Wooden hairpins were cheap. Those with a simple floral carving on the head cost thirty coins each.
The ones with delicate engravings all along the shaft, shaped like slender branches and a butterfly resting on the carved flower at the top, cost fifty coins apiece.
Since the latter couldn’t easily be inscribed with characters, Ye Cunshan didn’t buy many.
When he finished counting, he had three hundred and twenty plain hairpins and ten of the flowered ones. After rounding off the figures, it came to an even ten taels of silver. He had brought twenty taels with him on this trip.
After confirming his main purchases, he went to the city’s bookshop to buy two volumes for the civil service examinations.
Du Family Bookstore, connected with both the prefectural city and the capital, carried a wide range of books.
But in We County, most scholars came from poor families. The bookshop allowed them to copy two books a month for free, which meant those kinds of books hardly made any profit.
Most of the stock sold in the shop were hand-copied manuscripts, since the owners had never bothered to hire craftsmen to carve printing blocks.
Books traveled slowly, copied in the capital, passed to the prefecture, then from the prefecture to the county. By the time they reached readers here, two months could have already gone by.
That, however, was money Ye Cunshan spent gladly. After he finished reading, he could copy the books again in his spare time and sell them to his classmates. Counting it that way, it was almost as if he hadn’t spent any money at all.
Lodging for one night in the prefecture city was expensive. Even the large shared sleeping quarters with the worst conditions cost two hundred coins a night.
So, before night fell, Ye Cunshan went to a cosmetics shop to buy a box of hand cream for Yun Cheng.
Since he was already out, he thought of his younger brother, who was still staying temporarily at his second uncle’s house and bought three more boxes of face cream for him as well.
By the time he was done, his purse was completely empty. Only a few lonely coppers jingled at the bottom.
Not wanting to waste time in the city, he returned straight to the docks, borrowed a small knife from one of the boatmen and sat down near the oil lamp at the ship’s hull. On the tail end of a flower hairpin, he carefully carved three tiny characters.
Those three words, he never intended to teach Yun Cheng their meaning.
At that same time, Yun Cheng was also working under the light of a kerosene lamp. He had studied sketching for a long time and could capture a figure with only a few swift strokes.
He had never actually seen a real underworld wanted poster, nor had he met this Li Banxian in person, so he drew inspiration from the modern images of the Black and White Impermanence.
On each side of the paper, he drew two tall, thin figures of ghost messengers holding soul-catching chains, pulling a line between them.
At the center of that line hung a small bell, the “Soul Seizing Bell.”
Across the line, he wrote the bold words “WANTED BY THE UNDERWORLD.”
Around it, he drew the border of a “Soul-Suppressing Talisman.”
Below it, he wrote the names: Li Banxian, Daoist Li.
Underneath came the list of crimes.
Yun Cheng wasn’t sure if Li Banxian had ever tampered with people’s fates when he told fortunes before. His understanding of this era was shallow, so he simply wrote four large words: “Tampering with Destiny.”
Finally, he decided to give Li Banxian five days to confess on his own, reasoning that since the man lived in the neighboring village, word would take some time to spread.
The paper he used was taken from Ye Cunshan’s room. He didn’t have the skills to make it look aged, so he spent extra effort darkening the back with black ink.
The remaining space was left mostly blank, save for the tall, narrow characters “Underworld Authority” in stark black, a design meant to strike fear at first sight.
That night, Yun Cheng barely slept. The kang bed was warm but he was afraid of oversleeping and ruining his plan.
After finishing the wanted posters, since he still had the eyebrow pencils and paper out, he began writing down the story ideas he’d been brewing for days.
Writing by hand in ancient times was troublesome; editing was even worse. The more carefully he planned, the more smoothly his ideas would unfold later.
Before dawn broke, Yun Cheng was already awake.
Only Liu Yun was up at that hour. Like most young wives, she was always the first in the household to rise, lighting the stove, heating the water, kneading dough.
When the first pot of water was hot, she’d bring it to serve her in-laws for washing. Then she’d heat another pot for her husband and child.
Only after everyone else was settled would she finally tend to herself, just in time to set the food on the table. That was how her long day began.
Yun Cheng thought privately that it wasn’t such a bad thing that Ye Cunshan had separated from the main family.
Seeing him up so early, Liu Yun was surprised. “Why are you awake already? Are you hungry? Or not feeling well?”
Yun Cheng shook his head. “I’m going to check if the tree bark by the river has soaked enough. It’s going to rain today and I’m afraid the wooden rods might have loosened. I need to secure them again.”
Liu Yun wiped her hands on her apron, ready to accompany him. “I said yesterday it’d rain but I didn’t expect it this soon. I’ll go with you, the riverbank’s slippery in the rain.”
But Yun Cheng couldn’t take anyone along today. He grabbed an umbrella and stopped her. “I’ll be quick. The earlier I go, the better. If others see me there later, it’ll be troublesome.”
Only then did Liu Yun stay back. Last night, Ye Yan had told her that Ye Cunshan didn’t plan to share the papermaking method with anyone in the village.
Paper was valuable. Knowing how to make it was like holding a chicken that laid golden eggs.
Since she’d been helping Yun Cheng these past few days, plenty of people had noticed. If they went out together again, it would be hard to explain if anyone saw.
She thought of lending him Ye Yan’s boots, bought from the county town, the soles were thick and stiff, far less slippery than straw sandals.
But Yun Cheng stepped on the floor twice, the new boots tapping lightly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
When it came to making trouble, he had made sure to prepare properly. He even wore Ye Cunshan’s undershirt as a disguise, pulling it over himself before heading out.
Outside, the rain was thin and misty, drawing a hazy curtain over the world. The leaden clouds swallowed the dim blue of the dawn sky and at the horizon, a pale line of light peeked through. It was perfect weather to play with ghosts.
Yun Cheng slipped quietly to the bend in the river, crouched near a wall to put on Ye Cunshan’s outer robe and began waiting.
When he heard faint voices approaching, he tossed the wanted poster onto a flat stone and quickly made his way downstream, toward the neighboring village, near where the tree bark was soaking.
The first person to come fetch water that morning was Ye Liang. Villagers loved to gossip and many had asked him to pick up things from the county yesterday. Since the weather was bad, he decided to leave early.
In this rain, he didn’t want women or children out fetching water, so he went himself before heading off.
From afar, he spotted a white figure holding an umbrella. His eyesight wasn’t great and with the gray sky and the thin curtain of rain, the figure looked almost ghostly.
He nearly jumped out of his skin, muttering to himself, “Who comes out this early in white clothes to scare people?”
After setting down his buckets and shoulder pole to draw water, a sudden gust of wind sent a sheet of paper fluttering toward him.
Paper was precious.
Ye Liang had helped Ye Yan buy some before, too expensive to charge a delivery fee, he’d only brushed his fingers over it for luck.
So when he saw it, his instinct was to pick it up.
The paper was drawn in bold charcoal and brow pencil strokes. Two grim-faced ghost messengers stared directly at the viewer. Ye Liang threw it away at once.
But it was too late, his hands were already smeared with black ink. The rain had dampened the paper, blurring the edges of the ink lines.
He thought of washing his hands in the river but a sudden chill went through him. He remembered stories, about spirits seeking substitutes for the dead, luring people into danger without their knowing.
If he went to the river now and drowned, wouldn’t that be exactly what such spirits wanted?
That morning, the entire Jinghe Village was shaken awake by Ye Liang’s terrified shout: “A ghost! There’s a ghost!”
At forty five, Ye Liang wasn’t young. He was well-traveled compared to others, often running errands to the county or chatting with people at the docks. During idle seasons, the villagers liked gathering around to hear him talk about the outside world.
So when he shouted “ghost,” no one doubted him. Panic rippled through the whole village.
By the time Yun Cheng saw that the coast was clear, he slipped off the outer robe, crumpled it and stuffed it into his chest. On his way back, he tossed out another wanted poster before quickly leaving the riverbank and hurrying home.
He had to admit, the new leather boots were great, warm, snug and not slippery even on muddy ground.
He decided that come New Year, he’d see if he could get another pair.
The commotion soon reached Ye Yan’s house as well.
Jinghe Village had few scholars left. A few men could read, like Ye Gen’s son Wangzu and the elder uncle’s boy Qingyang but their literacy was shallow.
Because Yun Cheng had written sparsely to prevent the ink from bleeding, the blank space around the words gave the poster a chilling, eerie air.
The script was unlike anything the villagers had seen before.
People took it seriously. Even if their first instinct was to burn the paper and be done with it, no one dared to offend the underworld spirits.
Soon, all the village’s literate men were gathered to identify the writing.
By the time Yun Cheng returned, Liu Yun had put on her straw raincoat and was about to go out looking for him.
“You’re all right? Did you see anyone by the river?”
“I saw someone in white going downstream,” Yun Cheng said. “Didn’t recognize him. I only went over after he left. Everything’s fine.”
Liu Yun nearly jumped in fright. “Good thing you didn’t speak to him!”
If it had been anyone else from the village, they’d have shouted a greeting first thing, without even checking who it was.
Yun Cheng wasn’t a skilled actor but for someone like Liu Yun, who’d never watched even a proper stage play, his slight look of confusion was convincing enough.
“I don’t understand,” he said mildly. “What’s wrong with him?”
Liu Yun hesitated, afraid to say the word “ghost,” and mumbled, “Better wait for your Yan ge to come back.”
After all, this was a clan village. When the clan elder spoke, the younger ones didn’t dare go against him.
Ye Second Uncle, worried for his son, went too. Madam Zhao stayed behind, teaching little Chan to speak. When Yun Cheng passed by, he heard her softly chanting Buddhist verses.
He paused.
Had he overdone it?
Were they… reacting a little too strongly?
Before anyone could decipher the writing, the few non-Ye families in the village grew restless, sending people out to ask for news.
Not long after, another man, Yun Guangjin, fetched water and found a second poster.
He was the younger brother of Yun Guangshi and his parents had chosen his name hoping for “abundant fortune.”
Now, he was being scolded half to death by those same parents, told he’d brought bad luck into the house. They even made him step over a burning brazier to drive off evil.
But it was still raining outside, no brazier in sight. Wandering around aimlessly, he ended up at Ye Gen’s place.
The second sheet Yun Cheng had tossed was strategically placed on a rock, just slightly damp, sheltered by a larger stone. The writing was much clearer.
And the image was sharper too.
No one knew who had drawn it but the Black and White Impermanence wore thin smiles, their eyes cold and knife-like, cutting straight through the soul.
After seeing it, Ye Wangzu didn’t let the elders take a look. Instead, he called Ye Yan and a few younger cousins into the inner room.
“Father, uncles…. ” he said solemnly, “Rest for now. We’ll take a closer look and tell you what we find.”
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ChaptersChapter 1 · I Shall Go With YouChapter 2 · You Are ResponsibleChapter 3 · Just make A DoChapter 4 · You Have To Hold MeChapter 5 · Live A Good LifeChapter 6 · Meet The ParentsChapter 7 · Lucky for My husbandChapter 8 · ThreatenChapter 9 · Turning Waste paper into NewChapter 10 · New Paper!Chapter 11 · He will look good in thisChapter 12 · Too HonestChapter 13 · Make Him HappyChapter 14 · WorshipChapter 15 · Feeling Sorry for moneyChapter 16 · I’m so reluctant to leave you.Chapter 17 · My feelings for him are no longer pure.Chapter 18 · Thinking about helping him in some wayChapter 19 · Buy one for my husbandChapter 20 · Cause troubleChapter 21 · Aftermath of the incidentChapter 22 · He led him home obediently.Chapter 23 · Why are you hugging me?Chapter 24 Part 1 · Sweet TalkingChapter 24 Part 2 · Sweet TalkingChapter 25 · You are my drean ManChapter 26 · I don’t fall for flirtingChapter 27 Part 1 · Teaching You How to Like MeChapter 27 Part 2 · Teaching You How to Like MeChapter 28 Part 1 · Picking up kid from schoolChapter 28 Part 2 · Picking up kid from schoolChapter 29 Part 1 · I Have a FriendChapter 29 Part 2 · I Have a FriendChapter 30 Part 1 · Pampering My HusbandChapter 30 Part 2 · Pampering My HusbandChapter 31 Part 1 · Don’t compare yourself with othersChapter 31 Part 2 · Don’t compare yourself with othersChapter 32 Part 1 · Come here and kiss me yourselfChapter 32 Part 2 · Come here and kiss me yourselfChapter 33 Part 1 · Let me explainChapter 33 Part 2 · Let me explainChapter 34 Part 1 · Little SecretChapter 34 Part 2 · Little SecretChapter 35 Part 1 · Going to the New Year MarketChapter 35 Part 2 · Going to the New Year MarketChapter 36 Part 1 · Please coax his little husbandChapter 36 Part 2 · Please coax his little husbandChapter 37 Part 1 · I want you to pamper meChapter 37 Part 2 · I want you to pamper meChapter 38 Part 1 · He wants to marry into the family!Chapter 38 Part 2 · He wants to marry into the family!Chapter 39 Part 1 · This is a separate priceChapter 39 Part 2 · This is a separate priceChapter 40 Part 1 · Husband, children, and a warm bedChapter 40 Part 2 · Husband, children, and a warm bedChapter 41 Part 1 · Biting SpringChapter 41 Part 2 · Biting SpringChapter 42 Part 1 · Isn’t managing you the important thing?Chapter 42 Part 2 · Isn’t managing you the important thing?Chapter 43 · Shameless!Chapter 44 Part 1 · Head of the HouseholdChapter 44 Part 2 · Head of the HouseholdChapter 45 · DatingChapter 45 Part 2 · DatingChapter 46 · You Were the One Who Got HookedChapter 47 · I Like Being Looked AfterChapter 48 · A Weighty AffectionChapter 49 · Go On, Say It AgainChapter 50 · There’s plenty of time in the futureChapter 51 · Karma and RetributionChapter 52 · Playing the “Villain”Chapter 53 · I’ll Be Very Gentle!Chapter 54 · Rural RomanceChapter 55 · Don’t CryChapter 56 · Unable to Afford TuitionChapter 57 · Coax MeChapter 58 · Do You Want Me to Keep You Company?Chapter 59 · You’re Not Good EnoughChapter 60 · WoofChapter 61 Part 1 · Are the Words “I Love You” Too Hot for Your Mouth?Chapter 61 Part 2 · Are the Words “I Love You” Too Hot for Your Mouth?Chapter 62 · My skin gets itchy if I don’t take care of it for a day.Chapter 63 · ClingyChapter 64 · Night TalkChapter 65 · Top Scholar TransmigrationChapter 66 · Imperial examinationsChapter 67 · Exams Over!Chapter 68 · You’re making fun of me as soon as you get back?Chapter 69 · Shameless!Chapter 70 · Truly unbelievableChapter 71 · One taelChapter 72 · Did you draw one for my brother?Chapter 73 · Bad LuckChapter 74 · Look like youChapter 75 · You’re so clingyChapter 76 · Careful your elder brother doesn’t beat you upChapter 77 · If you’re going to hit me, then just hit meChapter 78 · Cheng GegeChapter 79 · Thank you, DidiChapter 80 · Poor scholars from humble backgrounds usually have strong prideChapter 81 · Twenty two?Chapter 82 · Have you started preparing a new book yet?Chapter 83 · We’re PoorChapter 84 · I Still can’t believeChapter 85 Part 1 · But What happened in the end?Chapter 85 Part 2 · But What happened in the End?Chapter 86 · I’m a little kidChapter 87 · The person in this painting is my younger brotherChapter 88 · Yun Xiaocheng Even Has This SkillChapter 89 Part 1 · Preparations Before DepartureChapter 89 Part 2 · Preparations Before DepartureChapter 90 Part 1 · On the Road, a Transitional ChapterChapter 90 Part 2 · On the Road, a Transitional ChapterChapter 91 Part 1 · NarrativeChapter 91 Part 2 · NarrativeChapter 92 · Narrative, transitional chapterChapter 93 · Make you happyChapter 94 Part 1 · Burial and AdmonitionChapter 94 Part 2 · Burial and AdmonitionChapter 95 · Song Jin said she was very good to Cheng HuilanChapter 96 · She has a good older brother.Chapter 97 · Simplicity is the bestChapter 98 · HomecomingChapter 99 Part 1 · Going homeChapter 99 Part 2 · Going HomeChapter 100 Part 1 · AugustChapter 100 Part 2 · AugustChapter 101 Part 1 · How come you’re pregnant but still have such a slim waist?Chapter 101 Part 2 · How come you’re pregnant but still have such a slim waist?Chapter 102 · This is the love you have for me.Chapter 103 Part 1 · SeptemberChapter 103 Part 2 · SeptemberChapter 103 Part 3 · SeptemberChapter 104 Part 1 · Ye Xiaoshan, you’re so shamelessChapter 104 Part 2 · Ye Xiaoshan, you’re so shamelessChapter 105 · Ye Xiaoshan, what are you doing?Chapter 106 Part 1 · Daily lifeChapter 106 Part 2 · Daily lifeChapter 107 · The novel has many plotsChapter 108 Part 1 · Daily life + novel plotChapter 108 Part 2 · Daily life + novel plotChapter 109 · Monthly Exams and Daily RoutineChapter 110 · Mainly exams