Chapter 12: Catching Bugs

Zhu Fenglan returned to the Zhu residence on Greenfish Street, her body heavy with exhaustion.

"Cousin is back! Let me go get her a bowl."

Wang Chan had sharp ears. Before Zhu Fenglan had even stepped into the courtyard, the girl had heard the commotion. She immediately set down the wooden rake she had been using to turn the rice and hurried toward the kitchen to fetch a porcelain bowl, wanting to share the sweet herbal tea with her. The young girl was thin, but her movements were agile, and she vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

"Father," Zhu Fenglan said, watching the girl's retreating back and then turning to look at Zhu Congyun as if he were a heartless slave driver, her eyes filled with disapproval. "Chan is only just recovering. How could you make her do the work of drying grain?"

Zhu Congyun was unbothered. What was wrong with drying a little grain? People needed to stay active and get close to the earth to feel refreshed! He hadn't seen it, but Chan had been pushing the rice quite happily, occasionally even shaping the mounds into patterns; it was just a shame the yard wasn't bigger to let her really show off. Tomorrow, he would put in the effort to find a cart and take the grain to the main drying field—the space there was vast, enough for the little girl to run to her heart's content.

"Why shouldn't she work? Under the sun, the girl's cheeks get rosy and her eyes brighten. That sickly look is gone; she looks full of spirit!" He waved his hand dismissively. "If you don't understand, stop trying to dictate!"

When it came to raising children, Zhu Congyun considered himself quite capable.

Zhu Fenglan: ... She had raised two children of her own. In terms of numbers, she was the winner, thank you very much!

...

"About the Liu family... was it the eldest son or the eldest daughter-in-law?" Zhu Congyun changed the subject, unwilling to bicker with her.

"Father, how did you know?" Zhu Fenglan widened her eyes, looking him up and down. "Can you divine the future or something?"

"If I could divine the future, would I be asking you?" Zhu Congyun retorted crossly. He swatted at a mosquito with his palm-leaf fan, gestured toward the kitchen with his chin, and recounted the matter of the "old house thief." Finally, he added, "It was Chan who reminded me. Sometimes, it’s only when things are right under the lamp that they remain hidden for so long." He looked at her face. "And looking at your expression... tsk, I can tell at a glance that you’re holding in a bellyful of anger."

And she was. Zhu Fenglan felt absolutely incensed.

"...When I got back, Auntie was still lying in bed; it was me and Aping who helped her up. That butcher Liu Congsong is useless, can't count on him for a thing!"

"He saw he had angered his own mother, and at first, his face went pale. But once he recovered, he acted as if nothing had happened. Once he spat out his true colors, he actually felt relieved!" Zhu Fenglan said indignantly. "Father, do you know? He even clutched his chest, saying he was hurt and that he wanted to eat the porridge Aping had cooked."

"Who gave him the nerve? Pfft! Eat, eat, eat—I think he deserves a kick in the teeth! Saying he had a moment of wickedness and knew he was wrong, then having the gall to apologize to Aping—who wants his apology? Does his mouth spit gold? Was that apology inlaid with jewels?"

"Aping has a good temper, but her fingers were white from gripping the bowl, and she bit her teeth to keep from saying anything harsh. But not me! I splashed the porridge right into his face. Let him have a good taste of it!"

Recalling her small act of defiance—dousing Liu Congsong in hot porridge—Zhu Fenglan felt her anger subside slightly. He deserved it! That face was useless anyway; it should have been scalded off! The shameless, rotten thing!

Zhu Congyun: ... "Lan, you splashed him?" That was bold.

Zhu Fenglan: "That’s right, I splashed him."

...

Auntie Cui had fainted, and even after waking, she remained lethargic, her eyes vacant. The old woman, usually so sharp-tongued and picky, had been struck by the truth and seemed to have had her soul drained away. Worried, Liu Xiaoping had gone to the kitchen to boil porridge with some astragalus, hoping to strengthen her heart and calm her spirit.

Liu Congsong had followed the scent. His sister had married well in the past and had lived with several families, none of them simple—all wealthy or noble. It was true; ordinary families lacked the coin, and just feeding a household was difficult enough—where would they find the money to procure a wife? His sister had seen much and knew much. If nothing else, the nourishing porridge she made was better than anyone else’s.

He had stepped forward, clutching his chest to apologize and beg for food. Just like when they were children, he would admit he was wrong, take a scolding or a beating, and it would all blow over. When a family lives together, teeth will inevitably bite the tongue; when is there ever a time without conflict?

The next moment, he was hit by Zhu Fenglan’s porridge, covering his face and screaming.

...

Zhu Congyun: ...

Zhu Fenglan: "Father, I know what you mean. I shouldn't get too involved in the Liu family's business. As the old saying goes, 'Rotten meat stays in the pot.' Who knows how Auntie Cui and Uncle Liu will eventually handle it?" She looked defeated.

It was exhaustion, the feeling of a warm heart unable to find purchase. Blood is thicker than water; once they reconcile, they will be a family again. As an outsider, interfering too much would just make her a nuisance.

"I just can't stand it. Aping is such a good person; why should she suffer like this? Father, you know, that butcher is a real scoundrel. He talks like a rogue, even saying he wanted his parents to take him to the magistrate’s office. Pfft! He only dared to say that because he knew his parents wouldn't do it."

The gates of the yamen face south, but if you have reason but no money, do not enter. Ordinary folk are honest; if they can solve a problem themselves, they do. Only when it is truly unbearable do they beat the drum of injustice.

Zhu Fenglan slumped, her voice losing its edge. "I’ve been watching from the sidelines, and this matter... it’s likely to just fizzle out."

"The one who suffers will be Aping alone. Not only has she wasted all these years, but she’s also had all sorts of gossip spread about her..."

"Whenever I think of it, my heart aches. If I don't do something, I’m afraid I won't be able to eat or sleep out of sheer anger!"

Zhu Congyun stopped fanning himself. He rested his hands on his knees for a long time before saying, "In the future, stay away from the Liu boy. That lad’s heart—it is rotten to the core, completely hopeless."

As an older man who often took on outside work—not just carving tombstones, but working in the estates of the wealthy, carving stone lions for gates and rockeries for gardens—he had seen and heard far more than a woman like Zhu Fenglan.

"What kind of 'good family'..." He sighed. "He was being vague about that part!"

"He was planning to sell Aping—his own sister, born of the same father and mother, raised together since childhood—to a pleasure house as a blind prostitute! He truly left her no way to live."

"A blind prostitute!" At the word "prostitute," Zhu Fenglan was shocked. She murmured, "So it wasn't a marriage, but a brothel?"

"Yes." Zhu Congyun's heart was heavy. He had thought the man was bad, but he hadn't imagined he could be *that* evil. Not only a brothel, but he had intended to blind her. In those places, the patrons and the people in the wards all had rotten guts—worse than the stinking shrimp and mud at the bottom of a river—and their methods of torment were bizarre and cruel. Even if she were lucky enough to survive, once she grew old, lost her looks, and had no value left, how could a blind woman possibly live?

"No way to live, truly no way to live..."

Zhu Fenglan started to say something more.

"Enough, let’s not talk about the Liu family anymore. It only brings unhappiness. We are neither the victims nor his parents; there is no use in thinking about it, and we have no say in the matter!" Zhu Congyun cut her off and gestured. "Chan is here."

The young girl shouldn't hear such things; it would dirty her ears. Zhu Fenglan immediately stopped and looked toward the girl. Her gaze fell on the black porcelain bowl in Wang Chan’s hands, and she forced a smile.

"You’re so thoughtful, girl. I just went to the Liu house and then back home. Those two rascals, your cousins, were running wild outside. One was shouting at me that he was hungry, the other that he was hot, asking where his thin clothes were—not one of them asked if I was thirsty or poured me a glass of water."

Wang Chan blushed at the praise. "Cousin is good to me, so naturally, I should be good to Cousin. To return a peach for a plum—in the end, it’s all thanks to Cousin’s good teaching."

Zhu Fenglan laughed. "Yes, yes. Father, did you hear that? It’s all my credit."

Wang Chan looked at Zhu Fenglan, who despite her exhaustion and slumped shoulders, was forcing herself to be lively and cheerful, thoughtfully avoiding any further mention of the Liu family. Whether it was because she had died once before, or because of the benefits of cultivating the stone, Wang Chan’s senses were far sharper than an ordinary person’s. In particular, her hearing was keen; she had heard every word of the conversation between Zhu Fenglan and her father.

*Blind prostitute.* Wang Chan chewed on the term, her beautiful brows knitting together. Although she didn't know the exact meaning, she knew instinctively it was something terrible.

...

"By the way," after finishing the herbal tea, Zhu Fenglan felt a bit more settled. Remembering something, she reached into her pocket and handed a pouch to Wang Chan. It was a plum-colored pouch, simple and unadorned, containing the pine-green stone carving of the Xiezhi.

"Aping asked me to return this. The evildoer has been found; from now on, she can protect herself. She also said thank you for today—to you, and to Master Xiezhi."

Wang Chan took it, lowered her eyes, and let her fingertips brush over the small stone carving, carefully sensing the *qi* field within. Sure enough, the stone had protected its owner, and the *qi* field was thin. The Xiezhi inside seemed exhausted; its sharp horn had lost its luster, its broom-like tail hung limp, and its large eyes were closed, as if it were snoring in its sleep. The stone itself, originally a mix of pine-green and gold, now had only faint, swirling specks of light.

It was time to nourish the stone, Wang Chan thought to herself.

...

"Why does it look less vibrant than it did in your hands, Chan?" Zhu Fenglan asked, suddenly noticing. "It’s like—it’s like it was when Father first brought it out."

Back then, it had been dull, like an ordinary stone carving, only becoming brilliant and finely detailed once it was in Wang Chan's hands. "Father, take a look, I'm not seeing things, am I?"

Zhu Congyun looked at the stone. "It is a bit listless."

"It's just hungry and tired, it needs to rest..." Wang Chan replied, stumbling slightly as she explained her shallow experience in stone-nourishing to the two who knew nothing of it. "I’ll hold it for a while and nourish it properly, and it will be full of spirit again."

Wang Chan tugged on the Xiezhi’s horn. Perhaps she was a bit too rough, because the broom-like tail inside the stone flicked against her hand. The Xiezhi snorted, though its large eyes remained closed. *Don't bother me! It’s not easy carrying such a heavy person! I'm tired, I don't want to move!*

"Hehe, it really has a temper." Wang Chan withdrew her hand. She wasn't angry at being struck; her large eyes curved into crescent moons. Even though she hadn't carved the stone herself, it was the stone that had led her onto the path of cultivation, and she felt a natural bond with it.

Thinking for a moment, she used her previous method, plucking the bright *qi* from the air and draping it over the Xiezhi. At this moment, the sun was setting behind the mountains, the daylight taking on an orange hue, and the crescent moon was faintly visible; the sunlight was mixed with a hint of lunar essence. The Xiezhi drank a few mouthfuls, and finding it comfortable, fell into an even deeper sleep.

"This—" Zhu Congyun and Zhu Fenglan exchanged a glance. They watched Wang Chan, seeing her eyes slightly lowered, light flickering within them. In the shadows, her black-and-white eyes seemed clearer, appearing somewhat mysterious.

Zhu Congyun stroked his beard. "Don't make a sound. This is a good thing. Chan must have glimpsed the 'World Within the Stone' again."

He was stunned by Wang Chan's innate talent. Zhu Congyun was the grandson of the ancestor of stone-nourishers; he had seen such people, and even spent time with them. Because of that closeness, he knew that for a stone-nourisher, it was not every time that one could so easily connect with the World Within the Stone. It was a profound, mysterious sensation, and every instance relied on fate. If it were this easy, then diligence could compensate for clumsiness!

"That girl Chan is extraordinary," Zhu Congyun sighed.

A moment later, the light in Wang Chan’s eyes faded, and the stone-nourishing *qi* field surrounding her dissipated. Zhu Fenglan and Zhu Congyun looked, and sure enough, the once-gray stone seemed to have been refreshed, looking far more spirited.

...

Looking at the Xiezhi, Wang Chan felt a pang of regret for the one she had brought out of the coffin. "If only I had known how to nourish stones back then! If I had nurtured it like I do the Xiezhi, perhaps it would still be by my side today." To take without giving was like a talisman; once the *qi* was exhausted, it would turn to ash, and the stone would crumble into dust.

"This is fate," Zhu Congyun comforted her. "In life, how can everything go exactly as one wishes?"

...

"By the way, has Chan remembered anything from before?"

The grain exposed to the sun couldn't be collected immediately; it had to cool down, or it would get damp. Zhu Fenglan couldn't bear to see the young girl working, so she shooed her inside to rest while she chased the sparrows from the yard. Watching the birds, she remembered what her father had said and turned back, surprised. *Old house thief*—she remembered the cousin reading in the yard, saying that the little sparrows were "old house thieves." Her father must have remembered it too!

"What about her father? Did he really go to marry a new wife?"

Zhu Congyun: "Who knows? She says she only remembers fragments. I could see she misses him, but she’s stubborn and likely holding a grudge. I told her I’d send someone to the prefectural city to tell her father to return to Rouge Town once. Whether it’s good or bad, we should lay it all out on the table."

"She didn't say a word, just kept pushing the rice."

Zhu Fenglan: "Why go to such trouble? This afternoon, when the Wu family servants were leaving, I specifically sent a message with them, telling them to inform their son-in-law that even with a new wife, he shouldn't abandon his daughter from the first. At the very least, send a letter or come back himself." Using the term "son-in-law," Zhu Fenglan’s voice was filled with disdain.

"Counting the boat trip, if everything goes smoothly, he should get the message by tomorrow."