Even before the first day of the Lunar New Year arrived, Taiping County was already brimming with festive joy. Passing through the city gates felt like stepping out of the old year and into the fresh atmosphere of the new. The main streets were adorned with lanterns and colorful decorations. The proprietors of long-established shops directed their young apprentices to apply fresh paint and replace the peachwood charms. Not far away, a shop that had changed hands had its signboard covered with red cloth. The new owner stood at the open door, bowing and offering New Year’s greetings to the neighbors, announcing that the shop would open on an auspicious day, with grand opening discounts in the coming days. In the alleys, families with a bit of spare money and a particular craft skill brought out their specialties, carrying finished goods in baskets, pushing them on carts, or balancing them on shoulder poles to sell at the market, where the calls of vendors rose and fell like waves.
Elderly people leaning on canes strolled slowly along the streets, women with baskets haggled with vegetable sellers, and groups of young children played and sang nursery rhymes they had picked up from who-knows-where in the streets… Every face glowed with joy at the arrival of the New Year. Near the market street stood the Taiping County schoolhouse, where the teacher, with his hands clasped behind his back and a ruler in hand, paced among the students while reciting the Thousand Character Classic. Outside, the vendors’ calls intertwined like a symphony—now the clanging of metal from the dragon’s beard candy seller, then the suona horn of the olive vendor, and somewhere else, the rhythmic clapping of wooden boards from another stall. The students swayed their heads as they chanted along with the teacher, though whether they were actually absorbing the lessons was evident from their perked-up ears and occasional wandering eyes.
The teacher lamented inwardly: To achieve the ideal of “hearing nothing outside the window, focusing only on the sages’ books,” they still had a long way to go!
In stark contrast to the lively atmosphere outside, the General’s Manor was shrouded in gloom, with no hint of New Year celebrations. The general’s wife had died from postpartum hemorrhage while giving birth. Deeply devoted to his late wife, the general had not remarried. He entrusted the child to his elderly parents, who had retired to a life of leisure, and returned to guard the distant frontier. The elderly couple doted on the child as their most precious treasure, and the child lived up to the high hopes of his grandfather and his faraway father, displaying remarkable intelligence and eloquence from a young age. But recently, for some unknown reason, he had been plagued by nightmares, which left him increasingly gaunt and listless. Despite consulting countless skilled physicians, the elderly couple found no cure. Watching the dark circles under their grandson’s eyes deepen day by day, they were so heartbroken they could hardly eat or sleep. With such worries weighing on the household, who had the heart to prepare New Year’s goods or celebrate the festival?
“Bi Lian,” called a maid in a goose-yellow dress, holding a tray with a blue-and-white porcelain bowl adorned with red fish and algae patterns, containing Heart-Nourishing Porridge to soothe the spirit. “The cook asked me to bring this porridge, saying it’s to replenish the young master’s blood. It’s lightly flavored and simmered until soft and smooth. Please take it to him.”
The maid named Bi Lian accepted the bowl with a bitter smile. “Alright, I’ll try to coax the young master. It’s been days—he’s too afraid to sleep and has lost his appetite entirely.”
“If this continues, the old master and madam won’t be able to bear it either. The New Year is approaching. After the first day, uncles and other relatives will come to visit, but the manor hasn’t even prepared any New Year’s goods yet,” the other maid said with concern.
“That’s true, but with the young master in this state, what about the master…”
“Shh!” The maid quickly covered Bi Lian’s mouth. “The general serves both the country and his family. Don’t say another word, or if the housekeeper hears you, she’ll slap you dozens of times and leave you unable to speak for days.”
Thinking of the stewardess’s strength—a single slap could swell a face, let alone dozens of slaps. Being unable to speak for ten days or half a month would be considered light; what if one went deaf… Bi Lian fell silent, fearfully glancing around. Fortunately, aside from her and Honglian, who was also a first-class maid, no one else had passed by yet.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll go deliver the porridge to the young master now.”
“Oh, it’s already this late. I should head back.” Honglian turned to return to her room when the stewardess’s voice called out to her from afar. Honglian hurried over, only to be startled by the stewardess’s fierce expression.
“Hurry and find someone—Young Master Gusheng is missing!” The stewardess frowned, her brows revealing impatience and annoyance. “With the New Year approaching, the manor is bustling with tasks. The best help Young Master Gusheng could offer is to stay quietly in his room. Who would have thought he’d disappear now, causing nothing but trouble!”
Honglian smiled gently. “Don’t worry. Young Master Gusheng is still young and full of energy—it’s natural for him to be restless. He’s probably just wandering around the manor. Let’s have others keep an eye out for him.”
The stewardess gritted her teeth. “If only he were truly in the manor! But the servants at the back gate said they found a ladder leaning against the wall near the old tree when they changed shifts. The old tree blocked the view, and Young Master Gusheng disappeared around the same time. If he really sneaked out of the manor, how am I supposed to explain it to the young master and the old madam?”
Honglian pondered. “I heard from Liuer and Ying’er that the young master seems very interested in acrobatics. He probably sneaked out to watch a performance. I’ll use the excuse of purchasing New Year goods to search for him at the market. Let Liuer wait in his room for his return, and have the others continue to keep an eye out discreetly. We mustn’t make a fuss—the old madam is already exhausted from worrying about the young master. We can’t disturb her further.”
The stewardess nodded. “Of course. I’ll keep watch over the manor and assign a few clever servants to accompany you in the search. Go quickly and find the young master.”
Honglian took her leave. Just then, a maid from another courtyard came looking for the stewardess, who had to attend to the newcomer. Though she seethed with frustration over the missing Young Master Gusheng, there was little she could do.
The apprentice at Baicao Hall had already prepared several packets of medicine when he noticed the six- or seven-year-old child timidly peering into the shop from the doorway. Remembering his master’s instructions before leaving—that with the New Year approaching, thieves would be eager to have a good celebration, and to be wary of suspicious individuals—he glanced at the child again. Could even such a young child be…? Truly, the world was going downhill.
“Hey, what do you want? Are you here to see a doctor or buy medicine? The physician isn’t in—if you need a consultation, go somewhere else. We only sell medicine here.” The apprentice shouted loudly. The child flinched but still didn’t enter the shop.
“Excuse me, besides Calming Decoction for treating nightmares, are there any other methods?”
“Nightmares? That’s the Nightmare Affliction.” The apprentice clicked his tongue. “Medicine won’t help. Go pray to the gods or Buddha.” He waved dismissively. Since the boy wasn’t here to buy medicine, he should leave quickly—a living person blocking the entrance was bad for business.
“Pray to the gods… or Buddha…?” the child murmured softly, then looked up with shining eyes. “Does it really work?”
The apprentice rolled his eyes and pointed in a direction. “Just head that way. There’s a place called Zhiwei Guan—it’s really effective! Now hurry up and leave. Don’t block our business.”
“Alright, thank you.” The child responded with a sweet smile and ran in the direction the apprentice pointed, nearly bumping into someone carrying a medicine chest as they entered the shop. “Sorry about that.”
“That little rascal,” the apprentice chuckled, then noticed the person who had just walked in. “Master, you’re back.”
“Hmm…” the physician acknowledged. “That child just now looked somewhat familiar.”
“Hey, every six- or seven-year-old looks about the same to you,” the apprentice joked.
“You cheeky brat, did you prepare the Calming Decoction I asked for?” The apprentice handed over the medicine he had set aside. “Why are so many people having trouble sleeping lately? That kid was also asking about the Calming Decoction…” the apprentice muttered, scratching the back of his head. “Stop muttering and bring the medicine chest to the General’s Manor,” the physician scolded. “Alright, alright.”
Though the spring chill was sharp, the flowers and plants in the General’s Manor’s garden flourished under the gardener’s meticulous care, exuding the vitality of spring. Yan Lingyu, his skin sickly pale, walked barefoot along the pebble path. Now around eight or nine years old, his face was thin and gaunt, the pallor devoid of any hint of color accentuating the heavy, dark circles under his eyes. Children of his age typically have eyes sparkling with energy, like luminous black pearls from the deep sea, but his held only endless exhaustion. Tormented by the Nightmare Affliction for many days, he hadn’t had a single night of restful sleep. His lips were pressed tightly together, the line of his mouth drawn taut. The path, paved with large, smooth pebbles gathered from the riverbed, was densely studded with bumps. The stones felt cold underfoot, and the uneven surface was uncomfortable, especially for a child experiencing it for the first time. Trembling slightly, Yan Lingyu continued along the path without leaving it, always mindful of the physician’s advice that walking on pebbles could help stimulate blood circulation and improve sleep.
“Young Master, Young Master.” A maid’s voice called out, growing closer. Yan Lingyu stopped and turned, waiting for the figure in green to approach.
“What is it?”
“Young Master,” Bi Lian caught her breath. “The wind is strong here, and you might catch a chill. Please return to your room first. The kitchen has sent Heart-Nourishing Porridge; you should have it while it’s hot.”
Yan Lingyu shook his head. “I’m not very hungry. I’ll take a walk here for a while and have it later.”
Bi Lian had no choice but to follow behind Yan Lingyu.
After walking a bit longer, Yan Lingyu suddenly remembered someone and asked, “Where is Ran Gusheng?”
Bi Lian was startled, recalling that the housekeeper had just mentioned that Young Master Gusheng was nowhere to be found and had asked her to keep an eye out for the troublesome young master, who might be hiding in some corner.
“Young Master Gusheng, he…” Bi Lian’s eyes darted around as she searched for an excuse. “He…”
Yan Lingyu frowned. “What about him?” Bi Lian thought for a moment, lowering her head and avoiding his gaze. “Young Master Gusheng was caught climbing a tree earlier by the housekeeper and me. The housekeeper scolded him, and since he saw I was there too, he begged me not to tell you, Young Master.”
Yan Lingyu shook his head and didn’t press further.
After walking a little farther, Bi Lian glanced at the sky and reminded him, “Young Master, the physician from Baicao Hall should be arriving soon. Let’s head back to your room.”
Having taken so much medicine with no effect, what use is a doctor? Yan Lingyu halted. Bi Lian noticed that her young master did not immediately return to see the doctor as he had in the past. As the days plagued by the Nightmare Affliction increased and his health deteriorated further from what it once was, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment, and his temperament had also changed somewhat. She could roughly guess Yan Lingyu’s thoughts and cautiously said, “This servant has heard that Doctor Qu of Baicao Hall is unparalleled in acupuncture. This servant thinks… even if it only treats the symptoms and not the root cause, it would be good for the young master to have a peaceful night’s sleep. What does the young master think…”
“Let’s go back.” Although he did not quite agree with the maid’s reasoning, deep down he faintly hoped it would be as Bi Lian said.