Fahua Tower, third-floor private room by the window.
A screen divides the interior into two sections, separating the young mistress from the accompanying servants.
Miss Player sat on one side of the screen. On the other side, near the door, sat Lu Wumou. He had only three days to fulfill Miss Player’s request, yet showed not the slightest trace of impatience. He sat calmly, admiring the sutras embroidered on the screen.
Wen Yan stood guard by the door with a sturdy servant from the Huang household. Outside, two Yamen Runners were also stationed.
Today was the Buddhist gathering at Wan’an Temple. The entire Jiang family had gone out, and the Huang family was no exception. Madam Sun had gone together with Lady Huang, leaving behind Miss Player, who could not enter the temple, under the care of Madam Bai, who likewise found it inconvenient to go inside.
There was a saying among the common folk when raising children: before the age of three, do not go into the mountains; before five, do not enter temples. Even while still in the womb, the same rule applied.
The attendants of the tower brought refreshments and a large pot of honeyed water, then withdrew.
Madam Bai sat braiding a decorative cord, her eyes never leaving Miss Player as she said, “It’s lively outside. You don’t have to stay here with me. If you want to go out for a stroll, as long as you don’t go inside the temple, and you bring enough attendants, it won’t be a problem.”
Miss Player had no interest. This level of excitement—she had already grown tired of it in her previous run.
“No need.”
She picked up a pastry and ate it idly.
Madam Bai’s cheerful voice drifted on—
“Quite a few boys have swollen faces today. Good thing you weren’t stung. Once yesterday’s incident spread, every household in the county yamen checked their premises in a hurry. Because of that, a newly built nest hidden outside a window in one of the resting rooms was discovered. I stay in that room day and night—I can’t imagine what would have happened if it hadn’t been removed and I’d been stung. Worst of all would be if we’d provoked the whole swarm…”
Miss Player’s attention had already shifted below. She had spotted someone familiar.
This window faced a small side entrance of Fahua Tower. Two peasant men stood there awkwardly. Their voices reached her only faintly, but she could just make out the word “catch.”
Fahua Tower was, in truth, a property of Wan’an Temple.
In the current Buddhist world, there were two factions. One did not strictly observe monastic discipline—monks could eat meat, drink wine, and marry. As for the killing involved, as long as one did not see the killing, did not hear it, and did not suspect the animal had been slaughtered specifically for oneself, one could partake of meat offered by believers.
The other faction had flourished only after the founding of Great Xi, and more closely aligned with Miss Player’s understanding of Buddhist doctrine. Wan’an Temple belonged to this latter group. Its monks were vegetarian and abstained from killing, believing that “to eat meat is to extinguish the fundamental seed of compassion in a cultivator.”
Thus, Fahua Tower served only vegetarian fare. The two men were bound to return empty-handed—and likely be scolded as well.
Miss Player had already decided to buy their goods, no matter the quality of the fish.
They were not strangers. More than three years ago, these very men had intervened and rescued her from traffickers. Characters who appeared repeatedly before a player often carried important plot lines. It was worth engaging them—one might even trigger a side quest.
However, what unfolded below was not what Miss Player expected.
…
On the first floor, the elder of the Feng brothers stood at the entrance, nervously rubbing his hands. If not for the large quantity of fish—and the fact that dead fish would lose most of their value—he would never have dared to come to a restaurant to sell his catch.
A waiter crouched before the baskets, using his hands to stir the fish that were still gasping for air. With his head lowered, he concealed the cunning in his eyes.
“All these fish are about the same size,” he said. “I’ll take them by count. Thirty copper coins per fish.”
The younger Feng brother had previously asked around at the market and estimated their weight. Fish of this size could sell for eight coins per jin when sold individually, and most weighed over five jin, with few exceeding six.
But if they died, even ten coins per fish might not fetch a buyer. After accounting for losses, this price was actually fair.
The brothers exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.
The waiter called two men to count and carry all four baskets inside.
Left outside, the younger brother squatted and counted on his fingers, then on his elder brother’s, finally calculating the total. He said, “This batch brings in eighteen strings of cash. Enough for a year’s expenses.”
The elder brother’s face lit up, though he could only repeat awkwardly, “Good… good.”
The younger brother grinned foolishly. “All that soaking in the water for a full day and night wasn’t for nothing. Even if Third Brother’s foot’s gone bad this time, after the farming season he’ll be able to take a wife. Worth it.”
The elder brother echoed again, “Good… good.”
But as they waited, their expressions shifted—from joy to confusion, then to anxiety. No one came out to settle the account. The younger brother finally craned his head inside to call out.
The waiter emerged, a white cloth draped over his shoulder. He glanced at them with obvious disdain.
“Why are you two still here?”
The younger brother forced a smile. “The payment hasn’t been settled yet.”
The waiter’s face darkened. “What payment?”
“The thirty coins per fish… If the kitchen hasn’t paid yet, just let us know…”
“Ha—!”
The waiter stepped back as if avoiding something filthy, pointing at the younger brother and cursing, “Where did this scoundrel come from, trying to extort Fahua Tower? Do you even know what kind of place this is?”
His finger nearly poked the younger brother’s eye as spittle flew.
“Fahua Tower is a pure place of the Buddhist order. We serve only vegetarian fare. Get lost!”
Only then did they realize—they had been cheated.
Eighteen strings of cash…
The elder brother’s face flushed red with anger, but his tongue failed him. The younger brother tried to speak, but had no chance.
A burly man sneered. “If you don’t leave, we’ll beat you first, then drag you to the authorities. That’s a serious offense.”
One of the men stepped toward them.
Upstairs, a half-eaten pastry flew from Miss Player’s hand and struck the waiter squarely on the forehead. Still unsatisfied, she turned and called loudly, “Wen Yan—Wen Yan—”
Not long after, the waiter and several men were kneeling before her. She held a confiscated club, smiled with a hint of mischief, and said, “I saw everything that happened downstairs.”
Miss Player wore a brand-new outfit she had just received yesterday. The elegance of the curved-hem robe was fully displayed on her small frame. Even Taozi, who followed her every day, was struck speechless by her “formal attire.” She thought she looked wicked, yet was dazzling beyond measure. Everyone present felt as though struck by invisible arrows called “cuteness,” their hearts pounding uncontrollably.
Even the accused stood dazed.
Miss Player suddenly found it dull. She tossed aside the club and waved her hand.
“Make them compensate, then send them to the authorities.”
The waiter snapped back to his senses, pulled out all the money on him, and begged, “Miss, spare me! I was only following orders. The fault lies with our shopkeeper, not me!”
The chief shopkeeper of Fahua Tower, who had just entered: “…”
Under the suspicious gazes of all present, he said urgently, “Do not make baseless accusations. I am the abbot’s lay brother. This tower exists precisely because the abbot wished to support me properly. Why would I stoop to such petty profit?”
Miss Player nodded. “That’s true—you wouldn’t.”
The shopkeeper: “…”
He kicked the waiter. “Stop talking nonsense.”
The waiter clutched his head. “There’s more than one shopkeeper! I meant the second shopkeeper!”
Miss Player had already lost interest in them. She turned to the Feng brothers with a smile and bowed slightly.
“I remember—you’re from a village in the hills, with only a small river. Have you started raising fish in ponds now?”
The brothers both recognized her. Anyone who had seen her once would never forget.
The two families had maintained contact. The Jiang family treated benefactors with courtesy, never slighting them for being mere villagers. Even Madam Sun, who was usually frugal, did not stop Madam Qian from sending gifts during festivals. The Feng family would reciprocate with mountain produce, though they never lingered or sought favor.
The elder brother, who had been rubbing his rough hands all along, finally calmed under her gentle tone and replied, “Yesterday morning, a hole opened in the upstream embankment. Big fish came rushing down. The water was muddy, fish jumping everywhere—even in the shallows. Easy to catch.”
“We couldn’t eat it all, and couldn’t keep them alive. My mother wanted to pickle them, but the weather’s been bad—no sun. Even if we used salt, they’d spoil.”
“So we had no choice but to sell them.”
Cuixi County lay by the river, with many embankments. Damage was common.
No one in the room thought much of it—except Miss Player.
Her brows furrowed. “Where exactly is upstream of Xikou Village?”
The elder brother answered, “The Cang River.”
For the first time, even Wen Yan’s expression shifted. “The broken embankment… could it be—”
“The Cang River dam,” the elder brother said.
Silence fell.
Then the realization struck like thunder.