. She also found large patches of Fir Mushrooms and, by chance, unearthed several long pieces of wild yam.
It was simply incredibly lucky.