Chapter Forty-Six: Seeking a Project

The next day, when Gou Ye awoke, no matter how he racked his brains, he could not recall how he had returned to the residence. Just then, with a bang, Gu Shen burst through the door, laughing heartily, “Young Master Gou, oh Young Master Gou, where did you go last night? Do you even know how you got back?”

Gou Ye rubbed his head and sat up, eyeing Gu Shen’s sly grin. “Was it you who brought me back?”

Gu Shen settled into a chair, laughing at Gou Ye’s appearance for a good while before finally speaking. “I’m not so capable as to drag you back from the perfumed chambers myself. Who knows how much you drank last night, or with whom! It was sheer luck the steward was headed to the privy and heard you knocking at the door, or else you’d have spent the night right on the threshold. Did you know? It was the steward who hauled you in—you were limp as mud, vomiting all the while. You’ll be cleaning the courtyard for that, mind you! When I saw you, you were already dead to the world. I called you, but you didn’t so much as stir. That’s why I hurried over first thing this morning. So, who was it you drank with last night? Don’t tell me it was a man—I could smell the fragrance of powder and rouge all over you.”

With a sigh, Gou Ye patted his forehead and muttered softly, “Wanxiang.”

Gu Shen shot upright, astonished. “Who? Wanxiang? You sly dog! I told you to seek her out and you refused, but went sneaking off on your own! Come now, confess—did you do something untoward last night?”

Gou Ye glared at him, replying irritably, “If I’d done anything improper, would you have seen me at all last night? Now I remember—Wanxiang and I both drank too much. Afterwards, I laid her on the bed, covered her with a quilt, and left. I can’t recall what happened after that.”

Gu Shen looked utterly disappointed and cried out, “Heavens! What a waste! You carried her to bed, and did nothing? Just tucked her in? Tell me, Gou Ye, are you even a man? Such a chance—men dream of it, and you let it slip by. Truly, you’re worse than a beast!”

But Gou Ye felt not the least regret for his actions. Had he done anything, then he would indeed have been less than human. Matters of the heart must be willingly entered—how could one take advantage of another’s weakness? Besides, Gou Ye did not feel that deeply for her. How could he, in a moment of drunken impulse, do such a thing? He answered Gu Shen, still exasperated, “Your way of thinking is truly bestial. I would never take advantage like that. If I had, how could I face her today? What should I do—marry her? And what of Yun Niang? I haven’t even touched her, yet would have shared a bridal chamber with another first. Am I still a man?”

Gu Shen reconsidered and, though a little disappointed as a man, admired Gou Ye’s self-control all the more. Such restraint—he couldn’t help but look at Gou Ye with newfound respect.

“By the way, how are the Guo brothers faring?” Gou Ye asked, sitting up.

At the mention of them, Gu Shen grew animated. “Don’t get me started. Since you weren’t here last night, I had them dine at the residence. The way they eat—you can’t imagine. I’d say, at the very least, they polished off enough for a whole sheep between them! If you hadn’t reminded me, I’d have forgotten—make sure you settle their food expenses later.”

Gou Ye ignored this, thinking that now he’d been in the county town for three days, it was time to stroll through the streets and see if he could come up with a lucrative project for the village. In any case, he ought to return tomorrow—Yun Niang must be worried by now, and he didn’t want the villagers to think he was sulking and refusing to go back.

“What’s for lunch? I’m famished. After we eat, come with me to the market,” he said. Gu Shen promptly propped a foot on his chair and retorted, “Are you all banding together to eat me out of house and home? Those two finish, and now you want to eat. No way—you’ll have to pay double for the food this time!”

Though Gu Shen said so, he was only jesting. He still prepared a lavish lunch for Gou Ye and the Guo brothers—chicken, duck, fish, and meat, everything one could wish for.

Upon seeing the Guo brothers today, Gou Ye found them much transformed: their clothes were clean and neat, their hair tidy, and even their beards freshly shaven. Coupled with their honest, unassuming demeanor, no one would guess they were once skilled bandits; they could easily pass for retired soldiers. Gou Ye looked them over with satisfaction, though the two brothers seemed a bit embarrassed under his scrutiny.

When the four sat down to eat, Gou Ye and the Guo brothers devoured the food like starving wolves. Only then did Gou Ye truly understand Gu Shen’s earlier complaint. He himself was hungry, but ate no more than two bowls of rice and a single dish, while the remaining five or six dishes and an entire bucket of rice disappeared into the Guo brothers. Looking at the two of them, Gou Ye could only foresee an endless stream of future meal expenses, and felt a pang of distress.

Apart from Gu Shen, Gou Ye and the brothers ate with great gusto. The three lounged back in their chairs like lords of leisure. If not for Gu Shen’s urging, Gou Ye would have been reluctant to leave the house at all that day.

By afternoon, the four headed to the market. To avoid alarming others, Gou Ye had the Guo brothers leave their great axes at the residence. They themselves had nothing they wished to buy and simply followed Gou Ye wherever he went. However, as first-time attendants, they glowered suspiciously at everyone they passed, intimidating many a pedestrian, until Gu Shen reminded them to behave normally.

The people of Tumen Village lived mainly by farming and raising livestock—they had neither natural resources nor advantageous conditions. Gou Ye racked his brains but could find no solution. After wandering the market for half the day, he saw no business suited to most villagers. Was he truly to return empty-handed today?

“Brother Gou Ye, we’ve been wandering for hours. Why not find a place to rest? I’m terribly thirsty, and lunch was so light I’m still a bit hungry. Shall we find some snacks?” Gu Shen rubbed his stomach, looking exhausted.

With nothing else in mind, Gou Ye simply followed Gu Shen to a teahouse, where they ordered a pot of tea and some pastries.

As soon as the food arrived, Gou Ye stared thoughtfully at the pastries. Gu Shen left him to his musings and began eating quietly. Suddenly, Gou Ye sprang up with a loud exclamation, “I’ve got it!” startling everyone nearby, who turned to look, thinking him mad.

Before he could explain, he dashed out of the teahouse, calling back, “Wait for me at the residence—I’ll be right back!”